FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Today’s PDB is heavy on China Threat issues, such as the QUAD, US-Japan defense ties, and will a Taiwan crisis mark the end of the American ‘empire’? Also included is intelligence on Russian information warfare efforts to discredit US COVID-19 vaccines, and covert action, espionage, and the intelligence contest in cyberspace. 

Also, the U.S. and South Korea are monitoring North Korean rocket deployments to the border. Plus, top Armed Services Republican backs a National Guard quick reaction force for DC.

And former Trump National Security Advisor General H.R. McMaster says it’s time to end the delusion about America’s longest war in Afghanistan.

With the multitude of national security and intelligence topics that American Defense News (ADN) cannot adequately cover every day – we are providing our readers a PDB – not the President’s Daily Brief, but almost as good – Paul’s Daily Briefing.

TODAY’S PDB HIGHLIGHTS:

National Security

H.R. McMaster: Afghanistan is America’s longest war – it’s time for the delusion about it to end

China Threat

Time for US, Japan to muscle up their alliance

Hard power or soft power? Quad opts for ‘smart’ power

Niall Ferguson – A Taiwan Crisis May Mark the End of the American Empire

North Korea Threat

S. Korea, U.S. closely watching N. Korea amid signs rocket launchers being deployed to border islet

Russia Threat

Meet the Russian ‘Information Warrior’ Seeking To Discredit COVID-19 Vaccines

Intelligence and Unconventional Warfare

Covert Action, Espionage, and the Intelligence Contest in Cyberspace

Homeland Security

Top Armed Services Republican backs National Guard quick reaction force for DC

END of PDB

Paul Crespo

Paul Crespo is the Managing Editor of American Defense News. A defense and national security expert, he served as a Marine Corps officer and as a military attaché with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) at US embassies worldwide. Paul holds degrees from Georgetown, London, and Cambridge Universities. He is also CEO of SPECTRE Global Risk, a security advisory firm, and President of the Center for American Defense Studies, a national security think tank.