OP EDS
Drawing from decades of on-the-ground experience and high-level advisory roles, our op-eds provide unique insights that bridge military, corporate, and diplomatic perspectives. Whether unpacking complex geopolitical dynamics or offering strategic communication guidance during crises, our thought leadership aims to inform public discourse and shape policy conversations at the highest levels.
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![From left, Emad Sharghi, Morad Tahbaz and Siamak Namazi, former prisoners in Iran, walk out of a Qatar Airways flight that brought them out of Tehran and to Doha, Qatar, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. Five prisoners sought by the US in a swap with Iran were]()
Blood money: Biden’s Iran deal endangers the Middle East
The $6 billion Tehran received will most likely be used to support its nuclear pursuits and fund acts of terrorism
(AP Photo/Lujain Jo)
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![SAID KHATIB/AFP via Getty Images]()
Hamas’s Tunnel Warfare Harks Back to the Viet Cong
As Israeli forces go underground in Gaza, every strike below has implications above.
By Joe Buccino, a retired U.S. Army colonel formerly deployed to the Middle East.
SAID KHATIB/AFP via Getty Images
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![An Israeli Defense Forces M109 self-propelled howitzer fires near the border with Gaza in southern Israel on Oct. 11. Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images]()
How Israel Plans to Defeat Hamas in Gaza
The IDF hopes to eliminate the group’s commanders and infrastructure without fighting block by block or in the tunnels.
By Joe Buccino, a retired U.S. Army colonel formerly deployed to the Middle East.
Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images
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![Sailors assigned to the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney man their watch stations in the combat information center (CIC) during a general quarters drill, October 14, 2023f. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd]()
American Forces Must Strike Iran to Protect US Troops
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.
Military.com | By Joe Buccino
Published December 06, 2023 at 12:18pm ET
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Aaron Lau)
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![Israeli army armored vehicles are seen during their ground operations at a location given as Gaza on November 1, 2023. (Reuters)]()
War on Gaza: Israel’s tactical victory but strategic failure
Israel defeating Hamas militarily may take a year or more, but Israel has military overmatch across all capabilities and is committed to eradicating the terror group.
Photo by (Reuters)
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![Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, on December 17, 2023. (Reuters)]()
It’s time to rethink American support for Israel
In the 11th week of its war with Hamas, Israel, undeterred by US admonitions, continues to demolish an already-shattered Gaza.
By Joe Buccino
Photo By (Reuters)
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![The new Fort Liberty sign is displayed outside the base on Friday, June 2, 2023, in Fort Liberty, N.C. The U.S. Army changed Fort Bragg to Fort Liberty as part of a broader initiative to remove Confederate names from bases. (Karl B. DeBlaker/AP Photo]()
The Shame of Liberty: How the Lazy, Safe Renaming of Fort Bragg Wasted an Opportunity
The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration.
Military.com | By Joe Buccino
Published August 07, 2023
(Karl B. DeBlaker/AP Photo)
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![A Shrunken Arsenal: The Alarming Decline of U.S. Munitions]()
A Shrunken Arsenal: The Alarming Decline of U.S. Munitions
By Joe Buccino
December 23, 2023Photo - realcleardefense.com
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![Israeli armored personnel carriers are seen on the Israeli-Gaza border during a ground operation in the Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Nov. 8. AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg]()
Israel is fighting without a plan for Gaza’s future
by Joe Buccino, Opinion Contributor - 11/15/23 7:00 AM ET
As war rages in Gaza, Israeli leadership offers no coherent plan for the enclave once the fighting ends.
AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg -
![Global Conflicts Expose Dire U.S. Munitions Shortage]()
Global Conflicts Expose Dire U.S. Munitions Shortage
A Call for Rare Earth Investment
This article is a follow-up to Joe Buccino’s December 23, 2023 Real Clear Defense article
“A Shrunken Arsenal: The Alarming Decline of U.S. Munitions”
Photo: Idaho National Laboratory realcleardefense.com
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![Afghan militiamen join Afghan defense and security forces during a gathering in Kabul, Afghanistan, on June 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul, File)]()
Return to the Middle East: Correcting Biden’s foreign policy misfire
The focus on US-China competition has left a volatile region vulnerable to Iran’s nuclear ambitions and support for terror groups
Joe Buccino
(AP Photo/Rahmat Gul, File)
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![Palestinians at the rubble of a destroyed building from Israeli airstrikes in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on November 11, 2023. (photo credit: ABED RAHIM KHATIB/FLASH90)]()
After Hamas: Post-war governance in Gaza - opinion
Any Arab state coming in behind Israeli forces and presiding over a ruined Gaza will face wrath and perhaps an insurgency at home.
By JOE BUCCINO
(photo credit: ABED RAHIM KHATIB/FLASH90)
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![Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin Must Resign]()
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin Must Resign
The Fallout of the Pentagon’s Lack of Transparency
By Joe Buccino
January 06, 2024Photo: AP - realcleardefense.com
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![An officer delivers a presentation at episode 4 of Dragon’s Lair at the XVIII Airborne Corps Headquarters on Fort Bragg, NC, February 22, 2021. (U.S. Army Sergeant Mary Barnes, XVIII Airborne Corps)]()
Innovation Overload: Army Units Are Drowning in Ideas
Military.com | By Joe Buccino
Published September 19, 2023
(U.S. Army Sergeant Mary Barnes, XVIII Airborne Corps)
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![US President Joe Biden makes a foreign policy speech at the State Department in Washington, DC, on February 4, 2021. Biden announced that he is ending US support for the Saudi offensive operations in Yemen. (via Facebook)]()
Biden’s neglect of the Middle East: A detrimental approach to regional stability
Focusing on China is understandable, but shunning a clear, consistent strategy for the Mideast, especially regarding Iran, is reckless
by Joe Buccino
Image (via Facebook) blogs.timesofisrael.com
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![How the dream of Middle Eastern security integration was shattered overnight]()
New List IHow the dream of Middle Eastern security integration was shattered overnighttem
by Joe Buccino, Opinion Contributor - 10/12/23 9:00 AM ET
Photo - Getty Ima -
![Fool’s Gold: Overhyped Tech Startups Distract From Military Innovation]()
Fool’s Gold: Overhyped Tech Startups Distract From Military InnovationNew List Item
By Joe Buccino
October 05, 2023Photo - Joshua Sortino
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![AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File]()
A global watermarking standard could help safeguard elections in the ChatGPT era
by Joe Buccino, Opinion Contributor - 01/02/24 12:00 PM ET
AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File
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![President Joe Biden listens as he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participate in an expanded bilateral meeting with Israeli and U.S. government officials, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023, in Tel Aviv.]()
Biden’s minimalist Middle East policy is a stunning failure
by Joe Buccino, Opinion Contributor - 10/24/23 7:00 AM ET
Photo - Evan Vucci/Associated Press -
![Rob Malley's Legacy of Failure: Undermining American Interests in the Middle East]()
Rob Malley's Legacy of Failure: Undermining American Interests in the Middle East
By Joe Buccino
September 01, 2023Photo - AP realcleardefense.com
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![IRANIAN FOREIGN Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meets with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, in June. US nuclear negotiations with Iran have continued, despite increasing Iranian cooperation with Russia. (photo credit: IRAN'S FOREIGN MINISTRY/WANA]()
The thorny path to Middle East regional security - opinion
Regional powers believe the United States is permanently walking away from long-standing friends and interests in the Middle East.
By JOE BUCCINO
SEPTEMBER 11, 2023 02:02
(photo credit: IRAN'S FOREIGN MINISTRY/WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY)/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)
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Netanyahu must resign
Echoes of history and a clarion call for accountability
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![Hezbollah and Israel flags are seen in this illustration taken, October 15, 2023. (Reuters)]()
Hezbollah’s precarious highwire: Balancing the brink of war with Israel
Both Hezbollah and Israel are reluctant to engage in another large-scale conflict, acknowledging the potentially catastrophic consequences that could surpass those of the previous encounter.
By Joe Buccino
Photo by (Reuters)
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![Palestinians walk at the site of Israeli strikes on houses, in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip November, 21, 2023. (Reuters)]()
Gaza’s prolonged truce: Tactical gain for Hamas, global scrutiny for Israel
The extension of the Gaza ceasefire may shift the strategic landscape of the conflict against Israel.
Photo by (Reuters)
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![Beyond the Scandal: It’s Time To Put the Nixon Legacy in Perspective]()
Beyond the Scandal: It’s Time To Put the Nixon Legacy in Perspective
By Joe Buccino
August 29, 2023Photo - AP realcleardefense.com
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Biden’s electric vehicle mandates give auto industry to China on a silver platter
China is cornering the market on materials for electric vehicle batteries, but Biden is still pushing EV mandates
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![FILE – Yahya Sinwar, head of Hamas in Gaza, greets his supporters upon his arrival at a meeting in a hall on the sea side of Gaza City, on April 30, 2022. AP Photo/Adel Hana, File]()
Netanyahu and Sinwar’s forever war in Gaza
by Joe Buccino, Opinion Contributor - 01/30/24 8:00 AM ET
AP Photo/Adel Hana, File
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Declare War on Fentanyl
Our Nation’s Deadliest Demands a War-Time Response
By Joey Lestorti & David Kasten , Joe Buccino
November 04, 2024(AP Photo/realcleardefense)
