Overview for military

The Right and Wrong Ways to Cut Defense Spending

CNN’s Fareed Zakaria has a column today arguing for defense cuts and lauding the budget deal’s “sword of Damocles” over the Pentagon budget. Zakaria argues that the U.S. military should not be exempt from budget scrutiny and, in that sense, his argument is unobjectionable. But he ignores …

Written by John Guardiano on Thursday August 4, 2011

Obama Picked The Wrong War

There's a management saying: the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. Bestowing stable government upon Afghanistan is not the main thing. Eradicating al-Qaeda is the main thing. Watching President Obama speak this week about the US drawdown from Afghanistan, I thought of the old …

Written by David Frum on Saturday June 25, 2011

Canada's Worn-Out Military

Canada's Afghan mission has so depleted its armed forces that they may need a full year to recover before being able to deploy again overseas. As Canada prepares to leave Afghanistan, a weakness in our military is inadvertently revealed in comments by Lt.-Gen Peter Devlin, Commander of the …

Written by Peter Worthington on Wednesday May 18, 2011

On the Frontline With Ivory Coast's Rebels

Ivory Coast's civil war hit the headlines this week. The conflict actually began over a decade ago as a military pay mutiny. I know because I was there. The West African state of Cote d’Ivoire was in the news cycle this past week, where a six month power struggle culminated with French and UN …

Written by Sean Linnane on Sunday April 17, 2011

Defense Bears the Brunt of Obama's Cuts

Obama’s plans to slash the defense budget would handcuff a U.S. military that is already too limited and too constrained in what it can do. Perhaps the most objectionable aspect of Obama’s speech involves his pledge to gut the defense budget. “Gut” is not a word I use lightly; but that seems to …

Written by John Guardiano on Wednesday April 13, 2011

Is Gates Undercutting Obama on Libya?

The blogosphere is up in arms after Secretary Gates' promise to Congress that there will be no ground troops in Libya. Is he overriding the president's foreign policy? Is Defense Secretary Robert Gates guilty of “insubordination”? Jennifer Rubin and Mark Thiessen think so. This because Gates …

Written by John Guardiano on Tuesday April 5, 2011

How Bernard-Henri Lévy Started the Libyan War

The biggest push for Sarkozy's decision to intervene in Libya may have come from left-wing celebrity philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy. This weekend’s Financial Times contains a revealing article detailing French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s recent unilateral decision to grant diplomatic recognition …

Written by Ulf Gartzke on Sunday March 27, 2011

The U.S. Army Critiques the Libya Campaign

President Obama should have taken a look at the U.S. Army Field Manual before signing up for the Libyan no-fly zone mission. From the U.S. Army Field Manual: For every objective, ensure unity of command under one responsible commander. From Thursday's New York Times : Only on …

Written by David Frum on Thursday March 24, 2011

New G.I. Bill Chops Student Vet Benefits

Congress’ new G.I. bill seems more concerned with budget balancing than with actually helping our veterans. On August 1st, an update to the G.I. Bill will come into effect. Its most important provision though will do more to satisfy Congress’ sudden concern for budgetary restraint than actually …

Written by Armin Rosen on Thursday March 24, 2011

Bad Soldiers or Bad Officers?

Der Spiegel has opened a can of worms by printing two photos of American soldiers grinning over the body of a dead Afghan. If it were only photographs of U.S. soldiers posing alongside a dead Afghan civilian, it might be bad taste, even repulsive, but it wouldn’t be that unusual. But …

Written by Peter Worthington on Tuesday March 22, 2011

War by Committee

The enforcement of a no-fly zone over Libya is being described as America's "third war". But with no clear objective it's more like a glorified international police action. "War is diplomacy by other means." - Clausewitz "You are a professional, but the world is full of dangerous amateurs." …

Written by Sean Linnane on Sunday March 20, 2011

"There Are No Ex-Green Berets"

The use of a green beret, as a piece of headgear for elite special forces, dates back to WWII and the French Underground. I was recently asked: Which is "proper" or preferred by these men when referring to them, "Green Beret" or "Special Forces"? It is a very insightful question, and …

Written by Sean Linnane on Friday March 18, 2011

Enforcing the No-Fly Zone

In a normal time, imposing a no-fly zone upon a country like Libya would be an easy exercise of US power. But three wars is a lot even for America. Obama moves on Libya. Probably not the last move either. Here's where the anti-interventionists have a point: in a normal time, imposing a no-fly zone …

Written by David Frum on Thursday March 17, 2011

Support Builds for Next Gen Fighter

Obama and the GOP may be at odds over the budget, but on one item -- the F-35 fighter -- there is a growing bipartisan consensus to back the project. America’s in an economic and budgetary crisis and Republicans in the House are being pressured to look more closely at cutting defense spending. On …

Written by Elise Cooper on Monday March 14, 2011

Let Libyans Fight Their Own Revolution

A Canadian warship carrying special forces is joining an allied flotilla off Libya. Any actions other than evacuating foreign civilians though will be a mistake. Right now a Canadian warship – HMCS Charlottetown -- is heading for the Mediterranean to join an allied flotilla off Libya. It …

Written by Peter Worthington on Thursday March 3, 2011