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© 2016 by Robert C. O’Brien
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Encounter Books, 900 Broadway, Suite 601, New York, New York, 10003.
First American edition published in 2016 by Encounter Books, an activity of Encounter for Culture and Education, Inc., a nonprofit, tax exempt corporation.
Encounter Books website address: www.encounterbooks.com
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48‒1992 (R 1997) (Permanence of Paper).
FIRST AMERICAN EDITION
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Names: O’Brien, Robert C., 1966– author.
Title: While America slept: restoring American leadership to a world in crisis / by Robert C. O’Brien; foreword by Hugh Hewitt.
Description: New York: Encounter Books, [2016] | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016007354 (print) | LCCN 2016019473 (ebook) | ISBN 9781594039041 (Ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: United States—Foreign relations—21st century. | National security—United States. | United States—Military policy.
Classification: LCC JZ1480 .O37 2016 (print) | LCC JZ1480 (ebook) | DDC 355/.033573—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016007354
Interior page design and composition: BooksByBruce.com
Advance Praise for While America Slept
Robert O’Brien is well known as an expert on naval affairs but this book shows a penetrating understanding of the broad range of national security issues. It’s a must-read for anyone who wants to know how and why the threats to America are growing, and what we can do about them.
– SENATOR JIM TALENT
No president in the history of the United States, not even Jimmy Carter, has been as disastrous to America’s national security interests, global standing, and foreign policy as Barack Obama. From the rise of ISIS to the resurgence of Russia, Obama and his team didn’t see any of it coming—but Robert O’Brien did. All of it. As one of America’s most important national security and foreign policy voices, O’Brien is continually one step ahead of global events and informed to an astounding depth. His captivating essays succinctly outline the challenges our nation faces and what we must do to surmount them. Imagine the brilliance of Kissinger combined with the talent of Clancy and you have only scratched the surface of Robert O’Brien’s writing. These essays are absolute must-reads for anyone who cares about the future of the United States.
– BRAD THOR, #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF CODE OF CONDUCT
When Robert writes on a national security issue, people pay attention. He knows how to cut through the clutter to highlight the problem and articulate a solution. He also knows when others aren’t confronting the real issues and holds the powerful accountable.
– RICHARD GRENELL, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR
Robert O’Brien has made a strong contribution to the American dialogue about our national security and the particular role that maritime power has to play in our nation’s future. Well worth the read for serious thinkers.
– DR. JERRY HENDRIX, CAPTAIN, UNITED STATES NAVY (RET.)
In a time when America’s foreign policy seems to have become the province of amateurs and cynical former campaign volunteers, a voice like Robert O’Brien’s is a breath of fresh air. A go-to lawyer in high-stakes litigation, a seasoned diplomat, and an Army Reserve officer, Robert’s take on the issues hearkens back to the time when United States foreign policy was in the hands of wise, accomplished, experienced adults who understood the stakes because they had lived lives outside of graduate school seminars and away from computer screens. Someday America will again be ready to embrace maturity when it comes to national security, and Robert O’Brien will be on the short list of wise men and women who will rebuild America’s stature in the world. While America Slept will be a blueprint for that critical reconstruction.
– KURT SCHLICHTER, AUTHOR, ATTORNEY, AND COLONEL, UNITED STATES ARMY (RET.)
For Robert Christopher O’Brien
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword
Preface
Introduction
SECTION 1 – America 2016: A Nation in Retreat
What Would Winston Churchill Do?
Obama’s Folly: The Iran Deal Disaster
Ukraine Votes for a Future in Europe
Obama’s Falklands Failure
Welcome to the UNGA
SECTION 2 – A Hollow Force?
End Sequestration Now: National Defense Panel Is Right (And So Was Romney)
The Dangers of Defense Sequestration
We Need a Militarily Strong, Morally Confident America: It’s Time for Smart Power
SECTION 3 – To Rule the Waves
The Navy’s Hidden Crisis: It’s Too Small—and Getting Smaller
Obama Failed to Mention Loss of Aircraft Carrier from Navy Fleet
The Korean Crisis Demonstrates the Need for a Strong United States Navy
Is This the End of the Royal Navy?
SECTION 4 – China: Red Storm Rising
Ensuring China’s Peaceful Rise
China’s Two-Pronged Maritime Rise
China’s Africa Play
The United States and China Vie for Influence in the Horn of Africa
China’s Next Move: A Naval Base in the South Atlantic?
Africa Scenes
SECTION 5 – Losing the War on Terror
Don’t Give Guantánamo to Castro
Observer Dispatches from Guantánamo
Obama White House Falsely Blames Ambassador Patterson for Morsi Mess
Is the Benghazi Attack Obama’s Madrid Train Bombings?
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly in Afghanistan: Why Justice Sector Reform Matters
Liberty and the Rule of Law are Universal Values
SECTION 6 – The Leaders We Require in 2016
Sorry, Democrats: The GOP Has a Bright Future
Can Rubio and Cruz Capture the GOP Establishment?
Third Time’s the Charm
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Index