We strive to examine issues important to U.S. national security from a post-partisan perspective, meaning we try to break through the spin to find ideas we can use to encourage fresh thinking and build genuine consensus.
Washington Post: Obama Administration to Prime Pump of Hybrid Market
posted by Jim Ludes on April 10, 2009 at 11:46 am
The Washington Post this morning has a story about the Obama Administration’s plans to buy 17,600 American cars for government use, including “2,500 hybrid sedans, the largest one-time purchase of hybrid vehicles to date for the federal fleet.” There’s more to the initiative, apparently, than just hybrids: Each vehicle must have a better fuel economy…
Recent Washington Post Column Highlights Importance of Dialogue in the Middle East
posted by selena shilad on April 8, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Check out David Ignatius’ column from Tuesday on the Obama Administration’s efforts to reach out to Afghan tribal leaders, including one leader who spent two years as a prisoner in Guantanamo Bay. Increased engagement and diplomacy has been at the forefront of ASP’s mission and research, and the Administration’s initiative has demonstrated an unprecedented effort to…
U.S. Drones Helping not Hindering Islamic Insurgency in Pakistan
posted by Louis McCoy on April 8, 2009 at 2:30 pm
An article today from McClatchy (Do U.S. drones kill Pakistani extremists or recruit them?) further bolsteres the claim that drone attacks in Pakistan’s tribal regions may be doing more harm that good. The article quotes government and military officials who say the strikes cause Islamic radicals to migrate to urban centers–where they are more difficult…
And… We Still Don't Get It… Or Do We?
posted by Louis McCoy on April 1, 2009 at 11:03 am
The New York Times has been reporting about concerns about developments in Iraq focusing particularly on the current state of the Awakening Councils and Sons of Iraq (many of them former insurgents who switched sides) (Troops Arrest an Awakening Council Leader in Iraq, Setting Off Fighting) and the ability of Iraqi security forces to deal…
More Thoughts on Torture
posted by Louis McCoy on March 30, 2009 at 11:38 am
My colleague Jim Ludes already flagged this story from the Washington Post (Detainee’s Harsh Treatment Foiled No Plots). There are at least three significant issues I’d like to stress as well. First, regardless of whether torture can ever work in the abstract, I think we need to be very skeptical about the utility of torture…
Torture and Sunday Mornings
posted by Jim Ludes on March 29, 2009 at 10:50 pm
General David Petraeus spoke eloquently this morning about the need to preserve our values even as we prosecute a fight against those who would do us harm. Asked by CNN’s John King about former Vice President Dick Cheney’s assertion that President Obama was making America less safe, General Petraeus said: PETRAEUS: Well, I wouldn’t necessarily…
