International Security Program - Related Publication

U.S.-ASEAN Summit: President Obama Engages Southeast Asia

sherry — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

On November 15, 2009, President Obama will meet the 10 leads of the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the first ever U.S.-ASEAN Summit. ASEAN includes Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Together, these countries include two U.S.

APEC Singapore: Obama's Debut in Asia

sherry — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

President Obama will make his inaugural visit to Asia later this month. The focal point of his trip is the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Meeting in Singapore on November 13–15, 2009. He will also visit Japan, China, and Korea in the course of his nine-day trip.

Iraq versus Afghanistan: A Surge Is Not a Surge Is Not a Surge

ian — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Intelligence Gathering Is Compatible with Counterterrorism

ian — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Q1: Proponents of counterinsurgency, or COIN, argue that intelligence gathering in support of operations against al Qaeda and Taliban militants will be irreparably damaged if the Obama administration pursues a counterterrorism strategy instead of COIN in Afghanistan. Is this necessarily true?

Defining and Operationalizing “Balance” in Defense Strategy

pfrank — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The U.S. secretary of defense often invokes “balance” when discussing future Department of Defense (DoD) capabilities, readiness, and risk assessment. In his view, a “balanced” force operates in totality effectively across the entire spectrum of conflict. There are significant details to iron out on this subject.

The Other Side of the COIN

sherry — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

On the heels of General Stanley McChrystal’s proposal for an overhaul of U.S. and NATO strategy in Afghanistan, the Obama administration is holding a series of high-level meetings to review the war. They will confront no shortage of questions and concerns about the direction of the current policy.

The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

sherry — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Q1: How many nuclear weapon tests have been conducted?

A Risk-Management Approach to Afghanistan?

sherry — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Q1: What is current conventional wisdom on the Afghan war?

A1: The short answer? Either we are “losing,” or we “won” by some definition a while ago. How you view the issue depends on your answers to four questions.

Addendum to U.S. Alliances and Emerging Partnerships in Southeast Asia

ian — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

This is an addenum to Addendum to U.S. Alliances and Emerging Partnerships in Southeast Asia with charts and tables documenting the findings of that report.

Rolls-Royce North America Military Strategy Forum

jdunton — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

In April 2009, with the generous support of Rolls Royce North America, the Center for Strategic and International Studies launched the Military Strategy Forum (MSF) summer series on the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR). The congressionally mandated QDR is intended to be the Department of Defense’s “comprehensive examination” of strategy and priorities.