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Robert Farley

Robert Farley is an assistant professor at the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce, University of Kentucky. He contributes to the blogs Lawyers, Guns, and Money and TAPPED.

Recent Articles

THE PAKISTANI NUCLEAR ARSENAL.

Robert FarleyMay 04, 2009

Pakistan is estimated to have 60 or so nuclear weapons, deployed in "widely dispersed" sites across the country. The dispersal of nuclear weapons is key to Pakistan's deterrence strategy and is in accord with general guidelines for deploying strategic weapons in order to maximize survival in case of a first strike. As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has pointed out, however, the same deployment that makes sense for Indo-Pakistani relations spells trouble in the context of a growing Taliban insurgency.

THE END FOR THE BRITISH IN IRAQ.

Robert FarleyApr 30, 2009

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced the end of British combat operations in Iraq:

''Today marks the closing chapter of the combat mission in Iraq,'' Brown said. ''The flag of 20 Armoured Brigade will be lowered as British combat patrols in Basra come to an end and our armed forces prepare to draw down.''

PLAN REVIEW.

Robert FarleyApr 27, 2009

The People's Liberation Army Navy carried out its 60th anniversary fleet review last week, with the United States Navy, the Russian Navy, and others in attendance. The review showcased growing Chinese naval power and served as a platform for speculation about China's plans for building aircraft carriers.

SLOUCHING TOWARD A BLOODY END IN SRI LANKA.

Robert FarleyApr 24, 2009

The Sri Lankan government has forced the Tamil Tiger guerrilla organization onto a narrow spit, about 7 kilometers long. Unfortunately, the U.N. estimates that between 50,000 and 100,000 civilians are trapped in the area along with the Tigers. Continuing military operations by the Sri Lankan government and the Tigers are resulting, according to the UN, in about 70 civilian casualties per day. Things will get worse before they get better, as the Tigers have been conscripting and arming civilians as their military cause has grown more desperate.

YOU WONDER HOW IT COULD GET WORSE, AND THEN YOU FIND OUT.

Robert FarleyApr 22, 2009

I want to return for a moment to Adam's point on the use of torture to ferret out a link between Iraq and al-Qaeda. What fascinates me is the irrelevance of the line of inquiry; despite the fact that no evidence of a link was ever found, we still invaded Iraq. Jonathan Landay:

A former senior U.S. intelligence official familiar with the interrogation issue said that Cheney and former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld demanded that the interrogators find evidence of al Qaida-Iraq collaboration.

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