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Thursday, July 29, 2010
  
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By Rose McDermott
Published 7/20/2010
summary -  The novel challenges posed by the requirements of homeland security in the new age of terror present unique problems for academic scholarship as well as for infrastructure development and policy planning. In order to respond to this unique set of threats, academic scholarship should develop an integrative, interdisciplinary, problem-focused research program. This kind of approach seems positioned best to react in a timely and appropriate fashion to the particularly political and psychological problems posed by terrorist activity.

By Daniel P. Aldrich
Published 7/2/2010
summary -  Disasters remain among the most critical events that impact residents and their neighborhoods; they have killed far more individuals than terrorism. Unfortunately, disaster recovery programs run by the United States and foreign governments have not been updated to reflect a new understanding of the essential nature of social capital and networks. I call for a reorientation of disaster preparedness and recovery programs at all levels away from the standard fixes focused on physical infrastructure toward ones targeting social infrastructure. The reservoirs of social capital and the trust (or lack thereof) between citizens in disaster-affected communities can help us understand why some neighborhoods in cities such as Kobe, Japan; Tamil Nadu, India; and New Orleans displayed resilience while others stagnated. Social capital—the engine for recovery—can be deepened both through local initiatives and interventions from foreign agencies.

By Kris Teutsch
Published 5/26/2010
summary -  Today, we face the nearly constant challenge of preventing, preparing, responding, and recovering in an all-hazards threat environment. To this end, secure and trusted information gathering, assessment, and sharing are critical across all levels of government and the private sector in order to protect our homeland and counter potential threats. As national security leaders work to achieve secure transparency and interoperability, there are countless approaches that can be taken. However, this article will discuss only a few of the broader IT considerations that can be implemented. Our national security community must find ways to address the growing cyber-threats created from adversaries both old and new, implement strategies to maintain continuity during times of crisis, and find solutions to modernize our nation’s aging enterprise systems. No matter how daunting the task is, we need to create secure, transparent, and interoperable systems.

By James E. McGinley
summary -  In Freedom’s Unsteady March: America’s Role in Building Arab Democracy, Tamara Cofman Wittes challenges the failure of the Bush administration to advance its democracy agenda and the inability of incumbent Arab states to accommodate the rising needs and aspirations of their citizens. At stake is world stability in the face of an unsustainable status quo and seismic forces of social change. James E. McGinley reviews the book.

By Mark S. Hamm
summary -  Terrorism as Crime brings a practical criminological perspective to the counterterrorism field, which tends to be dominated by studies of the sociopolitical factors that stimulate such terrorist groups, rather than studies of the means by which such groups support themselves and execute their plans. The analysis and policy advice, supported by detailed dissections of counterterrorism investigations and trials, may appeal to government officials and the layperson alike. Joseph Wheatley reviews the book.

By Yukinori Komine
summary -  Professor Komine has produced a very useful book on a seminal period of American and world history, says reviewer Richard C. Thornton. Writing about the U.S. opening to China, based on newly available archival material, Komine takes the reader through the labyrinthine intricacies of Washington’s bureaucratic politics, describing concentric rings of secrecy in which only the President himself knew the full magnitude of the events he set in motion, including others only as they became integral to the implementation of his vision. Richard C. Thornton reviews the book.

Articles last updated 7/20/2010 Book Reviews last updated 6/15/2009
Commentaries  Interviews 
By Amitai Etzioni
Published 2/9/2010
summary -  Our coastlines are wide open.

By Barry Kellman
Published 1/26/2010
summary -  “How should we cope with a massive anthrax attack, and how can we prepare now so that our coping is optimal?” asks Barry Kellman. The policy progress manifest in President Obama’s Dec. 31 executive order “Medical Countermeasures Following a Biological Attack” and the Homeland Security Department’s Proposed Guidance for Protecting Responders’ Health During the First Week Following a Wide-Area Anthrax Attack” indicates a serious and commendable commitment to address anthrax threats. The question remains, however, whether all of these programs and policies add up to produce security from biothreats and whether more might usefully be done.

By Peter Humphrey
Published 1/5/2010
summary -  Al-Qaeda’s surprisingly competent tradecraft strongly suggests that it will attempt to pass off some its membership as out-of-area Latins to infiltrate the United States through our southern border. Western intelligence agencies must begin to discern and track Spanish-speaking Muslims aggressively.

7/17/2008
summary -  The journal interviews Elaine C. Duke, Homeland Security Deputy Under Secretary for Management, about the Homeland Security Department’s plans for the transition to a new presidential administration.

10/16/2006
summary -  The journal interviews Admiral Thad Allen, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, who discusses the challenges facing the Coast Guard today.

5/24/2006
summary -  Quartel discusses the Dubai Ports World sale, cargo security, and international trade.

Commentaries last updated 2/9/2010 Interviews last updated 7/17/2008
 
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