Iraq Today: Failure and Frustration All Round

03/08/2012
By Richard Weitz Ned Parker, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times and currently the Edward R. Murrow Press Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, has written a devastating critique of U.S. policy toward Iraq in the Council’s flagship publication, Foreign Affairs. Although the article, “The Iraq We Left…

An Open Letter to General Schwartz on the Light Air Support Aircraft

03/08/2012
by Ed Timperlake Please do not validate that the AT-6 was compliant when submitted for LAS Solicitation FA8615-10-R-6088” by allowing your investigators to focus exclusively on the end-game selection paperwork. “There will be hell to pay” USAF Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz was recently quoted about possible results depending…

Continuing Coverage of Brazilian Reactions

03/08/2012
by Kenneth Maxwell There was very interesting "op- ed" piece in "Folha de Sao Paulo" published this morning (March 8th) by Claudia Antunes, their chief foreign policy columnist. Claudio Antunes, the chief foreign policy commentator for Brazil's leading newspaper "Folha de Sao Paulo"  in her "op-ed" column today, says that…

Brazil’s Reaction to the USAF “Decision” on the Super Tucano

03/07/2012
by Kenneth Maxwell The decision of the US Air Force to cancel the $355 million contract, to buy 20 Super Tucano Single engine turboprop planes from the Brazilian company Embraer, has been meet with dismay in Brazil. The story has been headlined in the Brazilian press. The Brazilians have attributed…

The USAF and the Afghan Transition: Losing It?

03/07/2012
by Robbin Laird Two decisions close in time interconnect to raise serious questions regarding the role of the USAF in blocking, impeding and making impossible a transition strategy in Afghanistan. At this point, there are three options for US forces in Afghanistan: languish, leave or leverage. The languish options will…

The Missing National Security Cutters: Reducing U.S. Security One Step at a Time

03/04/2012
by Robbin Laird Chris Cavas of Defense News as he often prone to do, was first to report a key development. They’re gone. In a move that could trim about $1.4 billion from its shipbuilding plan, the U.S. Coast Guard lost two of its newest, largest, most capable — and…

Guide to Russian Presidential Candidates

03/03/2012
As a guide to the Russian elections to be held this weekend, Richard Weitz provides a background on the candidates and their positions. Vladimir Putin Vladimir Putin is the current Prime Minister of Russia, the chairman of United Russia, and the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union…

Parsing Putin’s Foreign Policy Treatise

03/02/2012
by Richard Weitz Vladimir Putin, currently Russia’s prime minister and a candidate for the Russian presidency, set out his core foreign policy views in his latest pre-election newspaper article. Unlike most election manifestos, the content of this one seems to reflect Putin’s genuine views and the actual policies he will implement if elected.…