US Marines – A look at the peacekeeping strategies and tactics to be used by the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force when they return to Iraq in the spring, and how they differ from what the US Army is doing currently.

• New York Times: Marines Plan to Use Velvet Glove More Than Iron Fist in Iraq

Royal Navy – You’ve read the analyses over the last 2 days, now read the primary source material yourself.

• MOD: Defence White Paper 2003 – Delivering Security in a Changing World

Background – Russia – Russia’s experiment with parliamentary democracy, never full-hearted, is more or less dead. The country’s wellbeing now depends more than ever on one man.

• Economist: Putin’s way

Background – History – A review of the Marine’s role in The Boxer Rebellion in China.

• Marine Corps Gazette: The Boxer Rebellion: Coalition Expeditionary Operations in China