News
A collection of weekly must-read external news, reports and insights
BENS Competitiveness Council Event with Leaders from the Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property
Leaders from the Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property recently joined BENS for an important conversation on the threat of corporate espionage and its role in Great Power…
Modernizing the Nuclear Triad: Decline or Renewal?
The United States is planning to modernize its strategic nuclear deterrent for the first time since the Cold War ended over thirty years ago. The deterrent comprises three main components,…
Senate Dems Break Biden Nominee Deadlock
Former Obama administration Air Force Secretary Deborah James has been named chairperson of the Defense Business Board, one of the top outside advisory boards to the Pentagon. Other high-profile appointees…
Deborah Lee James Takes Oath as Defense Business Board Chair
Deborah Lee James, former secretary of the U.S. Air Force and a previous Wash100 Award winner, took her oath of office as the new chair of the Defense Business Board…
Amanpour and Company: Gen. Joseph Votel (Ret.) on Afghanistan Withdrawal
To understand how the U.S. withdrawal could have been handled differently, and what needs to happen most urgently to improve the situation on the ground, Bianna speaks with retired General…
From 300,000 to a Few Hundred: What Happened to Afghanistan’s Army
President Joe Biden told the American people on July 8 that the U.S. and its partners in Afghanistan had “trained and equipped nearly 300,000 current serving members of the military”…
Many Facets Contributed to the Taliban’s Takeover of Afghanistan
NPR’s A Martínez talks with former U.S. CENTCOM Commander Gen. Joseph Votel about the military failures that led to the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan. The Taliban’s blitz offensive…
Taliban Sweep in Afghanistan Follows Years of US Miscalculations
President Biden’s top advisers concede they were stunned by the rapid collapse of the Afghan army in the face of an aggressive, well-planned offensive by the Taliban that now threatens…
US Deserves Big Share of Blame for Afghanistan Military Disaster
As one provincial capital after another has fallen to the Taliban, the message from Washington to the Afghans facing the onslaught has been that their survival is in their own…
Plans, Like for Disaster Response, are Great Only if You Can Carry Them Out
Winning coaches has a game plan, then work like the devil to make sure players can execute that plan. The federal government has a plan for disaster response but sort…