News Release

Johns Hopkins University Professor Talks about the Threat to American Security Posed by the Crisis in Kosovo

David, who recently authored an article on the subject of U.S. involvement in global civil wars for Foreign Affairs, says that while Kosovo does not pose a direct threat to the United States, either militarily or economically, the country's involvement there has real dangers.

"You talk about a Russia in chaos, with a lot of loose nukes lying around," says David. "It's not inconceivable that some of those nuclear weapons could find their way into Serbia with sympathetic military people. I'm not predicting that, I don't think it's likely, but it's not impossible.

"There's already talk of Russian volunteers fighting in Serbia," David continues. "It could create a major confrontation between the United States and Russia. Russia doesn't have the ability, militarily, to make much of a difference now, but it can cause lots of trouble, especially if the nuclear point comes in."

In the Foreign Affairs article, published in the November/December issue, David details how possible civil wars in Russia, Saudi Arabia and Mexico could threaten United States' interests. "While recent internal conflicts raise humanitarian concerns, none have seriously affected American security or economic interests," David wrote. "This, however, was largely a matter of luck."

David is also associate dean for academic affairs at Johns Hopkins and head of the international studies program. If you are interested in interviewing him, or obtaining a copy of the Foreign Affairs article, contact me. My direct number is 410-516- 6094.

If you would like to receive Johns Hopkins political, public policy and world affairs news electronically, please e-mail: glenn@jhu.edu.