People in the news

Michele Flournoy

Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (since January 2009)

(Center for New
American Security)

Why She Matters

Flournoy is one of the most important leaders at the Defense Department.

One of the top national security experts in the country, she worked in the Defense Department under President Bill Clinton, holding two positions simultaneously. She has since accepted fellowships at a number of think tanks. In February 2007, she cofounded the Center for a New American Security, a progressive foreign policy think tank that has major influence on Democratic foreign policy wonks.

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Background

At a Glance

Career History: member of Barack Obama's transition team (November 2008 to January 2009); Center for a New American Security (2007-2009); Center for Strategic and International Studies; Distinguished research professor, Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense University
Birthday: 1961

Alma Mater: Alma mater: Harvard University, B.A.; Oxford University, M.A.

Path to Power

Flournoy received her undergraduate degree from Harvard University and a master's from Oxford University.

She wore two hats as a member of Clinton's Defense Department, where she acted as deputy assistant secretary of defense for both strategy and threat reduction. She was responsible for supervising policy offices on counter-proliferation and Eurasian affairs, among other things.

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The Issues

Flournoy is a progressive centrist who believes in developing strong and pragmatic national security and defense policies.

Afghanistan

Flournoy has emerged as one of the most prominent advocates for President Obama's newest strategy in Afghanistan. Flournoy told reporters that armed forces' effort to take control of areas controlled by the Taliban have been largely successful in turning the momentum of the war.

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Iraq

Flournoy has been a long-time advocate of President Obama's current Iraq strategy. In the past, she called on President Obama to implement the Iraq Study Group's recommendations on the war, including a phased withdrawal of combat forces, a more accurate report of the violence and additional training of Iraqi military and police forces. She would also like American troops to embed themselves with Iraqi forces so that they can work more closely with local officials.

Flournoy criticized Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki's government for failing to provide for its citizens and develop a stable system of government. She said most Iraqis believe their government is plagued by corruption.

Now, she's working closely with other Defense Department officials to ensure that the military is able to draw down its troop levels over the next year.

Iran and Syria

Flournoy believes that talks with Iran and Syria are "long overdue." However, she warns that negotiators must set realistic goals and expect slow progress. She said one of the Bush administration's biggest mistakes was including Iran in its "axis of evil," especially because the country had provided significant support in the immediate aftermath of Sept. 11.

Defense Policy Reform

Like Gen. James L. Jones, Obama's National Security Council pick, Flournoy has emphasized the importance of revamping the federal government's approach to security. In 2005, she told Congress that the country's defense operations had not been modernized since the Cold War, and that the nation had failed to develop a system for working together on an interagency level.

Flournoy believes America lacks the infrastructure it needs to respond quickly to international crises. She has called for a complete NSC restructuring so that it is better equipped to provide strategic advice to the president.

She would also like Congress to increase the planning capacities of the State, Treasury, Commerce and Justice departments by providing more funding to prepare for national emergencies. Additionally, she believes Congress should better fund civilians who work on foreign policy for the government.

Flournoy has called on Congress to create standards and mechanisms that outline the protocol for how all agencies and the military should work together.

Closing Guantanamo Bay

Flournoy has long advocated shuttering Guantanamo Bay and moving some prisoners to the U.S, a position that has antagonized several senators. Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) warned President Obama that the Senate would not fund the prison's closing until he provided a workable plan. Several lawamkers also protested the proposal, saying they did not want terrorists "in their back yard."

Flournoy pushed back against those critics, contending that if allied nations were taking detainees, the U.S. also needed to accept them in its prisons. "When we are asking allies to do their fair share in dealing with this challenge, we need to do our fair share," she told the Chicago Tribune in May 2009. "This is a case where we need to ask members of Congress to take a more strategic view. Many of these members called for the closing of Guantanamo, and we need their partnership in making that possible."

The Network

Flournoy's Clinton connections enabled her to staff the board of the Center for a New American Security with high-ranking officials like former Clinton Defense Secretary William Perry, Richard J. Danzig, and John D. Podesta.

She co-founded the progressive foreign-policy think tank Center for a New American Security with State Department Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell.

Additional Resources

Castelli, Christopher. New Security Think Tank Stands Up with Clinton Alumni on Board, Inside the Navy, Jan. 8, 2007
Castelli, Christopher, 'New Security Think Tank Stands Up with Clinton Alumni on Board,' Inside the Navy, Jan. 8, 2007
Michelle Flournoy's Testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, April 2, 2008
Allen, Mike, '55 days to Inauguration,' Politico, Nov. 26, 2008.
Center for a New American Security
Barnes, Julian E., "Pentagon Pushback: Guantanamo Bay," Chicago Tribune, May 20, 2009
Michle Flournoy's Testimony to the House Select Committee on Homeland Security, Oct. 8, 2003.
Allen, Mike, '55 days to Inauguration,' Politico, Nov. 26, 2008.
"U.S. Sees New Strategy Working," Voice of America, Feb.23, 2010
'Next Steps: Experts React to Iraq Report,' Wall Street Journal, Dec. 7, 2006.