FAS Roundup: April 2, 2012

FAS Roundup: April 2, 2012   

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Mitigating risks of bio research, implications of Israeli strike on Iran, fissile materials and much more.
From the Blogs

• Military Intelligence and the Human Terrain System: Secrecy News has obtained the latest issue of the Army’s Military Intelligence Professional Bulletin which is devoted to the Human Terrain System (HTS),  a U.S. Army program to conduct social and cultural studies in support of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Bulletin provides theoretical and practical accounts from HTS personnel in the field.

• New Policy on Mitigating Risks of Bio Research: In a new U.S. government policy released by the National Institutes of Health, certain types of life science research involving “high consequence pathogens and toxins” would be subject to new review and risk mitigation procedures which might include classification of the research or termination of the funding.

• Back to the Basics- Producing Fissile Materials: Fissile materials have been in the news recently in regards to Iran’s uranium enrichment program, North Korea’s continuing nuclear weapons program and the recent Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul. Dr. Y discusses what fissile materials are, how they are produced and why they are a security problem on the ScienceWonk blog.

• "Power and Constraint" and Mutual Frustration: Steven Aftergood writes about a new book by Jack Goldsmith, Power and Constraint, which concludes that constitutional government is alive and well in the United States. Goldsmith, a former head of the Bush Administration’s Office of Legal Counsel, disputes the widely accepted view that traditional checks and balances have been diminished by the war on terrorism.

• Implications of an Israeli Strike on Iran and More from CRS: Secrecy News has obtained recently released CRS reports on topics such as the implications of Israel attacking Iranian nuclear targets, foreign assistance to North Korea and the growing emphasis on Asia as a focus for U.S. national security planning.

Publications

• A New Plan for Iran: Lift Sanctions, Increase Monitoring: Dr. Yousaf Butt, scientific consultant to FAS, writes in a letter to the editor published by the Washington Post that since intelligence has indicated that a nuclear-armed Iran is not imminent, the United States should lift sanctions in return for increased monitoring of Iran's nuclear program.

• A revised version of Chapter 2 of the recent  FAS and Washington and Lee University report, Future of Nuclear Power in the United States, is now available online here. Written by Stephen Maloney, the chapter explores the costs associated with nuclear power.

​Events

• Dr. Melanie Stegman, director of the Learning Technologies Program, participated in the Science Rocks! program at the National Science Teachers Association's National Conference in Indianapolis on March 28, 2012. Science Rocks! is a new program designed to connect children and their families with the nation’s accomplished scientists and to demonstrate the importance of science education.

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

• Mar 30: Homeland Security Today, "Consequences of Israeli Strike on Iran's Nuke Sites Examined in Congressional Report"
• Mar 29: PhysOrg.com, "ASU's Krauss Will Receive National Award for Improving Public Understanding of Science"
• Mar 27: Washington Post - Post Local, "A Nuclear Blast of Any Size Would End D.C. As We Know It"
• Mar 27: Huffington Post, "Barack Obama's Broken Nuclear Promises Undermine Successes"
• Mar 27: International Business Times, "Israel Encouraged by Obama's Tougher Talk on Iran"
• Mar 26: National Public Radio (NPR), "Defining Nuclear Security in Face of Modern Threats"
• Mar 26: BBC, "Which Countries Have Nuclear Weapons?"
• Mar 26: Bloomberg BusinessWeek, "Bales's Security Clearance May Reflect Strain on Approval"
• Mar 26: Daily Beast, "Military's Internet Scrub of Robert Bales Data Was A Futile Whitewash Bid"
• Mar 24: National Post, "Ongoing Nuclear Threat Looms Over Seoul Summit"
• Mar 24: Bloomberg, "Soldier Charged in Afghan Shootings Had Secret Clearance"
• Mar 24: Albuquerque Journal, "Sandia Studied Nuke-Powered Drone"