Take party politics out of Law of the Sea ratification

John Castellaw / Stars and Stripes

It was once an article of faith that on matters of national security, all politicians were expected to “listen to the commanders on the ground.”

Russia will not deliver new arms to Syria: agency

Reuters

Russia will not deliver fighter planes or other new arms to Syria while the situation there remains unresolved, the country’s service for military co-operation said on Monday, according to a Russian news agency.

Nervous Libyans ready for first taste of democracy

Marie-Louise Gumuchian / Reuters

On Saturday, Libyans will head to the polls to elect a 200-member interim national assembly for the first time in over fifty years.

Egypt’s Top Court Affirms Ruling to Disband Parliament

Kareem Fahim and Mayy El Sheikh / New York Times

In a move that escalates tensions between the Egypt’s military and its new President, Mohamed Morsi, the Supreme Constitutional Court upheld the military decree that dismantled Parliament, saying the order was both binding and final.  The ruling comes one day after the President ordered the disbanded Parliament to reconvene.

One year on, South Sudan’s liberation incomplete: Kiir

Hereward Holland / Reuters

On the first anniversary of its independence, South Sudan still struggles with corruption, violence, and an economic dependence on foreign powers.

Handle with care: A fragile Afghanistan in Tokyo

Omar Samad / Foreign Policy

Ten years after the first Afghanistan reconstruction conference was held in Tokyo in 2002, Japan will host a second donors’ gathering on July 8 to formulate a strategy to ensure the sustainable development of Afghanistan beyond 2014 – the date set for NATO’s withdrawal.

U.S. arms makers: uncertainty paralyzing investment, jobs

Andrea Shalal-Esa / Reuters

Uncertainty about the depth of U.S. budget cuts is having a paralyzing effect on the American defense industry’s plans for investment and hiring, top executives from the sector warned on Sunday.

On Our Flashpoint Blog

 

Time to stop the stranglehold of oil on our national security

Lt. Gen Don Kerrick USA (Ret.)

The U.S. economy is dependent on oil based fuels for virtually all of its transportation needs. As a finite resource in high global demand, our access to oil and the requirement to keep its price low is critical for the U.S. economy.

Dereliction of Preparedness after the Derecho

Matthew Wallin

Downed trees, power out, stores closed, and a certain level of pre-apocalyptic chaos. My assessment? Over a decade after 9/11, and almost 7 years after Katrina, I’m not still sure we’re ready for a real emergency.

Policy Needed as Americans Feel the Heat

Carl Grote

With extreme weather plaguing citizens across the country, U.S. lawmakers should pursue climate policy to enhance national security.

Why We Shouldn’t Feel Secure From an Oil Boom

Nicholas Cunningham

It has become fashionable lately to talk about the world being awash in oil. But, there are reasons to think projections are both overblown and dangerous.

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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