Stephen D. Bryen

Stephen D. Bryen

Stephen D. Bryen is a former U.S. Defense Department deputy undersecretary.

His books, available on Amazon, include:

*East-West Trade and Technology Transfer: New Challenges for the United States (with Richard Perle and William Schneider)
* Essays in Technology, Security and Strategy, Vol 1 (with Shoshana Bryen and Rebecca Abrahams)
*Essays in Technology, Security and Strategy, Vol 2 (with Shoshana Bryen and Rebecca Abrahams)
*How Technology Security Supports Security Assistance
*Technology, Security, and National Power: Winners and Losers

OpEd: Iraq and Iran Complicit in the Tower 22 Attack

Admiral John Kirby, the coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council, said explicitly that the United States is not looking for a war with Iran. He failed to mention that Iran has proclaimed itself at war with the United States and has been using its proxies to attack US bases and killing and wounding American soldiers for years. Iran now controls Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. [Shoshana Bryen and Stephen Bryen]

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Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Stephen D. Bryen, USA

Russia, Israel Need Working Accord on Syria

Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid made a quick trip to Moscow just after the end of the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) to meet with his counterpart, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.  The meeting was focused on Iran, the nuclear threat, and Iranian activities elsewhere, particularly Syria. It is clear that Israeli-Russian relations need a restart. [Stephen D. Bryen]

Russia, Israel Need Working Accord on Syria Read More »

International, Middle East, Stephen D. Bryen, USA

Was U.S. Complicit in Development of COVID-19?

The Joe Biden administration closed the US State Department’s investigation into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic. But as the pandemic recedes in the United States, there is renewed interest by the scientific and journalistic communities about the origins of the virus and whether it could have escaped from China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). So, a day later, the president opened a new investigation. [Stephen D. Bryen and Shoshana Bryen]

Was U.S. Complicit in Development of COVID-19? Read More »

International, Science, Medicine, & Education, Shoshana Bryen, Stephen D. Bryen, USA

New in the Terror Arsenal: Underwater Weapons

The Gaza war has seen thousands of missiles fired at Israel, the bulk of which have been shot down by Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system. But Hamas “terrorists” – which is how the US government defines them – have also deployed some new sea-going weapons that have the attention of Israeli intelligence. These weapons are of three types – commando underwater swimmers using swimmer vehicles that are used to smuggle weapons into Gaza and for commando operations; semi-autonomous small boats stuffed with explosives and; the latest, a large unmanned underwater vehicle, or UUV. [Stephen D. Bryen]

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International, Middle East, Stephen D. Bryen, USA

Making Our Nation Safe From Computer Hackers

Some small-minded sages are chortling in America that people with electric cars don’t have to worry about the Colonial Pipeline, shut down by a cyber attack, because they can get their “gas” from the electric company. They go on to argue for more electric cars. Of course if it was the power company that was knocked out, the electric cars would not run. And power companies have been knocked out.  The Russians killed one in Ukraine, putting it offline for some time. [Stephen D. Bryen]

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Business & Finance, International, Stephen D. Bryen, USA

The Pentagon Must Stop Using Off-the-Shelf Computers

Staying with commercial off-the-shelf systems (COTS) and the security solutions we have today is a guaranteed loser. No one can deny the appalling security record. Moreover, the public has a right to be outraged that DOD has had huge parts of its programs compromised by hacks. Take for example the F-35 and ask yourself why China has two stealth fighters (the Chengdu J-20 and the Shenyang FC-31)? [Stephen D. Bryen]

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International, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, Stephen D. Bryen, USA

Army Resistance to ‘Iron Dome’ Imperils Overseas Bases

The other day and yet again a US forward operating base (shared with the Iraqi Air Force) at Ain al-Asad was hit by rockets.  There was one death (allegedly from a heart attack during the attack) and six injured (5 contractors and 1 US service member).  There was no prior warning and, it appears, the air defenses at the base failed to detect the threat or respond to the incoming missiles. How do we know this?  There is drone video of part of the attack that shows 6 incoming rockets.  There are no interceptor rockets or tracer rounds from the ground trying to knock down the rockets.  Hence, there was no air defense response. The big question is this:  Why didn’t the Pentagon ask Israel to supply Iron Dome systems that could have defeated any rocket, drone, artillery, mortar or cruise missile attack? (Stephen D. Bryen)

Army Resistance to ‘Iron Dome’ Imperils Overseas Bases Read More »

Middle East, Stephen D. Bryen, USA

U.S. unable to protect Ain al-Asad airbase from rockets

At least 10 Katyusha-type rockets slammed into the Ain al-Asad airbase located in Anbar province in Western Iraq on the morning of March 3. Since the earlier attack in January 2020 by heavier Qiam-2 advanced tactical ballistic missiles launched from Iran, the airbase has been reinforced with air defenses that proved unable to stop the rocket attack. Can the US protect its personnel in Iraq or elsewhere from rocket attacks? [Stephen D. Bryen]

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Middle East, Stephen D. Bryen, USA