Examining the Options
Deeply concerned over last week’s North Korean missile tests, the Japanese government is reportedly studying its own constitution, to determine if a pre-emptive strike against Pyongyang’s missile sites would violate…
On the Rocks
Kim Jong-il must be chuckling right about now. Almost a week after his provocative missile tests, there is still no regional consensus on what should be done about North Korea,…
Admiral Shanahan Gets it Wrong
Retired Navy Vice-Admiral Jack Shanahan is out with an op-ed (in the Austin American-Statesman) , calling for termination of the Air Force’s F-22 fighter program. Shanahan, who once commanded the…
Leadership Begins at the Recruiting Office
Former Army Private Steven D. Green has entered a not guilty plea to charges of rape and murder in connection with the deaths of a young Iraqi girl and members…
Iran's Gambit
It remains the $64,000 question in the current Middle East conflict? What is Iran up to, and why did it “suddenly” send its proxies from Hamas and Hizballah into war…
NEO
According to the AP, U.S. security teams have arrived at our Embassy in Beirut, the first step in a massive non-combatant evacuation operation (NEO) of 25,000 Americans and dependents from…
Expect Calls for a Cease-Fire…
..to begin in earnest, with preparations for an Israeli invasion of Lebanon clearly underway. AP reports that Israeli troops and armor are massing along the northern border, in preparation for…
Blind Spots
Today’s edition of The New York Times contains a somewhat predictable article, with U.S. and Israeli officials expressing “surprise” at the sophistication and power of Hizballah’s rocket and missile arsenal,…
In Praise of Detention Camps
The first waves of western “evacuees” from Lebanon have begun arriving in the United States and Europe, raising serious–and legitimate–questions about how many Hizballah operatives might be in their midst.…
Insufficient Force?
Despite its brutality, war is–at least for some western nations–a delicate balancing act. Use of excessive force often brings international condemnation, potentially under-cutting support, both at home and abroad. On…