U.S. to Lease Federal Waters for Commercial offshore Wind Energy
John M. Broder, New York Times
The federal government will hold the first lease sale for commercial offshore wind energy projects at the end of July, the Interior Department announced on Tuesday.
Susan Rice to be Appointed National Security Adviser
Chuck Todd, NBC News
Susan Rice will replace Tom Donilon as national security adviser, the White House is expected to announce Wednesday.
Progress on Our 21st Century Grid: Powering Our Country and Our Economy
Patricia A. Hoffman, Department of Energy
Investments in the nation’s electric power grid are delivering significant benefits to consumers and businesses.
US Extending Iran Sanctions Waivers to China, India, 7 Other Countries
AP, The Washington Post
The Obama administration will extend six-month sanctions exemptions to China, India and seven other countries for significantly reducing oil imports from Iran, officials said Tuesday, as the U.S. imposed new measures against companies believed to be acting as a front network to help the Iranian government evade international financial restrictions.
France and Britain Say Nerve Gas Likely Used in Syria
Steven Erlanger, Nick Cumming-Bruce and Alan Cowell, New York Times
A day after France announced that French Laboratory tests had confirmed that sarin gas had been used “multiple times” in Syria “in a localized way,” Britain on Wednesday repeated an earlier assessment that “a growing body of limited but persuasive information” pointed to the use of the same toxin.
US Says Iran’s Nuclear Reactor Plans ‘Deeply Troubling’
Fredrick Dahl, Reuters
The United States said on Wednesday it was “deeply troubled” by Iran’s plans to start a reactor in 2014 that could yield nuclear bomb material while failing to give U.N. inspectors necessary design information about the plant.
Complaints Among Nuclear Missle Crews Suggest Sagging Morale in a Highly Sensative US Force
AP, The Washington Post
Officers with a finger on the trigger of the Air Force’s most powerful nuclear missiles are complaining of a wide array of morale-sapping pressures, according to internal emails obtained by The Associated Press.
After Scarborough, is Ayungin Next?
Victor Reyes, Malaya Business Insight
Is China poised to repeat its takeover of Scarborough Shoal in Ayungin Shoal? A Chinese Air Force general has boasted to China’s media about how its military took control of Scarborough Shoal, sealing it using a layered “cabbage (security) strategy” and transforming the island 124 miles west of Zambales province into an exclusive fishing ground for Chinese fisherman.
U.S. –China Meeting’s Aim: Personal Diplomacy
Mark Landler and Jackie Calmes, New York Times
When Tom Donilon, President Obama’s national security adviser, met with President Xi Jinping in Beijing last week to discuss his coming visit to the United States, China’s newly minted leader told him he wanted a conversation with Mr. Obama that did not involve diplomatic talking points.
Climate Change Causing US wildfire season to last longer, Congress Told
Suzanne Goldenberg, The Guardian
America’s wildfire season lasts two months longer than it did 40 years ago and burns up twice as much land as it did in those earlier days because of the hotter, drier conditions produced by climate change, the country’s forest service chief told Congress on Tuesday.
French Fracking Ban Endorsed on U.S. Environmental Reprecussions
Tara Patel, Bloomberg
France’s ban on hydraulic fracturing should not be eased because the oil and gas drilling technique is causing “considerable” environmental damage in the U.S., according to a government minister.
TAP, Nabucco West Nod Expected Soon
UPI
A decision on which pipeline would transport natural gas from Azerbaijan to Europe is expected by the end of the month, an energy company director said.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
Syrian Civil War: 5 Questions to Follow
Eric Harris Bernstein
In case you have been having a hard time keeping up with all of the news coming out of Syria, ASP has put together a quick round up of 5 key questions whose shifting answers greatly affect the outcome of the Syrian Civil War.
Increase in Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Prompts New Energy Research
Evan Meltzer
A recent graph created by Ecofys, a renewable energy and climate policy-consulting group, details the specific sources of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. What is not evident from the graph, however, is the changing landscape of American energy sources.
ASP Podcast- Climate Change and Global Security
Paul Hamill
This week we discuss the security impacts of the changing climate, from Pakistan, to Africa, to the Pacific – and how all this could have major effects on U.S. national security.
US-EU Trade Agreement Should Boost American Competitiveness
Justin Winikoff
As summer is set to begin, so too are negations between the United States and the European Union on what would be the largest free-trade agreement in history.
The Potential Rise of Sarin Manufacturing Among Non-State Actors
Chris Smith
There is an increasing concern today about the chance that Syria’s chemical stocks could fall into the hands to non-state actors as the civil war there continues.
Strategy for Defense Savings: Reduce Number of 4-Star Generals
Wes Reichart
As the Pentagon looks to conduct more efficient and effective business, without inviting additional national security threats, one key target of cuts could be the plethora of Four-Star command positions in the armed forces.
Qatar’s Renewable Energy Solution to Middle East Food Security Problem
Andrew Holland
The Middle East is particularly vulnerable to food price spikes.The Qatari program aims to utilize seawater in order to make the arid desert bloom.
ASP News
ASP Statement on Former ASP Board Member, Amb Susan Rice’s appointment as NSA
The American Security Project congratulates its former Board Member Susan Rice on her appointment as National Security Adviser. She joins two other former ASP Board Members now serving their nation at the highest level: Secretary of State John Kerry, and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel.
Upcoming Events
The Future of Stability Operations: Lessons From Afghanistan
The international community has learned a great deal about how to conduct stability operations in the last 12 years. Join us for a fact-based discussion with leading experts on stability operations. The panel will discuss key lessons from the experience in Afghanistan and how they can be applied to future conflict environments. The discussion will take place on Monday June 17th from 12:30-1:30 pm. RSVP by emailing events@americansecurityproject.org.
North Korean Nuclear, Missile, and Space Programs: Imagery and Policy Options with Joel Wit
Join us for a lunchtime discussion with Visiting Scholar and former State Department official Joel Wit as he describes current North Korean nuclear, missile, and space programs using imagery slides. Mr. Wit will give his views on the policy options for dealing with this difficult and dangerous nation. The discussion will take place on Tuesday, June 25th from 12:30-2:00 pm. RSVP by emailing events@americansecurityproject.org.
