Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Afghanistan in 2009: A Survey of the Afghan People

The Asia Foundation released its fifth survey of the Afghan people. The report is "Afghanistan in 2009: A Survey of the Afghan People"

According to their website "The Asia Foundation released its fifth survey of the Afghan people. Aiming to provide the Afghan citizenry, policy makers and influential actors in government, civil society, and the international community with useful, actionable information, the 2009 Survey of the Afghan People is a comprehensive assessment of national perception in key policy areas. These areas include: security, economy, governance, democratic values, and women and society. The 2009 fieldwork was conducted during June 17-July 6, prior to the August 20 elections, and builds upon previous surveys conducted in 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008. Its value can be found in its rigorous methodology and reliable consistency in measuring public perceptions on a range of crucial issues each year"

The previous surveys which can be found as follows
2008
2007
2006
2004

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Friday's Miscellany 10-23-2009

Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC)
· AIHRC-UNAMA Joint Monitoring of Political Rights Presidential and Provincial Council Elections Third Report 1 August – 21 October 2009


Afghanistan NGO Safety Office (ANSO)
· ANSO Report 1-15 October 2009


Belfer Center
· Forgotten Frontlines: The Case for a New U.S. Approach Towards the Palestinian Camps of Lebanon

· A Portfolio of Domestic Commitments: Implementing Common but Differentiated Responsibilities
· Strategic Advantage: Why America Should Care About Cybersecurity
· Three Pillars of Post-2012 International Climate Policy

Brookings Institution
· Afghanistan Index: Tracking Progress and Security in Post-9/11 Afghanistan

· An African Solution to Internal Displacement: AU Leaders Agree to Landmark Convention

· How to Steal from Our Troops: The Annual Defense Budget Raid

· Iraq's Economy Needs More Than Security

· Iraq Index: Tracking Reconstruction and Security in Post-Saddam Iraq
· Same Rules, New Dimensions For Mongolia's National Security: Adapting to the New Geo-Economic Environment
· A Proposal for a "Bosworth Process" with North Korea: Denuclearization and Beyond

· U.S. Counternarcotics Strategy in Afghanistan

Bureau of Labor Statistics
· Pay Off Debt, Spend, or Save? The 2008 Economic Stimulus Payments


Canadian Defence & Foreign Affairs Institute (CDFAI)
· China Ascending


Center for a New American Security (CNAS)
· Afghanistan 2011: Three Scenarios


Center for American Progress
· Impressions from Iraq: Part Two

· Keep Pushing Effective Governance in Afghanistan

Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA)
· Avoiding a DoD Bailout

· Strategy for the Long Haul: Regaining Strategic Competence

Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
· China’s Health amidst the Global Economic Crisis

· Is China Ready to Challenge the Dollar?

· The "Korean" Cyber Attacks and Their Implications for Cyber Conflict


Center for Systemic Peace
· Major Episodes of Political Violence 1946-2009

· Measuring Systemic Peace


Center for Terrorism Law
· Terrorism Law Report, v. 1, no. 2, Fall 2009


Center on U.S.- China Relations & Institute of Global Conflict and Cooperation
· North Korea Inside Out: The Case for Economic Engagement


Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism
· The Clock is Ticking: A Progress Report on America's Preparedness to Prevent Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism


Congress. House. Armed Services Committee
· Hearings

*Afghanistan and Iraq: Perspectives on U.S. Strategy [October 22, 2009]
*Counterterrorism within the Afghanistan Counterinsurgency [October 22, 2009]
*U.S. Military Redeployment from Iraq: Issues and Challenges [October 21, 2009]

Congress. House. Foreign Affairs Committee
· Concerns Regarding Possible Collusion in Northern Ireland: Police and Paramilitary Groups

· International Violence Against Women: Stories and Solutions

· U.S. Policy Toward Burma

Congress. House. Foreign Affairs Committee
· Cargo Security at Land Ports of Entry: Are We Meeting the Challenge?


Congress. House. Science & Technology Committee
· Cybersecurity Activities at NIST’s Information Technology Laboratory


Congress. House. Transportation & Infrastructure Committee
· Looking Out for the Very Young, Elderly and Others with Special Needs: Lessons from Katrina and other Major Disasters
http://transportation.house.gov/hearings/hearingDetail.aspx?NewsID=1030

Congress. Senate. Foreign Relations Committee
· NATO: A Strategic Concept for Transatlantic Security


Congress. Senate. Homeland Security & Government Affairs Committee
· H1N1 Flu: Monitoring the Nation's Response

· Presidential Advice and Senate Consent: The Past, Present, and Future of Policy Czars


Cooperation for Peace and Unity (CPAU)
· Delivering the Impact of Peacebuilding

· Tends in Local Afghan Conflicts [June 2009]
· Conflict analysis: Jaghori and Malistan districts, Ghazni province April 2009
· Conflict analysis: Farza and Kalakan districts, Kabul province March 2009

· Conflict analysis: Kunduz city, Kunduz province March 2009

· Conflict analysis: Baharak district, Badakhshan province February 2009

· Conflict Mapping Exercise and Report for Action Aid Afghanistan


Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)
· Ending the Afghan Election Crisis

· Painting Democracy on Afghanistan

· Seeking a New Path to Stability in Sudan, and Africa


Department of Defense
· Recruiting and the All Volunteer Force (AVF) Fiscal Year 2009


Department of Homeland Security Inspector General
· OIG-09-111 - Management Advisory Report: FEMA's Housing Strategy for Future Disaster


Department of State
· Afghan Elections

· Remarks on the Sudan Strategy
· Strengthening the Pillars of Global Nonproliferation

· Sudan: A Critical Moment, A Comprehensive Approach

EastWest Institute
· Reframing Nuclear De-Alert: Decreasing the Operational Readiness of U.S. and Russian Nuclear Arsenals


European Union Institute for Security Studies
· 10 Papers for Barcelona 2010: N°02 Energy and Global Economic Crisis: The Chances for Progress

· European Security and Defence Policy: The First 10 Years (1999-2009)

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
· Forensic Science Communications, July 2009, v. 11, no. 3 - Analysis of Jihadi Extremist Groups’ Videos

· Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, 2008


Government Accountability Office (GAO)
· Climate Change Adaptation: Information on Selected Federal Efforts To Adapt To a Changing Climate, GAO-10-114SP, an E-supplement to GAO-10-113

· Climate Change Adaptation: Strategic Federal Planning Could Help Government Officials Make More Informed Decisions, GAO-10-113
· Climate Change Adaptation: Strategic Federal Planning Could Help Officials Make More Informed Decisions, GAO-10-175T [testimony]

· Defense Critical Infrastructure: Actions Needed to Improve the Identification and Management of Electrical Power Risks and Vulnerabilities to DOD Critical Assets, GAO-10-147

· Maximizing DOD's Untapped Potential to Improve Business Performance, GAO-10-184CG


Heritage Foundation
· Another Terror Plot Foiled: 27 Since 9/11

· Courting Khartoum: The Obama Administration's Sudan Policy
· The German Elections: False Dawn for the Obama-Merkel Era
· Fire Grants: Reauthorization of an Ineffective Program
· Joe Biden's Fence-Mending Mission: Re-Open the Visa Waiver Program
· State Department Strategy Review Flawed from Start

· Understanding the Great Global Contagion and Recession

· The U.S.-Panama Free Trade Agreement: A Good Deal for America

Human Rights Watch
· "We Are Afraid to Even Look for Them": Enforced Disappearances in the Wake of Xinjiang’s Protests


Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses
· India's Afghan Policy Requires Rethinking

· Pakistan: Talibanization of Gilgit-Baltistan and Sectarian Killings


Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS)
· A Smuggler’s Use of the U.S. Financial System to Receive Illegal Payments from Iran

· The Trials of the German-Iranian Trader Mohsen Vanaki: The German Federal Intelligence Service Assesses that Iran Likely Has a Nuclear Weapons Program

Institute for the Study of War
· Iraq – Order of Battle (Oct 2009)

· Iraq’s Parliamentary Election – Backgrounder


International Crisis Group
· Pakistan: Countering Militancy in FATA


International Relations and Security Network
· Another Military Coup for Pakistan?

· Europe's Executioner
· Past, Present and Future of OSINT [podcast]

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Electoral Complaints Commission
· Electoral Complaints Commission Decisions With Regard To 20 August 2009 Presidential Election


Jamestown Foundation
· China Brief, October 22, 2009, v. 9, no. 21

*Beijing's Diplomatic Offensive: "Marathon Autumn Diplomacy"
*China’s Persian Gulf Strategy: Israel and a Nuclearizing Iran 2009
*The Future of U.S.-Taiwan Defense Cooperation
*Featured Review: Re-evaluating Chiang Kai-shek
· Terrorism Monitor, October 23, 2009, v. 7, no. 31

*Challenges to U.S. Proposal to Pacify Northern Iraq May Lead to Extended American Military Presence
*Between the Hammer and the Anvil: An Exclusive Interview with PJAK's Agiri Rojhilat
*Diplomacy Fails to Defuse Iraqi Anger over Alleged Syrian Role in Baghdad's "Bloody Wednesday"

National Academies Press
· Facing Hazards and Disasters: Understanding Human Dimensions

· Guidance for Establishing Crisis Standards of Care for Use in Disaster Situations: A Letter Report [free download but registration is required]
· Improving Disaster Management: The Role of IT in Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery [free download but registration is required]

· Successful Response Starts with a Map: Improving Geospatial Support for Disaster Management [free download but registration is required]
· Tools and Methods for Estimating Populations at Risk from Natural Disasters and Complex Humanitarian Crises

NATO
· An Important Moment for Afghanistan


New America Foundation
· Revenge of the Drones: An Analysis of Drone Strikes in Pakistan


Nieman Foundation
· Guide to Covering Pandemic Flu


Norwegian Institute of International Affairs
· As Strong as The Weakest Link [Malawi]

· Children of Rebellion: Socialization of Child Soldiers within the Lord’s Resistance Army · Implications of a Comprehensive or Integrated Approach for Training in United Nations and African Union Peace Operations

Peterson Institute for International Economics
· A Tractable Model of Precautionary Reserves, Net Foreign Assets, or Sovereign Wealth


Potomac Institute for Policy Studies
· Gen. Reist on the Way Forward in Afghanistan -video


Rand
· Expand the Use of Disease Management Programs

· Measuring the Performance of the Dallas Police Department: 2008-2009 Results
· Near-Term Feasibility of Alternative Jet Fuels

· Toward Affordable Systems: Portfolio Analysis and Management for Army Science and Technology Programs


Pew Internet & American Life Project
· RT: More Americans Tweeting: 19% of Internet Users on Twitter


Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
· Public Finds Afghanistan News Unchanging, Hard to Follow


Reporters Without Borders
· Press Freedom Index 2009


Small Wars Journal
· The Influence of Seapower Upon Small Wars: A Review Essay

· Speculative Fiction and National Security

· Toward a Kilcullen-Biden Plan?: Bounding Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan
· Widening the Spectrum of Insurgency


Transportation Research Board (TRB)
· NCHRP 525- Security 101: A Physical Security Primer for Transportation Agencies


UN Office of Drugs and Crime
· Addiction, Crime and Insurgency: The Transnational Threat of Afghan Opium


US-China Economic and Security Review Commission
· Capability of the People’s Republic of China to Conduct Cyber Warfare and Computer Network Exploitation


US Institute of Peace (USIP)
· Tourism in the Developing World: Promoting Peace and Reducing Poverty


World Health Organization (WHO)
· State of the World's Vaccines and Immunization (3rd ed)


Worldwatch Institute
· Fossil Fuel Production Up Despite Recession

Thursday, October 22, 2009

WMD Commission progress report

The bipartisan Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism has released a new report. The report "The Clock is Ticking: A Progress Report on America's Preparedness to Prevent Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism" looks at the US government's attempts to address threats and their assessment is that the US is failing to address its most urgent threat - bioterrorism.

Their earlier report of interest is "World at Risk"

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Friday's Miscellany 10-16-2009

3D Security Initiative
· The Costs of Drone Strikes in Pakistan and Afghanistan


Afghanistan NGO Safety Office (ANSO)
· ANSO Quarterly Data Report, Q.3 2009

· ANSO Report 16-30 September 2009

American Nurses Association, Physicians for Social Responsibility and Health Care Without Harm
· Hazardous Chemicals in Health Care: A Snapshot of Chemicals in Doctors and Nurses


Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI)
· Understanding the al-Shabaab Networks


Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
· The Global War on Terrorism: Rectifying a Failure of Imagination

· Preventing Nuclear Terrorism: Evolving Forms of the Nuclear Genie
· The São Paulo Proposal for an Agreement on Future International Climate Policy

CATO
· Somalia, Redux: A More Hands-Off Approach


Center for American Progress
· The Economics of Clean Energy in 50 States

· Impressions from Iraq: Part One
· New DHS Immigration Rules Don't Go Far Enough
· The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Changes Everything

Center for Immigration Studies (CIS)
· Public Opinion in Mexico on U.S. Immigration: Zogby Poll Examines Attitudes


Center for Security Policy
· Assault on the Military

· How Turkey was Lost
· Mackenzie Eaglen: The Disaster of Defense Budget Cuts

Center for Strategic & International Studies
· Comparative Connections, 3rd Qrt (July September) 2009, v. 11, no. 3

*Regional Overview: Promises Kept, for Better and for Worse
*U.S.-Japan Relations: Interpreting Change
*U.S.-China Relations: Strategic & Economic Dialogue Sets Agenda for Cooperation
*U.S.-Korea: Bill's Excellent Adventure
*U.S.-Russia Relations: Missiles of September
*U.S.-Southeast Asia Relations: The United States Is Back!
*China-Southeast Asia Relations: Myanmar, South China Sea Issues
*China-Taiwan Relations: Temporarily in the Doldrums
*North Korea-South Korea Relations: On the Mend?
*China-Korea Relations: China’s Nuclear North Korea Fever
*Japan-China Relations: Old Issues Greet a New Government
*Japan-Korea Relations: Japan’s New Government: Hope and Optimism
*China-Russia Relations: Market Malaise and Mirnaya Missiya
*Australia-East Asia/U.S. Relations: Australia Adjusts to New Realities
· Intelligence Gathering Is Compatible with Counterterrorism

· Significant Cyber Events Since 2006
· Transnational Threats Update, September 2009, v. 7, no. 7

Chatham House
· Afghanistan: Is it Mission Impossible?


Congress. House. Armed Services Committee
· Hearings

*Can the Department of Defense Protect Taxpayers When It Pays Its Contractors? [October 15, 2009]
*Afghanistan: Getting the Strategy Right [October 14, 2009]

Congress. House. Energy and Commerce Committee
· H.R. 515, The Radioactive Import Deterrence Act


Congress. House. Foreign Affairs Committee
· Afghanistan Policy at the Crossroads

· Assessing U.S. Drug Policy in the Americas
· Future of APEC

Congress. House. Homeland Security Committee
· Diversity at The Department of Homeland Security: Continuing Challenges and New Opportunities


Congress. Senate. Foreign Relations Committee
· Drought, Flooding and Refugees: Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change in the World's Most Vulnerable Nations

· U.S. International Broadcasting into the War Zones: Iraq and Afghanistan

Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
· Long-Term Implications of the Department of Defense’s Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Submission


Department of the Treasury
· Semiannual Report on International Economic and Exchange Rate Policies


Enough - The Project to End Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity
· A Political Settlement for Darfur: A Practical Roadmap


European Union Institute for Security Studies
· Energy and Global Economic Crisis: The Chances for Progress

· No Euro-Mediterranean Community Without Peace
· Risky Business?: The EU, China and Dual-Use Technology

Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI)
· Confronting al-Qaida: Understanding the Threat in Afghanistan and Beyond (Testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee)

· Disrupting the Foreign Fighter Flow

Government Accountability Office (GAO)
· Defense Infrastructure: DOD Needs to Provide Updated Labor Requirements to Help Guam Adequately Develop Its Labor Force for the Military Buildup, GAO-10-72

· Defense Management: Widespread DCAA Audit Problems Leave Billions of Taxpayer Dollars Vulnerable to Fraud, Waste, Abuse, and Mismanagement, GAO-10-163T [testimony]
· Energy-Water Nexus: Improvements to Federal Water Use Data Would Increase Understanding of Trends in Power Plant Water Use, GAO-10-23
· Equal Employment Opportunity: DHS Has Opportunities to Better Identify and Address Barriers to EEO in Its Workforce, GAO-10-160T [testimony]
· The Federal Government's Long-Term Fiscal Outlook: Fall 2009 Update, GAO-10-137SP
· Food Safety: Agencies Need to Address Gaps in Enforcement and Collaboration to Enhance Safety of Imported Food, GAO-09-873
· Information Security: NASA Needs to Remedy Vulnerabilities in Key Networks, GAO-10-4
· International Taxation: Study Countries That Exempt Foreign-Source Income Face Compliance Risks and Burdens Similar to Those in the United States, GAO-09-934
· The Role of the U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-10-111CG
· Troubled Asset Relief Program: GAO's Oversight Role, GAO-10-150CG
· Warfighter Support: Independent Expert Assessment of Army Body Armor Test Results and Procedures Needed Before Fielding, GAO-10-119

Heritage Foundation
· A Flawed Approach to Arms Control: START Negotiations Will Not Serve U.S. Interests

· The Obama Administration Makes the Wrong Call on the U.N.'s Arms Trade Treaty
· Patriot Ace: A Chance to Commit to National Security
· Time for Tougher Sanctions on Iran’s Terrorist Regime

Human Rights Watch
· Still Waiting for Justice: No End to Impunity in Nepal


Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU)
· The Costs and Requirements of Engaging the Muslim World

· Helping Pakistan Defeat the Taliban: A Joint Action Agenda for the United States & Pakistan
· Responding to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Crisis in Pakistan


Institute for the Study of War
· Afghanistan – Order of Battle [updated October 2009]


Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies
· The Dragon on Safari: China’s Africa Policy

· Expanding Cross-LoC Interactions: Perspectives from India
· Expanding Cross-LoC Interactions: Perspectives from Pakistan
· Harnessing the Indus Waters: Perspectives from India
· India’s Look East Policy: A Critical Assessment
· Two Decades of Indo-Pak CBMs: A Critique from India

International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence (ICSR)
· 15 Ideas to Fix the Middle East


International Crisis Group
· Guinea: Military Rule Must End

· Kosovo: Štrpce, a Model Serb Enclave?

International Relations and Security Network
· DRC: Arc of War, Map of Responsibility

· Forgotten Frontiers: Islam in Southeast Asia
· India in Afghanistan: The 'Soft Power' Question
· Indonesia's Salafist Sufis
· Insurgents Taking Charge in Kunduz
· Wasps of War

Joint Chiefs of Staff
· Joint Publication 3-24, Counterinsurgency Operations


Marine Corps University
· Counterinsurgency Leadership in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Beyond


National Academies Press
· Experimentation and Rapid Prototyping in Support of Counterterrorism [free download but registration required]

· Guidance for Establishing Crisis Standards of Care for Use in Disaster Situations: A Letter Report [free download but registration required]
· Respiratory Protection for Healthcare Workers in the Workplace Against Novel H1N1 Influenza A: A Letter Report [free download but registration required]
· Sensing and Supporting Communications Capabilities for Special Operations Forces [free download but registration required]
· Toward a Universal Radio Frequency System for Special Operations Forces [free download but registration required]

NATO Defense College
· NATO and the Economic and Financial Crisis


Rand
· Controlling the Cost of C4I Upgrades on Naval Ships

· Local Authority Commissioning: Understanding the Use of Information and Evidence by Commissioners of Services

· Officer Classification and the Future of Diversity Among Senior Military Leaders: A Case Study of the Army ROTC

ReliefWeb
· Afghanistan maps

· Afghanistan: Violence (as of 08 Oct 2009) - Location Map
· Philippines: Typho on Ketsana - Humanitarian Snapshot (as of 5 Oct 2009) [map]

Small Wars Journal
· Business as Usual?: The Role of Department of Defense in Foreign Economic Development

· China’s Preoccupation with Asymmetric War: Lessons Learned from the Hezbollah-Israeli War
· An Interview with Peter Godwin
· A National Security Act of 2009?: A Short Recommendation for a Possible Revision of the National Security Act of 1947

Stanley Foundation
· Sudan and the Implications for Responsibility to Protect


Stimson Center
· Afghanistan and Pakistan: The Graveyard for US Foreign Policy Planning?


Transportation Research Board
· Helping Airport and Air Carrier Employees Cope with Traumatic Events


Trust for America's Health
· H1N1 Challenges Ahead


UK House of Commons
· Ministry of Defence: Support to High Intensity Operations


UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
· Trafficking in Persons: Analysis on Europe

· United Nations Criminal Justice Standards for United Nations Police

US Institute of Peace (USIP)
· Afghanistan Policy at the Crossroads

· An Education Track for the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process

Washington Institute for Near East Policy
· Al-Qaeda and Taliban Status Check: A Resurgent Threat

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Friday's Miscellany 10-09-2009

American Political Science Association
· U.S. Standing in the World: Causes, Consequences, and the Future


Association of the United States Army (AUSA)
· Army Budget Analysis Fiscal Year 2010


Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
· Targeting Nuclear Programs in War and Peace


Brookings Institution
· Breaking the Immigration Stalemate: From Deep Disagreements to Constructive Proposals

· Economic Cost and Health Care Workforce Effects of School Closures in the U.S.

· Expect Delays: An Analysis of Air Travel Trends in the United States
· States of Conflict: An Update


Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
· Dealing with Iran: The Power of Legitimacy


Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA)
· US Nuclear Forces: Meeting the Challenge of a Proliferated World


Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS)
· Iraq: Creating a Strategic Partnership

· US Strategy in Afghanistan

Center for Technology and National Security (CTNS)
· Defense Horizon, no. 28, September 2009 - Cyberspace and the "First Battle" in 21st- Century War


Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction
· Are We Prepared?: Four WMD Crises that Could Transform U.S. Security

· Aligning Disarmament to Nuclear Dangers: Off to a Hasty START?
· Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction: Looking Back, Looking Ahead
· President Nixon's Decision to Renounce the U.S. Offensive Biological Weapons Program [Case Study Series, no. 1]

City of New York
· Gun Show Undercover

· Gun Show Undercover: Report on Illegal Sales at Gun Shows


Congress. House. Armed Services Committee
· Hearing

*The Department of Defense’s Rapid Acquisition Process: Is It a Model For Improving Acquisition? [March 8, 2009]
· Skelton Sends Letter to President: Best Approach in Afghanistan is a Properly Resourced Counter-insurgency Strategy


Congress. House. Science and Technology Committee
· Investing in High-Risk, High-Reward Research


Congress. Senate. Foreign Relations Committee
· Confronting al-Qaeda: Understanding the Threat in Afghanistan and Beyond

· The Proposed U.S.-UAE Agreement on Civilian Cooperation

Congress. Senate. Judiciary Committee
· No Safe Haven: Accountability for Human Rights Violators, Part II


Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
· Withdrawal of U.S. Forces from Iraq: Possible Timelines and Estimated Costs


Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)
· The Cost of Commitment in Afghanistan

· The Danger of Delay in Afghan Policymaking

· Pakistan's Education System and Links to Extremism

· Timeline : U.S. War in Afghanistan


Department of Defense Inspector General (DODIG)
· D-2010-001 Review of Whistleblower Disclosure Regarding the DoD Defense Technical Information Center

· D-2009-113 Medical Equipment Used to Support Operations in Southwest Asia

Department of Homeland Security Inspector General
· OIG-09-101 - Vulnerabilities Highlight the Need for More Effective Web Security Management (Redacted)

· OIG-09-103 – Effectiveness of the Department of Homeland Security Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (Redacted)

Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI)
· The Foreign Fighter Problem: A Conference Report


Fundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Diálogo Exterior
· Leaving The Civilians Behind: The 'Soldier-Diplomat' in Afghanistan And Iraq


Government Accountability Office (GAO)
· Briefing on Air Force's Response on Fee-For-Service Aerial Refueling, GAO-10-124R

· Civilian Agencies' Development and Implementation of Insourcing Guidelines, GAO-10-58R

· Defense Acquisitions: Rapid Acquisition of MRAP Vehicles, GAO-10-155T [testimony]

· Homeland Defense: Planning, Resourcing, and Training Issues Challenge DOD's Response to Domestic Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and High-Yield Explosive Incidents, GAO-10-123
· Telecommunications: Current Broadband Measures Have Limitations and New Measures Are Promising but Need Improvement, GAO-10-49
· Transportation Security Administration: TSA Executive Attrition Has Declined, but Better Information Is Needed on Reasons for Leaving and Executive Hiring Process, GAO-10-139
· Troubled Asset Relief Program: Capital Purchase Program Transactions for October 28, 2008, through September 25, 2009, and Information on Financial Agency Agreements, Contracts, Blanket Purchase Agreements, and Interagency Agreements Awarded as of September 18, 2009 (GAO-10-24SP, October 2009), an e-supplement to GAO-10-16
· Troubled Asset Relief Program: One Year Later, Actions Are Needed to Address Remaining Transparency and Accountability Challenges, GAO-10-16

Heritage Foundation
· 50 Examples of Government Waste

· Freezing Telecom Immunity Would Chill Counterterrorism Efforts

· Patriot Act: A Chance to Commit to National Security

· A Policy Agenda for the U.S.-Russia Congressional Caucus
· Shortsighted U.S. Policies on Afghanistan to Bring Long-Term Problems

· Time for Tougher Sanctions on Iran's Terrorist Regime

Hoover Institution
· PRC-Taiwan: Cross-Strait Relations, A Confederacy of Skeptics


Human Rights Watch
· Freedom to Create Associations: A Declarative Regime in Name Only

· No Tally of the Anguish: Accountability in Maternal Health Care in India
· The Way Forward: Ending Human Rights Abuses and Repression across Sudan


Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Conflict in Georgia (IIFFMCG)
· Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Conflict in Georgia Report

· v.1

· v.2

· v.3

Institute of Homeland Security Solutions
· The American Community Survey and Enhanced Community-Level Social Vulnerability Assessment


Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS)
· Excerpts from Internal IAEA Document on Alleged Iranian Nuclear Weaponization


Institute for Security Studies
· ISS Paper 200: The Political Development of Somaliland and its Conflict with Puntland


Institute for Gulf Affairs
· The Saudi Terror Problem on the Rise Since September 11


Institute for the Study of War
· Forces Available for Afghanistan, 2009-2010

· Key Facts on Afghanistan


Interagency Threat Assessment and Coordination Group
· Intelligence Guide for First Responders


International Crisis Group
· Nagorno-Karabakh: Getting to a Breakthrough


International Relations and Security Network
· Afghanistan: From Insurgency To Insurrection

· Azerbaijan: Assassination, Conspiracy

· Iran's Nuclear Revelations

· Minefield Mayhem

· Turkey's Political-Emotional Transition


Jamestown Foundation
· China Brief, October 7, 2009, v. 9, no. 20

*Jiang Zemin Casts Long Shadow over National Day Parade
*Obama’s China Trip: Forging Middle Class Ties
*War Talk: Perceptual Gaps in “Chindia” Relations
*Strategic Implications of Chinese Aid and Investment in Latin America

Joint Chiefs of Staff
· Joint Pub 2-01.3, Joint Intelligence Preparation of the Operational Environment


Law Library of Congress
· Lincoln and the Law


National Academies Press
· Avoiding Technology Surprise for Tomorrow's Warfighter: A Symposium Report [free download - registration required]

· Emergency and Continuous Exposure Guidance Levels for Selected Submarine Contaminants: Volume 3 [free download - registration required]

· Persistent Forecasting of Disruptive Technologies [free download - registration required]

· Responsible Research with Biological Select Agents and Toxins


National Security Archive
· A Different October Revolution: Dismantling the Iron Curtain in Eastern Europe

· Posada Carriles Built Bombs for, and Informed on, Jorge Mas Canosa, CIA Records Reveal
· State Department Cable says Colombian Army Responsible for Palace of Justice Deaths, Disappearances

Nautilus Institute
· U.S. Strategy Towards North Korea: Rebuilding Dialogue and Engagement


New America Foundation
· Pakistani Capabilities for a Counterinsurgency Campaign—a Net Assessment


Office of the Director of National Intelligence/Office of General Counsel
· 2009 Intelligence Community Legal Reference Book [large file]


Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
· Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Muslim Population


Pew Research Center for the People & The Press
· October 2009 Political Survey


Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journal
· Covering the Great Recession


RAND
· Cyberdeterrence and Cyberwar

· How Have Deployments During the War on Terrorism Affected Reenlistment?

· Improving the Impact and Effectiveness of the National Vaccine Advisory Committee


Small War Journal
· Marketing Framework in Support of Non-Lethal Fires

· Operational Check-Fire: An Assessment of Our Operational Concept of Operations in Support of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Interagency Policy and Goals
· Threats in Southern Iraq Ahead of a U.S. Withdrawal

Henry L Stimson
· Bridging the Security/Development Divide with UN Security Council Resolution 1540: A Case Study Approach

· Iraq’s New Reality: The Impact of Conflict on Minorities, Refugees, and the Internally Displaced


Strategic Studies Institute
· The Army's Professional Military Ethic in an Era of Persistent Conflict

· Guide to Rebuilding Public Sector Services in Stability Operations: A Role for the Military

Taiwan Journal of Democracy
· Brendan Whitty & Hamish Nixon, "The Impact Of Counter-Terrorism Objectives On Democratization And Statebuilding In Afghanistan" Taiwan Journal of Democracy, July 2009, Volume 5, No.1: 187-218


UN Office of Drugs and Crime
· Handbook on Criminal Justice Responses to Terrorism


US Institute of Peace
· Guiding Principles for Stabilization and Reconstruction

· Haiti after the Donors’ Conference: A Way Forward

Washington Institute for Near East Policy
· Hamas in Combat: The Military Performance of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement


World Opinion.org
· Battleground or Common Ground?: American Public Opinion on Health Care Reform

Monday, October 5, 2009

Intelligence Community Legal Reference Book - 2009

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Office of General Counsel have posted their latest version of their Intelligence Community Legal Reference Book. It is available directly or from their reports site .

This Summer 2009 edition is 949 pages [5 MB] and is chalk full of very useful and handy to have in one place documents such as the Constitution, various seminal national security legislation and executive orders and more. It is rounded out with a section of updated Intelligence Community and Government websites.

Excellent Resource!

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Friday's Miscellany 10-02-2009

Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit
· A Closer Look - The Policy and Law-making Process Behind the Shiite Personal Status Law

· Patronage, Posturing, Duty, Demographics: Why Afghans Voted in 2009

· Toward an Afghan Democracy? Exploring Perceptions of Democratisation in Afghanistan


Association of the United States Army (AUSA)
· Key Issues Relevant to U.S. Army Fires and the Warfighter


Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
· Options for Limiting the Security Risks from a Negotiated Nuclear Settlement with Iran


Brookings
· How to Measure the War
· The Obama Administration’s New Counternarcotics Strategy in Afghanistan: Its Promises and Potential Pitfalls

Center for American Progress
· Comparing Public Spending and Priorities Across OECD Countries

Center for Contemporary Conflict (CCC)
· Strategic Insights, September 2009, v. 8, no. 4

*Requirements for Deterrence: Two Challenging Scenarios by Elbridge Colby
*NATO’s Deterrence Requirements: A Lithuanian Perspective by Kestutis Paulauskas
*Reflections on Requirements and Contingencies for a NATO Deterrence or Reassurance Role in the Middle East by Ariel E. Levite
*NATO’s Deterrence Requirements and the Next Strategic Concept: A German Perspective by Klaus Wittmann
*Alliance Requirements for Deterrence: Capabilities and Options for the Next Decade by Paul Schulte
*Spain, Burden-Sharing and NATO Deterrence Policy by David Garcia Cantalapiedra
*Prospects for U.S.-Russian Arms Control and Disarmament: A Russian Perspective by Sergey Oznobishchev
*Nonproliferation, Arms Control and Disarmament, and Extended Deterrence in the New Security Environment by Joseph F. Pilat
*NATO’s Future Nuclear Dimension: Managing Expectations for the Strategic Concept Debate by Michael Rühle
*NATO’s Deterrence Challenges: Report on a Workshop in Vilnius, Lithuania, 10-12 May 2009 by David S. Yost
*NATO and Tailored Deterrence: Key Workshop Findings in 2007-2008 by David S. Yost

Center for Infrastructure Protection
· CIP Report, August 2009, v. 8, no. 2

*Focus: National Monuments and Icons
*NMI Sector Overview
*US Secret Service
*National Mall Plan
*Statue of Liberty
*Legal Insights
*Cyber Conflict Perspectives

Center for Strategic & International Studies
· Countering Threats to Security and Stability in a Failing State: Lessons from Colombia

· Measuring Corruption and increasing Corruption Awareness in China
· The Other Side of the COIN
· Iraqi Trends and Afghan Resources

· Resourcing the Afghan War: An Overview

· Recent Trends in the Iraq War: Maps and Graphs

· Towards a Comprehensive Framework for Integrating Nuclear Issues


Congress. House. Armed Forces Committee
· Hearings

*President Obama’s New Plan for Missile Defenses in Europe and the Implications for International Security [October 1, 2009]
*Status of Ongoing U.S. Efforts in Iraq [September 30, 2009]

Congress. House. Energy and Commerce Committee
· H.R. 3258, the Drinking Water System Security Act of 2009, and H.R. 2868, the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009


Congress. House. Foreign Affairs Committee
· The Afghan Elections: Who Lost What?


Congress. House. Homeland Security Committee
· Preparedness: State of Citizen and Community Preparedness

· The Future of the Registered Traveler Program


Congress. Senate. Foreign Relations Committee
· Exploring U.S. Policy Options Toward Zimbabwe's Transition

· U.S. Policy Toward Burma: Its Impact and Effectiveness

· Afghanistan's Impact on Pakistan

· Violence Against Women: Global Costs and Consequences


Congress. Senate. Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee
· Eight Years After 9/11: Confronting the Terrorist Threat to the Homeland

· Improving Transparency and Accessibility of Federal Contracting Databases

Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
· Changes in the Distribution of Workers' Annual Earnings Between 1979 and 2007


Defense Science Board (DSB)
· 2008 Summer Study on Capability Surprise Volume I: Main Report


Department of Defense Inspector General (DODIG)
· D-2009-100 Afghanistan Security Forces Fund Phase III - Accountability for Equipment Purchased for the Afghanistan National Police

· D-2009-107 DOD Enterprise Staffing Solution

· D-2009-115 Summary of Information Operations Contracts in Iraq

· D-2009-116 Financial Management of International Military Education and Training Funds

· D-2009-117 Controls Over Air Combat Command and Pacific Air Forces Unliquidated Obligations from Department of the Air Force Contracts Supporting Contingency Operations

· D-2009-118 Internal Controls Over Naval Special Warfare Command Comptroller Operations in Support of Contingency Operations

· D-2009-6-009 Defense Contract Audit Agency Audit Work Deficiencies and Abusive Work Environment Identified by the Government Accountability Office (Redacted version)

· SPO-2008-001 - Assessment of the Accountability of Arms and Ammunition Provided to the Security Forces of Iraq (Redacted version)

· SPO-2009-006 - Assessment of the Accountability and Control of Arms, Ammunition, and Explosives (AA&E) Provided to the Security Forces of Afghanistan

· SPO-2009-007 Report on the Assessment of U.S. and Coalition Plans to Train, Equip, and Field the Afghan National Security Forces

Department of Homeland Security Inspector General
· OIG-09-100 - DHS' Strategy and Plans to Counter Small Vessel Threats Need Improvement


Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI)
· Reforming the Afghan National Police


Government Accountability Office (GAO)
· Aviation Security: A National Strategy and Other Actions Would Strengthen TSA's Efforts to Secure Commercial Airport Perimeters and Access Controls, GAO-09-399

· Biofuels: Potential Effects and Challenges of Required Increases in Production and Use, GAO-09-446

· Combating Terrorism: U.S. Agencies Report Progress Countering Terrorism and Its Financing in Saudi Arabia, but Continued Focus on Counter Terrorism Financing Efforts Needed, GAO-09-883

· Contingency Contracting: DOD, State, and USAID Continue to Face Challenges in Tracking Contractor Personnel and Contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan, GAO-10-1
· Continuing Resolutions: Uncertainty Limited Management Options and Increased Workload in Selected Agencies, GAO-09-879
· Defense Acquisitions: Army Aviation Modernization Has Benefited from Increased Funding but Several Challenges Need to Be Addressed, GAO-09-978R

· Defense Acquisitions: Department of Defense Needs a Unified Strategy for Balancing Investments in Tactical Wheeled Vehicles, GAO-09-968R

· Democracy Assistance: U.S. Agencies Take Steps to Coordinate International Programs but Lack Information on Some U.S.-funded Activities, GAO-09-993

· Disaster Housing: FEMA Needs More Detailed Guidance and Performance Measures to Help Ensure Effective Assistance after Major Disasters, GAO-09-796

· Emergency Communications: National Communications System Provides Programs for Priority Calling, but Planning for New Initiatives and Performance Measurement Could be Strengthened, GAO-09-822
· Emergency Management: Preliminary Observations on FEMA's Community Preparedness Programs Related to the National Preparedness System, GAO-10-105T [testimony]
· Emergency Preparedness: Improved Planning and Coordination Necessary for Development of Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, GAO-09-1044T [testimony]

· Emergency Preparedness: Improved Planning and Coordination Necessary for Modernization and Integration of Public Alert and Warning System, GAO-09-834
· Emergency Preparedness: Results of Survey on State and Local Emergency Alert and Notification Capabilities (GAO-09-880SP, September 2009), GAO-09-880SP, an E-supplement to GAO-09-834,

· Equal Employment Opportunity: DHS Has Opportunities to Better Identify and Address Barriers to EEO in Its Workforce, GAO-09-639
· Homeland Security: Actions Needed to Improve Security Practices at National Icons and Parks, GAO-09-983

· International Food Assistance: Key Issues for Congressional Oversight, GAO-09-977SP

· International Food Assistance: USAID Is Taking Actions to Improve Monitoring and Evaluation of Nonemergency Food Aid, but Weaknesses in Planning Could Impede Efforts, GAO-09-980
· International Trade: U.S. Agencies Have Taken Some Steps, but Serious Impediments Remain to Restricting Trade in Burmese Rubies and Jadeite, GAO-09-987
· Military Airlift: DOD Should Take Steps to Strengthen Management of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet Program, GAO-09-625

· Nuclear Waste: Uncertainties and Questions about Costs and Risks Persist with DOE's Tank Waste Cleanup Strategy at Hanford, GAO-09-913

· Personnel Security Clearances: An Outcome-Focused Strategy and Comprehensive Reporting of Timeliness and Quality Would Provide Greater Visibility over the Clearance Process, GAO-10-117T [testimony]
· U.S. Embargo on Cuba: Recent Regulatory Changes and Potential Presidential or Congressional Actions, GAO-09-951R

Heritage Foundation
·
26 Foiled Terror Plots Show Success of Information Sharing
· 2010 Defense Appropriations Bill: Conference Report Should Defer to Senate Bill on Many Programs
· Afghanistan: A War Worth Winning
· Global Trade Liberalization Continues, But Risks Abound
· How Margaret Thatcher Helped to End the Cold War
· A Policy Agenda for the U.S.-Russia Congressional Cacucus

· States: Stop Subsidizing FEMA Waste and Manage Your Own Disasters

· The War in Afghanistan: Why Britain, America, and NATO Must Fight to Win

Hudson Institute
· Nuclear Disarmament, Nonproliferation, and the “Credibility Thesis”

· Understanding and Preserving the Foundations of America’s Advantage in Asia

Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses
· CBW Magazine: Journal on Chemical and Biological Weapons, v. 2, no. 4, July-September 2009

*Overview of National Implementation Measures for Use of Micro-organisms - BTWC Concerns
*European Union Policy on CBRN security: A Primer
*Counter Bio-Terror
*An Assessment of Iran's Chemical and Biological Weapons

Institute for National Security Studies (INSS)
· Strategic Forum 248 - Unity of Effort: Key to Success in Afghanistan

· Strategic Forum 245 - An Iraqi ISF Assessment after U.S. Troop Withdrawal


Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies
· Afghanistan: Evolving an Indo-Pak Strategy: Perspectives from Pakistan

· How Prepared Are We?: India and the Challenge of Nuclear Terror
· India-Pakistan Joint Investigation: A Zero Sum Game?

· Indo-Pak Joint Anti-Terror Mechanims: Perspectives from Pakistan
· Suicide Terrorism in Pakistan: An Assessment


Institute for the Study of War
· Securing Helmand: Understanding and Responding to the Enemy


International Crisis Group
· Iraq’s New Battlefront: The Struggle Over Ninewa


International Relations and Security Network
· A Better Missile Defense

· Bosnia: Catching Up with ‘Terrorists’

· Costs of War: Untimely ‘Terror’
· Intel Brief: Ethnic Tensions in the UK
· N Korea: In Deep, Illicit Water

· Pakistan on the Brink
· Politics, Terrorism, and the Sunni Divide
· Prague: Political Energy, Wasted

Jamestown Foundation
· Terrorism Monitor, October 1, 2009, v. 7, no. 30

*Attempt on the Life of Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Marks the Return of Salafi-Jihadi Operations to Lebanon
*Bekkay Harrach: The Face of German Terror
*Are China’s Uyghurs Operating an al-Qaeda Network in Turkey? Ankara and Beijing Discuss Cooperation Against Terrorism
*Death from the Skies: An Overview of the CIA’s Drone Campaign in Pakistan – Part Two

National Academies Press
· Guidance for Establishing Crisis Standards of Care for Use in Disaster Situations: A Letter Report [free download but registration required]

· Sustaining Global Surveillance and Response to Emerging Zoonotic Diseases


National Counterintelligence Executive
· Annual Report to Congress on Foreign Economic Collection and Industrial Espionage, FY 2008
· Traveling Overseas With Mobile Phones, Laptops, PDAs and Other Electronic Devices

National Defense University
· JFQ, 4th Quarter 2009, no. 55

*A New Grand Bargain: Implementing the Comprehensive Approach in Defense Planning by Thomas G. Mahnken
*Strategic Drift? The Future of the National War College by Janet Breslin-Smith and Cliff Krieger
*Developing Strategists: Translating National Strategy into Theater Strategy by Derek S. Reveron and James L. Cook
*Asia: Facing Interesting Times by Dean Cheng
*Future Gulf War: Weighing Arab and American Forces against Iranian Capabilities by Richard L. Russell
*The State of Play in Russia’s Near Abroad by Peter B. Humphrey
*SORT-ing out START: Options for U.S.-Russian Strategic Arms Reductions by Stephen J. Cimbala
*Real Acquisition Reform y Jim Cooper and Russell Rumbaugh
*Integrating CONOPs into the Acquisition Process by John P. Jumper, David A. Deptula, and Harold B. Adams
*Moving Toward a Joint Acquisition Process to Support ISR by Del C. Kostka
*MRAPs, Irregular Warfare, and Pentagon Reform by Christopher J. Lamb, Matthew J. Schmidt, and Berit G. Fitzsimmons
*Strategic Communication and the Combatant Commander by Jeffrey B. Jones, Daniel T. Kuehl, Daniel Burgess, and Russell Rochte
*Energy and Environmental Insecurity by Richard B. Andres
*Measure, Manage, Win: The Case for Operational Energy Metrics by Andrew Bochman
*Interview with General Raymond T. Odierno, USA, Commander, Multi-National Force–Iraq vy David H. Gurney and Jeffrey D. Smotherman
*Breaking the Yardstick: The Dangers of Market-based Governance by Don J. DeYoung
*Radar versus Stealth: Passive Radar and the Future of U.S. Military Power by Arend G. Westra
*Mind Fitness: Improving Operational Effectiveness and Building Warrior Resilience by Elizabeth A. Stanley and Amishi P. Jha
*The Department of Homeland Security: An Organization in Transition by Charles B. King III
*U.S. Joint Military Contributions to Countering Syria’s 1970 Invasion of Jordan by Richard A. Mobley

NATO Defense College
· Towards a new Strategic Concept for NATO


Peterson Institute for International Economics
· The World Trade Organization and Climate Change: Challenges and Options


Small Wars Journal
· Assessing and Targeting Illicit Funding in Conflict Ecosystems: Irregular Warfare Correlations

· Assessing Russian-Chinese Military Exercises
· LNO Missions as a Model for the Division Headquarters RIP/TOA Process
· Don’t Try to Arrest the Sea: An Alternative Approach for Afghanistan

Stimson Center
· Ending Impunity: New Tools for Criminal Accountability in UN Peace Operations

· International Police: Improving Professionalism and Responsiveness

· Security Sector Reform: Current Challenges and US Policy

Strategic Studies Institute (SSI)
· A Comprehensive Approach to Improving U.S. Security Force Assistance Efforts

· Criminals, Militias, and Insurgents: Organized Crime in Iraq
· Guide to Rebuilding Governance in Stability Operations: A Role for the Military?
· Mind-Sets and Missiles: A First Hand Account of the Cuban Missile Crisis
· Toward a Risk Management Defense Strategy


Transnational Institute
· Burma’s Cease-fires at Risk: Consequences of the Kokang Crisis for Peace and Democracy

· Germany's Official Development Assistance in Land Policy

· NeoConOpticon: The EU Security-Industrial Complex
· Profit Before People and Human Rights: European Transnational Corporations in Latin America and the Caribbean

Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC)
· Who Is A Terrorist?: Government Failure to Define Terrorism Undermines Enforcement, Puts Civil Liberties at Risk


U.S. Fire Administration
· Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2008


Washington Institute for Near East Policy
· Al-Qaeda and Taliban Status Check: A Resurgent Threat

· Determining the Effectiveness of Sanctions on Iran

· EU Report on Turkey's Accession: Implications for U.S. Policy

· If Iran Can't Be Stopped Now, All Bets Are Off