armed conflict

MWI’s Andrew Bacevich Criticizes U.S. Military Forays in Middle East – 29 September 2016

“MWI’s Andrew Bacevich Criticizes U.S. Military Forays in Middle East. Speaking to cadets and faculty, MWI Adjunct Scholar Andrew Bacevich gives a blistering critique of U.S. military interventionism in the greater Middle East.” For Instances of Use of United States Armed Forces Abroad, 1798-2015, please see: https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R42738.pdf and see Military…


MWI – U.S. Cybersecurity Gets a New Cyber Warrior General – 20 September 2016

U.S. Cybersecurity Gets a New Cyber Warrior General. MWI Contributor Robert Potter argues a turn for the positive in U.S. cybersecuirty with the recent appointment of Brigadier General (retired) Gregory J. Touhil as the first ever U.S. Federal Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). http://mwi.usma.edu/u-s-cybersecurity-gets-a-new-cyber-warrior-general/ and see also: http://militarylegitimacyreview.com/?s=Cyber and please…


NYT – Air Force, Running Low on Drone Pilots, Turns to Contractors in Terror Fight – 5 September 2016

Ihttp://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/06/us/air-force-drones-terrorism-isis.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share “The Pentagon is increasingly relying on private contractors to operate drones for reconnaissance missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.” See also: Govern, Kevin H. and Schlager, Scott A, ‘Guns for Hire, Death on Demand’: The Permissibility of U.S. Outsourcing of Drone Attacks to Civilian Surrogates of the Armed Forces and…


Simons Center Interagency Journal – “Out of Sync” – U.S. Africa Command and Recent Interagency Challenges – Summer 2016

http://thesimonscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/IAJ-7-2-Summer2016-34-43.pdf The most recent edition of the Simons Center Interagency Journal examines US Africa Command’s innovative interagency structure. It highlights some recent challenges, particularly between DoD and State coordination in regional policy and security cooperation. The authors conclude that despite these challenges AFRICOM is equipped to counter these challenges by…



CNN – Newly released US drone policy explains how targets can be chosen – 7 August 2016

“The Obama administration has released a previously [top] secret 18-page policy guidance document that lays out how potential drone targets may be chosen and approved and the President’s role in the decision-making process.” Read the full story: http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/06/politics/obama-administration-drone-policy/ For the actual, declassified document, see: https://www.justice.gov/oip/foia-library/procedures_for_approving_direct_action_against_terrorist_targets/download For a related policy, see:…


MWI – Cyberwarfare a Double-edged Sword for Authoritarian States – 1 August 2016

MWI Contributor Robert Potter argues that authoritarian states are more vulnerable to the impacts of cyberwarfare than democracies in today’s War Council Blog. http://mwi.usma.edu/cyberwarfare-double-edged-sword-authoritarian-states/ For more on cyberwar, see: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/cyber-war-9780198717492?lang=en&cc=us  



MWI – To Study Modern War There is No Substitute For Going – 27 July 2016

http://warontherocks.com/2016/07/to-study-modern-war-there-is-no-substitute-for-going/ Our Nation’s future leaders are fortunate indeed to have seasoned, sage leader-mentors at West Point, especially the Modern War Institute! Generations of commissioned officers have done what is known as the “staff ride” with the goal of studying and learning from war. First Printed in 1987, most recently reprinted…


BBC News: Panama launches investigation into 1989 US invasion – 22 July 2016

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-36852120 The government in Panama has launched an investigation into the US invasion in 1989 that overthrew military strongman General Manuel Noriega and see: Govern, Kevin H., Sorting the Wolves from the Sheep (October 1, 2004). Military Police – PB 19-04-2, 2004. Available at SSRN: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2598769