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With guest hostJane Clayson.

Former NATO top commander Adm. James Stavridis on the geopolitics playing out now on the worlds oceans and on land.

James Stavridis rose through the ranks of the US Navy to commander. Went on to become supreme commander of NATO. All those US military engagements you remember from the news? Gulf War, Haiti, Bosnia, Iraq 2003? He was on the bridge or in the command center. The ocean is still his touchstone as he watches this centurys geopolitics unfold today. This hour On Point: Retired Adm. James Stavridis on a world of challenges, on the ocean and on land.

Adm. James Stavridis, author of "Sea Power: The History and Geopolitics of the World's Oceans." Former allied commander at NATO, where he oversaw operations in Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, the Balkans and piracy off the coast of Africa. Dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts University. (@stavridisj)

Listen to some of the highlights from our conversation with Stavridis.

Bloomberg:America Rules the Waves. But for How Long? "China builds fake islands in the South China Sea. Russia fires missiles into Syria from the Mediterranean and Caspian Seas. North Korea launches ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan. The U.S. orders three three! aircraft carrier strike groups to the Western Pacific in response. Houthi rebels shoot rockets at U.S. ships off Yemen. Pacific nations go on a submarine-buying binge. India and China start constructing their first homemade aircraft carriers. Pirates return to the waters off East Africa."

Military.com: Experts: US Must Project Cyber Warfare Capabilities to Deter Attacks "The United States must demonstrate its cyber warfare capabilities to help deter sophisticated attacks from Russia and other adversaries while building strategies on a battlefield still misunderstood by commanders and senior officials, a panel of defense experts told lawmakers Thursday."

TIME:Admiral Stavridis: 5 Reasons Trump Should Send More Troops to Afghanistan "The Administration and the Congress should support a 5,000-troop increase, apportioned equally between US and the rest of NATO forces, hopefully with significant contributions from the UK, France, Germany, Poland, Turkey, Norway and Denmark nations who have considerable experience in Afghanistan. While far less likely, we should also approach Canada and the Netherlands. Indeed, all of the NATO nations have good reason to be very forthcoming to prove to President Trump that NATO is the relevant organization he finally admitted it was a month or so ago. All these commitments must be in place as the nations head into President Trumps first NATO summit."

This program aired on June 8, 2017.

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Geopolitics On The High Seas And In Today's Headlines | On Point - WBUR