James Carafano
Dr. James Jay Carafano is "Senior Research Fellow, Defense and Homeland Security, Davis Institute" at the Heritage Foundation.
"On April 3, [2003] CBC Newsworld held a long interview with Retired US Lt. Colonel James Carafano, discussing the upcoming attack on Baghdad. In that interview, Carafano referred to the 'terrific pounding' the US would give Iraqis. He described the way in which US forces would draw a 'red line around Baghdad'. The reporter asked if the Iraqis would use weapons of mass destruction, to which Carafano replied that this would be a 'propaganda loss for Iraq', 'validating' the 'coalition's' argument, and besides that Iraq has 'no delivery mechanism'. Carafano described how the US would likely move into doing 'raids', to 'target the leadership' and 'take them out'. The reporter's final question was about what the fighting in Baghdad would mean 'for the soldiers'. Carafano answered that it would depend on the organization of 'fanatical elements' and 'how hard they fight'.
"This interview was subjective in many ways. Lt. Colonel James Carafano would have been just as qualified to answer questions about whether or not the US would use cluster bombs or depleted uranium munitions, both of which have severe civilian toll, as he was to answer about the Iraqis' potential for using weapons of mass destruction. The reporter could easily have asked, if Iraq had 'no delivery mechanism' to deliver chemical weapons, would that not invalidate the entire expedition against that country? The reporter could have asked about what the fighting in Baghdad would mean for civilians, rather than for only the soldiers."
The Heritage Foundation announced that Dr. Carafano "joins Heritage after serving as a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a Washington policy institute dedicated to defense issues.
"Before that, he served 25 years in the Army, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. His areas of expertise included tactical nuclear weapons, joint operations, future combat systems, and military strategy. During his service, Carafano served in Europe, Korea, and the United States and was a special assistant to the Army Chief of Staff, the service's highest-ranking officer. Before retiring, he was executive editor of Joint Force Quarterly, the Department of Defense's premiere professional military journal.
"An accomplished teacher and historian, Carafano was an assistant professor at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., the military historian at the U.S. Army Field Artillery School, and served as the Director of Military Studies at the Army's Center of Military History. He continues to teach as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and the U.S. Naval War College.
"He is the author of two books: Waltzing Into the Cold War, published in 2002 by Texas A & M University; and After D-Day: Operation Cobra and the Normandy Breakout[1], a Military Book Club selection published in 2000 by the Lynne Rienner publishing company of Boulder, Colorado.
"Dr. Carafano was also the principal author of the budget analysis in the 2003 Independent Task Force Report, Emergency Responders: Drastically Underfunded, Dangerously Unprepared, published by the Council on Foreign Relations.
"He is currently serving as a member of the National Research Council's Committee on Army Science and Technology for Homeland Security; the National Board of Advisors for the University of Indianpolis, Institute for Homeland Security; the National Defense Transportation Association's Security Practices Committee; and chairs a maritime security working group sponsored by The Heritage Foundation.
"Dr. Carafano has testified on homeland security issues before the U.S. Congress and has provided commentary on defense and homeland security for ABC, BBC, CNBC, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, SkyNews, National Public Radio, and Austrialian, Austrian, Canadian, Spanish, and French television. His editorials have appeared in newspapers nationwide including USA Today, The Washington Times, and The Baltimore Sun.
"A graduate of West Point, Carafano also has a doctorate from Georgetown University and a masters' degree in strategy from the U.S. Army War College."
"James Carafano, a sought after commentator in the US, is a senior research fellow for defense and homeland security at the influential Heritage Foundation. A seminal resource for both lawmakers and the press in Washington D.C., he is also stated to have the ear of many members of Congress and the White House. A popular face on TV News Channels, Mr. Carafano's opinions are sought by newsmakers and analysts."[2]
Other SourceWatch Resources
External links
- James Carafano, Dynamics of Military Revolution, 1300-2050, Richmond Independent Media, September 13, 2002.
- James Carafano, What Hasn't Happened in Iraq, CBS News.com, April 11, 2003.
- James Carafano, Weigh Demands Carefully, Heritage Foundation, January 9, 2004: "Deciding how we should wage a successful war on terrorist groups such as al Qaeda is a matter of strategy. And in strategy, thought always should precede action. Extravagant calls for more airline security - now, everywhere - miss the point. ... A balanced strategy would promote safety, of course, but it also would encourage continued economic growth and safeguard civil liberties. It wouldn't trade off one priority for another."
