John Hamre

President of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (since 2000)

Why He Matters

Hamre understands the nuts-and-bolts of U.S. defense policy better than almost anyone.

He was a staffer on the Senate Armed Services Committee for ten years. He accepted one of the top civilian positions in the Defense Department under President Bill Clinton. Defense Secretary Robert Gates appointed him to the top position on the Defense Policy Board, an influential review committee in 2007.

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Background

At a Glance

Career History: Defense Policy Board, chair (since 2007); Deputy Secretary of Defense (1997 to 2001); Undersecretary of Defense (1993 to 1997)
Birthday: July 3, 1950
Hometown: Willow Lake, S.D.

Alma Mater: Augustana College, B.A., 1972; Johns Hopkins University, PhD, 1978
Office: 1800 K St. NWWashington, DC 20006;202-887-0200
Web site

Path to Power

Hamre was born on July 3, 1950, in Willow Lake, S.D., a town of 100 people and 40 buildings where none of the streets have names. His father was a banker and his mother taught at the local school.

He received his undergraduate degree in political science from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D, in 1972 and spent the next year as a Rockefeller fellow at the Harvard Divinity School.

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The Issues

As a veteran Defense Department official, Hamre understands the "plumbing" of defense policy and institutions.

He has lobbied for increased diplomatic efforts and a more sophisticated military adapted to 21st century warfare. He also called the rise of nuclear Iran and the increased danger of a nuclear attack on U.S. soil the most serious threats facing the country.

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In 2009, Hamre will focus on running CSIS, which is currently researching, among other topics, global food policy, smart power, global health, energy security and climate change. The non-partisan foreign policy think-tank will continue to provide what CSIS vice president for external relations Andrew Schwartz described as "straight-forward, solid analysis."

Iran

Iran has long been a thorn in the side of U.S. foreign policy, Hamre contends. He suspects that the country is quickly developing nuclear weapons, and has called for increased diplomatic efforts and sanctions to address the threat.

Terrorism

Hamre has said the military is not prepared to adequately prevent or respond to a large-scale terrorist attack in the U.S.

To address this shortcoming, Hamre suggests that Congress require the leaders of the U.S. Armed Forces to outline who is responsible for addressing problems and how leaders are training their troops for modern warfare.

Hamre has decried the restructuring of the intelligence agencies under a single head because he fears it limits new ideas and fresh approaches. At a hearing in 2004, he said the move would "seriously threaten what little competition for ideas [there is]."

While he was deputy Defense Secretary, he implemented systems to improve contracting and pushed for improved response to potential terrorist threats.

Iraq

For several years, Hamre has been part of the debate about what to do in Iraq. He was a member of the Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq, a 20-person panel which reported to Congress in 2007 that Iraqi forces had failed to stop the fighting between religious and political sects and would need substantial U.S. help at least through April 2009.

In September 2007, Hamre warned against "cutting and running," suggesting that destabilizing the region would limit U.S. access to oil and its ability to negotiate with Iran.

Hamre told the House Armed Services Committee in January 2008 that the U.S. should begin immediately shifting responsibilities to the Iraqis, saying: "Iraqis can do more than we are letting them do, and they will not take control of the situation until they have to."

The Network

Hamre knows Sam Nunn, a former Democratic Senator from Georgia who is now the chairman of CSIS. Nunn, who advised Obama on defense issues and worked on the presidential transition team, is Hamre's closest tie to the president.

Hamre and others suggested that ex-Rep. Lee Hamilton and former Secretary of State James Baker lead the Iraq Study Group. He also served on the Independent Commission on the Security Forces in Iraq with retired General James L. Jones, who Obama appointed as National Security Adviser.

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Additional Resources