Hot Topics Archive

Senate Report on Prewar Iraq Intelligence

The Senate Intelligence Committee produced this massive critique of intelligence failures leading up to the war in Iraq, finding that key assessments "were not supported by the underlying intelligence."

FAS Digital Human Project Featured at Capitol Hill Luncheon

The Digital Human Consortium has brought together researchers who have begun linking data by developing a unified ontology and geometry.

Presidential Directive on Iraq

This National Security Presidential Directive signed by the President on May 11 describes the future structure of the U.S. presence in Iraq following the June 30 transition to Iraqi sovereignty.

IAEA Resolution on Iran

The International Atomic Energy Agency reiterated its concerns about Iran's nuclear programs in this June 18 resolution.

IAEA Report on Libya's Nuclear Program

The International Atomic Energy Agency described what it has learned about Libya's aborted nuclear weapons program as well as what remains obscure in this new report, marked "for official use only."

Fact Sheet on Sarin

FAS has prepared a fact sheet on Sarin nerve gas in response to the announcement by U.S. officials that a bomb containing Sarin was discovered in Iraq.

Secrecy of Torture Report to be Investigated

Why was an Army report on torture of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. military personnel classified as a national security secret? In response to a request from the Federation of American Scientists, the government's Information Security Oversight Office said it will investigate the decision to classify the report.

Radiological Decontamination

FAS' study on Decontamination in the Aftermath of a Radiological Attack was presented by Jaime Yassif at the American Physical Society April Meeting in Denver, CO. (1.4 MB PDF)

Biodefense for the 21st Century

A new presidential directive on defense against biological weapons is outlined in this White House Fact Sheet.

Science and Technology in the 2005 Budget

FAS President Henry Kelly reviews funding priorities for science and technology research and development outlined in the FY2005 Federal Budget and finds some "real tragedies" in "missed opportunities" for funding R&D.

The SARS Outbreak in Canada Revisited

The outbreak of the SARS virus in Ontario, Canada in spring of 2003 caught the Canadian public health system unprepared and ill-equipped to respond. An official report dissects the failures and proposes remedial measures.

Declassified President's Daily Brief

This August 6, 2001 presidential intelligence briefing, entitled "Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US," was declassified by the White House under pressure from the 9-11 Commission. See also this April 10 White House background briefing with reporters discussing the release of the document.

The Potential Effects of a Dirty Bomb

Detonation of a radiological dispersal device, or "dirty bomb," could have a range of public health, economic, and other consequences, as described in this recent report from the Congressional Research Service.

FBI Intelligence Reform Since September 11, 2001

This new report from the Congressional Research Service provides a critical assessment of the FBI's ongoing transformation into a counterterrorism organization, and presents options for the future.

Issues Concerning Political Misuse of Science

In this featured talk at the Conference on Shaping Science and Technology to Serve National Security Henry Kelly, FAS President, cautioned that honest, unbiased science and technology policy advice is a necessity not a luxury - “We must encourage debate and competing analysis. If we punish critics as disloyal we will pay a heavy price.” (1 MB PDF)

Pakistan: It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again

In the May/June issue of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, Leonard Weiss, Chairman of FAS’ Space Weaponization Panel, looks at Pakistani defiance of nonproliferation norms and US willingness to turn a blind eye in order to advance other foreign policy objectives. Also see ASMP analyst Matt Schroeder's discussion of the issue in the Baltimore Sun.

Defense Science Board Calls for New Nuclear Weapons

In a controversial new report on the future of U.S. strategic forces, the influential Defense Science Board urged a reorientation of the U.S. nuclear weapons program towards smaller, more versatile weapons (4.4 MB PDF file).

Lessons from the Anthrax Attacks

The Pentagon has just released this sanitized report on the implications of the 2001 anthrax letter attacks for U.S. bioterrorism preparedness (2 MB PDF file).

WMD Trade Between Pakistan and North Korea

Clandestine exchanges between Pakistan and North Korea on technologies of weapons of mass destruction are explored in this newly updated report from the Congressional Research Service.

CRS Report on Earth-Penetrating Nuclear Weapons

The FY2005 budget request for the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator asks for nearly half a billion dollars through FY2009, which “seems to cast serious doubt that the [program] is only a study.”

Los Alamos Science

The latest issue of this Los Alamos scientific journal provides rich accounts of lab activities concerning nuclear weapons stockpile stewardship and technical aspects of homeland security.

White House Counsel on Enemy Combatants

White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales asserted the Bush Administration's authority to unilaterally designate even American citizens as "enemy combatants" in this February 24 speech.

IAEA Finds Weapons Grade Uranium in Iran

The New York Times has reported that IAEA inspectors discovered traces of uranium enriched to 90% - a purity usually only found in nuclear weapons. Also, click here to read the NYT report (registration required).

IAEA Report on Iran Nuclear Programs

New evidence of previously undisclosed research in Iran on enrichment and reprocessing of nuclear materials was described in this internal report from the International Atomic Energy Agency.

National Security Threats to the United States

The Senate Intelligence Committee held its annual hearing on the global threat environment with testimony from the Director of Central Intelligence, as well as the Directors of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Defense Intelligence Agency.

IAEA on Libya's Nuclear Program

The findings of the International Atomic Energy Agency investigation into Libya's pursuit of nuclear weapons technologies are presented in this new report.

North Korea's Nuclear Program

This updated report from the Congressional Research Service concisely summarizes what is publicly known about the shadowy North Korean nuclear weapons program.

CRS on Homeland Security

Several new publications from the Congressional Research Service address current topics in Homeland Security, from air cargo and pipeline security to management of the Homeland Security Department.

President Proposes New Policy on Curbing WMD

In this February 11 speech, President Bush discussed the threat of weapons of mass destruction and proposed steps to strengthen the non-proliferation regime.

Pakistan's A.Q. Khan "Apologizes" for Nuclear Proliferation

In a speech broadcast on Pakistani television, Abdul Qadeer Khan, the "father" of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, admitted that he had improperly transferred nuclear technologies abroad.

Fact Sheet on Ricin

Three Senate office buildings were closed on Tuesday February 3, 2004 after the discovery of the toxin Ricin. Ricin is a potent toxin that can be used as an agent of bioterrorism.

Presidential Directive on Defense of Agriculture

"The United States agriculture and food systems are vulnerable to disease, pest, or poisonous agents that occur naturally, are unintentionally introduced, or are intentionally delivered by acts of terrorism." This new Presidential directive establishes a national policy to defend U.S. agriculture from attack or natural disaster.

A Visit to the Yongbyon Nuclear Facility in North Korea

The status of North Korea's nuclear weapons development program was investigated by Siegfried Hecker of Los Alamos National Laboratory and described in this testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

CIA Paramilitary Ops and U.S. Special Forces

When CIA paramilitary forces fight alongside Special Operations Forces, complex legal and operational issues can arise, as discussed in this April 2003 research paper published by the U.S. Army War College.

MANPADS Proliferation

Recent attacks on military and civilian aircraft in Iraq highlight the danger posed by the proliferation of Man Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS). In this issue brief, Matt Schroeder and Sarah Chankin-Gould of the Arms Sales Monitoring Project provide an overview of the MANPADS threat and efforts to address that threat.

Bounding the Global War on Terrorism

The Bush Administration's war on terrorism is "unrealistic," according to this new study published by the U.S. Army War College. It is "strategically unfocused, promises much more than it can deliver, and threatens to dissipate scarce U.S. military and other means over too many ends."

Protecting Airliners from Terrorist Missiles

The Department of Homeland Security has just awarded several new contracts to explore technologies for defending commercial airliners against shoulder-fired missiles. This Congressional Research Service report examines the threat, and the range of possible responses.

Scientists Urged to Take Responsibility for Bioterrorism

At the American Society for Cell Biology annual meeting in December 2003, FAS organized a symposium titled "Security and the Biology Research Community" Click here to read the BioMedNet report of that symposium.

Satellite Image of Bam, Iran

This one-meter resolution satellite image of Bam, Iran was taken by Space Imaging's IKONOS satellite on Dec. 27, 2003, just one day after a catastrophic earthquake struck the historic city. The full image shows widespread destruction as a result of the 6.7 magnitude earthquake that leveled 70 percent of the buildings.

President Cannot Detain Americans in the U.S. As Enemy Combatants

In this historic 2-1 decision, a federal appeals court ruled that "the President does not have the power under Article II of the Constitution to detain as an enemy combatant an American citizen seized on American soil outside a zone of combat."

Presidential Directive on Critical Infrastructure

This new White House directive establishes a policy framework for identifying United States critical infrastructure and key resources and protecting them from terrorist attacks.

Post-Saddam Governance in Iraq

The daunting complexities of Iraq's internal political environment after the fall of Saddam Hussein are explored in a new report from the Congressional Research Service (completed before the capture of Hussein on December 13).

Terrorist Motivations for Chemical and Biological Weapons Use

A report of the Congressional Research Service dispassionately considers whether terrorists might acquire chemical and biological weapons, and why they might use such weapons -- or why not. The author briefly examines how best to counter the threat.

Learning Science and Technology R&D Roadmap

FAS has published a series of technology roadmaps that outline a plan for developing dramatically new approaches to how we teach and learn.

Protecting Airliners from Terrorist Missiles

The proliferation of shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles poses a growing threat to all forms of air traffic. This newly updated report from the Congressional Research Service surveys the options for addressing the threat.

IAEA Report on Iran Nuclear Programs

This November 10 report from the International Atomic Energy Agency found that Iran has been secretly pursuing proscribed nuclear technologies for the past 18 years, in violation of its Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty commitments.

CIA Views the Future of Bioweapons

The effects of engineered biological agents could be "worse than any disease known to man," according to this new report from the Central Intelligence Agency.

CRS on New U.S. Nuclear Weapons Programs

This Congressional Research Service report presents an impartial account of the issues raised by new U.S. nuclear weapons programs, including low-yield weapons research, earth penetrator weapons and increased readiness for nuclear explosive testing.

CIA on North Korea's Nuclear Weapons

North Korea has attained a nuclear capability without nuclear explosive testing, according to the Central Intelligence Agency. The subject was addressed in recent intelligence agency correspondence published by FAS.

The Real Terrorist Missile Threat and What Can be Done About It

Robert Sherman writes on the threat posed to US commercial aviation by shoulder-fired antiaircraft missiles. Also see Matt Schroeder's comments on this issue in the LA Times.

Court Overturns Conviction of CIA's Edwin Wilson

"Honesty comes hard to the government." That is what a federal judge said in a startling decision that vacated the twenty year old conviction of former CIA officer Edwin P. Wilson on charges of illegally shipping explosives to Libya.

Air Force / Boeing 767 Lease Proposal

The pros and cons of the controversial proposal for the Air Force to lease up to 100 Boeing 767 aircraft are weighed in a series of analyses from the Congressional Research Service. The aircraft would be used as tankers for in-flight refueling of fighter jets.

Garwin Receives National Medal of Science

We congratulate our distinguished colleague Richard L. Garwin who was awarded the National Medal of Science by President Bush for his numerous contributions to science and national security. Dozens of his publications are available at the FAS Garwin Archive.

Missile Proliferation in South Asia

The policy implications of missile proliferation in South Asia -- India and Pakistan -- are the subject of this new report from the Congressional Research Service.

OMB Report on Combating Terrorism

This 2003 report to Congress is "widely considered to be the most authoritative source of information on Executive Branch spending, program initiatives, and priority terrorism-related areas for FY2002 through FY2004," according to the Congressional Research Service.

In Support of Thomas Butler

Thomas Butler is a world class specialist in infectious diseases who stands accused of smuggling samples of biological agents. He may have broken the rules, but no one believes he is a terrorist. Why is the government treating him like one?

Pursuing Leaks of Classified Information

Deterring, detecting and punishing leaks of classified information is one of the President's "highest priorities," Attorney General Ashcroft wrote in this 2002 report to Congress. The possibility of a leak from the White House itself is now under investigation.

Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 1995-2002

The United States remains the world's leading vendor of conventional arms, according to this new assessment from the Congressional Research Service.

GAO Report on Missile Defense

The Pentagon is moving to deploy missile defense technologies before they have matured and before their performance and reliability has been demonstrated, increasing the risk of failure, the General Accounting Office warned in this new report (1.9 MB PDF file).

Will New Nuclear Weapons Make Us More Secure?

Given its overwhelming conventional superiority, US security can only be weakened if nuclear weapons become a routine part of worldwide arsenals - the end result of the administration's plans to move beyond nuclear deterrence and develop new, more usable nuclear weapons.

Terrorists and Suicide Attacks

"What are suicide attacks? What have been the patterns and motivations for terrorist organizations using suicide attacks in the past? How great a threat are terrorist suicide attacks to the United States, at home and abroad? How can the United States counter such a threat?" This Congressional Research Service report provides some insight.

Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction -- Intelligence and Assessments

This report to the British Parliament from the House of Commons Intelligence and Security Committee examines "whether the available intelligence , which informed the decision to invade Iraq, was adequate and properly assessed and whether it was accurately reflected in Government publications."

SARS: An Intelligence Community Assessment

"The wave of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) has been overcome, but SARS has not been eradicated....We remain vulnerable." That is the conclusion of a new report from the National Intelligence Council.

The Air Force KC-767 Lease Proposal

The controversial Air Force proposal to lease one hundred Boeing 767 aircraft is examined in this report from the Congressional Research Service.

No Substitute for Sound Science

Congress needs an independent source of scientific and technological advice to "help lawmakers understand what's known, what's unknown, and what's unknowable," writes FAS President Henry Kelly in this August 12 Washington Post op-ed.

Protecting Airliners from Terrorist Missiles

This Congressional Research Service report examines the threat to commercial aircraft from shoulder-fired missiles, and the available options for dealing with it.

Challenging Conventional Wisdom

Challenging Conventional Wisdom: Debunking the Myths and Exposing the Risks of Arms Export Reform, a new book published by FAS and the Center for Defense Information, dissects the arguments used to support policy changes that would weaken controls on dangerous military technology.

Congressional Report on September 11

This newly declassified 850 page report of the congressional joint inquiry into the September 11 terrorist attacks has now been released after a seven month declassification process (5.6 MB PDF file).

NIE on Iraqi WMD

These excerpts from an October 2002 National Iintelligence Assessment provide new insight into the conflicting assessments of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program. They were declassified and presented at a July 18 White House background briefing.

Terrorism and the Biology Lab

Writing in a New York Times op-ed, FAS President Henry Kelly discusses the role that those in the biological sciences have to play in national security. Registration required

PhDisaster? New Pressures on Public Information

Moves to suppress a student dissertation concerning the US communications infrastructure were discussed by FAS' Steven Aftergood on the National Public Radio program "On the Media."

IAEA Report on Iran

Iran has failed to meet its obligations under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, according to this controversial new report from the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Government Secrecy in the Age of Information

The Federation's Project on Government Secrecy is featured in this interview in the new issue of Biodefense Quarterly, from the Johns Hopkins Center for Civilian Biodefense Strategies.

The Politics of Hope and the Politics of Fear

FAS President Henry Kelly argues that if the US envisions its role as a superpower only in military terms, the world will have lost an essential resource for maintaining hope and for creating a constructive, pragmatic vision for the future.

Homeland Security and Biomedical Research

Writing in the Spring 2003 Public Interest Report, John Rennie observes that while some limits on biomedical research are prudent, the case should be made that more severe limits are truly necessary before such limits are implemented.

National Security Presidential Directive 23 on Missile Defense

This is the full text of the Bush Administration's December 2002 national security directive that sets forth the program for deployment of ballistic missile defenses beginning next year.

Biology and Borders: SARS and the New Economics of Biosecurity

This report by Bio-era, an independent research and advisory firm, analyzes the origins and growing economic impact of SARS and other emerging infectious diseases and examines strategies aimed at increasing collective biosecurity.

Non-Lethal Chemical and Biological Weapons

Barbara Hatch Rosenberg examines the potential misuse of non-lethal CBW and the impact of this issue on enforcement of the Chemical and the Biological Weapons Conventions.

Shuttle Accident Inquiry Goes Behind Closed Doors

The surprising news that NASA has hired the civilian members of the Board investigating the Columbia space shuttle disaster means that the Board is able to evade laws that would have require its meetings to be open to the public.

Foreign Intelligence Surveillance at an All Time High

Domestic surveillance of suspected foreign intelligence and terrorist targets reached a record high in 2002 according to a new report from Attorney General John Ashcroft.

U.S. Unprepared for ‘Dirty Bomb’ Aftermath

In the April 28 issue of Defense News, FAS’ Jaime Yassif argues for the need to develop urban area decontamination plans in the event of a radiological attack. Our ability to decontaminate will determine how much property can be salvaged and economic damage reduced. PDF | HTML

Sensitive But Unclassified Information

The controversial category of "sensitive but unclassified" information refers to government information that is neither classified nor publicly releaseable. It is critically examined in a new report from the Congressional Research Service.

DOE To Reissue Unaltered Polygraph Regulations

The Energy Department announced that it intends to retain its polygraph testing program intact, despite a harshly critical review conducted by the National Academy of Sciences last year. The Academy found polygraph testing unreliable as a security tool for screening employees.

Nuclear Dangers Beyond Iraq

Last fall, Strategic Security Project director Michael Levi wrote in the New York Times that confronting Iraq would address only a small corner of the nuclear danger. As the war on Iraq begins, our efforts are still falling miserably short.

Flying Blind in North Korea

In a New Republic cover article, Strategic Security Project director Michael Levi argues that the problem with bombing North Korea's nuclear facilities isn't what we'll hit -- it's what we'll miss.

Dirty Bombs

Strategic Security Project director Michael Levi recently addressed the Bipartisan Task Force on Nonproliferation on "Dirty Bombs: Myths and Realities". Click here for slides from the presentation.

Bush Executive Order on Secrecy

This new executive order on national security information policy defines the Administration's classification and declassification policies. The order was discussed in an op-ed by Steven Aftergood in the weekly Forward here.

Dirty Bomb Documentary

Nova's documentary titled "Dirty Bomb" features commentary by FAS's Michael Levi. Click here for PBS's companion site on the program.

Nuclear First-Use in Vietnam: Implications for the War on Iraq, North Korea, and Terror

The Nautilus Institute released Sunday a 59-page classified 1966 study for the Pentagon on using tactical nuclear weapons in the Vietnam War. Michael Levi faces off against NIPP's Willis Stanley to explore the contemporary relevance of the study.

Arms Transfers to India and Pakistan

During a Congressional briefing co-organized by the Arms Sales Monitoring Project, panelists called attention to the dangers associated with resuming arms sales to the Indian subcontinent. View the transcript of the panelists' opening statements here.

Behind the Prospect of War with Iraq

FAS Board Member Carl Kaysen, together with John D. Steinbruner and Martin B. Malin, examine the costs, consequences, and alternatives associated with the new National Security Strategy of the United States and policy toward Iraq in the latest issue of the Public Interest Report.

The Futility of Tactical Nuclear Weapons

Writing in The New Republic, Michael Levi observes that threats of preemptive nuclear strikes against Iraq have alarmed the public and hurt America's image--and for no good reason: Tactical nuclear weapons have little if any military value.

North Korean Threat Exaggerated

Writing in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Ivan Oelrich, Strategic Security Project Senior Research Associate, writes that CIA Director George Tenet's implication that North Korea could strike the US West Coast with nuclear weapons is exaggerated.

Code Orange: Emergency Preparedness

Strategic Security Project Director Michael Levi recently discussed America's readiness for a terrorist attack using unconventional weapons on C-SPAN's Washington Journal (Watch) and on NPR's The Diane Rehm Show (Listen)

Securing Shipping Against Nuclear Threats

A Stanford University study group, including Strategic Security Project Director Michael Levi, recommends a comprehensive plan for nuclear port security, in this new report.

Levi Featured in BBC Documentary

A January 30th BBC documentary on dirty bombs featured analysis and commentary from Strategic Security Project Director Michael Levi. Click here to read the transcript.

US Arms Sales and Military Aid

In January/February issue of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, the Arms Sales Monitoring Project calls attention to the massive post-September 11th increase in military aid and arms transfers.

Export-Control Murkiness

In the 6 January edition of Defense News,FAS Research Associate Matthew Schroeder calls attention to a little known but significant review of defense export controls. Schroeder argues for reducing the secrecy surrounding the review so that independent organizations can help ensure that it leads to stronger controls.

FAS Analyst Addresses Korean Crisis

North Korea's ejection of UN nuclear inspectors has driven the dillema on the peninsula to crisis pitch. Click here to see Ivan Oelrich discuss how we can move forward on the Voice of America's "Talk to America".

National Strategy to Combat WMD

This new Bush Administration directive defines U.S. counterproliferation policy and declares that all options, including preemptive strikes, may be employed against WMD threats.

Iraqi Declaration on WMD

This eight page table of contents provides a detailed outline of the voluminous material submitted by Iraq to the United Nations on December 7 concerning its nuclear, chemical, biological and ballistic missile programs.

Fire in the Hole: Nuclear and Non-Nuclear Options for Counterproliferation

As America intensifies its war against nuclear proliferation, Strategic Security Project director Michael Levi challenges claims that the United States needs new nuclear weapons to fight rogue states armed with weapons of mass destruction in a new report released by the Carnegie Endowment.

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