William C. Martel
Encyclopedia
William C. Martel is Associate Professor of International Security Studies at The Fletcher School, Tufts University
.
. He was also a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard University
from 1991–93.
during the same years. From 1999–2005 he was Professor of National Security Affairs, and Chair of Space Technology and Policy Studies, at the Naval War College
.
He has served on the U.S. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board (2001–02), and is a Member of the Editorial Board of the Naval War College Review
. He has also been the principal investigator on space policy study with research support from MIT Lincoln Laboratory and the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
.
Speaking in 2006 about targeted killing
s of high-profile suspects whose capture is typically deemed impossible or too great a risk, he said: "It's a pretty dicey proposition capturing somebody. You can't do a snatch and grab casually." In terms of domestic law, he said: "It is permissible to attack individuals who are heads of [either state or non-state] organizations in combat against the United States. Commenting as well in 2006 on the terrorist National Intelligence Estimates declassified intelligence assessment on terrorism, Martel said that its hedging and passive voice reflected an analysis-by-committee approach that wasn't all that helpful to policymakers. One of its conclusions was that the global jihadist movement is now using the Internet to communicate and to promote its ideology. Martel said: "No kidding! I was stunned at how pedestrian it was."
In 2008, he hailed Bush's announcement that he is cutting the length of new tours in Iraq, saying: "in a war military, you have to cut corners to meet objectives. Progress comes in small doses." The Christian Science Monitor
quoted Martel in 2008 saying of al-Qaeda
's recruitment of Americans: "It's an immensely adaptive organization", while adding that it could potentially make it more open to penetration by western spies. "It could make it easier for us to understand what they're doing, and why," said Martel.
Speaking of Faisal Shahzad
in 2010, he said: “This may suggest we are moving from the ‘A’ team in recruits to the ‘B’ team or even the ‘C’ team."
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
.
Education
He has a B.A. from St. Anselm College, and a Ph.D. in Political Science from University of Massachusetts AmherstUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
. He was also a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
from 1991–93.
Career
Martel was the Director and Founder of the Center for Strategy and Technology from 1993–99, and Associate Professor of International Relations at the Air War CollegeAir War College
The Air War College is a part of the United States Air Force's Air University, headquartered at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. Air University's higher headquarters is Air Education and Training Command headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. The Air War...
during the same years. From 1999–2005 he was Professor of National Security Affairs, and Chair of Space Technology and Policy Studies, at the Naval War College
Naval War College
The Naval War College is an education and research institution of the United States Navy that specializes in developing ideas for naval warfare and passing them along to officers of the Navy. The college is located on the grounds of Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island...
.
He has served on the U.S. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board (2001–02), and is a Member of the Editorial Board of the Naval War College Review
Naval War College Review
The Naval War College Review is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal published by the United States Navy's Naval War College. It covers public policy matters of interest to the maritime services and was established in 1948....
. He has also been the principal investigator on space policy study with research support from MIT Lincoln Laboratory and the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of new technology for use by the military...
.
Views
Commenting on the entrepreneurs who in the wake of 9/11 were selling everything from a plastic tent complete with an air-filtration system to keep the whole family safe in the event of a germ attack, to germproof bodysuits and mail sterilizers, he said: "It is just people looking for security, in the face of systemic insecurity."Speaking in 2006 about targeted killing
Targeted killing
Targeted killing is the deliberate, specific targeting and killing, by a government or its agents, of a supposed terrorist or of a supposed "unlawful combatant" who is not in that government's custody...
s of high-profile suspects whose capture is typically deemed impossible or too great a risk, he said: "It's a pretty dicey proposition capturing somebody. You can't do a snatch and grab casually." In terms of domestic law, he said: "It is permissible to attack individuals who are heads of [either state or non-state] organizations in combat against the United States. Commenting as well in 2006 on the terrorist National Intelligence Estimates declassified intelligence assessment on terrorism, Martel said that its hedging and passive voice reflected an analysis-by-committee approach that wasn't all that helpful to policymakers. One of its conclusions was that the global jihadist movement is now using the Internet to communicate and to promote its ideology. Martel said: "No kidding! I was stunned at how pedestrian it was."
In 2008, he hailed Bush's announcement that he is cutting the length of new tours in Iraq, saying: "in a war military, you have to cut corners to meet objectives. Progress comes in small doses." The Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science Monitor is an international newspaper published daily online, Monday to Friday, and weekly in print. It was started in 1908 by Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist. As of 2009, the print circulation was 67,703.The CSM is a newspaper that covers...
quoted Martel in 2008 saying of al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
's recruitment of Americans: "It's an immensely adaptive organization", while adding that it could potentially make it more open to penetration by western spies. "It could make it easier for us to understand what they're doing, and why," said Martel.
Speaking of Faisal Shahzad
Faisal Shahzad
Faisal Shahzad is a Pakistani American who attempted the May 1, 2010, Times Square car bombing. On , 2010, in Federal District Court in Manhattan he confessed to 10 counts arising from the bombing attempt...
in 2010, he said: “This may suggest we are moving from the ‘A’ team in recruits to the ‘B’ team or even the ‘C’ team."
Books
- Victory in War: Foundations of Modern Military Policy (Cambridge University PressCambridge University PressCambridge University Press is the publishing business of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII in 1534, it is the world's oldest publishing house, and the second largest university press in the world...
, 2007) - The Technological Arsenal: Emerging Defense Capabilities (editor & author) (2001)
- Russia's Democratic Moment: Defining U.S. Policy to Promote Democratic Opportunities in Russia (co-editor and author) (1995)
- Nuclear Coexistence: Rethinking U.S. Policy to Promote Stability in an Era of Proliferation (co-author) (1994)
- How To Stop A War: Research on Two Hundred Years of War and Peace (co-author) (1987)
- Strategic Nuclear War: What the Superpowers Target and Why (co-author) (1986)
Select articles
- "Undeclared War and the Future of US Foreign Policy", Political Science QuarterlyPolitical Science QuarterlyPolitical Science Quarterly is an American scholarly journal covering government, politics and policy, published continuously since 1886 by the Academy of Political Science. It is the oldest political science journal in the United States....
(2009) - "Formulating Victory and Implications for Policy", OrbisOrbis (foreign policy)Orbis is a quarterly American journal on international relations and U.S. foreign policy. It is the flagship publication of the Philadelphia-based Foreign Policy Research Institute , an international affairs think tank established in 1955....
(2008) - "Averting a Sino-U.S. Space Race," Washington QuarterlyWashington QuarterlyThe Washington Quarterly, often abbreviated TWQ, is a journal of international affairs, analyzing global strategic changes and their public policy implications, published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and Taylor & Francis. It addresses topics such as: the U.S...
, Fall 2003 - "Technology and Military Power," The Fletcher Forum, Fall 2001
- "The End of Non-Proliferation?" Strategic Review, Fall 2000
- "Information Revolution and American Military Power," (co-author) Orbis (2000)
Select op-eds
- "Can we win the war on terror?", The Providence JournalThe Providence JournalThe Providence Journal, nicknamed the ProJo, is a daily newspaper serving the metropolitan area of Providence, Rhode Island and is the largest newspaper in Rhode Island. The newspaper, first published in 1829 and the oldest continuously-published daily newspaper in the United States, was purchased...
, March 18, 2010 - "The West must face facts – Why U.S. can't live with a nuclear Iran", The Providence Journal, September 21, 2006
Select interview
- "Martel: The Future of U.S. Space Policy", Interviewee: William Martel, Interviewer: Michael Moran, Council on Foreign RelationsCouncil on Foreign RelationsThe Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
, December 5, 2006