WHY THE BENGHAZI STORY WON’T GO AWAY

President Barack Obama has been adept at deflecting Republicans’ continuing questions about the 9/11/12 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya. Still, the story won’t go away because the explanations he and his administration have provided don’t add up, and a strong odor of cover up lingers in the air. It’s been five months since the Benghazi attack. Even if we accept the Obama administrations explanations for what happened before, during and after the attack, we still don’t know full story. What difference does it make, at this point, whether or not we know the full story? It makes a difference whenever the President of the United States attempts to deceive the American people.  (Read the full column at EWRoss.com)

Filed under: Terrorism, 9/11/12, Admiral Mike Mullen, al-Qai’da, Ambassador Chris Stevens, Ambassador Thomas Pickering, Ambassador to Libya, American people, anti Muslin video, Benghazi, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, CIA, consulate in Benghazi, cover-up, covert activities, covert paramilitary activity, Department of Defense, Department of State, Ed Ross, ewross, fell through the cracks, fog of war, General Martin Dempsey, Hillary Clinton, intelligence community, Iran Contra, Libya, List of terrorist incidents, mistakes were made, Muammar Qaddafi, Mujahedeen, Muslim rebels, Obama administration officials, Obama’s reelection campaign, Osama Ben Laden, President Barack Obama, President of the United States, President Ronald Reagan, pro-American, republicans, Russian occupation of Afghanistan, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, Secretary of State, Senate Armed Services Committee, Syria, talking points, Turkey, U.S. government, U.S. Navy SEALS, UN Ambassador Susan Rice

WOMEN IN COMBAT: THE FINAL OBSTACLE

 

Is outgoing Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta’s decision to assign women to frontline combat units a bad decision or the logical extension of equality for women?  (Read the full column at EWRosss.com)

Filed under: Military, 1970s, all-volunteer military, Axis of Time trilogy, battlefield, conscription, counterinsurgency, crewmen on submarines, desegregation of the military, Designated Targets, discrimination, DoD, don’t-ask-don’t-tell policy, double standards, draft women, Ed Ross, endurance, equal opportunity, equality for women, ewross, feminists, fighting and winning wars, Final Impact, frontline combat support units, frontline combat units, helicopter and fighter pilots, infantry combat, infantry combat command, Infantry Officer’s Course, infantry units, John Birmingham, military academies, military services, national emergency, peacekeeping, physical standards, quotas, SEAL, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, sexual assaults, special forces, sustained offensive combat operations, the last obstacle, therein lays the rub, U.S. military capability, unit cohesion, United States, Weapons of Choice, women in combat

GENERAL AND FLAG OFFICERS UNDER A MICROSCOPE

In the wake of investigations of former CIA Director David Petraeus, (Gen., U.S. Army Ret), and ISAF Afghanistan Commander Gen. John Allen (USMC), Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has ordered the Pentagon to find out why so many generals and admirals have become embroiled in legal and ethical problems. Allow me to suggest what such a review is likely to find.  (Read the full column at EWRoss.com)

Filed under: Military, 38 four stars, abuse their subordinates, active duty armed forces of 1.3 million, adultery with five women, affair with Paula Broadwell, Afghanistan, Africa Command, aircraft carrier strike, America’s moral, Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Sinclair, commander International Security Assistance Force Afghanistan, deputy commander 82nd Airborne Division, Ed Ross, ewross, extramarital affair with Paula Broadwell, extramarital affairs, former CIA Director David Petraeus, Gen., Gen. Allen, Gen. Allen has denied any wrongdoing, Gen. Petraeus, Gen. William “Kip” Ward, great Americans, I have worked for and with dozens of well and lesser known general and flag officers (G/FOs). 877 G/FOs serve on active duty, inappropriate leadership judgment, ISAF Afghanistan Commander Gen., Jill Kelley, John Allen (USMC), Lt. Gen Patrick O’Reilly, make dumb mistakes, misappropriate tax payer’s money, Missile Defense Agency, national heroes, NATO/CENTCOM commander, Navy’s inspector general, office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Pentagon review, Persian Gulf, Rear Adm. Charles Gaouette, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, Senior Executive Service, sexually assaulted, thousands of pages of emails, toxic work environment, traditions of service and sacrifice, U.S. Army Ret, warrior’s code, wrote a letter to a judge supporting Jill Kelley’s sister

NEGOTIATING WITH IRAN: A LOSING PROPOSITION

Successful negotiations require three elements—an acceptable and achievable objective, effective leverage, and convincing the other party that if you cannot reach an acceptable result by a date certain you will walk away from the negotiation and resort to other means. All three are lacking in ongoing negotiations with Iran over its nuclear weapons program. (Read the full column at EWRoss.com)

Filed under: National Security, 20 percent, 2012 U.S. election, ad infinitum, Air Force, all options are on the table, china, Congress, Cuban Missile Crisis, Ed Ross, ewross, former Soviet Union, France, Fredrick the Great, Germany, hardship on the Iranian people, horrendous consequences, International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran, Iran’s nuclear weapons facilities, Iranian government, irony, Israeli unilateral attack, military strike on Iran, Navy, negotiating partner, negotiating with Iran, Negotiations without arms is like notes without instruments, Nuclear program of Iran, nuclear weapon, nuclear weapons program, nuclear-weapons power, obama administration, P5+1" countries, President John Kennedy achieved, rational actor, russia, sanctions, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, successful negotiations, theocratic regime, U.K., U.S., U.S. intelligence community, UN Security Council, United States, uranium enrichment, verifiable cessation, weapons-grade level, zone of immunity

DISSUADING IRAN FROM BUILDING A NUCLEAR WEAPON: THE LESSON OF THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS

Can the U.S. dissuade Iran from building a nuclear weapon without having to resort to the use of military force?

American presidents have a mixed record of success in the post-World War II world of influencing the decision making of our adversaries and avoiding war. Where they have succeeded—the October 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis is the prime example—it was because they were prepared to use the full force of American power; and the adversary had no doubt that they would do so.

When it comes to Iran, Israel’s threat to use unilateral force complicates U.S. decision making, but it should not prevent Washington from taking the lead and doing what is necessary.  (Read the full column at EWRoss.com)

Filed under: National Security, adversaries, American power, American presidents, assassination, avoiding war, building a nuclear weapon, core beliefs, covert activities, deep underground facilities, dissuading Iran, Ed Ross, enriched uranium, ewross, influencing decision making, intermediate range nuclear missiles in Cuba, international affairs, Iran, Iran’s nuclear program, Iranian nuclear scientists, Iranian weapons facilities, Israel-Iran conflict, Israel’s threat, military force, Moscow, nuclear war, Obama administration’s attempts, October 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, oil exports, post-World War II world, President John Kennedy, sabotage attacks, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, showdown with the Soviet Union, Soviet decision makers, Soviet Politburo, Stuxnet virus, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the essence of ultimate decision remains impenetrable to the observer, The Washington Post, U.S. decision making, uranium enrichment, world view, World War II veteran, zone of immunity