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February 09, 2010
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Shawn Brimley

Shawn Brimley is the Bacevich Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). Prior to joining CNAS, he was a Research Associate in the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, where he worked on a variety of defense projects including Beyond Goldwater-Nichols and the Project on Special Operations Forces. His current research focuses on U.S. defense strategy and capabilities for irregular warfare. He has published commentary in the Boston Globe, the Baltimore Sun, the Washington Times, the Toronto Star, and Defense News. He has published articles in the journals Joint Force Quarterly, Parameters, and Armed Forces Journal.

He holds a B.A. in history, an M.A. in security studies, and is pursuing further graduate work in security policy from the Elliott School of International Relations at George Washington University.

Articles written by Shawn Brimley

Sixty Years After the National Security Act, U.S. Statecraft May Need Another Reorganization

By Shawn Brimley 13 Nov 2007 | World Politics Review Exclusive A significant anniversary passed on Oct. 31 that received little attention -- the passage of the National Security Act of 1947. Sixty years ago last month, in the aftermath of a catastrophic global war, the United States reorganized its instruments of statecraft for the developing Cold War with the Soviet Union -- a war that the newly created instruments eventually helped in winning. Now it may be time to consider another reorganization of the U.S. national security apparatus.

Bush and the Iraq Study Group: Closer Than We Thought?

By Shawn Brimley 22 Jan 2007 | World Politics Review Exclusive With most of Congress in an uproar over new White House plan for the war in Iraq, one could be forgiven for thinking that the new strategy is diametrically opposed to last month's report of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group. To be sure, the harsh tone towards Iran and Syria was not something that James Baker and Lee Hamilton recommended, but in several respects the ISG and the White House are actually singing in tune.

Options for U.S. Policy in Iraq

By Shawn Brimley 08 Nov 2006 | WPR Blog A look at the numerous and increasing "strategies" for turning around the situation in Iraq.

The Real Significance of the Tet Offensive for Iraq

By Shawn Brimley 27 Oct 2006 | World Politics Review Exclusive The analogy between the recent violence in Iraq and the Tet Offensive in Vietnam is illustrative, but not for the reasons suggested by Thomas Friedman and the White House. Friedman's Oct. 18 column in the New York Times suggested that, as in Tet, Iraqi insurgents may be increasing the violence in Iraq with an eye toward influencing the upcoming mid-term elections, a parallel that Bush later endorsed. But  Friedman's comparison is inappropriate because it gets what happened during the Tet offensive and what's happening in Iraq wrong.

Post-Election Politics Will Favor Meaningful Debate on Iraq

By Shawn Brimley 25 Oct 2006 | World Politics Review Exclusive The closer the mid-term elections get, the less responsible the debate over Iraq is likely to become. Inversely, post-election political dynamics will favor arguments and options more grounded in reality than rhetoric. The national debate over the way forward in Iraq will become much more consequential the evening the votes are counted. Regardless of which party finds itself in control of Congress on Nov. 8, the new political constellation will favor a reduction in partisanship and some unusual political bedfellows.