Cartoon credit: Ruben L. Oppenheimer, 10:23 AM - 7 Jan 2015 President Obama is wrong. Free expression and a free press are clearly not "universal values," as he asserted in his condemnation of the attack on Charlie Hebdo's office in Paris. The … [Read more...] about The Paris Attack
U.S. Policy
Afghanistan – Recent Developments
Left: Confident of victory, before the first round of Afghan elections. General Abdul Rashid Dostum and Ashraf Ghani. Photo: Dostum's Facebook page More than 100 days in office, Afgan President Ashraf Ghani has missed his promised deadline … [Read more...] about Afghanistan – Recent Developments
The U.S. Polity: A Wonky Fit*
The polls tell us that those Americans interested in politics are split almost evenly into two groups: those who approve of President Barak Hussein Obama’s leadership and those critical of it. Further analysis shows something quite basically … [Read more...] about The U.S. Polity: A Wonky Fit*
Weekly Briefing – January 5-9, 2015
The Mystery of the Islamic State - Rachel Ehrenfeld -- Over several months last year, in an effort to understand the Islamic State movement, Maj. Gen. Michael K. Nagata, commander of American Special Operations forces in the Middle East, sought the … [Read more...] about Weekly Briefing – January 5-9, 2015
The Dangers of Bad Tradecraft
Review of Kai Bird: The Good Spy: The Life and Death of Robert Ames. Crown Publishers, New York, 2014, 430 p., $26.00 Kai Bird’s The Good Spy, The Life and Death of Robert Ames is more than a book about Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer … [Read more...] about The Dangers of Bad Tradecraft
No State – For Now. Meanwhile, PA Security Forces Work with Hamas
Left: Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV commentator reports on the graduation exercises of the national security forces' officers' training course. In the background on the left is a poster of Ibrahim Daoud al-Bala'wi, a national security force operative … [Read more...] about No State – For Now. Meanwhile, PA Security Forces Work with Hamas
Obama Losing War on America’s Economy
Whether the fourth quarter 5% growth of the U.S. gross development product [GDP] is a fluke, another wave of the troubled sea of the longest recovery in recent American history, it is evidence of the miraculous strength of the U.S. economy. Some are … [Read more...] about Obama Losing War on America’s Economy
Cybersecurity and the 114th Congress
The Sony hacking served as a national reminder that cybersecurity should be taken more seriously. Thus, the lame-duck 113th Congress passed several cybersecurity acts, which the President signed on December 18. The new laws include: The National … [Read more...] about Cybersecurity and the 114th Congress
ISIS Ongoing Propaganda Campaign
Left: From ISIS video: A French-speaking masked man in the center, flanked by other ISIS operatives Social media continues to serve ISIS propaganda campaign and efforts to recruit in the West, especially among America's black, using Ferguson's and … [Read more...] about ISIS Ongoing Propaganda Campaign
Weekly Briefing – December 15-19, 2014
Left: A North Korean commando on an infiltration training mission to South Korea. Cyberwarfare Threatening U.S. Economy and Free Speech - Rachel Ehrenfeld - Lack of appropriate cybersecurity exposes U.S. vulnerable communications to sophisticated … [Read more...] about Weekly Briefing – December 15-19, 2014