The Economist – Waiting for another Titanic

Antarctica has become an increasingly popular destination for the more adventurous tourist. In this year’s southern-hemisphere summer season, running from November to March, as many as 39,000 visitors are expected to make the trip from Tierra del Fuego, the nearest jumping-off point to the world’s emptiest continent. That amounts to a fourfold increase in a decade. Officials in both Chile and Argentina are getting increasingly worried about the risk of a fatal accident—“a new Titanic” as one Chilean naval officer puts it.

New York Times – Google Earth Fills Its Watery Gaps

Google Earth adds the world’s oceans to its database.

Associated Press – Arctic’s thaw brings security risks for NATO

NATO will need a military presence in the Arctic as global warming melts frozen sea routes and major powers rush to lay claim to lucrative energy reserves, the military bloc’s chief said Thursday.

New York Times Magazine – Farmer in Chief

A fascinating article by Michael Pollan that makes a point I had never previously considered:

“The health of a nation’s food system is a critical issue of national security…For nations that lose the ability to substantially feed themselves will find themselves as gravely compromised in their international dealings as nations that depend on foreign sources of oil presently do. But while there are alternatives to oil, there are no alternatives to food.”

The Times – A mystery surrounding the deaths of five French fishermen in a trawler accident three years ago deepened yesterday when a judge said that the boat was probably sunk by an unknown submarine spying on Nato exercises.
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The Economist – After a long gestation, ground-effect vehicles are coming to market.
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Reuters – NATO is talking to oil and gas producing companies and countries about how it could help combat security threats to energy infrastructure???the likely measures would involve providing sea-borne rapid reaction forces to combat attacks on facilities, hostage taking and piracy in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
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Defense and the National Interest – Excellent article by William Lind on how “management by walking around” can be practiced by the military.
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Washington Post – Meet the new boss, not like the old boss — according to Thomas Ricks.
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Daily Telegraph – W.F. Deedes on the meaning of Remembrance Day.
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The Times – Is the US planning a raid on North Korean nuclear facilities?
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Daily Telegraph – The European Commission has drawn up plans to set up a European coastguard, which critics fear is a back-door attempt by Brussels to create an EU navy with its own powers to stop and search shipping.
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Daily Telegraph – The former Soviet Navy’s aircraft carrier Minsk is for sale???
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New York Times – James Webb takes issue with the right-wing smear campaigns waged repeatedly by Mr. Bush’s surrogates to discredit distinguished combat veterans who oppose Mr. Bush or his policies.
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Esquire – Thomas P.M. Barnett’s insightful essay into Donald Rumsfeld’s tenure as Secretary of Defense.
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Associated Press – Increasing levels of ocean noise generated by military sonar, shipping, and oil and gas exploration is threatening dolphins and whales that rely on sound for mating, finding food and avoiding predators.
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MIT Open Courseware – The material for this course has just been placed online by MIT.
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Associated Press – A mystery ship that has been cloaked in secrecy since it docked in Portland Harbor three weeks ago may carry equipment used to observe an Air Force rocket on a top-secret mission.
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Sea Power – The latest naval news from Finland, Portugal, United Arab Emirates, Bulgaria, United Kingdom, and Oman.

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BBC – Police in Colombia have uncovered another submarine, which they believe was built by drug smugglers to transport cocaine.
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MIT Open Courseware – Six new course syllabi from the MIT Department of Political Science and the MIT Security Studies Program:

17.423 Causes and Prevention of War

17.484 Comparative Grand Strategy and Military Doctrine

17.460 Defense Politics

17.471 American National Security Policy

17.952 Great Power Military Intervention

17.953 U.S. Military Budget and Force Planning

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Toronto Star – An interesting and optimistic article to end the year on. Military historian Gwynne Dyer writes that humanity’s task over the next few years is to transform the world of independent states into a genuine global village.
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Professor Julian Schofield, Concordia University – Course syllabi for three courses that cover many topics in the field of War Studies. Each course has extensive lecture notes online, along with a suggested bibliography.

Introduction to Strategic Studies

Strategic Studies / Nuclear Strategy

International Security / Causes of War

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Sea Power – An interview with the commander of NATO forces, Gen. James L. Jones.

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Washington Post – The European Parliament called on member nations yesterday to suspend the use of high-intensity sonar during naval maneuvers until research determines whether the very loud sounds are leading to the deaths of whales and other sea creatures.
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