Uzbekistan quits Russia-dominated security pact
AP
Uzbekistan has suspended its participation in a Russia-dominated security pact of ex-Soviet nations, officials said Thursday, a move that reflected tensions inside the grouping.
Q&A: New sanctions targeting Iranian oil
JONATHAN FAHEY / AP
The U.S. and Europe want to deprive Iran of the oil income it needs to run its government and, most importantly, fund what they believe is an effort to build a nuclear weapon. Their efforts are entering a new phase this week
Analysis: West struggles to understand Russia’s Syria stance
Peter Apps/Reuters
In the debate over how to deal with the deepening Syrian conflict, it is becoming increasingly clear that the West does not understand Russia’s stance on the issue.
Iran expects to equip Gulf ships with missiles soon
Reuters
A commander in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has been quoted that Iran plans to equip its ships in the Strait of Hormuz with shorter-range missiles in an effort to ward off a Western attack over its nuclear program.
Does All-of-the-Above Include Long Shots?
Geoffrey Styles / The Energy Collective
Fusion wasn’t mentioned once in the Secretary of Energy’s remarks to Congress concerning the fiscal 2013 Energy Department Budget, and it was only shown as a line item in his latest budget presentation. Yet I can’t think of any other new technology that’s customarily included in all of the above that has even a fraction of fusion’s potential for delivering clean energy in large, centralized increments comparable to today’s coal or nuclear power plants.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
Tara Sonenshine on American Public Diplomacy: America Does Exceptional Things
Matthew Wallin
The Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Tara Sonenshine, had a rousing conversation with a passionate audience about her plans for American public diplomacy. Speaking for a few minutes on the challenges of public diplomacy and her plans, and stressing the need to engage foreign publics, she opened up the floor to a great Q&A session.
Business Leaders Support Ratifying the Law of Sea Treaty
Robert Gardner
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee hosted US business leaders who unanimously supported US ratification of the Law of Sea Treaty. The hearing shed light on how the treaty will provide the international legal framework to advance US company’s interests.
The US and its UAVs: Defining the Problem Space and Shaping the Dialogue
Ashley Boyle
Unequivocally, 2012 has been the year of the drone. While few dispute that the US Government needs to engage both the American people and the international community in an informed dialogue on its use of UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) in counterterrorism (CT) operations, the shape this dialogue should take remains unclear.
The GAO’s report on the NNSA released
Daniel Painter
The GAO’s report of the testimony before the HASC’s Subcommittee on Strategic Forces for Modernizing the Nuclear Security Enterprise: Observations on the Organization and Management of the NNSA was released yesterday. The GAO found that while the NNSA has made considerable progress in regards to long-standing deficiencies, significant improvements are still needed, especially in the management of major projects and contracts.
Government is Critical to Energy Innovation
Nick Cunningham
The government has long played a role in driving technology innovation, creating a range of technologies that have underpinned economic growth and American competitiveness.
American Sovereignty and the Law of the Sea
Prachi Naik
On the eve of the third Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the Law of the Sea treaty, I find public dialogue on the convention (still) divided between two camps: one of expansive, enthusiastic support and another of small, stubborn opposition.
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