Nautilus Peace and Security Weekly – 9 January 2014

Recommended Citation

"Nautilus Peace and Security Weekly – 9 January 2014", NAPSNet Weekly Report, January 09, 2014, https://nautilus.org/napsnet/napsnet-weekly/nautilus-peace-and-security-weekly-9-january-2014/


deterrence

DETERRENCE: Report of investigation (S8011P), Maj Gen Michael J. Carey, Inspector General of US Air Force (October 2013) [PDF, 0.7MB]

Carey was commander of the US ICBM force for 15 months. On his trip to observe a Russian nuclear security exercise, At Zurich airport, he was visibly agitated, appeared drunk, and in the public area talked loudly about his command of the only operational nuclear force in the world and that he saves the world from war every day.


DPRKDPRK: Kim Jong-un’s “Fresh Leap Forward” 2014 New Year speech, Peter Hayes and Roger Cavazos, NAPSNet Special Report (2 January 2014)

In Kim Jong-un’s 2014 New Year’s speech, there were a few clues on North Korea’s emphases, beyond the normal Stakahankvoite exhortations. The calls for political unity were a little more striking than normal.  Their emphasis on Juche or self-reliance decreased markedly, but there was not a concomitant rise in the emphasis on byungjin or simultaneous development on two fronts: nuclear weapons and the economy.


energy imageENERGY SECURITY: Freeze drives up US gas and power prices, Gregory Meyer, Financial Times (6 January 2014)

Much of the US is caught in an “Arctic vortex” with record low temperatures beginning Sunday. FT reports that anticipating high gas and power demands for home use, spot prices for natural gas climbed to $90 per million Btus, over 600% increase over past week, and power spot prices in Texas reached over $5,000 per MWh, jumping 19,000% within hours. Utilities probably had enough coal stocks, spot coal cannot be moved that quickly, and the power surge won’t last more than a few days. Otherwise, in the US and over in Europe, coal is holding up well, and saving people if not the earth.


Close up of the North Korean flag, square imageGOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SOCIETY: Park advised to ease sanctions, engage North, Joongang Ilbo (3 January 2014)

Some experts are advising ROK President Park to end the sanctions that have been imposed on the DPRK since 2010, arguing that the sanctions have not hurt the DPRK and have only encouraged its ties to China. Sanctions are also hindering Park’s “trustpolitik” DPRK strategy. Park has called potential reunification an economic “jackpot”, and many ROK citizens still feel that reunification is in the national interest.


climate adapt imageCLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION: Global risks 2013: insight report, eighth edition, An initiative of the risk response network, World Economic Forum (2013) [10.8 MB, PDF]

In an ideal world, global risks should coincide with global responses. However, the fact is that countries and their population are on the forefront when they face systemic shocks and catastrophic happenings. In an increasingly inter-reliant and hyper-connected world, ‘one nation’s failure to address a global risk can have a ripple effect on others. Resilience to global risks – incorporating the ability to withstand, adapt and recover from shocks – is, therefore, becoming more critical’.

  • Global risk data platform, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) (2013)
  • Global risks 2012: insight report, seventh edition, An initiative of the risk response network, World Economic Forum (2013) [6.8 MB, PDF]

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.

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