Death of US air power

Posted by Matt in January 19th, 2007 | no comment

No one gives much thought to Russia’s vast nuclear arsenal, which could still obliterate the US in a few hours, even though that nation is reverting to authoritarian rule. Nobody seems to care about China’s buildup of naval forces, its development of long-range missiles, or its new fighter. And nothing decisive has been done to [...]

Russia and the Middle East

Posted by Matt in January 19th, 2007 | no comment

Published in Middle East, Russia

Where does Moscow stand in the fight against Islamism and the global war against terror? Facing the Chechen threat at home, the Russian government might be sympathetic to U.S. and even Israeli concerns. Not so. Despite U.S. declarations that Washington and Moscow were “increasingly united by common values” and that Russia was “a partner in [...]

Jordan wants to develop a peaceful nuclear program

Posted by Matt in January 19th, 2007 | no comment

Published in Middle East, Nuclear

King Abdullah II said Friday that Jordan wants to develop a peaceful nuclear program, joining Egypt and Arab Gulf countries in considering a nuclear option. Arab nations are fearful over the West’s failure to stop Shiite Iran’s nuclear ambitions, which they worry will lead to Tehran having an atomic weapon.
Arab countries have complained for years [...]

New signs of India-Pakistan atom arms race: study

Posted by Matt in January 19th, 2007 | no comment

Published in India, Pakistan

VIENNA (Reuters) - India and Pakistan may both be on the verge of expanding atomic fuel production work that could heighten a nuclear arms race between the historical foes, a prominent non-proliferation think tank said.
Fresh satellite imagery indicates Pakistan may intend to activate a new reprocessing plant “capable of separating weapons-grade plutonium out of spent [...]

China Brief’s Coverage of the PRC’s Weaponization of Space

Posted by Matt in January 19th, 2007 | no comment

Published in China, Military

WASHINGTON, DC (1/19/07)–China’s recent anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons test comes just a few months after the release of its “China’s Space Activities in 2006″ white paper, in which Beijing declared that it would only “utilize outer space for peaceful purposes.” Is this launch a marked departure from China’s space doctrine or simply evidence of Beijing’s long-standing [...]

Intelligence Brief: Tensions Increase Between Iran and Saudi Arabia

Posted by Matt in January 19th, 2007 | 1 comment

Published in Iran, Middle East

The latest political developments in the Middle East demonstrate the rising power of Iran. Tehran is involved in three primary conflicts in the Middle East. First, it has extensive ties with the Shi’a movement Hezbollah, which Iran uses as an instrument of leverage in Lebanon and as a tool to pressure Israel. Second, Iran is [...]