27 September, 2012
Sudan and South Sudan sign landmark deal
Al Jazeera
In a move that seeks to heal the rifts between them, Sudan and South Sudan have signed a series agreements on “nine key areas,” including a demilitarized zone, border security, and oil sales. Under the new agreement, South Sudan will be able to export its oil using pipelines controlled by Sudan.
Syrian refugees to reach 700,000 by year’s end – UNHCR
BBC News – Middle East
The UN Refugee Agency is projecting that the number of refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria could swell to 700,000 by the end of the year. To date, approximately 294,000 Syrians have fled the country; most are now sheltered in camps based in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey.
Putting 21st Century Statecraft Into Practice
Tara Sonenshine / DipNote
During the recent crisis in Libya and the events surrounding the online dissemination of a hateful video, many asked: what tools does the State Department have to respond to audiences and engage people around the world in real time? The answer is many.
Oil-rich Cabinda Still Waits for Independence from Angola
Emilie Iob / Voice of America
When Angolan President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos is inaugurated for another term in office, many in the province of Cabinda are not expected to join the celebrations. The oil-rich region continues to demand its independence from Angola, claiming it is marginalized and exploited.
JLTV competitors focus on Marine needs
Michael Hoffman / DoD Buzz
The Army plans to buy ten times as many Joint Light Tactical Vehicles as the Marine Corps, yet the three defense companies selected in the latest round of the truck competition remain focused on the Corps’ priorities for the vehicle: transportability, survivavability, and affordability.
This U.S. Lab Just Hit a Nuclear Fusion Milestone
Martin Hutchinson / The Energy Report
Sandia National Laboratory is making progress in materials used in its fusion reactor. The use of beryllium liners is lending confidence that it can reach net energy gain by the end of next year.
Editorial: Climate change needs to be part of election debate
News Sentinel
The election is a little more than a month away, and candidates are discussing the economy, taxes, debt, national security and a host of other issues. They are not, however, addressing climate change.
U.N nuclear inspectors in “acute dilemma” if Iran faces attack
Fredrik Dahl / Reuters
VIENNA (Reuters) – Would Israel discreetly warn U.N. nuclear chief Yukiya Amano so that he could withdraw his inspectors before any air raid on Iran, as the United States did in a dramatic night-time phone call to his predecessor just before the 2003 war in Iraq?
Netanyahu to set “clear red line” for Iran in U.N. speech
Jeffery Heller / Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will set out, in his speech at the United Nations on Thursday, an ultimatum for Iran to halt its disputed nuclear drive or risk coming under military attack, an Israeli official said.
In the News
Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan
ASP will be hosting a fact-based discussion with leading experts on counterinsurgency this Tuesday, October 9th, 2:00-3:00 p.m. The featured speakers will include Nick Dowling, founder and president of IDS International and David H. Young, a Washington-based writer and analyst of international affairs and violent conflict. Stay tuned for further information!
On Our Flashpoint Blog
Public Concerns Over Climate Change on the Rise
Nicholas Cunningham
With the election only a few weeks away, it is notable how absent climate change is from the political debate. Climate change presents one of the greatest long-term national security threats to this nation, yet the two parties have been lamentably silent on the issues.
Targeted Killing, Pro and Con: What to Make of U.S. Drone Strikes in Pakistan
Joshua Foust
Reports like Living Under Drones highlight the need for both more transparency from the US and Pakistani governments, and for drawing attention to the social backlash against their use in Pakistan. But they do not definitively build a case against drones in general.
Undersecretary Rose Gottemoeller: “CTBT ratification is in U.S. national security interests.”
Mary Kaszynski
Acting Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller recently joined the American Security Project for an event marking the twentieth anniversary of the last U.S. nuclear test.
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
