FAS/China

Interesting Readings Today:

This week's Secrecy News has an especially varied group of readings. I'll bet that at least one of which is apt to be of interest to you -- at least those of you who comment often enough for me to know your interests.

For example, some of you will be interested in this piece by the Congressional Research Service, examining when "rendition" is legal. Of interest to Congress: when the awareness of the USG that an allied nation tortures should impact rendition decisions, and how.

Others of you -- especially those for whom the words posse comitatus are meaningful -- will be interested in the new Army Field Manual on Civil Disturbances. It includes information on how the Army might be used "in providing assistance to civil authorities requesting it for civil disturbance operations."

Also, China E-Lobby has a link rich collection of expert speculation on the future of Communist China. The experts don't agree:

On the future of Communist China: F. Andrew Messing, Jr. and Daniel A. Perez, of the National Defense Council Foundation, sound the alarm about Communist China’s ambitions for global dominance in the Washington Times. Fareed Zakaria, Newsweek, has a more mediocre column on the cadres’ ambitions – mediocre largely because of his unwillingness to recognize the military aspect of the Communist threat. Meanwhile, Yu Linyi, Epoch Times, believes the Communists have a much shorter lease on life, due to the effect of the Nine Commentaries. National Taiwan University Politics Professor Ming Juzheng likens the CCP to the Nazi Party, and like the Nazis, he sees the Communists’ reign of terror ending as well (Sound of Hope Radio via Epoch Times).

To this I'll add Hugh White of the Australian Institute for Strategic Studies, who views Australia's role as becoming less that of US ally, and more that of mediator between the US and China. My own sense, which I will explore at length another time, is that the CCP is in some real trouble -- though its collapse is far from guaranteed.

That's surely enough matter of interest to hold you all for the rest of the day. Take care.