Louis René Beres
U.S.-North Korea Nuclear War: Assessing Plausible Risks
“Military strategy, whether we like it or not, has become the diplomacy of violence.”-Thomas C. Schelling, Arms and Influence (1966)
US President Donald Trump says he doesn’t know if North Korea is building additional nuclear weapons, but...
Are Terrorists “Abonormal?”
While the consciously self-destructive behavior sometimes characteristic of terrorism is out of synch with what most would regard as “normal behavior,” it is more-or-less consistent with the discernible hierarchies of jihadist fighters whether in...
Cutting To The American Core: A Durable Fix Lies Beyond Politics
Whatever happens in the next presidential election, America’s most deeply urgent problems can never be fixed by politics. In essence, noAmerican government, Democrat or Republican – even an eccentric one that might function honestly, smoothly...
America, Terrorism, and Power Over Death
Though rarely understood, there can be no greater form of power on this earth than power over death.Ominously, this always-preeminent form of power in world politics remains unrecognized by American foreign policy-makers. The perilous result...
‘America First’ Is an Anti-American Doctrine
In the 17th century, English philosopher Thomas Hobbes warned famously against anarchy in world politics, a condition that he associated with a “war of all against all.” Appearing in Leviathan, this prescient warning highlighted the...
There’s No Historical Guide for This: Assessing the Risks of a US-North Korea Nuclear...
“The worst does sometimes happen.”
— Friedrich Durrenmatt, Swiss playwright
Seeking to dissuade North Korean leader Kim Jung Un from continuing nuclearization, US President Donald Trump has relied largely upon various economic incentives. Still, the North...
American National Security: Tanks vs. Intellect in the Trump Era
"We have some incredible equipment, military equipment, on display—brand new. And we're very proud of it.... We have the brand new Sherman tanks."1
US President Donald J. Trump, July 2, 2019
"....it remains true that the...
The US, Iran and Preemption: Considerations of International Law
In the final analysis, any US presidential decision on launching a defensive first strike against Iran will be based upon various tactical and strategic expectations. This means, inter alia, a determined focus on certain practical elements...
Embracing Ignorance: When “Attitude, Not Preparation” Matters
“I don’t think I have to prepare very much. It’s about attitude. It’s about willingness to get things done.”
Donald Trump., commenting before his Singapore Summit with Kim Jung Un
For Donald Trump, it’s all about...
Implicit Threats of Violence. The American President’s “Trump Card”
"Whoever can conquer the street will one day conquer the state, for every form of power politics and any dictatorship-run state has its roots in the street."
Joseph Goebbels, Third Reich Minister of Propaganda
“I have...