Semaine du 17 au 23/03/2007


Iran, Etats-Unis - Interview de Seymour Hersh par Mehdi Geramifard journaliste de l’Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting
Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting 07/03/07

"...Question: Some analysts believe that Iranian nuclear case is just an excuse for the US attack on Iran and if Iran's nuclear case is going to be solved the White House will find another excuse to fight against Iran. What is your take on this Mr. Hersh?

Answer: You asked me what is inside the president's mind. I can tell you that they believe that despite Iran's denials, despite the fact that there is no intelligence showing a significant weapons program in Iran. I think the President and the Vice President believe that Iran will have a bomb soon and it will give it to Hizbullah and ask them to spread it in America. They believe that Hizbullah has the capability to operate inside America. There is no real evidence for any of this but that is what they believe. Therefore we may end up with some terrible events because there is a belief for this President. President believed that Iraq had WMDs and it did not..."


Etats-Unis, Irak - Gauging the Surge
CFR 28/03/07

"After years of facing relatively few obstacles to his Iraq policies from the legislative branch, President George W. Bush now confronts dual resolutions (WashPost) from both chambers of Congress demanding an end to combat operations there sometime next year. The Senate's vote to set a March 31, 2008 deadline for ending U.S. combat operations in Iraq, passed by a slim 50-48 margin, may be vetoed by the president. But it definitively ends a period beginning with a vote in 2002 to grant Bush broad warmaking powers in which Congress has deferred to the executive on such issues..."




Etats-Unis, Asie centrale - U.S. Interests in Central Asia and the Challenges to Them
Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College March 22, 2007

"The author assesses the interests of the United States in Central Asia and the challenges to them. These challenges consist of the revival of the Taliban, Russo-Chinese efforts to oust U.S. strategic presence from the area, and the possibility of internal instability generated by the regression of local regimes form democratizing and liberalizing policies. The author then recommends policies designed to meet those challenges to American policy in this increasingly more important area of the world..."


Etats-Unis - The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations Since 9/11
Congressional Research Service (via Federation of American Scientists) Updated 14 March 2007

"With enactment of FY2007 appropriations, Congress has approved a total of about $510 billion for military operations, base security, reconstruction, foreign aid, embassy costs, and veterans’ health care for the three operations initiated since the 9/11 attacks: Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) covering Afghanistan and other counter terror operations, Operation Noble Eagle (ONE) providing enhanced security at military bases, and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Iraq..."


Etats-Unis - The New Militarism, Global Terrorism, and the American University: Making Sense of the Assault on Democracy “Here, There, Somewhere”
InterActions: UCLA Journal of Education and Information Studies March 8, 2007

"This paper examines the ways in which the Bush administration and its allies have targeted the American university as part of a broad assault on democracy. The author maintains that the administration has used the tragic events of September 11 to strike fear in the American people for the purposes of formulating a more aggressive militarization both home and abroad. This “New Militarism” justifies two particular positions with regard to the relationship between the Bush administration and the nation’s universities. First, and because of the potential for criticism to arise from within the walls of the university, the Bush administration and its allies have sought to limit such critiques through a variety of actions and policies. Second, the Bush administration and its supporters have been intent on strengthening the already strong ties between the American university and the U.S. military industrial complex, including the Department of Defense. These two broad assaults have resulted in further deterioration to the American university’s democratic potential and its ability to advance a more just world..."


Russie - Dead Journalists in Putin’s Russia: La Plus C’est Change, La Plus C’est la Meme Chose?
Andrew C. Kuchins, Center for Strategic & International Studies March 19, 2007

"Did you know that nearly twice as many Russian journalists were killed in the 1990s when Boris Yeltsin was president of Russia as in the seven years of Vladimir Putin’s presidency? According to the records of the Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York–based organization that tracks violations against free journalism around the world, in Yeltsin’s Russia, 42 journalists were killed and 3 disappeared. Since Mr. Putin became president, 22 journalists have been killed and 2 disappeared. As in the Yeltsin years, the motivations for the great majority of these tragic killings are tied to the wars in Chechnya and/or criminal activities. And, as in the Yeltsin years, almost none of these murders has been solved. The truth is that in Putin’s Russia, like Yeltsin’s Russia, being an investigative journalist is a very dangerous profession. And today, as in the 1990s, Russia’s ramshackle legal system provides virtually no incentive for investigators to solve the crimes. They would only discover the same dangerous information that the journalists did, and you can bet they are not counting on the Russian legal system to protect them in that event..."


Pakistan - Pakistan's Strategic Goals and the Deteriorating Situation in Afghanistan
Dr. Harsh V. Pant, PINR 23/03/07

"Pakistan is reeling under a host of problems and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf seems unable to tackle them. With this, the frustration in the West is rising along with skepticism about Pakistan's role in Afghanistan. The president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, has been openly blaming Pakistan for the deteriorating security environment in his country. A few months ago, the BBC acquired a paper written by a senior official at the Defense Academy run by the U.K. Ministry of Defense. The paper alleges that Pakistan's intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (I.S.I.), has been indirectly supporting the Taliban. The paper continues to argue that Pakistan's promotion of terrorism cannot be tackled unless the I.S.I. is dismantled and Pakistan moves away from the rule of the military..."


Pakistan - Musharraf and the Chief Justice: Will Pakistan Unravel?
Teresita C. Schaffer, Center for Strategic & International Studies March 20, 2007

"This commentary analyses the political situation Pakistan faces as President Musharraf suspends the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and lawyers clash with police to demonstrate their opposition to the President's decision. The recent events could prove to be crucial to the balance of power in a country where there is already uncertainty..."


Terrorisme, Israel - Anti-Israeli Terrorism, 2006: Data, Analysis and Trends
Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Israel Intelligence’ Heritage & Commemoration Center (IICC) 03/07

"This study examines and analyzes the terrorism directed against Israel , which continued during 2006 as a central factor influencing the agenda of the State of Israel. It examines the activities of the Palestinian terrorist organizations, Hezbollah and the global jihad, and compares their modus operandi with previous years. It also deals with the support given by Iran and Syria to the terrorist organizations operating against Israel as well as other factors influencing the extent and nature of anti-Israeli terrorism..."


Terrorisme - Al-Qaida's standing
By Paul Rogers for openDemocracy.net (23/03/07)

"Osama bin Laden's 50th birthday on 10 March 2007 was an occasion for much media reflection on the persistence of the al-Qaida movement. One attempt to counter this was the Pentagon's release of transcripts of what were said to be confessions from its highest-ranking Guantànamo detainee, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. These confessions included his involvement in thirty al-Qaida operations over a decade, going right back to the first bombing of the World Trade Centre in February 1993.

The publicity was certainly widespread within the United States, including a marked "spin" on the main news channels to the effect that the transcripts showed just how important this figure was. As such, it served to suggest that the United States had had some real successes in its war on terror, and that the capture of this mastermind was a key example. Some of the more experienced journalists were far more skeptical, with some very good analysis of the persistent influence of al-Qaida coming in the non-US press (notably Jason Burke's assessment, "Al-Qaeda: the second coming", Observer, 11 March 2007).

An obvious consideration is that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has been in US custody for four years and there has been no decrease in the activities of the al-Qaida movement in that time. Even leaving Iraq and Afghanistan aside, this is a movement - now dispersed and multifaceted - that has been involved in numerous attacks across the world. Since his capture in February 2003, these have included attacks in Casablanca, Djakarta, Riyadh, Istanbul, Sinai, Madrid, London, Aqaba, Bali, Karachi, Damascus and elsewhere, as well as many more completed or attempted operations..."


Terrorisme - Beyond al-Qaeda - Part 1, The Global Jihadist Movement
By: Angel Rabasa, Peter Chalk, Kim Cragin, Sara A. Daly, Heather S. Gregg, Theodore W. Karasik, Kevin A. O'Brien, William Rosenau, RAND 2007

"Five years after September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups continue to threaten the lives and well being of Americans and the security of our friends and allies. This study first examines how al-Qaeda has changed since September 11. It then turns to an analysis of the broader global jihadist movement — al-Qaeda and affiliated or associated terrorist groups or groups that may not be formally part of the al-Qaeda network but that have assimilated its worldview and concept of mass-casualty terrorist attacks. These groups, the authors believe, are where the center of gravity of the current global terrorist threat now lies. They conclude by setting out a four-pronged strategy against terrorist groups: Attack the ideological underpinnings of global jihadism; seek to sever the links — ideological and otherwise — between local and global jihadists; deny sanctuaries to terrorists; and strengthen the capabilities of front-line states to counter local terrorist threats..."


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Beyond al-Qaeda - Part 2, The Outer Rings of the Terrorist Universe
By: Angel Rabasa, Peter Chalk, Kim Cragin, Sara A. Daly, Heather S. Gregg, Theodore W. Karasik, Kevin A. O'Brien, William Rosenau, RAND 2007

"This book examines terrorist groups that, while not formally allied with al-Qaeda, pose a threat to Americans, at home and abroad, and to the security of our friends and allies. Although the temptation for policymakers is to set aside as less dangerous those groups that have not chosen to join al-Qaeda, such terrorist or insurgent groups and criminal organizations still pose a threat to the United States, its interests, and its allies. The authors first look at violent Islamist terrorist and insurgent groups without formal links to al-Qaeda, such as Hamas and Hezbollah in the Middle East and Islamist groups in Africa. They then examine a number of non-Islamist terrorist groups — for example, the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, the FARC and ELN in Colombia, Maoist insurgencies, and the violent antiglobalist movement — and explain how these groups might fit into the al-Qaeda agenda and how they use criminal organizations and connections to finance their activities. Finally, they show how the presence of these threats affects U.S. security interests, and they identify distinct strategies that the United States may take to neutralize or mitigate each of them..."


Terrorisme - Maritime Terrorism - Risk and Liability
By: Michael D. Greenberg, Peter Chalk, Henry H. Willis, Ivan Khilko, David S. Ortiz, RAND 2007

"Policymakers have become increasingly concerned in recent years about the possibility of future maritime terrorist attacks. Though the historical occurrence of such attacks has been limited, recognition that maritime vessels and facilities may be particularly vulnerable to terrorism has galvanized concerns. In addition, some plausible maritime attacks could have very significant consequences, in the form of mass casualties, severe property damage, and attendant disruption of commerce. Understanding the nature of maritime terrorism risk requires an investigation of threats, vulnerabilities, and consequences associated with potential attacks, as grounded both by relevant historical data and by intelligence on the capabilities and intentions of known terrorist groups. These risks also provide the context for understanding government institutions that will respond to future attacks, and particularly so with regard to the U.S. civil justice system. In principle, civil liability operates to redistribute the harms associated with legally redressable claims, so that related costs are borne by the parties responsible for having caused them. In connection with maritime terrorism, civil liability creates the prospect that independent commercial defendants will be held responsible for damages caused by terrorist attacks. This book explores risks and U.S. civil liability rules as they may apply in the context of these types of attacks..."


Terrorisme - Terrorism Enforcement: International, Domestic and Financial
Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) / Syracuse University

"An analysis of timely Justice Department records shows that while there has been a sharp decline in the prosecution of individuals the government has identified as international terrorists criminal cases aimed at domestic terrorists and individuals involved in terrorism-related financial schemes show different trends..."


Terrorisme - Rail Security and the Terrorist Threat
Council on Foreign Relations March 12, 2007

"High profile terrorist attacks on rail systems in Madrid, London, and Mumbai provide troubling illustration to persistent warnings that the U.S. public transportation system is a vulnerable target for terrorists. But passenger rail is not the only, and perhaps not even the gravest concern. Much of the 160,000 miles of railroad track in the United States transports freight, including highly toxic chemicals. These shipments often have minimal security, even though they pass through populated areas, endangering thousands of lives..."


Médias, Etats-Unis - The Changing Scope of U.S. International Broadcasts
Council on Foreign Relations March 23, 2007

"U.S. funding for non-military international broadcasting has surged since 9/11, with a special emphasis on reaching audiences in the Muslim world. The board that oversees such broadcasting is seeking about $670 million for the next fiscal year, part of which would go to expanding broadcasts to such crisis-prone states as North Korea, Iran, and Pakistan. Critics say the traditional U.S. broadcasting structure has become unwieldy and that some of the new ventures, including the use of pop-music formats in the main Farsi- and Arabic-language broadcasts, are lessening the impact of what should be news and information services. Analysts continue to raise questions about the goals of U.S. international broadcasting..."


Environnement - Prepared Statement of Al Gore Before United States Senate Environment & Public Works Committee
Senate Environment & Public Works Committee 21/03/07

"I want to testify today about what I believe is a planetary emergency—a crisis that threatens the survival of our civilization and the habitability of the Earth. Just six weeks ago, the scientific community, in its strongest statement to date, confirmed that the evidence of warming is "unequivocal." Global warming is real and human activity is the main cause. The consequences are mainly negative and headed toward catastrophic, unless we act. However, the good news is that we can meet this challenge. It is not too late, and we have everything we need to get started..."


Energie, Allemagne - L’Allemagne, la Russie et l'énergie
Fondation Robert Schuman – Questions d'Europe n°55 19 mars 2007

"Le 1er janvier 2007, l'Allemagne a succédé à la Finlande à la présidence de l’Union européenne. Le gouvernement allemand a présenté un programme de travail intitulé « Ensemble, nous réussirons l’Europe » (Europa gelingt gemeinsam) couvrant différents domaines d’action, dont la politique énergétique. Le Conseil européen des 8 et 9 mars 2007 a été l'occasion d'aborder la thématique de l'énergie, mais ses conclusions restent partielles et ne permettent pas véritablement d'y voir clair quant aux réponses à apporter pour faire face aux principaux défis énergétiques des quinze prochaines années..."


Energie, Chine - Searching for Oil: China’s Oil Initiatives in the Middle East
Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, 20/03/2007

"In a world in which the supply of oil is limited both by geology and politics, China’s determination to fuel its rapidly growing economy is seen by many as a looming source of conflict. It is not simply the geographic breadth of China’s initiatives that cause anxiety in western capitals, but also its willingness to enter into economic arrangements with “rogue” states. Unfettered by concerns about human rights and willing to link oil investments with foreign policy goals, critics believe that China has been able to gain an unfair advantage in the competition for both oil and regional influence. They point to China’s budding relationship with nations such as Angola, Sudan, and Venezuela. Is this concern warranted? Do China’s recent initiatives augur a future replete with tensions over access to oil? What motivates Chinese oil policy and are its policies inevitably in conflict with long term western interests? Unfortunately the answers are complicated and are clouded by incomplete data and conflicting signals. One can find evidence to support almost any particular argument..."


OMC, Etats-Unis - The United States and the WTO Dispute Settlement System
Council on Foreign Relations 03/07

"The Doha negotiations have stalled since last summer, and, as the November elections in the United States highlighted, American advocates of economic nationalism are growing in strength. Nevertheless, Robert Lawrence makes a case for the effectiveness of the World Trade Organization (WTO), particularly its dispute settlement system, and the benefits that would accrue to the United States and others from improving its effectiveness. These benefits include expanding world trade and increasing support for an often beleaguered organization that is central to the conduct of world trade..."


Grippe aviaire, Etats-Unis - New Report Finds Severe Pandemic Flu Could Lead to Major U.S. Recession; Biggest Economic Declines Predicted in Nevada and Hawaii
Trust for America’s Health 22/03/07

"Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) released a new report today that finds a severe pandemic flu outbreak could result in the second worst recession in the U.S. since World War II. The U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) could drop over 5.5 percent, leading to an estimated $683 billion loss..."


Outsourcing - How Privatization Thinks
Outsourcing the USA (via SSRN) 2007

"Debates over contracting out government functions to private, for-profit entities often play out within a deliberative framework that can be thought of as “comparative efficiency.” From this perspective, the decision whether to privatize any given government function turns on which sector, public or private, would perform the relevant function more efficiently. Comparative efficiency thus has two defining features: it views the motivating question as a choice between public and private, and it treats efficiency as the sole value guiding the analysis. That comparative efficiency is the appropriate way to approach the issue of privatization tends to be taken for granted. Its value neutrality is also assumed. In this essay, I challenge these assumptions. Using the example of private prisons, I argue that comparative efficiency operates instead as a rhetorical device that keeps the debate within particular bounds, excluding some concerns altogether and reframing others in ways consistent with its own priorities. I then consider the interests and values served by the ways comparative efficiency structures the private prisons debate, and argue that it is the project of privatization itself that is the beneficiary..."


Nigeria - Nigeria’s Economic Reforms: Progress and Challenges
The Brookings Institution March 23, 2007

"Following years of economic stagnation, Nigeria embarked on a comprehensive reform program during the second term of the Obasanjo administration. The program was based on the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) and focused on four main areas: improving the macroeconomic environment, pursuing structural reforms, strengthening public expenditure management, and implementing institutional and governance reforms..."


R&D, Innovation - Science, technology and innovation in Europe - 2007 edition
Eurostat 2007

"This publication presents statistical data and indicators based on a number of data sources available at Eurostat (mainly related to science, technology, innovation and regions). It provides the reader with statistical information to appreciate the evolution and composition of science and technology (S&T) in Europe and its position with regard to its partners. The pocketbook is divided into eight chapters among which: Key R&D input and output indicators (R&D expenditure, R&D personnel and Government budget appropriations or outlays on R&D (GBAORD)); Patents; High Technology; human resources in S&T (HRST); statistics on Innovation. Another chapter gives some background data on population, employment and gross domestic product (GDP)..."


R&D, Innovation - R&D in higher education and government
Eurostat 2007

"The Statistics in Focus publication delineates the R&D performance in the public sectors (Higher education and government) with regard to R&D expenditure and personnel. The R&D intensity of the public sectors is shown as well as the R&D personnel and researchers, with their stock and growth rates. Most of the R&D personnel in Europe is highly qualified. About one third of the European public researchers works in natural sciences..."


R&D, Innovation - The Top American Research Universities, 2006 Annual Report
The Center for Measuring University Performance 2006

"The Center determines the Top American Research Universities by their rank on nine different measures: Total Research, Federal Research, Endowment Assets, Annual Giving, National Academy Members, Faculty Awards, Doctorates Granted, Postdoctoral Appointees, and Median SAT Scores. (The Source Notes section of this study provides detailed information on each of the nine indicators.) The tables group research institutions according to how many times they rank in the top 25 on each of these nine measures. The top category includes those universities that rank in the top 25 on all nine indicators. The bottom category includes universities with only one of the nine measures ranked in the top 25. Within these groups, institutions are then sorted by how many times they rank between 26 and 50 on the nine performance variables, with ties listed alphabetically. A similar methodology produces a second set of institutions—those ranked 26 through 50 on the same nine measures..."


Nanotechnologies - Nanotechnology: The Future is Coming Sooner Than You Think
Joint Economic Committee of US Congress 03/07

"Nanotechnology — the ability to understand and manipulate matter at the molecular and atomic levels — promises to bring sweeping technological advances in coming years, according to a new study released today by Congressman Jim Saxton, ranking member of the Joint Economic Committee of Congress. According to the new study, Nanotechnology: The Future is Coming Sooner Than You Think, nanotechnology will lead to dramatic breakthroughs in many areas including medicine, communications, computing, energy, and robotics..."