Following allegations that U.S. special operations forces have captured, tortured, and killed Afghan citizens, Afghan president Hamid Karzai has ordered U.S. special forces out of Wardak Province. An Afghan government spokesman said that the allegations targeted Afghan citizens working with U.S. special operations, but all international special operations have been halted in Wardak, which is [...]
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Iran’s Shifting Posture on Syria
Stabilizing the Resistance Axis by Gary H. Johnson, Jr. and Caitlin Barthold “A number of members of the Qods Force are present in Syria, but this does not constitute a military presence.” -Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari Iranian military presence in Syria, even in an advisory and ‘intellectual’ role, has major implications for the region. [...]
Modifying Pakistan’s Behavior
Secretary Clinton’s Haqqani Diplomacy One of the main goals of statecraft and diplomacy is to affect behavior changes in state and non-state actors via the application of leverage. The timing of the decision to designate the Haqqani Network as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) at the State Department represents a case study in Secretary Clinton’s [...]
U.S. embassy, consulate attacked in Middle East on 9/11 anniversary
On the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a heavily-armed group of Islamists assaulted the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, killing four Americans, including the U.S. Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens. At least one consulate building was looted and burned down. Muslim protestors also climbed the wall surrounding the U.S. Embassy in Egypt, capturing [...]
Iran using Iraqi airspace to supply Syrian military
Iran is using an Iraqi air corridor to ferry military supplies to the Syrian government. The U.S. pressured the Iraqi government to shut down such flights through their airspace earlier this year, but flights resumed in July. In addition to the flights, Iran reportedly has provided Syria with a cargo plane while Iranian operatives train [...]
Top US general wants no part in Israeli strike on Iran
Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated that he does not want to be complicit in a possible Iranian military strike on Iran’s nuclear reactors. The general stated that an attack would undermine the international pressure on Iran to halt their nuclear weapons program. He also stated that Iran’s diplomatic window [...]
Senate conducting hearings on Law of the Sea Treaty
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee recently conducted a hearing on the Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST). The committee’s website has the video footage of the hearing. The entire video is worth watching, but of particular interest is when Sen. Chris Coons asks Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey whether not [...]
Fighting the War of Ideas Like a Real War
This ground-breaking monograph departs from the conventional view of public diplomacy and international communication in time of war and argues for deploying messages as weapons of attack against the terrorists and other extremists. Proposing an immediate-term strategy that requires no bureaucratic reorganization or major budgetary changes, Fighting the War of Ideas like a Real War [...]
Pending firearms legislation in the 112th Congress
[Note: This list is partial and under development.] H.R. 308, S. 32 – Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act H.R. 496 – Securing Citizens’ Protection at Federal Events Act H.R. 505 – Keep Kids Safe Act of 2011 H.R. 591 – Gun Show Loophole Closing Act of 2011 H.R. 1506, S. 34 – Denying [...]
S.34: Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2011
[Note: this preliminary report has been borrowed from the Gun Owners Association and the National Rifle Association.] This bill would allow the Attorney General to prohibit you from owning firearms by placing your name on a “watch list” and notifying you of that fact. The Attorney General doesn’t need to tell you (or a court [...]
