ASP: In case you missed it ….
20 March 2013
Afghans Compromise on Special Forces Ban
Azam Ahmed/NY Times
President Hamid Karzai’s government agreed to compromise on his demand that American Special Operations forces immediately leave Wardak Province.
Iranians hopeful — and fearful — for new year as Nowruz celebration nears
Jason Rezaian/Washington Post
The Iranian new year arrives with the first moment of spring on Wednesday afternoon, and many here say they are happy to close the book on the past 12 months.
Melting Sea Ice Keeps Hungry Polar Bears on Land
Tanya Lewis/LiveScience
Polar bears, the iconic victims of climate change, are shifting their migration patterns because of changes in sea ice.
U.N.: Syria’s humanitarian crisis is ‘dramatic beyond description’
The United Nations official responsible for aiding Syrian refugees painted his bleakest picture to date Tuesday, describing a humanitarian crisis that is “dramatic beyond description” and a country and people so destroyed that they could take years to recover under the best of circumstances.
Nuclear talks: Iran unmoved by world powers’ latest proposal
Scott Peterson/Christian Science Monitor
World powers and Iran met in Istanbul yesterday to follow up on last month’s talks in Kazakhstan. Despite high hopes, the two sides didn’t find enough common ground.
U.S. ambassador: ‘No evidence’ of chemical weapons use in Syria
Babak Dehghanpisheh, Karen DeYoung and Ahmed Ramadan/Washington Post
The U.S. ambassador to Syria told Congress Wednesday that there is no evidence yet that either the Syrian government or opposition rebels used chemical weapons in attacks this week.
AP: Costs of US wars linger for over 100 years
Mike Baker, Associated Press
If history is any judge, the U.S. government will be paying for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars for the next century as service members and their families grapple with the sacrifices of combat.
North Korea Vows Military Action Against More U.S. B-52 Flights
Sangwon Yoon/Bloomberg
North Korea warned of “strong military counter-action” if the U.S. again flies B-52 bombers over the Korean peninsula, with two flights this month after the totalitarian regime threatened preemptive nuclear strikes.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
U.S. infrastructure again fails to make the grade
August Cole
In the public policy realm, many issues are out of reach for a lot of Americans because they can seem abstract by either their scale, such as $16 trillion in national debt, or baffling in their complexity.
The value of strategic patience in Mali
Matt Freear
The United States should not be distracted from attaining its own far more prosaic and long-term goals in the region.
U.S. infrastructure again fails to make the grade
August Cole
That the American Society of Civil Engineers should give the U.S. a “D+” grade in its 2013 survey will come as no surprise to those who regularly travel ravaged roadways, suffer through recurring flight delays or find themselves without power during mild spring storms.
Interior’s Review Says Shell was Unprepared for Arctic Drilling
Danielle Parillo
On March 8, 2013 the Department of Interior finished its 60 day review of Royal Dutch Shell’s 2012 drilling season in the Arctic.
This Week in Public Diplomacy Mar 18
Lívia Pontes Fialho
A round-up of public diplomacy news.
Upcoming Events
Nation Branding and Global Politics: A Conversation with Sir Martin Sorrell
Join ASP for an insightful conversation on nation branding with Sir Martin Sorrell, founder and CEO of the world’s largest advertising group.
A Conversation with Anita Friedt: Nuclear Priorities 2013
Join us for a conversation with Anita Friedt, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, on the State Department’s nuclear priorities in 2013.
National Security and the DOD: 2025
Two leading Congressmen from the House Armed Services Committee – from both parties – will lay out their views, and discuss what the Department of Defense requires leading up to 2025, and how it can be reformed in order to meet the challenges & seize the opportunities.
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
