Japan in a Nuclear Weapons Neighborhood

10/02/2012
2012-10-01 By Richard Weitz Japanese-U.S. security ties have experienced recurring Japanese worries about strategic abandonment by Washington. Such concerns could be realized either as part of a general U.S. strategic disengagement from East Asian security issues, or by obtaining a denuclearization deal with North Korea, or by deepening ties with…

Re-Shaping the US-Japanese Relationship for the “Dynamic Defense” of Japan

09/30/2012
2012-09-30 By Richard Weitz During the Cold War, the core bargain was that the United States would defend Japan against external attack while the Japanese government would contribute to its immediate self-defense and offer generous financial and other support, including hosting U.S. military facilities on Japanese territory. American strategists consider…

The Eurozone Crisis : An Update

09/30/2012
2012-09-30 By Harald Malmgren Deep divisions between Germany and its fellow Eurozone member governments have kept the ECB relatively paralyzed for the last couple of years. The Long Term Refinancing Operations (LTRO) did provide 3-year liquidity relief to Eurozone banks.  The LTRO enabled Eurozone banks to purchase new issue sovereign…

US Military Presence and the “Dynamic Defense” of Japan

09/30/2012
2012-09-30 By Richard Weitz Although the Japanese-U.S. security relationship has evolved considerably since the end of the Cold War, the fundamental bargain enshrined in their mutual security treaty has remained. The United States will defend Japan from external aggression while the Japanese will facilitate this process by hosting U.S. military…

CTBT Verification Issues

09/27/2012
2012-09-26 By Richard Weitz The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) will have independent instruments for verifying and enforcing the treaty once it enters into force. These will supplement the verification provided by countries’ national technical means such as reconnaissance satellites as well as other intelligence collection systems. Much of the…

Providing Leadership in the Afghan War: In the Words of a USMC Hero

09/26/2012
2012-09-26 We have received the Command Guidance which was issued by Lt. Col. Raible during his time as CO of VMA-211. And we are reprinting it here. The words speak for themselves as to what time of man, leader and Marine he was. [caption id="attachment_45106" align="alignnone" width="198"] Landing at Camp…

Japanese Defense Procurement at a Turning Point

09/26/2012
2012-09-26 by Richard Weitz As Japan moves forward in shaping a 21st century defense strategy, defense procurement reform will become part of the picture. Current policies result in major Japan’s indigenously produced weapons systems, such as tanks and fighter aircraft, ranking among the most expensive in the world. The Japanese…