GlobalSecurity.org In the News

July 2005 News

1. Paying the price By Michael de Yoanna Colorado Springs Independent July 28-August 3, 2005 -- John Pike, of GlobalSecurity.org, an Alexandria, Va., nonprofit that tracks the military, says the ceremonies also help shape perceptions about the war in an era when the military is extremely media-savvy. "I think everybody understands we did not lose Vietnam in Vietnam. We lost it in America," Pike says, alluding to the loss of public support.
2. Pentagon to Increase Domestic Surveillance for Counterterrorism By Kelley Beaucar Vlahos FoxNews.com July 31, 2005 -- But John Pike, founder of GlobalSecurity.org , a clearinghouse of available intelligence and national security information, says it's not so clear how much data the Pentagon will be collecting on citizens and whether it will be retaining, sharing and building individual dossiers. So far, the lack of detail leaves as many question as answers, he said.
3. After 50 years U-2 spyplane still delivers the goods By Martin Nesirky and Pascal Pinck Reuters July 31, 2005 -- "I think there's little doubt that the U-2 continues to operate against targets like Iran and like North Korea," said John Pike, director of Globalsecurity.org, a defence policy think-tank. "It gives a persistent surveillance capability that drones and spy satellites simply don't provide."
4. Terror threat prompt new look at rules By Philip Brasher The Des Moines Register July 31, 2005 -- For a large bomb, "It's the ingredient of choice," says John Pike, director of Globalsecurity.org.
5. 'We're going to fix it' By Patrick Peterson Florida Today July 30, 2005 -- "I think it's a failure, in the sense that the piece that came off was half the size of the piece that killed the Columbia crew," said John Pike, a space policy analyst with Web site GlobalSecurity.org, near Washington.
6. Despite Problems, Politically Popular Shuttle Program May Be Hard to Kill By William J. Broad The New York Times July 29, 2005 -- John E. Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org, a private Washington research group on military and space topics, said the shuttle program would probably press on, hoping against more catastrophes.
7. NASA's foam conundrum By Bryn Nelson Newsday July 29, 2005 -- John Pike, a veteran space policy analyst and director of GlobalSecurity.org, said NASA has gone through contortions to convince itself that it can solve the foam shedding problem while acknowledging that it may never fully understand the underlying phenomenon.
8. Behind Chunks of Foam, a Failure to Confront Hazard By Ralph Vartabedian Los Angeles Times July 29, 2005 -- John Pike, executive director of GlobalSecurity.org, a research group in Alexandria, Va., said that accident investigators and NASA regarded the shuttle as an old system unworthy of a major investment, and that the Columbia fixes were much more modest than the fixes after the 1986 Challenger accident, which blew up on launch.
9. CNN NEWSNIGHT AARON BROWN: Space Shuttle CNN: CNN NEWSNIGHT AARON BROWN 22:00 ET July 28, 2005 -- With us from Washington, John Pike, director of globalsecurity.org. And in Houston, Walter Cunningham who took Apollo 7 into space.
10. Closely watched trains Boston Globe Editorial July 28, 2005 -- John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org, a Washington-based think tank, says that the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration have left local officials stranded on the question of whether the potential for underground devastation outweighs the benefits of communication. ''I wish some of my tax money would go toward getting an answer," he says.
11. US shuttle woes could cloud future of space flight By Deborah Zabarenko Reuters July 28, 2005 -- John Pike, the director of the globalsecurity.org defense policy Web site and a longtime space watcher who was present at the first shuttle launch in 1981, presented a gloomy picture of the future of U.S. human space flight. "I'm afraid that the course we're on right now is that by the end of the decade, we will no longer be flying the shuttle and we will not have had enough money to build its replacement," Pike said in a telephone interview.
12. Critics Challenge Shuttle Program's Future By Jeff Donn and Marcia Dunn The Associated Press July 28, 2005 -- "Maybe the money would be better spent on replacing the shuttle, rather than flying it," suggested John Pike, who directs the defense and space Web site Globalsecurity.org.
13. Operation: Enduring Presence By Sam Graham-Felsen AlterNet July 28, 2005 -- Defense expert John Pike of GlobalSecurity.org believes the bases lack components of official "permanency" -- such as reinforced steel and ground-level concrete slabs--but admits that military has been deliberately vague and hesitant about releasing detailed information.
14. Los astronautas del Discovery, al borde de una odisea espacial Por Luis Miguel Ariza La Razón July 28, 2005 -- «Es el procedimiento estándar», confirma a este diario Charles Vick, prestigioso analista espacial norteamericano, de globalsecurity.org. «Está especificada como la misión 300».
15. Why is the US military stretched so tight in Iraq? Radio Singapore International July 27, 2005 -- Mr Fred Kaplan, a security expert, explained matters recently in a most interesting article in slate.com. Drawing on figures provided by GlobalSecurity.org, Mr Kaplan pointed out that fewer than 40 per cent of the US Army’s one million personnel consists of combat soldiers.
16. States, feds clash over Guard By Mark Sappenfield The Christian Science Monitor July 26, 2005 -- The course of the Iraq war has helped shape "a well-articulated public debate" about the needs of the Army National Guard, says John Pike of GlobalSecurity.org. "But there has not been a similar discussion about the Air National Guard until now. This is the first time it has come into play."
17. Did Microsoft Wipe Apple Off the Map? The Associated Press July 25, 2005 -- "It's a problem, one of the real challenges. There's a reason why most pictures in magazines and newspapers have captions," said John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org. "What's missing from this imagery is, there are no captions to tell you when the image was acquired or what you're seeing or why you should care."
18. The Great Ricin Scare By John Hall Media General News Service July 24, 2005 -- One of the recipes for homemade poisons found in the London apartment said “Just put ground corn, meat, water and some excrement in a bottle, wait ten days and, voila, botulinum,” said Dr. George Smith, a protein chemist and senior fellow at GlobalSecurity.org. Smith said it was silly and a “canard in the war on terror.”
19. Baca: Israel-style wall terror deterrent By Dennis Anderson Antelope Valley Press July 23, 2005 -- The Israeli counter-terror "fence," according to the Web site Global Security.org, is part barbed wire, part electrified metal and part concrete wall - in some portions up to 25 feet high - with watch towers and sniper positions not unlike the Berlin Wall.
20. Marine Corps excited about future of the Osprey By Estes Thompson Associated Press July 23, 2005 -- Osprey pilots have also figured out the flight condition that led to the second crash in 2000. Called "vortex ring state," it causes the Osprey to lost lift; though it cannot be fixed, pilots can be trained to avoid it, said defense analyst John Pike of GlobalSecurity.org.
21. With Bush's help, GE courts Indian PM, nuke sector By Adam Entous Reuters July 23, 2005 -- "It's the jewel in the crown," GlobalSecurity.org's John Pike said of the Indian market. "We're the world's two largest English-speaking countries. We're the two largest democracies and we're joined at the hip economically."
22. MTA hit for token anti-terror efforts By Jonathan Lemire and Pete Donohue Daily News July 22, 2005 -- Security expert John Pike agreed, saying the safeguards in place can only provide a "limited measure" of security.
23. In small numbers, SEALs tackle huge tasks By Louis Hansen The Virginian-Pilot July 22, 2005 -- John Pike, director of the military think-tank GlobalSecurity.org, said the SEALs are getting into a prolonged fight for the first time since Vietnam more than 30 years ago. They have moved from a supporting force to a more central role in combat, he said.
24. In Iraq, Go After Explosives First, People Second By Margie Burns The Montgomery County Sentinel July 22, 2005 -- As the estimable web site at globalsecurity.org points out, "Some of the IEDs have been remotely detonated using relatively simple, readily available low-technology devices, such as garage door openers, car alarms, key fobs, door bells, toy car remotes, FRS and GMRS two-way radios, cellular telephones and pagers – which enable radio frequency command detonation. (...)"
25. U.S. military looking at two new devices to defeat roadside bombs in Iraq By Drew Brown Knight Ridder Newspapers July 19, 2005 -- "There have been a lot of responses, but I don't think there is a solution," said John Pike, the director of GlobalSecurity.org, a Web site with information on security issues. "It's a moving target."
26. NYC subway vulnerable By Jonathan Lemire Daily News July 13, 2005 -- "It is impossible to set up a foolproof system to prevent suicide bombings. They can only be minimized," said security expert John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org, a defense think tank.
27. Ship pops by to keep eye on China's space quest By Mark Dodd The Australian July 19, 2005 -- All four ships also monitor long-range missile launches, according to the respected website, GlobalSecurity.org.
28. Les civils, premières victimes de la guerreLibération July 18, 2005 -- www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/iraq_casualties.htm
29. Bush, India's Singh confer at White House By Adam Entous Reuters July 18, 2005 -- John Pike, a national security expert with GlobalSecurity.org, said the administration's hands are tied for now because India has not signed the NPT.
30. Legal opinion may help the Moon air base By Brian Bowling The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review July 16, 2005 -- John Pike, a national defense analyst who operates GlobalSecurity.org, said that blocking the Air Guard moves could save many reserve bases such as the 911th.
31. Insider thinks shipyard will stay By Sean Hao and Dennis Camire Honolulu Advertiser July 15, 2005 -- In light of that development, it shouldn't be a surprise if Pearl is added, said John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org, a defense and security Web site. "I think that's plausible, yes," he said.
32. Shuttle could lift off Sunday, but odds slim By Mark Carreau Houston Chronicle July 15, 2005 -- "I don't think they're going to be interested in spending a huge amount of money on a novel maintenance (strategy). It would take a couple of years to get it implemented, and then they'd use it for only a few years," said John Pike, a space policy analyst with a Virginia-based national security think tank, globalsecurity.org.
33. Guard unit deploys to Iraq By Daniel Bruce Middlesboro Daily News July 15, 2005 -- According to the Web-site Globalsecurity.org, the Al Asad Airfield is the second largest airbase in Iraq.
34. Sensor Scrubs Shuttle Launch By John Johnson Jr. and Ralph Vartabedian Los Angeles Times July 14, 2005 -- "The machine was trying to tell them something and they chose to ignore it," said John Pike, executive director of GlobalSecurity.org, a research firm in Alexandria, Va. "Maybe it was trivial, but in both the Columbia and Challenger accidents the machine was talking and they didn't listen."
35. Tour of duty nears end for citizen soldiers By Gregor McGavin The Press-Enterprise July 14, 2005 -- The plan is to have Iraqi security forces and regular U.S. troops play a larger role, said John Pike, who heads the Virginia-based military think-tank GlobalSecurity.org.
36. Web watch By Sean Dodson The Guardian July 14, 2005 -- The casualty data is taken from the Iraq Coalition Casualties website and map data from GlobalSecurity.org.
37. Ein altes Lastpferd geht an den Start Von Olivia Schoeller Berliner Zeitung July 13, 2005 -- Doch die Raumfähre werde womöglich einen neuen Weg finden, um die Besatzung zu töten, sagt beispielsweise John Pike. Pike leitet den Online-Dienst Global Security, der unter anderem Informationen zur Raumfahrt bereitstellt.
38. Días antes y después del 7/7 Por Alfredo Jalife-Rahme la Jornada July 13, 2005 -- Cita el portal de globalsecurity.org, donde señala que EU planea permanecer en Afganistán y mantener también una "presencia robusta en la región".
39. American society is in dire need of a wake-up call By Marina McGowan Long Island Press July 13, 2005 -- During the Cold War 325 Americans died as a result of hostile action, more than 200 airmen were killed by Communist air defenses, and more than 40 American intelligence aircrafts were shot down, according to Globalsecurity.org.
40. Failures and delays at U.S. space agency have opened the door for businesses to enter space By James Bernstein Newsday July 13, 2005 -- As private space efforts grow and the shuttle program winds down, many in and outside the space industry are asking whether the shuttle was worth it all. John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org, which monitors space programs, said the shuttle taught an important lesson.
41. Ready for Flight, Shuttle May Be History in 5 Years By Ralph Vartabedian and John Johnson Jr. Los Angeles Times July 13, 2005 -- The problem with money could become even greater if NASA has to fly the shuttle while building the new vehicle. The agency needs to use the roughly $4-billion space shuttle budget to build the new vehicle, said John Pike, a space expert at GlobalSecurity.org, a research company in Alexandria, Va.
42. Nuclear analyst: Warheads moved from Yorktown By Bill Geroux Richmond Times-Dispatch July 12, 2005 -- Another well-known defense analyst, John E. Pike of globalsecurity.org, said he did not know if the last nuclear warheads had been moved from Yorktown. But he deferred to Cochran, saying, "I would not seek to disagree with him. He tracks those closer than I do."
43. "Al-Qaida hat seine festen Strukturen verloren und ist zur gefährlichen Bewegung geworden" von Bruno Schirra Die Welt am Sonntag July 10, 2005 -- Hinter dem griffigen Bild steht allerdings noch immer die Vorstellung von al-Qaida als einer streng gegliederten Organisation, deren Terror es zu bekämpfen gilt, den man bekämpfen kann. Dabei gehen die meisten seriösen Terrorexperten wie John Pike von Globalsecurity mittlerweile davon aus, daß es al-Qaida in dieser klassischen Form längst nicht mehr gibt.
44. Facing and Embracing Risk as Return to Space Nears By John Schwartz The New York Times July 10, 2005 -- John Pike, the director of GlobalSecurity.org, a private research group, said that after the Columbia disaster, "I thought there was a case for not returning to flight" with the shuttle at all. Unexpected risks, Mr. Pike said, will always be there. But thanks to safety measures after previous disasters, he said, "I can guarantee you that it's not going to kill anybody the way it killed the Challenger crew, and it's unlikely to kill anybody the way it killed the Columbia crew."
45. Electronic 'IED' jammers roll out to stymie bombers By Darrin Mortenson North County Times July 10, 2005 -- John Pike, the director of GlobalSecurity.org, a Virginia-based think tank specializing in military issues, said the risks of abuse are real but are justified by the war. "We have to be very careful with it, but there is a war on," Pike said in a telephone interview Thursday.
46. One shipyard too many? By Dennis Camire Honolulu Advertiser July 10, 2005 -- "People at Pearl might think they dodged a bullet. Well, maybe they didn't," said John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org, a defense and security Web site. "People at Portsmouth would think, well, maybe there's hope after all."
47. Can clout save 179th? By Greg Wright Gannett News Service July 10, 2005 -- Having high-level lawmakers push your case "might make it a little better, but I wouldn't necessarily count on it being that measurable or significant," said John Pike, director of the GlobalSecurity.org defense analysis firm.
48. Service-Plattform für Waffen und Geld Von Kai Monheim Hamburger Abendblatt July 9, 2005 -- Hamburger Abendblatt July 9, 2005 -- "Die Gruppen sind in Saudi-Arabien, im Irak, in Afghanistan und anderswo. Keiner führt", beschreibt John Pike, Direktor von Globalsecurity.org in Washington, dem Abendblatt die Struktur
49. Attacks resurrect concerns about U.S. mass transit safety By Michael Hedges Houston Chronicle July 8, 2005 -- "The way people use mass transit, getting on for brief rides sometimes several times a day, it is far from clear that they would be willing to put up with the kind of security involved in air travel — going through security checks, taking off their shoes," said Francois Boo, a terrorism expert with globalsecurity.org.
50. Post-Sept. 11, terrorists increasingly take aim at `soft targets' By Jonathan S. Landay Knight Ridder Newspapers July 8, 2005 -- "Part of the reasons that today's al-Qaida is different from the old al-Qaida is that Osama bin Laden no longer has freedom of movement in a liberated zone," said John Pike of globalsecurity.org, an Internet clearinghouse for information on defense and intelligence issues.
51. Rogers says agency slow to act on protections By James R. Carroll The Courier-Journal July 8, 2005 -- But the effort and money spent on transit security is dwarfed by the billions that have gone to aviation security since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, said John Pike, director of globalsecurity.org, an Alexandria, Va.-based group that studies terrorism and homeland security issues.
52. Mine warfare unit, Gulf security among benefits of NS Ingleside By Brad Olson Corpus Christi Caller-Times July 8, 2005 -- John Pike, director of globalsecurity.org, a Washington, D.C.-based defense think tank, said the community's effort to save Ingleside by defending the importance of mine warfare was a good strategy. "I would definitely be prepared to listen to that one," he said.
53. Massive investigation operation follows London attack By Will Knight NewScientist.com news service July 8, 2005 -- Intelligence agencies will, however, continue to follow every possible lead in an ongoing effort to locate the protagonists, or their associates, says John Pike, director of the US think tank GlobalSecurity.org.
54. Saving the Pentagon's Killer Chopper-Plane By Ron Berler Wired July 2005 -- Sticker price: roughly $73 million apiece (GlobalSecurity.org, a defense consulting group, estimates the figure is really more like $105 million).
55. Using Tech to Thwart Terror Red Herring July 7, 2005 -- The Madrid attacks, however, were not followed by an appreciable increase in spending designed to secure mass transport from bombings, said John Pike, the president of GlobalSecurity, a defense industry think tank and research outfit. 
56. U.S. rail network still vulnerable to terror By Steve Johnson MSNBC.com July 7, 2005 -- “People are willing to put up with inconvenience every time they board an aircraft,” said Francois Boo, a terrorism expert with GlobalSecurity.org. “But if you required the same procedures every time you board a subway, every day, just to go a couple of stops, that’s different.”
57. Under new management The Economist July 7, 2005 -- John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org, a Washington-based defence consultancy, wonders whether Mr Domenici might be positioning himself for a meeting later this summer, when he must get together with members of the appropriations committee of the House of Representatives, whose chairman is from California and therefore unlikely to agree to the cuts. Nevertheless, Mr Pike says, there are still questions to be asked about the role of the ignition facility.
58. Vietnam-era warbird displayed in village By Hillary Wundrow Beloit Daily News July 06, 2005 -- The Cobra went on to fight in every major U.S. military operation since Vietnam and continues its service with the U.S. Marines, as well as eight other foreign nations, according to www.globalsecurity.org.
59. Lawmakers insist they did their best By Katherine Hutt Scott Norwich Bulletin July 06, 2005 -- "(The lawmakers) can't change the facts," said John Pike of GlobalSecurity.org, a defense analysis firm. "There is an underlying factual analysis that forms a significant component of the (base-closure) process."
60. U.S. grants boost emergency crews By Bruce Finley Denver Post July 04, 2005 -- New security money "is not making you safer against terrorism. Most locales probably aren't threatened by terrorists to begin with," said John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org, a research organization in Washington.
61. Locals dismiss analyst's opinion By Jason Tsai The Norwich Bulletin July 3, 2005 -- John Pike, a defense analyst for GlobalSecurity.org, said Friday the omission of Groton from this list cemented its fate, adding: "If you're not on (Friday's) list, it's not going to change."
62. Batteries may be for space weapons, experts say By Christopher Smith The Associated Press July 3, 2005 -- "You have to ask, what is national security that is not military?" said John Pike, the former director of space policy for the Federation of American Scientists who now heads the Virginia-based think tank GlobalSecurity.org.
63. Island paradise or torture chamber? By Lynda Hurst The Toronto Star July 2, 2005 -- Because the agency operates outside the law, doing what the government doesn't want to be publicly associated with, "it isn't bound by international treaties," says Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org.
64. BRAC panel questions Galena status By Sam Bishop Daily News-Miner July 2, 2005 -- According to GlobalSecurity.org, a Washington, D.C., group that offers detailed descriptions of U.S. military installations, Galena previously served as an alert base for F-15 fighters. "Now military use is only occasional," according to the organization's Web site.
65. BRAC request gives hope to 179th Gannett News Service July 2, 2005 -- John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org, a defense analysis firm, said Mansfield folks should be cautiously optimistic.
66. Why victory not a matter of troops By Anna Badkhen San Francisco Chronicle July 01, 2005 -- "What we could reasonably expect for American forces to do is to keep the country together until the Iraqis can keep it together themselves," said John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org, a Washington-based defense think tank.
67. US misled UK over Iraq fire bombs By Richard Norton-Taylor The Guardian July 01, 2005 -- When reports surfaced, the Pentagon separated "napalm" from "firebombs". According to GlobalSecurity.org, MK77s "function identical to earlier MK77 napalm weapons" using kerosene rather than benzene.