Be careful of self-fulfilling prophecies about the intentions for Iran’s nuclear program. Often, Western analysts view this program through the lens of realist political science theory such that Iranian leaders seek nuclear weapons to counteract threats made to overthrow their regime or to exert dominance in the Middle East. To lend support to the former […]
How can citizens of the world work to make the world safer using technology and crowdsourcing? Citizen Sensor aims to bring people together from all around the world to use the power of the web and crowdsourcing to have a profound impact on nonproliferation and international safeguards.
Last week the Congressional Research Service published updated U.S. military casualty statistics for post-9/11 operations in Iraq and Afghanistan through January 2014. There have been 4,410 U.S. military deaths in Operation Iraqi Freedom and 2,299 U.S. military deaths in Operation Enduring Freedom to date. While overall fatality figures are already made available on Department of […]
For the first time the U.S. Army has produced official doctrine on military activities in cyberspace, including offensive, defensive and network operations. A new Army field manual “provides overarching doctrinal guidance and direction for conducting cyber electromagnetic activities (CEMA)…. It provides enough guidance for commanders and their staffs to develop innovative approaches to seize, retain, […]
New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that have not been made readily available to the public include the following. Independence of Federal Financial Regulators, February 12, 2014 Small Business: Access to Capital and Job Creation, February 18, 2014 U.S.-South Korea Relations, February 12, 2014 U.S.-Japan Economic Relations: Significance, Prospects, and Policy Options, […]
Official data on the number of contractors used by civilian intelligence agencies are unreliable, according to a review by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Nor can the costs incurred by contractors be accurately assessed. The inadequacy of the data undermines workforce management as well as contractor oversight, GAO said. “GAO identified a number of limitations […]
New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has withheld from online public distribution include the following. The Debt Limit Since 2011, February 12, 2014 The Corporate Income Tax System: Overview and Options for Reform, February 14, 2014 The Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Strategy: In Brief, February 10, 2014 Lebanon: Background and U.S. […]
Former State Department contractor Stephen Kim pleaded guilty on Friday to one count of unauthorized disclosure of national defense information to a Fox News reporter. Following a sentencing hearing in April, he is expected to serve a 13 month term in prison. (WashPost, NYT, Politico). The plea was an abrupt departure from previous defense strategy. […]
A recent boom in U.S. production of crude oil is generating some stress on the transportation infrastructure, according to a new report from the Congressional Research Service. “The rapid expansion of North American oil production has led to significant challenges in transporting crudes efficiently and safely to domestic markets—principally refineries—using the nation’s legacy pipeline infrastructure,” […]
It was announced today that Chief Justice Roberts has appointed Judge James E. Boasberg of the DC District Court to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for a seven year term beginning in May 2014. He will replace the outgoing Presiding Judge Reggie Walton, whose term expires in May. The Chief Justice also appointed Judge Richard […]
The diverse economic sanctions imposed on Iran by U.S. law or executive order, and the feasibility of lifting those sanctions, are tabulated and presented in a new report from the Congressional Research Service. “The sudden possibility that the United States may ease financial sector sanctions, and perhaps commit to an eventual dismantling of the entire […]
A resolution introduced yesterday by Sen. John McCain would establish a new Senate Select Committee to investigate the unauthorized disclosures of classified information on National Security Agency collection programs and their implications for national policy. The McCain resolution is framed broadly and touches on many issues besides leaks, including intelligence policy, congressional oversight, the role […]