Hot Docs: Obama's Chief Technology Officer, What Gaza War Reveals About Israel's Military

Role of Obama's Possible Chief Technology Officer: In a memo to the heads of executive departments and agencies, President Obama directs his chief technology officer to coordinate the formation of an Open Government Directive. However, as the Federation of American Scientists' Secrecy News points out, there is no chief technology officer yet, nor any concrete idea of what the position would entail. A report by the Congressional Research Service, "A Federal Chief Technology Officer in the Obama Administration: Options and Issues for Consideration," offers some insights. It notes that, in November, Obama promised to appoint a CTO to "ensure that our government and all its agencies have the right infrastructure, policies, and services for the 21st century." Among other things, the CTO would focus on the safety of our computer networks and transparency in government. The CRS report points out that "many details related to the position remain uncertain." The report notes that two key roles have emerged for such a position. One would be working as a "supra-chief information officer" to use technology to improve the delivery of government services, while the second would entail being an advocate for technological innovation.

What the Gaza Conflict Shows About the Israeli Military and Hamas: An analysis of the recent conflict in Gaza reveals "impressive improvements in the readiness and capability" of the Israeli forces but little change in the situation in Gaza. The Center for Strategic and International Studies' report, "The 'Gaza War': A Strategic Analysis," concludes that the Israeli Defense Forces are in far better shape than they were during their fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006 and says that "Israel did not violate the laws of war." However, the analysis adds that it is "already clear that the IDF did not succeed in deterring Hamas from new rocket strikes on Israel" and did not force "definitive changes in the political and military situation in Gaza. In fact, the post-conflict situation looks strikingly like the situation before the fighting began." The report concludes that the conflict seems to have "had only a marginal impact on Hamas, and their benefits may well have been offset by the mid- and long-term strategic costs of the operation in terms of Arab and other regional reactions."

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