Defense Policy
PacNet #15 - The threat to China’s security isn’t THAAD, it’s North Korea
Categories: Defense Policy
The Human Cost of War in the Middle East: A Graphic Overview
War is always a tragedy in human terms, but the four wars in the Middle East have raised the level of that tragedy to truly massive proportions. These costs are summarized in detail in a new analysis by the Burke Chair at CSIS entitled The Human Cost of War in the Middle East: A Graphic Overview.
Categories: Defense Policy
PacNet #13R - Response to PacNet #13 “Here we go again!”
Winston Lord served as president of the Council on Foreign relations, US ambassador to China, and assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. He responded via the Nelson Report, which had kindly reprinted PacNet #13.
Categories: Defense Policy
PacNet #14 - The Japan-Korea comfort women deal: this is only the beginning
The cycle of negativity surrounding Japan-South Korea relations since the Abe-Park era began in early 2013 has at times eclipsed North Korea as a source of angst among observers of Northeast Asia.
Categories: Defense Policy
Creeping Incrementalism: U.S. Forces and Strategy in Iraq and Syria from 2011 to 2016: An Update
Please note: This commentary has been updated to reflect a new briefing by a Department of Defense spokesman.
Categories: Defense Policy
New Tools for Collaboration
The Intelligence Community does not lag far behind the private sector in using collaborative tools; indeed, it has developed an impressive array.
Categories: Defense Policy
PacNet #12 - Alliance maintenance in the Turnbull Era: a good driver isn’t everything
Commentary in Australia since Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s inaugural visit to Washington last week has focused, naturally enough, on the dynamic that a new leader brings to the alliance.
Categories: Defense Policy
National Commission on the Future of the Army
Last year the Congress established the National Commission on the Future of the Army (NCFA) in an attempt to resolve what might be called a civil war within the Army. The commission published its final report on January 28, 2016. Here’s a quick look at where the commission came from, what it found and recommended, and the views of CSIS experts on how well the commission did.
Categories: Defense Policy
Issues and Insights Vol. 16, No. 1 - Development Cooperation with North Korea: Expanding the Debate Beyond the Political Horizon
Policy makers in the United States, South Korea, China and other countries continuously craft plans of action for a potential future scenario when North Korea becomes more open, either by collapse or through a gradual process. This paper seeks to spark a similar discussion but about development cooperation with North Korea.
Categories: Defense Policy
NATO’s Nuclear Policy as Part of a Revitalized Deterrence Strategy
NATO’s strategy for transatlantic security, throughout the Cold War and to the present day, has been based on deterrence of potential adversaries through a mixture of both conventional and nuclear forces.
Categories: Defense Policy
PacNet #11 -- Domestic interests and “strategic benefits” in Australia-Japan submarine deal
Prime Minister Abe Shinzo continues to lead Japan’s effort to sell subs to Australia, pushing the Soryu-class submarines in his Dec. 18, 2015 meeting with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
Categories: Defense Policy
Toughing It Out in Afghanistan
Toughing It Out in Afghanistan is designed to help the reader understand more about the Afghan nation and to inform international debate on how to approach the conflict there in 2010 and 2011.
Categories: Defense Policy
Toughing it Out in Afghanistan: Current Prospects and Recommendations for Future Policy
Event Information:
- February 22, 2010, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
On February 22, Brookings will host the launch of the book Toughing it Out in Afghanistan, written by Brookings Senior Fellow Michael O’Hanlon and Hassina Sherjan, an Afghan activist, educator and businesswoman. The book debunks a dozen commonly held myths and misimpressions about the state of Afghanistan today while offering concrete recommendations for future policy.
Categories: Defense Policy
What the Marja Battle Costs
A recent NATO and Afghan military move in the Helmand province town of Marja has taken a toll on civilians and military troops. However, write Michael O’Hanlon, the losses in Marja are small in comparison to previous battles in the region and that, overall, the Helmand province push could be the first step in building positive momentum in Afghanistan.
Categories: Defense Policy
The Tide May Be Turning In Afghanistan
With a fresh offensive in the works, a rising number of U.S. casualties, political troubles in Kabul and no clear end in sight, many believe the situation in Afghanistan to be a dire one.  However, using first hand experience and recent polling information, Michael O’Hanlon and Hassina Sherjan argue this is not the case, and that there is still reason for hope in Afghanistan.
Categories: Defense Policy
Desperate for a Taliban Deal?
At the International Conference on Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai issued a prominent call for reconciliation with the Taliban. However, as troops on the ground work to strengthen Afghan forces and local leadership, Michael O’Hanlon and Hassina Sherjan argue that an agreement with the Taliban could prove detrimental to security and stability in the region.
Categories: Defense Policy
Around the Halls: The State of the Union and Foreign Policy
Scholars from around the halls of Brookings discuss President Obama's first State of the Union speech, offering their analysis of what the President's words mean for foreign policy. The relationship with China, the war in Afghanistan, and the President's pursuit of a new strategic arms treaty are examined.
Categories: Defense Policy
State of the Union 2010: A Pivotal Moment
Event Information:
- January 28, 2010, 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
President Obama’s State of the Union address came at a critical time for his administration and for the country. On January 28, Brookings hosted a discussion of the address and its impact on the policy agenda in areas such as the economy, health care, foreign policy and climate change.
Categories: Defense Policy
Afghanistan, Iraq and Beyond: A Discussion with U.S. Army Chief of Staff George Casey
Event Information:
- January 28, 2010, 10:15 AM to 11:30 AM
From the troop increase in Afghanistan to the uptick in violence in Iraq to the relief mission in Haiti, the U.S. Army enters 2010 with an already robust agenda. On January 28, the 21st Century Defense Initiative at Brookings hosted General George Casey, chief of staff of the U.S. Army and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for a discussion of the state of the U.S. Army and the challenges it faces this year.
Categories: Defense Policy
