8/12/2020 National Security News and Commentary
News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Andrew Narloch
1. In A War With China, Where Should The U.S. Army Put Its Thousand-Mile Cannons?
2. Foreign Generals Nod to Xi's Ideas
3. I Was Sanctioned by China by Michael Abramowitz
4. Flournoy: Next defense secretary needs 'big bets' to boost 'eroding' deterrence
5. Japan's Rethink Of Aegis Ashore Could Tie Up Navy, Increase Costs And Cause Big Delays
6. The American blog pushing Xinjiang denialism
7. Perspective | The pandemic hasn't hit Syria hard yet. When it does, it'll be a disaster.
8. Suicide Prevention Bill Named for SEAL Commander Passes Senate; Fate Uncertain
9. Modern Warfare Destroys Brains
10. What About the Hungarian Option Against China and North Korea?
11. Man seen in area of homemade explosive at Portland protest ID'ed as ex-Navy SEAL - OPB
12. MH-47 helo, task saturated and under PKM fire, had zero visibility prior to fatal 2017 mishap
13. Special Forces Detachment A: Counterterrorism & hostage rescue operations
1. In A War With China, Where Should The U.S. Army Put Its Thousand-Mile Cannons?
Forbes · by David Axe · August 11, 2020
The graphic alone will generate a lot of controversy in Korea, Japan, and the Philippines. They conveniently left out Taiwan.
2. Foreign Generals Nod to Xi's Ideas
chinamediaproject.org · August 10, 2020
PRC Influence Operations through military to military contacts. How about this for the focus of the conference: "29 foreign countries came together for the roundtable discussion, in order to "deepen their understanding and familiarity with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for the New Era," as well as reach "further consensus" on the promotion of the Belt and Road Initiative and the building of a "community of common destiny for mankind."
3. I Was Sanctioned by China by Michael Abramowitz
The Atlantic · by Michael Abramowitz · August 11, 2020
I noted that this might be considered a badge of honor. A friend and colleague reminded me that it is all fun and games until he travels to a country that might extradite him to China. I mean that hasn't happened to a Huawei company official traveling through Canada, has it?
But the idea that someone can be sanctioned for what they say about China in their own country is the height of absurdity. But that is one aspect of Chinese political warfare and the importance of controlling the narrative world wide. This is not an action by a responsible member of the international community. (They are actually taking a page out of north Korea's law books as they do something similar - anyone who disrespect Kim Jong-un or the Kim family regime has broken north Korean law regardless where they showed such disrespect).
4. Flournoy: Next defense secretary needs 'big bets' to boost 'eroding' deterrence
Defense News · by Aaron Mehta · August 10, 2020
Certainly deterrence has to be among the most important strategic "capabilities" for US national defense. but the question I always wonder about: How do you measure the effectiveness of deterrence? All I can come up with is Sir Lawrence Freedman's statement: "Deterrence works, until it doesn't." It seems to me deterrence is at the center of the human domain. It is the human adversary you are trying to deter and whether deterrence works is a function of the human adversary's understanding of our capabilities, intent, and will and his or her decision making calculus. As Napoleon said, "the moral is to the physical as three is to one." In today's world where politics is war by other means perhaps we should consider that influence is to the kinetic as ten is to one.
5. Japan's Rethink Of Aegis Ashore Could Tie Up Navy, Increase Costs And Cause Big Delays
Forbes · by Loren Thompson · August 11, 2020
Very interesting analysis. A lot in this that I did not know. Mr. Thompson acknowledges in the article that Raytheon and Lockheed Martin both contribute to his think tank.
6. The American blog pushing Xinjiang denialism
Axios · by Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian
I guess everyone has to find a way to make a name for themselves. So is it providing moral support to our adversary?
7. Perspective | The pandemic hasn't hit Syria hard yet. When it does, it'll be a disaster.
The Washington Post-By David Adesnik
I would think so. As I have mentioned I have heard from friends that "half the population" in Afghanistan has the coronavirus (sure that sounds like an exaggeration but I would expect that to mean it has a pretty high amount of cases). I am sure it will be devastating in Syria.
8. Suicide Prevention Bill Named for SEAL Commander Passes Senate; Fate Uncertain
military.com · by Patricia Kime · August 6, 2020
9. Modern Warfare Destroys Brains
The Belfer Center-Warren Stewart Kevin Trujillo- July 2020
The 82 page report can be downloaded here: https://www.belfercenter.org/sites/default/files/2020-07/ModernWarfareDestroysBrains.pdf
I think of all the breaching and assault training that is conducted over the career of an operator and it seems so obvious now that this is going to be damaging.
Key point from the EXSUM: "This paper has two primary objectives. First, it will support the argument that blast related TBI is uniquely different from the more recognized brain injury known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) injury associated with impact trauma and therefore requires a different approach to both diagnosis and treatment. Second, it will provide recommendations for mitigating the effects of bTBI on the readiness and long-term health of special operators."
10. What About the Hungarian Option Against China and North Korea?
newsmax.com · by Robert Zapesochny · August 11, 2020
Hmmm... food for thought? So who in China and North Korea is the Gorbachev and the Nemeth?
Open the border between north and South Korea - sure South Korea could "open" its side of the DMZ but what about the orders to the nKPA to prevent crossing? I am not sure about the Hong Kong scenario either.
But this does provide a useful reminder summarizing the events that led to the fall of communism in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.
11. Man seen in area of homemade explosive at Portland protest ID'ed as ex-Navy SEAL
opb.org-Jonathan Levinson
12. MH-47 helo, task saturated and under PKM fire, had zero visibility prior to fatal 2017 mishap
armytimes.com · by Kyle Rempfer · August 11, 2020
13. Special Forces Detachment A: Counterterrorism & hostage rescue operations
sofrep.com · August 10, 2020
This is a reprint of a past article. But it does illustrate what the premier SF unit, DET-A was able to do during the Cold War and shows the flexibility, problem solving ability, and self sufficiency of SF. Although the title and focus is on CT and hostage rescue, I would argue DET-A was able to do what it did because of its foundational unconventional warfare training and focus. They of course did not foresee the Iran hostage situation but they were ready to make an important contribution to the mission.
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Ted Williams once said, "If you don't think too good, don't think too much."
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- Ronald Reagan
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- Sanford Bishop