August 09, 2019
Strategy or Straitjacket? Three Reasons Why People Are Still Arguing About the National Defense Strategy
“It feels so weird to not intervene in the Middle East. I know we’re trying to avoid getting sucked in, but it’s hard to say no.” These were the words my colleague uttered during a wargame to inform the development of the National Defense Strategy. He supported a shift toward competition with China and Russia and he knew that repeated operations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility would detract from that aim. Nevertheless, eschewing engagement in Mideast crises caused a visceral reaction: “It’s like a toxic relationship — I know it’s bad for me and I know I should say no, but I almost can’t help myself.”
This same cognitive dissonance exists throughout the Pentagon and the broader foreign policy establishment. As evidence, look no further than the desire of some in the national security apparatus to engage in a war of choice with Iran. In light of this, the National Defense Strategy Commission report and an article from earlier this summer by Rick Berger and Mackenzie Eaglen argue that the inability of the Department of Defense to extricate itself physically or mentally from past commitments like the wars in the Middle East is crippling to the National Defense Strategy’s focus on competition with China and Russia.
Read the full article in War on the Rocks.
More from CNAS
-
Video
Defense / Middle East Security
Will Trump Win Iran War With a "Gucci" Strategy?As the Iran war stretches into its fourth week, U.S. President Donald Trump's approach to a war without physical ground entanglements may prove to be impossible. Bloomberg Eco...
By Becca Wasser
-
The U.S. Wants War Without Entanglement. It May Not Exist.
Commentary
This approach to warfare appears to rest on three pillars: speed, unilateral action and limited violence imposed from a distance....
By Becca Wasser
-
Escalation Spiral? Fears of a 'Forever War' as Both Sides Dig In
Video
Becca Wasser, adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security joins CNN to discuss tactical success versus strategic success in the war in Iran and Iran's capa...
By Becca Wasser
-
The Ties That Bind
Commentary
Introduction U.S. policymakers have made the revitalization of the U.S. defense industrial base (DIB) a top national security priority and are directing considerable resources...
By Cara Abercrombie
