North Korean officials confirmed on February 24 that their country is making preparations to launch a communications satellite, a move that would also constitute a new test of North Korean missile capabilities.
The DNI Open Source Center recently reviewed indications in the North Korean press (pdf) that preparations for a new missile test might be underway. The OSC analysis (which pre-dated the official government confirmation of the test plans) also ventured an interpretation of the meaning of such a test.
“Almost certainly aware that a launch would be seen by the international community as provocative, Pyongyang appears to be deliberately raising the stakes, possibly the result of a calculus that envisions making headway in bilateral negotiations if it could present itself as an equal partner,” the OSC analysis said.
The OSC document has not been approved for public release, but a copy was obtained by Secrecy News. See “Analysis: North Korean Media Campaign Signals Possible Near-Term Launch,” February 11, 2009.
Given the unreliability of private market funding for agricultural biotechnology R&D, substantial federal funding through research programs such as AgARDA is vital for accelerating R&D.
“Given the number of existential crises we must collectively confront, I have found policy entrepreneurship to be a fruitful avenue towards doing some of that work.”
We sit on the verge of another Presidential election – an opportunity for meaningful, science-based policy innovations that can appeal to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Outdated Bureau of Labor Statistics classifications hampers the federal government’s ability to design and implement effective policies for emerging technologies sectors.