Graham T. Allison

A leading strategist opens our eyes to the greatest terrorist threat of all-and how to prevent it before it's too lateAmericans in the twenty-first century are keenly aware of the many forms of hijackings, biological attacks, chemical weapons. But rarely do we allow ourselves to face squarely the deadliest form of terrorism, because it is almost too scary to think about-a terrorist group exploding a nuclear device in an American city.In this urgent call to action, Graham Allison, one of America's leading experts on nuclear weapons and national security, presents the evidence for two provocative, compelling conclusions. First, if policy makers in Washington keep doing what they are currently doing about the threat, a nuclear terrorist attack on America is likely to occur in the next decade. And if one lengthens the time frame, a nuclear strike is inevitable. Second, the surprising and largely unrecognized good news is that nuclear terrorism is, in fact, preventable. In these pages, Allison offers an ambitious but feasible blueprint for eliminating the possibility of nuclear terrorist attacks.The United States once relied on the threat of mutually assured destruction to deter the Soviet Union from launching a nuclear strike. But in today's fragmented world, a new strategy is needed, especially with nuclear material vulnerable to theft or sale through black-market channels.The choice is to grab this beast by the horns or to be impaled on those horns. We do not have the luxury of hoping the problem will go away, and Allison shows why.

The National Interest is the premier venue for debate on international affairs. Covering topics as varied as terrorism, nuclear proliferation, energy security and international trade, TNI is regularly read by government officials and members of Congress, key members of the foreign-policy establishment, and prominent academics. A more sophisticated foreign policy starts here. Culling the right minds on the right topics, The National Interest delivers in-depth and cutting edge analysis of politics, matters of national security and economics. More than just news, TNI is the source for what readers truly need to know to master the issues of the day. Since 1985: the thinker's guide to foreign policy. The Kindle Edition of The National Interest includes all essays and book reviews found in the print edition. For your convenience, issues are auto-delivered wirelessly to your Kindle at the same time the print edition hits the newsstand every two months.

One of the most influental political science works written in the post World War II era, the original edition of Essence of Decision is a unique and fascinating examination of the pivotal event of the cold Cold War. Not simply revised, but completely re-written, the Second Edition of this classic text is a fresh reinterpretation of the theories and events surrounding the Cuban Missle Crisis, incorporating all new information from the Kennedy tapes and recently declassified Soviet files. Essence of Decision Second Edition, is a vivid look at decision-making under pressure and is the only single volume work that attempts to answer the enduring question: how should citizens understand the actions of their government?

Looks at the West's stakes in the Soviet reorganization, and suggests a program of economic assistance

The National Interest is the premier venue for debate on international affairs. Covering topics as varied as terrorism, nuclear proliferation, energy security and international trade, TNI is regularly read by government officials and members of Congress, key members of the foreign-policy establishment, and prominent academics. A more sophisticated foreign policy starts here.Culling the right minds on the right topics, The National Interest delivers in-depth and cutting edge analysis of politics, matters of national security and economics. More than just news, TNI is the source for what readers truly need to know to master the issues of the day.Since 1985: the thinker's guide to foreign policy.The Kindle Edition of The National Interest includes all essays and book reviews found in the print edition. For your convenience, issues are auto-delivered wirelessly to your Kindle at the same time the print edition hits the newsstand every two months.

Despite near-universal opposition to North Korea's moves to acquire nuclear weapons, Pyongyang is determined to succeed. It is only a matter of time before the North Koreans are able to combine their extant nuclear weapons capabilities with a viable delivery system. The threat multiplies in light of the North Koreans having already demonstrated the willingness and ability to sell nuclear technology, materials, and know-how to other nuclear aspirants. In North Korean Nuclear Operationality , Gregory J. Moore asks leading experts in Asian and security studies to consider the international consequences of a North Korea with operational nuclear weapons. How will South Korea, China, Japan, and Russia react, and does it mean an arms race in the region is inevitable? How should the United States handle the situation, both diplomatically and strategically? North Korea has already destabilized the nuclear nonproliferation regime by being the only country ever to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and then openly test nuclear weapons. What are the repercussions for the nonproliferation regime of a successful North Korean move to nuclear weapons operationality? Given the importance of these issues and the lack of transparency surrounding North Korean politics, North Korean Nuclear Operationality offers critical and timely insight. A foreword by Graham T. Allison, founding dean of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, sets the stage for a rigorous look at the threats North Korea poses to regional security and the nuclear nonproliferation regime.

Summer 1975 issue of Daedalus, the quarterly journal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. This issue is devoted to Arms, Defense Policy, and Arms Control. With 12 articles by noted writers such as Nobel Prize winner Thomas C. Schelling, foreign policy analyst Graham T. Allison, and former Sec. of Defense Les Aspin. 218 pages.

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Why did the United States and the Soviet Union come so close to nuclear war in 1962, and how was catastrophe averted? Essence of Decision offers a groundbreaking analysis of the Cuban Missile Crisis, not just as a historical episode but as a lens through which to examine the complexities of high-stakes government decision-making. Drawing on political science and organizational theory, the book introduces three distinct models for understanding state the Rational Actor Model, which assumes strategic calculation; the Organizational Behavior Model, which emphasizes institutional procedures; and the Governmental Politics Model, which highlights internal bargaining and competing interests. By applying these frameworks to a single event, the authors reveal how different interpretations can emerge from the same facts—and why understanding the machinery of decision-making is essential to diplomacy, security, and leadership. Thoroughly researched and intellectually rigorous, this revised edition remains a foundational text for students, scholars, and professionals in international relations, political science, and public policy.

Integrating nonlethal weapons (NLW) more widely into the U.S. Army and Marine Corps could have reduced damage, saved lives, and helped limit the widespread looting and sabotage that occurred after the cessation of major conflict in Iraq. So argues this report of a Council-sponsored independent Task Force led by Dr. Graham T. Allison, director of the Belfer Center for science and international affairs at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, General Paul X. Kelley, USMC (ret.), former commandant of the Marine Corps, and former military officers, business executives, academics, diplomats, and congressional staff. Incorporating NLW capabilities into the equipment, training, and doctrine of the armed services could substantially improve U.S. effectiveness in conflict, postconflict, and homeland defense. The Task Force report concludes that equipping U.S.-trained and -supported local forces in Afghanistan and Iraq with NLW would help reinforce authority and be more acceptable to local populations than conventionally armed troops.

This occasional paper is an edited version of a briefing book that was designed by members of Harvard University's Avoiding Nuclear War Project and distributed among newly appointed officials in the Bush administration. Originally designed to help combat the lack of institutional memory on nuclear issues in the American government, these fourteen chapters also provide an interesting overview of these issues for a broader audience. A Primer for the Nuclear Age addresses the danger, effects, development, strategy, and force structure of nuclear weapons as well as assessing the influence of domestic and international politics on nuclear weapons policy. Co-published with the Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University.

There is no greater challenge to global peace today than the proliferation of nuclear weapons and the increasing likelihood that terrorists may acquire nuclear material. The papers presented in this report from the Trilateral Commission's 2006 annual meeting in Tokyo offer a comprehensive and insightful overview of this urgent challenge. The authors-from North America, Europe and Pacific Asia-examine the risks posed by nuclear proliferation with particular attention to Iran and North Korea and offer recommendations to prevent nuclear catastrophe.