Blog Post
President George W. Bush has tapped a number of Belfer Center members for his new national security and foreign policy team.
BCSIA Research Scholar Robert B. Zoellick (MPP ''81) has been named the new U.S. Trade Representative. At BCSIA over the past two years, Zoellick has been writing on the contribution of selected U.S. Secretaries of State in building U.S. relationships with other nations. (See accompanying article for more on Zoellick.)
BCSIA Faculty Associate Jendayi E. Frazer, a Kennedy School Assistant Professor, has been nominated as Senior Director for Africa on the National Security Council staff.
Former Executive Director of the Center Richard A. Falkenrath, also a Kennedy School Assistant Professor, has been nominated as Director for Counterproliferation and Homeland Defense on the National Security Council Staff. This is the issue he has addressed at the Center as co-author of Avoiding Nuclear Anarchy and America''s Achilles'' Heel as well as co-Executive Director of the Center''s Executive Session on Domestic Preparedness.
Some Washingtonians commented with surprise that the new National Security Advisor, Condoleezza Rice from Stanford, chose several affiliates of Harvard''s Belfer Center as members of her NSC transition team. These included Belfer Lecturer and Center Board member Robert D. Blackwill, Richard Falkenrath, Jendayi Frazer, Joel Shin (MPP ''96 and Center Research Associate ''96-''97), and former Kennedy School Associate Professor Phillip D. Zelikow (co-author with Graham T. Allison of the newly-revised edition of Essence of Decision).
More knowledgeable observers, however, found this to be no accident. Rice has been an active colleague of members of the Center, having served most recently as a member of the Commission on America''s National Interests 2000, co-sponsored by BCSIA. In addition, her Deputy National Security Advisor, Stephen Hadley, has taught regularly in the School''s executive programs for Russian and Chinese generals.
Inclusion of this outstanding group in the new Bush Administration''s national security team confirms the Center''s commitment to serious non-partisan research and analysis.