Military Technology
Hagel: US needs game-changing military innovation
Robert Burns | Yahoo News
Wary of a more muscular Russia and China, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Saturday the Pentagon will make a new push for fresh thinking about how the U.S. can keep and extend its military superiority despite tighter budgets and the wear and tear of 13 years of war.
Climate Change
Does Our Military Know Something We Don’t About Global Warming?
James Conca | Forbes
In the wake of an historic climate change agreement between President Obama and President Xi Jinping in China this week (Brookings), the military’s perspective is significant in how it views climate effects on emerging military conflicts.
How Does the IPCC Know Climate Change is Happening?
Mark Maslin | IFL Science
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published its synthesis report on November 2, a document that brings together the findings from the IPCC’s three main working groups.
Middle East & North Africa
Egypt to deepen buffer zone with Gaza after finding longer tunnels
Reuters
Egypt will double to one kilometer (.62 mile) the depth of a security buffer zone it is clearing on its border with the Gaza Strip after some of the worst anti-state violence since President Mohamed Mursi was overthrown last year.
Ambassadors of Gulf Arab States To Return To Qatar
Abdullah Al-Shihri | AP
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain said Monday they will reinstate their ambassadors to Qatar after withdrawing them in an unprecedented move eight months ago.
Emirates Brands Muslim Brotherhood Terrorists
Adam Schreck | AP
The United Arab Emirates designated the Muslim Brotherhood and dozens of other Islamist groups as terrorist organizations on Saturday, ratcheting up the pressure on the group by lumping it together with extremists such as the Islamic State group and the Nusra Front, al-Qaida’s affiliate in Syria.
U.S. accelerates training of Iraqi forces: Hagel
Al Arabiya News
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the U.S. military is starting its program to train and advise Iraqi forces ahead of schedule in an effort to accelerate efforts in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Science & Technology
Toyota’s ‘Mirai’ Fuel-Cell Car Gets 300 Miles to a Tank
Dan Kedmey | Time
Toyota unveiled its hydrogen-powered concept vehicle ‘Mirai’ on Monday, stealing thunder from a scheduled press conference on a hydrogen-powered vehicle from rival automaker Honda.
Ebola
Sierra Leone doctor brought to US for Ebola treatment dies
Lauren Gambino | The Guardian
A surgeon from Sierra Leone who was being treated for Ebola at a Nebraska hospital has died on Monday, according to the hospital.
Nuclear Security
Iran Nuclear Pact Faces an Array of Opposing Forces
David E. Sanger, Steven Erlanger & Jodi Rudoren | The New York Times
When President Obama wrote last month to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urging him to overcome a decade of mistrust and negotiate a deal limiting Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, it was perhaps the president’s last effort to reach a reconciliation with Iran that could remake the Middle East.
Iran and US close in on historic nuclear deal at Vienna talks
Julian Borger | The Guardian
Iran, the US and other world powers meeting in Vienna this week are close to a historic, comprehensive agreement that could bring a permanent end to 12 years of deadlock of Iran’s nuclear program.
Russia & Ukraine
Putin: Moscow won’t let Ukraine rebels fail
Laura Mills | AP
Moscow will not allow the defeat of pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned, arguing that both sides need to make concessions for a floundering peace deal to succeed.
Employment Opportunities
ASP is looking for current or recently graduated students interested in hands-on public policy experience for full- and part-time internships. Interns will support ASP researchers and staff in multiple areas including communications, development, programming and research.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
Partnering for Prosperity: The State of U.S.-EU Relations
Sophia Dahodwala
In the wake of ISIL, climate change, Ebola, trade negotiation, elections in the European Union and United States, and new leadership in the European Commission, U.S.-EU cooperation comes at a time when partnership is more important than ever.
Challenges in Nuclear Verification: The IAEA’s Role on the Iranian Nuclear Issue
Marylin Carino
Yukiya Amano, the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, spoke at the Brookings Institutions to discuss the challenges in verifying Iran’s nuclear program.
Getting the old band back together? A possible partnership between ISIS and al-Qaeda
Matt Suber
In 2013, the jihadist group ISI (Islamic State in Iraq) began tactical operations in Syria, taking advantage of the country’s civil war. Fighting in both Iraq and Syria, ISI became ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria).
Jon Breed
Veterans are unique members of American society. I believe this, not because veterans receive specialized combat training or make extraordinary sacrifices on behalf of this country. I believe this because, while serving in the military, volunteers from small country towns and big urban cities acquire new experiences and perspectives that most American’s go a lifetime without.
U.S. Military Medicine Drives Innovation and Affects Civilian and Ebola Patients
Jay Lopez
This is a Guest Post from Jay Lopez, President and CEO of Estill Medical Technologies. In this post, the topics of medical innovations on the battlefield, affects on civilian life, and the medical needs for Ebola patients are covered.
Optimism or Reality: US – China Cooperation on Shale Gas
Frauke Heidemann & Patrick Renz
This is the final post of a series on US – China strategic energy relations. Chinese investment in unconventional fossil fuels is aimed at China’s goal of restricting coal use and increasing domestic natural gas production. It also presents an opportunity for increasingly difficult Sino-US bilateral relations.
The U.S. – E.U. Partnership: Looking Ahead
Maggie Feldman-Piltch
The EU-US partnership has been integral in successfully addressing many of the most serious threats to peace, stability, and democracy across the globe in the two decades since its formalization.
Upcoming Events
Tampa Event – Climate Change: Risks for National Security
November 18 @ 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Location: University of Tampa, 401 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, FL 33606
Climate change is already a major concern for US military planners. Meanwhile, American politicians continue to ignore the issue of this growing threat. Join ASP at the University of Tampa on Tuesday, November 18, 2014 as we discuss this important issue.
Geography 2050: Mounting an Expedition to the Future
November 19
Location: Low Memorial Library, Columbia University, 2960 Broadway, Manhattan, NY 10027
The one-day inaugural event, to be held at Columbia’s Low Library in Manhattan, offers an opportunity for thought leaders in industry, government, the social sector, and academe to come together to think about collectively exploring the future, and to examine how geography, geographic thinking, and geospatial data and technologies will enable this new age of exploration.
FSC Event – Climate Change: Risks for National Security
November 19 @ 10:30AM – 12:00PM
Location: Florida Southern College, 111 Lake Hollingsworth Dr., Lakeland, FL 33801
Climate change is already a major concern for US military planners. Meanwhile, American politicians continue to ignore the issue of this growing threat. Join ASP at the University of Tampa on Tuesday, November 18, 2014 as we discuss this important issue.
ASP Conference: Electricity Supply: What it Means for Security, Developments and Geopolitics
November 19 @ 12:00PM – 4:30PM
1100 New York Avenue, NW – 7th Floor – West Tower
The nexus of electricity, development, and security is significant, yet its nuances are too often overlooked. The half-day event will bring together development and energy experts, government officials, and policy makers to better establish the important linkages between power, security, and development, share successful implementation strategies and consider how these successes can be replicated in diverse contexts.
ASP Conference – Pakistan: Aid, Trade, and Security
December 9 @ 12:00PM – 2:00PM
Location: TBA
Join ASP and FTI Consulting as we host an event that will discuss current conditions of economic aid, trade and security in Pakistan, and will feature experts of military and development backgrounds.
About the American Security Project: The American Security Project is a non-profit, non-partisan public policy and research organization dedicated to fostering knowledge and understanding of a range of national security issues, promoting debate about the appropriate use of American power, and cultivating strategic responses to 21st century challenges.
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