Friday, November 30, 2018

NATO air, Elizabeth Warren

The American, British, and French air forces just simulated strikes against Russian forces. NATO interoperability training aims to resist Russia’s blitzkrieg strategy.

Elizabeth Warren’s foreign policy vision has about as much value as Warren has Native American blood. The senator’s speech to American University was a joke.


Thursday, November 29, 2018

Macron-Merkel, Israel myths, Putin meeting, Heather Nauert

Macron and Merkel, no saviors of the west bend before Putin. The two leaders have shown the vacuous nature of their claims to be defenders of liberal order.

The 5 biggest myths in Marc Lamont Hill’s anti-Israel speech. He doesn’t seem to know either the history or the reality of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Why Trump deserves credit for canceling his Putin meeting. And why the Russians will take particular offense at his decision.

Heather Nauert is still in the running for the UN job. A senior administration official tells me that reports to the contrary are wrong.

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Yemen war, Bolton recording, Churchill mopeds, Paris accord

Ending US support for the Saudi war in Yemen is a bad way to help Yemeni civilians. It will achieve the opposite effect: increasing their suffering.

John Bolton is right that there is no value in his listening to the Khashoggi audiotape. The CIA analysis would have been far more beneficial than even a native Arabic translator would offer.

Britain’s Churchillian new tactic for dealing with moped criminals. The cops are knocking the criminals off their bikes. It’s both moral and legal.

Even the EU is treating the Paris climate accord as a joke. The UN has just shown that the political bloc is failing to meet its carbon reduction targets.

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Over There, Ukraine Arms, Paul Manafort, Marine Thanksgiving

Over There, and Britain’s salute to American military service in World War One. This year’s festival of remembrance offered a moving hat tip to America.

PAC-2 and old US warships: how the US can help Ukraine better resist Russian aggression: Provide new military equipment to Ukraine’s military.

The UK very likely knows whether Paul Manafort met Julian Assange in London. British intelligence watches the Ecuadorian embassy like a hawk.

A regal thanksgiving for the Marines in Berlin. The US ambassador to Germany put the few and the proud before high society guests.


Monday, November 26, 2018

Putin Ukraine, Navy Azov, Democratic disarmament

Why Putin is messing with the Ukrainians and how the US should respond. The key is to prepare new sanctions with the European Union.

Sending the US Navy into the Sea of Azov is a very bad idea. The Russians will go to war over the issue and the US lacks the strategic interest to justify the costs involved.

House Republicans must resist Democrats dangerous nuclear disarmament plans. The defense of the nation depends on a survivable, modern nuclear triad.

Friday, November 23, 2018

Matthew Hedges, Tech breakup, Tulsi Gabbard

Trump should pressure the UAE and the Saudis to release Matthew Hedges. The UAE is detaining the Briton in order to pressure London. Now more than ever, Trump shouldn't stand for it.

No, don't break up the tech companies. There is no good rationale to do so, and the contentions that suggest otherwise are built on false ideas.

Assad apologist Tulsi Gabbard is an unlikely spokesperson for foreign policy morality. The member of Congress is a joke.



Special Report

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Military authority, Trump oil, India Russia, John Roberts

Yes, Trump has the authority to use military force at the border. The statutory and precedence-based authorities are clear.
Give Trump a little credit for lower oil prices, but not all of it. Other factors are also playing into the positive trend lines.
Trump must go big to draw India further into America’s corner. Russia continues to win favor in New Delhi with its arms sales.
The president would be wise to learn from Chief Justice John Roberts’ rebuke. The judiciary is necessarily independent and Trump can do little to alter that.

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Trump Khashoggi, China dream, Russia Interpol, Pakistan rebuke, Ivanka emails

Trump’s statement on Khashoggi serves US national interests. Here’s why it would be a mistake to burn the relationship with Mohammed bin Salman.

Via the New York Times, a crazy dream from China. Nuking the idea that a poor 18 year-old in China now has better chances than a poor 18 year-old in America.

If Vladimir Putin’s crony becomes president of Interpol, we should nominate al-Baghdadi to lead the UN. Okay, maybe not. Still, the Interpol situation is a joke.

Pakistan has no grounds to challenge Trump’s rebuke of its counterterrorism policies. The reality is that Pakistan has flirted with terrorists for far too long.

3 big distinctions between the email conduct of Ivanka Trump and Hillary Clinton. Trump’s actions were far less capricious and dangerous to America.



Monday, November 19, 2018

Trump OBL, Democratic delusions

Actually, Trump has a point about the bin Laden raid. But not about McRaven. Here’s the detail on the right and wrong of Trump’s Twitter attack.

Why the 2016 Democratic voter tally delusion is so worrying. It represents partisan delusion in dominion over facts.

Friday, November 16, 2018

American nationalism, Australia Japan, Bannon Oxford, Brexit coup

American positive-nationalism is neither new nor immoral. History proves that.

Australia, Japan, and a new linchpin in the American security alliance. We should welcome the meeting of Abe and Morrison in Darwin on Friday.

Steve Bannon, Oxford University, and the intellectual fallacy of the left’s no platform agenda. The Oxford Union was right to invite the former Trump adviser.

Brexit, and how not to do a coup. The Conservative Party MPs plotting to overthrow Theresa May are not doing a very good job of it.

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Turkey, Theresa May

The real reason the US wants to placate Turkey over Khashoggi’s killing. The US fears Turkey releasing evidence that shows Mohammed bin Salman as culpable.

Why Theresa May will likely survive the Brexit struggle. The prime minister is under great pressure but no obvious unifying replacement stands out.


Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Avigdor Lieberman, China Uighurs, Brexit blockers, CNN vs. USSS, Trump Brexit

Why defense minister Avigdor Lieberman resigned from Israel’s government and what Netanyahu might do next. The government is wracked by disagreement over handling Hamas.

Congratulate Marco Rubio and Bob Menendez for their legislative attack on China. The specific focus on the Uighur people is befitting of American leadership.

The 3 political blocs that might sabotage Theresa May’s Brexit plan. They have very different ideologies on many issues, but each has its own reason for hating May’s plan.

CNN should withdraw its inclusion of the Secret Service in its lawsuit against the White House. The protective agency was only following necessary protocols.

President Trump should endorse Theresa May’s Brexit plan. Doing so will signal great support for America’s closest ally at a time of great need.

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

North Korea, Trump Macron, Secret Service, MSNBC

Why Trump's latest North Korea tweet was a bad error. It informs Pyongyang and Seoul (and Beijing, Moscow) that Trump has low expectations of better conduct.

Trump's criticism of France and Macron: a tale of the good, the bad, and the ugly. Trump should qualify his comments to that which serves American interests.

Why Trump's Secret Service excuses for avoiding the WW1 ceremony don't add up. The reality of Secret Service and HMX-1 capabilities speaks to a different reality.

Appearance on Morning Joe discussing President Trump's tweets on President Macron (2m27s mark) and the future of GOP (10m25s mark). You can watch here

Monday, November 12, 2018

Israel-Hamas conflict, Macron-Merkel and American order, First World War

Why a new Israeli conflict with Hamas will be short, and fought on Israeli terms. In basic terms, expect a lot of air power.
Macron, Merkel, and why international order remains the American preserve. The French and Germans talk a big game, but that’s all they do.
Remember the horrors of the First World War. It was a conflict defined by idiocy, that took much and delivered little.

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Why Trump fired Sessions and what acting Attorney General Whitaker must do now. The acting AG must protect the Judiciary’s independence and ensure Mueller continues his work unhindered.
Egypt takes a step towards greater regional stability. President Sisi’s plan to support Arab defense against Iran is welcome news. And bad news for Russia.
In the midterm elections press conference, Trump shows his best and worst sides.
In new US sanctions on Russia, Vladimir Putin only has himself to blame. The Russians failed to live up to their international obligations regarding chemical weapons.