The National Security Task Force

In the post-September 11th environment, the focus of U.S. foreign policy has drastically shifted in order to deal with a range of current and emerging security threats that now dominate the global affairs landscape. Non-state actors have disrupted traditional views of security policy, the growing number of nuclear-armed states challenges the capacity to limit weapons proliferation, and the illicit movement of weapons technology brings about new concerns for global security. Additionally, nations that were once not thought to be threats to national security are now focal points for security concerns. This brave new world constitutes a paradigm shift that will require fresh thinking and new ideas to effectively navigate.

The goal of the Pacific Council’s National Security Task Force is to examine and identify the varying security issues affecting the U.S., and the world, and determine what foreign policy options can best address such threats. The Task Force developed out of proactive initiatives on the part of Council members to address the variegated issues affecting U.S. national security both at home and abroad. Though the Task Force is still in its developmental stages, it has started on its path by first choosing to identify key subjects of interest to U.S. national security and convening a group of committed citizen leaders around each key issue to help drive the projects and develop solutions. These interest areas include:

• U.S. relationship with North Korea and its nuclear program
• Instability of Pakistan and potential approaches to managing the emergence and activities of radical extremist groups operating along the north western border
• Emergency response and healthcare security in Southern California

Currently under development is the Project on Southern California Healthcare System Security, currently under the direction of Dr. Peter Katona, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine in Infectious Diseases at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. The project goals are to identify current weaknesses in Southern California’s healthcare and emergency response systems in the context of terrorist attacks and/or natural disasters, and to develop consensus policy actions on galvanizing the healthcare infrastructure to adapt to such threats.