Senator Vandenberg called for “honest candor” in discussions on U.S. foreign policy. The Vandenberg Coalition is proud to continue this tradition by sharing the best analysis from across the country and around the world.
TVC Advisory Board Member Richard Fontaine
Foreign Affairs
January 14, 2022
Bottom Line: Despite the ubiquitous talk in Washington about the importance of “competition” with China, the foreign policy establishment has yet to articulate a clear objective for the United States.
Glenn Greenwald
Substack
January 14, 2022
Bottom Line: In the same week that President Biden compared anyone opposed to eliminating the filibuster to segregationists, Democrats used the procedure to block sanctions on the Nord Stream II pipeline supported by a bipartisan majority of Senators.
Brian T. Kennedy
RealClear Politics
January 18, 2022
Bottom Line: For the CCP, the Olympics are fundamentally a political tool to legitimize their totalitarian regime. The free peoples of the world shouldn’t make it easier for them.
TVC Chairman Elliott Abrams
National Review
January 14, 2022
Bottom Line: “How could the Biden administration defend a terrible nuclear deal with Iran? Simple: blame Trump.”
Andrew Doran
The American Conservative
January 3, 2022
In this moving and important essay, Doran details the stories of two young American service members and the challenges they faced returning home from war. The piece is neither about foreign policy nor politics, but deserves to be read.
TVC Advisory Board Member Clifford D. May
The Washington Times
January 4, 2022
Bottom Line: In the eight years since Secretary of State John Kerry declared that “the era of the Monroe Doctrine is over,” China and Iran have broadened and deepened their influence operations in Latin America.
Anthony Ruggiero
Foundation for Defense of Democracy
December 31, 2021
Bottom Line: Despite the his administration’s attempts to pin the blame for failing Iran nuclear talks on its predecessor, the regime’s most aggressive moves towards nuclear weapons occurred after Biden’s election.
TVC Advisory Board Members Mark Dubowitz and Matt Kroenig
Wall Street Journal
January 6, 2022
Bottom Line: With negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program failing to deliver substantive progress, Biden will soon face a stark choice: allow Iran to become a nuclear power or use military force to stop it while he still can.
TVC Advisory Board Member David J. Kramer
The Dispatch
January 7, 2022
Bottom Line: Putin has convinced the Russian people that the West is the aggressor over Ukraine. Even if Russia does not invade, he has succeeded in forcing NATO and the U.S. to come to the negotiating table as his equals.
John E. Herbst
The Atlantic Council
January 6, 2022
Bottom Line: Russia’s deployment of troops to bolster an unpopular regime in Kazakhstan underscores the importance of the region for Moscow, but if the situation there or in Ukraine worsens, Putin could find himself on the horns of a dilemma.
Lean Aron
1945
December 30, 2021
Bottom Line: Christmas Day marked the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Soviet Union. As Putin tightens his grip on power, it is more important than ever to remember those who stood up for the liberty & human dignity of the Russian people in overthrowing the USSR.
Dan Schueftan
Institute for National Security Studies
November 2021
Bottom Line: Shifting geopolitical foundations have transformed what used to be thought of as the ‘Arab-Israeli’ struggle into a confrontation between an Arab-Israeli coalition on the one hand and Iran’s Islamic Revolution & Erdogan’s Turkey on the other.
Raffaello Pantucci
Nikkei Asia
December 30, 2021
Bottom Line: Following the U.S. retreat from Afghanistan, the countries of Central Asia will be hard-pressed to avoid falling into China’s, Russia’s, & Iran’s anti-Western bloc.
Aaron MacLean
Wall Street Journal
December 27, 2021
Bottom Line: Western leaders and their citizens habitually make the mistake of thinking that Putin, Xi, and Khamenei want what Westerners want for themselves, their citizens, and their nations. They don’t.
Tod Lindberg & Peter Rough
Wall Street Journal
December 28, 2021
Bottom Line: Both Moscow and now Beijing are exerting pressure on tiny Lithuania in order to test the strength of U.S. and European resolve as they prepare for greater aggression against countries like Ukraine and Taiwan.
Keir Giles
Chatham House
December 21, 2021
Bottom Line: A full-scale invasion of Ukraine would be costly for Russia. However, by threatening aggressive action, Moscow may be able to claim victory if the West backs down and grants concessions.
Caitlin McFall
Fox News
December 11, 2021
Bottom Line: Amid growing fears of Chinese influence in the U.S., a new report reveals the People’s Republic of China is using its existing relationships with U.S. universities to harvest information that it believe will facilitate “Chinese military dominance.”
TVC Advisory Board Member Jamieson Greer
Bloomberg Law
December 20, 2021
Bottom Line: The World Trade Organization must face the reality of the political and economic moment and recognize that while it won’t revert to its former prominence in global trade regulation, it still has a role to play in facilitating plurilateral agreements.
Michael R. Auslin
Spectator
December 12, 2021
Bottom Line: Despite the growing anti-CCP consensus in Washington, the fact that U.S. corporations lobbied against the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act demonstrates how Beijing still exerts significant influence over American business.
Ronald Reagan Institute
December 2021
Bottom Line: The Reagan Institute’s annual survey of American attitudes on national security shows marked changes in public opinion, most ominously a steep decline in trust towards the military and growing ambivalence about U.S. leadership in the world.
Daniel Roman
AMAC
December 16, 2021
Bottom Line: When asked last week to name the biggest foreign policy achievement of the Biden Administration’s first year in office, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki dodged the question, underscoring a year of foreign policy missteps on almost every front.
TVC Advisory Board Member Colin Dueck
National Review
December 17, 2021
Bottom Line: In addition to the inherent weaknesses of its garbled invite list and virtual format, Biden’s “Democracy Summit” reveals the absurdity of the notion that the U.S. will rally all of the world’s liberal democracies to oppose all of the world’s authoritarians.
TVC Advisory Board Member Danielle Pletka
The Dispatch
December 14, 2021
Bottom Line: President Biden’s much-vaunted “Democracy Summit” is high on virtue signaling but low on substantive content and is indicative of a larger preference for talk over action within the Administration.
Brett D. Schaefer
Stand for America
December 2021
Bottom Line: Powerful countries like China are reshaping the United Nations and other international organizations in ways that undermine American interests. U.S. leadership can advance our priorities while restoring the original purpose of these institutions.
Guy Taylor
Washington Examiner
December 8, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Michael Pillsbury warns that although Washington is increasingly focused on competition with China, its response so far has come in the form of “pinpricks” that are neither comprehensive nor coordinated.
Fred Kagan
The Hill
December 7, 2021
Bottom Line: The United States and Europe cannot afford to allow Russia to seize further territory from Ukraine. Doing so would threaten the flanks of NATO, undermine American security guarantees, and legitimate Russia’s false accusations of “provocation”.
Richard Fontaine and Daniel Twining
American Purpose
December 8, 2021
Bottom Line: Rather than being in conflict, America’s interests and values are two sides of the came coin. Biden can use his Democracy Summit to highlight this essential truth.
Amanda Rothschild
Newsweek
December 10, 2021
Bottom Line: Germany’s repeated pledges to never forget the Holocaust ring hollow when Berlin’s foreign policy abets China’s genocide of Uyghurs in Xinjiang.
Kelly Ann Shaw
Barron’s
December 3, 2021
Bottom Line: The China-led Regional Cooperation Economic Partnership trade agreement is set to come into force with the new year. The Biden administration needs to move aggressively to protect and expand U.S. trading interests in the Indo-Pacific region.
David Uren
Australia Strategic Policy Institute
December 6, 2021
Bottom Line: Despite long-stated American concern over PRC control of critical rare earth mineral supply chains, recent reports detail how inaction on the part of both the Obama and Trump administrations allowed a Chinese state-owned company to take control of the world’s largest cobalt mine from an American firm.
David J. Kramer & Toomas Hendrick Ilves
Politico
December 2, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member David Feith argues that the United States cannot afford–morally or strategically–to pressure Ukraine to make a deal with Putin in the face of invasion. The U.S. must respond resolutely to deter Russian aggression in Eastern Europe.
Matt Pottinger & David Feith
The New York Times
November 30, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC board member Matt Pottinger and Advisory Board member David Feith argue that data is the oil of the 21st century. Although the U.S. cannot afford to cede control of this indispensable resource to a rival, China has made dangerous moves to dominate the economic lifeblood of the new economy.
Roger Zakheim & Rachel Hoff
Fox News
December 1, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board members Roger Zakheim and Rachel Hoff report that although for the first time, a majority of Americans view China as the preeminent threat to the United States, citizens are less confident about the role of the U.S. in the world.
Brandon Weichert
The Asia Times
December 6, 2021
Bottom Line: As we mark the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Brandon Weichert reflects that U.S. military, civilian, and intelligence leaders are committing many of the same blunders that led to America being blindsided by the Japanese Empire in 1941.
Victoria Coates
National Review
November 27, 2021
Bottom Line: Victoria Coates asks why the Biden administration–which has claimed to put human rights and climate issues at the center of its foreign policy–has failed to speak out over Tehran’s crackdown on protests against egregious environmental mismanagement which has left much of the country in a dangerous state of drought.
Anna Aaronheim
The Jerusalem Post
November 28, 2021
Bottom Line: The Israeli Defense Force is enhancing training with U.S. and Arab military forces with whom it might cooperate to strike Iranian nuclear facilities if talks in Vienna fail.
Richard Goldberg
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
November 23, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Richard Goldberg argues that Congress has a unique opportunity to show bipartisan unity in the name of national security by passing legislation to reinforce sanctions until Iran gives up its nuclear program and sponsorship of terrorist organizations.
Richard Haass
Project Syndicate
November 17, 2021
Bottom Line: While many welcome the resumption of nuclear talks with Iran in Vienna this month, it is time to face the fact that they are unlikely to succeed and formal diplomacy may have to be supplanted by more coercive means to prevent a nuclear Iran.
Jacob Nagel & Mark Dubowitz
Newsweek
November 8, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Mark Dubowitz argues that the Biden administration is poised offer greater concessions to Iran in exchange for fewer constraints on the country’s nuclear program than existed in the original 2015 nuclear deal, undermining non-proliferation and regional & U.S. security.
Behnam Ben Taleblu
The Dispatch
November 17, 2021
Bottom Line: The new head of Iran’s nuclear research institute has a long resume of service with organizations under U.S. sanctions for military nuclear activity, raising doubts about the regime’s sincerity at nuclear non-proliferation negotiations underway in Vienna.
Reuel Marc Gerecht & Ray Takeyh
The Wall Street Journal
November 28, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board members Reuel Marc Gerecht and Ray Takeyh highlight how the Iranian delegation to the Vienna talks has relished humiliating their U.S. counterparts by refusing to negotiate in the same room as them.
Nate Sibley
POLITICO Magazine
November 18, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Nate Sibley argues that as climate emerges as an important issue for young conservatives, the GOP can chart a middle course between the climate alarmism of the left and climate denialism of the old right by embracing market-oriented solutions and a tough line against the world’s worst polluters.
Mackenzie Eaglen
Defense News
November 19, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Mackenzie Eaglen illuminates how the Biden administration’s employer vaccine mandate damages the shipbuilding industrial base. Even limited refusal to comply within the highly-specialized shipyard workforce threatens to undermine the industry’s ability to meet the Navy’s construction and repair needs.
Malcom Davis
Real Clear Defense
November 22, 2021
Bottom Line: Russia’s recent live-fire test of an anti-satellite weapon created a cloud of orbiting debris which threatens the International Space Station, the Chinese Tiangong space station, and every country’s ability to safely navigate in orbit.
Howard Altman
Military Times
November 20, 2021
Bottom Line: According to Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, the Russian troop buildup on the border would enable Moscow to mount an attack on his country early next year.
Danielle Pletka
The Dispatch
November 19, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Danielle Pletka argues that Beijing has been making a calculated longterm play to dominate the commanding heights of the next generation economy — from AI to advanced surveillance systems to aerospace technology. Now that Western leaders are waking up to this fact, they must respond.
Gaby Hinsliff
The Guardian
November 22, 2021
While International Olympic Committee officials take a ‘softly softly’ approach towards China after the disappearance of tennis star Peng Shuai in Beijing, athletes around the world are demanding accountability from the CCP.
Louisa Greve.
The Hill.
November 13, 2021.
Bottom Line: While progressive groups downplay Chinese human rights abuses in the hopes of striking a deal on climate change, the two issues are intimately linked. The United States cannot advance green policies by turning a blind eye to forced labor and genocide.
Zack Cooper.
AEI Blog.
November 8, 2021.
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Zack Cooper highlights advances in Chinese nuclear, missile, and power projection capabilities as the biggest changes in DOD’s annual index of Chinese military strength.
Matt Kroenig.
Atlantic Council Reports.
November 2, 2021.
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Matt Kroenig argues that with the People’s Republic of China poised to more than double the size of its nuclear arsenal within the decade, the U.S. government must maintain superiority in strategic nuclear weapons.
Kevin Andrews.
Spectator Australia.
November 13, 2021.
Bottom Line: Former Australian Defense Minister Kevin Andrews calls on the free peoples of the world to defend Taiwanese democracy against totalitarian PRC aggression.
Emily de La Bruyère and Nathan Picarsic.
Foundation for Defense of Democracies Monographs.
November 15, 2021.
Bottom Line: The Chinese Communist Party is engaged in a sustained “united front” campaign to put pressure on Washington by influencing state and local leaders in the U.S. to back CCP positions.
The Guardian.
November 12, 2021.
Bottom Line: Chinese diplomats threaten to undercut U.S. businesses’ operations in China if they do not lobby against pending bills in Congress designed to boost U.S. economic and technological competitiveness.
It’s the Ideology, Stupid.
Aleksandra Gadzala Tirziu.
Substack. August 27, 2021.
Bottom Line: The actions and motivations of the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese government can only be understood through the Marxist-Leninist-Maoist ideology that under girds the party-state. The West may still debate whether we are in a battle of ideas with China; China has already answered this question.
Michael Beckley and Hal Brands.
The Atlantic.
November 1, 2021.
Bottom Line: Since 1949, the PRC has demonstrated a clear pattern–shooting first to gain the element of surprise rather than waiting to be attacked, even when it is facing a more powerful foe. Beckley and Brands explain how this history should inform strategy.
Richard Fontaine.
Foreign Affairs.
November 2, 2021.
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Richard Fontaine argues that while the recent shift towards a focus on China is a useful corrective to years of neglect, Washington is running the risk of subsuming all U.S. foreign policy goals under the China framework.
Peter Berkowitz.
RealClearPolitics.
November 14, 2021.
Bottom Line: In a review of Colby’s Strategy of Denial, TVC Advisory Board member and former State Department Director of Policy Planning Peter Berkowitz explains how the United States can build coalitions to confront all aspects of the China Challenge.
Eric Edelman & Franklin Miller.
The Washington Post.
November 4, 2021.
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board members Eric Edelman and Franklin Miller argue that adopting a “no first use” nuclear policy would abrogate our responsibility to allies who depend on American strategic deterrence for their security.
Mark Temnycky.
Center for European Policy Analysis.
November 4, 2021.
Bottom Line: Continued conflict and instability in Ukraine serves Moscow’s strategic goals; however, Ukraine’s defeat would also be a failure for U.S. interests.
J. Peter Pham.
Real Clear Energy.
November 4, 2021.
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member J. Peter Pham argues that “reshoring” is not the right way to secure rare earth supply chains and that the U.S. should instead leverage its relationships with allies and partners to achieve this shared goal.
Annie Fixler & Louis Gilbertson.
FDD Policy Brief.
November 5, 2021.
Bottom Line: Recent moves to consolidate state-owned mining and refinery firms stand to increase China’s leverage over the global rare earth mineral supply chain.
Jacob Nagel & Mark Dubowitz.
Newsweek.
November 8, 2021.
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Mark Dubowitz and Jacob Nagel argue that the Biden administration is poised to trade greater sanctions relief for fewer restrictions on Iranian nuclear proliferation than in the original 2015 nuclear deal.
Dustin Carmack and Brett Schaefer.
Heritage Foundation Report.
November 8, 2021.
Bottom Line: It remains an open question whether U.S. diplomats in Havana were sickened by a deliberate energy weapon or as a byproduct of signals-intelligence gathering.
Times of Israel.
November 6, 2021.
Bottom Line: Israel’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister declare that a dedicated U.S. consulate to the Palestinians should be in Ramallah, not Jerusalem.
Scott Carpenter.
Tech Crunch.
October 30, 2021.
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Scott Carpenter warns that authoritarian regimes are increasing their use of internet shutdowns to control the flow of information and thereby their populations. Democratic governments should oppose this.
Hal Brands.
Bloomberg Opinion.
October 27, 2021.
Bottom Line: Drawing on lessons from history, Hal Brands describes how China is making the same mistakes as the Soviet Union in today’s “new Cold War.”
Aaron Friedberg.
Proceedings.
October 2021.
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Aaron Friedberg argues that what happens at sea will determine what happens on land in a conflict with China in the Indo-Pacific.
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs.
The Heritage Foundation Essays.
October 20, 2021.
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Rebeccah Heinrichs lays out what the United States risks in delaying funding for various parts of the nuclear modernization project.
Demetri Sevastopulo and Henry Foy.
Financial Times.
October 29, 2021.
Bottom Line: As the administration completes its nuclear posture review, several allies are lobbying President Biden against the proposed adoption of a “no first use” nuclear policy, calling it “a huge gift to China and Russia.” Read this article from TVC Advisory Board member Rebeccah Heinrichs on why such a policy would be a mistake: Reject ‘No First Use’ Nuclear Policy – by Rebeccah L. Heinrichs.
Zack Cooper.
AEI Report.
October 19, 2021.
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Zack Cooper argues that over the past decade, U.S. rhetoric on the importance of Asia has not matched action, outlining three course corrections the Biden team and Congress must prioritize to improve U.S. strategy.
Paul Kapur.
The National Interest.
October 24, 2021.
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Paul Kapur explains the strategic importance of the U.S. partnership with India, arguing that the Biden team should ground U.S. policy in five key principles to expand on the Trump administration’s India policy.
Amira Jadoon and Andrew Mines.
War on the Rocks.
October 14, 2021.
Bottom Line: Jadoon and Mines examine the rivalry between the Islamic State and the Taliban, arguing that the Taliban faces several challenges in confronting the Islamic State independently. They make several consequent recommendations for U.S. policy.
Clifford May.
Washington Times.
October 20, 2021.
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Clifford May argues that the Biden border crisis will have lasting implications for U.S. national security, suggesting that Biden should choose moderation, bipartisanship, and common sense when dealing with the border.
Karl Rove.
Wall Street Journal.
October 20, 2021.
Bottom Line: Citing Vandenberg’s new polling research, Karl Rove argues that the American still believe in the power of American leadership to defend American interests.
Keith Krach and David Stilwell
National Interest
October 16, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board members Keith Krach and David Stilwell join forces to highlight the growing threat from China’s weaponized economic competition. In this important piece, they explain why free trade falls apart when states don’t play by the rules.
Christopher Ford
New Paradigms Forum
October 17, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Christopher Ford offers a survey of Chinese nuclear, cyberspace, counterspace, and conventional threats.
MacKenzie Eaglen
1945
October 17, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Mackenzie Eaglen provides an insightful analysis on how Congress can ensure a ready, healthy, and modern U.S. military.
Colin Dueck
The National Interest
October 14, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Colin Dueck offers a critical take on President Biden’s approach to multilateral institutions, arguing that the invisible Bank of Multilateral Goodwill does not exist.
Gideon Rachman
Financial Times
October 11, 2021
Bottom Line: Rachman argues that the question of whether the United States will defend Taiwan is becoming increasingly urgent, providing a detailed analysis of the likely calculations on the issue by both the United States and China.
Matthew Kroenig and Jeffrey Cimmino
The Dispatch
October 8, 2021
Bottom Line: As the danger of war grows, TVC Advisory Board member Matthew Kroenig and Jeffrey Cimmino argue that the U.S. must establish more effective deterrence.
Stuart Lau
Politico EU
October 6, 2021
Bottom Line: Stuart Lau explains how the small country of Lithuania is boldly standing up to China and urging other European Union members to follow its example.
Tanvi Madan
Council on Foreign Relations
October 2021
Bottom Line: Tanvi Madan authors a discussion paper providing extensive context on the U.S.-China and China-India rivalries and how the United States can manage them.
Aleksandra Gadzala Tirziu
Magipie
August 27, 2021
Bottom Line: Aleksandra Tirziu pens a detailed essay that seeks to understand and explain why ideology matters in great power competition with China.
Richard Haass
Foreign Affairs
Nov/Dec 2021
Bottom Line: Haass argues that a new foreign policy consensus is emerging — the “Age of America First.” Noting that this new consensus is not isolationist, Haass points to areas of convergence and divergence in the past administrations, highlighting key challenges and areas that require increased attention to advance American security and prosperity.
Various Contributors
Washington Examiner
September 30, 2021
Bottom Line: The Washington Examiner argues that the foreign policy consensus in D.C. has broken apart, and it is time to reassess America’s role in the world. The newspaper asked 11 foreign policy experts — including TVC Advisory Board member Rebeccah Heinrichs — for their views in this compilation of short essays.
Nathan Picarsic and Emily de La Bruyère
FDD
September 30, 2021
Bottom Line: Picarsic and de La Bruyère argue for a boycott of the Beijing Games in this detailed report through FDD.
Richard Fontaine
Australian Financial Review
September 16, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Richard Fontaine outlines why the new AUKUS agreement represents a major step on both the defense and diplomatic fronts.
Brett D. Schaefer and Danielle Pletka
1945
October 3, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Danielle Pletka and Brett Schaefer examine the Biden administration’s approach to the UN Human Rights Council, arguing that the administration has not done enough to pursue necessary reforms.
Josh Groeneveld
Business Insider
October 1, 2021
Bottom Line: Groeneveld, a writer for Business Insider’s German sister site, provides a detailed analysis of the end of the Merkel era in Germany and what it means for U.S.-German relations under the Biden administration and broader European politics.
Peter Berkowitz
Real Clear Politics
September 26, 2021
Bottom Line: Citing Rush Doshi’s new book on China, TVC Advisory Board member Peter Berkowitz argues that partisan posturing must not stand in the way of recognizing an emerging bipartisan consensus on threats from the China Challenge.
Mackenzie Eaglen, Thomas Spoehr, Bradley Bowman, and Bryan Clark
War on the Rocks
September 27, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Mackenzie Eaglen and company propose ideas for how the Biden team’s National Defense Strategy can secure American interests.
Demetri Sevastopulo and Laura Hughes
Financial Times
September 15, 2021
Bottom Line: Financial Times provides a detailed overview of the new trilateral security partnership between the U.S., U.K., and Australia on nuclear-powered submarines.
Maki Sagami
Nikkei Asia
September 22, 2021
Bottom Line: Sagami details China’s new intellectual property offensive, arguing that foreign companies need to be ready for an onslaught of lawsuits.
Chad Wolf, Mark Morgan, and Lora Ries
Daily Signal
September 25, 2021
Bottom Line: In this piece on the migration crisis, three experts team up to explain the origins of the Del Rio Bridge crisis and the lasting effects on U.S. national security.
Brent Sadler
Real Clear Defense
September 23, 2021
Bottom Line: Sadler outlines how a brewing shipping crisis will not only lead to layoffs, higher prices, and fewer options at the grocery store, but also soon imperil U.S. security.
Matt Pottinger
Foreign Affairs
September/October 2021
Bottom Line: In this thought-provoking essay, TVC Boardman and former Deputy National Security Adviser Matt Pottinger details how American society and the private sector can effectively guard against CCP threats in partnership with allies.
Amanda J. Rothschild
Newsweek
September 21, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Senior Policy Director Amanda Rothschild responds to previews of President Biden’s UNGA address, arguing that we should not allow the Biden team to shift attention away from Afghanistan while vulnerable populations are left behind.
Lisa Curtis
Foreign Affairs
September 20, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Lisa Curtis outlines a strategy for dealing with the Taliban, as the United States wrestles with the consequences of the recent crisis.
Mackenzie Eaglen
1945
September 20, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Mackenzie Eaglen warns that congressional delays on the defense budget hinder America’s ability to compete with China.
Gabriel Schoenfeld
American Purpose
September 13, 2021
Bottom Line: Gabriel Schoenfeld reviews Samuel Moyn’s Humane: How the United States Abandoned Peace and Reinvented War, lauding his engaging intellectual history, but offering a critical take in other key areas, including its political-moral judgment.
Paul Kapur
Wall Street Journal
August 31, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Paul Kapur explains where the Biden team has misrepresented the terms of the Doha agreement and why the administration was not forced to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan by August 31.
Richard Goldberg
Mosaic
September 13, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Richard Goldberg pens a personal and insightful essay on lessons learned from America’s engagement in Afghanistan.
David R. Shedd
The Daily Signal
September 8, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member David Shedd evaluates whether the United States is in fact safer from terrorism than it was 20 years ago. The answer is yes, but with important nuances outlined by Shedd in this timely and informative essay.
Gabriel Scheinmann
National Review
September 5, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Gabriel Scheinmann examines the deleterious effects of intellectual conformity in the ivory tower, which extend far beyond near-unanimous attitudes related to U.S. policy toward Afghanistan.
Darren Lim, Zack Cooper, and Ashley Feng
United States Studies Centre
September 2, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Zack Cooper coauthors a new report outlining specific steps for the United States and Australia to increase “geoeconomic” cooperation, combining economic and security issues, such as supply chain resilience.
Francis Gavin
Texas National Security Review
Summer 2021
Bottom Line: In this short piece, Gavin examines the uses and misuses of history in foreign policy, offering recommendations on how we can employ history more wisely.
Mark Dubowitz
Jerusalem Strategic Tribune
September 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Mark Dubowitz outlines a multipronged strategy for the U.S. to address threats from the Iranian regime, drawing several lessons from President Reagan’s “victory” strategy against the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Peter Berkowitz
Real Clear Politics
September 5, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Peter Berkowitz pens a detailed essay on the lessons learned from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq over the past 20 years.
Hal Brands
Bloomberg
August 18, 2021
Bottom Line: Hal Brands looks to history to understand how a global superpower can rebound from a humiliating defeat, like the one just experienced in Afghanistan, drawing several lessons from the U.S. pivot from defeat in Vietnam to victory in the Cold War.
Henry Nau
Providence
August 31, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Henry Nau examines the lessons of the Afghanistan case for nation-building, drawing on examples from the Cold War.
Amira Jadoon, Andrew Mines, and Abdul Sayed
The Interpreter – Lowy Institute
September 6, 2021
Bottom Line: Jadoon, Mines, and Sayed examine the history of the Taliban-ISK rivalry since ISK’s emergence in 2015, outlining their predictions for future interactions between the groups and highlighting several areas of concern moving forward.
David Kramer
Politico
September 4, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member David Kramer reflects on his government service and the steps he wishes the U.S. had taken years ago to confront the Putin regime.
Amanda J. Rothschild
The Dispatch
August 25, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Senior Policy Director Amanda Rothschild draws on the history of the War Refugee Board to outline a path for the Biden team to avert further disaster.
Matthew Zweig and Richard Goldberg
Wall Street Journal
August 29, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Richard Goldberg joins Matthew Zweig in urging the Biden administration to impose hard-hitting sanctions on the Taliban.
Paula J. Dobriansky and Paul Saunders
Wall Street Journal
August 25, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Paula Dobriansky and Paul Saunders argue for the imposition of a U.N.-authorized safe zone to facilitate evacuations.
Thomas Spoehr
Daily Signal
August 19, 2021
Bottom Line: Spoehr factchecks 5 claims by the Biden administration, including those related to the “over-the-horizon” capability and the inevitability of the current crisis.
Robert Kagan
Washington Post
August 26, 2021
Bottom Line: Robert Kagan pens a reflective essay on the feelings and perceptions that drove the United States to war in Afghanistan following 9/11.
Noah Rothman
Commentary
August 26, 2021
Bottom Line: Rothman warns that we should not let the Biden administration blame Americans for getting left behind in Afghanistan.
Mujib Mashal
New York Times
August 28, 2021
Bottom Line: NYT South Asia Correspondent, Mujib Mashal, who grew up in Kabul, provides a firsthand perspective on what the fall means to a generation of Afghans.
Shaun Tandon
Times of Israel
August 17, 2021
Bottom Line: Tandon investigates the Biden administration’s claim that the current chaos and disorder in Afghanistan was unavoidable. This piece includes commentary by TVC Advisory Board members H.R. McMaster and Richard Fontaine.
Amanda J. Rothschild
Newsweek
August 24, 2021
Bottom Line: Amanda Rothschild, TVC Senior Policy Director and former White House Senior National Security Speechwriter, argues that the Biden team’s multifaceted empathy problem is negatively affecting the president’s remarks and U.S. national security.
Bill Powell
Newsweek
August 19, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Amb. Nathan Sales is quoted in this piece by Bill Powell evaluating Biden’s plan for an “over the horizon” counterterrorism policy.
Lisa Curtis
Just Security
August 19, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Lisa Curtis urges the Biden administration to pay attention to the Taliban’s actions, not words, in any future diplomatic engagement.
Sebastian Payne, Helen Warrell, and Katrina Manson
Financial Times
August 19, 2021
Bottom Line: Payne, Warrell, and Manson at the Financial Times examine the significant faultlines in the special relationship in light of the crisis in Afghanistan.
Tom Tugendhat MP
House of Commons
August 18, 2021
Bottom Line: MP Tom Tugendhat delivers a moving and compelling address on the disastrous situation in Afghanistan in the House of Commons. We recommend watching the speech in full here: https://www.youtube.com/
Tony Blair
Tony Blair Institute for Global Change
August 21, 2021
Bottom Line: Tony Blair offers a sobering statement on Afghanistan, outlining specific steps for the U.K. and partners to advance stability and minimize security threats.
Washington Free Beacon Editorial
August 17, 2021
Bottom Line: The Free Beacon editors argue that the toxic mix of isolationism and anti-Americanism at the Quincy Institute bears responsibility for the debacle in Afghanistan.
Frederick W. Kagan
The New York Times
August 12, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Frederick Kagan argues that the disastrous Taliban takeover in Afghanistan was not inevitable, detailing where the Biden administration went wrong in executing the withdrawal of American forces.
H.R. McMaster and Bradley Bowman
The Wall Street Journal
August 15, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member H.R. McMaster and Bradley Bowman explain how the current situation in Afghanistan will exacerbate terrorist threats to the homeland, arguing that policymakers must stop wishful thinking on Afghanistan.
Ben Sasse
National Review
August 16, 2021
Bottom Line: Senator Ben Sasse outlines the failures of U.S. policy toward Afghanistan, arguing that the retreat is the worst foreign-policy disaster in a generation.
Bari Weiss
Common Sense
August 16, 2021
Bottom Line: Bari Weiss asks H.R. McMaster, Nikki Haley, Justin Amash, Elliot Ackerman, Thomas Joscelyn, Eli Lake and Jacob Siegel for their thoughts on Afghanistan.
Emily Tavenner
American University
August 13, 2021
Bottom Line: Ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne shares the five most important things to know about the Taliban’s advance, including what needs to be done now.
John R. Allen
Defense One
August 13, 2021
Bottom Line: John Allen outlines the specific steps the Biden administration can take now to prevent further disaster, violence, and suffering in Afghanistan.
Matthew Kroenig and Jeffrey Cimmino
The Dispatch
August 17, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Matthew Kroenig joins Jeffrey Cimmino to analyze the broader strategic consequences of America’s loss in Afghanistan.
Andrew Roth in Moscow, Hannah Ellis-Petersen in New Delhi, and Vincent Ni, China affairs correspondent
The Guardian
Aug 16, 2021
Bottom Line: Three Guardian correspondents provide an analysis of the likely response of China, Pakistan, and Russia to the recent events in Afghanistan, arguing that all three nations are poised to increase their engagement and influence with Taliban authorities.
Rani D. Mullen
Inkstick
August 13, 2021
Bottom Line: Mullen explains how instability in Afghanistan is likely to affect India’s strategic interests, outlining how India can mitigate threats in this new environment.
Richard Goldberg
The Dispatch
August 6, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Richard Goldberg argues that the Biden administration’s policy of maximum deference to Iran has emboldened the regime.
Elliott Abrams
National Review
August 4, 2021
Bottom Line: Abrams argues that the Biden team needs to articulate a Plan B for when a return to the JCPOA inevitably fails. Abrams proposes and evaluates several possibilities.
Josef Joffe
Strategika
August 2, 2021
Bottom Line: Joffe argues that Biden’s tilt away from the historic alignment of Israel and Arab states toward Iran will have negative consequences for U.S. interests in the region.
Anthony Ruggiero
Real Clear World
August 6, 2021
Bottom Line: Ruggiero argues that the Biden team may be seeing merit in the Trump admin’s Iran approach, outlining several steps for the Biden admin to get back on track.
Peter Berkowitz
Real Clear Politics
August 8, 2021
Bottom Line: Former State Department Director of Policy Planning Peter Berkowitz evaluates the effects of new diversity and inclusion policies at the Department of State.
Jim O’Neill
The Article
July 29, 2021
Bottom Line: O’Neill, Chair of Chatham House and former Conservative government minister, details the prospects for international economic recovery from Covid.
H.R. McMaster and Bradley Bowman
Wall Street Journal
July 26, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member H.R. McMaster and Bradley Bowman outline specific steps to mitigate the consequences of U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Mackenzie Eaglen
1945
July 28, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Mackenzie Eaglen sounds the alarm on a number of deficiencies in President Biden’s proposed 2022 defense budget.
Richard Fontaine and Kara Frederick
Foreign Policy
July 29, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Richard Fontaine and Kara Frederick make the case for the United States to do more to support internet access in Cuba.
Tarek Amara and Angus Mcdowall
Reuters
July 26, 2021
Bottom Line: Tarek Amara and Angus Mcdowall provide a detailed account and analysis of the recent democracy crisis in Tunisia.
Elliott Abrams and Amanda J. Rothschild
The Hill
July 27, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Board Chairman Elliott Abrams and Senior Policy Director Amanda Rothschild urge the Biden administration to reconsider plans to open a new Palestinian consulate in Jerusalem, arguing that doing so undermines Israeli sovereignty, sends dangerous and ambiguous signals, and amounts to discriminatory treatment of Israel.
William Pesek
Nikkei Asia
July 26, 2021
Bottom Line: Tokyo-based journalist William Pesek explains the consequences of Evergrande’s economic troubles for the Chinese Communist Party and President Xi.
Aarti Betigeri
The Interpreter Lowy Institute
July 26, 2021
Bottom Line: Betigeri warns of the possibility of a new proxy war emerging between India and Pakistan in Afghanistan, highlighting the consequences for regional stability.
David J. Kramer and Benjamin Parker
The Bulwark
July 22, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board Member David Kramer joins Benjamin Parker in highlighting the profoundly negative consequences of the Biden administration’s decision to drop its opposition to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany.
Bonnie Glick
Newslooks
July 18, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Bonnie Glick outlines the significance of a recent Morocco-Israel cyber agreement in the context of the Abraham Accords.
Jenni Fink
Newsweek
July 23, 2021
Bottom Line: This year in Tokyo, the Olympics for the first time honored Israeli athletes and coaches murdered during the 1972 Munich games. Fink explains the gravity of this long overdue memorial nearly a half century after that horrific terrorist attack.
Ian Hill
The Interpreter (Lowy Institute)
July 19, 2021
Bottom Line: Hill offers a detailed analysis of Russia’s recently released National Security Strategy, highlighting elements of continuity and change.
Andrew A. Mitchta and James Carafano
Real Clear Defense
July 14, 2021
Bottom Line: Mitchta and Carafano make the case for the Biden administration to advance trilateral cooperation between the United States, Germany, and Poland.
Observer Editorial
The Guardian
July 18, 2021
Bottom Line: On the anniversary of the birthday of Nelson Mandela, the Observer examines recent tensions in South Africa, offering hopeful projections for the future.
Nestor T. Carbonell
National Review
July 16, 2021
Bottom Line: A lifelong opponent of the communist regime in Cuba, Carbonell argues that recent protests in Cuba are driven by a desire for freedom, outlining specific steps the United States can take to support a peaceful democratic transition in Cuba.
Tabby Refael
Newsweek
July 15, 2021
Bottom Line: Tabby Refael provides a detailed account of Iran’s recent attempt to kidnap U.S. citizen and regime opponent, Masih Alinejad. Refael also recounts the stories of other regime opponents targeted abroad over the past several decades.
Matthew Kroenig
The Wall Street Journal
July 7, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Matthew Kroenig warns of China’s growing nuclear arsenal, and urges policymakers to modernize America’s nuclear weapons.
Amanda J. Rothschild
The National Interest
July 7, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Senior Policy Director Amanda Rothschild provides an analysis of Biden’s foreign policy doctrine, arguing that a conspicuous gap between rhetoric and action may risk undermining both the strategy and messaging of the Biden team.
Daniel Johnson
The Article
July 1, 2021
Bottom Line: Daniel Johnson analyzes Beijing’s belligerence toward Taiwan, calling on Western democracies to demonstrate a united commitment to Taiwanese security.
Patrick Porter and Michael Mazarr
The Lowy Institute
May 20, 2021
Bottom Line: Porter and Mazarr offer a middle path for U.S. policy on Taiwan between war and abandonment: the United States should act as an armourer, but not guarantor.
Daniel Trotta
Reuters
June 27, 2021
Bottom Line: Trotta provides a detailed account of how international rescue teams from Israel and Mexico are applying their expertise in response to the Surfside tragedy.
Dimitar Bechev
RUSI
July 1, 2021
Bottom Line: Bechev analyzes U.S.-Turkish relations in the context of Erdogan’s charm offensive on Washington, arguing that his broader policy objectives have not changed.
Stefano Graziosi and James Jay Carafano
National Interest
July 4, 2021
Bottom Line: Italian essayist and political analyst Stefano Graziosi and TVC Advisory Board member Jim Carafano analyze the effects of upcoming German elections on a range of important policy issues in the U.S.-German relationship.
Matthew Campbell
Bloomberg Businessweek
July 5, 2021
Bottom Line: Matthew Campbell highlights the potential dangers of doing business with Beijing in this detailed account of Tesla’s recent difficulties operating in China.
Cai Xia
Hoover Institution
June 29, 2021
Bottom Line: The Hoover Institution recently released an essay in English and Chinese by Cai Xia, a Chinese dissident and former professor at the Central Party School of the Chinese Communist Party, which provides a firsthand account of the CCP’s worldview.
David Feith
Washington Post
July 6, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member David Feith examines how Israel’s transition to a post-Netanyahu government might change Israel’s relationship to China.
Herbert Lin
Texas National Security Review
Summer 2021
Bottom Line: Herbert Lin argues that reliance on modern information technologies could lead to failures of nuclear deterrence or nuclear war, suggesting that the Biden administration has a critical opportunity to address cyber vulnerabilities.
Richard Goldberg
Foreign Policy
June 29, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Richard Goldberg draws critical attention to the systematic exploitation of international organizations by hostile actors, calling on the Biden administration to develop a strategy beyond engagement to advance U.S. interests.
Shannon K. O’Neil
Bloomberg Opinion
June 23, 2021
Bottom Line: O’Neil outlines specific steps the United States should take to root out corruption in Central America and mitigate the border crisis.
Jon Lerner
National Interest
June 28, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Jon Lerner highlights critical gains made by the Trump administration in countering Russia’s malign activities and supporting Ukraine and provides a detailed analysis of the future of U.S.-Ukraine relations.
Eric Edelman and David J. Kramer
The Dispatch
June 25, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Governance Board member Eric Edelman and Advisory Board member David Kramer evaluate the recent Biden-Putin summit and its unfortunate facilitation of the new German and French outreach to Putin.
Richard Fontaine and Vance Serchuk
The Atlantic
June 25, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board member Richard Fontaine and Vance Serchuk challenge the argument that the Afghanistan withdrawal will help the United States technologically, militarily, and economically in great power competition with China.
Foreign Affairs
June 22, 2021
Bottom Line: Foreign Affairs surveys dozens of experts on the consequences of U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Experts offer views across the spectrum in short blurbs.
Michael J. Green and Gabriel Scheinmann
Foreign Policy
June 24, 2021
Bottom Line: TVC Advisory Board members Michael Green and Gabriel Scheinmann likewise examine the Afghanistan withdrawal in the context of great power competition, arguing that a modest U.S. presence will advance U.S. strategic interests.
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