None of the "cyber attacks" reported to date constitute major/actual attacks, but rather could be more aptly characterized as incidents of disruption and defacement without any indication of particular sophistication. However, there are reasons for concern reuters.com/world/asia-pac… this is just the start. A DDoS 'attack' is annoying but temporary, relatively insignificant, and unsophisticated. The question is to what extent there will be further escalation of PRC activities in the cyber domain for this punitive/coercive response. washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/…

We can debate whether or not Pelosi's decision to visit Taiwan at this time was ill-advised, but let's not forget Beijing has agency in its own right in choosing how to respond. And I suspect that Xi Jinping may also 'accomplish' much with this pressure and punitive measures...

https://twitter.com/WilliamHOverhol/status/1554912209125490688

I'd suspect (if I had to place a bet), that Beijing's behavior may backfire on any number of levels, to the detriment of the CCP's interests and objectives in the long term, with regard to Taiwan and worldwide.

This may be a crisis in which we see extensive employment of PLA UAVs, including for surveillance and reconnaissance and as a flexible instrument in its pressure campaign, with overflights or intrusions into the airspace of Taiwan's offshore islands and perhaps over Taiwan itself starting with the drone that “glanced by” the airspace of Dongyin Island last week, possibly probing its defenses. bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

I've tried to push past or ignore it but can’t deny that working on #AfghanEvac initiatives since the fall of Kabul has taken a toll on me—mentally, physically, emotionally, financially, and professionally. This has been a very dark winter in that regard.

https://twitter.com/shawnjvandiver/status/1479816013399019523

I’ve struggled to concentrate most days; I’ve struggled to be "productive" on projects that I'm supposed to be pursuing. I’ve struggled with guilt over seeing so much pain and trauma, even if from a distance, when there is so little I can do in the vast majority of situations.

I started writing this essay for @ForeignPolicy on this day last year. I was nearly in tears and shaking with anger as I wrote it. I don't think I'd managed to do justice to the gravity of threats to our democracy that have only worsened in the time since. foreignpolicy.com/2021/01/07/uni… I continue to struggle with the cognitive dissonance of looking at foreign policy and national security challenges from abroad, while ever more fearful about the urgency of the threats and failures at home. I am afraid we tend to be far too inured to these dangers. And I'm afraid

I want to tell you about some of the bravest women I've ever known. I want you to know how much each has overcome, as in choosing to pursue military service or becoming a policewoman, despite the many dangers and obstacles of being an Afghan woman in uniform even before the fall of Kabul. nytimes.com/2018/10/05/mag…

As the situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate, while watching with fury and horror, the very least we can do is support evacuation and emergency relief. Here's a list of fundraisers; hope you'll consider giving or continue to contribute if able. afghanistanrelief.carrd.co h/t and thanks to @87films for the recommendations of fundraisers and organizations to support

"Today, the gravest threats to U.S. national security come not from foreign adversaries and strategic competitors but from extremists and domestic terrorists who are attempting to subvert American democracy in support of Donald Trump." I started writing— foreignpolicy.com/2021/01/07/uni… on the 6th of January, while I was shaking with rage and shock in watching the news, and after frantic, obsessive revisions, published this piece the next day, six months ago. I wonder sometimes if this is the most important commentary I've ever written, or perhaps the only piece

We've just concluded three days of fantastic presentations and discussions in the course of the first U.S.-China Futures Summit (@YPFP_USCFP), which was the culmination of the work of series of task forces launched last summer. ypfp.org/u-s-china-futu… Thanks so much to the @ypfp team, especially @joshuamarcuse! I've appreciated the opportunity to serve on the Steering Committee, along with @Ali_Wyne, @KKoleski, @chenniferann, and @1AlexanderTitus. I've learned so much from my colleagues and fellow participants along the way.

Follow along today as I highlight @CyberGent_101 as part of the #ShareTheMicInCyber campaign. I am proud to give this talented #cybersecurity practitioner the spotlight. #BlackNatSec #BlackTechTwitter sharethemicincyber.splashthat.com At Black Knight, @CyberGent_101 is an Incident Response Analyst. His proudest achievement so far has been leading a cloud security project from a threat hunting, forensics, and defensive standpoint. #ShareTheMicInCyber

I'm just starting to read through the latest report from DoD on China's military power. I may share some quick reactions along the way. #ChinaMilitaryPower2020 media.defense.gov/2020/Sep/01/20… This is a good observation on the role of the PLA in China's diplomacy.

I am struggling to articulate a coherent response to this direction in American diplomacy, which is at once unsurprising and a continuation of recent trends, yet terribly consequential nonetheless. wsj.com/articles/secre… First, there are indeed compelling reasons for intense concern about the actions, intentions, and objectives of the Chinese Communist Party, especially considering the trajectory on which the Party has taken China under the leadership of Xi Jinping.

I've been so stressed and overwhelmed all week I hadn't noticed my research on military-civil fusion (from an essay in @Strategy_Bridge) was quoted in this piece by @ewong and @julianbarnes yesterday. I wanted to share a few thoughts on this latest policy. nytimes.com/2020/05/28/us/… By way of disclosure and/or background, I am among those who has argued for some time that the U.S. government should undertake targeted countermeasures in response to the threat of tech transfer that PRC plans and practices have presented for years. cnas.org/publications/c…

I don’t believe the likes of Steve Bannon ought to have any voice or platform in discussions of U.S. policy on China. His ties to the alt right and links to white supremacists are appalling and disgraceful, truly dangerous and un-American. thewirechina.com/2020/05/24/ste… I can understand why @thewirechina team might choose to interview him, given the extent to which his views and impact in debates on U.S.-China relations have been noteworthy--and deeply damaging, in my opinion. But I was also troubled by how this Q&A was framed and featured.

I haven't managed to keep up with news well today, but I wanted to share a few quick reactions to this “United States Strategic Approach to the People’s Republic of China” that was recently released as I read through it. whitehouse.gov/wp-content/upl… As an initial reaction, I am so often struck these days by the juxtaposition of reports or articulations of American strategy that contain a clear logic and relative coherence, relative to the chaos of U.S. politics and policy in the current environment. This is no exception.

I’m very excited to share some news. I am writing a book! #FightingtoInnovate should be coming out with @USNIBooks in 2021. Thank you so much to @kenixfan for reaching out to me about this in the first place! I am thrilled about the opportunity to work with the great @NavalInstitute community.

I wanted to share a couple of thoughts on this opinion piece by the PLA's Senior Colonel Zhou Bo on how the U.S. and China can "coexist competitively." nytimes.com/2020/02/03/opi… First, it isn't all that unusual actually for Chinese military officers, particularly those specializing in U.S.-China relations, to write and publish in English. In fact, Zhou Bo has a whole series of op-eds in SCMP for those interested. scmp.com/author/zhou-bo

I'm reading through the CCP's Fourth Plenum decision, which was just released today. While I'm not seeing anything unexpected, the decision does reiterate a couple of key points on tech and defense issues that I wanted to highlight. web.archive.org/web/2019110522… The word "innovation" is mentioned 31 times in the document, relative to 27 references to "reform" and only 14 allusions to "opening."

I greatly respect the insights of the experts included in this picture and discussion. Yet it is striking—and honestly disappointing—that this engagement was not more inclusive or representative of the diversity of backgrounds and perspectives in the national security community.

https://twitter.com/EsperDoD/status/1191718557182234626

I won't provide a listing of all of the women, and persons of color, and younger analysts, and experts who bring unique viewpoints and experiences of all kinds to the table, because there are so many who come to mind with so much to contribute. One more list won't change things.

Thank you, @MilitaryTimes — I am humbled, honored, and honestly surprised to be included in such great company!

https://twitter.com/MilitaryTimes/status/1183851421625659395

@MilitaryTimes Since I just commissioned this July with no prior service, I'm still so new to the military that I'm equally excited and overwhelmed by all that I have to learn.

China's national strategy of military-civil fusion is rapidly evolving and highly consequential. This concept is complex and challenging to evaluate. I applaud @ChinaBriefJT for dedicating a special issue to these issues, and I'd highly recommend it. jamestown.org/program/editor… @ChinaBriefJT To start, read this great overview by @gtlevesque, who discusses this "great gamble" to pursue 'guns AND butter' through seeking synergies in economic development and military modernization. jamestown.org/program/milita…