I am currently traveling on business, but have excerpted some comments from the US Department of State’s Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Wendy Sherman, on the current status of US policy towards Iran. There were several interesting sections, but the discussion of US outreach targeting Iranian citizens I found particularly interesting.
It’s that time of year again! Twitter Fight Club kicks off for 2013 and, as with last year’s tournament, I will be one of several judges trying to decipher and adjudicate the coming virtual fracas. For the uninitiated, all the information you need can be found here. My judging criteria will be the same as I used last year, as follows:
1. Quality of arguments – First and foremost, the quality of arguments will hold the highest priority, with an emphasis on original thought, clear logic, and the significance of what is tweeted.
2. Depth of knowledge – Provision of concise supporting material, addressing counter-arguments and alternative points of view, and demonstrating general depth and breadth of subject matter understanding.
3. Engagement – Interaction with followers, other #TFC12 competitors, judges, and - particularly - critics of your tweets/arguments. Audience participation encouraged!
4. Humour & style – Getting your message across in a way that captures attention and suits the medium. Points for snark, wit, fine prose, clever ‘hooks’, elegance/endearing brashness of style, or any combination therein.
I will not be taking into account the number of followers a competitor has. Whilst I appreciate the impact of followers on the ability to disseminate your arguments and opinions, the ‘public poll’ portion of TFC accounts for this. No doubt competitors will attempt flattery, bribery, and so on… I’m partial to peaty Scotch, fine cigars, and cartridge cases from conflict zones.
The hashtag for relevant tweets is ‘#TFC13′. I encourage competitors to use the same where required. You can find me on Twitter here.
Good luck!
This is an excerpt from the remarks given by the Assistant Secretary of the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Andrew J. Shapiro to the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C. on the 27th of March. The full text is available here. The underlined emphasis is mine.
Private Sector
Another integral part of the response to piracy has been the critical role played by the private sector in taking measures to prevent and deter attacks. Perhaps the most significant factor in the decline of successful pirate attacks has been the steps taken by commercial vessels to prevent and deter attacks from happening in the first place. We have found that the best defense against piracy is often simply vigilance on the part of the maritime industry.
In response to the growing threat, we worked with the shipping industry to expand and develop its implementation of industry-developed “best management practices” to prevent pirate boardings before they take place. These include practical measures, such as:
Twitter Fight Club, that is. Team Security Scholar is heavily involved in this year’s TFC event, with Nat being a part of the steering committee and a competitor, and yours truly as one of the judges for the competition. You can read about my part in the event (and my judging criteria) at my personal blog, The Rogue Adventurer. For the uninitiated, check out this introductory post over at the official home of Twitter Fight Club.
It’s time for #TFC12, baby!
I’ve been invited to be one of several judges for this year’s Twitter Fight Club tournament, so I felt it only fitting to outline what I see as my judging criteria for contestants in my bracket quadrant.
1. Quality of arguments – First and foremost, the quality of arguments will hold the highest priority, with an emphasis on original thought, clear logic, and the significance of what is tweeted.
2. Depth of knowledge – Provision of concise supporting material, addressing counter-arguments and alternative points of view, and demonstrating general depth and breadth of subject matter understanding.
3. Interaction – Interaction with followers, other #TFC12 competitors, judges, and - particularly - critics of your tweets/arguments. Audience participation encouraged!
4. Humour & style- Getting your message across in a way that captures attention and suits the medium. Points for snark, wit, fine prose, clever ‘hooks’, elegance/endearing brashness of style, or any combination therein.
I will not be taking into account the number of followers a competitor has. Whilst I appreciate the impact of followers on the ability to disseminate your arguments and opinions, the ‘public poll’ portion of #TFC12 accounts for this. Fellow judge (for another bracket) Rebecca Johnson sums up some other bits and pieces quite nicely, here. Also, for those of you that are new here, this is my personal blog wherein I look at beer, travel, small arms, and whatever else I damn well please. You can see some of my more ‘serious’ content at Security Scholar.
As you’ve no doubt gathered by now, I will be using the hashtag ‘#TFC12′ for relevant tweets. I encourage competitors to do the same, where relevant. You can find me on Twitter here.
As they say*, one mind, any weapon: Twitter. Fight well!
*They do not say this.
Midway through last November I had the opportunity to attend the 3rd Annual Curtin University National Security & Strategy Workshop. The keynote speaker was the Minister for Defence, the Hon. Stephen Smith MP. He spoke at length on a number of upcoming challenges to the Australian security environment during his presentation, including the AUS-US alliance, and the ADF’s future force posture. I have included the full text of his speech as an online record. Many thanks to Dr Alexey Muraviev for providing me with the transcript.
UNCLASSIFIED
Introduction
Thank you Dr Alexey Muraviev for that introduction.
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.
It is a pleasure to be at the 2011 National Security & Strategy Workshop, the third such annual Workshop held by Curtin University.
This annual strategic series now plays an important role in providing a dedicated forum for government, business, academia, and the wider Western Australian community to discuss and debate issues of strategic significance for Australia and our region. It is fitting that this is done under the banner of the University that bears John Curtin’s name.
This piece was written in October 2011. It first appeared in the Journal of International Peace Operations (JIPO) volume 7, number 4. You can find it here.
The sharp rise in piracy in West Africa, particularly in the Gulf of Guinea, has featured prominently in recent news. Piracy as a whole is costing global trade an estimated $12 billion (USD) a year, with the primary target being the oil industry – a key sector of the West African economy – which threatens the strategic interests of the United States, EU, and China.
There are other issues, along with piracy, that are prevalent in the Gulf of Guinea. Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in the waters of West Africa has been referred to as the ‘worst in the world’, with London-based MRAG Limited estimating illegal catches to be 40% higher than reported legal catches. The smuggling of people, arms, and narcotics is also a significant issue in the West African maritime domain. On top of these issues, a plethora of local and transnational criminal and terrorist organisations are connected either directly or tangentially to piracy in West Africa. Chief amongst them are Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Hamas, Hezbollah, Boko Haram, and the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND).
