International Security & Defense

367 Items

Book - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides’s Trap?

| May 30, 2017

In Destined for War, the eminent Harvard scholar Graham Allison explains why Thucydides’s Trap is the best lens for understanding U.S.-China relations in the twenty-first century. Through uncanny historical parallels and war scenarios, he shows how close we are to the unthinkable. Yet, stressing that war is not inevitable, Allison also reveals how clashing powers have kept the peace in the past — and what painful steps the United States and China must take to avoid disaster today.

Juliette Kayyem with Dean Douglas Elmendorf before a JFK Jr. Forum on President Trump’s executive orders on immigration. (Benn Craig)

Benn Craig

- Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School

Homeland Security Project Focuses on Immigration and Borders, Threats and Resiliency

| Spring 2017

Under the leadership of the Belfer Center's Juliette Kayyem, the Homeland Security Project will focus on the challenges in protecting the U.S.

In this Jan. 27, 2017 photo, President Donald Trump, left, listens as Defense Secretary James Mattis, right, speaks at the Pentagon in Washington. With Republicans in charge of Congress, President Donald Trump’s pledge to boost the Pentagon’s budget by tens of billions of dollars should be a sure bet. It’s not. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

AP Photo/Susan Walsh

Analysis & Opinions - The Washington Post

Trump is right to spend more on defense. Here’s how to do so wisely.

| Mar. 01, 2017

The bulk of any additional defense investment must focus on maintaining and extending our technological and warfighting edge, including in cyber, electronic and anti-submarine arenas, unmanned systems, automation, long-range striking and protected communications. U.S. military leaders should moderate their appetite for a bigger force today to protect critical investments in cutting-edge capabilities that will determine whether we succeed on the battlefield tomorrow.

Natalie Jaresko at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Benn Craig

News

Natalie Jaresko discusses her time as Finance Minister of Ukraine with Harvard's Future of Diplomacy Project

| Dec. 21, 2016

Natalie Jaresko (MPP ’89), former Finance Minister of Ukraine, returned to Harvard on October 31st, 2016 to take part in the Future of Diplomacy Project’s international speaker series. In a public seminar moderated by Faculty Director Nicholas Burns, Jaresko, who currently serves as chairwoman of the Aspen Institute Kyiv, reflected on her time in office from 2014 to 2016. In her two years in office, the Ukrainian government  had to contend with the Russian annexation of Crimea, a national debt crisis, widespread governmental corruption, and political instability.

Jens Stoltenberg speaks to students at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Bennett Craig

Speech

The Three Ages of NATO: An Evolving Alliance

| Sep. 23, 2016

Jens Stoltenberg,NATO Secretary General, discussed the future of the NATO alliance during this speech, given at the Harvard Kennedy School on September 23, 2016. He described the alliance as a responsive organization, capable of adapting to changes in the international security landscape but committed to the continuity of its founding values. In particular, he emphasized the necessity of maintaining a policy of absolute solidarity among member states, especially  in light of the exacerbating civil war in Syria and Russia’s aggressive stance toward countries to the East of NATO member state borders.

Soldiers from the IDF Home Front Command’s Search and Rescue Brigade complete their beret march in southern Israel after finishing eight months of training, October 4, 2014.

(Alexi Rosenfeld, IDF Spokesperson)

Report - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School

Israeli Defense Forces' Defense Doctrine - English Translation

August 12, 2016

In August 2015, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) published its first formal defense doctrine. Authored by IDF Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot, the doctrine outlines the military's strategic and operational responses to the main threats facing Israel. The doctrine was published only in Hebrew.

In order to make this document accessible to the American strategic community, the Belfer Center commissioned an English translation of the strategy. Users can easily navigate the seven sections of the translation – the introduction, five chapters, and conclusion. In addition, the Belfer Center annotated the translated document to provide context for readers less familiar with the Israeli national security environment.

News - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School

Secretary of Defense Carter Opens Innovation Unit in Cambridge

August 1, 2016

Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter was in Cambridge on Tuesday, July 26 to open the east coast office of the Defense Department's Defense Innovation Unit-Experimental (DIUx). The DIUx was launched by Carter a year ago to "rebuild the bridges between our national security endeavor...and America's wonderfully innovative and open technology community."