U.S. Grand Strategy Options

04/29/2012
By Richard Weitz The fifth discussion panel at the April 2012 Army War College Annual Strategy Conference assessed the U.S. grand strategy option in coming years. Nate Freier Mr. Nate Freier of the National War College and the U.S. Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute opened the discussion by presenting the…

Russia and Offensive Nuclear Arms Control: Major Obstacles

04/29/2012
By Richard Weitz Russia’s current Prime Minister and future President, Vladimir Putin, makes evident that the Russian government will not soon follow the Obama Administration towards nuclear disarmament. For example, on February 24, 2012, he told the media that Russia will not make any further unilateral or even bilateral cuts…

The Brazilian Minister of Defense: “We Are Going to Increase Our Resources for National Defense”

04/27/2012
Recently, Brazil became the 6th largest economy and economic growth provides means for enhancing defense capabilities and global presence in dealing with defense. Brazil will boost its military presence in the Amazon region to protect its huge natural resources from any external threat, Defense Minister Celso Amorim told the Senate…

Can Civilian Agencies Pick Up the Slack?

04/26/2012
By Richard Weitz The fourth discussion panel at the April 2012 Army War College Annual Strategy Conference assessed the roles and missions of the U.S. civilian agencies in coming years, especially those of the State Department. Dr. Peter Feaver Dr. Peter Feaver, Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at…

Russia and Nuclear Arms Control: A Way Ahead

04/25/2012
By Richard Weitz U.S. officials say it is too early to begin formal negotiations with Moscow on the next step in nuclear arms control. In the interim, they will concentrate on “doing their homework” on the complexities involved, both within the U.S. government, as a follow-on to the 2010 Nuclear…

Foreign Perspectives on U.S. Strategy

04/24/2012
By Richard Weitz The second panel discussion at the April 2012 Army War College annual strategy conference offered international perspectives on the U.S. role in the world. LTG (UK, Ret) P.R. Newton, Director of the Centre for Strategic Studies at Exeter University in the United Kingdom, discussed the meaning of…

North Korea’s Missile Crisis: The South’s Response

04/22/2012
By Richard Weitz From the perspective of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and its allies, the situation on the Peninsula is extremely unsettling. The DPRK looks set to resume testing its nuclear weapons as well as test launch more long-range ballistic missiles. Together, these capabilities could render the continental United…

Reducing Nuclear Weapons is Not a Limbo Dance

04/21/2012
By Lieutenant General (Retired) Michael Dunn, President, Air Force Association I have been seeing “trial balloons” in the press about the Administration's desire to go to lower numbers of nuclear warheads … beyond those listed in New START. Some of the numbers are as low as 300 warheads. (For example…