By: Andrew Swick, Columnist Photo Credit: Politico Just weeks into Donald Trump’s presidency, significant signs of tension emerged in the management of the National Security Council (NSC) by former Army general Michael Flynn. Particularly, questions persist as to the role of cabinet officials and the authority of Mr. Flynn himself. Early debates over issues like … Continue reading Tensions and Torture in Flynn’s National Security Council
Category: Military & Defense
Why the United States Should Maintain Civilian Control of Its Nuclear Complex
By: Lauren Prudente, Columnist Photo Credit: PBS During his own presidential campaign in 2011, former Texas Governor Rick Perry infamously forgot the name of the Department of Energy (DOE) when listing the three agencies he would eliminate. Now, Governor Perry is poised to become the next Secretary of Energy, pending Senate confirmation, and has admitted … Continue reading Why the United States Should Maintain Civilian Control of Its Nuclear Complex
Let’s Get Smarter About Controlling Small Arms and Light Weapons
By: Paul Kumst, Columnist Photo Credit: ICRtoP Approximately 535,000 people die of armed violence each year. Seventeen percent of that number, around 90,000 people, lose their lives in conflict zones.[i] These conflicts are fueled by the illicit proliferation of small and light weapons (SALW). Without the tools of armed conflict, such violent escalation wouldn’t be … Continue reading Let’s Get Smarter About Controlling Small Arms and Light Weapons
What CPEC Can Do for Pakistan’s Internal Security
By: Trisha Ray, Columnist Photo Credit: CPEC Official Website The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), part of the “One Belt One Road” (OBOR) project, has been compared by Bloomberg to the Marshall Plan in terms of its potential economic legacy.[i] However, the CPEC’s most enduring legacy will be in the realm of security. Its infrastructural and … Continue reading What CPEC Can Do for Pakistan’s Internal Security
Balancing Neutrality Between Russia and NATO: The Case of Finland
By: William Haynes, Columnist Photo Credit: Deutsche Welle Since the end of World War II, Finland has remained relatively neutral when it comes to military and political relations with Russia and the West. While Finland occasionally works with NATO and cooperates with Russia on trade agreements, it almost never fully commits to aligning with either … Continue reading Balancing Neutrality Between Russia and NATO: The Case of Finland
The Navy in the 21st Century: Threats, Strategy, and Capabilities
Photo Credit: US Navy By: Michael Daly, Columnist Introduction President-elect Trump assumes office at a time of increasing geopolitical complexity. In order to fulfill national objectives, Mr. Trump should task the Navy with developing a strategy and associated capabilities to deal with increasingly capable state and non-state actors. The burgeoning capacity of both groups to … Continue reading The Navy in the 21st Century: Threats, Strategy, and Capabilities
An Open Letter to the US President-elect: Remember One Korea
A child suffering from malnutrition rests in a bed in a hospital in Haeju on Sept. 30, 2011. Editor's note: These images were taken on a government controlled tour. Photo Credit: NBC (Damir Sagolj, Reuters) By: Grace M. Kang, Esq., Guest Contributor Dear President-elect Trump, I urge you, as the next President of the only … Continue reading An Open Letter to the US President-elect: Remember One Korea
The United States Military’s Waning Supremacy
Photo Credit: ABC News By: Patrick Savage, Columnist It’s been over a quarter-of-a-century since the United States has faced an adversary that had a conventional military capacity rivaling our own. Now, a changing geopolitical landscape, coupled with problematic trends in manpower, equipment, and leadership, raise the question of whether the United States is prepared to … Continue reading The United States Military’s Waning Supremacy
Deal or No Deal: What Should Be the Fate of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action?
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons By: Farnaz Alimehri, Columnist The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and the P5+1 has been labeled one of the Obama Administration’s culminating achievements in foreign policy and nonproliferation. Despite the successful negotiation and implementation of this agreement by all parties last year, political divisions in the United States … Continue reading Deal or No Deal: What Should Be the Fate of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action?
Lessons in the Exercise of Soft Power: Oman’s Role in the Middle East
Photo Credit: International Business Times By: Morgan Byrne-Diakun, Editor-in-Chief Given the relative size of the Sultanate of Oman’s economy, population, and military, few typically consider the country’s role in international and regional affairs as more than an afterthought to those of its larger, more powerful neighbors. However, as the Middle East has descended into turmoil … Continue reading Lessons in the Exercise of Soft Power: Oman’s Role in the Middle East