Monday, September 28, 2009
REPORT -- Securing Helmand: Understanding and Responding to the Enemy
Their first report was Funar and Nuristan: Rethinking U.S. Counterinsurgency Operations
A summary of the key findings and policy recommendations from their website is copied below for your convenience.
Key Findings and Policy Recommendations
· Helmand Province is critical terrain both for the enemy and for coalition forces.
· Helmand contains important lines of communication for both enemy and friendly forces.
· It is an agricultural hub for Afghanistan and economic nexus for the narcotics trade.
· The overwhelmingly-Pashtun population of Helmand shares ethnic and cultural ties to other areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
· Recent gains enjoyed by insurgents in Helmand have made a deliberate and properly-resourced campaign by coalition forces that much more critical.
· The enemy system in Helmand is resourced and directed by the Quetta Shura Taliban (QST). The enemy is determined, well-organized, and entrenched in the province. In recent years, the enemy has shown its ability to adapt to the evolving conflict by developing and executing coherent campaign plans to achieve its objectives.
· The enemy system in Helmand Province can be divided into three distinct but related enemy systems in the southern, central, and northern Helmand River Valley.
o The southern Helmand River Valley facilitates the movement of foreign fighters and weapons to central Helmand. It also facilitates the refining, storage and eventual movement of narcotics out of Helmand, mainly through the province’s southern border with Pakistan.
o Central Helmand is the enemy’s center of gravity in the province. The heart of the enemy system is located west of the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah and around the province’s economic center in Gereshk in the Nahri Sarraj district.
o The enemy system in northern Helmand is entrenched along the Helmand and Musa Qala Rivers, in and around the fertile farmland mainly used for opium cultivation.
· Success in Helmand requires a comprehensive population-centric counterinsurgency campaign that is properly resourced and executed. Such a campaign seeks to maximize the net effect of limited resources in critical areas by protecting and positively influencing the population. Coalition forces cannot be everywhere and prioritizing objectives is essential.
· Given limited resources, coalition efforts must focus on the critical population centers. For the enemy and indeed, the coalition, the most critical population centers in the province are Lashkar Gah, Gereshk, Nad Ali, Nawa, Garmser, Sangin, Musa Qala, and Kajaki.
· Unity of effort is vital and operations must be mutually-reinforcing in order to achieve maximum impact. Coalition forces must work together to execute a properly coordinated counterinsurgency campaign or their efforts will fail to achieve decisive effects.
o Over the past several years, coalition forces have engaged the insurgency through targeted raids, designed to push insurgents out of a given area. The result has been operations that temporarily clear an area but fail to prevent the return of insurgents.
· The role and responsibilities of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) must be clearly articulated. There has been an overreliance on the Afghan National Police (ANP) in Helmand. The ANP are simply not equipped for the combat-intensive initial phases of counterinsurgency. The appropriate role for the ANP should be maintaining order once the insurgency has been reduced to a manageable level and effective rule of law has been established.
· The Afghan National Army (ANA) are appropriate for the combat-intensive phases of counterinsurgency, though they are not present in sufficient numbers in Helmand. Growing the size of the ANA and advancing its capacity to carry out mission-critical counterinsurgency operations in Helmand will help to relieve some of the burden that is currently shouldered by coalition forces.
Friday's Miscellany 09-25-2009
· Bibliography - North Korea
· Bibliography - Pakistan
American Institute for Contemporary German Studies (AICGS)
· The CDU: Still a Party for the Future?
· Forging New Alliances at Home and Abroad: German Greens in a Post-Industrial Era
· The Liberal Renaissance
· The SPD’s Electoral Dilemmas
· Success After Success, but Clouds Loom on the Horizon: The Left Party in 2009
Association of the US Army (AUSA)
· The Kurdish Question
Atlantic Council
· Renewing Globalization and Economic Growth in a Post-Crisis World: The Future of the G-20 Agenda
Australian Strategic Policy Institute
· After the Global Financial Crisis: Australia and the Chimerica Challenge
· A Long and Winding Road: Australia's Role in Building an Afghan National Army [free download]
Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School
· Russia's Support for Zero: Tactical Move or Long-term Commitment
Center for a New American Security
· China’s Arrival: A Strategic Framework for a Global Relationship
Center for American Progress
· Beyond Business as Usual: G-20 Leaders and Post-Crisis Reconstitution of the International Economic Order
Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS)
· Homeland Security Affairs Journal, September 2009, v. 5, no. 3
*Exercise Evaluation Guides for Public Health Emergency Preparedness by Christine C. Bradshaw and Thomas A. Bartenfeld
*Emergency Response, Public Health and Poison Control: Logical Linkages for Successful Risk Communication and Improved Disaster and Mass Incident Response by Valerie A. Yeager
*Inaccurate Prediction of Nuclear Weapons Effects and Possible Adverse Influences on Nuclear Terrorism Preparedness by Robert C. Harney
*Beyond the Plan: Individual Responder and Family Preparedness in the Resilient Organization by Mark Landahl and Cynthia Cox
*Do Terrorists Win Elections? By John A. Tures
Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS)
· Cuba Outlook: Raul and Beyond
· Enhancing U.S. Leadership on Drinking Water and Sanitation Report
· From Assistance to Engagement—A Model for a New Era in U.S.-Russian Civil Society Relations
· Shape, Clear, Hold, and Build: “The Uncertain Lessons of the Afghan & Iraq Wars (Briefings)
*Part I – Counterinsurgency Lessons
*Part II – Afghanistan
*Part III - Iraq
· The Transatlantic Economic Challenge
Century Foundation
· InsideIran [new website]
Combat Terrorism Center (CTC)
· CTC Sentinel, September 2009, v. 2, no. 9
*Are the Afghan Taliban Involved in International Terrorism? By Anne Stenersen
*The Insurgent-Narcotic Nexus in Helmand Province, By Captain Michael Erwin, U.S. Army
*The Expansion Strategy of Al-Qa`ida in the Arabian Peninsula, By Gregory D. Johnsen
*A Profile of Pakistan's Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, By Arif Jamal
*The Failure of Salafi-Jihadi Insurgent Movements in the Levant, By Bilal Y. Saab
*The Dangerous Ideas of the Neo-Zarqawist Movement, By Murad Batal al-Shishani
*The July 17 Jakarta Suicide Attacks and the Death of Noordin Top, By Noor Huda Ismail
Congress. House. Armed Services Committee
· Hearings
*DOD Supply Chain Management: Can the Department Identify and Meet its Supply Needs Efficiently? [September 24, 2009]
· Skelton: Best Approach in Afghanistan is a Properly Resourced Counter-insurgency Strategy [letter to President Obama]
Congress. House. Energy and Commerce Committee
· A National Interoperable Broadband Network for Public Safety: Recent Developments
· Federal Oversight of High Containment Bio-Laboratories
Congress. House. Homeland Security Committee
· I&A Reconceived: Defining a Homeland Security Intelligence Role
Congress. House. Judiciary Committee
· USA PATRIOT Act
Congress. House. Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
· Risk-based Security in Federal Buildings: Targeting Funds to Real Risks and Eliminating Unnecessary Security Obstacles
Congress. Senate. Armed Services Committee
· President’s Decision on Missile Defense in Europe
Congress. Senate. Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee
· H1N1 Flu: Protecting Our Community
· World at Risk: The Weapons of Mass Destruction Prevention and Preparedness Act of 2009 (S. 1649)
· Defense Contract Audit Agency: Who Is Responsible for Reform?
· A Review of U.S. Diplomatic Readiness: Addressing the Staffing and Foreign Language Challenges Facing the Foreign Service
· A Year Later: Lessons Learned, Progress Made, and Challenges that Remain from Hurricane Ike
Congress. Senate. Judiciary Committee
· Strengthening Security and Oversight at Biological Research Laboratories
· Reauthorizing the USA PATRIOT Act: Ensuring Liberty and Security
Department of Defense (DOD)
· Defense Manpower Requirements Report (DMRR) FY2009
Department of Defense Inspector General (DODIG)
· D-2009-046 Procurement and Delivery of Joint Service Armor Protected Vehicles
· D-2009-103 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Ice and Water Response to the 2008 Hurricane Season
· D-2009-104 Sanitization and Disposal of Excess Information Technology Equipment
· D-2009-105 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Temporary Roofing and Temporary Power Response to the 2008 Hurricane Season
· D-2009-108 U.S. Air Forces Central War Reserve Materiel Contract
Department of Energy Inspector General
· The Management of the National Nuclear Science Administration's Classified Enterprise Secure Network Project
Department of Homeland Security Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA)
· Family Registry and Locator System (NEFRLS)
· Livewave CCTV System
· Core Accounting Suite
Department of Justice Inspector General
· The United States National Central Bureau of INTERPOL
Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI)
· Politics, Terrorism, and the Sunni Divide
· Reforming the Afghan National Police [executive summary]
Governance and Social Development Resource Centre (GSDRC)
· Gender and Elections in Afghanistan
Government Accountability Office (GAO)
· Biosafety Laboratories: BSL-4 Laboratories Improved Perimeter Security Despite Limited Action by CDC, GAO-09-1038T [testimony]
· DCAA Audits: Widespread Problems with Audit Quality Require Significant Reform, GAO-09-468
· DCAA Audits: Widespread Problems with Audit Quality Require Significant Reform, GAO-09-1009T [testimony]
· Defense Acquisitions: Sound Practices Critical to Ensuring Value for the Defense Logistics Agency's Acquisitions, GAO-09-1040T [testimony]
· Defense Contracting Integrity: Opportunities Exist to Improve DOD's Oversight of Contractor Ethics Programs, GAO-09-591
· Defense Contracting Integrity: Survey on Contractor Ethics Programs (GAO-09-646SP, September 2009), an E-supplement to GAO-09-591, GAO-09-646SP
· Department of State: Additional Steps Needed to Address Continuing Staffing and Experience Gaps at Hardship Posts, GAO-09-874
· Department of State: Comprehensive Plan Needed to Address Persistent Foreign Language Shortfalls, GAO-09-955
· Department of State: Persistent Staffing and Foreign Language Gaps Compromise Diplomatic Readiness, GAO-09-1046T [testimony]
· High-Containment Laboratories: National Strategy for Oversight Is Needed, GAO-09-574
· High-Containment Laboratories: National Strategy for Oversight Is Needed, GAO-09-1036T [testimony]
· High-Containment Laboratories: National Strategy for Oversight Is Needed, GAO-09-1045T [testimony]
· HIV/AIDS: Federal and State Efforts to Identify Infected Individuals and Connect Them to Care, GAO-09-985
· Homeland Security: Federal Protective Service Has Taken Some Initial Steps to Address Its Challenges, but Vulnerabilities Still Exist, GAO-09-1047T [testimony]
· Interagency Collaboration: Key Issues for Congressional Oversight of National Security Strategies, Organizations, Workforce, and Information Sharing, GAO-09-904SP
· Military Readiness: DOD Needs to Strengthen Management and Oversight of the Defense Readiness Reporting System, GAO-09-518
· Overseas Contingency Operations: Reported Obligations for the Department of Defense, GAO-09-1022R
· Results-Oriented Management: Strengthening Key Practices at FEMA and Interior Could Promote Greater Use of Performance Information, GAO-09-676
· Recovery Act: Funds Continue to Provide Fiscal Relief to States and Localities, While Accountability and Reporting Challenges Need to Be Fully Addressed, GAO-09-1016
· Recovery Act: Funds Continue to Provide Fiscal Relief to States and Localities, While Accountability and Reporting Challenges Need to Be Fully Addressed (Appendixes), GAO-09-1017SP
· State Department: Wide Range of Emergency Services Provided to American Citizens Overseas, but Improved Monitoring Is Needed, GAO-09-989
· Troubled Asset Relief Program: Status of Government Assistance Provided to AIG, GAO-09-975
· Understanding the Primary Components of the Annual Financial Report of the United States Government, GAO-09-946SP
Heritage Foundation
· Sound Health Care Reform for a Sound Economy: A Response to the CEA Report
Hudson Institute
· Assessing the Obama Administration’s Draft U.N. Security Council Resolution on Nonproliferation and Disarmament
· Nuclear Disarmament, Nonproliferation and the "Credibility Thesis"
· Understanding and Preserving the Foundations of America's Advantage in Asia
· Where is Iraq Going?
Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS)
· The Trials of the German-Iranian Trader Mohsen Vanaki: The German Federal Intelligence Service assesses that Iran likely has a nuclear weapons program
· What is Venezuela Up To? Chavez’s Latest Efforts to Purchase Nuclear Technology are Cause for Concern
Institute for Security Studies (ISS)
· ASR Volume 18 No 3 2009: African Maritime Security
*Maritime Security and International Law in Africa
*Maritime Piracy in Africa: The Humanitarian Dimension
*Bad Order at Sea: From the Gulf of Aden to the Gulf of Guinea
*Sea Piracy and Maritime Security in the Horn of Africa: The Somali Coast and Gulf of Aden in Perspective
*Enhancing Regional Maritime Cooperation in Africa: The Planned End State
Institute for the Study of War
· Afghanistan Force Requirements
IntelCenter
· Jihadi Ops Tempo Statistics (JOTS) v1.7 ["statistical breakout of the frequency of al-Qaeda and affiliate operations from 1998 to 19 Aug. 2009"]
International Center for Transitional Justice
· Transitional Justice in the Context of Ongoing Conflict: The Case of Afghanistan
International Relations and Security Network
· Afghanistan: Fighting Fire with Fire
· Afghanistan's Legitimacy Crisis
· Costs of War: NMD Reset
· The Long Road To 'Chindia'
· Robot Wars: The Hal Factor
· UNSC: What About Africa?
International Security Assistance Force, Afghanistan
· Initial United States Forces - Afghanistan (USAFOR-A) Assessment
Jamestown Foundation
· China Brief, September 24, 2009, v. 9, no. 19
*CCP 17th Central Committee Plenum Skips Xi Jinping and Inner-Party Democracy
*The PRC 60th Anniversary Parade: Equipment on Display, Not Military Capabilities
*Changes in Beijing’s Approach to Overseas Basing?
*A Profile of China's Public Gem: China's Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
· Terrorism Monitor, September 25, 2009, v. 7, no. 29
*Djibouti Facing Local Insurgency and Threats from Somali Insurgents
*Taliban Commander Known as "the Butcher" Dies After Arrest in Swat Valley
*PKK General Says Kurdish Militants Are Ready for War or Peace: An Exclusive Interview with Murat Karayilan
*Death from the Skies: An Overview of the CIA's Drone Campaign in Pakistan--Part One
Lexington Institute
· Details Of Army Truck Award Reveal Numerous Errors
· The All-Volunteer Force Is Becoming Unaffordable
Migration Policy Institute
· Immigrant Detention. Can ICE Meet Its Legal Imperatives and Case Management Responsibilities?
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
· NIST Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards. Release 1.0 (Draft)
National Priorities Project
· Security Spending Primer: Getting Smart About The Pentagon Budget
National Security Archive
· Conspiracy of Silence?: Colombia, the United States and the El Salado Massacre
· U.S. Intelligence and the Detection of the First Soviet Nuclear Test, September 1949
Pakistan Security Research Unit (PSRU)
· Civil Society in Pakistan: Stake Holders in a Contested State
Peterson Institute for International Economics
· Global Economic Prospects as of September 2009: Onward to Global Recovery
Pew Global Attitudes Project
· Troubled by Crime, the Economy, Drugs and Corruption" Most Mexicans See Better Life in U.S. – One-in-Three Would Migrate
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
· Public Support for Afghanistan War Wanes: Majority of Democrats Favor Removing Troops
Pew Research Center - Social & Demographic Trends
· Black-White Conflict Isn’t Society's Largest : The Public Assesses Social Divisions
Rand
· Barriers to the Broad Dissemination of Creative Works in the Arab World
· Defining and Evaluating Reliable Options for Overseas Combat Support Basing
· Evaluating the Long-term Impacts of AmeriCorps Service on Participants
· Integrating Civilian Agencies in Stability Operations
· The Role of Nongovernmental Organizations in Long-Term Human Recovery After Disaster: Reflections From Louisiana Four Years After Hurricane Katrina
Small Wars Journal
· I Can’t Believe We Are Losing To These Guys
· What Really Happened in the Tagab Valley?: A Response to Second Lieutenant James Parker
Strategic Studies Institute (SSI)
· Dealing with Political Ferment in Latin America: The Populist Revival, the Emergence of the Center, and Implications for U.S. Policy
· Iraq: Strategic Reconciliation, Targeting, and Key Leader Engagement
· A "New" Dynamic in the Western Hemisphere Security Environment: The Mexican Zetas and Other Private Armies
Transportation Research Board (TRB)
· Public and Private Sector Interdependence in Freight Transportation Markets
US Institute of Peace (USIP)
· Afghanistan to Recount Some Votes from Aug. 20 Elections Amid Fraud Allegations
· An Education Track for the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process
· Post-Conflict Health Reconstruction: New Foundations for U.S. Policy
· Reinforcing Treasury’s Strategic Roles in International Affairs and National Security
Washington Institute for Near East Policy
· Contending with Transnational Threats: The Role of Special Operations by Adm. Eric Olson, Commander USSOCOM
· Increasing the Focus on Iran's Corruption
· Inside Iranian Politics and Nuclear Strategy: A G-20 Briefing
· Lebanon: Back to Square One?
· Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan: Hamas in Ascendance
· Qadhafi at the UN: How to Be Washington's Friend
· Transition in Egypt: Radicals on the Rise?
White House Council on Environmental Quality
· Interim Report of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force
World Bank
· World Development Report 2010: Development and Climate Change
World Public Opinion.org
· Iranians Public on Current Issues
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
CNAS report on U.S.-China Relationship
Summary from their website -
"China’s rise is one of the most significant geopolitical events in modern history, with important ramifications for U.S. interests, regional power balances, and the international order. As the Obama administration confronts a broad set of worldwide challenges, questions remain as to how the United States should engage China amidst uncertainty about its long-term intentions and how to balance this important relationship against concerns regarding China’s behavior in the international community.
This report takes into account the global significance of China’s rise, examines the ever expanding U.S.-China relationship, and proposes a strategy for future engagement
Monday, September 21, 2009
Defense Manpower Requirements Report - FY2009
It and some of the previous ones are available at http://www.defenselink.mil/prhome/pi.html
This annual report is used to explain the DOD manpower requirements incorporated in the President's budget. It is intended to look at the make-up of the Total Force and does include Active and Reserve Components as well as civilian needs. The various chapters focus on things such as:
- the total number of DoD-wide personnel (military and civilian);
- estimated manpower requirements by force and infrastructure categories for each Service;
- active duty officer and enlisted personnel;
- medical manpower requirements and justifications;
- and a narrative of manpower request justifications from the Services.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
GEN McChrystal's Inital Assessment on Afghanistan
See the related WP article "McChrystal: More Forces or 'Mission Failure': Top U.S. Commander for Afghan War Calls Next 12 Months Decisive"
Friday's Miscellany 09-18-2009
• Toward an Afghan Democracy?: Exploring Perceptions of Democratisation in Afghanistan
American Enterprise Institute
• The Deficit Endgame
• Making Securitization Work for Financial Stability and Economic Growth
American Institute for Contemporary German Studies (AICGS)
• Revisiting “Deutsche Mark Diplomacy”: Applying German Economic Statecraft to the Sino-Russian Axis on Iran’s Nuclear Issue
• The SPD’s Electoral Dilemmas
• Success After Success, but Clouds Loom on the Horizon: The Left Party in 2009
Amnesty International
• Saudi Arabia: Countering Terrorism with Repression
• USA Must Grant Bagram Detainees Access to US Courts
Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
• Improving U.S.-China Relations: The Next Steps
• Public Diplomacy: Ideas for the War of Ideas
Berghof Research Center
• Conflict Parties' Interests in Mediation
Brookings Institution
• G-20 Summit: Recovering from the Crisis
• Previewing the U.S. Agenda for the United Nations General Assembly
• The U.S. Intelligence Community and Foreign Policy: Getting Analysis Right
Canada's Engagement in Afghanistan
• Canada's Engagement in Afghanistan, Report to Parliament, June 2009
• Previous reports
Canadian Defence & Foreign Affairs Institute (CDFAI)
• Mr. Harper Goes to Washington
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
• NATO and Russia: A New Beginning
• The Significance of Japan’s New Government
• Why Obama is Right on Missile Defense—What's Next?
CATO
• Escaping the “Graveyard of Empires:” A Strategy to Exit Afghanistan
• Getting What You Paid For – Paying For What You Get: Proposals for the Next Transportation Reauthorization
Center for a New American Security
• A ‘Better War’ in Afghanistan: A Congressional Testimony
Center for American Progress
• Haiti’s Changing Tide: A Sustainable Security Case Study
Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA)
• An Air Force Strategy for the Long Haul
Center on International Cooperation (CIC)
• The Public Cost of Private Security in Afghanistan
Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS)
• Burma, Senator, Webb, and U Win Tin
• Kazakhstan’s Contribution to the OSCE Economic Dimension
• The Levin “Plan:” A Wrong Approach in Afghanistan
• Winning in Afghanistan: How the US Will Win or Lose the War
Chatham House
• Defining US and NATO Priorities
• Securing the Promise of Nanotechnologies: Towards Transatlantic Regulatory Cooperation
• Who Owns Our Low Carbon Future? Intellectual Property and Energy Technologies
Congress. House. Armed Services Committee
• Hearings
*The Department of Defense and Industry: Does DOD Effectively Manage its Industrial Base and Match its Acquisition Strategies to the Marketplace? [September 17, 2009]
*Charting the Course for Effective Professional Military Education. [September 10, 2009]
Congress. House. Energy and Commerce Committee
• Preparing for the 2009 Pandemic Flu
Congress. House. Foreign Affairs Committee
• United Nations Chapter VII Mandates and the U.S.-Iraq Bilateral Agreement
• Outlook for Iraq and U.S. Policy
• U.S.-China Relations: Maximizing the Effectiveness of the Strategic and Economic Dialogue
Congress. House. Homeland Security Committee
• The Secure Border Initiative: SBInet Three Years Later
• Status Report on Federal and Local Efforts to Secure Radiological Sources
Congress. Senate. Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee
• Aviation Safety: The Hudson River Midair Collision and the Safety Of Air Operations in Congested Space
Congress. Senate. Foreign Relations Committee
• Countering the Threat of Failure in Afghanistan
• Exploring Three Strategies for Afghanistan
• Iraq: Report from the Field
Congress. Senate. Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee
• Security Clearance Reform: Moving Forward on Modernization
• Cyber Attacks: Protecting Industry Against Growing Threats
• Follow the Money: An Update on Stimulus Spending, Transparency, and Fraud Prevention
Congress. Senate. Judiciary Committee
• Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
• The Economic Effects of Legislation to Reduce Greenhouse-Gas Emissions
Department of Defense (DOD)
• DoD Base Structure Report Fiscal Year 2009 Baseline (09/2009)
• Selected Acquisition Report, September 2009
Department of Defense Inspector General (DODIG)
• D-2009-102 Price Reasonableness Determinations for Contracts Awarded by the U.S. Special Operations Command
• IE-2009-007 Interagency Evaluation of the Section 1206 Global Train and Equip Program
Department of Homeland Security
• Homeland Security Advisory System: Task force Report and Recommendations
Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Management Reports
• OIG-09-87 - Status of Disaster Recovery Planning for Information Systems at the Nebraska Avenue Complex (Unclassified Summary)
• OIG-09-97 - Transportation Security Administration Privacy Stewardship
• OIG-09-98 - Improved Management and Stronger Leadership are Essential to Complete the OneNet Implementation (Redacted)
Department of Homeland Security Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA)
• Critical Infrastructure Change Detection (CICD)
• Marine Information for Safety and Law Enforcement (MISLE)
Director of National Intelligence (DNI)
• National Intelligence Strategy
• Fact sheet
• FAQ
Electronic Privacy Information Center
• EPIC Privacy Report Card
Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI)
• Politics, Terrorism, and the Sunni Divide
Government Accountability Office (GAO)
• Combating Nuclear Terrorism: Preliminary Observations on Preparedness to Recover from Possible Attacks Using Radiological or Nuclear Materials, GAO-09-996T [testimony]
• Depot Maintenance: Improved Strategic Planning Needed to Ensure That Army and Marine Corps Depots Can Meet Future Maintenance Requirements, GAO-09-865
• DOD Business Systems Modernization: Navy Implementing a Number of Key Management Controls on Enterprise Resource Planning System, but Improvements Still Needed, GAO-09-841
• Energy Policy Act of 2005: Greater Clarity Needed to Address Concerns with Categorical Exclusions for Oil and Gas Development under Section 390 of the Act, GAO-09-872
• Federal Oil And Gas Management: Opportunities Exist to Improve Oversight, GAO-09-1014T [testimony]
• Homeland Defense: Greater Focus on Analysis of Alternatives and Threats Needed to Improve DOD's Strategic Nuclear Weapons Security, GAO-09-828
• Homeland Security: Despite Progress, DHS Continues to Be Challenged in Managing Its Multi-Billion Dollar Annual Investment in Large-Scale Information Technology Systems, GAO-09-1002T [testimony]
• Human Capital: Improved Tracking and Additional Actions Needed to Ensure the Timely and Accurate Delivery of Compensation and Medical Benefits to Deployed Civilians, GAO-09-1019T [testimony]
• Missile Defense: DOD Needs to More Fully Assess Requirements and Establish Operational Units before Fielding New Capabilities, GAO-09-856
• Nuclear Nonproliferation: National Nuclear Security Administration Has Improved the Security of Reactors in its Global Research Reactor Program, but Action Is Needed to Address Remaining Concerns, GAO-09-949
• Personnel Security Clearances: Progress Has Been Made to Reduce Delays but Further Actions Are Needed to Enhance Quality and Sustain Reform Efforts, GAO-09-684T [testimony]
• Reserve Forces: Army Needs to Finalize an Implementation Plan and Funding Strategy for Sustaining an Operational Reserve Force, GAO-09-898
• Secure Border Initiative: Technology Deployment Delays Persist and the Impact of Border Fencing Has Not Been Assessed, GAO-09-896
• Secure Border Initiative: Technology Deployment Delays Persist and the Impact of Border Fencing Has Not Been Assessed, GAO-09-1013T [testimony]
Henley-Putnam University
• Journal of Strategic Security, August/September 2009, v. 2, no. 3
*Countering the Somali Pirates: Harmonizing the International Response
*The Tipping Point: Biological Terrorism
*START: Overcoming Remaining Challenges
*What Price Security?
*Decision Support for Countering Terrorist Threats against Transportation Networks
*Keeping our Campuses and Communities Safe
Human Rights Council
• Human Rights in Palestine and Other Occupied Arab Territories: Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict
Institute for Security Studies
• Unpacking the Zimbabwe Crisis: A Situation Report
• ISS Paper 199: Providing Security and Justice for the People Security Sector Reform in Zimbabwe
• ISS Paper 198: The Somalia Conflict, Implications for Peacemaking and Peacekeeping Efforts
• The Regional Dimensions of the War in Northern Uganda
• ISS Paper 197: The AU and the Challenge of Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa
International Council on Security and Development
• New Approaches to Public Security and Drug Policy
• Political Quagmire in Afghanistan
International Crisis Group
• China’s Myanmar Dilemma
International Relations and Security Network
• Al-Hariri Faces Uphill Task
• Blackwater Forever
• Galileo: Failure to Launch
• The Truth About 'Truth' Commissions
Iran Watch
• Full text of Iran’s Proposal for Comprehensive and Constructive Negotiations
• Iran’s Missile Program Making Steady Progress: An Interview with Uzi Rubin
Jamestown Foundation
• Terrorism Monitor, September 17, 2009, v. 7, no. 28
*Jihadis Speculate on al-Qaeda's Nuclear Strategy
*Al-Qaeda Attempt on Saudi Royal's Life Signals Tactical and Strategic Changes
*Iraqi Insurgents Take the Offensive as Parliamentary Elections Approach
*At the Center of the Storm: An Interview with Afghanistan's Lieutenant General Hadi Khalid -- Part Two
National Academies Press
• Avoiding Technology Surprise for Tomorrow's Warfighter: A Symposium Report [free download but registration is required]
• The Disposal of Activated Carbon from Chemical Agent Disposal Facilities [free download but registration is required]
• Sixteenth Interim Report of the Committee on Acute Exposure Guideline Levels [free download but registration is required]
NATO Defense College
• Arguing Afghanistan: What the Detractors of NATO's Mission Get Wrong
• NATO and the new US “Af-Pak” Strategy
• SECURING THE COMMONS: Towards NATO’s New Maritime Strategy
New America Foundation
• 100 Megabits or Bust!
• Overcoming America’s Debt Overhang: The Case for Inflation
• Pakistani Capabilities for a Counterinsurgency Campaign: A Net Assessment
OpenTheGovernment.org
• Secrecy Report Card09: Indicators of Secrecy in the Federal Government
Peterson Institute for International Economics
• Reform from Below: Behavioral and Institutional Change in North Korea
• Why SDRs Could Rival the Dollar
Rand
• China’s International Behavior: Activism, Opportunism, and Diversification
• The Evolving Terrorist Threat to Southeast Asia
• Living Conditions in Anbar Province in June 2008
• Security in Mexico: Implications for U.S. Policy Options
• Strengthening U.S. International Energy Assistance to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Improve Energy Security
Small Wars Journal
• Theory, Policy, and Strategy: A Conceptual Muddle
• The Art of Declaring Victory and Going Home: Strategic Communication and the Management of Expectations
• The Army After This
• When a Cup of Coffee Becomes a Soy Decaf Mint Mocha Chip Frappuccino
• Fulbright Scholars Want to Pave Way to Brighter Future for Iraq
Stimson
• Peacekeeping Dues and Dont’s: A Checklist for the Next President
Strategic Studies Institute (SSI)
• Alien: How Operational Art Devoured Strategy
• Baghdad ER--Revisited
• Escalation and Intrawar Deterrence During Limited Wars in the Middle East
• Iraq: Strategic Reconciliation, Targeting, and Key Leader Engagement
• Russian Elite Image of Iran: From the Late Soviet Era to the Present
Treasury Department
• The Next Phase of Government Financial Stabilization and Rehabilitation Policies
Truman National Security Project
• Climate Change: A New Threat to National Security
UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
• Anti-Corruption Policies and Measures of the Fortune Global 500
US Institute of Peace
• Preventing Violent Conflict: Assessing Progress, Meeting Challenges
Washington Institute for Near East Policy
• After King Abdullah: Succession in Saudi Arabia
• Beyond Settlements: U.S. Policy Options Going Forward
• Breaking Stalemates on Iran and Syria at the IAEA
• Broadening the U.S. Approach on Iran
• Changing Conventional Military Balance in the Gulf
• Contending with Transnational Threats: The Role of Special Operations
• Economic Challenges and Opportunities for Israel and the Palestinians
• Quds Day in Iran: Velvet Revolution Trumps Nuclear Negotiations
• Saudi Oil Policy: An Unlikely Weapon to Pressure Iran
World Public Opinion.org
• Global Poll Shows Support for Increased Government Spending and Regulation
• Global Poll: Widespread Perception of Serious Lack of Political Tolerance
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
REPORT - 2009 National Intelligence Strategy
The ODNI has released its latest National Intelligence Strategy.
Related information includes:
According to their press release, the strategy defines 4 IC-wide goals: enable wise national security policies, support national security actions, deliver top-notch capabilities, and operate as a team. It also explains the IC objective and how they intend to accomplish them.
The 6 “mission objectives” are: 1) Combat Violent Extremism; 2) Counter WMD Proliferation; 3) Provide Strategic Intelligence and Warning; 4) Integrate Counterintelligence capabilities; 5) Enhance Cybersecurity; and 6) Support Current Operations (ongoing U.S. diplomatic, military, and law enforcement operations).
The 7 “enterprise objectives” are: 1) Enhance Community Mission Management; 2) Strengthen Partnerships; 3) Streamline Business Processes; 4) Improve Information Integration & Sharing; 5) Advance S&T/R&D; 6) Develop the Workforce; and 7) Improve Acquisition.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Friday's Miscellany 09-11-2009
• Polling Day Fraud in the Afghan Elections
American Security Project
• Climate Security Index
Association of the United States Army (AUSA)
• Securing Cyberspace: Guarding the New Frontier
Atlantic Council of the United States (ACUS)
• 9/11 Plus 8: Is Bin Laden a Failure?
Berghof Research Center for Constructive Conflict Management
• Rethinking Conflict Transformation from a Human Rights Perspective
Brookings
• Climate Change Policy: Recommendations to Reach Consensus
• Four Ways to Help Africa?
• How Computer Modeling Can Stem the Spread of Influenza
• Monetary Policy Challenges for Emerging Market Economies
• Simulating the Effect of the “Great Recession” on Poverty
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP)
• Arab Reform Bulletin, September 2009, v. 7, no. 7
*Obama Administration Policy on Democracy and the Arab World
*Iraq: National Implications of the Kurdish Elections
*Ending Jihadism? The Transformation of Armed Islamist Movements
*Impact of the Arab Human Development Reports
*Rebellions and the Existential Crisis
• Deterring Safeguards Violations
• Recovery: The Global Financial Crisis and Middle-Income Countries
• Yemen: Avoiding a Downward Spiral
• What's Really Happening in Afghanistan: A Report from the Front
CATO Institute
• Halfway to Where? Answering the Key Questions of Health Care Reform
• A Harsh Climate for Trade: How Climate Change Proposals Threaten Global Commerce
• High-Speed Rail Is Not “Interstate 2.0”
• Myth v. Fact: Afghanistan
• Nuclear Proliferation Update, September 2009
*Negotiating with North Korea: Who’s In Charge?
*Engaging China to Solve the North Korea Problem
Center for American Progress
• Waste Not, Watt Not: The American Clean Energy and Security Act Funds State Energy Efficiency Programs
Center for Immigration Studies (CIS)
• Illegal Immigrants and HR 3200: Estimate of Potential Costs to Taxpayers
Center for Security Policy
• America's Exceptional Ally
• Betraying Our Dead
• EMP and You
• Is Ecuador's Lawsuit Against Chevron 'Messianic' Justice?
• Time's Up on Iran
• Understanding 9/11: Allen West & Walid Phares
• Would Obama Really Fight the War?
Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA)
• The F-22 Program in Retrospect
Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS)
• The 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review—A+, F, or Dead on Arrival?
• Policy Brief Number 3: Supporting Kazakhstan’s OSCE Chairmanship Agenda
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• HIV Prevention in the United States: At a Critical Crossroads
Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) Task Force on Developing Countries
• The Effect of the World Financial Crisis on Developing Countries: An Initial Assessment
Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
• Measuring the Effects of the Business Cycle on the Federal Budget: An Update
• Will the Demand for Assets Fall When the Baby Boomers Retire?
Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)
• Afghanistan's Troop Deficit Problem
• Is New York a Counterterrorism Model?
• Talks on Nuclear Issue Unlikely with 'Unsettled' Iran
• Understanding the Armed Groups of the Niger Delta
Department of Homeland Security Inspector General
• OIG-09-92 - Evaluation of DHS' Security Program and Practices For Its Intelligence Systems for Fiscal Year 2009 (Unclassified Summary)
Department of Homeland Security Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA)
• e-Law Enforcement Officer Logbook Program
Department of Justice
• Privacy and Civil Liberties Policy Development guide and Implementation Templates
Department of State Inspector General
• Audit of Procurement Competition for the New Embassy Compound at Baghdad, Iraq (AUD/IQO-09-04) Dec 08
• Report on Indirect Cost Rates Proposed by the National Committee on United States-China Relations, Inc. (AUD/CG-09-23) Aug 09
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
• FCC Preparedness for Major Public Emergencies
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
• DHS/DOJ Fusion Process Technical Assistance Program and Services: Considerations for Fusion Center and Emergency Operations Center Coordination Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 502 – Draft
German Marshall Fund of the United States
• Transatlantic Trends Topline Data 2009
Government Accountability Office (GAO)
• Afghanistan and Pakistan: Oversight of U.S. Interagency Efforts, GAO-09-1015T [testimony]
• Homeland Defense: U.S. Northern Command Has a Strong Exercise Program, but Involvement of Interagency Partners and States Can Be Improved, GAO-09-849
• Military Base Realignments and Closures: Transportation Impact of Personnel Increases Will Be Significant, but Long-Term Costs Are Uncertain and Direct Federal Support Is Limited, GAO-09-750
• Recovery Act: States' and Localities' Current and Planned Uses of Funds While Facing Fiscal Stresses, GAO-09-908T [testimony]
• Wildland Fire Management: Federal Agencies Have Taken Important Steps Forward, but Additional, Strategic Action is Needed to Capitalize on Those Steps, GAO-09-877
Heritage Foundation
• Alaska’s Strategic Role in the Defense of the US and the Vital Role of Missile Defense
• Critical Reforms Required for U.N. Peacekeeping
• Eight Years after 9/11: Analyzing Congress's Homeland Security Agenda
• Maintaining Full-Spectrum Capabilities in an Operating Environment of Hybrid Threats: The Army’s Future Requirements
• President Obama Must Not Surrender to Russian on Missile Defense
• Swine Flu: What Every American Should Know
Huffington Post
• Afghanistan by the Numbers
Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA)
• Caretaking Democracy: Political Process in Bangladesh, 2006-08
• Monthly News Digest on Pakistan Occupied Kashmir [Sept 2009 ed]
*Empowerment & Self-governance Package or Governor’s Rule in Gilgit-Baltistan - Senge Hasnan Sering
*Political Developments Pak Renames the Northern Areas as Gilgit-Baltistan PML-Q Rejects New Package Religious Extremism in NWFP, Swat and Chitral: Impact on Gilgit-Baltistan Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir in the Line of Fire
*Economic Developments Prices Soar in Gilgit 4,500 MW Bhasha Dam Cleared by Ecnec LoC-trade Hits Roadblock
*International Developments China's Growing Role in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir
*Other Developments Govt to Promote Solar Water Heaters to Cut Gas Consumption
Institute for Security Studies
• ISS Paper 197: The AU and the Challenge of Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa
• The Regional Dimensions of the War in Northern Uganda
• ISS Paper 198: The Somalia Conflict, Implications for Peacemaking and Peacekeeping Efforts
• ISS Paper 199: Providing Security and Justice for the People Security Sector Reform in Zimbabwe
Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS)
• No Reconstruction at the Yongbyon Reactor Site
Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU)
• The Costs and Requirements of Engaging the Muslim World
• Death by Culture?: How Not to Talk about Islam and Domestic Violence
• Helping Pakistan Defeat the Taliban: A Joint Action Agenda for the United States & Pakistan
• The United States and Political Islam: The Dialectic of Hegemony and Resistance
International Council on Security and Development (ICOS)
• Taliban Presence Map: January-September 2009
International Crisis Group
• CrisisWatch #73, 1 September 2009
International Energy Administration (IEA)
• Monthly Natural Gas Survey, June 2009
• Monthly Oil Survey, June 2009
International Relations and Security Network
• Assessing an Afghanistan Withdrawal
• Clouds of War Over Burma
• Democracy: A Problematic Panacea
• Costs of War: Elusive Afghan Goals
• Filtering the War
• Mongolia: Desert Boom
• The Question Russians Are Afraid To Ask
• The Three-Headed Dragon
• World: Thirst for Water
IranTracker
• Iran's September
• The King is Dead, Long Live the King: Hakimullah Mehsud Takes Power in the TTP
Islamabad Policy Research Institute
• IPRI Journal, Summer 2009, v. 9, no. 2
*The Role of Observers in SAARC
*Pakistan Jihad: The Making of Religious Terrorism
*United States’ Attempt to Balance the Rise of China in Asia
*Analyzing Domestic Terrorism as a Threat to Pakistan’s Security and the Policy Response
*Geopolitics of the Persian Gulf Security: Iran and the United States
*Borderland Interaction: The Case of Pak-Iranian Baloch
*Joint Declaration Pakistan and Afghanistan
*National Assembly’s Resolution on Swat
*MoU for Gift of Used Power Plants by UAE
*Statement of Foreign Minister at the Munich Young Leaders Round Table on Security Policy
*Prime Minister’s Speech on Reinstatement of Judges
*Statement of Foreign Minister at the International Conference on Afghanistan
*Joint Statement of Afghanistan, Turkey and Pakistan
*Resolution on Shariah Nizam-e-Adl Regulation 2009
*Text of the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation 2009
*Chair’s Statement at the Ministerial Meeting of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan, Tokyo
*Joint Statement First Meeting of Foreign Ministers of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan on Trilateral Cooperation
*President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari’s Interview by Wolf Blitzer, CNN
*President Asif Ali Zardari and President Hamid Karzai’s Interview by Charlie Rose, NBC News
*President Asif Ali Zardari and President Hamid Karzai’s Interview by David Gregory, NBC News
*Prime Minister’s Address at the Third Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA)
*Joint Statement of Prime Minister Gordon Brown and President Asif Ali Zardari
*Text of Tehran Declaration of Tri-lateral Summit
*President Obama’s Speech in Cairo
*Text of Budget Speech 2009
Jamestown Foundation
• China Brief, September 10, 2009, v. 9, no. 18
*Sea-change in Japanese Politics Offers Hopes for Better Ties with China by Willy Lam
*Emerging Fault Lines in Sino-Burmese Relations: The Kokang Incident by Ian Storey
*Military Buildup Across the Himalayas: A Shaky Balance by Vijay Sakhuja
*The Geopolitics of Cross-Strait Disaster Relief by Drew Thompson
• Terrorism Monitor, v. 7, no. 27, September 11, 2009
*The Implications of Abdul Aziz al-Hakim's Death for Iraqi Security by Babak Rahimi
*Did Somalia's al-Shabaab Plan to Attack the Australian Military? by Raffaello Pantucci
*The Concept of Safe Havens in Salafi-Jihadi Strategy by Murad Batal al-Shishani
*At the Center of the Storm: An Interview with Afghanistan's Lieutenant General Hadi Khalid - Part One by Derek Henry Flood
Lexington Institute
• Raulonomics: Though Diagnosis and Partial Prescriptions in Raul Castro’s Economic Policies
• Reversing Industrial Decline: A Role for the Defense Budget
Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP)
• Middle East Report Online, September 11, 2009
• Dismantling the Matrix of Control
Migration Policy Institute (MPI)
• Immigrant Detention: Can ICE Meet Its Legal Imperatives and Case Management Responsibilities?
National Academies Press
• Respiratory Protection for Healthcare Workers in the Workplace Against Novel H1N1 Influenza A: A Letter Report [free download but registration is required]
• The Swine Flu Affair: Decision-Making on a Slippery Disease [free download but registration is required]
National Security Archive
• The Nuclear Vault - Previously Classified Interviews with Former Soviet Officials Reveal U.S. Strategic Intelligence Failure Over Decades
Pakistan Security Research Unit (PSRU) [Uni of Bradford]
• The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan: Ideology and Beliefs
Peterson Institute for International Economics
• The Future of the Dollar
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
• Views of Religious Similarities and Differences: Muslims Widely Seen as Facing Discrimination
Pew Global Attitudes Project
• Declining Support for bin Laden and Suicide Bombing
Pew Internet & American Life Project
• The Internet as a Diversion
Rand
• New Tools for Assessing State and Local Capabilities for Countermeasure Delivery
• Recruiting Minorities: What Explains Recent Trends in the Army and Navy?
Small Wars Journal
• Tactical Strategic Communication!: Placing Informational Effect at the Centre of Command
Southwest Asia Joint Planning Group
• Comprehensive Oversight Plan: Afghanistan–Pakistan Fourth Quarter Fiscal Year 2009 Through Fiscal Year 2010
• April 2009 plan
• November 2008 plan
Stimson Center
• Fifteen Forty or Fight: This Bush Initiative is Worth Keeping
• Violence in Southern Thailand: More than Just Religion
UC Davis Health System Violence Prevention Research Program
• Inside Gun Shows: What Gon When Everybody Thinks Nobody's Watching
UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo/Office of the High Commission for Human Rights
• Consolidated Investigation Report of the United Nations Joint Human Right Office (UNJHRO) Following Widespread Looting and Grave Violations of Human Rights by the Congolese National Armed Forces in Goma and Kanyabayonga in October and November 2008
• Consolidated Report on Investigations Conducted by the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) into Grave Human Rights Abuses Committed in Kiwanja, North Kivu, in November 2008
US Institute of Peace (USIP)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina: Parsing the Options
• Promoting Cross-LoC Trade in Kashmir: An Analysis of the Joint Chamber
• Six Important Issues for Sudan and Its Future
US Joint Forces Command
• Pre-Deployment Afghanistan Reading List
Washington Institute for Near East Policy
• After the Crackdown: The Iran Democracy Fund
• Countering Today's Enduring and Adaptive Terrorist Threats
• Facing Homegrown Radicalization
• What Next for Syria?
World Public Opinion.org
• World Publics Strongly Favor International Observers for Elections, Including Their Own