American Security Project

American Security Project

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American Security Project episodes

  • Frank Rose: Hopeful Signs for U.S.-Russia Missile Defense Cooperation
    Mr. Frank Rose, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Space and Defense Policy, joined the American Security Project for an “in-depth conversation” discussion on Missile Defense and European Security. Mr. Rose spoke on NATO’s current plans and the dynamics of U.S.-Russia negotiations on missile defense cooperation, and fielded questions on topics from the technical capability of missile interceptors to the administration’s new nuclear guidance.
    To listen to the audio of the event, click here
    (SEE BELOW FOR THE VIDEO CLIPS)

    Between election-year politics and the stalemate over legal guarantees, the prospects for big breakthroughs on the missile defense issue seem dim. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, however. As Deputy Assistant Secretary for Space and Defense Policy Frank Rose says, “these things happen in baby steps.”
    And there are small signs of progress in the ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and Russia, despite the public stalemate. Mr. Rose pointed to hopeful signs in ongoing bilateral talks, in which the U.S. and Russia are discussing a defense technology cooperation agreement, joint modeling and simulation, and the possibility of two NATO-Russia centers for data exchanges and planning and operations coordination. The negotiations yielded one small success earlier this year with the resumption of NATO-Russia theater missile defense exercises.
    Of course, Mr. Rose added, the difficulties of missile defense cooperation cannot be underestimated. The current stalemate between the U.S. and Russia revolves around Russia’s insistence on legal guarantees that the NATO missile shield is not targeted at Russia’s strategic deterrent. The current administration, like the previous, consistently maintains that European missile defenses are directed at the Middle East, not Russia. But guarantees that would legally limit U.S. capabilities are off the table.
    Domestically, cooperation with Russia on missile defense has encountered some opposition within Congress. Some legislators object to sharing classified information with Russia – the House draft of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2013 even includes legislative language that would prevent such sharing, language that Mr. Rose says “will surely limit discussion” of missile defense cooperation.
    Also of concern for members of Congress is the cost of the missile defense shield and the extent to which NATO members will financially contribute to that defense. Mr. Rose acknowledged this concern but noted that NATO serves to integrate weapons systems, and that sharing procurement costs is simply not how the organization functions.
    All of these technical issues aside, the fundamental reason making progress on missile defense is so difficult, Mr. Rose argues, is mutual mistrust. The overarching U.S.-Russia strategic relationship, in which missile defense is just one part, is still defined by the Cold War doctrine of mutually assured destruction.
    Moving from mutually assured destruction to mutually assured stability is difficult, Mr. Rose concluded, but ultimately that is what we will need in order to solve the many issues confronting the U.S. and Russia, from missile defense to arms control in space to the next round of strategic nuclear negotiations.


    Check out our Perspective Paper on missile defense here.
    Frank Rose’s Opening Statement:

    Q&A :

    51 min
  • Panel Discussion: Need for a U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan
    Click here to watch and listen to the entire panel’s discussion.
    Yesterday, the American Security Project hosted a discussion on the legacies of U.S. policy in Afghanistan and Iraq. The discussion included a variety of experts, and was moderated by Seyom Brown and Robert H. Scales, co-editors of the book: U.S. Policy in Iraq and Afghanistan: Lessons and Legacies. The discussion resulted in a productive dialogue on U.S. strategy, and how to shape foreign policy and national security in the future.
    The panel began the discussion with the goal of developing a more firm grasp of the implications of  both wars on U.S. capabilities in military intervention. Seyom Brown defined the importance of state building in counter-insurgency operations. State building, argued Brown, would ultimately become a marginal value and large scale operations would not define U.S. foreign policy in the future. General Robert Scales offered an alternative viewpoint that military interventions were historically cyclical, and the United States would soon find itself in another involvement.
    Dan Caldwell, a distinguished professor at Pepperdine University, elaborated on the use of forces structures and how the initial operations in Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban were conducted by mostly CIA personnel and Special Forces. Dr. Caldwell asserted that the success of the “light footprint” approach Afghanistan contributed to U.S. confidence in the revolution in military affairs (RMA), and influenced the initial scale of U.S. military intervention in Iraq.
    Linda Robinson, an adjunct senior fellow at CFR, also discussed the relationship of Iraq and Afghanistan, and the near impossibility of fighting two wars at the same time. According to Ms. Robinson, the U.S. did not effectively engage in a diplomatic and political strategy for both wars. COIN operations could not be effective unless attached to this comprehensive strategy.
    The panel continued the dialogue on political strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the importance of politics in strategy. Michael O’Hanlon, a senior fellow at Brookings, asserted that a cautious approach to exercising leverage over Afghan elections would be essential to the ultimate outcome of the war. The articulation of this desired outcome, argued Stephen Biddle, was critical to developing a current strategy for Afghanistan. According to Biddle, an integral aspect of defining this outcome would be determining what kind of government the U.S. can ultimately accept for Afghanistan.
    The panel’s discussion also included the importance of military personnel and strategy in the transition of security responsibility to the Afghan government. John Nagl claimed that deeper investments in civilian capacity would be critical to assisting security forces in the region. In addition to security, Marvin Weinbaum and Vanda Felbab-Brown asserted that the lack state building in U.S. strategy had also contributed to the problems of security and prevented a more effective form of independent governance in the country.
    Providing security, the development of stronger institutions, and the lack of a comprehensive political strategy were all important lessons that the panel provided in the dialogue on both Iraq and Afghanistan. The derived consensus on lessons learned was the lack of long-term strategy in both wars and the need for a comprehensive strategy by the current administration.
    Click here to watch and listen to the entire panel’s discussion.
    0 min
  • U.S. Policy in Iraq & Afghanistan: Lessons & Legacies

    ASP hosted a lively discussion on the lessons and legacies of U.S. policy in Afghanistan and Iraq, moderated by Seyom Brown and Robert H. Scales and featuring many of the key thinkers in these issues

    The post U.S. Policy in Iraq & Afghanistan: Lessons & Legacies appeared first on  American Security Project.

    1 hr 47 min
  • ASP Podcast: Joshua Foust from Chicago / Nato Summit
    Continuing his reports from Chicago, ASP Fellow, Joshua Foust, briefis us on the latest developments from the NATO Summit
    You can list to Josh’s first podcast report here:
    Click here
     
    Josh’s previous report can be found here:
    NATO Summit May 21st 2012
    NATO Summit May 20th 2012
    7 min
  • ASP Podcast – The changing climate and its implications for our nation security
    ASP is joined by Chatham House’s Cleo Paskal to discuss the global – and local – implications to our national security on the changing climate; from DOD infrastructure, to the rise of China, the Kiribati Islands and much more.


    CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

    Featuring:
    Andrew Holland, ASP’s Senior Fellow for Energy and Climate Security
    and Special Guest:
    Cleo Paskal
    Cleo is an Associate Fellow for the Energy, Environment and Development program at London’s Chatham House.
    She is the author of the book “Global Warring: How Environmental, Economic and Political Crises will Redraw the World Map“, She is a noted expert on the impacts of environmental and climate changes on global security.
    Moderated by:
    Paul Hamill, ASP Director of External Relations
     
    Find out more about the Republic of Kiribati here.
     
    CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN
    PODCAST
     
    Listen to other podcasts in our series:
     
    America and Central Asia
    Afghanistan
    One Year On
    Humanitarian Intervention, Energy and Gas Prices, plus the latest on Iran
    The Growing Research and Development Gap
    2012: Look Ahead
    The Future of Afghanistan
    Central Asia: What’s Happening and How It Impacts US Foreign Policy
    Energy and Nuclear Power
    Afghanistan: Are We Winning
    Covering Conflict as a Journalist, Libya and Afghanistan
    Afghanistan, Central & South Asia – energy, mining and private sector development
    Energy Choices, Climate Change and CAFE Fuel Standards
    0 min
  • ASP Podcast: Joshua Foust from Chicago / Nato Summit
    Continuing his reports from Chicago, ASP Fellow, Joshua Foust, briefis us on the latest developments from the Summit
    You can list to Josh’s first podcast report here:
    Click here
    You can also see a BBC report on NATO and Afghanistan featuring Josh here
     
    Josh’s previous report can be found here:
    NAto Summit May 20th 2012
     
    5 min
  • ASP Podcast – Joshua Foust from Chicago / NATO Summit
    ASP Fellow Joshua Foust is in Chicago for the next few days, taking part in the NATO 2012 Summit
    Each day he will be reporting on whats happening and the atmosphere around the summit.
    Yesterday evening he was at the Cubs game – in which Gen Allen threw out the ceremonial first pitch (the photo shows the military procession).
     
    You can list to Josh’s first podcast report here:
    Click here
     
    You can also see Anders Fogh Rasmussen prepared remarks yesterday here:

    5 min
  • ASP Podcast: America and Central Asia
    This week ASP released the updated report examining the metics the US and NATO use to measure success in Afghanistan, in the podcast we discuss the strategic importance of Central Asia to American foreign policy and national security


    CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

    Featuring:
    Joshua Foust, Editor of the Collection & ASP Fellow specializing in Asymmetric Operations
    and Special Guest:
    Philip Shiskin, the Asia Society
    Moderated by:
    Paul Hamill, ASP Director of External Relations
     
    CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN
    PODCAST
     
    Listen to other podcasts in our series:
    Afghanistan
    One Year On
    Humanitarian Intervention, Energy and Gas Prices, plus the latest on Iran
    The Growing Research and Development Gap
    2012: Look Ahead
    The Future of Afghanistan
    Central Asia: What’s Happening and How It Impacts US Foreign Policy
    Energy and Nuclear Power
    Afghanistan: Are We Winning
    Covering Conflict as a Journalist, Libya and Afghanistan
    Afghanistan, Central & South Asia – energy, mining and private sector development
    Energy Choices, Climate Change and CAFE Fuel Standards
    A Farewell from Dr. Jim Ludes and a Discussion on National Security
    Rare Earth Metals and Development in Afghanistan
    Nuclear Security and the Future of the Marine Corp
    0 min
  • ASP Podcast: Afghanistan

    In the podcast we discuss the Afghan conflict, the implications of the SPA, and what next for Afghanistan and it's people. ASP's is joined by Joshua Partlow from the Washington Post, in a personal capacity. He spent over 3 years covering Afghanistan as the bureau chief in Kabul, and before that was in Iraq.

    The post ASP Podcast: Afghanistan appeared first on  American Security Project.

    25 min
  • ASP Podcast: One Year On
    implications of the war going forward. 
    CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
    Featuring:

    Joshua Foust, Editor of the Collection & ASP Fellow specializing in Asymmetric Operations
    Terri Lodge, ASP Director of Nuclear Security
    Matthew Wallin, ASP Policy Analyst
    Bryan Gold, ASP Adjunct Junior Fellow
    Moderated by:
    Paul Hamill, ASP Director of External Relations
    CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN
    PODCAST
    Listen to other podcasts in our series:
    Humanitarian Intervention, Energy and Gas Prices, plus the latest on Iran
    The Growing Research and Development Gap
    2012: Look Ahead
    The Future of Afghanistan
    Central Asia: What’s Happening and How It Impacts US Foreign Policy
    Energy and Nuclear Power
    Afghanistan: Are We Winning
    Covering Conflict as a Journalist, Libya and Afghanistan
    Afghanistan, Central & South Asia – energy, mining and private sector development
    Energy Choices, Climate Change and CAFE Fuel Standards
    A Farewell from Dr. Jim Ludes and a Discussion on National Security
    Rare Earth Metals and Development in Afghanistan
    Nuclear Security and the Future of the Marine Corp
    Expeditionary Economics and Libya
    18 min

About American Security Project

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The American Security Project (ASP) is a nonpartisan organization created to educate the American public and the world about the changing nature of national security in the 21st Century.