News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Riley Murray.

1. Trump confirms, in an interview, a U.S. cyberattack on Russia

2. The US Needs a Global Coalition to Defeat COVID

3. The Defense Bill Could Rewrite How the US Does Cyber Defense

4. China is rewriting the rules for its own ends - the world cannot sit idly by

5. Risk of Great Power Conflict in South China Sea is Rising, Experts Say

6. USAGM Is Reviewing Journalist Visas For Compliance With U.S. Law; Countered NPR Report

7. A racial reckoning arrived at West Point, where being black is a 'beautifully painful experience'

8. Navy's first known Black female fighter pilot graduates

9. China, Hong Kong and the world: is Xi Jinping overplaying his hand?

10. COVID-19: America, China and the Conspiracy War

11. When Companies Wielded the Power of States

12. Six Ways the U.S. Isn't Ready for Wars of the Future

13. Cyber Command's measure of success? Outcomes

14. Missile-Armed Chinese Drones Arrive In Europe As Serbia Seeks Airpower Edge

15. Cultural factors are behind disinformation pandemic: why this matters

16. Perspective | The deadly fallout of disinformation

1. Trump confirms, in an interview, a U.S. cyberattack on Russia

The Washington Post – by Marc A. Thiessen – 10 July 2020

I did not expect to read this in print.

2.The US Needs a Global Coalition to Defeat COVID

defenseone.com – by Joseph Votel, Samuel J. Locklear III

I concur. With all due respect I think this is a no-brainer.  Given the method of transmission of the virus, the global economy, and global travel (just like interstate travel in the US) the defense against the virus does require a global coalition. The world is not going to contain this effort without international cooperation. Isolated national efforts are not going to be successful as we are currently experiencing.

3. The Defense Bill Could Rewrite How the US Does Cyber Defense

defenseone.com · by Patrick Tucker

Office of Joint Cyber Planning (OJCP). I wonder how "joe" will figure out how to pronounce that acronym.

4. China is rewriting the rules for its own ends - the world cannot sit idly by

From an Administration (DOD) official.

https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3092490/china-rewriting-rules-its-own-ends-world-cannot-sit-idly - by David F. Helvey – 11 July 2020

5. Risk of Great Power Conflict in South China Sea is Rising, Experts Say

rfa.org – by Drake Long – 10 July 2020

What comes next?  What happens when there is a conflict and it escalates?  Are we prepared?

6. USAGM Is Reviewing Journalist Visas For Compliance With U.S. Law; Countered NPR Report

bbgwatch.com · by Tim Shamble · July 9, 2020

A response to the NPR report about canceling J1 visas of our foreign correspondents at VOA, RFA, etc.  

You cannot argue with doing due diligence to ensure there are no violations of the law.  There apparently will not be a wholesale cancellation of visas for our great foreign journalists.

However, this can and likely will still be interpreted as a veiled threat that might be intended to influence reporting (whether intentional or not it likely will be interpreted that way).

7. A racial reckoning arrived at West Point, where being black is a 'beautifully painful experience'

The Washington Post – by Alex Horton – 10 July 2020

I still think too many people are in denial about this very real problem.   It is obvious by the actions and statements of senior military leaders this week that they recognize the problem but there seem to be so many who still do not and who use anecdotes and statistics to rationalize the problem.

8. Navy's first known Black female fighter pilot graduates

The Hill · by Alicia Cohn · July 10, 2020

Wow.  I would have thought this milestone had been reached long ago.

9. China, Hong Kong and the world: is Xi Jinping overplaying his hand?

Financial Times · by James Kynge · July 10, 2020

I certainly hope so.  If so, what can we do about it? How do we exploit it?

Or do we simply follow Napoleon and never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake (yes that is one of my favorite dictums). 

10. COVID-19: America, China, and the Conspiracy War

thecairoreview.com · by Amanda Tapp · July 5, 2020

I just do not see US-Chinese cooperation on much of anything in the future but of all issues and problems it should have been to cooperate on the global pandemic caused by COVID-19 or the novel coronavirus or as the Chinese Global Times and Xinhua called it in January until the Chinese Communist Party made them change the name: the Wuhan Virus and the Wuhan Pneumonia. (just saying).   We see a crisis that must be addressed. I fear the CCP sees opportunity in crisis.

11. When Companies Wielded the Power of States

WSJ · by Andrew Phillips and J.C. Sharman

An interesting history in the Wall Street Journal.  And yes, this should be a cautionary tale: "But history should make us cautious. Whenever corporations have straddled the public-private divide, they have ruthlessly exploited the confusion to dodge accountability, undermine sovereignty, worsen international tensions and fleece governments and investors." 

12. Six Ways the U.S. Isn't Ready for Wars of the Future

Bloomberg · by James Stavridis · July 10, 2020

A sober warning from the former SACEUR and former SOUTHCOM Commander.  The ABC's of combat is an interesting perspective.

And because of my personal bias note his comments on Special Forces (though i am sure he means special operations forces, though the largest formation of operators in SOF is Special Forces).  His emphasis is currently on the human domain and though he does not explicitly say it on the two SOF trinities of irregular warfare, unconventional warfare, and support to political warfare with the comparative advantages of SOF capabilities of influence, governance, and support to indigenous forces and populations.

13. Cyber Command's measure of success? Outcomes

c4isrnet.com · by Mark Pomerleau · July 10, 2020

Yes, outcomes.  Too often measures of "effectiveness" are actually measures of performance. (e.g, money spent, projects conducted, targets "serviced," attacks conducted, attacks stopped (which is always an important thing!) or my favorite: number of troops committed or number of troops in theater or a specific country.)

14. Missile-Armed Chinese Drones Arrive In Europe As Serbia Seeks Airpower Edge

Forbes · by Sebastien Roblin · July 9, 2020

The Balkans beware.

15. Cultural factors are behind disinformation pandemic: why this matters

theconversation.com · by Herman Wasserman

Yes, culture matters.

I am reminded of this from Keegan: "War embraces much more than politics: it is always an expression of culture, often a determinant of cultural forms, in some societies the culture itself." -John Keegan in A History of Warfare

16.  Perspective | The deadly fallout of disinformation

The Washington Post – by Calder Walton

Another useful historical perspective as food for thought. Of course some will take issues with some of the criticisms of the current administration but this statement is something we should all understand: "Today's social media landscape makes it quicker, easier and cheaper to spread disinformation than the KGB ever could." 

"Everybody wants to defend speech they agree with., only the truly principled will defend the speech of someone to say something they disagree with and hate to listen or read."

- Cal Weyers

"The things you're looking for, Montag, are in the world, but the only way the average chap will ever see ninety-nine percent of them is in a book."
- Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
"Thanks to my reading, I have never been caught flat-footed by any situation, never at a loss for how any problem has been addressed (successfully or unsuccessfully) before. It doesn't give me all the answers, but it lights what is often a dark path ahead."

- General James Mattis

News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Riley Murray.

1. S. Korea, U.S. may cancel summertime combined exercise due to COVID-19: sources

2. Otto Warmbier's Parents Chase North Korean Assets in Eastern Europe

3.  WORDS OF WARNING Kim Jong-un's powerful sister makes chilling threat to Donald Trump saying 'North Korea will never stop building nukes'

4. Kim Jong Un Is Taking a Hard Pass on a Third Summit With Trump

5. US envoy, after Seoul visit, reassures Japan of alliance

6. 'Virus Free' North Korea Fires Health Officials for Quarantine Failures

7.  North Korea asks for 'sacrifices' as coronavirus concerns rise

8. N.K.'s newspaper says anti-virus efforts more important than economic achievements

9. North Korea gearing up for hard times

10. North Korea's Chemical and Coal Liquefaction Industries: The Difficult Path Ahead to Self-Reliance

11. Rich Phone Brokers Caught in North Korean Crackdown Escape Harsh Sentences

12. Over 500 Coronavirus Deaths Suspected in N.Korea

13. Inside Korea's Weird New Infowar

14. S. Korea reports 35 new virus cases, number down for 4th straight day

15. Four lessons New York learned from COVID-19 crisis (A South Korean Assessment)

16. Mayor's case shows scale of South Korea sexism: activists

1. S. Korea, U.S. may cancel summertime combined exercise due to COVID-19: sources

en.yna.co.kr · by 오석민 · July 11, 2020

We should not be surprised.  The commanders are going to have to weigh the benefits and the risk to the force.  Yes, we need to train.  However, if there is an outbreak among the entire ROK/US Combined Forces Command staff it will have a debilitating effect on more than readiness.  We do not need the combined headquarters to be combat ineffective.

Despite quarantining those coming from off the peninsula to augment the exercises with staff, observers, and controllers, etc., all it would take is one person already on the peninsula to carry the coronavirus into the command post and infect the thousand or so people that will be working there at close quarters for two weeks.

I would not be surprised is the exercise was postponed (if possible as it is a logistical, scheduling, and financial nightmare to do) if the commanders deem the risk of infection of the combined headquarters to be too high.  We would be more ready if everyone did a staff review of all the defense plans without being able to conduct an exercise than we would if a significant number of the of the commanders and staff became infected and a percentage of them suffer from debilitating effects over time.

2. Otto Warmbier's Parents Chase North Korean Assets in Eastern Europe

voanews.com – by Kim Young-gyo, Eunjung Cho – 10 July 2020

Despite the horrible tragedy the Warmbiers have suffered they are doing important work.  And they are not doing this really for personal gain. They are doing it to try to punish the evil Kim family regime and Kim Jong-un.  As Greg Scarlatoiu notes the Warmbiers are going after the two things Kim Jong-un cares about: the pocketbook and international legitimacy. If the parents of a murdered child can do this and achieve some success imagine what a concerted effort by a coalition of like-minded governments could do around the world to target the regime's illicit activities. 

3. WORDS OF WARNING Kim Jong-un's powerful sister makes chilling threat to Donald Trump saying 'North Korea will never stop building nukes'

The Sun · by Tariq Tahir · July 10, 2020

It is interesting to read reports of the same events and statements from different news sources and they interpret the same statements and focus on such different aspects, some more sensational and others that might support certain agendas. Of course, sometimes it is just the different headline editors and what they chose to focus on and emphasize.

4. Kim Jong Un Is Taking a Hard Pass on a Third Summit With Trump

Vice · by Greg Walters

The understanding everyone needs to take from these various interpretations of Kim Yo-jong's and regime statements is that it is Kim Jong-un who refuses to allow negotiations.  The US has never said no to negotiations and has always been ready and will be ready should the regime decide to conduct substantive working level negotiations.  Of course, summits are a different story.  Kim cannot have a summit unless he is guaranteed to receive sanctions relief - he cannot afford another failed summit.  And I do not think any US president should ever meet with a Kim until there have been working level negotiations that conclude an agreement for the leaders' approval.

5. US envoy, after Seoul visit, reassures Japan of alliance

The Washington Post · by Mari Yamaguchi | AP

Korea is the linchpin and Japan is the cornerstone to our alliance system in Northeast Asia.  But the focus of this article on Kim Yo-jong's Friday statement.

6. 'Virus Free' North Korea Fires Health Officials for Quarantine Failures

rfa.org – by Hyemin Son - 9 July 2020

Another indication that the virus may be in the north.  But I hope these are not the Anthony Fauci equivalents.

7. North Korea asks for 'sacrifices' as coronavirus concerns rise

upi.com – by Elizabeth Shim – 10 July 2020

Another indicator.  And I am sure the regime is very concerned.

8. N.K.'s newspaper says anti-virus efforts more important than economic achievements

en.yna.co.kr · by 고병준 · July 10, 2020

I really wonder what the assessments of the intelligence communities in the ROK and US are.  I have to believe there is an outbreak in the north.

9. North Korea gearing up for hard times

nkeconwatch.com – by Benjamin Katzeff Silberstein -

Hard times coming.  We have had our own hard time (See this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1yE932Vngw_ ) but as tough as they were for us  I think they are exponentially worse in the north.

The north went through hard times in 1994-1996.  I fear it could be worse this time because of how the Korean people evolved and developing coping mechanisms and resilience when the party could no longer provide for them.  And of course the regime was helped immensely during the the Sunshine and Peace and Prosperity Policy period when hundreds of millions of dollars were transferred to the regime (that ended up helping to fund the nuclear weapons program).  But the people survived because when the Public Distribution System (PDS) broke down and failed to provide they turned to the balck market and developed a market economy with more than 400 markets today.  These markets are dependent on cross border trade, smuggling, foreign currency, and communications (cell phones) and transportation (the serv-cha).  See this article about Yonho KIm's research here https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/hrnk-kim-yonho-03192019174215.html

The problem now is that because of the coronavirus the regime has closed off the borders to most legal trade and smuggling.  It is cracking down on foriegn currency. It is cracking down on information flow. It is preventing the movement of people and goods. All of the market characteristics and functions that have helped the people cope and survive are being halted by the regime as part of its draconian population and resources control measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.  It is also using the excuse of the coronavirus to crack down to further control the population.   In addition because of existing sanctions South Korea is constrained from executing a sunshine Policy 2.0.

The combination of these conditions means, like the title says, hard times are coming.

10. North Korea's Chemical and Coal Liquefaction Industries: The Difficult Path Ahead to Self-Reliance

HTTPS://WWW.38NORTH.ORG/2020/07/BKATZEFFSILBERSTEIN070920/ - by Benjamin Katzeff Silberstein – 9 July 2020

As the previous article said and Benjamin Katzeff Silberstein wrote, hard times are coming.

11. Rich Phone Brokers Caught in North Korean Crackdown Escape Harsh Sentences

rfa.org – by Jieun Kim

Obviously, the corruption aspect of this is important.

But what is more important is how important the cell phone network is and recognition by the regime that it is a real vulnerability to its control.  This is why we should be devising plans to exploit the internal cell phone network and the 6.5 million smart phones in the north.  It could be an achilles heel of the regime.

12. Over 500 Coronavirus Deaths Suspected in N.Korea

english.chosun.com – 10 July 2020

This is still unconfirmed, but I think it is very plausible.  And if this spreads to the military we could see very tough times ahead in terms of instability.

13. Inside Korea's Weird New Infowar

https://www.thedailybeast.com/inside-koreas-weird-new-infowar?ref=scroll – by Donald Kirk – 10 July 2020

A good defense of our escapees who are doing important work trying to get information back in to the north and inform the Korean people in the north about the world and their situation.

Despite all the criticism (and north Korean bellicose rhetoric) it is not their work that hinders north-South relations or will prevent another Kim-Trump summit.  They are the only ones who are really engaged in doing something substantive to help the Korean people living in the north (yes there are NGOs who try their best to provide humanitarian aid but it is information that is key to the people's future and especially in preparation for eventual unification - and yes VOA and RFA are doing critically important work as well).

And yes, there is criticism of the Moon administration in this. as well. It is interesting how Mr. Park characterizes the administration as having the Stockholm syndrome with "the affection that those who are abused may feel for those abusing them."  The Kim family regime is most certainly the abuser in this relationship.  We should never forget that Kim Jong-un is an abusive partner who will not and cannot change.

14. S. Korea reports 35 new virus cases, number down for 4th straight day

en.yna.co.kr · by 김광태 · July 11, 2020

Some good news.  South Korea's efforts to contain this must be studied and learned from.

15. Four lessons New York learned from COVID-19 crisis (A South Korean Assessment)

donga.com – by Yong Park – 11 July 2020

16. Mayor's case shows scale of South Korea sexism: activists

sg.news.yahoo.com · July 10, 2020

But it will be sad to see the Mayor's situation and funeral overshadow the death of General Paik.

"Everybody wants to defend speech they agree with., only the truly principled will defend the speech of someone to say something they disagree with, and hate to listen or read."

- Cal Weyers

"The things you're looking for, Montag, are in the world, but the only way the average chap will ever see ninety-nine percent of them is in a book."
- Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
"Thanks to my reading, I have never been caught flat-footed by any situation, never at a loss for how any problem has been addressed (successfully or unsuccessfully) before. It doesn't give me all the answers, but it lights what is often a dark path ahead."

- General James Mattis

Practicing What We Preach: Committing to the Women, Peace, and Security Strategy Here at Home

realcleardefense.com · by Mackenzie Eaglen

Rep. Mike Waltz is stepping up.  

Mackenzie Eaglen makes a key point here: "But in order to increase policymaker engagement, there must first be awareness. Despite its history, the Women, Peace and Security agenda is hardly an issue that the American public engages with frequently or passionately."  I was made aware of these efforts some years ago by my good friend Robert Egnell from Sweden who is one of the few men to work on these issues. He now heads the Swedish National Defense University (he is the rector).