Rob Diamond

The Huffington Post

03/08/10

I received an email Monday morning that stopped me in my tracks. It contained a link to the seemingly noble organization called the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF) -- a 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt, federally registered charity whose own mission statement says...

Devin Stewart

The Huffington Post

03/08/10

Just as the success of Toyota Motor was a symbol of Japan's confidence on the world stage in the 1980s, the automobile company's recent troubles are symptomatic of a nation withdrawing from the world, as I noted this week in a Newsweek article. Avoidance was the Japanese public's initial reaction to Toyota's recent acceleration problems, which resulted in 34 deaths and nearly 10 million recalled cars worldwide. The reaction is typical of a modern Japanese culture wrought with victimization and self-doubt over questions of national identity.

Robert Wolfe

Secure Nation

03/07/10

Last month, the Pentagon reversed its policy on accessing e-mail, instant messaging, discussion forums and social networking sites while using government computers.

Katherine Brown

The Huffington Post

03/07/10

Today is International Women's Day, a day that is often overlooked within the United States, but holds deep significance overseas where women have overcome, or continue to be affected by, oppression. And nowhere is this more true than Afghanistan.

Jonathan Murray

GOOD

03/05/10

If there’s any Democrat in Congress who never struggles to find his spine, it’s freshman Congressman Tom Perriello from Virginia. Despite winning a narrow election in a Republican-leaning district in 2008, he has cast tough votes in favor of both health care reform and clean energy legislation.

Devin Stewart

Newsweek

03/05/10

Japan was morbidly fascinated by the spectacle of Toyota president Akio Toyoda apologizing to the U.S. Congress for the deadly defects that led to the recall of 10 million of its cars worldwide. The appearance of the "de facto captain of this nation's manufacturing industry," as Japan's largest newspaper referred to Toyoda, seemed to symbolize a new bottom for a nation in decline.

Joe Rice

Truman Project Presentation

03/05/10

Please join Truman Project Senior Fellow, Colorado State Representative, and U.S. Army Colonel Joe Rice for an exciting insider view on the Iraq transition and draw-down. Click here to view the presentation slide show.

Michael Chase

The Progressive Fix

03/04/10

This is the first installment in a three-part series investigating the state of China’s military. The other articles in this series will look at China’s missile capabilities and naval modernization.

This week, China’s National People’s Congress will convene its annual meeting in Beijing. Among the developments that are expected from the gathering is one we should all pay close attention to: the announcement of China’s 2010 defense budget. Beijing has given the military double-digit budget increases for well over a decade, and some Chinese security analysts are calling for a larger-than-usual boost this year in a bid to signal China’s anger over the latest U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. Whatever the exact amount of China’s official defense budget, the announcement will once again highlight China’s growing military power — and the potential challenge it poses to the U.S.

Kayla Williams

Human Rights Campaign

03/04/10

Kayla Williams - US Army veteran and Truman Project Fellow - speaks at the Human Rights Campaigns press conference urging repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, arguing that repealing the outdated law will make America safeer.

Jim Arkedis

The Progressive Fix

03/03/10

I haven’t written much on the Marja offensive—the joint US/Afghan/NATO operation in the Helmand province city of the same name—because I wanted to see how it played out before drawing sweeping conclusions.

The assault on Marja (population 80,000) is now in its third week. It is the largest offensive in Afghanistan by U.S./NATO/Afghan troops since 2002, involving some 5,000 total troops. Marja had been one of the last significant Taliban strongholds in Helmand province, and NATO and Afghan commanders had eyed it as potentially excellent example of the alliance’s new force posture and growing inter-operability with the Afghan military. “Force posture,” you ask? That’s right—lost in last year’s debate of how many American troops to send was the more important point about why extra forces were needed.