Ronald Enzweiler

Mr. Enzweiler is a Harvard MBA , MIT graduate, and US Air Force veteran who has lived, worked, and traveled extensively in the Greater Middle East, including working as an USAID contractor and US Foreign Service (limited) Officer in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2007 through 2014. He is retired and lives in California and Mexico with his wife Elena. He’s written a book critiquing US foreign and military policy titled, When Will We Ever Learn?, and has written other articles for Antiwar.com and the Libertarian Institute.

Iraq, Afghanistan, and Now Ukraine: Reductio ab Absurdum

The recent 20th anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 has caused me to reflect on the two years (2007-08) that I worked as a field-level civilian advisor in Iraq followed by six years in Afghanistan (2009-14) and to correlate this experience to the current proxy war the US is funding and shadow … Continue reading “Iraq, Afghanistan, and Now Ukraine: Reductio ab Absurdum“

Who Misread Whom in Ukraine War Debacle?

Henry Kissinger made his first public remarks on the Ukraine war in an interview with the Financial Times of London in Washington on May 11th. In this appearance, he identified the miscalculation that turned the long simmering hostilities between the now warring parties in this conflict into a catastrophe affecting the entire world. This error … Continue reading “Who Misread Whom in Ukraine War Debacle?”

The War Party’s Dictates on the Ukraine War

The Washington bipartisan War Party (the neocons/neolibs, the deep state, and the military-industrial-congressional complex) goes on record in this Council of Foreign Relations (CFR) article telling the world: "What Does the West Want in Ukraine? Defining Success—Before It’s Too Late" (April 22, 2022). This article is written by Richard Haass, President of the CFR. For … Continue reading “The War Party’s Dictates on the Ukraine War”

What Does Putin’s Decision To Invade Ukraine Tell Us?

With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24th and the draconian sanctions enacted by the US and its allies following this event, world geopolitics – along with 30 years of rational energy polices and international finance and global trade arrangements championed by the G20 world leaders following the end of the Cold War in 1991 … Continue reading “What Does Putin’s Decision To Invade Ukraine Tell Us?”

The Case Against Another Foolish War of Choice

A favorite expression of the faux down-home Republican senate leader from Kentucky is, "There is nothing to be learned from a second kick by a mule." I am in the same age group as Senator McConnell and most other senior political leaders (George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden) who … Continue reading “The Case Against Another Foolish War of Choice”

How the MSM Covered for the Generals on Their Afghan War Testimony

Although candid at times during the congressional hearings on the Afghan war held on September 28 and 29, the three four-star generals (Lloyd Austin now Secretary of Defense; Mark Milley as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Frank McKenzie, Jr. as Commander of Central Command) – with the complicity of the mainstream media … Continue reading “How the MSM Covered for the Generals on Their Afghan War Testimony”

Iraq and Afghan Wars: Requiem for America’s Ineffectual War State

Our country’s fruitless multi-trillion-dollar Wars of Choice in Iraq and Afghanistan are finally coming to an end after 20 years. This historic moment is a fitting occasion to review and constructively critique the performance of our country’s foreign policy and military establishments – the key cogs in Washington’s $1.3-trilllion/year War State – in these two … Continue reading “Iraq and Afghan Wars: Requiem for America’s Ineffectual War State”

Why the Afghan War Is and Always Will Be a Lost Cause

Revised March 4, 2021 Not surprisingly, with the Washington Establishment now back fully in charge of US foreign and military policy, the Trump Administration’s plan to end the US military engagement in Afghanistan on May 1st is being reconsidered. And right on cue, the Establishment’s cadre of armchair neocon Afghan "experts" came out with a … Continue reading “Why the Afghan War Is and Always Will Be a Lost Cause”

Who To Believe on Afghan Intelligence: CIA, NSA, or Pentagon?

Digging below the bombshell headlines and MSM chyrons on the current Russian-bounty-on-US-soldiers-in-Afghanistan allegations, it seems three separate US government (USG) agencies — the CIA, the National Security Agency (NSA), and the Pentagon – have different assessments as to the veracity of this story. To ascertain which assessments are most reliable, one has to understand how … Continue reading “Who To Believe on Afghan Intelligence: CIA, NSA, or Pentagon?”

General Mattis’ Troublesome Double Standards

Retired General James Mattis is in the news this week for penning a commentary in The Atlantic on June 3rd criticizing President Trump for threatening to use active-duty military personnel to stop the looting and destruction of property (including the defacing of war memorials in Washington DC) in the aftermath of the tragic killing of … Continue reading “General Mattis’ Troublesome Double Standards”