Thomas Spoehr, Bradley Bowman, Bryan Clark and Mackenzie Eaglen — War on the Rocks
In July, Rear Adm. Mike Studeman, director of intelligence for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, warned that “it’s only a matter of time” until China resorts to military force and suggested that U.S. forces are not ready for that “very bad day.” Meanwhile, Russia continues to maneuver its forces aggressively on NATO’s eastern flank, Iran inches toward a nuclear weapons capability, North Korea builds its missile arsenal, and the Taliban has taken control of Afghanistan. The new National Defense Strategy that the Biden administration is writing should reckon with these challenges and the ramifications of rapidly expanding global threats. Read more
That's one of many problems with ‘over the horizon’ counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan
Since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Sistani in Najaf has become a focal point not only for Shi’a in Iraq, but for the entire region. Sistani is now 91 years old and the question of succession is a central one — one that concerns not only Shi’a Muslims, but the wider Middle East as well. This paper aims to shed light on the future of the religious authority in the Shi’a world based on the unavoidable change after Sistani.
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Zack Cooper | AEIdeas
Since the Australia–United Kingdom–United States (AUKUS) trilateral security pact was announced, much attention has focused on French frustration with the deal, rather than on the next steps to build on the agreement. Zack Cooper provides five practical recommendations to capitalize on AUKUS's momentum: The US and Australia should move expeditiously to set up a trilateral forum with Indonesia, they should speed up the delivery of new capabilities, and the US should consider sharing B-21 bombers with Australia. The partners should codevelop ground-based missiles with Japan. Lastly, the Joe Biden administration should bring the US back to the trade table. Read More >>
Zack Cooper and Adam P. Liff | October 2021
- Asia’s significance to the United States has never been greater, but the past decade has seen a recurring gap between US rhetoric about the region’s importance and actual strategy, policies, budgets, and attention.
- To get America back on track in Asia, the Biden administration and Congress must prioritize three urgent course corrections: (1) re-centering US strategy on the region as a whole, rather than on China; (2) embracing a positive regional economic agenda; and (3) significantly increasing diplomatic and military resources devoted to the region.
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