Timothy A. Ridout
GET UPDATES FROM Timothy A. Ridout
A Massachusetts native, Tim Ridout majored in government at Wesleyan University. In May 2011, he received a master's degree in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University. At Fletcher, he focused on international security studies and US foreign policy, writing his thesis on Somalia.

Blog Entries by Timothy A. Ridout

Satellite Security Requires More Rules, Not Fewer

0 Comments | Posted March 27, 2012 | 9:57 AM

Satellites are crucial to modern life. We rely on them for civilian uses such as TV, Internet, ATM banking, GPS, agriculture, and weather forecasting. On the military side, we use satellites to guide munitions, operate drones, gather intelligence, and monitor enemy movements. Unfortunately, satellites are increasingly threatened.

Earth orbits...

Read Post

Somalia Is Not a State

0 Comments | Posted July 13, 2011 | 2:52 PM

Most think of Somalia as a single entity, but it needs to be conceptualized in terms of three distinct regions: Somaliland, Puntland and southern Somalia. The first two are functioning states in northern Somalia, whereas the rest of Somalia is an anarchic region allegedly...

Read Post

Objections to New START Don't Stand Up to Scrutiny

0 Comments | Posted December 6, 2010 | 12:58 PM

Republican Senators such as Jon Kyl (AZ) and Scott Brown (MA) have been withholding support for the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) with Russia. Signed by President Obama and Russian President Medvedev on April 8, the treaty has not yet been ratified by the required two-thirds...

Read Post

Space-Monitoring Satellite Will Enhance Global Security

0 Comments | Posted November 18, 2010 | 2:36 PM

In September, the United States Air Force launched the first satellite capable of monitoring outer space. Currently, the USAF watches objects in Earth orbit through a ground-based system of radar and optical sensors scattered around the globe. Though this Space Surveillance Network is the best in...

Read Post

The National Security Case for Religious Tolerance

0 Comments | Posted September 14, 2010 | 2:01 PM

After pausing to remember the victims of 9/11 over the weekend, it is wise to reflect on the greater implications of that tragedy.

The worsened treatment of Muslims in the U.S. is an unfortunate residual effect that has grown as the threat of Islamic terrorism continues. Most people recognize that...

Read Post

Anti-Muslim Agitators Are Today's Know Nothings

0 Comments | Posted August 27, 2010 | 1:30 PM

The current xenophobia directed against Muslims in the U.S. is distressing. The issue is bigger than just the "Ground Zero Mosque." It is about the treatment of Muslims all over the country. It is about the core American principles of tolerance and religious freedom.

To be sure, the U.S. struggles...

Read Post

Declining U.S. Space Power Requires Greater Cooperation

0 Comments | Posted May 3, 2010 | 5:41 PM

In 2007, the Chinese blew up one of their own weather satellites 530 miles above the Earth by hitting it with a missile. The satellite itself was essentially worthless, but the test had greater implications. It was the first time the Chinese had demonstrated their anti-satellite capabilities, reigniting anxieties about...

Read Post

Scott Brown Has A Unique Opportunity

0 Comments | Posted February 12, 2010 | 8:21 AM

Now that Scott Brown (R-Mass.) is officially a U.S. senator, he has a fantastic opportunity. With healthcare reform wallowing in limbo and most Senate Republicans eager to kill just about every piece of legislation they see, Senator Brown is in a unique position to work with Democrats.

...

Read Post