Top News Archives 2011
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Sept 30: The 2012 Stockpile Stewardship Management Plan
On September 23, 2011, Nuclear Information Project Director Hans Kristensen spoke to FAS members about the 2012 FY Stockpile Stewardship Management Plan, which was highlighted in a four part series on the Strategic Security Blog. Listen to the conference call and read the transcript.
Sept 22: Nuclear Notebook: British Nuclear Forces 2011
Last year, Britain disclosed it had more than 500 nuclear warheads in its nuclear weapons stockpile. Since then, the U.K. has reduced its stockpile by more than half to approximately 225 warheads and has decided to reduce it further to 180 warheads by the mid-2020s.
Sept 19: Produce to Reduce: The Hedge Gamble
FAS and UCS published the 4th article analyzing the latest Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan by the National Nuclear Security Administration. The analysis shows that NNSA - despite a promise that construction of expensive new nuclear warhead production factories will allow the United States to reduce the number of nuclear warheads held in reserve - plans to produce additional reserve warheads for the next two decades.
Sept 7: Nuclear Rules for International Nuclear Energy Programs
Henry Sokolski of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center and the Nuclear Energy Institute's Everett Redmond write about civilian nuclear energy programs in the Summer 2011 Duly Noted.
Sept 1: Taking Biosecurity Networks to the Next Level
Watch the first Virtual Biosecurity Center international conference. It explores the role of web-based networks in promoting global biosecurity, provides an opportunity for experts from around the world to identify best practices and partnerships, and determines the feasibility of linking existing networks for global communication.
Sept 1: Spotlight on "Top Secret America"
Most people can vaguely recall that there was once no U.S. Department of Homeland Security and that there was a time when you didn’t have to take your shoes off before boarding an airplane. But hardly anyone truly comprehends the enormous expansion of the military, intelligence and homeland security bureaucracy that has occurred over the past decade.
Aug 31: 2012 Nuclear Security Summit: Achieving a Sustainable Nuclear Security Culture
Igor Khripunov writes about how a healthy security culture is critical to make the world’s nuclear power infrastructure safe and secure. A security culture raises awareness of proliferation risks and provides motivation to follow established security procedures and comply with regulations.
Aug 25: Pentagon’s 2011 China Report: Reducing Nuclear Transparency
The Pentagon has published its annual assessment of China’s military power (Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China). The most noticeable new development is that the Pentagon has decided to significantly reduce the transparency of China’s land-based nuclear missile force. For the past decade, the Pentagon reports have contained a breakdown of Chinese missiles showing approximately how many they have of each type. Not anymore.
Aug 10: A Presidential Policy Directive for a New Nuclear Path
In the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, FAS's Robert S. Norris and Hans Kristensen write about the implementation of President Obama's Nuclear Posture Review and its enormous implications.
Aug 9: Special Edition FAS Podcast features Dr. Robert S. Norris
Charles P. Blair, director of Terrorism Analysis Project interviews Dr. Robert S. Norris, senior fellow for nuclear policy. Dr. Norris discusses the personalities behind the Manhattan Project, the lasting lessons from the atomic bombings ending World War II and President Obama’s Nuclear Posture Review.
Aug 8: Clean Energy R&D: Where are the Investors?
Investment in clean energy is critical to the long term security and economic welfare of the U.S. Rep. Paul Tonka (D-NY) said, 'If we are to stay competitive as a nation in the long term, we must invest in new technologies, clean energy and job creation.' But who will make the investment?
Aug 3: In Memoriam: Jonathan B. Tucker
Jonathan Tucker, an arms control expert who specialized in chemical and biological weapons, died in Washington, DC. He was 56. For the past four months, Jonathan managed the FAS Biosecurity Education Project. His colleagues remember him as a gentleman, an extraordinary scholar, and a humble soul.
Aug 3: FAS Podcast: Anniversary of Hiroshima and State of Nuclear Security
The new FAS Podcast, "A Conversation With an Expert," features FAS President Dr. Charles D. Ferguson. He discusses the anniversary of Hiroshima, the current state of nuclear security, the threat of nuclear terrorism to the international community, and the Fukushima disaster in Japan.
Aug 2: Faster FOIA Bill Passed in Senate Again
The Faster FOIA Act, a modest bit of legislation to establish a commission “to examine the root causes of FOIA delays,” was introduced and passed in the Senate yesterday.
Aug 1: Wireless Evolution and Challenges to Law Enforcement
"The challenges facing law enforcement increase with the introduction of each new wireless device," according to a publication prepared by the FBI’s Operational Technology Division, which traces the development of wireless communications.
July 31: Last Chance
Renew your FAS membership with $100 or more by midnight (12:00 a.m. PDT) tonight, and FAS will send you a signed copy of Charles Ferguson's book "Nuclear Energy - What Everyone Needs to Know." Renew today!
July 29: Handling of Drake Leak Case was 'Unconscionable,' Court Said
The government’s treatment of former National Security Agency official Thomas Drake was abusive and akin to acts of British tyranny in pre-Revolutionary War days, said Judge Richard D. Bennett at the sentencing hearing which concluded the Drake case, one of the Obama administration’s record number of anti-'leak' prosecutions.
July 29: 20th Anniversary of START
July 31st is the 20-year anniversary of the signing of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) between the United States and the Soviet Union. The treaty, also known as START I, marked the beginning of a treaty-based reduction of U.S. and Soviet (later Russian) strategic nuclear forces after the end of the Cold War.
July 28: Breivik's Treatise Predicts Violent CBRN Attacks
FAS analysts conducted a preliminary analysis of Anders Breivik's 1500 page treatise —2083: A European Declaration of Independence—and concluded that the nature of his attacks, compounded with the extraordinary content of his manifesto, raise important questions.
July 27: NSA “Declassified” Publicly Available Text on Cryptology
Last month the National Security Agency announced the declassification of various historic records as evidence of its “commitment to meeting the requirements” of President Obama’s policy on openness and transparency. Among the newly declassified records was a 200 year old publication on cryptology.
July 25: FAS President Charles Ferguson on PBS Ideas in Action
Watch Charles Ferguson discuss the future of nuclear energy and China's nuclear power program as a panelist on PBS Ideas in Action hosted by Jim Glassman. Find the exact airtime in your city and tune in.
July 18: NATO Urged to Reduce Role of Nuclear Weapons and Remove U.S. Tactical Warheads
Hans Kristensen will speak at the Brookings Institution on NATO's nuclear posture and arms control possibilities. More than 24 nuclear experts and former government officials called on NATO to declare a more limited tole for its nuclear capabilities.
July 17: Pakistani Nuclear Forces
The latest Nuclear Notebook on Pakistan's nuclear forces is available on the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists website. Since the previous Notebook on Pakistan in 2009, there have been several important developments.
July 15: U.S. is "Incapable of Keeping a Secret," Rumsfeld Concluded in 2005
In a memoranda from 2005, then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld stated flatly that the government secrecy system was a failure. “The United States Government is incapable of keeping a secret,” he wrote on November 2, 2005. “If one accepts that, and I do, that means that the U.S. Government will have to craft policies that reflect that reality.”
July 13: Russia's Closed Cities as Tourist Destinations
An article in the Russian edition of Forbes magazine this week somewhat facetiously considered the tourism potential of Russia’s secretive and tightly secured closed cities. “In today’s Russia there are 42 closed administrative territorial entities — or ZATOs — surrounded by rows of barbed wire and guarded by armed patrols. They belong to the Ministry of Defense, Rosatom (State Corporation for Atomic Energy), and Roskosmos (Federal Space Agency).
July 11: Pentagon Tightens Grip on Unclassified Information
In 2005, the U.S. Army issued a field manual on the military use of dogs. The field manual was approved for public release and marked for unlimited distribution. But in May 2011, the same manual was updated, and this time its distribution was limited to DoD and DoD contractors only. The net loss of public access to information in this case illustrates a new trend that is at odds with the Obama Administration’s declared policy.
July 5: Court Should Not Recognize 'Good Leaks,' Govt Says
To admit the possibility of a 'good leak' of classified information would undermine the entire classification system and therefore it should not do so. The government’s statement was presented in a response to New York Times reporter James Risen’s June 21 motion to quash a subpoena to compel him to testify in the case of Jeffrey A. Sterling.
July 1: U.S. Must Learn From Japan Nuclear Crisis
In U.S. News and World Report, FAS President Charles D. Ferguson published important lessons to take away from the nuclear accident at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
July 1: Could Terrorists Take Pakistan Nukes?
FAS's Charles P. Blair and Hans M. Kristensen speak on terrorism and Pakistan's nuclear arsenal with Christopher Lawrence of CNN.
June 30: What is the President’s Greatest Responsibility?
According to President Obama, he has no higher duty than to protect the American people. But that’s not what the Constitution says. As chief executive and commander in chief of the armed forces, the president obviously has responsibility for national security. But to claim that he has no greater responsibility than “protecting the American people” is a paternalistic invention that is historically unfounded and potentially damaging to the political heritage of the nation.
June 29: New Report: Terrorism and the Pakistani Neo-Taliban (PNT)
The greatest threat to Pakistan's nuclear infrastructure comes from jihadists both inside Pakistan and South and Central Asia. While there is appreciation of this danger, there are few substantive studies that identify and explore specific groups motivated and potentially capable of acquiring Pakistani nuclear weapons and/or fissile materials.
June 28: Radiological Terrorism and Attacks on Nuclear Facilities
Charles D. Ferguson gave two presentations to Brookhaven National Laboratory on the topics of radiological terrorism and attacks on nuclear facilities such as nuclear power plants. These presentations were for a course of nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear policy given this month at the laboratory. The course is part of the Next Generation Safeguards Initiative sponsored by the National Nuclear Security Administration.
June 28: Fifty Years of Space Nuclear Power
Fifty years ago, an electrical generator driven by nuclear energy was launched into space for the first time. The SNAP-3 radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) powered by the natural decay heat of plutonium-238 provided a minuscule 2.7 watts of power to the Navy’s Transit 4A navigational satellite, which was placed in orbit around the Earth at a mean altitude of 930 kilometers. Since that time, plutonium power sources have enabled a series of ambitious missions into deep space that may rank among the grandest adventures of all time, extending human cognition into domains that were previously accessible only by imagination.
June 27: Supreme Court Protects Video Games
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution protects video games, developers, and video game industry artists. At issue was a 2005 California statute restricting the sale and rental of computer and video games.
June 22: Defending Against Cyber-Warfare
Neal Pollard, FAS Senior Fellow for Cyber Policy, discusses how well our country is prepared for a possible cyber attack Watch the clip.
June 15: Renew Your FAS Membership Today!
Renew your membership with $100 or more by July 31, 2011, and FAS will send you a signed copy of Charles Ferguson's new book, 'Nuclear Energy - What Everyone Needs to Know.'
June 15: B61 LEP - Increasing NATO Nuclear Capability and Precision Low-Yield Strikes
A modified U.S. nuclear bomb will have improved military capabilities compared with older weapons and increase the targeting capability of NATO’s nuclear arsenal. The B61-12, the product of a planned 30-year life extension will be equipped with a new guidance system to increase its accuracy.
June 14: Protocols on Nuke Free Zones in Africa, Pacific Sent to Senate
With little fanfare, the White House sent protocols of two treaties on nuclear weapons free zones in the South Pacific and Africa to the U.S. Senate for ratification. The Protocols generally commit the signatories 'not to use or threaten to use a nuclear explosive device' against any other party to the Treaty.
June 13: New Issue of the PIR
In addition to launching a new design, this issue of the FAS Public Interest Report includes articles on illegal exports, the future of nuclear power, ways to promote nonproliferation, detecting enriched uranium at our borders, the next round of U.S.-Russia arms reductions, and many new features.
June 8: A New Role for the U.S. Government in Yemen
For the past four months Yemen has been engulfed in anti-government protests that seek to force Saleh to resign from office. As the U.S. State Department continues to publicly call on Saleh to resign, it is paramount to remember that the removal of Saleh should not be the end game in Yemen. A stable and secure Yemen needs more than one man’s fall from power.
June 6: NRO Releases Parts of 2011 Budget Justification Book
The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the U.S. intelligence agency that builds and operates intelligence satellites, has just released unclassified portions (pdf) of its Congressional Budget Justification Book for Fiscal Year 2011. The large bulk of the document remains classified and unreleased, but the newly disclosed portions reveal a few scraps of new information.
June 2: Chinese Jin-SSBNs Getting Ready?
Two of China's new Jin-class nuclear ballistic missile submarines have sailed to the Xiaopingdao naval base near Dalian, a naval base used to outfit submarines for ballistic missile flight tests. The arrival raises the obvious question if the Jin-class is finally reaching a point of operational readiness where it can do what it was designed for: launching nuclear long-range ballistic missiles.
May 27: Two New Judges Appointed to Intelligence Court
The Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court has named two new federal district court judges to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Courtto replace two others whose term had expired. The FIS Court is responsible for reviewing government applications for electronic surveillance and physical search under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
May 26: Eleven Words in Pentagon Papers to Remain Classified
The Pentagon Papers that were leaked by Daniel Ellsberg four decades ago have been formally declassified and will be released in their entirety next month — except for eleven words that remain classified. David S. Ferriero, the Archivist of the United States, announced the surprising exception to the upcoming release of the Papers at a meeting of the Public Interest Declassification Board on May 26.
May 26: Should Russia Worry Over the Proposed NATO Missile Defense Shield?
The Obama administration is working with NATO to develop a missile defense shield to protect U.S. and European interests from ballistic missile attacks by Iran. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has expressed strong concerns over this shield. FAS recommend that more thought is needed to the cost and benefit to U.S. and NATO Security.
May 25: Sen. Wyden Decries 'Secret Law' on PATRIOT Act
An amendment offered by Sen. Ron Wyden would have challenged the administration’s reliance on what he called 'secret law' and required the Attorney General to explain the legal basis for its intelligence collection activities under the USA PATRIOT Act. 'The public will be surprised… when they learn about some of the interpretations of the PATRIOT Act,' Sen. Wyden said.
May 24: Defense Employees Told to Report Suspicious Activities
A new counterintelligence directive requires all Department of Defense personnel to report a wide range of suspicious activities and behavior to counterintelligence officials. The directive effectively deputizes millions of DOD military and civilian employees as counterintelligence agents or informants.
May 18: Letter Urges Release of New START Data
Three former U.S. officials have joined FAS in urging the United States and Russia to continue to declassify the same degree of information about their strategic nuclear forces under the New START treaty as they did during the now-expired START treaty.
May 12: Opinion - Democratic Party Nuclear Energy Policy Lurches from Woe to Woe
Peter Bradford, a former commissioner of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Board Member of the Union of Concerned Scientists, writes about U.S. nuclear energy policy.
May 10: Report on Kabul Bank Corruption Is Classified, Taken Offline
An eye-opening report on corruption in the Afghan Central Bank that was issued last March by the Inspector General of the U.S. Agency for International Development was recently removed from the USAID web site after the Agency decided to classify some of its published contents.
May 6: FBI Made 'National Security Letter' Requests for 14,000+ Americans in 2010
By every available measure, the level of domestic intelligence surveillance activity in 2010 increased from the year before. While the 2010 figures are below the record high levels of a few years ago, they are considerably higher than they were, say, a decade ago.
May 5: Russian Nuclear Forces for 2011
Russia currently has almost 2,430 strategic warheads assigned to operational strategic missiles and bombers, although most of the bomber weapons are probably in central storage. Another 3,700-5,400 nonstrategic warheads are in central storage, of which an estimated 2,080 can be delivered by nonstrategic aircraft, naval vessels and short-range missiles.
May 4: Annual Secrecy Costs Now Exceed $10 Billion
The rise in national security secrecy in the first year of the Obama Administration was matched by a sharp increase in the financial costs of the classification system. The estimated costs of the national security classification system grew by 15% last year to reach $10.17 billion - the first time to exceed $10 billion.
May 2: The Demise of Osama bin Laden
In the immediate aftermath of the death of Osama bin Laden, it seems highly likely that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Agency or elements of the ISI have worked actively against the interests of the United States. Please visit FAS's information resource on Osama bin Laden to learn more about the future policy implications of his death, and for links to past issues of Secrecy News, links to reports such as the original 1998 U.S. indictment of bin Ladin, and a selection of Congressional Research Service reports on Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda, and the War on Terror.
May 2: Globalizing Biosecurity
Dr. Nishal Mohan, director of the FAS Biosecurity Program and executive director of the Virtual Biosecurity Center (VBC), spoke on "Globalizing Biosecurity: The Virtual Biosecurity Center" at Princeton University on April 8, 2011. This talk is part of the Princeton Biosecurity Seminar Series, sponsored by the MacArthur Foundation.
May 2: Limited Offer for New Members
Join FAS by May 31, 2011 and we will send you a copy of Charles Ferguson's new book NUCLEAR ENERGY What Everyone Needs to Know, a retail value of $16.95.
May 2: Special Operations Forces on the Rise
U.S. Special Operations Forces continue to experience rapid post-9/11 growth, with swelling ranks, rising budgets and a new set of missions. Special operations forces were reportedly involved along with CIA personnel in the killing of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan on May 1.
Apr 29: Defense Science Board - Air Force Nuclear Management Needs Improvements
The Pentagon’s Defense Science Board Permanent Task Force on Nuclear Weapons Surety completed a review of the Air Force’s efforts to improve the safety and proficiency of its nuclear bomber and missile units. The report comes after the incident where six nuclear cruise missiles were mistakenly loaded onto a B-52H bomber and flown across the U.S.
Apr 28: Restrictions on Use of WikiLeaks Hamper CRS
Restrictions on the use of published WikiLeaks material remain in effect in much of the government, the New York Times reported, causing considerable confusion and frustration. At the Congressional Research Service, employees have been prohibited from accessing WikiLeaks documents online.
Apr 27: A Discussion on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
This new podcast features FAS Member Dr. Pierce Corden. Topics discussed include the current prospects for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, an assessment of Sen. Jon Kyl’s recent statement about the CTBT, and what we can expect to see in the future from the Obama administration and Congress.
Apr 24: 10 NATO Countries Want More Transparency for Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons
Four NATO countries supported by six others have proposed a series of steps that NATO and Russia should take to increase transparency of U.S. and Russian non-strategic nuclear weapons. The steps are included in a so-called “non-paper” that Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Poland jointly submitted at the NATO Foreign Affairs Minister meeting in Berlin on 14 April.
Apr 22: Most Agencies Are Out of Compliance with Secrecy Policy
Most executive branch agencies failed to meet a deadline set by President Obama to issue implementing regulations for his December 2009 executive order on national security classification policy, dealing a setback to the Administration’s classification reform agenda.
Apr 20: CIA Declassifies Documents from World War I
The Central Intelligence Agency declassified six World War I-era documents describing the use of 'invisible ink' to convey secret messages. The CIA presented the new disclosure as an indication that the declassification process was functioning properly, not that it was dysfunctional.
Apr 19: After the Nuclear Posture Review: Obama's disarming influence
FAS Board Member Dr. Scott Sagan examines in the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists key foreign governments' responses to the U.S. Nuclear Posture Review and writes that President Obama's policy significantly influenced a number of countries' nuclear doctrines and diplomatic postures.
Apr 19: Secrecy Overwhelms U.S. Historical Record
The Department of State is not fulfilling its obligation to produce a 'thorough, reliable, and accurate' account of U.S. foreign policy and there is no foreseeable likelihood that it will do so, an official historical advisory committee told the Secretary of State this month. The 'Foreign Relations of the United States' series is required to fully document the history of U.S. foreign policy no later than 30 years after the fact, but that’s not happening.
Apr 18: Secrecy of Cyber Threats Said to Cause Complacency
The American public does not have an accurate sense of the threat posed by attacks in cyberspace because most of the relevant threat information is classified, according to Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), who introduced legislation last week to raise public awareness of cyber security hazards.
Apr 12: After Fukushima: Rethinking the Case for Nuclear Power’s Expansion
On April 11, FAS hosted a Capitol Hill briefing by Henry Sokolski, Executive Director of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center. Mr. Sokolski discussed the implications of the Fukushima accident for the global expansion of nuclear power. In the presentation, Mr. Sokolski emphasized that nuclear safety must come first.
Apr 8: Presidential Directive on “National Preparedness”
The Obama Administration today released the text of Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) 8 on “National Preparedness.” The Directive, signed by President Obama on March 30, generally calls for development of systematic response plans for natural and manmade disasters, and seeks to enlist broad engagement in the process.
Apr 7: New Japan Earthquake With Tsunami Warning Issued
On April 7, 2011, another powerful earthquake off the northeast coast of Japan generated a tsunami warning for residents to move to higher ground. The tsunami alert raised fears about possible effects at the Fukushima nuclear reactor, which was damaged after the original earthquake four weeks ago.
Apr 7: In Search of “Unfettered Access” to CRS Reports
Members of the public enjoy unrestricted access to all reports of the Congressional Research Service, according to the Librarian of Congress, Dr. James H. Billington. Unfortunately, that assertion is quite wrong.
Apr 4: Decline of Central American Security
Violent instability in Central America poses a growing threat to the countries of the region, with direct and indirect consequences for the United States, according to a new report from the Congressional Research Service.
Apr 1: British Submarines to Receive Upgraded US Nuclear Warhead
Sea-launched ballistic missiles on British ballistic missile submarines will be armed with the upgraded W76-1 nuclear warhead currently in production in the United States, according to a report from Sandia National Laboratories.
Mar 30: Kyl Should Reconsider Opposition to Nuclear Test Ban
FAS President Charles Ferguson discusses arguments put forth by Senator Kyl in a recently published article in The Hill.
Mar 23: Do Not Phase Out Nuclear Power — Yet
Charles Ferguson argues in the new issue of Nature that fission power must remain a part of the energy mix until renewable energy technologies can be scaled up. The ongoing Japanese nuclear crisis should turn attention to ensuring that nuclear power plants meet the highest standards of safety and protection against natural disasters.
Mar 23: Review of CIA Interrogation Program Still Unfinished
It is nearly a decade since the CIA embarked on its controversial post-9/11 program of prisoner detention and interrogation, which included procedures that would later be repudiated and were regarded as torture. But even now, an accurate and complete account of that episode remains unavailable.
Mar 18: Charles Ferguson on NPR's Science Friday from 2-2:45 pm EDT
As continued attempts are made to cool the reactors and spent fuel rod pools at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility, Science Friday host Ira Flatow will discuss the state of the deteriorating situation. Call with questions toll free at 800-989-8255.
Mar 16: Nuclear Crisis in Japan
On March 11, 2011, Japan experienced its worst earthquake in the 140 years of recorded history of earthquake measurements and is experiencing its worst—to date—nuclear incident. The worst-case accident involved a reactor meltdown and substantial release of radioactive materials to the environment.
Mar 16: Total Intelligence Budget for 2007-2009 Disclosed
Military intelligence budget figures that were disclosed last week document the steady rise of the total U.S. intelligence budget from $63.5 billion in FY2007 up to last year’s total of $80.1 billion. The budget is composed of two separate constructs - the National Intelligence Program and the Military Intelligence Program.
Mar 15: Steps Toward a Deal on Enhanced Safeguards for Iran’s Nuclear Program
Because Iran is not likely to give up its existing uranium-enrichment capability, the U.S. and its allies should redouble efforts to enhance nuclear monitoring inside Iran.
Mar 14: FAS President Charles Ferguson on MSNBC's Hardball
Charles Ferguson talked about nuclear safety, protecting against nuclear fallout, nuclear meltdown scenarios, containment, and nuclear reactor design with Chris Matthews.
Mar 14: A Nuclear Safety Wake Up Call for Japan and the World
FAS President Charles Ferguson wrote on the earthquake in Japan and the implications for the future of nuclear power. Read his analysis and recommendations on how to mitigate future risks for Japan and other countries in earthquake prone regions.
Mar 14: New Public Interest Report Now Online
This issue of the FAS Public Interest Report features the FAS Biosecurity Program, nuclear energy programs in China and France, and questions of nuclear deterrence.
Mar 10: Leaks a “Serious Problem” for Defense Intelligence
Unauthorized disclosures of classified information are among 'the major challenges' facing defense intelligence, Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Michael Vickers told Congress.
Mar 7: Number of DoD Contractors in Afghanistan at a Record High
The number of private security contractors (PSC) employed by the Department of Defense in Afghanistan has reached a new record high, according to DoD statistics in a recently updated CRS report. The number of PSC personnel in Afghanistan has more than tripled since June 2009.
Mar 2: Nuclear Hiccup in South Korea: The Limits of Tactical Nukes
A new report claimed that White House coordinator for arms control and weapons of mass destruction, Gary Samore, said the U.S. would redeploy nuclear weapons to South Korea if the South Korean government asked for it.
Mar 2: Public Access to CRS Reports Urged
Dozens of public interest groups wrote to the Librarian of Congress last week to urge him to appoint a new Director of the Congressional Research Service who would work with Congress to promote public access to CRS reports. Several large collections of CRS reports have been placed online by groups, including FAS.
Mar 1: Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons After the Presidential Nuclear Initiatives
On March 1, Hans Kristensen spoke on the status of U.S. and Russian nonstrategic nuclear weapons at 'Next Steps after New START - A Treaty on Tactical Nuclear Weapons'. The event included a keynote speech by Edward Warner, the senior advisor to the under Secretary of Defense for Policy.
Feb 28: Technical Cooperation for Peaceful Nuclear Technologies
FAS President Charles Ferguson spoke at the Department of State’s conference on “Atoms for Development.” He presented on the responsibilities for international cooperation for peaceful nuclear technologies.
Feb 28: Large Release of Intelligence Imagery Foreseen
Millions of feet of film of historical imagery from intelligence satellites may be declassified this year, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency said. For planning purposes, the NGA told potential contractors to assume the need to digitize 'approximately 4 million linear feet of film up to approximately 7 inches in width.'
Feb 25: New Light on U.S. Arms Transfers
FAS acquired two previously unreleased U.S. government reports on arms transfers, one on recent sales of U.S. weapons and the other on arms purchased for the Afghanistan government with U.S. military aid. Both documents were acquired under the Freedom of Information Act.
Feb 22: Nomination Sheds New Light on Intel Policy
Last week the Senate confirmed Stephanie O’Sullivan to be the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, the number two position in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Ms. O’Sullivan will be the fourth person to hold that office.
Feb 21: Serious Game Design - Theme is not Meaning
To design a game that teaches something, first define carefully what that thing is. Two different games may have the same theme, but teach very different aspects. Learn more about the difference between theme and meaning.
Feb 17: Science Diplomacy in the Middle East
The Middle East and North Africa are in transition. Revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt have ousted Presidents Ben Ali and Hosni Mubarak respectively, while Yemenis protest against President Ali Abdullah Salah, who has agreed to step down in the next election.
Feb 17: The Nuclear Weapons Modernization Budget
The Obama administration published its budget request for FY 2012, which includes its plans for maintaining and modernizing its nuclear weapons arsenal. The budget request demonstrates that the administration follows through on its promise to modernize the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal and production facilities.
Feb 14: GAO Report Challenges Nuclear Weapons Spending Spree
At a time when the National Nuclear Security Administration is asking Congress to authorize billions of dollars to modernize its 'aging' nuclear infrastructure, a new report from the General Accounting Office concludes that 'NNSA does not have accurate, reliable, or complete data on the condition and replacement value of its almost 3,000 weapons activities facilities.'
Feb 14: Office of Director of National Intelligence to be Downsized
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) will be 'reduced in its size and budget,' DNI James R. Clapper Jr. told the House Intelligence Committee. The details of the reduction remain to be spelled out.
Feb 9: FAS President Charles Ferguson on the PBS NewsHour
FAS President Charles Ferguson discussed radiological threats and what the United States government has done since September 11, 2001, to secure radioactive sources that could fuel so-called dirty bombs.
Feb 9: Nuclear Research Highlighted by Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists announced that all current and previous Nuclear Notebooks are now freely available online. The Nuclear Notebooks are now the most frequently read articles in the magazine, according to their latest announcement.
Feb 8: FAS Podcast - A Discussion on Wikileaks and Government Secrecy
This FAS Podcast features Steve Aftergood who discusses the release of records by Wikileaks, the consequences of this release, government secrecy issues in 2010, and the Fundamental Classification Guidance Review.
Feb 7: CIA Views Russian Concerns Over Iran’s Space Program
Russian experts are persuaded that Iran’s space program is serving to advance development of intercontinental ballistic missiles that could be used against targets throughout the Middle East and Russia, according to a CIA review of open source reporting.
Feb 4: Want Water Security? Start with Forests
The Convention on Biological Diversity named 2011 the International Year of the Forests. In our urbanized world, many people live detached from forests and wetlands, forgetting their impact upon our daily lives and the essential resources and services we take for granted.
Feb 3: JASON Proposes a “Library of Congress” for Pathogens
In order to help determine the origins of microbial threats in terrorist incidents or epidemics, it would be useful to have a deep archive of various strains of lethal bacteria, the JASON defense advisory panel told the National Counterproliferation Center in a newly released report.
Feb 2: RAND - What Should Be Classified?
What is the rationale for classifying information? The RAND Corporation attempted to answer that question and apply it in practice to a current national security issue. The RAND study was conducted independently of the the Obama administration’s pending Fundamental Classification Guidance Review.
Jan 28: Decision Analysis Approach to Nuclear Fuel Cycle Choices and Security
At a workshop hosted by JHU's U.S.-Korea Institute and the Center for Strategic and International Studies, FAS President Charles Ferguson examined the technical, political, and security factors influencing states' decisions about nuclear fuel cycle choices.
Jan 26: Toward a Negotiated Solution – Solving the Iranian Nuclear Puzzle
FAS President Charles Ferguson spoke at a meeting of the Arms Control Association on the multilateral 'P-5+1' talks with Iran over its nuclear program. How can the IAEA improve monitoring and verification to allow sufficient confidence that Iran’s nuclear fuel-cycle activities are not used for weapons?
Jan 26: Can Climate Change Agreements be Verified?
If meaningful international agreements are reached to limit or reduce the emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, then it will be necessary to verify compliance with such agreements. This turns out to be a challenging problem, involving technical, analytical and political dimensions.
Jan 21: New Analysis Demonstrates Iran Improved Enrichment in 2010
While diplomats and officials claim Iran has slowed down its nuclear drive, new analysis shows that Iran's enrichment capacity grew during 2010 and warns against complacency as five world powers resume talks this week.
Jan 18: A Bumpy Start for Fundamental Classification Review
The Fundamental Classification Guidance Review is the Obama administration’s most ambitious effort to confront overclassification. It requires each agency to conduct a review of its classification guides to identify obsolete classification requirements and to eliminate them.
Jan 13: JASONs Ponder Military Role in Gene Research
The technology for sequencing human DNA is advancing so rapidly and the cost is dropping so quickly that the number of individuals whose DNA has been mapped is expected to soon grow 'from hundreds of people to millions of people,' according to a new Jasons report.
Jan 12: U.S. Nuclear Weapons in Europe
Following NATO's strategic concept and expectations that the next round of U.S.-Russian nuclear arms control negotiations will deal with tactical nuclear weapons in some shape or form, new estimates were published on U.S. nuclear weapons in Europe.
Jan 7: Another Indictment in a Leak Case
The Obama administration announced a 5th prosecution involving unauthorized disclosures of classified information. Former CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling was arrested on charges of disclosing classified intelligence information concerning a foreign nuclear weapons program.
Jan 5: Britain Leads the Way to Global Zero
FAS Chair Harold Smith and Raymond Jeanloz write in Arms Control Today about how the United Kingdom, not the United States or Russia, is leading the way along a path to a possible world without nuclear weapons.
Jan 4: Tightening Security in the 'Post-WikiLeaks' Era
The Obama administration is moving to increase the security of classified information in response to the massive leaks of classified documents to Wikileaks in recent months.
Jan 3: Secrecy and Classification — Two Diverging Domains
One aspect of the current crisis in classification policy is the growing discrepancy between what is secret and what is classified. All too often, official classification controls are imposed on information that is public, thereby generating confusion.
