Tag Archives: National Security

“I Got a Rock”: Policy Gaps in American Critical Minerals Stockpiling 
America / National Security / Trade

“I Got a Rock”: Policy Gaps in American Critical Minerals Stockpiling 

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Executive Summary  Throughout 2025 and 2026, China has leveraged its control over critical mineral supply chains, forcing the United States to the negotiating table; the resulting shortages caused disruptions in the production of goods from automobiles to computers.  In February 2026, the Trump Administration inaugurated Project Vault, a critical minerals stockpiling program intended to reduce exposure to foreign-induced supply shocks through storing minerals for civilian use.  Although Project Vault is … Continue reading →

The Age of the 5th Dimension – Sadly, not one of trust abounding
National Security

The Age of the 5th Dimension – Sadly, not one of trust abounding

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  Land, air, sea, space, and cyberspace – These are the five dimensions of warfare and have been acknowledged as such since the 1990s (a few decades after the 5th Dimension‘s acclaimed “Age of Aquarius”). The first four dimensions of warfare have settled into what we recognize as conventional warfare. The fifth dimension, well, is less straightforward. … Continue reading →

America / Foreign Policy

Hugo Chavez’s Health Could Have a Number of Consequences for the Western Hemisphere

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All eyes are on poll numbers, gay marriage, the economy, and most definitely not focused on Venezuela. Well, in my opinion, the United States might want to keep an eye on the current electoral situation in Venezuela and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s health is a major part of the electoral picture in that country. There … Continue reading →

America / Foreign Policy

Formal Criminal Alliances Pose a Major Security Threat to the Americas

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A recent report from Guatemalan authorities focuses on a formal alliance between two major criminal entities: the Mexican Zetas cartel and the Mara Salvatrucha (MS) street gang that operates throughout Central and North America. Informal and temporary alliances are often formed between criminal groups, but this is the first report of a formal alliance. Such … Continue reading →

America / Foreign Policy

Latin American Drug Legalization and US National Security

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True to form, the American media has continued its focus on domestic politics leading up to the November presidential election. So far, the GOP primary and the fallout from Rush Limbaugh’s comments about Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke have dominated this week’s media attention. Lost in this news coverage were Vice President Joe Biden’s … Continue reading →

Foreign Policy

Whose War Is It Anyway?

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Defense Secretary Leon Panetta confused many of America’s NATO allies last week when he said that US forces in Afghanistan would end their combat role in Afghanistan as early as the middle of next year. With American troops not set to fully withdraw until 2014 — the same year as the Afghan presidential elections — and the … Continue reading →