National Security Studies Program

Archives: National Security Studies Program Transcripts and Supporting Documents

How Many Guantanamo Detainees "Return to the Battlefield"?

May 7, 2013

As of May 7, 2013, 603 Guantanamo prisoners have been released or transferred abroad. Of those 603 we have identified 53 who are either confirmed to be or suspected of engaging in militant activities against either the U.S. or non-U.S. targets. We have placed them in the following categories:

Category 1: GTMO detainees confirmed to be engaging in militant activities against U.S. targets.

TOTAL: 17, 2.8%

Category 2: GTMO detainees suspected of engaging in militant activities against U.S. targets

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Drone Wars

April 24, 2013

The CIA drone program began quietly under President George W. Bush with one strike in Yemen in 2002, and then a smattering of strikes in Pakistan between 2004 and 2007 before a more sustained campaign in 2008. During his two terms in office, Bush authorized a total of 48 strikes in Pakistan.

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After the Withdrawal

March 21, 2013

This past Saturday, March 16, 2013 marked an extraordinary moment in Pakistan’s history, as this is the first time that a civilian government has served its entire five-year term (from 2008 to 2013). And, for the first time in its history, the Pakistani military appears both unwilling and unable to mount a coup against any civilian government. The military has mounted four coups since Pakistan’s independence in 1947.

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Rethinking the Joint Force: Strength and Credibility in a Constrained Fiscal Environment

  • and Wayne Porter, Naval Postgraduate School
July 21, 2012

A NEW JOINT FORCE

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Security Issues Relating to Iraq

November 15, 2011

Chairman Levin, Ranking Member McCain, Members of the Committee:

It is my pleasure to testify today on the future of Iraq following the withdrawal of U.S. troops by December 31 of this year. This is an important foreign policy issue for the United States, and I am pleased to see it receive at least some of the attention it deserves.

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Ten Years on - The Evolution of the Terrorist Threat Since 9/11

June 22, 2011

Chairman Thornberry, Ranking Member Langevin and other members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today.

My testimony will attempt to answer three questions:

What does today’s threat look like? How has the threat changed? And, what do we do about it?

1. Today’s threat

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Countering Domestic Radicalization

June 22, 2011

Executive Summary

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Terrorist Safe Havens After Bin Laden: An Assessment

June 3, 2011

Chairman McCaul, Ranking Member Keating, distinguished Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today.

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Threats to the American Homeland: An Assessment

May 25, 2011

Chairman King, Ranking Member Thompson, distinguished Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity today to testify today about threats to the American homeland after the death of Osama bin Laden.

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Al Qaeda, the Taliban and Other Extremist Groups in Afghanistan and Pakistan

May 24, 2011

Senator Kerry, Senator Lugar and other members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today.

My testimony will attempt to answer nine questions:

1. Why should the United States continue to fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan almost a decade after 9/11 and now that Osama bin Laden is dead?

2. Is progress being made in Afghanistan, both generally and against the Taliban?

3. What effect might the killing of bin Laden have on near- and long-term U.S. global security interests, and on core al-Qaeda’s goals and capabilities?

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