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.
How Tehran’s Use of Cyber Operations in the U.S.-Iran Conflict Has Evolved
English Summary
Iran has significantly escalated its cyber operations during the conflict, shifting from opportunistic disruption to a highly strategic apparatus aligned with its overall war effort. Key evidence shows that these activities now encompass advanced espionage (e.g., hacking military protocols), disruptive attacks on critical infrastructure like water facilities, and sophisticated information warfare campaigns utilizing AI. The primary objective is not merely technical damage but generating global chaos and eroding the competence of adversaries to achieve 'calibrated escalation.' Policymakers must treat cyber activity as an integral component of cognitive warfare, recognizing that its goal is to impose costs and destabilize political will across multiple domains.
中文摘要
伊朗在衝突期間顯著提升了其網路行動，已從機會主義式的干擾轉變為與整體戰爭努力高度結合的戰略化機制。關鍵證據顯示，這些活動現已涵蓋先進間諜活動（例如駭入軍事協議）、針對水利設施等關鍵基礎設施的破壞性攻擊，以及利用人工智慧（AI）進行的複雜資訊戰役。其主要目標不僅是造成技術層面的損害，更是製造全球混亂並侵蝕敵對方的能力，以達成「可控升級」。政策制定者必須將網路活動視為認知作戰不可或缺的一部分，認識到其目的在於跨多個領域施加成本並瓦解政治意志。
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