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Category Archives: China
Global Shipping: Can New Technology Leapfrog China’s Dominance?
I recently participated in a Council on Foreign Relations Task Force on Space. It concluded, not surprisingly, that the US must prioritize all elements of US space development or risk ceding leadership to China. The world now depends on space assets for … Continue reading
Posted in Allies, China, Global Shipping, Industrial Policy, Maritime Dominance
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Global Tensions Seen from Oslo
During a recent week in Oslo, I had the opportunity to talk with a variety of actors in government, defense industry, finance, military, and old friends. Perspectives seem to have evolved since my last visit about a year earlier. More worry … Continue reading
Posted in China, NATO, Putin, Russia, Space
Tagged China, NATO, Norway, Norwegian Defense, Russia, Stoltenberg, Ukraine
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Houthis in Space, or: Ruining it for All Mankind
The acceleration of commercial, military and scientific space activities in recent years has been astonishing. Technology has evolved to point where space-based activities are demonstrably very lucrative. Satellites in low earth orbit are increasing exponentially (really, see chart below). Launch costs have plummeted and capabilities … Continue reading
A Houthi State on Bab al-Mandab?
Can the UN Security Council accept a settlement of the Yemen conflict which does not mandate adherence to Freedom of Navigation? It appears the Houthi leadership in Sana’a aspires to be to the Bab al-Mandab, as Egypt is to the … Continue reading
Unavoidable Elements of the Ukraine Crisis
Western policy to prevent further Russian aggression in Ukraine is hobbled by a few inescapable problems. The government in Ukraine is weak from the top down. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is no Vladimir Putin. While they both stand about 5 … Continue reading
Posted in Allies, China, NATO, nuclear weapons, Russia, Ukraine, United Nations
Tagged Lavrov, Putin, Russia, Ukraine, Zelensky
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Taiwan is to Xi Jinping as Ukraine is to Vladimir Putin…
This analogy is too simple, but helps to think about the vise jaws that the Biden Administration now finds itself between. The similarities: Both Xie and Putin have maneuvered to be in power for the foreseeable future. The duration of … Continue reading
Posted in Allies, China, Cyber Threat, Elections, Intelligence, NATO, Russia, Ukraine
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Bill Burns – A Glimmer of Hope
Finally there is some ground for imagining a glimmer of hope in Afghanistan. CIA Director Bill Burns is reported to have met with Taliban leadership in Kabul Monday. Burns is exactly the right person with, hopefully, the right amount of … Continue reading
Posted in Allies, China, Intelligence, Russia, Terrorism
Tagged Afghanistan, Bill Burns, China, Russia, Taliban
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The New CIA Director
Ambassador William J. Burns is a great and timely choice to head the CIA. He will assure that the Administration has the intelligence collection and analysis for the critical security issues facing the United States. He is a long time … Continue reading
Posted in Allies, China, Cyber Threat, Elections, Intelligence, Iran, Russia, Uncategorized, WMD
Tagged Bill Burns, China, Russia
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The Most Hyperbole In the History of the Galaxy, Or, Does Democracy in America Really Hang by a Thread?
The recurrent statements following the chaos of January 6, were nothing, if not cataclysmic, i.e. “democracy hangs by a thread!” Unfortunately, foreign friends and allies tend to watch events in Washington via television like everyone else. On multiple occasions conversations … Continue reading
Posted in Allies, China, Elections, journalism coverage, NATO, Russia, Uncategorized, United Nations
Tagged Reporting Hyperbole
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Understanding the Dataverse: Beirut Explosion and the future of Intelligence Collection/Analysis
As a thought experiment to see what’s coming in intelligence collection and analytics, consider the forensics associated with the recent Beirut disaster. The event itself was obviously detected instantly by witnesses all over the city. And instantly, decision makers needed … Continue reading
Posted in China, Cyber Threat, Financial Wars, Industrial Policy, Intelligence, NSA, Space, Ukraine
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