President Biden remarks on the end of the War in Afghanistan already outlined what will be three of the pillars of American Defense and Foreign Policy for years to come: Contingent diplomacy, Conditional engagement, and Over-the-horizon strikes. The grand strategy is, however, to lay down the groundwork needed for a possible confrontation with China. Will these pillars withstand the stress caused by such an event? That is a question that no one can answer, not even Biden himself. Continue reading
Countless volumes will be written about the last few weeks of the U.S.-led military mission in Afghanistan and the evacuation crisis that engulfed it. We Firstly, we must remember that ‘a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire’ was designated as an ‘item on the agenda of the intra-Afghan dialogue and negotiations’. Political inertia can be quite powerful, and an element of political groupthink might have plagued the decision-making process across the coalition. Given the widespread low sentiment (on the ground and online) and defections across the country, intelligence projections should have been questioned and the evacuation plans gone into overdrive. Continue reading
in mid-April the withdrawal of American troops from the country by September 11th, 2021, there has been a debate about the role security contractors will play in the future of the country. But we can only venture to speculate alternative scenarios about the future of Afghanistan. Continue reading
China’s Xi Jinping is pivoting towards a messianic path. Annexing Taiwan would guarantee him a place in the autocrats’ pantheon. As worrying and cynic as it sounds, the current historical juncture offers the best opportunity for China to attempt, finally, an incursion into Taiwan. The worst case scenario is a miscalculation that results in actual fighting between China and the U.S. The least-worst case scenario is an invasion without many casualties. Continue reading