Friday's Miscellany 12-12-2014

38 North

·         No Sign of Preparations for an Impending Nuclear Test at North Korea’s Punggye-ri 

·         “Not Proven” 

Al Jazeera Center for Studies

·         Arab World Journalism in a Post-Beheading Era 

Amnesty International

·         Above the Law: Police Torture in the Philippines 

·         Central African Republic: Impunity is Fuelling Violence 

·         Families Under the Rubble: Israeli Attacks on Inhabited Homes 

·         Left out in the Cold: Syrian Refugees Abandoned by the International Community 

·         ‘Nothing is Immune’: Israel’s Destruction of Landmark Buildings in Gaza 

Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI)

·         Myanmar: The Key Link between South Asia and Southeast Asia 

Baker Institute for Public Policy

·         Boko Haram: A New Islamic State in Nigeria 

·         The Evolution of Political Parties in Mexico,1900–2014 

Barcelona Centre for International Affairs

·         The Iranian Nuclear Issue: What Next? 

·         Kosovo: Multiple Crises and a Challenging Future 

Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies

·         Gadi Eisenkot’s Challenges and Opportunities 

Bipartisan Policy Center

·         President Erdogan: Prospects for a Strong Presidency 

Brookings

·         Back to the Future: Advanced Nuclear Energy and the Battle Against Climate Change 

·         History, Politics, and Policy in the U.S.-Korea Alliance [event video  & transcript] 

·         Raising The Global Ambition for Girls' Education 

Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)

·         Background Checks for Firearm Transfers, 2012- Statistical Tables 

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

·         Moment of Opportunity in the EU-Turkey Relationship 

CATO Institute

·         Illusion of Chaos: Why Ungoverned Spaces Aren’t Ungoverned, and Why That Matters 

Center for a New American Security (CNAS)

·         Arctic 2015 and Beyond: A Strategy for U.S.Leadership in the High North 

Center for Complex Operations (CCO)

·         Prism, 2014, v. 4, Syria Supplemental 

o    An Unfolding Tragedy

o    A Diplomat’s Perfect Storm

o    Next_Steps_in_Syria: The_Rise_Of_Syria’s_Urban_Poor

o    Will Be Fought Over the Country’s New Urban Villages

o    Syria’s Salafi Networks

o    Syria’s Sectarian Conflict

o    Moving Past the Bosnia Fallacy

o    How to Support the Opposition in Syria

o    Transnational Justice and National Reconciliation

o    Memorandum for President Assad

o    Advice to Policy-Makers Who Would Tackle Syria

o    Mapping the Information-Sharing Ecosystem in Syria

Center for Naval Analyses (CNA)

·         Establishing a Center for Constitutional Justice 

·         Need for a National Center for Police Shootings and Deadly Force Research, Training, and Technical Assistance 

Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)

·         Emirates Center and Gulf Think Tanks: The Next Twenty Years 

·         Federated Defense in Asia 

·         India and the Global Fund:  Implications for Discussions on Transition and Sustainability 

·         Malaria Reports:

o    The Danger of Untreatable Malaria Is Real and Present 

o    Insecticide Resistance and Malaria 

o    Transformative Tools for Malaria Elimination 

o    U.S. Department of Defense Contributions to Malaria Elimination in the Era of Artemisinin Resistance 

·         PacNet #87 - Beijing’s & Washington’s dueling South China Sea papers 

·         PacNet #86 - US-Japan Defense Cooperation Guidelines Review: US Wise to Take a Patient Approach 

·         Religious Radicalism after the Arab Uprisings 

o    Introduction:The Changing Geopolitical Landscape 

o    Jihadi-Salafi Rebellion and the Crisis of Authority 

o    Key Elements of the Counterterrorism Challenge 

o    Tunisia:Confronting Extremism 

o    Egypt: The Search for Stability 

o    Conclusion:Religious Radicalism after the Arab Uprisings 

·         Impact Player: Sung Kim 

·         Taxes and Development: The Promise of Domestic Resource Mobilization 

·         Underestimating Risk in the Surveillance Debate 

·         What Do We Know About Past North Korean Cyber Attacks and their Capabilities? 

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

·         CIA's June 2013 Response to the SSCI Study on the Former Detention and Interrogation Program 

·         Note to the Reader about the CIA response 

·         Statement from Director Brennan on the SSCI Study on the Former Detention and Interrogation Program 

·         CIA Fact Sheet Regarding the SSCI Study on the Former Detention and Interrogation Program 

Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI)

·         From “Taoguang Yanghui” to “Yousuo  Zuowei”:China’s Engagement in Financial Minilateralism 

·         Report from the Council of Councils' Sixth Regional Conference, "Managing the New Global Commons" September 28-30, 2014 

Chatham House

·         South Sudan’s Slide into Conflict: Revisiting the Past and Reassessing Partnerships 

·         Trade in Illegal Timber: The Response in China 

·         Trade in Illegal Timber: The Response in Vietnam 

Clingendael - Netherlands Institute of International Relations

·         Drugs, Gangs and Vigilantes: How to Tackle the New Breeds of Mexican Armed Violence 

College of Europe

·         Conflicting Role Conceptions: In Search of the European Union’s Added Value for its Southern Neighbors 

Comissao Nacional da Verdade [National Truth Commission]

·         Commission Report 

Combating Terrorism Center (CTC)

·         CTC Sentinel, November/December 2014, v. 7, no. 11 

o    A Daunting Triangle: Turkey, the Kurds, and the ISIL Threat

o    The Battle for Kobani Comes to the Fore

o    Hizb Allah’s Lebanese Resistance Brigades

o    Libya’s South: The Forgotten Frontier

o    The “Seventh Stage” Of Terrorism in China

o    A Classical Analysis of the 2014 Israel-Hamas Conflict

Congress. House. Armed Services Committee

·         Russian Arms Control Cheating and the Administration’s Responses 

Congress. House. Energy & Commerce Committee

·         The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of1975: Are We Positioning America for Success in an Era of Energy Abundance? 

Congress. House. Foreign Affairs Committee

·         After the Withdrawal: The Way Forward in Afghanistan and Pakistan (Part III) 

·         Countering ISIS: Are We Making Progress? 

·         Russian Arms Control Cheating and the Administration’s Responses 

·         The United States as an Arctic Nation: Opportunities in the High North 

Congress. House. Judiciary Committee

·         The Impact on Local Communities of the Release of Unaccompanied Alien Minors and the Need for Consultation and Notification 

Congress. House. Oversight & Government Reform Committee

·         Addressing the Backlog in the Federal Employee Retirement Process 

·         Examining EPA’s Management of the Renewable Fuel Standard Program 

·         Examining ObamaCare Transparency Failures 

Congress. House. Science, Space, and Technology Committee

·         Energy Subcommittee - The Future of Nuclear Energy 

·         An Update on the Space Launch System and Orion: Monitoring the Development of the Nation’s Deep Space Exploration Capabilities  

Congress. House. Transportation & Infrastructure Committee

·         U.S. Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Integration,Oversight, and Competiveness 

Congress. House. Veterans' Affairs Committee

·         Evaluating Federal and Community Efforts to Eliminate Veteran Homelessness 

·         Timeless Honor: Reviewing Current Operations of our National Cemeteries 

Congress. Senate. Foreign Relations Committee

·         Authorization For The Use of Military Force Against ISIL 

·         The Ebola Epidemic: The Keys To Success For The International Response 

·         ISIL's Reign of Terror: Confronting the Growing Humanitarian Crisis in Iraq and Syria 

Congress. Senate. Select Committee on Intelligence

·         Committee Study of the Central Intelligence Agency’s Detention and Interrogation Program 

·         Additional Views 

·         Minority and Additional Minority Views 

Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

·         Comparing the Costs of the Veterans' Health Care System with Private-Sector Costs 

·         The Economic and Budgetary Effects of Producing Oil and Natural Gas From Shale 

Council on Foreign Relations

·         CIA Fact Sheets and Statements on the Senate Intelligence Committee's Study on the Former Detention and Interrogation Program 

·         Risks to Mexico and U.S. Spillovers From Falling Oil Prices 

·         Space Exploration and U.S. Competitiveness 

·         Spillovers From Falling Oil Prices: Risks to Mexico and the United States 

·         Sunni-Shia Divide 

Demos

·         A Question of Trust: "Researching Twitter Can Transform How We Understand Trust..."   

Department of State

·         Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against ISIL [Sec. Kerry testimony] 

·         Countering Violent Extremism and Terrorist Recruiting in the Digital Age 

·         To Walk the Earth in Safety (2014) 

East-West Center

·         Time to Get Serious about Regional Institution-Building in Asia 

·         The United States: Still Singapore’s Indispensable Partner? 

EU Institute for Security Studies

·         An Arab Army – Coming at Last? 

·         Do Sanctions Against Russia Work? 

·         Moldova: A Narrow Win for Pro-Europeans 

EU Non-Proliferation Consortium

·         European Union and the Humanitarian Initiative in the 2015 Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Cycle 

European Policy Centre (EPC)

·         Not the European Neighbourhood Policy. Some Iconoclastic Tips to Start Rethinking the EU’s Relations with Its Neighbours 

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

·         FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, December 2014 

o    Increasing Terrorism Preparedness of Law Enforcement Agencies

o    Social Media: Legal Challenges and Pitfalls for Law Enforcement Agencies

o    Characteristics of an Ideal Police Officer

o    Fishing for Inspiration

Financial Action Task Force (FATF)

·         Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Measures: Spain - Mutual Evaluation Report 

Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI)

·         The Islamic State—and Iran—and the U.S. Strategy Deficit 

·         Russia’s Frozen Economy 

George Mason University School of Law

·         National Security Law Journal, Fall/Winter 2014, v. 3, no. 1 

o    The International Legal Regime Affecting Bioterrorism Prevention

o    Time to Rewrite the Ill-Conceived and Dangerous Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978

o    Is “Secret Law” Really Either? Congressional Intent, Legislative Process, and Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act

o    Special Victim’s Privileges: How Judicial Activism and a Court’s Expansive Application of Law Made for a Good Result

o    Illegal Upon Exit: Examining AECA’s Ban on the Reimportation of American Military Firearms

German Institute of Global and Area Studies (GIGA)

·         The Heterogeneity of FDI in Sub-Saharan Africa: How Do the Horizontal Productivity Effects of Emerging Investors Differ from Those of Traditional Players? 

Government Accountability Office (GAO)

·         Aviation Security: Rapid Growth in Expedited Passenger Screening Highlights Need to Plan Effective Security Assessments. GAO-15-150 

·         DOD Contract Services: Improved Planning and Implementation of Fiscal Controls Needed. GAO-15-115 

·         DOE and NNSA Project Management: Analysis of Alternatives Could Be Improved by Incorporating Best Practices. GAO-15-37 

·         Federal Subcontracting: Linking Small Business Subcontractors to Prime Contracts Is Not Feasible Using Current Systems. GAO-15-116 

·         Flood Insurance: Forgone Premiums Cannot Be Measured and FEMA Should Validate and Monitor Data System Changes. GAO-15-111 

·         Hurricane Sandy: FEMA Has Improved Disaster Aid Verification but Could Act to Further Limit Improper Assistance. GAO-15-15 

·         Immigration Benefits: Improvements Needed to Fully Implement the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act. GAO-15-3 

·         Missile Defense: Cost Estimating Practices Have Improved, and Continued Evaluation Will Determine Effectiveness. GAO-15-210R 

·         Nuclear Weapons: DOD's Plan for Implementing Nuclear Reductions Generally Addresses Statutory Requirements but Lacks Some Detail. GAO-15-89R 

·         Space Acquisitions: DOD Needs More Guidance on Decisions to Store Satellites. GAO-15-97R 

·         Unmanned Aerial Systems: Efforts Made toward Integration into the National Airspace Continue, but Many Actions Still Required. GAO-15-254T [testimony] 

·         VA Health Care: Improvements Needed in Monitoring Antidepressant Use for Major Depressive Disorder and in Increasing Accuracy of Suicide Data. GAO-15-55  

Heritage Foundation

·         The Affordable Care Act’s Mounting Budgetary Pressures 

·         Federal Spending by the Numbers, 2014:Government Spending Trends in Graphics, Tables, and Key Points 

·         The Option for U.S.–China Cooperation in Antarctica 

·         Right-to-Work Laws: Myth vs. Fact 

·         Six Easy Energy Reforms for Congress to Take Up 

·         Trade and Investment Are Key to Strengthening U.S.–India Relations 

·         True Threats and the Limits of First Amendment Protection 

·         U.S. Must Counter Russian Influence in the Balkans 

·         U.S. Refusal to Ratify Rome Statute Vindicated by ICC Afghanistan Report 

Homeland Security Studies and Analysis Institute (HSSAI)

·         Understanding the Value of Mitigation:Evidence from FEMA’s Community Rating System and Elsewhere 

Human Rights Watch

·         Ending the Era of Injustice: Advancing Prosecutions for Serious Crimes Committed in South Sudan’s New War 

Infinity Journal

·         Infinity Journal, Fall  2014, v. 4, no. 2 

o    Updating the 'Security Concept'

o    From Grand Strategy to Operational Design: Getting It Right

o    Warfare and Strategy

o    Defeat Mechanisms: The Rationale Behind the Strategy

o    Politics and Passion: the Neglected Mainspring of War

o    The Return of Ancient Challenges

Institute for Defence Studies & Analyses (IDSA)

·         Resolving India's Nuclear Liability Impasse 

·         Status of India's Border Trade: Strategic and Economic Significance 

Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA)

·         Africa Watch, December 11, 2014 

o    African Militaries—On a Spending Spree?

o    Political Perks in Africa: Entitled Classes, Impoverished Masses

Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS)

·         Iran’s Stock of near 20 Percent LEU under the Extension of the Joint Plan of Action 

Institute for Security & Development Policy

·         Rivalry and Cooperation: A New "Great Game" in Myanmar 

Institute for Security Studies (ISS)

·         Peace and Security Council Report No 65 

·         Using Social Network Analysis to Understand the Interactions of a Cape Town Gang 

Institute for the Study of War

·         Iraq Situation Report

o    December 6-7, 2014 

o    December 8, 2014 

o    December 9-10, 2014 

o    December 11-12, 2014 

International Centre for the Study Radicalisation and Political Violence (ICSR)

·         The New Jihadism: A Global Snapshot 

International Criminal Court (ICC) Office of the Prosecutor (OTP)

·         Report on Preliminary Examination Activities 2014 

International Crisis Group

·         The Day after Tomorrow: Colombia’s FARC and the End of the Conflict 

·         Iran Nuclear Talks: The Fog Recedes 

·         Sri Lanka’s Presidential Election: Risks and Opportunities 

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

·         A Fiscal Job? An Analysis of Fiscal Policy and the Labor Market 

·         Global Monetary Tightening: Emerging Markets Debt Dynamics and Fiscal Crises 

·         Medium-Term Fiscal Multipliers during Protracted Recessions 

International Peace Institute (IPI)

·         Effective Governance in Challenging Environments 

·         How Small States Influence Policymaking in Multilateral Arenas [video] 

Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS)

·         Joint Pub 1-02, Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms, 15 November 2014 

·         JP 2-0 Podcast, December 2014 [principles of joint intelligence]  

Korea Institute for National Unification

·         Proposal for the Controversy Regarding THAAD 

Long War Journal

·         Charting the Data for US Airstrikes in Pakistan, 2004 - 2014 [updated December 8, 2014] 

Lowy Institute for International Policy

·         China’s Unpredictable Maritime Security Actors 

McAfee Labs

·         McAfee Labs Threats Report - November2014  

Military Times

·         America's Military: A Force Adrift - How the Nation is Falling Today's Troops and Veterans 

National Institute for Defense Studies (NIDS)

·         The 16th Symposium (FY 2013), November 12, 2013 -  "Prospects of Multilateral Cooperation in the Asia Pacific: To Overcome the Gap of Security Outlooks" 

·         Security Outlook of the Asia Pacific Countries and Its Implications for the Defense Sector 

National Security Agency (NSA)

·         Release of Documents Related to Vietnam War POW/MIA Cases 

·         Vietnam POW/MIA Documents 

NATO Defense College

·         Player at the Sidelines - NATO and the Fight Against ISIL 

Nordiska Afrikainstitutet (Nordic Africa Institute)

·         China and India, "Rising Powers"and African Development: Challenges and Opportunities 

Norwegian Peacebuilding Resource Centre

·         The Obama Administration and the Middle East:The Final Two Years 

Oxfam

·         Ebola and the Private Sector: Bolstering the Response and West African Economies 

·         Quarantines in Sierra Leone: Putting People First in the Ebola Crisis 

Oxford Research Group

·         From Arab Awakening to Islamic State 

Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE)

·         Estimates of Fundamental Equilibrium Exchange Rates, November 2014 

·         Foreign Investment and Supply Chains in Emerging Markets: Recurring Problems and Demonstrated Solutions 

·         Understanding Differences in Growth Performance in Latin America and Developing Countries between the Asian and the Global Financial Crises 

Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

·         Few See Quick Cure for Nation’s Political Divisions: Large Majority Expects No Progress on Top Problems Facing U.S. 

·         Growing Public Support for Gun Rights: More Say Guns Do More to Protect Than Put People at Risk 

·         Immigration Action Gets Mixed Response, But Legal Pathway Still Popular: Rise in Hispanic Support of Obama on Immigration 

·         Sharp Racial Divisions in Reactions to Brown,Garner Decisions: Many Blacks Expect Police-Minority Relations to Worsen 

Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM)

·         Unaided Refugees Make ISIS Stronger: Europe and the Worst Humanitarian Crisis of the 21st Century 

Rand

·         The Changing Role of Criminal Law in Controlling Corporate Behavior 

·         Estimating the Economic Costs of Antimicrobial Resistance: Model and Results 

·         The Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force's Infrastructure Resilience Guidelines: An Initial Assessment of Implementation by Federal Agencies 

·         "Know the Signs" Suicide Prevention Media Campaign Is Aligned with Best Practices and Highly Regarded by Experts 

·         Lessons from 13 Years of War Point to a Better U.S. Strategy 

Royal United Services Institute (RUSI)

·         Disrupting Organised Crime 

S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies

·         Diffusion of High-Speed Cruise Missiles in Asia: Strategic and Operational Implications 

·         From Al-Qaida Affiliate to the Rise of the Islamic Caliphate: The Evolution of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria 

Small Wars Journal

·         Area Denial & Falklands War Lessons Learned - Implications for Land Warfare 2030-2040: After the Army’s Theater Arrival- The Coming Complex Fight 

·         Breaking Starch: The Paradox of Modern Military Uniforms 

·         Deploying Small Elements: A Quick Look at the59th Military Police Company’s Mission to Support Strategic Protective Service Detachments 

·         Obama’s Strategy for Defeating ISIS is the Only Viable Option. It Can Work 

·         Opportunities to Combat Violent Religious Extremism 

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)

·         The SIPRI Top 100 Arms-producing and Military Services Companies, 2013 

·         Violence Against Healthcare Workers in Complex Security Environments 

Texas Task Force on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response

·         Task Force Report & Recommendations 

TRAC Reports

·         Terrorism Prosecutions Continue To Decline 

UK Cabinet Office

·         The UK Cyber Security Strategy: Report on Progress and Forward Plans 

UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

·         Southeast Asia Opium Survey 2014 

U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission

·         Chinese Media Digest, Issue No. 2 

·         December 2014 Trade Bulletin 

Wharton School

·         Shared Risks, Shared Solutions: Finding the Leading Risk Expertise in an Interconnected World 

White House

·         Background Briefing by Senior Administration Officials on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Detention and Interrogation Report - Via Conference Call 

·         Letter from the President -- Six Month Consolidated War Powers Resolution Report 

·         Remarks by the President before Meeting on Ebola Response 

·         Statement by the President Report of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence 

·         The Untold History of Women in Science and Technology 

·         Weekly Address: Giving Thanks for Our Troops