Best Defense
Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

AF LTC found not guilty, but thumbs down for a fraudulent fundraiser for vets

The Air Force officer has been thoroughly trashed by the entire U.S. media, so it is worth pointing out that an American jury found him not guilty. He was a hot grabby mess that night, people testified. But even so, the jury said he didn’t do what he was accused of doing. Good for the ...

By , a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy.
U.S. Air Force/Arlington County Police
U.S. Air Force/Arlington County Police
U.S. Air Force/Arlington County Police

The Air Force officer has been thoroughly trashed by the entire U.S. media, so it is worth pointing out that an American jury found him not guilty. He was a hot grabby mess that night, people testified. But even so, the jury said he didn't do what he was accused of doing.

The Air Force officer has been thoroughly trashed by the entire U.S. media, so it is worth pointing out that an American jury found him not guilty. He was a hot grabby mess that night, people testified. But even so, the jury said he didn’t do what he was accused of doing.

Good for the jury system. We tend not to dwell on it because it isn’t politicized, but the more I see of it, the more I think it is the cornerstone of our democracy. Citizens, drawn from all walks of life, decide who is guilty and who walks.

Speaking of juries, one in Cleveland found a guy guilty of running another fraudulent veterans’ group, the U.S. Navy Veterans Association. Oddly, I think he looks like a dissolute version of Paul McCartney. Which might be a better version than someone trying to pretend he is still cute and in his 20s.

Thomas E. Ricks is a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy. Twitter: @tomricks1

More from Foreign Policy

The USS Nimitz and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and South Korean Navy warships sail in formation during a joint naval exercise off the South Korean coast.
The USS Nimitz and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and South Korean Navy warships sail in formation during a joint naval exercise off the South Korean coast.

America Is a Heartbeat Away From a War It Could Lose

Global war is neither a theoretical contingency nor the fever dream of hawks and militarists.

A protester waves a Palestinian flag in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, during a demonstration calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. People sit and walk on the grass lawn in front of the protester and barricades.
A protester waves a Palestinian flag in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, during a demonstration calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. People sit and walk on the grass lawn in front of the protester and barricades.

The West’s Incoherent Critique of Israel’s Gaza Strategy

The reality of fighting Hamas in Gaza makes this war terrible one way or another.

Biden dressed in a dark blue suit walks with his head down past a row of alternating U.S. and Israeli flags.
Biden dressed in a dark blue suit walks with his head down past a row of alternating U.S. and Israeli flags.

Biden Owns the Israel-Palestine Conflict Now

In tying Washington to Israel’s war in Gaza, the U.S. president now shares responsibility for the broader conflict’s fate.

U.S. President Joe Biden is seen in profile as he greets Chinese President Xi Jinping with a handshake. Xi, a 70-year-old man in a dark blue suit, smiles as he takes the hand of Biden, an 80-year-old man who also wears a dark blue suit.
U.S. President Joe Biden is seen in profile as he greets Chinese President Xi Jinping with a handshake. Xi, a 70-year-old man in a dark blue suit, smiles as he takes the hand of Biden, an 80-year-old man who also wears a dark blue suit.

Taiwan’s Room to Maneuver Shrinks as Biden and Xi Meet

As the latest crisis in the straits wraps up, Taipei is on the back foot.