Landing a jet on an aircraft carrier is incredibly difficult, and the Chinese have achieved this small, but symbolic, step. The feat is a signal to all of Asia that the Chinese are moving toward a regional military capability. In the light of all the territorial disputes in the region, the message is sure to cause great unease.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is meeting in Qatar for its 18th meeting. Last year’s meeting was a total dud: few commitments were made and only tentative, ad hoc agreements were secured. This year’s meeting does not promise any major breakthroughs either, but the increasing evidence of serious, more immediate problems in the global climate may change that dynamic. The US has made no noises about this meeting, but the lack of attention may be a result of the election. And, given the recent power transition in China, it may also be the case that the Chinese will bring nothing new to the table.
Drones (or, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, as the Pentagon wishes to term them) have transformed warfare, but their use was never anticipated by the laws of war. Many people have serious moral problems with drones, largely fueled by the secrecy surrounding their use. The Obama Administration is trying to write rules governing drones, but it is not clear that the rules can be meaningful as long as we lack the ability to assess whether they are being followed.
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