Articles by: "Graeme Dobell"
The strange submarine saga: vital yet vexed

‘Our submarine capability underpins Australia’s credibility and influence as a modern military power. And let me make that statement again: Our submarine capability underpins Australia’s credibility and influence as a modern military power. This is …

Four South Pacific futures

Geostrategic competition, climate change and Covid-19 push at the South Pacific, heightening the internal challenges of state security and human security. The South Pacific has weak states and strong societies. As a journalistic recycler, I’ve …

Australia’s strategic update by the numbers

The 2020 defence strategic update is analysis framed by numbers (and dollars), a melding of meanings and means and mental maps. To follow the strategic accounting, see what the update counts. Find the strategy in …

Oz strategists: Owen Harries (part 2)

‘It is extremely dubious whether uncritical, loyal support for a bad, failed American policy will have enhanced our standing as an ally in the long run. A reputation for being dumb but loyal and eager …

Oz strategists: Owen Harries (part 1)

As a foreign affairs intellectual, Owen Harries was an idea-slinger with a measured draw and a true aim. A well-argued stoush suited this man from South Wales who embraced Washington and adopted Australia. Harries knew …

The geopolitics of the pandemic year

We have reached the mid-point of the year of Covid-19. Pandemics surge with the seasons while we seek order using the chronology of the calendar. Halfway through 2020, much has exploded, some old stuff has …

The making of the Australian intelligence community

The public history of Australia’s intelligence community involves isolated moments of creation by political leaders and long periods of silence behind the secrecy curtain. The public way stations in the history—in which the agencies were …