Military
Jeb Bush Lays out Limited Foreign Policy Vision
February 20, 2015
On Wednesday, Jeb Bush laid out the foreign policy framework for his anticipated presidential campaign in a speech at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Bush’s remarks covered a broad range of subjects, and while he identified many of the pressing international challenges facing the United States, his remarks lacked clarity or solutions. As the […]
Obama’s ISIL AUMF: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
February 11, 2015
This morning, the White House sent Congress the text of its proposed Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against the Islamic State. The proposed legislation includes strengths and weaknesses that deserve careful analysis and debate. Overall, the proposal would set important, if imperfect, limits on the war against the Islamic State, including: a three-year […]
Hill Briefing: President’s National Security Budget
February 5, 2015
Strategic and Sustainable? Thursday, February 5, 2015 ABOUT THE BRIEFING: National Security Network, the Council for a Livable World, and the National Taxpayers Union co-host two Pentagon budget briefings, one for the House and the other for the Senate. The President’s FY16 Budget Request is expected to bust the Pentagon budget caps set by the Budget Control Act–and […]
Pentagon Budget: Failure to Adapt to 21st-Century Threats
February 4, 2015
This week, the Pentagon submitted its annual budget to Congress, requesting $585.3 billion total, including a base budget of $534.3 billion and $50.9 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO). The request blew past the spending caps imposed by the Budget Control Act (BCA), which limits base spending to $499 billion – nearly $100 billion more […]
NSN Mentioned by CQ on Defense Concerning Ashton Carter Nomination
The Center for Strategic and International Studies and the National Security Network have their own ideas about Carter’s top challenges.
Top 5 Questions for Ashton Carter’s Confirmation Hearing
February 2, 2015
Later this week, the Senate is scheduled to consider Ashton Carter’s nomination for Secretary of Defense. New leadership at the Pentagon provides an opportunity for policy changes that require careful thought and effective dialogue with Congress. The nomination hearing can begin this process by digging into some of the critical questions facing the Department of […]
Tackling Compensation and Personnel Challenges at the Pentagon
January 30, 2015
Ahead of the Pentagon’s budget request next week that is expected to ask for a sizable increase, a host of recent studies have highlighted ways to reduce top-line spending while addressing pressing challenges within the Department of Defense. The Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission – headed by retired officials from the Pentagon, military and former […]
A Smarter Way to Spend on Defense | Tobias Gibson
January 21, 2015
Tobias T. Gibson, NSN Non-Resident Fellow January 21, 2015 | The Hill The United States has historically had significant difficulty preparing for the kinds of conflicts it finds itself involved in. For example, despite the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States continued preparing for conventional conflict during the 1990s. The result was a […]
Bill French quoted by Vice News on Drones on the Border
January 9, 2015
US Drone Border Patrol Program a Huge Waste of Money, Homeland Security Report Reveals By Meredith Hoffman January 8, 2014 | Vice News The US may have wasted millions of dollars on drones that have ineffectively patrolled the Mexico border, a scathing Homeland Security report has revealed. The US Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) drone surveillance […]
CFR Features NSN Brief on Arming Syrian Rebels
December 24, 2014
Top of the Agenda, Jordanian Fighter Pilot Captured by Islamic State December 24, 2014 | Council on Foreign Relations A Jordanian fighter pilot crashed while flying a mission over northern Syria (BBC) and has been captured by Islamic State militants, the government of Jordan confirmed on Wednesday. It is the first coalition aircraft to be lost in […]
