Posted: Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Authors: Dan Lawner and Sarah Catanzaro

The Somali Islamist militant group Al Shabab announced on Monday that intended to adopt Al Qa'ida's global jihadist agenda. According to the Wall Street Journal, Al Shabab’s statement, issued in Somali and Arabic, is the group’s first official proclamation of their alignment with Al Qa’ida, expressed their intention to “connect the horn of Africa jihad to the one led by Al Qa'ida and its leader Sheikh Osama Bin Laden." This development is an indication of a troubling trend whereby Al Qa’ida is acting more and more like a multi-national corporation—with an attractive brand image and capable subsidiaries.

Posted: Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Author: Elise Hogan

The Department of Defense rolled out their Quadrennial Defense Review yesterday alongside the 2011 Budget Proposal. Markedly different from the 2006 “Long War” QDR, the 2010 review focuses on rebalancing the military, prevailing in multiple simultaneous operations, and for the first time: climate change. While climate change is undoubtedly an issue of national security, it is not one of defense.

The QDR acknowledges that,“although they produce distinct types of challenges, climate change, energy security, and economic stability are inextricably linked…[and] shape the operating environment, roles, and missions that we undertake”. Citing assessments from the intelligence community, the QDR is cautious in stating that “climate change could have significant geopolitical impacts around the world, contributing to poverty, environmental degradation, and the further weakening of fragile governments.” For the DOD to champion climate change is for them to take on an advocacy role, not an insignificant development.

Posted: Monday, February 1, 2010
Author: Andrew Baer

In his just-released memoirs On The Brink, former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson alleges that top Russian officials made overtures to their Chinese counterparts suggesting coordinated economic disruption (warfare?) against the United States in the Summer of 2008. Paulson claims that during the 2008 Summer Beijing Olympics Russian officials pressed China to dump its Fannie Mae-Freddie Mac holdings, suggesting “that together they might sell big chunks of their GSE holdings to force the U.S. to use its emergency authorities to prop up these companies.” Central bank data confirms that Russia sold all 65.6 billion dollars worth of its Mae-Mac holdings mid-2008. Though China rejected Russia’s proposal, the incident highlights the potential for state-level, non-military disruptions as a potential blind-spot in U.S. National Security thinking.

Posted: Monday, February 1, 2010
Author: Sarah Khederian

A January 14 decision by the Iraqi Supreme National Commission for Accountability and Justice to outlaw 511 Iraqi politicians with former Baathist ties has spurred outrage on both the streets of Baghdad and the corridors of the White House. Many reports on the recent Iraqi ban emphasize that more than 500 Sunni politicians have been disqualified from the electoral process, though the actual figures show that the majority of the people banned are Shiite, signifying a resurgence of the sectarian politics which characterized and devastated post-invasion Iraq. The Sunni outcry signifies the extent to which Sunnis feel disenfranchised and put out by Shiite politics while those who believe in a post-Saddam Baathist party are seeing their political voice disappear. An op-ed in the New York Times by Kenneth Pollack and Michael O’Hanlon even labeled the prohibitive order a “Ban on Democracy” which not only threatens the short-term future of Iraq’s democracy for its upcoming March 7 parliamentary elections, but also calls into question the very nature of the Iraqi political system.

Posted: Friday, January 29, 2010
Author: Amna Ali

In an effort to clean up Haiti, as well as its reputation, Israel has been extensively contributing to the Haiti relief effort by quickly setting up a hospital on a soccer field and pouring doctors into the disaster-stricken developing country. While it cannot be ignored that Israel has helped save the lives of numerous Haitians by pulling barely breathing people out of the rubble, performing technologically complicated surgical procedures, and offering much needed medication, there is speculation about whether Israel has a hidden agenda besides pure generosity. And if Israel does, in fact, have ulterior motives for supporting Haiti, does it matter?

Posted: Thursday, January 28, 2010
Author: Elise Hogan

In his first State of the Union address, President Obama acknowledged the multifaceted national security threats facing the U.S. and was quick to point out both his administrations failures and successes in addressing those threats. Importantly, Obama addressed recent criticism by the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation—a congressionally appointed committee—on his administration’s progress in protecting the U.S. from weapons of mass destruction. The commission’s “Report Card”, released Tuesday January 26th analyzed the U.S. government capacity to deal with a biological attack, citing the delayed response to the H1N1 outbreak in 2009.

Posted: Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Author: Andrew Baer

Britain and Japan have agreed to assume leadership over an international fund program designed to reintegrate Taliban fighters back into Afghan civil society. The fund will dispense over 500 million dollars in the next 5 years to support a broader plan calibrated to woo the Taliban through job opportunities, clemency, and retaliation protection.

The program, which is to be formally announced Thursday at a conference on Afghanistan in London, meshes with changing international leadership opinion on effective counter-insurgency strategy. Last year President Obama highlighted reintegration strategy in his West Point address as a key component in the Afghan theatre. General Stanley McChrystal likewise supports the reintegration of low-level Taliban fights while informing his commanders to identify and address the socioeconomic causes which spurn insurgency recruitment. President Karzai and Afghan officials have also outlined numerous proposals centered on convalescence.

Posted: Thursday, December 10, 2009
Author: Kelly Doffing

General David Petraeus, the chief of the regional U.S. Central Command, testified in a hearing today before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that U.S. forces will be increasing their counterterrorism and counterinsurgency activities in Afghanistan. While this initial statement seems unsurprising, given President Obama’s newly announced strategy for the war and commitment of 30,000 additional troops to the country, the nature of the counterinsurgency activities reflects a distinct shift in U.S. understanding and policymaking.

Posted: Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Author: Amber Pembleton

On Monday, Tata Group of India, previously known for the small car, Nano, launched a water purifier known as the tata swach. The purifier does not require running water or electricity and will be affordable to the masses when released. It is expected to cost less than 1,000 rupees ($21.50). It can clean the brackish water that is available to rural residents in India. This technological development is extremely important because last week, the 2030 Water Resources Group, which is affiliated with the World Bank, released a report stating that by 2030, demand of water in India will grow by 40 percent. The World Bank previously acknowledged that India faces a turbulent water future if effective water management techniques are not implemented.

Posted: Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Author: Melanie Dominski

Bulgaria, long considered one of Russia’s most dependable energy consumers, is reevaluating its energy dependence on Russia. Bulgaria’s energy minister recently compared the Bulgarian energy sector to “the way English football used to be played – ‘with lots of energy, lots of running around the field, and comparatively little efficiency in achieving its goals.’” Bulgaria’s energy sector has long been inefficient since it was developed based on Bulgaria’s bonds with Russia, instead of on national utility.