WORLD ROUNDUPBombing to Lose | Stronger Terrorism Laws | Easing Sanctions on Venezuela, and more
··The New Nuclear Era
The world is closer to a new era which may be shaped by nuclear weapons
··Bombing to Lose
Why Airpower Cannot Salvage Russia’s Doomed War in Ukraine
··With Migration Surging, U.S. Considers Easing Sanctions on Venezuela
There is increasing pressure on the administration to work toward a deal
··Six Men Go on Trial Over Vienna Jihadist Shooting
Islamists face justice in Austria’s first jihadist terror attack
··New Zealand Proposes Stronger Terrorism Laws
New laws to provide more restrictions on people thought likely to be planning an attack
··French Cement Company to Pay $780 Million Over Payoffs to ISIS
French company Lafarge provided material support to a terrorist organization
··Berlusconi, Caught on Tape Gushing Over Putin, Heightens Anxiety About Italy
Pro-Russia sentiments on Italy’s right could lead Italy to undercut Europe’s united front against Russia
··Iranian Drones Pose a Fiendish Military Problem for Ukraine
With drones, quantity trumps quaity
··U.S. Has Viewed Wreckage of Kamikaze Drones Russia Used in Ukraine
Learning how to defeat drones before they can reach their targets
··Why Putin’s Nuclear Gambit Is a Huge Mistake
If Putin is rational, he won’t use nukes; if he is not, the West backing off may not make any difference
The New Nuclear Era (Richard Haas, Project Syndicate)
For many years, scholars and officials have believed that the nuclear problem was a relic of the Cold War. To the contrary, the world is moving closer to a new era that could be defined even more sharply by nuclear weapons, as Vladimir Putin’s threats against Ukraine demonstrate.
Bombing to Lose (Robert A. Pape, Foreign Affairs)
Beginning in early October, facing huge territorial loses and other reversals in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin reached for a military strategy in which Russia should have a decisive advantage: airpower. In the most widespread such campaign to date, he ordered a blistering series of missile attacks against a dozen cities and electrical infrastructure across the country. Ukrainians were forced into basements and bomb shelters and some 30 percent of the country’s power generation capacity was knocked out, causing rolling blackouts that affected homes, hospitals, and even the basic functioning of the economy. In the weeks since, Russia has been sending waves of drones to attack residential buildings and offices in Kyiv and other cities. In effect, Putin was reminding the Ukrainian government of his ability to attack its main population centers—a threat that Ukraine, having scrapped Soviet-era bombers long ago, having no long-range rockets able to hit Russian cities, and having only a tiny number of ground attack aircraft—is unable to match. The goal, it seems, is to punish civilians, wearing them down in the hope of convincing their leaders to sue for peace.
But it is a strategy doomed to failure. As in earlier phases of the war, Russia’s supposed air superiority has done little to shift the overall momentum on the ground. Despite the significant damage they have caused, Putin’s airstrikes have failed to hinder Ukrainian advances in the east. And when they have reached civilian targets they have only served to strengthen Ukrainian resolve. (Cont.)
