Newly published congressional hearing volumes on national security-related topics include the following.
“Nomination of Leon Panetta to be Director of Central Intelligence Agency,” Senate Intelligence Committee, February 5-6, 2009.
“Nomination of David S. Kris to be Assistant Attorney General for National Security,” Senate Intelligence Committee, March 10, 2009.
“Nomination of J. Patrick Rowan to be Assistant Attorney General for National Security” (pdf), Senate Intelligence Committee, September 25, 2008.
“USA Patriot Act,” House Judiciary Committee, September 22, 2009.
“Advancing Technology for Nuclear Fuel Recycling: What Should Our Research, Development, and Demonstration Strategy Be?” (pdf), House Science and Technology Committee, June 17, 2009.
“The Incidence of Suicides of United States Servicemembers and Initiatives within the Department of Defense to Prevent Military Suicides” (pdf), Senate Armed Services Committee, March 18, 2009.
Satellite imagery of RAF Lakenheath reveals new construction of a security perimeter around ten protective aircraft shelters in the designated nuclear area, the latest measure in a series of upgrades as the base prepares for the ability to store U.S. nuclear weapons.
It will take consistent leadership and action to navigate the complex dangers in the region and to avoid what many analysts considered to be an increasingly possible outcome, a nuclear conflict in East Asia.
Getting into a shutdown is the easy part, getting out is much harder. Both sides will be looking to pin responsibility on each other, and the court of public opinion will have a major role to play as to who has the most leverage for getting us out.
How the United States responds to China’s nuclear buildup will shape the global nuclear balance for the rest of the century.