** The new Journal of National Security Law & Policy has recently published its second issue featuring several meaty articles on interrogation, torture and the rule of law. The full contents of the issue, along with subscription information, are available online here.
** “Regulatory transparency–mandatory disclosure of information by private or public institutions with a regulatory intent– has become an important frontier of government innovation.” A new journal article assesses when and how such transparency works. See “The Effectiveness of Regulatory Disclosure Policies” by David Weil, et al, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, Vol. 25, No. 1 (abstract only).
** The case of Sam Adams, the intelligence analyst who challenged official assessments of the size of Viet Cong forces during the Vietnam War, is revisited in a new book. “It’s the first complete narrative of the intelligence war at the heart of what went wrong in Vietnam, and it also happens to be highly relevant to what’s happening today in Iraq,” suggests the publisher. See “Who the Hell Are We Fighting? The Story of Sam Adams and the Vietnam Intelligence Wars,” by C. Michael Hiam, Steerforth Press, published April 25, 2006.
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.