Despite international efforts to safeguard nuclear materials, the possibility of nuclear terrorism continues to be a concern for both policymakers and the public at large. In recent years, the threat has seemed acute enough to prompt contingency planning in the United States for the immediate aftermath of such an event should it occur.
The 2011 decision by NATO and the United States to enforce a no-fly zone in Libya was met with both support and concern. The costs of entering another conflict, coupled with doubts about the effectiveness of the no-fly zone in achieving military and political outcomes, left policy makers and the public divided on the strategy’s merits. But many observers ultimately declared it a relative success.
Many communities susceptible to dangerous events such as tornadoes have implemented systems to spread word quickly. In principle, the widespread use of Internet, mobile and computer technologies can better facilitate communication, and university campuses are interconnected in a way that make them an interesting case study in how rapid communication systems can be deployed.
Approximately 27% of military personnel sought medical assistance for symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder through a Veterans Affairs (VA) health facility between 2002 and 2010, according to a 2011 report by the Congressional Research Service (PDF). Common PTSD treatments include both medication and cognitive-behavioral therapy through hospital stays and outpatient service.
Relations between the governments of the United States and Iran have been tense, often hostile, since the Iranian Revolution in 1979. After Iran began to develop a uranium enrichment program, however, tension has again risen acutely, and increasingly strict economic sanctions have been put in place — particularly on Iran’s crucial energy sector — by the U.S. and some of its Western and East Asian allies.
As the United States commemorates the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, questions about what the nation and world have learned over this decade and the true scope of the consequences are front and center.
Since the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan and the 2003 start of the Iraq war, hundreds of thousands of U.S. soldiers have served increasingly long and difficult deployments overseas. Beyond the physical risks troops face, their absence can have significant negative impacts on family members.
China and India are long-term rivals and nuclear powers who share a contested border. As their relative geopolitical strength increases and ability to project power expands, it is not clear how China and India will interact on the regional and global stages with one another in the years to come.
