12 September 2024

Associated Press | Blinken wraps up Ukraine-focused Europe trip in Poland with arms requests on the table

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is wrapping up a three-nation, Ukraine-focused European tour in Poland after hearing repeated appeals from Ukrainian officials to use Western-supplied weaponry for long-range strikes inside Russia.

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POLITICO | White House finalizing plans to expand where Ukraine can hit inside Russia
The White House is finalizing a plan to ease some restrictions on how Ukraine can use U.S.-donated weapons and better protect itself from Russian missiles, according to a Western official and two other people familiar with the discussions.

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Fox News | Kirby: 'No use in responding' to a 'handful of vets' on Biden's botched Afghan withdrawal

On the anniversary of 9/11, White House National Security Council communications adviser John Kirby dismissed the concerns of military veterans critical of the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, writing in response to a Fox News Digital press inquiry that there's "no use" weighing in on the veterans' views.

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Newsweek | Six Countries That Could Mediate Possible Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks
Russian President Vladimir Putin's former defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, has said that Ukraine's incursion into Russia means there is no chance of negotiations to end the war started by his boss after several countries emerged as potential mediators for peace.

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The New York Times | Should Ukraine Launch Western Weapons Deep Into Russia?
A deadly uptick of Russian guided glide bombs slamming into Ukrainian cities — as many as 800 in a single week this summer — has injected new urgency into a long-running debate over whether Ukraine should be allowed to launch missiles supplied by the West at military targets deep in Russian territory.

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USA Today | Kamala Harris was wrong when she said there are no U.S. troops in combat zones
During Tuesday’s presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, Harris inaccurately made it sound as though there are no U.S. soldiers deployed in overseas conflict zones.

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Vox | Biden and Harris say America’s no longer at war. Is that true?
While the US formally ended its combat mission in Iraq in 2021, some 2,400 troops remain in the country to “advise, assist and enable” Iraqi forces fighting the remnants of ISIS, a campaign that began in 2014. Even if it’s not officially a “combat mission,” these troops still take part in raids targeting ISIS, including one just two weeks ago in which seven Americans were injured. Meanwhile, around 800 US troops are still in Syria, mainly assisting local allied armed groups fighting ISIS.

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Military.com | Vets with Rare Lung Disease Could Get Benefits More Easily Under Proposed Changes, VA Says

Veterans with a rare lung disease could have an easier time collecting Department of Veterans Affairs disability benefits under proposed changes announced by the agency Wednesday.

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Military Times | Congress moves to fix VA budget gap, but time is running out

Congressional leaders have a deal in place to patch a nearly $3 billion shortfall on Department of Veterans Affairs funding that risks endangering benefits payments as soon as next month, but veterans advocates said they are reluctant to celebrate until the final details are worked out.

The American Conservative | Twenty-three Years After September 11, Have We Seen the End of War?
On this year’s anniversary of September 11, we remember how the events of that tragic day altered our military careers and our lives, like millions more veterans and active-duty members of the United States military. One of us served at ground zero as a guardsman and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in the following years. The other spent over two decades in special forces, waging the global war against terrorism. What we’ve seen and experienced are reminders that even 23 years later, the war isn’t over. In some ways, September 11 isn’t either.

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Responsible Statecraft | Why Germany's Chancellor is pushing for peace in Ukraine

In an interview with German TV on September 7, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for a push toward diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine. “Now is the time to arrive at peace from this state of war,” Scholz said. He added that a “new peace conference” should be organized, and one, at which, this time, Russia should be present as one of the belligerents. Significantly, Scholz asserted that the idea has the backing of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The last “peace summit” was held in Switzerland in June and failed to make any headway towards a ceasefire as Russia was excluded event.

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Vox | America isn’t ready for another war — because it doesn’t have the troops
Coverage of the wars in Ukraine and Gaza is mostly dominated by talk of weapons. Reporters and analysts focus on suicide drones, on shell deficits, on targeting algorithms. But for all the attention devoted to modern weapons and munitions, both conflicts are proving that modern war still comes down to people.

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Defense Priorities | What can the US do to stabilize its relationship with China?
National security adviser Jake Sullivan’s recent trip to Beijing is a good sign that President Joe Biden’s administration is taking U.S.-China relations seriously. While the visit did not result in any bilateral agreements, the two leaders agreed on having a near-term phone call.

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As the fifth meeting between Sullivan and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in the last two years, the visit at least shows that diplomatic channels are open. The selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Waltz, a qualified China hand, as the Democratic vice presidential candidate, moreover, seems to offer more evidence that Democrats now understand the stakes in this most pivotal bilateral relationship.

This week marks the 23rd anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001. Yesterday, we, at CVA, took a pause to commemorate the 2,977 victims we lost that day.

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A heartfelt note from CVA’s strategic director John Byrnes:

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“Only the dead have seen the end of war.”

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This quote, attributed to Plato, carries real meaning for we who fought and lost brothers and sisters in war.

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America has been at war for over two decades and it is not just September 11th victims and veterans who have suffered. From the attacks, through combat deployments and post 9-11 veterans’ suicides we have lost over 40,000 Americans.

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It seems sometimes like we also lost our national unity. Our sense of what it means to be not just an American but Americans. America is deeply but unnecessarily divided. Every American I know, truly wants what’s best for their families, their friends and their neighbors. We disagree, often, on how to do what is best. But HOW we are disagreeing is no longer healthy.

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In the days immediately after September 11, 2001, Americans came together in a way we have not seen since. Let us remember that day in reflection and dedicate a few moments to the memories of all those who fell that day and, in the years, following, in the spirit of that unity in the days immediately after.”

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John Byrnes was on Hill TV to discuss his experience on 9/11 and the aftermath of war. To watch his full interview, click here.

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