U.S. says Iran economy under strain, urges new nuclear policy
Reuters
A precipitous drop in Iran’s currency, the rial, shows that sanctions are cutting “deeper and deeper” into its economy, the United States said on Monday, reiterating Iran must rein in its nuclear program.
Georgia President Mikheil Saakashvili admits election loss
BBC News – Europe
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has conceded that his party has lost the parliamentary elections to the Georgian Dream bloc of Bidzina Ivanishvili. Despite an “ugly election campaign,” the OSCE has validated the polling and the results have not been disputed.
White House secret meetings examine al-Qaeda threat in North Africa
Greg Miller and Craig Whitlock/ The New York Times
The White House has held a series of secret meetings in recent months to examine the threat posed by al-Qaeda’s franchise in North Africa and consider for the first time whether to prepare for unilateral strikes, U.S. officials said.
Congress fails to reauthorize the Pentagon’s mission in Iraq
Josh Rogin / Foreign Policy
The Pentagon is scrambling to figure out how to keep its personnel in Iraq after Congress failed to authorize funding for the hundreds of U.S. military personnel involved in training the Iraqi security forces
U.S. Abandoning Hopes for Taliban Peace Deal
Matthew Rosenberg And Rod Nordland/ The New York Times
With the surge of American troops over and the Taliban still a potent threat, American generals and civilian officials acknowledge that they have all but written off what was once one of the cornerstones of their strategy to end the war here: battering the Taliban into a peace deal.
Thousands Make Last Plea to Include Climate Change in Presidential Debates
Jason Plautz / InsideClimate News
Nine environmental organizations Friday delivered more than 160,000 petitions to Jim Lehrer urging him to ask a question about climate change during Wednesday’s first presidential debate. The goal is to bring attention on a national stage to an issue that’s been pushed aside in the election, said Mike Palamuso, a spokesman for the League of Conservation Voters.
Climate change ‘may shrink fish’
Matt McGrath / BBC
Fish species are expected to shrink in size by up to 24% because of global warming, say scientists. Warmer waters could decrease ocean oxygen levels and significantly reduce fish body weight.
WHY IT MATTERS: Defense spending
Robert Burns / AP
Is the U.S. spending enough money on defense, and is it spending it in the right ways? In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks the money spigot was turned wide open, pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and expanding the armed forces. Now that’s changing, and an important issue in the election is whether budget cuts have gone too far.
Reports
AMERICAN SECURITY QUARTERLY
This edition of the American Security Quarterly contains work by our board members, staff, and adjunct fellows. Topics range from a national security strategy, public diplomacy, climate change, drones, fusion and biofuels.
In the News
Has the multilateral approach to Europe helped America?
Matthew Wallin/ E!Sharp
In an op-ed for the European online publication E!Sharp, Matthew Wallin analyzes whether President Obama’s efforts to improve relations with Europe have helped to achieve his security goals for Afghanistan
Envisioning a Sustainable Energy Future
Christine Todd Whitman / The Huffington Post
ASP Board Member and former Administrator of EPA and Governor of New Jersey, Christine Todd Whitman, penned an oped on the critical role that nuclear power plays in building a sustainable energy future.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
Fusion Milestone Elusive – But Worth It
Nicholas Cunningham
On Saturday, The New York Times ran an article on how the National Ignition Facility missed its target for “ignition”. However, before we consign the $5 billion investment to the dustbin, we should take a careful look at the notable successes the NIF has had and how close the facility is to achieving a goal that has eluded the world’s best scientists for over 50 years.
Dealing with America’s nuclear waste: a promising new patent
Martin Bee
Three physicists from the University of Texas at Austin have been awarded a U.S. patent for an invention that could turn nuclear waste into energy. If their invention works, it could revolutionize how America deals with its radioactive waste.
The Nuke Review, September 24 – October 1
Mitchell Freddura
Read about Iran’s Arak nuclear reactor; President Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s UN speeches; The threat of nuclear terrorism; ASP’s event with Under Secretary Rose Gottemoeller; and more!
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
