Blog Posts

“In a White House laden with competing power centers, a trio of military men has emerged as a force to be reckoned with.”

Countering the threats posed by Russia, China, Iran and North Korea - and countering violent extremism - is still the correct way to benchmark what the Defense Department must do.

“The defense secretary clashes with the White House about staffing the Pentagon.”

“The President is to consider options that are expected to include sending more troops to Syria and Iraq, according to U.S. officials.”

"President Trump’s developing plan to defeat the Islamic State may lead to significant alterations in the Syria strategy that Trump inherited from Barack Obama."

"The Islamic State is seeping back into areas it once controlled, taking advantage of rampant corruption in Iraq’s security forces and institutions."

"More U.S. troops may be needed in Syria to speed the campaign against the Islamic State, the top United States commander for the Middle East said on Wednesday."

Declaring the formation of dedicated information warfare troops, the Russian Defense Minister noted that "propaganda needs to be clever, smart and efficient."

"At one point or another, they each strode the sands of Iraq, fighting on the unforgiving battlefield of America’s costliest war since Vietnam."

“More than any other officer of his generation, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster’s military career has been defined by a willingness to dissent - often forcefully.”

Continue on for an overview and a link to download this latest CNAS report.

"President Donald Trump's appointment of Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster to be his national security adviser is a brilliant decision." Continue on for a detailed op-ed.

"The literature on the Vietnam War is enormous and growing, but Fall’s work still stands out for its insight and sagacity. He remains our greatest writer on the struggle.."

Transparency International says corruption is one of the root causes of violent extremism.

WSJ editorial - “H.R. McMaster wrote a book about the duty to challenge a President.”

“McMaster is highly respected in the conservative foreign policy community, and a man with little pretense and a great deal of battlefield experience.”

“The new National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster is famous in military circles for calling out big egos. How long can he make it in a White House packed with them?”

Outstanding choice for the job, any job for that matter...

Continue on to view the first entry into SWJ’s ANMIHOS. H/T to Doctrine Man.

"White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders denied reports that the new adviser would not have the authority to build a new team in the National Security Council."

"As the Pentagon looks for new ways to reach out to Silicon Valley, some unexpected characters are getting a shot at the action."

Small Wars Journal / El Centro’s latest book, Jihadi Terrorism, Insurgency, and the Islamic State, is now available at Amazon.

Burning buildings. Criminals and gunfire. Common definitions. Climbing upstairs at WTC when all others are going down. A common image.

The four are John Bolton, H. R. McMaster, Robert L. Caslen Jr., and Keith Kellogg.

“The International Center for the Study of Radicalization study estimates that the group's revenue has fallen by about 50 percent over the past two years.”