Key Reads
Vladimir Putin Denounces U.S. Over FIFA Arrests
Andrew Roth / New York Times
President Vladimir V. Putin on Thursday denounced the arrests of top FIFA officials in Zurich as “another blatant attempt by the United States to extend its jurisdiction to other states.” Mr. Putin’s comments, a transcript of which was posted on the Kremlin website on Thursday, were an unscheduled defense of FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, and of Sepp Blatter, its president, whom Mr. Putin implied the United States was trying to topple.
Australia Blasted in Missing Plane Search
Reuters
Nearly a year after embarking on a multi-million dollar quest to solve one of aviation’s greatest unsolved mysteries, authorities and search teams are being criticized over their approach to finding Flight MH370 in the remote southern Indian Ocean.
Public Diplomacy
Farewell to VOA Director David Ensor
David Ensor / Voice of America
David Ensor remarks on his time as Director at Voice of America and where it is headed in the face the challenges of today’s fast-changing media environment.
American Competitiveness
Dollar Momentum Wanes, China Stocks Take Heavy Tumble
Marc Jones/ Reuters
The dollar took a breather on Thursday after hitting its highest level against the yen since 2002, and stocks stuttered as high-flying Chinese shares tumbled and European officials downplayed talk of an imminent deal to keep Greece afloat.
TTIP Wins Key Panel Vote
Hans von der Burchard and Maia de la Baume / Politico
The Parliament’s trade committee back a resolution in support of the EU-US free trade agreement, including a deal on the controversial investor state dispute settlement.
National Security & Strategy
Anthrax Shipped Accidentally to South Korea and US Labs
Steve Evans / BBC
The US military accidentally sent live anthrax samples to as many as nine labs across the country and to a US military base in South Korea, the Pentagon says. Twenty-two military personnel at the Osan Air Base in South Korea are receiving preventive treatment after being possibly exposed to the sample.
White House: Congress Playing ‘National Security Russian Roulette’ in Patriot Act Debate
Ellen Nakashima/ The Washington Post
The Obama administration is warning that the FBI will lose legal tools critical to national security investigations at a time of heightened threats of terrorism if Congress fails to renew key USA Patriot Act provisions by midnight Sunday.
Asymmetric Operations
Obama at War
PBS / Frontline
Inside the Obama administration’s struggle to deal with ISIS and the civil was in Syria.
Al-Qaeda ‘Orders Syria’s Al-Nusra Front Not to Attack West’
BBC News
Al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria has been ordered by the jihadist network not to use the country to launch attacks on the West, the group’s leader has said.
General Dempsey’s First Fight in Iraq Shapes his Approach to Islamic State
Missy Ryan / The Washington Post
Gen. Martin Dempsey, the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs, has played a key role in forming the administration’s often-criticized approach of using military force sparingly against the militants.
Climate Security
Scientists Warn to Expect More Weather Extremes
John Schwartz/ New York Times
Torrential rains and widespread flooding in Texas have brought relief from a yearslong drought to many parts of the state. Such unpredictable and heavy rains are a big part of what climate scientists say that many Texans can expect in years to come.
We are Definitely Heading Toward a Cleaner Future
M. Scott Mahaskey / Politico
Dr. Ernest Moniz, the MIT physicist who is President Obama’s energy secretary, is back to his day job, where his main focus is trying to nudge America toward a climate-friendly future. He says we’re in the midst of another revolution, a transformation driven by the plunging costs of green technologies like wind power, solar power, LED bulbs and advanced batteries, as well as a fracking boom that has brought the U.S. percentage of petroleum imports to its lowest level since the 1950s. In an interview with The Agenda’s Michael Grunwald, Moniz talked about the low-carbon revolution he believes has already begun—and why he thinks even skeptical Republicans will eventually get on board.
Energy Security
Arctic Security: Hype, Nuances and Dilemmas
Andreas Østhagen / The Arctic Institute
For a decade, journalists and scholars have been engaged in debates on the potential for conflict over Arctic resources and territory. After more sober discussions prevailed the past few years, alarmist headlines have returned due to Russia’s expansionist behavior 2000 south in Ukraine.
OPEC Sees Rivals Boosting Oil Output Despite Weak Prices
Dmitry Zhdannikov / Reuters
The North American oil boom is proving resilient despite low oil prices, producer group OPEC said in its biggest and most detailed report this year, suggesting the global oil glut could persist for another two years. A draft report of OPEC’s long-term strategy, seen by Reuters ahead of the cartel’s policy meeting in Vienna next week, forecast crude supply from rival non-OPEC producers would grow at least until 2017.
Nuclear Security
France Rejects Iran Leader’s Ban on Unlimited Nuclear Inspections
Rick Gladstone / New York Times
France challenged Iran’s supreme leader on Wednesday over a disputed element of the Iranian nuclear talks, asserting that it would not sign any pact unless Iran allowed all its nuclear installations, including military sites, to be inspected. The French position was stated by the foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, just as negotiations reconvened in Vienna with the aim of reaching a final agreement by June 30.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
Obama’s Speech to Coast Guard Cadets: Climate Change is a Threat to National Security
Andrew Holland
On May 20, 2015, President Obama gave the commencement speech for the 2015 graduating class of the Coast Guard academy. In his speech, the President explained how climate change will impact the careers of the graduating officers, and how it will act as a “threat multiplier” or an “accelerant of instability” for conflict around the world.
Making the Most of U.S. and Foreign Investment in Egypt
Riza Kumar
American Security Project hosted a round table of delegates from the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt to discuss the current state and projected future of U.S. and foreign investment in Egypt. Egypt represents the nexus of the Middle East, Africa, and the Mediterranean, opening Egypt’s market would also increase the visibility of these markets to the European and Asian markets to further develop interdependence throughout the global market.
ASP Board Members and Staff Visit Princeton Plasma Physics Lab
The American Security project
On Monday, May 18, members of ASP’s Board, including former Governor of New Jersey and Administrator of the EPA Christine Todd Whitman, American Security Project Board President and President of McLarty Associates Nelson Cunningham, and senior national security experts Vice Admiral Lee Gunn, USN (Ret.), Brigadier General Stephen Cheney, USMC (Ret.), and Senior Fellow Andrew Holland visited Princeton Plasma Physics Lab (PPPL) to discuss fusion as an integral component of our energy security.
Upcoming Events
New York City Event – The American Fusion Project: Scientific Breakthroughs
June 16 @ 12:30pm
As a part of New York’s annual “Energy Week,” the American Security Project, in conjunction with FTI Strategic Communications, is proud to sponsor a lunch on new developments in fusion energy research. It will take place at FTI’s Wall Street Plaza office, 88 Pine Street, 32nd Floor, New York City, NY.
ASP Recently Published
Environmental Threats to Louisiana’s Future: Climate change
American Security Project
As one of the centers of energy production, transit, and storage, Louisiana is a hub for the whole country. This ensures that any problems in Louisiana are transferred throughout the country by energy price volatility and uncertainty.
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