MILITARY POLICY
July 2008
Terrorism: What the Next President will Face: The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science
Book, volume 618
The July 2008 edition of the ANNALS of the American Academcy of Political and Social Science. It includes eighteen chapters discussing a wide range of topics relating to terrorism, including Al Qaeda, Iran, andcounterterrorism intelligence.
AP Photo
June 30, 2008
"The Path through Pakistan to a Shorter War on Terror"
Magazine or Newspaper Article, Christian Science Monitor
By Xenia Dormandy, Senior Associate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
In the 'epicenter of terrorism,' democracy will benefit from an ease in US military pressure.
May 29, 2008
Your Government Failed You: Breaking the Cycle of National Security Disasters
Book
By Richard Clarke, Faculty Affiliate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
It's not just Bush and Cheney that are to blame. The system is broken. That's the message in this provocative sequel to Against All Enemies. When Richard Clarke apologized for 9-11, he never thought that there would be so many more government failures in so short a time, but climate change, Katrina, the struggle with al Qaeda, the insecurity in cyberspace, and the failure of homeland security all bespeak a larger problem, a systemic failure. Clarke documents the failures and suggests solutions for making government work better in its most important job, protecting us.
AP Photo
April 7, 2008
"India's Key Foreign Policy Issues"
Policy Brief
By Xenia Dormandy, Senior Associate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
In recent years, India's military, diplomatic and economic energies have expanded far beyond Nehru's Non-Aligned position. But what does that mean for India, its region, and the United States?
March 2008
Targeting Civilians in War
Book
By Alexander B. Downes, Former Research Fellow, International Security Program, 2007-2008
Accidental harm to civilians in warfare often becomes an occasion for public outrage, from citizens of both the victimized and the victimizing nation. In this vitally important book on a topic of acute concern for anyone interested in military strategy, international security, or human rights, Alexander B. Downes reminds readers that democratic and authoritarian governments alike will sometimes deliberately kill large numbers of civilians as a matter of military strategy. What leads governments to make such a choice?
March-April 2008
"Toward a Liberal Realist Foreign Policy: A Memo for the Next President"
Magazine or Newspaper Article, Harvard Magazine, issue 4, volume 110
By Joseph S. Nye, Sultan of Oman Professor of International Relations
"On January 20, you will inherit a legacy of trouble: Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Palestine, North Korea for starters. Failure to manage any one of them could mire your presidency and sap your political support—and threaten the country’s future. At the same time, you must not let these inherited problems define your foreign policy. You need to put them in a larger context and create your own vision of how Americans should deal with the world."
February 18, 2008
Pakistan Election Update: Election Day
News
By Xenia Dormandy, Senior Associate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Xenia Dormandy writes from Pakistan that elections "appear to have been in large part peaceful, notwithstanding some being delayed due to security threats and some bombings at polling stations. While the results are still being counted and a formal tally will not be out for some while, informally, we are likely to know the results even this evening."
Photo Credit: Kai Mörk
February 10, 2008
PDP Co-Director Ashton B. Carter participates in Munich Conference on Security Policy
Press Release
By Jeffrey Kim, Former Affiliate and Research Assistant, Preventative Defense Project, 2007-2008
From February 8-10, 2008, PDP Co-Director Ashton B. Carter participated in the 44th Munich Conference on Security Policy (also known as Wehrkunde).
January 17, 2008
Ruthless Humanitarianism
Book Chapter
By Doug Brooks and Matan Chorev, Research Assistant, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Over the past twenty years, Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs) have become significant elements of national security arrangements, assuming many of the functions that have traditionally been undertaken by state armies. Given the centrality of control over the use of coercive force to the functioning and identity of the modern state, and to international order, these developments clearly are of great practical and conceptual interest.
This edited volume provides an interdisciplinary overview of PMSCs: what they are, why they have emerged in their current form, how they operate, their current and likely future military, political, social and economic impact, and the moral and legal constraints that do and should apply to their operation. The book focuses firstly upon normative issues raised by the development of PMSCs, and then upon state regulation and policy towards PMSCs, examining finally the impact of PMSCs on civil-military relations. It takes an innovative approach, bringing theory and empirical research into mutually illuminating contact. Includes contributions from experts in IR, political theory, international and corporate law, and economics, and also breaks important new ground by including philosophical discussions of PMSCs.
AP Photo
Winter 2007/08
"A Cold Start for Hot Wars? The Indian Army's New Limited War Doctrine"
Journal Article, International Security, issue 3, volume 32
India’s inability to coerce Pakistan into halting its support for insurgents in Kashmir, as well as its experience in past conflicts with Pakistan, led it to develop Cold Start—a new offensive military doctrine that will allow it to mobilize quickly and retaliate in a limited manner. Although India is far from realizing its goal, this break from a traditional defensive strategy deserves scrutiny. A history of misperception and mistrust between India and Pakistan, poor intelligence, and domestic insecurity suggests that limited war could quickly escalate to the nuclear threshold, posing a serious risk to the stability of the subcontinent and the rest of the world.
