Criminalized States and Terrorist-Criminal Pipelines By Douglas Farah The FARC, Venezuela and Iran 07/26/2011 - While the transnational trafficking and financial operations of the Sinaloa cartel are important, the FARC alliances and actions offer an important look at the use of non-state criminal/terrorist armed groups by a criminalized state. The…
An Interview with Joel Malone F-35As at Edwards AFB June 2011 (Credit: Lockheed Martin) 07/25/2011 - The shift from the F-16 to the F-35A for the USAF will provide significant capability to improve operational performance and operational tempo. In an interview with Joel Malone, the shift was discussed and analyzed.…
The Future Naval Service Posture and the Need for a Reinvigorated Revolt of the Admirals By Vince Martinez Here we go again… 07/25/2011 - It seems we are in familiar territory again—collectively diving head first into a looming post-war era of demobilization, retrofit and reset. Coupled with a decreasing defense…
07/22/2011 Criminalized States and Terrorist-Criminal Pipelines By Douglas Farah The Changing Landscape of West Africa and Latin America 07/18/2011 - While the commodities for weapons trade was lucrative to the participants and costly in terms of human life and the financing of criminal and terrorist organizations, recent developments in the…
07/22/2011: In late June 2011, Second Line of Defense visited McGuire Air Force Base and was briefed on the 621st Contingency Response Wing resident to the 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force. This unique asset operates globally to create airfields on demand to support the USAF’s ability to insert force worldwide…
By Dr. Richard Weitz 07/22/2011 - Although Iran’s recent announcement that it wanted to create its own national Internet separate from the rest of cyberspace represents the most visible threat to an open and free global Internet, the State Department’s Internet Freedom agenda faces major challenges in the former Soviet…
07/21/2011 - While Senator McCain is tweeting about one trillion dollar “support costs” for the F-35, the good citizens of Arizona have a much more sensible and realistic outlook. Just another disconnect between those breathing the air inside the beltway and folks who live in the real world. And by…
By Ed Timperlake 07/21/2011 - The F-35C for the Marines makes little sense –the sine-qua-non of Marine Aviation is first and foremost support the 0311 Rifleman. Tethering the Marine tactical fixed wing to a CBG, which may or may not be available as needed, or a long airfield, which again…