The Alliance for Security was established to educate and engage the American public in a dialogue about our security. After years of speaking out on the consequences of war and in the aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy, we recognized that Americans must exercise their civic duty and get involved in security issues now more than at any time in our history.

The Alliance is based on that faith -- and on the belief that the foundation of patriotism lies in our ability to ask tough questions and undertake difficult sacrifices. Our goal is to provoke a thoughtful and penetrating exchange that addresses our country’s most critical issues: the war on terrorism, the search for security, the defense of individual liberties, and the consequences of war.

The Alliance will empower America. We have joined with this nation’s military, intelligence, humanitarian and veterans communities to build this effort. We will rely on our ability to access and implement the views and aspirations of the American public. We will do so by building an active -- and interactive -- community of citizens, who are committed to a thoughtful and thought-provoking debate on our nation’s goals. Through our website, our blog, and our college tour -- which will be launched this fall -- the Alliance for Security will spark a national debate on issues critical to the survival of our democratic institutions.

At times the questions we will ask, and the answers that we seek, will be disquieting. Yet, we hold that controversy in the service of patriotism will strengthen our national resolve. It is time to ask the tough questions, it is time to hear the disquieting answers: are we at war with Islam, will there be a draft, is our government really making us more secure, how do we address the root causes of terrorism -- will fewer liberties yield more security?