Alliances

In response to the astonishing fall of Kabul and sudden capitulation of the Afghan government, President Joe Biden ordered Operation Allies Welcome. But did it follow international law?

One adjective that should never be used to describe the US retreat from Afghanistan is “surprising.” In fact, what happened in Kabul in 2021 was the natural next step on the inward-turning path Americans began walking in 2009.

The People’s Republic of China not only has the intent to build a new world order, but it also has the resources and capabilities to do so—which helps explain why those who designed and uphold the existing world order are answering China’s challenge.

Few have discussed Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s formative early years of public service prior to joining Biden’s staff, years when our paths crossed.

While the Trump administration has distanced itself from multilateralism with an “America First” approach, the Chinese communist regime has sought to promote and exploit multilateralism in pursuit of a “China First” policy, one that is at variance not only with America’s national interests, but with those of the rest of the world’s sovereign states as well.

Will the accelerating growth in China’s power—a dynamic focused and amplified by President Xi Jinping’s ambitious dream of a rejuvenated, globally dominant PRC—result in a hegemonic war with the United States?

The National Security Strategy says China’s economic and military actions risk diminishing the sovereignty of many states in the Indo-Pacific. The US Navy has a role in defending these states’ rights.

The US-Japan alliance has been the cornerstone of regional stability enabling Washington’s forward-deployed presence and deterrence strategy.

Veterans of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry Regiment, more commonly known simply as the “Ox and Bucks,” hosted our small US military contingent. The locus for the day’s ceremony was the gravesite of Major John Howard, commander of D Company of the Ox and Bucks.