FAS Roundup: April 22, 2013 Chinese ICBMs, Q&A on North Korea, new CRS reports and much more.

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FAS Roundup: April 22, 2013 Chinese ICBMs, Q&A on North Korea, new CRS reports and much more.

Better Understanding North Korea: Q&A with Seven East Asian Experts Researchers from FAS asked seven individuals who are experts in East Asia about the the recent escalation in tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Is North Korea’s recent success with its nuclear test and satellite launch evidence that it is maturing? Is there trepidation in Japan over the perceived threat of North Korea attacking Japan with a nuclear weapon? How does the increase in tension affect South Korean President Park Guen-he’s political agenda? Part 1 Part 2

From the Blogs Number of Security Cleared Personnel Grew in 2012: The number of people who are cleared for access to classified information continued to rise in 2012 to more than 4.9 million, according to a new annual report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.  This is only the third official tally of government-wide security clearance activity ever prepared, and it is the largest reported to date. Chinese ICBM Force Leveling Out?: The size of China’s intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) force appears to be leveling out instead of increasing. The force level of 50-75 ICBMs is the same as the U.S. Defense Department reported in 2012 and 2011. Hans Kristensen writes that instead of continuing to increase, the force level estimate has been steady for the past three years at a medium estimate of about 63 ICBMs. Cybersecurity, Ricin and More from CRS: Secrecy News has obtained recently released Congressional Research Service reports on topics such as ricin, next steps in nuclear arms control and U.S. aid to Pakistan. Defense Support of Civilian Law Enforcement : On April 12, the Department of Defense published a final rule on Defense Support of Civilian Law Enforcement Agencies. The rule specifies and defines the support that DoD may provide to federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, “including responses to civil disturbances.” A Fresh Look at Invention Secrecy: The Invention Secrecy Act of 1951 has been used for more than half a century to restrict disclosure of patent applications that could be “detrimental to national security.” At the end of the last fiscal year, no fewer than 5,321 secrecy orders were in effect. Steven Aftergood writes that these secrecy orders have been difficult to penetrate and the stories behind them have usually been left untold. Journal of National Security Law & Policy: Secrecy News has obtained a copy of the latest issue of the Journal of National Security Law & Policy, which features articles on Watergate and first amendment protection for leakers of classified information.

Scott Sagan Honored as Distinguished Security Scholar FAS board member Dr. Scott Sagan was named the 2013 Distinguished Scholar in International Security Studies by the International Studies Association for his contributions to the study of nuclear nonproliferation. Dr. Sagan is the Caroline S.G. Munro Professor of Political Science at Stanford University, and a Senior Fellow at Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC). The press release from CISAC is available here.

Call for Applications: Pacific Young Leaders on Disarmament Project The Conference on Disarmament (CD) was established in 1979 as the international community’s single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum. FAS and the Pacific Islands Society recognize that young experts in foreign policy could play a key role in Pacific Island Countries  engagement on counter-proliferation and disarmament issues and launching the “Pacific Young Leaders on Disarmament Project” to provide these young experts in foreign policy with an international forum to voice their ideas. For more information on the project click here.

FAS in the News Apr 19: The Street, "Measuring The Economic Impact Of The Arms Trade Treaty" Apr 16: Wired, "Government Secrecy Orders On Patents Have Stifled More Than 5,000 Inventions" Apr 15: Federal Times, "Number Of Clearance Holders Exceeds Population Of L.A." Apr 15: Global Security Newswire, "Major Uranium Producer To Host Iranian President" Apr 15: Reuters, "Iran's Ahmadinejad Due To Visit Uranium-Producing Niger" Apr 13: Wall Street Journal, "U