Alan W. Dowd is a Senior Fellow with the American Security Council Foundation, where he writes on the full range of topics relating to national defense, foreign policy and international security. Dowd’s commentaries and essays have appeared in Policy Review, Parameters, Military Officer, The American Legion Magazine, The Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations, The Claremont Review of Books, World Politics Review, The Wall Street Journal Europe, The Jerusalem Post, The Financial Times Deutschland, The Washington Times, The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Examiner, The Detroit News, The Sacramento Bee, The Vancouver Sun, The National Post, The Landing Zone, Current, The World & I, The American Enterprise, Fraser Forum, American Outlook, The American and the online editions of Weekly Standard, National Review and American Interest. Beyond his work in opinion journalism, Dowd has served as an adjunct professor and university lecturer; congressional aide; and administrator, researcher and writer at leading think tanks, including the Hudson Institute, Sagamore Institute and Fraser Institute. An award-winning writer, Dowd has been interviewed by Fox News Channel, Cox News Service, The Washington Times, The National Post, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and numerous radio programs across North America. In addition, his work has been quoted by and/or reprinted in The Guardian, CBS News, BBC News and the Council on Foreign Relations. Dowd holds degrees from Butler University and Indiana University. Follow him at twitter.com/alanwdowd.

ASCF News

Scott Tilley is a Senior Fellow at the American Security Council Foundation, where he writes the “Technical Power” column, focusing on the societal and national security implications of advanced technology in cybersecurity, space, and foreign relations.

He is an emeritus professor at the Florida Institute of Technology. Previously, he was with the University of California, Riverside, Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute, and IBM. His research and teaching were in the areas of computer science, software & systems engineering, educational technology, the design of communication, and business information systems.

He is president and founder of the Center for Technology & Society, president and co-founder of Big Data Florida, past president of INCOSE Space Coast, and a Space Coast Writers’ Guild Fellow.

He has authored over 150 academic papers and has published 28 books (technical and non-technical), most recently Systems Analysis & Design (Cengage, 2020), SPACE (Anthology Alliance, 2019), and Technical Justice (CTS Press, 2019). He wrote the “Technology Today” column for FLORIDA TODAY from 2010 to 2018.

He is a popular public speaker, having delivered numerous keynote presentations and “Tech Talks” for a general audience. Recent examples include the role of big data in the space program, a four-part series on machine learning, and a four-part series on fake news.

He holds a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Victoria (1995).

Contact him at stilley@cts.today.

US ‘Alarmed’ by Reports of Military Coup in Burma, ‘Will Take Action’ If Steps Aren’t Reversed

Monday, February 1, 2021

Categories: ASCF News Emerging Threats National Preparedness

Comments: 0

U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration expressed alarm late Sunday over reports of a military coup in Burma and promised to take action if steps aren’t taken to reverse the situation.

According to Burmese military television on Monday, the military is taking control of the country for one year.

State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, the nation’s top leader, and the country’s president, Win Myint, were both detained in the pre-dawn hours, as were members of Suu Kyi’s ruling party and regional Cabinet members, according to the Irrawaddy news service.

In a statement, the army said it was responding to “election fraud.” Military chief Min Aung Hlaing was taking power and planned to impose a state of emergency for 12 months.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement that the United States was alarmed by reports that the Burmese military “has taken steps to undermine the country’s democratic transition,” including the arrest of Suu Kyi and other officials.

Biden was briefed by national security adviser Jake Sullivan on the situation, but hasn’t directly weighed in on the matter as of Monday.

“We continue to affirm our strong support for Burma’s democratic institutions and, in coordination with our regional partners, urge the military and all other parties to adhere to democratic norms and the rule of law, and to release those detained today,” Psaki added.

“The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmar’s democratic transition, and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed. We are monitoring the situation closely and stand with the people of Burma, who have already endured so much in their quest for democracy and peace.”

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called on Burmese military leaders “to release all government officials and civil society leaders and respect the will of the people of Burma as expressed in democratic elections on Nov. 8.”

“The United States stands with the people of Burma in their aspirations for democracy, freedom, peace, and development. The military must reverse these actions immediately,” he said in a statement.

Burma, also known as Myanmar, is in Southeast Asia adjacent to Thailand and India, among other countries. It has a population of around 54 million.

Suu Kyi, 75, originally took office in 2016. Suu Kyi, the general secretary of her party, was placed under house arrest for many years in 1989 after the military refused to hand over power following the 1988 elections.

Photo: Burma's Army Commander-in-Chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing speaks in Naypyitaw, Burma, on July 11, 2018. (Aung Shine Oo/File/AP Photo)

Link: https://www.theepochtimes.com/us-alarmed-by-reports-of-military-coup-in-burma-will-take-action-if-steps-arent-reversed_3678948.html

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