News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Duncan Moore.
1. Find out where Trump and Biden stand on defense and security issues
2. Unfavorable views of China reach historic highs in many countries
3. State official: U.S. ties with Japan, India and Australia should be model for region
4. To understand China's aggressive foreign policy, look at its domestic politics
5. Editorial: could the KMT be returning to form?
6. Here's what could happen if China invaded Taiwan
7. Rep. Bi-khim Hsiao: Taiwan's resilience shows the power of freedom and democracy
8. Explainer: how the next WTO chief will be chosen and the task ahead
9. American-made spy boat on secret mission washes up in Scotland
10. U.S. special operations forces are getting ready for war with Russia or China
11. Call it what it is: propaganda
12. How the Air Force could turn transports into heavy gunships
13. Trump suggests he may have contracted coronavirus from Gold Star families
14. The United States can only achieve AI dominance with its allies
15. Why we are suing President Trump
16. Green Beret's free-fall death spotlights concerns, sparks working group
17. Logic and grammar: Clausewitz and the language of war
1. Find out where Trump and Biden stand on defense and security issues
Defense News · Aaron Mehta & Joe Gould · October 8, 2020
My biased comment: Korea did not make the list.
2. Unfavorable views of China reach historic highs in many countries
Pew Research Center · Laura Silver, Kat Devlin, & Christine Huang · October 6, 2020
A lot of data.
3. State official: U.S. ties with Japan, India and Australia should be model for region
USNI News · John Grady · October 8, 2020
I hope so.
4. To understand China's aggressive foreign policy, look at its domestic politics
Council on Foreign Relations · Christopher W. Bishop · October 8, 2020
energy security + economic growth + domestic political stability = CCP remaining in power… and the COVID pandemic upsets this equation.
5. Editorial: could the KMT be returning to form?
Taipei Times · October 8, 2020
I would be interested in hearing from the Taiwan/China experts analyzing this op-ed.
6. Here's what could happen if China invaded Taiwan
Bloomberg · Samson Ellis · October 7, 2020
Some interesting graphics.
7. Rep. Bi-khim Hsiao: Taiwan's resilience shows the power of freedom and democracy
National Interest · Bi-khim Hsiao · October 8, 2020
We need to engage the community, coalition, or arsenal of democracy.
8. Explainer: How the next WTO chief will be chosen and the task ahead
Reuters · Emma Farge, Philip Blenkinsop, & Catherine Evans · October 8, 2020
9. American-made spy boat on secret mission washes up in Scotland
Popular Mechanics · Kyle Mizokami · October 8, 2020
Oops???
10. U.S. special operations forces are getting ready for war with Russia or China
National Interest · Peter Suciu · October 8, 2020
To beat a horse more dead, here are my thoughts, especially after the publication of the IW annex.
My main criticism of the IW annex is that it did not take the opportunity to revise the very poor definition of IW. The 2007 3000.7 was a compromise definition among the interagency and there was tremendous pushback on the concept from civilian agencies and, in particular, State. The definition is also simply another description of COIN, which is unfortunate. Congress provided a much more comprehensive and useful description of IW that is much more relevant for GPC.
The 2007 DODI 3000.7 definition: a "violent struggle among state and non-state actors for legitimacy and influence over the relevant populations." It said that IW consisted of UW, foreign internal defense (FID), CT, counterinsurgency, and stability operations (SO).
Congress wrote in the 2018 NDAA: irregular warfare is conducted "in support of predetermined United States policy and military objectives conducted by, with, and through regular forces, irregular forces, groups, and individuals participating in competition between state and non-state actors short of traditional armed conflict."
Here is how I would summarize IW in terms of Great Power Competition. I will be writing more about this as I think we need more of an emphasis on political warfare.
Problem:
We face threats from political warfare strategies supported by hybrid military approaches.
Solution:
Learn to lead with influence
Learn to counter and conduct political warfare campaigns
Competition equals Political Warfare most likely
State on state warfare less likely most dangerous
I am really going to focus on SOF and the IW annex. I am gratified to see that the Unconventional Warfare was, at least, mentioned in the annex.
Yet there seems to be a conspiracy against UW in DOD and even in the SOF community. The Joint Staff has decided not to update the Joint UW doctrine (JP 3-05.1), published for the first and only time in 2015 (and then the J7 made it FOUO, which is the best way to marginalize any doctrine).
These two strategic vision documents (below) from USASOC and 1st Special Forces Command do not mention UW at all (of course, the focus is on resistance, but resistance is a fundamental aspect of UW - in fact it is the foundation of UW). I will write more on this discussing the importance of the IW annex and the inflection point at which we have arrived.
Army Special Operations Strategy & 1st Special Forces Command - A Vision for 2021 and Beyond
Rather than ignoring or marginalizing UW, DOD and the Joint Staff should be directing an update of Joint UW doctrine in accordance with the IW annex.
My description of special operations includes the two SOF "trinities" and the no fail mission requirement with the foundation for the trinities being "UW thinking."
UW thinking informs everything SF/SOF should do.
UW is fundamentally problem solving; using unique, non-doctrinal, and non-conventional methods, techniques, people, equipment to solve (or assist in solving) complex political-military problems.
UW is fundamentally about influencing behavior of target audiences (which can include a population, a segment of the population, a political structure, or a military force); therefore, it includes an integral action arm of IO/PSYOP/CA.
The Two SOF "Trinities":
1. Irregular Warfare
2. Unconventional Warfare
3. Support to Political Warfare
The Comparative advantage of SOF:
1. Governance
2. Influence
3. Support to indigenous forces and populations
…with exquisite capabilities for the no fail CT and CP national missions.
11. Call it what it is: propaganda
Politico · John Maxwell Hamilton & Kevin R. Kosar · October 8, 2020
$300 million? Couldn't this money be better spent on ensuring election security? This is, of course, a comprehensive critique of the administration and its actions and intended action.
12. How the Air Force could turn transports into heavy gunships
National Interest · Caleb Larson · October 8, 2020
Imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Spooky, isn't it?
13. Trump suggests he may have contracted coronavirus from Gold Star families
Military Times · Leo Shane III · October 8, 2020
No words.
14. The United States can only achieve AI dominance with its allies
War On the Rocks · James Ryseff · October 9, 2020
Allies are important on so many levels.
15. Why we are suing President Trump
Just Security · Diane Marie Amann et al. · October 8, 2020
The ICC. This is quite an indictment.
16. Green Beret's free-fall death spotlights concerns, sparks working group
Army Times · Kyle Rempfer · October 9, 2020
17. Logic and grammar: Clausewitz and the language of war
Strategy Bridge · Christopher Saunders · October 9, 2020
"You didn't wait six months for a feasibility study to prove that an idea could work. You gambled that it might work. You didn't tie up the organization with red tape designed mostly to cover somebody's ass. You took the initiative and the responsibility. You went around end, you went over somebody's head if you had to. But you acted. That's what drove the regular military and the State Department chair-warmers crazy about the OSS.”
- William Casey on the OSS
“False words are not only evil themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.”
- Socrates
“Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws.”
- Plato