Recent Publications on Global Posture and Strategic Planning

Quarterly Byline Report: Michael Walsh

The first quarter of 2025 witnessed the second inauguration of President Donald Trump. That was followed by an initiative to completely overhaul the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development, and U.S. Agency for Global Media. Over the course of the quarter, my publications tended to focus on the realignment of the global diplomatic and defense posture. Here is a quick breakdown.

Defense

INDOPACOM - U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

• President Trump should base a new anti-terrorism team for the Pacific in American Samoa
  Advocates for an anti-terrorism hub in the Pacific to strengthen regional response capacity.

Diplomacy

Global - U.S. Department of State

• Why Trump should overhaul all diplomatic posts in his first 100 days
  Calls for sweeping reform of all diplomatic posts under Trump.

EAP – Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

• In Pacific Island Countries, Trump Should Pursue Embassy Transformation

  Argues for a radical rethinking and restructuring of core business processes of US missions in Pacific Islands Region.

• Is US diplomatic recognition of Cook Islands and Niue in question?
  Raises the issue of de-recognition of two key Pacific states.

• Pacific Island affairs and U.S. diplomacy
  Outlines the strategic value of Pacific Islands and recommends stronger diplomatic ties.

• Senior government officials should evaluate alignment between Biden renegotiated COFAs and Trump foreign policy agenda
  Calls for a review of COFA treaties under the Trump doctrine.

• Trump Administration should realign trade, commerce, and investment in the Pacific Islands Region
  Focuses on coordinating trade policy with broader strategic aims.

• Trump should address performance issues at US Mission to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu
  Flags under-performance at Pacific posts requiring realignment.

• Trump should explore multi-level hierarchical configuration for US diplomatic posture in Pacific Islands
  Proposes a regionalized structure for Pacific diplomacy to enhance U.S. influence.

EUR – Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs

• US embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina may need to become more context sensitive in Trump Era
  Advocates for more culturally sensitive policy in the Balkans.

• Rubio should experiment with strategic planning at U.S. Embassy to the Kingdom of Denmark
  Proposes Denmark as a pilot site for a strategic planning overhaul.

NEA – Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs

• Israel and USA need diagonal foreign policy planning
  Recommends joint U.S.-Israeli planning processes for better synergy.

• Rubio must demand horizontal & vertical alignment
  Urges Rubio to prioritize vertical policy execution and cross-post alignment.

• Rubio must fix US foreign policy planning
  Urges a revamp of overall planning.

• Rubio must realign Office of Palestinian Affairs
  Suggests restructuring the office to better reflect official policy.

WHA – Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs

• Rubio should ask why US diplomatic mission in Curaçao, but not Greenland, has Its own Integrated Country Strategy
  Questions inconsistency in strategic planning frameworks.

• Rubio should designate U.S. Consulate in Nuuk as an independent post

  Argues for designation of the Greenland Consulate as an independent post under the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.

• Rubio should order a reevaluation of the strategic planning of the U.S. Consulate General in Curaçao
  Calls for a strategy review in Curaçao to enhance mission performance.

• State Dept. needs to rethink its mission strategic planning

  Argues for rethinking U.S. mission strategic planning for overseas locations of France and the Netherlands.

• We need Greenland
  Recommends independent diplomatic mission for Greenland and Faroe Islands.