Some recently updated reports of the Congressional Research Service that have not been made readily available to the public include the following (all pdf).
“Congressional Oversight Manual,” updated May 1, 2007.
“China and Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Missiles: Policy Issues,” updated May 9, 2007.
“Sea-Based Ballistic Missile Defense — Background and Issues for Congress,” updated April 27, 2007.
“Freedom of Speech and Press: Exceptions to the First Amendment,” updated April 26, 2007.
“The Military Commissions Act of 2006: Analysis of Procedural Rules and Comparison with Previous DOD Rules and the Uniform Code of Military Justice,” updated January 26, 2007.
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.