Pakistan: US drone-fired missiles slam into hideouts, kill 18 suspected militants
Associated Press
U.S. missiles slammed into three compounds close to the Afghan border Friday, killing 18 suspected militants, Pakistani officials said, just a day after the government summoned an American diplomat to protest drone strikes in the country’s northwest tribal region.
Fierce fighting in Syria swells refugee exodus
Khaled Yacoub Oweis /Reuters
Syrian army bombardments killed 21 people in a Damascus suburb on Friday in an intensifying civil war that the U.N. refugee agency said had prompted more than 200,000 people to flee the country.
Storm Threatening Tampa Puts GOP Climate Position in Spotlight
Coral Davenport / National Interest
Politically, Tampa, Fla., was a perfect choice to host the Republican National Convention — the city sits at the heart of a swing district in a crucial 2012 battleground state. Practically, it may have been less so — as organizers worry that it remains right in the path of Hurricane Isaac.
Fracking is too important to foul up
Michael R. Bloomberg and George P. Mitchell / Washington Post
In Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York and even Texas, there is a fundamental debate over “fracking” — the hydraulic fracturing of shale rock that, together with horizontal drilling, unleashes abundant natural gas. Mostly, it’s the loud voices at the extremes who are dominating the debate: those who want either no fracking or no additional regulation of it. As usual, the voices in the sensible center are getting drowned out — with serious repercussions for our country’s future
Iran envoy expects ‘progress’ in IAEA talks
AFP
Iran’s envoy to the UN atomic watchdog said that he expected “progress” in talks Friday in which the agency wants to press Tehran to address suspicions of covert nuclear weapons research work.
China’s Missile Advances Aimed at Thwarting U.S. Defenses, Analysts Say
Keith Bradsher / The New York Times
China is moving ahead with the development of a new and more capable generation of intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched missiles, increasing its existing ability to deliver nuclear warheads to the United States and to overwhelm missile defense systems, military analysts said this week.
Exclusive: North Korean leader seeks trip to China for economic help
Benjamin Kang Lim / Reuters
North Korea’s young leader wants a state visit to China in the latest move in his push to lift the isolated state out of decades of poverty, but risks further fraying ties with his only powerful ally by sticking to the threat of a new nuclear test.
U.N. nuclear watchdog pushes Iran to open up military site
Fredrik Dahl / Reuters
The U.N. nuclear watchdog pressed Iran on Friday to address suspicions about nuclear bomb research in the Islamic state, pursuing diplomatic efforts to resolve the dispute before any possible military action by Israel or the United States.
US confirms protests against drone strikes
Anwar Iqbal / Dawn
The US State Department confirmed on Thursday that an American diplomat had a meeting with Pakistani officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad as Pakistan lodged its first formal protest with the United States over drone strikes.
ASP Published This Week:
Enhancing the Defense Industrial Base
Zachary Miller
The defense industry is reaching a profound level of uncertainty in the 21st Century due to dramatic shifts in domestic budgetary priorities and changes in the national security posture of the United States.
An Examination of the Fulbright Program
Prachi Naik
Fulbright operates in 155 countries with over 8,000 exchange participants annually. With an alumni base of over 300,000, Fulbright has been a staple of American exchange diplomacy.
This ASP Perspective paper analyzes the Fulbright Program from a historical and national security perspective. It recommends several steps to maximize the program’s strategic benefit to U.S. national security.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
Ethiopia’s Meles Zenawi and Security in the Horn of Africa
Ashley Boyle
In the wake of Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s unexpected death on August 20, 2012, there has been much speculation as to the effects his loss will have on regional security and stability in the Horn of Africa.
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
