Commentary • Page 20 of 32 • The Defense Post

Sep- 2020 -

18 September

People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers march during the opening ceremony of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing

China’s New Year of Assertiveness

If China’s first year of assertiveness in 2009 and 2010 inaugurated China’s foreign policy shift from soft power to hard power, China’s second year of assertiveness demonstrates how they plan to utilize that hard power.

17 September

American troops walk as a US Army C-47 Chinook helicopter flies over the village of Oreij, south of Mosul, Iraq

Andrew Leonard

US Troop Drawdown in Iraq Is Double-Edged Sword for Iran

The US force reduction in Iraq reinforces the oft-used narrative that Iran is impervious to American imperialism but conversely undermines the efficacy of Khamenei’s domestically-driven “Crusader” propaganda.

16 September

Photo of Taliban militants and villagers attend a gathering to celebrate the peace deal with the US in Afghanistan’s Laghman province on March 2, 2020

Ghulam Farooq Mujaddidi

Debunking Prevalent Myths About the Taliban

If not fact-checked and debunked, myths about the Taliban could cloud Afghan peace talks, making reconciliation hard if not impossible.

11 September

Longyearbyen, Svalbard in the Norwegian Arctic archipelago

Jada Rivera

On Thin Ice: US Must Begin Preparations for Looming Arctic Competition

The US must begin investing in capabilities able to operate in the frigid Arctic environment or risk falling behind in great power competition.

8 September

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (left) shakes hands with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro after reviewing the honor guard at the Saadabad Palace in Tehran on January 10, 2015

Lindsay Gabow

What Is Iran up to in Latin America?

Iran is leveraging its relationship with Venezuela to legitimize its anti-US axis of resistance, using information as a weapon.

7 September

Palestinians gather to protest a deal between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel to normalize ties in Gaza City, Gaza on August 19, 2020

Saad Hafiz

Is the Israeli-UAE Deal a Blueprint for Lasting Peace in the Middle East?

Other than helping Trump’s re-election bid and distracting from Netanyahu’s corruption charges it is unclear how the Israeli-UAE deal is a blueprint for peace in the Middle East.

1 September

Brigadier-General Alireza Sabahifard, center, unveils the "Kian," a high-precision drone that can locate and attack targets far from the country's borders during a ceremony in the capital Tehran, September 2019.

Jordan Steckler

How to Combat the Iranian Drone Threat

To neutralize the Iranian drone threat, the US should pursue a strategy based on raising the costs of further attacks, investing in counter-drone technologies, and extending the UN arms embargo.

Aug- 2020 -

31 August

David Daly

Is $138 Million for the CH-53K King Stallion Helicopter Justified?

As the US looks to maintain global military power, there needs to be a greater concentration of resources on emerging threats. Programs like the CH-53K seem too expensive for the fight that is to come.

28 August