The missile tests continue—and will likely accelerate. What should Washington do now? If North Korea truly desires state of the art nuclear weapons and missiles—something that can deliver an atomic payload to say Los Angeles—than we are indeed in for some tense time ahead. The only way Kim Jong-un—the portly pariah of Pyongyang—can truly develop…
Since Donald Trump’s victory, tensions in the Korean Peninsula have reached almost unprecedented levels. This aggressive approach from the new administration has accentuated tensions with Pyongyang, leaving one to wonder whether another US war is in the making. During the election campaign, Trump often took ambiguous and, in some respects, isolationist positions concerning hotspots around the…
Military tensions Rise in East and Southeast Asia. The month of March is turning out to be a “hot” one in terms of military exercises, drills and posturing. Diplomatic efforts are being overshadowed by high profile, multi-lateral military exercises in the South China Sea, and the Sea of Japan. As China attempts to deescalate tensions…
The Australian government’s selective view of history and capacity for self-delusion in its foreign policy was on full display when Foreign Minister Julie Bishop delivered the Fullerton Lecture to the International Institute of Strategic Studies in Singapore on Monday 13 March 2017. She called on the United States to “play an even greater role as…
One of the outcomes of populist electoral rebellions is that the people end up with the types of political leaders for whom they wish. But, as the old saying goes, «Be careful of what you wish for». From the Philippines and the United States and Turkey to Guatemala, «populist» leaders have engaged in troubling name-calling…
The United States said on March 7 that it had the (THAAD) missile defense system in South Korea. The action was prompted by North Korean missile tests on March 6 supervised personally the nation’s leader Kim Jong Un. It was announced that the test was conducted in preparation for delivering a strike against US bases in…
