9/23/2020 News & Commentary – National Security

News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Daniel Riggs

1. How to Counter the Chinese Communist Party by H. R. McMaster

2. The world is losing the money laundering fight

3. Who is a terrorist, actually? by Daniel L. Byman

4. Marine Corps’ Builds New Littoral Regiment, Eye On Fake Chinese Islands

5. The Military’s Latest Wearables Can Detect Illness Two Days Before You Get Sick

6. Why skepticism -- not China -- may be the greatest threat to US Pacific strategy

7. Biden Wants to Keep Special Ops in the Mideast. That Doesn’t Mean More ‘Forever Wars,’ His Adviser Says

8. Duterte Gets Tough on China, Leaning Back to Old Ally America

9. Rodrigo Duterte: The Weak Strongman of the Philippines

10. Facebook deletes several fake Chinese accounts targeting Trump and Biden, in first takedown of its kind

11. How Serious Are Threats to the U.S. Homeland?

12. Formal Ties With U.S.? Not For Now, Says Taiwan Foreign Minister

13. China is escalating its punishment diplomacy

14. US strategic clarity on Taiwan could deter China

15. A consensus-driven joint concept for all-domain warfare will fall short

16. The Transformation of Diplomacy- How to Save the State Department

17. China's New War Game Doesn't Prove It Could Successfully Invade Taiwan

18. We Need to Bridge the Gap Between the COIN Generation and the Next Generation

 

1. How to Counter the Chinese Communist Party by H. R. McMaster

National Review Online · by H. R. McMaster · September 22, 2020

Just received his book last evening from Amazon.  Looking forward to reading it this weekend.

 

2. The world is losing the money laundering fight

The Sydney Morning Herald · by Elisa Martinuzzi · September 22, 2020

Does not sound good.  We have to protect our financial systems.

 

3. Who is a terrorist, actually? by Daniel L. Byman

The Brookings Institution · by Daniel L. Byman · September 22, 2020

I hope this is read objectively but it likely will not be by the political tribes.

 

4. Marine Corps’ Builds New Littoral Regiment, Eye On Fake Chinese Islands

breakingdefense.com · by Paul McLeary

Fake Chinese islands!! A Marine will say my grandfather captured Iwo Jima and all I got was a fake Chinese island. (Apologies for the attempt at humor)

 

5. The Military’s Latest Wearables Can Detect Illness Two Days Before You Get Sick

defenseone.com · by Patrick Tucker

A fascinating capability.  I hope it works.

 

6. Why skepticism -- not China -- may be the greatest threat to US Pacific strategy

Washington Examiner · by Craig Singleton · September 23, 2020

Key point:  "Contrary to headlines about the importance of new Department of Defense investment in the region, America’s success in the Western Pacific will ultimately rise and fall based on positive political outcomes as much as it will by military ones."

For our adversaries politics is war by other means.  We must understand that is the essence of Great Power Competition even as we want to define Great Power Competition as state-on-state warfare.

 

7. Biden Wants to Keep Special Ops in the Mideast. That Doesn’t Mean More ‘Forever Wars,’ His Adviser Says

TIME · by Kimberly Dozier · September 23, 2020

A long read on SOF from Kim Dozier. Extensive quotes from Colin Kahl and LTG (RET) Mike Nagata.  This is worth the read for Mike's quotes and observations on SOF in Syria alone.

 

8. Duterte Gets Tough on China, Leaning Back to Old Ally America

Bloomberg · by Philip Heijmans and Andreo Calonzo · September 23, 2020

 

9. Rodrigo Duterte: The Weak Strongman of the Philippines

thediplomat.com · by Mong Palatino · September 21, 2020

Key points: "Duterte has so far sought to overcome these various crises by launching ferocious attacks on activists, shutting down of critical media networks and passing a draconian anti-terror law.  Duterte’s health is deteriorating but he seems hellbent in defending his presidency. But if Duterte’s health continues to decline, or he is otherwise perceived to be ailing, this could be a quandary for the ruling party as the nation moves toward the 2022 presidential elections."

 

10. Facebook deletes several fake Chinese accounts targeting Trump and Biden, in first takedown of its kind

The Washington Post · September 22, 2020

I think we need to purge our biases that say China, Russia, Iran and others want one candidate to win over the other.  Their actions are not really focused on supporting candidates for the purposes of them winning.  Their intention is solely to sow division in the US and undermine the legitimacy of the American democratic process.  And of course they want to harm democracies beyond the US as well.

But this is an interesting connection to the Philippines.

 

11. How Serious Are Threats to the U.S. Homeland?

lawfareblog.com · by Daniel Byman and Seamus Hughes · September 18, 2020

Conclusion: "Action by counterterrorism professionals at the FBI and the National Counterterrorism Center is vital not only for keeping the country safe but also for allowing Americans to mobilize to discuss contentious issues and advocate for their preferred positions without the specter of violence hanging over them. Violence and the fear of it can contaminate politics, leading to the dismissal of different viewpoints as extremist and to calls for government crackdowns on legitimate dissent. At the same time, the more divided the country is, the easier it is for even small attacks to have a disproportionate effect on America and further weaken national cohesion."

 

12. Formal Ties With U.S.? Not For Now, Says Taiwan Foreign Minister

NPR · by John Ruwitch · September 22, 2020

Excellent statement form Minister Wu: "Taiwan is on the front line of the democracies fighting for freedom, democracy and democratic way of life. We have the responsibility to make sure that democracy is successful, and if we want to make sure that democracy in Taiwan is a success, I would certainly urge the international community to voice more support for Taiwan."

 

13. China is escalating its punishment diplomacy

Financial Times · by Jamil Anderlini · September 23, 2020

Key point:  "Today, China claims to be the biggest trade partner to 130 countries and regions and the demonstration effect  - “killing the chicken to scare the monkeys” as it is known in China - is often enough to cow others into compliance."

 

14. US strategic clarity on Taiwan could deter China

asiatimes.com · by Urban C. Lehner · September 23, 2020

 

15. A consensus-driven joint concept for all-domain warfare will fall short

Defense News · by Mark Gunzinger · September 18, 2020

I take his point but if we do not have consensus how do we expect to employ the concept?  And if we cannot get consensus perhaps there is something wrong with the concept.

 

16. The Transformation of Diplomacy- How to Save the State Department

Foreign Affairs · by William J. Burns and Linda Thomas-Greenfield · September 23, 2020

Commitment to public service. (and respect for those who commit to public service)

Conclusion: "Through it all, however, we still remember vividly the sense of possibility and shared commitment to public service that drew the two of us and 30 other proud Americans to our Foreign Service entering class all those years ago. Today, there is a new generation of diplomats capable of taking up that challenge—if only they are given a State Department and a mission worthy of their ambitions and of the country they will represent."

 

17. China's New War Game Doesn't Prove It Could Successfully Invade Taiwan

The National Interest · by Kris Osborn · September 22, 2020
 

Beijing left out certain important possibilities and there are many unknown unknowns.

 

18. We Need to Bridge the Gap Between the COIN Generation and the Next Generation

fromthegreennotebook.com · by Scott Kelly · September 21, 2020

 

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"A room without books is like a body without a soul."

- Cicero

 

"There is no friend as loyal as a book."

- Ernest Hemingway

 

 "I know that I am intelligent, because I know that I know nothing."

- Socrates