2012-08-06 by Ed Timperlake And so it begins, yet again: “President Barack Obama has signed a secret order authorizing U.S. support for rebels seeking to depose Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his government, U.S. sources familiar with the matter said. Obama's order, approved earlier this year and known as an…
2012-08-05 By Richard Weitz Turkey views Iraq as a key area of interest and influence. Turkey has several core interests in Iraq: Cultivating ties with the various Iraqi factions, Preventing terrorists from using northern Iraq as a base of operations; Balancing the influence of Iran; Securing access to Iraqi oil…
2012-08-03 In an interview this month with Lt. General Jan-Marc Jouas, Second Line of Defense had a chance to discuss the challenges of defense in the Korean Peninsula. This area remains a key driver for U.S. forces in the Pacific, and any consideration of how to strengthen alliances in the…
2012-08-03 By Richard Weitz Iran had several motives for assisting the Iraqi insurgents during the 2005-2008 period. A first goal was to create a security buffer zone. Many Iranians saw Iraq as their first line of defense against a foreign invasion, considering that many past attacks had come from the west.…
2012-08-02 An Interview with Lt. General (Retired) Charles R. Heflebower Lt. Gen. Charles R. Heflebower was Deputy Commander in Chief, United Nations Command; Deputy Commander, U.S. Forces Korea; Commander, Air Component Command, Republic of Korea and U.S. Combined Forces Command; and Commander, 7th Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, Osan Air…
We have just published the second Strategic Inflection Report. This report focuses upon the Euro crisis and its strategic consequences. The Euro crisis is not simply a financial dynamic. It is the end of a period of history. The confluence of several trend lines: the unification of Germany, the end…
2012-07-30 By Richard Weitz Many consider Iran the ultimate victor of the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. Although the subsequent military occupation of Iraq that ended in 2011 was carried out by the United States and its allies, Iranian influence in Iraq grew tremendously following the elimination of the Saddam…
2012-07-30 By Richard Weitz In recent years, Turkey has become one of the most influential countries in NATO, backstopped by dynamic diplomacy, one of the world’s most powerful economies, and a rough neighborhood whose security vacuum propels Turkish involvement. The Turkish-American relationship has existed for two centuries, but their strategic alliance…
