Thursday, January 9, 2014

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- January 9, 2014



Number of Nuclear-Capable Countries Drops -- Voice of America

The number of countries possessing the makings for a nuclear weapon has dropped by almost one-quarter during the past two years, according to a study by the U.S. based Nuclear Threat Initiative.

But the study released Wednesday says there are "dangerous weak links" in nuclear materials security that could be exploited by terrorist groups.

The Nuclear Threat Initiative says Mexico, Sweden, Ukraine, Vietnam, Austria, the Czech Republic and Hungary have removed all or most of the weapons-usable nuclear materials from their territory since 2012. It says there are 25 countries with at least one kilogram of weapons-usable nuclear materials, down from 32 countries in 2012.

Read more ....

MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE NEWS BRIEFS

In new poll defense leaders see China rising, U.S. declining -- Washington Times

Russian arms nudge Central Asia to edge -- Asia Times

Refitted Former Russian Aircraft Carrier Arrives in India -- RIA Novosti

War-weary Britons question why UK ‘one of biggest military spenders’ -- RT

MOD spends £66 million on consultants as Armed Forces cut -- The Telegraph

Canada yet to decide which fighter jet will replace CF-18 -- UPI

Outgoing German defence minister in parting shot at France, Britain -- Space Daily/AFP

First French Reapers arrive in Africa -- sUAS News

France To Cut Troops In Mali, Says Mission Accomplished -- Defense News/AFP

EU Eyes Military Mission in C. Africa To Deter Massacres -- Defense News/AFP

Pacific Pivot vs. Mideast Crisis: Army Reinforces Korea As Iraq Burns -- Sydney J. Freedberg Jr., Breaking Defense

Missile destroyers to raise the significance of Rota and the Mediterranean -- Stars and Stripes

Top Pentagon Official: Unleash the Accountants of War in Afghanistan -- Gordon Lubold, Foreign Policy

Drone crashes into U.S. battleship, causes $30 mln in damages -- RT

Study cites 'dangerous weak link' in nuke security -- Stars and Stripes/AP

Obama works to craft response to surveillance uproar -- McClatchy News

NSA Insiders Reveal What Went Wrong -- Huffington Post

Former NSA whistleblowers plead for chance to brief Obama on agency abuses -- RT

US senators propose bill to shut off NSA’s water supply in California -- RT

Top military brass kept from pension cuts that budget deal brings to soldiers -- Washington Times

Hagel discusses military benefits, Iraq and Gates’ new memoir -- Stars and Stripes

Odierno refutes Marine Corps rivalry claims -- Army Times

Commander who reversed conviction to retire -- AP

First pictures of U.S. crew killed alongside two colleagues in Black Hawk helicopter crash in Norfolk as investigators probe whether a bird strike was to blame -- Daily Mail

Second crew member dies after Navy helicopter crash off Virginia coast -- Stars and Stripes/Virginia Pilot

The Secret World of American Spies in the Middle East -- Frederick Deknatel, New Republic

Al-Qaida's resurgence testing Obama's war policies -- AP

The rise of the military’s secret military -- Nick Turse, Salon/TomDispatch.com

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