Simons Center News

Featured article: After Benghazi: Security Operations for Transformational Diplomats by Marques A. Bruce The State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security has evolved significantly since it was established following the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon. Likewise, the establishment of the High Threat Programs Directorate (HTP) following the September 11, 2012, attack that resulted […]

Earlier this month the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released their new cybersecurity strategy. The new cyber addresses the growing number of cyber threats and security risks, and provides DHS with a framework to execute their cybersecurity responsibilities during the next five years. The new cyber strategy will focus on coordinating departmental cybersecurity activities to ensure […]

National Security What the Long, Corruption-Enabling, Mostly Failed Afghanistan-Stabilization Effort Tells Us, Defense One Just Put it On Our Tab: War Financing and the Decline of Democracy, War on the Rocks The 3-Step Guide for Tricking America into a War, The National Interest The Chilling Effect of Trump’s War on the FBI, The Atlantic The […]

National Security Why DoD continues to fail at IT, Federal Times America’s security chief decided not to read the official US report on Russian interference, Quartz Problems megacities will pose for the military, C4ISR Net Former South Korean National-Security Adviser: The US May Have to Withdraw Some Troops, Defense One Pentagon Bans Personal Devices from […]

In a new interview, Wade Warren, former acting U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator, discussed his 27 years at USAID. Current Administrator Mark Green spoke at Warren’s farewell, calling Warren a “walking encyclopedia of the agency, and crediting Warren with helping him understand USAID and its challenges. During the interview, Warren discussed his proudest accomplishments and […]

Featured article: There is No Silver Bullet and Other Lessons from Colombia by Stuart Lippe Colombia has always had large, ungovernable areas where the authority of the central government was often tenuous or non-existent. Colombians seemed to prefer to focus on their home regions, leaving the vast hinterlands to fend for themselves. Fifteen percent of […]

National Security American security assistance needs to fit with larger foreign policy goals, The Hill New clues bolster belief that ISIS leader is still alive — and busy with a chilling new mission, The Washington Post United States: Inter-Agency Cooperation Not So Compelling? The Implications Of US V Allen, Mondaq 2018 has been deadlier for […]

National Security Trump’s Jerusalem Theatrics Have Dealt A Blow to Peace, Foreign Policy Trump budget won’t rebuild the military, and that’s dangerous, think tank says, Defense News The White House is discussing replacements for homeland security chief Kirstjen Nielsen, Quartz Here’s how much the US has spent fighting terrorism since 9/11, Defense News The US […]

Featured article: Improving Interagency Coordination in Africa by Robert Bennett United States Army Africa (USARAF) executes over 400 activities annually valued at $2 million. These activities augment activities sponsored by other U.S. government, private charitable foundations, churches, and regional African organizations. The stated goals for these activities are complementary, but coordination among the groups is generally ineffective […]

Rear Admiral R. Timothy Ziemer has left the National Security Council (NSC) and the global health security team he oversaw has been disbanded. Ziemer, described as “one of the most quietly effective leaders in public health,” was the Trump administration’s senior director for global health security and biodefense at the NSC, and he will not be […]