A. J. Phelps Blog

Top 5 International Security Notes - Oct 10, 2015

2015-10-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

Introduction

[Read the last International Security Notes here]

The digest of International Security Notes for Oct 10, 2015:

Visit every Tuesday and Saturday for your brief on the Top 5 issues about international affairs. Enjoy!

Subscribe to the RSS feed to stay informed.

_____________________________________________________________
A. J. Phelps is a pseudonym for an analyst of global affairs and author of international thriller fiction. Check out his debut novel, Havana Dawn.

Follow him on Twitter at ajphelpsauthor1.

Top 5 International Security Notes - Oct 6, 2015

2015-10-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

Introduction

[Read the last International Security Notes here]

The digest of International Security Notes for Oct 6, 2015:

Syria: Time to Reformulate the Rules of the Game
Putin, Obama, and the Middle East
Satellite Images May Show China’s First Domestic Aircraft Carrier
ISIS in Afghanistan, Kunduz's Fall Importance, Increased Taliban
U.S. enforcement of Iran arms embargo slipped during nuclear

Top 5 International Security Notes - Sept 30, 2015

2015-09-30T11:59:00.001-05:00

Introduction

[Read the last International Security Notes here]

The digest of International Security Notes for Sept 30 2015:

Russia Protects Syrian Ally, Orders US out
Mapping the Yemen Conflict
Japan in Korean Unification Talks?
Super Fast Cruise Missiles
US, Iranian Hostage Swap? (pdf)

Top 5 International Security Notes - Sept 26, 2015

2015-09-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

Introduction

[Read the last International Security Notes here]

The digest of International Security Notes for Sept 26, 2015, covers:

Colombia y La Paz - ¿Por fin?
Russia Resurgent
Cantankerous Catalonia Votes
Migration Crisis Marks EU's End?
US-China Summit

Visit every Tuesday and Saturday for your brief on the Top 5 issues about international affairs. Enjoy!

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Top 5 International Security Notes

1. Colombia y La Paz - ¿Por fin?

Colombian President Santos and the FARC terrorist leader "Timochenko" shook hands in La Habana, Cuba, after more than two years of talks in a bid to end - finally - more than 50 years of war. Obstacles remain and final approval will be difficult on both sides.

2. Russia Resurgent

Russia continues to dominate international security headlines because of its steady buildup in Syria and renewed relevance on the global stage. Despite a squabble over who asked whom, US President Obama and Russian President Putin will have a chat next week.

3. Cantankerous Catalonia Votes

Barcelona and the rest of Catalonia Province go to the polls on Saturday for a vote of independence from its hated rival, Madrid. The first Spanish president after the end of the Franco dictatorship pleads for understanding in an editorial in the leading national newspaper, El País. Certain of a sí vote, the Catalan government is already recruiting judges for its courts. Will other regional aspirants demand their own vote across the EU?

4. Migration Crisis Marks EU's End?

Can the EU regain control of its borders? Is the migration crisis exposing underlying weakness of the faux union?

5. US-China Summit

China's President Xi Jinping received a 21-gun salute and state dinner on his visit to Washington, even after his hackers ripped off the entire database and fingerprints of millions of US government employees. In the folly of "personal diplomacy" with dictatorships, the US president held back any sanctions against China in exchange for promises of cooperation on cybersecurity. "Climate change" talk may be the most positive part of entire affair.

_____________________________________________________________
A. J. Phelps is a pseudonym for an analyst of global affairs and author of international thriller fiction. Check out his debut novel, Havana Dawn.

Follow him on Twitter at ajphelpsauthor1.

Top 5 International Security Notes - Sept 22, 2015

2015-09-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Introduction

[Read the last International Security Notes here]

The digest of International Security Notes for Sept 22, 2015:

Russia starts Syria drone surveillance missions: U.S. officials
Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela's Cornered Robin

Iran's president defends ‘Death to America’ chants
Report: Obama Officials Pushed False Narrative on ISIS Through Politicized Intel
Greece election: Alexis Tsipras's Syriza to hold 145 of 300 seats

Visit every Tuesday and Saturday for your brief on the Top 5 issues about international affairs. Enjoy!

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Please retweet this post to your friends. - Thanks!
_____________________________________________________________
A. J. Phelps is a pseudonym for an analyst of global affairs and author of international thriller fiction. Check out his debut novel, Havana Dawn.

Follow him on Twitter at ajphelpsauthor1.

Top 5 International Security Notes - Sept 19, 2015

2015-09-19T16:33:00.001-05:00

Introduction

[Read the last International Security Notes here]

The digest of International Security Notes for Sept 19, 2015, covers:

Russia in the Mid East
Newest military phenom - Hybrid War

Fiasco: US Effort to Field Syrian Rebels
Countering China in South China Sea
US Humiliation by Iran

Visit every Tuesday and Saturday for your brief on the Top 5 issues about international affairs. Enjoy!

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Top 5 International Security Notes

1. Russia eyes entire Mid East, not just Syria

Russia is back in business in the Middle East just as the current US Administration retreats by design. The so-called Iran Deal brokered by the US, but supposedly to be implemented by the toothless IAEA, was apparently Moscow's opening. While the West seems flummoxed, Putin continues to push into Syria to preserve his naval base in Tartus, and back his good client Asad with Flanker fighter jets, attack helicopters, and possible combat troops. Some observers warn of a coming US-Russia clash over Syria. Moscow eyes a more muscular presence in the region to bolster its Mid East ambitions as US credibility shrivels.

2. Newest military phenom - Hybrid War

The Russian invasion of Ukraine accentuated hybrid war or creative uses of the full-spectrum of warfare, mixing and matching conventional/unconventional, regular/irregular, and information and cyber warfare. NATO even doubts hybrid warfare exists while prepping for it at the same time. Inevitably, resourceful observers conjure its antidote - hybrid defense. Others debate hybrid warfare to defeat Europe.

3. Fiasco: US Effort to Field Syrian Rebels

The current US Administration's categorical botch of Mid Eastern affairs is singularly apparent in the comical attempt to build a rebel force to fight ISIS in Syria. An outlandish plan for 5,000 fighters magically transformed into a puny cadre of 54 by July. The string of disasters resembles a car wreck - some captured by al Qaeda's Syria wing, Nusra Front, others fled back to Turkey where their commander was bombed to death earlier, united Ankara and Riyadh despite differences, and now converted to a switch to a new modus operandi - directing fleeting US air strikes and embeds with Kurdish forces. Self-inflicted wounds abound for Washington's failed Mid East policies.

4. Countering China in South China Sea

Beijing continues to project its power beyond its large land mass on the Asian continent and chip away at US naval strength in the region. Satellite imagery confirms a possible third airstrip under construction on artificial islands at the Fiery Cross and Subi reefs in the contested Spratly Islands. As reported in the previous International Security Notes, adversaries are pressing their advantage against a weak Washington across the globe. China's project to manufacture islands out of the many reefs and shoals in the South China Sea also fortifies the strategy of the PLA’s investment in antiaccess/area-denial (A2/AD) capabilities (aimed at the US 7th Fleet). Thus, the development and deployment of large numbers of highly accurate antiship cruise missiles (ASCMs) comprises a key component of Beijing's gambit to exploit US irresolution and push Washington out of the Pacific.

One salutary effect - regional partners like Vietnam and Japan uniting efforts to balance China when and where the US won't or can't.

5. US Humiliation by Iran

Not content with whimsically dumping long-time US ally Mubarak for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt (later corrected by people power in Cairo), not even deterred by failures in Libya, Iraq and Syria, and soon-to-be in Afghanistan, the current US Administration prides itself in clearing the path for Iran to become a nuclear military power with ballistic missiles to deliver them, seemingly unconscious of both the regional and global ramifications. Washington has transformed the Middle East irreparably and left US credibility in tatters. That Iran so easily humiliates the United States is just as embarrassing as the "deal" to eliminate international sanctions and ostracism of Tehran. Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani visited Moscow - in defiance of current sanctions - even before the "deal" has been implemented.

In an "oh by the way" moment, Iran recently admitted an "unexpected" trove of high uranium reserve, highlighting a key problem with the JCPOA (deal) - there is no accurate accounting of Tehran's progress on its secretive nuclear project or of the amount of highly-enriched uranium, in order to construct a benchmark, making verification impossible. While individual countries take stock of the "deal" (like India's embrace), the US suffers self-invited humiliation (even via Iranian video) while its arch enemy in the Middle East marches inevitably to attain the military means and money to threaten its interests worldwide and its citizens in the Homeland.

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_____________________________________________________________
A. J. Phelps is a pseudonym for an analyst of global affairs and author of international thriller fiction. Check out his debut novel, Havana Dawn.

Follow him on Twitter at ajphelpsauthor1.

Final Long Excerpt - Havana Dawn, spy thriller

2015-09-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

Final Excerpt, Serialized Havana Dawn

Enjoy reading the final excerpt in the serialization of

Get Havana Dawn

the first chapter of Havana Dawn, my debut international espionage thriller. Read the next series of two parts right here every two days.

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You can go back and read installments 13 and 14 here.

Final Long Excerpt of Havana Dawn

CIA Deputy Director of Operations Musgrave watched the hyperbolic Comandante with Belinda Cooper on an HD monitor in his private meeting room. The prim and proper veteran agent was a rarity in the CIA’s top echelon – a careerist from academe in a normally appointed post. That is, the president could never remove him, at least easily.

That was a compromise struck between the opposition-led Senate and Belling in exchange for confirmation of Bill Taylor as Director of Central Intelligence (DCI).

Musgrave calmly sipped a cup of black coffee with cream and sugar – an old habit from the innumerable and boring faculty meetings at Tufts in another life – from a fresh pot he brewed himself and propped his head up with his left arm as the public show ended. He flipped off the transmission from Havana and then clasped his hands together. “Is Project Hermes compromised, Belinda?”

“Two agents in four months and now this failed putsch,” she replied thumping her black ink pen on her binder labeled PROJECT HERMES – TOP SECRET. “Someone at CIA tipped them. I’m certain. The Cubans knew exactly how, when, and where to defeat the rebellious troops. There is no doubt in my mind.”

“Still the President must not be told about this project,” he said draining the remainder of the caffeinated liquid in his blue-patterned decorative porcelain china. “Make sure it stays that way.”

“Yes, sir,” she replied to Musgrave. This man is so brave, she thought.

He cleaned his lips with a yellow linen napkin. “Hermes is the Company’s own private operation to do what this president does not have the courage to do.”

“And so it shall be.”

“Is Cade ready for his next assignment?”

“Yes. And if our sources are correct, it could be a blockbuster.”

The bespectacled director grinned with pleasure at what he heard.

_____
At the same time, Cade made his way to the Havana seaside. Always observant, he stopped to check a stylish hat in a hard currency shop. Well, not really. In the mirror reflection he saw two plain-clothed secret police agents milling about outside.

“Señora, hay salida por detrás?” Cade asked and quickly scooted out to the rear of the shop onto a cul de sac.
One goon was in hot pursuit from behind. Surely, the other must be headed to block his escape.

Cade was still wearing his tourist sandals which made running more difficult, but obviously his cover had attracted attention. Dammit! Or their amigo in Washington had tipped them about Cade just like his friend, Agent Echeverri, before him.

Sure enough, a hulking thug was about to greet him at the end of the passageway. Cade gave a running karate kick and knocked him out of the way. The goon fell to the cobblestone and as his buddy arrived, both started chasing Cade who narrowly had crossed the wide avenue with honking horns to the Malecón, Havana’s iconic waterfront promenade.

The normal nighttime party crowds were just starting to gather and perhaps he could use them to his advantage. Cade blended with a knot of partiers and started sucking up a piña colada from inside a delicately carved pineapple.

One security agent passed by, but where was the other one?
“Señor,” Cade heard the other one call. “Tengo algunas preguntas para Ud.” Cade hurled his drink squarely at the head of the agent and leaped over the seawall.

Fuck he thought. That water looked deep. Splash! He disappeared into the night treading water as he had learned at the YMCA several years after his boating accident. Cade was a helicopter pilot from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq before joining the Company, a real daredevil, not a world-class swimmer.

When he was ten, Cade and Grandpa Forrester went fishing for bass in Enid Lake outside Oxford, Mississippi. The cold did not matter. Cade and his grandpa always had a ball together. Tragedy struck when Cade fell overboard trying to help haul in a feisty three-pounder smallmouth. He fought the murky water without his life preserver – a cardinal sin in that situation.

He slipped under the frigid water and touched bottom with horrible thoughts coursing through his mind. He surfaced a minute later and Grandpa pulled him back into the boat – his biggest catch that day!

At one point, Cade thought he would not survive cold, shaking, and smelling of fish. No training later as an army grunt or pilot totally eliminated the fear of deep water from his mind.

A light patrol craft made a quick pass scanning the muddy waters with a searchlight. Nothing.
---
After a half hour Cade figured, dodging the patrol, he crawled back onto nearby rocks to return to the seaside concrete seawall drawing the stares of partygoers, but luckily not the secret police.

Bedraggled and slowly drying in the cool windy conditions, the surrounding air filled with the aroma of deep-fried chopped ham, pork shoulder, cheese and pickles. Cade returned to his original destination - a cyber café across from the Malecón.

“Una caña de Cristal, porfa,” he ordered a taste of local ale. “Baño?” The uninterested proprietor gave Cade a strange look and motioned to the back as he returned to reading the worthless state-run Granma newspaper and took another hit of a Cohiba. A ceiling fan barely circulated enough air to stir the thick aromatic clouds of billowy smoke. Yuck, disgusting, Cade thought.

The former track star, winner of multiple awards for the 4 x 400 relay and 5,000 meters, ambled into the shoddy closet-sized room labeled “Señores.”

The door wouldn’t lock, so he removed the lid of the commode anyhow and extended his leg backward to close the door. He inspected the inside contents and noticed the small plastic bag hidden at the bottom of the water tank.

Without thinking, he reached with one hand to retrieve it. The note inside simply read – “Palacio de la Revolución, fiesta, 8pm, 2 days.” Cade loved parties.

Havana Dawn Trailer

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Stay tuned for the next Cade Forrester novel involving another tale of international intrigue and suspense sure to delight!

Top 5 International Security Notes - Sept 15, 2015

2015-09-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

Introduction

[Read the last International Security Notes here]

The digest of International Security Notes for Sept 15, 2015, covers:

Unraveling Afghanistan
Airspace Violations

Reversal - Bigger US Navy?
Terror Tougher to Stop
Russia and West Animosity Grows

Visit every Tuesday and Saturday for your brief on the Top 5 issues about international affairs. Enjoy!

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Top 5 International Security Notes

1. Unraveling of Afghanistan

US-led NATO has lost Afghanistan. The gradual retreat of Western forces emboldens the Taliban (like recent freeing of 350 prisoners) and makes "peace" more elusive. While Taliban attacks are down, the number of casualties (like attack on aid workers) is up.

2. Airspace Violations

The latest Russian probe of UK airspace concerns the heavy strategic bomber TU-160 Blackjack approach of the northern British Isles.

Here is a rare video of this aircraft.

Another violation concerns the dispatch of two Venezuelan fighters into the skies over the Colombian region of La Guajira (en español). Caracas initiated a border tiff about two weeks ago with Bogotá to distract from the misery at home. For its part, Venezuela dismisses the Colombian claim as "fiction." (en español). Some observers have theories to explain Caracas' aggression.

3. Reversal - Bigger US Navy?

The current US Administration's unilateral nuclear disarmament agenda is well-known. The leaner conventional military includes a smaller navy while ambitions of Russia, China, and Iran grow. Some critics are calling for a greater number of US navy ships while others say the right mix of strategy and ships matters more. Famed maritime theorist Mahan wrote that the "quiet" power of the navy was essential to peace.

4. Terror Tougher to Stop

The former head of MI6 says it is increasingly difficult to fight terrorism, while other reports suggest the US is losing the battle.Some observers actually question ISIL's efficacy.

5. Russia-West Animosity Grows

Moscow and the West seem further apart on an array of security issues from the Arctic to Syria.

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_____________________________________________________________
A. J. Phelps is a pseudonym for an analyst of global affairs and author of international thriller fiction. Check out his debut novel, Havana Dawn.

Follow him on Twitter at ajphelpsauthor1.
_________________________________________________________
photo "Russian Bear 'H' Aircraft MOD 45158140" by Photo: RAF/MOD. Licensed under OGL via Commons.

Excerpts 13 and 14, Serialized Havana Dawn

2015-09-13T19:13:00.000-05:00

Parts 13 and 14, Serialized Havana Dawn

Enjoy reading parts 13 and 14 of our serialization of

Chapter 1, Havana Dawn, Excerpt 13

She kneed her attacker in the groin as he cupped her floppy breasts and met his gloved hand gripping a dagger with her stylish red-colored nails. “Frank! Frank!” The two combatants struggled as the sharpened edge moved closer to her throat. Where was Frank?

Barb was not strong enough, especially after that passionate moment, but stuck fingers from her left hand into the eye holes of the mask. Her attacker yelled “you bitch!” She felt the blade from the assailant in total black wardrobe finally slide from one side to another of her throat. The attacker’s soft brown eyes grew to the size of saucers as the knife completed its task.

Then, a half-dressed Frank ran and jumped on his back. The attacker, gripping the knife, turned around and impaled him against the sharp edge of the boulder and hurled three punches into his stomach. The killer rushed him with a knife, but Frank kicked him back with his muscled legs and the intruder fell to the ground dropping the knife somewhere on the sloshy mud beneath their feet. Shit! Frank launched himself in the air and the two rolled around the muddy terrain, over tree roots and fallen limbs from the storm, in a vicious contest of strength.

Frank grabbed the ski mask, but the killer kicked him backwards hitting his head on an overgrown tree root. Then the attacker landed a left hook to his chin and delivered a flurry of swift blows to Frank’s stomach leaving him bent over on his side gasping for air.

The masked attacker scampered back to the Jeep, stumbled over a fallen tree branch, losing his balance, and falling down. His wallet spilled onto the wet park ground, but he grabbed it and made his escape.
_____

Chapter 1, Havana Dawn, Excerpt 14

“Comrades, tonight was an important victory for Cuba and total defeat for the American pigs who plotted yet again to destroy our beloved Revolución,” Comandante Arroyo crowed addressing a carefully-selected group of Avispas Negras at a hastily-arranged conference room in his command compound on Live Cuban TV. Arroyo, with his Makarov pistol proudly holstered on his right side, stuck up two fingers in a V-sign.

“Even as I speak, the traitors and their American pig conspirators are being rounded up. Here is my promise to you, comrades. Cuba will repay the American scoundrels. I guarantee these cowardly acts will not go unpunished. Socialismo o muerte! Socialismo o muerte!” The assembled crowd of soldiers and apparatchiks joined and amplified the chant to fill the hall.

Arroyo lingered to bask in the glory with the guests – always the gracious host – while Interior Minister Juanjo Raúl Lazlo paced the floor with hands behind his back as he patiently waited for Arroyo in an adjoining office. Thankfully, he thought, his great comrade Arroyo, a Beijing-educated geologist, made much shorter pronouncements than previous Comandantes.

Havana Dawn Trailer

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Stay Tuned: Excerpts 15 and 16

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Read Excerpt 1 here.

Top 5 International Security Notes - Sept 12, 2015

2015-09-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

Introduction

[Read the last International Security Notes here]

The digest of International Security Notes for Sept 12, 2015, covers:

Venezuela Vanguard
Russian Bear on the Prowl

Chinese Dragon's Missiles
The Anchor in Syrian Sandstorm
US Senate Embraces Iran

Visit every Tuesday and Saturday for your brief on the Top 5 issues about international affairs. Enjoy!

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Top 5 International Security Notes

1. Venezuela Vanguard

Twenty-first century statism mirrors that of the 19th and 20th century: delusion, depravity, and dictatorship. The desperate Maduro regime in Caracas imprisoned (formally) a key opposition leader, Leopoldo López, after months of detention. Externally, Maduro, a former bus driver firmly in the seat of the unraveling of a once-rich democratic petro-state, continues to badger his neighbor Colombia, a US ally in a rough neighborhood. This border sideshow cannot hide the main act - Venezuela on the vanguard of sliding into the abyss.

2. Russian Bear on the Prowl

Russian TU-95, credit: see below

The world's major contenders to be the top bad ass are exploiting the remainder of the milquetoast Obama Administration. Russia is giddy - sends TU-95 bombers off Alaska and California on the US July 4 Independence Day

holiday, violates the Intermediary Nuclear Force (INF) Treaty from the late Cold War years without any consequence, and fully supports its client states like selling S-300 anti-air missiles systems to Iran, and Syria. Moscow wants its fair share of Washington's beneficence towards anti-US states. Plus, Putin has the treasure trove of secret data stolen by Snowden, a royal guest in Moscow.

3. Chinese Dragon's Missiles

Communists are fond of rewriting history, like China's 70th celebration of the victory over Japan in World War II, at the hands of Chiang Kai-shek, a Nationalist, not the current crew strictly ruling the country. However, the pompous occasion provided a platform for Beijing to strut out its Dong Feng family of strategic missiles. Of significant import is the DF-41 MIRV ICBM. Shining stars like the YJ-18 supersonic anti-ship cruise missile continue to bolster Beijing's determination to evict the US from Asian waters.

4. The Anchor in Syrian Sandstorm

In unmistakable terms, Moscow proves its fidelity to friends/good customers. Assad's Syria is both, dating from the time of Papa Assad until now. However, the latest Russian intervention (an airbase) is drawing attention. Putin does not play on the margins of red lines like Obama; he sees green - as in cash for his moribund economy. Russia has dropped anchor in Syria - literally - and warned the US. Blame shifting the Syrian Sandstorm on Putin cannot be helpful and reeks amateurish at this late stage. Not incidentally, Russia's resurgence in the Middle East - especially Egypt - comes at a time of declining US influence.

5. US Senate Embraces Iran

US foreign policy bereft of realism rolls on. One day before the 14th anniversary of 9/11, the US Senate guaranteed approval of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) - the so-called "Iran Deal" - essentially welcoming Tehran to the nuclear missile club. The ossified US foreign policy Establishment is even not sure of JCPOA's efficacy. Washington totally relaxed its "clenched fist;" no part of the deal compels Iran to do the same. In fact, Tehran refuses to reciprocate, getting its fair share of Washington's good-vibe foreign policy.

Please retweet this post to your friends. - Thanks!
_____________________________________________________________
A. J. Phelps is a pseudonym for an analyst of global affairs and author of international thriller fiction. Check out his debut novel, Havana Dawn.

Follow him on Twitter at ajphelpsauthor1.
_________________________________________________________
photo "Russian Bear 'H' Aircraft MOD 45158140" by Photo: RAF/MOD. Licensed under OGL via Commons.

Excerpts 11 and 12, Serialized Havana Dawn

2015-09-12T05:00:00.000-05:00

Parts 11 and 12, Serialized Havana Dawn

Enjoy reading parts 11 and 12 of our serialization of

Chapter 1, Havana Dawn, Excerpt 11

When Frank finally arrived, Barbra straddled a large rock and had taken off her blouse and bra running through the park woods. He ran up to her and immediately cupped her breasts and pulled down her pink silk panties.

“Ravage me, Frank,” she called out as his lips focused on her sending pulsating vibrations through her body.

She savored the silky air from the now heavier rain splattering from the tree tops over them, the smell of moistening trees, and the rumble of thunder above. Barbra quickly loosened his workpants and fished for his member, feeling a patch of bush. She kissed her way down his smooth, toned gym abs through his T-shirt and swallowed his stiff member all the first time. Frank had never experienced that since college.

“Get naked, Frank!” she commanded, while moaning and coming up for air. The raven-haired medium-build 6 foot tall former basketball star forward at Maryland slid out of his remaining clothes. After a few minutes of savoring his sausage, the 5 foot 3 inches nymph stood up again and turned her bare backside to him. From behind he caressed and licked her velvet ivory skin and fondled her forbidden zone between her legs. “Oooh, Fraaank.”

_____

Chapter 1, Havana Dawn, Excerpt 12

Completely hard and desirous of her body, he bent Barbra over the rock and teased her from behind with his medium-sized member. Barbra didn’t care about his size at that point though she preferred larger men. She spread her legs for him and awaited her prize.

As Frank eagerly entered her after applying a condom, the uninvited guest driving the Jeep crept ever closer to the party and watched them intently. The soaked ground muffled any broken limbs that might be trampled on and crack and thus alert the couple dallying in the storm. Frank obviously came quickly and surprisingly soon disappeared leaving Barbra to rest on top the boulder.

The burly figure leaped from the edge of the obscure knot of bushes with an object in hand which appeared pale in the moonless conditions.

“Frank, you want more of me so soon?” Barbra cooed laughing and flipping back her long tail of hair which stopped midway above her buttocks. She tossed her head from side to side in anticipation of another round.

She felt a different touch and turned around. Terror showed in her eyes as the masked marauder gripped her voluptuous body and covered her mouth so she could not scream. A rush of self-preservation and her training kicked in.

Stay Tuned: Excerpts 13 and 14

Listen to Audio Excerpt 1 - #HavanaDawn - International #Spynovel

2015-09-10T22:09:00.001-05:00

Listen to Audio Excerpt 1 from Havana Dawn by A J Phelps!

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You can read Excerpt 1 here and follow the serialization of Chapter 1.

Excerpts 9 and 10, Serialized Havana Dawn

2015-09-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

Parts 9 and 10, Serialized Havana Dawn

Read parts 9 and 10 of our serialization of the first chapter of Havana Dawn, my debut international espionage thriller. Read the next series of two parts right here every two days.

If you want to download the first two chapters of Havana Dawn FREE, go here.

Please Tweet your friends about this post.

You can go back and read installments 7 and 8 here.

Chapter 1, Havana Dawn, Excerpt 9

“Vance, we already have numerous defense systems capable of protecting the Homeland. Do your homework! I want to assure every American tonight that their safety is first and foremost in my mind as Commander-in-Chief.”

Belling decided to attack and skip the role of victim using the “damsel in distress” defense when a man questioned her, a favorite tactic when asked an unpleasant (read difficult) question. Belling had been around the block and always gave more than her critics could handle.

“What Vance really is mad about is that his stock in Wetherford Electronics. Wetherford is a key supplier for the Zeptran-A Laser project. He’s just worried he may not get richer than he already is.

"So, Vance, you see, we do need to invest wisely in our people. This is not about making your buddies, fat cat defense contractors, and you rich from sucking on the government teat. I’ll make sure the Zeptran-A Laser project does not get funded beyond this budget year.

“I challenge you, Vance, to sell all of your stock in defense contractors because you have a conflict interest pushing more defense spending which you will profit from!”

_____

Chapter 1, Havana Dawn, Excerpt 10

Vance Bimbaugh looked down at his dais and shuffled his papers and tried to appear unruffled from Belling’s tongue lashing.

A rising roar of applause broke out in the audience. Candy allowed it for a couple of minutes, but she wanted more camera time, too. “Ok, folks. Please hold your applause until after the debate.

"Mr. Bimbaugh, can we get your promise here tonight to sell your stock in defense contractors?”

“Candy, are you an advocate for the Belling campaign? You allowed clapping which is against debate rules. You keep cutting me off when I’m midway through my vital points. Look at this, my fellow Americans. Official Washington ganging up on an outsider – me - who threatens their power.

"Candy, you should be ashamed.”

“Fiddlesticks, Mr. Bimbaugh," she retorted casting her narrowing steel blue eyes at the popular radio host turned presidential candidate against his old nemesis for years, President Belling. You could almost see steam flowing from her ears. “So for the record, you did not answer the question. Now, let’s turn to…”

Havana Dawn Trailer

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Stay Tuned: Excerpts 9 and 10

Excerpts 11 and 12 will soon follow. Subscribe to the RSS Feed of the blog to make sure you don't miss any future parts of the story.

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Read Excerpt 1 here.

Excerpts 7 and 8, Serialized Havana Dawn

2015-09-08T14:17:00.001-05:00

Parts 7 and 8, Serialized Havana Dawn

Enjoy the continuation of our serialized parts 7 and 8

from the first chapter of Havana Dawn, my debut international spy thriller, serialized right here every two days.

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You can go back and read installments 5 and 6 here.

Chapter 1, Havana Dawn, Excerpt 7

“Whoa there, Mrs. Belling!” Vance Bimbaugh exclaimed refusing to show respect by using her title, after she answered a question about the environment. “Do you know how much your crazy proposal is going to cost average Americans? Where is your compassion? We already have too many unemployed because of your failed economic policies.”

“Gas prices are at a record low because of my leadership,” she began to respond pointing her finger at the dais. “Caring for the environment is not crazy. For cleaner air and water, everyone can pitch in, Vance, including you, to fight climate change. You do believe in climate change, right? Or are you a denier despite all of the scientific data staring you in your fah- uh – face.”

“Climate change is shi-, uh, baloney. This is an example of masked politics dressed up as a scientific issue. Pure partisan politics. What you care about is making the central government more powerful to interfere in the lives of Americans who get up every day and work hard to feed their families. As your next president my fellow Americans, I will work day and night to stop making life so difficult –"

“Mr. Bimbaugh,” interrupted Miss Candy Raddish, the official debate moderator, wearing a fake red wig, yellow triangular earrings, with dark horn-rimmed glasses down her snout for a nose looking up to the overweight opponent of President Belling. Smacking her mauve-colored lips, she said, “Your time has expired.”

“I’m going to finish my thought. This is too important for the American people. You have a political party dedicated to pseudo-science which is aiming to –”

“Mr. Bimbaugh, this is not your radio show. Please follow the rules.” She blinked her small eyes at him in total disgust.

“Candy, I’m paying for this microphone. So, please show respect.”

“Vance, calm down,” Belling butted into the spectacle with a deer-in-headlights look.
_____

Chapter 1, Havana Dawn, Excerpt 8

“Listen to me folks. Look at them trying to shut me up. Climate change is an attack on your freedom. To limit your income, the environmental agenda…”

“Ok, Mr. Bimbaugh. We got it,” said the moderator. “Mr. Bimbaugh, we must move on. What is your proposal for free education in America?”

“I’m not your Santa Claus,” he snorted. “Work for your own damn education.”

“Oh really,” Belling sighed raising her left eyebrow. Keep digging a deeper hole for yourself.

“Really. This country faces over a $100 trillion unfunded debt liabilities. Who’s going to pay for it – you, Mrs. Belling? You Miss Raddish? Our economy is only about $17 trillion a year, and barely growing because of Belling’s failures. We need to work harder, stronger, and faster to recover from the complete mismanagement by her economic- illiterate crew. We need more startups, more economic freedom, and less know-it-all micromanagement from Washington!”

“My word, Vance. You’re so neurotic. We sure don’t need a shock jock as president.” That’ll tell’em!

“Mrs. Belling, you have not leveled with the American people about the dire danger our country faces from enemies abroad. You have presided over draconian cuts to the defense budget, while playing nice with Cuba, China, Russia – ”

“Mr. Bimbaugh…our topic tonight is domestic politics,” Candy again disrupted Vance’s tirade.

“Candy, Mrs. Belling...the American people..…the #1 job of president, as stated in Article 1 of the Constitution, is to defend that sacred document and the American people. Not free education. No overregulation by the EPA. Mrs. Belling, why are you killing the Zeptran-A Laser which can protect us from an enemy missile attack?”

“Madame President, you don’t have to answer that,” Candy sniffed looking toward the visibly nervous leader of the free world.

Havana Dawn Trailer

Check out a quick clip on the total scenario of the gripping spy thriller!

Stay Tuned: Excerpts 9 and 10

Excerpts 9 and 10 will soon follow. Subscribe to the RSS Feed of the blog to make sure you don't miss any future parts of the story.

Please Tweet your friends about this post so they can start reading Havana Dawn as well.

Read Excerpt 1 here.

Top 5 International Security Notes - Sept 8, 2015

2015-09-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

Introduction

[Read the following International Security Notes here]

The digest of International Security Notes for Sept 8, 2015, covers:

Saudi Arabia as regional superpower
UK carriers

Chemical weapons use in Iraq?
China, US in the Arctic
Arctic Diplomacy

Visit every Tuesday and Saturday for your brief on the Top 5 issues about international affairs. Enjoy!

Subscribe to the RSS feed to stay informed.

Top 5 International Security Notes

1. Saudi Arabia: The Region's New Superpower

The US-Iran nuclear deal, Yemeni crisis, and Islamic State expansion have propelled Riyadh to assume the mantle.

2. UK Commits To 2 Carriers, Fully Crewed

The once "Mistress of the Seas" arms up.

3. US military ordering troops in Iraq to dust off chemical weapon suits

Is there danger of chemical attack?

4. As Chinese Ships Cruise Arctic For First Time, Will U.S. Build New Icebreakers?

The Arctic is heating up!

5. Diplomacy at the Top of the World

Who are the players? The stakes?

Please retweet this post to your friends. - Thanks!
_____________________________________________________________
A. J. Phelps is a pseudonym for an analyst of global affairs and author of international thriller fiction. Check out his debut novel, Havana Dawn.

Follow him on Twitter at ajphelpsauthor1.
_________________________________________________________
photo credit -Steve Jurvetson/flickr - creative commons - no alterations to photo.

Excerpts 5 and 6, Serialized Havana Dawn

2015-09-06T06:30:00.000-05:00

Parts 5 and 6, Serialized Havana Dawn

Read below installments 5 and 6 of our series of the first chapter of Havana Dawn, my debut international spy thriller, serialized right here every two days.

By sampling all of Chapter 1, you get a good feel for the rest of the novel.

If you want to download the first two chapters of Havana Dawn FREE, go here.

Please Tweet your friends about this post.

You can go back and read installments 3 and 4 here.

Check

Chapter 1, Havana Dawn, Excerpt 5

Suddenly three ageing BTR-60 armored personnel carriers (APCs) careened into the popular Parque Central rolling over book kiosks and firing their 12.7mm machine guns into the air scattering the meandering tourists and locals alike in all directions.

Four olive-green trucks came screeching into the square as two MiG-29 (NATO Codename – Fulcrum) ground attack-fighters screamed overhead. A company of the elite Avispas Negras (“black wasps” in Spanish) troops donning their signature red berets spilled into the park and took up positions at its four corners brimming with their PKM machine guns and ASG-17 grenade launchers.

Cade scurried along the broken sidewalk keeping his distance from the military units and dashed to the Gran Teatro de La Habana. He took cover hidden by one of the many stolid stone support columns. The historical theater was an ideal spot to witness the unfolding events.

His smooth fingers flicked the switch on the right-side of the glasses to activate the satellite camera of his Ray Bans to transmit the live images to his bosses and colleagues back in Langley, Virginia.

“3-2-1 Action!” he spoke into the tiny receiver-recorder in the nose of his glasses. “The Avispas Negras are ready for attack.”

One of the MiGs swooped down thundering low over the plaza and fired two Kornet anti-tank missiles. The pilot guided the two lethal missiles with a laser to kill two T-72 tanks just entering a street near the Parque. Then two T-62 tanks burst onto the scene firing their 115mm main guns and mowing down a number of the elite soldiers and obliterating three coffee cafés.

Four camouflaged trucks rolled into another side of the Parque and deposited members of the 45th Infantry Division bearing AK-47s, RPG-7s, and 160mm mortars. Cade panned to the heavy armament brought up by the rebel troops. A knot of troops unloaded belt-fed machine guns shooting from behind cover at a distance of fifteen or twenty feet from loyalist forces.

Another MiG smashed the T-62 tanks with more rockets as easy as taking candy from a baby. Cade stared awestruck at the destruction wrought by the missiles from the jets, and felt a pain deep in his heart of a lost loved one to a similar circumstance. He tried to shake off the bitter memory, and regain focus of the mission at hand.

The molten metal of the crumpled tanks created a stench that began to pervade the Parque as thick choking black clouds of burning oil clouded the natural vision of all. Rapid crossfire and projectiles lit up the advancing dusk and struck almost every building in the square. Cade’s spy glasses allowed him to record and show the whole spectacle to CIA headquarters. The crackle of rifle fire, the thud of mortars, and the roar of grenades plus the booms and flashing lights throughout the park and surrounding streets looked like lightning and sounded like thunder to the untrained ear.

A loyalist T-72 and 130mm cannon joined the BTRs and Avispas Negras in a deafening barrage of suppressive fire on the rebel positions, resulting in a huge fireball that swept the part of the square in front of the Teatro.

Chapter 1, Havana Dawn, Excerpt 6

_____
Cade ducked from the heat field that charred nearby book kiosks and fruit stands. “I think that’s it.”

Windows crumpled and glass rained down from the ear-shattering explosion. The commandos abandoned their cover positions and brazenly charged emptying their AKMS assault rifles to round up the remaining opposition soldiers.

“A source says another puny rebellion outside the capital at the Cienfuegos Army base fizzled as well,” Belinda Cooper chimed in, a veteran manager of Cuban affairs from a conference room on the second floor of the sprawling CIA campus.

“Any sign of the Comandante?” asked the owlish CIA Deputy Director of Operations, Brandon Musgrave, tuning into the video feed from his library-like office, reflecting his stuffy professorial days lecturing at Tufts.

Cheers and bone-chilling howling rang out from adoring comrades as a medium-build, swarthy, athletic figure in fatigues and red beret with the black, red, and yellow emblem of the Avispas Negras proudly hopped atop one of the APCs.

Cade focused his eyes squarely on the forty-ish medium height bearded man emerging from the black smoke from the burning debris and firing his Makarov 9mm sidearm into the air. “I can report that the one-eyed Comandante Julio Fernando Arroyo is still alive and well. That guy has more lives than a stray cat in Brooklyn.” Cade turned off the cam, bent his head down and clenched his right fist in anger. Murdering bastard!

Stay Tuned: Excerpts 7 and 8

Excerpts 7 and 8 will soon follow. Subscribe to the RSS Feed of the blog to make sure you don't miss any future parts of the story.

Please Tweet your friends about this post so they can start reading Havana Dawn as well.

Top 5 International Security Notes - Sept 5, 2015

2015-09-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

Introduction

[Read the following International Security Notes here]

The digest of International Security Notes for Sept 5, 2015, covers:

Libya chaos deepens
Why Australia in Mid East Fight
Yemeni Scud War with Saudi Arabia
Exploring the Transatlantic Rift
Iran Deal Analysis

Visit every Tuesday and Saturday for your brief on the Top 5 issues about international affairs. Enjoy!

Subscribe to the RSS feed to stay informed.

Top 5 International Security Notes

1. Libya Faces Deepening Chaos

The recent resignation of Libya's prime minister is just the latest of problems as a unity government appears distant. The IS (Islamic State) continues to increase its grip. The NATO-US campaign dethroned long-time Gaddafi regime and opened Pandora's box including a dire refugee crisis.

2. Once Again, Australians Are Fighting in the Middle East. Why?

Australia, victim of radical Islamic terror attacks and whose citizens have joined the IS, is entangled in the Middle East politico-military affairs. The Canberra-Tehran "informal arrangement" against IS drew attention earlier this year.

3. Yemeni Scud War with Saudi Arabia

The Saudi-UAE battle against Iranian proxy Houthi rebels in Yemen has another dimension - the Scud attacks into Saudi Arabia. So far the Saudis have knocked down the Scuds, reportedly supplied by Iran's ally, North Korea.

4. Exploring the Transatlantic Rift

Relations between the US and its European allies has been marked by drift at best and competition at worst, with a primary focus on economic affairs.
The recent Grexit economic crisis also underscored uneasiness about the entire EU project.

5. Iran Deal Analysis

As the Iran deal - whatever its merits - reaches success in the US Senate, analysts offer suggestions how to improve the accord amid concerns the IAEA is equipped to implement it. "Day after" thinking is helpful to prepare for its consequences.

Please retweet this post to your friends. - Thanks!
_____________________________________________________________
A. J. Phelps is a pseudonym for an analyst of global affairs and author of international thriller fiction. Check out his debut novel, Havana Dawn.

Follow him on Twitter at ajphelpsauthor1.
_________________________________________________________
photo credit -Steve Jurvetson/flickr - creative commons - no alterations to photo.

Excerpts 3 and 4, Serialized Havana Dawn

2015-09-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

Parts 3 and 4, Serialized Havana Dawn

Let's continue with the third and fourth installments of our series of the first chapter of Havana Dawn, my debut international spy thriller, serialized right here every two days.

By sampling all of Chapter 1, you get a good feel for the rest of the novel.

If you want to download the first two chapters of Havana Dawn FREE, go here.

Please Tweet your friends about this post.

You can go back and read Part 2 here.

Check out the second scene below. President Emily Belling is preparing backstage for the first debate with her opponent, Vance Bimbaugh.

Belling's re-election is another thread of the plot leading to an exciting finish.

Chapter 1, Havana Dawn, Excerpt 3

“You’re on in five, Emily,” Al Luziano reminded her, another fixture in “Emily World, stuffing his face with double bologna and brie on a hoagie roll, washed down with gulps of diet soda. Few opponents came away unbruised from campaigns he orchestrated.

Get your copy today.

She repositioned the gold broach on her kelly-green suit from the right to left side and adjusted her black knee-high skirt while tossing her platinum flocks in her mirror.
“You look stunning. Go get’em, babe.” Besides Syd, only Al could ever call her “babe.” Not even John tried that.

“Madame President,” Camila Ortiz entered the room, her Colombia-born leggy valet with flowing auburn shoulder-length hair with long bangs, a hold-over from the Senate staff. Men turned and watched when Camila passed them in her tight, low-cut fitted dresses that were just business-y enough yet accentuated her boobs. Al checked out her curves without end as embers of lust burned in his eyes.

Everyone knew Emily Belling was headed for the White House. It was just a matter of timing like everything in life. Camila like many twenty-something groupies in Washington could not resist the opium of power and thus served her boss slavishly.

“President Lizette Espada of the Philippines on the line.”
“Who?” Belling flashed a twisted expression and glazed eyes. “Camila, take a fucking message! Can’t you see I’m busy?” She continued prepping for the TV cameras.

The debate TV director appeared in the doorway clutching a clipboard with a pencil behind his ear and gave her the 1-minute warning. The president appeared all smiles – just like a pro who had been at the game of politics ever since becoming sophomore class president at Township High in Evanston, Illinois.

Chapter 1, Havana Dawn, Excerpt 4

_____

The broiling Havana sun started to slink away leaving a pall of darkness in its wake. Cade Forrester savored the welcoming aroma of bubbly black beans, white rice, and roasted chicken wafting from nearby cafés around the park teeming with people, especially couples walking arm and arm. He filled out his white short-sleeved polo, and knee-length grey textured cotton shorts like a fitness model off the catwalk, the ultimate boy-next-door-type. A well-tuned bod was a priority since running track at Georgia Tech – tall, amply chested, sinewy muscled arms, and legs to round off his rock-solid 29-inch waist. The blue-banded white Panama hat atop his super-cropped cut spiky blond hair helped him beat the Havana heat.

However, he was not just another gringo turista looking for fun and adventure, well, not that kind of adventure. He adjusted his specially-crafted Ray Bans stepping down from the Capitolio, with a Nikon slung around his neck, and set off in the direction of the Hotel Inglaterra. How cool to use the 4 gig RAM, voice-responsive CPU, and satellite-linked WiFi shades! he thought. Any advantage was indispensable to counter the highly-effective security forces of the tiny island, especially after replacing his close colleague, Esteban Echeverri, who was betrayed just over a month ago.

Reopening embassies in Washington and Havana had promised a new chapter of diplomatic relations between the two countries. After the champagne corks popped, the day-to-day new US policy of engagement with Cuba took shape with increased interest in expanding economic ties between the two nations while soft-pedaling political reform. The dictatorship remained. Hopes soon faded of any material change in relations besides lip service from both sides because the ruling clique in Havana gladly accepted the unilateral US concessions and then steadfastly continued its tight grip on the Cuban people in defiance of Washington.

President Belling played her cards early in her term by visiting Comandante Julio Fernando Arroyo in Havana and signing the US-Cuban Friendship Agreement – old wine in new bottles – which left a bitter taste in the mouths of the Cuban people who longed for freedom. The cultural and academic exchanges were nice, but Belling hoped to charm Arroyo to thaw relations further. Personal diplomacy rarely achieves more than cheap public relations points which are forgotten like yesterday’s newspaper.

Cade glanced at his watch, and started to cross Avenida San Martin when the whir of heavy machinery and burning diesel filled the air.

Stay Tuned: Excerpts 5 and 6

Excerpts 5 and 6 will soon follow. Subscribe to the RSS Feed of the blog to make sure you don't miss any future parts of the story.

Please Tweet your friends about this post so they can start reading Havana Dawn as well.

Excerpt 2, Serialized Havana Dawn

2015-09-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

Part 2, Serialized Havana Dawn

Let's continue with the second installment of our series of the first chapter of Havana Dawn, my debut international spy thriller, serialized right here every two days.

By sampling all of Chapter 1, you get a good feel for the rest of the novel.

If you want to download the first two chapters of Havana Dawn FREE, go here.

Please Tweet your friends about this post.

You can go back and read Part 1 here.

Check out the second scene below. President Emily Belling is preparing backstage for the first debate with her opponent, Vance Bimbaugh.

Belling's re-election is another thread of the plot leading to an exciting finish.

Chapter 1, Havana Dawn, Excerpt 2

Get your copy today.

“I told you to be here before 8 p.m.!” President Emily Belling yelled into her smartphone, sporting the Anytime app to communicate by video (using a secure line) with her daughter, Precious.

Belling’s jaw tightened, her voice became gravely, and sweat droplets formed on her brows underneath the hot lights backstage, just minutes before a very important event in her political career, her life. Anyone could probably hear her conversation given the thin grey walls which together with a sardine-sized area for beauty touchups, spartan chair, and garnet and gold loveseat made up her prep room.

“I told ya, Mom, long ago,” the eighteen year old laying on her stomach spat back at her mom. “I won’t be a piece of furniture for your campaign.” She was still lounging on her hotel bed with her legs crossed and stuck high into the air. “Bobby is texting me.”

“Oh, Precious! What am I going to do with you?” Her clips curled wryly. “Just get the hell here and pipe down your lip. I´ll send a car. Be ready in 15 minutes.” Click.

“Emily, you’ve got to be ready for any topic from Vance Bimbaugh,” Sydney Birch advised, her long-time confident and Chief of Staff, putting down his smart tablet for a moment. “He’s a vulture on the radio, so you know how he’ll be during the debate.”

“Syd, I’m ready for that big fat gas bag. If he gets out of line, all I have to do is play the lil damsel in distress.” Hahahahaha. “Make sure to send a car for Precious and see that she gets here. Where’s John?” She matted her brows with a moist towelette looking into her own compact from her purse. Her cold ability to wall off family affairs from her political life may have earned her a bad reputation, but to hell with the critics.

“Oh, he’s scarfing canapés and…well…” The pause told the president all she needed to know.

Emily peered into the studio monitors and there was John, her husband of over 30 years, yapping with a nubile hostess for the debate at Florida State University. It hurt, but no too much. Not any more.

Florida’s 29 electoral votes are always a prize in any presidential contest. Universities compete to be the site for debates between the two candidates. The elegant and cavernous Ruby Diamond Concert Hall at the campus in Tallahassee was the site for the first debate on domestic issues.

Stay Tuned: Excerpt3

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Please Tweet your friends about this post so they can start reading Havana Dawn as well.

Top 5 International Security Notes - Sept 1, 2015

2015-09-01T06:30:00.000-05:00

Introduction

[Read the following International Security Notes here]

The digest of International Security Notes for Sept 1, 2015, covers:

Limited US air strikes on IS training camps
Pentagon report on China island building in South China Sea
China more aggressive as economy weakens?
South Sudan Peace Accord
Pakistan's nuclear arsenal

Each Tuesday and Saturday you get a roundup of the most important news items related to global security. Enjoy!

Subscribe to the RSS feed to stay informed.

Top 5 International Security Notes

1. US not targeting Islamic State training camps

Air strikes (Operation inherent Resolve) against IS targets in Iraq and later in Syria began in August 2014. A year later, the efficacy of the Allied effort has been questioned at a cost of over $3 billion amid an investigation of misleading intelligence reports. The US dominates the coalition campaign, an effort Turkey has recently joined.

2. Pentagon Report: China reclaiming more land in South China Sea

Beijing is stepping up its territorial claims and activities to bolster them in the South China Sea, an obvious conclusion to observers. A prime example is the airstrip built on Fiery Cross Reef for force projection. The US, for its part, professes its commitment to the freedom of the seas; actions are another matter.

3. In A Sinking Economy, China's Military Ambitions Grow

The recent market turmoil in the Chinese market has sparked a debate about the impact on Beijing's international policy - threatening or less threatening.

4. South Sudan President Signs Peace Accord With Rebels

Challenges remain for implementing the peace accord to halt the war which began in December 2013. First is to really stop the shooting since attacks continue. Another aspect is to repair the damage to the economy.

5. US asks Pakistan to curb nuke arsenal

The recent report, A Normal Nuclear Pakistan, ignited renewed interest in the first "Islamic bomb" as the West folded its opposition to Iran's ambitious nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Headlines have thus centered on Pakistan becoming the world's #3 nuclear power (ahead of the UK, France, and China) in the next decade or sooner. A related issue is the inability to say the exact number of Pakistani nukes.

Please retweet this post to your friends. - Thanks!
_____________________________________________________________
A. J. Phelps is a pseudonym for an analyst of global affairs and author of international thriller fiction. Check out his debut novel, Havana Dawn.

Follow him on Twitter at ajphelpsauthor1.
_________________________________________________________
photo credit -Steve Jurvetson/flickr - creative commons - no alterations to photo.

Read Havana Dawn - International Spy Thriller - Excerpt #1

2015-08-31T06:00:00.000-05:00

Introduction to Chapter 1, Serialized

You are in store for a treat!

Make sure you catch the first chapter of Havana Dawn, my debut international spy thriller, serialized right here every two days.

By sampling all of Chapter 1, you get a good feel for the rest of the novel.

If you want to download the first two chapters of Havana Dawn FREE, go here.

Please Tweet your friends about this post.

Check out the first scene of the first chapter that takes you to Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C., the location of the murder linked to espionage. The who-dunnit, however, is only one thread of the plot leading to an exciting finish.

Chapter 1, Havana Dawn, Excerpt 1

Rain poured in buckets as a set of headlights pulled into the muddy plot that served as a makeshift parking spot on the way to Rapids Bridge off Beach Road.

Get your copy today.

Rock Creek Park in Washington, D. C., a patch of sanity nestled among some of the most powerful office buildings in the world, makes one’s troubles seem so far away, even on a chilled October night.

“Are you ready for this?” Barbra quizzed the driver of the spitfire red Mazda 626 now caked with leaves, and other gunk from the howling swirl of steady rain.

“At least it’s not lightening yet,” Frank replied cutting off the motor.

“Oh, but that makes me even hornier.” With that, Frank felt a little more revved up smiling ear to ear at his coworker. “Race you to the clearing!” Barbra bolted out of her seat towards the inky thicket of trees ahead.

Frank abandoned any inhibitions and chased after the brunette bombshell who had lured him into such a crazy adventure on such a foul night.

Unbeknownst to the couple, a black Jeep without any headlights also entered into the lot.

Stay Tuned: Excerpt 2

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Please Tweet your friends about this post so they can start reading Havana Dawn as well.

Top 5 International Security Notes - AUG 29

2015-08-29T10:00:00.000-05:00

Introduction

[Read the following International Security Notes here]

The digest of International Security Notes for August 29 covers:

European immigration
the fate of the Iran deal in the US Senate
Taliban gains in Afghanistan
Russian naval strategy and armaments
an update on the Saudi-Yemen conflict.

Each Tuesday and Saturday you get a roundup of the most important news items related to war and peace. Of course, you get some commentary mixed in for some needed flavor.

Subscribe to the RSS feed to stay informed.

Top 5 International Security Notes

1. L’afflux des migrants, un défi inégalé pour l’Europe /The influx of migrants, unparalleled challenge for Europe

Headlines throughout the week underscored the seemingly unstoppable flow of immigrants by sea and land into the European Union. Hungary and Austria grapple with the crisis. Italy is a prime magnet jutting into the Mediterranean Sea across from war-wracked Libya, and Tunisia, raising national security concerns besides the crimes of human trafficking and smuggling. The EU appears paralyzed - unable to influence the causes of the inflows (turmoil in Middle East and North Africa) and cope with the sheer numbers arriving on its shores.

2. Democrat Filibuster of Iran Deal?

The cosmetic US congressional vote on the green light for the plan to propel Iran expeditiously into the global nuclear club may not even occur. The UN Security Council already unanimously approved the deal in late July, trumping the domestic vote. Iran, for its part, is moving full steam ahead with its ballistic missile program to deliver nukes, and Russian S-300 systems to defend it. US President Obama will likely get his victory over domestic opponents without any change in US-Iran relations in an accord rejected by a majority of the US public.

3. Taliban advances in Afghanistan's Helmand Province

The long predicted, eventual Taliban recapture of Afghanistan ,after a US-led NATO retreat, sails along. The rapidly deteriorating security situation already prompted US President Obama to announce last May a delay in a precipitous pullout. The Helmand Province had hosted two of the largest bases- US and British - and site of tough fighting with Taliban. NATO continues to hand over more territory to ineffective Afghan police and army forces.

4. New Russia Navy Strategy

Not since 2001 had Russia officially updated its maritime doctrine.

Highlights include:

a return to Russian shipbuilding (after the canceled purchase of French Mistral helicopter carriers following the Ukraine invasion?)
emphasized ballistic and nuclear missile subs in North and Pacific Fleets
greater attention to the Atlantic

Russian Bomber

Add naval adventurism to the list after the boost to the Black Sea Fleet following the wresting of Crimea from Ukraine and the curious case of Akula-class subs operating in the Gulf of Mexico undetected by the US.

President Vladimir Putin's gambit is to make the best of Russia's traditional land power strategic situation with a major naval buildup.

5. Coming Battle of Sana'a, Yemen

The Iran-Saudi Arabia battle for Yemen rages on the road to the capital, Sana'a in the hands of Shia Houthis backed by Tehran. The US-supported Saudi-UAE coalition force is preparing to take the capital. However, multiple interests are involved in the country at the Bab-el-Mandeb, a strait located between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula, and Djibouti and Eritrea in the Horn of Africa. This prime real estate connects the Gulf of Aden with the Red Sea leading to the Suez Canal. Beyond the Sunni-Shia fractricide, two of the biggest winners, ironically, in wake of a victory by Riyadh could be some of the oldest players in the area, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and ISIS. Another consequence would be the new Saudi assertiveness spurred by Washington's fling with its cross-Persian Gulf foe, Tehran.

Please retweet this post to your friends. - Thanks!
_____________________________________________________________
A. J. Phelps is a pseudonym for an analyst of global affairs and author of international thriller fiction. Check out his debut novel, Havana Dawn.

Follow him on Twitter at ajphelpsauthor1.
_________________________________________________________
photo credit - Marion Doss/flickr - creative commons - no alterations to photo.

Welcome to the A J Phelps Author Blog

2015-08-25T13:00:00.000-05:00

Introduction

We live in heady times for both an analyst and author (fiction) about international affairs.

The tapestry of world history is not pretty, and each day challenges grow for those who value pluralism, economic freedom, and a stable global order.

Ghosts from the past and new tensions create fissures and pressure points in the global security arena from the continuing Korean Conflict at the DMZ to the reshaping of the Middle East in the very lands where human history began.

The A J Phelps Author blog is of two minds: 1) furnishing helpful information about global security affairs in the Top 5 International Security Notes published every Tuesday, and 2) following trends in the publishing arena as a self-publishing fiction author.

International Affairs

Fluent in Spanish, I also do research in French and Portuguese. Not all news about international affairs resides in English.

Therefore, the Top 5 International Security Notes every Tuesday and Saturday at times features articles drawn from other languages.

Make this blog a part of your weekly reading to stay informed!

Subscribe to the RSS feed and Follow me on Twitter.

Fiction Author

What an exhilarating feeling to combine contemporary global affairs with the world of fiction for a cocktail certain to satisfy the reader.

Havana Dawn - Novel

From presidents to dictators and invasions to ballistic missiles, daily international news is fertile ground to create characters and plot stories to entertain and engage enthusiasts for international political thrillers.

My debut novel is a prime example - Havana Dawn.

Conclusion

Join me on this venture to inform, entertain, and engage each and every week on the A J Phelps blog!

Here's a simple, easy way to keep up to date - Subscribe to the RSS feed and Follow me on Twitter.

Top 5 International Security Notes - Aug 25, 2015

2015-08-25T05:00:00.000-05:00

Information overload confronts many of us every day. Stop!

When it comes to global affairs, turn to the International Security Notes every Tuesday to be informed.

You get the top 5 most important stories in the global politico-economic-military security arena.

Culled from open sources in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese, expect a dynamic brief on the news you can use to be informed of the dangerous world around you.

The following notes are not in any particular order. Each deserve careful consideration in the calculus of global security affairs.

Top 5 International Security Notes - Aug 25, 2015

1. Leaders of Berlin, Paris, and Kiev Discuss Eastern Ukraine
Sources: Global Security Insights, Bloomberg

The crisis in Ukraine continues to simmer on the minds of European leaders. The stakes are high in the nature of the relationship Paris and Berlin expect to maintain with Moscow. The US made its position clear when Ukraine was told to "stand down" on the Russian invasion of Crimea.

2. US F-22s Deploying to Europe
Sources: Defense News, Jane's , CNN

F-22 Raptors are off to reassure US allies in Europe, given Moscow's increasing bellicosity. In July, the candidate to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff called Russia the "greatest threat" to US security in his confirmation hearing.

3. Syrian rebels: Turkey tipped al Qaeda group to U.S.-trained fighters
Sources: The Hill, MClatchy DC

The US only trained 54 Syrian opposition rebels to fight ISIS, and 35 have already been captured al Qaida affiliate Nusra. Turkey's double game in a region of "frenemies" is not surprising. The US-led effort of 21 allies has been ineffective as well, according to the Congressional Research Service.

4. A China, como nova potência marítima global
(China, new global naval power)
Sources: Jornal de Defesa, The Diplomat

Portugal's Jornal de Defesa reports on China's bid to unseat the US a global naval force. One asset used could be the AG00 Water Dragon aircraft which will become China’s largest amphibious airplane capable of landing and taking off on water (and land).

5. Brazil Releases Economic Figures – the Results Won’t be Good
Sources: Global Security Insights, Pew Research, Reuters, Reuters (2)

Presidenta Rousseff narrowly won re-election and victory for the ruling Worker's Party in 2014 despite evident economic, political, and social stagnation amid grotesque graft. Her socialist economic policies have continued to drive Latin America's top economy into despair in the difficult context of depressed commodity prices. Her 8% approval rating hobbles her ability to lead, like most political functionaries devoid of charisma or vision.

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A. J. Phelps is a pseudonym for an analyst of global affairs and author of international thriller fiction. Check out his debut novel, Havana Dawn.