20200526 News & Commentary – National Security

1. Mapping the China Debate

2. Israel rejects Chinese bid to build Sorek 2 amid pressure from the US

3. Josh Hawley Wants to Lead the New Cold War 

4. They didn't die in combat, but they lived heroic lives. Remembering the military heroes who died by suicide

5. Iran's Propaganda Game Inside Iraq

6. How to Avoid a China-Led World Order

7. Beijing draws the line with Hong Kong

8. China's Weaker Yuan Fix Is the Real Cold War Salvo

9. China Just Crossed A Dangerous Line For Huawei: New 'Retaliatory Responses' Threatened

10. The U.S. should not 'indulge in fantasies' that China will cave in to pressure, think tank says

11. VPN demand in Hong Kong reveals a new fear: China weaponizing the Internet

12. He Died at War. The Pandemic Gave Me Time to Grieve.

13. By Air and Sea, Mercenaries Landed in Libya. Then the Plan Went South.

14. The Fight Against COVID-19: Bringing Home the Hard-Earned Lessons of Nearly Two Decades of War

15. Pentagon charts its own course on COVID-19, risking Trump's ire

16. Hong Kong's moment of truth - and China's

17. African-Americans Are Highly Visible in the Military, but Almost Invisible at the Top

 

1. Mapping the China Debate

By Ganesh Sitaraman,  Tuesday, May 26, 2020, 9:00 AM, lawfareblog.com

A useful guide.

2. Israel rejects Chinese bid to build Sorek 2 amid pressure from the US

By LAHAV HARKOV, EYTAN HALON   MAY 26, 2020 12:49 Jerusalem Post

An important step.

3. Josh Hawley Wants to Lead the New Cold War 

spectator.org · by John Jiang

He has some radical ideas.  I do not believe we should abandon international organizations. I believe they are part of the political warfare battlefield and we must be on our game to effectively compete to prevent Chinese domination of international institutions.

4. They didn't die in combat, but they lived heroic lives. Remembering the military heroes who died by suicide

CNN · by Brianna Keilar and Catherine Valentine, CNN

This is a powerful essay.  We must remember our brothers and sisters we have lost to suicide. 

5. Iran's Propaganda Game Inside Iraq

realcleardefense.com · by Caleb Weiss

Our adversaries believe in "leading with influence" and may or may not use kinetic operations in support of that influence.  We need to understand their use of propaganda in order to effectively compete in this modern gray zone.

6. How to Avoid a China-Led World Order

National Review Online · by Seth J. Frantzman · May 25, 2020

7. Beijing draws the line with Hong Kong

japantimes.co.jp · by Brad Glosserman · May 25, 2020

8. China's Weaker Yuan Fix Is the Real Cold War Salvo

Bloomberg · by John Authers · May 26, 2020

This is one of the major differences with the original Cold War. the US and USSR did not have the economic linkages the US and the PRC do.

Graphics at the link. https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-05-26/china-s-weaker-yuan-fix-is-the-real-cold-war-salvo

9. China Just Crossed A Dangerous Line For Huawei: New 'Retaliatory Responses' Threatened

Forbes · by Zak Doffman · May 26, 2020

10. The U.S. should not 'indulge in fantasies' that China will cave in to pressure, think tank says

CNBC · by Abigail Ng · May 26, 2020

11. VPN demand in Hong Kong reveals a new fear: China weaponizing the Internet

Fortune BY GRADY MCGREGOR May 26, 2020 6:05 AM EDT

Obviously this is another major difference with the first Cold War when there was not global internet.  I hope tech companies will work on technology that can help the citizens of Hong Kong and oppressed people around the world.  The internet is both a weapon and a threat for authoritarian regime. 

VPN demand in Hong Kong reveals a new fear: China weaponizing the Internet

12. He Died at War. The Pandemic Gave Me Time to Grieve.

The New York Times · by Kelsey Baker · May 24, 2020

Another fascinating if not sad story to reflect upon.

13. By Air and Sea, Mercenaries Landed in Libya. Then the Plan Went South.

The New York Times · by Declan Walsh · May 25, 2020

A more detailed story on the Libya event.  This one includes Eric Prince.  The use of mercenaries by state and no-sate (corporations) is an important national security issue.

14. The Fight Against COVID-19: Bringing Home the Hard-Earned Lessons of Nearly Two Decades of War

mwi.usma.edu · by Brendan Gallagher · May 26, 202

The US military has provided many innovations for non-military problems and non-military application. I hope we can find appropriate lessons learned.

And of course this lesson is key though not exclusive to the military,

15. Pentagon charts its own course on COVID-19, risking Trump's ire

The Hill · by Ellen Mitchell · May 25, 2020

But the military has to.  The military mission is no fail. The military  by nature plans for the worst case.  It cannot be guided by partisan politics and frankly the pandemic has become overly politicized in the US.  And lastly the military needs to treat the pandemic as a rehearsal for a biological attack.  It has to "fight through" this pandemic. And ideally it will learn lessons for the future that may help the civilian community but that would not likely be discovered in the civilian community because of the different focus.  On the other hand the military does have to seek out best practices from the civilian community as well.

16. Hong Kong's moment of truth - and China's

The Hill · by Joseph Bosco, opinion contributor · May 26, 2020

You can always count on Joe Bosco to provide some of the most provocative thinking on China.

17. African-Americans Are Highly Visible in the Military, but Almost Invisible at the Top

The New York Times · by Helene Cooper · May 25, 2020

We as a military need to take a hard look in the mirror.  There is a lot to think about in this article. I have served with a number of those interviewed and I have tremendous respect for them. 

 

-----------

"The enemy of my enemy is also my enemy, can't have too many enemies." 

- Maura Quint via Twitter

 

"When devils commit their biggest sins they put on their most heavenly face, as I do now." 

-Iago in Othello by Shakespeare 

 

"I don't underrate the value of military knowledge, but if men make war in slavish obedience to rules, they will fail." 

- President Ulysses S. Grant

 

"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." 

- President Thomas Jefferson