OAKLAND, Calif.—National security expert Ivan Eland has joined The Independent Institute, the Oakland, California-based public policy research and educational organization, to head its new Center on Peace and Liberty.
“At this moment of crisis from a pre-emptive war by the U.S. in Iraq, we are fortunate to have such a highly regarded authority on domestic security, defense, and foreign policy joining us as senior fellow and director of our new Center,” said David J. Theroux, founder and president of The Independent Institute, in announcing the appointment.
“Dr. Eland brings to The Institute enormous understanding and scholarship in the related fields of military preparedness, the war on terrorism, alternatives to using military force, the spread of weapons of mass destruction, homeland security and civil liberties, national missile defense, arms reduction, NATO expansion, and U.S. policies toward Iraq, North Korea and other countries,” added Mr. Theroux.
A widely published writer in these fields, Dr. Eland’s commentaries have appeared in numerous national newspapers and periodicals, and he has provided analysis for news and current affairs programs on both radio and television. He has testified on related issues before committees of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and he is author of the new book, Putting “Defense” Back into U.S. Defense Policy: Rethinking U.S. Security in the Post-Cold War World.
“We anticipate that the new Center on Peace and Liberty, together with Ivan’s expert knowledge and leadership, will enhance and deepen The Institute’s role as an independent, non-partisan voice in the on-going dialog and debate on public policy,” Mr. Theroux added. “The Center’s critical analysis and scholarly output will reinforce the contributions already being made in this process by our many policy studies and reports, our journal, The Independent Review, our Independent Policy Forums and other events, our weekly e-mail newsletter, The Lighthouse, and other programs.”
Under the direction of Dr. Eland, the new Center on Peace and Liberty features a Board of Advisors including such distinguished scholars and policy experts as Andrew Bacevich (Boston University), Barton Bernstein (Stanford University), Lloyd Gardner (Rutgers University), Chalmers Johnson (Japanese Policy Research Institute), former Assistant Defense Secretary Lawrence Korb, Donald Losman (National Defense University), Allen Matusow (Rice University), Bruce Russett (Yale University), Harvey Sapolsky (MIT), Melvin Small (Wayne State University), Monica Toft (Harvard University), and others.
Dr. Eland is a graduate of Iowa State University and received an M.B.A. in applied economics and a Ph.D. in national security policy from George Washington University. He has been director of Defense Policy Studies at the Cato Institute, principal defense analyst at the Congressional Budget Office, evaluator-in-charge (national security and intelligence) for the U.S. General Accounting Office, and investigator for the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He has testified on the military and financial aspects of NATO expansion before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, CIA oversight before the House Government Reform Committee, and the new Homeland Security Department before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Dr. Eland is also the author of The Efficacy of Economic Sanctions as a Foreign Policy Tool, a contributor to numerous volumes, and the author of forty-five in-depth studies on national security issues. His articles have appeared in Arms Control Today, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Emory Law Journal, The Independent Review, Issues in Science and Technology (National Academy of Sciences), Mediterranean Quarterly, Middle East and International Review, Middle East Policy, Nexus, and Northwestern Journal of International Affairs.
Dr. Eland’s writings on current events have appeared in such publications as the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Houston Chronicle, Dallas Morning News, Insight, San Diego Union-Tribune, Washington Post, Miami Herald, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Newsday, Sacramento Bee, Orange County Register, Chicago Sun-Times, Providence Journal, Washington Times and Defense News. He has appeared on ABC’s “World News Tonight,” NPR’s “Talk of the Nation,” PBS, Fox News Channel, CNBC, CNN, CNN “Crossfire,” CNN-fn, C-SPAN, MSNBC, CBC, Radio Free Europe, Voice of America, BBC, and other local, national, and international TV and radio programs.
