What the Candidates Got Wrong in the Latest GOP Debate
Jan 27, 2012

On Monday night, the Republican candidates for President met in Tampa, Florida to spar over peddling influence, debate tax returns, and generally confuse the American public about the supposed decline of the United States Navy and the bankruptcy of the Obama administration’s policy toward Iran.

During the debate, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney said:

"Our Navy is now smaller than any time since 1917."

Though it is true that the United States Navy has seen fluctuations in the total number of ships over the past 95 years, the United States Navy is still by far the most advanced and most powerful navy in the world. It also turns out the Navy was smaller than today at the end of Fiscal Years 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. In 2009, when the Navy had 285 active surface ships (the same as today), then-Secretary of Defense Robert Gates wrote in Foreign Affairs (Jan/Feb 2009, Vol. 88 Issue 1, p28-40) that:

“As much as the U.S. Navy has shrunk since the end of the Cold War, for example, in terms of tonnage, its battle fleet is still larger than the next 13 navies combined — and 11 of those 13 navies are U.S. allies or partners.”

Exclusive: North Korea's military to share power with Kim's heir: What We're Reading Now
Dec 21, 2011

IRAN
Top general says Iran shouldn't 'miscalculate our resolve'
Barbara Starr, CNN -- December 20, 2011
As Gen. Martin Dempsey toured around the globe over the last eight days, one issue was prominent -- Iran's nuclear intentions. Dempsey, in an exclusive interview with CNN, warned that Iran is playing a dangerous game that could ensnare the Middle East, the United States and others into conflict and a renewed nuclear arms race. From Iraq to Afghanistan, Kuwait to Saudi Arabia, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff heard about growing concerns about Iran's ambitions.

Diplomats agree to increase pressure on Iran
Roberto Landucci and Philip Pullella, Reuters -- December 21, 2011
Diplomats from the United States, the European Union and other allies agreed on Tuesday to step up pressure on Iran to force it to resume talks over its nuclear program, an Italian diplomatic source said.

NORTH KOREA
Why U.S.-China Strategic Competition Is Unlikely to Help Manage North Korea’s Transition
Tony Karon, Time -- December 21, 2011
The growing geopolitical competition between the U.S. and China makes prospects for productive partnership in managing North Korea much less likely.

Who Has North Korea’s Nuclear 'Football'? Few Have an Answer
Elaine M. Grossman, National Journal -- December 20, 2011
On the heels of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il’s death, outside experts seem more uncertain than ever about who retains control over the hermit nation’s nuclear weapons or authority for their potential use.

North Korea's nuclear program
Suzanne Kelly and Pam Benson, CNN -- December 20, 2011
When it comes to assessing the future of North Korea's nuclear position and potential threat under a new leader, even the experts describe this transfer of power as an interesting predicament.

Exclusive: North Korea's military to share power with Kim's heir
Benjamin Kang Lim, Reuters -- December 21, 2011
North Korea will shift to collective rule from a strongman dictatorship after last week's death of Kim Jong-il, although his untested young son will be at the head of the ruling coterie, a source with close ties to Pyongyang and Beijing said.

Israel calls for "paralyzing" sanctions on Iran: What We're Reading Now
Dec 12, 2011

IRAN
Israel calls for "paralyzing" sanctions on Iran
Reuters -- December12, 2011
Iran's ruling clerics could use nuclear weapons to strengthen their grip on power and the world must urgently impose crippling sanctions to prevent them from building such arms, Israel's defense minister said on Sunday.

Iran’s Got Our Drone: Distraction or Disaster?
Mark Thomson, TIME -- December 11, 2011
Let’s say you’re outside walking around when you’re hit in the head by an iPhone that falls from the sky. Just how lucky are you? Pretty darn lucky, especially if you were trying to bring it down. But now that you’ve got it, how much can you learn from it? That’s the challenge facing Tehran following its claim last week that it had brought down one of America’s most-secret reconnaissance systems: the Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel drone.

NORTH KOREA
U.S. Diplomat Urges North Korea to "Change Behavior"
Global Security Newswire -- December 11, 2011
The U.S. special representative for North Korea on Monday said the Obama administration would not agree to another round of bilateral talks with the Stalinist state until officials there "change their behavior," Agence France-Presse reported.

INTERVIEW: North Korea's end heralds the real crisis
Victor Fic and Jennifer Lind, The Asia Times -- December 12, 2011
What is more dangerous than a strong dictatorship? A collapsed one, so Lind warns in her latest analysis. [1] In this interview with Asia Times Online contributor Victor Fic, Lind says that a North Korean implosion creates many perils, such as "loose nukes" entering the global black market. She also calls upon the US, South Korea and China to start planning together - now - for the staggering task of managing North Korea's collapse.