Center for a New American Security
Senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security and Project Director of its 20YY Warfare Initiative; former Army Ranger, having participated in special operations in Iraq and Afghanistan (2001-2008), he worked in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (2008-2013)
Will Libya Be America's Next Quagmire in the Middle East? President Obama says chaos in Libya is one of his major foreign-policy failures — with three rival governments all beset by the forces of ISIS. But the President's not giving up on trying to establish some kind of order, and US Special Op Forces could be sent there “ any day .” Critics say it's a strategy that hasn't succeeded before, and warn about making things worse — with American lives on the line. We hear about possible options and what it's like on the ground.
Drone Warfare President Obama laid out his strategy for defeating ISIS this week. And it included talk of airstrikes. In November, one of those strikes killed the ISIS spokesman known as Jihadi John, a British man who beheaded American captives on camera. That airstrike was actually carried out by an unmanned drone. Drones are increasingly the tool of choice for many countries involved in armed conflict, and countries looking to spy on one another. But there is no single set of international rules that govern the use of drones by nations. How has the lack of rules affected things on the ground? MQ-9 Reaper, a hunter-killer surveillance UAV Photo: US Air Force Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson /USAF Photographic Archives
The F-35 Striker Jet and Pork Barrel Politics More than 15 years in the making, the F-35 striker jet still has trouble landing on wet runways. The most expensive weapons system in history was grounded again this week, missing several airshows in England. They were much-needed marketing opportunities to help sell the F-35 fighter-bomber to foreign countries, amortizing increasing costs. We’ll hear about continued Congressional support despite a history of failure.
Trump plays scolder-in-chief with NATO allies At the opening of NATO’s dramatic new headquarters in Brussels today, President Trump acknowledged that Article 5 — promising that “an attack on one nation is an attack on all” -- has only been invoked one time: in the aftermath of September 11. But the President failed to provide what 27 other Alliance members have been waiting for: a re-commitment by America’s new leader to Article 5. Instead, they got a scolding.
Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years. On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?
Will the Senate write a healthcare bill in secret? While Democrats and Republicans argue White House relations with Russia, another question is being decided behind closed doors: who gets help buying health insurance and who doesn't? We hear how the pros and cons are being shrouded in secrecy.