Congress Needs to Step up to the Plate and Pass an Islamic State AUMF This week, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is expected to conduct a hearing on an Islamic State Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) and work on draft legislation. The hearing and legislative process in the Committee is expected to be contentious with uncertain prospects for any piece of legislation to move forward during the limited time left for this Congress. Nonetheless, Congress has the responsibility to act decisively as soon as possible, especially given that the war has far exceeded the 60-day limit under the War Powers Resolution and Congress is preparing to authorize and appropriate new funds for the conflict. In acting, Congress should apply the lessons from the… Read More ›

The NDAA and Defense Challenges Ahead This week, the House passed the FY 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) after an extended period of behind-the-scenes negotiation. The Senate is expected to vote on the measure next week. The bill authorizes $495.6 billion in discretionary base funding for the Pentagon and $63.7 billion in Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funds. While the proposed legislation excised some of the more counterproductive measures that were part of previous versions and takes on modest reforms in tough areas like compensation, the final version of the bill makes clear that nominee for secretary of defense Ash Carter will have his hands full in trying to rein in the Pentagon to be more cost-efficient and effective. F-35 development and production is fully… Read More ›

December 4, 2014 | SiriusXM Morning Briefing      On Thursday, December 4, NSN’s Executive Director John Bradshaw was interviewed by Tim Farley for Sirius XM’s POTUS Morning Briefing on the likely nomination of Ashton Carter as the new secretary of defense.  Farley began the interview by posing the question “Are there challenges today that are different from those when Chuck Hagel took over as secretary of defense?” Bradshaw stated that the situation is more complicated today, especially since Hagel’s term began with the task of winding down two wars, yet when he left office he was overseeing a new one against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.  Along with running this new war, Bradshaw said, Carter also faces budgetary challenges as well as… Read More ›

Iran Extension Is a Good Deal – Don’t Stop Now Congressional hawks are readying new sanctions against Iran despite last week’s extension of the negotiations between Tehran and the P5+1 nations to resolve the issue of Iran’s nuclear program. The extension of the interim agreement, the Joint Plan of Action (JPOA), imposes further restrictions on Iran’s program: In addition to halting all nuclear enrichment, Iran will freeze its development of new centrifuges and further reduce its stockpile of enriched uranium, extending its potential breakout time. Iran must also allow more frequent and intrusive inspections of its nuclear facilities. The extension has many vocal supporters in Congress who recognize the benefit of rolling back Iran’s nuclear program and preserving the potential for a peaceful, negotiated agreement.… Read More ›

Last week, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced he would be stepping down from his position. While the timeline for his replacement is not entirely certain, what is certain is that a host of national security challenges await the next secretary of defense at a time of complicated relations between the Pentagon, the White House and Congress. Top among the challenges are better matching American military strategy to available resources, pursuing long-overdue cost-savings reforms, putting an end to the abuse of Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funds, handling – and gaining authorization for – the conflict against the Islamic State, and overseeing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility through additional transfer of detainees and, ideally, its closure. 1. Develop a military strategy that achieves U.S. national security… Read More ›

Republicans’ Next Clash with Obama: Iran Nuclear Talks By Michael Mathes November 25, 2014 | Agence France-Presse  The impact — even if a veto stands — could be severe, said John Bradshaw, who heads the National Security Network, a progressive think tank. “It’s not a situation that would inspire a lot of confidence in the Iranians that it’s a long-term commitment by the United States, and that they should fulfil their end of a commitment in terms of inspections and suspending enrichment activities,” Bradshaw told AFP. “In the near term, the president has the advantage, but Congress can do a lot to undermine diplomacy.” Bradshaw warned of other “counter-productive” efforts being considered, including a bid to cut off funding for the State Department’s work with… Read More ›

Extension of Talks Keeps Iran’s Nuclear Program Frozen and Potential Deal Alive Diplomats in Vienna today announced that, after credible progress over the last several days, they would extend negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program into next year, for up to seven months. The extension preserves the terms of the Joint Plan of Action (JPOA), which has frozen Iran’s nuclear program for the past year and resulted in reductions of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium. “This takes time, the stakes are high, and the issues are complicated and technical,” Secretary of State John Kerry said today in Vienna. “This is not certainly the time to get up and walk away.” Though experts and politicians had hoped for an agreement by today’s deadline, many said this morning that… Read More ›

U.S. Foreign Policy & National Security Priorities – Implications of the Midterm Elections NSN recently co-sponsored an event at Florida State University featuring Ambassador Nancy Soderberg. Ambassador Soderberg spoke about the recent midterm elections and their implications for National Security and Foreign Policy. She began by discussing President Obama’s recent immigration action and the outlook for the new Congress on issues ranging from the Iran nuclear negotiations to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement. She went on to talk about the NATO response to Russian aggression, as well as prospects for U.S. cooperation on a range of issues with China. She also discussed the Obama administration’s current strategy for combating the Islamic State and expressed her belief that the Iraqi army will only be capable of… Read More ›

By John Bradshaw, Executive Director of the National Security Network November 23, 2014 | Real Clear World If a nuclear deal with Iran is reached tomorrow, or sometime next year, it is likely to face considerable skepticism in a divided and increasingly hawkish U.S. Congress. While any agreement reached between Iran, the United States and the P5+1 countries will not require Senate approval since it will not be a treaty, the deal can be undermined by a lack of Congressional support in the short term, and it will require Congressional endorsement and a lifting of sanctions later on. Opponents of any deal with Iran are adept at using visceral, fear-based arguments to question the very premises of diplomatic engagement with a country the United States… Read More ›

Program explored issues of human rights and national security By John Bradshaw November 23, 2014 | Tallahassee Democrat The National Security Network (NSN), the Washington-based think tank I head, facilitates events that help ensure an engaged public. NSN was founded in 2006 to revitalize America’s national security policy by promoting pragmatic international engagement that emphasizes diplomatic and economic tools, and responsible use of military force when necessary, to ensure America’s security and promote American values. As part of NSN’s public outreach, we co-sponsored a Human Rights & National Security in the 21st Century Lecture with FSU/CAHR at FSU’s College of Law this past Friday that featured Nancy Soderberg, an American foreign policy strategist who held several senior level positions during the Clinton administration, including Deputy… Read More ›