World’s most powerful laser fires most powerful laser blast ever
Fox News
The National Ignition Facility (NIF), based in the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, achieved a historical milestone on the road to commercializing fusion energy. On July 5, NIF delivered 500 terrawatts of power to its target, which is 1,000 times more power than is used in all of the United States at any one time.
U.S. Drones Make Peace With Pakistan Less Likely
Joshua Foust/ The Atlantic
The U.S. wants to repair its relationship with Pakistan while carrying out drone attacks inside the country. Can it do both?
Analysis: As Egypt leaders feud, economy heads toward cliff
Edmund Blair and Patrick Werr/Reuters
The ongoing political confrontation between Egypt’s President Morsi and the military is jeopardizing the Egyptian economy, which is quickly approaching a budget and balance of payments crisis.
Ethiopian bloggers jailed on conspiracy charges
Reuters/The Guardian
Ethiopia has jailed twenty bloggers, among them several opposition figures, for between eight years and life on charges of conspiring against the government.
Syrian opposition reports massacre of 220 civilians
Khaled Yacoub Oweis and Erika Solomon/ Reuters
About 220 Syrians, mostly civilians, were killed in a village in the rebellious Hama region when it was bombarded by helicopter gunships and tanks then stormed by militiamen who slaughtered some families, opposition sources said on Friday.
US strengthens its military might in the Gulf
Al Jazeera
The United States has deployed a fleet of robot subs in the Gulf to prevent Iran from blocking the strategic Strait of Hormuz with mines in the event of a crisis, officials say.
Clean coal tech is ready, but there’s a catch
Andrew Restuccia and Erica Martinson/ Politico
Climate-friendly coal faces a conundrum. The federal government has funneled billions of dollars over the past two administrations into cutting carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants, but so far the “clean coal” dream is far from reality.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
“De-conventionalized” oil: What does this mean for future energy policy?
Matthew Baker
The oil industry is experiencing a revolution that will “de-conventionalize” oil. So what does virtually unlimited amounts of oil mean for our future energy policy?
Market Misconceptions and Alternative Fuels’ National Security Role
Carl Grote
A House Committee on Energy and Commerce hearing revealed an unsure place for alternative fuels in the transportation sector leaving much room for further debate.
Fragile Electricity Grid a National Security Concern
Nicholas Cunningham
The recent disaster highlights the fragility of our nation’s electricity grid. How could it take nearly a week to restore power to tens of thousands of people and businesses? The reason is that our electric grid is aging, under stress, and suffers from chronic underinvestment.
The US and its UAVs: Addressing Legality and Overblown Scenarios
Ashley Boyle
While the international community has the right to demand that the US provide a legal foundation for drone strikes, it should be understood that the US has a strategic interest in not providing any such justification.
ASP CEO BGen Stephen Cheney, USMC (Ret.), Discusses Alternative Fuels for U.S. Military
Nicholas Cunningham
On July 12, the American Security Project’s CEO, BGen Stephen Cheney, USMC (Ret.) spoke on a panel of four retired military officers, touting the benefits of alternative fuels to U.S. national security.
Carbon Pricing: What the US must learn from Australia
Matthew Baker
America can learn a lot from Australia on climate change policy. This will be particularly useful if any party in the U.S. wishes to push forward with a carbon tax in coming years.
About the American Security Project: The American Security Project is a non-profit, non-partisan public policy and research organization dedicated to fostering knowledge and understanding of a range of national security issues, promoting debate about the appropriate use of American power, and cultivating strategic responses to 21st century challenges.
For more information, visit www.americansecurityproject.org. info@americansecurityproject.org
