Military space programs at risk, experts say – GovExec
U.S. national security space capabilities, so critical to deployed combat forces and national missile defense, and the supporting industrial base are at a dangerous “tipping point” and need focused leadership and long-term stability in programs and budgets to avoid a crisis, a panel of administration officials and defense space experts warned Tuesday.
Justice Department to Step In on Coast Guard Civil Rights – Coast Guard Report
Coast Guard Report has learned that documents will be forwarded to the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) later this week that will bring the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in for a look at Coast Guard Civil Rights, Ms. Terri Dickerson, Thad Allen and Admiral Bob Papp among others.
When I’m listening to two guys with guns–one a four-star general leading our troops in Afghanistan and the other a holster-packing freak who thinks he’s Abraham ready to sacrifice his own –I think I’ll go with the general. Listen to Patraeus: Drop the Koran-burning idiocy.
Laser-powered, ground-charged UAV stays aloft for hours – Homeland Security Newswire
A UAV is only as good as its power source: if the drone cannot stay over target for long periods of time and must return to base to refuel. A Seattle-based company has demonstrated that it can use a laser beam to charge the UAV’s photovoltaic cells, generating enough power to keep the drone in the air for hours.
Next week, the Heritage Foundation will host “Homeland Security 2010: The Future of Defending the Homeland.” This will be a week-long series of panels aimed at providing a good background for Congressional Staffers new to Homeland Security issues. Heritage did this last year, and it was an excellent event. I will be sitting on two of the panels – maritime security and cybersecurity. The panels are open to the public and all are welcome. I highly recommend it.
For the second straight week, Washington, DC and the nation are reeling from headlines and news coverage of events on the national security stage. Last week, it was the Washington Post’s series on Top Secret America, which details the explosive growth of the intelligence apparatus since 9/11. This week, it is the release of nearly 92,000 pages of classified details on the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan. What has been shared is a tremendous violation of trust amongst military/intelligence personnel that goes beyond the traditional Washington leak to a reporter. as interested as we may all be in what is really happening in the intelligence community and in Afghanistan, there is also a responsibility to not reveal everything. That is a line I think individuals and organizations like the WikiLeaks source, the Washington Post and others seem to cherish crossing.
The hunt for someone to lead the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) began in 2009, but it wasn’t until June this year that the Senate confirmed John Pistole as administrator. Security Debrief followed the confirmation process every step of the way and found the latest development in this week’s Air Cargo Week.
In a series of front-page exposes entitled, “Top Secret America,” the Washington Post has essentially blown the cover off a number of classified programs and their geographic locations around the country. Using public sources and their own talents as investigative journalists, Post reporters Dana Priest and William Arkin have put together a very impressive piece of work that raises a number of important questions about the explosive growth of the intelligence community since 9/11. But by identifying the geographic locations of some of our country’s top secret facilities and surmising who does what and where at those spots, the Post reporters created an operative target list that is literally synthesized and ready for use by people whose allegiances are not in American’s best interest.
As we continue to swelter in the ongoing summer heat wave, it is easy for me to reminisce about my recent visit to Aspen, Colo. Tucked amongst the Rockies with its clean air, fervent green and majestic views, a town known primarily for its skiing with the rich and famous was home to what was, simply put, the best conference program I have ever attended. The first annual Aspen Security Forum put forward a program that I can only describe as pleasant, informational waterboarding. By the time each of the presenters and panelists were done, my hand was dead from writing so much and my head hurt from being given the firehouse treatment of a candor and content overload. Here’s a rundown of some of the sessions.
Security Debrief contributor Rich Cooper is in Colorado for the Aspen Security Forum. Admiral Michael Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, provided the forum’s opening remarks. Here’s what Cooper told Government Security News after the Admiral’s talk.
Sponsored by:
