What we are reading

Elite Afghan soldier kills U.S. special forces mentor

Ismail Sameem / Reuters

An elite Afghan soldier shot dead an American mentor and his translator at a U.S. base, Afghan officials said on Friday, in the first rogue shooting blamed on the country’s new and closely vetted special forces.

Top al-Qaida bomb maker in Yemen resurfaces

ADAM GOLDMAN  / AP

U.S. counterterrorism officials are concerned about al-Qaida’s affiliate in Yemen because of increased intelligence chatter in the past several months. And in recent weeks, the group’s top bomb maker – once thought to be dead – has resurfaced, The Associated Press has learned.

Taliban website under repeat attack by hackers

Reuters

Hackers post pictures of Afghan women being shot or hanged as cyberwar between Nato and Taliban intensifies

Spanish economy in “huge crisis” after credit downgrade

Nigel Davies / Reuters

Spain’s sickly economy faces a “crisis of huge proportions”, a minister said on Friday, as unemployment hit its highest level in two decades and Standard and Poor’s weighed in with a two-notch downgrade of the government’s debt.

With Bo Xilai’s ouster, China’s premier pushes more reform

Keith B. Richburg, / Washington Post

BEIJING — Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao has seized upon the ouster of his Communist Party rival Bo Xilai to reinvigorate what had until recently seemed a lonely campaign for Western-style economic liberalization and a battle against corruption.

On Our Flashpoint Blog

Gold: Will North Korea test a nuclear weapon soon?

North Korea has already tested two nuclear weapons in 2006 and 2009 and there is a high probability that North Korea will test again three reasons. Fortunately, with the monitoring stations run by the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization and U.S. National Technical Means, the international community will be able to quickly pinpoint the source and yield of the nuclear explosion.

Wallin: R Episode VII: A New Hope

On Tuesday, Tara Sonenshine was publicly sworn in as the new Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, making her the 7th person to hold the full position since its establishment in 1999. The appointment of Under Secretary Sonenshine is a welcome crescendo in the R Office symphony, and fills a position which has been vacant 30% of the time.

Gold: The Nuke Review April 6 – 23

With the conclusion of the P5+1-Iran meeting stay up to date on the news in Washington and around the world.

ASP Reports:

Cause and Effect: U.S. Gasoline Prices

This ASP “Perspectives” paper examines the causes of America’s soaring gasoline prices. The paper underscores that the price of gas is intimately interconnected with crude oil prices, which are set by global markets. America is critically dependent upon oil for its economic well-being and the only solutions are long-term methods to reduce the amount of oil we use across the country.

Backgrounder: What to know about the upcoming P5+1-Iran summit

The Iranian nuclear program is one of the most polarizing issues facing the international community since its public disclosure in 2002.  Over the past decade, the program has significantly expanded and tensions over it have continually increased.  Both Israel and the United States have declared that Iran will not be permitted to produce a nuclear weapon and that “all options are on the table” to prevent it from doing so.

AMERICAN SECURITY QUARTERLY – April 2012

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

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