‘Earl H. Tilford’ Archives
Afghanization
DR. EARL H. TILFORD, CENTER FOR VISION & VALUES President Barack Obama’s five-point plan for turning the war back to the Afghans is designed to cover the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces and “forge a just and lasting peace.” What does the plan involve, and can it work? Here are the five points: Making Afghans responsible for [...]
Lessons Not Learned from Vietnam
DR. EARL H. TILFORD, CENTER FOR VISION & VALUES After the fall of Saigon on April 29, 1975, military and civilian strategists sought “lessons learned.” Many were tactical or technical, such as the operational effectiveness of precision-guided munitions and the continuing need for guns on jet fighters. At the strategic level, one [...]
Iran: Israel’s Options
EARL H. TILFORD, CENTER FOR VISION & VALUES Late in the summer of 1961, President John F. Kennedy asked the Air Force to plan a nuclear first strike on the Soviet Union. The plan involved 55 B-52 bombers hitting 80 targets to degrade Soviet Long Range Air Force and Strategic Rocket Forces by 80 to 90 percent. Since these bases were [...]
Sorry Mess: Presidential Apologies and Pardons
EARL H. TILFORD, CENTER FOR VISION & VALUES Much ink has flowed over the recent apologies from President Barack Obama, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and General John Allen, commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, following the burning of copies of the Koran and their careless disposal. An apology [...]
Strategic Abdication
Earl H. Tilford, Center for Vision and Values From Damascus to Tehran, a test for world leadership is underway. Daily, the Syrian military—well-armed, highly trained thugs whose current mission is to keep dictator Bashar Assad in power—kills up to 200 or more of its own citizens. Protests from Washington, the withdrawal of the U.S. [...]
Preparing the Military for Future Threats
EARL H. TILFORD With breaking news of a U.S. Navy SEAL team successfully rescuing two hostages from pirates in Somalia, military pundits are quick to note how the deployment of small, elite units will fit in with President Barack Obama’s vision for modernizing the U.S. military. Yet, while small, elite units are indeed crucial to the modern [...]
Military Modernization: Back to the Future
EARL H. TILFORD, CENTER FOR VISION AND VALUES President Barack Obama’s vision for modernizing the U.S. military is little more than an exercise in “back to the future.” Consider: Back in 2001, the armed forces were nearly a decade into positing what 21st-century warfare would entail. These considerations were based on notions set forth [...]
Iran: How to Lose
Earl H. Tilford, The Center for Vision and Values Once again, tensions between Iran and the international community are on the rise as the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, released a new report that warns of concealed attempts by Iran to produce an atomic bomb. How should one respond? The [...]
