Ahoy, Galrahn

Galrahn weighs in with a provocative analysis of the situation at sea around the Horn of Africa and declares that the USN’s approach is working precisely because it’s encouraging other counties to deploy ships and work together:
The US policy has been to do nothing and allow the development of an international response. We are witnessing [...]

Like 1947, Only Tougher

The National Intelligence Council sees the entire international system, in both the economic and security realms, being revamped between now and 2025. Worth a read, just in case you thought the stakes involved in Obama’s presidency were low.

Old News

USA Today writer John Diamond is out with a book, “The CIA and the Culture of Failure,” that purportedly documents serial failures of tradecraft in the agency and a long-term politicization of its product. Folks like Jeff Stein at CQ are inclined to see this as new:

Diamond, who written about the CIA for the Associated [...]

Barnett on Missile Defense

Tom Barnett is hoping that Obama gently puts the kibosh on the whole missile-defense thing:
The planned missile defense system in Eastern Europe serves no purpose vis-a-vis Russia’s vast remaining arsenal except to provocatively suggest America is aiming to alter the continental correlation of forces — which it can’t.
In reply, Russian president Dmitri Medvedev now threatens [...]

Sarkozy: Not So Fast

If Google’s Russian and Polish translations are to be believed, French President Nicolas Sarkozy wants both the US and Russia to cool it on the whole missile deployment/missile defense front for six months or so. In other words, let’s wait for Obama. He also wants a Euro security conference. The Poles apparently aren’t thrilled by [...]

Russian Sub Accident (?)

Galrahn is puzzled by the recent incident on a Russian sub that killed 20 crew and technicians:
The offending crew member is either a high ranking officer, or there is a conspiracy, there really isn’t much middle ground here. The system is designed so it can be activated locally, in the next adjacent apartment, or from [...]

Caribbean Vacation

Galrahn isn’t too impressed by the Russians’ plan to send a small naval task force led by a Kirov-class cruiser to maneuver with the Venezuelans this November:
If the ship blows up then we’ll be interested. The other three ships include a destroyer, an oiler, and a … you guessed it, fleet tug.
And no, that’s not [...]

Practice, Practice

Korabel reports that the Russian and Venezuelan navies plan joint exercises in Venezuelan waters in mid-November. Google can supply the translation.

And in the Crimea …

Differing takes on what’s been going on in Sevastopol. Russian Navy Blog has an account (translated from Russian) of street protests and harassment when the Coasties from the USCGS Dallas went ashore during their recent port visit. 
Meanwhile, the Kiev Post takes a look at the ethnic politics in the city, finds calm amongst the citizenry [...]

New Arrival in Sevastopol

The USNS Pathfinder has followed in the wake of the USCGS Dallas and docked in Sevastopol. Has someone in the Bush administration given some thought to whether it’s such a good idea to stir up the Russian-speakers in that city? Oh, wait …