Tom Rogan
T om Rogan, based in Washington, D.C., is a writer, and a contributor to The McLaughlin Group. He holds the Tony Blankley Chair at The Steamboat Institute and tweets @TomRtweets.
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Think of a wonderful thought, any merry little thought. Think of Christmas, think of snow, think of sleigh bells, off you go, like reindeer in the sky! You can fly! You can fly! You can fly!— Disney’s Peter Pan, 1953 ... -
The Pentagon’s Groveling Apology to China for Flying Near a Contested Island
On November 13, President Obama claimed that ISIS was “contained.” One day later, ISIS painted bloody red lines on Paris streets. The credibility of American foreign policy took another big hit. #ad#Then came Saturday’s Wall Street Journal report that ... -
Americans Should Be Proud of Donald Trump’s Freedom to Say Clownish Things
Many Americans are reacting to Donald Trump’s Muslim-ban proposal with embarrassed shame. Some say he’s a national-security threat: for example, Hillary Clinton fears Trump projects a “dangerous” impression of America to the world. Such fearful assessments are misguided. ... -
The Approaching (and Necessary) Showdown with Iran in Iraq
We will chase and fight any American force deployed in Iraq; any such American force will become a primary target for our group. We fought them before, and we are ready to resume fighting. That was what a Kataib Hezbollah (... -
In Europe, After the Paris Attacks, Fraying Bonds between the Public and the Government
Europe has changed greatly in the past two weeks. Two weekends ago, as in any major American city, European capitals were buzzing with positive energy. Today, the positivity has been purged by fear. Friday, November 13: A night that saw 130 civilians ... -
After the Paris Massacre, the Debate Is Closed — ISIS Poses a Special Threat to the West
For the past 18 months, I and others have repeatedly warned that ISIS posed a special threat to Western nations. We were often accused of scaremongering or warmongering. But then came last Friday. And now that the war has come home — ... -
Obama Mouthed Some Pro-Israel Lines, but His Disdain for Netanyahu Remains Clear
During his meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu at the White House yesterday, President Obama stated that the “security of Israel is one of my top foreign-policy priorities.” Of course, this sentiment might have been slightly more believable had President Obama ... -
ISIS Is a Direct Threat to U.S. National Security
President Obama is a fundamentally ineffective commander-in-chief. Nevertheless, under Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, he is America’s sole commander-in-chief. But today, facing a looming U.S. Special Operations deployment to Syria, commentators are claiming that the ... -
The State of the Islamic State: Strong
Nearly $50 million a month: According to the AP, that’s what the Islamic State (ISIS) earns in monthly oil revenues. Yet while some analysts say ISIS’s oil earnings are lower, the group raises revenue from other sources as well. ... -
Obama’s New Afghanistan Strategy: Right for Four Reasons, and Problematic for One Reason
Yesterday, President Obama announced that the 9,800 U.S. military personnel deployed in Afghanistan will remain there for most of 2016, and that 5,500 will remain into 2017. This new strategy is welcome for four reasons. First, it will enable the continued development of ... -
How the U.S. Should Respond to the Russian Offensive in Syria
‘We need a course of action. We are going to have to commit to something.” That’s how Jim Reese, former Delta commander, described his take on U.S. policy in Syria, speaking with National Review yesterday. Reese’s point ... -
America’s Diplomatic Fairyland
One simple question. Do you, Ambassador Zorin, deny that the USSR has placed and is placing medium and intermediate missiles and sites in Cuba? Yes or no? Don’t wait for the translation. Yes or no? — U.S. ambassador to ... -
Fiorina Could Learn from Rubio on Foreign Policy
The early primary debates are great entertainment. With a sprinkling of Trump, we look for the candidates to come off script. We look for animosity — both personal and political — that distinguishes the candidates from one another. We look for charisma ... -
As Prime Minister, Jeremy Corbyn Would Destroy the U.S.–U.K. Special Relationship
Here’s an interesting fact. Jeremy Corbyn, new leader of Britain’s Labour party — the formal opposition party in Parliament — is an Iranian propaganda agent. #ad#After all, like far-left British parliamentarian George Galloway, Corbyn has fed at Ayatollah Khamenei’... -
Egypt, Freedom, and the Costs of Lost American Influence
Under President Mohamed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood turned Egypt into an economic abyss. Foreign investment collapsed, post-Mubarak democratic protections frayed, and Egypt sank into sectarianism. Then Egypt’s Army broke free from Morsi’s leash. Its second revolution has had ... -
Without American Influence, Iran and Russia Will Send Syria Deeper into Chaos
Bashar al-Assad has a big problem. The Syrian civil war has drained his military of manpower, equipment, and morale. The Syrian dictator has been forced to retreat into Syria’s coastal west and deep south. Beyond these territories, various rebel ... -
Truman Made the Right Call. And It’s Probably Why I’m Alive to Tell the Tale
Seventy years ago yesterday, an Army Air Forces B-29 dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. Following the bombing of Hiroshima three days earlier, Nagasaki’s destruction compelled Japan’s unconditional surrender on August 14, 1945. #ad#And without ... -
The Taliban’s Vulnerability and the Ways America Can Exploit It
The Afghan Taliban claims its members are students of divine inevitability: swords of justice establishing God’s order on Earth. Within the Taliban, this narrative seeks to unite fighters in sustaining purpose. Externally, it serves to weaken Taliban enemies by ... -
The Inexcusable Release of Jonathan Pollard
This November, the Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard will be released on parole. Assuming Israeli intelligence doesn’t extract him early, a few years from now, Pollard will be in Israel. This new reality shames the Obama administration and dishonors America. “... -
Donald Trump and Jeremy Corbyn Are Running the Same Con on Voters
“Think of a wonderful thought, any merry little thought. Think of Christmas, think of snow, think of sleigh bells off you go, like reindeer in the sky! You can fly! you can fly! you can fly!” — Peter Pan (Disney, 1953) The ... -
Obama’s Iran Agreement: A Bad Deal for America, a Bad Deal for Middle East Peace
“This deal is not built on trust — it is built on verification.” President Obama, July 14 Finally, after many flexi-deadlines, President Obama has a nuclear agreement with Iran. And to be fair: This deal does have some positives. It reduces Iran’... -
In Iran Negotiations, the Deadline Extension Signals Disaster
Today, American red lines exist only in the blood-drenched lung matter of Syria’s forgotten dead, felled by chlorine gas. And American diplomatic deadlines never die. #ad# For the umpteenth time, the deadline for a nuclear deal with Iran has ... -
What We Should Take from Today’s Jihadist Rampage
The world doesn’t begin and end with gay marriage. Some other events occurred today. In France, having attempted and failed to blow up an American-owned gas factory near Lyon, a terrorist decapitated a civilian at the site and draped ... -
Obama's Plan to Send New Arms to Europe Isn't Enough
‘We do not seek a cold, let alone a hot war with Russia. We do not seek to make Russia an enemy. But make no mistake: We will defend our allies, the rules-based international order, and the positive future it ... -
Britain’s Defense Cuts Put the Special Relationship on Thin Ice
“Britain has always had an independent ability to express itself and always punch above its weight. I’d hate to see that go away . . . ” — Defense Secretary Ash Carter, June 1st The Anglo-American special relationship is in trouble. #ad#On paper, ... -
Want to Read Hillary’s E-mails? Ask China.
‘We have a lot of information about people, and that is something that our adversaries want.” That’s how Donna Seymour, an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) official recently described the OPM hacking to a reporter for the Washington Post. ... -
What to Expect from Iraq’s Attempt to Take Back Ramadi: Chaos
In 2007, the U.S. Marine Corps fought for months to recapture Ramadi from al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI). And even with their exceptional training, leadership, equipment, and enabling support — logistics, intelligence and aviation etc. — the Marines’ battle was bloody and hard-won. ... -
A Success against the Islamic State, in Perspective
Friday was a good day for the world and a bad day for the Islamic State (ISIS). In a typically meticulous operation, Delta Force operators were flown into eastern Syria and then stormed an IS compound. Meeting resistance, they killed ... -
The Russian Bear and the Chinese Dragon Are Standing Together against America
‘Today China is our key strategic partner,” President Vladimir Putin said May 8, in Moscow. In 2015, China and Russia share much in common. Both nations are ruled by confident authoritarians. Both rulers embrace territorial expansionism through the barrel of a gun. ... -
Like the Iranians, the Saudis Think Obama Is Weak
There’s a great line in the latest James Bond trailer. Warning Bond of his ignorance of danger, Mr. White remarks: “You’re a kite dancing in a hurricane.” It’s a perfect analogy for President Obama’s policy in ... -
Don't Blame Drones for the Tragic Deaths in Pakistan
Warren Weinstein, an American development worker, was kidnapped from his home in Lahore, Pakistan, in 2011. Aged 73, he was, according to reports today, killed in an apparent U.S. drone strike in January 2015. Giovanni Lo Porto, an Italian aid worker, was ... -
How Syria’s Dictator Slaughters His People
“. . . respiratory failure, pulmonary edema, likely acute pulmonary hypertension, cardiomegaly, pulmonary vascular congestion, acute burns of the upper and especially the proximal lower airways, and death.” That’s what high-level exposure to chlorine gas does to humans. But the technical language ... -
Putin Returns
After his recent absence, President Putin is back in business, now selling Russia’s advanced S-300 air-defense system to Iran. It’s a transaction that will shake up the Middle East. Previously, Russia had yielded to American pressure not to ... -
Iran Deal: A Diplomatic Farce
The third deadline has expired. There is no agreed framework. While the negotiators in Lausanne are continuing to talk, their language is telling. By yesterday there was supposed to be an agreed framework outlining the contours of a nuclear deal. ... -
Why ISIS Will Attack America
There is no good in you if they are secure and happy while you have a pulsing vein. Erupt volcanoes of jihad everywhere. Light the earth with fire upon all the [apostate rulers], their soldiers and supporters. — ISIS leader Abu ... -
Venezuela Is on the Brink of Collapse
Considering a trip to the socialist asylum of Lieutenant Colonel Lunatic, aka Hugo Chávez? Just make sure you’re topped up on economic Kool-Aid. Now led by President Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela is rotting. The statistics speak volumes. Inflation in ... -
Obama’s Sunni-Arab Problem
President Obama likes to spin. When a scandal breaks, his leadership is never to take even part of the blame. Instead, the president has well-worn responses: “I wasn’t briefed,” and/or “I heard about it on the news.” Sometimes — ... -
Waking Up to North Korea’s Growing Threat
In many ways North Korea has the psychology of a spoiled child. But where a child throws tantrums, North Korea threatens to throw nuclear weapons. Incidents from the past few years, whether artillery strikes or torpedo attacks, demonstrate its continuing ... -
The Nemtsov Murder and the FSB
Boris Nemtsov was a courageous man. Persistent in his criticisms of President Putin, he was undeterred by those who threatened him with death. And now, murdered as he walked through Moscow, Nemtsov has become a martyr for Russia’s better ... -
Iran: U.S. Supports ISIS
Things are not getting better in Iraq. Kata’ib Hezbollah — an Iranian-supported Shia militia in Iraq and ally of the Lebanese Hezbollah — is escalating its allegations that the U.S. military is supplying weapons to ISIS. And Iran’s fingerprints ... -
Obama’s Decision on ISIS Is Flawed but a Beginning
Submitting a draft authorization for use of military force (AUMF) and a clarifying letter, President Obama is asking Congress to end the Islamic State. This move signals new American seriousness about the undeniable threat that ISIS poses to the world. ... -
Another ISIS Atrocity
Lieutenant Moaz al-Kasasbeh saved many lives. Serving against the Islamic State (ISIS), he helped prevent the slaughter of thousands of innocent men. He helped prevent the capture and sexual slavery of thousands of women. And he helped preserve the better ... -
Hezbollah Hits Israel
This morning, Hezbollah launched an anti-tank missile against an Israeli military patrol along the Lebanese border. Two soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces and a Spanish U.N. peacekeeper were killed and seven were wounded. This attack appears to be ... -
Obama’s Yemen Strategy
“This strategy of taking out terrorists who threaten us, while supporting partners on the front lines, is one that we have successfully pursued in Yemen and Somalia for years.” — President Obama announcing his ISIS strategy, September 10, 2014 When President Obama uttered ... -
The Belgium Jihadist Raids: Why They’re Important
At around 12:45 p.m. Eastern time (5:45 local), Belgian SWAT teams — likely the Federal Police’s elite CGSU unit (the equivalent of the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team) — were involved in a gun battle with suspected jihadists in Belgium’s eastern ... -
Jihadist Slaughter in France
This morning, French journalists at Charlie Hebdo — a satirical outlet renowned for its disgust with political correctness — were working at their desks. Then three gunmen entered their office and murdered at least ten of them. Seven others were wounded. Two ... -
Pakistan’s 9/11
‘Someone screamed at us to get down and hide below the desks,” he said, adding that the gunmen shouted “Allahu Akbar” before opening fire. “Then one of them shouted, ‘There are so many children beneath the benches, go and get ... -
No Cause for Optimism on ISIS
Thanks to Senator Feinstein, and quite extraordinary media bias, the CIA is now apparently an enemy of the state. Yet beyond this stale Washington waltz, America’s enemies are on the prowl. The Islamic State, for example, is taking full ... -
Senate Democrats Purge the Record
Senator Dianne Feinstein and the Democrats of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence have released their summary report into the Bush-era CIA detention/interrogation program. While senior Democrats have little credibility on this issue — consider Nancy Pelosi, who has consistently ... -
Yes to a Syrian Safe Harbor
Reports suggest that President Obama is considering the delineation of a “safe zone” along part of Syria’s border with Turkey. According to the Wall Street Journal, Turkey’s President Erdogan is willing to deploy U.S. and Turkish air-attack ...
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Three Takeaways from the Ramadi Battle against ISIS
Iraqi forces will soon take control of Ramadi, capital of Iraq’s Anbar Province. As I noted before Ramadi fell to ISIS, Ramadi will play a significant role in the future of Iraq’s cross-sectarian democracy — if that comes to ... -
In a Challenge to Iran, and Sidelining Obama, the Saudis Announce an Alliance of 34 Nations
‘We are committed that if Iran should try to cause mischief in the region — we are committed to confront it resolutely. And so we are looking at this agreement and we will be studying it, and we will be discussing ... -
Another Knife Attack by a Jihadist in London — But #YouAintNoMuslimBruv Is a Good Sign
‘This is for Syria!” Echoing the Paris terrorists, a terrorist screamed that ISIS threat as he attacked passengers at a London Tube station Saturday. Fortunately, while he cut the throats of two innocent victims, police Tasered the 29-year-old terrorist before ... -
Turkey Downs Russian Jet, Putin Threatens Retaliation: What to Expect Next
Earlier today, a flight of Turkish Air Force F-16s shot down a Russian SU-24 strike aircraft. Turkey insists that it repeatedly warned the SU-24 crew to avoid Turkish sovereign airspace. According to Turkey and NATO (now holding emergency meetings), ... -
Obama’s Fecklessness on ISIS Pushes France into Putin’s Arms
‘You don’t win a war with planes, so we need ground forces.” Those words, spoken yesterday to MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell, are very important — because they were offered on American television by France’s ambassador to the United States. ... -
Jihadi John’s Destruction Would Be a Great Blow to ISIS’s Morale
Few individuals deserved to eat a Hellfire missile as much as Mohammed Emwazi — a.k.a. Jihadi John, aka the Masked Coward. Responsible for torturing and slaughtering Western hostages and innocent Muslims with grotesque zeal, Emwazi has been a human ... -
Why It Appears That the Sinai Flight Was Bombed – Possibly by ISIS
OSINT: Open Source Intelligence. The digital age has made OSINT a critical tool of any journalist. After all, with some background knowledge or experience, it’s possible to search through online news reports and social media to find location-specific reports ... -
Jimmy Carter Endorses Putin’s Scheme for Syria
Although unsuccessful, Operation Eagle Claw — the April 1980 effort to rescue U.S. Embassy staff from Tehran — was immensely courageous. Eight Americans gave their lives in that mission. But President Carter also showed great courage in ordering the highly complex operation ... -
Iran and Obama’s Ballistic Delusion
Yesterday, President Obama signed off on sanctions relief for Iran. The relief will take effect when the International Atomic Energy Agency verifies Iran has cut its enriched-uranium stocks, restructured its heavy-water facility at Arak, and dismantled its centrifuges. In a ... -
A Teenager, a Cleric, and a Strategic Landmine for Saudi Arabia
Governments in the Middle East aren’t exactly renowned for celebrating free speech. Yet there’s something especially concerning about the case of Ali Mohammed al-Nimr. From 2011-2012, while he was 16 and 17 years-old, al-Nimr protested against Saudi Arabia’s anti-Shiite ... -
Obama’s Cluster of Mistakes in Syria
In the movie Heartbreak Ridge, Clint Eastwood plays Marine gunnery sergeant Tom Highway. At one point, Highway is asked to assess a battle-readiness exercise. His response is priceless. But if we’re to believe Nancy Youssef (and I do), as ... -
There’s Always an Excuse for Obama’s Failures in Syria
Goldfinger, he’s the man, the man with the Midas touch! — Shirley Bassey, Goldfinger, 1964 When it comes to Syria, President Obama and his staff would have us believe he’s an infallible political Midas, a leader with golden policies who ... -
The American Left’s Hypocrisy on Muslims
Ahmed Mohamed appears to have been treated outrageously. After all, all he did was build a clock. But now the Left’s false-moralist brigades are using Ahmed as a pivot to portray America as an inherently racist, ignorant nation. Take ... -
Iran and Russia Can Be Deterred in Iraq and Syria
Two weeks ago, I looked at how Russia and Iran were manipulating the Syrian civil war to their advantage. Now their malevolence is spreading. Today, Iranian-led militias are openly terrorizing the Iraqi government, and Russia’s military is mobilizing in ... -
How America Should Respond to North Korea’s Recent Threats
This weekend, North Korea significantly increased its forward deployed artillery units and sent around 50 attack submarines out to sea. The submarine movement is especially interesting, because it’s not easy for North Korea to deploy subs; they are poorly maintained ... -
How and Why Iran Will Cheat on the Nuclear Deal
To understand why Iran will cheat on the nuclear deal, you have to look back to September 2013: the month following Bashar al-Assad’s chemical-weapons attack on Ghouta, Syria, and the moment Assad challenged America’s red line over weapons of ... -
Trump’s Foreign Policy: America as Global Vulture
Offering the politically disenchanted a doorway to a utopian Neverland, Donald Trump can rant, joke, and flip-flop to his heart’s content. All he needs to do is speak with more confidence than his opponents. But even if they like ... -
MH17 and the Downing of American Leadership
‘Under foot, bulbous fragments of melted metal litter the black earth, and a faint but evil smell still hangs in the air — a mixture of aviation fuel and decaying human bodies.” So wrote Roland Oliphant in The Telegraph July 17. #ad# ... -
Five Likely Destinations for Iran’s Nuclear Cash
On Saturday, Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah described Iran’s desire for a “happy ending” to its nuclear negotiations. Hassan also thanked Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, for giving “a special place” to Hezbollah in his own recent speech. ... -
What Happened to Obama’s Humanitarianism?
There’s a great incongruity between people and policy when it comes to the Obama administration and foreign policy. Many of President Obama’s senior foreign-policy officials are students of liberal humanitarianism, which is a style of international relations that ... -
Greece’s Suicide Run
Last week, I suggested that Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras had thrown his country off a cliff. On Sunday, Greek voters endorsed his idea. Rejecting an offer from international creditors for sustained fiscal support in return for economic reforms (albeit ... -
Tsipras Throws Greece off a Cliff
Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. That line, from Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, refers to the protagonist’s subconscious thoughts of murdering a king and usurping his ... -
How Obama Invites Jihadists to Take Americans Hostage
When it comes to national security, perception matters. Ultimately, American adversaries assess two things: America’s stated policies, and how those policies are pursued. From these assessments, our adversaries shape their perceptions of U.S. resolve and develop strategies to ... -
Al-Qaeda Has Just Suffered Its Most Devastating Leadership Loss in Years
Today is a good day for America. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) — the group’s most capable outfit and the one that most threatens the West — has lost one of its top leaders, Nasir al-Wuhayshi. In a video statement ... -
A New Strategic Blueprint for Defeating the Islamic State
“O soldiers of the Islamic State, continue to harvest the soldiers. Erupt volcanoes of jihad everywhere. Light the earth with fire upon all the [apostate rulers], their soldiers, and supporters. Carry on in your path, as you are the strong ... -
When It Comes to European Corruption, FIFA Is the Tip of the Iceberg
‘But even if the FBI and the Swiss prosecutors trailing in their wake bring Blatter down, there will still be a massive job — there will be the seven-eighths of the iceberg still to be chipped away.” So said British journalist ... -
The Fall of Palmyra Is a Strategic, Historical, and Human Loss
Palmyra is a place seemingly designed for an Islamic State purge. After all, Palmyra is one of the great treasures of the world, a living museum for multiple civilizations, a city embodying everything that the Islamic State is not. It ... -
Obama’s Ludicrous Middle East Policy
The Middle East is in meltdown. The Syrian civil war is unrestrained. Tens of thousands have died. Saudi Arabia and Turkey are considering direct intervention. Syria’s mayhem threatens to spill into Lebanon, and in Beirut, Iran and Hezbollah wage ... -
American Speech Law Is Exceptional
‘We do not consecrate the flag by punishing its desecration, for in doing so we dilute the freedom that this cherished emblem represents.” (From Justice Brennan’s Opinion for the Majority, Texas v. Johnson, 1989.) It is America’s vigorous exchange ... -
Why Congress Must Give Obama Fast-Track Authority on the TPP
Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe is visiting America. And the prospective Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free-trade agreement is at the top of his agenda. But Abe has a problem. #ad#Before taking on powerful domestic interests — such as the Japanese agricultural ... -
Lessons from the Latest Paris Terror Plot
Last Sunday, a 24-year-old Algerian national, Sid Ahmed Ghlam, was arrested in Paris. He is a suspect in the murder of a Parisian woman. Now, however, we’re learning that Ghlam was apparently planning a major terrorist attack in the ... -
The Fall of Ramadi Would Mean a Devastating Win for ISIS
Home to hundreds of thousands, the Iraqi city of Ramadi may soon fall to the Islamic State. Not wanting to become minions of the death state that is ISIS, families are trying to escape their homes and flee the capital ... -
Islamists Massacre Scores in Kenya — Again
At least 147 people have lost their lives in Al Shabaab’s latest attack on Kenya. Earlier this morning, as they stormed central Kenya’s Garissa University College, the four terrorists singled out Christian students. They took some hostage and executed ... -
Yemen and the Collapse of Obama's Middle East Policy
‘Astounding.” That was how ABC News’s Jon Karl reacted yesterday to Josh Earnest’s assertion that Yemen remains a model for counterterrorism. #ad#In fact, Karl was so astounded that he asked Earnest to clarify. The White House press ... -
Terror in Tunisia
On Wednesday, two gunmen stormed into the Bardo National Museum in Tunis. At least 21 people — mainly foreign tourists — were murdered. On Thursday, the Islamic State released an audio recording claiming responsibility for the massacre. Ranting about the “debauchery” of tourism ... -
Why Pelosi’s Syria Visit Remains Indefensible
‘The road to Damascus is a road to peace.” Those were damning words. When Nancy Pelosi embraced Bashar al-Assad in April 2007, she wasn’t simply challenging the commander-in-chief during a war; she was propagandizing for a dictator who was killing ... -
The Islamic State’s New Outpost
If a jayvee team puts on Lakers uniforms, that doesn’t make them Kobe Bryant.President Obama That line sums up President Obama’s tendency to downplay foreign-policy crises with derisory humor. And today his arrogance bears its toll. This ... -
Netanyahu Courts Congress
Addressing a packed joint session of Congress, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was unequivocal. “This is a bad deal. It’s a very bad deal. We’re better off without it.” He warned that if Israel believed a nuclear deal ... -
Put Another Carrier in the Gulf
Looking for a physical metaphor for President Obama’s foreign policy? Click here. The United States Navy has ten active aircraft carriers. But only one, the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), 5th Fleet, is currently underway. While the Carl Vinson — as ... -
‘Jobs for ISIS’ Isn't Quite as Stupid as You Think
‘We cannot win this war by killing them,” State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said on February 17. “We need in the medium and longer term to go after the root causes that lead people to join these groups, whether it is ... -
Let’s Be Honest about Ukraine
In 2015, Europe faces two major problems. First, across the continent, rebranded Communists are selling the snake-oil of painless utopia, where government provides everything and balance sheets don’t exist. Second, Russia is invading. Where the first problem threatens the future ... -
Russia’s War on Fracking
As a senior archivist for the KGB’s foreign-intelligence directorate, Vasili Mitrokhin had access to a treasure trove of information. He unveiled those secrets after defecting to Britain in 1992. #ad#One such secret concerned the “active measures” — the lies – the ... -
Mass Delusion among Greece’s Far Left
In Greece, the far-left Syriza party has won a stunning victory. Under the leadership of charismatic populist Alexis Tsipras, it has claimed around 150 parliamentary seats and defeated the governing centrist New Democracy party. Across Europe, leftists are elated. They see ... -
The New Islamic State: Boko Haram
Twitter hashtags cannot defeat terrorists. Last April, hundreds of Nigerian school girls were kidnapped. The concerted international response? #BringBackOurGirls and an array of sad-faced celebrity photos, most famously that of a pouty Michelle Obama. But then the world forgot. And ... -
Why the White House’s Security Excuse in Paris Doesn’t Add Up
There’s no doubt, that had the president or vice president on this very short time frame gone to participate in this event that took place outdoors with more than a million people in attendance, that it would have significantly ... -
ISIS Caught a Coalition Pilot: What Does It Mean?
Earlier this Christmas Eve, the Islamic State captured an F-16 pilot from the Royal Jordanian Air Force. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Islamic State, the F-16 was shot down by anti-aircraft guns, but the Pentagon ... -
Terror in Sydney
Shortly after 2 a.m. Sydney time, a number of hostages escaped the Lindt Chocolat café. Shots were then fired and Australian SWAT members — probably including Tactical Assault Group/East — stormed in and confronted Man Haron Monis. It appears the raid ... -
Foreign Friends and Feinstein
In the 21st century, effective intelligence collection requires a synergy of risks that are willingly undertaken. It requires leaders willing to support operations that carry inherent political risks. It requires intelligence managers willing to direct subordinates towards great danger. It ... -
Putin, the Hungry Bear
If you’re rich and willing to kneel at Vladimir Putin’s feet, Russia is a good place to live. For the right price, you can do just about anything. For the less well-off, however, Russia isn’t so great. ... -
Obama’s Signs of Courage on Afghanistan
Defeating Islamist fanaticism requires three policy ingredients: moral clarity, intellectual agility, and strategic persistence. And today, in that regard, there’s new cause for hope. According to the New York Times, President Obama has authorized continued combat operations in Afghanistan ...