China resists move to sanction North Korea: Diplomats
AFP
China is resisting US-led efforts to order new sanctions against North Korea over its rocket launch and the UN Security Council could take weeks to decide a formal move, diplomats said.
Ahmadinejad says Western sanctions won’t stop Iran
Associated Press
Iran’s president says Western sanctions could cause a short delay in Tehran’s nuclear program but will not slow it down substantially.
How many nukes does it take to be safe?
Walter Pincus/Washington Post
We are rightly mourning the horrific killings in Newtown, Conn.’s Sandy Hook Elementary School and discussing the threats posed by semiautomatic rifles. On another front, the United States is moving ahead with plans to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on nuclear weapons — an even more destructive force — with no serious public discussion.
Gunmen kill 5 female polio workers in Pakistan
Adil Jawad and Sebastian Abbot/Associated Press
Gunmen shot dead five women working on U.N.-backed polio vaccination efforts in two different Pakistani cities on Tuesday, officials said, a major setback for a campaign that international health officials consider vital to contain the crippling disease but which Taliban insurgents say is a cover for espionage.
Egypt prosecutor’s resignation angers Brotherhood
Yasmine Saleh and Shaimaa Fayed/Reuters
Egypt’s public prosecutor resigned under pressure from his opponents in the judiciary, dealing a blow to President Mohamed Mursi and drawing an angry response on Tuesday from the Islamist leader’s supporters in the Muslim Brotherhood.
Kenya orders Somali refugees to go to Dadaab
BBC
Thousands of Somali refugees in Kenya have been ordered to leave urban areas and go to remote, overcrowded camps, following a spate of grenade attacks. Aid will no longer be delivered to those who remain in urban areas, said the head of Kenya’s refugee agency.
Analysis: High stakes for Cuba in Chavez’s cancer battle
Marc Franc/Reuters
As Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez recovers in Havana from his fourth cancer operation, Cubans face renewed worries about their economic future if the country’s top ally dies or has to step down from office.
EU competition finds no carbon storage winner
Karolin Schaps and Barbara Lewis/Reuters
The first round of a European Commission contest to fund carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects failed to find a winner, the EU’s executive said on Tuesday, deepening doubts the technology can emerge soon to help cut emissions..
In Iraq, Exxon oil deal foments talk of civil war
Ben van Heuvelen/Washington Post
With their opposing armies massed on either side of the contested border dividing southern and northern Iraq, leaders in Baghdad and the semiautonomous Kurdistan region are warning they are close to civil war — one that could be triggered by Exxon Mobil.
The Next Big Thing in Nuclear Power: Going Small
Jared Anderson/AOL Energy
The ‘economies of scale’ approach the nuclear industry pursued for decades is getting turned on its ear as small modular reactors are poised represent the next generation of nuclear power.
In the News
We can cut some spending on nuclear strategy
Dirk Jameson/Stars and Stripes
Policymakers consumed with avoiding the “fiscal cliff” are missing a critical opportunity to review U.S. nuclear posture. The rapidly changing world, aging nuclear systems, and pressing budget issues make this the right time to update our nuclear strategy for the 21st century.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
Supporting the Foreign Service Supports our Military
Matthew Wallin
Policy makers need to keep an eye on the long term benefits of true diplomatic engagement. Short-term risks may deliver on long-term payoff at significantly lower cost, decreasing the likelihood of expensive and deadly military commitments down the road.
Pakistan’s Nuclear Arsenal Still a Security Concern
Mary Kaszynski
Despite some progress on U.S.-Pakistan cooperation, Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal remains a serious security challenge.
About the American Security Project: The American Security Project is a non-profit, non-partisan public policy and research organization dedicated to fostering knowledge and understanding of a range of national security issues, promoting debate about the appropriate use of American power, and cultivating strategic responses to 21st century challenges.
For more information, visit www.americansecurityproject.org. info@americansecurityproject.org
