CONTENTS
- DETERRENCE: U.S. military could redefine global-strike weapons
- DPRK: North Korea threatens nuclear test, more rocket launches in wake of tightened sanctions Harlan
- ENERGY SECURITY: Nicholas Stern: ‘I got it wrong on climate change – it’s far, far worse’
- GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SOCIETY: Not all Peninsula issues China’s problem
- CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION: Toward resilience: a guide to disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation
- CLIMATE CHANGE AND SECURITY: Climate change and security threats: time to call a spade a spade?
See this week’s blog: Re-entry Vehicles and Rhetoric in Pyongyang from our Deterrence contributor, Peter Hayes.
DETERRENCE: U.S. military could redefine global-strike weapons, Elaine M. Grossman, Global Security Newswire (24 January 2013)
The US military may redefine “prompt global strike” weapons to include conventional arms able to attack targets virtually anywhere around the world, within 2-4 hours of receiving a launch order, from as close as 200 miles from targets. An urgent target might be a North Korean atomic weapon being prepared for imminent launch.
- U.S. may deploy F-35 stealth jets to Iwakuni in ’17, Kyodo (12 December 2012)
- The RMA with Chinese characteristics in the future security environment, Timothy Thomas, Global Trends Blog (28 June 2012)
- More on China’s perspective on the future security environment, Timothy Thomas, Global Trends Blog (28 June 2012)
- Russia to develop precision conventional ICBM option, Mikhail Fomitchev, RIA Novosti (14 December 2012)
BLOG: Re-entry Vehicles and Rhetoric in Pyongyang
by Peter Hayes – Deterrence Contributor
After 5 test firings (failures in 1998, 2006, 2009, 2012, and success, December 12, 2012) we know that DPRK long range rockets…
DPRK: North Korea threatens nuclear test, more rocket launches in wake of tightened sanctions Harlan, Chico, Washington Post (24 January 2013)
North Korea issued a specific and credible threat from their National Defense Commission to test a third nuclear device. It will be very difficult – but not impossible – for Kim Jong-un or North Korea to back down now. However a North Korean nuclear device is only capable of committing national suicide or calling for talks. North Korea does NOT seem suicidal. There are presently no credible nuclear delivery methods in North Korea’s bag of tricks.
- Negotiating with North Koreans, Mitchell Reiss, Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainability United States Congressional Research Service (27 January 2003) [PDF, 45 KB]
- Punggye-ri nuclear test facility, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at Monterey Institute of International Studies for Nuclear Threat Initiative, (7 May 2012)
- Unprecedented nuclear strikes of the invincible army: a realistic assessment of North Korea’s nuclear capability, Peter Hayes and Scott Bruce, Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainability (22 September 2011)
ENERGY SECURITY: Nicholas Stern: ‘I got it wrong on climate change – it’s far, far worse’, Heather Stewart and Larry Elliott, Observer (UK) (26 January 2013)
Davos time again. Lord Stern, the Paid Piper, says, “‘I got it wrong on climate change”. Duh! He will keep saying that. Jim Kim says, “There will be water and food fights everywhere,” and pledges to make tackling climate change a priority of his five-year term. As if climate change can be tackled in five years by one man and his Quixotic army. “Our dream is world without poverty” will now be replaced by “Our dream is world without climate change.” Mama Earth has to be saved first, not its children.
- Davos 2013: World Bank head says don’t shun poor coal-using nations, BBC ([26 January 2013)
- Make climate change a priority, Jim Kim, Washington Post (24 January 2013)
- Want to fight terrorism? Educate women, Malcolm Potts, Los Angeles Times (25 January 2013)
GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SOCIETY: Not all Peninsula issues China’s problem, Global Times (25 January 2013)
DPRK displeasure at new UN sanctions extended to its relationship with China. China’s Global Times ran an editorial in response, suggesting that the DPRK should not rank too high among China’s priorities and that China would reduce assistance to the DPRK if it conducts a nuclear test. The ROK and Japan are working to improve ties with China, with each sending special envoys to Beijing this week to discuss regional issues.
- S. Korean special envoys visit China, United Press International (20 January 2013)
- Japan ex-China envoy: Tokyo erred on islands row, Elaine Kurtenbach, Associated Press (28 January 2013)
- After threats against U.S., North Korea turns ire to South, K.J. Kwon and Jethro Mullen, CNN (26 January 2013)
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION: Toward resilience: a guide to disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, Marilise Turnbull, Charlotte L. Sterrett, Amy Hilleboe, Practical Action Publishing Ltd, UK (2013)
Disaster risk can be significantly reduced through strategies that seek to decrease vulnerability and exposure to hazards within wider efforts to address poverty and inequality. Humanitarian responses to disasters and other crises can be designed and implemented in ways that protect the affected people’s right to life and other basic rights in the short and longer term.
- Disaster data: A balanced perspective, CRED CRUNCH, No. 27, Institute of Health and Society (2012) [519 KB, PDF]
- UNISDR terminology on disaster risk reduction, United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction-UNISDR (2009)
CLIMATE CHANGE AND SECURITY: Climate change and security threats: time to call a spade a spade? Ben Zala, Sustainable Security (January 2013)
The notion of the ‘securitisation’ of climate change pre-supposes that we get to choose whether climate change is a security threat or not – it emphasises human agency. We can choose to label something as a threat or not. We can talk about security threats posed by climate change regardless of whether we can link instances of conflict and climate change in the past. Because something may pose a security threat does not mean that we have to throw military force at it.
- Scientists call for war on climate change, but who on earth is listening? David Spratt, Climate Code Red (7 December 2012)
- Over the horizon – the big thaw, Martin Indyk, Foreign Policy (18 January 2013)
- Update of Greenland Ice Sheet mass loss: exponential? James Hansen and Makiko Sato (26 December 2012) [PDF, 291 KB]
The Nautilus Peace and Security Weekly Report presents articles and full length reports each week in six categories: Austral security, nuclear deterrence, energy security, climate change and security, the DPRK, climate change adaptation and governance and civil society. Our team of contributors carefully select items that highlight the links between these themes and the three regions in which our offices are found—North America, Northeast Asia, and the Austral-Asia region. Each week, one of our authors also provides a short blog that explores these inter-relationships.
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Editor
Contributors
- Deterrence: Peter Hayes
- Governance and Civil Society: Dyana Mardon, Yi Kiho
- Climate Change Adaptation: Saleem Janjua
- DPRK: Roger Cavazos
- Energy Security: Nikhil Desai
- Climate Change and Security: Richard Tanter