Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Wimbledon 2015

The Wimbledon Championships have begun. Between 2005-2012 (exception of 2011) I was on the player security team. It was a great honor. Here are some videos/photos!

VIDEOS...
Here's me (behind him) escorting Nadal after his victory in 2010
Escorting Elena Vesnina (who is a friend now)

PHOTOS...

DJOKOVIC

ELENA VESNINA
RAFA NADAL

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI


ROGER FEDERER
ROGER FEDERER
ANA INVANOVIC
MARIA KIRILENKO + OVECHKIN

Monday, June 22, 2015

The Baltics, Russia and NATO


I have a piece out tomorrow on NATO's growing credibility-capability crisis. But I also wanted to post this piece in order to point out the specific vulnerabilities faced by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

While a Russian attack on the Baltics would likely center around a semi-covert campaign in the vein of Russia's Eastern Ukraine operations, this is my (very, very basic) illustration (using Google Maps) of the Baltic states vulnerability to a Russian invasion. It is based on my assessment of Russia's military build-up in its Kaliningrad exclave, and Russia's pre-existing military capabilities in its western military district. In the event of a Russian invasion of one or more of the Baltic states, NATO's rapid reaction forces would face rapid encirclement and compression. Reliant on Airborne units, and lacking a significant rapid-deployment heavy weapons capability, NATO would risk being locked against the Baltic Sea. To counter this threat, NATO must urgently boost its combined arms presence in Poland. This would enable NATO forces to encircle Kaliningrad and reinforce NATO units in the Baltics before they were overrun. Please note, I don't mean to play 'war games' with this piece. I just want to point out the obvious vulnerabilities that we face. President Putin must be more effectively deterred.

Please check out links for my previous commentary on Russia: found here.

Sunday, June 14, 2015

Snowden's Seizure

In regards to the Sunday Times reporting on Snowden's information seizure by China/Russia see my piece from last year on 5 Reasons Snowden Is No Hero
Tom Rogan Thinks...

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Anbar Tribes IS Gravitation

Anbari tribes are increasingly (and collectively) gravitating towards IS. This is very, very bad news. I predicted (back in February) that this would occur if the US failed to support those tribes against IS/Iran. President Obama's policy in the Middle East, as I've noted before, is an unmitigated disaster. He's ceding the Middle East to Iran, to IS, and to unmitigated chaos. Oh... and he's inviting a nuclear arms race.

President Obama and Foreign Policy Respect

Monday, June 1, 2015

A short follow-up thought on FIFA...

Just wanted to pen a quick piece on how FIFA’s establishment ‘leaders’ – like Jack Warner and Sepp Blatter etc. - are reacting to the indictments issued last week. In my opinion, these individuals are human skunks. Their stench has long been nauseating. And yet, because they've been allowed to operate without judicial challenge until now, their arrogance has become defining. They believe themselves to be untouchable. Case in point... Mr. Warner has released a YouTube sermon that blames his indictment on U.S. anger at losing the 2022 World Cup to Qatar. In his weird video (with soundtrack overlay...), Warner advised the FBI to, Take your losses like a man, and go.”

Of course, as I noted last week, ''hosting the World Cup in Qatar is like hosting the Super Bowl on a middle school soccer field built by slaves. That is, if that soccer field was based in the searing heat of California's Death Valley. And was surrounded by religious fanatics shouting at women and those bringing alcohol to the game.'' While Qatar's unsuitability for the World Cup has always been unambiguous (watch the video below), Warner and co. are refusing to show any remorse for their malfeasance. In return, investigators will simply redouble their scrutiny of FIFA dealings. Expect special attention towards the $1.58 billion in marketing income that FIFA received from the 2014 World Cup. 

Nevertheless, the arrogance of FIFA leaders reflects their utter unworthiness for the critical roles with which they're entrusted. Amusingly, this truth is  encapsulated by the song with which Warner overlays his sermon. It's the theme tune to "Inception''. A movie about a reality built upon dreams. It suits FIFA officials perfectly.