There can be no question that the responsibility for deciding when and whether the United States should fight resides with the legislative branch, not the executive, and that this was manifestly the intent of the Framers….Actual practice has evolved into something altogether different.
“VOA will present the policies of the United States clearly and effectively, and will also present responsible discussion and opinion on these policies.” — VOA Charter
Putin’s Syria Surprise
Posted March 15th, 2016 at 1:30 pm (UTC-5)
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“I consider the objectives that have been set for the Defense Ministry to be generally accomplished.” The words of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who on Monday declared victory in Syria and announced his troops would withdraw. The unexpected decision coincided with the start of Syria peace talks in Geneva. Cagey as ever, it’s hard to read Putin’s motives. Was it getting too messy? Did he want to paint President Barack Obama as “weak?” Is he looking for support on the homefront? Or, was it all just to show the international community that Russia is, and will remain, a player? The only part of this that is known is that Putin has once again stunned his friends and foes.
A Big Rethink in How to Aid People Beset by Crisis
Posted January 14th, 2016 at 12:56 pm (UTC-5)
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Too much aid, even if well funded, misses the mark by being top-down with tight centralized controls. The world response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, for example, came with plenty of money. Yet a post-crisis evaluation found “international agencies often brushed local capacities aside.”
What If Obama’s Sham War Gets Real?
Posted November 19th, 2015 at 2:49 pm (UTC-5)
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He didn’t become president to wage wars in the Middle East so he’s not going to treat the attacks in Paris or the manifest failure of the campaign he promised to “degrade and ultimately destroy” the group as a reason to change strategies.
The Republican War – Over War Policy
Posted November 13th, 2015 at 11:48 am (UTC-5)
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With the exception of Rand and Trump, the GOP candidates appear to believe the road to the White House lies in resurrecting the attitude and policies of Bush II that cost them the White House.
Out of Afghanistan? Not yet
Posted October 14th, 2015 at 10:03 am (UTC-5)
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Leaving a significant troop presence in Afghanistan wasn’t part of the legacy Obama envisioned when he vowed to end two wars. But legacy has to take a back seat to facts on the ground. Given the unraveling in Iraq and the recent gains by the Taliban, the U.S. can’t leave Afghanistan yet.
Iran Nuclear Deal: Inviting War or Securing Global Safety?
Posted August 12th, 2015 at 10:16 am (UTC-5)
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The arguments for and against the nuclear accord between Iran and the United States and the rest of the P+5 countries have ramped up per the open letter signed by three dozen retired generals and admirals supporting the pact and urging Congress to do the same. Others are decrying one of President Obama’s main justifications for the pact: there exists no other alternative – except war.
The Afghan War and the Quarterly Report on Freedom’s Sentinel
Posted August 10th, 2015 at 9:33 am (UTC-5)
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As for the military content, the report serves no known purpose and has almost no meaningful content. The Lead Inspector General for Overseas Contingency Operations does not come close to dealing with any of the issues and problems raised in the Department of Defense’s semi-annual report on the war
Deconstructing Syria: A New Strategy for America’s Most Hopeless War
Posted June 30th, 2015 at 9:36 am (UTC-5)
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While the Obama administration’s strategy for Iraq requires substantial upgrading in light of recent Islamic State (or ISIL) successes in and around Ramadi in particular, the plan for Syria is in much worse shape.
Why Has America Stopped Winning Wars?
Posted June 2nd, 2015 at 3:15 pm (UTC-5)
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American culture is a victory culture. Coded into the American DNA are the fear of failure and the celebration of winning.
Today’s Wars Are Complex, But Day of Honor Remains the Same
Posted May 25th, 2015 at 10:28 am (UTC-5)
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Whether recalling World World II, Vietnam, Iraq or more than a decade of conflict in Afghanistan, the purpose of Memorial Day is always constant: to honor all American soldiers who gave their lives so that ours – the living – may be better.
The Indispensible NATO Alliance
The kind of conventional military conflict that NATO was designed to deter — a Red Army invasion of Western Europe — is more of a danger now that at any time since the fall of the Berlin War. Russia under Vladimir Putin has rebuilt its military and has undertaken a series of invasion of its […]