Month: August 2019

Stevenson’s army, August 20

– An Australian think tank says China is strong enough to make surprise military moves.
-The Pentagon suggests China’s SCS buildup has peaked.
– US and Iraqi military and intelligence sources say ISIS is rebuilding.
– And it’s still miserably  hot in DC. The Guardian is right to call the climate changes “global heating.”

My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I plan to republish here. If you want to get it directly, To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).

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Stevenson’s army, August 19

My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes an almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I plan to republish here. If you want to get it directly, follow the instructions below:

– AP says US is in secret talks with the head of the Venezuelan socialist party.
-Axios says Trump has frequently been telling aides he wants a naval blockade of Venezuela.
– New Yorker has a long profile of SecState Pompeo, emphasizing his determination to stay close to Trump.
– Speaker Pelosi says administration efforts to cut foreign aid could jeopardize budget deal. She got a ruling by GAO that the administration cuts were illegal under the budget act.  [Some of you may remember that,years ago, I got Sen. Bentsen to get a similar ruling on the V-22 that blocked a Cheney effort to kill the program. The magic word is rescission.]
– A think tank says Afghans are preparing for civil war.
– Somebody leaked a worst-case analysis of a no-deal Brexit to the Sunday Times. The Guardian summarizes.
– I urge you to read the 1619 Project articles in the NYT Sunday magazine. They have several stories showing how central slavery has been in US history.

To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).

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Stevenson’s army, August 18

My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes an almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I plan to republish here. If you want to get it directly, follow the instructions below:

Wow! Both the Times and Post have lengthy, front-page articles about Stephen Miller. The NYT has more of his background and consistent efforts to limit immigration. The Post details his efforts in the Trump White House and by clever bureaucratic maneuvering throughout the executive branch.
Check out what states win and which lose congressional seats depending on whether only citizens are counted for redistricting.

Despite some presidential candidate calls for ending the Senate’s legislative filibuster, the Post says it’s not likely.That’s good, in my view.
Meanwhile, note the Russian and Chinese efforts to test South Korean air defenses.

Peter Feaver says US civil-military relations may suffer if people conclude that our war in Afghanistan has been a failure.

To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).

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Stevenson’s army, August 17

My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes an almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I plan to republish here. If you want to get it directly, follow the instructions below:

– I’m really troubled by the efforts by Trump and Netanyahu to make US policy toward Israel a partisan matter. I think any member of Congress should be able to visit any country which receives overt US economic or military aid — and aid should be suspended or cut when they can’t.

– FSOs complain that Trump administration is naming far more political appointees than past administrations.

– Axios tells how USTR determined winners and losers from the China tariffs.

– BTW, some good news: the security clearance backlog has been reduced.

To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).

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Stevenson’s army, August 15

My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes an almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I plan to republish here. If you want to get it directly, follow the instructions below:

-A new Pew poll shows sharply negative US views of China over the past 2 years.
– WaPo calls Trump a “bystander” on Hong Kong.
-WSJ says Huawei helps some African governments monitor their opponents.
– Mark Perry notes Gen. Dunford’s retirement — “the last adult” leaving the administration.
Israel may block visit by pro-Palestinian congresswomen.

To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).

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Stevenson’s army, August 14

My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes an almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I plan to republish here. If you want to get it directly, follow the instructions below:

Here’s a thought experiment: What should the US do if China cracks down on the Hong Kong protesters with violent military force? That prospect seems ever more likely. President Trump seems to neutral on the matter.
Some members of Congress, however, are suggesting using or amending the 1992 Hong Kong Policy Act, which authorizes presidential declarations to change US treatment if the territories become “less autonomous,” CRS has background reports on US relations and on the recent protests. Here is State’s most recent report, as required by the 1992 law.China has cancelled US naval port visits to HK.

NYT says Maduro’s military is arresting and torturing officers to maintain control.


NYT also has an outline of US/Taliban agreement,which seems close.
We’ve had many debates in class over the A-10. Here’s the latest.

Off topic but interesting, a long Wired article on Google’s problems.

To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).

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