Center for Strategic Communication

Hurricanes Likely to Get Stronger & More Frequent: Study

Andrew Freedman / Climate Central

Hurricanes are Mother Nature’s largest and most destructive storms. Fed by warm ocean waters and moist atmospheric conditions, about 90 such storms — also known as tropical cyclones — form worldwide each year.

Vietnam Declared Free of Weapons-Grade Uranium

Luke Hunt / The Diplomat

After ten years of painstaking planning and meticulous work, Vietnam has been declared free of weapons-grade uranium by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) after an international effort at the Dalat national research center, which was powered by nuclear fuel supplied by Russia.

OPEC Sees U.S. Shale Boom Eroding Demand for 2014 Crude

Grant Smith / Bloomberg

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries forecast the world will need less of its crude next year, even as global oil demand growth rebounds to its strongest pace since 2010, amid competing supply sources.

Climate change’s heat intensifies drought in the USA

Wendy Koch / USA Today

“I’ve never seen it like this before,” says Teare, a grandmother who has lived in her modest Lakeside Beach ranch for 20 years. Her community has been under emergency water restrictions since January 2012, when it became the first to run dry during Texas’ ongoing three-year drought. It stays afloat with six daily truckloads of water.

Egypt orders arrest of top Muslim Brotherhood, Islamist officials

Abigail Hauslohner, William Booth, and Michael Birnbaum / Washington Post

CAIRO — Egypt’s top prosecutor has ordered the arrest of the Muslim Brotherhood’s spiritual leader and nine other top Islamist officials for allegedly instigating violence that led to the killing of more than 50 demonstrators Monday.

US navy to attempt drone landing on aircraft carrier for first time

Associated Press / The Guardian

The US navy will attempt to land a drone the size of a fighter jet aboard an aircraft carrier for the first time, showcasing the military’s capability to have a computer program perform one of the most difficult tasks a pilot can be asked to do.

China warns of ‘grim’ trade outlook after surprise exports fall

Langi Chiang and Kevin Yao / Reuters

China warned on Wednesday of a “grim” outlook for trade after a surprise fall in June exports, raising fresh concerns about the extent of the slowdown in the world’s second-largest economy and increasing the pressure on the government to act.

China, U.S. talks on cyber security go well: Xinhua

Ben Blanchard / Reuters

Talks between China and the United States on cyber security, overshadowed by revelations of U.S. electronic surveillance by former spy agency contractor Edward Snowden, have gone well, state media said on Wednesday, with both sides pledging to improve cooperation.

Taiwan’s “All-Volunteer” Military: Vision or Nightmare?

J. Michael Cole / The Diplomat

According to the Taiwanese government, force modernization — a leaner, smaller, more professional and tech-savvy military — is the answer to the country’s future defense needs. The main pillar of this transformation is Taipei’s multi-year program to drop mandatory military service and shift to an all-volunteer force (AVF).

Water worries: Climate change in the desert Southwest

Doyle Rice / AZ Central

PHOENIX — The canal, its blue water sparkling in the morning Arizona sunshine, has been there in some form for more than a thousand years. More than 10 centuries ago, Native Americans dug canals to bring water — the desert’s most precious resource — into their farms and communities in the harsh climate of what’s now Phoenix.

Oil on the Tracks

Energy Policy Information Center

Over the weekend, an unmanned, runaway train carrying Bakken crude oil derailed and exploded in the town of Lac-Megantic in Quebec, Canada. The severity of the catastrophe—which caused a massive explosion and has resulted in at least 13 confirmed deaths and over 50 missing persons, as well as widespread devastation throughout the town—is prompting an important discussion about the abrupt proliferation of transporting crude oil by rail.

On our flashpoint blog

US Air Force Outlines Future Energy Strategy in New Report

Evan Meltzer

The U.S. Air Force recently published a report outlining its strategic vision for science and technology over the near-, mid- and long-term.

Independence Day-An Opportunity for Cultural Diplomacy

Christian Mull

Cultural diplomacy’s aim is to promote understanding between two nations based in the knowledge of one other’s customs and mores.  It is through this cultural understanding that meaningful relationships can be built and developed.  These meaningful relationships are the building blocks on which future diplomatic interactions can be built.

Imminent National Security Threat: Climate Change & Flood Risk

Kareem Chin

Climate Change is increasingly recognized as a direct national security threat. Rising greenhouse gas emissions contribute to an increasing frequency and severity of floods, droughts, wildfires, and hurricanes. The damage of these disasters is vast. Swiss Re estimated the property damage of Hurricane Sandy at $ 70 billion and of Hurricane Katrina at $ 230 billion.

ASP Podcast- American Competitiveness

Paul Hamill

This week we keys issues around America’s Competitiveness and how they impact national security. The United States ranked 7th in the World Economic Forum’s 2012/2013 global competitiveness report, just a few years after being ranked first – and this has big impacts on our national interest and overall security.

Breakthrough Technologies for Our Long-term Energy Challenges

William Joyce

Basic and early research is critical for developing the breakthrough technologies of the future, and this research is essential for solving our long-term energy challenges. However, many speculative energy projects are simply too risky for investors, so the U.S. created a new type of research organization in 2007 to explore the vast potential of these future technologies.

Helping Homeowners Finance Clean Energy

Ben Seacrist

The United States and European Union have decided to negotiate settlements over their trade cases with China. Both the U.S. and China have had numerous complaints, variously accusing the other of unfair trade practices, as covered by ASP in the past.

View From the Top: The world IS changing and it’s changing FAST

BGen Stephen A. Cheney USMC (Ret.)

While I don’t always agree with Frank Gaffney, his op-ed in The Washington Times this morning was almost spot on. The world IS changing, and it’s changing FAST.  We need to enhance our national security by moving away from old Cold War thinking – to understand, adapt, and counter the threats we face today.

Climate Change Poses a Challenge for Nuclear Power Plants

Evan Meltzer

Climate change poses a real and severe threat to the world’s 436 nuclear power plants, which generate almost fourteen percent of the world’s electricity production. In a recent story written by Jonathan Tirone of Bloomberg, climate change may increase electricity prices by a third in southern Europe as power plants struggle to cool down their facilities.

Lac-Mégantic Disaster Shines Light on North American Oil Transport

Rory Johnston

The small town of Lac-Mégantic, Quebec was rocked early Saturday morning by a series of massive explosions—Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper likened it to a “war zone.”

Watch Live Stream of Wednesday’s American Competitiveness Panel

Justin Winikoff

On Wednesday, July 10th the American Security Project will be hosting a panel discussion entitled “Restoring American Competitiveness: A National Security Crisis” in collaboration with the Harvard Business School Club of Washington, D.C.

ASP in the news

Matthew Wallin Publishes Op-Ed on Current State of U.S. Public Diplomacy in Medium

ASP’s Matthew Wallin published an op-ed today in Medium exploring the current state of America’s public diplomacy.

ASP congratulates its Chairman Gary Hart on his appointment as the chair of the State Department’s International Security Advisory Board

The American Security Project congratulates it’s Chairman Gary Hart on his appointment as the chair of the State Department’s International Security Advisory Board (ISAB).

ASP’s Andrew Holland Featured in Ethanol Producer Magazine’s Article Discussing Renewable Fuels and National Security

Andrew Holland, Senior Fellow for Energy and Climate with the American Security Project, was recently quoted in a piece by Ethanol Producer Magazine about a survey conducted by Research Now that identifies American attitudes towards oil and renewable fuels as a response to high gas prices.

ASP’s Andrew Holland Quoted in The Detroit Bureau’s Article on Renewable Energy Options

Andrew Holland, Senior Fellow for Energy and Climate with the American Security Project, was recently quoted in a piece by The Detroit Bureau about American interest in renewable fuel options in response to recent gas price jumps.

The National Journal Discusses Joel Wit’s Speech on Satellite Images During Tuesday’s ASP Event

The National Journal discussed Joel Wit’s talk on Tuesday at the American Security Project, during which he spoke about digging seen in satellite photographs around North Korea’s Punggye-ri test site. Joel Wit, a former State Department satellite imagery analyst, edits the 38 North website, which records developments within North Korea.

The Korea Herald Covers Joel Wit’s Satellite Imagery Analysis from Tuesday’s ASP Event

The Korea Herald mentioned the American Security Project’s event with Joel Wit, a former State Department satellite imagery analyst and expert on North Korea, in their recent article discussing the Unites States’ approach to combating North Korean nuclear capabilities.

AP Discusses Satellite Imagery Analysis that Joel Wit Covered in His Even at ASP on Tuesday

Joel Wit, a former State Department satellite imagery analyst and a highly regarded American expert on North Korea currently at 38 North, spoke on Tuesday at ASP on North Korea’s Nuclear and Missile programs and American policy responses to them.

38 North Discusses Joel Wit’s Satellite Imagery Analysis that He Covered in His Event at ASP on Tuesday

Joel Wit, a former State Department satellite imagery analyst and a highly regarded American expert on North Korea currently at 38 North, spoke on Tuesday at ASP about North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs and American policy responses to them.

Upcoming Events

The Case for American Competitiveness: A Reception

ASP and the HBS Club of DC are proud to co-sponsor a reception for HBS professor Dr. Jan Rivkin, as well as prominent military leaders. This reception culminates the American Competitiveness Day to inform a bipartisan discourse on Capitol Hill.
The reception will take place on Wednesday, July 10th from 6:00-8:00 pm in the Alliance Bernstein Board Room, 800 Connecticut Ave, NW, Suite 1001.
Cost is $35 for members and $60 for non-members
Tickets can be purchased here.