Center for a New American Security

CNAS kicked off 2008 with a great deal of momentum, expanding our board and staff as we sought to contribute to the critical debates over national security and defense policy now in full swing in the United States. Among our proudest achievements this spring were the additions of several new senior staff members, including retiring Army Lieutenant Colonel John Nagl, journalist and author Robert Kaplan, counterinsurgency expert David Kilcullen and Marine Corps veteran and best-selling author Nathaniel Fick. The collective experience of these new staffers brings unparalleled expertise to our research team. Their contributions could not come at a better time, as CNAS hopes to play an ever-greater role in the policy debates swirling in Washington and beyond. In particular, CNAS has been active on the Hill this spring, providing numerous congressional testimonies  and staff briefings on everything from Iraq, to a rising China, to military readiness to energy security.

CNAS has played an especially active role in the debate over Iraq since we first released our Phased Transition  report in June of 2007. While Fellows Shawn Brimleyand Colin Kahl continue to research and publish on developments in the ongoing counterinsurgency effort, CNAS President Michèle Flournoy had the opportunity to visit Iraq in February at the invitation of General David Petraeus. Upon her return to Washington, Michèle briefed members of Congress as well as the press, andpublished an opinion piece in the Washington Times urging a larger political strategy for the country.

Now, we are fast approaching our second annual June conference, where we will roll out a variety of new efforts underway at the Center.  On June 11, we will release five new reports addressing key strategic issues for this President and the next administration, including extensive reports on Iraq, Iran, Asia, U.S. grand strategy, and U.S. energy security strategy. We hope you all will join us and an exciting array of prominent speakers and panelists for a day of discussions of the most important policy issues facing our country. You can register and learn more at www.cnas.org/june2008.

But CNAS is already looking beyond June to a summer of special events. Most exciting among our upcoming efforts, the CNAS energy security team is coordinating a groundbreaking “climate scenario-based war game” with a consortium of high-level scientists, national security strategists, policymakers, former military officers, environmentalists, and private sector representatives from the United States, Europe, Asia, and South Asia to develop strategies for dealing with the national security consequences of global climate change.  The effort will culminate in a three-day workshop in late July that we hope will generate considerable political momentum for addressing the threat posed by global climate change.

In September, CNAS is collaborating with the Stanley Foundation and the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University to bring together former Secretaries of State in a single forum to collectively address the challenges that lie ahead for the new administration. This event is part of a series of efforts focused on the impending transition.  We’ll be reporting more about this event in the coming months, so please continue to check our website and watch your email inbox for an invitation.

In November, CNAS will shift its focus from the international strategic landscape to the critical governance challenges the next administration will face after the presidential transition in January.  One of our efforts is to encourage a highly expedited clearance and confirmation process for the new president’s national security team.  Not only will the next administration immediately take charge of two ongoing wars, but they will also inherit perhaps the most daunting set of national security challenges in generations.

In short, we are proud of the accomplishments CNAS has made over the last few months building on the success of our first year, and have much more in store for year ahead.  We will continue to maintain our commitment to bipartisanship and to creating an open platform for Republicans and Democrats, civilians and military to work together to overcome the toughest national security challenges that face our nation today. 

Please follow our work and join us in our efforts to elevate the national security debate.