We’ll kick off this week with a collection of 230 websites and blogs for terrorism research, compiled by the journal, Perspectives on Terrorism. (Thanks Andrew Z)
Also, the Lowy Institute has released their Annual Poll 2013 and for strategy buffs, there are several points of note. On the US alliance, 82% of Australian respondents thought it was important, while 61% say they are in favour of US military forces based in Australia. On regional relations, Australians are lukewarm about their closest regional partner with Indonesia rating 53° on the thermometer scale.
Unmanned platforms such as the Global Hawk high altitude surveillance drone or the Predators and Reapers flying operations in Afghanistan and beyond have been much in the news in recent years. Less well-known is that China isn’t being left behind in the UAV business. China has just exhibited a predator-like aircraft at an international air show. A report prepared for the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission argues that this is just the latest result of a concerted effort to bring China’s UAV industry up to a globally competitive standard.
President Obama’s ‘red line’ of the use of chemical weapons in Syria has been the subject of analysis by many commentators. Less well scrutinised is the possibility that existing stocks of chemical weapons currently under the control of the Assad regime have the potential to fall into the hands of rebels, and thence to al Qaeda.
On a less serious note, it seems that the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has PR issues way beyond criticism from the aviation press or Washington agencies. Even Hollywood doesn’t seem to like it. (Thanks Justin)
Lastly, two new reports from NBR. In the first, Scott W. Harold proposes a strategy for improving US–China military relations across a range of functional areas. In the second, William J. Grimes studies Japan’s economic reforms and the implications for regional and global economies of ‘Abenomics’.
Events
Canberra: It’s Asia Pacific Week next week at the ANU. There’s a number of events including Q&Asia, a variation of the popular ABC TV show, on Thursday 4 July, 10.45am – 1pm. For more information on the public events, see here.
Also on Thursday 4 July, Dr Michael Wesley will be speaking on ‘Asia’s jostling powers and Australia’s future security’, hosted by RUSI ACT at the Australian Defence College, Weston Creek at 6pm.
Sydney: AIIA NSW is hosting a talk by Professor Kerry Brown called ‘The networked leadership: China’s fifth generation’ at Glover Cottages on Tuesday 2 July at 6pm.
Image courtesy of Flickr user Diablo Azul.