Yemen Asks U.S. For Drones To Fight Al Qaeda
Mohammed Ghobari / Reuters
Yemen has asked the United States to supply it with drones, President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi said on Thursday, to help it fight an al Qaeda threat that recently forced Western countries to temporarily close diplomatic missions in Sanaa.
Public Diplomacy and the Arab World’s Future
Philip Seib / Huffington Post
The key to an improved future in the region is less political than it is economic. Democracy is a worthy goal, but it will be reached only slowly.
Iran Oil Minister Vows to Revive Output as He Eyes Price War
Kambiz Foroohar / Bloomberg
In his first few days as oil minister in President Hassan Rohani’s new government in Tehran, the 61-year-old initiated plans to revive oil production to pre-2005 levels, hinted at a price war to win old customers and brought back managers sidelined by the previous administration.
Fukushima Springs Another Leak in Battle With Radiated Water
Jacob Adelman & Yuji Okada / Bloomberg
Tokyo Electric Power Co. (9501) reported another breach of the defenses it has built at the Fukushima nuclear plant in its more than two-year struggle to stop leaks of radioactive water into the soil and sea.
Wind Turbine Makers Poised for Return to Profitability
Alex Morales / Bloomberg
Wind-turbine makers are poised to make their first profit in years after shutting underused factories and abandoning a drive for growth at all costs.
France Urges ‘Force’ in Syria if Chemical Attacks Are Confirmed
Alissa Rubin & Alan Cowell / New York Times
The French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, spoke as other Westerners urged the Syrian government to permit United Nations inspectors to visit the site of the attack.
In California, a Champion for Police Cameras
Ian Lovett / New York Times
Rialto, Calif., has become the poster city for using cameras to police the police, backed by data showing a sharp decline in both the use of force and complaints against officers.
Mubarak Removed From Egyptian Prison
David Kirkpatrick & Rod Nordland / New York Times
A day after a court said he could no longer be incarcerated, former President Hosni Mubarak, who has been ailing, was taken to the Maadi Military Hospital in Cairo.
ASP Recent Publications
PERSPECTIVE: The U.S. Tight Oil Boom: Geopolitical Winner or Long-Term Distraction?
Advancements in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have already unlocked vast new natural gas resources from shale rock. Drillers are using the same innovations that brought about the “Shale Gas Revolution” for oil, leading to a surge in shale oil (or “tight oil”) production. ASP’s Perspective Paper, “The U.S. Tight Oil Boom: Geopolitical Winner or Long-Term Distraction?” highlights these contradictions – the U.S. tight oil boom has short-term geopolitical benefits, but over the long-term it does not provide real energy security.
FACT SHEET: Academic Exchange: A Pillar of Public Diplomacy
This fact sheet outlines the national security benefits of academic exchange, highlights the types of government sponsorship programs, and explores the metrics surrounding these exchanges.
FACT SHEET: Iranian Ballistic Missiles
Though initiated with a great deal of foreign assistance, Iran is increasingly capable of developing and improving its own ballistic missile technology. This fact sheet provides a useful inventory of the ballistic missiles and space delivery vehicles that the Islamic Republic of Iran deploys and has developed.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
Tight Oil Boom Not the Answer to Energy Security
Nicholas Cunningham / ASP
U.S. domestic oil production has jumped 30% since 2009. This has had some geopolitical benefits but it is not the answer to long-term energy security
Fusion Power: Search for the Ultimate Energy Source, by Steve Dean
Andrew Holland
Dr. Steven O. Dean, one of the leading voices on fusion energy, has a great book out about the history of fusion, “Search for the Ultimate Energy Source.” The book is a comprehensive history of the American Fusion Energy Program.
Champions of Change: Nominate a Veteran Working on Clean Energy and Climate Protection
Andrew Holland
The White House is asking for nominations to their “Champions of Change” program for veterans working on building resilience to climate change and moving to mitigate climate change by deploying clean energy sources.
ASP in the News
ASP’s Andrew Holland Cited in Washington Post
Brad Plumer, of The Washington Post’s WonkBlog wrote an interesting article on the ongoing academic research on the link between climate change and violence, and linked to a blog post written by ASP’s Andrew Holland.
Paul Rockower in the Huffington Post: The Public Diplomacy of Free France During WWII
ASP Adjunct Fellow Paul Rockower’s piece on Free France’s public diplomacy during WWII has subsequently appeared in the Huffington Post.
Op-ED from ASP Board Member Christine Todd Whitman Featured in NY Times
ASP Board Member Christine Todd Whitman contributed to a recent NY Times op-ed piece regarding the Republican case for climate change action.
ASP cited by the Climate Desk
The Climate Desk cited ASP recently in an article on the increasing frequency of superstorms in the future.
ASP CEO BGen Quoted in “Breaking Energy”
ASP’s CEO Brigadier General Stephen Cheney, USMC (Ret.) was quoted in an article in “Breaking Energy” about the connection between climate change and national security.
Adjunct Fellow Dan Grant Writes Op-Ed on TTIP for “The Hill”
ASP Adjunct Fellow Dan Grant recently published a blog for “The Hill” on the impact of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) on China.
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
