Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs - Homeland security

Belfer Center Newsletter Summer 2013

Sharon Wilke — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:20:44 -0500

The Summer 2013 issue of the Belfer Center newsletter features recent and upcoming activities, research, and analysis by members of the Center community on critical global issues. This edition highlights the Belfer Center’s expanding work on complex cybersecurity issues and Middle East challenges, offers reflections on the role of the U.S. in Iraq, and spotlights work being done by the Center and its affiliates on environment and energy issues.

Confronting Complex Cybersecurity Challenges

James F. Smith — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:19:07 -0500

For the past four years, faculty and fellows from Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center and Massachusetts Institute of Technology have partnered in a project called “Explorations in Cyber International Relations.” The ECIR project’s brief is “to explore alternative cyber developments, assess challenges and threats, and identify possibilities and opportunities in cyberspace for security and well-being.”

From the Director

Graham Allison — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:17:48 -0500

"The Boston Marathon is at the heart of a day rich in meaning for the Boston community...The marathon terror attack of April 15 cut into our community at its most vulnerable. That made the suffering of the victims even more intolerable for all Americans...As the dramatic events unfolded in Boston, I was proud not only of the resilient response of our city, but also of the support the Belfer Center community was able to offer."

Q&A with Juliette Kayyem

Tue, 14 May 2013 07:12:59 -0500

Juliette Kayyem is a Lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School who served as Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in the first Obama administration and headed homeland security efforts for Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. Currently a columnist for the Boston Globe and analyst for CNN, Kayyem provided extensive analysis of the situation following the Boston Marathon bombings. We asked for her views on Boston’s response to the attack.

Killing without a Script

Juliette Kayyem — Mon, 06 May 2013 18:39:07 -0500

"No society as open as ours can promise perfect security. Thus, it makes sense that a strategy that resigns itself to some form of terrorism in our modern age would, naturally, concentrate on making sure that those who do harm us are stupid, disorganized, rushed, and fickle. Their violence is smaller scale and therefore more manageable, made even more so by the efforts of well-trained first responders."

Are Chechen Immigrants a 'Threat'?

Simon Saradzhyan — Thu, 02 May 2013 09:09:38 -0500

“There are still many questions left unanswered as America seeks to understand how the Tsarnaev brothers could have inflicted harm on the innocent people of the country that has granted them shelter, food and education.But there is one question that should not be asked at all, and that is whether the horrendous attacks in Boston should prompt the United States and other countries to consider immigrants a security threat just because they belong to a certain ethnic group.”

Boston Bombing Puts Spotlight on Security Services' Failure to Cooperate

Simon Saradzhyan — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:23:49 -0500

"Was the bombing of the Boston marathon the result of an intelligence failure? There seems to be no clear answer to that question yet. But it does seem to me that had there been a greater degree of trust between the US and Russian secret services, they would have been more willing to share information and act on each other’s warnings, preventing Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev from allegedly bombing the Boston marathon's finish line on April 15."

Homegrown Terrorism Is Not On The Rise

Risa Brooks — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:02:18 -0500

As details emerge about the alleged perpetrators of the Boston Marathon bombings, observers are increasingly speculating that the attacks represent a growing threat of homegrown Muslim terrorism in the United States. Certainly, the reported professions by Dzhokhar Tsarnaev that he and his older brother, Tamerlan, were motivated by jihadist causes, as well as evidence that that they had viewed militant Islamist propaganda, are disturbing. Yet, any claim that their alleged involvement in the bombings portends a growing threat of homegrown terrorist attacks in the United States is greatly exaggerated. There is little basis for thinking that the United States should fear an onslaught of attacks by Muslim jihadists in the United States.

Russia, US may face a shared threat

Simon Saradzhyan — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:16:20 -0500

As evidence emerges, more is becoming known about Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the brothers suspected of carrying out the Boston Marathon attacks, writes Simon Saradzhyan. "They were reportedly devout Muslims who were born into a family of ethnic Chechens, lived in the Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan, and studied in Russia’s North Caucasus, before coming to the United States as children. Over time, the older brother, Tamerlan, became a more radical figure. Whatever his motivation, he was following a similar path to that of some insurgents in the North Caucasus, who once focused on achieving secular independence for their homeland, but went on to become intertwined in international jihadist networks that share a belief that their number one enemy is America."

Nation's Challenge: Terrorist Next Door

Marisa L. Porges — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 09:46:25 -0500

"Active support from and cooperation with American Muslims will be one of the most effective ways to thwart future terrorist attacks. As Saudi counterterrorism officials continually remind me, the friends and family of potential jihadists are the best form of defense against radicalization. This approach works in America, too."

After the Boston Marathon bomb attacks: What we've learned

Nicholas Burns — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:40:27 -0500

Amid the shock, grief and anger, what can we learn? Nicholas Burns dissects this week's Boston Marathon bombings.

A Spectator Event with No Doors

Juliette Kayyem — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 22:56:19 -0500

"The speed of evacuation, and the intensity of the response, were the products of months of planning for the Marathon. Public-safety officials were on high alert because any event with lots of people around is sure to have safety issues. But no marathon can ever be totally secure."

'Zero Dark Thirty' has the facts wrong – and that's a problem, not just for the Oscars

Graham Allison — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 10:50:17 -0600

The movie “Zero Dark Thirty” is unquestionably a gripping drama and credible contender in this year’s Oscar competition (nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Original Screenplay). If director Kathryn Bigelow’s film presented itself principally as fiction, it could be judged exclusively on its technical or dramatic merits, which are considerable. However, writes Graham Allison, "because it advertises itself as a factually grounded 'journalistic filming' of the hunt for Osama bin Laden, it cannot duck a further question about what it owes to truth."

U.S. Policy Toward Countering al-Qaeda 2.0

David Ignatius — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 10:00:40 -0600

"The Obama administration is working with its allies to frame a strategy to combat what might be called 'al-Qaeda 2.0' — an evolving, morphing terrorist threat that lacks a coherent center but is causing growing trouble in chaotic, poorly governed areas such as Libya, Yemen, Syria and Mali," writes David Ignatius.

President Obama's WMD "Czar" Appointed Executive Director of Belfer Center

James F. Smith — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 15:19:27 -0600

Gary Samore, President Obama’s Coordinator for Weapons of Mass Destruction Counter-Terrorism and Arms Control, has been appointed Executive Director (Research) for Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. A former fellow with the Belfer Center's International Security Program, Samore has served for the past four years as the principal advisor to the President on all matters relating to arms control and the prevention of weapons of mass destruction proliferation and WMD terrorism.

Time to be like Ike

David Ignatius — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 14:41:18 -0600

January 9, 2013

Washington Post columnist David Ignatius analyzes Obama's new picks for this second-term Cabinet.

From the Director

Graham Allison — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 07:20:48 -0600

As in October 1962, this fall’s 50^th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis unfolded against the backdrop of a national election. The electoral stakes were even higher this year with the presidency in play, not just midterm Congressional races. So it seemed appropriate for the Belfer Center to take the anniversary as a learning moment for politicians and policy-makers, not just for students and scholars.

Belfer Center Poll: Americans Have Strong Interest in Global Affairs

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 07:18:18 -0600

During the 2012 Presidential race, many took it for granted that foreign policy concerns were low on the list of issues important to the American people. However, a poll conducted by the Belfer Center, in conjunction with the Mellman Group, Hill Research Consultants, and Senior Fellow Mike Murphy, found that in Ohio and Florida, national security and foreign policy are still critical to voters.

Tales of War

Robert B. Zoellick — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 10:50:38 -0500

November 2, 2012

On November 6 Americans will vote for their next commander-in-chief, the first of the duties assigned to the president by the constitution. The security outlook he will face is in flux. There are plans for a “rebalancing” of military attention to the Asia Pacific region, new tensions over old islands in the western Pacific, and even speculation over a novel “Air-Sea” operational concept, which would integrate air force and navy capabilities to deter – and, if need be, to counter – precision missiles and other weapons that could threaten America’s projection of power across oceans.

Winners of Cuban Missile Crisis Lessons Contest Announced

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 12:38:35 -0500

The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and Foreign Policy Magazine have announced the winners and runners-up of the “Lessons of the Cuban Missile Crisis Contest,” held to mark the 50^th anniversary of the crisis that narrowly averted nuclear war in October 1962.

New Poll Shows Voters Have Strong Interest in Global Affairs

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 16:29:59 -0500

Voters in the pivotal battleground states of Ohio and Florida show strong interest in global security issues, and want to hear the candidates’ views on defense, Iran and terrorism in the final presidential debate, according to a new poll conducted jointly by leading Democratic and Republican pollsters for Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

Winners Announced for Cuban Missile Crisis Lessons Contest

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 13:23:09 -0500

On the 50^th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center and Foreign Policy Magazine invited policymakers, scholars, students, and members of the public to propose 300-word lessons for today’s leaders from the 13 days in 1962 when the world stood on the brink of nuclear war. Today, the Belfer Center and Foreign Policy are pleased to announce the winners of the Cuban Missile Crisis lessons contest.

Advice To The Next President: National And Homeland Security

Graham Allison and Juliette Kayyem — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 11:31:34 -0500

"Having a professional military means that the United States can go to war while the vast majority of citizens are not directly affected. Therefore it falls upon the president, more than any other individual, to make sure the nation goes to war only if and when absolutely necessary."

The Terrorism Delusion: America’s Overwrought Response to September 11

John Mueller and Mark G. Stewart — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 13:51:09 -0500

The reaction of the United States to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, has been massively disproportionate to the actual threat posed by al-Qaida. This exaggerated response has inspired an expensive quest to ferret out, and even to create, a nearly nonexistent threat. The evidence suggests that the attacks of September 11, however tragic and dramatic in the first instance, have spurred more than a decade of needlessly high-cost anxiety and alarm despite exceedingly limited evidence that such a high level of fear is warranted.

Michèle Flournoy to Join Belfer Center as a Senior Fellow

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 09:17:23 -0500

Michèle Flournoy, a former fellow with Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, has rejoined the Center as a Senior Fellow after stepping down from her position as U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. As a non-resident Senior Fellow, Flournoy will visit the Kennedy School several times a semester, working with faculty, fellows and students on international security policy matters.

Obama's 'Secret Wars' Against America's Threats

David E. Sanger — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 08:40:00 -0500

David Sanger, senior fellow at the Belfer Center and adjunct lecturer in public policy at Harvard Kennedy School, was interviewed on NPR’s “On Point” about his new book on President Obama’s foreign policy efforts, including a cybercampaign against Iran’s nuclear program. Sanger’s book, Confront and Conceal: Obama’s Secret Wars and Surprising Use of American Power, was published this week.

How It Went Down

Graham Allison — Mon, 21 May 2012 08:05:13 -0500

"While journalists have provided a number of histories of the events that led to bin Laden's death, the purpose of this analysis is to examine White House decisionmaking for lessons that can be applied to future foreign policy challenges."

In a TIME magazine cover story, Belfer Center Director Graham Allison writes about decisions behind the raid that led to the death of Osama bin Laden. Allison, whose analysis is the result of more than 100 hours of interviews, is author of the prize-winning analysis of the 1971 Cuban Missile Crisis, Essence of Decision.

How Close is Iran to Exploding its First Nuclear Bomb?

Graham Allison — Fri, 18 May 2012 08:00:31 -0500

Belfer Center Director Graham Allison writes in Scientific American that while it is unclear whether Iran has decided to develop a nuclear weapon, it has over the past decade been "cautiously, but steadily, putting in place all the elements it needs to construct a nuclear weapon in short order."

Allison argues that the best way to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb might be to "aggressively explore the offer made by Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last fall to end all enrichment beyond LEU in exchange for the purchase of fuel for its Tehran Research Reactor."

Belfer Center Newsletter Summer 2012

Sharon Wilke — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:21:53 -0500

The Summer 2012 issue of the Belfer Center newsletter features recent and upcoming activities, research, and analysis by members of the Center community on critical global issues. This edition highlights Belfer Center involvement with the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit and other activities to help shape debate on national and global security. We also spotlight Henry Kissinger’s return to Harvard and his remarks about power and politics, James Baker’s acceptance of the 2012 Great Negotiator Award, and Graham Allison’s cover story in TIME magazine describing decisions behind the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. And more....

Graham Allison in TIME: Inside Story of Bin Laden's Last Days

Wed, 16 May 2012 13:17:29 -0500

In his dramatic cover story in TIME Magazine on May 7, Belfer Center Director Graham Allison offers readers a behind-the-scenes account of how President Barack Obama made the most fateful decision of his presidency – whether to launch the Special Forces assault on Osama bin Laden’s hideout in Pakistan in April 2011. Allison puts readers in the president's Oval Office chair as Obama weighed the risks of the several options he faced as evidence emerged that bin Laden was in the compound in Abbottabad.