Event Invite: The 2012 Climate Security Report Launch
US SEEKS ALGERIA’S SUPPORT IN POSSIBLE MALI MOVE
BRADLEY KLAPPER / ASSOCIATED PRESS
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton sought Algeria’s assistance on Monday for any future military intervention in Mali, pressing the North African nation to provide intelligence – if not boots on the ground – to help rout the al-Qaida-linked militants across its southern border.
NASA Preps Drone Hurricane Hunters, But Misses Sandy
Robert Beckhusen/Danger Room in Wired
NASA is developing two experimental Global Hawk UAVs to collect data on hurricanes and severe weather events. Test flights began in September, but researchers missed their opportunity to fly the drones into Sandy due to wiring problems and the relocation of the vehicles to California for further testing in high-wind environments.
Drones set to share sky with domestic air traffic
BBC News – Technology
The US has already carried out tests to determine whether unmanned aircraft be mixed into civilian and commercial airspace using a Predator B UAV equipped with radio location systems intended to enable “spot and avoid” operations.
Politician’s death prompts Kenya violence
Al Jazeera
Shem Onyango Kwega, a prominent local politician, was murdered in Kisumu, triggering violent protests that have killed at least three people. Kisumu was the “hotspot during Kenya’s 2007-2008 post-election violence.”
Israel Believes Sanctions On Iran Hit Hezbollah
Associated Press
International sanctions are forcing Iran to cut back aid to its anti-Israel Hezbollah allies in Lebanon, but the Lebanese guerrilla group remains a potent force, a top Israeli military official said Monday.
Iran urges recognition of its nuclear rights
Associated Press
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman says the standoff over Iran’s nuclear program could be resolved quickly should world powers recognize the country’s right to master the nuclear fuel cycle for peaceful purposes.
Face the facts: Russian nuclear warheads power American homes
Raisa Camargo / voxxi.com
For nearly 20 years, the United States has been using weapons-grade uranium from dismantled Russian nuclear warheads to fuel domestic nuclear power plants.
The program, expected to end in 2013, has recycled 450 metric tons of Russian bomb-grade uranium since 1994, according to the George Washington University Face the Facts initiative.
OIL INCHES UP TO $86 AS STORM POUNDS US COAST
PABLO GORONDI / ASSOCIATED PRESS
The price of oil recovered slightly Tuesday, rising to above $86 a barrel, even as a massive storm was pounding the heavily populated U.S. East Coast, reducing demand for fuel by keeping drivers off roads, closing businesses and silencing activity in New York City and other metropolitan areas.
MAN IN AFGHAN POLICE UNIFORM KILLS 2 NATO TROOPS
HEIDI VOGT / ASSOCIATED PRESS
A man wearing an Afghan police uniform killed two NATO troops in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday, the international military alliance said.
Power Could be Out in Manhattan for Days, Con Ed Says
Patrick McGeehan / The New York Times
As a result of flooding, an electrical explosion at a Con Ed electrical substation cut off power to lower Manhattan last night. The financial district could be without power for days.
Nuclear Plant Shuts Down Unit as Storm Hits Coast
Associated Press
Two nuclear power plants were shut down due to rising water levels from Hurricane Sandy. While the reactors are not at risk, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued an “alert”.
ASP Report
Critical Energy Choices for the Next Administration
ASP’s report, “Critical Energy Choices for the Next Administration” takes an in-depth look at the serious issues the next administration will need to address.
On our Blog
Holland: “Frankenstorm” or “S’noreasticane” threatens Washington and New York
A Frankenstorm following an unprecedented track threatens the east coast of the United States.
Freear : Should the United States worry about the youth of Somalia?
The new threats issued by this week from Harakat al Shabaab al Mujahideen, the Movement of Striving Youth in Arabic, include a reference to the United States. Although they are mostly directed at the United Kingdom, they pose an interesting question for American national security analysts: where is the al Qaeda-allied Islamic movement in Somalia going next?
Boers: CTBTO elects Lassina Zerbo as its new head
After several rounds of voting, the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) elected Lassina Zerbo, a geophysicist from Burkina Faso, as its head. Given Zerbo’s recent election, the case for CTBT ratification should be reiterated.
Chodkowski Nacrotrafficking in Afghanistan and Mexico: Parallel Lessons?
The American effort to set up de facto governance and defeat insurgency largely funded by narcotrafficking in Afghanistan has failed thus far. Parallel lessons can be drawn and policy responses should address the necessity for a stable and legitimate Mexican state resilient to the influence of powerful drug cartels.
