New Blog on ME Arms Control and Regional Security

There's a new blog in the Middle East blogosphere, and it looks like it's off to an impressive start. It's called Arms Control and Regional Security in the Middle East, and it's about, well, what do you think it's about with that title? It's run by Bilal Y. Saab and Chen Kane, both of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies of the Monterey Institute of International Studies. The initial articles are by the two of them but they also say they'll welcome outside contributors. Both are accomplished specialists in the field.

I will note that though many of you will be familiar with the work of Bilal Saab on security issues either in is present or his previous positions, if you drill down in his resume (there's a link on his blog profile to the fuller one, which is the one you need), you'll see that he was once (way back when, though I was there at the time) a researcher  at the Middle East Institute. He has since passed through several great universities on several continents, not to mention some major think tanks, but I'll nevertheless assert my profound conviction that MEI taught him all he knows. I hope he will be gentleman enough not to contradict me since I am plugging his blog. It's my story and I'm sticking with it.

It should be worthy of a bookmark, from the looks of early indicators.

This Looks Interesting: New CNAS Publication

New strategic thinking is always needed and the number of creative thinkers in the field can usually be counted on your thumbs; Abu Muqawama (Andrew Exum) has a post entitled "Tired of COIN? Try the Not-as-Tragic-as-Originally-Thought Commons" which links to this report from the Center for a New American Strategy: Contested Commons: The Future of American Power in a Multipolar World. (PDF File).

And CNAS, as you may know, is the closest thing to a military/strategic think tank allied to the Obama Administration. And it's where Abu Muqawama hangs his plank.

The term "Global Commons" is derived from Alfred Thayer Mahan and the term "Neo-Mahanian" appears in one of the chapter titles. If you understand that reference (even if you, like, me, think Mahan was something of a prophet of Empire and not the best model today, though still worth reading), it may be worth a look. I've only read the summary so far.

If you do not salivate at the word "strategy," have never heard of Mahan, COIN, or "neo-Mahanian" global commons, then as Emily Litella would have put it, "Never Mind." But I do plan to read it all.