Issue Brief posted May 23, 2013 by Baker Spring
All Three Budget Options Would Damage National Security
The Department of Defense (DOD) is now examining three revised budget options for presentation to the President. All three would impose significant damage. This is because even the highest of the three options would shrink the portion of the economy committed to defense, shrink force structure, reduce the number of people serving in the military, impose slower increases…
Issue Brief posted May 21, 2013 by Michaela Dodge
Top 10 To-Do List for the National Defense Authorization Act
The federal National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) annually specifies the budget and expenditures of the Department of Defense (DOD). The law can be a vehicle for both good and bad policies.
As Congress prepares to craft this legislation, it should seriously consider policy issues that can improve U.S. security and advance international partnerships:
1) …
Backgrounder posted May 20, 2013 by Baker Spring
Congress Must Stop Obama’s Downward Spiral of Missile Defense
In response to recent bellicose statements by the government of North Korea, it was entirely appropriate that the Obama Administration announced steps, both immediate and for the years ahead, to bolster U.S. missile defense capabilities. The immediate steps included forward deploying missile defense–capable surface ships to the East Asia region, transferring a Terminal…
Issue Brief posted May 16, 2013 by James Phillips
Syria Crisis: U.S. Leadership Needed to Coordinate Allies
One negative implication of the Obama Administration’s “lead from behind” efforts on the worsening Syria crisis is that U.S. allies have independently stepped forward to advance their own interests by backing various rival groups within the ad hoc Syrian opposition coalition. These external aid efforts, often pursued with little coordination, have bolstered Islamist…
Issue Brief posted May 15, 2013 by Michaela Dodge
Missile Defenses: Robust Testing Program Essential
Missile defense is a proven technology; repeated tests have proved that the system is so accurate that it can “hit a bullet with a bullet.” The United States should continue to provide and encourage a rigorous missile defense testing program, even if it means that intercepts do not happen.
Even “failed” tests, if properly constructed, contribute to the understanding and…
Issue Brief posted May 15, 2013 by James Phillips
U.S.–Turkish Relations: Greater Cooperation Should Be Goal of Obama–Erdogan Meeting
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visits Washington this week amid escalating and intertwined Middle East crises. Turkey is a key NATO ally that borders Syria, Iran, and Iraq: three major focal points of U.S. Middle East policy. President Obama should consult with Prime Minister Erdogan to coordinate policies on these three fronts and to encourage Turkey to…
Issue Brief posted May 10, 2013 by Luke Coffey, James Phillips
On Hezbollah, the U.S. Should Work Around the EU
The European Union (EU) has repeatedly failed to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. This failure makes Europeans and the Euro-Atlantic region less safe. It also shows the EU’s shortcomings when it comes to agreeing on common positions and demonstrates why individual European countries need to develop their own policies regarding national security.
Since…
Backgrounder posted May 3, 2013 by Michaela Dodge
Beyond BRAC: Global Defense Infrastructure for the 21st Century
The budget cuts instituted under the Budget Control Act of 2011 are compelling the Administration and Congress to decrease the Department of Defense’s resources. These cuts dramatically undermine the country’s ability to protect its vital interests.[1] The cuts also increase pressures to conduct more base realignments and closures (BRACs). As these pressures increase, it…
Issue Brief posted May 1, 2013 by James Phillips
Syria's Chemical Weapons: U.S. Should Engage Syria's Opposition to Defuse Threat
President Obama yesterday backpedaled away from taking immediate action on the Syrian chemical warfare issue. Caution on the chemical warfare issue is warranted, and Washington should clearly establish the facts to rule out the possibility that the chemical warfare reports are misinformation or disinformation.
But as bad as the reported chemical attacks by Syria’s Bashar…
Issue Brief posted April 18, 2013 by Steven P. Bucci, Ph.D.
The Immediate Aftermath of Boston: No Time to Stand Still
The act of terrorism in Boston is still fresh in Americans’ minds. The finest law enforcement personnel in the world are working night and day to determine who did this cowardly act and perhaps why. There is no good reason for such barbarism; no one’s faith or political ideology can adequately justify it, no matter how twisted the reasoning. As the nation waits for the…
Issue Brief posted April 18, 2013 by Baker Spring, Brian Slattery
Impact of Obama's Budget Proposal on Defense
President Obama’s overall budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2014 and beyond is all but certain to result in the continued application of sequestration to the defense account, which will lead to defense spending levels that are too low to permit the military to protect U.S. vital national interests. They will necessarily result in a force that either is too small, lacks…
Issue Brief posted April 12, 2013 by Matt A. Mayer
Homeland Security: Developing a Strategic Road Map for the Future
As the deadline for the second Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR) approaches at the end of this year, much attention is being given to the record of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and what the department’s proper role should be. Ultimately, the strategy cannot simply be to maintain the status quo, continuing down the same path for the next 10 years…
Issue Brief posted April 9, 2013 by Jessica Zuckerman, David Inserra
Chemical Security: Risk-Based Solutions Key to Fixing Flaws
Last month, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing on Chemical Facilities Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS), a program that is overseen by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In this hearing, DHS representatives claimed to have “turned a corner” on the CFATS program, putting slow and burdensome procedures behind them and moving forward with timely…