BU Now » Andrew Bacevich

A Conversation on Religion and U.S. Foreign Policy with Andrew Bacevich and Stephen Prothero

Lauren Davalla — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 12:00:57 +0000

Tonight at 7PM in the GSU’s 2nd floor Mecalf Hall we are hosting bestselling authors and BU professors Andrew Bacevich and Stephen Prothero for a discussion on the role played by religious ideas in U.S. public policy today, from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to the “Ground Zero Mosque” debate. This interactive event will be moderated by Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore, and will be streamed live online. The event is free and open to the public

Redefining national self-defense

Dick Taffe — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 15:35:47 +0000

With U.S. involvement in Iraq drawing down yet still under fire in Afghanistan, Americans are questioning the U.S. military’s role around the globe. International relations Professor Andrew Bacevich offers some proposals for the future in his new book, “Washington Rules: America’s Path to Permanent War.” In a BU Today Q&A, Bacevich outlines his 3-point shift in principles that would justify the cost in money and blood of our military role globally.

“There’s room for argument about what self-defense requires, and I’d like to see the argument engaged in by the American public and leadership. The point is to challenge the common practice and expectation that global policing defines the mission for the armed forces. That purpose vastly outstrips the capabilities of U.S. forces and implies demands on our resources as a nation that we are unwilling and probably unable to provide.”

Contact Andrew Bacevich, 617-358-0194, bacevich@bu.edu

The general and the president

Dick Taffe — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:25:21 +0000

General Stanley McChrystal met privately with President Obama over contemptuous remarks the general and his staff made about top administration officials in a magazine article. Shortly thereafter, Obama relieved the McChrystal of his command as head of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. International relations Professor Andrew Bacevich, a retired Army officer and authority on U.S. military and diplomatic history, says in a New York Daily News commentary that Obama should have pocketed any McChrystal resignation and tell him to get back to work pending the planned December formal assessment of the Afghan situation.

“But if by December the outlook for Afghanistan remains bleak, a change of command in Kabul will be very much in order – not for insubordination but for incompetence.”

Contact Andrew Bacevich, 617-358-0194, bacevich@bu.edu