What we are reading

posted by Paul Hamill on February 15, 2012 at 2:04 pm

Five Big Myths About the European Debt Crisis

Peter Charles Choharis / Forbes

Europe consumed more than a fifth of America’s exports last year, yet U.S. markets seem to be ignoring Europe’s current economic turmoil. Much of Europe is heading into a recession, Euro-zone unemployment is at record highs, and Europe’s largest banks are struggling. With European governments imposing austerity budgets, a looming credit squeeze, and many countries facing shrinking tax revenues and overwhelming debt burdens, it is hard to see when growth will return. To understand how Europe poses a risk to the U.S. economy, it is important to dispose of some of the myths that surround Europe’s debt crisis.

Iran trumpets nuclear advances, deepening standoff with West

Parisa Hafezi / Reuters

Iran proclaimed advances in nuclear know-how on Wednesday, including new centrifuges able to enrich uranium much faster, a move that may hasten a drift towards confrontation with the West over suspicions it is seeking the means to make atomic bombs.

Leak exposes how Heartland Institute works to undermine climate science

Suzanne Goldenberg/ The Guardian

Libertarian thinktank keeps prominent sceptics on its payroll and relies on millions in funding from carbon industry, papers suggest.

The inner workings of a libertarian thinktank working to discredit the established science on climate change have been exposed by a leak of confidential documents detailing its strategy and fundraising networks.

Sen. Alexander: Don’t extend wind energy tax credit in payroll package

Andrew Restuccia / The Hill

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) blasted Wednesday a proposal to extend a key renewable energy tax credit as part of a broader payroll tax cut package.

Passenger/Cargo Security Strategy Agreed On To Counter Aviation Threats

Shane Nolan/ Aviation Online Magazine

February 15, 2012 – Twenty Member States* of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) from North America, Central America, the Caribbean and South America unanimously adopted at a conference in Caracas (Venezuela) a comprehensive strategy aimed at improving passenger and cargo security throughout the hemisphere, as part of a common effort to counter threats to civil aviation worldwide.

Strategic Shift in India-Pakistan Relation, Many Pakistanis Feel That Now Is The Time To Stop Blaming India For All Our Problems

Dr Gull Wani/Srinagur

On Kashmir Solidarity Day Yousaf Raza Gilani – Prime Minister of Pakistan – told a Kashmir convention: “we want to resolve Kashmir matter through dialogue, diplomacy, prudent policy and national consensus”. He believes that in 21st century we cannot afford any more wars, though Kashmir remains the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy.

Bangkok blasts were assassination attempts not terrorism, says Thai official

Andrew Buncombe/ The Independent

The explosive devices belonging to three Iranians that went off in Bangkok were more likely designed for assassinating people rather than large-scale terrorism, Thai officials have revealed. They also said the devices were similar to that used to attack the wife of an Israeli diplomat in Delhi earlier in the week.

Taliban will not talk peace with Karzai government, spokesman says

Nick Paton Walsh and Masoud Popalzai/ CNN

The Taliban have met with U.S. officials to discuss possible peace talks, but do not want to negotiate with Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s government, a Taliban spokesman said Tuesday.

On the ASP Flashpoint blog:

Cheney: “shocked and appalled” in the proposed cuts for crucial funding for fusion energy science

We here at the American Security Project are shocked and appalled that the Administration’s budget for the Department of Energy cuts crucial funding for fusion energy sciences. Fusion energy will be a critical source of next generation energy that would provide secure, safe and sustainable energy for the U.S. I am particularly angered that these cuts would close MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, home to one of only 3 experimental magnetic fusion reactors (tokamaks) in the U.S. This decision is particularly short-sighted because it would cease operations at an institution that is training the graduate students who will lead the American effort on fusion in the future.

The cuts and changes in the Fusion Energy Sciences budget is emblematic a larger problem: a lack of long-term vision. Instead of investing in research and development for the long term, we seem to look for short-term fixes to our problems.

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