Over the years, PRISM has had the privilege to interview some of the world’s leading practitioners, policymakers, and scholars. This compilation of previously published interviews is intended to serve as a resource for those seeking insights from this exception-al collection of individuals. Collectively, its pages serve as a time capsule to remind us of the issues most pressing at different moments in our recent history, and demonstrate both the progress made as well as challenges that have endured throughout the years. The interviews cover a wide range of issues, including state-building, counterinsurgency, military overstretch, civilian-military cooperation, international collaboration—all issues which continue to resonate today. We hope that our readers enjoy this unique collection. It offers not only a valuable research resource, but a window into the minds of some of today’s most respected and dynamic leaders.
General Stanley McChrystal, USA (ret.) former Commander, International Security Assistance Force Ambassador Princeton Lyman, former U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan* Ambassador Johnnie Carson, former Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs and former National Intelligence Officer for Africa*
Admiral Samuel J. Locklear, then Commander of U.S. Pacific Command Stephen Hadley, former National Security Advisor General John Kelly, former Commander of U.S. Southern Command
Richard N. Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations Maria Otero, former Undersecretary of State Dennis Blair, former Director of National Intelligence General Mike Flynn, former Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency
Donald Steinberg, Deputy Administrator of USAID Álvaro Uribe Velez, former President of Colombia J. Brian Atwood, former Administrator of USAID
General Martin E. Dempsey, then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Jim Webb, former Senator from Virginia General William E. Ward, former Commander of U.S. Africa Command General David Petraeus, former Commander of U.S. Central Command General Richard B. Myers, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Richard L. Armitage, former Deputy Secretary of State Thomas S. Szayna, Senior Political Scientist at RAND General Raymond T. Odierno, then Chief of Staff of the Army General Peter Pace, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Hussain Haqqani, former Ambassador of Pakistan to the U.S. Said Tayeb Jawad, former Ambassador of Afghanistan to the U.S.
*note: Ambassadors Carson and Lyman will link to the same interview