Tag: Afghanistan
Stevenson’s army, August 2
– al-Zawahri assassination: CNN has the tick tock; Fred Kaplan has analysis.
– Pelosi going to Taiwan: Tom Friedman criticizes; White House warns China; Senators Menendez and Graham file big bill on Taiwan policy.
– Sen. Hawley opposes NATO membership for Sweden and Finland, another example of eroding US support for countering Russia policy.
– RUSI analyst has revealing comments on Russian military problems
– Lawyer worries about unintended consequences of new security assistance law.
My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I republish here. 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).
Stevenson’s army, July 25
– Yale prof says Russian economy is hurting.
– Politico details fights over size of the Navy.
– Politico has more on AIPAC-related campaign involvement.
– Task & Purpose tells of new documentary with Afghan vets.
My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I republish here. 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).
Stevenson’s army, June 14
Charlie isn’t the only one distracted. I’ve been failing to post while vacationing with extended family in Asheville, NC. He writes today:
I haven’t forgotten you. I’ve been busy and the news isn’t very newsworthy. Mostly more of the same — in Ukraine, where Russian artillery is laying waste the land they want to seize; in NATO, where Turkey is still a roadblock to Sweden and Finland; in the Pacific, where US & China are trading angry words. At least in Congress, there’s the drama of the Jan. 6 hearings.
Some other items: Chaos in Iraqi politics.
– WSJ says some former Afghan officials are living the high life.
– WOTR gives good reasons not to ignore Africa.
– And SAIS Resident Fellow James Mann says a new book about the founder of the John Birch society has lessons for how the GOP might deal with Donald Trump.
My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I republish here. 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).
Stevenson’s army, June 3
– Ceasefire in Yemen and increased oil output paves way for Biden trip to Saudi Arabia.
– Politico explains the bureaucratic shuffles to manage China policy.
– CNA Russia expert says it’s down but not out in Ukraine. And on WOTR has numerous details on Russian military.
– Islamic State attacking beyond Afghanistan.
– State corrects website on Taiwan.
– More details on China tariff review.
– Facts wrong on critical infrastructure.
– DPRK heads disarmament group? What’s wrong with this picture?
My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I republish here. 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).
-Fred Kaplan enjoyed new Top Gun movie, but raises many technical points.
Stevenson’s army, May 7
– The best case I’ve seen for Commandant Berger’s radical restructuring of the US Marine Corps is this WOTR piece by a Chief Warrant Officer.
– Peter Baker has newer, more disheartening statistics on our hyperpartisanship: the number of Americans who don’t want their kids to marry outside their party has grown.
– In FT, Simon Schama summarizes Ukraine’s history.
– Taliban are reimposing the burqa.
– TPM has more from the Esper memoir.
– WSJ sees careful distinctions in US intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
– Study in FP shows where foreign aid goes.. According to our calculations, of the $51 billion in U.S. aid tracked by ForeignAssistance.gov in fiscal 2020, about 40 percent was spent by the U.S. government itself to buy goods and pay salaries, for example. Another 20 percent was administered by U.S.-based firms and nonprofits. A little more than 30 percent went to international organizations—the United Nations and other multilateral bodies—and international NGOs. Of the small remainder, foreign firms and nonprofits, mostly based in recipient countries, received just above 5 percent. That leaves partner country governments in the developing world the recipients of just 3.9 percent of U.S. aid spending. Take out Jordan, which receives a large part of U.S. bilateral development aid, and that drops to a mere 0.7 percent.
My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I republish here. 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).
Stevenson’s army, April 11 and 12
April 12:
– Atlantic has a long piece arguing that much of the distrust of government and each other in America is the product of social media.
– WaPo says Putin’s behavior is linked to his hubris and isolation.
– CNN reports Russia’s first default on foreign debt.
– Reuters says Taiwan has issued its first civil defense survival handbook.
– Defense News reports State push to gain more control over security assistance. It references SFRC testimony by Jessica Lewis and Mara Karlin.
– FP says Afghan resistance plans a spring offensive.
April 11 Charlie posted these long reads:
– Trump’s Russia advisers talk to NYT
– WSJ says too many US-trained troops are launching coups in Africa.
– WaPo says Chinese propaganda helps Russia.
– FT says Chinese businesses are buying strategic islands.
– Politico finds Twitter thread exposing poor pay at foreign policy think tanks.
My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I republish here. 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).