News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Daniel Riggs.
1. Made in Germany, Co-opted by China
2. China’s Belt and Road Initiative Is a Mess, Not a Master Plan
3. Options for Taiwan to Better Compete with China
4. U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy undermines peace, development prospect in East Asia: Wang Yi
5. Edward C. Meyer, general who revamped post-Vietnam ‘hollow Army,’ dies at 91
6. Remarks by Deputy Secretary Stephen E. Biegun (Quad)
7. The Korean War’s Lesson for Taiwan
8. On Transparency and Foreign Funding of U.S. Think Tanks
9. State Department to Call on American Think Tanks to Disclose Foreign Funding
10. UK journalist releases book detailing U.S. military's contamination of Pacific region with toxic substances
11. China threatens invasion of Taiwan in new video showing military might
12. The Important Difference Between Cybersecurity And Cyber Resilience (And Why You Need Both)
13. As Taiwan's profile rises, so does risk of conflict with China
14. Nobody Puts IW in an Annex: It’s Time to Embrace Irregular Warfare as a Strategic Priority
15. US: Russia Has Agreed to Extend New START to Tactical Nukes. Russia: No, We Haven’t
16. How two-man US Army crews in Oceania will shape Defender Pacific 2021
17. ‘China’s Good War’ Review: Present at the Creation (Book review)
18. 5 questions with the commander of a special ops signal battalion
19. China uses new tactic in campaign against Taiwan with spy accusations
20. Army SFAB advisers will have to share some friends with China
1. Made in Germany, Co-opted by China
FDD · by Emily de La Bruyère and Nathan Picarsic · October 9, 2020
The 29 page PDF of this monograph can be downloaded at the link.
EXSUM here.
2. China’s Belt and Road Initiative Is a Mess, Not a Master Plan
Foreign Policy · by Lee Jones · October 9, 2020
RE: "Arguably, rather than denouncing and trying to curtail the BRI, Western policymakers would be better off encouraging it. Overextension and poor oversight are generating substantial pushback against China in many BRI countries, without any outside interference."
That would be part of a coherent, well orchestrated, and long term sustained political warfare strategy.”
Other excerpts:
“Although this has led to some tightening of outbound investment, notably around real estate, still around half of Chinese overseas investments are loss-making.
However, nefarious interests are also often at work. Construction is an incredibly corrupt economic sector. Elites can extract kickbacks, allocate projects for electoral advantage, and insert their business cronies into lucrative joint ventures. Greed can easily overwhelm rational development planning, especially if recipients wrongly assume that China will do their due diligence for them. Harm is compounded where governments fail to regulate Chinese firms adequately, and neglect to consult or compensate affected populations.”
3. Options for Taiwan to Better Compete with China
divergentoptions.org · by Thomas J. Shattuck · October 14, 2020
4. U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy undermines peace, development prospect in East Asia: Wang Yi
Again, "what is of supreme importance is to attack the enemy's strategy." China is invoking Sun Tzu.
5. Edward C. Meyer, general who revamped post-Vietnam ‘hollow Army,’ dies at 91
The Washington Post· by Matt Schudel · October 14, 2020
The loss of a great American soldier. Rest in peace General.
6. Remarks by Deputy Secretary Stephen E. Biegun (Quad)
state.gov · by Stephen Biegun, Deputy Secretary of State
Two key points:
“But I should also be clear that the security partnerships the United States and our partners explore today do not necessarily need to follow the model of the last century of mutual defense treaties with a heavy in-country U.S. troop presence. Today we benefit from forging close links with countries, like India, that share our vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific and that seek to provide for their own defense. In this context, the United States certainly benefits from an India that is as strong and prosperous. And our cooperation can come in far more ways than in the past, particularly with the advance of technology, the shifts in global economic influence, and changing geopolitical circumstances.
...
As Ambassador Kantha also suggested, cooperation between the United States and India does not have to be limited to a bilateral or Quad format but can extend to broader areas of shared interests and with other like-minded partners, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. The Quad is a partnership driven by shared interests, not binding obligations, and is not intended to be an exclusive grouping. Any country that seeks a free and open Indo-Pacific and is willing to take steps to ensure that, should be welcome to work with us.”
7. The Korean War’s Lesson for Taiwan
WSJ · by Paul Wolfowitz· October 14, 2020
A lesson yes. But Kim Il-sung was able to manipulate both Stalin and Mao which I think is lost on many of us. Acheson's statement surely helped Kim make his argument but it is a question as to whether it was decisive. Kim likely would have found another way to get Stalin's support.
8. On Transparency and Foreign Funding of U.S. Think Tanks
state.gov · by Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State
Will this change the think tank landscape in Washington? I am proud to be a member of FDD which takes no foreign funding.
9. State Department to Call on American Think Tanks to Disclose Foreign Funding
National Review Online · by Brittany Bernstein · October 13, 2020
The links in the article go to some old reports that are still fascinating.
10. UK journalist releases book detailing U.S. military's contamination of Pacific region with toxic substances
Perfect IO opportunity for the CCP and China. No doubt they want to explicit this UK report.
11. China threatens invasion of Taiwan in new video showing military might
The Washington Post· by Gerry Shih · October 12, 2020
The CCP/PRC/PLA are upping their overt influence operations.
12. The Important Difference Between Cybersecurity And Cyber Resilience (And Why You Need Both)
Forbes · by Bernard Marr · October 14, 2020
And cyber hygiene is well.
13. As Taiwan's profile rises, so does risk of conflict with China
Axios · by Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian
14. Nobody Puts IW in an Annex: It’s Time to Embrace Irregular Warfare as a Strategic Priority
mwi.usma.edu · by David H. Ucko · October 14, 2020
But an annex is better than nothing!
There is much with which I agree with in this excellent essay by David Ucko.
I would summarize his conclusion this way: "Its strategy, stupid." (apologies to a former president). We have all the tools. We have all the concepts. We have all the capabilities. We need to be able to develop strategy with balance and coherency among ends ways and means with the objective to achieve the durable acceptable political arrangements that will support and advance US interests. And of course this is not solely up to the military and must be part of a broad political warfare strategy or simply statecraft and grand strategy.
Conclusion: "Most fundamental to this type of reform, however, are not the means or concepts developed, or even the capabilities built, but rather the overall strategy adopted by the state, as informed by a clear sense of policy and purpose. The objectives of irregular warfare are influence, credibility, and legitimacy, which are seen as preconditions for power. As America reflects upon its role in the world, it is perhaps within these areas where greater investment is most urgently needed."
15. US: Russia Has Agreed to Extend New START to Tactical Nukes. Russia: No, We Haven’t
defenseone.com · by Patrick Tucker
What is the ground truth?
16. How two-man US Army crews in Oceania will shape Defender Pacific 2021
Defense News · by Jen Judson · October 13, 2020
Less can be more.
17. ‘China’s Good War’ Review: Present at the Creation (Book review)
WSJ · by Howard W. French · October 14, 2020
Look forward to reading the assessment of the China watchers about this book. My to read book pile is getting pretty high and about to tip over.
18. 5 questions with the commander of a special ops signal battalion
c4isrnet.com · by Andrew Eversden · October 13, 2020
19. China uses new tactic in campaign against Taiwan with spy accusations
ca.reuters.com · by Ben Blanchard
20. Army SFAB advisers will have to share some friends with China
Defense News · by Kyle Rempfer · October 14, 2020
What appear to be some pretty high level policy assessments/statements from the SFAB commanders: “That does not mean we’re demanding that everyone we work with make a choice of us over other neighbors,” Taylor added. “We recognize that our partners out there, they’re not going to change their neighborhood, and so they have to work with a number of different partners."
In interesting division of labor:
“Contrary to what some first expected, the point of SFABs in Africa is not to replace the special operations forces that have carved out a niche there, advising local units through counter-terrorism efforts like the 127 Echo program.”
Hough framed the SFAB advisers' work in Africa as “complementary” to what special operators are doing.
“We focus on our host nation conventional forces,” Hough said. “And we complement SOF with what they’re doing throughout those regions, as well.”
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A laconic phrase or laconism is a concise or terse statement, especially a blunt and elliptical rejoinder.
It is named after Laconia, the region of Greece including the city of Sparta, whose ancient inhabitants had a reputation for verbal austerity and were famous for their blunt and often pithy remarks.
A great example involves Philip II of Macedon.
After invading southern Greece and receiving the submission of other key city-states, he turned his attention to Sparta and asked menacingly whether he should come as friend or foe. The reply was "Neither."
Losing patience, he sent the message:
You are advised to submit without further delay, for if I bring my army into your land, I will destroy your farms, slay your people, and raze your city.
The Spartan ephors again replied with a single word: "If."
Subsequently, neither Philip nor his son Alexander the Great attempted to capture the city.
Hat tip to Wikipedia (and Facebook)
"It's part of a writer's profession, as it's part of a spy's profession, to prey on the community to which he's attached, to take away information - often in secret - and to translate that into intelligence for his masters, whether it's his readership or his spy masters. And I think that both professions are perhaps rather lonely."
- John le Carre
“Thus it has come about that our theoretical and critical literature, instead of giving plain, straightforward arguments in which the author at least always knows what he is saying and the reader what he is reading, is crammed with jargon, ending at obscure crossroads where the author loses its readers. Sometimes these books are even worse: they are just hollow shells. The author himself no longer knows just what he is thinking and soothes himself with obscure ideas which would not satisfy him if expressed in plain speech.”
- Major General Carl von Clausewitz