Tag Archives: The Long War

The Syrian Backdrop As Battleground

Posted on April 18, 2018 by William Holland

When Obama pulled out of Iraq after being handed a win by team Bush, the political concerns that drove Obama’s decision paved the way for a surge that became the Islamic State.  That process of strategic defeat by absconding from … Continue reading →

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A Reckoning Called Qatar

Posted on June 25, 2017 by William Holland

Inter Arab rivalry remains the source of geopolitical friction between Qatar and the House of Saudi on the peninsula.  What makes it deadly is the fiscal and strategic security environment in which its occurring.  Given how weak Riyadh remains after … Continue reading →

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The Phantom Menace: Syria

Posted on June 25, 2017 by William Holland

The cynicism animating much of Washington remains at face value, worthless.  That’s because it is born from within the confines of self preservation alone.  Take Syria for example.  The fatal conceit dominating the halls of D.C. is that the U.S. … Continue reading →

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The Feat of Balshazzar: U.S. Policy Falters In Balancing

Posted on May 14, 2017 by William Holland

Anyone with even a mediocre classical education knows what “mene, mene, tekel upharsin” refers to; a doomed Empire.  What does this have to do with the Pax Americana?  If one looks to the Maghreb, the Arabian peninsula, Mesopotamia, southwest Asia, … Continue reading →

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Pentagon Procurement & Civilian Military Relations: The Key to Winning ‘The Long War’

Posted on December 23, 2012 by William Holland

The key to understanding how large monolithic bureaucratic institutions like State, Pentagon and Defense work in tandem with Congress and the White House is to uncover the small yet vital liaisons that work between them. Why is this important? Because … Continue reading →

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