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Eric Schmitt

 

Senior Writer in Residence

Eric Schmitt is a senior writer for The New York Times who has written about the military and national security affairs for the newspaper for more than 20 years. Since the Sept. 11 attacks, he has made more than a dozen trips to Iraq and Afghanistan to cover American military operations there. Schmitt has covered some of the newspapers biggest stories, including the House and Senate impeachment proceedings against President Bill Clinton in 1999, the military landing with the Marines in Haiti in September 1994, the military operation in Somalia in December 1992, and lived for three months in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait covering the Persian Gulf War in 1991.  He was part of two teams of New York Times reporters awarded the Pulitzer Prize: one in 1999 for coverage of the transfer of sensitive military technology to China, and another in 2009 for coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Schmitt is a graduate of Williams College, and was selected to attend Harvard University's Executive Program on National and International Security in 1991, then was awarded a Knight Journalism fellowship at Stanford University for the 2006-07 academic year.

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  • Command Post, 9/11, U.S. military, national security
    Command Post: The Human Toll Taken by a Decade of War
    Date: 09/15/2011
    Media: Video

    Just how worn out are our troops because of non-stop combat since 9/11? To what degree has that contributed to problems like PTSD, family breakups and suicide in the ranks?  This week, on Command Post, we discuss the tenacity of U.S. troops, as well as the cracks that can appear after a decade of fighting. Margaret Harrell, a military manpower expert at the Center for a New American Security, and Eric Schmitt of the New York Times -- co-author of Counterstrike: The Untold Story of America's Secret Campaign Against al Qaeda, tackle these tough issues. Joining me is John Nagl, CNAS president and retired Army officer.

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  • Command Post, Counterstrike, U.S. military, veterans, 9/11
    Command Post: "How Did the U.S. Military Retool Itself Post-9/11?"
    Date: 09/13/2011
    Media: Video

    In the decade after 9/11, just how much did the U.S. military have to recalibrate to fight the wars it found itself launching in Afghanistan and, 18 months later, in Iraq? This week, on Command Post, we discuss the retooling of the American armed forces with Eric Schmitt of the New York Times -- 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, as usual, by CNAS president John Nagl.

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  • Command Post, Counterstrike, national security, terrorism, 9/11
    Command Post: "Did the U.S. Overreact to 9/11?"
    Date: 09/08/2011
    Media: Video

    It's a fair question as the 10th anniversary of the horrific attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon looms. After all, it was the most shocking macro-event most Americans alive have experienced. It changed our way of life, or at least our way of living. It also triggered two costly and continuing wars. If we did overreact, how should we recalibrate? 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 --  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 by fellow questioner John Nagl, CNAS's president.

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

    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.

    View a slideshow 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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