Nico Segers: The military rise of China is raising concerns over provocative naval pursuits in the East Chinese, South Chinese and adjacent seas. Escalations about disputed areas with Vietnam and the Philippines puts stress on wider Sino-American relationships and may block further military-to-military dialogue.
... More
According to US envoy Holbrooke, Afghanistan is tougher than Vietnam. ++ The Taliban have the advantage of operating on their terrain and have a network of supporters providing them superior intelligence. ++ Thus, the mechanism of operation ought to be rethought in order to minimize the disadvantage. ++ Countries bordering Afghanistan plus the US, Britain and Russia should share intelligence to
... More
Faced with a choice between staying and winning or withdrawing and ending the war in Vietnam, Nixon chose the former. ++ The outcome of his policy was complete failure. ++ Obama is now faced with a similar decision. ++ In choosing an exit policy for Iraq and deciding upon future policy in Afghanistan he should let history carry the day. ++ In this way he will avoid making Nixon’s mistakes
... More
At Boston University, Andrew Bacevich railed against what Reinhold Niebuhr dubbed the “dreams of managing history” – the neocon rallying call that blends arrogance and narcissism and states that power is paramount. ++ Expansion worked for the US, for a time. ++ The Vietnam War, however, ended that. ++ Subsequently, “Further efforts at expansionism have led to the
... More
US incursions into Cambodia, which led to its destabilization and the rise of the Khmer Rouge, should be remembered. ++ The same mistake is being made in Pakistan, where the dangers are far greater. ++ Undermining Pakistan does not help Afghanistan. ++ A new soft power approach is needed, as “Afghanistan cannot be transformed along Western lines” - a major factor, along with increased bombing
... More
Many governments in Southeast Asia are hoping for better energy security and appreciable increases in public revenue through a number of dam construction projects along the Mekong River. Yet the projected dams do not only produce electricity, inject the empty state treasuries with money from international development programs, or promise long term gains through energy exports. They also reduce
... More
