Blog Posts

“This commentary is part of the RAND Strategic Rethink project, which explores important strategic questions facing the United States.”

Continue on for a link to Admiral Richardson’s U.S. Navy Guidance.

"Obama intends to nominate Gen. Joe Votel, currently the head of U.S. Special Operations Command, to become chief of Centcom."

“Three Warfares may prove to be far more effective at expanding China’s maritime and territorial boundaries than any arsenal of missiles or fleet of aircraft carriers."

In the face of growing threats from the African continent, U.S. Africa Command has spelled out its theater campaign plan.

The myth of ISIS invincibility must be shattered in the Muslim mind.

“His perennial criticism of CGSC is, at least in this case, off-base and borders on hyperbole.”

“The Afghan government and its US and NATO allies have been fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan for the past 14 years.”

“Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran on Sunday and fellow-Sunni Bahrain followed suit on Monday.”

Continue on for recent Military Review articles of interest.

"The execution of a prominent Shi'ite critic of Saudi Arabia’s ruling royal family has caused international outrage and a serious escalation of diplomatic tensions in the region."

I wondered if I was a contributor to the lifelessness before me. Did I see the warning signs? Was I looking in the right places? 

“Even the administration itself has hesitated to call the victory a vindication, or claim it as evidence that the militants are close to the destruction Obama has promised.”

"Western intelligence agencies are taking increasing notice of dream accounts shared by jihadists on social media sites and in telephone and email exchanges."

“My guess is that before Obama departs, he will adopt some of the more aggressive military options he has been resisting.”

From today’s DOS FOIA release of then Secretary of State Clinton's e-mails. Includes COIN discussion concerning Afghanistan strategy based on a historical perspective.

Fair winds and following seas to you and yours from SWJ...

“What they needed was to do a better job of explaining it. Obama ordered what the official called an ‘uptick in our communications tempo.’”

“The Obama record in 2015 suggests that our struggle to determine how best to shepherd and use U.S. power continues.”

"The Pentagon faces major challenges ahead in 2016 as it works to make good on a pledge to open all U.S. military combat jobs to women."

"A U.N. plan to suspend Syria's nearly five-year-old civil war calls for listing which militant groups may be fought despite an eventual ceasefire."

"Some experts believe that some purported Islamic State internal documents shared online are hoaxes, deliberately designed to deceive."

“An end to male bonding, infidelity in the field, and a sense that the special forces would be 'less elite' were among the worries cited in two recently released studies.”

“General John Campbell will ask Barack Obama to delay the withdrawal of troops for as long as possible as the Taliban offensive gathers strength.”

"Afghans are fleeing to Europe in numbers not seen even under the repressive Taliban regime."