National Defense

A child hides behind a tree

No Specific Answers by R.I. Congressional Delegation on Afghanistan

By Monique Chartier | August 25, 2021 |

No member of Rhode Island’s congressional delegation responded to Anchor Rising’s questions or addressed the plight of potentially stranded Americans or Afghan allies.

A water drop and ripples

Why is the State Department turning away military interpreters from rescue?

By Justin Katz | August 25, 2021 |

With the caveate that chaos makes it hard to know what’s going on and easy to get a partial story, this seems like a travesty. The original story comes from the New York Times, but reading some of the implicitly pro-Biden replies to the linked tweet trying to cast doubt on it raises an important point: …

A water drop and ripples

“‘It would be better to die under the Taliban’s bullet’ than face the crowds again, a staff member was quoted as saying in the cable.”

By Justin Katz | August 25, 2021 |

Reports from local staff members at the U.S. embassy in Kabul as Abigail Williams and Yuliya Talmazan report for NBC News. (Via Instapundit.)

Apache helicopter in Afghanistan

Scott Horton on Afghanistan

By John Loughlin | August 14, 2021 |

John Loughlin discusses events in Afghanistan with author Scott Horton.

A soldier signals to hold

Our fallen heroes deserve a living memorial.

By Justin Katz | May 31, 2021 |

War’s character is recondite in the flow of history to a civilization that seeks to avoid it. War is at once utterly logical and senseless.  The examiner feels as if it must be possible to trace the chain of causes that sparked the bloodshed while thinking it incomprehensible that anything should ever burn so hot.…

Things We Read Today, 8

By Justin Katz | September 11, 2012 |

Today: September 11, global change, evolution, economics, 17th amendment, gold standard, and a boughten electorate… all to a purpose.

In Honoring Giffords Mabus’ Flouts Navy Ship Naming Conventions Again

By Marc Comtois | February 10, 2012 |

Since President Obama took office, his Navy Secretary, Ray Mabus has been, shall we say flexible in following the conventions of Navy ship naming that have been set down. He has strayed tradition enough to have prompted a review of ship-naming policy. And he has done it again. Now Mabus has named a new vessel…

Ivy ROTC Update

By Marc Comtois | April 3, 2011 |

After much, sometimes heated, debate, Columbia University has elected to allow ROTC back on campus. Good. Now, Brown University finds itself increasingly out of the Ivy mainstream, though they’re currently reviewing the policy: [Dean of the College Katherine] Bergeron also discussed her attendance at the Ivy Plus conference — a consortium of universities, including members…

Senator Jack Reed’s 2010 Earmark for RI Defense Contractor

By Marc Comtois | February 14, 2011 |

UPDATED: WPRI’s Tim White and Ted Nesi reported last week that both Senator Reed and then-Rep. Patrick Kennedy secured $27 million in earmarks for Middletown defense contractor Advanced Solutions for Tomorrow over the years. On Sunday, ProJo reporter John Mulligan looked into the Advanced Solutions for Tomorrow kickback scheme and potential political repercussions, particularly the…

Non-RI Based Speculation on Jack Reed as the Next SecDef

By Carroll Andrew Morse | August 18, 2010 |

The Associated Press is reporting that Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will retire sometime next year. Rhode Island Senior Senator Jack Reed is listed amongst the possible successors… Washington insiders have long speculated that potential successors include Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton; former Nebraska Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel; Michele Flournoy, undersecretary of defense for…