"Bombing the S**t out of ISIS: President Trump’s Approach to Counter-Terrorism" with Professor Seth Weinberger of the University of Puget Sound, September 21st
Throughout his presidential campaign, Donald Trump criticized President Obama’s efforts against al Qaeda and ISIS, claiming that the terrorist organizations were “feeling emboldened by the “so weak and so sad policies of the Obama administration. Claiming that Obama and Clinton were the “founders of ISIS,” Trump threatened an aggressive campaign against terrorism and promised to “bomb the shit” out of ISIS in Syria.
Eight months into his presidency, President Trump seems to be trying to make good on his promise. Has the change in intensity and operational tempo of bombing in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan had any noticeable effect on ISIS or al Qaeda? Does it represent a real shift in policy from the Obama administration? How does his policy fit into his broader agenda?
Professor Weinberger is Professor of Politics and Government at the University of Puget Sound. He received his B.A. (1993) in political philosophy from the University of Chicago, an M.A. (1995) in Security Studies from Georgetown University, and an M.A. (2000) and Ph.D. (2005) in political science from Duke University. He teaches courses on international relations, U.S. foreign policy, international security, terrorism, constitutional law, and political philosophy. His book, Restoring the Balance: War Powers in an Age of Terror was published by Praeger Press in 2009. His recently published articles include “Enemies Among Us: The Targeted Killing of American Members of al Qaeda and the Need for Congressional Leadership” in the Georgetown Global Security Studies Review (Spring 2013) and “Institutional Signals: The Political Dimension of International Competition Law Harmonization” (with Geoffrey A. Manne) in The Anti-Trust Bulletin (57, no. 3). His current research focuses on congressional-executive war powers in the on-going armed conflict against al Qaeda. In 2011 and 2016, Professor Weinberger received the Thomas A. Davis Teaching Excellence Award.
Throughout his presidential campaign, Donald Trump criticized President Obama’s efforts against al Qaeda and ISIS, claiming that the terrorist organizations were “feeling emboldened by the “so weak and so sad policies of the Obama administration. Claiming that Obama and Clinton were the “founders of ISIS,” Trump threatened an aggressive campaign against terrorism and promised to “bomb the shit” out of ISIS in Syria.
Eight months into his presidency, President Trump seems to be trying to make good on his promise. Has the change in intensity and operational tempo of bombing in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan had any noticeable effect on ISIS or al Qaeda? Does it represent a real shift in policy from the Obama administration? How does his policy fit into his broader agenda?
Professor Weinberger is Professor of Politics and Government at the University of Puget Sound. He received his B.A. (1993) in political philosophy from the University of Chicago, an M.A. (1995) in Security Studies from Georgetown University, and an M.A. (2000) and Ph.D. (2005) in political science from Duke University. He teaches courses on international relations, U.S. foreign policy, international security, terrorism, constitutional law, and political philosophy. His book, Restoring the Balance: War Powers in an Age of Terror was published by Praeger Press in 2009. His recently published articles include “Enemies Among Us: The Targeted Killing of American Members of al Qaeda and the Need for Congressional Leadership” in the Georgetown Global Security Studies Review (Spring 2013) and “Institutional Signals: The Political Dimension of International Competition Law Harmonization” (with Geoffrey A. Manne) in The Anti-Trust Bulletin (57, no. 3). His current research focuses on congressional-executive war powers in the on-going armed conflict against al Qaeda. In 2011 and 2016, Professor Weinberger received the Thomas A. Davis Teaching Excellence Award.