The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
The Assassination of a Peacemaker
English Summary
The article argues that the protracted violence in northern Nigeria is fundamentally driven by religious extremism (jihadism), rather than merely being an expression of state failure or political grievance. The assassination of peace advocate Sheikh Masussuka by the terrorist group Ansaru serves as key evidence, demonstrating that moderates are targeted specifically for promoting coexistence and challenging extremist theology. For policy, the analysis stresses that international efforts must shift from solely focusing on governance improvements to decisively empowering and protecting moderate religious and civil society leaders. Failure to champion these peacemakers allows extremist groups to continue framing their violence as a religious obligation, necessitating a direct ideological counter-narrative.
中文摘要
本文論述，尼日利亞北部持續的暴力衝突，其根本驅動因素是宗教極端主義（聖戰主義），而非僅僅是國家失能或政治不滿的表象。恐怖組織安薩魯（Ansaru）暗殺和平倡導者Sheikh Masussuka的事件，提供了關鍵證據，顯示極端主義分子針對和平派人士，目的在於阻礙他們推動共存並挑戰極端神學。從政策層面來看，分析強調國際努力必須從單純關注治理改善，轉向果斷賦權與保護溫和的宗教及民間社會領袖。若未能支持這些和平推動者，極端團體便會持續將其暴力行為框架為宗教義務，這迫切需要一個直接的意識形態反敘事來進行對抗。
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