Voices from the Field | Center for a New American Security

Tom Ricks in The Situation Room
Author(s): Wold Blitzer
Source: CNN's The Situation Room
Date: 10/21/2009

October 21, 2009 - CNAS Senior Fellow Tom Ricks speaks with Wolf Blitzer in CNN's Situation Room about the presidentail runoff in Afghanistan and U.S. military strategy.

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A Warrior and a Wonk
Author(s): Erica Lovley
Source: Politico
Date: 10/20/2009

October 20, 2009 - CEO Nate Fick is profiled by Politico as the leader of the "fledgling defense think tank that’s staking ground on counterinsurgency, North Korean nuclear negotiations and even global warming."

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Shortage Of Civilian Experts Slows Afghan Rebuilding
Author(s): Tom Bowman
Source: NPR's All Things Considered
Date: 08/26/2009

August 26, 2009 -NPR's Tom Bowman reports on delays in ramping up the civilian surge in Afghanistan. CNAS fellow Andrew Exum said, "The State Department and other U.S. agencies don't have a ready brigade that can just be deployed at any moment. So they recognize that if we get more civilian resources, we might not get them until next spring."

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CNAS Announces Inaugural Next Generation Class
Author(s): Laura Rozen
Source: ForeignPolicy.com
Date: 08/25/2009

August 25, 2009 - Foreign Policy's Laura Rozen covers the CNAS Next Generation Leaders Program on FP.com. Rozen writes, "The Center for New American Security, the plugged-in Washington national security think tank which has had a slate of associates join the Obama administration, has announced those selected to be in its first class of Next Generation National Security Leaders."

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The Revenge of Geography
Author(s): Robert Kaplan
Source: Foreign Policy
Date: 04/21/2009

April 21, 2009 - CNAS Senior Fellow Robert Kaplan's new piece in Foreign Policy entitled "The Revenge of Geography" is a must-read for understanding the nature of today's current and potential conflicts in Eurasia. Read the full article here.

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NYT Comment: Interpret the Situation
Author(s): Andrew Exum
Source: New York Times
Date: 03/20/2009

March 20, 2009 - CNAS Fellow Andrew Exum addresses an important question from NYT Editors: "Are there rules of engagement that can minimize civilian casualties?"

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Military Review: A View from Inside the Surge
Author(s): LTC Jim Crider
Source: Military Review
Date: 02/27/2009

February 27, 2009 - CNAS Military Fellow LTC Jim Crider writes in the Military Review the story of the Surge from Doura, Iraq. Between July 2007 and September 2007, an increased volume of troops, a focus on protecting the population, and the conduct of a detailed census all contributed a complete and lasting turn-around in a once very troubled part of the city.

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NPR's Morning Edition: Troops Must Gain Afghans' Trust, One Expert Says
Author(s): Jackie Northam
Source: NPR's Morning Edition
Date: 02/23/2009

February 23, 2009 - CNAS Senior Fellow David Kilcullen discusses the security situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan with Morning Edition's Jackie Northam. He says, "the U.S. also will have to assess — and change — the way a new influx of U.S. troops is fighting the war in Afghanistan."

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Admiral Stavridis Blogs about his week in DC
Author(s): Admiral Jim Stavridis
Source: Naval Leadership Blog
Date: 02/19/2009

February 19, 2009 - Admiral Jim Stavridis blogs about his week in Washington, DC, where he delivered a speech as part of the CNAS National Security Leaders Forum event series on SOUTHCOM's interagency initiatives. Admiral Stavridis had this to say, "CNAS is populated with some of the really bright up-and-coming stars in the security/policy scene."

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The Telegraph: War in Afghanistan 'Could Be Lost By Summer'
Author(s): Alex Spillius
Source: The Telegraph
Date: 02/10/2009

February 10, 2009 - CNAS Senior Fellow John Nagl discusses the need to change military tactics in Afghanistan, while initiating a "civilian surge." "Counter-insurgency campaigns have momentum. Like a football game when the crowd senses something before it happens. Right now the Taliban has that momentum," he says.

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Fixing Intel: A Blueprint for Making Intelligence Relevant in Afghanistan
Author(s): Major General Michael T. Flynn, Captain Matt Pottinger, Paul D. Batchelor
Type of Publication: Working Papers
Date: 01/04/2010

This report critically examines the relevance of the U.S. intelligence community to the counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan and provides a blueprint for how the United States can make the intelligence community more relevant to the current mission.

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The Accidental Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One
Author(s): David Kilcullen
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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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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Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam
Author(s): John A. Nagl, Peter J. Schoomaker (Foreword)
Type of Publication: Book
Date: 09/15/2006

Invariably, armies are accused of preparing to fight the previous war. In Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife, Lieutenant Colonel John A. Nagl—a veteran of both Operation Desert Storm and the current conflict in Iraq—considers the now-crucial question of how armies adapt to changing circumstances during the course of conflicts for which they are initially unprepared. Through the use of archival sources and interviews with participants in both engagements, Nagl compares the development of counterinsurgency doctrine and practice in the Malayan Emergency from 1948 to 1960 with what developed in the Vietnam War from 1950 to 1975.

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CNAS Book Launch: The Fourth Star - Video
Speaker(s): Greg Jaffe, David Cloud, Dana Priest
Type: Video
Date: 10/20/2009

The Center for a New American Security held a book launch and discussion on The Fourth Star, by journalists and former CNAS Writers in Residence Greg Jaffe and David Cloud. The Fourth Star tells the story of the epic struggle for the future of the U.S. Army through profiling four influential generals who have arguably helped redefine the American way of war: Generals John Abizaid, George Casey Jr., Peter Chiarelli, and David Petraeus. Watch the video from the event here.

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Welcoming Remarks by Dr. Richard Danzig and Ambassador Nick Burns - June 11 Audio
Speaker(s): Honorable Dr. Richard J. Danzig, Ambassador R. Nicholas Burns
Type: Audio
Date: 06/11/2009

CNAS Chairman of the Board The Honorable Dr. Richard Danzig delivered the welcoming remarks at the CNAS third annual conference "Striking a Balance: A New American Security," along with CNAS Board Member Ambassador R. Nicholas Burns.

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Book Discussion: The Defense of Jisr al-Doreaa
Speaker(s): ADM Michael Mullen, Thomas E. Ricks, Major Michael L. Burgoyne , Major Albert J. Marckwardt
Type: Video
Date: 04/24/2009

From the lessons they learned during multiple tours in Iraq these two veterans wrote, The Defense of Jisr al-Doreaa, a concise guide for the conduct of counterinsurgency operations that provides valuable insights into how the nation should undertake its current conflicts and those in the future.

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The Revenge of Geography: Press Briefing with Journalist Robert Kaplan
Speaker(s): Robert Kaplan
Type: Audio
Date: 04/15/2009

April 15, 2009 - The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) hosted a press conference with Robert Kaplan to discuss his forthcoming article in Foreign Policy magazine entitled "The Revenge of Geography." Listen to the audio from the conference here.

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A Discussion with David Kilcullen on His New Book, "The Accidental Guerrilla"
Speaker(s): Dr. John A. Nagl, David Kilcullen, David Ignatius
Type: Video
Date: 04/01/2009

The Center for a New American Security was honored to host the launch event for CNAS Senior Fellow and counterinsurgency expert David Kilcullen on his new book The Accidental Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One, a book that takes an infinitely complicated situation like global terrorism and localized guerrilla warfare within the larger framework of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and makes them both understandable and interesting.

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Officership Discussion with LTC Paul Yingling
Type: Audio
Date: 12/05/2008

On December 5, as part of our ongoing discussion with veterans returning from the front line, the Center for a New American Security was pleased to feature Lieutenant Colonel Paul Yingling for the latest installment in our Voices from the Field Project.

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Iraq Workshop: Voices from the Field with Thomas Ricks
Speaker(s): Thomas E. Ricks
Type: Video
Date: 02/19/2008

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CNAS Releases Afghanistan Policy Brief by Andrew Exum

10/20/2009

WASHINGTON, D.C., OCTOBER 20, 2009 – After eight years of conflict and an ongoing policy review by the Obama Administration, the future of Afghanistan remains uncertain. As the latest assessment in Washington takes place amidst a contested Afghan national election, conditions on the ground continue to deteriorate.

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CNAS Announces New Leadership and Program Updates

02/17/2009

February 17, 2009 - The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) would like to congratulate Michèle Flournoy, Co-Founder and former President, who was sworn-in last week as the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. While we will miss Michèle's leadership, drive, and deep knowledge of national security issues, we know she will do great things for the country and the Department of Defense.

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Bestselling Author Thomas E. Ricks Joins CNAS as a Senior Fellow

01/05/2009

WASHINGTON, DC, January 5, 2009 - The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) is pleased to announce that bestselling author, Thomas E. Ricks, has joined CNAS as a Senior Fellow. Concurrently with his duties at CNAS, he will write an online blog for ForeignPolicy.com called, "The Best Defense," serve as a contributing editor for Foreign Policy, and continue coverage as a special military correspondent for The Washington Post.

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David Kilcullen Joins CNAS as a Senior Fellow

11/19/2008

WASHINGTON, DC, November 19, 2008 – The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) is pleased to officially announce that Dr. David Kilcullen has joined CNAS as a senior fellow. Kilcullen was a non-resident senior fellow with CNAS for more than a year 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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CNAS Hosts Bipartisan Public Roundtable with Five Former Secretaries of State on the Future of U.S. Foreign Policy

09/15/2008

WASHINGTON, DC, September 15, 2008 — Just a few blocks from the Department of State, the Center for a New American Security and six partner organizations hosted a bipartisan roundtable discussion today with five former Secretaries of State -- Madeleine K. Albright, James A. Baker, III, Warren Christopher, Henry Kissinger, and Colin L. Powell. This important discussion entitled ''The Next President: A World of Challenges'' took place as the general election campaign swings into high gear, and the presidential candidates and the world focus on complex global issues.

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Press Briefing on Iraq with John Nagl, Colin Kahl, and Shawn Brimley

08/13/2008

WASHINGTON, DC, August 13, 2008 The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) held a press briefing on Wednesday, August 13, with Senior Fellows John Nagl, Colin Kahl, and Shawn Brimley on their recent trip to Iraq. They traveled to Iraq on the invitation of General David Petraeus. Nagl, Kahl, and Brimley received high-level briefings, visited multiple Iraqi provinces, and spoke with a number of Iraqi politicians and citizens.

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