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Military Affairs
Americans must be able to act proactively to protect America, its citizens, and its interests. The U.S. Military must be capable and ready to be deployed anywhere our vital interests in are threatened, at any given time, and capable to succeed in a variety of different situations. This can only be achieved by giving the military the resources it needs to make us safer.
Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy
Upon taking office, the Obama Administration faced a deteriorating security environment in Afghanistan, despite a steady increase in U.S. forces there in recent years.
The Heritage Foundation: The Pentagon's Quadrennial Defense Review: Simply an Extension of the President's 2010 Defense Budget Plans
Yesterday, the President issued his Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 defense budget request to Congress, and the Pentagon provided the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) to Capitol Hill.
Down, But Not Out
Reports that Hakimullah Mehsud, the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, has died from wounds inflicted in a CIA drone attack are welcome if true. But his demise is unlikely to significantly disrupt the Taliban’s operations.
The Foundry: Let’s Unfreeze Our Military Spending
According to multiple reports, President Barack Obama will announce a “spending freeze” in his State of the Union tomorrow night.
Stop the Presses: Putting Flashy Defense Spending Sound Bites in Context
In a report titled, “Long-Term Implications of the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Budget,” the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) points out that this year’s Department of Defense (DoD) budget will exceed the real dollar equivalent of the Pentagon’s budget at the time of the defense build-up in the 1980s.
What Eikenberry's leaked cable says about Obama's Afghan strategy
Disturbing leaks keep flowing from the once-tight Obama national security ship of state. The latest is in today's New York Times, which publishes the complete text of the cable sent by Ambassador Eikenberry, U.S. envoy to Afghanistan, last fall at the height of the administration's Afghan Strategy Review 2.0.
DEFENSE CONTRACTING
Many federal contractors establish offshore subsidiaries to take advantage of labor and market conditions. GAO has found that they also use offshore subsidiaries to reduce their U.S. tax burdens.
The Heritage Foundation: State of the Union Should Be "State of War" Presidential Address
In troubled times, the world gets more--not less--dangerous. While the White House would prefer to focus on its chosen remedies for domestic "troubles," it cannot forget the true dangers of the world in which we live: Foreign policy and national security concerns should be front and center in the State of the Union address.
The Foundry: Okinawan Election Threatens U.S.-Japan Military Realignment Agreement
The results of a small town mayoral election on distant Okinawa island risks undermining plans to build a U.S. base and may further inflame tensions in the already strained U.S.-Japan military alliance.
President Obama, have a safe trip
It’s a political law of gravity that talented, ambitious presidents who are bored or embroiled in domestic matters seek refuge abroad, where the executive can roam relatively freely, unconstrained by the meddlesome Congress or public opinion.
The Taliban Doesn’t Seem Ready to Talk
The last time somebody tried to make a deal with the Taliban to end the war in Afghanistan, he didn’t get far.
The Heritage Foundation: Real Warriors Needed as Leaders in War on Terrorism
It was the "tale of a dream." In The Defense of Duffer's Drift, Lt. Backsight Forethought (a penname for the ages!) recounted a series of nightmares that plagued a young lieutenant during the second Boer War (1899-1902) in South Africa.
A New Japan, a New Asia
This week marks the 50th anniversary of the U.S.-Japan alliance, but the Obama administration seems sincerely flummoxed as to whether to bemoan or commemorate the occasion.
The U.S.-Japan Alliance
The U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation was signed in Washington, D.C., fifty years ago this month. Few alliances last half a century.
The Foundry: Gates’ Visit Bolsters U.S.-India Security Ties
As the Taliban assaulted Kabul, Defense Secretary Gates made an important visit to India, the South Asian giant whose partnership is critical to stabilizing the region and checking terrorism trends that jeopardize world security.
DEFENSE ACQUISITIONS: Managing Risk to Achieve Better Outcomes
In fiscal year 2009, the Department of Defense (DOD) spent nearly $384 billion on contracts. This investment, representing over 70 percent of total government contract spending, highlights the great need to better manage risk in acquisitions.
Obama's Year One: Contra
President Obama’s policies toward Afghanistan and Iran—or lack thereof—have received more attention than any other issues during his first year in office. And with good reason.
Obama's Year One: Medius
If Barack Obama’s presidential campaign promised anything, it was to “rebrand” the United States of America. After decades—centuries, according to some critics—of throwing its weight around, capped by eight years of George W. Bush’s presidency, the world’s sole superpower was no longer viewed as a dutiful member of the international community, much less a beacon of freedom and democracy.
Obama's Year One: Pro
When Barack Obama stepped out onto the stage in Chicago’s Grant Park last November, in front of 150,000 people who had assembled to celebrate the triumphant end of his two-year quest to become president, the atmosphere was filled with the hope that had been his campaign’s watchword.
The Heritage Foundation: Military Base Dispute Strains U.S.-Japan Alliance
On January 19, U.S. and Japanese leaders issued laudatory remarks commemorating the 50th anniversary of the U.S.-Japan bilateral defense treaty. These remarks were made partly to deflect attention from an ongoing dispute that has caused tensions in the military partnership between the two nations.
FPI Analysis: President Obama's Foreign Policy, Year One
During his first year in office, President Obama made several consequential decisions on a wide range of national security issues.
The Foundry: Defense Budget Increases Inadequate to Support the Military’s Plans and Programs
In a few weeks, President Obama will submit his fiscal year (FY) 2011 defense budget request to Capitol Hill along with a myriad of important supporting documents including the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP), long-range shipbuilding and aviation plans, and the Quadrennial Defense Review.
Fixing Intel: A Blueprint for Making Intelligence Relevant in Afghanistan
This paper, written by the senior intelligence officer in Afghanistan and by a company-grade officer and a senior executive with the Defense Intelligence Agency, critically examines the relevance of the U.S. intelligence community to the counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan. Based on discussions with hundreds of people inside and outside the intelligence community, it recommends sweeping changes to the way the intelligence community thinks about itself – from a focus on the enemy to a focus on the people of Afghanistan.
Iraq: Politics, Elections, and Benchmarks
Iraq's political system, the result of a U.S.-supported election process, is increasingly characterized by peaceful competition rather than violence, as well as by cross-sectarian alliances.
Around the Halls: Obama's First Year in Foreign Policy
As President Obama completes his first year in office, his foreign policy challenges remain a central focus of the administration. Scholars from around the halls of Brookings offer their analysis of the President's handling of Foreign Policy during his first year in office.
Indonesian Counter-Terrorism: The Great Leap Forward
Too often the news surrounding terrorism is dominated by the headline-catching acts of terrorism, such as last summer’s twin suicide bombings in Jakarta, or the take-down of terrorist operatives such as Dr. Azahari bin Hussin or Noordin Mohammad Top.
The Growth of the Deobandi Jihad in Afghanistan
Three students from Karachi’s Jamia Uloom al-Islamia left their Islamic studies half way to completion and took a train to Peshawar on February 18, 1980 to take part in the nascent anti-Soviet jihad in Afghanistan.
The Chinese Navy's Budding Overseas Presence
As 2009 drew to a close, a senior Chinese naval officer raised the idea that the People's Republic of China (PRC) might be interested in establishing a permanent base in the Gulf of Aden area in support of anti-piracy missions. Admiral Yin Zhuo, a senior researcher at the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Equipment Research Center, suggested that such a base would facilitate a sustained Chinese presence in the region as part of ongoing anti-piracy efforts.
Central Asia: Regional Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests
U.S. policy toward the Central Asian states has emphasized maximizing their assistance in U.S. and NATO stabilization efforts in Afghanistan and in helping them combat terrorism, proliferation, and arms and drug trafficking.
Afghanistan: Politics, Elections, and Government Performance
In the context of a review of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan during September-November 2009, the performance and legitimacy of the Afghan government figured prominently.
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2/09/2010 11:42:31 AM
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