Keystone XL Pipeline Legal Issues, and More from CRS
Some noteworthy new reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following (all pdf):
Legal Issues Associated with the Proposed Keystone XL Pipeline, December 16, 2011
Contemporary Developments in Presidential Elections, January 9, 2012
“Surge Recovery” and Next Steps in the War in Afghanistan: In Brief, January 6, 2011
U.S. Assistance Programs in China, January 6, 2012
Border Security: Immigration Enforcement Between Ports of Entry, January 6, 2011
U.S. Unmanned Aerial Systems, January 3, 2011
Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV): Background and Issues for Congress, January 3, 2012
Kim Jong-il’s Death: Implications for North Korea’s Stability and U.S. Policy, December 22, 2011
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.