SUMMARY: Citing problems with the swine flu vaccination campaign and other preparedness shortcomings, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said she had ordered a review of the federal government's policies for developing public health defenses. Sebelius said the swine flu vaccine shortage had highlighted the nation's dependence on antiquated technology.  "It could be anthrax delivered in an envelope. It could be a dirty bomb set off in a subway car. It could be a new strain of flu that our bodies have no immunity to," Sebelius said, adding that the nation's ability to respond to such threats depends not only on having enough hospital beds, emergency rooms, doctors, and equipment, but also on state-of-the-art diagnostic tests, medications and vaccines.
STORY LINK: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/01/AR2009120101288.html?nav=emailpage

Read more: U.S. Health Threat Response to H1N1 to Be Reviewed

Col. Vincent J. Goulding, USMC (Ret.) is the Director of the Experiment Division at the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab, Quantico, VA. In the latest issue of the Marine Corps Gazette, his article entitled "The Rifle Company Experiment" focuses on a critically important MCWL project set to take place in Hawaii next year. The program will be the latest in a series of limited objective experiments (LOEs) designed to identify areas in which Marine Corps operations can be enhanced.  Col. Goulding writes: "This experiment is not about demonstrating how good we are; rather, it is about identifying what stands between us and becoming as good as we need to be."  Click below to read the full article.

Dr. Tawfik Hamid serves as the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies' Chair for the Study of Islamic Radicalism.  In an op-ed published in the Jerusalem Post, he takes a stand on Swiss voters' support for a controversial ban on construction of minarets for Swiss mosques. Click below to read the full article.  

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1259243055210&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

In a recent issue of the Georgian 24 Saati, Ambassador David Smith (Ret.) writes that a deal is in the works for the Russian Navy to buy a Mistral-class amphibious assault ship from France.  Russian officials say that following the purchase, they plan to build four more helicopter carriers of this class with technical assistance from the French.  But Amb. Smith warns that the deal has "ominous geopolitical implications."  Click below to read more.