CRS – Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy. Kenneth Katzman, Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs. December 2, 2014. “Afghan security forces have lead security responsibility throughout the country, and the United States and its partner countries are in the process of transitioning to a smaller post-2014 mission consisting mostly of training the Afghanistan National Security Forces (ANSF). The number of U.S.… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Defense
New GAO Reports – Private Health Insurance, Regional Missile Defense
Private Health Insurance: Concentration of Enrollees among Individual, Small Group, and Large Group Insurers from 2010 through 2013, GAO-15-101R: Published: Dec 1, 2014. Publicly Released: Dec 1, 2014. Regional Missile Defense: DOD’s 2014 Report Generally Addressed Required Reporting Elements, but Excluded Additional Key Details, GAO-15-32: Published: Dec 1, 2014. Publicly Released: Dec 1, 2014. Continue Reading
Profiling the Islamic State
Brookings Doha Center Analysis Paper, December 1, 2014 – Charles Lister – “Intense turmoil in Syria and Iraq has created socio-political vacuums in which jihadi groups have been able to thrive. The Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) had proven to be the strongest and most dynamic of these groups, seizing large swathes of territory in Syria and… Continue Reading
Growth in DoD’s Budget From 2000 to 2014
“The Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) base budget grew from $384 billion to $502 billion between fiscal years 2000 and 2014 in inflation-adjusted (real) terms—an increase of 31 percent and an annual average growth rate of 1.9 percent (see figure below). Several factors contributed to that growth. The largest rate of growth was in the costs for military… Continue Reading
Policy Challenges of Accelerating Technological Change
DTP 106: Policy Challenges of Accelerating Technological Change: Security Policy and Strategy Implications of Parallel Scientific Revolutions, James Kadtke and Linton Wells II “This paper examines policy, legal, ethical, and strategy implications for national security of the accelerating science, technology, and engineering (ST&E) revolutions underway in five broad areas: biology, robotics, information, nanotechnology, and energy (BRINE),… Continue Reading
Intelligence Authorization Legislation for FY2014 and FY2015
CRS – Intelligence Authorization Legislation for FY2014 and FY2015: Provisions, Status, Intelligence Community Framework, Anne Daugherty Miles, Analyst in Intelligence and National Security Policy. November 20, 2014 November 20, 2014. “An Intelligence Authorization Act (IAA) for Fiscal Years (FY) 2014 and 2015 (H.R. 4681) was considered in May 2014 and passed by the House but not by the Senate.… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – Group Purchasing Organizations, Medicare Program Integrity, Defense Logistics, Vaccine Injury Compensation
Group Purchasing Organizations: Funding Structure Has Potential Implications for Medicare Costs, GAO-15-13: Published: Oct 24, 2014. Publicly Released: Nov 24, 2014. Medicare Program Integrity: CMS Pursues Many Practices to Address Prescription Drug Fraud, Waste, and Abuse, GAO-15-66: Published: Oct 24, 2014. Publicly Released: Nov 24, 2014. Defense Logistics: Greater Awareness of Recommendations and Improvements in Data Quality… Continue Reading
Report – Major Management and Performance Challenges Facing DHS
Major Management and Performance Challenges Facing the Department of Homeland Security, November 14, 2014 OIG-15-09. “We have identified major challenges that affect both the Department as a whole, as well as individual components. DHS must continually seek to integrate management operations under an authoritative governing structure capable of effectively overseeing and managing programs that cross component lines.… Continue Reading
Investigative Report on the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, September 11-12, 2012
Via the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. The Committee is the House’s primary panel responsible for authorizing the funding for and overseeing the execution of the intelligence activities of the United States government. [No evidence of bad faith acts – released on Friday evening.] “For over two years, the House Permanent Select Committee on… Continue Reading
Investigative Report – Why Mass Shootings Keep Happening
Are we helpless to stop mass shootings? Is anyone even trying to stop them? The good news is that the answers are No and Yes. The bad news: The person loading up hasn’t gotten the news. Tom Junod, Esquire, october 24, 2014. “SINCE SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, according to the START terrorism database, there have been twenty… Continue Reading
WSJ – How Paperbacks Helped the U.S. Win World War II
Jennifer Maloney – “A decade after the Nazis’ 1933 book burnings, the U.S. War Department and the publishing industry did the opposite, printing 120 million miniature, lightweight paperbacks for U.S. troops to carry in their pockets across Europe, North Africa and the Pacific. The books were Armed Services Editions, printed by a coalition of publishers with… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – Bank Capital Reforms, Climate Change, FSOC, Ford-Class Aircraft Carrier, Small Business Innovation Research
Bank Capital Reforms: Initial Effects of Basel III on Capital, Credit, and International Competitiveness, GAO-15-67: Published: Nov 20, 2014. Publicly Released: Nov 20, 2014. Building Partner Capacity: State and DOD Need to Define Time Frames to Guide and Track Global Security Contingency Fund Projects, GAO-15-75: Published: Nov 20, 2014. Publicly Released: Nov 20, 2014. Climate Change: Better… Continue Reading
