diplomacy

Board Member Lee Wolosky to be Special Envoy for Guantanamo Closure For Immediate Release – June 30, 2015 The National Security Network welcomes the appointment of Lee Wolosky as Special Envoy for Guantanamo Closure. A decade ago, Lee was a founding member of the National Security Network, and he has served as a board member since that time. Lee’s extensive experience in government, law, and diplomacy will allow him to make progress toward the critical national security goal of closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, which has damaged relationships with U.S. allies and served as a propaganda tool for terrorists.In addition to his background in counterterrorism, transnational threats, and the rule of law, Lee brings to the position a demonstrated ability to work in a… Read More ›

The U.S.-Japan Alliance Gets an Upgrade April 27, 2015 This week, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is in Washington to address a joint session of Congress. This is the first time any Japanese prime minister has addressed both chambers of Congress. The historic event stands as a stiff rebuke to conservatives who charge that the United States has allowed its system of global alliances to decay. On the contrary, the U.S.-Japan alliance – the cornerstone of America’s network of friends in the Asia-Pacific – is becoming stronger and more central to Tokyo and Washington’s mutual interest in a peaceful and prosperous Asia-Pacific region. During Abe’s trip, the United States and Japan are poised to finalize a long-negotiated upgrade to the military alliance between the two… Read More ›

Rubio’s Platform is All Criticism, No Alternatives April 14, 2015 Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) punted on foreign policy and national security issues in his speech  announcing his candidacy for president,  limiting his discussion of these issues to a single paragraph. Still, his positions are as clear as they are familiar: Sen. Rubio espouses the same Cold War mentality that made Sen. John McCain such a troubling candidate for commander-in-chief in 2008. He is quick to criticize what he sees as American weakness, from the nuclear negotiations with Iran to U.S. policies toward Russia and China, but he fails to present credible alternatives. As he builds his platform in the months to come, he will need to make a compelling case for not just what’s wrong… Read More ›

Sen. Corker’s Iran Legislation: A Bad Bill Beyond Repair April 13, 2015 Tomorrow, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is expected to mark up the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015, a bill proposed by Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) and Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ). The bill has been percolating in Congress for months and has been described as a reasonable alternative to sanctions legislation that would derail the P5+1 Iranian nuclear negotiations. However, Sen. Corker’s legislation contains a litany of provisions that would move the goalposts on an agreement and make any deal – even a good deal – almost impossible to implement. Some senators are expected to propose several amendments tomorrow to try to rectify some of these concerns, while Republican members plan on… Read More ›

Understanding the Crisis in Yemen March 27, 2015 With Yemeni President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi facing a Houthi offensive against his refuge in Aden earlier this week, Saudi Arabia and a coalition of Sunni-majority nations launched a military intervention to push back the Houthis’ gains and restore Hadi’s government to Sanaa. Though the United States is not responsible for Yemen’s recent decline, it has for too long emphasized counterterrorism at the expense of political and economic concerns. Going forward, it should look to deescalate the conflict and restart the country’s political transition – the best way to bring Yemen the stability it needs to confront its many challenges. There are ways the United States can do that within the Saudi-led coalition, to which the United… Read More ›

Lethal Aid for Ukraine: Assessing Costs and Benefits As Russia’s support for separatist forces in Eastern Ukraine and direct involvement in the conflict there continues to escalate, French President François Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are in Moscow in an effort to negotiate a ceasefire and diplomatic solution with their Russian counterparts. Meanwhile, with Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry in Europe, there are reports that the United States is considering the provision of defensive arms to Ukraine should diplomacy not be immediately successful. Taking the step of providing arms to Ukraine has garnered increasing support from members of Congress and outside experts. While it is clear that the United States and Europe need to reinforce their response to Russia,… Read More ›

Obama Building U.S.-India Strategic Partnership for the 21st Century President Obama met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi this weekend, their second bilateral summit since September 2014, when the two leaders announced a “renewed U.S.-India partnership for the 21st century.” Now, the United States and India are following up on that commitment with additional action to strengthen the foundation of the strategic relationship. That effort is meeting significant success, with Prime Minister Modi announcing that “Our relationship stands at a new level today” following the unprecedented invitation and attendance of President Obama at India’s 66th Republic Day. Already, agreements have been reached on a wide range of mutual interests between the two nations, including trade and investment, security, nuclear energy, and climate change. While much work… Read More ›

The decision by President Obama to normalize U.S. diplomatic relations with Cuba and set America on a course to end sanctions has brought the Cold War with Cuba to a close – long after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Taking a new approach to Cuba updates American foreign policy toward Latin America for the 21st century and provides important strategic benefits to the United States. America will no longer be isolated internationally by its Cuba policy and has removed a significant roadblock to American leadership in Latin America, where leaders have strongly opposed Washington’s outdated approach to Havana. The move, which is substantially supported by domestic public opinion, including Cuban-Americans, also sets up the United States for modest economic gains. President Obama’s decision further… Read More ›

National Security Network Statement on Plans to Normalize Relations with Cuba FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 17, 2014  Washington, DC — Along with the release of  USAID contractor Alan Gross and an unnamed U.S. intelligence asset, President Obama announced today sweeping changes in U.S. policy with Cuba, normalizing relations after half a century of Cold War isolation. National Security Network’s Executive Director John Bradshaw today issued the following statement: President Obama’s bold action in restoring relations with Cuba is more likely to lead to positive changes in the lives of the Cuban people than current policy. The new opening gets beyond rigid Cold War mindsets of the past and looks at the practical realities of the current situation, recognizing that our estrangement from Cuba is not changing the… Read More ›

US ‘Better Off’ Negotiating Syrian Peace Talks With Russia: Major General December 13, 2014 | Sputnik International “The US administration should use every opportunity to negotiate a Syrian peace deal with Russia, retired Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton has told Sputnik. ‘Any opportunity that you can sit down and talk, and negotiate with your friends or opponents, the better off we are,’ Eaton said Friday when asked whether the Obama administration should take up the recent Russian offer to relaunch talks to settle the conflict in Syria. ‘Any opportunity you can to sit down with Russian negotiators should be taken [because] the outcome can always be a negotiated result,’ Eaton stressed, saying ‘it is better to jaw-jaw, than to war-war’, referring to a quote by former British prime minister Winston Churchill. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on Wednesday that if Syrian officials wanted to meet in Moscow, he would discuss the issue… Read More ›