In the book he co-authored on Iraq, Miller laid out America's "enduring interests" in the country: "no al Qaeda safe havens, no regional war, and no genocide" and urged the U.S. to "get out of Iraq more responsibly than it got in."

In an essay entitled "No More Iraqs," Miller offered a sharp critique of the George W. Bush administration's handling of the Iraq invasion and subsequent war, enumerating what not to do when considering such action. On his list of no-no's: accept "questionable single-source intelligence," exclude civilian agencies from operational planning, show disdain for key allies, ignore looting and mayhem and then disband "the occupied state's remaining instruments of order and governance," downplay unwelcome assessments of the situation on the ground, and place people in critical posts for "party loyalty as opposed to professional competence."

Miller does advocate, however, the U.S. continuing to promote democracy abroad. He argues that the military can effectively do some nation-building in the form of counterinsurgency and stability operations, and that wars of choice may still be necessary. "Unfortunately," he wrote, "because terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and the potential for genocidal violence will remain key parts of the strategic landscape, the United States will find occasions when it is necessary, and indeed just, to use military force, as it did, for example, in Afghanistan, against Iraq in the limited strikes of Desert Fox, and in Kosovo."

Looking forward, Miller calls for Iraq policy to be "based on pragmatism and professionalism, rather than ideology and wishful thinking."

Miller has urged similar caution and wisdom for the U.S. approach to Afghanistan and Pakistan, which he classifies as "a single theater of operations" in many ways. In his spring 2009 Senate remarks, Miller called for a regional U.S. strategy, saying that "working with Pakistan, India and others in the region is likely to be essential to success in Afghanistan." He added that "insurgent and terrorist safe-havens in Pakistan and illicit cross-border activity must also be addressed to establish sustainable security in Afghanistan."

Internally in Afghanistan, he called for increased economic development to counter challenges including poor nutrition, drought, insufficient health care and illiteracy, especially among women.

More than a year before the 9/11 attacks, Miller warned of the likelihoood of increased urban military operations. "The future will bring American forces into conflicts in cities. We will have casualties," he said. "Our success in the operation overall, at the strategic level, will depend on how well we do in the cities. That is going to be a big challenge."

In the presentation Miller highlighted the need for increased force protection and reduced civilian casualties in the urban theater, where the line between combatant and non-combatant is easily blurred. He also advocated the continued study of non-lethal weapons as a potential way to reduce deaths.

The arms-control expert's Pentagon post coincides with an Obama administration push to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in global affairs. As part of a proposed agreement with Russia, the Pentagon is looking at ways to trim U.S. arsenals. Senior Defense Department officials told the New York Times that "the nation's entire nuclear weapons architecture was under review, including such fundamental traditions as whether the nation still needs to maintain a triad of land-based missiles, submarine-launched missiles and bombers."

Show less