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Terrorism, Irregular Warfare and Crime

Terrorism & Irregular Warfare

CNAS explores  strategies for combating  terrorism, violent extremism, and various approaches for tackling the significant challenges posed by insurgencies and irregular warfare in Iraq, Afghanistan and across the globe.

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  • The Past and Present as Prologue
    The Past and Present as Prologue: Future Warfare through the Lens of Contemporary Conflicts
    Type of Publication: Report
    Date: 04/01/2009

    April 2009 - Eight years of war have given the U.S. military an unparalleled opportunity to translate real war experience into a vision of how conflicts will be fought in the future. Getting a vision of the future more right than wrong depends on the military’s ability to sift through experiences gathered from combat to discern those that will endure. This monograph seeks to do just that.

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  • The Accidental Guerrilla
    The Accidental Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One
    Type of Publication: Book
    Date: 03/17/2009

    March 17, 2009 - David Kilcullen is one of the world's most influential experts on counterinsurgency and modern warfare. A Senior Counterinsurgency Advisor to General David Petraeus in Iraq, his vision of war dramatically influenced America's decision to rethink its military strategy in Iraq and implement "the surge."

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  • A Pathway to Success in Afghanistan: The National Solidarity Program
    A Pathway to Success in Afghanistan: The National Solidarity Program
    Type of Publication: Policy Brief
    Date: 03/16/2009

    March 2009 - In a new policy brief published by CNAS, authors John Nagl, Andrew Exum, and Ahmed Humayun recommend that the United States increase its support for Afghanistan's National Solidarity Program (NSP) and similar development initiatives. Launched in 2002 by Afghanistan's Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD), the NSP is a rural development project that disburses modest grants to elected village councils. The NSP has not just simply provided tangible services to Afghans; it is "owned" by Afghans and run with an emphasis on transparency.

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  • The Gamble
    The Gamble: General Petraeus and the American Military Adventure in Iraq, 2006-2008
    Author(s): Thomas E. Ricks
    Type of Publication: Book
    Date: 02/10/2009

    February 10, 2009 - In his new book out in stores February 10, CNAS Senior Fellow Thomas E. Ricks documents the inside story of the Iraq war since late 2005. Using hundreds of hours of interviews with top officers in Iraq and on-the-ground reporting, Ricks examines the events that took place as the military was forced to reckon with itself, the surge was launched, and a very different war began.

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  • Tell Me Why We’re There? Enduring Interests in Afghanistan (and Pakistan)
    Type of Publication: Policy Brief
    Date: 01/22/2009

    January 2009 - After seven years and the deaths of more than a thousand American and coalition troops, there is still no consensus on whether the future of Afghanistan matters to the United States and Europe, or on what can realistically be achieved there.  According to CNAS experts Nathaniel Fick, David Kilcullen, John Nagl, and Vikram Singh, "Afghanistan does matter."

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  • The Inheritance: The World Obama Confronts and the Challenges to American Power
    Author(s):
    Type of Publication: Book
    Date: 01/13/2009
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  • Iraq Report
    Shaping the Iraq Inheritance
    Type of Publication: Report
    Date: 06/11/2008

    American policy in Iraq will undergo two critical transitions throughout the remainder of 2008 and into early 2009: movement to a new U.S. posture in Iraq; and a wartime transition to a new administration. It is vital that both are handled in a way that best advances U.S. interests in Iraq and the region. Yet neither is being paid sufficient attention. Shaping the Iraq Inheritance outlines America’s interests in Iraq and the region, analyzes recent security and political trends, presents a framework for understanding U.S. strategic options, and makes recommendations for how the Bush administration, the military, and Congress can best prepare for the dangerous period ahead.

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  • Making America Grand Again
    Making America Grand Again: Toward a New Grand Strategy
    Type of Publication: Report
    Date: 06/11/2008

    Years of debate over the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and the so-called “war on terror” have prevented Americans from grappling with the deeper challenges posed by changes in the international system.  Beyond the threats posed by terrorism, new great powers such as India and China are rising, the process of globalization is accelerating, and the challenges of climate change and energy security grow more ominous by the day. The absence of an overarching strategic framework beyond simple debates over wartime tactics has contributed to an erosion of America’s position in the world. The authors of Making America Grand Again argue that America’s leaders must broaden their strategic aperture and recognize the value in renewing their commitment to sustaining the pillars of the global system – common global goods such as stability in key regions, a vibrant global economy, and fair access to the global commons. Arguing that America’s Cold War strategy consisted of two parts – containing the Soviet Union while building and sustaining a resilient international system – the authors lay out a case for why sustaining America’s power and influence in the 21st century requires reinvesting in, and innovating within, the very global architecture that helped make America a superpower. 

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  • Finding Our Way
    Finding Our Way: Debating American Grand Strategy
    Type of Publication: Report
    Date: 06/11/2008

    In a critical election year, the debate over America’s national security strategy has been overwhelmed by a persistent focus on essentially tactical issues such as: the number of troops in Iraq; whether or not America should engage in diplomacy with Iran; and the status of the search for Osama Bin Laden. Important as such issues are, they do not address the more critical and fundamental arguments over America’s purpose and place in the world. Finding Our Way attempts to bridge the gap in the current national security debate by bringing together ideas from across the academic and policy spectrums in one accessible volume. Edited by Michèle Flournoy and Shawn Brimley, and including contributions from Robert Art, G. John Ikenberry, Barry Posen, Frederick Kagan, and Sarah Sewall, Finding Our Way provides a compelling and accessible snapshot of the current grand strategy debate. Readers will find essays advocating contrasting ideas on vital U.S. interests, key threats facing America, the utility of international partnerships and alliances, the use of military force, the implications of Iraq on American strategy, and the need to restore a positive view of American power. This volume is an ideal primer for scholars and students interested in the contemporary debate over American power and purpose in a changing world.

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  • Unfinished Business: U.S. Overseas Military Presence in the 21st Century
    Type of Publication: Report
    Date: 06/11/2008

    The next American president will inherit an overseas military base realignment process begun in the first term of the George W. Bush administration. This realignment, guided by an effort known as the Global Posture Review (GPR), was perhaps former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld s chief intellectual and policy accomplishment during his six-year tenure at the Pentagon. Unlike his likely warfighting legacy, particularly in regard to Iraq, the GPR is on generally sound conceptual foundations. But a successful outcome for the Global Posture Review, roughly halfway implemented as of early 2008, will depend on the next U.S. administration refining numerous rough edges of the current plan and redefining the broader national security policy context in which any base realignment will inevitably be viewed.

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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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    Counterinsurgency and Afghanistan: Experiences, Strategies and Perspectives
    February 17, 2012 - 11:00am - 12:00pm
    The Willard InterContinental Hotel's Crystal Room
    Washington, District of Columbia

    On February 17, the Center for a New American Security and ISPK hosted Dr. Thomas de Maizière, Minister of Defense of the Federal Republic of Germany, for a public address titled “Counterinsurgency and Afghanistan: Experiences, Strategies and Perspectives.” Dr. de Maizière’s address was followed by a question and answer session chaired by Dr. John A. Nagl, CNAS Non-Resident Senior Fellow.

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  • Lt. Gen. Sher Mohammad Karimi, Afghanistan, ANA
    Roundtable Discussion with Lieutenant General Sher Mohammad Karimi, Chief of Staff for the Afghan Military
    February 8, 2012 - 9:00am - 11:00am
    Center for a New American Security
    Washington, District of Columbia

    On February 8, the Center for a New American Security hosted a discussion about the future of Afghanistan with Lieutenant General Sher Mohammad Karimi, Chief of Army Staff for the Afghan military. Lieutenant General Karimi discussed some of his current challenges and concerns, focusing on the Afghan Air Force and continued international support for the ANA beyond 2014.

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  • The Partnership
    The Partnership: Five Cold Warriors and Their Quest to Ban the Bomb
    January 4, 2012 - 5:30pm - 8:30pm
    The W Hotel
    Washington, District of Columbia

    The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) cordially invites you to the book launch for The Partnership: Five Cold Warriors and Their Quest to Ban the Bomb by award-winning New York Times journalist Philip Taubman. RSVP here or call (202) 457-9427.

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  • Hard Choices: Responsible Defense in an Age of Austerity
    October 7, 2011 - 8:30am - 10:30am
    The Newseum's Knight Conference Center
    Washington, District of Columbia

    On October 7, 2011, CNAS released Hard Choices: Responsible Defense in an Age of Austerity at an event featuring a discussion with the report authors - LTG David W. Barno, USA (Ret.), Dr. Nora Bensahel and Travis Sharp - and leading defense and budget experts Gordon Adams and Tom Donnelly.

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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
    Counterstrike: The Untold Story Of America's Secret Campaign Against Al Qaeda
    September 8, 2011 - 5:30pm - 8:00pm
    The Willard InterContinental Hotel's Grand Ball Room
    Washington, District of Columbia

    The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) cordially invites you to the inaugural book release party for COUNTERSTRIKE: The Untold Story of America’s Secret Campaign Against al Qaeda by acclaimed New York Times national security reporters and former CNAS Writers in Residence Eric Schmitt and Thom Shanker.

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  • MG Buchanan, CNAS, Iraq, security agreement, Operation New Dawn
    MG Jeffrey Buchanan, USA Discussion on Operation New Dawn: Bridge to an Enduring Partnership
    August 18, 2011 - 11:00am - 12:00pm
    Center for a New American Security
    Washington, District of Columbia

    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 CNAS 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.

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  • Secretary Panetta
    Challenges for the New U.S. Secretary of Defense
    August 4, 2011 - 7:45am - 9:15am
    The Willard InterContinental Hotel
    Washington, District of Columbia

    On August 4, CNAS President John A. Nagl, Senior Advisor and Senior Fellow LTG David Barno, USA (Ret.), and Deputy Director of Studies and Senior Fellow Dr. Nora Bensahel led a roundtable discussion over breakfast addressing the challenges faced by the new U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. 

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  • Aum Shinrikyo: Insights Into How Terrorists Develop Biological and Chemical Weapons
    July 28, 2011 - 10:30am - 12:00pm
    The Willard InterContinental Hotel's Grand Ball Room
    Washington, District of Columbia

    In 1995, the Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo unleashed terror on the Tokyo subway system with a highly-publicized sarin gas attack. However, less is known about the group’s development of biological and chemical weapons and about their prior attacks using these weapons. 

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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.

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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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  • Dr. Patrick M. Cronin
    Senior Advisor and Senior Director of the Asia-Pacific Security Program

    Patrick M. Cronin is a Senior Advisor and Senior Director of the Asia-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS).  Previously, he was the Director of the Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS) at National Defense University and has a nearly 30-year career inside government and academic research centers, spanning defense affairs, foreign policy, and development assistance.

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  • Robert Leslie Deak
    Robert Leslie Deak
    Board of Directors, National Defense University

    Robert Leslie Deak is President and Chief Executive Officer of Bittachon Holdings, Inc, a firm based out of Rye, New York, that develops and manages companies in the United States and the broader Middle East. Previously, he served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of American National Bank of New York from 1985 to 1991 and before that was President and CEO of Deak-Perera US, Inc., from 1973 to 1985.

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  • Peter deNeufville
    Peter B. deNeufville
    Chairman, Voltaix, LLC

    Peter deNeufville serves as Chairman of Voltaix, L.L.C., a manufacturer of chemical-vapor-deposition materials for the semiconductor and thin-film photovoltaic industries.  He is also a partner in DNAC, a New York-based merchant advisory firm.  He has helped finance and served as a director for a number of early-stage technology companies. 

    Mr. deNeufville is also active in national security and environmental issues.  He is a reserve officer in the U.S.

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  • Lieutenant General David A. Deptula (Ret.)
    Lieutenant General David A. Deptula, USAF (Ret.)
    President and Chief Executive Officer, The Deptula Group, LLC

    Lieutenant General David A. Deptula (Ret.) is a highly decorated military leader who transitioned from the U.S.

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  • Major General Charles Dunlap, USAF (Ret.)
    Associate Director, Duke University School of Law Center on Law, Ethics, and National Security

    Prior to his retirement on 1 June 2010, Major General Dunlap served as Deputy Judge Advocate General of the U.S. Air Force.  In that position he assisted in the professional oversight of more than 2,200 judge advocates, 350 civilian attorneys, 1,400 enlisted paralegals and 500 civilians assigned worldwide.  In addition to overseeing an array of military justice, operational, international and civil law functions, General Dunlap provided legal advice to the Air Staff and commanders at all levels.

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  • David Finkel
    David Finkel
    Writer in Residence

    David Finkel is the author of The Good Soldiers, a ground-level account of the U.S. "surge" into the Iraq war, published in 2009 by Sarah Crichton Books/Farrar, Straus and Giroux. An editor and writer for The Washington Post, Finkel has reported from Africa, Asia, Central America, Europe, and across the United States, and was part of the Post’s war coverage in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. He was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting in 2006 for a series of stories about U.S.

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  • Dr. Colin H. Kahl
    Dr. Colin H. Kahl
    Senior Fellow

    Dr. Colin H. Kahl is a Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) focusing on Middle East security and defense policy and an associate professor in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service.

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  • Dr. David Kilcullen
    President and CEO, Caerus Associates

    Dr. David Kilcullen is a former Non-Resident Senior Fellow and Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security. Dr. Kilcullen was also a Non-Resident Senior Fellow with CNAS in 2007 and collaborated with CNAS on Iraq and Afghanistan reports, as well as violent extremism and grand strategy Solarium projects in 2007 and 2008.  

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