National Security | Council on Foreign Relations

Indo-Pacific

Guam’s Strategic Importance in the Indo-Pacific

The island’s proximity to Asia makes it a critical outpost for the U.S. military and a potential hub in the event of regional conflict.

In Brief by Clara Fong and Diana Roy September 6, 2024
Georgia

What Georgia’s Foreign Agent Law Means for Its Democracy

Georgia’s new law reflects rising Russian influence in the country and has prompted backlash from the United States and the European Union, which fear it could harm the Caucasus state’s democratic development.

In Brief by Marc Goedemans August 21, 2024
United States

In-Person DC Roundtable: National Security and the U.S. Pharma and Biotech Industries

The COVID-19 pandemic and chronic U.S. drug shortages highlight the health security and strategic importance of U.S. pharmaceutical and biotechnology capabilities during and between pathogenic crises. Geopolitical competition and interest in industrial policy for biotechnology further underscore the national security role of domestic biopharmaceutical infrastructure. Policymakers confront competing health, economic, and strategic priorities in maximizing innovation in technology, business models, and health-care systems in facilitating safe, accessible, secure, and sustainable products, services, and supply chains. Please join our speakers, Monique K. Mansoura, executive director for global health security and biotechnology at The MITRE Corporation, and Victor Suarez, Colonel (ret.), U.S. Army, senior fellow (visiting) at The Council on Strategic Risks and founder of BluZoneBio, to explore challenges facing the U.S. pharma and biotech industries and approaches to strengthening the national security resilience of those industries in a world marked by health and geopolitical threats.

Event with Monique K. Mansoura, Victor Suarez and David P. Fidler June 25, 2024

Experts in this Keyword

Daniel B. Poneman

Senior Fellow

China

China Strategy Initiative Launch Event

Led by Senior Fellow Rush Doshi, the China Strategy Initiative will study and debate the questions that go to the heart of U.S. China strategy. It will launch several new programs that undertake fresh analysis, provide granular policy recommendations, and convene experts from around the world.

Virtual Event by Maher Bitar, Kurt M. Campbell, Tarun Chhabra, Elbridge A. Colby, Bonny Lin, Matt Pottinger, Stephen Wertheim, Rush Doshi , Michael Froman and Ellen Nakashima June 24, 2024
RealEcon

Supporting American Small Businesses Against Foreign Threats

Small businesses are critical to U.S. national security. They’re also increasingly targeted by foreign cyberattacks. The federal government can do more to protect them.

Article by Tara Donohue Bartels and Tarah Wheeler June 11, 2024 RealEcon
Middle East and North Africa

Oil and National Security: U.S.-Middle East Relations

Steven Cook discusses the modern history of U.S. involvement in the Middle East and how economic interests, including secure access to oil reserves, continue to influence U.S. priorities in the region today. In a preview of his forthcoming book The End of Ambition: America’s Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East, he provides his vision for the future of U.S.-Middle East relations and what that could mean for U.S. energy security and global trade.

Virtual Event by Steven A. Cook and Helima Croft May 29, 2024 Middle East Program
Defense and Security

Robert B. McKeon Endowed Series on Military Strategy and Leadership

The U.S. military service chiefs discuss U.S. defense priorities around the world and the state of the American armed forces. The Robert B. McKeon Endowed Series on Military Strategy and Leadership features prominent individuals from the military and intelligence communities.

Virtual Event by Randy A. George, Eric M. Smith, Lisa Franchetti, David W. Allvin, B. Chance Saltzman, Linda Fagan and Michael Froman May 13, 2024
Digital Policy

Cyber Week in Review: April 26, 2024

Biden signs FISA reforms; House passes bill to ban government from buying bulk data; Biden signs TikTok ban; Chinese government orders Meta-owned apps removed from App Store; UnitedHealth Group provides update on ransomware attack.

Blog Post by Kat Duffy , Kyle Fendorf and Cecilia Marrinan April 26, 2024 Net Politics
United States

In the Age of AI, Personal Data Security Is National Security

The United States’ commodified data market is creating increasing national security threats that federal authorities are currently incapable of meeting; the problem will only increase as AI advances.

Article by Kat Duffy and Kyle Fendorf April 1, 2024 Digital and Cyberspace Policy Program
Canada

What Is Canada’s Immigration Policy?

With its comparatively open and well-regulated immigration system, Canada remains a top destination for immigrants and refugees.

Backgrounder by Diana Roy and Amelia Cheatham March 28, 2024
Space

UFOs: Close Encounters of the National Security Kind

Unidentified flying objects (UFOs) are real. And the truth about them is often hidden from the public, for reasons related to national security. That secrecy has fed conspiracy theories about the possibility of alien life on Earth, creating a stigma around the legitimate scientific search for life on other planets. Why are UFOs considered a defense concern? And does a defense framing of UFOs inhibit scientific research?

Podcast with Gabrielle Sierra , Philippe Ailleris, Shane Harris and Kai-Uwe Schrogl March 27, 2024 Why It Matters
Nonproliferation, Arms Control, and Disarmament

Confronting the Nuclear Threat, With W.J. Hennigan

W.J. Hennigan, a correspondent for the Opinion section of the New York Times, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the risk of nuclear war in an era of growing geopolitical competition.

Podcast with James M. Lindsay and W.J. Hennigan March 26, 2024 The President’s Inbox
United States

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: Unsung Hero Protecting Critical Infrastructure from National Security Threats

One of the IIJA's lesser known components is the investment it provides for resilience against cyber threats to critical infrastructure like ports, energy grids, transmission lines, and railways.

Blog Post by Heidi Crebo-Rediker March 4, 2024 Renewing America
United States

Daughters and Sons Guest Event: Fellows’ Book Launch—God, Guns, and Sedition

In God, Guns, and Sedition, Bruce Hoffman and Jacob Ware offer the definitive account of the rise of far-right terrorism in the United States—and how to counter it. In recent years shocking acts of terrorism such as the 2015 mass murder in a historic Black church in Charleston and the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol have shone a spotlight on far-right extremism in America. These incidents are not isolated; they are part of a enduring pattern where conspiracy theories and radical ideologies like white supremacism, racism, antisemitism, xenophobia, and anti-government sentiments converge, posing a persistent threat to democracy. Members are encouraged to include their high school- or college-age children or grandchildren in this event. All members are welcome to attend.

Virtual Event by Bruce Hoffman , Jacob Ware and Michael Froman January 4, 2024 Renewing America
Radicalization and Extremism

God, Guns, and Sedition

A riveting exploration of the current state of far-right terrorism in the United States—and recommendations to stop its rise.

Book by Bruce Hoffman and Jacob Ware January 2, 2024 National Security and Defense Program