Iceberg Dead Ahead! Deconstructing the Pentagon’s Arctic Strategies
Lindsay L. Rodman
September 25, 2019
The Arctic is burning. Over the summer, Greenland experienced record temperatures and a “giant heat dome†descended on Alaska. Stunning satellite imagery of the record number of fires in the Arctic highlights the impact of climate change on this important region. The confluence of severe climate events and daunting predictions for ice melt in the Arctic is drawing international attention. Likewise, the American defense establishment has begun to appreciate the significance of the region for the first time since the Cold War.
Noticing a problem, however, is not the same as solving it. Although the Pentagon has produced two Arctic strategies since 2016, both focus more on describing the regional security environment than on advocating for specific policies. The warming of the Arctic — which has implications for important U.S. interests — demands a new strategy that is unafraid to take positions and make difficult tradeoffs.
https://warontherocks.com/2019/09/iceberg-dead-ahead-deconstructing-the-pentagons-arctic-strategies/
