A friend and colleague who for some reason wishes to remain nameless offers some thoughts on the uses and abuses of unmanned aerial vehicles. -Jeffrey If we’ve learned anything from Sen. Rand Paul’s Senate-floor soliloquy, it’s that equal parts bluster and bladder are the makings of modern cultural heroism. Actually, we’ve learned that the Obama …
Heading for the Wire on US-ROK 123
by | 2013-03-10 | 1 Comment
The Republic of Korea and the United States are running out of time to finish negotiations on a bilateral agreement for nuclear cooperation. The current agreement from 1974 expires next March. The conventional wisdom is that because the U.S. Congress requires 90 days of continuous session to review a finished agreement before entry-into-force, the two …
The Well Read Wonk
by | 2013-03-09 | 19 Comments
Mastery of technical detail without an understanding of history is like learning to ride a bicycle without wheels. Ergo, The Evolution of Nuclear Strategy by Lawrence Freedman is must reading for aspiring wonks. The paperback on my bookshelf dates back to 1983; help yourselves to the third edition. Freedman acknowledges that “strategy” and “nuclear weapons” …
Drone Strikes in Pakistan
by | 2013-03-02 | 32 Comments
Drones provide essential surveillance, thereby helping to protect US forces and national security interests. Drone strikes are meant to serve the same purposes, but they have become a recruiting tool for militancy. Are drone strikes necessary, and if so, under what criteria? Do the current pattern and number of drone strikes advance or harm US …
