A Report of the CSIS National Security Program on Industry and Resources, October 2014 “Over the past decade, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has issued a series of analytical reports on federal contract spending for national security and across the government. This latest report analyzes contracting for products, services, and research and development… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Defense
DHS Yearbook of Immigration Statistics
“The Yearbook of Immigration Statistics is a compendium of tables that provides data on foreign nationals who, during a fiscal year, were granted lawful permanent residence (i.e., admitted as immigrants or became legal permanent residents), were admitted into the United States on a temporary basis (e.g., tourists, students, or workers), applied for asylum or refugee… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – Climate Change, Specialty Metals
CLIMATE CHANGE: USDA’s Ongoing Efforts Can Be Enhanced with Better Metrics and More Relevant Information for Farmers, GAO-14-755: Published: Sep 16, 2014. Publicly Released: Oct 16, 2014: “In 2012, the United States produced about $395 billion in agricultural commodities, with about half of this revenue from crop sales and half from livestock. According to the Third National Climate… Continue Reading
Al Qaeda-Affiliated Groups: Middle East and Africa
CRS: Al Qaeda-Affiliated Groups: Middle East and Africa, October 10, 2014. “After more than a decade of combating Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the United States now faces an increasingly diverse threat from Al Qaeda affiliates in the Middle East and Africa and from emerging groups that have adopted aspects of Al Qaeda’s ideology… Continue Reading
DoD FY 2014 Climate Change Adaptation Roadmap
Department of Defense FY 2014 Climate Change Adaptation Roadmap “Climate change will affect the Department of Defense’s ability to defend the Nation and poses immediate risks to U.S. national security. The Department is responding to climate change in two ways: adaptation, or efforts to plan for the changes that are occurring or expected to occur;… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – Combatting Nuclear Smuggling, CPSC, Ocean Acidification
COMBATING NUCLEAR SMUGGLING: Risk-Informed Covert Assessments and Oversight of Corrective Actions Could Strengthen Capabilities at the Border, GAO-14-826: Published: Sep 22, 2014. Publicly Released: Oct 14, 2014: CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION: Challenges and Options for Responding to New and Emerging Risks, GAO-15-17: Published: Oct 14, 2014. Publicly Released: Oct 14, 2014: “CPSC is responsible for ensuring the safety of thousands of… Continue Reading
Priority Agenda Enhancing the Climate Resilience of America’s Natural Resources
“The interagency Council on Climate Change Preparedness and Resilience, established by Section 6 of the Order, convened a Climate and Natural Resources Working Group (CNRWG) to complete the inventory, assessment, and plan called for in Section 3 of the Order. The CNRWG includes Departments of Defense, Interior, and Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic… Continue Reading
U.S. State Department Iraq-Syria Conflict Without Borders Map October 2014
Via Public Intelligence – “The following is part of a series produced by the State Department’s Humanitarian Information Unit. A map produced in late June for the same series is also available. Continue Reading
Human Rights Protection During Armed Conflict: What, When, and for Whom?
Scobbie, Iain, Human Rights Protection During Armed Conflict: What, When, and for Whom? (October 7, 2014). Erika de Wet & Jann Kleffner (eds), Convergence and Conflicts of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law in Military Operations (Pretoria University Law Press, Pretoria) Forthcoming. Available for download at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2506793 “This essay seeks to examine some of… Continue Reading
Report claims NSA has operatives in foreign communications companies
“The National Security Agency has had agents in China, Germany, and South Korea working on programs that use “physical subversion” to infiltrate and compromise networks and devices, according to documents obtained by The Intercept. The documents, leaked by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, also indicate that the agency has used “under cover” operatives to gain access to… Continue Reading
The Global Movement and Tracking of Chemical Manufacturing Equipment
“Dual-use applications for chemical manufacturing equipment have been recognized as a concern for many years, and export-control regulations worldwide are in place as a result. These regulations, in conjunction with the verification and inspection requirements of Article VI of the Chemical Weapons Convention, are designed to support non-proliferation of manufacturing equipment suitable for production of… Continue Reading
Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses
CRS – Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses. Kenneth Katzman, Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs. October 1, 2014 “Since the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, a priority of U.S. policy has been to reduce the perceived threat posed by Iran to a broad range of U.S. interests. However, a common enemy has emerged in the form of the… Continue Reading
