Section: American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (USA)
America’s Russian nuclear obsession
When the Chinese Communist Party held a huge military parade on Tiananmen Square on September 3, it did more than mark the 70th anniversary of the defeat of Japan. By parading some of China’s most advanced ballistic missiles, it also put America and the world on notice that it has steadily become a major nuclear power. China was jostling...
Russia carries out more Syria strikes in a day than US does in a month
The New York Times has a front page story today describing how Russia is using Syria as a proving ground for its military modernization, demonstrating its new weaponry and showcasing its ability to project military power beyond its borders.Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a meeting with members of the Presidential Council for Civil...
Keeping America secure: Five questions for the presidential candidates
With America’s international influence declining at an ever-faster pace under Barack Obama, the importance of making national security the 2016 presidential campaign’s central issue has increased correspondingly. Although the conventional wisdom of political operatives and commentators is that voters do not pay attention to foreign...
Poland’s security anxiety: From ‘A Hard Look at Hard Power’
The Strategic Studies Institute recently published A Hard Look at Hard Power: Assessing the Defense Capabilities of Key U.S. Allies and Security Partners. Edited by Gary J. Schmitt, codirector of the Marilyn Ware Center for Security Studies at AEI, and featuring contributions from him, AEI scholar Michael Mazza, and others, it fills critical gaps...
Iraqi PM Abadi accuses Obama of a lack of “will,” and may invite Russia to bomb ISIS
In an interview with France 24, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi accused President Obama of a lack of “will” in the fight against the Islamic State, and complained that Obama had failed to deliver the “massive air power” he had promised. Abadi further said that while he has not yet discussed Russian intervention in Iraq, he “would welcome”...
Why we shouldn’t let Russia fight the Islamic State
Donald Trump says: “Let [Russia] get rid of ISIS. What the hell do we care?” It is a fair question. What harm could come from letting Russian President Vladimir Putin take on this fight for us in Syria?The answer is: plenty.First, Russia is not fighting the Islamic State. According to the Institute for the Study of War, the Russian strikes have...
How we get to World War III
NATO’s SecGen Jens Stoltenberg today warned the Russians about their violation of Turkish airspace in ongoing Russian air operations over Syria. It was only the latest warning from NATO about Russian violations of various NATO nations’ airspace and assorted other antics. But today’s incursion — which prompted a nasty threat from...
Supping with Putin in Syria
What’s so bad about Russia’s declared intention to bomb ISIS in Syria? “What difference does it make,” to quote Mrs. Clinton out of context, if the bombs drop from Russian planes or from US, French or British ones? Isn’t the enemy of my enemy my friend?Whether playing devil’s advocate or just pursuing journalistic due...
Putin unleashed
This article appears in the October 12, 2015 edition of The Weekly Standard (Vol. 21, No. 5).By any objective measure, Russia has made a strategic decision to challenge America for dominance in the Middle East. Despite depressed global oil prices and economic sanctions intended to curb his Ukraine adventurism, Vladimir Putin is pursuing an...
Putin’s air strikes in Syria are merely the latest example of the Obama Doctrine’s failure
If the humiliation of the Obama administration continues at this rate, by this time next week you should expect to see Secretary of State John Kerry on all fours at the United Nations, getting paddled by the Russian foreign minister and shouting, “Thank you, comrade! May I have another?”On Monday, President Obama and Vladimir Putin had a meeting...
