Center for a New American Security

Center for a New American Security
Name	Center for a New American Security
Founded	2007
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Type	Think tank

Contents

Center for a New American Security is a Washington, D.C.–based think tank focusing on national security and defense policy. Founded in 2007 amid debates following the Iraq War and the 2006 midterm elections, the organization engages with stakeholders from across the political spectrum, including members of the United States Congress, officials from the Department of Defense, representatives from the White House, and counterparts at foreign ministries such as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom). Its work is cited by journalists at outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, Politico, and The Guardian, and by experts at institutions such as the Brookings Institution, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, RAND Corporation, and Heritage Foundation.

History

The organization was formed by former officials from administrations led by George W. Bush and Barack Obama, drawing on networks connected to the Department of State, Pentagon, and the National Security Council (United States), amid policy debates over the Iraq War, the Global War on Terrorism, and the surge in Iraq. Early advisory figures included veterans of the Central Intelligence Agency, alumni of the United States Naval Academy, and scholars associated with the Harvard Kennedy School, Columbia University, and the University of Chicago. The center established early ties to European partners such as the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and to Asian counterparts including the Ministry of National Defense (Taiwan), Ministry of National Defense (Japan), and think tanks like the Japan Institute of International Affairs. Over time the institution expanded collaborations with civil society groups including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and policy coalitions around multilateral frameworks like the United Nations Security Council and the World Trade Organization.

The organization's stated mission emphasizes strategic analysis related to United States foreign policy, alliance relations with NATO, and regional security in theaters such as the Indo-Pacific region, Middle East, and Eastern Europe. Its activities include convening dialogues with officials from the Department of State, briefings for staffers on the Senate Armed Services Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and workshops with military leaders from the United States Army, United States Navy, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps. The center runs simulation exercises that mirror contingencies involving actors like the People's Liberation Army, Russian Armed Forces, ISIL, and regional governments such as Saudi Arabia, Israel, and India. It also engages legal scholars from institutions such as the Yale Law School, Georgetown University Law Center, and Stanford Law School on issues relating to the Law of Armed Conflict and treaties like the Geneva Conventions.

Governance includes a board of directors drawn from former cabinet officials, retired flag officers, corporate executives, and academic deans associated with Princeton University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, and Georgetown University. Senior staff have backgrounds in agencies including the Central Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and offices such as the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The institution hosts fellows affiliated with the Council on Foreign Relations, the Asia Society, and the European Council on Foreign Relations. It operates regional programs staffed by experts with prior postings at diplomatic missions to countries like China, Russia, Israel, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and South Korea.

Research lines cover topics including defense modernization compatible with systems like the F-35 Lightning II, cyber operations vis‑à‑vis organizations such as National Security Agency, strategic competition with China, deterrence vis‑à‑vis Russia, counterterrorism against groups like Al-Qaeda, and arms control negotiations referencing treaties such as the New START Treaty. Publications encompass policy briefs, monographs, and edited volumes cited by outlets including Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The Atlantic, and scholarly journals such as International Security and Journal of Strategic Studies. The center manages task forces and working groups that have produced reports alongside partners like the Atlantic Council, Center for Strategic and International Studies, and the Wilson Center. Its scholars publish analyses on procurement lessons involving the B-21 Raider, maritime posture in the South China Sea, and hybrid warfare case studies drawn from the Crimea annexation and the Donbas war.

Staff and fellows routinely testify before the United States Senate, the House of Representatives, and international bodies such as NATO committees and the European Parliament. The organization hosts public events featuring speakers from the State Department, retired generals from United States Central Command, foreign ministers from Germany, France, and Japan, and analysts from the International Crisis Group. Its experts appear on broadcasts by BBC News, CNN, NPR, and Al Jazeera English to discuss crises like the Syrian civil war, the Iran nuclear program, and developments in Taiwan Strait. The center convenes conferences that bring together delegates from corporations such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon Technologies, global banks like Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase, and multilateral institutions including the International Monetary Fund.

Funding sources include philanthropic foundations such as the Ford Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York, corporate contributions from defense contractors like Northrop Grumman and technology firms such as Microsoft, and grants from foreign foundations tied to governments in United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia. Governance structures adhere to nonprofit regulations overseen by the Internal Revenue Service and incorporate conflict-of-interest policies aligning with practices used by the Aspen Institute and the Rockefeller Foundation. Financial disclosures are periodically summarized in reports consulted by watchdogs including OpenSecrets, ProPublica, and academics at Harvard University and Yale University.

Category:Think tanks based in the United States