Foreign Relations | Government Book Talk

NATO 70 Year Celebration

April 4, 2019

Flag of NATO

There’s a European and American joint celebration. Seventy years ago, April 4, 1949, eleven European nations, Canada, and the United States signed an alliance with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). NATO represents the solidarity between the U.S. and its European allies that ensure the peaceful progress of Europe following the end of World War II. Today, the alliance remains a keystone of the defense of Europe and across the world when global social justice and economic cooperation are in jeopardy. As recently as June 5, 2017, Montenegro officially became the twenty-ninth “Ally” of NATO.

For seventy years, America and other member nations have been a participant force of unity for peace, security and mutual aid of NATO and each has a recognized role in the importance of mutual defense for the democracies across Europe and beyond.

NATO’s commitment to peace includes the Partnership for Peace initiative that is based on “democratic principles to increase stability, diminish threats to peace, and build strengthened security relations between NATO and non-member countries in the Euro-Atlantic.”

The success and future of NATO is dependent on its member nations of 29 countries (and growing) to continue to safeguard freedom and communication to build stronger relationships with allies to handle solutions in crisis management and peacekeeping around the globe.

Read through select books in our International Affairs and International Organization collections to learn about some of NATO’s initiatives that have impacted U.S foreign policy throughout the last seventy years. A few featured publications from these collections include:

Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969-1976, V. XL1, Western Europe: NATO, 1969-1972. Part of the State Department’s FRUS series, this volume highlights U.S. policy regarding European economic and political integration, U.S. participation in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as well as U.S. bilateral relations with Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Stepping Up: Burden Sharing by NATO’s Newest Members examines the burden sharing behavior of new NATO members. It makes the argument that new NATO members are burden sharing at a greater rate than older NATO members. It discusses how new NATO members have demonstrated the willingness to contribute to NATO missions, case studies, interviews with key NATO officials, and more.

NATO Cyberspace Capability: A Strategic and Operational Evolution. This publication discusses the development of cyberspace defense capabilities for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and how it has been making steady progress since its formal introduction at the North Atlantic Council Prague Summit in 2002. Bolstered by numerous cyber attacks such as those in Estonia in 2007, Alliance priorities were formalized in subsequent NATO cyber defense policies that were adopted in 2008, 2011, and 2014. This monograph examines the past and current state of NATO’s cyberspace defense efforts by assessing the appropriateness and sufficiency of them to address anticipated threats to member countries, including the United States.

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About the author: Blogger contributor Ed Kessler is a Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office.

Leave a Comment » | Foreign Relations, International, World History | Tagged: Europe, FRUS, international affairs, NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Partnership for Peace, treaty, US treaties | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

What are tariffs and why are they important to U.S. citizens?

September 28, 2018

Tariffs are key components of trade, especially international trade. Most American consumers’ merchandise, especially fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) may be purchased from other countries to use in our households and workplaces. These consumer goods for American citizens must follow the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States for imports from other countries to America. These tariff schedules are monitored by the U.S. International Trade Commission.

Imports and exports often impact the economic balance to a country’s revenues, operating expenses, and fiscal policies.

Image courtesy of https://usitc.gov/.

The Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) is the primary resource for determining applicable tariff rates and statistical categories for all merchandise imported into the United States. It can also be used in place of Schedule B for classifying goods exported from the United States to foreign countries.

The U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) classifies a good based on its name, use, and/or the material used in its construction and assigns it a ten-digit number. There are over 17,000 unique ten-digit HTS classification code numbers.

The Harmonized Tariff Schedule is based on the International Harmonized Commodity Coding and Classification System established by the World Customs Organization (WCO). Virtually all countries base their tariff schedules on the WCO’s Harmonized System.

The Harmonized Tariff Schedules of the United States are available as a print subscription product or CD-ROM format.

Custom Brokers will need to be familiar with the nomenclature found within these tariff schedules for the custom brokers’ licensure exam. Economists, political scientists, small, medium-sized, and large businesses’ senior management executives will want to be familiar with these schedules to identify growth markets and work with their trade compliance teams to ensure that their organization is properly classifying their merchandise.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS RESOURCE?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

Find more than a million official Federal Government publications from all three branches at www.govinfo.gov.

About the author: This week’s blog contributor is Maureen Whelan, Senior Marketing Team Leader for GPO’s Publications and Information Sales program office in Washington, DC. Maureen oversees print and digital content dissemination strategy and manages third party free and paid content distribution through platforms and vendors, such as Apple iBookstore, Barnesandnoble.com, Google Play eBookstore, Ebscohost databases, Overdrive, ProQuest, and more.

Leave a Comment » | Business, Foreign Relations, International | Tagged: Basic 2018 Harmonized Tariff schedule CD-ROM format, consumer goods, economics, exports, fast-moving consumer goods, FMCG, foreign trade, global trade, Harmonized Tariff Schedules of the United States Annotated for Statistical Reporting Purposes 30th Edition 2018 print subscription, HTS, HTSUS, import/export, imports, international statistics, international trade, International Trade Administration, ITA, supply chain, supply chain management, tariff schedules, tariffs, trade compliance, U.S. Economy, U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedules, U.S. International Trade Commission, USITC | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

North and South Korea

January 11, 2018

The two Koreas; one is smaller than Indiana, the other contains less mass than Mississippi. Where South Korea has become a global economic engine, with an economy 36 times greater than its northern neighbor, North Korea’s people reportedly suffer from malnutrition and the lack of basic human needs. Its leader Kim Jong Un, appears to emphasize building and maintaining a million member military, increasingly powerful nuclear weapons, and deploying sophisticated missiles with global reach capabilities. Americans need to fully understand how different and unique the people of both South and North Korea are, psychologically and philosophically, from those living in Western societies, especially the U.S.

The U.S. Government Bookstore has a comprehensive collection of publications that feature every aspect of the Korean War, the aftermath, profiles of North Korea prior to the emergence of Kim Jong Un, studies of Confrontation on the Korean Peninsula, plus in-depth studies about “Our Not so Peaceful Nuclear Future” and other insightful titles about the state of nuclear confrontation facing our leaders today, primarily due to the dramatic new capabilities of the Kim Jong Un regime.

Here are a few examples; or, click here to see a full range of pertinent publications.

North Korea: A Country Study. This volume is one in a continuing series of books prepared by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress under the Country Studies/Area Handbook Program. This study attempts to review the history and treat in a concise manner the dominant social, political, economic, and military aspects of contemporary North Korea.

Confronting Security Challenges on the Korean Peninsula. This publication provides papers from a symposium that was held on September 1, 2010. South Korean military strategists in Panel 1 talked about challenges on the Korean peninsula including the effectiveness of the U.S.-South Korea alliance, and the relationship between North and South Korea. Panel 2 addressed the Obama administration’s expansion of sanctions against North Korea and the freezing of assets of individuals and organizations linked to its nuclear program, focusing on contingency planning, military readiness, and the potential economic impact of the collapse of North Korea. Panel 3 focused on human rights issues in North Korea.

Underestimated: Our Not So Peaceful Nuclear Future. With the world focused on the nuclear crisis in Iran, it is tempting to think that addressing this case, North Korea, and the problem of nuclear terrorism is all that matters and is what matters most. Perhaps, but if states become more willing to use their nuclear weapons to achieve military advantage, the problem of proliferation will become much more unwieldy. In this case, U.S. security will be hostage not just to North Korea, Iran, or terrorists, but to nuclear proliferation more generally, diplomatic miscalculations, and wars between a much larger number of possible players.

Moving Beyond Pretense: Nuclear Power and Nonproliferation. Most governments have made the promotion of nuclear power’s growth and global development a top priority. Throughout, they have insisted that the dangers of nuclear weapons proliferation are manageable either by making future nuclear plants more “proliferation-resistant” or by strengthening International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards and acquiring more timely intelligence on proliferators. How sound is this view? How useful might civilian nuclear programs be for states that want to get nuclear weapons quickly? Are current International Atomic Energy Agency nuclear safeguards sufficient to block military nuclear diversions from civilian programs? Are there easy fixes to upgrade these controls? How much can we count on more timely intelligence on proliferators to stem the further spread of nuclear weapons? This volume taps the insights and analyses of 13 top security and nuclear experts to get the answers. What emerges is a comprehensive counter-narrative to the prevailing wisdom, and a series of innovative reforms to tighten existing nuclear nonproliferation controls.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Ed Kessler is a Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office.

Leave a Comment » | Army War College, Department of Defense, Foreign Relations, Library of Congress (LOC), U.S. Army, World History | Tagged: Kim Jong Un, Kim Jun Un, Korea, korean conflict, Korean Peninsula, Korean War, north and south korea, North Korea, south and north korea, South Korea | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

The U.S. & India: Bilateral Buddies

May 23, 2016

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited with President Barack Obama for the first time in September 2014. The bilateral talks between the two heads of state reaffirmed the long-standing alliance between India and the United States. At the conclusion of that historic visit, Modi remarked:

“India and the United States are natural global partners based on our shared values, interests, and strengths in the digital age. We already have the foundation of a strong partnership. We now have to revive the momentum and ensure that we get the best out of it for our people and for the world.”

The U.S. Government partners with India to address cross-cutting development challenges and champion innovative, in-country development. One report from U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute reflects upon the strategic cooperation behind this natural friendship.

The U.S.-India Relationship: Cross-Sector Collaboration to Promote Sustainable Development

U.S.-India economic and people-to-people ties are strong and more enmeshed than ever. This volume looks at how both powers are concerned with a broad range of engagement issues: energy, climate change, defense, trade, health, and social innovation. How do these policy priorities fit together for the sake of shared national interests? The answer is cross-sector collaboration—government, private, and civil sectors working transparently on public problems.

Over two dozen experienced scholars, businesspeople, and government officials weigh in on the structure, process, and subtleties of cross-sector collaboration with theoretical papers, opinion pieces, and case studies. One contributor, Chandrashekhar Dasgupta, argues, “cross-sector collaboration can be particularly fruitful in the interaction of the two great democracies like India and the United States.” But to “make a collaborative initiative successful,” writes Michael J. Frantantuono, the two countries must acknowledge the “necessity of investing time and effort in understanding the partner.”

Another big issue involves the primacy of sustainable development vs. human security. The two don’t vacillate on parallel, separate spectrums. Each concept plays into each other and cannot be detached. Nor should sustainable development and security be promoted at the expense of vulnerable populations. Cross-sector collaboration is presented as a means to reconcile this.

The text’s discourse shows how cross-sector collaboration can be a way forward for sustainable development and security. And, of course, Obama-Modi diplomacy gives energy and purpose to this joint pursuit. Perhaps, in time, the U.S.-India bilateral relationship can be scaled outward as a model, one that shows how global interdependence confronts the most pressing challenges of our time.

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS PUBLICATION?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Chelsea Milko is a Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

Leave a Comment » | Army War College, Department of State, Foreign Relations, U.S. Department of State | Tagged: diplomacy, diplomatic affairs, diplomatic relations, foreign affairs, foreign policy, US diplomacy | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

History Squared! A History of Foreign Relations History

May 11, 2016

Department of State headquarters, Washington, DC

Since the early days of the Republic, Americans have sought an understanding of how their government conducts its diplomatic affairs. Walk into any bookstore and you’ll likely find at least one historical account of U.S. foreign relations. To be sure, there’s a great deal of public fascination with the Department of State–one of the oldest executive branch agencies. And with that sustained interest comes a vigorous debate about the “people’s right to know.”

GPO makes available printed volumes of the U.S. Department of State’s official documentary historical record of major declassified U.S. foreign policy decisions. It’s called the Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) series. Now there’s a history about that history. History squared!

Toward “Thorough, Accurate, and Reliable”: A History of the Foreign Relations of the United States Series

Public law mandates that the State Department document significant foreign policy decisions and actions. It calls for regular installments in a “historical series . . . which shall be a thorough, accurate, and reliable documentary record.” This record, the FRUS series, comprises more than 450 individual volumes. The Office of the Historian at the State Department is in charge of maintaining the series. Not long ago it tasked a team of world-class historians to pull together a history of the series.

The agency’s historian, Stephen P. Randolph, writes in the book’s forward that FRUS “stands as the global gold standard in official documentary history. It is the longest-running public diplomacy program in U.S. history, and the largest and most productive documentary history program in the world.” FRUS is composed of sub-series for each presidential administration, with volumes representing different areas of the world or foreign policy issues. Although dedicated documentation didn’t begin until the Civil War, the series covers the foundations of foreign policy in the Jeffersonian era and follows the expansionist years, rise of global powers, Cold War containment, and the clash of modern superpowers.

More than just a historical summary, this book is illuminated with touches of drama and humanity. It traces the series’ conversation surrounding the concepts of accountability and security as they relate to statecraft. At the heart of the “struggles define the ‘soul’ ” of this series is the negotiation between secrecy and public-minded openness. This work talks about the controversies and “how American officials drew the boundaries of responsible transparency.” It demystifies the FRUS debates on the evolving relationship between state and society.

Toward “Thorough, Accurate, and Reliable” snapshots not only the content of U.S. government decision making but also the process of bringing potentially sensitive national security and intelligence information to light. To be truly valued and utilized, foreign policy, and its history, needs light. FRUS fulfills a public service. It represents the promise of open democracy and the expectation of citizens to know how their country handles itself beyond the shores.

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS PUBLICATION?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

About the author: Our guest blogger is Chelsea Milko, Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

Leave a Comment » | Department of State, Foreign Relations, U.S. Department of State | Tagged: Department of State, foreign affairs, foreign policy, Foreign Relations, Foreign Relations of the US, FRUS, state department, US foreign relations, US state department | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Peace Corps Books That Bring the World Home

February 29, 2016

(Image Credit: Peace Corps)

You’re lookin’ good at 55, Peace Corps! President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps thru an Executive Order on March 1, 1961. He made the announcement to the American people on television. President Kennedy gave the agency an express mission to promote world peace and friendship and to respond to global issues of the times. Since then, over 220,000 Americans have served as part of his moving and important national service legacy.

GPO published the original Executive Order establishing the Peace Corps and the legislation that followed. Now it makes those founding documents available digitally on govinfo.gov: https://www.govinfo.gov/features/featured-content/peace-corps-turns-55

In addition, GPO produces several publications that bring the world of Peace Corps home.

A Life Inspired, Tales of Peace Corps Service

Discover Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) parables colored with nostalgic descriptions of dusty roads, cups of tea, and long greetings. Cross-cultural moments give insight into communities, work, and daily lives. Preparing food with Guinean women. Planting a garden with a family in Honduras. Sharing Oreos with a little Moldovan girl!

Each vignette shows how person-to-person connections change the world. Beth Genovese (Panama, 2002-2004), writes that her work “wasn’t about directly creating change but rather motivating change in others.” That change is not radical, it’s committed. And it’s not so much as imperceptible as it is immeasurable.

Aside from the host community, a big product of Peace Corps work is the Volunteer. As evident in these tales, PCVs receive so much. And they change. And then they bring that change back with them. As RPCVs, they apply the spirit of service, and live a life inspired, every day.

Peace Corps Perspective: A Look at the People, Places, and Cultures of the First 140 Peace Corps Host Countries from 1964 to 2014

This stylish flipbook showcases the diversity of locales, cultures, and projects served. A forward by Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy III (Dominican Republic, 2004-2006) emphasizes storytelling in service. You must tell the stories in order to continue the service. And this book certainly does that through a prismatic collection of photos.

Each page feels like a little window into a country. The same can be said about Peace Corps service in general. I’m reminded of a notable quote from the former President of Peru, Alejandro Toledo, who said, “The Peace Corps opens a window to the world for many people.” When you step through that window, lives and perspectives are changed forever.

On a personal note, as a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Uganda, 2010-2013), I consider myself a part of the enduring movement. Joining the Peace Corps was the best decision I’ve ever made. For me, the experience is never too far away. It is, and always will be, an ongoing part of who I am and what I do.

Discover additional Peace Corps publications available through GPO Bookstore:

Crossing Cultures with the Peace Corps: Peace Corps Letters from the Field

Culture Matters: The Peace Corps Cross-Cultural Workbook

Voices from the Field

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

You can click on the links above in the blog or through any of these methods:

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

About the author: Our guest blogger is Chelsea Milko, Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

Leave a Comment » | Foreign Relations, Peace Corps | Tagged: Peace Corps, peace corps 55, peace corps anniversary | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Lessons in Global Security – Part 2

May 11, 2015

About this blog post series: In this two-part blog post, we review new publications from the U.S. Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute (SSI). As in “Lessons in Global Security – Part 1,” in this post, we continue our focus on SSI publications covering U.S. national security, public policy, and international relations topics. (Permission granted for use of Strategic Studies Institute-United States Army War College logo)

The Saudi-Iranian Rivalry and the Future of Middle East Security

This monograph reviews the outlook of the Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Kuwait, Bahrain, Yemen, Libya, Lebanon, Israel, and Syria. Of these, Iran and Saudi Arabia are becoming the two behemoth forces in the Middle East. While Saudi Arabia has most control over Gulf-area Arab states and is a close ally with the United States, Iran’s closest Arab allies are Syria and the Palestinian territories that support Hamas and Hezbollah. The author presents several conclusions and recommendations for the U.S. policymakers to consider, emphasizing strategic interests as a way to bolster peaceful negotiations with Middle Eastern states, rather than persistent conflict over reform and democracy.

Recent newsworthy events relating to U.S. and Saudi relationship can be found in this article here:

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/kerry-hopes-win-pause-yemen-war-heads-talks-30839695

(Image is copyright-free from Yalibnan.com)

With the current events tie-in, these titles may be appropriate for high school global history classes as well as for university students with coursework relating to international relations and foreign policy arms control.

Legality in Cyberspace: An Adversary View

This Letort Papers series title highlights the differences in interpretation between the Euro-Atlantic nations compared to China and Russia’s views of international law in relation to cyberspace activity, including cybersecurity attacks, cyber warfare, and cyber weapons. The authors explore this issue from the Russian perspective to analyze and examine the legal status of various activities in cyberspace, including what constitutes a hostile activity. The authors adequately present each side of the argument and confirm that to date an agreement on this expanding field of conflict has not yet been met.

(Image compliments of US Army Cyber Command website http://www.arcyber.army.mil/)

Within the conclusion section, the authors present implications for U.S. policy makers to consider; including taking a closer observation of how Russia defines cyber warfare and information weapons. After U.S. policymakers have determined Russian’s interpretations, they may be better equipped to strategizing their defense.

Students participating in cybersecurity and foreign policy programs may be interested in this text. Additionally, students pursuing a law degree may find this text informative for international law classes. Political scientists, diplomats, international law attorneys, intelligence community teams, and military strategists should keep this text on their bookshelf for referral for guidance about complex negotiations.

Army Support of Military Cyberspace Operations: Joint Contexts and Global Escalation Implications

This unclassified monograph examines past and present joint and Army cyberspace military operations, as well as how these operations may fit into the complex and dynamic sphere of international deterrence and escalation. It provides information about the founding and responsibilities of the military units that comprise the U.S. Cyber Command for offensive and defensive initiatives with network operations for protection of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) global information grid. Primarily, these operations were developed to provide a deterrence to a nuclear threat, prior to the 21^st century. Now these defenses are used to influence national response across the intelligence community and law enforcement as a method for deterrence and escalation to possibly reduce risk.

Military science and cyberspace or cybersecurity students may be interested in this text. Additionally, U.S. military personnel, U.S. international community, law enforcement, and historians may find this book useful in their operations.

(Image compliments of US Army Cyber Command website http://www.arcyber.army.mil/)

The US Government Bookstore is receiving new print titles on a weekly basis from the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, so please check for future available titles on the topics of U.S. national and global security, cyberspace capabilities, combatting terrorism, and political science issues, such as international relations and foreign diplomacy, that will be added to this growing collection at this link: http://bookstore.gpo.gov/agency/1609

How can I get these new SSI publications?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy the following publications (with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide) from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore website at http://bookstore.gpo.gov:

Order by Phone: You may also Order print editions by calling our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: This week’s blog contributor is Maureen Whelan, Senior Marketing Team Leader for GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office in Washington, DC. Maureen oversees print and digital content dissemination strategy and manages third party free and paid content distribution through platforms and vendors, such as Apple iBookstore, Barnes and Noble.com, Google Play eBookstore, Ebscohost databases, Overdrive, and more.

Leave a Comment » | Afghanistan, Army War College, Department of Defense, Foreign Relations, International, Iraq, Middle East, U.S. Army | Tagged: Anti Ballistic Missile Defense AEMD, Arab Spring, arms control, Bahrain, Ballistic Missile Defense EMD, cyber security, cybersecurity, Egypt, geopolitical, Hamas, Hezbollah, high explosive testing, IAEA, International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran, Iran-Iraq War, Iran’s Nuclear Program, Iranians, Islamic State, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Muslim Brotherhood, national security, NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, North Korea, NPT, nuclear inspections, nuclear nonproliferation treaty, nuclear power, nuclear power technology, nuclear safeguards, nuclear testing, nuclear weapons, nuclear weapons inspections, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Saudis, Shi’ite State, Soviet Union, Syria, Syrian Civil War, Syrian Uprising, Tehran, Tunisia, Turkey, U.N. Security Council, U.S., U.S. defense strategy, U.S. Russia Relations, U.S. Treaty Agreements, U.S.A., U.S.S.R., UN Security Council, United Kingdom, United Nations, United Nations Security Council, United States, United States of America, US, USA, Vladimir Putin, weapons design, weapons inspectors, Yemen | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Lessons in Global Security – Part 1

April 23, 2015

In this two-part blog post, Government Book Talk takes an in-depth look at several new publications from the U.S. Army War College. (Permission granted for use of United States Army War College Press logo)

The U.S. Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) recently has published a few very timely monographs with a primary focus on U.S. national security, public policy and international relations topics.

The Strategic Studies Institute conducts strategic research and analysis to support the U.S. Army War College curricula, provides direct analysis for Army and Department of Defense leadership, and serves as a bridge to the wider strategic community.

SSI is composed of civilian research professors, uniformed military officers, and a professional support staff. All have extensive credentials and experience. SSI is divided into three components: the Strategic Research and Analysis Department focuses on global, trans-regional, and functional issues, particularly those dealing with Army transformation; the Regional Strategy Department focuses on regional strategic issues; and the Academic Engagement Program creates and sustains partnerships with the global strategic community.

In addition to its organic resources, SSI has a web of partnerships with strategic analysts around the world, including the foremost thinkers in the field of security and military strategy. In most years, about half of SSI’s publications are written by these external partners.

Some of my personal favorites from SSI’s growing collection include the following titles:

Reviewing the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT). The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and IAEA have had frequent mention in the mainstream news media recently due to ongoing nuclear weapon development discussions with Iran, as well as increased tensions with the Soviet Union.

This book reviews the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) agreements that the United States has with many countries from an historical perspective. Although a bit technical in nature, this work does include an array of essays by different contributors that analyze different articles of the Nuclear Nonproliferation treaty and provide their insights to the reader.

(Treaty image courtesy of http://www.state.gov/s/l/treaty/)

One area that was very beneficial to me is that this work defines the responsibilities of the International Atomic Emergency Agency (IAEA) and their practices for safeguarding nuclear programs, including coverage of nuclear program inspections. This book also contains insights about nuclear weapons treaties with other countries that are already in place with the USA and provides some background to those treaties. Additionally, this text explores how treaty agreements work, mentioning “Articles” within the treaty that often pertain to terms of conditions that each country should abide.

Many political scientists, historians, and diplomats may be familiar with this process, but many American citizens who are not routinely involved in negotiations with these diplomatic matters might benefit. Also high school students may be interested in this material to stay on top of current events for their global studies classes. University and Graduate students might be interested in this material as a supplemental text for courses, such as international relations coursework required for some political science degree programs.

Moving Beyond Pretense: Nuclear Power and Nonproliferation. This monograph focuses on the making of nuclear fuel– a process that is expensive and complex. The first section of this book features “Nuclear Proliferation Matters,” which covers the argument that nuclear weapons proliferation is more likely to occur with the spread of civilian nuclear technology and that such nuclear proliferation constitutes a threat to international security—certainly if there is nuclear weapons use, but even if there is not.

The volume’s second section, “Nuclear Power, Nuclear Weapons—Clarifying the Links,” makes the case that civilian nuclear power programs actually afford a major leg up for any nation seeking development of a nuclear weapons option.

The third section of this work covers the discussion on “How Well Can We Safeguard the Peaceful Atom?” and the question of how well the IAEA and the United Nations (UN) are likely to do their job enforcing the NPT in the future.

Each chapter within this text has a different contributor to the point of view, but the overall themes are maintained. Plus, some chapters include an analysis of specific Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Articles which are helpful to make their discussion points understood. Some of the contributors’ discussions indicate that the past historical events worked well in policy, but the implementations and enforcements of the policies seemed to be more troublesome.

Additionally, within each section, historical events relating to these discussions are presented to the reader to point out a sense of initiatives that will be needed to strengthen the monitoring for greater security.

This guide helped me to better understand the intense negotiations that the U.S. foreign diplomats and ambassadors in foreign countries must engage in with our allies and other countries to achieve the end result of greater global security.

European Missile Defense and Russia. This monograph provides the historical perspective that began with fear around the time of World War II and continued through the 1950s to 1960s regarding Russia’s expansion of their missile defense and nuclear weapons programs. This book also mentions and focuses discussions around the Ballistic Missile Defense Treaty and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Defense Program Treaty between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. (Russia).

Russian Flag

During the late 1990s, the United States became aware that Russia had started to sell some of its missile defense weapons to rogue states within the Middle East. These countries created another possible harm to the United States, rather than a direct attack from Russia. As a result, the U.S. began implementing missile warhead interceptors as part of their long-term defense plan.

The primary focus within the pages of this book is about America’s expansion plan to build missile defense sites in select European and Asian countries to aid in our national defense strategy and Russia’s adversarial challenges to this U.S. strategic plot. The authors have included primary source excerpts from actual conversations and speeches between world leaders that add to each of their points of discussion throughout this work.

(Images are copyright-free from copyright-free-images.com)

(Image of flag and this missile are courtesy of copyright-free-images.com)

Again, the U.S. Army War College’s Strategic Studies Institute has released a title with historical perspectives that can shed insights into today’s current events concerning U.S. and Russia missile defense program relations.

Undergraduate and graduate political science classes with a focus on comparative politics and U.S.-Russian relations may have interest in this book as a supplemental reading text or reference for research.

How can I get these new SSI publications?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy the following publications (with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide) from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore website at http://bookstore.gpo.gov:

About the author: This week’s blog contributor is Maureen Whelan, Senior Marketing Team Leader for GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office in Washington, DC. Maureen oversees print and digital content dissemination strategy and manages third party free and paid content distribution through platforms and vendors, such as Apple iBookstore, Barnes and Noble.com, Google Play eBookstore, Ebscohost databases, Overdrive, and more.

Leave a Comment » | Army War College, Department of Defense, Foreign Relations, International, Soviet Union / Russia, U.S. Army | Tagged: Anti Ballistic Missile Defense AEMD, Arab Spring, arms control, Bahrain, Ballistic Missile Defense EMD, Egypt, geopolitical, Hamas, Hezbollah, high explosive testing, IAEA, International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran, Iran-Iraq War, Iran’s Nuclear Program, Iranians, Islamic State, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Muslim Brotherhood, NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, North Korea, NPT, nuclear inspections, nuclear nonproliferation treaty, nuclear power, nuclear power technology, nuclear safeguards, nuclear testing, nuclear weapons, nuclear weapons inspections, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Saudis, Shi’ite State, Soviet Union, Syria, Syrian Civil War, Syrian Uprising, Tehran, Tunisia, Turkey, U.N. Security Council, U.S., U.S. defense strategy, U.S. Russia Relations, U.S. Treaty Agreements, U.S.A., U.S.S.R., UN Security Council, United Kingdom, United Nations, United Nations Security Council, United States, United States of America, US, USA, Vladimir Putin, weapons design, weapons inspectors, Yemen | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar Now Available

January 14, 2015

The National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) has released its annual Counterterrorism Calendar for 2015. This year’s calendar features a few updates, such as the inclusion of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and two women.

The goal behind the Counterterrorism Calendar is to educate and inform both professionals– first responders, military, intelligence, law enforcement and other counterterrorism personnel– as well as civilians about the threats of international terrorism and how to prevent, respond or mitigate these threats against the United States both at home and abroad.

Under the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the National Counterterrorism Center or NCTC serves as the primary organization in the U.S. government for integrating and analyzing all intelligence possessed or acquired by the U.S. government about international terrorism, including data from U.S. Federal agencies like the CIA, NSA, Defense Intelligence Agency, and the FBI as well as other domestic and international sources.

First published in a spiral-bound daily planner format in 2003, just two years after the World Trade Center attacks, the Counterterrorism or CT Calendar from the NCTC is published annually. According to the NCTC, their 2015 Counterterrorism Calendar:

…provides information on known terrorist groups, individual terrorists, and technical information on topics such as biological and chemical threats. This edition, like others since the Calendar was first published in daily planner format in 2003, contains many features across the full range of issues pertaining to international terrorism: terrorist groups, wanted terrorists, and technical pages on various threat-related topics.

Features of the Calendar

In addition to serving as a desk calendar / event planner, the 160-page 2015 Counterterrorism Calendar also serves as a tutorial on international terrorism and a gallery of “most wanted” terrorists.

The right-hand page of the planner has the event planner dates along with key historical events of significance to terrorists that might be used to plan future terrorist activities. For example, on January 8, 1998, terrorist Ramzi Ahmed Yousef was sentenced to life plus 240 years for his role in the 1993 World Trade Center bombings.

On the left-hand pages are photos, maps and/or data on terrorists and terrorist organizations around the world, from Africa and the Middle East to Europe and the Americas.

“Terrorism tutorial” information ranges from cultural—details about the Islamic Calendar; the spelling of Arabic names and terms; lists of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), and logos used— to technical – information about Chemical-Biological-Radiological-Nuclear-Explosive (CBRNE) weapons commonly used by terrorists, from suicide bombs to sarin gas, and how to detect and mitigate them. For example, who among us would recognize the terrorist threat from these innocent-looking beans?

Image: Photo of castor beans from which the deadly toxin ricin is extracted. Ricin is poisonous if inhaled, injected, or ingested. Source: NCTC 2015 Counterterrorism Calendar

“Wanted” Terrorists

Providing the real drama of the calendar are the full-page “Wanted” poster-style pages of an individual terrorist, complete with photo (if available), aliases, his terrorist activities, the reward offered, and how to report information about him.

One of the largest rewards, $25 Million, is offered for information leading to the capture of Ayman al-Zawahiri, also known as “The Teacher” or “The Doctor” who is a physician and the founder of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad. According to the CT Calendar:

“This organization opposes the secular Egyptian Government and seeks its overthrow through violent means. Al-Zawahiri is believed to have served as an advisor and doctor to Usama Bin Ladin. He has been indicted for his alleged role in the August 7, 1998, bombings of the US embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya. The embassy bombings killed 224 civilians and wounded over 5,000 others.”

Image: Extract from the “wanted” page of Ayman al-Zawahiri, Al-Qaida leader and founder of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Source: NCTC 2015 Counterterrorism Calendar

Civilian Involvement

Finally, the NCTC carries on the civilian involvement tradition by including instructions for citizens of the U.S. and other countries on how they can help fight terrorism. Pages on “Indicators of False Travel Documents” and how U.S. residents can report suspicions are provided. Additionally, the Rewards for Justice (RFJ) Program is described in detail, wherein the U.S. Secretary of State may offer rewards for information that prevents or favorably resolves acts of international terrorism against US persons or property worldwide.

On the last page is a Bomb Threat Call Procedures form with valuable details of questions to ask and information to note about the caller, such as his or her voice (accent, age, tone, language) and background sounds. Did you note if the caller was clearing his throat or had an accent? Were there sounds of machinery in the background? What kind? Any and all details could help law enforcement.

Image: Table from the Bomb Threat Call Procedures form. Source: Page 160 of the 2014 Counterterrorism Calendar.

Image: Table from the Bomb Threat Call Procedures form. Source: Page 160 of the 2015 Counterterrorism Calendar.

Forewarned is Forearmed

Like the tradition of the best Government civilian campaigns since the founding of the Nation, the National Counterterrorism Center’s annual Counterterrorism Calendar is simultaneously meant to alert and inform us, making both civilians and professionals alike aware of the very real dangers around us and educating us on what—and whom—to look for.

How can I get a copy of the National Counterterrorism Center’s 2015 Counterterrorism Calendar?

Shop Online: You can purchase this calendar from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov by:
- clicking here to buy this 2015 Counterterrorism Calendar or
- clicking here to browse all Counterterrorism publications.
Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.
Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.
Visit a Federal Depository Library: Search for it in a nearby Federal depository library.

About the Author: Adapted by Trudy Hawkins, Senior Marketing and Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication & Information Sales Division in Washington, DC, from an original post by Michele Bartram, former Government Book Talk Editor in support of the U.S. Government Online Bookstore (http://bookstore.gpo.gov).

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Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Commemorate the Centennial of the Panama Canal

August 12, 2014

Roosevelt on a digging machine During Construction in 1906 (Library of Congress)

On August 15, 1914 the Panama Canal officially opened, and the SS Ancón was the first vessel to pass through. This August marks the 100^th Anniversary of the Panama Canal. Congress began to consider a canal between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in the 1880s. It was determined essential for commerce and defense. There are several online guides commemorating the 100^th Anniversary of the Canal. You can follow 100 Days in Honor of 100 Years with a countdown to the anniversary and posts about significant moments in history from the Embassy of the United States in Panama. Also check out the online resource guide from a GPO partner, Panama and the Canal that is a joint project from the University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries and the Panama Canal Museum. It contains a wealth of information about digital history records, maps, and documents. To celebrate the Centennial, University of Florida has put together a Web site about special exhibits and the anniversary.

History

Signing of the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty from Embassy of the United States Panama (http://panama.usembassy.gov)

After much debate on where to build the canal, on February 23, 1904, a Senate Resolution ratified the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty, which gave the United States control of the Canal Zone in perpetuity. This overruled an earlier treaty, The Clayton-Bulwer Treaty, which was negotiated with the British in 1850 to stop hostilities in Latin America over control of a Canal Zone. That treaty agreed the countries would work together towards the goal of a Canal. (A statue of John Middleton Clayton stands in the U.S. Capitol as part of the National Statuary Hall Collection.)

Once Panama was agreed as the location and the U.S. determined to go the project alone, construction continued on an attempt in the 1880s by a French Expedition to build a canal through Panama. An overview of the history of the building of the Canal is available on the U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian Web site.

Some Official Handbooks from early days of the Canal are available online. See the 1913 edition or the 1915 edition available from the depository collection of the University of Florida, or this 1911 edition from the Internet Archive. You can also visit Federal depository libraries nationwide to see what documents are available in their collections.

The Library of Congress Newspaper & Current Periodical Reading Room provides some links to history and some historic articles about the Canal.

Jimmy Carter and Omar Torrijos at the ceremony for signing the Panama Canal Treaty (1977) – U.S. Department of State

The Panama Canal was administered by the United States until 2000 when control was passed back to the Republic of Panama. This was set as an agreement signed by President Jimmy Carter in 1977, The Panama Canal Treaty and Neutrality Treaty.

In 1989, a publication was produced to commemorate the 75^th anniversary of the Canal. You can read Honoring the Past by Building the Future: The Panama Canal 75^th Anniversary online through GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications. It contains some great photographs, and information about the history and vision of the future of the Canal.

Legislation

Several Hearings have been held and legislation passed on Canal construction and management. Hearings about the project have been held in Congress since the beginning in the 1850s. You can visit a Federal depository library to research the legislative history. You’ll find reports such as the 1909 Hearing concerning estimates for construction of the Isthmian Canal, fiscal year 1911.

In 1986, a briefing report was submitted to the House of Representatives from the Government Accountability Office to study alternatives to the Canal in preparation for returning control of the zone to the Republic of Panama. In 1999 a Hearing before the Committee on Armed Forces discussed the Security of the Panama Canal. In 2002 an agreement between the U.S. and Panama was signed to outline response and assistance in responding to environmental issues that would impede trade and commerce in the Canal. A 2014 Hearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation discussed what expansion of the Canal will mean for American freight and infrastructure.

The Panama Canal Commission was established in 1979 as an independent agency, purposed with operating and maintaining the Panama Canal. The commission was transferred to the Republic of Panama with control of the Canal in 2000. The Federal Register has a list of the Panama Canal Commission publications available in electronic format back to 1994. You can also access some documents in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications, such as the Constitutional Title of the Panama Canal and the Organic Law Panama Canal Authority from 1997. Some of the commission reports are also available, such as the 10 year report (1980-1989).

In addition to the Panama Canal Commission records, The National Archives holds many records from the Panama Canal. This blog post from 2013 discusses the employee services records cards collection, and this blog post discusses a component of the personnel files that can be mined for genealogy and other research.

Several amendments and pieces of legislation can be found in the documents at Federal depository libraries, or through a search in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications. You could also browse GPO’s Federal Digital System (FDsys). Just last year a resolution was put to the House (H.R. 2760) to celebrate the centennial of the Panama Canal by minting commemorative coins.

GPO’s FDsys has a wide array of documents related to the Canal:

(September 20, 2012) – Rept. 112-224 – UNITED STATES-PANAMA TRADE PROMOTION AGREEMENT IMPLEMENTATION ACT http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-112srpt224/content-detail.html
(October 21, 2011) – Public Law 112 – 43 – United States- Panama Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-112publ43/content-detail.html
(October 11, 2011) – 1643 (rs) – To implement the United States–Panama Trade Promotion Agreement http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112s1643rs/content-detail.html
(October 6, 2000) – R. 3673 (rh) – United States-Panama Partnership Act of 2000 http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-106hr3673rh/content-detail.html
(July 27, 2000) – Rept. 106-803 Part 1 – UNITED STATES-PANAMA PARTNERSHIP ACT OF 2000 http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-106hrpt803/content-detail.html
(June 9, 2000) – House Hearing, 106th Congress – COUNTERDRUG IMPLICATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES LEAVING PANAMA http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-106hhrg71970/content-detail.html
(July 29, 1999, Serial No. 106-73) – House Hearing, 106th Congress – POST-1999 U.S. SECURITY AND COUNTER-DRUG INTERESTS IN PANAMA http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-106hhrg62716/content-detail.html
(May 4, 1999, Serial No. 106-76) – House Hearing, 106th Congress – LOSING PANAMA: THE IMPACT ON REGIONAL COUNTERDRUG CAPABILITIES http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-106hhrg62236/content-detail.html
(June 16, 1998, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations) – Hrg. 105-672 – THE PANAMA CANAL AND UNITED STATES INTERESTS http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-105shrg49528/content-detail.html

Panama Canal in the Federal Register:

December 30, 1999 – Repeal of the Panama Canal Commission’s General Regulations and Shipping and Navigation Regulations http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-1999-12-30/pdf/99-33908.pdf
December 9, 2004 – Panama Canal Commission Vacation of Title http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2004-12-09/pdf/04-55526.pdf

Role in Trade

The Panama Canal has always been intended as an economic resource. You can see from this report, Panama Canal traffic and tolls from 1912 that the value in commerce and trade were at the forefront of reasons for the U.S. to invest in the project. For more about the role of the canal in trade, check out U.S. Free Trade Agreements: 20 Ways to Grow Your Business, available from the GPO Bookstore in print or eBook. It includes a chapter on Panama and discusses trade through the Canal.

This January 2000 report, The Panama Canal in Transition: implications for U.S. Agriculture, discusses the impact of the Canal transition on U.S. Agriculture. The total volume of trade between the U.S. and Panama reached $10.5 Billion in 2012, according to a fact sheet on this important economic partnership from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The Department of Commerce article also links to a discussion on the Panama Canal Expansion Project from the Acting Secretary of Commerce, Rebecca Blank.

The U.S. – Panama Trade Promotion Agreement was signed in 2011. It is an expansive free trade agreement and covers trade in goods and services, including financial services. You can read more about the agreement on the Office of the United States Trade Representative Web site. The U.S. Trade Representative Web site has a useful key facts page about U.S. – Panama Relations. The White House Web site also has a fact sheet about U.S. – Panama Relations.

For further reading, see this article in Environmental Health Perspectives from the National Institutes of Health about the Canal Expansion and its impact on Port Cities.

Role in Health

The building of the Panama Canal was a massive undertaking by the United States. A historical vignette from the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Web site discusses the project’s chief engineer, George W. Goethais. In addition to feats of engineering, the project involved overcoming the diseases common in tropical regions. You can read about Public Health in Panama in the early 20^th Century in this Public Health Report available on PubMed Central, The Public Health Service in the Panama Canal: A Forgotten Chapter of U.S. Public Health. You can also read the 1906 Short Account of the Sanitary Department of the Isthmian Canal Commission from PubMed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a fascinating article about the Panama Canal within its online resource about Malaria.

The Isthmian Canal Commission was created to oversee construction of the Panama Canal. Some of the Reports of the Department of Health of the Panama Canal may be available in Federal depository libraries. Some are also available online. For more about the commission, check out the 1911 publication Executive Orders relating to the Isthmian Canal Commission: March 1904 to June 12, 1911, inclusive. The Commission also authorized schools in the Canal Zone. Check out this Library of Congress finding aid to locate records in those collections about the Isthmian Canal Commission.

Role in War

The Panama Canal is a strategic passage for commerce, but also for military maneuvering by the United States. During times of war, the Canal Zone has been an important passage way and has been strategically guarded by the U.S. Military. The United States Army in World War 2, Western Hemisphere, Guarding the United States and its Outposts includes a section on the role of the Panama Canal in World War 2 and the military efforts to guard this important transportation and commercial outpost.

Submarines in the Panama Canal (1914-1918) – North Carolina Digital Collections

Construction of the Panama Canal included immense effort from the U.S. Military. The Panama Canal: An Army’s Enterprise is available in Paperback and ePub from the GPO Bookstore. This pamphlet describes the military history of the Canal and the efforts of Army officers to bring the Canal to completion.

The future of the Canal

Image of the Panama Canal Today (Department of Transportation)

The Panama Canal is undergoing an expansion, set to be completed in 2015. The U.S. Department of Transportation released a report in 2013, Panama Canal Expansion Phase 1 Report: Developments of Trade and National and Global Economies. This article from the U.S. Department of Transportation provides a short summary of the report. You can read more about the expansion project from the Canal De Panamà Web site.

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE PUBLICATIONS?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy featured publications in this article (with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide) from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore website at http://bookstore.gpo.gov:

Click Here to Purchase The Panama Canal: An Army’s Enterprise

Click Here to Purchase United States Army in World War 2, Western Hemisphere, Guarding the United States and Its Outposts

Click Here to Purchase U.S. Free Trade Agreements: 20 Ways to Grow Your Business

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal Depository Library: Search for these in a nearby Federal depository library.

About the author: Cathy Wagner is an outreach librarian with the Education & Outreach team in the Library Services & Content Management (LSCM) division at the Government Printing Office.

Leave a Comment » | Department of State, Foreign Relations, Panama Canal, U.S. Army, U.S. Department of State, U.S. History | Tagged: Anniversary of the Canal, Anniversary of the Panama Canal, Canal, Isthmian Canal, Isthmian Canal Commission, Panama, Panama and the Canal, Panama Canal, Panama Canal Commission, Panama Canal Expansion Project, the Canal, The Panama Canal, United States | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Keeping Our Skies Safe, Part 1 of 2: Aviation safety planning and response

April 23, 2014

If you’re like me, hearing the speculation about the disappearance of Malaysia Flight 370 has created a number of questions in your mind about air safety in America and why the United States is taking an active role in this mystery.

In this two-part blog post “Keeping Our Skies Safe”, we review the many processes and policies in place to regulate United States airspace and to protect air travelers, flight personnel and all sorts of aircraft flying U.S. skies. In “Keeping Our Skies Safe, Part 1 of 2: Aviation safety planning & response,” we will cover the many aviation safety publications produced by the United States Federal Government, future plans to keep ahead of evolving flight safety issues, and U.S. emergency response.

“Keeping Our Skies Safe, Part 2 of 2: Aviation safety rules and regulations” will cover the many laws and regulations the United States has put in place to enforce these aviation best practices on everything from gliders and balloons to commercial jet airplanes.

Part 1 of 2: Aviation Safety Planning & Response

International and national aviation safety practices and adherence to them is one of the first places investigators look when reviewing an accident or disappearance of a plane such as is presumed to have happened with Flight 370. In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration or FAA within the Department of Transportation is the Federal agency charged with the “continuing mission… to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world.” The FAA produces a number of vital publications for the entire aviation industry with guidelines, research, analysis and best practices.

SAFETY BRIEFINGS

The FAA Safety Briefing magazine provides updates on major US Federal Aviation Administration rule changes and proposed changes, as well as refresher information on flight rules, maintenance airworthiness, avionics, accident analysis, and other topics. A must-have for pilots, air traffic controllers, airplane maintenance personnel and anyone involved in ensuring flying safely.

(6 issues per year. Subscription price covers issues for 1 year)

FAA Safety Briefing magazine is available on a subscription basis from the US Government Bookstore and can be found here to order print copies: http://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/750-002-00000-5?ctid=1736

FAA Safety Briefings individual issues can be found online here at US Federal Aviation Administration: http://www.faa.gov/

The Future of U.S. Air Travel?

What is the Federal Aviation Administration planning in order to deliver a better travel experience in the future with fewer delays and enhanced safety? How is the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration incorporating the passengers’ point of view when thinking about the future plans for the aviation experience? The answers are delivered in the Next Generation (aka “NextGen”) Plan for the FAA.

The 2013 edition of the NextGen Plan serves as a roadmap of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) ongoing transition to NextGen and provides an overview of the benefits aircraft operators and passengers are receiving from recent NextGen improvements. NextGen is the shift to smarter, satellite-based and digital technologies and new procedures to make air travel more convenient, predictable and environmentally friendly.

Highlights of the Plan include the latest on metroplex initiatives, Performance Based Navigation growth, Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast deployments, surface collaboration and plans for future benefits. The plan devotes an entire chapter to general aviation and recognizes the growing role of this important stakeholder. The outreach document provides FAA stakeholders — including the aviation community, Congress, government oversight entities and the general public — with the latest progress in the transformation of the National Airspace System.

NextGen offers a better travel experience, with fewer delays, more predictable trips and enhanced safety.People who live near airports may experience less aircraft noise and fewer emissions. NextGen will increase the predictability and reliability of airport operations, enhancing the role of airports as economic engines for the communities they serve. NextGen is vital to preserving aviation’s significant contributions to our national economy.

You can download the FREE ePub NextGen Implementation Plan available here: http://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/050-300-00005-6 or from the FAA agency website.

The U.S. Navy’s Role in Aviation Safety

(Google Images –Photo image compliments of en.wikipedia.org)

The US Navy is very involved with the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Flight 370. What do our Navy personnel responsible for protecting American by use of the oceans know about recovery of “black boxes”?

One reason why the US Navy may be involved with the tracking of the submersion of the Malaysia Flight 370” black box” may be attributed to their significant expertise in this area. In fact, the US Navy has been involved in deep sea recovery for decades. As you read the story of An Underwater Ice Station Zebra: Recovering a KH-9 Hexagon Capsule From 16,400 Feet Below the Pacific Ocean: Selected Declassified CIA Documents, you will learn that the U.S. Navy ‘s advanced method at deep submersible recovery began in 1972 with the Trieste II (DSV-1). Publicly called a “data package,” the object was actually part of a U.S. spy satellite, codenamed HEXAGON. Before today’s digital technology, photo reconnaissance satellites used film, which returned to Earth in capsules ejected from the satellite. The capsules, called “buckets,” reentered Earth’s atmosphere and deployed a parachute to slow their descent.

During the first HEXAGON mission in 1971, the parachute broke off causing the bucket to crash into the ocean. This release includes photos of the capsule on the ocean floor, pictures of the Trieste II (DSV-1), and an article recounting the deepest undersea salvage then attempted.

If you would like to read about the US Navy’s fascinating recovery of the HEXAGON, you can purchase this title at the US Government Bookstore at this link: http://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/041-015-00294-5

U.S. Emergency Response

When disaster strikes including transportation accidents, the US Federal Government often provides expertise to emergency responders. The U.S. has expanded its emergency response knowledge base and capacity since the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks on 9/11 and now has many bestselling titles available relating to Disaster / Emergency Response.

The official Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) is a guide for use by transporters, firefighters, police, and other emergency services personnel who may be the first to arrive at the scene of a transportation incident involving a hazardous material, such as an oil or chemical spill. It is used by first responders in:

(1) quickly identifying the specific or generic classification of the material(s) involved in the incident, and

(2) protecting themselves and the general public during this initial response phase of the incident.

The ERG is updated every three to four years to accommodate new products and technology.

This title is available for purchase at the US Government Bookstore at this link: http://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/050-000-00596-8

U.S. Coast Guard Incident Management Handbook assists Coast Guard personnel in response to oil spills, search and rescue operations and other emergency situations on the water.

The Coast Guard Incident Management Handbook (IMH) is designed to assist Coast Guard personnel in the use of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) Incident Command System (ICS) during multi-contingency response operations and planned events. The Incident Management Handbook is an easy reference job aid for responders. Also useful for other waterway rescue and police operations.Read the table of contents and purchase this title at this link on the US Government Bookstore: http://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/050-012-00465-0

This title is also available in a Spanish-language version,Manual Para el Manejo de Incidentes / Servicios de Guardacostas and can be purchased here: http://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/050-012-00473-1

And finally, Department of Defense Support to Foreign Disaster Relief (Handbook for JTF Commanders and Below) is a manual for personnel involved in a foreign disaster relief mission, including a search for a missing airplane.

A classified version exists only for certain military personnel, but the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) also released this unclassified version that can be used not only by members of the military, but also by anyone involved in U.S. foreign disaster response JTF (Joint Task Force) operations, including U.S. Government agencies, international organizations, Intergovernmental Organizations (IGO) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO).

This handbook covers the: legal authority and principles; operational context and planning factors; both supporting groups and supported foreign disaster relief organizations; and DOD guidelines for interaction with the U.S. Department of State and US Agency for International Development (US-AID) and NGOs and International Organizations such as the United Nations and International Red Cross and Red Crescent.

Read more about this information-packed handbook in our previous blog post: The U.S. military storms to the rescue in foreign disaster relief.”

How Can I get these aviation safety publications ?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy these eBooks and print publications (with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide) from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore website at http://bookstore.gpo.gov:
- Click here to shop the Aviation Safety collection.
Order by Phone: You may also order print editions by calling our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.
Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.
Visit a Federal Depository Library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications or CGP.

About the Author – This week’s blog contributor is Maureen Whelan, Senior Marketing Team Leader for GPO’s Publication & Information Sales division program office in Washington, DC. Maureen oversees print and digital content dissemination strategy and manages third party free and paid content distribution platforms and vendors such as Apple iBookstore, Google Play eBookstore, EBSCOhost, Overdrive, and more. Additionally, Maureen’s commercial publishing industry experience with publishing requirements, copyrights, product formats and content metadata and search optimization have helped Federal agencies publications be more discoverable through these consumer channels. A few examples of commercially popular Federal print books that were successfully migrated to digital include The Healthy Woman and The Basic Guide to Exporting.

1 Comment | Aviation, Department of Defense, Department of Transportation, Disasters, Emergency Response, Federal Aviation Adminstration (FAA), Foreign Relations, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy | Tagged: air disaster, Air Travel, aviation, Aviation safety, emergency responders, FAA, Federal Aviation Administration, flight, flight 370, Malaysia, pilot training, plane crash, safe flying, United States, United States Federal Government | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Get to the Olympics with Help from these Free U.S. Government Resources

February 21, 2014

Guest blogger and GPO Supervisory Librarian Valerie Furino writes about U.S. Government publications that can help you achieve your Olympic ambitions.

The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics are wrapping up, and they have been entertaining and full of surprises. Many people watch the Olympics and dream of the magical moment of being awarded a medal (preferably gold). However, that dreamy medal was earned through years of training and preparation. If you want to give living the life of an Olympian a try, you’ll need to work hard. You need to eat like an athlete – you need to train like an athlete – and you’ll actually need to GET to the Olympics – grab that suitcase! Think you’ve got what it takes? Let’s find out.

Image: Tourists enjoying the Olympic Rings sign at the Headquarters for the U.S. Olympic Committee administration and the Olympic Training Center programs in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Get into Competition Shape

First, let’s examine eating habits. This should be easy – athletes are known for devouring lots of calories. This handy chart illustrates typical calories burned, depending on a person’s weight – note that the Olympic sports ice hockey, ice skating, and skiing are all included. (If all the activities on this chart were Olympic sports, I’d be a gold medalist shoo-in for “Operate Snow Blower” after this winter!) However, you need to eat the right kind of calories. You’ll need fuel to power you through those salchows and Axel jumps. Nutrition.gov provides a great starting place on various nutrition topics, including meal planning, label reading, and dietary supplements.

Image: Winter Health Challenge from ChooseMyPlate.gov (February 2014).

From there, you can navigate to ChooseMyPlate.gov (or buy the What’s on Your Plate?: Choose My Plate -English Language Version or the Spanish language version, Que Hay en Su Plato?: Mi Plato) which contains helpful advice on what to eat. No matter your circumstance – college student, vegetarian, pregnant – you’ll find great tips on nutrition and some helpful recipes.

OK, nutritional standards have been established. Now let’s move on to physical training. Depending on your sport preference, you’ll need to exercise specific muscles – for example, cross-country skiing requires a well-developed abdomen, arms, and lower back, while snowboarding needs a strong core and shoulders. Health.gov is a good place to start, as it provides general information on both nutrition and activity. It provides a helpful link to Let’s Move!, a well-known initiative supported by First Lady Michelle Obama that encourages physical activity. The President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition has a fantastic site loaded with activity and nutrition tips. If you’d like all your information in one publication, try the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans; if you’re more a visual person, check out some videos . All these resources are useful tools to get you in shape – or at least keep you towing the line on your fitness New Year’s resolutions.

Image: First Lady Michelle Obama exercising with kids on the White House lawn for the Let’s Move! initiative. Source: White House

Getting to the Games

You’ve trained and you’ve been keeping excellent eating habits – you’re now ready to get to the games, whether as an athlete or a spectator! (Hey, it takes a lot of climbing to get to your seat in an Olympic stadium.) Besides the United States, the Olympics have been held in some beautiful and exotic places – London, Beijing, Athens, Vancouver, and Torino. If traveling out of your home country, be sure to check if any vaccinations are required. Also check for any travel alerts. Do you have a current passport? Need a visa to travel to the host country? These convenient U.S. State Department sites will guide you.

After taking care of logistics, spend some time reading up on the host nation. The World FactBook updated annually by the CIA (you can also buy the World Factbook print edition complete with wall maps) and the Library of Congress Country Studies series (many also available in print from our Foreign Country Studies collection) are two excellent resources to help guide you through your host country. And this handy worldwide wireless guide from the Federal Communications Commission will help you figure out how to use your phone while traveling abroad!

How can I get these publications?

Click on the Links: For the free resources, click on the links above in the blog post.
Visit a Federal Depository Library: Search for one of these publications in a nearby Federal depository library. (Librarians: You can find the records for most of these titles in the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications or CGP.)
Shop Online Anytime: You can buy any of the eBooks or print publications mentioned above—with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.
- Shop our Physical Fitness collection
- Shop our Diet & Nutrition collection
- Shop our World Factbook print edition collection.
- Shop our Foreign Country Studies collection.
- Shop our Travel, Tourism and Recreation collection.
- Shop our Citizenship & Travel Forms collection which includes the International Certificate of Vaccination (Yellow Card) forms.
Order by Phone: You may also order print editions mentioned in this blog post by calling our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.
Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions mentioned in this blog post by visiting GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

About the Author: Valerie Furino is a Supervisory Librarian for the Government Printing Office’s Library Services & Content Management (LSCM) Division.

2 Comments | Catalog of Government Publications (CGP), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Children, Consumers, Department of Health & Human Services, Department of State, Family, Federal Government Role, Foreign Relations, Health care, Libraries, Library of Congress (LOC), Notable Government Documents, Parenting, Presidents, The White House, Travel and Tourism, World History | Tagged: "Let's Move", athlete training, athletic training, calorie counter, calorie requirements, diet, First Ladies, fitness, fitness chart, fitness guidelines, get a passport, getting in shape, nutrition, olympic games, sochi, u.s. passport, united states passport, us olympic, us passport, visas, white house, winter olympics | Permalink
Posted by Michele Bartram, U.S. Government Online Bookstore

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Get to the Olympics with Help from these Free U.S. Government Resources

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