Current Issues Lecture
Leo Michel, FIIA Visiting Fellow
Date: Monday, October 9, 2017
Time: 16:15–17:45
Place: Publicum Building, Pub 2
Since his inauguration in January 2017, President Donald Trump has done little to demonstrate a deep, personal interest in the details of US defense strategy, policy, and budget issues. With some notable exceptions, he has not repeated the most bellicose and irresponsible statements of his campaign. He has relished his role as Commander-in-chief, but to date he seems to prefer a selective use of force.
Still, despite considerable turmoil in the White House, the vast US defense establishment must “soldier on,” and simultaneously manage military operations in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan; reinforce US posture and capabilities in Europe in response to Russia; and maintain and improve readiness to deal with those and other real or potential threats, such as North Korea. The conceptual framework for these efforts should emerge in a new National Defense Strategy and work to prepare this document is well underway. This lecture will cover: potential changes or continuities likely to emerge from the new strategy; how these might affect US defense capabilities; and the implications of a new strategy and new capabilities for the transatlantic defense relationship.
Leo Michel is Visiting Fellow, Finnish Institute of International Affairs (Helsinki), and Non-resident Fellow, Atlantic Council (Washington.) He retired from the Defense Department in 2015, where he served as Distinguished Research Fellow at National Defense University and held positions in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, including Director for NATO Policy, Director for Non-Nuclear Arms Control, and Deputy US Representative, US-Russia Bilateral Consultative Commission. He previously served in the CIA and US Navy, worked as a congressional staffer, and as a reporter for French media. He holds degrees from Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies and Princeton University.
