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Winslow Wheeler: F-35 Corruption, Costs, & Consequences (All Five Parts)

This series reveals a political and military system that is sick in its core.  This toxic stew of the F-35’s high cost, abetted by concurrent production, lagging performance and continuing design problems, has put U.S. and allied air power into a dive. The dive will steepen so long as F-35 production at the currently-projected rates …

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Marcus Aurelius: CRS Overview of UCP & COCOMs

Reading between the lines recommended. PDF (72 pages):  2013-01-03 CRS on UCP and COCOMS Phi Beta Iota:  Buried in the small print are severe shortcomings in intelligence support to strategy, policy, acquisition, and operations around the world; TRANSCOM thinking that Guam comprises a long-haul strategy; the Arctic uncovered and the Antarctic ignored; and at the …

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NIGHTWATCH: Pakistan, China, & India — Regional Accommodation As US Gets Kicked Out of the Neighborhood — Next Up the Persian – Russian Peace Zone

Pakistan: Pakistan’s National Assembly on Wednesday formally elected Nawaz Sharif as prime minister. Sharif, 63, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N, was elected by an overwhelming majority. He received 244 of the 317 votes cast by assembly members. Many parties voted en bloc for Nawaz Sharif to curry favor with the new government. President Zardari …

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Search: books that teach intelligence tradecraft

“Intelligence tradecraft” applies to each element of the intelligence cycle and is distinct for each of the eight tribes of intelligence.  It also varies depending on the threat target and the policy objective. Each of the above can be further distinguished at the four different levels of effort (strategic, operatonal, tactical, technical — the threat …

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Allen Roland: Honoring Chalmers Johnson, Prophet of Truth + Empire Meta-RECAP

Prophet for a Dying Empire Every dying Empire has its truth telling prophet and America had its own with Chalmers Johnson. Johnson correctly compared the decay of the American empire, with its well over 600 overseas military bases, with the fall of the Roman Empire whereas the Senate becomes a wealthy corporate club and irrelevant …

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Berto Jongman: Admrial James Stavrides Expands on “Open Source Security”

Globalization Creates a New Worry: Enemy Convergence By THOM SHANKER New York Times, 30 May 2013 WASHINGTON — Adm. James G. Stavridis, who stepped down this month as NATO’s supreme commander, has been at war in two wars — overseeing the alliance’s role in the enduring mission in Afghanistan as well as the shorter combat …

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Reflections on the Protection of Civilians – US Army List with Corrected Responsibilities 1.1

The U.S. Army continues to be one of the most thoughtful of the services.  Below is a superb list of responsibilities associated with the protection of civilians.  Where the list goes wrong is in assuming that the military will have a major responsibility across all these elements.  In fact US thinking continues to be severely …

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