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1121. The War on Terror: Forgotten Lessons from World War II

Author:
Stephen W. Van Evera
Publication Date:
10-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
MIT Center for International Studies
Abstract:
President Bush recently likened the war oon terror to the struggles American faced in World War II, expkaning that our enemies are “successors to Fascists, to Nazis ... and other totalitar- ians of the 20th century.”1 The analogy to World War II is useful and illuminating. Important lessons from World War II apply to the war on terror. Yet the Bush administration has itself left the lessons of World War II largely unheed- ed. Its conduct of the war on terror departs from the policies that brought the United States victory in World War II and success in the postwar years.2 The administration will have more success against our terrorist enemies if it learns and applies the methods that won the Second World War.
Topic:
Terrorism, War on Terror, World War II, and Propaganda
Political Geography:
United States, Middle East, and North America

1122. The Bush Administration is Weak on Terror

Author:
Stephen W. Van Evera
Publication Date:
10-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
MIT Center for International Studies
Abstract:
The U.S. public widely credits President Bush with toughness on terror. An August 2006 poll found 55 percent of Americans approving his handling of the campaign on terror and only 38 percent disapproving. Republican candidates are running successfully on the terror issue in this fall’s election campaign. In fact, the Bush administration is weak on terror. The administration wages a one-front war against al-Qaeda, the main terror threat, when effort on every relevant front is needed. Specifically, it has focused on an offensive military and intelligence campaign abroad while neglecting five other critical fronts: bolstering homeland security, securing weapons and materials of mass destruction from possible theft or purchase by terrorists, winning the war of ideas across the world, end- ing conflicts that fuel support for al-Qaeda, and saving the failed states where al-Qaeda and like groups can find haven. The administration has also bungled parts of the mili- tary offensive by diverting itself into a counterproductive sideshow in Iraq and by alien- ating potential allies. As a result, al-Qaeda and related jihadi groups remain a potent threat more than five years after the 9/11 attacks.3 Assessments by U.S. intelligence and other analysts actually indicate that the terror threat has increased since 9/11.4 The Bush administration’s toughness on terror is an illusion. Its counterterror cam- paign has been inept and ineffective.5 President Bush talks the talk of strong action but doesn’t walk the walk. And his weakness on terror is a putting the United States in great danger.
Topic:
Intelligence, Terrorism, Al Qaeda, and War on Terror
Political Geography:
United States, Middle East, and North America

1123. Voices of Hope, Voices of Frustration

Author:
Kathrin Keil
Publication Date:
01-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University
Abstract:
Can international students successfully obtain visas and pass through security checks in order to study in the United States? For most international students interested in studying in the United States, the answer is yes. In the 2005 fiscal year, nearly 256,000 student visas were issued, which marked a significant improvement from the approximately 236,000 issued in 2003 and the approximately 238,000 issued in 2004. While visa issuance for international students has not rebounded to pre-September 11 levels—approximately 320,000 student visas were issued in fiscal year 2001—it would be erroneous to assume that changes implemented to U.S. admission policies post-9/11 are the sole cause for this drop in international student enrollment in U.S. institutions of higher education. First of all, a comprehensive study of the impact of 9/11 on the U.S. visa system conducted by the Washington, DC-based Migration Policy Institute revealed that changes made to the visa system following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were mostly administrative. While these “administrative” changes may have caused visa interview and adjudication backlogs that hindered visa processing, changes to the system were not designed to make it harder for international students to obtain visas. Also, the State Department contends that the worldwide number of visa applications dropped after September 11 and that “the overall visa refusal rate has remained virtually constant since prior to September 11.” Most importantly, there are other factors to consider when evaluating why international student enrollment has declined, such as the growing competition from other countries' universities in terms of tuition costs, student recruitment activities, and academic programs.
Topic:
Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, Education, Terrorism, and Immigration
Political Geography:
United States

1124. Stabilizing and Enhancing Financial Management: An Independent Review of the ICE Financial Action Plan

Publication Date:
10-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The National Academy of Public Administration
Abstract:
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has faced major challenges since its formation within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). These include the loss of staff, changing leadership at the department and agency levels, an unfamiliar financial system, the loss of institutional memory, new business partners and service responsibilities, changing expectations from DHS, and organizational and management changes. These challenges merged to create substantial and adverse financial issues in 2005.
Topic:
Security, Defense Policy, Terrorism, and Immigration
Political Geography:
United States

1125. The EU's Fight against International Terrorism - Security Problems, Insecure Solutions

Author:
Thierry Balzacq and Sergio Carrera
Publication Date:
07-2005
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Centre for European Policy Studies
Abstract:
The investigations on the London attacks of 7 July 2005 have yet to clarify the intricate storyline of the bombings. Yet, the European Union has already set about tightening up its fight against international terrorism through policies that, unfortunately, compound the difficulty of addressing the challenge. The problems arise partly because the policies put forward do not match the diagnosis nor do they fully comply with the principles of legitimacy, proportionality and efficiency. In addition, it is unclear how these Community measures will minimise the lack of trust among member states, which has put the brakes on the implementation of instruments adopted after the Madrid attacks. This relates to the vexed question of the extent to which intergovernmental initiatives such as the Prüm Treaty are compatible with a credible EU policy in the area of terrorism.
Topic:
Security, Human Rights, and Terrorism
Political Geography:
Europe and London

1126. Mass Transit Security after the London Bombings

Author:
Daniel B. Prieto
Publication Date:
08-2005
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University
Abstract:
Good morning Chairwoman Rivera, Chairman Barrios and distinguished members of the Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today to discuss mass transit security and the MBTA in the wake of the recent terrorist attacks in London.
Topic:
Security, Development, Government, and Terrorism
Political Geography:
London

1127. Culture and Collective Action - Japan, Germany and the United States after September 11, 2001

Author:
Dirk Nabers
Publication Date:
09-2005
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
German Institute of Global and Area Studies
Abstract:
In order to provide a lens to the issue of international security cooperation after 11 September 2001, this paper will examine the question of how collective action in international relations becomes possible. The author maintains that it is possible to understand, if not explain, a fair amount of inter-state collective action by analyzing the culture of the international system. Using discourse analysis as a tool, the analysis addresses the underlying ideas, norms and identities that constitute the relationship between the United States and Japan on the one hand and Germany and the United States on the other hand as it evolved since September 2001. As a result, the paper argues that even if the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington have led to strong pressure on states like the United States, Germany and Japan to form a collective identity, rivalling identities have yet not given way.
Topic:
International Relations, Security, and Terrorism
Political Geography:
United States, Japan, New York, Washington, Asia, and Germany

1128. Pakistan and the Crescent of Crisis

Author:
Stephen P. Cohen
Publication Date:
04-2005
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Brookings Institution
Abstract:
Situated at the intersection of many American and European concerns, Pakistan has been linked to terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and Islamic extremism; it is politically unstable and economically problematic, and has recently undergone a series of crises, some with nuclear overtones, with India. Pakistan is also located at a geostrategic crossroad, bound to India by geography, culture, and chronic enmity; a self-proclaimed Islamic state with many ties to the Muslim and Arab worlds; long-standing ambitions in Afghanistan and We stand Central Asia, and en during military and strategic ties to China and North Korea.
Topic:
Conflict Resolution, Nuclear Weapons, and Terrorism
Political Geography:
Pakistan, Afghanistan, America, Europe, Central Asia, Middle East, and India

1129. CATO Institute: Flying the Unfriendly Skies: Defending against the Threat of Shoulder-Fired Missiles

Author:
Charles V. Peña
Publication Date:
04-2005
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Cato Institute
Abstract:
Shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, or MANPADS (man-portable air defense systems), have proliferated throughout the world. They can be purchased on the military arms black market for as little as $5,000. More than two dozen terrorist groups, including Al Qaeda, are believed to possess such weapons. The FBI estimates that there have been 29 MANPADS attacks against civilian aircraft resulting in 550 deaths. At least 25 of the reported attacks have been attributed to nonstate actors.
Topic:
Defense Policy, Science and Technology, and Terrorism
Political Geography:
United States

1130. What Does Homeland Security Spending Buy?

Author:
Veronique de Rugy
Publication Date:
04-2005
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
Abstract:
International terrorism is probably the greatest security challenge America faces today. Policymakers have responded in two ways--going after terrorists abroad and improving security against terrorism at home by boosting homeland security funding. Regarding the latter, total spending directed to homeland security activities will be at least $50 billion for FY2006.Yet, the important question is whether America is getting the maximum level of benefit in exchange for this increase in spending. This paper performs a detailed review of homeland security's spending practices. First, it takes a look at the economics of homeland security spending and contrasts that with the politics of decision-making in this area. Second, it examines the state of homeland security spending. Finally, the paper analyzes how homeland security funds are being allocated and asks whether this is conducive to achieving improved security in the United States. This updated version also includes a review of federal spending to bolster port security.
Topic:
International Relations, Economics, and Terrorism
Political Geography:
United States and America