Implications of an Israeli Strike on Iran, and More from CRS
The factors that could influence an Israeli decision to attack Iranian nuclear targets and the implications of such an act were assessed in a new report from the Congressional Research Service. The report surveys the multiple dimensions of the issue at length, though it does not appear to provide much new information or original analysis. See Israel: Possible Military Strike Against Iran’s Nuclear Facilities, March 27, 2012.
Other new or updated CRS reports that Congress has not made directly available to the public include the following.
Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses, March 23, 2012
Fact Sheet: The FY2013 State and Foreign Operations Budget Request, March 19, 2012
Foreign Assistance to North Korea, March 20, 2012
China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities — Background and Issues for Congress, March 23, 2012
Cybersecurity: Selected Legal Issues, March 14, 2012
Refugee Admissions and Resettlement Policy, March 7, 2012
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.