Articles written by Rory Walkinshaw

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About me - Rory Walkinshaw

I am an undergraduate History major at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. I have written for the Ka Leo O Hawaii, the university newspaper, for about seven years. For several years, I also wrote for Strategypage.com, an online military affairs periodical that

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Politics, News & Issues > War in Iraq Will insurgency in Iraq ever end?: 1 of 9
Will the insurgency in Iraq ever end? If the war is handled right, ABSOLUTELY! Insurgencies, being the primary form of armed conflict in the 21st century, are simply another form of warfare and, when handled correctly, can be defeated. In Iraq, the "surge" advocated by General Petraeus and the accompanying aggressive offensiv... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Politics in the Middle & Near East Was Israel's invasion of Gaza justified?: 1 of 9
Israel's recent incursion into the Gaza Strip, code-named "Operation Cast Lead," was self-defense. Period. It was a military response to a terrorist network that, since the withdrawal of Israeli forces and Jewish settlements three years ago, has grown stronger - powerful enough to literally govern the territory.The background... More..
Politics, News & Issues > War in Iraq We should be focusing military efforts on the Taliban, Al Qaeda and drugs in Afghanistan, not in Iraq: 3 of 26
The primary issue the US Army should be addressing, in addition to Iraq and Afghanistan, is whether it is adequately preparing American's men and women for combat in these hostile environments and, indeed, in any future war. Is Army Basic Combat Training (BCT) long enough, tough enough, and thorough enough to prepare soldiers... More..
Politics, News & Issues > War in Iraq Predicting the outcome of the war in Iraq: 6 of 45
As strange as it sounds, the War in Iraq may go down as one of the greatest American success stories ever. It sounds odd, but one of the America's longest, most brutal wars actual showcased how far the US had come as a nation and as a people. It has proven that America can fight a controversial, unconventional, and often divi... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Politics in the Middle & Near East Was Israel's decision to unilaterally withdraw from the Gaza Strip wise?: 1 of 4
The decision by the Israeli government and the Israel Defense Forces to unilaterally withdraw from Gaza was indeed unwise. The simple fact is that the Israelis had a wonderful opportunity to completely end, at worst temporarily, major terrorist attacks on their soil. The 22-day offensive, code-named Operation Cast Lead, shoul... More..
Politics, News & Issues > War & Peace Is Russia being honest about its motives for intervening in Georgia?: 1 of 3
The United States and the West have a major problem on their hands, both diplomatically and militarily: the Russian Federation.Relations with this country are spiraling downward, and it seems that, given the direction Europe and the U.S. are headed, they are only going to get worse. In fact, given the recent events in Georgia... More..
Politics, News & Issues > War in Iraq There will be no victory in the War on Terror in the Iraq War: 3 of 8
The term guerrilla warfare makes most career soldiers very nervous. There is good reason for this, as irregular warfare has destabilized nations, killed countless people, and wreaked havoc upon the world since the end of the Second World War. A common perception is that guerrilla warfare cannot be militarily defeated. It is b... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Terrorism What military strategy can win the War on Terror: Air power alone or more ground forces?: 4 of 7
With the Obama administration putting more emphasis on the war in Afghanistan, several key issues affecting American foreign policy have come to light. The first, obviously, is the need for more American ground troops in the country to stabilize Afghanistan the way the surge did in Iraq. Second, though no one seems to be ackn... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Politics in Africa Is Robert Mugabe responsible for the problems in Zimbabwe?: 15 of 24
Zimbabwe is starving. It is one of the poorest, most brutally repressive countries in the world and is headed by one of the 21st century's most corrupt, longest-ruling tyrants, Robert Mugabe. Britain and the United States indirectly aided his rise to power.In 1970, the Republic of Rhodesia broke all ties with Great Britain ov... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Politics in the Middle & Near East Did Israel commit war crimes in Gaza?: 5 of 5
The current fighting in the Gaza Strip has followed some of the same patterns that it has for the last few years. Israel, frustrated by constant attack from terrorists, fights back. The United Nations naively demands that both parties institute a cease-fire to stop civilian casualties. The problem with all of this is that the... More..