The Most Important Country No One Talks About
Once a peripheral power, Indonesia, which will elect a new president on February 14, is now a regional fulcrum the U.S. cannot afford to ignore. / Read here
Seth Cropsey writes: Alliance management is an unending task, requiring all parties to have a consistent self-image. Saudi Arabia lacks that, making it an unfit balancing partner. Washington has a self-image, but one that is dominated by clichés about rebalancing and dubious uses of historical analogy. A new Middle East may be possible, but this is not the way. Sober considerations of the national interest, not quick fixes, must guide American and Israeli policy. The best choice, for Israel and for the U.S., is to wait until Saudi Arabia possesses a coherent identity and then see if it can be incorporated into an entente. – The Hill
Fawzi al-Zubaidi writes: These steps constitute a road map to restore Iraq as a normal state in the eyes of the international community. If Sudani succeeds in implementing these steps by handling them as a single package of “indivisible” measures and policies, Iraq could make a quantum leap in its modern history, accelerating the rebuilding and development of the entire country. However, Iraq’s failure to implement these obligations and steps will open the door to chaos, conflict, and further division. – Washington Institute
Hamdi Malik and Michael Knights write: Signs of real tension between HaN (including its offshoots AK and the Iraqi Basij) and other muqawama and Coordination Framework actors require ongoing, detailed monitoring. New efforts by the Iraqi Basij to hold protests or other events in the two main shrine cities would indicate continued defiance; the same message might be conveyed if AK aggressively regrows its Telegram channel (probably via paid bots). It will also be interesting to see whether AK and the Iraqi Basij try to damage AAH electoral campaigns in the leadup to this December’s provincial elections. – Washington Institute
China’s crude oil imports from top exporter Saudi Arabia are expected to remain depressed through the third quarter, analysts said, after its customs office reported inbound shipments from the kingdom fell to their lowest in 13 months in July. – Reuters
Addiction to captagon, an amphetamine-type pill nicknamed the “poor man’s cocaine,” has been a serious problem in Gulf Arab states — especially among Saudi Arabia’s youth, with one Saudi commentator speaking recently of a “devastating amount of poison” being brought to the kingdom. – Bloomberg Ethan Bronner writes: A deal is being negotiated that, if completed, would result in Saudi Arabia, for the first time, establishing warm relations with Israel. The main thing the Saudis would get in exchange — security guarantees — wouldn’t come from Israel but from its closest ally — the US. Israel, a high-tech power, would play a major role in ambitious Saudi plans to move its economy beyond oil. It would also be expected to make concessions to the Palestinian self-ruling authority in the West Bank. The US would regain some of its influence over Saudi Arabia, stemming efforts by China to expand its sway in the Middle East. The deal offers significant rewards to all four governments, not least of them additional ways of dealing with Iranian military activity in the region. But the prospect of the pact stirs populist forces among all of their constituencies, posing risks to those in power. – Bloomberg
Russia’s and China’s Economic Eclipse Proves the US System Is Still the Best
Desmond Lachman | New York Post We should be grateful that despite all its imperfections, the United States’ democratic and free-market economic system allows it to continue being the high-tech innovative envy of the world and offering its citizens a continually rising standard of living. Full Story
Global Jihad: Al Qaeda and the Islamic State’s Struggle for Power and Global Dominance
Katherine Zimmerman | Routledge
Revealing A Better Way Of Solving The World's Problems | Bjorn Lomborg
interview with Bjorn Lomborg via The Rubin Report Hoover Institution fellow Bjorn Lomborg talks about efficient solutions for global problems; the need to prioritize spending on the most effective solutions to address issues such as climate change, poverty, education, and health care; and several cost-effective solutions. The controversy surrounding recent judicial reforms reflects deep and longstanding divisions on the role courts in Israeli society. READ MORE › China’s Dangerous Secrets By Brahma Chellaney, The Strategist (ASPI): “It’s well known that China has the world’s largest navy and coastguard—the result of a tenfold increase in military spending since 1995—which it uses to advance its pugnacious revisionism." Beyond Defense: China’s Pursuit of Unorthodox Force Multipliers By Ron Matthews & Fitriani Bintang Timur, The Diplomat: “From animal mimicry to neuroscience, there is a hidden arms race underway in areas beyond “defense,” as traditionally understood.” Preparing for Great-Power Conflict The U.S. and Chinese militaries have each been shaped by a distinct set of experiences. How have these experiences affected the way both forces prepare for a potential major-power conflict? Read more » John Gillory’s history of the English department suggests that the future of professional reading may lie elsewhere.
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10 Ways the US Is Falling Behind China in National Security
China’s Real Military Budget Is Far Bigger Than It Looks
It’s Time to Retire the Term “Near Peer” When It Comes to China The US Military Needs More Capital for Capital Assets
China a growing port of call for African naval expansion
Sub-Saharan navies have made striking increases in patrol craft, with China increasingly featuring as a warship supplier. READ MORE
US–India defence and technology cooperation
A US decision to transfer jet-engine technology to India will bolster the United States’ Indo-Pacific strategy while also presenting an unprecedented test of the strength of US–India ties. READ MORE
Kori Schake critically examines ACCIDENTIAL WAR the historical basis for theories ofaccidentalwar.”
Adam J. White surveys four key themes from the Court’s recent decisions and looks to the issues that will shape the Court’s future.
Washington's Four-Point Plan to Take Down the Syrian Narco-Trade
Natalie Ecanow and Matthew Zweig – Al Majalla
Politics Risk Derailing One of America’s Most Important Strategic Agreements
Cleo Paskal – The Diplomat
Government by Reason—or by Passion? On Lincoln and democracy
/ Read here
Defanging Russian Nuclear Threats, by Kori Schake
North Korea’s Hwasong-18 test
North Korea’s second successful test of its solid-fuel Hwasong-18 ICBM takes Pyongyang a step closer to a key objective for its strategic arsenal. READ MORE |
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