21 September 2001

Assertive Disarmament

One of my mentors and one of this nation's most astute defense-policy intellectuals and practitioners, Bill Van Cleave (and an associate, Robert Lawrence) crafted the term "assertive disarmament" in an old paper NR article to refer to military actions like Begin's, as described in this op-ed by Chris Ruddy. I've always loved that term, although pundits and "intellectuals" like Strobe Talbott promptly derided it. Now, such thinking is well represented in the Bush Administration, and nobody is laughing about the possibility of such strikes. I hope when/if they take place, that proper credit is given to the authors of the term!

I feel very good knowing that one Van Cleave student is currently an Assistant Secretary of Defense, and another is on her way to be Assistant Secretary of Defense in another area. Indeed, that foreign policy expertise and "bench" of players to draw upon is a major reason I voted for Bush.

[Posted @ 03:37 PM CST]