Volume XXIII - 2008
Triangle Institute for
Security Studies
CONTENTS
Administration........................................................................p. 1
Programs.................................................................................p. 5
Research & Publications .......................................................p. 12
Outreach..................................................................................p. 13
Plans & Opportunities............................................................p. 14
Administration
This coming academic year will mark the fiftieth anniversary of our
organization. Some of you still remember DUNC – an association of faculty
and graduate students from Duke and UNC which formed in 1958. Still more
of you remember TUSS (1984), our immediate precursor. We are grateful to
you for your loyal support over the years. We plan to mark this special year
by bringing to the Triangle a particularly interesting series of speakers, by
taking stock of our past achievements, and by giving thought to the future of
TISS. We look to you for ideas and suggestions. With your help, theTISS
of the next half century will be continue to make a significant contribution to
security studies and to the intellectual life of our community.
Staff and Leadership
This past year saw welcome continuity. Peter Feaver, back from his
stint at the White House, dedicated himself to TISS with his typical energy
and enthusiasm. We have no changes on the Executive Committee to report.
We would, however, like to extend our thanks to Dick Kohn, who though no
longer on the Board, took a lead role in orchestrating two major talks which
TISS organized on behalf of UNC’s FedEx Center for Global Education. As
to the day to day operations of TISS, these continued to be carried out by
Carolyn Pumphrey and Michelle Koeneke, both of them comfortably settled
in Rubenstein Hall.
Web-Site, Data-Base, List-Serv
Our web site continues to be an invaluable tool, a place to post news,
and a means for us to bring videotaped conferences to a wider public. The
first conference we published online was the 2007 conference on “Global
Climate Change and National Security.” But this year, Rob DiPatri (User
Services Specialist, Duke Public Policy Studies) worked long hours to add
the 2006 “Casualties Conference” to our collection. It proved to be a hard
task as the taped format was not well suited for online use. It will be kept
in cyberspace for a limited time only as it is very bulky: please do take
advantage of this brief opportunity to revisit (or check out for the first time)
what was an excellent and stimulating event.
We have just developed
168 Rubenstein Hall
a survey which we warmly
Box 90316
encourage you to complete. It
302 Towerview Drive
has been posted http://www.
Duke University
tiss-nc-db.org/ on a temporary
Durham, NC 27708-0316
web site so that the information
Telephone: 919-613-9280
http://www.
can be collected in electronic
Fax: 919-684-9940
form. We are well aware that
tiss-nc-db.org
Web: www.tiss-nc.org
homo academicus does not
much care for filling out surveys.
However, we are hoping that
a good percentage of you will
oblige us and log on to this
site. The survey is neither very
complicated nor terribly long
and completing it may even
offer some amusement.
The information we collect
will let us get a clearer
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (2008-09)
picture of your interests
and achievements and
DUKE UNIVERSITY
ensure that we have your
Peter Feaver (Director)
latest contact information
on file. As always, your
Alex Roland
feedback as to how this
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL
survey might be improved
Mark Crescenzi
will be welcome.
Karen Hagemann
NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY
As always, we
William A. Boettcher
continued to alert our
Nancy Mitchell
members to the many
NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY
interesting and relevant
Jeffrey Elliot
activities going on in the
Triangle, including the
seminars organized by
the History of the Military,
Carolyn W. Pumphrey, Coordinator
Michelle Koeneke, Program Assistant
War, and Military Society.
If you are organizing an
event or series of events
that will be held locally
and would like to invite
our members, contact the
TISS office and we will send out announcements via the TISS list-serv.
2
TISS and American Diplomacy - A Report by Henry Mattox
TISS and the electronic journal American Diplomacy have continued their longstanding
cooperative agreement dating from 1996. Back then, a small group of retired Foreign Service
officers launched the publication with the active support of what was then termed TUSS, in particular
respecting Internet access through the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The cooperative
venture has since been joined by the UNC’s Curriculum in Peace, War and Defense (PWAD). The
parent organization of the publication, American Diplomacy Publishers (ADP), is a North Carolinachartered nonprofit educational corporation with a board of directors that includes, as it has over
the years, representatives of both TISS and PWAD, in addition to retired Foreign Service and
military officers, academic leaders, and others interested in the foreign affairs of the United States.
Additionally, American Diplomacy has long been an enthusiastic supporter of TISS’s annual “New
Faces” Conference. For a more complete summary of the journal’s aims and activities, see its
entry at www.unc.edu/depts/diplomat/static/about_history.html .
Senior staff changes on both the journal and its parent organization, ADP, have come about
during the past year. Dr. Henry Mattox, the journal’s editor from the outset, stepped down in mid2007. Amb. (ret.) James Bullington, a long-time contributor of articles to the journal, took his place.
Early in 2008, ill health forced Publisher Richard (Bart) Moon, a retired senior Foreign Service
officer, to hand over his responsibilities after seven years on the job. His replacement is Amb. (ret.)
Michael Cotter, who was also elected to the presidency of ADP, replacing Amb. (ret.) Jeanette Hyde
after her four years in office. A few changes have taken place at other positions, but the journal has
not missed a beat in its publication offerings.
As an indication of American Diplomacy’s steadily increasing readership, the ADP Publisher’s
Report for the first quarter of 2008 shows 67,691 reader and researcher “visits” to 459 journal
items, both currently online and contained in the electronic archives. This represents a 17.5 percent
increase over the same period in 2007. If this pace is maintained, American Diplomacy expects to
set another readership record during the year.
[H.E.M.]
Note from the Director
This has been a busy and rewarding year – a great welcome back to the Triangle after two years in
Washington, DC. I have appreciated the opportunity to reconnect with the TISS community – you will
be glad to know that I have fully recovered from the bruising questions thrown my way at my “What I
Did in the Bush White House” talk in December – and I am even more excited about next year.
This past year, we had a lively mix of speakers, with a slight tilt to security practitioners currently serving in
government in various capacities (yes, I was cashing in on some favors!). The participation of the TISS community
was vigorous and I trust people enjoyed the chance to interact with the pointy end of the spear in terms of security
studies. You should know that we received very positive feedback from our guests. Secretary Perry and Dr.
Brzezinski were especially gracious in describing the intellectually stimulating community they experienced here.
3
Next year, we look to an even broader range of events, with a more even balance between the practice
and the academic study of security issues. We kick off with our signature New Faces conference; we
have five history and four political science Ph.D. candidates coming to show their wares and it should
be a fascinating and intense two day romp through the best cutting edge scholarship in the field.
Our marquee event for the year will be the conference in February, which we are considering
our 50th anniversary conference. We selected a topic that captures well the various distinctive
features of TISS: its 50 year history, its focus on blending history and political science and
other disciplines, and its attention to topics that are of scholarly interest and urgent policy
import. The topic is “Debating American Grand Strategy After Major War.” We will look at
the strategic debates after World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and
then look to the future to the coming post-Iraq war debate. This topic has stirred considerable
interest and neatly brackets the same 50 year span that TISS has been in existence.
This year, Duke is launching a new program that will be a full partner with TISS: the
American Grand Strategy (AGS) program. Many events this year will be co-sponsored
between TISS and AGS, thus building on a long-standing TISS tradition of networking and
alliance building. We will also seek to strengthen our ties with all of our major stakeholders
through some dedicated programming at NC State and a signature event at UNC.
A final word: you will soon be receiving, if you have not already, an important letter
from me with information about how you can support TISS financially. I hope you will
read and consider the letter carefully. Taking our stewardship responsibility seriously
is not only a great way to honor those who built this fine institution over the past five
decades, it is also a great way to preserve this legacy for future generations.
Respectfully,
Peter Feaver
In Memoriam
Sadly, this June saw the passing of one of TISS’ most distinguished
members. Robert Don Higginbotham, Dowd Distinguished Professor of
History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, died on June 22,
2008. He was one of the country’s leading historians, known especially
for his book on our founding father, George Washington and the Military
Tradition. He was a dedicated teacher with a reputation for exacting
scholarly standards. His understanding of the military was profound.
He lectured frequently at the military academies and was honored with
the U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal. A member of TISS
for forty one years, Professor Higginbotham served as its Executive
Secretary, 1988 – 1991. We have lost a valued and trusted friend.
4
Programs
Our programs this year were a little bit
different from the usual. We held our traditional
evening speaker series and our fall graduate
student conference, but in lieu of a major spring
conference, we organized two keynote talks
on Global Security Challenges. We also put
increased emphasis on developing programs
for undergraduates interested in national and
international security.
Speaker Series
This last academic year, TISS invited five
noted scholars and practitioners to give evening
presentations. The season opened on October 1
with a talk by Loch K. Johnson (Ph.D. University
of California-Riverside), Regents Professor of
Political Science at the University of GeorgiaAthens. Dr. Johnson has worked closely over the
course of his career with government in advisory
capacity, and is editor of the journal “Intelligence
and National Security.” He did double duty for
TISS, speaking to our members at Duke (Franklin
Center) as well as visiting an undergraduate class
at UNC.
Dr. Johnson outlined the challenges of
strategic intelligence. Among these he included
organizational deficiencies which have hampered
all source fusion and interagency cooperation.
These have if anything been aggravated by the
recent reshuffling of the intelligence community
– the current Director lacks budgetary authority
and the DNI is now separate from the center of
analysis. Inadequate oversight is also a problem:
despite efforts at reform (notably by the Church
Committee), Congress is not really doing its
job. Rules should not be seen as obstacles to
efficiency: they are necessary for the preservation
of freedom. Intelligence failures have resulted
not from too much oversight but policy failures,
human ignorance and fallibility, information
overload, our failure to to take advantage of our
human resources, and inadequate collaboration
among government agencies.
During his classroom visit, Dr. Johnson
spent a good bit of additional time engaging with
the students on questions about ethics. What are
the costs and benefits of doing “suspect” things
– engaging in covert action, hiring undesirable
assets, manipulating the press for propaganda
gains? When does one cross the line? Dr.
Johnson proved to be a master teacher and his
quiet, measured style, and wisdom made both
his presentations exceptionally memorable.
Michael S. Doran (Ph.D. Princeton)
was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of
Defense for Support to Public Diplomacy in
April 2007. In a talk held at Duke on 7 February,
2008, Dr. Doran emphasized that we have some
good news to give about the struggle against AlQaeda. While the National Intelligence estimate
reported on the continued threat that the terrorist
group poses, and while U.S. newspapers have
latched on to bad news, there is growing
evidence of Al-Qaeda weaknesses. This
deserves more attention. Over the course of the
last year, Al-Qaeda has found itself fighting some
of the Sunni tribes of Iraq and lost the support
of some influential clerics in the Arab world. For
instance, from his prison cell in Egypt, Sayid
Imam al-Sharif - “Dr. Fadl,” a major architect
of the Salafi jihadists’ ideology – recanted his
views, arguing that Al-Qaeda does not have the
authority to call a jihad. Other Muslims have been
arguing against the jihad on more pragmatic
grounds, while Muslim public opinion has been
widely alienated by the violence of the group.
Dr. Doran’s presentation was illuminating and
insightful and stimulated a lot of discussion both
at the time and afterwards.
Dominic Johnson (D.Phil. Oxford
University, evolutionary biology; Ph.D. Geneva
University, political science) has just joined the
faculty at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland
and visited TISS from Princeton. The talk was held
at the McKimmon Center on the North Carolina
State University campus on 28 February, 2008.
Dr. Johnson is interested in how new research
on human nature is contesting the foundations
of theories of international relations, conflict
resolution and everyday life. His 2006 book Failing to Win: Perceptions of Victory and Defeat
in International Politics - written in collaboration
with Dominic Tierney, examines how and 5
why popular misperceptions commonly create undeserved victories or
defeats in international wars and crises. At the TISS seminar, he focused on
the question of why the war in Iraq looks lost. Among the issues he examined
quite closely was that of casualty aversion – he noted that the public does
not always have good command of the facts. What determines their sense
that casualty rates are unacceptably high and that a war is not going well is
rooted in perception rather than reality. The group included a number of TISS
scholars who have done research in this area and Dr. Johnson’s remarks
gave rise to a particularly lively and stimulating discussion.
Thomas J. Christensen (Ph.D. Columbia University) is Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs with
responsibility for China, Taiwan, and Mongolia. On 28 January, 2008 he spoke
at the Freeman Center for Jewish Life in Durham on U.S.-China relations.
He reviewed both areas of increased cooperation with China – such as the
Six Party Talks on North Korean denuclearization – and challenging issues
such as the search for increased cooperation on Iran policy, the pursuit
of improved intellectual property rights protections in China, and the push
for improvement in China’s human rights conditions. This off-the-record
talk was cosponsored by the Program in Asian Security Studies and was
exceptionally well attended, with some eighty persons crowding the chapel.
Peter D. Feaver (Ph.D., Harvard, 1990), the Alexander F. Hehmeyer
Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at Duke University and
Director of the Triangle Institute for Security Studies (TISS) was the last
speaker of 2007, giving a talk on Thursday, 13 December at the National
Humanities Center. He just returned from two years of service as Special
Advisor for Strategic Planning and Institutional Reform on the National
Security Council Staff (2005-2007). He graciously agreed to walk into the
lion’s den and discuss his work in developing the U.S. National Security
Strategy of 2006. Dr. Feaver provided some behind-the-scenes insights into
the personal qualities of George Bush, whom he described as “ruthless on
writing,” a “man of big ideas,” and one who reads widely, especially books
on history. He also shed light on the difficult process of framing the National
Strategy for Victory in Iraq in a complicated political environment. He spoke
of the progress made in 2005 towards bipartisan consensus on Iraq but
which was undermined by Katrina, a disaster which moved Democrats to the
left, and especially by Congressman Murtha’s dramatic call for an immediate
withdrawal. And he discussed the development of the New Way Forward
in late 2006 and announced by the President in 2007 which reversed the
previous approach and put achieving population security ahead of achieving
political change. At the end of his forthright presentation, Dr. Feaver fended
questions from a skeptical but civil crowd who were very much interested in
the glimpse he provided into the workings of political life.
Conferences and Keynotes
Eighth Annual New Faces Conference
The year opened with the TISS Eighth Annual New Faces Conference.
The conference series, which began in 2000, is designed to highlight the
research of graduate students and/or newly minted Ph.Ds and to foster
6
interdisciplinary exchange. The speakers are
chosen from a nation-wide group of applicants.
Local graduate students and faculty members
serve as discussants and the public is invited
to attend.
The event was held at the Friday Center
on September 7 and 8, 2007. Participants were
once again treated to a rich blend of intellectually
stimulating discussion and wining and dining –
a breakfast at Southern Seasons, a dinner at B.
Christopher’s Restaurant and a relaxed evening
barbeque on Professor Joe Caddell’s deck.
This year three historians were invited to
talk about their doctoral dissertations Michael
Allsep (UNC-Chapel Hill) discussed the
importance of Elihu Root, a wealthy corporate
lawyer, New York elite and political reformer,
who became first Secretary of War and then
Secretary of State. Root and other elites were
to play a pivotal role in shaping institutions and
institutional norms within the American military
establishment. Daniel Walker (Vanderbilt)
provided a sympathetic and insightful portrayal
of Cyrus Vance. He argued that while he was a
realist when it came to defining national interests,
he was also the visionary within the Carter
administration who thought that superpower
conflict stemmed from mistrust rather than
irreconcilable ideologies. Robert Robertson
(Ohio State University) summarized his research
into Mexican-American relations between 1943
and 1952. His study, he explained, takes into
consideration how realities on the ground have
shaped the course of the bilateral relationship,
constrained the boundaries of possible policies,
challenged the national security interests of
the United States, and forced issues into the
consciousness of presidents and secretaries of
state.
Five political scientists also participated.
Kyle Joyce (Pennsylvania State University) is
engaged in a study of war expansion, that is
the military intervention of one or more third
parties into an ongoing war. He asks why some
wars expand - and how war expansion affects
the dynamics of war. He uses agent-based
modeling to run computer-based simulation
experiments, from which he derives propositions
which he then subjects to empirical evaluation.
In her dissertation, Sarah Kreps (Georgetown
University) asks why the United States seeks allies
to do what it has the capacity to do alone. She
argues that the best determinant of multilateral
versus unilateral outcomes is a state’s time
horizon across two phases of the intervention: the
authorization and operation phases. Leo Blanken
(University of California-Davis) has developed
a new theory of rational empires. He uses noncooperative game theory and qualitative case
studies to propose and test the conditions under
which powerful states use force to gain access to
markets and resources in the international system.
What interests Lindsay Cohn (Duke University)
is the problem facing today’s militaries – they that
must compete with firms and other employers for
high-quality employees. To do so successfully, she
argues, militaries will have to diverge from a purely
functional personnel management policy and lean
more towards policies concordant with national
education, training, and contracting practices.
Lindsay Heger (University of California-San
Diego) studies unconventional violence. Her thesis
is that the targeting strategies of violent groups are
strategic, and that they are shaped by two forces:
the structure of the targeted government and the
counter measures that the targeted government
pursues. The former defines the range of possible
targets, while the latter influences the way in which
the targets are attacked.
The meeting ended with a wrap up from
Timothy McKeown (UNCChapel Hill) who did a masterful
job teasing out patterns and
generalizations from very diverse
material. The conference made
clear, he said, that scholars
across all disciplines now see
war as embedded in social
environment – in markets,
culture, and institutions. The
work being done by “New Faces”
revealed a movement from the
simple to the more complex,
PROFESSOR MCKEOWN
from preoccupation with
AT THE FRIDAY
CENTER PODIUM
dyads to preoccupation with
7
larger systems. Historians
and political scientists alike seem, moreover to be interested in dynamic
processes: taking “more movies and fewer photos,” as it were. Dr.
McKeown complimented the speakers on seeing methodologies as tools
rather than articles of faith. He concluded by fleshing out some of the
differences among the disciplines: use of language, attitudes towards the
narrative form, and value placed on the use of explicit theory.
Reflections
As I was packing my records the other day to reluctantly leave the Triangle, I
finally organized my TISS paraphernalia and realized that I have participated in every New
Faces conference since its inception. I was still far too dazed by my transition to graduate
school to recognize my first New Faces as the inaugural event, but by last year’s conference
I had progressed from a Graduate Inquisitor to an actual New Face in my own right.
Along the way, I found TISS not only a source of informative and interesting lectures,
but a genuine network of scholars and
friends united by a common enthusiasm for
security studies. The relationships that TISS
The Lynde and Harry Bradley
encourages and supports, the inspiration and
ideas that percolate at TISS gatherings, and
Foundation has agreed to fund this coming
the common community that supports quality
New Faces Program (New Faces IX). We
scholarship, are all things that I will miss
would like to thank the Foundation for its
this fall as the next generation of graduate
students and New Faces converge on the
promise of support and also the all the former
ninth conference —without me. What I will
“old” new faces who took the time to attest to
have with me is the memory of friendships
the value of this program. The Junior and
and collaborations, and the knowledge
Interdisciplinary Faces of International
of work strengthened and supported.
Security has proved to be one of our best-
First among my memories remains
loved and most rewarding initiatives and we
the event that was my first point of contact,
are very happy at the outcome.
the New Faces conference. In every healthy
profession, nurturing a new generation is one of
the most important tasks. Few organizations
fulfill that role as well as New Faces. The Q&A that follows each presentation and the debates
that continue through the breaks joins generations. The mixture of diverse academic disciplines
encourages participants to consider the value of different approaches, as well as to consider
their own work in a new light. Trained at different institutions, the presenters bring to TISS
fresh thinking, take away new collaborations, and leave behind a continuing discourse that is
sustained through the academic year and renewed each fall. That discourse is the lifeblood of the
profession, and that renewal is its future. Even from a distance, the crisp fall air of this year’s
New Faces weekend will find me, and remind me of my friends and the future of my profession.
Michael Allsep
8
Global Security Challenges
This year saw the opening of UNC’s new FedEx Center for Global
Education housed in a lovely new building located a stone’s throw from
the Carolina Inn. TISS was asked to organize a couple of events on behalf
of this new Center, and with the gracious help of President Erskine Bowles
and the generous financial support of Alston Gardner, we were able to
bring to campus two impressive speakers – William Perry in the fall (1920 October) and Zbigniew Brzezinski the following spring ( 5 March).
The events brought in sizeable numbers of attendees – students, faculty
members, and members of the local community. Indeed, the Brzezinski
talk was so well attended that overflow crowds spilled into a nearby
classroom. Dinner in honor of the speakers was held on the fourth floor in
a delightful sunny room with lots of windows and a great view. The talks
were held in the Nelson Mandela Auditorium and (in the case of the Perrytalk) the group gathered in the spacious Atrium for a light breakfast. The
two speakers did full justice to the wonderful setting.
Dr. William Perry, who was defense secretary from 1994-1997
in the Clinton administration focused on his efforts to promote nuclear
disarmament and cooperative interchanges between the US and China.
He named four great challenges to global and US security: a nuclear bomb
in the hands of terrorists used on an American city; drifting into a new cold
war with China and/or Russia; drifting into an environmental disaster; and
radical Islam becoming ascendant in the Muslim world. Then he honed in
on the first two, intertwining historical analysis with stories about his own
experience, skillfully illustrated by video clips. He argued that these major
problems of the past – nuclear weapons and “Cold War” continue to be
a problem today and stressed that we could and should reach a better
understanding with China despite rivalry and competition. During the
question and answer session that followed Dr. Perry gave thoughtful and
candid answers to questions. It was obvious to all that we were listening
to a man of measured judgment who had spent a lifetime in the study
of national security and remained dedicated to the peaceful solution of
problems.
ABOVE: UNC FEDEX CENTER FOR
GLOBAL EDUCATION - ATRIUM
BELOW: WILLIAM PERRY
BOTTOM: ZBIGNIEW BRZEZINSKI
On Saturday morning, a smaller group (about fifty registered
guests) attended the follow-up panel discussion. The panelists included
TISS director and Duke professor Peter Feaver, newly returned from two
years as an adviser with the National Security Council Staff at the White
House, and three UNC professors with very different backgrounds and
perspectives: Cori Dauber, communication studies; Timothy McKeown,
political science, and Gerhard Weinberg, history. Dick Kohn, the
moderator, asked each panelist to discuss what he or she believed to be
the greatest (or a great) threat to global security; each did so, skillfully,
succinctly, and forcefully. Dr. Perry, who had expressly asked not to take
center stage, gave the discussion his full attention and responded to the
points made by the panelists. After a short break, the group reassembled
and the morning ended with a lively and engaged general discussion.
9
Zbigniew Brzezinski, who was National Security Advisor for the
Carter administration from 1977 to 1981, gave an equally rewarding
performance. He started by noting that, Bush rhetoric to the contrary, it is
too early to say what will be the defining ideological study of the century.
Nor should we live in fear of terrorism which is a lesser threat than living
under the threat of nuclear annihilation. What the future will bring will
depend on the interaction of three trends and on how people deal with
these trends: 1) the increasing connectivity of the world accompanied by a
political awakening; 2) the rapid rise of critical global problems that cannot
be resolved by any one country 3) the massive shift in global distribution
of power from the Atlantic region to Asia. In this new environment military
power alone can no longer ensure security. Dr. Brzezinski argued that
much will depend on whether or not the United States can avoid becoming
bogged down in the “new Balkans” - the zone between the West and Asia
- and learn to develop a good relationship with the rest of the world. Getting
out of the hugely expensive war in Iraq will free up needed resources and
permit us to deal with other pressing global concerns.
At the end of Dr. Brzezinski’s presentation, Dick Kohn (UNC- history)
and Peter Feaver (Duke – political science) – the former and current
directors of TISS – raised some provocative questions. Dr. Kohn’s concerns
focused on political realities. How do we change the political climate in the
United States? How do we secure the kind of funding we need to address
world problems? He also wondered if the United States should take on the
role of global leader. Dr. Feaver challenged the suggestion that President
Bush was engaged in fear mongering. He also invited the former National
Security Advisor to point to some of the foreign policy successes of the
Bush administration, and pressed him to justify his willingness to live with
an Iranian nuclear weapon. Dr. Brezinski defended his positions with verve
and dry humor. Questions from the audience completed the meeting.
Undergraduates
TISS Wickershams
The TISS Wickersham Program was livelier than ever this past year.
The number of undergraduates who were nominated increased threefold.
They attended many of our regular evening talks as well as some functions
designed especially for them. We also harnessed their energy and talent
to good effect – Ashley Disilvestro, in particular, gave invaluable help to
Michelle Koeneke in setting up and advertising these events. Once again,
TISS would like to pay tribute to Warren Wickersham whose devotion to
undergraduates is heartwarming. We were grateful to him for his financial
support and especially happy that he and his wife, Faye, were able to join
us at the Cohen talk.
10
Ashley DiSilvestro
TISS 2007 - 2008
July, 2008
I joined the Triangle Institute for Security Studies as a Wickersham Scholar in September 2007. As a political
science major with a keen interest in international relations, I found its programs appealing. It has since provided me
with opportunities to be found nowhere else, and encouraged me to focus on security studies.
One of my earliest and most memorable TISS experiences was when former Secretary of Defense William
Perry came to Chapel Hill. Dr. Perry was extremely knowledgeable and his presentation on Global Security Challenges
excellent. However, it was the dinner TISS provided that most impressed me. I sat at a small table with the former
lead historian for the Pentagon and a past dean of UNC.
Shortly afterwards, the Wickershams were invited to a lunch with Peter Feaver, a member of the National
Security Council under both Presidents Bush and Clinton. He is currently a professor at Duke University. During
the lunch, he explained to us his role at the White House, his goals while there, and what he accomplished during this
time.
Towards the end of the school year, the Wickershams were invited to attend a dinner- presentation given by
Jared Cohen. He talked about his somewhat unconventional path to the State Department and his travels across the
Middle East. Later that evening he gave a talk to a larger group of students on youth culture. At the end of the day, a
small group of Wickershams (myself included) were lucky enough to drive him back to his hotel – yet one more chance
to have a personal exchange with a fascinating individual.
As a Wickersham Scholar, TISS has provided me with numerous opportunities From speeches to dinners to
chauffeuring, I have greatly enjoyed my time with this organization, and look forward to continuing my association
in the future.
Student Dinner Presentations
TISS continued its tradition of acknowledging the achievements of those undergraduates
who completed an honors thesis on a security-related topic. On 16 April, 2008 six talented young
people gave brief synopses of their work and fielded questions from about fifteen invited guests
over dinner at the Symposium Café in Durham.
It was a lovely evening. The speakers all did a tremendous job
and fielded questions with great poise, suggesting that the securities
studies field is indeed in excellent health. Thanks to Michelle, we
finally found a spot which was mercifully quiet and were able to enjoy
an excellent meal, concluding with insanely big pieces of cake! As
these students head off into the future – to Graduate School, Law
School, Government Service, and the Peace Corps – we wish them
very well.
SYMPOSIUM CAFE
11
Honor Student Talks
•
Kaitlyn Large (UNC-Chapel Hill, Political Science
and International Studies), “Why Counterinsurgencies Fail:
The Patterns of Behavior that Block Government Learning.”
• Claire Lauterbach (Duke, Political Science and History),
“Prosecutions of International Crimes.”
• Andrew McLaren (UNC-Chapel Hill, Peace, War, and Defense), “Battle for History:
Rewriting the Story of the Point Lookout Prison Camp for Confederates.”
• James Tristan Routh (UNC-Chapel Hill, Peace, War, and Defense and History), “Textiles
and Good Times: Randolph County, North Carolina, During the Second World War.”
•
Corban David Teague (UNC-Chapel Hill, Peace, War, and Defense and Political
Science), “Gunning for America: The Threat of Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13).”
•
Zachary Whitley (UNC- Peace, War, and Defense), “The
Clinton Paradigm Shift: Justifying the Use of Force
as a Counterterrorism Measure.”
Research and Publications
Carolyn Pumphrey
Strategic Studies Institute
SSI
Editor
TISS
Triangle Institute for Security Studies
Edited by
Carolyn Pumphrey
To mark our fiftieth anniversary, the TISS
Executive Board decided to commission a graduate
student – Frank Blazich - to write a short history of
DUNC-TUSS-TISS. Frank is a former UNC student
and one of our earliest Wickersham scholars. He
is currently working on a master’s thesis at North
Carolina State University – on North Carolina’s
Civil Defense Agency. Over the course of this
coming year, we plan to publish his findings in a
number of venues – among them, on the web and
in the form of a pamphlet to be distributed at our
spring conference.
Global Climate Change:
National Security Implications
TISS recently completed the last of three major research projects
and is currently exploring future avenues of collaborative research. Our
members continue to be very active publishing on their own accounts –
their books are too numerous to list here. Two, however, deserve especial
mention. Alex Downes, whose association with TISS first began when
he presented his research at our Second Annual New Faces Conference,
has published his book on Targeting Civilians in War (Cornell, 2008). And
the eagerly anticipated study by Ole Holsti which was written as part
of the TISS/Duke Wielding Power project, is also now in print - To See
Ourselves as Others See Us How Publics Abroad
View the United States after 9/11 (University of
Michigan Press, 2008). We are also happy to let
you know that the Conference Proceedings from
the Conference on Global Climate Change can be
downloaded or obtained in hard copy (free) from
the U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies web
site.
12
The TISS History Project
Frank Blazich, Jr., NCSU
For the last eight months, in fits and starts, I have been working my way through the TISS archives. Documentary evidence proved to be rather thin – some
correspondence has survived, as well as financial records, surveys, program records, grant proposals, and reports. Much of my time was spent going through
old newsletters. These, however, only dated back to 1984. To round out my understanding of the organization and get a glimpse into its murky past, I turned
to oral interviews. From January to May, I conducted ten of these by phone and in person. The result was over 230 pages of transcripts. Though I have been
able to use only a fraction of this material in my history, it is good to know that TISS now has this material as part of its permanent. record.
While doing my research, I did make several fortunate discoveries. Most importantly, I stumbled across an article written by the late Professor Theodore
Ropp and published in 1963 in Military Affairs. This piece, titled, “Duke University – University of North
Carolina National Security Policy Seminar,” offered a welcome window into the organization’s obscure origins.
TALKS GIVEN BY:
A reference in a 1978 grant proposal led me to yet another useful publication. In their Schools of Strategy (1965),
Gene M. Lyons and Louis Morton emphasized DUNC’s unique position as a security studies organization in the
Akram Khater,
Southeastern United States. Using these isolated gems, the TISS archives, and the personal recollections of key
North Carolina State University
TISS members, I put together a brief, chronological history of DUNC-TUSS-TISS.
Michael Allsep,
Working on this project has helped me hone my research skills and introduced me to the challenges of writing an
Duke University
institutional history. I have been honored to interview some of the finest scholars in the country. I sincerely hope
Jeffrey Elliot,
the history will do justice to both the organization and the people who contributed so much to its success.
North Carolina
Central University
Sarah Lischer,
Wake Forest University
Curt Jones, State
Outreach
Department, Retired
Michael Struett,
Speakers’ Bureau
North Carolina State University
Tom Magnuson, Trading Path
The TISS Speakers’ Bureau continues to be the mainstay of TISS
outreach activities. Our office was contacted by retirement communities,
community colleges, school groups (including the Governor’s School),
clubs, radio stations, and our friends at World View. Those who benefited
from the program ranged widely in age, education level, and view-points. All
expressed warm gratitude to TISS for its assistance in bringing them such
quality speakers. In all, TISS arranged for four dozen talks. The speakers
were educated in a variety of disciplines – history, sociology, anthropology,
political science, and communications studies. They included academics
as well as men and women who served in the diplomatic service, the
intelligence services, or the military. The Iraq War, the Middle East, and
terrorism in general was, as in past years, the topic which seemed most on
the public mind. But TISS speakers were also asked to talk about security
in Europe, Africa, China, Russia, Afghanistan, Cuba, and South East Asia.
Topics under discussion included globalization in North Carolina, U.S. Aid,
Diplomacy, African-Americans in the Military, the Future of U.S. Armed
Forces, Castro, naval aviation (from the point of view of a grunt), warning
at Pearl Harbor, and tactical air support. This diversity tells something
both about the range of TISS offerings and the eclectic interests of North
Carolinians. Thanks to all of you who participated in this program over
the last year. Not all of you who volunteered to be part of this were called
upon to give talks, but your willingness to share your time and knowledge
is nonetheless very much appreciated.
Roland Stephens,
Institute for Emerging Issues
Joe Caddell,
North Carolina State University
& UNC-Chapel Hill
Alex Roland, Duke University
Gerhard Weinberg, UNC-Chapel Hill
Heidi Hobbs,
North Carolina State University
Lorraine Aragon, UNC-Chapel Hill
Louisa Kilgroe,
North Carolina State University
Peter Coclanis, UNC-Chapel Hill
Frederick Black, US Army, Retired
David Gilmartin,
North Carolina State University
Frank Crigler, US Foreign Service Retired
David Griffiths,
North Carolina State University
Tim McKeown, UNC-Chapel Hill
Robert Jenkins, UNC-Chapel Hill
Peter Feaver, Duke University
Cori Dauber, UNC-Chapel Hill
David Schanzer, Triangle
Center on Terrorism and
Homeland Security
13
Model UN
For over a decade, Shaw University has brought a delegation of
students to Washington DC to attend simulations – for a long time NATO,
but more recently UN. This year, the Shaw team was once again led by
Dr. Lucky Imade, Associate Professor of International Relations, and
TISS once again provided financial support. The team participated in the
National Model UN Simulations Conference in New York from April 22-26,
2008. These model simulations are immensely valuable, as Lucky Imade
attested in a recent letter to TISS. “The…National Model UN conference”
he wrote, “has come and gone but the euphoria still lingers on… Shaw
delegates worked diligently, collaboratively, and supportively in sponsoring
several communiqués…Was it a success? If Model UN simulations mean
allowing students to take charge of a real life crisis situation through
debates, lobbying, caucusing, negotiating, and bargaining in their various
committees without any guidance from experts—yes, it was a success. If
Model UN simulations help students develop understanding of the many
capabilities and constraints that shape the foreign policies of UN member
countries in determining matters of collective security—it was a success. If
Model UN simulations provide real life experience and hands-on activities
for the students—helping to build leadership traits, such as diplomatic
persuasion, emotional sensitivity, creative initiatives, and interpersonal
charisma—again, it was a success….We would like to share with all our
co-sponsors, especially TISS, how delighted we are, because they made it
possible for us to attend this important educational conference.”
Plans and Opportunities
Next year should be a lively one – we have plans underway for to bring
in a wide variety speakers, including practitioners, historians, and several
members of the AAA Commission on the Engagement of Anthropology with
the US Security and Intelligence Communities. We will host two conferences,
as well as a number of events designed for and/or involving undergraduates.
We are also cosponsoring the speakers series organized by the History of
the Military, War,and Society (HMWS) (http://www.unc.edu/mhss). At this
point we do not have all our dates and speakers confirmed. For now, let
us just draw your attention to those that are. We will post our schedule
on the web site in mid-August and will, as always, send out notices to our
members via our list serv.
TISS WICKERSHAMS
168 Rubenstein Hall
Box 90316
302 Towerview Drive
Duke University
Durham, NC 27708-0316
Telephone: 919-613-9280
Fax: 919-684-9940
Web: www.tiss-nc.org
UNDERGRADUATE
PRESENTATIONS
Each year, we invite six
to eight students who
have done an honors
thesis on a security
related topic to give
a brief presentation
to a TISS Audience.
The event is held in
mid-April over dinner.
If you are writing
a thesis or have a
promising student who
is, please let Carolyn
know. We will be
seeking nominations
in the middle of next
semester.
Since 2000 TISS has welcomed undergraduates from universities located in the Raleigh, Durham, and
Chapel Hill area who have demonstrated a serious interest in national and international security studies. They
are called the Wickersham Scholars. If you are a faculty member and know of a student who might benefit from
participation in our programs, please contact the TISS office. Qualifying students will be put on our list-serv
and invited to our seminars, conferences, as well as some events designed particularly for undergraduates.
Thanks in large measure to the generosity of Warren Wickersham, a Duke alumnus, the scholars are able to
participate in TISS events at no cost.
14
UNC
5-6 Sep
Doctoral Candidates
Conference: Security Studies
19-Sep
Sebastian Lukasik, Duke
Combat and Identity on the Western Front, WWI
Jim Peacock, Kerry
6-Oct
Fosher, Robert Albro
Friday Center
Campus
Duke Undergraduates
Foreign Policy Election Debates
24-Oct
Robert K. Brigham, Vassar
Iraq, Vietnam, and the Limits of A=merican Power
30-Oct
Pierro Gleijeses, Johns Hopkins
Cuban Relations with South Africa
21-Nov
John Lynn, U -Illinois
Women’s Participation in Early Modern Armies
2-Dec
Cynthia Enloe, Clark
The Iraq War: Feminist Lessons
31-Jan
Michael Geyer, Chicago
Genocide WW II
Duke - TBD
20-Feb
Greg Daddis, UNC-CH
The Fear Factor
Duke - E
Campus
Raleigh - NCSU
campus
Duke - E
Campus
UNC- Global
Fed Ex
Duke - E
Campus
Duke - E
Campus
Conference: American Grand Strategy after War
20-Mar
Heather Perry, UNC-Charlotte
Disease, War, and Medicine
10-Apr
Isabel Hull, Cornell
Military Culture and the Practices of War
14-Apr
Undergraduates
Honors Theses- Security Studies
4-6 PM
UNC - TBD
Anthropology & Military Forum
7-Oct
27- 28 Feb
Duke - E
4-6 PM
7:30 PM
4-6 PM
6:00 PM
4-6 PM
4-6 PM
Chapel Hill
- Rizzo Center
Duke - E
Campus
Duke - E
Campus
Chapel Hill
4-6 PM
4-6 PM
6-9 PM
Cosponsors: *Latin American Studies; ** UNC Curriculum in Woman’s Studies, the Carolina Women’s Center, and the Duke Women’s Studies Program
*** Thanks to Roger Hertog, formerly Vice Chairman of Alliance Bernstein, Duke alumnus Warren Wickersham,
and Alston Gardner, Fulcrum Ventures, LLC, for their promise of support for this special event.
TRIANGLE INSTITUTE FOR SECURITY STUDIES
FELLOWSHIPS
As of December 2003, TISS has been offering a limited
number of unpaid positions, to be awarded to deserving
applicants upon the review and approval of the TISS
Executive Board. The TISS Fellow position does not
come with -specific privileges or duties, but it is a way of
acknowledging the contributions of our most active members.
Recipients of the award are called TISS Fellows.
Any member of TISS is invited to apply. The criterion for
selection will be active contribution to TISS programming,
both in the past and prospectively. Interested members
should send a letter or email to Carolyn Pumphrey outlining
their past and prospective involvement in the life of
the TISS community.
JUNIOR FACULTY GRANTS
TISS offers modest assistance to young scholars in the form of Junior
Faculty Grants. Members are encouraged to apply for small grants of
up to $500 during the coming year. There will be two funding cycles,
with proposals due 15 August and 15 December of each year. Awards
will be granted as funding permits. Off-cycle proposals may also be
considered under special circumstances. The grants are intended to
facilitate the research of junior faculty members who are members
of TISS. Appropriate proposals might include, but are not limited to:
requests for funding research-related travel; requests for funding travel
to present research in academic venues; requests for paying research
assistants; other research-related expenses. A sub-committee of the
TISS Executive Committee will meet on an ad-hoc basis to
review the proposals. For further details, please email Carolyn
15
Pumphrey at pumphrey@duke.edu
p p y@
. Completed proposals
should be sent to the TISS Director, Peter Feaver
4590044
Triangle Institute for
Security Studies
168 Rubenstein Hall
302 Towerview Drive
Duke University 27708-0316
Non-Profit Org.
US Postage
PAID
Durham, NC
Permit No. 60