Adopting the dubious theory that compromise on the part of the stronger power and appeasement can change the behavior of tyrants, can make them behave more like us, has been at the core of the Obama administration’s foreign policy. Obama declared his … [Read more...] about Defining Down Tyranny
ACD/EWI Blog
The China Policy Dilemma*
There is universal agreement that China is increasingly the U.S.’ No. 1 policy concern. But perhaps never in the history of modern Sinology has there been such difference of opinion about what is happening in China and what – if anything – the U.S. … [Read more...] about The China Policy Dilemma*
July 4, 1941- July 4, 2015
Americans began celebrating July 4th as an official national holiday only after Franklin Delano Roosevelt made it so in 1941. In his radio address to the nation on July 4 of that year, FDR acknowledged a worldwide threat to civilization and to … [Read more...] about July 4, 1941- July 4, 2015
Counterterror Pretense with Undesirable Consequences
Divorced from reality, the Obama administration insists "nobody can claim justifiably that the United States hasn’t had success against terrorist networks." State Department spokesperson Rear Admiral John Kirby announced in a press briefing on July … [Read more...] about Counterterror Pretense with Undesirable Consequences
Iran’s Support of Terrorism
The Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 imposed sanctions on Iran, not only to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons, but also to drain Iran’s financial support for Hezbollah, Hamas, and other terrorist groups that threaten the U.S. and its … [Read more...] about Iran’s Support of Terrorism
When the Syrian pot boils over*
Left: Bashar al-Assad, Reuters When President al-Sisi of Egypt says that Syria's President Assad is finished, it behooves us to listen. We must assume that Egyptian intelligence is very well-informed on the internal Syrian situation. So, if Assad … [Read more...] about When the Syrian pot boils over*
Militarization of China
As the Chinese and the Americans sit down for the seventh of their annual two-day meeting [June 22-24], set up in 2009 to maintain bilateral cooperation despite growing differences, a major transformation of the Chinese regime is a new and worrying … [Read more...] about Militarization of China
The Folly of Islamic de-Radicalization
Left: Saudi ex-prisoners listen to a Muslim cleric at a religious course at an Interior Ministry rehabilitation center north of Riyadh. Upon release, former prisoners are taken to this center for reintegration into society. Establishing … [Read more...] about The Folly of Islamic de-Radicalization
ISIS Update, June 4-11, 2015
The longer the U.S. and its allies dwell on how best to react to the Islamic State, the more time this Islamic plague has to take over territory, treasure, weapons and fighters. The more ISIS terrorists are "martyred" by the limited aerial bombing … [Read more...] about ISIS Update, June 4-11, 2015
It’s Getting Late in the Cyber War
Promises to increase the United States cyber defenses are nothing new, though lately they are made more frequently. On June 9, 2015, just one day after President Obama vowed to "aggressively bolster” our cyber defenses, the U.S. Army official … [Read more...] about It’s Getting Late in the Cyber War