George H. Wittman: Writer on Current and Foreign Affairs

A great deal already has been written about the disappearance/death of Jamal Khashoggi, but little of it a ppears to be based on an understanding of the s ecretive environment surrounding the actions over the years of the Saudi Royal Family. To begin with, it must b e understood that the al Saud came to power and subsequently maintained itself through vicious and d eadly actions. This historical reference is important because it continues to today, and the Khashoggi affair  i s merely a symptom. P art of the problem in understanding contemporary Saudi affairs is that foreign observers (the U.S. included)  s tart off by thinking they are dealing with a country  evolving from a centuries-old tribally and family-based society to a more technology-influenced modern-day nation. Western outsiders see what they want to and  that which is convenient. They firmly believe that  allowing female members of the Royal family and their female friends to drive automobiles is a ...

The term "national security" has been in vogue since the begin ning of the Cold War. Of course, the concept was referred to in many different ways before that, but only in modern times has it become a watchword. It is conv enient to claim issues are either "detrimental to" or "assist in" national security as the circumstance appears to demand. The problem is that everything impacts or is impa cted upon by "national security". The current mass of people heading for the U.S. border is said to be a matt er of national security. For political reasons this claim of an invasion is countered by indicating they are innoc ent poor who don't appear to be carrying firearms – so where is the danger to national security? This latter asse ssment might be called pejoratively a "Trojan Horse" if one was looking for an aggressive definition of the m ovement of thousands of non-U.S. citizens toward Amer ica's southwest border while effectively al...

The United States is struggling to determine its role in  world affairs. On the one hand there is the country that refers to itself as the guardian of freedom worldwide. On the other is the claim that the U.S. does not interfere  with other nation's affairs. Then there is an additional  claim that Russia, and perhaps China, are interfering with America's elections – or at least have tried to  interfere. Washington stands boldly proclaiming its outrage - as if such things are unknown in the West.  "American values" are said to be under assault is another prominent issue, though the definition of these  national values is a matter of domestic dispute. Of course, in earlier times many of these issues never arose because the country enjoyed remaining aloof  toward world politics and economics to the greatest extent it could. Until World War I we studiously avoided  becoming involved in foreign wars and followed as best we could George Washington's ad...

People involved in or merely interested in political  military affairs tend to think today's world is more complicated than ever before. Certainly, many examples  can be found in history that would refute the uniqueness  of today's world. It is true, however, that certain events and circumstances can be pointed to as having a  special, though not emphasized, place in world affairs. Many of these events have been lost in contemporary  history. One of the best examples of this phenomenon was the contact the American intelligence unit, Office of  Strategic Services (OSS), had with Ho Chi Minh in the summer of 1945.  An OSS team made up of one officer (Major Allison  Thomas) and two enlisted men parachuted into an area near the small village of Kim Lung in northern Vietnam. Others were to follow later. The code name for the mission was "Deer Team." Along with the Americans  were a French officer (Lt. Montfort) and two of his Vietnamese soldiers. ...

While American journalistic outlets are transfixed by domestic political issues, there is a near total lack of knowled ge or even interest in matters international. Perhaps this should be expected, but such self-preoccupation certainly keeps the nation in the dark regardin g the rest of the world. If external affairs do not explode, destroy, maim or otherwise have the potentiality of directly harming the United States, very little cov erage is given issues beyond our shores. This insularity accounts for the lack of the American public's interest i n one of the most disturbing circumstances of importance to our European allies - specifically the United Kingdom's decision to leave the European Union (EU). Hyper p artisanship has taken over the debate in the U.K. The traditional major divisions along the lines of Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat have given way, for  the most part, to the simplistic pro- or anti- Brexit. Even that term is confusing for Americans. "Bre...

Apparently, Kim Jong-un is trying once again to give the appearance he is willing to continue negotiations with President Trump on the "denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula. Of course the easiest explanation is that Kim is simply continuing his country's well known propaganda ploy of delaying serious movement by appearing to be willing to talk – while doing nothing more   than that. On the other hand, it may be more complicated. The timing of Kim's last attempt to project friendliness is important from an economic standpoint. It's the end of the agricultural growing season and DPRK planners are facing another Fall/Winter season of severe need for food importation to help with the usual annual shortcomings for the rest of the year lasting until late Spring. Kim needs to have the United States loosen its sanctions. Apparently, there has been an increase in sanction-breaking transshipment of petroleum products – sometimes directly and sometimes by off-loading...

Over thirty years ago Graham Benton wrote a study  sponsored by the National Institute for Security Affairs entitled, "The Character and Rationale of Modern  Terrorism." He stated, "Terrorism is the weapon of the weak against the strong --- the terrorist cannot achieve  military objectives directly, but must try to frighten or demoralize his opponent into giving way." Benton went  on to explain that, "The terrorist is a person engaged in committing such acts of intimidation as the primary  means of carrying out his struggle." This was true at that moment, but as time progressed terrorist operations and  the groups behind them have grown far more sophisticated and technically advanced. Armed with modern weapons provided by sponsoring nations, terrorists have become surrogates and even mercenaries in support of national interests of anti- Western countries. In addition is the sponsorship and  assistance of socio-religious ambitions of various sects. How...

To begin a discussion of Africa it is necessary to go back to pre-Christian days. This may seem irrelevant to today, but it is actually necessary in understanding the origin of contemporary affairs on this continent. Ancient civilizations vied for control of portions of what we now refer to as Sub-Sahara n Africa as early as 1630-1540 BC when the rulers of Egypt drove their armies south into what was known as Nubia. Back and forth these struggles ensued for domination as other forces from the Middle East and southern Europe spread out across northern Africa. In brief, the Africa we know today is a result of thousands of years of struggle - sometimes between major armies and ofttimes simple, but bloody, local tribal conflict. The diversity of the peoples of Africa is not simply a matter of coloration. Not only did the predominately dark-skinned Nubian empire at one time control southern Egypt and most of what we refer to today as Sudan, but later lengthy wars and occupation by the light...

The photos of the two Russian operators caught by British CCTV show a couple of guys straight out of Central Casting for the roles of Thug #1 and Thug #2. The fact is that both "gentlemen" were chosen because they looked like the hundreds – perhaps thousands – of Eastern European workers that are now seen daily in construction work and other laboring jobs throughout Britain. They looked tough because they were tough. They did what they were trained and ordered to do. If they had been captured they would have withstood known British interrogation methods or simply taken the L (lethal) tablets with which most official assassins are supplied. One can quibble over their method and technique, but the end result was failure. To be fair (and certainly we should be "fair"), it was not the operators' fault, but really lousy planning. Heads will roll, but it won't be the two "gunsels" heads. Higher level heads will be chopped – one way or another. There is ...

We Need A Better Understanding Of The Critical World Of Intelligence  It's amazing how unknowledgeable the pundits are of the  world of intelligence. One would think that over the years of discussion and writing about intelligence there would  be a broad understanding of this dark but not impenetrable system of information gathering and  political action. Historically, American leadership has been extremely knowledgeable of the arcane methods and operations of i ntelligence. George Washington was a very strong supporter of espionage activities and personally  encouraged the development of the Culper net that furnished him and his staff with key information relative t o British troop movements on Long Island during the early days of the Revolutionary War. Included among the Washington "spies" on Long Island was the pretty Sall y Townsend, still in her teen years, perhaps the first  American female deep cover agent.  The ignorance of the US press r...