Foreign Policy

Mother may I? U.S. special operations troops in Daesh ‘ISIS’ fight frustrated with limited role

“If you have [the Islamic State’s] No. 3 in the crosshairs and he’s using human shields, would we be able to strike him or not?” the officer asked. “This is an important debate. But are we fighting a war or are we not? They are clearly waging a war against us. Are we waging a war, or are we conducting a police action?
“How do you ‘advise and assist’ someone when you are not allowed to go into combat with them?” the officer added.

China says it can’t end North Korea nuke program on its own

China responded Monday to calls that it needs to do more to rein in North Korea’s nuclear program by saying that American officials were truly to blame for inciting conflict on the Korean Peninsula. The detection Friday of North Korea’s fifth nuclear test brought new pressure on China, Pyongyang’s economic lifeline and the closest thing […]

Sanctions don’t work

North Korea is convinced a nuclear arsenal is their only protection against an attempt at regime change by the U.S. This is an unstable proposition. North Korea’s leaders feed dissenters to dogs — killed a man for not clapping and another for being “sleepy.”

In a Trump White House, ‘You’re FIRED’ but it’s more of the same

Trump has already stated that our military is in terrible shape. It’s “very bad,” he’s hearing. Trump stated he knows more than the generals, a statement he backpedaled on during the IAVA forum. He seems to live and die by what he feels at the moment. Trump’s campaign staff have been shuffled. It’s not normal […]

Syria has no end and Damascus might never fall

Damascus has remained relatively untouched by the country’s insurgents. Its defense is rooted in Assad’s strategy, but aided by our uncoordinated policy. Syria is unique because its center of gravity is not the people. Iraq ultimately failed in part due to our failure to capture the support of the people. We ignored the Sunnis in Fallujah and expelled […]

Secret war history in Laos

As some Western companies are beginning to set up shop in Southeast Asia and encourage some companies to leave Eastern China and do business in other countries, such as Myanmar (formerly Burma).

Out of the past: The next 9/11

It’s not a matter of the Taliban learning their lesson. The Taliban has changed and the same original fighters do not comprise the bulk of the force. This is a question of what do they have to lose? Do they want revenge?

We’re obsessed with 9/11 when it’s convenient, then we hand off the work

Americans were celebrating everywhere when Osama bin Laden was killed. But al-Qaeda continued to be a threat, and the average person doesn’t care or know it. Who were these people partying in front of the White House? Terrorist organizations in Africa and the Middle East were growing. The death of bin Laden was more therapeutic […]

A Hillary presidency could mean increased tensions with Russia

It’s no secret that Hillary Clinton and Vladimir Putin do not like one another. She has always known Putin to be the one to watch. That was evident when she couldn’t remember then-President Dmitri Medvedev’s name correctly. Because she knew that Putin still had the strongest hand in Russia. She followed the gaffe with “whatever.” Then-Secretary […]

North Korea’s nuclear capability is real

The U.S. is the primary villain in whatever alternate reality they’re living in North Korea. They’ve told us that they’ve tested the bomb that will be the standard in their defense apparatus. We also know that they possess long-range missiles.