Micah Zenko
Douglas Dillon Fellow
Expertise
Conflict prevention; U.S. national security policy; military planning and operations; nuclear weapons policy
Programs
Center for Preventive Action
Featured Publications
Douglas Dillon Fellow Micah Zenko analyzes the potentially serious consequences, both at home and abroad, of a lightly overseen drone program and makes recommendations for improving its governance.
See more in United States, Wars and Warfare
In this globalized world, countries will need to cooperate on policies that extend across borders to address issues that affect them all, including conflict prevention and peacemaking. The authors of this report assess the strengths and weaknesses of international institutions and provide a set of practical recommendations for how the United States can strengthen the global architecture for preventive action by partnering with those organizations.
See more in United States, International Organizations, Conflict Prevention
Last August, the Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney performed what has become a quadrennial rite of passage in American presidential politics: he delivered a speech to the annual convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
See more in National Security and Defense, Wars and Warfare
All Publications
Andrew Exum, Kori Schake, Ali Ahmad Jalali, and Micah Zenko discuss General Petraeus's replacement of General McChrystal as top commander in Afghanistan.
See more in Afghanistan, Wars and Warfare
Despite recent successes, unmanned drone strikes in Afghanistan and Pakistan remain a controversial tactic. CFR's Micah Zenko says the Obama administration must shed new details on the "worst kept covert secret in the history of U.S. foreign policy."
See more in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Defense Strategy
President Obama's Nuclear Posture Review properly shifts the source of threats facing the United States to non-state actors and sets the stage for upcoming nonproliferation talks, writes CFR's Micah Zenko.
See more in United States, Proliferation
Micah Zenko argues that given the importance of U.S. drone strikes against al-Qaeda, greater transparency regarding the operations is essential.
See more in Pakistan, Wars and Warfare, Havens for Terrorism
Micah Zenko describes five issues to consider in the likelihood of an Israeli strike on Iran.
See more in Iran, Israel, U.S. Strategy and Politics
Micah Zenko and Michael A. Levi argue that the United States must change how it handles its nuclear arsenal.
See more in United States, Weapons of Mass Destruction
Micah Zenko writes that a military strike on Yemen in response to the attempted attack on flight 253 would be a bad short-term solution.
See more in Yemen, Counterterrorism
The international community must understand that economic sanctions and diplomatic action alone will not prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, writes Micah Zenko.
See more in Iran, International Organizations, Weapons of Mass Destruction
Micah Zenko writes that although many are growing impatient waiting for President Obama to launch an Afghanistan strategy, it is prudent to let the deliberations play out so that he can get the strategy right.
See more in Afghanistan, U.S. Strategy and Politics
The United States can ill afford the burden of additional foreign policy challenges, making it imperative that the U.S. government find ways to identify, delay, and avert international crises that could harm U.S. interests or even lead to military engagement. In this report, the authors provide an actionable road map for how the U.S. government should revamp its existing U.S. prevention architecture to make it more effective in dealing with potential crises abroad.
See more in United States, Conflict Prevention
Micah Zenko makes the case, "Unless Tehran responds by late September to international proposals on its nuclear program, history strongly suggests the Israelis will act alone."
See more in Iran, Israel, Weapons of Mass Destruction
Micah Zenko discusses President Bush's deferred attack on Khurmal, Iraq, before the 2003 war.
See more in Iraq, Wars and Warfare, U.S. Strategy and Politics
CFR Fellow Micah Zenko says U.S. air strikes in Pakistan's tribal areas are ineffective as a counterinsurgency tool. He recommends that Washington create oversight mechanisms for its covert operations in the tribal areas and develop a comprehensive national strategy toward Pakistan.
See more in Pakistan, Counterterrorism, U.S. Strategy and Politics
Micah Zenko argues, "The U.S. military wants to minimize civilian deaths from airstrikes in Afghanistan, but conditions on the ground won't let it.'
See more in Afghanistan, Wars and Warfare, U.S. Strategy and Politics
Micah Zenko argues that the adjustment of Predator operations in Pakistan is a "creative and unprecedented arrangement" that will benefit the battle against al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
See more in Pakistan, Wars and Warfare, U.S. Strategy and Politics
Micah Zenko discusses several considerations the United States should make before using unmanned aerial drones in Pakistan.
See more in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Wars and Warfare
Micah Zenko argues that given the ineffectiveness of recent U.S. operations in Somalia, airstrikes against Somali pirates would be militarily and politically unsuccessful.
See more in Somalia, International Peace and Security
Micah Zenko argues that the agreement between the United States and Russia to negotiate an arms control treaty within three months will be a historic first step toward nuclear disarmament.
See more in Russian Fed., Arms Control and Disarmament, U.S. Strategy and Politics
Micah Zenko argues that increased Predator drone strikes in Pakistan would be counterproductive to antiterrorism efforts in the region.
See more in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Defense Strategy, Terrorism
Micah Zenko argues that instituting a no-fly zone over Darfur is not the appropriate response to the ongoing genocide in Sudan.
See more in Sudan, NATO, Humanitarian Intervention