Tag: Defense
Stevenson’s army, May 8
Today marks the 75th anniversary of the end of the war in Europe against Germany. Let us commemorate!
[I remember being in a meeting with then CJCS ADM Thomas Moorer in the early 1970s when he complained: “We never lost a war before we created the Department of Defense, and we haven’t won one since.” Typical Navy attitude: it opposed the creation of DOD and JCS in 1947.]
What next? Politico lists 8 more big dangers top worry about.
Lawfare chiefs are dismayed by the dropping of charges against twice-confessed and twice-convicted LTG Flynn.
US is still pressing South Korea for more money. House Intelligence Committee finally releases Russia probe transcripts.
WSJ says US to pull Patriot missiles out of Saudi Arabia.
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. 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, May 7
-WSJ has a detailed report on how most government agencies are adopting policies to challenge or punish China
A review of the China policies of the Trump administration’s 23 cabinet and cabinet-level officials reveals that nearly all of them have adopted adversarial policies toward China or curtailed cooperation with the country..
– New example: DOD warns of predatory foreign investment in US tech firms.
– As expected Trump vetoed the war powers bill trying to bock a war with Iran. Here’s the veto message. The Senate is likely to fail to override today.
-FP says a Pence aide has been sent to DOD to purge the Department of disloyal officials.
– AP says CDC has been told its phased plan for reopening various activities will be shelved.
– Lawfare reports the partisan divide over remote voting by Congress.
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. 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, May 6
– As you know, I believe in professionalism. So it’s important to study when the amateurs are empowered. Both the Post and the Times have stories today about how the “task force” led by Jared Kushner bungled its job of expediting supplies of medical equipment. The untrained volunteers gave priority to politically connected VIPs .
– VP Pence says the coronavirus task force that has been meeting in the White House will be disbanded. The new focus will be on reopening the country. It sounds like Sen. George Aiken’s [R-Vt] proposal for Vietnam: just declare victory and pull out.[Note that our “tremendous progress” now includes a death rate of one 9/11 every 30 hours — and that by June 1st one forecast says we will suffer one 9/11 every day.]
– Compare that with South Korea’s success story.
– BTW, CJR has a good piece on how to interpret health study stories.
– The president says the US government wasn’t involved, so that must be true. But look at the story of the ragtag force that tried to seize power in Venezuela.
– David Ignatius calls Huawei a paper tiger.
– SecDef Esper says the defense budget will come under attack. [I agree.]
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. 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, May 5
– Several reports cite other governments that dispute the Pompeo claims about the Wuhan lab. See this from the Guardian and this from FP.
-But Post columnist Henry Olsen sees the China issue as good politics.
– Dan Baer proposes an alternative approach.
– Since I made so much of my fight to kill the B-1 when I was a Senate staffer, I feel obligated to send this report on how the plan is still in business.
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. 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, April 28
– “Current and former officials” tell WaPo that the President’s Daily Brief contained a dozen warnings about the coronavirus in Jan & Feb.
-Commerce has expanded the list of products that will now require an export license to China because of potential military applications.
– In a sign that the Supreme Court may duck the issue of congressional subpoenas for Trump’s tax returns, the Court has asked lawyers to submit briefs on whether the matter is a “political question.”
-Daily Beast wonders what happened to Jared Kushner’s shadow task force on coronavirus.
– Risa Brooks sees growing efforts by civilians to politicize the US military.The post has a link to a long article by Brooks in International Security where she sharply criticizes the Huntington model of civilian control. [I agree with her and with Eliot Cohen’s idea of an unequal dialogue.]
-SAIS profs Barno and Bensahel describe how the pandemic will change the US military.
– Brookings has a bunch of products on China and technology.
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. 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, April 27
– In Australia and New Zealand, they seem to have vanquished the virus, at least for now.
– Global military spending is surging.
– WaPo says Trump administration has multi-pronged effort to marginalize WHO.
– In effort to force continued sanctions on Iran, US has told JCPOA signatories that US is still legally part of the agreement.
– Jackson Diehl notes that US has a veto over Israeli annexation.
– CDC says Covid-19 is more complex than previously understood. And the number of basic questions is huge.
– Who deserves to be rescued in the shrinking economy? NYT notes that FDR saved artists.
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. 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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