MG Flynn (on intell mainly)

[davidbfpo]

A very short report on a speech @ Brookings, made this week by LG Flynn:

It's important that we leverage the technology in a smart way to understand what it is that's happening at the [tactical] edge and make, to a degree, the edge the center....Cyber is a new domain, and over a third of the world is connected somehow. Five hundred million people on Twitter, a billion people on Facebook, all this volume of activity -- [there is] a lot of noise. Inside the military, there's still a tendency to think of intelligence and cyber as the same. It's not like that at all.

Link:http://fcw.com/articles/2013/11/21/c...operation.aspx

[davidbfpo]

I am sure "over the water" there is more reporting than this, but this FP article appears to be a reasonable explanation:http://complex.foreignpolicy.com/pos...r_rocky_tenure

[davidbfpo]

The last official interview given by MG Michael Flynn:http://breakingdefense.com/2014/08/f...ith-a-warning/

[davidbfpo]

A FP comment as Mr Flynn comments on policy and for some comes close to a "chalk line". For me viewable:https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/06/19...litical-fray/?

[davidbfpo]

Nothing like a headline to catch one's attention and yes again ret'd General Flynn sallies forth. This time in a 'Head to Head' interview on Al-Jazeera, due to be broadcast 31st July 2015. Meantime here is a "taster":http://pr.aljazeera.com/post/1242308...ood-al-jazeera

Asked if drone strikes tend to create more terrorists than they kill, Flynn replied:

I don’t disagree with that..I think as an overarching strategy, it’s a failed strategy. What we have is this continued investment in conflict....The more weapons we give, the more bombs we drop, that just… fuels the conflict. Some of that has to be done but I’m looking for the other solutions.

[davidbfpo]

His interview is now available, 47 mins long (yet to be watched here) after yesterday's broadcast:http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/...080342288.html

[Bill Moore]

For us folks in the U.S. this is the video link to the interview.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaqICPPokhw

Interesting interview, I always liked Flynn, but don't always agree with him. There is some truth to his comments that we invest in more conflict instead of strategic solutions. However, his claim that we could end these conflicts if just invest in developing a new economy in the region is a bit simplistic. Clearly, a growing youth bulge will need economic opportunity, but focusing on economic transformation ignores two key points. First, we don't have the power to transform their economic systems, we can only assist if they want to change. Second, it ignores the fact that these conflicts are being promoted by state and non-state actors seeking power, they're not interested in our efforts to help economically.