Exclusive: Secret State Department cable: Chemical weapons used in Syria
Josh Rogin / Foreign Policy
A secret State Department cable has concluded that the Syrian military likely used chemical weapons against its own people in a deadly attack last month, The Cable has learned.
Iran media: Nuclear talks January 28-29
Laura Rozen / The Back Channel
Iran has tentatively agreed to resume nuclear talks with six world powers on January 28-29, at a location still to be decided, Iranian media reported Wednesday.
Inside the F-35, the world’s most futuristic fighter jet
Jonathan Glancey / The Telegraph
A decision by Egypt’s new president to travel to Tehran for a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement this week reflects a major foreign policy shift for the Arab world’s most populous nation, after decades of subservience to Washington.
BBG Expanding Its Services For War-Torn Mali
Broadcasting Board of Governors
Audiences in Mali can now get the latest news from the Voice of America (VOA) on an FM transmitter that went on the air today — part of a stepped-up response to the Malian crisis by the Broadcasting Board of Governors.
France launches ground campaign against Mali rebels
Bate Felix and Alexandria Sage / Reuters
French troops launched their first ground operation against Islamist rebels in Mali on Wednesday in a crucial action to dislodge al Qaeda-linked fighters who have resisted six days of air strikes.
Adjusting Pentagon spending priorities will strengthen U.S. national security
John Adams / The Hill
At year’s end, everyone’s eyes were on what is now known as the “fiscal cliff.” At the eleventh hour, Congress came to a deal on taxes and unemployment, effectively holding off automatic budget cuts until this March. Now we will likely see a showdown on government spending.
Burning Fuel Particles Do More Damage to Climate Than Thought, Study Says
Elizabeth Rosenthal / The New York Times
The tiny black particles released into the atmosphere by burning fuels are far more powerful agents of global warming than had previously been estimated, some of the world’s most prominent atmospheric scientists reported in a study issued on Tuesday.
‘Advanced Energy’ Wants to Ramp Up Most Everything But Coal
Justin Doom / Bloomberg
A new report from Advanced Energy Economy finds that the global “advanced energy” market is valued over $1 trillion, and it predicts that this market is set to continue to grow.
ASP Upcoming Events
Understanding the Strategic & Legal Context of Drone Strikes
Join us for a fact-based discussion with leading experts on counterterrorism about how we can better understand the effects of America’s drone campaign. This event will launch ASP’s latest paper on drone policy and doctrine, as part of a continuing project.
The event will take place:
Thursday, January 24, 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
1100 New York Ave, NW Washington DC
Suite 710W – Conference Room E
Please RSVP by Monday, January 21 to events@americansecurityproject.org
On Our Flashpoint Blog
Five things to know about the intervention in Mali
ASP Fellow Joshua Foust wrote for PBS Need to Know about the French military intervention in Mali.
Over the weekend France launched an assault on northern Mali, part of an operation to unseat the extremists who have occupied half the country since last year’s coup. Immediately afterward, al Qaeda-linked rebels launched a counteroffensive, raising the specter of a drawn-out war…
Epic Smog Plagues Beijing
ASP Fellow Nicholas Cunningham discusses the soaring smog of Beijing and the hazards of widespread coal use in China.
Over the last few days, smog in Beijing has soared off the charts. The government has urged caution as it deals with the problem, but what can be done?
Air Force to Invest in Fleet of Electric Vehicles
ASP’s Justin Yarros discusses the Air Force plan to invest in electric vehicles.
The Department of Defense (DoD) recently announced plans to spend $20 million to lease a fleet of 500 electric vehicles (EV’s). This is part of a broader strategy to rely more on alternative sources of energy because of the limits oil dependence places on the American military’s capabilities, our foreign policy, and government coffers.
