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U.S. National Security and Defense Policy

CNAS performs groundbreaking work on the U.S. role in current and future conflicts and the implications of the rapidly evolving global security environment for U.S. interests and strategy.  Past projects include studies on defense planning under conditions of uncertainty and fiscal austerity, cyber security, the economic and financial instruments of U.S. national security policy, development and diplomacy in U.S. national security policy, links between transnational crime and security, and the contested global commons.

Related Content

  • Dr. Janine Davidson testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
    CNAS Non-Resident Senior Fellow Dr. Janine Davidson testifies before the SFRC on the Asia "Rebalance"
    Type of Publication: Congressional Testimony
    Date: 04/25/2013

    CNAS Non-Resident Senior Fellow Dr. Janine Davidson testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the future of the "U.S. Military and the Asia 'Rebalance'."  

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  • At What Cost a Carrier?
    At What Cost a Carrier?
    Type of Publication: Report
    Date: 03/11/2013

    In At What Cost a Carrier?, career naval flight officer Captain Henry J. Hendrix (Ph.D.), argues that the aircraft carrier -- the centerpiece of American naval operations for over 70 years -- is in danger of becoming too vulnerable to be relevant in future conflicts. Captain Hendrix examines the life-cycle costs and utility of the aircraft carrier and recommends a new approach for American naval operations in this report, the first in the new “Disruptive Defense Papers” series published by CNAS.

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  • Light Footprints: The Future of American Military Intervention
    Light Footprints: The Future of American Military Intervention
    Author(s):
    Type of Publication: Report
    Date: 03/07/2013

    Major Fernando Lujan, USA, a Special Forces officer and visiting fellow at the Center for a New American Security, examines the utility of the "light-footprint" approach and recommends adoption of a new strategic framework to guide it in Light Footprints: The Future of American Military Intervention.  

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  • LTG David Barno Testifies Before House Armed Services Committee on Transition in
    LTG David Barno Testifies Before House Armed Services Committee on Transition in Afghanistan
    Type of Publication: Congressional Testimony
    Date: 02/27/2013

    LTG David Barno, USA (Ret.) testified before the House Armed Services Committee on the road ahead in Afghanistan and protecting U.S. vital interests in the country and the region post-2014.

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  • Shawn Brimley Testifies Before the House Armed Services Committee Subcommittee o
    Shawn Brimley Testifies Before the House Armed Services Committee on the QDR
    Author(s): Shawn Brimley
    Type of Publication: Congressional Testimony
    Date: 02/26/2013

    In his testimony before the House Armed Services Committee Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, CNAS Vice President and Director of Studies Shawn Brimley discussed the role of the QDR and key issues for the 2014 QDR in the context of a changing strategic environment.

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  • Active Cyber Defense: A Framework for Policymakers
    Active Cyber Defense: A Framework for Policymakers
    Type of Publication: Policy Brief
    Date: 02/22/2013

    Cyber attacks are posing ever more serious economic and national security risks to the United States.  In Active Cyber Defense: A Framework for Policymakers, CNAS Senior Fellow and Director of the Program on Technology and U.S. National Security Dr. Irving Lachow urges policymakers to provide guidance and clarity on an intensifying debate about active cyber defense (ACD).

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  • Syria's Hard Landing
    Syria's Hard Landing
    Author(s): Dr. Marc Lynch
    Type of Publication: Policy Brief
    Date: 02/22/2013

    As the conflict in Syria escalates into an even more brutal civil war, it not only continues to cause great human suffering, but it also threatens to undermine the stability of the country’s regional neighbors. In Syria’s Hard Landing, Dr. Marc Lynch, CNAS Non-Resident Senior Fellow and Associate Professor of Political Science and the Director of the Institute for Middle East Studies at the Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University, argues that the international response to these developments has been manifestly inadequate. While he writes that the debate over Syria must shift to reflect new realities and that there are actions American policymakers can take in order to prepare for a political transition after Asad falls from power, he maintains that the United States should continue to resist direct intervention or directly arming rebels.

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  • Atomic Kingdom: If Iran Builds the Bomb, Will Saudi Arabia Be Next?
    Atomic Kingdom: If Iran Builds the Bomb, Will Saudi Arabia Be Next?
    Type of Publication: Report
    Date: 02/19/2013

    It is taken for granted in Washington that Saudi Arabia will inevitably pursue nuclear weapons if Tehran succeeds in its quest for the bomb. However, CNAS Senior Fellow Colin Kahl, Visiting Fellow Melissa G. Dalton and Research Associate Matthew Irvine argue in their new report Atomic Kingdom: If Iran Builds the Bomb, Will Saudi Arabia Be Next? that the prospects for Saudi reactive proliferation are lower than the conventional wisdom suggests.

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  • Assessing the Cyber Executive Order
    Assessing the Cyber Executive Order
    Type of Publication: Commentary
    Date: 02/13/2013

    On February 12, President Obama signed an Executive Order designed to improve the cyber security of the nation's critical infrastructures such as power plants, financial systems and telecommunications networks. CNAS Senior Fellow & Director of the Program on Technology and U.S. National Security Dr. Irving Lachow and Research Associate Jacob Stokes offer their perspective on the Executive Order's strengths and areas for improvement in their analysis Assessing the Cyber Executive Order.

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  • Renewing America's Strategic Solvency
    Renewing America's Strategic Solvency
    Type of Publication: Commentary
    Date: 02/12/2013

    As Shawn Brimley and Jacob Stokes write in their commentary Renewing America's Strategic Solvency, foreign policy experts are likely to feel spurned when President Obama gives his State of the Union speech on Tuesday. Some may interpret the President’s focus on jobs and the economy, with only passing discussion of international issues, as declinism or retrenchment. However, they argue, given the critical intersection of domestic strength and U.S. national security, these experts would be mistaken to do so.

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  • ADM Jonathan W. Greenert, USN
    Asia-Pacific Rebalance: Strengthening Regional Maritime Security
    May 21, 2013 - 6:00pm - 7:00pm
    Willard InterContinental Hotel
    Washington, District of Columbia

    On May 21, 2013, Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert, Chief of Naval Operations, will address the U.S. Navy posture in the Asia-Pacific region in a speech entitled "Asia-Pacific Rebalance: Strengthening Regional Maritime Security and Partnerships" at the Willard InterContinental Hotel.

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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 Roundtable Discussion on Nigeria with Assistant Secretary of State Michael H.
    Roundtable Discussion on Nigeria with Assistant Secretary of State Michael H. Posner
    January 28, 2013 - 10:00am - 12:00pm
    Center for a New American Security
    Washington, District of Columbia

    On Monday, January 28, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) hosted a roundtable discussion on the security situation in Nigeria featuring Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Michael H. Posner.

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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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  • Thomas Ricks, The Generals, Center for a New American Security
    Book Launch Event: The Generals by Thomas E. Ricks
    November 8, 2012 - 6:30pm - 8:30pm
    The Willard InterContinental Hotel
    Washington, District of Columbia

    The Center for a New American Security hosted the book launch for The Generals: American Military Command from World War II to Today by Thomas E. Ricks, CNAS Senior Fellow, on Thursday, November 8 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Ricks discussed his study of the history of American military leaders and the growing divide between military performance and accountability. Susan Glasser, Editor in Chief of Foreign Policy, interviewed Ricks, followed by Q&A with the audience. 

    Click Here to View Event Photos

    Click Here to Listen to Event Audio

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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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  • Robert Kaplan, Revenge of Geography
    Robert D. Kaplan's The Revenge of Geography Book Launch Event
    September 13, 2012 - 6:00pm - 8:00pm
    The Willard InterContinental Hotel
    Washington, District of Columbia

    The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) hosted the book launch for The Revenge of Geography: What the Map Tells Us About Coming Conflicts and the Battle Against Fate by Robert D. Kaplan, CNAS Non-Resident Senior Fellow and Chief Geopolitical Analyst at Stratfor, on Thursday, September 13 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. David Ignatius, Associate Editor and Columnist at The Washington Post, interviewed Kaplan, followed by Q&A with the audience.

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  • A Conversation on U.K.-U.S. Defense Cooperation with U.K. Secretary of State for
    A Conversation on U.K.-U.S. Defense Cooperation with U.K. Secretary of State for Defense Philip Hammond
    July 18, 2012 - 12:30pm - 1:30pm
    The Willard InterContinental Hotel
    Washington, District of Columbia

    On Wednesday, July 18, CNAS hosted The Right Honourable Philip Hammond MP, the United Kingdom's Secretary of State for Defense, for a conversation on U.K.-U.S. Defense Cooperation. The Honorable William Lynn, CEO of DRS Technologies and former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, provided introductory remarks and moderated the conversation.

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  • cnas, rajiv chandrasekaran, steve coll, little america, afghanistan
    Little America: The War within the War for Afghanistan Book Launch
    June 26, 2012 - 6:00pm - 8:30pm
    The Willard InterContinental Hotel's Grand Ballroom
    Washington, District of Columbia

    The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) hosted the book launch for Little America: The War within the War for Afghanistan by Rajiv Chandrasekaran, senior correspondent and associate editor at The Washington Post on Tuesday, June 26 from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. Chandrasekaran discussed the complex relationship between America and Afghanistan reaching back to the Cold War. Steve Coll, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and former foreign correspondent and senior editor at The Washington Post, interviewed Chandrasekaran, followed by Q&A with the audience.

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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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  • Video: A Conversation with John McCain
    Video: A Conversation with Senator John S. McCain
    Date: 04/18/2013
    Media: Video

    The Center for a New American Security hosted "A Conversation with Senator John S. McCain" at a luncheon on April 18, 2013.  In his remarks, Senator McCain outlined an "internationalist" approach to foreign policy and urged the Republican Party to avoid the temptation to "retreat into splendid isolation."  Click here to watch the video. 

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  • Atomic Kingdom: If Iran Builds the Bomb, Will Saudi Arabia Be Next?
    Atomic Kingdom: If Iran Builds the Bomb, Will Saudi Arabia Be Next?
    Date: 02/15/2013
    Media: Video

    Colin Kahl discusses his forthcoming report Atomic Kingdom: If Iran Builds the Bomb, Will Saudi Arabia Be Next? and the prospects for Saudi reactive proliferation.

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  • Video Highlights: Tom Ricks "The Generals" Book Launch
    Video Highlights: Tom Ricks "The Generals" Book Launch
    Date: 11/13/2012
    Media: Video

    On November 8, CNAS hosted the book launch for The Generals: American Military Command from World War II to the Present by Thomas E. Ricks, Senior Fellow at CNAS and Contributing Editor at Foreign Policy. The event was moderated by Susan Glasser, Editor-in-Chief of Foreign Policy. View video highlights from the event here.

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  • Video: Tom Ricks "The Generals" Book Launch
    Video: Tom Ricks "The Generals" Book Launch
    Date: 11/13/2012
    Media: Video

    On November 8, CNAS hosted the book launch for The Generals: American Military Command from World War II to the Present by Thomas E. Ricks, Senior Fellow at CNAS and Contributing Editor at Foreign Policy. The event was moderated by Susan Glasser, Editor-in-Chief of Foreign Policy. View the video for the event here.

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  • Audio: "The Generals" Book Launch
    Audio: Tom Ricks "The Generals" Book Launch
    Date: 11/08/2012
    Media: Audio

    On November 8, CNAS hosted the book launch for The Generals: American Military Command from World War II to the Present by Thomas E. Ricks, Senior Fellow at CNAS and Contributing Editor at Foreign Policy. The event was moderated by Susan Glasser, Editor-in-Chief of Foreign Policy. Listen to the audio from the event here.

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  • Election 2012, National Security, Dov Zakheim, Janine Davidson
    Video: Election 2012: The National Security Agenda - Campaign Surrogate Debate
    Date: 09/19/2012
    Media: Video

    On September 19, the Center for a New American Security, the American Enterprise Institute and the New America Foundation hosted a debate between top-level surrogates of the Obama and Romney presidential campaigns. Dov S. Zakheim, Special Advisor on Foreign Policy and National Security for the Romney campaign, joined Janine Davidson, Advisor on National Security Issues for the Obama campaign, to discuss the defense and foreign policy agendas of the two candidates. The event was hosted by Arizona State University. 

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  • Robert Kaplan, Revenge of Geography, CNAS
    Audio: Revenge of Geography Book Launch
    Date: 09/13/2012
    Media: Audio

    On September 13, CNAS hosted the book launch for The Revenge of Geography: What the Map Tells Us About Coming Conflicts and the Battle Against Fate by Robert D. Kaplan, Non-Resident Senior Fellow at CNAS and Chief Geopolitical Analyst at Stratfor. Listen to the audio recording here.

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  • Photos: The Revenge of Geography Book Launch
    Photos: The Revenge of Geography Book Launch
    Date: 09/13/2012
    Media: Photo

    On September 13, CNAS hosted the book launch for The Revenge of Geography: What the Map Tells Us About Coming Conflicts and the Battle Against Fate by Robert D. Kaplan, Non-Resident Senior Fellow at CNAS and Chief Geopolitical Analyst at Stratfor. View photos from the event here.

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  • Robert Kaplan, Revenge of Geography, CNAS
    Video: Revenge of Geography Book Launch
    Date: 09/13/2012
    Media: Video

    On September 13, CNAS hosted the book launch for The Revenge of Geography: What the Map Tells Us About Coming Conflicts and the Battle Against Fate by Robert D. Kaplan, Non-Resident Senior Fellow at CNAS and Chief Geopolitical Analyst at Stratfor. Watch the video from the event.

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  • Robert Kaplan, Revenge of Geography, CNAS
    Video Highlights: Revenge of Geography Book Launch
    Date: 09/13/2012
    Media: Video

    On September 13, CNAS hosted the book launch for The Revenge of Geography: What the Map Tells Us About Coming Conflicts and the Battle Against Fate by Robert D. Kaplan, Non-Resident Senior Fellow at CNAS and Chief Geopolitical Analyst at Stratfor. Watch video highlights from the event.

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  • David Barno
    Lieutenant General David W. Barno, USA (Ret.)
    Senior Advisor and Senior Fellow

    General Barno, a highly decorated military officer with over 30 years of service, has served in a variety of command and staff positions in the United States and around the world, to include command at every level. He served many of his early years in special operations forces with Army Ranger battalions, to include combat in both the Grenada and Panama invasions. In 2003, he was selected to establish a new three-star operational headquarters in Afghanistan and take command of the 20,000 U.S. and Coalition Forces in Operation Enduring Freedom. For 19 months in this position, he was responsible for the overall military leadership of this complex political-military mission, devising a highly innovative counterinsurgency strategy in close partnership with the U.S. embassy and coalition allies.

    | Read Full Bio |
  • Richard Fontaine
    President

    Richard Fontaine is the President of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). He served as a Senior Advisor and Senior Fellow at CNAS from 2009-2012.  He previously served as foreign policy advisor to Senator John McCain for more than five years.  He has also worked at the State Department, the National Security Council and on the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

    | Read Full Bio |
  • Kristin M. Lord
    Vice President and Director of National Security | Read Full Bio |
  • Kristin Lord
    Dr. Kristin M. Lord
    Executive Vice President, United States Institute of Peace

    Kristin Lord is Executive Vice President at the United States Institute of Peace. She was until January 2013 Executive Vice President and Director of Studies at the Center for a New American Security where she oversaw the center’s research and served as one of three members of the center’s leadership team.  Prior to joining CNAS, Dr. Lord was a Fellow in the Foreign Policy Studies Program and Saban Center for Middle East Policy at The Brookings Institution. At Brookings, Dr. Lord directed the science and technology initiative of the Project on U.S.

    | Read Full Bio |