Even though the United States’ president will change in January next year, Robert Murrett has underscored what has not changed: national security challenges the U.S. faces.

Murrett, deputy director of the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism and professor of practice of public administration and international affairs at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, spoke in a panel “National Security Implications of the Presidential Election” along with William Banks, INSCT director and professor of public administration and international affairs at Maxwell; George Jameson, former director of the Office of Policy and Coordination at the CIA; and Nathan Sales, associate professor at the College of Law.

The national security experts shared their insights on concerns and challenges President-elect Donald Trump will face in front of about 40 people in Feinberg Lecture Hall at Dineen Hall on Wednesday.

Succeeding Murrett, Jameson spoke of how he felt of the presidential result.

“Frankly I don’t think anybody has a clue what’s going to happen in this next administration,” he said.

Jameson then laid out his vision of the challenges Trump will need to face: hammering out principles or a doctrine explaining the U.S.’ position on use of force in today’s age of unpredictability, identifying vital national security interests, having clear objectives and exit strategies.

“(It) beats the heck out of me what the implications are gonna to be in the light of the election has come out,” he said.

Sales, who said he was “caught off guard” by the result last night, discussed the importance of the NATO alliance under the Trump administration. He pointed out there’s a great level of uncertainty over the U.S.’s approach to the international alliance and how to deal with increasingly aggressive states such as Russia.

Sales refuted the idea that the U.S. is in NATO through goodness of the heart and pays for the self-defense of “lazy Europeans.” That is not an accurate picture, he stressed, adding that the U.S. is in NATO for its strategic value.

“We’re in it because NATO has been the most successful international alliance, I think in history, at maintaining stability in the international arena,” he said. “NATO is a large part of the reason why we all benefit from various fruits of our modern globalized world.”

Trump’s lack of clarity regarding the U.S.’ commitment to defend NATO member countries if they were attacked has drawn concern.

Sales also spoke of the importance of keeping an eye on how decision-making authority would be allocated under the Trump administration and the relationship between Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence.

Banks took over the panel and asked the audience how many of attendees have predicted Trump ascending to the presidency. Only one student raised his hand. Banks stressed the importance of rule of law that can save people from “a bad president” who is disinterested in the issues that confront the nation. This can only happen if the rule of law is practiced, adhered to and advocated by lots of people who have a deep commitment to that.

“We have a duty, all of us, to make sure that the next administration, and whoever is appointed, (does) the important work and follows the rule of law,” Banks said.

Published on November 10, 2016 at 4:09 am

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