China’s Military-Industrial Complex Grows

Stars and Stripes March 18, 2012 Pg. 20 From Norwegian Coast Guard to Israeli drone technicians, buildup produces 8 surprising winners. By Trefor Moss, Foreign Policy Even by the hot-money standards of China's economy, defense is an exceptionally lucrative growth industry. The country's 11.2 percent defense budget increase announced March 4, which gives the People's …

Syria Crisis Causes Iran-Led ‘Axis Of Resistance’ To Fray

Christian Science Monitor (csmonitor.com) March 16, 2012 The Syria crisis is complicated by the regional cold war that has simmered for years between resistance powers like Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah, and Western allies in the region such as Saudi Arabia. By Scott Peterson, Staff writer ISTANBUL, Turkey--On the ground, Syria’s day-to-day revolt may look like …

Armed U.S. Intervention In Syria Risks Worsening A Bad Situation

USA Today March 15, 2012 Pg. 11 Our View Act methodically, not impulsively The parade of horrors from Syria grows longer and bloodier every day. At least 7,500 civilians are now dead at the hands of President Bashir Assad — and that's probably a low estimate. It will climb. Reports of torture abound, including images …

What America Should Have Learned From Imperial Britain’s Afghan Defeat

A new history of the disastrous, 19th century British invasion of Afghanistan reveals more about the current war than we might like to think. By SETH G. JONES: author of In the Graveyard of Empires: America’s War in Afghanistan, is a senior political scientist at RAND. From 2009 to 2011, he served in various positions …