Center for Strategic Communication

UN inspectors head to Tehran, hope to restart probe of suspicions Iran worked on nuclear arms

Associated Press

VIENNA — Senior U.N. investigators trying for more than a year to restart a probe into Iran’s alleged work on nuclear arms chose their words carefully Tuesday about hopes for success as they left for Tehran on a trip that sets the stage for separate talks between six world powers and the Islamic Republic.

 

Pakistan turmoil deepens as court orders PM’s arrest

Mehreen Zahra-Malik and Katherine Houreld/Reuters

Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered the arrest of the prime minister on Tuesday on corruption allegations, ratcheting up pressure on a government that is also facing street protests led by a cleric who has a history of ties to the army.

 

U.S. moves to bolster French military campaign in Mali

Shashank Bengali, Ken Dilanian and David S. Cloud/ LA Times

The Obama administration is preparing to ferry hundreds of additional French troops to the North African country of Mali, bolstering a rapidly evolving military campaign in the latest conflict with Al Qaeda affiliates.

 

China’s space activities raising U.S. satellite security concerns

Andrea Shalal-Esa/Reuters

The United States is concerned about China’s expanding ability to disrupt the most sensitive U.S. military and intelligence satellites, as Beijing pursues its expanded ambitions in space, according to multiple sources in the U.S. government and outside space experts.

 

VIDEO: Climate change causing economic disaster

Nouriel Roubini and Ian Bremmer/Posted by Reuters

Nouriel Roubini, an economist and New York University professor, and Ian Bremmer, Eurasia Group president, say extreme weather caused by climate change is hampering the global economy. One big problem: Poor nations have few incentives to address the issue because solutions could slow their economic growth.

 

Climate change inaction the fault of environmental groups, report says

Suzanne Goldenberg/The Guardian

A Harvard academic has put the blame squarely for America’s failure to act on climate change on environmental groups. She also argues that there is little prospect Barack Obama will put climate change on the top of his agenda in his second term.

 

Coal in the rich world: The mixed fortunes of a fuel

The Economist

In a high-tech world, dirty black lumps of coal might seem like an anachronism. Yet coal is far from a thing of the past. However whizzy your iPad, your wall-mounted television or your electric car, the chances are that it is powered by the stuff. Coal-fired power stations provide two-fifths of the world’s electricity, and there are ever more of them. In the doubling of the world’s electricity production over the past decade, two-thirds of the increase came from coal. At these rates, coal will vie with oil as the world’s largest source of primary energy within five years.

 

 

ASP Upcoming Events

 

Exploring U.S. Policy Options Towards Iran

Join us for a discussion with retired military leaders on U.S. military options towards Iran.

The event will take place:

Wednesday, January 16, 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
1100 New York Ave, NW Washington DC
Suite 710W – Conference Room E

 

Understanding the Strategic & Legal Context of Drone Strikes

Join us for a fact-based discussion with leading experts on counterterrorism about how we can better understand the effects of America’s drone campaign. This event will launch ASP’s latest paper on drone policy and doctrine, as part of a continuing project.

The event will take place:

Thursday, January 24, 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

1100 New York Ave, NW Washington DC
Suite 710W – Conference Room E

Please RSVP by Monday, January 21 to events@americansecurityproject.org

 

 

On Our Flashpoint Blog

Strategic considerations regarding French Intervention in Mali

ASP’s Ian Platz discusses some strategic considerations for the French intervention in Mali.

On Friday, the French military launched Opération Serval a series of air strikes against radical Islamic groups operating in northern Mali. The French launched this operation at the behest of the Malian government after Islamists attempted to capture the city of Mopti…

 

The Nuke Review, January 7 – 14 2013

 ASP’s Brian Kastner discusses the Iran sanctions, defense budget cuts, North Korea’s nukes, and more!