Foreign Policy Blogs

U.S. Defense

GailForce: Afghanistan COIN Strategy

According to a just released ABC news report, U.S. public support for the war in Afghanistan has dropped from 52% in December to 43% today.  The Taliban must be rejoicing because this shows, at least for the moment that their strategy is working.  The bottom line is the Taliban knows they can’t beat U.S. forces […]

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GailForce: How Many of the Media Types Reporting About the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq Have Actually Read the Counterinsurgency Manual?

I had one of the best 4th of July weekends ever. I got to go on long scenic bike rides with friends, hang out at barbeques, and top off the weekend experience by watching a fireworks show which for reasons unknown to me was paid for by BP. Go figure. In spite of the fun, […]

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GailForce: General McChrystal Part II

Just wanted to add a few more thoughts to my earlier blog on General McChrystal before I head out for my daily tasks.  Stratfor put out an excellent article on the situation but I disagree with some of the points made.  In the article, Stratfor indicated the Rolling Stone article portrayed “McChrystal and his inner […]

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GailForce: General McChrystal – Fallen Warrior

Today is my birthday and having just returned home after spending two weeks away dealing with a family emergency, I had hoped to spend a quiet day contemplating personal goals for the next year and ending the day overeating with friends at one of my favorite restaurants.  The best laid plans…I kept turning on the […]

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GailForce: Proposed DNI/Iran Sanctions

My PC suffered a massive failure last week keeping me from the blogging scene. Currently traveling but wanted to pass on some thoughts on President Obama’s nomination of retired Air Force General James Clapper as the new Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and the latest round on UN sanctions against Iran. I first became aware […]

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GailForce: Let’s Get Intelligent About Intelligence Part I

It was an interesting week for intelligence issues. The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence released the unclassified version of their report on the attempted Christmas day terrorist attack (http://intelligence.senate.gov/100518/1225report.pdf) and the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Dennis Blair, stepped down from the post amidst reports he had lost the confidence of President Obama.  I’m stating […]

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GailForce: What Now Iran?

After apparent heavy behind the scenes maneuverings, the Iranian nuclear situation heated up again this week.  Both the United States and Iran came up with separate announcements presenting new actions/solutions designed to end the nuclear standoff.  Yesterday Iran announced it had signed an agreement brokered by Brazil and Turkey.  According to the BBC news the […]

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GailForce: War On Any Given Day

Though I now reside in the Rockies, I grew up in New Jersey and get back to the area as often as possible to both visit relatives and indulge in one of my major passions; going to see musicals and plays on Broadway in neighboring New York City.  A couple of years ago I had […]

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GailForce: Obama and the Nukes Part 3

The year was 1996 and I was in the process of learning the ropes at my new job at United States Strategic Command, the keeper of the nation’s strategic nuclear triad (submarines, bombers, and land based ballistic missiles).  One day I ran into an acquaintance in the hall that I hadn’t seen for a number […]

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GailForce: Obama and the Nukes, Part 2

After taking a close look at the Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), my conclusion is it’s neither the dramatic change in strategy hoped for from Obama supporters nor does it represent a significant weakening of U.S. national defense.  The only change I saw was for the first time, the U.S. has said it would not use […]

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GailForce: Obama and the Nukes, Part 1

Sorry I’ve been silent the last couple of weeks.  In Alabama last week taking care of family stuff; returned home this week but have been laid low by Hay Fever.  If any of you have any good remedies you can share it would be much appreciated!   One day in the late 70’s, I was […]

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GailForce: The Film Green Zone and Iraqi WMDs

Sunday afternoon, I got a phone call from my good friend Philippe who lives in California.  “Gail just saw a great movie, Green Zone!  It’s right up your alley.  It’s about the Iraqi WMD thing.  You have to go see it.  It’s great!  It’s particularly timely since Karl Rove just came out with a book […]

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GailForce: What Now Iran?

Late getting the blog out this week; traveled most of last week and over the weekend and am just now getting over jet lag.  As I rouse from my travel induced stupor, I find I have Iran on the brain.  The latest issue of Foreign Affairs magazine has an excellent article called “After Iran Gets […]

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GailForce: Week in Review – Iraq/Iran/Greatest Generation

It was an interesting week.  The  Iraqis voted in a  nationwide election, Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, called 9/11 a “big lie” and the death of a beloved relative along with the sight of U.S. veterans returning to Iwo Jima for a 65th reunion caused me to stop and reminisce about the achievements of the Greatest […]

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GailForce: Annual Intelligence Threat Assessment Part II

Yesterday I took a break from watching the Winter Olympics to read press accounts of a couple of Soviet Union ballistic missile tests conducted in the fall of 1987.  According to a report in the October 2, 1987 Washington Post, the warheads of one of the missiles fell into the Pacific Ocean “about 500 miles […]

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