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Paul W. Taylor

Paul Taylor is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Policy & Research, an expert in foreign relations and national and international security, and a licensed attorney. His experiences during his two deployments with the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, both to Afghanistan and to Iraq, left him with a keen interest in national security and intelligence, and an understanding of the need for a more rational use of our military and diplomatic power. In order to pursue this interest, he completed a joint-degree program in law and international relations at Seton Hall University, in which he studied, among other applicable subjects, international security, causes of war, national security law, and international law. At the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and Global Action to Prevent War, Paul gained valuable insight into the effects of the unconstrained use of armed force, into the breadth of factors that lead to the outbreak of violence and need for military response, into how international law and institutions can affect the way people perceive their rights and responsibilities. During his tenure with the Center for Policy & Research, Paul participated in habeas litigation for Guantanamo Bay detainees and investigated various government policies and practices, focusing on the US military detention center at Guantanamo Bay. Most recently, he lead a project debunking government claims of high recidivism among Guantanamo detainees.

National Security Strategy set for 18 December release amid controversy

According to reporting from Just Security and The Atlantic, the Trump administration is preparing to roll out its new National Security Strategy on 18 December. While the document is meant to guide the government’s national security policies, it is already the subject of some controversy. A Trump administration staffer who reviewed a draft of the document describes it as “divorced from the reality” of Trump’s presidency. The draft reportedly includes a few “classically Trumpian” themes,… Read More »National Security Strategy set for 18 December release amid controversy

Trump Approves National Security Strategy

The Trump administration will release its initial national security strategy in the coming weeks, pending final polish edits. The release marks the beginning of what the administration calls “a tough new approach to confront a raft of global security challenges.” Trump has reportedly signed off on the core elements of the draft, which is almost completed, and all the principals, including Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and Secretary of the Treasury… Read More »Trump Approves National Security Strategy

SASC Testimony: Recommendations for a Future National Defense Strategy

Statement Before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Recommendations for a Future National Defense Strategy Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator John McCain and Ranking Member, Senator Jack Reed hosted a hearing for outside experts to explore recommendations for a future national defense strategy. CSBA President and CEO Dr. Thomas G. Mahnken was invited to give testimony. Among his recommendations: First, the National Defense Strategy should address the threats and challenges that the United… Read More »SASC Testimony: Recommendations for a Future National Defense Strategy

Peter Feaver on Trump’s National Security Strategy

Peter Feaver recently published an interesting article on the Trump administration’s forthcoming National Security Strategy. As the principal author of the Bush administration’s National Security Strategy, his insights are not to be missed. In the article, he outlines the challenges that are faced by the Trump administration in writing the strategy. But the team does have some advantages: A capable national security advisor who knows a thing or two about writing strategy; A capable NSC staff… Read More »Peter Feaver on Trump’s National Security Strategy

NOTE: “So, Does the National Security Strategy Matter?”

By Marissa Soltoff War on the Rocks recently released a podcast discussing the importance of the National Security Strategy (NSS), a report that outlines what the current administration deems important and how it will address various national security issues. This report is significant since it forces the United States to address the entire world, outlines specific issues that would otherwise be unclear, and provides a framework for foreign governments, journalists, and the American public to… Read More »NOTE: “So, Does the National Security Strategy Matter?”

REVIEW: Confront and Conceal by David Sanger

Title: Confront and Conceal: Obama’s Secret Wars and Surprising Use of American Power Author: Sanger, David It is a common misconception that presidents that are consistently “pragmatic” do not simultaneously have a more general doctrine guiding their policy decisions. However, as is made amply clear in David Sanger’s new book, Confront and Conceal: Obama’s Secret Wars and Surprising Use of American Power, pragmatism is more a matter of knowing when and how much to follow… Read More »REVIEW: Confront and Conceal by David Sanger

NOTE: The Nonexistent Obama-Bush Doctrine

Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen recently wrote: When Barack Obama hosts George W. Bush at the White House today for the unveiling of Bush’s presidential portrait, the 44th president will have to find something nice to say about the 43rd. Perhaps Obama could point out that the two men’s counterterrorism policies are virtually indistinguishable — except in the liberal reaction to them. However, when reading through the details of his argument, it becomes clear that Thiessen’s… Read More »NOTE: The Nonexistent Obama-Bush Doctrine

NOTE: Congressional Hawks

In recent months and years, it seems that Congress has been taking an increasingly active role in setting US national security policy. Legislators are no longer satisfied with simple pronouncements on their foreign policy preferences, even in the form of House or Senate resolutions that indicate broad support for their position. Instead, Congress has been affirmatively exerting its power through all of the tools available to it, from requiring reports from the Pentagon and the… Read More »NOTE: Congressional Hawks

NOTE: North Korea’s Three-Level Game

Over the course of the last week or so, several events in North Korea have occurred which shed light on the nature of the regime and thus its role in the strategic environment. The typical view of North Korea is as a “communist dictatorship,” or less charitably, as an ideologically driven state with a child (or, formerly, a wingnut) at the helm. Alternatively, the DPRK is seen as a totalitarian monolith. However, there is more… Read More »NOTE: North Korea’s Three-Level Game

NOTE: US is “Like a Bus”

Daniel W. Drezner recently challenged his twitter followers to submit the YouTube clip that best represented U.S. Grand Strategy. All are worthwhile and illustrative of current or recent American grand strategy and its results. Of particular note is a late entry by  Diana Wueger, “Like a BUS!,” which portrays beautifully the benefits and dangers of hegemonic power. According to Daniel: Like most of these seemingly short clips, Wueger’s submission works on two levels.  On the one hand, it demonstrates… Read More »NOTE: US is “Like a Bus”