Center for Strategic Communication

Syrian regime approaching collapse, NATO chief says

Michael Pearson and Saad Abedine/CNN

Defeat could be near for Syria’s embattled regime, NATO and Syrian ally Russia said Thursday. “I think now it’s only a question of time,” said NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, adding “I urge the regime to stop violence, to realize what is the actual situation and initiate a process that leads to the accommodation of the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people.”

Drone-makers push feds on test flights

Kevin Bogardus and Keith Laing/The Hill

Lobbyists for the booming drone industry are pushing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to stop delaying action on a plan that will open up U.S. skies to unmanned vehicles. There are 17,500 law enforcement agencies and 30,000 fire departments in the United State that don’t have an aviation component — all potential buyers for drones.

Intelligent Control for Performance: Reducing Drag, Saving Fuel

Gray Creech, Public Affairs/NASA

Large jetliners and cargo aircraft consume most of their fuel during the cruise portion of flight, so optimizing fuel consumption would reduce costs and pollution. For NASA, developing new control system methods like the F/A-18 Full Scale Advanced Systems Testbed (FAST) helps meet the agency’s Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) project goals of reduced fuel burn and emissions.

AP-GfK Poll: Science doubters say world is warming

Seth Borenstein/Yahoo! News

Nearly 4 out of 5 Americans now think temperatures are rising and that global warming will be a serious problem for the United States if nothing is done about it, a new Associated Press-GfK poll finds. Concern is growing faster especially among people who don’t often trust scientists on the environment.

Dempsey Warns of Sequestration’s Potential Impact

Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall, Jr./American Forces Press Service

According the the JCS Chairman, the President approved a requested DoD exemption for military manpower next year in the event of the sequester. Nevertheless, this places a large burden on other accounts, including operations, maintenance, training and infrastructure.

Did Russia Just Throw Assad Under the Bus?

Andrew S. Weiss/Foreign Policy

Closer examination of the comments of Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov may discount Western press accounts suggesting that Russia is backing away from support of the regime in Syria. Though the Russians do admit Assad is losing his grip, they foresee a drawn-out process lending itself to continued strategic engagement by Moscow.

Launch of American English Website and “Trace Effects” Video Game

Office of the Spokesperson/Department of State

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces the launch of the new American English website, an extensive online resource center for teaching and learning about English language and U.S. culture, and its innovative video game, Trace Effects.

Pentagon Warns: ‘Pervasive’ Industrial Spying Targets U.S. Space Tech

Robert Beckhusen/Wired

Recent convictions on charges of industrial espionage in the U.S. have little to do with classic espionage — like infiltrating spies into the Defense Department — or even smuggling. Instead, most are the seemingly more mundane ways to steal military secrets, such as seeking technology directly from the suppliers and then exporting the technology without a license.

In the News

 

Foust pens article for Canadian International Council

ASP fellow Joshua Foust contributed a piece to the Canadian International Council via OpenCanada.org on Thursday. In the article, Foust discusses the efficacy of data analyis related to the increasing authorization of drone strikes to carry out the administration’s counterterrorism objectives.