2017-11-01 By Kenneth Maxwell The declaration of an independent Catalan Republic by the president of the Catalan parliament, Carles Puigdemont, on Friday 27 October, was immediately followed by the imposition of direct rule by Madrid. The Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, following the vote in the Spanish Senate to invoke…
2017-11-06 by Murielle Delaporte The Niger Ambush puts the fight against Islamic terrorists into perspective. During an ambush, in early October in Niger, American and Nigerian soldiers encountered terrorist fighters who caused the deaths of nine of the counter-terrorist forces. It is also a reminder that fighting global terrorism requires…
2017-11-07 Second Line of Defense has underscored the importance of the evolving challenges as well as strategic responses of the Nordics to those challenges. Apparently, Secretary Mattis agrees. Yesterday, he visited Finland and highlighted their contribution to democracy and to the defense of the region. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis applauded…
2017-11-02 By Danny Lam President Trump’s begins a 2 day Visit to PRC on November 8 will be his first occasion to meet President Xi since his anointment as a “core leader” by the CCP. Notwithstanding that this status has been conferred to Mao, Deng, and Jiang before, western “China…
2017-10-09 By Robbin Laird With the cross learning among the combat forces as they shape more effective integrated combat forces to prevail in a contested environment, the business rules need to change to adapt platforms more rapidly to evolving combat requirements. The force will be built around core multi-mission platforms,…
2017-10-07 By Robbin Laird This week has been certainly an interesting one. With Catalonia voting for independence, Spain and the broader European Union face a tough challenge. Clearly, cities and urban regions have become more important as the broader European framework of trade and economic relations have evolved. In many…
2017-09-29 By Danny Lam JCS General Joseph Dunford informed the Senate Armed Services Committee at his Sept 26, 2017 hearing that DPRK is assumed to have the capability to attack the US mainland with a nuclear armed ICBM. While it is not yet proven or demonstrated that North Korea can…
2017-09-29 by Danny Lam Recent PRC and Russian military exercises suggest both preparation for and a policy stance towards the Korean crisis. Sino-Russian exercises this week held outside of Vladivostok and the Sea of Okhotsk included anti-submarine drills with 11 surface ships, 2 submarines, ASW aircraft and helicopters. Drills held September…
