Middle East & North Africa
To fight Islamic State, we need jobs for youth in the Middle East
Basil El-Baz | GlobalPost
As the world unites in its determination to defeat the Islamic State (IS), we must all acknowledge that to complete this task fully and ensure extremists like this are never able to pose such a threat, bombs, bullets and boots are only a small part of what is actually needed.
Syria, Iran accuse Israel of air strike; arms for Hezbollah are likely target
Michael Holtz | The Christian Science Monitor
Israeli warplanes bombed two areas near Damascus on Sunday, the Syrian military said, drawing harsh criticism from the Syrian and Iranian foreign ministers.
Tunisia to hold presidential runoff on Dec. 21
Al-Arabiya
Moncef Marzouki and Beji Caid Essebsi are to face off on December 21 in Tunisia’s second round of presidential voting to decide who leads the nation that sparked the Arab Spring.
Afghanistan – Pakistan
US, NATO end Afghan combat command after 13 years
Lynne O’Donnell | The Associated Press
The U.S. and NATO closed their combat command in Afghanistan on Monday, more than 13 years after invading the country in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks to target al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden.
US hands over senior Taliban commander to Pakistan
Rebecca Santana & Ishtiaq Mahsud | The Associated Press
The U.S. military in Afghanistan has handed over three Pakistani detainees to Islamabad, including one who Pakistani intelligence officers said is a senior Taliban commander long wanted by the Pakistani government.
Climate Change
Australia named worst-performing industrial country on climate change
Graham Readfearn | The Guardian
Australia has been named the worst-performing industrial country in the world on climate change in a report released at international negotiations in Peru.
Energy
Oil keeps sliding on oversupply fears
BBC
The price of oil has hit another five-year low as fears of oversupply continue to mount. Brent crude was down $1.77 at $67.30 a barrel in Monday afternoon trading, having earlier hit $66.77 – its lowest since October 2009.
Russia & Ukraine
Russia’s strategy for undermining Western unity is working
Paul Ames | GlobalPost
Vladimir Putin’s timing can be impeccable. On the day before NATO foreign ministers met in Brussels, Belgium, this past week to re-affirm their unity and determination in the face of Moscow’s aggression in Ukraine, the Russian president was enjoying a red-carpet welcome in the country with NATO’s second largest army.
Science & Technology
NASA’s New Orion Spacecraft Completes First Spaceflight Test
NASA
NASA marked a major milestone Friday on its Journey to Mars as the Orion spacecraft completed its first voyage to space, traveling farther than any spacecraft designed for astronauts has been in more than 40 years.
Warm Gas Pours ‘Cold Water’ on Galaxy’s Star-Making
NASA
Some like it hot, but for creating new stars, a cool cosmic environment is ideal. As a new study suggests, a surge of warm gas into a nearby galaxy – left over from the devouring of a separate galaxy – has extinguished star formation by agitating the available chilled gas.
International Trade Agreements
TTIP divides a continent as EU negotiators cross the Atlantic
Ian Traynor | The Guardian
Rarely has a trade agreement invited such hyperbole and paranoi. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) – or proposed free trade pact between the US and the European Union – has triggered apocalyptic prophecies.
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
Innovative Solutions to Providing Reliable Power
Caroline Julia con Wurden
BGen Stephen A. Cheney, CEO of the American Security Project moderated the third panel discussion of “Electricity Supply: What it means for Security, Development, and Geopolitics” on Innovative Solutions to Providing Reliable Power.
Maggie Feldman-Piltch
Brian Rich, COO of APR Energy, moderated the second panel of ASP’s “Electricity Supply: What is means for Security, Development and Geopolitics,” “The Challenges of Generating and Delivering Electricity.”
Electricity: The Catalyst for Change
Sophia Dahodwala
The first panel of ASP’s conference “Electricity Supply: What it means for Security, Development & Geopolitics,” entitled “Electricity: The Catalyst for Change,” brought together an array of development and security experts to highlight the importance of energy and electricity generation around the globe.
ASP’s Cheney and Holland in: “Strengthening national security through climate resiliency”
Andrew Holland
ASP’s CEO, BGen Stephen Cheney (ret.) and ASP’s Senior Fellow for Energy and Climate Andre Holland wrote an Op-Ed published on November 28 in The Hill that shows how we can strengthen America’s national security through investments overseas in climate resiliency.
Russia’s Natural Gas Pivot to Asia: A Reality Check
Hidetoshi Azuma
ASP’s Hidetoshi Azuma first post in the series of analysis examining Russia’s energy pivot to Asia.
Upcoming Events
ASP Conference – Pakistan: Aid, Trade, and Security
December 9 @ 12:00PM – 2:00PM
Location: New York, NY
The event will be a discussion of the current conditions of economic aid, trade and security in Pakistan, and will feature ASP Board Member Admiral William Fallon UCN (Ret.), former Commander of CENTCOM and PACOM, and USAID Assistant to the Administrator for Pakistan in the Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs Mr. Daniel Grant.
Deputy Under Secretary of Defense John Conger: DoD Efforts on Climate Adaptation
December 12 @ 12:00PM – 1:30PM
Location: American Security Project, 1100 New York Ave. NW – 7th Floor West Tower, Washington DC 20005
A changing climate poses threats to global security and to American interests around the world. In October, the Department of Defense issued its landmark Climate Adaptation Roadmap that detailed how the military is planning for climate change. As the Department of Defense’s lead climate official, acting Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Conger will discuss how the Department plans to implement the roadmap in the years ahead.
4th Annual Defense, National Security & Climate Change Symposium
January 7 @ 8:00AM – 5:00PM
Location: , 2660 Woodley Rd NW, Washington DC, 20008
Join us for the 4th Annual Defense, National Security & Climate Change Symposium from January 7-8, 2015. Take advantage of a special 20% discount offer by entering ASP-Discount-2015 at check-out.
Economic Diplomacy: How Economic Ties Can Strengthen National Security with Amb. Rivkin
January 15 @ 12:30PM – 1:30PM
Location: American Security Project, 1100 New York Ave. NW – 7th Floor West Tower, Washington DC 20005
Join ASP on January 15, 2015 as we welcome Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs Charles H. Rivkin for Economic Diplomacy: How Economic Ties Can Strengthen National Security.
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.
For more information, visit www.americansecurityproject.org info@americansecurityproject.org
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