Benjamin Runkle is a national security analyst and author who contributed to The Weekly Standard on topics related to military operations and U.S. foreign policy. His writing for the magazine covered subjects including the Osama bin Laden raid, counterterrorism strategy, and the consequences of American disengagement from the Persian Gulf region.
Theodore Roosevelt summarized his approach to diplomacy with the maxim “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” Time and again, President Obama has chosen the opposite tack. Perhaps nowhere has his policy of speechifying without substance to back up the rhetoric been more problematic than in the…
Even before the celebrations a year ago had ended, terrorism experts were debating the strategic significance of Osama bin Laden’s death at the hands of U.S. Navy SEALs. Some argued that bin Laden would prove irreplaceable to al Qaeda; others claimed he had been in hiding so long he was…
Before Osama bin Laden’s body was even cold—or wet, depending upon how quickly it was committed to the Arabian Sea—the debate over the significance of his demise at the hands of U.S. Navy SEALs was underway. Some suggest he will prove irreplaceable to al Qaeda, a uniquely inspiring leader and…