American Spectator Archive

The Game Of Games

There has been a great deal of discussion about how one or another major international figure, and other relatively minor ones, are “in the pocket” of this or that political entity. The fact is that all major governments have at their disposal organizations and individuals who specialize in these forms of deception often referred to as “disinformation”. In brief, this activity is simply a way to disseminate propaganda and sometimes even tactically false information for operational purposes. The entire activity has been a staple of rival governmental activity since the earliest of times. Essentially, this political weapon is based on human frailties that are then exploited by the opposing group. The alternatives are endless. It's both an offensive and defensive weapon. We have seen it used recently in the case of the coronavirus where many in the international community placed blame on the Chinese government seeking to embarrass Beijing. To protect themselves, the PRC respond...

Isis, Islam, Intervention

Reality on the ground is often quite different than what appears in news commentary and even Executive Department briefing papers. This is essentially true regarding terrorism in general. The statement has been made that ISIS has been effectively defeated in Syria and the Taliban reduced in strength in Afghanistan. These are the reasons for withdrawing U.S. military forces from these combat areas. Unfortunately, such a definitive circumstance is belied by the reality on the ground. To begin with, the various organized terrorist groups in the Middle East may have different names and even sponsors, but they all share the same strategic goal. They are all Islamic in character, desire to remove western influence/control from a chosen sector – and in one form or another ultimately gain dominance over economic assets such as oil production and sale. Sometimes the real ambition is simply to gain unrestricted power for power's sake. To complicate things further, the number of “soldie...

Congo Op - A True Story

The request (order?) to travel back to the Congo (renamed Zaire) came from an unexpectedly high echelon in Washington. It was set forth in simple terms but there was no doubt as to its political importance. The son of the chairman of the South African Stock Exchange had left his post as an officer in the elite British cavalry regiment, The Blues, to join the mercenaries battling against the Soviet-backed African rebels in the eastern Congo. Technically, Gary Wilton had not resigned his commission in one of the two regiments that comprise the Queen's Household Calvary, but nonetheless had taken an “extended leave” without authorization. To make this long story shorter let's just say this action had created possible international implications as well as considerable family distress. Enter an experienced American government professional who had “worked” Africa quietly for some years and was thought to be able to handle this diplomatically embarrassing affair. At the very least h...

George H. Wittman: Writer on Current and Foreign Affairs

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