Monday, July 31, 2017

Not Next Ten, But Next Two

A Cliché About Military Spending, Newsday, July 31, 2017. "It’s often observed that the United States spends as much on defense as the next 10 or so nations combined. As Congress begins to consider the annual National Defense Authorization Act, it should recognize that this commonplace is simplistic, inaccurate, and serves only to undercut our own defenses."

Thursday, July 27, 2017

The Worse, the Better

The U.S. Goal at the Conference of States Parties of the Arms Trade Treaty: Keep the Treaty on Its Downward Spiral, Heritage Foundation Issue Brief #4744, July 27, 2017. "While the U.S. should attend the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) Conference of States Parties as an observer state, it should do so in the clear recognition that the ATT is not in the interests of the United States. Although the U.S. will not have a vote, it should intervene in the debate to: (1) speak honestly about the ATT’s failures; (2) make it clear that it will make no voluntary financial contributions to support the ATT; and (3) warn the states parties against launching a propaganda campaign in support of the treaty or amending the treaty to expand its requirements. Finally, the U.S. should unsign the ATT as rapidly as possible."

Monday, July 24, 2017

On Helping the Bad Against the Worse

The U.K. Defeats A Legal Challenge to Its Arms Sales – Or Does It>?, Forbes, July 24, 2017. "Last week in London, the High Court rejected a challenge brought by the Campaign Against The Arms Trade (CAAT). The court ruled that the British government had broken no law by selling arms to Saudi Arabia that are being used in a war against Houthi rebels in Yemen. NGOs that backed the challenge, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, are downhearted. But on a closer look, Britain's victory over the legal challenge to its arms sales doesn’t give anyone much comfort."

Monday, July 17, 2017

Locust Years

The Cost of Kicking the Can Down the Road in Russia, Iran and North Korea, Newsday, July 17, 2017. "You know the major foreign threats to the United States — Russia, Iran, North Korea, and terrorism. We’ve been talking about them for years. Today, we’re in a bad place on all of them. It’s an object lesson in the dangers of kicking the can down the road."

Thursday, July 13, 2017

Turkish Abuse of Interpol

Is Turkey Trying to Harass U.S. Service Members Through Interpol?, Forbes, July 13, 2017. "Last week, a Turkish newspaper alleged that Interpol had “removed Turkey from its database” after the Turkish government sought to report 60,000 people to Interpol on the grounds that they were members of the so-called Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETO), which the Turkish government alleges was behind the July 2016 coup attempt in Turkey. Supposedly, Interpol said that the Turkey request raised an “issue of trust” and suspended its access in July 2016. A day later, Interpol denied this report."