Smith, Derek D. 1978–

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Smith, Derek D. 1978–

(Derek Delbert Smith)

PERSONAL:

Born March 31, 1978, in Madison, WI. Education: Harvard University, B.A. (summa cum laude); University of Oxford, M.A., Ph.D.; Yale Law School, J.D.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Washington, DC. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Attorney. Latham & Watkins, Washington, DC, associate; previously worked two summers for the Nonproliferation Bureau and the Office of Policy and Planning at the U.S. State Department, Washington, DC, while in college; served as a lecturer in International Relations at University of Oxford, Oxford, England, while in graduate school; clerked for Judge Randolph on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Washington, DC, following law school.

MEMBER:

Out of the Blue (Oxford University allmale a cappella group; founder).

WRITINGS:

Deterring America: Rogue States and the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS:

Derek D. Smith was born March 31, 1978, in Madison, Wisconsin. He graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University's department of government, where he won the Thomas T. Hoopes Prize for his senior thesis, "The Next Strategic Confrontation: Controlling the Proliferation of Dual-use Satellite Systems." While completing his undergraduate degree, Smith spent two summers working in the Nonproliferation Bureau and the Office of Policy and Planning at the U.S. State Department. He went to England next, where he continued his education at Oxford University, earning both his master's degree and a doctorate in international relations, and winning the Marchioness of Winchester Prize for his dissertation. He also spent time as a lecturer in his department and founded the university's first all-male a cappella group, Out of the Blue. Smith completed his education at Yale Law School, working for the law firms Latham & Watkins and Jones Day during summers, and then clerking following graduation for Judge Randolph on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Smith eventually went on to become an associate at Latham & Watkins. His book, Deterring America: Rogue States and the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, was published in 2006.

Deterring America takes a look at the current U.S. foreign policies regarding weapons of mass destruction, or WMDs, and evaluates them in relationship to the modern-day global political situation. Smith suggests that it is time to revisit these policies and make changes that will bring them in line with the ever-changing state of nuclear armament in various countries around the world. He includes a number of tactics that he claims will put the United States into a safer, more defensible position while still avoiding being viewed as antagonistic or aggressive by other nations. The author looks at the history of WMD proliferation into nations that already possess the technology, as well as movement in several other countries toward acquiring such weapons, and how different attitudes and positions reflect on the ways in which the United States can reasonably behave regarding the situation. Smith considers the stance that the United States would prefer to take to deter nations from the acquisitions of these types of weapons and what issues lie with that approach, and then compares these generalities to actual experiences the United States has had with nations such as Iraq and North Korea. Douglas E. Brown, writing for Military Review, opined that "Smith's ideas are not entirely original, but he does an excellent job of combining the thoughts of multiple prominent theorists into a concise and coherent argument."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Military Review, January 1, 2007, Douglas E. Brown, review of Deterring America: Rogue States and the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, p. 117.

Political Science Quarterly, September 22, 2007, Andrew H. Kydd, review of Deterring America, p. 517.