Author Archive

Barry Posen

Director, MIT Security Studies Program

Barry Posen
Barry R. Posen is Ford International Professor of Political Science and Director of the MIT Security Studies Program. His most recent book is "Restraint: A New Foundation for U.S. Grand Strategy."
Ideas

Want NATO Allies to Boost Defense Spending? Don’t Build Fort Trump

Basing an American division in Poland will reduce allies’ incentive to build up their own forces.

  • Barry Posen
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It's Time To Make Afghanistan Someone Else's Problem

A full withdrawal of U.S. forces will force Iran, Russia, and others, to step up.

  • Barry Posen, The Atlantic
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The Unintended Consequences of Containing ISIS

The Paris attacks have prompted calls for a stronger military response to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. But restraint may be the better course of action.

  • Barry Posen
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The Iraqi Army No Longer Exists

ISIS’s victory in Ramadi reveals that containment is the best the U.S. can do for now.

  • Barry Posen