News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Duncan Moore.
1. Statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on the initiation of a global force posture review
2. UK regulator revokes Chinese TV license, Beijing complains about BBC 'fake news'
3. Three Chinese spies posing as journalists expelled from the UK
4. Smith, Gallego announce new subcommittee for the 117th Congress - the Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations (ISO)
5. Smith, Langevin announce new subcommittee for the 117th Congress - the Subcommittee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems (CITI)
6. Pro-China influence campaign claiming ‘hypocrisy’ of American democracy gains traction
7. A sharper approach to China’s military-civil fusion strategy begins by dispelling myths
8. Inside the shadowy militias luring unsuspecting Afghans to fight, or die
9. Hunting ISIS: on a nighttime raid with Iraqi special forces
10. Cyber denial of service is cyber attack
11. Exclusive: special forces warned about Pepe the frog, extremist icons
12. In midst of coup, ex-Green Beret treks through Burmese jungle to deliver food, medicine
13. Iraq rescue: SAS, Delta Force in skydiving mishap
14. Short of war: how to keep U.S.-Chinese confrontation from ending in calamity
15. Geurts is back; now as temp Navy undersecretary
16. Familiar faces take gavels of defense panels
17. The United States and Japan should prepare for war with China
18. Hezbollah and other non-state actors acquire asymmetric tools in cyberspace
19. Biden pledges to revive diplomacy, reverse Trump's moves
20. Iran is already winning
21. Elevating ‘deterrence by denial’ in US defense strategy
22. Biden signals break with Trump foreign policy in a wide-ranging State Dept. speech
23. Diplomats, top experts’ views on Biden’s foreign policy speech
24. Movie at the ellipse: a study in fascist propaganda
25. Biden beefs up administration with Asia experts as the U.S. prepares to take on China
26. Remarks by President Biden on America’s place in the world
27. Memorandum on renewing the national security council system
1. Statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on the initiation of a global force posture review
US Department of Defense · February 4, 2021
Here is our FDD contribution to the review: Defending Forward: Securing America by Projecting Military Power Abroad
2. UK regulator revokes Chinese TV licence, Beijing complains about BBC ‘fake news’
Reuters · Guy Faulconbridge & Tony Munroe · February 4, 2021
3. Three Chinese spies posing as journalists expelled from the UK
Telegraph · Lucy Fisher · February 4, 2021
4. Smith, Gallego announce new subcommittee for the 117th Congress - the Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations (ISO)
US House Armed Services Committee · February 3, 2021
Interesting. Seems like this might cause some conflict with the HPSCI. We will have to see what the committee's range of work will be, but this looks like a focus on high end special operations: CT and CP combined with intelligence operations.
Will the "special operations" category listed below cover the two SOF trinities?
1. Irregular Warfare
2. Unconventional Warfare
3. Support to Political Warfare
The Comparative advantage of SOF:
1. Governance
2. Influence
3. Support to indigenous forces and populations
5. Smith, Langevin announce new subcommittee for the 117th Congress - the Subcommittee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems (CITI)
US House Armed Services Committee · February 3, 2021
Between this committee and the new SOF/intel subcommittee, I do not see any focus on influence operations. This seems technology and systems-focused, but not on the human domain. And the SOF/intel subcommittee seems focused on high SOF and intel. Who is focusing on influence operations?
6. Pro-China influence campaign claiming ‘hypocrisy’ of American democracy gains traction
Cyber Scoop · Shannon Vavra · February 3, 2021
"Spamouflage Dragon." That is quite a name.
7. A sharper approach to China’s military-civil fusion strategy begins by dispelling myths
Defense One · Elsa B. Kania & Lorand Laskai · February 4, 2021
The authors' 23-page report can be downloaded here.
8. Inside the shadowy militias luring unsuspecting Afghans to fight, or die
New York Times · Fahim Abed & Thomas Gibbons-Neff · February 4, 2021
9. Hunting ISIS: on a nighttime raid with Iraqi special forces
Washington Post · Louisa Loveluck · February 3, 2021
10. Cyber denial of service is cyber attack
C4ISR Net · James Van de Velde · February 4, 2021
Hmmmm....
11. Exclusive: Special Forces warned about Pepe the frog, extremist icons
Breitbart · Kristina Wong · February 4, 2021
12. In midst of coup, ex-Green Beret treks through Burmese jungle to deliver food, medicine
Just the News · Susan Katz Keating · February 3, 2021
No former SF soldier has put his unconventional warfare training to better use than Dave Eubank. His entire family is the equivalent of an SF A Team.
13. Iraq rescue: SAS, Delta Force in skydiving mishap
Asia Times · Dave Makichuk · February 4, 2021
Quite an operation and rescue. Tragedy averted.
14. Short of war: how to keep U.S.-Chinese confrontation from ending in calamity
Foreign Affairs · Keven Rudd · February 5, 2021
"Managed strategic competition."
My thought: learn how to conduct a superior form of political warfare. And, of course, we have to get our own house in order.
15. Geurts is back; now as temp Navy undersecretary
Breaking Defense · Paul McLeary · February 4, 2021
Personnel equals policy.
16. Familiar faces take gavels of defense panels
Defense News · Joe Gould · February 4, 2021
17. The United States and Japan should prepare for war with China
War On the Rocks · Jeffrey W. Hornung · February 5, 2021
18. Hezbollah and other non-state actors acquire asymmetric tools in Cyberspace
Foundation for Defense of Democracies · Annie Fixler & RADM (Ret) Mark Montgomery · February 5, 2021
From my FDD colleagues.
Assumptions. We can never put enough emphasis on getting the assumptions right when it. comes to strategy.
19. Biden pledges to revive diplomacy, reverse Trump's moves
Washington Times · Guy Taylor · February 4, 2021
As expected, the President talked big picture foreign policy concepts and did not address all the specific challenges. Regional specialists (and allies) should not be put off if their specific issue was not addressed by name. They all were addressed as part of the big picture, but they were just not specifically mentioned. Take the concepts POTUS discussed and think about them in the context of your specialized area.
20. Iran is already winning
Foundation for Defense of Democracies · Behnam Ben Taleblu · February 4, 2021
This is quite a critique from my FDD colleague. I think the new administration needs to hear this kind of "red team" analysis.
21. Elevating ‘deterrence by denial’ in US defense strategy
Atlantic Council · Erica D. Borghard, Benjamin Jensen, & Mark Montgomery · February 4, 2021
22. Biden signals break with Trump foreign policy in a wide-ranging State Dept. speech
New York Times · David E. Sanger & Eric Schmitt · February 4, 2021
Lead with diplomacy. I hope that will include leading with information and influence activities as well. Here are the tools of statecraft I would like to see in support of a national level political warfare effort.
•Diplomacy: Persuasive and Coercive
•Economic Aid or Coercion
•Security Sector Assistance
- Security Sector Reform
- Building Partner Capacity
- Foreign Internal Defense
•Unconventional Warfare
- Traditional Unconventional Warfare
- Counter-Unconventional Warfare (C-UW)
- UW in a Proactive Fashion (Pr-UW)
•Information and Influence Activities
- Public Affairs
- Public Diplomacy
- Cognitive Joint Force Entry and Military Information Support Operations (MISO)
- Human Domain: Social, Cultural Physical, Informational, Psychological
"A whole-of-government endeavor, political warfare is best led by agencies beyond DoD and can only succeed if it is conducted in a way to “elevate civilian power alongside military power as equal pillars of U.S. foreign policy."
Or perhaps better said, diplomacy and statecraft as the first among equals in foreign policy and national security.
23. Diplomats, top experts’ views on Biden’s foreign policy speech
Just Security · February 5, 2021
For those who did not watch his speech live yesterday there is a video.
24. Movie at the ellipse: a study in fascist propaganda
Just Security · February 4, 2021
Read this objectively and set aside partisan feelings. It is a fascinating analysis but will be upsetting to many.
25. Biden beefs up administration with Asia experts as the U.S. prepares to take on China
CNBC · Yen Nee Lee · February 4, 2021
We shouldn't forget about all the excellent Asian experts already in the foreign service and the civil service and intelligence community, who are already working at State, DOD, and the IC and who are never in the limelight.
26. Remarks by President Biden on America’s place in the world
The White House · President Joseph R. Biden · February 4, 2021
27. Memorandum on Renewing the National Security Council System
The White House · February 4, 2021
Perhaps overlooked in light of the President's foreign policy speech yesterday.
"Where men are the most sure and arrogant, they are commonly the most mistaken.”
-David Hume
"A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case he is justly accountable to them for the injury."
- John Stuart Mill
"Great thoughts speak only to the thoughtful mind, but great actions speak to all mankind."
- Theodore Roosevelt