FAS Addresses Norway's Terrorist Attack

FAS Addresses Norway's Terrorist Attack

On July 22, 2011, Anders Breivik conducted the largest terrorist attack in Norway's history, setting off an explosion in front of government buildings in Oslo killing 8 people, followed by a shooting spree on Utoya Island, killling 68 people.


Breivik left a 1500 page treatise, 2083: A European Declaration of Independence, which became available a few days ago. FAS experts have analyzed this treatise and have concluded that the nature of these attacks, along with the contents of the treatise raise questions of immediate concern. These include Breivik's connections to extremist cells and his assertions of forthcoming attacks involving chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) weapons.


To read FAS's report, Norway's Anders Breivik: Weapons of Mass Destruction and the Politics of Cultural Despair on the Terrorism Analysis Project Blog, please click here.

Note from the Editor

Dear Readers
I will be away on business travel to Los Angeles for the next four days. I will periodically
post from there, but my coverage won't be as extensive. Please bear with me as I will
resume full posting upon my return. I will be posting from airports.
Best Regards
Michele Kearney

Ukraine Starts Upgrading Gas Pipelines, Hoping for EU Assistance

Ukraine Starts Upgrading Gas Pipelines, Hoping for EU Assistance

from Eurasia Daily Monitor - The Jamestown Foundation

Ukraine has launched the first stage of a long-planned project to upgrade its pipelines, which carry Russian gas to Europe. As the cash-strapped national oil and gas behemoth, Naftohaz Ukrainy, has no money for an upgrade costing billions of dollars, Ukraine will rely on assistance from the end consumer, the European Union, while the supplier, Russia, remains an onlooker – at least for the time being. In order to qualify for European assistance, Ukraine will have to meet the EU condition to start restructuring Naftohaz. If this occurs, it will be difficult for Moscow to take control over Naftohaz’s pipelines.

Gas Pains

Recently discovered gas and oil fields could make Israel one of the world’s largest energy producers. That threatens Iran’s power, which is why its agents in Lebanon are manufacturing a border dispute.

The #1 Reason Not To Fear A Ratings Downgrade from Clusterstock by Joe Weisenthal

The #1 Reason Not To Fear A Ratings Downgrade

from Clusterstock by Joe Weisenthal

Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments: Analysis of the FY2012 Defense Budget

Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments: Analysis of the FY2012 Defense Budget

from CFR.org - The Council on Foreign Relations by Council on Foreign Relations

The defense budget is at an inflection point. For the first time in more than a decade, both the base budget and war budget are declining. This comprehensive analysis provides a detailed overview of the 2012 Defense budget request as well as existing proposals to reduce the Pentagon's budget.

Navy OKs plan to sink ships in Gulf of Alaska

Navy OKs plan to sink ships in Gulf of Alaska

Little Support for 'Pay Troops First' Bill

China Cites US Spy Flights as Obstacle to Closer Ties

China Cites US Spy Flights as Obstacle to Closer Ties

New High: 46% Think Most in Congress Are Corrupt

New High: 46% Think Most in Congress Are Corrupt

Classified report: Russia tied to blast at U.S. embassy

Indian, Pakistani FMs Laud "New Era" in Bilateral Ties

North Korea demands peace treaty with US

There's Only One Way to Avoid a Downgrade to U.S. Credit from Washington's Blog by Washington's Blog

There's Only One Way to Avoid a Downgrade to U.S. Credit

from Washington's Blog by Washington's Blog

WORK TO BEGIN ON DOE-BACKED CARBON SEQUESTRATION DEMONSTRATION IN MONTANA

WORK TO BEGIN ON DOE-BACKED CARBON SEQUESTRATION DEMONSTRATION IN MONTANA
The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and Montana State University (MSU) said on Tuesday they would begin work on a $67 million, eight-year project that will involve permitting, injecting, and monitoring one million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) to be stored in deep porous rock formations in northern Montana. Read More »

The Biggest Driver in the Deficit Battle: Standard & Poor's from Clusterstock by Robert Reich

The Biggest Driver in the Deficit Battle: Standard & Poor's

from Clusterstock by Robert Reich

MARC FABER: The Debt Fight Is Meaningless, As Governments March Toward Hyperinflation from Clusterstock by Gus Lubin

MARC FABER: The Debt Fight Is Meaningless, As Governments March Toward Hyperinflation

from Clusterstock by Gus Lubin

DEBT CEILING: Some Quick Thoughts From Goldman's Head Of US Treasury Trading

DEBT CEILING: Some Quick Thoughts From Goldman's Head Of US Treasury Trading

from Clusterstock by Joe Weisenthal

Things are moving really fast on the debt ceiling front, and news that was valid an hour ago is no longer valid.
The latest actual NEWS is that the John Boehner 2.0 plan (revised to be more conservative after an initial Tea Party revolt and bad CBO score) is looking like it's going to pass the House, and get sent to The Senate.
Goldman's Beth Hammock, its head of UST trading, shares these thoughts on a possible downgrade:

REQUIEM FOR A AAA RATING: Barclays Weighs In

REQUIEM FOR A AAA RATING: Barclays Weighs In

from Clusterstock by Joe Weisenthal

From Barclays, an acceptance that the US AAA-rating is toast.
So they look back at when Japan first lost is AAA-rating and basically concludes that ratings don't matter.
Economic fundamentals do.
Here you go.

Google’s New Twitter Killer

Google’s New Twitter Killer

from The Daily Beast - Blogs and Stories by Dan Lyons

A booming Google+ is rendering Twitter obsolete, and Facebook will be next. By Dan Lyons.