Friday's Miscellany 05-22-2009

BASIC
· Iran Update, no. 134, 20 May 2009

Brookings Institution
· The 2009 Arab Public Opinion Poll: A View from the Middle East
· Afghanistan Index: Tracking Progress and Security in Post-9/11 Afghanistan [May 19, 2009]
· Civilian Humanitarian Action Needed in Pakistan
· Comparing the U.S. and Soviet Experiences in Afghanistan
· Iraq Index: Tracking Variables of Reconstruction & Security in Post-Saddam Iraq [May 14, 2009]
· A Guide to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
· The Political Implications of the Economic Crisis for the European Union
· Restoring Leadership in the Middle East: A Regional Approach to Peace
· Shrinking the Carbon Footprint of Metropolitan America
· Thresholds in the Process of International Financial Integration

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP)
· Examining Saudi Arabia’s 85 Most Wanted List
· Prospects for Peace: Two-State Solution Q&A
· The Taming of the Great Nuclear Powers

CATO Institute
· The Cost of Zimbabwe's Continuing Farm Invasions

Center for a New American Security
· The Impact of China’s Economic and Security Interests in Continental Asia on the United States

Center for American Progress
· Back on Track to Close Guantánamo
· Beyond the "Reset Button": A Strategy for U.S. Russia Policy
· Interactive Map: As General Motors Goes, So Goes the Nation
· A National Strategy for Global Development
· The Obama Administration and Colombia in 2010: Assessing the Upcoming Presidential Election
· A Renewable Energy Standard: The Proof Is in the States

Center for Defense Information (CDI)
· Overview of the Fiscal Year 2010 Ballistic Missile Defense Budget Request

Center for Naval Analyses
· Powering America's Defense: Energy and the Risks to National Security

Center for Security Policy
· Doomed to Repeat History? Listening to James Woolsey, 'Speaker of Truth'
· The Growing Afghanization of Latin America

Center for Security Studies (CSS)
· No. 55: "Making Waves: Piracy Floods the Horn of Africa" (by Matthew Hulbert)
· No. 54: "Alliance of Contradictions: After NATO's Anniversary Summit" (by Victor Mauer)
· No. 53: "Nuclear Disarmament: US and Russia Resume Negotiations" (by Oliver Thränert)
· No. 52: "Strategic Foresight: Anticipation and Capacity to Act" (by Beat Habegger)

The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA)
· Directed Energy Discussion
· High Energy Laser and High Power Microwave
· Solid-State Laser Weapon Systems: Bridging the Gap -- or Bridge Too Far?

Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
· Afghanistan-Pakistan Resources
· The Afghan-Pakistan War
· The Air War in Afghanistan: The Broader Issue
· An Opportune Moment for a Shared Euro-Atlantic Security Strategy

Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS)
· Securitisation of Islam in Europe

Combating Terrorism
· CTC Sentinel, May 2009, v. 2, no. 5
*Comparing the U.S. and Soviet Experiences in Iraq” by Bruce Riedel
*Quetta: The Headquarters of the Afghan Taliban” by Mukhtar A. Khan
*Examining Saudi Arabia’s 85 Most Wanted List” by Christopher Boucek
*Revisiting Al-Qa`ida’s Anthrax Program” by Rene Pita and Rohan Gunaratna
*The Limits of Iranian Influence Among Gulf Shi`a” by Laurence Louer
*The Funding Methods of Bangladeshi Terrorist Groups” by Paul Cochrane
*Avoiding Suicide Terrorism in Bangladesh” by Ryan Clark and Shafqat Munir

Congress. House. Armed Services Committee
· Hearings
*Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Budget Request on Military Personnel Overview [May 21, 2009]
*Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Budget Request for National Security Space and Missile Defense Programs [May 21, 2009]
*Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act Budget Request for Army Acquisition, Reset, and Modernization Programs [May 21, 2009]
*Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act Budget Request for Air Force Modernization Programs [May 20, 2009]
*Another Crossroads? Professional Military Education Twenty Years after the Goldwater-Nichols Act and the Skelton Panel [May 20, 2009]
*Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Budget Request for Department of Defense Science and Technology Programs [May 20, 2009]
*Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Budget Request for the Military Services’ Operation and Maintenance Funding [May 20, 2009]
*Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Budget Request for Department of the Navy Aviation Programs [May 19, 2009]
*Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Budget Request from the Department of the Air Force [May 19, 2009]
*Measuring Performance: Developing Good Acquisition Metrics [May 19, 2009]

Congress. House. Foreign Affairs Committee
· H.R. 1886: Pakistan Enduring Assistance and Cooperation Enhancement Act of 2009; and H.R. 2410: Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011 [May 20, 2009]

Congress. House. Homeland Security
· Markup of H.Res. 404 [March 19, 2009]

Congress. House. Oversight and Government Reform
· State and Local Pandemic Preparedness [May 20, 2009]

Congress. House. Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
· Still Post-Katrina: How FEMA Decides When Housing Responsibilities End [May 22, 2009]
· Piracy Against U.S.-Flagged Vessels: Lessons Learned [May 20, 2009]
· Aviation Consumer Issues: Emergency Contingency Planning and Outlook for Summer Travel [May 20, 2009] http://transportation.house.gov/hearings/hearingDetail.aspx?NewsID=907
· Recommendation of the National Committee on Levee Safety [May 19, 2009]

Congress. Senate. Armed Services Committee
· Department of the Army in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2010 and the Future Years Defense Program [May 19, 2009]
· Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2010 and the Future Years Defense Program [May 20, 2009]
· Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2010 and the Future Years Defense Program [May 20, 2009]
· Department of the Air Force in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2010 and the Future Years Defense Program [May 21, 2009]

Congress. Senate. Foreign Relations Committee
· A New Strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan [May 21, 2009]
· Foreign Policy Priorities in the President's FY10 International Affairs Budget [May 20, 2009]
· Developing a Coordinated and Sustainable Strategy for Somalia [May 20, 2009]
· Pathways to a "Green" Global Economic Recovery [May 19, 2009]

Congress. Senate. Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee
· Public Health Challenges in Our Nation's Capital [May 19, 2009]
· The Role of the Community Development Block Grant Program in Disaster Recovery [May 20, 2009] · Where Were the Watchdogs? Financial Regulatory Lessons from Abroad [May 21, 2009]

Congress. Senate. Judiciary Committee
· Securing the Borders and America's Points of Entry, What Remains to Be Done [May 20, 2009]

Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
· Alternatives for Modernizing U.S. Fighter Forces
· Appropriation Request for Fiscal Year 2010
· Preliminary Information on the Budgetary Impact of Distributing Carbon Emission Allowances
· The State of the Economy

Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)
· Economic Challenges for Climate Change Policy
· Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (aka Tamil Tigers)

Defense Science Board (DSB)
· Department of Defense Biological Safety and Security Program

Department of Defense Inspector General (DODIG)
· D-2009-075 Afghanistan Security Forces Fund Phase III-Accountability for Weapons Distributed to the Afghanistan National Army, May 21, 2009
· D-2009-076 Afghanistan Security Forces Fund Phase III-U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Real Property Accountability, April 14, 2009

Department of Homeland Security Inspector General
· OIG-09-50 - Information Technology Management Letter for the FY 2008 DHS Financial Statement Audit (Redacted)

Department of the Navy (DON)
· SECNAV 5430.80D Command Relationships When the Coast Guard is Operating as a Service in the Navy

Government Accountability Office (GAO)
· Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands: Coordinated Federal Decisions and Additional Data Are Needed to Manage Potential Economic Impact of Applying U.S. Immigration Law GAO-09-426T [Testimony]
· Designated Federal Entities: Survey of Governance Practices and the Inspector General Role GAO-09-270
· DOD Business Systems Modernization: Recent Slowdown in Institutionalizing Key Management Controls Needs to Be Addressed GAO-09-586
· DOD Personnel Clearances: Comprehensive Timeliness Reporting, Complete Clearance Documentation, and Quality Measures Are Needed to Further Improve the Clearance Process GAO-09-400
· Federal Contractors: Better Performance Information Needed to Support Agency Contract Award Decisions GAO-09-374
· Foreign Assistance: Measures to Prevent Inadvertent Payments to Terrorists under Palestinian Aid Programs Have Been Strengthened, but Some Weaknesses Remain GAO-09-622
· Freight Rail Security: Actions Have Been Taken to Enhance Security, but the Federal Strategy Can Be Strengthened and Security Efforts Better Monitored GAO-09-243
· Information Security: Agencies Make Progress in Implementation of Requirements, but Significant Weaknesses Persist GAO-09-701T [Testimony]
· Joint Strike Fighter: Strong Risk Management Essential as Program Enters Most Challenging Phase GAO-09-711T [Testimony]
· Military Operations: Actions Needed to Improve Oversight and Interagency Coordination for the Commander's Emergency Response Program in Afghanistan GAO-09-615
· Questions for the Record Related to the Implementation of the Department of Defense's National Security Personnel System GAO-09-669R
· Responses to Questions for the Record: March 18, 2009, Hearing on ATC Modernization: Near-Term Achievable Goals GAO-09-718R
· Sovereign Wealth Funds: Laws Limiting Foreign Investment Affect Certain U.S. Assets and Agencies Have Various Enforcement Processes GAO-09-608
· Space Acquisitions: DOD Faces Substantial Challenges in Developing New Space Systems GAO-09-705T [Testimony]

Heritage Foundation
· 20 Years Later: Professional Military Education
· Amnesty as an Economic Stimulus: Not the Answer to the Illegal Immigration Problem
· Bailouts, Abusive Bankruptcies, And the Rule of Law
· Cuba Solidarity Day 2009: Supporting Cuba's Democratic Movement
· Japan's Economic Weakness: A Security Problem for America
· Maintaining the Superiority of America's Defense Industrial Base
· Social Networking and National Security: How to Harness Web 2.0 to Protect the Country
· Son of Waxman-Markey: More Politics Makes for a More Costly Bill
· Who Will Pay for President Obama's Tax Increases?
· Winston Churchill's Constitutionalism: A Critique of Socialism in America

Hudson Institute
· Hudson Economic Report, May 15, 2009

Human Rights Watch
· Ignoring Executions and Torture: Impunity for Bangladesh’s Security Forces
· “The Island of Happiness”: Exploitation of Migrant Workers on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi

Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS)
· Iran’s Procurement of U.S. Military Aircraft Parts: Two Case Studies in Illicit Trade
· ISIS Imagery Brief: “Pakistan Expanding Dera Ghazi Khan Nuclear Site—Time for U.S. to Call for Limits · ISIS Imagery Brief: “Pakistan Expanding Plutonium Separation Facility Near Rawalpindi

Institute for Security Studies (ISS)
· Monograph No 157: To Spy or not to Spy? Intelligence and Democracy in South Africa
· ISS Paper 186: A Bridge Too Far? Considering Security Sector Reform in Africa

International Crisis Group
· Indonesia: Radicalisation of the “Palembang Group”

International Relations and Security Network
· Ahmadinejad Courts Diplomacy
· Costs of War: Ailing Pakistan
· Safeguarding Security in Turbulent Times
· Sri Lanka After the Tigers

Jamestown Foundation
· Terrorism Monitor, May 18, 2009, v. 7, no. 13
*Hizb-ut Towhid Adds to the Jihadi Conundrum in Bangladesh
*British Hostage Threatened with Death Unless Abu Qatada is Released from British Prison
*Morocco's Multi-Pronged Counterterrorism Strategy
*The Swat Conflict: An Arc of Instability Spreading from Afghanistan to Central Asia and Xinjiang

Lexington Institute
· Saudi Fleet Modernization Bolsters Global Partnering

Markle Foundation and Center on Law and Security, NYU School of Law
· Reforming the Culture of National Security: Vision, Clarity, and Accountability

Migration Policy Institute
· Harnessing the Advantages of Immigration for a 21st-Century Economy

National Academies Press
· Beyond 'Fortress America': National Security Controls on Science and Technology in a Globalized World · Evaluation of Safety and Environmental Metrics for Potential Application at Chemical Agent Disposal Facilities [Free download but registration is required]
· Managing Food Safety Practices from Farm to Table: Workshop Summary [Free download but registration is required]
· Mapping the Zone: Improving Flood Map Accuracy
· Opportunities in Neuroscience for Future Army Applications
· Severe Space Weather Events--Understanding Societal and Economic Impacts: A Workshop Report - Extended Summary [Free download but registration is required]

New Jersey State Commission of Investigation
· Gangland Behind Bars: How and Why Organized Criminal Street Gangs Thrive in New Jersey's Prisons . . . And What Can Be Done About It

Palm Center
· How to End “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”: A Roadmap of Political, Legal, Regulatory, and Organizational Steps to Equal Treatment

Police Foundation
· Role of Local Police: Striking a Balance Between Immigration Enforcement and Civil Liberties [large file]

RAND
· Dangerous But Not Omnipotent: Exploring the Reach and Limitations of Iranian Power in the Middle East
· The RAND Palestine Initiative
· The RAND Palestine Initiative - Arabic Translation
· The RAND Palestine Initiative - English Translation
· The RAND Palestine Initiative - Hebrew Translation
· Review of the European Data Protection Directive
· Social Science for Counterterrorism: Putting the Pieces Together

Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR)
· Comprehensive Oversight Plan for Southwest Asia
· SIGAR-Audit-09-1 Contract Oversight Capabilities of the Defense Department’s Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan Need Strengthening
· SIGAR April 30, 2009 Quarterly Report to Congress

Henry L. Stimson Center
· The Global Challenge of Securing Cyberspace
· The Indian Ocean: Resource and Governance Challenges
· Iraqi Refugees and Regional Stability How Its Arab Neighbours Can Help to Build the New Iraq

Strategic Studies Institute
· Cultural Dimensions of Strategy and Policy
· State Supported and State Associated Gangs: Credible "Midwives of New Social Orders"

UK Parliament
· The Defence Contribution to UK National Security and Resilience

UK Security Service MI5
· Could 7/7 Have Been Prevented? Review of the Intelligence on the London Terrorist Attacks on 7 July 2005

Union of Concerned Scientists
· Climate 2030: A National Blueprint for a Clean Energy Economy

United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR)
· 2009 Global Assessment Report of Disaster Risk Reduction: Risk and Poverty in a Changing Climate

United States Institute of Peace (USIP)
· Haiti: Is Economic Security Possible if Diplomats and Donors Do Their Part?
· In the Field: A New Day for Sri Lanka
· In the Field: USIP/State Department Partnership Achieves Success in Iraq: Window On Diyala Province
· The Interior Ministry's Role in Security Sector Reform
· The Limits of Institutional Engineering: Lessons from Iraq
· North Korea, Inc.: Gaining Insights into North Korean Regime Stability from Recent Commercial Activities
· The Real Bridge to Nowhere: China’s Foiled North Korea Strategy
· Unfinished Business in Bosnia and Herzegovina: What Is To Be Done?
· US-Iranian Engagement: Toward A Grand Agenda?

Washington Institute for Near East Policy
· Intelligence Transformation: Meeting New Challenges in the Middle East and Beyond
· The Obama-Netanyahu Meeting: Analysis and Assessment