*Note: This essay was originally published on the Modern War Institute’s Commentary & Analysis site. It’s not very often that a US commander in Afghanistan sets off a social media firestorm. But recently, Gen. John “Mick” Nicholson in his final press conference as outgoing US commander in Afghanistan, was accused of wearing rose-colored glasses or…
On March 26, 2015, the University of Utah’s Center for Peace & Conflict Studies and the Hinckley Institute of Politics sponsored three others (listed above) and I to debate this proposition: was the war in Afghanistan worth it? I spoke in support; I made the argument, that, to my mind, the war in Afghanistan was worth the effort.
Image courtesy of Foreign Policy; Tengku Bahar/AFP/Getty Images. Friday’s Last Word – Pull Pin, Throw Grenade, Run Away: A provocative thought to kick off the weekend… I think Ambassador Hank Crumpton, formerly of the CIA, deserves great admiration for his service to the country. But having just listened to a speech he gave (titled “A New…
Image courtesy of Flikr user The U.S. Army. Friday’s Last Word – Pull Pin, Throw Grenade, Run Away: A provocative thought to kick off the weekend… In Iraq and Afghanistan, one commonly heard phrase was to “employ money as a weapon system.” The idea was a simple one in Iraq – if you can get what…
Image courtesy of Flikr user U.S. Army. Friday’s Last Word – Pull Pin, Throw Grenade, Run Away: A provocative thought to kick off the weekend… In teaching Military Strategy we cover Clausewitz (as one might expect). Yesterday I taught the back half of a two-part lesson on this important war theorist, and tied in two…
I’ve recently been listening to some amazing lectures available from the Pritzker Military Library in Chicago…one can find the series of authors and historians discussing topical issues and their books on iTunes for free. An amazing resource, especially Doris Kearns Goodwin on Lincoln. Anyhow, I came across two interpretations that I was interested in and…
National Journal has run an excellent story on the financial aspect of Osama bin Laden’s death. Frankly, it’s pretty sobering to think about. The article begins: “By conservative estimates, bin Laden cost the United States at least $3 trillion over the past 15 years, counting the disruptions he wrought on the domestic economy, the wars…