And now there are Four.

Yesterday, Andrew Breitbart’s fourth “Big” website, Big Peace, launched, fittingly born on the Fourth of July. Editor-in Chief Peter Schweizer, a scourge of liberal mendacity and hypocrisy, is joined by the redoubtable Frank Gaffney and Jim Hanson of Blackfive in a blog devoted to foreign policy and military affairs. Already, Peter and his crew have fielded an impressive array of bylines, including several retired military officers, the brave authority on Islam, Nonie Darwish, and the estimable Jed Babbin, among others. It’s an auspicious start to what will quickly become a must-read, indispensable national security blog.

The timing couldn’t be more propitious. With the war in Afghanistan approaching an important turning point — will American troops withdraw, as President Obama promises, or will they fight to win, as General Petraeus wishes? — the role of the Pentagon and the State Department are ripe for examination. As never before, the Pentagon is embroiled in a struggle for its very soul, with the PC, “green” bureaucrats pitted against the professional officer class, while Foggy Bottom, on its continuing, quixotic quest for “stability,” continues to be less an instrument of American foreign policy than a protector of the status quo — especially that of our enemies.

On a personal note, I particularly welcome this blog and hope to contribute to it myself from time to time. I was born on one of the major Marine Corps bases, and was raised in various military duty stations around the country. Having been present both at the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union, I’ve seen first-hand the causes and consequences of American foreign policy in action, and know how important it is. Small decisions in Washington today may have immense consequences thirty or forty years down the line, so it’s vital that we try to understand their ramifications early and often. (more…)