6/7/12: By Richard Weitz Following a controversial public relations campaign, the United States and its allies launched Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) in March 2003. The Iraqi regime collapsed in a few weeks. In addition to searching for weapons of mass destruction, the occupation authorities sought to establish a new Iraqi…
6/6/12: On the Second Line of Defense Forum, we have a regular column which looks at life and language Inside the Beltway. This Memorial Day, Boomer has reflected on the legacy of LBJ and the Inside the Beltway approach to policymaking. by Ed Timperlake On days other then Memorial Day,…
by Robbin Laird The USMC is at the heart of building the agile forces central to the restructuring of U.S. forces overall. As we argued in an op ed on Defense News: Deterring Iran or China revolves around strengthened U.S. power-projection forces. Building for the future is now. We have…
6/3/12: by Robbin Laird The ability of the United States to re-shape its forces for the post-Afghan military world will be difficult. But it is less about money, than about culture change. It is about failing to understand and generate support for the game changing technologies already entering the inventory…
6/3/12: By Richard Weitz From its initial emergence as a British mandate following World War I, to the post-independence monarchy from 1932-1958, through the military coups that ushered in the rule of first the Baath Party in 1968 and then Saddam Hussein in 1979, external threats and internal tensions have…
6/1/12: by Ed Timperlake In a case of Just DON'T do it, the USAF charges backwards. For the USAF acquisition team which can not buy 12 Super Tucanos and get on with it, we have a new rumbling from the den of USAF acquisition. In effect, USAF acquisition says: We…
5/31/12: by Robbin Laird I was saddened to learn of the passing of Joe Fitchett. It is not just a loss of a friend and dialogue partner on the evolution of Europe, but the true passing of an era. Joe was in many ways the representative of a passing era.…
5/30/12: By Robbin Laird I am returning from the two-day event held each year at Airbus Military called the Trade Media Briefing. This one is of course TMB-12. This year, the trade press started in Madrid and then went to Toulouse to hear presentations on the state of play of…
