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Archive for 'Defense'

Climate, Energy, and National Security

In case you missed it, there was a great piece by Alexandra Zavis in the Boston Globe on May 3, “Going green becomes a matter of national security.”
In it, Zavis details how the military is, in many respects, leading the way on climate and energy security–not simply because military leaders say so, but because it [...]

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Posted in: Climate Change, Defense, Energy Security

“Are We Winning?” – Interim Report Released

Today, the American Security Project released an interim update as part of its ongoing “Are We Winning?” study, which found several discouraging trends, including an increase in worldwide Islamic violence and a dampening of the so-called “Obama Effect” in the Muslim world, among other issues.
Click here to listen to audio of a conference call held [...]

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Posted in: Afghanistan, Defense, Homeland Security, Pakistan, Terrorism

U.S. Drones Helping not Hindering Islamic Insurgency in Pakistan

An article today from McClatchy (Do U.S. drones kill Pakistani extremists or recruit them?) further bolsteres the claim that drone attacks in Pakistan’s tribal regions may be doing more harm that good.  The article quotes government and military officials who say the strikes cause Islamic radicals to migrate to urban centers–where they are more difficult [...]

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Posted in: Defense, Pakistan, Terrorism

ASP Senior Fellow Bernard I. Finel Featured in Armed Forces Journal

This month’s issue of Armed Forces Journal features an article by American Security Project Senior Fellow Bernard I. Finel entitled “A Security Strategy We Can Afford.” Read the full article here.
In the piece, Dr. Finel covers many of the issues that The American Security Project has been confronting in regard to defense alternatives and improving [...]

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Posted in: Defense, National Security

Senator John Kerry Visits Gaza

Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and ASP Board Member Senator John Kerry visited Gaza to view the destruction caused by the fighting and view the needs of the area.  According to the New York Times, “Mr. Kerry, who is on a tour of the region, entered Gaza after seeing the remains of Palestinian [...]

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Posted in: Defense, National Security

Economic Instability Poses Security Threat to U.S.

For the first time in six years, terrorism was not presented as the primary danger to the country’s national security, according to Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair.  Instead, the global economic crisis is the top “near-term security concern” facing the U.S. 
Before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Mr. Blair stated that “roughly a [...]

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Posted in: Defense, Terrorism

New Military Budget Numbers Could Be Released Next Week

According to an article in Aviation Week, FY2010 budget request could be issued by the White House Office of Management and Budget as soon as next week.  Aviation Week states that U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates “has been conducting a review of major Pentagon programs to determine possible cuts or terminations to better align the [...]

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Posted in: Defense

Defense Programs vs. the Defense Budget

Good story in the Washington Post today about some specific programs that might be facing cuts: Defense Industry in the Line of Fire.
The key here is to remember that cuts in individual programs are not synonymous with cuts in the overall budget. Public debate on this issue is often startling sloppy. Every campaign [...]

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Posted in: Defense

Another Writer Disproves Kagan’s Op-Ed

In an article for Salon.com, Glenn Greenwald takes apart Robert Kagan’s Op-Ed.  Using the graph below, Greenwald shows U.S. defense spending from 2001-2010. 

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Posted in: Defense

Bloggers Set the Record Straight on Obama’s Defense Budget

In  previous posts, we have addressed the misconception that President Obama is “cutting” the defense budget for FY2009.  However, we are not alone in our debunking of Robert Kagan-esque arguments.  Numerous bloggers have addressed this as well.
Spencer Ackerman discusses the follies of the Robert Kagan Op-Ed on “Attackerman.”
Meteor Blades of “Daily Kos” also pokes large holes in the [...]

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Posted in: Defense

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