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Last week I had the pleasure of helping lead a staff ride of Operation Albion for the Baltic Defence College. Especially for people with an interest in amphibious operations, Albion is one of the best case studies history offers.
In Operation Albion, which was carried out in early October 1917 – our staff ride duplicated its [...]
Filed under: War
Those who have been hoping that J Street would develop into pro-Israel lobby free of many of the objectionable features of AIPAC should think twice. J Street’s Executive Director Jeremy Ben-Ami has just released a statement on Iran which I will reproduce in full: “J Street supports the thoughtful and nuanced approach to Iran sanctions legislation [...]
Filed under: War
Which allowed everyman to safely manage large explosions.
While living in Europe I knew many Scandinavians and found them particularly free from guile. The awarding of the Nobel Peace prize to Barack Obama makes me wonder, however. Are they trying to make the man fit the suit that they bought for him? Do they think he [...]
Filed under: War
This morning I came across the Kipling poem “Arithmetic on the Frontier,” which I had probably not read since college. It was written in 1886 after the Second Afghan War.
A scrimmage in a Border Station—
A canter down some dark defile—
Two thousand pounds of education
Drops to a ten-rupee jezail—
The Crammer’s boast, the Squadron’s pride,
Shot like a [...]
Filed under: War
Impending today are two of the most critical decisions Barack Obama will ever make, which may determine the fate of his presidency, as well as the future of the United States in the Near and Middle East.
The first is whether to approve Gen. [...]
Filed under: War
The headline of the September 23 Washington Post read, “Less Peril for Civilians, but More for Troops.” The theme of the article was that restrictions General Stanley McChrystal has imposed on the use of supporting arms in Afghanistan, with the objective of reducing Afghan civilian casualties, have increased American casualties. The Post reported that since [...]
Filed under: War
I disagree with Michael Lind about many things, but in his new Salon essay he provides the best short description I’ve seen of how the makers of U.S. foreign policy think:
The Pax Americana strategy requires its supporters to exaggerate the power and malevolence of the designated enemies of the Pax Americana: Russia, China and Iran. [...]
Andrew Bacevich has a piece up at the Washington Post arguing that the U.S. should approach the war on terror like the Cold War; specifically we need a new doctrine of containment, which for Bacevich means everything from decapitation strikes (though not ones that kill civilians — as if any decapitation can be clean) to [...]