9/22/2020 News & Commentary – National Security
News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Duncan Moore.
1. Treasury sanctions key actors in Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs
2. The US Navy has drifted badly off course
3. On a California tour, Pentagon chief scrutinizes a Navy in flux and a warship gutted by fire
4. After a grueling deployment, the carrier Eisenhower gets set for a dubious ‘double pump’
5. Our greatest national security threat is our national security establishment
6. Analysis: how Trump’s TikTok deal helps China
7. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an advocate for military women, will be buried at Arlington
8. Esper and Milley appear to adopt different strategies to deal with Trump as election approaches
9. Philippine Air Force receives first four of six Super Tucano aircraft
10. Secret CIA assessment: Putin ‘probably directing’ influence operation to denigrate Biden
11. Trump’s former national security adviser warns of another 9/11-style attack in the future
12. Vatican, China prepare to renew historic deal to US anger
13. The U.S. Army should plan to send four divisions to Taiwan: Expert
14. Droned out of action: the distortion of US counter-terrorism in Somalia
15. DOD personnel proving productive, resilient during pandemic
16. In America’s absence, China is taking Latin America by storm
17. Taiwan led the world in closing down for Covid-19, now it wants to do the same with opening back up
18. Commentary: most Americans want more global engagement
19. Latest tell-all, by former National Security Adviser McMaster, is not all about Trump
20. A scene breakdown of a Marine Corps ad created by an Oscar-winning duo
21. Military-style Marshall Plan needed to combat climate change, says Prince Charles
22. Edward Snowden agrees to give up more than $5 million from book and speeches
1. Treasury sanctions key actors in Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs
US Department of the Treasury · September 21, 2020
I received the following comments from Dr. Bruce Becthol, who arguably knows more about North Korean support to Iran’s missile program than anyone. I hope we do see another show drop with North Korean entities sanctioned for their activities with Iran.
2. The US Navy has drifted badly off course
Defense One · by John R. Kroger · September 21, 2020
This is quite a critique. I will be interested in hearing the assessment of naval professionals. I will forward CDR Salamander’s blog post with his views.
Even as a former Army guy, I recognize how critically important our Navy is to our national security – across the spectrum of competition and conflict. This is a troubling essay.
3. On a California tour, Pentagon chief scrutinizes a Navy in flux and a warship gutted by fire
Washington Post · by Dan Lemothe · September 21, 2020
I do dislike this false comparison: the US military must reorient itself from 20 years of COIN to high intensity warfare. If you do not think irregular warfare, unconventional warfare, and political warfare will continue and will not be the dominant forms of competition and conflict during the future of Great Power Competition, you are not paying attention to policies, strategies, actions, and activities of the revisionist and rogue powers. Minimizing the effort against the fifth major threat (that of violent extremist organizations) does not mean that the other four adversaries are not conducting proxy warfare, economic warfare, political warfare, and irregular warfare. What do we think the Little Green Men are doing for the Russians? What about the Russian PMCs? What about China’s Three Warfares and Unrestricted Warfare? What is the IRCG doing in Syria and Lebanon and Yemen among other places? And North Korea is conducting subversion and it is own form of political warfare as a matter of routine and has been doing so for decades. Sorry to hijack this important article for my rant, but we have to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time.
4. After a grueling deployment, the carrier Eisenhower gets set for a dubious ‘double pump’
Defense News · by David Larter · September 20, 2020
I do not think we as non-naval personnel can understand and appreciate the impact of this “double pump” and its impact on sailors and ships.
5. Our greatest national security threat is our national security establishment
CDR Salamander · September 21, 2020
This is CDR Salamander’s critique of the Eisenhower “double pump,” but with a broader focus as the title states.
6. Analysis: How Trump’s TikTok Deal Helps China
Defense One · by Patrick Tucker · September 21, 2020
7. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an advocate for military women, will be buried at Arlington
Stars & Stripes · by Steve Beynon · September 21, 2020
8. Esper and Milley appear to adopt different strategies to deal with Trump as election approaches
CNN · by Barbara Starr · September 21, 2020
Civil military relations in this administration will be studied for years to come.
9. Philippine Air Force receives first four of six Super Tucano aircraft
Janes · by Marhalim bin Abas · September 21, 2020
10. Secret CIA assessment: Putin ‘probably directing’ influence operation to denigrate Biden
Washington Post · by Josh Rogin · September 22, 2020
I do not think Russian really cares who wins. I think it is more interested in sowing devision and in undermining confidence in our democracy. The argument that Russia really wants Trump to win over Biden is a distraction and is part of what prevents us from mounting an effective defense. It is a brilliant strategy by the Russians when you think about it. The same with China and Iran. We are making ourselves a perfect target for interference in order to undermine the legitimacy of our political process.
11. Trump’s former national security adviser warns of another 9/11-style attack in the future
Washington Examiner · by Mica Soellner · September 21, 2020
12. Vatican, China prepare to renew historic deal to US anger
Barron’s · by Catherine Marciano · September 21, 2020
I guess Ambassador Gingrich was unable to prevent this.
13. The U.S. Army Should Plan To Send Four Divisions To Taiwan: Expert
Forbes · by David Axe · September 22, 2020
Note the photo. I wonder why they chose to use a photo of a US Special Forces detachment in 1972 in Taiwan.
Here is the Military Review essay this article is based on. No disrespect but I am trying the discern the author’s expert credentials. I am having a hard time envisioning four division’s worth of equipment afloat and getting it deployed to Taiwan before the PLA commences operations. Or are we going to fight over the single beach landing site to get four decisions ashore so we can repel a PLA invasion?
14. Droned out of action: the distortion of US counterterrorism in Somalia
Zignal Labs · by Bilva Chandra · September 21, 2020
This is very important analysis from Zignal labs.
15. DOD personnel proving productive, resilient during pandemic
US Department of Defense · by David Vergun · September 21, 2020
Not to beat a dead horse, but the military has to learn to fight through this pandemic and it should learn lessons that can apply to a biological attack.
16. In America’s absence, China is taking Latin America by storm
National Interest · by John Turner · September 21, 2020
Nature (and China) abhors a vacuum.
17. Taiwan led the world in closing down for Covid-19, now it wants to do the same with opening back up
CNN · by Paula Hancocks · September 22, 2020
Both Taiwan and South Korea learned and applied lessons from the past. We should learn from them.
18. Commentary: Most Americans want more global engagement
Chicago Tribune · by Ivo Daalder & Dina Smeltz · September 21, 2020
Retrenchment is not the answer. Most Americans understand that. And engaging globally does not mean not putting US interests first. Our interests must always come first. But we cannot protect and advance US interests through retrenchment. We must be engaged in the world.
19. Latest tell-all, by former National Security Adviser McMaster, is not all about Trump
NPR · by Ron Elving · September 21, 2020
20. A scene breakdown of a Marine Corps ad created by an Oscar-winning duo
PetaPixel · by Doug Jackson · September 21, 2020
This is a brilliant ad by the Marine Corps.
21. Military-style Marshall Plan needed to combat climate change, says Prince Charles
Reuters · by Matthew Green · September 21, 2020
The Marshall Plan must be one of the most mis-applied analogies.
22. Edward Snowden agrees to give up more than $5 million from book and speeches
CNN · by Katelyn Polantz · September 21, 2020
Snowden is just weird (in addition to being a traitor). I cannot figure him out. I would like to know the 56 speeches he made and who paid him an average of $18,000 per speech. It is good work if you can get it, I suppose!
“The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones that do.”
– Anonymous
“Where men are the most sure and arrogant, they are commonly the most mistaken.”
-David Hume
“Too much has been said of the heroes of history – the strong men, the strenuous men, the troublesome men; too little of the amiable, the kindly, and the tolerant.”
-Stephen Leacock