Defense and National Security 
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Can Obama Order Executions of Citizens Abroad?
Whether or not an American is a criminal and should die, the judge/jury/executioner should not be the president of the United States. This statement echoes Gene Healy's recent column, partially in response to the Obama administration's targeting of Anwar al-Awlaki (involved with the 9/11 attacks, Ft. Hood shooting, "underwear bomber," and Times Square car-bomber). Al-Awlaki's despicable acts aside, Healy notes that "an important matter of principle (is) at stake." On the slippery slope of politics, the danger is not what the administration can get away with now, it’s what one might attempt 50 years in the future. And, as Healy comments, “You don't need to wax conspiratorial to find that prospect disturbing.”
It's a WikiLeaks World, Get Used to It
Cato technology scholar Jim Harper analyzes the recent and growing trend of information “leaks” – most notably those involving classified government documents and the Internet site WikiLeaks. The military has long relied on secrecy to conduct its missions and operations, but as the information age advances and culture changes, the ability to keep things a secret becomes increasingly difficult. To Harper, that growing difficulty is cause for a dramatic new strategy, for both military and other organizations: hide as little information as possible and become more transparent. “Information technology is a strong and growing adversary, and it is better to turn its strengths to one's advantage than to waste resources trying to fight against it.”
Clowns or Killers in al Qaeda?
Cato scholar Gene Healy discusses the social and political trend to spread fear about terrorists when, in fact, they are often more like clowns than real threats. He gives several examples of bumbled plots involving inflammable fertilizer, ninja rats, and suicide bomber group hugs. No matter how stupid, however, Healy notes that some plots actually work and need to be vigilantly guarded against, but urges that caution be taken when elevating extremists with labels of being masterminds or geniuses. Healy says that, “We've given al Qaeda power over us they don't deserve. When we recognize that they're often inept and clownish, we weaken their ability to sow terror.”
Online Student Event - Friday, 3/26
Today - Friday, March 26th, at 4pm (EST) - Cato Student Programs will be hosting the DC Forum for Freedom at the Cato Institute and online. The event will feature Christopher Preble and Juan Carlos Hidalgo, who both find significant reasons to challenge the politicized "wars" on drugs and terror. The scholars will address the theme: 'Why an effective state a limited state.'
Please tune in online to watch it live and participate in the online discussion board.
Police Department goes Pre-Crime
Move over Minority Report, there's a new pre-crime division in town. Reason's Radley Balko describes a situation in Medford, Oregon on March 8th when David Pyles woke up to a phone call from the police and SWAT team in his front yard. Pyles was taken to the station and given a mental evaluation on grounds that he was "disgruntled" from his job and had recently purchased several firearms (legally, and with money from his recent tax return). "Instead of being reactive, we took a proactive approach," said one officer. The problem is, the police had no warrant, had talked to no judge, and Pyles had committed no crime. After being released, Pyles commented, "If something like this can happen here, where just about everyone owns a gun, it can happen anywhere."
Leaving Afghanistan Moves Beyond Left vs. Right
Malou Innocent, Cato foreign policy analyst, discusses the bipartisan movement to get the United States' spending under control, starting with our overseas commitments, and in Afghanistan specifically. "Concern has begun to escalate among lawmakers of both parties that this prolonged military adventure is weakening the country militarily and economically," Innocent says. Political and ideological motivations are definitely at play, as those on the left want the money currently being spent on Afghanistan to be used for spending projects at home and those on the right want the money left unspent and in the hands of tax payers, but one thing is clear: both sides of the aisle are getting serious about the need to reign in foreign engagements.
DC Forum for Freedom
Cato On Campus is proud to announce that the DC Forum for Freedom will be partnering with a group of students from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark for this month's student forum and reception. Christopher Preble, Cato's Director of Foreign Policy Studies, and Juan Carlos Hidalgo, of Cato's Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity, will be addressing the topic: An Effective State is a Limited State: Why Ending the War on Drugs and the War on Terror is a Good Step. We hope you'll plan to join us (in person or online) at Cato for this exciting and uniquely international event!
For a full event description and to register for the event, please click here.
The DC Forum For Freedom is the united effort of DC-area students to champion liberty. Forums are held monthly at the Cato Institute, and are broadcast with a live discussion board online. They serve as an opportunity to hear from preeminent liberty-oriented scholars, and engage in discussions tailored to the student audience. Each event is followed by a reception, at which the dialogue continues as scholars mingle with students and discuss ideas and opportunities.
Tea Partiers Should Get Serious
There is no doubt that "Tea Partiers" have impacted the political climate over the past year. But, for their impact to be more than superficial, they need to be more consistent, says Cato VP Gene Healy. Specifically, reformers need to focus on ceasing the “profoundly unconservative project of trying to socially engineer failed societies like Afghanistan into modernity,” and should adopt more ambitious healthcare goals, like Paul Ryan’s ‘Roadmap for America’s Future.’ "What this country needs is a political movement that will pressure (politicians) to change their ways,” Healy claims, adding that the Tea Partiers could do just that, "if they're serious."
Who's Your Daddy, America?
Cato vice president Gene Healy, author of Cult of the Presidency, notes that "While security should be important to President Obama, nobody should think of him as America's father-protector." Following terrorist attacks and looming threats, many Americans have fallen prey to placing disproportionate authority into presidents’ hands. Healy argues that approach is not only dangerous but also conflicts with America's core value of liberty. "We live in an open society of 300 million people, and you can't eliminate risk without striking at that openness." Healy reminds that we can't have cake and eat it too, nor can should we entrust the decision making of the optimal policy balance entirely to the President.
Obama's Nation Building Efforts
Cato Defense and Foreign Policy scholars Christopher Preble and Ted Galen Carpenter weigh in with brief statements on President Obama's decision to increase the troop base in Afghanistan. Regarding the exit strategy, Carpenter notes, "Since Obama has repeatedly asserted that the war in Afghanistan is a war of necessity, not a war of choice, his talk of off ramps is largely a bluff--and the Afghans probably know it." And addressing the President's commitment to ramp up troop levels, Preble asserts, "This likely won't be the last prime-time address in which President Obama proposes sending many more troops to Afghanistan."
America's Alliances Are Costly Relics
Cato defense scholar Justin Logan writes about the out-dated nature of U.S. alliances. While once serving to unite world powers in a common pursuit, the continued alliances now serve simply to funnel American tax dollars abroad. Nations across Europe and Asia claim a need for U.S. security forces, while those countries spend a meager 1 or 2 percent of GDP on defense budgets. Logan asserts, “In an era of record-breaking budget deficits and serious economic problems at home, the billions of dollars Uncle Sam pays each year to baby-sit Europe and East Asia ought to be coming in for scrutiny, not perpetual affirmation.”
Why Not Allowing Guns is Bad Policy
Reason editor Jacob Sullum discusses the recent murderous attack at Fort Hood military base by a renegade soldier. Guns are restricted at the base, as is the policy at most US-based military posts. Sullum contents that this policy allowed the attack to be more deadly than it would have been if other soldiers had their weapons and if Nidal Malik Hasan, the attacker, feared he would face resistance. At many highly vulnerable locations guns are regularly restricted, such as at schools, universities and shopping malls; however, as Sullum notes, these often serve as ideal targets for violent attacks because "crazed killers tend not to follow such rules."
U.S. Standing in the World
Recent studies show that improvements in international perception of the U.S. aid the government's policy aims. However, fostering such perception can at times run contrary to domestic interest. Cato foreign policy scholar Christopher Preble addresses how this issue applies to U.S. overseas interventions, analyzing several studies and articles. Regarding the resolution of this conflict of domestic vs. foreign interest in U.S. policies, Preble concludes that, "most importantly, we could reestablish our international reputation by keeping our promises, and that would begin by not making promises that we can’t — and have no intention to — keep."
Video: US in Afghanistan, 8th Year Anniversary
The United States has been in Afghanistan for eight years and the end of our engagement there is not in sight. In this new video, Cato foreign policy experts Ted Galen Carpenter, Malou Innocent and David Rittgers tackle myths associated with the war in Afghanistan and offer solutions to American involvement there.
Cato Reading Lists, by Research Topic
The Cato Institute has just published a reading list of books and articles that form the basis for libertarian thought. The list has been expertly organized and is divided by research topic. If you have been looking for a stronger foundation of the principles of liberty, this is for you!
Upcoming Event: Cato Scholar Discusses New Book
Cato scholar and forein policy expert Christopher A. Preble will be discussing his book, The Power Problem: How American Military Dominance Makes Us Less Safe, Less Prosperous, and Less Free, at an event hosted by the American Conservative Defense Alliance on Wednesday, July 15, 2009. His book tour will continue throughout DC over the coming months; stay tuned for updates on these exciting opportunities!
Dick Cheney Is Becoming Obama's Enabler
In a recent op-ed, Cato Vice President Gene Healy discusses the recent tour of former Vice President Dick Cheney and writes: "Whatever you think the right policy is regarding enemy combatants, warrantless wiretapping, and "enhanced interrogation," the differences between Obama and Bush are far more stylistic than substantive."
Benjamin Friedman: Forum on Defense Reform
Who: Benjamin Friedman What: Moderating a Forum on Defense Reform Where: Winslow Wheeler of the Center for Defense Information Description: This forum will include writer Doug Macgregor, former US Army Col. Danielle Brian of POGO, and Tom Ricks. The forum will address the role of the Pentagon in the past, the present, and the future.
Ilya Shapiro: "Libel Tourism: The Next Front in the War on Terror"
Who: Ilya Shapiro What: Speech on "Libel Tourism: The Next Front in the War on Terror" Where: University of Louisville, Brandeis School of Law Host: The University of Louisville Law Review
Ask the Expert: Ben Friedman on Military Service
Cato Research Fellow in Defense and Homeland Security Studies, Ben Friedman, discusses why mandatory military service is a bad idea and the importance of maintaining a modern military structure.
Ilya Shapiro: "Libel Tourism: The Next Front in the War on Terror"
Where: North Coast, CA Host: North Coast Federalist Society Lawyers Chapter
Be Wary of Using Military as Police
Cato Vice President, Gene Healy, and Research Fellow in Defense and Homeland Security Studies, Benjamin Friedman, discuss the implications of the Pentagon assigning "active-duty troops to a homeland defense mission" for the first time ever in U.S. history.