Foreign Affairs

Drones, Foreign Affairs, Military

The New Drone War, Same as the Old Drone War?

President Bush started the drone wars, but Mr. Obama vastly expanded them. Almost entirely on his watch, United States strikes have killed as many as 5,000 people, possibly 1,000 of them civilians. The president approved strikes in places far from combat zones. He authorized the C.I.A. to carry out “signature strikes” aimed at people whose identities the agency did not know but whose activities supposedly suggested militancy….

Via The Next President’s Drone War @ American Civil Liberties Union.

Cato, Foreign Affairs

Online, 10.20: Perilous Partners: The Benefits and Pitfalls of America’s Alliances with Authoritarian Regimes

Featuring the authors Ted Galen Carpenter, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute; and Malou Innocent, Adjunct Scholar, Cato Institute; with comments by Andrew J. Bacevich, Professor Emeritus of History and International Relations, Boston University; and Jacob Heilbrunn, Editor, The National Interest; moderated byChristopher Preble, Vice President for Defense and Foreign Policy Studies, Cato Institute.

Online 10.20.15 12-1:30 PM ET @ CatoLIVE.

Foreign Affairs, War

Forever War

Experts and pundits were stunned last week when Taliban forces overran most of the northern Afghan city of Kunduz. Although government troops appear to have retaken portions of the city, they were able to do so only with substantial assistance from the U.S. combat units that are still in the country. Now General John Campbell, the U.S. commander, is urging President Obama to delay the planned withdrawal of the remaining 9,800 U.S. troops and to retain a permanent garrison that is much larger than the president’s plan for 1,000 military personnel. If President Obama unwisely complies with that request, Afghanistan will be on its way to being a permanent nation-building quagmire for Washington….

Via Time for America to Abandon Afghanistan @ Cato.org.

Foreign Affairs, Government Spending, Military

Coalition Against Billions for ‘Overseas Contingency Operations’

Congress may consider the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act Conference Report as early as this week. Sadly, but not surprisingly, this year’s NDAA increases spending by “hiding” $38 billion in the Overseas Contingency Operations Fund (OCO). Since OCO spending is considered “emergency spending,” these funds do not count against the budget caps. So OCO enables the defense hawks to increase defense spending while pretending to be complying with the law.

Campaign for Liberty has joined a coalition of groups across the political spectrum in a letter urging members of Congress to vote against the NDAA because of the OCO funding. Of course, this “stealth” spending increase is far from the only reason to oppose the NDAA. For example,the NDAA authorizes the President’s power of’ “indefinite detention” and authorizes US Military intervention around the world.

 Via Campaign for Liberty joins coalition against increasing spending @ Campaign for Liberty.

Foreign Affairs

Friends Who Aren’t Friends at All

“Hatred of hypocrisy is an emotion that tends to occur throughout very different cultures.   U.S. leaders do not help America’s reputation when they profess a commitment to freedom and democracy while they fawn over such allies as thuggish Egyptian dictators and the odious Saudi royal family.  Victims of oppression were unlikely to take Washington’s alleged…

America, Foreign Affairs

Millennials – 87 million strong – on foreign policy

“First, Millennials perceive the world as significantly less threatening than their elders do, and they view foreign policies to deal with potential threats with much less urgency. Second, Millennials are more supportive of international cooperation than prior generations. Millennials, for example, are far more likely to see China as a partner than a rival and…