Books/DVD's:

 
The Chinese government is using space power to increase its influence at home and abroad and hopes to leverage the political, economic, and military benefits of space to become a great power. The ambivalent nature of the U.S.-China relationship, however, assures that over the long term China's rise as a space power will present challenges to the United States. Militarily, China's improved remote sensing capabilities and launch tempos require the U.S. military to prepare to counteract China's use of space in a potential conflict over Taiwan. Commercially, China's lower labor costs and mercantilist approach to space could ees are managed and opportunities exploited.

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"The arrest and public confession of Pakistani nuclear weapons scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan in 2004 revealed the existence of a global proliferation network which had, over almost two decades, provided nuclear technology, expertise, and designs to Iran, North Korea, Libya and possibly other countries. Khan was not the only nuclear arms merchant and Pakistan was not the only country implicated in his shadowy network. It spanned three continents and eluded both national and international systems of export controls that had been designed to prevent illicit trade. The discovery of the network highlighted concerns that nuclear technology is no longer the monopoly of industrially advanced countries, but can be purchased off-the-shelf by both states and terrorist groups. The IISS Strategic Dossier on nuclear black markets provides a comprehensive assessment of the Pakistani nuclear programme from which the Khan network emerged, the network's onward proliferation activities, and the illicit trade in fissile materials. In addition, the Strategic Dossier provides an overview of the clandestine nuclear procurement activities of other states, along with the efforts made both by Pakistan and the international community to prevent the reoccurrence of further proliferation networks and to secure nuclear technology. The final chapter assesses policy options for further action.

This intense, vivid report and call to action from the heart of violent Darfur by a former American Marine who became a military observer for the African Union --- a powerful memoir of a soldiers awakening to conscience --- is the first extensive on-the-ground account of the genocide in Sudan.

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A riveting memoir from the Navy doctor praised as "Hero, M.D." on the cover of "Newsweek." Cdr. Richard Jadick's story is one of the most extraordinary to come out of the war in Iraq. At thirty-eight, the last place the Navy doctor was expected to be was on the front lines. He was too old to be called up, but not too old to volunteer. In November 2004, with the military reeling from an acute doctor shortage, Jadick chose to accompany the First Battalion, Eighth Marine Regiment (the "1/8") to Iraq. During the Battle of Fallujah, Jadick and his team worked tirelessly and courageously around the clock to save their troops in the worst street fighting Americans had faced since Vietnam. It is estimated that without Jadick at the front, the Marines would have lost an additional thirty men. Of the hundreds of men he treated, only one died after reaching a hospital.

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U101 .S93213 2004

Strachan, one of the worlds foremost military historians, explains how and why Carl von Clausewitz came to write the military strategy classic "On War," elucidates what the author meant, and offers insight into the impact it made on conflict as well as its continued significance in the world today.
 

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An East Asian community and the United States. Cossa, Ralph A. Washington, D.C. : CSIS Press, c2007.

Seven prominent scholars clarify the roots, background, and theoretical framework of the emerging East Asian community and provide a policy perspective on how the United States should participate in that framework—taking the intents and strategies of Asian countries into particular consideration. The complex issues involved include balancing national interests with global concerns, problems of political reconciliation, and relationships with the region's other multilateral organizations and initiatives.

Rather than a liberated state, Iraq has become this administration's "state of denial." With apparently limitless access, Woodward recounts the trials and tribulations of Bush, focusing on Iraq. Woodward presents a broad range of sincere efforts, missed opportunities and blatant mistakes by Bush and his team of advisers. According to Woodward (and many others in the administration), one of Bush's most contemptuous denials is his continual endorsement of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. But the ultimate denial by Bush is his refusal to be genuine, sincere and honest with Americans, other world leaders and the war-torn impoverished Iraqis. His fear of showing weakness, doubt or emotion actually debilitates and discredits his humanity. Woodward illustrates Bush's emotional capacity, even revealing several times when Bush cries. This, more than any speech, would make Americans believe again in their president, but Bush denies Americans this reality. Boyd Gaines delivers the facts with a reporter like authority and tone while perceptively capturing the emotional resonance of spoken words, his Bush impersonation improving as the audiobook progresses. Overall, his performance coincides neatly with Woodward's writing style.

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Now abridged for young people, Flags of Our Fathers is the unforgettable chronicle of perhaps the most famous moment in American military history: the raising of the U. S. flag at Iwo Jima. Here is the true story behind the immortal photograph that has come to symbolize the courage and indomitable will of America. In February 1945, American Marines plunged into the surf at Iwo Jima–and into history. The son of one of the flag raisers has written a powerful account of six very different men who came together in the heroic battle for the Pacific’s most crucial island.
 

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The long road home [sound recording] : [a story of war and family]
    Raddatz, Martha. [Old Saybrook, CT] : Tantor, p2007. 8 sound discs (10 hr.) : digital ; 4 3/4 in.

Over 1 million Americans have served in Iraq and Afghanistan in the past four years, but fewer than 500 from this group have earned a Silver Star, Navy Cross, Air Force Cross, Distinguished Service Cross, or the Medal of Honor. Those who have been awarded these distinguished honors all demonstrated an extraordinary courage under fire in the worst of circumstances.

These Americans come from all branches of the military. They also come from all over the country and all walks of life, representing the entire spectrum of races and creeds. But what unites them are their deeds of consummate bravery, beyond the call of duty. Heroes Among Us tells their extraordinary true stories of valor, honor, and sacrifice.
 

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This report gives an overview of human rights in China in 2007. Based on the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the report presents human rights under five categories: social rights, political rights, judicial rights, economic and environmental rights, and educational and cultural rights. It says that China’s record in all these areas of human rights has not seen any improvement over the years. Instead, it has deteriorated in some areas.
 

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National Geographic explores the shadowy world of illicit trade, where dangerous multi-billion dollar criminal networks threaten whole sectors of our global economy. This documentary travels the globe to expose the dire consequences of this dirty industry: money laundering, political corruption, and the subversion of entire governments. From knock-off handbags to bootlegged compact discs to fake pharmaceuticals, this program reveals how consumers' insatiable demand for counterfeit merchandise has given birth to a vast criminal system that must be battled every single day.

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In 2005, a group calling itself Ja’miyyat Ul-Islam Is-Saheech, which translates to Assembly of Authentic Islam, and shortened to JIS by law enforcement, plotted to strike U.S. military facilities, Israeli national interests and synagogues in the Los Angeles area around the Jewish high holidays. This film features the complexities of Islam in prison by tracing the men charged with 2005 alleged terrorist plot in Los Angeles and an overcrowded prison system which might become a breeding ground for homegrown terrorists.

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In April 1994, the Rwandan government called upon everyone in the Hutu majority to kill each member of the Tutsi minority, and over the next three months 800,000 Tutsis perished in the most unambiguous case of genocide since Hitler's war against the Jews. Philip Gourevitch's haunting work is an anatomy of the war in Rwanda, a vivid history of the tragedy's background, and an unforgettable account of its aftermath.

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Who is Osama bin Laden, and what drives him and his followers to hate the Western civilization that has armed them? World-renowned terrorism expert Yossef Bodansky uncovers the events in bin Laden's life that turned a once-promising engineering student into a cold-blooded leader of radical Islam.

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Twentieth Century places a chronological narrative of events in the context of the long-term changes that colored them. Among these are worldwide increases in life expectancy; major strides in science and technology; the radical reconfiguration of the global economy; vanished empires, shrunken white hegemony, and reassessment of "western" civilization; and the ever-evolving role of women.

This landmark book covers a range of issues concerning the consequences of terrorist attacks. Beginning with a discussion of new policies and strategies, it then delves into specific areas of concern, modeling a range of possible scenarios and ways to mitigate or pre-empt damages.

Top researchers from around the world discuss issues such as: airport security, urban terrorism, Coast Guard operations, and the need to balance freedoms with security. New policies for deterring terrorism are also proposed. Later chapters model the economic impacts of terrorist attacks on the food industry, major US ports, and US theme parks. The final chapters provide an in-depth look at the effects of interruptions to electricity supply and how to improve resiliency. Using specific locations and situations, the volume details in a concrete way the long and short-term economic effects of possible future attacks.

The cutting-edge research and provocative conclusions make this a must-read for policymakers, public sector economists, urban planners, aviation officials, insurance industry analysts and those charged with disaster management.

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Mohd. Aminul Karim October 29 (Dhaka Courier): The author of the book "Power Politics in Asia Pacific: The Case of Chinese Modernization, Major General Mohd Aminul Karim has successfully produced a brilliant thesis which is full of facts & figures/data, as well as analytical insights into the game of power politics in Asia Pacific involving mainly China , US, Russia, etc.

From Table of Contents

1. Human Security Frameworks (The Creation of a Non-Traditional Perspective on Human Security: Human Security and the Environment; Living with Peace of Mind: A Multiplicity of Threats and Human Security; Freedom from Want: What Are the Aims of Human Security？);2.  The Future of Human Security (Human Security and Japan's Role; Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Human Security; Food and Human Security: Food for All; Terrorism and Human Security; Infectious Diseases and Human Security; Education and Public Health)

Veteran financial editor and journalist England says the teeming population of the outsized country will age rapidly between 2010 and 2040, because of the one-child policy implemented in 1980. Unlike its neighbors, he explains, China will begin its aging before it has completed the transition from poor, stifling, Communist command economy to a major global player with an economy driven by private enterprise. He explores in broad outline the significant economic, market, social, and demographic factors that will shape the future of China and the role that aging will play in the mix of influences.

Energy Cooperation in the Western Hemisphere: Benefits and Impediments examines the state of energy cooperation among Western Hemisphere oil and natural gas producers and the opportunities for greater cooperation. The result of two years of extensive in-country research and interviews with key stakeholders including governments and major oil and gas interests, the study is distinguished by its comprehensive approach and detailed analysis of current conditions and future projects. The findings of this study were presented at conferences across the Western Hemisphere in locations such as: Washington D.C., Mexico City, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary, Bogota, Rio de Janeiro, and New York.

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The goal of the volume is not to reinvent either the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or the European Union, the two main institutional dimensions of the transatlantic partnership. Rather, it is to renew them and recast them in ways that can make each better suited to the other and make both more effectively prepared to help their 32 members address the security, economic, political, and societal issues they face in common.

With new leaders in place in Germany, France, and Britain and with elections in Russia, Spain, Italy, and the United States in 2008, the stage is set for change and a new transatlantic beginning in 2009. The contributors to this volume offer an agenda for action that aims at the ever-closer Euro-Atlantic partnership needed for the emerging multipolar system of the twenty-first century.

Interweaving hundreds of interviews with excerpts from diaries, letters, and memoirs, a narrative history of the American Civil War captures the story of the conflict from the perspective of the African-American slaves who played a role.

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 50 battles that changed the world [sound recording] : the conflicts that most influenced the course of history. Weir, William. Rosaland, NJ : Listen & Live Audio, p2008. 4 sound discs ; 4 3/4 in.

Rather than celebrating warfare, 50 Battles That Changed the World looks at the clashes the author believes have had the most profound impact on world history. Listed in order of their relevance to the modern world, they range from the ancient past to the present day and span the globe many times over.

This audiobook is not so much about military strategy as the implications of the battles that were vital in shaping civilization as we know it. Some of the battles in this book are familiar to us all-Bunker Hill, which prevented the American Revolution from being stillborn, and Marathon, which kept the world's first democracy alive. Others may be less familiar-the naval battle at Diu (on the Indian Coast), which led to the ascendancy of Western Civilization and the discovery of America, and Yarmuk, which made possible the spread of Islam from Morocco to the Philippines.

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"There are many issues and considerations in the realm of foreign policy making which seldom come up for debate or discussion. In this book, we have tried to capture many nuances of policy making and implementation which will help implementing policy in the years to come." --Atish Sinha, coeditor Containing authoritative analyses from 50 experts on foreign policy, this collection of essays shares the development of India's political, diplomatic, socio-economic, scientific, and technological advancements that establish it as a major world power. The foreign affairs analysts, scholars, and diplomats invited by the government of India to write chapters for this book have provided topical insights into current developments and have presented long-term perspectives regarding the challenges and opportunities in the new millennium and how they will affect global affairs.

"The last three presidential administrations - Bush Senior, Clinton, and Bush Junior - span less than two decades but cover a pivotally important time: a period in which the United States, having emerged from the Cold War as the unquestioned victor, enjoyed a degree of international dominance that was unprecedented in the history of the world. These three American presidents were not mere heads of state but the de facto leaders of the world." "Second Chance is a dispassionate, unsparing assessment of how the three presidents performed as history's first successive global leaders, and how that performance was influenced by their personal leadership styles. Zbigniew Brzezinski, America's most distinguished commentator on international affairs, concludes that the United States has squandered a great deal of its power and prestige. No president escapes criticism, though the blame is by no means shared equally. Brzezinski concludes by recommending how America can regain its global stature in today's era of global political awakening."

A former officer in the Indian navy, Menon compiles 10 essays by prominent military and political analysts which reexamine the threat that biological, chemical, and nuclear agents pose to the Indian subcontinent. Subjects examined include theories of effectiveness, threats to India, current international regimes, India's negotiating positions, and specific steps for coping with WMD attacks. Focusing on the protection of society and the armed forces, this book presents detailed suggestions for the formulation of a national Indian security strategy, and also offers some insight into counter-proliferation.

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 National Disaster Management Guidelines—Medical Preparedness and Mass Casualty Management. National Disaster Management Authority: India, New Delhi. 2007.

Training manual, standard operating procedures and documentation of the best practices are important components of disaster preparedness programmes and would be developed for different levels for easy adoption, replication and sharing.
The guidelines addresses human resource development for the entire health sector both for medical, paramedical and nursing and for training programmes in mass casualty management.