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Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Lessons from Iraqi outrage over US drones
Monday, Jan 30, 2012 Lessons from Iraqi outrage over US drones
By Glenn Greenwaldhttp://www.salon.com/2012/01/
How President Obama Should Handle Iran
TheDailyBeast.com
January 30, 2012
How President Obama Should Handle Iran
The robust sanctions against Iran won't work by themselves. Looking at Iranians from their perspective helps explain why. By Leslie H. Gelb.
January 30, 2012
How President Obama Should Handle Iran
The robust sanctions against Iran won't work by themselves. Looking at Iranians from their perspective helps explain why. By Leslie H. Gelb.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Selling Newt Gingrich
The former speaker dispenses “the politics of rage for the Viagra set”—and brings Sheldon Adelson’s brand of Israeli rightism to American politics.
By Scott McConnell | January 30, 2011Dennis Ross’ ‘red line’ to the White house
- Published 17:45 30.01.12
- http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/
diplomania/dennis-ross-red- line-to-the-white-house-1. 410054
Dennis Ross’ ‘red line’ to the White house
Why did the White House install a secure phone in Dennis Ross’ office in the Washington Institute for Near East Policy?
By Barak Ravid"James Madison" (Bruce Fein) delivers his report on the state of the union
"James Madison" (Bruce Fein) delivers his report on the state of the union
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Nouriel Roubini warns military conflict with Iran could cause global recession
Nouriel Roubini warns military conflict with Iran could cause global recession
January 28th, 2012http://www.lobelog.com/
Jasmin Ramsey
This week renowned economist Nouriel Roubini told the Associated Press that a military conflict with Iran could lead to a global recession. Roubini was interviewed at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland:
Bill Boyarsky on Super-PAC Influence
Bill Boyarsky on Super-PAC Influence
"Winning Our Future, Gambling With Democracy" -- With financial and political interests ranging from Las Vegas to Israel to China, Sheldon Adelson, who is bankrolling the super PAC supporting Newt Gingrich, is a powerful illustration of the dangers of unlimited campaign contributions.
http://www.truthdig.com/
"Winning Our Future, Gambling With Democracy" -- With financial and political interests ranging from Las Vegas to Israel to China, Sheldon Adelson, who is bankrolling the super PAC supporting Newt Gingrich, is a powerful illustration of the dangers of unlimited campaign contributions.
http://www.truthdig.com/
Chris Hedges on the Corporate Superstructure
Chris Hedges on the Corporate Superstructure
"Corporations Have No Use for Borders" -- It used to be the country we would flee to if life in the United States became unpalatable, but that was the old Canada.
http://www.truthdig.com/
"Corporations Have No Use for Borders" -- It used to be the country we would flee to if life in the United States became unpalatable, but that was the old Canada.
http://www.truthdig.com/
Obama vs. the Hawks on Iran
Obama vs. the Hawks on Iran
January 30, 2012
This dominant narrative is also reinforcecd by the cast of a popular reality-television show, The Republican Presidential Debate. Not an episode goes by without Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum bashing President Obama as an enabler of a new Holocaust with Ahmadinejad as Hitler.
But Obama has allowed his own policy opaqueness to enable the let’s-bomb-Iran crowd, who echo the lines written by the Likud government, to fill the void and dominate the discourse.
Playing Poker in the Strait
Playing Poker in the Strait
Does Iran boast the capacity to bar the Strait of Hormuz to commercial and naval shipping, as influential officials and lawmakers have repeatedly vowed to do? Doubtful – but Tehran can make serious trouble for the United States, the West, and its Middle East neighbors short of putting a stopper in the bottle of the Persian Gulf. Just after the New Year, Iranian army chief Ataollah Salehi cautioned the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis to stay clear of the Persian Gulf. “I advise, recommend and warn them over their return of this carrier to the Persian Gulf,” intoned Salehi, “because we are not in the habit of warning more than once.” The U.S. Navy paid these words little if any heed. Stennis remained in the area and was joined by its sister ship, USS Carl Vinson, in the Indian Ocean theater a few days later. Last week, after the European ... Read More...
Despite the Current Oil Gas Boom, the Obama Administration Deserves No Credit
Despite the Current Oil Gas Boom, the Obama Administration Deserves No Credit
“The one person who deserves no credit for this [oil and gas] boom is Barack Obama. In fact, this Administration has bent over backwards to make oil and gas production and exploration as difficult as possible. According to the Institute for Energy Research (IER), the Obama Administration has been issuing BLM oil and gas leases at the lowest pace of any president in the last 30 years – in fact at half the rate of the Clinton White House and 80% slower than in the Reagan era, dragging their feet to please the environmental…Read more...
Leslie H. Gelb on How President Obama Should Handle Iran
Leslie H. Gelb on How President Obama Should Handle Iran
Leslie H. Gelb says that in order to deal with Iran, President Obama needs to show the courage of offering a solid peace proposal instead of just drawing chest-thumping red lines.Preparing Minds for an Israeli Attack on Iran by Jeremy R. Hammond
Preparing Minds for an Israeli Attack on Iran
by Jeremy R. Hammond
A New York Times Magazine article titled “Will Israel Attack Iran?” and written by Ronen Bergman, an analyst for the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, rests entirely upon a single assumption—that Iran is bent on developing nuclear weapons with which to threaten Israel.[1] It can only be described as a propaganda piece, which maintains that central premise only through deliberate omission and distortion of the facts.
Nuclear Free Middle East: Desirable, Necessary, and Impossible
Nuclear Free Middle East: Desirable, Necessary, and Impossible
Comparing these Israeli and Iranian patterns of behavior with respect to nuclear weapons, it is difficult not to conclude that it is Israel, not Iran, that should be subjected to sanctions.
SPENGLER : How America made its children crazy
SPENGLER : How America made its children crazy
American children do not read; they surf. They do not write; they text. And when they fail to concentrate, we prescribe drugs that only harm them - drugs can't be found in pharmacies in China, where perseverance and classical music are the order of the day. If China replaces the US as the pre-eminent world power, America will only have itself to blame for handing kids over to quacks and computers. (Jan 30'12)
The consequences of war for Saudi Arabia
The consequences of war for Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabian threats that its military could join a Western-led conflict with Iran heap more pressure on Riyadh's Shi'ite rival. However, the House of Saud could invite isolation in the Muslim world for siding so openly with the United States and Israel, while Tehran could strike back by arming the restive Shi'ite minority in Saudi Arabia's oil-rich east. - Brian M Downing (Jan 30'12)
Iranian carriers in the Gulf of Mexico
Iranian carriers in the Gulf of Mexico
No one in America would claim that a US special operations team edging up to the Iranian border was anything out of the ordinary or placed a military boot one step over what the international community accepted as a red line. Just imagine the furor if that boot was on the other foot and Iran had deployed forces to help Mexico defeat the drug cartels. - Tom Engelhardt (Jan 30'12)
Putting Israel First by Justin Raimondo
Putting Israel First
The campaign to lure the US into attacking Iran has one big problem to overcome before the War Party can taste success: the rather obvious fact that such a war would benefit Israel, and not the United States. This is why Israel’s partisans in the US constitute the spearhead of the pro-war agitation, why AIPAC [...]
Update from FAS: FAS Roundup: January 30, 2012
FAS Roundup: January 30, 2012
New developments in radiation treatment and diagnosis, no cuts in nuclear forces in defense budget, domestic use of drones, new leak case against CIA officer and much more.
Event Transcript
Volunteer Opportunity for DC Members
FAS in the News
New developments in radiation treatment and diagnosis, no cuts in nuclear forces in defense budget, domestic use of drones, new leak case against CIA officer and much more.
From the Blogs
- Domestic Use of Drones is Well Underway: The use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) within the United States is certain to increase in the years to come, as a new Army policy has recently made clear. But, the use of unmanned aircraft or drones within U.S. airspace has already advanced to a degree that is not widely recognized.
- Budget Blunder: "No Cuts" in Nuclear Forces: “There are no cuts made in the nuclear force in this budget.” That clear statement was made on January 26, 2012 by deputy defense secretary Ashton Carter during the Pentagon’s briefing on the defense budget request for Fiscal Year 2013. Hans Kristensen writes that this statement is disappointing for anyone who had hopes that the administration’s promises about “concrete steps” to reduce the number and role of nuclear weapons and to “put an end to Cold War thinking” would actually be reflected in the new defense budget.
- Presidential Signing Statements and More from CRS: Secrecy News has obtained new CRS reports on topics such as veterans benefits, Iran sanctions and the FBI and terrorism investigations.
- A Small Death in Tehran: The recent death of Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, the 32 year-old deputy director of one of Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities, brings the total of assassinations to five among what was a small group of people to begin with. There are two aspects to this act – the morality of such assassinations and their efficacy, which Dr. Y examines on the ScienceWonk blog.
- New Leak Case Relies on 1982 Law on Intelligence Identities: Former CIA officer John Kiriakou became the latest person to be charged under the Espionage Act with unauthorized disclosures of classified information. But unlike the previous defendants, Mr. Kiriakou was also charged with violating the Intelligence Identities Protection Act for allegedly disclosing the identity of a covert intelligence officer to a journalist. Steven Aftergood analyzes the history of this Act and the case against Mr. Kiriakou.
- New Doctrine on Intelligence Support to Military Operations: Secrecy News has obtained an updated doctrine produced by the Joint Chiefs of Staff on intelligence support to military operations. The new doctrine reflects changes in intelligence organizations, roles and missions.
- New Developments in Radiation Diagnosis and Treatment: For the last several years the threat of nuclear and radiological terrorism has given us all a good scare and one of our responses has been to throw a lot of money into improving our ability to respond medically to such an attack. Dr. Y writes about a few strategies for diagnosis and treatment.
- DoD Support to Foreign Disaster Relief: Secrecy News has obtained a new guide prepared by the Department of Defense for military personnel who are engaged in foreign disaster relief operations, an endeavor which arises with some frequency.
- Court Says Review of Security Clearance Dispute is "Prohibited": A government agency’s decision to revoke an employee’s security clearance cannot be reviewed by a federal court even if the decision is based on ethnic discrimination or religious prejudice or other unconstitutional grounds, a court said last week.
Event Transcript
- Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project, spoke on a panel hosted by the Arms Control Association regarding the future of the U.S. Nuclear Arsenal in Washington, DC on January 20, 2012. The transcript from the event is available online here.
Volunteer Opportunity for DC Members
- FAS will have a booth at the 2nd Annual USA Science and Engineering Festival which will be held on April 28-29 in Washington, DC. We are looking for volunteers to staff our booth-come share your knowledge and career experiences with festival attendees! If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Melanie Stegman at mstegman@fas.org.For more information on our booth and the festival, click here.
FAS in the News
- Jan 26: Reuters, "IAEA Talks in Tehran to Test Iran's Nuclear Defiance"
- Jan 24: TIME - Battleland, "The Afghan War: Cause and Effect"
- Jan 24: DailyKos.com, "Another Whistleblower Indicted Under the Espionage Act"
- Jan 24: Council on Foreign Relations, "Can Sanctions Bring Iran to the Table?"
- Jan 23: Washington Post, "Former CIA Officer Charged in Leaks Case"
- Jan 23: Chicago Tribune, "Former CIA Officer Charged With Leaking Classified Information"
- Jan 23: Washington Times, "Ex-CIA Officer Charged in Leak Case"
- Jan 23: National Public Radio, "Foreign Policy: Stop the Madness"
The mirage of Obama’s defence cuts
China outlines plans to turn Shanghai into global money hub
China outlines plans to turn Shanghai into global money hub
Israel's never-ending Holocaust
Mon, January 30, 2012 Shvat 6, 5772http://www.haaretz.com/print-
- Published 03:01 30.01.12
Israel's never-ending Holocaust
The issue that should have sparked panic in last week's poll on religion is the total consensus among Israeli Jews that the 'guiding principle' for the country is 'to remember the Holocaust.'
By Merav MichaeliAggression born of American 'exceptionalism' By HIROAKI SATO
Aggression born of American 'exceptionalism'
By HIROAKI SATO
NEW YORK — I thought American exceptionalism was debunked and dying. I was wrong.
Most recently, American exceptionalism jumped to the political fore at the start of this century. It did so with a swagger, ironically, because of the 9/11 attacks. In his speech that night, President George W. Bush put forward the United States as "the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world."
That assertion was a bit odd in the circumstances, but no matter. He condemned those who carried out the attacks as "evil" and told the world that America, being goodness incarnate, would bring those responsible to justice, making no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbored the terrorists.
As Bush pushed his intent to attack Iraq, which had nothing to do with those "evil" acts, some advised that the U.S. assume the role that Britain played from the 19th to the early 20th century. The U.S. is powerful and enlightened enough, the argument went, to relegate those benighted, ne'er-do-well Middle Eastern countries back into colonial status and rule them as lord and master.
Even a plan was cooked up to send schoolteachers to Iraq after its "liberation." The story appeared in The Education Week — a periodical that constantly reports on the problems American education faces.
Behind all that lay the age-old belief that America is a country like no other. That high self-regard faltered as the Iraq War, like the war against Afghanistan that had started earlier, did. Then came the bursting of the financial bubble. The argument that American exceptionalism is a "myth" came to the fore.
Newt Gingrich’s Deep Neocon Ties Drive His Bellicose Middle East Policy
http://www.thedailybeast.com/
Newt Gingrich’s Deep Neocon Ties Drive His Bellicose Middle East Policy
If elected, Gingrich would be the first American president to emerge from the dark think-tank world born in the Reagan era that gave us the Iraq war and lusts now for an Iranian reprise. The Daily Beast closely examines Gingrich’s long-time association with this discredited cabal.
by Wayne Barrett | January 30, 2012Casino king Sheldon Adelson’s multi-million-dollar cache of chips-on-the-table for Newt Gingrich’s presidential campaign has at last made him a household name outside of Las Vegas. But it isn’t just Adelson’s brand of pro-Israel, donor-driven saber-rattling that’s pushing Gingrich into far-out positions on virtually every Middle East-related question, from applauding the assassination of Iranian scientists to painting Palestinians as an historical concoction to requiring loyalty oaths from Muslim governmental appointees.
Since his days in the House, Gingrich has always attached himself to the most extreme neocon elements of American and Israeli politics.
Chuck Spinney on the F-35
It seems that Leon Panetta's plan to "save" money by making the F-35 more expensive (by delaying and stretching out production) didn't exactly impress Chuck Spinney, who has written about the problems in America's combat aviation for years and years. He's seen it all before, and he has written so instructively about it that if you don't know Spinney's findings you don't know much about the problem. One of many places to find Chuck's highly insightful work is at the website for "The Pentagon Labyrinth: 10 Short Essays to Help You Through It." That would be at http://pogoarchives.org/
Chuck has written a new piece at Time's Battleland blog summarizing the problems that are deep in the F-35's genes. It makes for quick but informative reading, and he provides links to more for those who want t probe further. He says he's going to write more on the F-35; I am looking forward to it: to understand why the F-35 is such a colossal failure degrading our defenses in a quite literal way is to understand our defense problems fundamentally. Winslow Wheeler.
F-35: Out of Altitude, Airspeed, and Ideas — But Never Money
By CHUCK SPINNEY | January 30, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Apple and Labor
Apple and Labor
Following a scathing report, Apple CEO Tim Cook gets defensive.The New York Times has published a lengthy report titled “In China, Human Costs Are Built Into an iPad.” It begins with a scene that no Apple employee could feel particularly proud to read: “The explosion ripped through Building A5 on Friday evening last May, an eruption of fire and noise that twisted metal pipes as if they were discarded straws.” The story goes on to relate that the explosion came from an area of a Foxconn factory in Chengdu, where workers did nothing but polish iPad cases, thousands of them each day. Two workers died instantly in the blast, with more than 12 others injured.
The United States Beyond 2012
The United States Beyond 2012
Uri Dadush 23 gennaio 2012http://www.ilsole24ore.com/
Uri Avnery January 28, 2012 Hurrah for Egypt!
Uri Avnery
January 28, 2012
THE IMPOSSIBLE has happened. The Egyptian parliament, democratically elected by a free people, has convened for its first session.
For me this is a wonderful, a joyful occasion.
Mideast nuke race feared
Mideast nuke race feared
By EDITH M. LEDERER | APPublished: Jan 27, 2012
DAVOS, Switzerland: Former Saudi Ambassador to the United States Prince Turki Al-Faisal has warned that unless the Middle East becomes a nuclear weapons-free zone, a nuclear arms race is inevitable and could include his own country, Iraq, Egypt and even Turkey.
The World in 2050
Interesting report by HSBC's Karen Ward with much graphic information at http://www.research.hsbc.com/
Egypt gets dumped by its Washington lobbyists
I wonder if Congress realizes that the Egyptians also have options. If Egypt decided to close US access to Egyptian military facilities and overflights, as well as limit access to the Suez Canal by the US Navy, it would make it extraordinarily difficult and much more expensive for the US Navy to maintain its current posture in the Persian Gulf. For years, Egypt has waived for the US a law limiting access by nuclear powered warships transiting the Suez Canal.
Posted By Josh Rogin ![]()
Saturday, January 28, 2012 - 9:04 AM
All three of the lobbying firms representing the Egyptian government in Washington, D.C., dropped Egypt as a client late Friday amid widespread criticism of the ruling military council's raid of U.S. NGOs in Cairo and its refusal to let American NGO workers leave the country.
The Livingston Group, run by former Rep. Bob Livingston (R-LA), the Moffett Group, run by former Rep. Toby Moffett (D-CT), and the Podesta Group, run by Tony Podesta, unanimously severed their combined $90,000 per month contract with the Egyptian government, Politicoreported
Friday, January 27, 2012
Growing elite opposition to strike on Iran
Growing elite opposition to strike on Iran
A number of influential members of the United States foreign policy establishment - including prominent liberal interventionists who had supported the Iraq war - are now warning against "letting a bunch of ignorant, sloppy-thinking politicians and politicized foreign-policy experts" further escalate tensions with Iran. - Jim Lobe (Jan 27, '12)
THE ROVING EYE : The Iranian oil embargo blowback
THE ROVING EYE : The Iranian oil embargo blowback
European poodles will soon discover they have cocked their legs in high wind after playing fetch to the United States on the Iranian oil embargo. The blowback is high oil prices, and the strong possibility of a Greek government bond default sparking renewed catastrophe in the eurozone. The rest of the world is dismissing sanctions and all across Eurasia trade is fast moving away from the greenback. - Pepe Escobar (Jan 27, '12)
Iraq Redux
Iraq Redux
January 26, 2012 3:51 pm ET by MJ Rosenberg
Talk about déjà vu all over again.In September 2010 The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg wrote, in a much ballyhooed article, that "there is a better than 50 percent chance that Israel will launch a strike [against Iran] by next July," meaning the summer of 2011.
This coming Sunday, the New York Times Magazine will feature a story by Israeli journalist Ronen Bergman, who writes, "I have come to believe that Israel will indeed strike Iran in 2012."
Clueless in Davos
Posted By Clyde Prestowitz 
Thursday, January 26, 2012
The union’s state is dire
Lexington
The union’s state is dire
Barack Obama’s big speech to Congress was mainly a bit of electioneering
Jan 28th 2012 | from the print edition
Will Israel Attack Iran? (And If It Does, Can It Really Stop Tehran’s Nuclear Program?)
China’s Global Quest for Resources and Implications for the United States
China’s Global Quest for Resources and Implications for the United States
Antoinette Schoar: The case for unwinding Fannie and Freddie
MIT Sloan Experts |
Posted: 26 Jan 2012 07:17 AM PST
From CBS News Today Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac–two government-sponsored enterprises originally designed to increase the availability of loans and thereby raise levels of home ownership–dominate the US mortgage lending market. Fannie Mae, which was established in 1938 as part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal, provides local banks with federal money to finance home [...]
Thursday, January 26, 2012
State of the Union: From Climate to Clean Energy to…Fracking?
State of the Union: From Climate to Clean Energy to…Fracking?
Read more: http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2012/01/25/state-of-the-union-from-climate-to-clean-energy-to-fracking/#ixzz1kbjueayg
The State of the Union Annotated
The State of the Union Annotated
Tom Evslin, Seeking Alpha
President Obama recognized the importance of natural gas and the new, disruptive technologies which have made at least 100 years of this fuel available to us; that's the good news from the State of the Union Address. The bad news is that the President appears to have learned a lot of wrong lessons about the proper role of government in innovation and appears poised to take a lot of wrong-headed actions. Here's that section of the speech as reported in The New York Times with annotations by them (NYT) and by me (TE).
President Obama recognized the importance of natural gas and the new, disruptive technologies which have made at least 100 years of this fuel available to us; that's the good news from the State of the Union Address. The bad news is that the President appears to have learned a lot of wrong lessons about the proper role of government in innovation and appears poised to take a lot of wrong-headed actions. Here's that section of the speech as reported in The New York Times with annotations by them (NYT) and by me (TE).
Despite the Current Oil Gas Boom, the Obama Administration Deserves No Credit
Despite the Current Oil Gas Boom, the Obama Administration Deserves No Credit
“The one person who deserves no credit for this [oil and gas] boom is Barack Obama. In fact, this Administration has bent over backwards to make oil and gas production and exploration as difficult as possible. According to the Institute for Energy Research (IER), the Obama Administration has been issuing BLM oil and gas leases at the lowest pace of any president in the last 30 years – in fact at half the rate of the Clinton White House and 80% slower than in the Reagan era, dragging their feet to please the environmental…Read more...
Saudi prince warns of Middle East nuclear arms race
Saudi prince warns of Middle East nuclear arms race
Watch live: Panetta’s briefing on the Pentagon budget
Watch live: Panetta’s briefing on the Pentagon budget
Judgment day
Judgment day
News On What is To Be Cut In the U.S. Defense Budget
Panetta Announces Fiscal 2013 Budget Priorities -- US Department of Defense
Pentagon Outlines 2013 Budget Cuts -- Defense News
Pentagon Plan Includes Base Closings and Smaller Raises -- New York Times
Pentagon budget set to shrink next year -- Washington Post
Budgeting for a new military vision -- CNN
Pentagon cuts reshape military, trim costs -- Reuters
Pentagon Unveils Tighter Spending Plan -- Wall Street Journal
US plans to cut Army, invest in future -- AFP
Pentagon budget cuts hit force size, facilities -- Army Times
DoD Unveils Major Force Reductions -- Military.com
Pentagon Asia Shift Favors Subs, Bombers, Tankers, Panetta Says -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Pentagon budget cuts will shrink military, reduce ground forces -- The Hill
Panetta: Troop numbers to fall, but no hit to active-duty pay and benefits -- Stars and Stripes
Panetta Outlines US Defense Budget Decisions -- Voice of America
New Pentagon Plan Would Cut Ground Forces By 100,000 -- FOX News
Panetta: U.S. ground forces would shrink by 100,000 -- USA Today/AP
US to cut almost 100,000 troops -- BBC
US to cut ground forces by 100,000 -- Press Association
Pentagon says to slow procurement of F-35 fighters -- Reuters
U.S. to slow F-35 procurement as billions get slashed from defence budget -- Canada.com
USAF to Kill Block 30 Global Hawks -- Defense News
Panetta Said to Seek Cancellation of L-3’s U.S. Army C-27J Transport Plane -- Bloomberg
Navy To Drop 3 Ships in 2013; May Keep 313-Ship Goal -- Aol Defense
Panetta: Navy will keep 11-carrier fleet amid defense cuts -- Hampton Roads/AP
Big cuts coming; lower pay raises start in 2015 -- Navy Times
20,000 Marines to be cut, Pentagon announces -- Marine Times
Pentagon cuts to hit defense industry -- Washington Post
Panetta: Military cuts to hit 'all 50 states' -- MSNBC
Pentagon to Request Two New Rounds of Base Closures -- Defense News
HASC Vice Chair dismisses proposed base closures -- DoD Buzz
The critical problem of children without a decent education needs to be addressed.
The critical problem of children without a decent education needs to be addressed.
Domestic Use of Drones is Well Underway
Domestic Use of Drones is Well Underway
The use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) within the United States is certain to increase in the years to come, as a new Army policy has recently made clear. (“Army Foresees Expanded Use of Drones in U.S. Airspace,” Secrecy News, January 19.) But in fact the use of unmanned aircraft or drones within U.S. airspace has already advanced to a degree that is not widely recognized.
As of 2010, the Federal Aviation Administration had already issued hundreds of “certificates of authorization” (COAs) for the domestic use of drones.
“Right now, today as we sit here, we have 251 certificates of authorization for unmanned aircraft, 140 of them are DOD related,” said Hank Krakowski of the FAA at an informative Senate hearing in September 2010. “We have not rejected or denied any DOD COAs in 2010, and we keep moving forward.”
On the other hand, Mr. Krakowski cautioned, “While UASs offer a promising new technology, the limited safety and operational data available to date does not yet support expedited or full integration into the NAS [National Airspace System]. Because current available data is insufficient to allow unfettered integration of UASs into the NAS–where the public travels every day– the FAA must continue to move forward deliberately and cautiously, in accordance with our safety mandate.”
“Unmanned aircraft systems [were] originally and primarily designed for military purposes,” he noted. “Although the technology incorporated into UASs has advanced, their safety record warrants caution. As we attempt to integrate these aircraft into the NAS, we will continue to look at any risks that UASs pose to the traveling public as well as the risk to persons or property on the ground.”
See “The Integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) Into the National Airspace System (NAS): Fulfilling Imminent Operational and Training Requirements,” Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Technology, September 13, 2010 (published September 2011).
In the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress included language requiring a report on “the integration of unmanned aerial systems into the national airspace system” (h/t Emptywheel).
The legality of the use of drones in CIA targeted killing programs is among the topics that is explored in the brand new issue of the Journal of National Security Law and Policy on the subject of covert war.
As of 2010, the Federal Aviation Administration had already issued hundreds of “certificates of authorization” (COAs) for the domestic use of drones.
“Right now, today as we sit here, we have 251 certificates of authorization for unmanned aircraft, 140 of them are DOD related,” said Hank Krakowski of the FAA at an informative Senate hearing in September 2010. “We have not rejected or denied any DOD COAs in 2010, and we keep moving forward.”
On the other hand, Mr. Krakowski cautioned, “While UASs offer a promising new technology, the limited safety and operational data available to date does not yet support expedited or full integration into the NAS [National Airspace System]. Because current available data is insufficient to allow unfettered integration of UASs into the NAS–where the public travels every day– the FAA must continue to move forward deliberately and cautiously, in accordance with our safety mandate.”
“Unmanned aircraft systems [were] originally and primarily designed for military purposes,” he noted. “Although the technology incorporated into UASs has advanced, their safety record warrants caution. As we attempt to integrate these aircraft into the NAS, we will continue to look at any risks that UASs pose to the traveling public as well as the risk to persons or property on the ground.”
See “The Integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) Into the National Airspace System (NAS): Fulfilling Imminent Operational and Training Requirements,” Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Technology, September 13, 2010 (published September 2011).
In the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress included language requiring a report on “the integration of unmanned aerial systems into the national airspace system” (h/t Emptywheel).
The legality of the use of drones in CIA targeted killing programs is among the topics that is explored in the brand new issue of the Journal of National Security Law and Policy on the subject of covert war.
The MF Global Bankruptcy Filing: Did the Regulators Sell Out the Public for JP Morgan?
The MF Global Bankruptcy Filing: Did the Regulators Sell Out the Public for JP Morgan?
Avoiding a ‘Dumb War’ With Iran
Avoiding a ‘Dumb War’ With Iran
The media and the punditry have been deliberately misrepresenting facts to persuade the people of the United States to start another war, not unlike in the lead-up to the Iraq fiasco. Since 9/11, hard-liners in the United States have depicted one Muslim country after another as major threats to U.S. securityUS, Israel Agree: Iran Not Building Nukes
US, Israel Agree: Iran Not Building Nukes
Has Iran decided to build a nuclear bomb? That would seem to be the central question in the current bellicose debate over whether the world should simply cripple Iran’s economy and inflict severe pain on its civilian population or launch a preemptive war to destroy its nuclear capability while possibly achieving “regime change.”U.S. Probe of Border Attack Hardened Pakistani Suspicions Analysis by Gareth Porter*
http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?
U.S. Probe of Border Attack Hardened Pakistani Suspicions
Analysis by Gareth Porter*
WASHINGTON, Jan 25, 2012 (IPS) - The Pakistani military leadership's response to the U.S. report on its helicopter attack on two Pakistani border posts Nov. 26 assailed the credibility of the investigation by Air Force Brig. Gen. Steven Clark and expressed doubt that the attack could have been "accidental".
Analysis by Gareth Porter*
WASHINGTON, Jan 25, 2012 (IPS) - The Pakistani military leadership's response to the U.S. report on its helicopter attack on two Pakistani border posts Nov. 26 assailed the credibility of the investigation by Air Force Brig. Gen. Steven Clark and expressed doubt that the attack could have been "accidental".
Updates from the Afghansistan Study Group $500 billion for a stalemate
From ASG
1/24/12
$500 billion for a stalemate
Afghanistan Study Group by Mary Kaszynski
Between reports of violence on the one hand, and optimistic assessments of US war efforts on the other, the American public receives contradictory and incomplete assessments on the war in Afghanistan. Case in point: the classified National Intelligence Estimate on Afghanistan.
ARTICLES
1/23/12
Taliban leader's grip on insurgency weakens
USA Today by Jim Michaels
Taliban leader Mullah Omar's grip on the insurgency is loosening as coalition battlefield successes in southern Afghanistan help sow discord among the Taliban top ranks and weaken the organization, a top U.S. commander said.
OPINION
1/20/12
Obama's only way out of Afghanistan is to talk
The Guardian by Tariq Ali
In essence both sides confront a stalemate. The insurgents cannot win militarily, but they have made a Nato victory impossible. The US could only win the "just war" by destroying the country and wiping out a million or two Afghans – but that is politically unfeasible. Negotiations are the only possible route to a settlement and US withdrawal from the country.
1/23/12
Afghanistan, An Indecent Silence
Huffington Post by Anne Nivat
Enter the discussion, and draw conclusions about this military engagement -- it has cost us many lives, and yet it is still neither approved of or understood by the public. After ten years, we still lack clear and convincing answers.
1/24/12
The Afghan War: Cause and Effect
Time’s Battleland by Mark Thompson
Wars are a tough sell to any nation. Long wars are a tougher sell. Long wars in a democracy are tougher still. And long wars with rising casualties in a democracy are the toughest sell of all.
1/24/12
$500 billion for a stalemate
Afghanistan Study Group by Mary Kaszynski
Between reports of violence on the one hand, and optimistic assessments of US war efforts on the other, the American public receives contradictory and incomplete assessments on the war in Afghanistan. Case in point: the classified National Intelligence Estimate on Afghanistan.
ARTICLES
1/23/12
Taliban leader's grip on insurgency weakens
USA Today by Jim Michaels
Taliban leader Mullah Omar's grip on the insurgency is loosening as coalition battlefield successes in southern Afghanistan help sow discord among the Taliban top ranks and weaken the organization, a top U.S. commander said.
OPINION
1/20/12
Obama's only way out of Afghanistan is to talk
The Guardian by Tariq Ali
In essence both sides confront a stalemate. The insurgents cannot win militarily, but they have made a Nato victory impossible. The US could only win the "just war" by destroying the country and wiping out a million or two Afghans – but that is politically unfeasible. Negotiations are the only possible route to a settlement and US withdrawal from the country.
1/23/12
Afghanistan, An Indecent Silence
Huffington Post by Anne Nivat
Enter the discussion, and draw conclusions about this military engagement -- it has cost us many lives, and yet it is still neither approved of or understood by the public. After ten years, we still lack clear and convincing answers.
1/24/12
The Afghan War: Cause and Effect
Time’s Battleland by Mark Thompson
Wars are a tough sell to any nation. Long wars are a tougher sell. Long wars in a democracy are tougher still. And long wars with rising casualties in a democracy are the toughest sell of all.
Iran Set to Turn Off Oil Supply to Europe By: Der Spiegel and Wires | Der Spiegel
Iran Set to Turn Off Oil Supply to Europe
By: Der Spiegel and Wires | Der SpiegelThe European Union embargo on Iranian oil will only come into effect in six months, but the leadership in Tehran wants to act first: Exports to Europe are set to be halted immediately. It is a move which could mean added difficulties for struggling economies in southern Europe.
Joe Conason on the GOP's Response to Obama
Joe Conason on the GOP's Response to Obama
"Mitch Daniels: Bombast From the Past" -- Why the Republicans chose Mitch Daniels to deliver a rebuttal to President Obama's State of the Union address is puzzling. Isn't he the former Bush budget director who said the Iraq War would cost $50 billion when it ended up costing $3 trillion?
http://www.truthdig.com/
"Mitch Daniels: Bombast From the Past" -- Why the Republicans chose Mitch Daniels to deliver a rebuttal to President Obama's State of the Union address is puzzling. Isn't he the former Bush budget director who said the Iraq War would cost $50 billion when it ended up costing $3 trillion?
http://www.truthdig.com/
Robert Scheer on Obama's State of the Union Address
Robert Scheer on Obama's State of the Union Address
"Obama's Faux Populism Sounds Like Bill Clinton" -- I get angry because betrayal by the "good guys" for whom I have ended up voting has become the norm.
http://www.truthdig.com/
"Obama's Faux Populism Sounds Like Bill Clinton" -- I get angry because betrayal by the "good guys" for whom I have ended up voting has become the norm.
http://www.truthdig.com/
How to start a war with Iran
http://warincontext.org/2012/
How to start a war with Iran
by Paul Woodward in War in Context on January 25, 2012Is a Nuclear Iran Really to Be Feared?
Is a Nuclear Iran Really to Be Feared?
January 25, 2012
By William Pfaff
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