| December 15, 2014 |
THE EARLY BIRD BRIEF |
Get the most comprehensive aggregation of defense news delivered by the world's largest independent newsroom covering military and defense.
|
ADVERTISEMENT
 |
|
ADVERTISEMENT
 |
TODAY'S TOP 5
1. AMERICA'S MILITARY: Readiness 'on a shoestring'
(Military Times) Despite the budget squeeze, most troops say their units are plodding along, business as usual.
2. Five hostages flee Sydney cafe during standoff
(USA Today) Five people escaped from a cafe in downtown Sydney where at least one armed person held an undisclosed number of hostages, Monday.
3. Coburn Has Gone Too Far Blocking Veterans Suicide Bill
(Montel Williams in Defense One) Put simply, while veterans have grown accustomed to being ignored or otherwise put second to legislators own political agendas, nothing in my recent memory compares with the sheer ego-fueled hypocrisy of Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., using his last days in the Senate to block the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act. In fact, this is now at least the second time Coburn has stood alone to block valuable legislation that stood to help veterans.
4. U.S. Marine charged with murder of Filipino transgender
(Los Angeles Times) Philippine government prosecutors charged a detained U.S. Marine with murder Monday in the killing of a Filipino transgender that reignited an irritant between the military allies over custody of American military personnel suspected of committing crimes.
5. AMERICA'S MILITARY: The crushing deployment tempo
(Military Times) The Navy chief trudged home to his wife with bad news - and he knew it would not go over well.
DEFENSE NEWS WITH VAGO MURADIAN
Congress and Defense Spending
(Defense News) Andrew Hunter, Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Roman Schweizer, Guggenheim Partners, on what the "Cromnibus" means for Pentagon spending.
Congress and Shipbuilding Strategy
(Defense News) Mike Petters, president and CEO of Huntington Ingalls Industries, on what recent spending measures means for the shipbuilding company.
Strategic Future of the Aircraft Carrier
(Defense News) Mike Petters, president and CEO of Huntington Ingalls Industries, on aircraft carrier costs and vulnerability.
Vago's Notebook: Start Work on a New Compromise
(Defense News) Congress must work on a new compromise spending bill to clarify budget levels for the Pentagon and everyone else.
CONGRESS
Defense authorization bill heads to White House
(Military Times) Senate lawmakers finalized work on the $584.2 billion annual defense authorization bill on Friday, putting in place a 1 percent pay raise for troops starting in January and limiting growth in housing allowance rates.
Senate passes $1.1 trillion spending bill
(USA Today) The Senate on Saturday approved a $1.1 trillion spending bill and sent it to President Obama for his signature.
Senators Make Final Push for Vets Suicide-Prevention Bill
(National Journal) An effort to get a veterans suicide-prevention bill passed in the final days of the 113th Congress faces one remaining hurdle: an anonymous hold.
For Next Congress, Pressure Mounts for Faster Spending Bills
(Defense News) For congressional Republicans, it's put up or shut up time.
The Senate Is Done Investigating Torture. Will Drone Killings Be Next?
(National Journal) In the aftermath of the release of the Senate Intelligence Committee's torture report focused on Bush-era techniques, the Obama administration's own counterterrorism practices are coming under increased scrutiny.
ISLAMIC STATE
Pentagon's Syria plan would see results in 2016
(The Hill) The Pentagon said Friday that a year-long plan to train and equip 5,000 Syrian rebels to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria could stretch into early 2016.
U.S. providing little information to judge progress against Islamic State
(McClatchy) The American war against the Islamic State has become the most opaque conflict the United States has undertaken in more than two decades, a fight that's so underreported that U.S. officials and their critics can make claims about progress, or lack thereof, with no definitive data available to refute or bolster their positions.
Islamic State overruns town in Anbar, executes Awakening fighters
(Long War Journal) The Islamic State took control of a town in Anbar province in western Iraq yesterday and executed 21 members of the Sunni Awakening tribal movement in another town late last week.
Iraqi military helicopter shot down by Islamic State near Samarra
(Los Angeles Times) Iraqi news reports said Saturday that the military helicopter had been shot down near Mutassem, a strategic entry to the Shiite Muslim holy city of Samarra about 80 miles north of the capital.
Jihadis capture army base in northwestern Syria
(Associated Press) Jihadi fighters captured a Syrian army base Monday in the northwestern province of Idlib after two days of intense fighting that killed at least two dozen gunmen, activists said.
Isis: the inside story
(The Guardian) In the summer of 2004, a young jihadist in shackles and chains was walked by his captors slowly into the Camp Bucca prison in southern Iraq. He was nervous as two American soldiers led him through three brightly-lit buildings and then a maze of wire corridors, into an open yard, where men with middle-distance stares, wearing brightly-coloured prison uniforms, stood back warily, watching him.
Guantanamo general: 'Foolishness' to say U.S. has lost moral high ground on human rights
(Washington Post) The top general overseeing the U.S. military detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, said it is "foolishness" to assert that the United States has lost the moral high ground on human rights following the release of a Senate report detailing the brutal treatment of detainees by the CIA.
Britain to send hundreds more troops to Iraq, says defence secretary
(The Guardian) Hundreds more British troops are being sent to Iraq next month to bolster the fight against Islamic State (Isis) militants, compounding fears of "mission creep."
Germany to send training mission to Iraqi Kurds
(Deutsche Welle) The German government is going over plans to send troops to northern Iraq to train peshmerga in the fight against the self-fashioned "Islamic State." Such missions, however, can't always promise success.
U.S. concern grows over Islamic State fighters training in Libya
(Los Angeles Times) Training camps with several hundred Islamic State fighters have been spotted in parts of eastern Libya, and some U.S. intelligence reports suggest a new presence for the militant group near Tripoli, in the country's west, U.S. officials disclosed in recent days.
INDUSTRY
US Army Releases RFP for Joint Light Tactical Vehicle
(Defense News) After releasing several draft requests for proposals for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), the US Army released a final version on Friday, clearing the way for contenders AM General, Lockheed Martin and Oshkosh Defense to submit proposals.
Congress OKs bill banning purchases of Russian-made rocket engines
(Los Angeles Times) Despite lobbying from a joint venture of Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp., the Senate voted 89-11 to approve a bill Friday that would ban the Pentagon from awarding future rocket launch contracts to firms using Russian engines.
Interview: Michael Strianese
(Defense News) Michael Strianese, L-3 Communications' CEO since 2006 and chairman since 2008, has worked to grow the company into a $12.6 billion giant while wringing inefficiencies from a company that grew through mergers and acquisitions. Perhaps most dramatically, Strianese spun off L-3's service business as DoD spending shrank and operations wound down in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Global military radar market to reach $18.5B
(C4ISR & Networks) The global military radar market will reach $18.5 billion by 2013, according to a forecast by market research firm Strategy Analytics. The total number of radar units shipped is expected to reach 1,393 units, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 4.1 percent.
Time Frame Set for US Tech Initiative
(Defense News) The long-range research-and-development initiative recently touted by top Pentagon leadership to help counter advances being made by potential adversaries is still taking shape, but now there is at least a tentative timeline.
Brazil and France in Deal for SSKs, SSN
(Defense Industry Daily) President Dilma Rousseff inaugurates the main building of the construction shipyard in Itaguai, which is big enough that 2 submarines can eventually be assembled in parallel there.
UK-Bahrain Base Deal Could Lead to Typhoon Sales
(Defense News) Hopes of Britain selling Typhoon combat jets and other defense and security equipment to Bahrain have been buoyed by a deal between the two countries to extend Royal Navy facilities at the Mina Salman naval base in the Arabian Gulf, industry executives and analysts said.
BAE Systems announces Eclipse Electronic Systems acquisition and closure of SilverSky deal
(IHS Jane's 360) BAE Systems has announced an agreement to acquire intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) products company Eclipse Electronic Systems (EES) from Esterline Corporation, and the completion of its previously announced purchase of cyber-security services provider SilverSky.
3 Firms Tapped To Fix Australia's Destroyer Program
(Defense News) The Australian government announced new steps to fix its ailing Air Warfare Destroyer effort on Dec. 9, with the appointment of BAE Systems, Navantia SA and Raytheon Australia to take on increased roles in the program.
Saab contracted for HMS Södermanland refit
(IHS Jane's 360) Saab been awarded a SEK121 million (USD16 million) contract by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) to refit the Royal Swedish Navy (RSwN) Type A17 submarine HMS Södermanland.
French Air Chief Confident on Rafale Exports
(Defense News) France has a good chance of winning export sales for the Dassault Rafale fighter, which is needed to balance the defense budget books, French air chief Gen. Denis Mercier said on Dec. 11.
Turkey eyes local jet for full independence: Defense minister
(Anadolu Agency) Turkey is setting its sights on the ambitious target of producing its own local fighter jet to become "fully independent" in its ground, naval and air defense, National Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz has said.
VETERANS
Holiday wreaths will warm veterans' graves nationwide
(Military Times) Thousands of volunteers around the country are preparing for the annual wreath-laying on veterans' graves tomorrow, as the nonprofit Wreaths Across America carries out its annual mission for the 23rd year.
Obama will decide on top honor for black WWI hero
(Associated Press) The decision to grant a posthumous Medal of Honor for a black World War I hero from New York moves to President Barack Obama's desk after Congress agreed to waive time restrictions on the award.
How I found the grave of Pvt. Elmer Kenneth Gorham, WWI medic
(Stars & Stripes) Great-grandson scours burned records and faded gravestones to find WWI vet's final resting place
Man gets 5-plus years for Ohio VA Clinic shooting
(Associated Press) A former Veterans Affairs employee who pleaded guilty to a charge of assault with a dangerous weapon in a VA hospital shooting that wounded his former co-worker in the ankle was sentenced Friday to 5 1/2 years in prison.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Surplus Humvee Auctions to Public a First for DoD
(Defense News) What in the world is the US military going to do with all of its surplus Humvees? For the first time, it will auction off as many as 4,000 of the workhorse vehicles for sale to the public, instead of scrapping them.
Defense secretary nominee undergoes back surgery
(The Hill) Ash Carter, the president's nominee to succeed Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense, underwent "long-planned" back surgery on Friday, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said.
Military Study Criticizes Direction of U.S. National Security Policy
(National Defense) The United States does not have a credible strategy to combat enemies like Islamic extremist groups and needs to rethink its entire national security decision-making process, a new military-funded study suggests.
Pentagon Gets a Better Grip on Spending for Services Contracts
(Government Executive) Defense Department managers in fiscal 2013 came in $500 million under spending limits on contract services required by the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, a watchdog found, an improvement over the previous year, when departmental caps were exceeded by $1.72 billion.
A Brief History of Militarized Lasers
(NextGov) Welcome to the future: The United States Navy's laser cannons are now fully operational. On Monday, the military unveiled the all-too-boringly named "Laser Weapon System" (LaWS), a 30-kilowatt weapon perched aboard the USS Ponce in the Persian Gulf.
The Great Draft Dodge
(National Journal) Karl Eikenberry couldn't understand why the staff sergeant insisted that he take a loaded pistol to patrol the barracks. The West Point cadet was in Hawaii for the summer, serving as a staff duty officer with the 25th Infantry Division, which had recently returned from Vietnam. It was his job on weekend nights to ensure good order.
Key figures at Coos Bay defense contractor get prison in fraud conspiracy
(The Oregonian) A federal judge on Friday sentenced key figures in a Coos Bay defense contracting company to prison for their roles in a multimillion-dollar conspiracy to buy cheaply made truck and aircraft parts - some from Mexico and China - and pass them off at premium prices to the U.S. military.
ARMY
2 Fort Hood-based soldiers killed in Afghanistan
(Army Times) Two soldiers based at Fort Hood, Texas, died Dec. 12 after a roadside bomb struck their vehicle in Afghanistan, the Defense Department announced today.
18th Airborne Corps preparing for new postwar role
(Fayetteville Observer) The 18th Airborne Corps is home, but there is little time to rest after an 11-month deployment to Afghanistan.
Ex-Army researcher among 'Person of the Year' honorees
(Army Times) A former Army researcher who worked on an anti-Ebola drug in an Army lab at Fort Detrick, Maryland, in the late 1990s and early 2000s was one of several "Ebola fighters" spotlighted by Time magazine in its annual "Person of the Year" selection.
Green Berets took center stage in war to rebuild Afghanistan
(Fayetteville Observer) Michael Sullivan was training to join the Special Forces when he and his fellow soldiers had a real-world lesson to talk about in a food court on Fort Bragg.
Scent of Valor: Fragrance line pays tribute to troops
(Army Times) A new fragrance line designed to "salute America's troops" won't evoke memories of mud-coated camouflage, used PT gear or the inside of a tank.
Fort Stewart wreath-laying ceremony honors fallen soldiers
(Savannah Morning News) Standing on the tips of his toes, Kevin Anderson clutched onto the highest branch of the crape myrtle in front of him and hung a blue dragonfly ornament on it.
Army food contractor admits fraud, to pay $434 million
(Army Times) Federal contractor Supreme Foodservice, which provided food and water to troops in Afghanistan, pleaded guilty to fraud Monday and agreed to pay a total of $434 million to the government in restitution, criminal fines and civil fines.
NAVY
Navy survives early scare, extends rivalry streak to 13
(Navy Times) An early special-teams score sent Army football fans into hopeful hysterics Saturday in Baltimore, giving the Black Knights a 7-0 first-quarter lead over Navy and putting the Mids' 12-game rivalry win streak in jeopardy.
Navy Gains a Ship, 15 Growlers in Defense Bill
(Defense News) The US Navy's portion of the massive government spending bill apparently headed for approval settles several questions that had loomed since the fiscal 2015 request was first introduced last winter.
MCPON: Senior enlisted academy required for E-9
(Navy Times) Earlier this year, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (AW/NAC) Mike Stevens announced his plans to make the Senior Enlisted Academy mandatory for sailors seeking to make E-9.
U.S. and China Conduct Anti-Piracy Exercise
(USNI News) In a rare bilateral exercise, the U.S. and China conducted anti-piracy training off the pirate-prone Gulf of Aden, the Navy said in a Thursday statement.
CNO: Two chiefs brainstormed 'hashtag' spirit spot
(Navy Times) One of this year's most talked about spirit spots stars Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jon Greenert, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Mike Stevens and a cameo from Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey.
CNP wants all sailors to have the chance to move up
(Navy Times) The Navy's top personnel officer wants sailors to have a fair shot at advancement.
AIR FORCE
China-US Space Relations See Small but Important Step
(Defense News) China has taken a small, but potentially meaningful, step toward more normalized relations with the international space community, a top US general announced this month.
F-16 top gun DuBois laid to rest with full honors
(Post Independent; Glenwood Springs, Colo.) The region paused Sunday to lay to rest a native son who had become one of America's real-life top guns.
Two adults killed, two children critically injured in rollover down Bountiful mountain
(Salt Lake Tribune) The man who died was an airman assigned to the 75th Air Base Wing at Hill Air Force Base, according to a news release from the base. Investigators do not expect to identify the man and his family until at least Monday.
Unions, companies look to expand apprenticeships for airmen
(Air Force Times) Twelve miles south of the gates of Joint Base Lewis McChord, separating troops are planning for their future in a cloud of welding sparks.
Montana lawmakers seek changes to bomber zone
(Associated Press) Montana's congressional delegation is pushing for changes to an Air Force proposal to establish a bomber training area over the Northern Plains that would cover an area larger than West Virginia.
Thunderbirds begin 2015 schedule with Super Bowl show
(Air Force Times) The Air Force's flight demonstration team, the Thunderbirds, will kick off their 2015 season with a Feb. 1 show at the Super Bowl in Phoenix.
MARINE CORPS
24th Marine Expeditionary Unit readies for deployment
(Marine Corps Times) Members of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit are preparing to ship out for a seven-month deployment through one of the world's most turbulent regions.
Camp Pendleton Marine arrested in son's death
(Associated Press) Oceanside police said the 7-month-old boy was brought to the Camp Pendleton base Naval hospital early Friday. Lt. Sean Marchand said the child had suffered various traumatic injuries was transferred to Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, where he died.
Marine Osprey squadrons splitting into smaller detachments
(Marine Corps Times) In October, a team of four MV-22 Ospreys landed in Liberia in support of the mission to help control the spread of Ebola. In terms of humanitarian missions, it was a normal day in the Marine Corps, but behind the scenes, the arrival of the tiltrotor aircraft was the result of one of the biggest changes in the way the aircraft deploys since it entered the fleet.
Critics say progress on military sex assaults is an illusion
(San Antonio Express-News) In its latest report of sexual assaults, the Pentagon says it has made progress in reducing the problem, but figures from an independent survey of troops raised questions about the improvements, particularly in the Marine Corps.
Major named as suspect in alleged Okinawa hit-and-run
(Marine Corps Times) A Marine major has been identified as a suspect in an alleged hit-and-run incident last week in Okinawa, Japan.
Marines, sailors deploy to Europe, Africa, Middle East
(Jacksonville Daily News) Cpl. Evan Lafosse, Stephanie's husband, was among roughly 300 Marines with the command element of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit who departed Camp Lejeune early Saturday morning to begin a seven-month deployment.
Early retirement eligibility narrowed for officers
(Marine Corps Times) Officers debating seeking early retirement from the Marine Corps may want to decide soon depending on their military occupational specialty.
Opportunities for re-enlistment bonuses begin to dwindle
(Marine Corps Times) Re-enlistment bonuses in fiscal 2015 soon will dry up for Marines in one of 47 military occupational specialties, officials announced this week.
Marines prep Peruvians to combat insurgents, drug cartels
(Marine Corps Times) The hard-fought combat lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan are being used in the mountainous jungles of Peru, where U.S. Marines have been helping military forces battle insurgents and drug traffickers.
Marines piece together patterns on sex assault victim
(Marine Corps Times) New information released this month offers a preliminary snapshot of the Marine Corps population most vulnerable to sex assaults and the circumstances under which these assaults occur.
Corps' new hyper-realistic marksmanship trainer may be delayed
(Marine Corps Times) Delivery of the Marine Corps' next generation marksmanship trainers may be delayed after at least one company competing to produce it protested the contract award.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
Taliban attacks in Afghanistan surge as Coalition ends combat mission
(Long War Journal) The Taliban followed up two deadly attacks in Kabul earlier last week with a series of bombings, assaults, and suicide attacks in the capital and four provinces over the weekend. Twelve de-mining personnel, 11 Afghan soldiers and police, two Coalition troops, and a Supreme Court official are among those killed.
Defiant Afghan president condemns terror attacks
(Associated Press) Defying insurgents, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday condemned the wave of militant attacks striking his country ahead of the withdrawal of most foreign troops, vowing: "We will never surrender."
Kabul - the fifth fastest growing city in the world - is bursting at the seams
(The Guardian) Seen from above, Kabul looks like a city bursting at the seams. Cars clog the streets, negotiating for space with street vendors and donkey carts. At the fringes, crude houses pepper the hillsides and the valley along the river, spreading far beyond what a short time ago were the edges of the Afghan capital.
MIDDLE EAST
Schedule Slips on Israeli Cyber Defense Command
(Defense News) Israel's operational authority for cyber defense will debut at least a year later than planned due to election-driven budgetary limbo and lingering disputes over roles and missions, experts here say.
Turkey's Erdogan moves against perceived enemies, arresting dozens of media figures
(McClatchy) Two days after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged to "overthrow" what he called a "network of treason," Turkey's counter-terrorism police on Sunday arrested more than two dozen prominent media and government figures, including the editor of the country's largest newspaper and the general manager of a major broadcasting group.
Mideast Budgets Cushioned From Oil Price Drops
(Defense News) Falling oil prices are hitting Middle Eastern defense budgets, but surplus funds accumulated in previous years should cushion the region's biggest spenders for some time.
EUROPE
New Russia Sanctions from Departing Congress
(Foreign Policy) On its way into the history books, the 113th Congress is ladling up a fresh batch of sanctions on Russia, especially targeting the energy sector and authorizing military aid, in a bid to force Moscow to end its aggressive and destabilizing incursions into the eastern Ukraine.
Sweden says Russian military jet in near collision with passenger plane
(Reuters) A Russian military jet nearly collided with a commercial passenger airplane in international airspace near southern Sweden on Friday, Swedish authorities said, but Russia insisted its jet had kept at a safe distance.
Flowers, apologies mark commemoration of 70th anniversary of Malmedy massacre
(Stars & Stripes) At the site where Nazi troops massacred scores of unarmed American prisoners of war during the Battle of the Bulge, Germany's ambassador to Belgium expressed a sense of remorse during a ceremony Sunday marking the 70th anniversary of the massacre.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Faced with few options, Japan gives Prime Minister Abe more time to fix the economy
(Washington Post) With a new electoral mandate and the real prospect of four more years in power, Japan's Shinzo Abe on Sunday laid out an ambitious agenda for his government, encompassing economic revival and a more active role on the global stage.
Historians say China twisting its history to justify military buildup, aggression
(Stars & Stripes) China has increased its defense spending dramatically in the last decade to $131 billion this year, according to its official statements, placing it second only to the United States in military funding.
Three Months of Protests End Quietly in Hong Kong
(New York Times) Pro-democracy protests that swept onto the streets of Hong Kong 11 weeks ago faced a muted ending on Monday, when the police dismantled the last remaining road occupation, and a prominent student activist, Joshua Wong, appeared in court with about 30 other arrested protesters.
AFRICA
Islamist rebels kill 10 Somali soldiers in attack on base
(Reuters) Rebels from the Islamist al Shabaab group attacked a military base in southern Somalia early on Monday, killing at least 10 soldiers and burning two military vehicles, officials said.
Renegade Ugandan general quietly returns home
(Associated Press) A renegade Ugandan general who fled the country last year over an alleged threat to his life returned to Uganda Sunday in what appeared to be a negotiated settlement with Uganda's long-serving leader.
Serge Lazarevic: Mali confirms militants freed for French hostage
(BBC) Mali has confirmed that four Islamist militants were freed in exchange for the release of French hostage Serge Lazarevic this week.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
The Pentagon's Slush Fund
(Julia Harte in Politico) How the military gets what it wants-even when it's not in the budget.
Column: Preaching to the Choir
(John T. Bennett in Defense News) The speakers spoke passionately, using words like "must" and "have to." Audience members nodded in agreement. The more dire the rhetoric, the more ardent the nods.
The American Military Should Be Pissed About The CIA Torture Report
(Halen Allison in Task & Purpose) U.S. troops should not appear to lend our support and approval, tacit or otherwise, to practices that amount to torture.
The War Hero and the Chicken Hawk
(Timothy Egan in New York Times) They're old men now, one unable to dress himself without help, the other living with a transplanted heart. Old men with stories to tell and tailor for posterity, stories that might still bend history. When they were young men, they had choices to make, and those choices shaped what they said this week about an awful breach in American values.
Prepare for Cyber Armageddon
(Daniel Goure in Real Clear Defense) The United States is woefully unprepared to deal with the inevitability of a major cyber attack. Recent hacks of private companies such as Sony, Home Depot, Target and the like are warnings of greater dangers to come; like the proverbial canary in the coal mine. These companies don't represent critical infrastructure such as the power grid, banking system, food distribution and storage or air traffic control. A successful attack on any one of these could bring this country to its knees.
Gen. John Allen carries a heavy rucksack in the fight against the Islamic State
(David Ignatius in The Washington Post) Gen. John Allen must sometimes feel as if he's navigating a maze as he organizes the coalition to defeat the Islamic State: Iran is a silent partner in Iraq but a potential adversary in Syria and elsewhere; Turkey and Saudi Arabia are crucial allies but skittish and self-interested ones; the very map of battle is uncertain, as boundaries in the region begin to blur.
Obama's Strategy for Defeating ISIS is the Only Viable Option. It Can Work.
(Joseph Becker in Small Wars Journal) On September 10, 2014, President Obama gave a public address outlining his strategy for defeating the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). To the chagrin of some, he couched his objective to "degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL" in terms of a protracted conflict characterized by limited U.S. commitment over the course of time.[1] While Obama's chosen path may have disappointed more hawkish critics, his speech reflected a stark political reality.
Transparency in Troubled Seas
(Mira Rapp-Hooper in Lawfare) One month ago, the Center for Strategic and International Studies launched a new web-based program, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative. The premise of this project will be familiar to many of you: maritime competition in Asia has been steadily increasing in recent years, and doing so in an environment of informational opacity. Maritime geography makes it difficult to monitor events at sea as they occur, and when it comes to disputed territories and competing maritime claims there are numerous actors, each with its own national narrative. AMTI aims to be a source for regular information updates on maritime security issues in East Asia. It also hosts expert analysis from leading maritime security scholars worldwide, as well as historical and documentary resources for researchers.
A Blast from the Past in Grozny
(Anna Nemtsova in Foreign Policy) On a recent afternoon, during a visit to Grozny, the capital city of Russia's Chechen Republic, I walked with several local reporters down Putin Avenue, a street that was named after the Russian leader in the early years of this century, not long after the Kremlin's armed forces succeeded in tamping down a long-simmering rebellion and installing a Moscow-friendly government.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment