Stikes against Houthis?, Red Sea-China, Red Sea-security initiative

New force movements suggest U.S.-U.K. strikes against the Houthis in Yemen are increasingly likely. Both nations have deployed previously undisclosed military assets near to Yemen.

U.S. shouldn't protect Chinese shipping in the Red Sea. The Chinese are threatening freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and don't want to support the Red Sea initiative. Why should the U.S. then defend China-serving trade vessels?

Why few nations are actively supporting the maritime security initiative. Put simply, they want the U.S. to do the job for them.

Book review, USMC-Royal Marines

Review: River City One. A novel explores a veteran's struggle to find a place in civilian life.

Why it matters that a U.S. Marine just earned the Royal Marines beret. The USMC Captain also won the best student award and the Commando medal.

China kidnap threats, Hungary-Ukraine

U.S. and allies should warn China over Hong Kong kidnap threats. China is again threatening to kidnap activists living abroad.

Viktor Orban hurts America and helps Russia on Ukraine. The Hungarian prime minister is no American ally.

Philippines, Ukraine, TSA rules, China utilities targeting

Escalating against the Philippines, China attempts to exploit U.S. distraction. The Chinese are moving to isolate a Philippines garrison at the Second Thomas Shoal.

Why the U.S. shouldn't and won't abandon Ukraine. The cost-benefit analysis is clearly in favor of American support.

from Wednesday...

Purge the liquid and laptop ghosts of Ibrahim al-Asiri and Rashid Rauf. The two terrorists might be dead, but they haunt airline passengers from beyond the grave. It needn't be so.

Biden should assure China of excess utilities destruction in war. The Chinese are advancing their reconnaissance of key U.S. utility providers. The U.S. should state it will respond in kind to any such attack.

Zelensky visit to Capitol Hill

What Speaker Mike Johnson should say to Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian leader is in town asking for American aid support.

Prince Harry, Empower

Prince Harry shows he prefers the Second Amendment to the First Amendment. The British Royal is demanding a UK govt. security detail because he says he can't travel to the U.K. safely without it. That's because unlike in the U.S., private security in the U.K. cannot be armed.

Who cares if Empower is unregulated? Uber and Lyft did the same thing. The key is maximal service provision in the ride sharing industry.

Biden can move GOP on Ukraine, College debates on Israel-Hamas

3 things Biden could do to move Republicans on Ukraine aid: border security, brief on what the Russians actually do against the U.S., and push the European to pull their weight.

Colleges should be places of expansive political debate, not subjective censorship. The Israel-Hamas conflict should not be an excuse to censor speech that is highly controversial.

US-Mexico border, Patrick McHenry

The U.S.-Mexico border is now of critical counter-terrorism concern. Iranian-aligned infiltration is growing amid the war between Israel and Hamas.

Republican Patrick McHenry puts China before U.S. military lives. The House Financial Services Chairman is attempting to prevent necessary new legislation on investments in China's tech sector.

Balticconnector, Hamas vs. Palestinians, China internal affairs

The Europeans fail China's pipeline attack test. Beijing appears to have been responsible for destroying a pipeline between Finland and Estonia. The EU reaction? Not much... 

Hamas is the ultimate enemy of the Palestinian people. By its ideological fanaticism and poor governance, Hamas makes Palestinian emancipation far harder to achieve.

China's infernal internal affairs hypocrisy. Beijing claims that it never interferes in internal affairs of others. Meta' recent announcement provides new evidence to the contrary.

Israel war strategy, UAE

The U.S. clearly wants Israel to expand ground force operations at the expense of air strikes. Amid high civilian casualties in Gaza, Blinken is pushing for a change in war strategy.

The UAE shows its duplicity with China kowtowing and COP28 oil deals. The nominal U.S. ally is turning out not to be such a great ally.

Two state solution, Iran militias

A two-state solution remains the U.S. interest when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. That possibility isn't possible today, but it is worth holding to.

Iran's hand shown by suspended attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria. Iran's command and control over militias, whether toward force or silence is striking.

Sunak on Greece/Argentina vs. China, UK Navy posture

Rishi Sunak's government waves silly sticks at Greece and Argentina, and carrots at China. Facing an election and down in the polls, Sunak is using foreign policy to bolster his populist standing.

From last week...

U.K. admiral helps U.S. with naval posture. The head of the Royal Navy is holding his forces in contingency role rather than deploying them for deployment's sake. This approach would be valuable in a war with China or Russia.

Al Shifa hospital

Israel's justified action at Al-Shifa hospital. It is absurd to suggest that Hamas can operate safe havens in a combat support role.

Bin Laden's letter, GOP vs. First Amendment, MTG vs. FBI

Consider Osama bin Laden's full letter to America, not TikTok videos. The nature of bin Laden and al Qaeda ideology goes far beyond the simplistic notion of 'anti-colonialism' etc.

From Wednesday...

GOP presidential hopefuls sour on the First Amendment. All of the top candidates have shown concerning disregard for key First Amendment facts.

Marjorie Taylor Green condemns FBI director for upholding the First Amendment. The Congresswoman wants the FBI to investigate her political opponents simply for holding controversial views.

Biden-Xi meeting, Israel's post-war Gaza plans

Four key things Biden should say to Xi. Technology transfers, military accidents, treaty allies and issue centric engagement.

Israel's very poor options for governing post-war Gaza. The opportunity for a government that finds legitimacy from Palestinians and supports Israeli security is not obvious.

David Cameron, Hezbollah and U.S. vs. Israeli calculations

Why pro-China David Cameron is the new U.K. foreign secretary. The former prime minister's appointment is likely down to three Rishi Sunak priorities: domestic politics China engagement and experience.

How U.S. and Israel interests divide against Hezbollah. Israel has an interest in maximal deterrence, the U.S. has an interest avoiding being dragged into war.

Israel-Hamas war

U.S. should support these humanitarian efforts, not a ceasefire. Israel must degrade Hamas and restore deterrent credibility in the region. But so also must additional efforts be made to protect civilians.

Free speech

Free speech must not be a victim of Israel-Hamas war. The First Amendment makes clear that even hateful speech is protected. It must remain that way.

Jordan, Iran terrorism

Why Jordan cannot be ignored. The U.S. ally deserves to be heard.

Biden risks encouraging Iranian terrorist attacks. The weak response to Iranian proxy rocket strikes on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria risks fueling Tehran's escalation calculus.

Iran deterrence, State Department dissent

Iran is not threatened by US submarine deployment. Although Iran appears not to want a larger war, it is clear that Tehran is not deterred by U.S. military deployments.

State Department employees must remember who is boss. Dissent cables are fine, but public displays of disagreement are unbefitting of the job description.

IDF ground operation

Israel's ground offensive in Gaza seeks to thread a very thin needle. The IDF faces a major challenge as it attempts to significantly degrade Hamas.

Putin-Netanyahu

Putin ruins Netanyahu's years of diplomacy. The Israeli prime minister thought he had established a trust-based pragmatic relationship with Putin. The Russian leader has put an end to that perception.

Israel ground offensive delays

Why Biden is wrong to delay Israel's ground offensive. Playing to Hamas's drip-drip hostage release strategy undermines Israel's security and its credible deterrence against threatening neighbors.

155mm artillery trade off, Li Shufu/Nikki Haley

A 155mm artillery strike on Biden's defense trade-offs delusion. The release of shells to Israel instead of to Ukraine shows that the U.S. sometimes has to make trade-offs.

Li Shufu shows why Nikki Haley's evolution on China was necessary. As South Carolina governor, Haley welcomed the head of Volvo to set up a plant in her state. But Li is no simple businessman.

Biden-Israel, China jet rage

Why Biden's Israel visit was successful. The president secured a humanitarian corridor for Gaza and simultaneously pledged U.S. support/deterrence.

China rages at U.S. for condemning dangerous fighter intercepts. Beijing is deeply uncomfortable with the increasing willingness of regional actors to call out its aggression.

Marines-Hezbollah, Orban BRI summit

The Marines have a 40-year-old blood feud with Hezbollah. A bombing 40 years and one week ago explains why.

Viktor Orban bows to Putin and Xi in Beijing. The Hungarian leader never misses an opportunity to remind us that he is no ally of the U.S.

China-Russia vs. Israel, Biden visit to Israel?

China and Russia reinforce diplomatic front against Israel. The two powers are escalating their condemnation of Israel's military response to Hamas's attacks.

Why Biden will likely soon visit Israel. The security and political complications of any visit are outweighed by its prospective value.

Pro-Hamas protests

Shame, do not silence, Hamas supporters for their speech. The Constitution rightly guarantees free speech rights. These rights extend to highly controversial speech.

26th MEU

Amid Hezbollah concerns, watch for any movement of 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The Marine Corps has a crisis response force deployed in the Persian Gulf.

Netanyahu-China

Netanyahu should abandon China over Hamas conflict betrayal. Beijing has adopted a plainly anti-Israeli response to the war.

Gerard Ford CSG, Gaza ground offensive

U.S. carrier strike group deployment is focused on Lebanese Hezbollah. The Gerald R. Ford strike group will arrive off the Lebanese coast on Thursday.

New indications of Israel strategy for Gaza ground offensive. The Israeli military is engaged in shaping operations which indicate a looming offensive into the Hamas stronghold.

Israel-Hamas war

Three key points on Israel-Hamas war. The ramifications of Hamas's attack on Israel are profound in terms of scaled threat, intelligence failure and political consequences.

Trump submarines

Trump's submarine comments would be stupid but do not appear classified. The distinction rests on what China and Russia already know about U.S. submarine forces.

FIFA corruption, Taiwan

FIFA World Cup move reeks of Gianni Infantino's corruption. The FIFA boss appears to have set the deck to ensure that Saudi Arabia gets to host the 2034 World Cup.

Does Taiwan even care if it continues to exist? President Tsai's defense budgets and Taiwanese tech support for China suggest not.

EU-Ukraine support

Why does the European Union get a free pass on Ukraine support? The EU should be doing far more for Ukraine and far more than the U.S. is doing.

PLA cartoon, China-Philippines conflict? Russia on aid to Ukraine, Smart terrorists, China's executive prisoners, Biden-Xi APEC

PLA releases cartoon on militarized-if-necessary reunification with Taiwan. It's another sign of how important Taiwan's status is to the Chinese Communist Party.

Is China willing to start a conflict with the Philippines? The question has to be asked as Manila moves to assert greater authority in its exclusive economic zone.

Russia's overoptimistic assessment of U.S. tensions over Ukraine aid. Moscow senses a weakening of support in Congress. But it fails to recognize the longer-term picture.

A reminder that innovative terrorists pose a special threat. Most terrorists are stupid, but some are technically smart and pose significant threats.

China's strategy to boost foreign investment: hold executives hostage. Beijing is caught between its security paranoia and its need for increased foreign investment.

Yes, Biden should meet with Xi at APEC summit. Dialogue that might mitigate the risk of miscalculation is valuable in and of itself.

Trump-Milley

U.S. enemies are using Trump's stupid threat to Milley for propaganda. The former president has no ability to distinguish between his own obsessions and the national interest.

Hong Kong media freedom

China furiously defends its Hong Kong free speech fiction. Beijing is unwilling to admit that its national security law has gutted the city's press freedom.

Gershkovich trade?

Could Russian spies in the U.K. be traded for Evan Gershkovich? There are reasons to think it might be possible.

China's new world order, Medvedev's Telegram

China unveils its vision for a new world order. The paper reflects Beijing's hypocrisy and desire to woo developing nations away from the U.S.

Once Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev is now relegated to social media tirades. Medvedev's posts tend to threaten variations on a theme of nuclear Armageddon.

Fishing nets, Armenia CSTO, USSS, Canada-India, FDNY 9/11

Fishing net dispute escalates China-Philippines tensions in the South China Sea. Manila rightly removed a net deployed by the Chinese coast guard within Manila's exclusive economic zone.

Russia rebukes Armenia for identifying the CSTO's impotence. Armenia has pointed out that being a member of the organization doesn't appear to do much for one's security.

Secret Service protection tactics encapsulated in an 11 second video. The video shows the tactics the agency applies to protect candidates on the event rope line.

Why Canada must declassify India assassination intelligence. If Trudeau wants his claims to be taken seriously by India, he must hold India to the evidence.

Remembering Orio Palmer and the FDNY 343 who died on 9/11. Their heroism and command decisions that day are a testament to human courage.

Zelensky allies, GAO report

Why is Volodymyr Zelensky trying to alienate Ukraine's allies? The Ukrainian president has shown a singular arrogance in his recent dealings with foreign allies. It serves his nation very poorly.

GAO's scathing report on F-35 debacle. The fighter jet program continues to fail and GAO makes clear that Lockheed Martin is making things more difficult to resolve.

FBI

Fix, don't defund, the FBI. The bureau retains excellent law enforcement capabilities. The problems it faces can be addressed by leadership and structural reform.

US-UK intel. flights, Iran assassination threats, UNGA spies, Erdogan

How U.S. and U.K. aircraft are spying on Russia in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. Near daily flights are monitoring for different types of intelligence from St. Petersburg to the Black Sea.

Iran's president reemphasizes assassination threats in UN speech. Raisi made clear that Iran's blood feud over Qassem Soleimani has not dissipated with Biden's $6 billion gift.

UNGA week is as much spies and security as diplomacy. The annual gathering of diplomats and world leaders poses both opportunities and challenges for the U.S. government.

Erdogan beclowns himself in interview on Turkish press freedom. The Turkish president found himself caught between his ego and his repression.

UK response to China spying, Ukraine grain lawsuit, France-Niger

U.K. aggravates everyone with Chinese espionage response. A spy in parliament has unveiled the Sunak government's tensions over how to deal with Beijing.

Ukraine's idiotic grain lawsuit against Poland and Slovakia. Zelensky needs those nations on side, especially Poland. He makes a serious error of judgment by playing to their populist anger.

France rightly takes a strong stance in Niger. Macron is rightly refusing to yield to the junta's threats to his ambassador.

China disappearances

China shows structural weaknesses with disappearing ministers. Beijing is desperate to avoid negative perceptions of vulnerability, but by hiding the facts as to what has happened to Qin Gang and Li Shangfu it only appears untrustworthy and weak.

China-Venezuela, Kim Jong Un security

China sends U.S. message with Venezuela strategic partnership. Beijing wants to bolster its challenge to the U.S., both in the Western Hemisphere and globally.

How Kim Jong Un's Russia trip illustrates his paranoia. The North Korean leader's security detail appeared uncomfortable during Kim's visit with Vladimir Putin.

Black Sea fleet, House China committee vs. Wall Street

Ukraine's attack on the Black Sea fleet is a big problem for Russia. Moscow has suffered a major military loss in a location where it would least wish to suffer such a loss.

House committee leaders take hard China truths to Wall Street. The top Republican and Democrat on the House China committee are telling Wall Street to divest from the People's Liberation Army.

BRP Sierra Madre

The U.S. should help the Philippines replace the BRP Sierra Madre. The beached vessel is helping the Philippines defend its exclusive economic zone from Chinese imperialism. Unfortunately, the vessel is falling apart.

Indo-Pacific diplomacy, Russian war complaints, SVR fictions

Biden deserves credit for Indo-Pacific diplomacy. The U.S. is making progress with improved partnerships across this critical region.

What a soldier's complaints tell us about Russia's war effort. The social media post by a Russian soldier serving in Ukraine lists a litany of problems.

Russia's SVR spy chief reminds us of his service's affection for fiction. Sergey Naryshkin likes to adopt a flexible relationship with reality.