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November 13, 2013  

Inside the NSA | Hunting for Reactors | Spikes in China’s Army

Despite global focus on the National Security Agency, public knowledge of the agency continues to be shrouded in mystery. T.C. Sottek offers a clear-eyed look at what the NSA does – and doesn’t – do. (The Verge)

In recent years, both Iran and North Korea have attempted to hide signs of construction on nuclear facilities. Thomas Saether lays out how detecting, characterizing and neutralizing such facilities produces unique challenges for the international community. (The National Interest)

Every fall, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) sees a massive boost in numbers. And then, weeks later, all the new recruits vanish. David Logan digs into the mystery and finds a simple answer. (The Diplomat)

Warlord’s Quote

“You may fly over a land forever; you may bomb it, atomize it, pulverize it, and wipe it clean of life — but if you desire to defend it, protect it, and keep it for civilization, you must do this on the ground the way the Roman legions did, by putting your young men into the mud.” — T.R. Fehrenbach, This Kind of War

Contributed by Col. (ret.) John Meyer, a longtime Special Forces signal officer who capped his career as J-6 with U.S. Special Operations Command, then with U.S. Central Command. From a list compiled by the Warlord Loop, a private email forum for national security experts.

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