Special Note: Remembering Senator Warren B. Rudman
The American Security Project (ASP) expresses its condolences to the family and friends of Senator Warren Rudman on news of his passing Monday night. Senator Rudman was a pillar of leadership while in government service and for years following, and he was a founding father of ASP.
An Army combat veteran of the Korean War, he brought a unique perspective to national security issues at ASP, and was instrumental in encouraging national action on climate change & energy security, international agreements on nuclear weapons, combating terrorism, as well as ensuring that we understand that our economy, debt and competitiveness as key elements of national security.
Among other noteworthy achievements, he was also the co-chair of the Hart-Rudman Commission, which predicted that the United States was vulnerable to a significant terrorist attack – just some 10 months prior to 9/11. A Republican who was willing to compromise in the interest of our nation’s success, he set a standard for many to follow.
BGen Stephen A. Cheney USMC (Ret.)
CEO, American Security Project
Dustin Roasa/Foreign Policy
The People’s Republic is no longer content with economic hegemony – it’s making a play for the hearts and minds of Southeast Asia by promoting language and cultural exchanges.
New DOD Space Policy Addresses Safety, Security, Access
Cheryl Pellerin/American Forces Press Service
The new Defense Department space policy, updated to reflect the fast-growing use and sometimes misuse of the space domain, addresses issues of safety, sustainability and security in space for the 21st century and beyond.
Britain’s Gold Medal in Soft Power
John Worne/Huffington Post
British Council research shows that English education and culture – the UK’s prime soft power assets – are helping to build trust for the UK worldwide and that trust translates into people wanting to study in the UK, visit, and do more business with them.
China Positioned to Avoid U.S. Sanctions
Wayne Ma & Colum Murphy/Wall Street Journal
China’s imports of Iranian crude oil are down by about one-fifth so far this year, a drop that puts the country in good position to avoid U.S. sanctions and head off a diplomatic row with Washington.
Congo Army Prepares Response as Goma Fall ‘Threatens’ Kabila
Michael J. Kavanaugh/Bloomberg
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s army said it’s preparing a response to the capture of Goma by rebel forces as a research group warned the fall of the city threatens the survival of President Joseph Kabila’s government.
Martin Indyk/Foreign Policy
President Barack Obama overcame his pivot penchant to Asia and has sent Secretary of State Hillary Clinton back to the Middle East. Her arrival can come none too soon, as the adverse fallout for U.S. strategic interests resulting from recent turmoil in the Middle East could be quite dramatic.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
Sen. Coburn Calls for Eliminating Wasteful Pentagon Spending
Sear Boers & Aaron Hesse
The Department of Defense has taken on so many non-defense functions that it has become “The Department of Everything,” say Senator Coburn in a new report outlining $67.9 billion in savings that could come from eliminating unnecessary programs.
Nuclear Programs Force Defense Budget Tradeoffs
Mary Kaszynski
Will parochial interests trump national security? Or will policymakers make the right choice to end Cold War thinking and bring our nuclear strategy into the 21st century?
Climate Change: The Missing Link in Tackling the Mali Crisis
Catherine Foley
The drums of war are beating loudly in northwest Africa. One of the major underlying drivers of conflict in the region is climate change.
