Our troops are charged with winning hearts and minds in Afghanistan. Looks like some of them have been going about it in the wrong way…(be sure to check out the comments at the end of the item).
Here We Go Again: Telling the Libyans What to Do
We just can’t help ourselves. No sooner did it look like Khadafi was on his way out then the promoters of “post-conflict reconstruction and stabilization” and “stability operations” were on the march. Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations, told the world that “NATO has to pick up the pieces.” He called for an …
“Why Was My Dad Crying?”
Moving piece by a daughter whose brother just made his last flight home, and the fellow Marines who helped.
Globalization at the Barrel of a Gun
That phrase, with its powerful imagery, was often tossed at me following the publication of my 2004 book, The Pentagon’s New Map. In it, I argued that globalization’s expansion was, and would continue to be, the primary cause of unrest and conflict in the world, as connectivity – in all its forms – extended itself into the …
The “Yellow Parallel, um Peril” (With That Red One)
Make no mistake about it: China remains the U.S.’s No. 1 foe — with a bullet. In its annual kabuki dance Wednesday, the Pentagon issued its latest version of its assessment of China’s military might, mandated by Congress. The 84-page report focused like a laser on what the Pentagon sees as China’s push for naval and air power in the …
“Cyber War: Fact or Fiction?”
Defending against the invisible menace of online cyber-attacks has become one of the Pentagon’s biggest growth areas. But should it be? Kristin Lord of the Center for a New American Security, who recently led a study into the issue, discusses the balancing act associated with this new way of war. She’s joined by colleague John …
Libya: Dirty Thoughts About Dirty Bombs
Before the rebels finish celebrating — and catch Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi (or don’t) — it’s worth noting that 42 years of dictatorship can leave some dangerous residue behind. Olli Heinonen, a senior fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University, is a former deputy director of the …
The Pentagon’s Annual China Report…
….is going to be released Wednesday afternoon. Can we all calibrate our threat-hype meters beforehand? Fearsome new warplanes? Check. Scary aircraft carrier? Check. Able to gobble up Taiwan as mainland China keeps our carriers at bay with its fearsome carrier-killing missiles? Check. May need to sell Taiwan — think of it as a …
Back to the 1950s!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLYfaHkbe7U&feature=player_embedded]
The Dutch military intercepted a pair of Russian Tu-95 Bear strategic bombers several days ago. The hulking aircraft apparently got close enough to the Netherlands to draw the attention of its F-16s. Between the turboprop behemoths — first flight: 1952 — …
Women are Heroes, Too
Let the generations know that women in uniform also guaranteed their freedom. That our resolve was just as great as the brave men who stood among us. And with victory our hearts were just as full and beat just as fast – that the tears fell just as hard for those we left behind.
— World War II Army Nurse.
Those …
Meeting Tomorrow’s Recruits Today
This past weekend, something astonishing happened that made me see repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in a new light. I was out shopping with my boyfriend, and as he went to buy a smart looking button-down shirt he asked the store clerk about their military discount. The clerk responded with delight and said he couldn’t …
The Pentagon’s Foreign-Language Frustrations
As Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told 2,500 troops Tuesday about the foreign-language skills he championed as a congressman, an active-duty Army officer was complaining about the paucity of military personnel who can speak anything other than English.
The current push to train soldiers to speak the local languages in Afghanistan …
“How Vulnerable Is Our Infrastructure to Cyber Attack?”
The folks who get paid to stay up at night worrying about cyber-security are always telling us that our basic infrastructure — the online computer networks that run our water, electricity, banking and other vital systems — are big fat targets just waiting to be taken down by skilled hackers. Well, it hasn’t happened yet. Are we …