Articles

Honduras Breaks a Paradigm in Latin America
by Margarita M. Montes

Published on July 11th, 2009
The removal of President José Manuel Zelaya Rosales from power by the Honduran army on Sunday, June 28, has put an end to a paradigm in Latin American contemporary political history. For the first time since the end of the Cold War, an army removes a legally and democratically elected President to restore the rule of law, not to break the rule of law, as it used to be in the past.

Why the F-22 Matters for Japan
Sankei Shimbun
by Richard Fisher, Jr.

Published on July 4th, 2009
Two critical political "dogfights" are underway in Washington that could help determine the speed with which Japan may have to make a critical decision on whether to acquire a decisive means of deterrent, quite possibly a nuclear deterrent. The first dogfight is between the U.S. Congress and the Obama Administration over whether to continue production of the Lockheed-Martin F-22 Raptor 5th generation super-fighter.  A second and related dogfight is whether a group of Congressmen led by Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii can persuade Congress to change a law preventing foreign sales of the F-22, so that Japan could then purchase an export version of this fighter. 

Honduras and the Bolivarian Revolution
by Douglas Farah

Published on July 3rd, 2009
Once again an outside power is meddling in the internal affairs of a small, poor Central American country and threatening military action if its preferred candidate is not restored to office. The irony is that it is not Uncle Sam interfering in Honduras-which has happened often enough-but Venezuela's Hugo Chávez, who has made a career of railing against foreign intervention. Chávez's belligerent threats of military action to restore his ally, ousted president Manuel Zelaya, to power are supported by Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega, Bolivia's Evo Morales and the Castro brothers in Cuba.

What Really Happened in Honduras?
by Octavio Sánchez

Published on July 1st, 2009
Under our Constitution, what happened in Honduras this past Sunday?Soldiers arrested and sent out of the country a Honduran citizen who, the daybefore, through his own actions had stripped himself of the presidency ofHonduras.

South China Sea Competition: China Contemplates More Mischief
by Richard Fisher, Jr.

Published on June 28th, 2009
On June 11, 2009 a Chinese Navy submarine reportedly collided with the towed sonar array of the U.S. Navy destroyer U.S.S. John S. McCain, about 144 miles from Subic Bay in the Philippines. Previously on March 8, 2009 Chinese Maritime Militia ships harassed the U.S.S. Impeccable on a surveillance mission about 75 miles from Hainan Island. These incidents illustrate a growing tension between China, the United States and other Asian nations over China’s increasing militarization of the South China Sea.

Depth Perception
Defense Technology International
by Richard Fisher, Jr.

Published on June 1st, 2009
China is expanding its force-projection capabilities on land, sea and in the air with a range of weapons. The primary goal is to protect economic interests through control of the western Pacific. But China also seeks to counter U.S. naval power in the region and make alliances with strategically placed countries like Iran and Pakistan.

Red alert - China modernises its nuclear missile force
Jane's Intelligence Review
by Richard Fisher, Jr.

Published on May 21st, 2009
Beijing is now deploying or developing up to five intercontinental nuclear-armed ballistic missiles in what amounts to China's most ambitious increase in intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capability since the late 1980s. Concurrent with this modernisation process of its land-based missiles, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) will also soon deploy its new submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM), to offer greater flexibility and survivability to China's nuclear forces. This effort is expected to result in a relatively modest increase in missile numbers, but armed with far more capable, if not a larger number of warheads. Contrary to efforts by the United States and Russia to engage in nuclear reduction negotiations, as seen by a 7 May meeting between the two countries, China will therefore continue to expand its nuclear arsenal.

Taiwan's Call to Arms
The Wall Street Journal Asia
by Richard Fisher, Jr.

Published on March 19th, 2009
Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense issued its Quadrennial Defense Review Monday, which attempts to explain strategy, justify to legislators required future military force levels and gather support for all-important defense budgets. In doing so, Taiwan's generals are attempting to square the circle of Taiwan's tortured defense debate against the backdrop of China's growing military threat.

Conflict Prevention and Confidence Building Measures between Japan and China
by Vice Admiral (Ret.) Fumio Ota, Ph.D.

Published on January 5th, 2009
Chinese leaders always say to Japanese leaders that Japan should look at history as a mirror. It means that Japan should not forget her brutal actions against China during the Sino-Japanese conflict in the late 1930s and the beginning of the 1940s. However, since this period Japan and China have changed considerably. Today, the China is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party and the Japan is democracy.  While history should not be forgotten, we must also judge a country by its current actions. A recent survey of world public opinion from 2005 to 2007 found that Japan is the country most widely viewed as having a positive influence, which is helped by the fact that Japan  has never used military power as a means for settling international conflicts after 1945. Since the People's Republic of China was established in 1949, the frequency of its use of military forces reaches the double digits.  On average, China has used military power every several years. In all cases, except for its support of North Vietnam’s war against South Vietnam, China has used force preemptively. China attacked the opponent first after careful preparation, whereas the opponent suffered from a surprise attack.

Closer Look: Shenzhou-7’s Close Pass by the International Space Station
by Richard Fisher, Jr.

Published on October 9th, 2008
On September 27, 2008 during its 31st orbit, China’s Shenzhou-7 space mission achieved two of its main objectives: China’s first manned extra vehicular activity (EVA) or space walk, and the first launch of the 40kg BX-1 microsatellite for the purposes of testing new microsatellite technologies, and observing and operating in cooperation with the Shenzhou.  The spacewalk by Chinese astronaut Zhai Zhigang received massive coverage in China and internationally and the microsatellite mission was also covered well by the Chinese media.  What the Chinese media did not cover, and even more surprisingly has so far gone unremarked by the United States or Russian governments, was the fact that about 4 hours after launching the BX-1, the Shenzhou-7 flew to a distance of about 45km (27 miles) from the International Space Station (ISS).