News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Daniel Riggs.

1. Washington's attempt to exploit QUAD to contain China will not succeed

2. Opinion | George Shultz will be remembered as one of the most influential secretaries of state in our history by Condoleezza Rice

3. Biden: China should expect `extreme competition' from US

4. US stages joint Guam drill with Australia and Japan as it looks for ways to make it harder for China to 'wipe out' air forces with missile strikes

5. The biggest lesson of GameStop

6. Is Pentagon prepared for its "extremism" stand-down?  Six ideas that might help

7. US moves to rejoin UN rights council, reversing Trump anew

8. The Military Doesn't Bar Troops from Being Members of Hate Groups. That Could Change

9. US Army contingent arrives in India for military exercise 'Yudh Abhyas 20'

10. Getting to Ethical Readiness

11. Exclusive: Navy CNO On Rooting Out Extremists

12. Vladimir Putin's Russia is destabilising itself from within

13. Countering China, Biden rightly doubles down on the Quad

14. The Fracturing of the American Ideal

15. Special Operations News Update - Monday, February 8, 2021

 

1. Washington's attempt to exploit QUAD to contain China will not succeed

globaltimes.cn · by Global Times

Warning from the Chinese Communist Party's mouthpiece.  Note how China is trying to split India from the Quad. It would appear China assesses it is the weakest link.

Note the comparison between free and open INDOPACIFIC and Belt and Road:

Excerpt: Such a misjudgment is a serious strategic blunder. The US advocates a "free and open Indo-Pacific." It's only an umbrella term to justify US attempts to mobilize all possible forces it can to prevent China from controlling the region. But the fact is, China has no strategic intention or plan to dominate the region at all. It just peacefully advocates the Belt and Road Initiative. This is one of the most fundamental misjudgments of the US. If the US continues to uphold such a false reading, it may lead to a severe strategic confrontation between China and the US.

Actually a very interesting conclusion: Facing pressure from Washington, Beijing has to improve relations with all countries. It must deal with New Delhi, Tokyo and Canberra. When all these countries consider China a threat, the possibility that they will form a multilateral alliance with the US might grow. China now needs to unite all forces that can be brought together and improve relations so that they can perhaps sit at the same table to talk. This is the most critical point to safeguard China's external environment.

 

2. Opinion | George Shultz will be remembered as one of the most influential secretaries of state in our history by Condoleezza Rice

The Washington Post · by  Condoleezza Rice · February 7, 2021

I think we can say he had a life well lived.

 

3. Biden: China should expect `extreme competition' from US

AP · February 7, 2021

Excerpts:

“The new administration, however, is unlikely to significantly alter U.S. policies on trade, Taiwan, human rights and the South China Sea that have angered Xi's increasingly assertive government.

Biden, in the interview taped Friday, said he has said to Xi " all along, that we need not have a conflict." But, Biden added, there will be "extreme competition. And I'm not going to do it the way that he knows. And that's because he's sending signals as well."

Biden said he will not pursue U.S.-China relations in the way that Trump did but will focus on "international rules of the road."

 

4. US stages joint Guam drill with Australia and Japan as it looks for ways to make it harder for China to 'wipe out' air forces with missile strikes

SCMP· by Teddy Ng · February 7, 2021

 

5. The biggest lesson of GameStop

amp-ft-com.cdn.ampproject.org · by Rana Foroohar · February 7, 2021

Excerpts:

“While apps and social media have led more people to trade shares, that has not made our system of market-driven capitalism stronger. Our economy is largely based on consumer spending, and that consumption rests on asset price inflation which can now be brewed up by teenagers in their bedrooms. If current employment trends continue, many of the latter will end up working gig economy jobs without a safety net to catch them when their portfolios collapse.

That is neither sustainable nor supportive of liberal democracy. That is why I applaud Joe Biden's core economic promise to move the US economy from one that prioritises "wealth" to one that rewards work.

The details of the GameStop debacle should be parsed and any villains punished. But we must not lose sight of the main lesson: an economy in which individual fortunes are so closely tied to the health of the stock market rather than income growth is fragile. Speculation, no matter how widely shared, isn't democracy.”

 

6. Is Pentagon prepared for its "extremism" stand-down?  Six ideas that might help

sites.duke.edu · by Charlie Dunlap, J.D. · February 8, 2021

Probably the most thorough and substantive recommendations I have seen.

 

7. US moves to rejoin UN rights council, reversing Trump anew

AP · by Matthew Lee · February 8, 2021

This organization is problematic and requires a lot of work to fix.

Excerpts:

“In addition to the council's persistent focus on Israel, the Trump administration took issue with the body's membership, which currently includes China, Cuba, Eritrea, Russia and Venezuela, all of which have been accused of human rights abuses.

One senior U.S. official said the Biden administration believed the council must still reform but that the best way to promote change is to "engage with it in a principled fashion." The official said it can be "an important forum for those fighting tyranny and injustice around the world" and the U.S. presence intends to "ensure it can live up to that potential."

 

8. The Military Doesn't Bar Troops from Being Members of Hate Groups. That Could Change

military.com · by Gina Harkins · February 6, 2021.

Again, we need to do this right or we will only confirm the narratives of the extremist organizations.

We have to ask ourselves what takes precedence: our civil liberties and constitutional principles or defense against hate groups?  We must not sacrifice our values and principles.

 

9. US Army contingent arrives in India for military exercise 'Yudh Abhyas 20'

timesofindia.indiatimes.com · by Ajay Sura / TNN /  · February 7, 2021

 

10. Getting to Ethical Readiness

warontherocks.com · by John Huntsman · February 8, 2021

Excerpts:

“To prepare troops to make ethical decisions with a level of understanding that goes beyond mere rule compliance, a nontraditional education in philosophic ethics is warranted. Above all, philosophic ethics should integrate and engage all members of an organization. From theory to practice, this can include anything from introducing concepts during unit-level or small-group discussions, amid dialogue, to making difficult moral decisions during battlefield training scenarios.

Why does ethical misconduct occur? Broadly conceived, the number of potential risk factors posited to explain or portend uniformed misconduct abound. Explanations include the view that an unrealistic volume of training requirements has led to a culture of systemic dishonesty and self-deception, the notion that too much emphasis has been placed on mission outcomes and not enough on the enculturation of virtues, and the allegation that toxic leadership is to blame. One strong suggestion is that past military cases of "egregious behavior" may have resulted from the corrosive or enervating effects of combat fatigue and the relentless demands of continuous war. Others have pointed to the changing character of war, which could be a harbinger of new ethical challenges to come.

 

11. Exclusive: Navy CNO On Rooting Out Extremists

breakingdefense.com · by Paul McLeary

Excerpts:

“Kirby told reporters on Jan. 28 that the FBI opened 143 investigations into troops and veterans in 2020, 68 of those for domestic extremism.

Austin met with the Joint Chiefs on Wednesday to give them direction on how to move out on the issue. "He was very clear that he wants commands to take the necessary time" to figure out how to handle it.

Gilday said the problem needs to be directly addressed now, but also cautioned that the services need some time to shape their approach for the long haul. "The services are working together with OSD so that we have a consistent approach here," he said. "And we've been pretty good at doing that. If you think of how we've dealt with COVID...we've learned together and stumbled together and have improved together. And we need to do the same thing with extremist behavior or extremist groups within the ranks as well."

 

12. Vladimir Putin's Russia is destabilising itself from within

Financial Times · by Tatiana Stanovaya · February 7, 2021

 

13. Countering China, Biden rightly doubles down on the Quad

Washington Examiner · by Tom Rogan · February 7, 2021

Conclusion: Top line: any early Quad leaders summit would be good news. Facing an evolving geopolitical environment in which traditional American allies are bending the knee to Beijing, the United States must consolidate better allies wherever possible. The Quad must be the cornerstone of that effort.

 

14. The Fracturing of the American Ideal

National Review Online · by Andrew A. Michta · February 7, 2021

A sobering conclusion:

“Today the process of re-racializing American history has nearly reached its climax. We are poised to begin to decompose as a nation along geo-ideological lines, reflecting the territorial alignment of exclusive ideologies, or to witness the triumph of the American Left over a progressively disenfranchised citizenry. If the decline is not stopped soon, the final outcome is likely to repeat the experience of other nations that at some point in their history veered in the direction of group-based social engineering as a pathway to an allegedly more just society.

No one can predict how the abandonment of the American ideal of the individual citizen's rights under the law will ultimately play out, but one thing is certain: When rhetoric and reality fundamentally misalign, chaos reigns.”

 

15. Special Operations News Update - Monday, February 8, 2021

sof.news · by SOF News · February 8, 2021

 

---------

"War is too serious a matter to entrust to military men."

- Georges Clemenceau

 

"When my brother and I built the first man-carrying flying machine we thought that we were introducing into the world an invention which would make further wars practically impossible." 

-Orville Wright, 1917

 

"Air Power is, above all, a psychological weapon-and only short-sighted soldiers, too battle-minded, underrate the importance of psychological factors in war."

- B. H. Liddell-Hart

From Seth G. Jones

"IW refers to activities short of conventional and nuclear warfare that are designed to expand a country’s influence and legitimacy as well as weaken its adversaries."

While conventional warfare—set-piece battles between large military forces—largely defined twentieth-century conflict between major powers, irregular warfare will likely define international politics over the next year and beyond. Countries like China, Russia, and Iran compete with the United States using irregular methods because conventional and nuclear warfare are far too costly. The tools of irregular warfare are not strategic bombers, main battle tanks, or infantry soldiers, but hackers, intelligence operatives, special operations forces, and private military companies that often operate in the shadows.

Full Report: https://www.csis.org/analysis/future-competition-us-adversaries-and-growth-irregular-warfare

In December 2019, Congress established the Afghanistan Study Group and tasked it with identifying policy recommendations that “consider the implications of a peace settlement, or the failure to reach a settlement, on U.S. policy, resources, and commitments in Afghanistan.”

Full Report: https://www.usip.org/publications/2021/02/afghanistan-study-group-final-report-pathway-peace-afghanistan

A discussion with one of the co-authors of "On Contested Shores: The Evolving Role of Amphibious Operations in the History of Warfare"

Link: https://mwi.usma.edu/mwi-podcast-the-past-present-and-future-of-amphibious-operations/

Full Report: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA388-1.html

Airpower played a pivotal role in the U.S.-led fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) from 2014 to 2019 and contributed to the success of Operation Inherent Resolve. This report sheds light on the impact of the air operations in Operation Inherent Resolve and whether airpower could have been applied differently to achieve faster, more-sustainable outcomes. The authors incorporate interviews with U.S. and coalition personnel, primary-source documents, and U.S. and coalition strike and sortie data to document the operational history of the air war, assess the relationship between airpower effects, and analyze the strategic and operational impact of airpower in Operation Inherent Resolve.

The authors find that, although airpower played an essential role in combating ISIS, airpower alone would not have been likely to defeat the militant organization. Instead, the combination of airpower and ground forces—led by Iraqi and Syrian partners—was needed to destroy the Islamic State as a territorial entity. The overarching strategy of Operation Inherent Resolve, which put ground-force partners in the lead, created several challenges and innovations in the application of airpower, which have implications for future air wars. To be prepared to meet future demands against nonstate and near-peer adversaries, the U.S. Air Force and the joint force should apply lessons learned from Operation Inherent Resolve.

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

News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Duncan Moore.

1. Suspending U.S.-ROK military exercises will not facilitate peace negotiations

2. Kim Jong Un’s family tree: what you need to know about North Korea’s dynasty

3. FM nominee cautious on large-scale S. Korea-U.S. exercises, notes need for 'proper level' of drills

4. U.S. will closely consult with S. Korea on N. Korea: Sullivan

5. U.N. grants sanctions waiver to S. Korean group for improving drinking water in N.K.

6. N. Korea replaces heads of key farmer and labor groups amid economic drive

7. How are North Korea's markets doing following the closure of the Sino-North Korean border?

8. Kim Jong Un is directly handling results of new COVID-19 hacking organization's work

9. Vice minister of foreign affairs punished for disregarding government's disease control measures

10. South Korea is preparing for a lonelier, scarier future

11. Biden administration to hold North accountable, emphasize human rights

12. Kia seeks partners to build Apple car in Georgia

13. N. Korea fears internal unrest more than foreign attacks: U.S. intelligence official

14. Brother of official killed by Pyongyang asks unification ministry to deliver letter to N.K. leader

15. Yoo withdraws from contest for WTO director general spot

16. North Korea cracks down on car window tinting to stop ‘capitalist influence’

 

1. Suspending U.S.-ROK military exercises will not facilitate peace negotiations

National Interest · Matthew Ha · February 4, 2021

From my colleague Mathew Ha.

 

2. Kim Jong Un’s family tree: what you need to know about North Korea’s dynasty

Wall Street Journal · Andrew Jeong · February 5, 2021

The questions I will always ask: what will we do if we learn today that Kim Jong-Un is dead? What actions are we ready to take? Or are we just going to wait and see what happens?

 

3. FM nominee cautious on large-scale S. Korea-U.S. exercises, notes need for ‘proper level’ of drills

Yonhap News Agency · 송상호 · February 5, 2021

I hope the Foreign Minister nominee will pay attention to the professionals in MOFA and MND regarding exercises. The Moon administration has to learn that making exercise concessions to Kim Jong-Un will not achieve the results it desires.

Setting aside the erroneous statement of "retaking wartime operations control from Washington"(more of the myth of OPCON transition), the problem is not a binary one—OPCON transition versus diplomacy with North Korea. It leaves out the fact that readiness is critically important when you face an existential threat, which North Korea represents. We have become too complacent over the last 70 years, because deterrence has been so successful. But there are catastrophic events that could take place—from the worst case of a North Korean attack to all the complexities of internal instability and regime collapse.  The combined ROK/US military must be able to deter war, defend the ROK, defeat the NKPA, conduct post conflict/post-collapse stability operations, counter the likely resistance and insurgency that will develop, and provide military support to the political process of unification. Failure to conduct sufficient combined ROK/US training puts all of these missions at risk.

 

4. U.S. will closely consult with S. Korea on N. Korea: Sullivan

Yonhap News Agency · 변덕근 · February 5, 2021

Yes, I am confident we will. But consultation goes both ways., and I would urge the ROK to closely consult with the US. 

 

5. N.K. paper stresses central leadership to achieve new economic objectives

Yonhap News Agency · 이원주 · February 5, 2021

I am reminded of the one thing I remember from economics in college in the 1970s: no centrally planned and controlled economy can be successful over time. 

" ....to understand why socialism must fail, you need to understand Hayek’s argument (which he drew from Ludwig von Mises and elaborated on) that the information that’s most valuable is information held in the hands of millions of individual actors. A central planner simply cannot have the information needed to plan an economy well." - Hayek and Central Planning by David Henderson

But in North Korea's case, the idea of central control is to control the adherence to the ideology and loyalty to the Kim family regime. That is what takes priority—even over effective economic activity.

 

6. U.N. grants sanctions waiver to S. Korean group for improving drinking water in N.K.

Yonhap News Agency · 이원주 · February 5, 2021

 

7. N. Korea replaces heads of key farmer and labor groups amid economic drive

Yonhap News Agency · 이원주 · February 5, 2021

The buried lede: a generational shift (or blame the old guys).

 

8. How are North Korea’s markets doing following the closure of the Sino-North Korean border?

Daily NK · Jang Seul Gi · February 5, 2021

Some interesting information about what is happening in the midst of the COVID lockdown.

 

9. Kim Jong Un is directly handling results of new COVID-19 hacking organization's work

Daily NK · Jang Seul Gi · February 5, 2021

Kim himself is wielding the "all purpose sword." This illustrates that it is truly all purpose and useful for many tasks.

 

10. Vice minister of foreign affairs punished for disregarding government's disease control measures

Daily NK · Jong So Yong · February 5, 2021

Beware the "stern warning."

 

11. South Korea is preparing for a lonelier, scarier future

Economist · February 5, 2021

A bleak assessment of South Korean national security.

But here are some more erroneous statements. We really need a better information plan to inform and educate people (and the press, pundits, and politicos) about the alliance. South Korea has equal say in the alliance. Prove otherwise. All Korean forces are not "handed over" to an American.

 

12. Biden administration to hold North accountable, emphasize human rights

Korea Joong Ang Daily · Sarah Kim · February 5, 2021

Good news. Who will be the administrations' special envoy for North Korean human rights? South Korea also needs to appoint a human rights ambassador. We have not had human rights ambassadors since Robert King and Lee Jung-hoon.

As a side note, this article is partly based on a VOA report. We should consider the long reach of VOA and how it gets the US news to the world directly and indirectly.

 

13. Kia seeks partners to build Apple car in Georgia

Wall Street Journal · Tim Higgins, Elizabeth Koh, & Cameron McWhirter · February 5, 2021

An often-overlooked positive aspect of the ROK/US alliance.

 

14. N. Korea fears internal unrest more than foreign attacks: U.S. intelligence official

Yonhap News Agency · 변덕근 · February 5, 2021

Beware the potential for North Korean instability and regime collapse. We need to pay attention to the indicators and prepare our contingency plans even if it is most likely the regime will continue to muddle through for the foreseeable future (at the expense of 25 million Koreans suffering in the North).

 

15. Brother of official killed by Pyongyang asks unification ministry to deliver letter to N.K. leader

Yonhap News Agency · 이원주 · February 4, 2021

This is something the MOU should do. Will it?

This is another incident in which the Kim family regime must be held accountable.

 

16. Yoo withdraws from contest for WTO director general spot

Korea Joong Ang Daily · Lee Ho-Jeong · February 4, 2021

This means the Chinese choice will end up heading the WTO.

 

17. North Korea cracks down on car window tinting to stop ‘capitalist influence’

Radio Free Asia · Hyemin Son, Leejin Jun, & Eugene Whong · February 4, 2021

Car window tinting? Who would have thought this would be a method to protect the consumption of foreign media.

 

"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

A new subcommittee under the U.S. House Armed Services Committee has been formed. The Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations will focus on specific activity areas of the Department of Defense. The new subcommittee with be chaired by Representative Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) He is a Marine Corps combat veteran who deployed to Iraq in 2005 for an eight month long deployment.

The Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations (ISO) will have the following jurisdiction:

• military intelligence
• national intelligence
• countering CBR weapons of mass destruction, counterterrorism
• special operations forces
• counter-proliferation
• counterterrorism
• sensitive military operations

There are currently seven permanent subcommittees of the U.S. House Armed Services:

• Tactical Air and Land Forces
• Military Personnel
• Readiness Committee
• Seapower and Projection Forces
• Strategic Forces
• Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems
• Intelligence and Special Operations

It appears that the Intelligence and Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee has been replaced by two new subcommittees: Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems and the Intelligence and Special Operations Subcommittees.