National Security Experts

Latest Articles in this Channel:

08/22/11--03:00: What Can Be Done to Prepare for a Post-Assad Syria? (chan 1357340)

By calling for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down and imposing a raft of tough new sanctions, the Obama administration ramped up the diplomatic and economic pressure on Damascus. Still, it's unclear what leverage the U.S. and its allies have to actually force the strongman out of power.

With more and more countries calling for Assad to step down, rather than making reforms, what will a post-Assad Syria look like? Syria's opposition has been repressed for decades, and amid the bloodshed, its leaders are struggling to coalesce. What are the chances that a country like Syria--whose opposition now includes some Alawites, Druze, Christians, the Muslim Brotherhood, secular leaders, local leaders and youth activists--will come together and present a cohesive plan for transition? What are the regional security risks if Syria is made even more unstable by political confusion? What lessons can be learned from turbulent transitions in Tunisia and Egypt?

While several countries withdrew their ambassadors from Syria, U.S. Ambassador Robert Ford remains in Damascus to continue discussions with opposition figures and press the government to heed the U.S. message. Should Ford stay in the country? What can be done to prepare for a post-Assad Syria? How should the U.S. deal with the hodgepodge of opposition figures? The U.S. is very cautious not to appear as if it is interfering in another country's struggle. What can the U.S. do to tread the diplomatic line between supporting protesters and helping a transition to democracy, and being seen as controlling a revolution?




08/29/11--06:30: How Has the Obama Administration Handled the Crisis in Libya? (chan 1357340)

Obama's strategy in Libya amounted to staying resolutely behind the scenes throughout the five-month NATO air operation. To wit: Don't say the United States is openly engaged in ousting Muammar el-Qaddafi. Don't even concede the United States is going to war. Take cover behind a political imprimatur for action from the Arab League and United Nations, and let Europe lead the strike forces. Then modestly take credit--albeit only with a restrained statement from Martha's Vineyard, where Obama has been vacationing.

Obama has maintained that the U.S. was not at war in Libya because the American role was confined to a defensive posture of "suppressing" enemy air defenses, to intelligence-gathering, and to surveillance and reconnaissance capability--but NATO says U.S. involvement in recent weeks has verged into clearly offensive attacks using armed Predator drones on selected targets, especially as a desperate Qaddafi sought to quietly shift his troops to civilian hideouts in the final stages.

If and when Qaddafi falls, does Obama's strategy of a low-profile, stealthy U.S. role of "leading from behind" deserve any credit? Will he get it? Should this provide a model for future military operations? Or, do you agree with critics who say Qaddafi might have been toppled faster and fewer people would have been killed if America had led the mission militarily from the start?

Once Qaddafi goes, do you believe the U.S. should participate in a peacekeeping mission if the rebels--or the U.N.--deem it necessary? What about American military boots on the ground?




09/06/11--03:00: What's Next for the Pentagon Budget? (chan 1357340)

As lawmakers return to Capitol Hill this week, all eyes will be on the deficit-cutting super committee. But for the defense industry, the first order of business this fall is tracking the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee's work on the Pentagon budget for next year. The Senate panel is the only one of the four defense committees that will be marking up its annual legislation after last month's deficit-reduction agreement, which includes an initial tranche of about $350 billion in cuts at the Pentagon beginning in fiscal 2012 and extending over the next decade.

The Defense Subcommittee is expected to mark up its legislation in the coming weeks--months after the other defense committees wrapped up their work on their annual bills. The Senate appropriators' bill, the only one that will reflect the deficit-deal cuts, will provide the most realistic blueprint for defense spending for the fiscal year that will begins on Oct. 1. Taking into account the first round of cuts, the Pentagon's base budget for fiscal 2012 will be slightly below spending levels for this year. That amounts to a cut of more than $26 billion--probably closer to $30 billion--of the $539 billion requested for next year (not including war spending or military construction accounts).

Presumably, investment accounts will be the prime target. What kind of tactics will appropriators use in making their cuts? How much of the $30 billion can realistically come from trimming unnecessary fat in the budget? And how much will be taken from programs? How involved should the Pentagon be in trying to direct the cuts? And will Senate appropriators' decisions have any effect on the super committee's work this fall?





09/26/11--03:00: After Palestinian Statehood Bid, What's Next for the U.S.? (chan 1357340)

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas formally presented his bid for statehood at the United Nations on Friday. Will the request, and a promised U.S. veto, facilitate or impede a return to direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians and the potential for a two-state resolution? Will the anticipated U.S. veto in the Security Council damage Washington's credibility as a broker for the direct talks? If the Palestinians move in another direction and become a nonvoting observer state in the 193-member General Assembly, which would give them the opportunity to haul Israeli officials before the International Criminal Court, what would it mean for the prospects for peace?




10/03/11--03:00: Was Obama's Order to Kill Awlaki Justified? (chan 1357340)

President Obama's campaign to wipe out top al-Qaida leaders around the world through unilateral covert strikes claimed another victim on Friday, when Anwar al-Awlaki, the U.S.-born radical cleric identified as "chief of external operations" for al-Qaida on the Arabian Peninsula, was killed in Yemen as he rode in a convoy. Awlaki's death followed the takedown of al-Qaida's No. 2 official, Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, in late August, and Osama bin Laden in early May. U.S. officials quickly sought to justify the strike against a U.S. citizen abroad by saying that he was one of AQAP's most dangerous terrorists, and was directly involved in planning attacks against the United States.
Is the U.S. justified in carrying out the first known strike that was known to be launched against an American (Awlaki had dual Yemeni-U.S. citizenship)? Should his case be given extra consideration because he is American? What are the legal and ethical implications of such a policy?





10/11/11--06:29: What Happens After 2014? (chan 1357340)

The 10th anniversary of the war in Afghanistan passed quietly at the White House last week. With the U.S.-led coalition slated to hand over security responsibility to the Afghans by 2014, American military commanders have stressed that battlefield progress in the country remains "fragile and reversible." Optimism that Taliban leaders will ever join in the peace process has hit a new low with the recent assassination of the country's top peace negotiator, former President Burhanuddin Rabbani. Will Afghanistan be ready to take control of its own security? What happens if the country returns to full-blown civil war after American troops pull out?




10/17/11--03:00: What Should the Administration Do to Pressure Iran? (chan 1357340)

The Obama administration is looking to further isolate Iran after last week's announcement that the elite Quds Force was allegedly behind a plot to assassinate Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the U.S. and bomb the Saudi and Israeli embassies. What more can-- or should-- the administration do to tighten the financial vise around Iran? Have the administration's efforts in recent years made a difference in deterring Iran's nuclear program and thwarting international terrorism? Were the additional sanctions levied this week an adequate response to the plot? Should other options outside sanctions be considered?




10/31/11--03:00: Will North Korea's Nuclear Genie Go Back in the Bottle? (chan 1357340)

Two days of meetings between North Korean and U.S. official in Geneva this week did not produce an agreement to formally resume negotiations-- either bilaterally or in the so-called six party talks-- about possible steps toward Pyongyang's denuclearization. When Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was asked in South Korea whether he thinks a renewed U.S. push to explore negotiations will work, Panetta said: "We're not sure where those talks are headed at this point. For that reason, I guess the word 'skepticism' would be in order."

Do you believe engagement with North Korea to reach a diplomatic solution should continue? What can it reasonably be expected to achieve? Does the periodic failure of the diplomatic track allow the U.S. to keep sanctions and pressure on Pyongyang? What more should the U.S. do to pressure Pyongyang? Is there anything China can be expected to do that will push North Korea to give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons? Also, how much should the world worry that an accidental confrontation between North and South Korea sparks a broader conflict?





11/07/11--03:00: What Should Be the Key Issues in GOP Debate on Foreign Policy? (chan 1357340)

On Nov. 12, National Journal and CBS News are hosting a Republican primary debate focusing on national security and foreign policy. What should the moderators ask the GOP presidential candidates? How would you rate the contenders' performances on national security and foreign-policy issues during their respective campaigns? In judging the candidates' fitness for the presidency, how important is experience in these issues? In your opinion, is there one candidate who's emerging as the best nominee, based on foreign-policy and national-security issues alone? Please weigh in on these or any related topics.




11/21/11--03:00: How Should the U.S. Begin its 'Pivot' to Asia and the Pacific? (chan 1357340)

Last week, U.S. officials announced new steps for a strategic "pivot" to Asia and the Pacific that included plans to deploy 2,500 troops to a base in Australia's northwest outback and "unprecedented" initiatives to build alliances and agreements across the region. How much of this has to do with China? Should the U.S. move even more troops to the Asia-Pacific region? Or, should there be an entirely new Pacific realignment? Beyond rhetoric, what else will be required for the U.S. to make this pivot?





12/05/11--03:00: What's Next for the Senate's Detainee Provisions? (chan 1357340)

Defying a White House veto threat, the Senate adopted controversial detainee provisions within the defense authorization bill last week that would require mandatory military detention for some terrorism suspects. Do you agree with the administration and a slew of law enforcement, intelligence, and Pentagon officials who argue the provisions reduce their flexibility in handling the war on terror? Or do you agree with the Senate Armed Services Committee leadership who insist the provisions merely "codify" existing procedures? Will the White House veto the bill? Should the waiver be enough to assuage administration concerns? Is this a discussion suited to the Senate floor during debate of the defense authorization bill, or should it have taken place at a different time?




12/19/11--03:30: What's Next for Iraq? (chan 1357340)

The U.S. military closed its Baghdad headquarters last week, formally marking the end of the war as the remaining 3,500 troops leave the country. After nearly nine years of war, nearly 4,500 American troops killed, 30,000 wounded, and nearly $1 trillion spent--and possibly over a hundred thousands of Iraqis dead and millions displaced within the country and abroad--will Iraq's security forces be able to maintain security within and on its borders? What role if any will the U.S. have in Iraq's future security? What is the greatest challenge Iraqis will face in the next year?





01/09/12--03:00: What Do You Think of Obama's New Defense Strategy? (chan 1357340)

President Obama's new defense strategy moves the Pentagon beyond Cold War-era ground wars and post-9/11 counterinsurgencies and into an envisioned era of joint air and naval conflicts with nations like Iran or China, and perpetual readiness to attack global terrorism with flexible and futuristic asymmetric capabilities. Doing so will require shifts and cuts in weapons procurement, significant cuts to the size of the Army and Marine Corps, and reducing Cold War-era programs like nuclear deterrence. What part of the review was most salient, and what was missing?




01/17/12--03:00: Is War Brewing Between Iran and the West? (chan 1357340)

A new round of proposed sanctions targeting Iran's central bank and oil exports to Europe have caused a devaluation of the Iranian currency and a sharp spike in inflation, provoking Iran to threaten to close the Strait of Hormuz and choke off 20 percent of the world's oil supply. Meanwhile, another Iranian nuclear scientist was assassinated this week in what is increasingly looking like an undeclared, covert war between Iran and US ally Israel, even as Iran announced a new uranium enrichment site at a heavily-defended and buried nuclear facility near the holy city of Qom. Will these growing pressures and tensions eventually lead to an outright military conflict between Iran and the U.S. or its allies? If such a conflict starts, should the U.S. use it as an opportunity to strike Iran's nuclear complex militarily to set back its suspected nuclear weapons program? How likely is it that the pressures will finally prove strong enough to force Iran to negotiate away its nuclear weapons program?




01/23/12--03:00: What is the State of the Union? (chan 1357340)

President Obama is expected to outline his national security and foreign policy achievements in Tuesday's State of the Union address. He recently told Time Magazine it's "pretty hard to argue" that his administration's strategy over the last three years "has put America in a stronger position than it was when we ... came into office." Do you agree? What have been this administration's biggest national security achievements? What needs work? What should be this administration's national security priorities for the coming year?