Biofuel Producers Waiting for Pentagon to Show Them the Money

Sandra I. Erwin / National Defense Magazine
The biofuels industry is seeing promising signs from Washington. President Obama in his inauguration speech tied green energy to economic growth. Congress agreed to allow the Pentagon to continue to buy alternative fuels.

 

North Korea’s Rhetoric And Nuclear Capabilities

Neal Conan / NPR

Responding to tightened sanctions and a new United Nations Security Council resolution condemning their December rocket launch, North Korea has threatened a new nuclear test, explicitly warning that the North Korean weapons program will target the United States.

 

World powers seek Iran atom talks in February

Reuters

World powers have asked Iran to hold a new round of talks over its nuclear work in February, while expressing disappointment over Tehran’s reluctance to schedule negotiations.

 

Executive-Congressional Relations and National Security

Matthew Waxman / Advancing a Free Society

The last four years should have been a good period for executive-congressional relations in the areas of national security and foreign affairs.  The president, vice president, and secretary of state were former Senators.  They all viewed President George W. Bush as too inclined to bypass or ignore Congress and they promised to do better.

 

Denial of Territory to Terrorist/Insurgent Groups in Counterterrorism Strategy

Kenneth Anderson / Lawfare

US “counterterrorism-on-offense,” (…) consists of much more than simply drone strikes; much of it is denial of territory to terrorist groups.  The Obama administration needs to emphasize the broader strategy to journalists, policy folks, activists, and general public, because its utilization of drone warfare is not really comprehensible save in this broader strategy.
Afghan orchestra set to hit the right notes

Jennifer Glasse / Al Jazeera

Country’s first post-Taliban orchestra set to travel to the US to disprove stereotypes associated with Afghanistan.

 

Chief of Egypt’s Army Warns of ‘Collapse’ as Chaos Mounts

Kareem Fahim, David D. Kirkpatrick and Mayy El Sheikh / The New York Times

Reacting to Egypt’s growing chaos, the head of the army warned on Tuesday of the “collapse of the state” if political forces in the country did not reconcile, reflecting growing impatience with the crisis from Egypt’s most powerful institution.

 

Niger gives green light to U.S. drone deployment: source

Reuters

Niger has given permission for U.S. surveillance drones to be stationed on its territory to improve intelligence on al Qaeda-linked Islamist fighters in northern Mali and the wider Sahara, a senior government source said.

 

‘Energy efficiency’ Green Deal launched by government

BBC

Householders are to be offered long-term loans to help make their homes more energy efficient and cut bills under a new government scheme.

 

Google releases detailed map of North Korea, gulags and all

Chico Harlan / The Washington Post

Until Tuesday, North Korea appeared on Google Maps as a near-total white space — no roads, no train lines, no parks and no restaurants. The only thing labeled was the capital city, Pyongyang.

This all changed when Google, on Tuesday, rolled out a detailed map of one of the world’s most secretive states.

 

ASP Published Today

Advanced Biofuels and National Security

Andrew Holland

This report demonstrates that developing advanced biofuels are important in reducing America’s dependence on oil; this dependence presents real national security threats to the United States and the American military.

On Our Flashpoint Blog

ASP’s CEO BGen Steve Cheney and Andrew Holland at Washington Clean Energy Conference

Nicholas Cunningham

ASP’s CEO BGen Steve Cheney and Andrew Holland spoke on a panel at Washington Clean Energy Conference, discussing the military’s role in driving energy innovation.

 

Gov. Inslee Speech at Clean Energy Conference in Seattle

Nicholas Cunningham

ASP and WCTA cohosted a clean energy conference in Seattle on January 28. Among the distinguished speakers, Gov. Inslee spoke on clean energy.

 

Nuke Review January 21 – 28 2013

Magnus Newth

Read about the Iran nuclear talks, North Korea’s nukes, defense spending, and more!

 

NextGen Foreign Policy Network – a new initiative for young leaders of today and tomorrow

Colin Geraghty

NextGen FPN’s first event, “A 21st century concept of peace – as defined by a lifetime warrior,” will take place on February 6, 2013, with Robert DuBois, former Navy SEAL and author of Powerful Peace – A Navy SEAL’s Lessons on Peace from a Lifetime at War.