Panel Discusses National Security Strategy For Next President
The Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University hosted a presentation and panel discussion on December 1, 2016 on the United States national security strategy for the next presidential administration.
The panel, entitled “NSS Next: National Security Strategy for the Next Presidential Administration,” discussed how amidst challenges to the global commons, the rule of international law and increasing regional instability and state fragility, U.S. global leadership can continue to preserve domestic and international stability and prosperity.
Panelists included Pardee School Professor of the Practice of International Relations Ambassador Robert Loftis, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Balestri, U.S. Army Middle East Foreign Area Officer, Brigadier Rakesh Kapoor, Indian Army, former U.S. Ambassador to Lesotho and former Senior Adviser for Security Negotiations & Agreements, Kevin McLaughlin, Candidate for the MA in International Relations and former CIA Intelligence Analyst, Nicole Rothenberg, Candidate for MA in International Affairs, Lieutenant Colonel Warner Wells, North Carolina National Guard Judge Advocate.
Loftis discussed how recent national security strategies have fallen short in terms of specificity, and how future strategy documents could address these issues.
“National security strategies as they have been written for the last 15 years are actually not national security strategies at all, they are more like the pirate code,” Loftis said. “They are aspirational documents that have very broad guidelines but there is very little discussion over what’s a priority and very little discussion if any at all over what resources actually go to implement the strategy. Part of what a national security strategy ought to be is actually identifying where are the resources with which we are going to do this.”
Robert G. Loftis served in the State Department and Foreign Service from 1980 to 2012, where he held a wide variety of assignments, including Acting Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization (2010-2012), Special Representative for Avian and Pandemic Influenza (2009), Senior Adviser for Security Negotiations and Agreements (2004-2007), Ambassador to Lesotho (2001-2004) and Deputy Chief of Mission in Mozambique (1999-2001). You can read more about him here.