Yesterday American leaders, including the president, spoke out to condemn a Florida group's plans to burn the Quran.  They stressed, and counter-terrorism experts including the FBI agree, that this fringe group's actions present serious national security concerns.  Referring to riots and protests in his area of command, General David Petraeus said this past weekend, it "could endanger troops and it could endanger the overall effort in Afghanistan."  The FBI predicts real or threatened reprisals "with high confidence."  The best thing for America is that unrepresentative fringe radicals not receive the attention they so desperately seek at the expense of the country's well-being - and that this overheated, political discourse be rejected by all sides going forward.

More »

Today, at the Council on Foreign Relations, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave a speech on the America's diplomatic engagement and global leadership. 

More »

This weekend, America will mark the nine-year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  Experts agree that much is going right in the struggle against terrorism:  extremist groups are under pressure and counterterrorism efforts have "reduced the overall threat from what it was a few years ago." Yet at home our airwaves are flooded with a narrative of overreaction, intolerance and fear that runs counter to America's resilience and undercuts the strength of our society.  The recent wave of Islam-bashing not only runs counter to core American principles, but also our security interests.  General David Petraeus said this weekend that a planned Koran burning in Florida "put[s] our troopers and civilians in jeopardy and undermine[s] our efforts to accomplish the critical mission here in Afghanistan."  The broader issue of Islam-bashing that we have seen in recent weeks - particularly from fringe conservative political leaders - also feeds into the ‘clash of civilizations' meme that al Qaeda promotes and uses as a recruitment tool. Taliban propagandists have called the rhetoric "a gift."   We can best serve our security, and honor the memory of those who died, by soberly reflecting upon our strengths and challenges - not giving into the hysteria that terrorists seek to promote.

More »

When he entered office, President Obama inherited three conflicts. Two had occupied Americans' attention for the better part of a decade. The other, much older, simmered for years, only coming into focus in the waning days of the Bush presidency. This week we witnessed the convergence of all three: the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians in the Middle East. On Tuesday, the President declared an end to America's combat mission in Iraq and the beginning of unprecedented civilian engagement to create a lasting strategic relationship with the Iraqi people. He then turned to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, investing the peace process with a much-needed reason for optimism by promising his full personal commitment to seeing the conflict resolved. However, as this week's developments in Afghanistan also showed, significant challenges remain.  Still, resolution of each of these conflicts is essential. It is essential not just for American interests abroad but also to make real the country's aspiration for a foreign policy that rests on diplomatic as much as military power; depends on strong partners, instead of protracted American involvement; and, critically, tends to the economic foundations of our global influence.

More »

Direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians resume today after a nearly two-year gap against the backdrop of the drawdown in Iraq, the challenge from Iran, and the fight against extremist violence coming from Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere.  These events are interconnected, as perceptions of American aims and effectiveness in one area have a direct impact on our ability to influence other regional events. As a result, progress toward peace is important for not just for the participants in these negotiations but also for American security.  Yesterday's deadly Hamas-sponsored terrorist attack only serves to reinforce this point and to demonstrate the urgency of the task at hand, as such events are designed to upend the region and undercut American influence at a moment's notice.  The only alternative to a resolution to the conflict is continued violence, which weakens American interests, harms Israel's long-term security and prevents the creation of a Palestinian state.  Active American involvement in these talks, to ensure their success is therefore essential to advancing our national security.

More »

Tonight President Obama will commemorate the close of America's combat mission in Iraq and the redeployment of nearly 90,000 U.S. troops, marking the culmination of years of effort to replace the failed invasion strategy with one that better serves core American interests. America's mission in Iraq is changing to a civilian-led partnership, though thousands of troops will remain to advise and assist Iraqi forces. Challenges remain - the stalled government formation process, as well as persistent acts of violence - but these are problems that demand Iraqi-led solutions. These challenges will not be helped by heavy-handed intrusion on Iraq's political scene. And they certainly will not be helped by keeping American troops in the country indefinitely. The new effort underway in Iraq points toward a more effective focus for US policy:  a genuine partnership with Iraqis built around diplomacy, trade, and development, as well as security. This approach stands the best chance of building an enduring strategic relationship that aligns core U.S. interests with our resources and values

More »

This weekend marks the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. King opened this historic speech with a ringing definition of the values Americans aspire to: "When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir." The vicious anti-Islamic rhetoric of recent weeks has raised damaging questions in the U.S. and abroad about whether some political leaders remain committed to those values for all Americans, regardless of race, creed or origin. A long list of national security experts has joined religious and legal experts in expressing concern that this rhetoric is counter to American values, social cohesion and constitutional principles - as well as to our national security interests. Yet, extreme conservatives - most notably Newt Gingrich - have continued to use fear mongering and Islam-bashing as a political tool. But a strategy of fear is a political loser. In fact the strength and resilience of the American people is one of America's greatest weapons in the face of actual threats, and holding true to American values is the foundation of that.

More »

 

This week, with news about China's growing economic and military strength and the Iraq War coming to a symbolic end, the American political debate focused on one issue: the "Ground Zero Mosque."  This debate has resulted in inflammatory and extreme rhetoric from the far right that many have rightfully called "Islam-bashing."  This hate-filled rhetoric has been answered by moderate and principled conservatives - including Grover Norquist, Kathleen Parker and Joe Scarborough - who all came to the defense of American values and ideals.   National security experts spoke out this week with another message:  anti-Islamic rhetoric is not only against American values but against our security interests.  From helping extremist groups recruit, to pushing away our most important allies, to hurting America's image, phrases like "unhelpful to the American fighting men and women," "like offering your opponent two or three whips with which to beat you," and "may contribute to the next homegrown terrorist attack" underscore the depth of their concern. 

More »

"Today is a marking point in the long process of responsiblytransitioning ownership of Iraq back to Iraqis -- a shift that has been madepossible by the sacrifices of America's fighting men and women, along withthose brave Iraqis who have stood up to rebuild their country. While the U.S.continues to provide training and support, the future of Iraq belongs to theIraqis." - NSN Senior Advisor Major General Paul D. Eaton (Retired) 

 

More »

As President Obama's weekend remarks about freedom of religion unleashed a new storm of commentary over the Cordoba House - the proposed Islamic community center in lower Manhattan - another audience was listening.  National security and terrorism experts point to specific efforts by al Qaeda propagandists to seize on hostile commentary and undermine American Muslims' feelings of safety and welcome in this country.  The president's remarks drew an outpouring of support from mainstream centrist and conservative commentators. Yet, despite the warnings from our security professionals, some conservatives see a political advantage to this sort of divisive and damaging rhetoric. But at what cost in frayed social cohesion at home, and propaganda victory for our opponents abroad, does this come?  Political commentator Mark Halperin writes today that the cost "is not worth whatever political gain your party might achieve."

More »