STRATEGIC APPRAISAL the Changing Role of Information in Warfare
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Afghanistan: the Consolidation of a Rogue State Zalmay Khalilzad, Daniel Byman
Afghanistan: The Consolidation of a Rogue State Zalmay Khalilzad, Daniel Byman The Washington Quarterly, Volume 23, Number 1, Winter 2000, pp. 65-78 (Article) Published by The MIT Press For additional information about this article https://muse.jhu.edu/article/36511 [ This content has been declared free to read by the pubisher during the COVID-19 pandemic. ] Zalmay Khalilzad and Daniel Byman Afghanistan: The Consolidation of a Rogue State Afghanistan has gone from one of Washington’s greatest foreign policy triumphs to one of its most profound failures. During the Cold War, U.S. support to the anti-Soviet Afghan resistance resulted in a debacle for Moscow, humiliating the vaunted Red Army and discrediting the Soviets throughout the Muslim world. After the Soviets withdrew, however, Af- ghanistan has become a disaster for U.S. policy. The master terrorist ‘Usama bin Laden has taken shelter in Afghanistan, using it as a base to indoctri- nate and train militants who strike at the United States and its allies. Af- ghan women face a horrifying array of restrictions, among the most repressive in the world. The country is now the world’s leading producer of opium, which in turn is used to produce heroin. These problems, however, are only symptoms of a more dangerous disease. Though policymakers are loathe to say it openly, Afghanistan is ruled by a rogue regime, the Taliban. The outrages that draw headlines in the West stem from its misrule and will continue as long as the movement dominates Afghanistan. If anything, the danger is growing. “Talibanism”—a radical, backward, and repressive version of Islam similar to the Saudi “Wahhabi” credo but rejected by the vast ma- jority of Muslims worldwide—is gaining adherents outside Afghanistan and spreading to other countries in the region. -
Afghanistan, 1989-1996: Between the Soviets and the Taliban
Afghanistan, 1989-1996: Between the Soviets and the Taliban A thesis submitted to the Miami University Honors Program in partial fulfillment of the Requirements for University Honors with Distinction by, Brandon Smith May 2005 Oxford, OH ABSTRACT AFGHANISTAN, 1989-1996: BETWEEN THE SOVIETS AND THE TALIBAN by, BRANDON SMITH This paper examines why the Afghan resistance fighters from the war against the Soviets, the mujahideen, were unable to establish a government in the time period between the withdrawal of the Soviet army from Afghanistan in 1989 and the consolidation of power by the Taliban in 1996. A number of conflicting explanations exist regarding Afghanistan’s instability during this time period. This paper argues that the developments in Afghanistan from 1989 to 1996 can be linked to the influence of actors outside Afghanistan, but not to the extent that the choices and actions of individual actors can be overlooked or ignored. Further, the choices and actions of individual actors need not be explained in terms of ancient animosities or historic tendencies, but rather were calculated moves to secure power. In support of this argument, international, national, and individual level factors are examined. ii Afghanistan, 1989-1996: Between the Soviets and the Taliban by, Brandon Smith Approved by: _________________________, Advisor Karen L. Dawisha _________________________, Reader John M. Rothgeb, Jr. _________________________, Reader Homayun Sidky Accepted by: ________________________, Director, University Honors Program iii Thanks to Karen Dawisha for her guidance and willingness to help on her year off, and to John Rothgeb and Homayun Sidky for taking the time to read the final draft and offer their feedback. -
1 Finance and Politics in the USA: from National City Bank to Citigroup
Finance and Politics in the USA: From National City Bank to Citigroup : an American bank or a world bank ? Christine Zumello Université Sorbonne Nouvelle – Paris 3 Introduction As the theme of this year’s EBHA Conference hinges around the link between the wealth of nations and international business, this paper aims at trying to analyse the positioning, since its creation, of one American bank (Citibank) within the American political domestic scene and the wider globalization of financial services. The banking landscape in the USA has been shaped by various political and economic forces throughout the years and the interaction between banks and the state has, in the case of Citibank 1, been particularly close and has, in t 200political(?)” market forces. Indeed, the role of globalisation and the number of mergers and acquisitions in the banking sector in the USA which has increased in the last decade 2 has clearly contributed to the blurring of the frontiers between domestic and international boundaries in financial operations. Citigroup has managed to hold both a strong local-consumer base together with a wide international network which has involved it in a number of emerging markets and even micro-finance development today. Hence when one discusses the interactions between finance and politics, one realises that, in the United States, historical events have played a significant role in explaining the idiosyncrasy of the American banking landscape but one may wonder whether finance could have, on the domestic political scene in the USA, managed to outweigh politics or rather to free itself from political considerations. 1 Throughout this paper, and for readability purposes, we will often use the name Citibank and then Citigroup (since 1998) but the bank’s name has been modified to accommodate regulatory changes. -
Introduction
NOTES Introduction 1. Robert Kagan to George Packer. Cited in Packer’s The Assassin’s Gate: America In Iraq (Faber and Faber, London, 2006): 38. 2. Stefan Halper and Jonathan Clarke, America Alone: The Neoconservatives and the Global Order (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2004): 9. 3. Critiques of the war on terror and its origins include Gary Dorrien, Imperial Designs: Neoconservatism and the New Pax Americana (Routledge, New York and London, 2004); Francis Fukuyama, After the Neocons: America At the Crossroads (Profile Books, London, 2006); Ira Chernus, Monsters to Destroy: The Neoconservative War on Terror and Sin (Paradigm Publishers, Boulder, CO and London, 2006); and Jacob Heilbrunn, They Knew They Were Right: The Rise of the Neocons (Doubleday, New York, 2008). 4. A report of the PNAC, Rebuilding America’s Defenses: Strategy, Forces and Resources for a New Century, September 2000: 76. URL: http:// www.newamericancentury.org/RebuildingAmericasDefenses.pdf (15 January 2009). 5. On the first generation on Cold War neoconservatives, which has been covered far more extensively than the second, see Gary Dorrien, The Neoconservative Mind: Politics, Culture and the War of Ideology (Temple University Press, Philadelphia, 1993); Peter Steinfels, The Neoconservatives: The Men Who Are Changing America’s Politics (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1979); Murray Friedman, The Neoconservative Revolution: Jewish Intellectuals and the Shaping of Public Policy (Cambridge University Press, New York, 2005); Murray Friedman ed. Commentary in American Life (Temple University Press, Philadelphia, 2005); Mark Gerson, The Neoconservative Vision: From the Cold War to the Culture Wars (Madison Books, Lanham MD; New York; Oxford, 1997); and Maria Ryan, “Neoconservative Intellectuals and the Limitations of Governing: The Reagan Administration and the Demise of the Cold War,” Comparative American Studies, Vol. -
WTH Is Going on with the Retreat from Afghanistan? Amb. Ryan Crocker On
WTH is going on with the retreat from Afghanistan? Amb. Ryan Crocker on withdrawal, and the consequences for US national security Episode #115 | September 1, 2021 | Danielle Pletka, Marc Thiessen, and Amb. Ryan Crocker Danielle Pletka: Hi, I'm Danielle Pletka. Marc Thiessen: I'm Marc Thiessen. Danielle Pletka: Welcome to our podcast, What the Hell Is Going On? Marc, what the hell is going on? Marc Thiessen: I've never been more disgusted in my life with what's happening with what America is doing than I am right now watching the last planes leaving Kabul, leaving behind American citizens, thousands of Afghans who risked their lives to help us, the blood of 13 dead Americans and hundreds of Afghan civilians. It is the most shameful thing I have witnessed in my entire career in Washington. I'm shifting between absolute abject pain and rage as I watch this happen. Dany, what are your thoughts? Danielle Pletka: It is the worst thing in the world that a country like ours, we've suffered defeats, we've made mistakes, we've done terrible things. Never, I hope willfully, but by mistake, we've done terrible things. And we have betrayed allies before. We've not done enough for people who need us. We've let down the Kurds in Iraq, we've let down the Syrian people, but we have never actually gone in and rescued a group of people who in turn sacrificed all for us and for our security as Afghans did, because make no mistake, we were not in Afghanistan for the Afghan people. -
Congress and the United Nations How to Build a Better Relationship and Move Forward on Needed U.N
CONGRESS AND THE UNITED NATIONS How to Build a Better Relationship and Move Forward on Needed U.N. Reforms Spencer P. Boyer Center for American Progress September 2007 [A]n effective United Nations is in America’s interest…. As one of the principal architects of the United Nations, the United States placed at the foundation of the U.N. certain fundamental purposes and values—preserving peace, promoting progress, and advo- cacy of human rights. It is therefore vital for the United States to enable this institution to make the greatest possible contribution to advance those founding objectives. –Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations1 www.americanprogress.org Center for American Progress Introduction he relationship between the United States and the United Nations is in desperate need of repair. Although the United Nations owes its existence to the post-World TWar II leadership of America and its allies, in recent years the U.S.–U.N. rela- tionship has spiraled downward into one that is too often dysfunctional. While the rela- tionship has never been without tension, having endured Cold War-related polarization and other political disagreements, much of the breakdown has happened over the past decade—with the U.N. Secretariat, U.N. member states, and the U.S. executive and legislative branches all deserving a share of the blame. A significant part of the prob- lem, however, has been the failure of the United States to provide sufficient support and leadership for the world body. Unfortunately, the timing couldn’t be worse. The United States needs the United Na- tions more than ever to help tackle a range of transnational challenges that directly threaten U.S. -
An Open Letter to Walter Wriston
Click here for Full Issue of EIR Volume 9, Number 38, October 5, 1982 such problems successfully, on a "case-by-case basis," are behaving as dangerous fools. The internationalportion of the debt-rollover problem during the weeks and months imme diately ahead is in the order of $700 billion. At Toronto, the IMF could not muster a mere $100 to $120 billion. The "IMF solution" is a suicidal pipe-dream. An open letter to This is not only my opinion. Olivetti Chairman de Be nedetti, who is certainly no political ally of mine, says pretty Walter Wriston much the same thing about this silly "IMF solution." So do many other leading financial specialists in Europe. by Lyndon H. LaRouche, Jr. Otherwise, many among the leading international finan cial specialists agree that my proposed solution would work as indicated, and also agree that it is the only sane alternative Leading British press are currently echoing the privately ex to a general, chain-reaction collapse throughout most of the pressed opinion among leading financial authoritie through � world during the weeks and months immediately ahead. out Europe. A group of leading U.S. commerclal banks, The difficulty, they insist to my representatives, is "What including Citibank, Chase Manhattan, Manufacturers Han comes next?" The indicated sort of financial-paper reorgani over, and Continental Illinois, are at the verge of collapse. zation can stop the collapse, but, they emphasize, what meas I do not rejoice at this news. Although the officials of ures are needed t'O develop the levels of productive output these banks ordinarily judge themselves to be my adversar required to ensure payment of the reorganized debt? ies, in some cases my avowed enemies, I am obliged to Some fellows in London and elsewhere are thinking in attempt to save these commercial banks for the sake of our the proper direction. -
“Benevolent Global Hegemony”: William Kristol and the Politics of American Empire
Gary Dorrien “Benevolent Global Hegemony”: William Kristol and the Politics of American Empire by Gary Dorrien ear the end of the Cold War a group of neo-conservative intellectuals and Npolicy makers began to argue that instead of cutting back on America’s vast military system, the United States needed to use its unmatched power to create a global Pax Americana. Some of them called it the unipolarist imperative. The goal of American foreign policy, they argued, should be to maintain and extend America’s unrivaled global dominance. The early advocates of unipolar dominance were familiar figures: Norman Podhoretz, Midge Decter, Charles Krauthammer, Paul Wolfowitz, Joshua Muravchik, and Ben Wattenberg. Their ranks did not include the godfather of neo-conservatism, Irving Kristol, who had no interest in global police work or crusading for world democracy. Though he later clarified that he was all for enhancing America’s economic and military preeminence, Irving Kristol thought that America’s overseas commitments should be determined by a classically realist calculus. His son William Kristol had a greater ambition for America, which he called “benevolent global hegemony.” In 1992, the New York Times revealed that Wolfowitz, then an undersecretary for defense, was drafting a new policy plan for the Pentagon that sought to prevent any nation or group of nations from challenging America’s global supremacy. President George Bush disavowed the controversial plan, and for the rest of the 1990s establishment Republicans did not speak of grand new strategies. But the neo-cons continued to argue for “American Greatness,” founded new institutions, and made alliances with hard-line conservatives such as Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld. -
Gamer's Guide, Experimenting with the Intriguing Suggestions All an Relied Will Find Tile Pt:Llalli~ for Mh:Takes Less in One Package
2 ADVANCED CIVILIZATION Preface CIVlLlZA110N is an outstanding game, ADVANCED CNlLlZA1TON" (p.17), which sets which has been played by many who could not out the differences between CIVlLIZA110N and be considered by any stretch of the imagination ADVANCED CIVlLIZA110N. Readers who arc to be ~wargamers". Articles suggesting rule unfamiliar with either game will still find Gar) changes for CIVlL1ZA110N have occasionally Rapanos' article interesting for historical reas been published, and house rules abound, but no ons, but CIVILlZAllON players will fUld ill systemic revision of CJVJUZAI10N has been invaluable in helping them know what to remem attempted. Until now. ber and what to forget. WEST T¥IO articles which should be of genenJ "Advanced" CIVILIZATION interest are -The Wrath of the Gods· (p.26) and -Civilization Cards" (p.31), which discuss EXTENSION The term ~advanced- is likely Il misnomer. "Enhanced" might have been more accurate, but several essential aspects of the game. The ADVANCED CNTUZAI10N follows a tradition insights in these articles are definitely not which is already established at Avalon Hill. exhaustive, but provide food for thought. MAP A somewbat different approach to the game is When a product is based on an existing game, found in -Through the Labyrinth - (p .20) and • A but goes beyond it, it is appropriate to use the For some time players of the popular Study in Contrasts- (p.28), which discuss the term "advanced-, as in ADVANCED SQUAD CIV1LfZATIONhave been looking for ways LEADER or ADVANCED TlURD RETCH. This pili)' of Crete, Egypt and Africa. ADVANCED to impro'Ve this already~classic game. -
And Consumer Credit in the United States in the 1960S
Christine Zumello The “Everything Card” and Consumer Credit in the United States in the 1960s First National City Bank (FNCB) of New York launched the Everything Card in the summer of 1967. A latecomer in the fi eld of credit cards, FNCB nonetheless correctly recognized a promising business model for retail banking. FNCB attempted not only to ride the wave of mass consumption but also to cap- italize on the profi t-generating potential of buying on credit. Although the venture soon failed, brought down by the losses that plagued the bank due to fraud, consumer discontent, and legislative action, this fi nal attempt by a major single commer- cial bank to launch its own plan did not signify the end of credit cards. On the contrary, the Everything Card was a har- binger of the era of the universal credit card. irst National City Bank (FNCB) of New York (now Citigroup), one F of the oldest leading commercial banks in the United States, intro- duced the Everything Card in the summer of 1967.1 FNCB was a pioneer in fostering consumer fi nance in the United States. The bank saw an opportunity to increase business by creating an innovative system that would enable masses of consumers to purchase a variety of goods and services on credit. By becoming the principal tool of consumer credit, credit cards revolutionized the banking business. Indeed, “where it couldn’t gain territory with bricks and mortar, Citibank tried to do so 2 with plastic.” The author wishes to express her gratitude to Lois Kauffman of the Citigroup Archives, Citi’s Center for Heritage and Strategy, New York City. -
BATTLE-SCARRED and DIRTY: US ARMY TACTICAL LEADERSHIP in the MEDITERRANEAN THEATER, 1942-1943 DISSERTATION Presented in Partial
BATTLE-SCARRED AND DIRTY: US ARMY TACTICAL LEADERSHIP IN THE MEDITERRANEAN THEATER, 1942-1943 DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Steven Thomas Barry Graduate Program in History The Ohio State University 2011 Dissertation Committee: Dr. Allan R. Millett, Adviser Dr. John F. Guilmartin Dr. John L. Brooke Copyright by Steven T. Barry 2011 Abstract Throughout the North African and Sicilian campaigns of World War II, the battalion leadership exercised by United States regular army officers provided the essential component that contributed to battlefield success and combat effectiveness despite deficiencies in equipment, organization, mobilization, and inadequate operational leadership. Essentially, without the regular army battalion leaders, US units could not have functioned tactically early in the war. For both Operations TORCH and HUSKY, the US Army did not possess the leadership or staffs at the corps level to consistently coordinate combined arms maneuver with air and sea power. The battalion leadership brought discipline, maturity, experience, and the ability to translate common operational guidance into tactical reality. Many US officers shared the same ―Old Army‖ skill sets in their early career. Across the Army in the 1930s, these officers developed familiarity with the systems and doctrine that would prove crucial in the combined arms operations of the Second World War. The battalion tactical leadership overcame lackluster operational and strategic guidance and other significant handicaps to execute the first Mediterranean Theater of Operations campaigns. Three sets of factors shaped this pivotal group of men. First, all of these officers were shaped by pre-war experiences. -
Newyork-Presbyterian Hospital Annual Report
Letters from Home 2006-2007 Annual Report NEWYORK-PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL Important Telephone Numbers THE ALLEN PAVILION OF NEWYORK-PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL NEWYORK-PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL/ WEILL CORNELL MEDICAL CENTER General Information (212) 932-4000 Patient Information (212) 932-4300 General Information (212) 746-5454 Admitting (212) 932-5079 Patient Information (212) 746-5000 Emergency Department (212) 932-4245 Admitting (212) 746-4250 Patient Services (212) 932-4321 Ambulance Services Dispatcher (212) 472-2222 Development (212) 821-0500 Emergency Department NEWYORK-PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL/ Adult (212) 746-5050 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Pediatric (212) 746-3300 General Information (212) 305-2500 Psychiatry (212) 746-0711 Patient Information (212) 305-3101 Human Resources (212) 746-1409 Admitting Marketing (212) 585-6800 Main Reception (212) 305-7091 NewYork-Presbyterian Sloane Hospital for Women (212) 342-1759 Healthcare System (212) 746-3577 Ambulance Services Dispatcher (212) 305-9999 Patient Services (212) 746-4293 Development (212) 342-0799 Physician Referral Service (800) 822-2694 Emergency Department Psychiatry, Payne Whitney Manhattan Adult (212) 305-6204 Referrals and Evaluation (888) 694-5700 Pediatric (212) 305-6628 General Information (212) 746-5700 Psychiatry (212) 305-6587 Public Affairs (212) 821-0560 Human Resources (212) 305-5625 Marketing (212) 821-0634 WESTCHESTER DIVISION OF NEWYORK-PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL Patient Services (212) 305-5904 Physician Referral Service (877) NYP-WELL General Information (914) 682-9100 Public Affairs (212) 305-5587 Payne Whitney Westchester Referrals and Evaluation (888) 694-5700 MORGAN STANLEY CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL Table of Contents OF NEWYORK-PRESBYTERIAN Physician Referral (800) 245-KIDS Letters from Home — 2 General Information (212) 305-KIDS Patient Information (212) 305-3101 Noteworthy — 24 Admitting (212) 305-3388 Leadership Report — 26 Emergency Department (212) 305-6628 Facts and Financials — 31 Dr.