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Middle East

Despite the drawdown of U.S. forces from Iraq and Afghanistan, and desires to “rebalance” to Asia, the Middle East continues to dominate the U.S. national security agenda. CNAS conducts cutting-edge research on the most pressing issues in this turbulent region, including responses to the challenges posed by Iranian nuclearization, the Arab Spring, Syria and Iraq.

 

 

 

 

 

Related Content

  • Strategic Questions for Generals Petraeus and Odierno
    Type of Publication: Policy Brief
    Date: 05/06/2008

    As Generals Petraeus and Odierno appear before Congress this week, CNAS has drafted several key questions we feel are among the most vital to ask. As the 2008 presidential election looms, the American people deserve hard answers to hard questions concerning Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and military readiness. CNAS experts are always willing to provide insight and comment on these and other issues.

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  • Anecdotal Evidence of a Hollowing Force? A Closer Look at Junior Officer Retention
    Author(s): Jaron Wharton
    Type of Publication: Working Papers
    Date: 05/01/2008

    Today’s Army is “the most combat-experienced force the nation has witnessed in two generations. Our all-volunteer force is being asked to do more than ever and is showing remarkable resiliency in a time when there is growing strain on the institution.” As the mili­tary continues to be engaged in an era of persistent confl ict, institutionalizing the combat experience of its leaders, spe­cifically its young offi cers, is arguably the Army’s lynchpin and a key component to U.S. national security.

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  • Life After the Surge: Prospects for Iraq and for the U.S. Military
    Type of Publication: Congressional Testimony
    Date: 04/02/2008

    This CNAS Congressional Testimony contains Michèle A. Flournoy's statement to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, given on April 2, 2008. According to Flournoy, "The only way to consolidate recent security gains in Iraq is to use our substantial political leverage to push various Iraqi actors toward political accommodation.  The Bush administration success or failure in so doing over the coming months will determine the options available to the next President.  When the next Commander in Chief takes office, he or she must put our Iraq policy on a new course that protects our vital interests there but also rebalances risk across our larger regional and global goals.  He or she must also take urgent steps to develop a new and more effective strategy toward Iraq, reduce the strains on our soldiers, marines and their families, free up more forces for other urgent priorities like Afghanistan, and restore the readiness of our military for the full range of possible future contingencies."

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  • Sustainable Security: Developing a Security Strategy for the Long Haul
    Author(s): Jim Thomas
    Type of Publication: Report
    Date: 04/01/2008

    The inability of many states in the developing world to govern and police themselves effectively or to work collectively with their neigh­bors to secure their regions represents a global security capacity deficit that can threaten U.S. interests. Effectively addressing this security deficit will require a new approach, one that is more preventive and indirect in its nature, that seeks to husband American power, and that reconciles America’s values, interests, and commitments with its finite resources over the long haul.

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  • The Case for Conditional Engagement in Iraq
    Type of Publication: Policy Brief
    Date: 03/06/2008

    Five years into the war in Iraq with no end in sight, a new strategy is needed. The current strategy of unconditional support to Iraq’s central government has not produced nearly enough political progress. President Bush and those wishing to succeed him should embrace a new political strategy in Iraq that makes our military presence conditional on political accommodation...

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  • Strengthening the Readiness of the U.S. Military
    Type of Publication: Congressional Testimony
    Date: 02/14/2008

    This CNAS Congressional Testimony contains Michèle A. Flournoy's prepared statement to the House Armed Services Committee, on Feb. 14, 2008. According to Flournoy, "the readiness of the U.S. military is just barely keeping pace with current operations. The fight to recruit and keep personnel, and the need to repair and modernize equipment, also means that building and regaining readiness is becoming increasingly costly."

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  • Strengthening the Readiness of the U.S. Military
    Type of Publication: Factsheet
    Date: 02/06/2008

    This CNAS Congressional Testimony contains Michèle A. Flournoy's prepared statement to the House Armed Services Committee, on Feb. 14, 2008. According to Flournoy, "the readiness of the U.S. military is just barely keeping pace with current operations. The fight to recruit and keep personnel, and the need to repair and modernize equipment, also means that building and regaining readiness is becoming increasingly costly."

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  • Achieving Unity of Effort in Interagency Operations
    Type of Publication: Congressional Testimony
    Date: 01/29/2008

    In testimony given to the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Flournoy writes that "In the last two decades, the United States has experienced some truly stellar military victories: rolling back Saddam Hussein’s aggression against Kuwait in the 1991 Persian Gulf War, establishing a secure environment for the implementation of peace accords in the Balkans, driving the Taliban from power in Afghanistan in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and toppling Saddam Hussein’s brutal regime in a matter of weeks."

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  • Eyes on Hezbollah
    Type: News Item
    Source: NOW Lebanon

    April 5, 2012 — Non-Resident Senior Fellow David Asher discusses the focus on Hezbollah-controlled banks in American money-laundering investigations in NOW Lebanon.

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  • Muslim Brotherhood Bid for Presidency Raises the Stakes in Egyptian Elections
    Type: News Item
    Source: The Guardian

    April 2, 2012 — In The Guardian, CNAS Non-Resident Senior Fellow Marc Lynch discusses the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and how their presidential bid might change the election dynamic.

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  • Marc Lynch on Syria and the Middle East
    Type: News Item
    Source: C-Span

    April 1, 2012 — On C-SPAN Washington Journal, CNAS Non-Resident Senior Fellow Marc Lynch talked about the uprisings in Syria addressing topics such as the international response, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's trip to Saudi Arabia and the 60-nation gathering of the "Friends of the Syrian People" in Istanbul, Turkey.

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  • Man of War
    Type: News Item
    Source: The Wall Street Journal

    March 30, 2012 — In The Wall Street Journal, CNAS Senior Fellow Andrew Exum reviews "The Quiet Professional" by Alan Hoe, which tells the story of Major Richard J. Meadows of the Army Special Forces.

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  • Why the Arab Uprisings Will Force the U.S. to Rethink Israel-Palestine
    Type: News Item
    Source: The Atlantic

    March 29, 2012 — In The Atlantic, CNAS Non-Resident Senior Fellow Marc Lynch writes that as the Arab Spring changes regional politics, American foreign policy must adapt.

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  • 'Unfinished Revolutions' Churn In Middle East
    Type: News Item
    Source: NPR

    March 24, 2012 — On NPR, CNAS Non-Resident Senior Fellow Marc Lynch says no one predicted the uprisings that began to spread across the Arab world in late 2010, but many people saw that the old order was crumbling.

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  • The 140 Best Twitter Feeds of 2012
    Type: News Item
    Source: Time Magazine

    March 21, 2012 — Time Magazine has selected CNAS Senior Fellow Andrew Exum as one of the most influential and prominent Twitter feeds shaping the online conversation in 2012.

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  • Iraq a Testament to Barack Obama Leadership
    Type: News Item
    Source: Politico

    March 18, 2012 — As we mark the ninth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, CNAS Co-Chair of the Board of Directors The Honorable Michѐle flournoy discusses President Obama's careful and successful efforts in reversing the effects of the War in Iraq.

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  • Falling In and Out of War
    Type: News Item
    Source: The New York Times

    March 18, 2012 — In The New York Times, CNAS Non-Resident Senior Fellow John Nagl comments on the kinds of questions that the president should ask in order to determine whether or not entering a war is justified or even worth it.

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  • Peter Goodspeed: Military Intervention Could Improve Situation in Syria, or Make It Much Worse
    Type: News Item
    Source: National Post

    March 10, 2012 — A commentary in National Post refers to the recent CNAS report on Syria by Senior Non-Resident Fellow Marc Lynch, weighing the possible effects that military intervention would have in improving the deteriorating situation there.

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  • Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, USA
    National Security Leaders' Forum with General Raymond T. Odiernio, USA
    April 5, 2013 - 12:00pm - 1:30pm
    The Willard InterContinental Hotel
    Washington, District of Columbia

    The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) hosted a discussion featuring current Army Chief of Staff General Raymond Odierno on Friday, April 5, 2013. GEN Odierno discussed how the Army is restructuring itself to meet today's security environment while facing the challenges associated with budget cuts and drawdown from two overseas wars.

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  • A Conversation with the Honorable Leon Panetta
    A Conversation with the Honorable Leon Panetta
    November 20, 2012 - 6:45pm - 7:30pm
    The Willard InterContinental Hotel
    Washington, District of Columbia

    The Center for a New American Security hosted "A Conversation with the Honorable Leon Panetta, U.S. Secretary of Defense" on November 20, 2012. Secretary Panetta discussed U.S. national security and defense priorities. The event featured an introduction by The Honorable Michele Flournoy, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and member of the CNAS Board of Directors.

    Click Here to View Event Photos

    Click Here to View Event Video

    Click Here to Read the Event Transcript

    Click Here to Listen to the Event Audio

    Click Here to View Video Highlights from the Event

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  • Election 2012 - The Global Challenge for the Next President
    Election 2012 - Informing the National Security Agenda Event Series
    October 10, 2012 - 1:00pm - 2:30pm
    The Willard InterContinental Hotel
    Washington, District of Columbia

    The Center for a New American Security, the American Enterprise Institute and the New America Foundation are pleased to introduce Election 2012: Informing the National Security Agenda to this presidential campaign season. The most recent event in the series took place in Washington, DC on October 10.

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  • CNAS 2012 Annual Conference
    CNAS 2012 Annual Conference
    June 13, 2012 - 8:45am - 6:00pm
    The Willard InterContinental Hotel
    Washington, District of Columbia

    The Center for a New American Security's 2012 annual conference, "Rethinking U.S. Security: Navigating a World in Transition," took place in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, June 13, 2012.

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  • The Arab Uprising, Marc Lynch, Center for a New American Security
    The Arab Uprising: The Unfinished Revolutions of the New Middle East
    March 27, 2012 - 5:30pm - 8:30pm
    The W Hotel
    Washington, District of Columbia

    On March 27, 2012, the Center for a New American Security hosted the book launch for The Arab Uprising: The Unfinished Revolutions of the New Middle East by Dr. Marc Lynch, Non-Resident Senior Fellow at CNAS and Director of the Institute for Middle East Studies at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University.

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  • responsible defense, david barno, defense budget, cnas, senate, testimony
    Perspectives on the President’s Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Request for the U.S. Department of Defense
    March 6, 2012 - 10:00am - 12:00pm
    608 Dirksen Senate Office Building
    Washington, District of Columbia

    CNAS Senior Advisor and Senior Fellow LTG David Barno, USA (Ret.) testifies before the Senate Budget Committee in an open hearing on President Obama's FY 2013 budget request for the U.S. Department of Defense.

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  • colin kahl, center for a new american security, cnas, iran, wmd, israel
    The Iranian Nuclear Dilemma: Risk of an Iraq Sequel?
    February 21, 2012 - 10:45am - 12:00pm
    Rayburn House Office Building
    Washington, District of Columbia

    On February 21, CNAS Senior Fellow Colin Kahl participated in a panel discussion hosted by the National Iranian American Council on the status of the Iranian nuclear program. Dr. Kahl indicated that there are a number of differences between the current situation in Iran and the lead-up to the war in Iraq, and addressed the possibility of an Israeli airstrike on Iranian facilities.

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  • Assistant Secretary of State Andrew Shapiro
    Roundtable Discussion with Assistant Secretary of State Andrew Shapiro
    September 27, 2011 - 4:00pm - 5:30pm
    Center for a New American Security
    Washington, District of Columbia

    On September 27th, the Center for a New American Security hosted a roundtable conversation with Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Andrew Shapiro to discuss the future of United States security assistance efforts, the lessons learned from recent events, and the case for establishing the new Fund.

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  • Dr. Kemal Kerkuki, Speaker of the Kurdistan Parliament
    Roundtable Discussion with Dr. Kemal Kerkuki, Speaker of the Kurdistan Parliament
    September 20, 2011 - 4:00pm - 5:00pm
    Center for a New American Security
    Washington, District of Columbia

    On September 20, the Center for a New American Security hosted a roundtable discussion with Dr. Kemal Kerkuki and a number of his colleagues on critical issues in the U.S.-Iraqi relationship, along with the Kurdistan regional government’s relationship with the wider world.

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  • Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic
    Roundtable Discussion with NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy Ambassador Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic
    September 16, 2011 - 2:30pm - 3:30pm
    Center for a New American Security
    Washington, District of Columbia

    On September 16, the Center for a New American Security hosted a roundtable discussion with NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy Ambassador Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic on the key themes that will shape NATO's spring 2012 summit.

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  • counterstrike, 9/11, al qaeda, terrorism, cnas
    Counterstrike: The Untold Story Of America's Secret Campaign Against Al Qaeda - Audio
    Date: 09/08/2011
    Media: Audio

    On September 8, 2011, CNAS held an inaugural book release party at the Willard InterContinental Hotel for Counterstrike. At the release event, Eric Schmitt and Thom Shanker offered the audience an insider’s look at how the U.S. government has adapted its strategy for fighting terrorism since 2001.

    Listen to audio of the event here.

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  • counterstrike, 9/11, al qaeda, terrorism, cnas
    Counterstrike: The Untold Story Of America's Secret Campaign Against Al Qaeda - Video
    Date: 09/08/2011
    Media: Video

    On September 8, 2011, CNAS held an inaugural book release party at the Willard InterContinental Hotel for Counterstrike. At the release event, Eric Schmitt and Thom Shanker offered the audience an insider’s look at how the U.S. government has adapted its strategy for fighting terrorism since 2001.

    Watch the video of the event here.

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  • Command Post, 9/11, national security, terrorism, Counterstrike
    Command Post: "How Has U.S. National Security Changed Since 9/11?"
    Date: 09/06/2011
    Media: Video

    It's hard to believe -- at least for some of us -- that it has been a decade since 9/11. Before then, covering the military meant going out to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, to witness future ways of war that, in hindsight, seem obsolete. For the past decade, the U.S. military -- and indeed, the U.S. itself -- has been consumed with people -- individuals -- who hate us, and are willing to kill themselves to show the depths of their anger-cum-depravity. This week, on Command Post, we're looking into the post-9/11 U.S. national-security mindset with Eric Schmitt of the New York Times -- and co-author of Counterstrike: The Untold Story of America's Secret Campaign Against al Qaeda -- and Margaret Harrell, a military manpower expert with the Center for a New American Security. I'm joined, comme d'habitude, by John Nagl, CNAS's president.

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  • Contractors, Iraq, Afghanistan, Wartime Commission on Contracting
    Panel Finds Massive Waste By Wartime Contractors
    Date: 09/01/2011
    Media: Audio

    On National Public Radio, CNAS Senior Fellow Richard Fontaine comments on waste and fraud in government contracts for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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  • CNAS, Petraeus, Military, Retirement
    As Leadership Changes, So Could Afghanistan Strategy
    Date: 08/31/2011
    Media: Audio

    On National Public Radio, CNAS President John Nagl and Senior Fellow Tom Ricks debate the legacy of General Petraeus.

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  • Command Post, cyber security
    Command Post: "Who Are the Real Cyber-Warriors?"
    Date: 08/26/2011
    Media: Video

    National-security debates used to be a lot easier when it took a nation-state to raise an army and build an arsenal. To hear some cyber-defense experts tell it, today a cyberwar can be launched by a couple of bored teen-age hackers in one of their basements. While that's a stretch, what about criminal cybergangs? Or nation-states? Or, most insidiously, nation-states that hire such underlings to carry out cyber attacks? John Nagl of the Center for a New American Security and I chat about the vexatious challenge with James Lewis, a cyber-warfare expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Kristin Lord, who recently oversaw a CNAS examination into the issue.

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  • MG Buchanan, Iraq
    MG Jeffrey Buchanan, USA Discussion on Operation New Dawn: Bridge to an Enduring Partnership - Remarks
    Date: 08/18/2011
    Media: Video

    In light of the impending end of the United States Forces–Iraq mission this December, Major General Jeffrey Buchanan, USA, Director of Strategic Effects for United States Forces-Iraq, visited the Center for a New American Security to speak about the evolving role of the United States in Iraq and the challenges and opportunities for the future of U.S.-Iraq relations amidst a changed Middle East. Watch his remarks here.

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  • MG Buchanan, Iraq
    MG Jeffrey Buchanan, USA Discussion on Operation New Dawn: Bridge to an Enduring Partnership - Q&A
    Date: 08/18/2011
    Media: Video

    In light of the impending end of the United States Forces–Iraq mission this December, Major General Jeffrey Buchanan, USA, Director of Strategic Effects for United States Forces-Iraq, visited the Center for a New American Security to speak about the evolving role of the United States in Iraq and the challenges and opportunities for the future of U.S.-Iraq relations amidst a changed Middle East. Watch the question and answer portion of the discussion here.

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  • MG Buchanan, Iraq
    MG Jeffrey Buchanan, USA Discussion on Operation New Dawn: Bridge to an Enduring Partnership - Audio
    Date: 08/18/2011
    Media: Audio

    Iraq has the potential to become a pivotal strategic partner for the United States and its allies in the region. But Iraq is also undergoing its democratic transition and its security situation remains complex and challenging. In light of the impending end of the United States Forces–Iraq mission this December, Major General Jeffrey Buchanan, USA, Director of Strategic Effects for United States Forces-Iraq, visited the Center for a New American Security to speak about the evolving role of the United States in Iraq and the challenges and opportunities for the future of U.S.-Iraq relations amidst a changed Middle East. Listen to the audio from the event here.

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  • Command Post, TIME, Center for a New American Security, Libya
    Command Post: "Does It Make Sense for Obama to Bar U.S. Combat Boots in Libya?"
    Date: 08/12/2011
    Media: Video

    War, first and foremost, is a collection of choices. When President Obama ruled out the use of U.S. military boots on the ground inside Libya, it may have made political sense. But did it make military sense as well? John Nagl of the Center for a New American Security and I weigh the issue with Andrew Exum, former Army officer now with CNAS, and Paul Hughes, retired Army colonel at the U.S. Institute of Peace.

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  • Dr. Nora Bensahel
    Dr. Nora Bensahel
    Deputy Director of Studies and Senior Fellow

    Dr. Nora Bensahel is Deputy Director of Studies and a Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security.  She recently co-authored Hard Choices: Responsible Defense in an Age of Austerity, and Sustainable Pre-eminence: Reforming the U.S. Military at a Time of Strategic Change. Her other research interests include stability operations, counterinsurgency, civilian capacity for operations abroad, and coalition and alliance operations. She is also an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Security Studies Program at the Edmund A.

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