03/02/2021 News & Commentary – National Security

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

1. Indo-Pacific Commander Delivers $27 Billion Plan to Congress

2. How to Asymmetrically Out-Compete Xi Jinping’s One Belt One Road Initiative3

3. FDD | Democracies still don’t understand CCP’s political warfare: Kerry Gershaneck

4. FDD | The UN Should Protect Human Rights, Not Human Rights Abusers

5. Human Rights: A New Role For The Intelligence Community

6. How Beijing uses family videos to try to discredit Uyghur advocates

7. A Salami Slice for Taiwan’s Security

8. Security force assistance brigade wants a third of its members in Indo-Pacific at all times

9. Biden Putting Tech, Not Troops, at Core of U.S.-China Policy

10. From The U.S. Capitol To Local Governments, Disinformation Disrupts

11. Report: Iran used commercial satellite images to monitor US forces before attack

12. 'Inferior' women: China counters Uighur criticism with explicit PR attacks

13. Pentagon Hosts First Meeting of US-China Task Force

14. Stop doing anal Covid tests on our citizens, Japan tells China

15. Drones Could Be SOCOM Armed Overwatch Contenders, Slife Says

16. Air Force Might Make Separate "Pacific" and "European" 6th Gen Stealth Jets

17. What Tom Brady Can Teach Joe Biden on Foreign Policy

18. ‘The Things They Carried’ author Tim O’Brien on his life’s work, trauma & confronting mortality

19. The Relentless Pursuit of America

20. The Last Stop Before Thermopylae

21.  The Republican revolt against democracy, explained in 13 charts

 

1. Indo-Pacific Commander Delivers $27 Billion Plan to Congress

breakingdefense.com · by Paul McLeary

I wonder if this will include the relatively inexpensive concept of development of a resistance operating concept for Taiwan to contribute to unconventional deterrence.

 

2. How to Asymmetrically Out-Compete Xi Jinping’s One Belt One Road Initiative

warontherocks.com · by Patrick Cronin · March 2, 2021

Excellent recommendations from Patrick Cronin, particularly on the digital aspects.

Here are my thoughts on developing a resistance potential to OBOR:

•What is the resistance potential against OBOR?

•Is it supportable and exploitable?

•How to develop a supporting campaign plan to support the new US Strategic Approach to China;

•Promoting American Prosperity

•Advancing American Influence

•Preserving Peace Through Strength.

•US Strategic Approach to China:

•State Department Plays a Key Role in New US China Strategy

•How to Support the GEC?

•Information and Influence Activities

•How to Support State?

•Blue Dot Network

•Economic Prosperity Network

•Is there a role for the 2 SOF “trinities?”

•Irregular Warfare, Unconventional Warfare, Support to Political Warfare

•The Comparative advantage of SOF: Governance, Influence, Support to indigenous forces and populations

 

3.  FDD | Democracies still don’t understand CCP’s political warfare: Kerry Gershaneck

fdd.org · by Cleo Paskal · February 27, 2021

From my FDD colleague, Cleo Paskal.

Excerpts:

“A: The nature of the regime matters greatly, as does the extent of the threat it poses. China is an expansionist, hyper-nationalistic, militarily powerful, brutally repressive, fascist, and totalitarian state. It is essential to understand each word in that indisputable description. The CCP poses an existential threat to the freedom and democracy that India and the US represent. Failure to understand the nature of the CCP regime undermines our countries’ ability to fully understand the danger the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC’s) PW poses and to build our capacity to combat it.

I wrote the book because many American elected officials and others in key policy, national security, and education positions simply do not understand the nature of the PRC threat. They do not understand—or simply refuse to recognize—that the PRC is at war with us. During the Cold War, the US used to be pretty good at fighting totalitarian political warfare, which is a key reason the Free World won that prolonged Cold War with the USSR. It’s worth noting that the non-aligned nations won as well when the USSR collapsed.

But we abandoned those skills in the early 1990s, when we naively assumed the collapse of the Soviet Union meant we had won and that there would never be a threat again from a totalitarian communist regime. The communist Soviet regime had collapsed but not the CCP. The CCP studied the Soviet Union’s collapse closely and learned lessons regarding how to keep its totalitarian system alive. And it vastly improved its political warfare capabilities to ensure that it could overcome the democracies’ efforts to reform the PRC to help it to become like them.”

 

4. FDD | The UN Should Protect Human Rights, Not Human Rights Abusers

fdd.org · by Bradley Bowman · March 1, 2021

From my colleagues Brad Bowman, and David May.

We have to compete with China in international organizations and counter its influence especially in areas such as human rights. My belief is China seeks to export its authoritarian political system around the world in order to dominate regions, co-opt or coerce international organizations, create economic conditions favorable to China alone, and displace democratic institutions.

Excerpts:

“If countries can engage in the worst human rights abuses imaginable and still achieve or retain membership, it says much about the state of the UNHRC—and any hope for real reform.

Here’s another metric that could be used to measure any Biden administration effort to reengage at the UNHRC: Can the U.S. delegation convince the UNHRC to treat Israel more equitably?

Perhaps some of the time previously spent on Israel could be used to help the Uighurs detained in concentration camps in Xinjiang. European allies willing to put principle before profit might want to partner with the U.S. delegation on this effort. And perhaps Muslim-majority countries might want to team up to help fellow Muslims confronting atrocities that our grandchildren will read about decades from now.

Americans rightly want to honor our principles, advance human rights and not vacate key fields of competition with China. But we also don’t want to inadvertently aid and abet an enterprise that often undermines the goals it was established to advance.

In his announcement, Blinken touted the administration’s commitment “to a world in which human rights are protected, their defenders are celebrated and those who commit human rights abuses are held accountable.” The problem is that the international organization charged with leading that effort frequently does exactly the opposite.”

 

5. Human Rights: A New Role For The Intelligence Community

breakingdefense.com · by Anthony Vinci

Human rights is not only a moral imperative, it is a national security issue. Despotic regimes around the world deny human rights in order to remain in power.

State is an obvious customer as it produces the human rights reports. And there should also be public-private partnerships with NGOs who are working on human rights issues. And certain information organizations such as State's Global Engagement center and the US Agency for Global media would also benefit from intelligence information to inform foreign target audiences about human rights abuses around the world. And our diplomats at the UN could make effective use of intelligence analysis on human rights abuses.

Excerpts:

“If the IC is to focus on human rights, it requires customers and budget. The Biden administration has done something great by creating that customer in the NSC. The administration could go even further by issuing an Executive Order to the IC to focus more effort on human rights. Intelligence community leaders will need to translate administration focus into requirements, budgetary choices and decisions to set up new offices, train and equip intelligence officers and devote collection resources.

To really succeed and build an IC human rights capability, Congress must act to provide the funding necessary for the IC to devote the resources it will need.”

 

6. How Beijing uses family videos to try to discredit Uyghur advocates

hongkongfp.com · by Emily Upson · February 28, 2021

True evil.

Photos and videos at the link. 

 

7. A Salami Slice for Taiwan’s Security

defenseone.com · by Andrew Latham

Excerpts:

“So, the best possible strategy would seem to be off the table. But is it? Here’s a suggestion: act boldly to “home-port” an American warship at a Taiwanese port. Don’t telegraph whatever bilateral negotiations between Washington and Taipei would be needed to make this happen. Just sail the ship into harbor; leave it there; then, over time, develop the dockside infrastructure needed to support the vessel; then, again over time, increase either the size of the warship or the number of warships making that port home. In other words, play the salami-slice game, but in reverse: have the world’s premiere military power take a bold move short of the declared threshold of war, thus forcing its adversary either to accept the new status quo or attempt to re-establish the status quo ante.

There would be risks, of course. In 2017, a Chinese embassy official told Congressional staffers that Beijing might respond to a U.S. warship's port visit with “non-peaceful means." But the situation is risky now. And, given the geopolitical circumstances, the risks of such a stratagem of stealth home-porting would be less than that of having tens of thousands of U.S. Marines or Army paratroopers suddenly land on the island and then establish permanent garrisons around the country.

If the U.S. were to signal its commitment in this way, as well as demonstrate that two can play the salami-slice game, it might just mean the end of PRC incursions into Taiwanese airspace. And beyond that, it might help stabilize the regional status quo while it still favors the U.S. and its democratic allies.”

 

8. Security force assistance brigade wants a third of its members in Indo-Pacific at all times

armytimes.com · by Kyle Rempfer · March 1, 2021

A nice bumper sticker but presence for what purpose?

Excerpts:

“Taylor said other countries in the region have “a lot of interest” in receiving SFAB teams, but declined to list them until the partnerships are formally announced.

“As we work these partnerships, our countries have varying degrees of openness about, you know, evolving relationships,” Taylor said.

“What we will be very open about is the missions that we’ve completed,” Taylor added. “But just out of respect for these evolving relationships, we want to let our partners decide when it’s the right time to talk about the partnership that we’re doing with them.”

The United States is not the only major power courting Asian nations. In the past, SFAB leaders have acknowledged that working in the Indo-Pacific means sharing partners with Chinese military trainers, as well.

“It’s clear that we are in competition with China in every country that we’re going to,” Taylor said in October. “That does not mean we’re demanding that everyone we work with make a choice of us over other neighbors. 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.”

...

Special Forces teams have also been active across the Indo-Pacific region. Those teams specialize in unconventional warfare and counterinsurgency, but they have far less experience when it comes to supply chain management or running a maintenance program, Taylor noted. That’s a gap SFABs can fill.

“These are kind of hard army conventional force skills that we hire people specifically for their mastery of,” Taylor said. “But really, in practice, most of what we’ve been doing is the fundamentals of good war fighting at the platoon, company and battalion level.”

 

9.  Biden Putting Tech, Not Troops, at Core of U.S.-China Policy

Bloomberg · by Nick Wadhams · March 1, 2021

I would say it is not either/or. I will give the administration the benefit of the doubt in that it is trying to use all elements of national power in the competition with China and not relying solely on the military. None of the instruments can be neglected. This is political warfare: “political warfare is the employment of all the means at a nation's command, short of war, to achieve its national objectives.”  

 

10.  From The U.S. Capitol To Local Governments, Disinformation Disrupts

NPR · by Sarah McCammon · March 1, 2021

Of course we will never eliminate disinformation. We have to develop resilience among the American people to recognize, expose, counter, and resist the influence of disinformation. 

The 2017 NSS has been removed from the White House web site. I wonder if the next NSS will include a statement similar to this one. This is one that should not be specifically affiliated with any partisan perspective:

"A democracy is only as resilient as its people. An informed and engaged citizenry is the fundamental requirement for a free and resilient nation. For generations, our society has protected free press, free speech, and free thought. Today, actors such as Russia are using information tools in an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of democracies. Adversaries target media, political processes, financial networks, and personal data. The American public and private sectors must recognize this and work together to defend our way of life. No external threat can be allowed to shake our shared commitment to our values, undermine our system of government, or divide our Nation."

 

11. Report: Iran used commercial satellite images to monitor US forces before attack

Defense News · by Nathan Strout · March 2, 2021

I do not think we should be surprised. Wouldn't you use all capabilities and tools available? Now the question is can we limit access to our adversaries? Should we try? Probably not. So many other entities are dependent on this type of imagery now. We have to assume our adversaries will exploit commercial imagery. The question is can we use that to our advantage or can we at least minimize the advantages it might provide our adversaries?

 

12. 'Inferior' women: China counters Uighur criticism with explicit PR attacks

Reuters · by Cate Cadell · March 1, 2021

Again the brutality and evil nature of the regime in China.

 

13. Pentagon Hosts First Meeting of US-China Task Force

voanews.com · by Reuters

Excerpts:

“Monday's meeting "is intended to formalize the mission, timing and outputs of the task force as they work towards a baseline assessment of [the] departments, policies, programs and processes on China-related matters," Kirby said.

He added the task force is expected to complete its work within the next four months but said that most if its findings "will be classified."

 

14. Stop doing anal Covid tests on our citizens, Japan tells China

The Guardian · March 2, 2021

Why are nations' allowing this to happen to their officials and citizens? Can't they halt travel? They need to hold China accountable for this and not allow normal relations to continue as long as this kind of behavior persists.

 

15. Drones Could Be SOCOM Armed Overwatch Contenders, Slife Says

Air Force Magazine · by Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory · March 2, 2021

 

16. Air Force Might Make Separate "Pacific" and "European" 6th Gen Stealth Jets

defensemaven.io · by Kris Osborn

Would this be over- "specialization?"

 

17.  What Tom Brady Can Teach Joe Biden on Foreign Policy

19fortyfive.com · by Daniel Davis · February 28, 2021

Yes, this title is clickbait and caught my eye. Unfortunately, in terms of north Korea the author's new strategy is one of appeasement. 

Excerpts:

“They represent a potent threat, however, near their own shores and if we foolishly chose to fight China in their neighborhood, we could suffer a defeat. Should Beijing – or any other country – be foolish enough to attack us on our turf, all the advantages would go to us and they would be crushed. No one is more conscious of that fact than China and thus they are unlikely to take such self-defeating actions.

That gives Biden enormous advantages. By keeping our Armed Forces strong, adequately funded, and properly trained, he can safely rely on our deterrent capacity while making much more liberal use of American diplomatic power to accomplish what ought to be the key objectives of any U.S. Administration: avoiding unnecessary war, expanding global economic opportunities, and preserving our freedom.

Biden could then safely engage in step-by-step diplomacy with North Korea to eventually achieve peace on the peninsula. He can assure American security in the Middle East by reducing tensions with Tehran and working towards the normalization of relations. We can deter Russia with our global military power without pointlessly antagonizing them while cooperating with them where it makes sense for our benefit. The president could diplomatically press for equality and fairness in our economic relations with China while greatly reducing the risk of war.

Abandoning the failed policies of the past several decades, bringing in Tom Brady-like new talent, and maintaining a strong military will allow President Biden to end our decades-long foreign policy losing streak.

 

18. ‘The Things They Carried’ author Tim O’Brien on his life’s work, trauma & confronting mortality

militarytimes.com · by J.D. Simkins · March 1, 2021

Yes, his book The Things they Carried was influential and thought provoking. I look forward to seeing the documentary,

 

19. The Relentless Pursuit of America

thecipherbrief.com

I wish most Americans could accept this conclusion.

“In America we find our strength and security in each other, first and foremost as Americans. You have a seat at the table. This is not for someone else to do. Acknowledge misinformation and see it for what it is. Social media has given you the power of the pen. You now have an unprecedented responsibility to understand, research, read and be smart on what you’re sharing. Put down your phone and have a calm, kneecap-to-kneecap conversation. It’s no longer enough to simply be an idle bystander. The survival of our Nation as we know it depends on what is and always has been, the decisive advantage in America; Americans and their relentless pursuit of “America”. “

 

20. The Last Stop Before Thermopylae

amgreatness.com · by Max Morton · February 24, 2021

My response to a friend who sent this to me. There is so much more to say about this essay but I thought I would share my initial thoughts.

Thank you for flagging this. 

Like you there are parts that strike me in a good way and others not so much. I think at the very foundation of his argument is the culture war. He is saying we have two distinct cultures in America.

I still believe in our system (and I think the author does too deep down as he is advocating grass roots political action to create change and not some call for violent overthrow despite the hyperbole he uses to describe the threats throughout the article).

I think in general there is merit to the description of the two political sides but it is too simplistic and he paints everyone on both sides with too broad a brush (but of course he must do that to make his arguments both simple and strong.). Ask yourself where we fit into this? I think we come down partly on both sides which I think is where his argument falls down. While there is of course a ruling elite so to speak, I think there are more people in government, in academia, in the military, and in the intelligence community, in law enforcement who still have "traditional" values (Family-oriented, self-reliant, and armed, traditional Americans. And among the traditional side there are many who are not technically incompetent who work in areas that would be consider part of the elite. 

Lastly his grassroots prescription has many hints of Saul Alinsky the communist/socialist community organizer. There is some irony in that. (But I always recommend his Rules for Radicals because those rules have application in any political movement and not just communist/socialist ones. - and they are particularly useful when applied to unconventional warfare).

This is important food for thought but I think we have to make better arguments. And while some of the solutions have great merit I think there is more to be discussed and more to be done. But I am not ready to declare democracy or our federal democratic republic dead despite the current challenges. Maybe I am too naive (or a true believer) but I believe our Constitution and our traditions offer us a way forward through the current morass.

 

21. The Republican revolt against democracy, explained in 13 charts

Vox · by Zack Beauchamp · March 1, 2021

Yes, a clickbait title from the liberal publication, Vox. Some food for thought that will upset about 30% of the population.

 

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"The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment." 

- Robert M. Hutchins

 

"The President may indeed in one respect resemble the commander of an army in peace, but in another and more essential sense he resembles the commander of a ship at sea. He must have a helm to grasp, a course to steer, a port to seek."

- Henry Brooks Adams

 

"Extremism in defense of liberty is not a vice, but I denounce political extremism, of the left or the right, based on duplicity, falsehood, fear, violence and threats when they endanger liberty."

- George W. Romney