U.S. carrier starts Philippine storm relief as Aquino comes under pressure
Stuart Grudgings / Reuters
A U.S. aircraft carrier “strike group” started unloading food and water to the typhoon-ravaged central Philippines on Thursday, as President Benigno Aquino faced mounting pressure to speed up the distribution of supplies.
First Case of New Bird Flu Identified in Human Patient
Alice Park / Times
The latest version is called H6N1, and represents the first time that this strain of bird flu has jumped from birds to people.
Egypt’s Ousted President in Solitary Confinement
Maggie Michael / Associated Press
Authorities moved Egypt’s ousted president from a hospital room to solitary confinement in a massive prison complex Thursday, a security official said, as his son claimed officials denied a family visitation request after lawyers delivered a message from the leader.
The Economist
Foreign governments insist that diplomacy is the only answer to the war in Syria. Yet on November 5th Lakhdar Brahimi, a respected UN envoy, postponed a peace conference in Geneva planned for the end of this month. It was just the latest delay, despite years of effort.
A Vague Map for Chinese Reform
Beina Xu / CFR
On Tuesday, China’s Communist Party wrapped up its Third Plenum—a highly touted, four-day conference of top party officials. It unveiled the official policy blueprint for the next decade in a communiqué, which pledged to give market competition a “decisive role” in the economy and created two new government agencies, among other initiatives.
Why Saudi Arabia Hates the Iran Deal
David Kenner / Foreign Policy
Shell’s Olympus platform left Ingleside, Texas to make its way to Mars B Field in the Gulf of Mexico.
Why Iran’s Military Won’t Spoil Détente with the U.S.
Akbar Ganji / Foreign Affairs
It is fair to assume that any deal between Iran and the United States to freeze Iran’s nuclear program will be greeted by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps with cries of “Death to America!” Hassan Rouhani was elected president earlier this year with a mandate to seek just such a deal. But he still has to reckon with the fact that Iran’s most powerful military force has traditionally been a bastion for ideological hard-liners uninterested in building closer relations with the United States.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
National Security, Climate, and the Philippine Typhoon
Andrew Holland
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has ordered the USS George Washington and her battle group to the Philippines to provide humanitarian assistance in the aftermath of the typhoon. Already, about 90 U.S. Marines and sailors are on the ground providing support.
Complications at the Second Round of P5+1 Talks
Joshua Kyle Miller
At the end of negotiations on November 9th, the P5+1 countries and Iran struggled to agree upon all aspects of the new draft despite having made significant progress. Objections by France brought into question a few aspects of the draft, leaving the issues to be addressed at the next meeting on November 20th.
LOST at Sea
Farhad Mirzadeh
Current disputes between the Dutch and Russian governments highlight the need for the U.S. to accede to the UN Law of the Sea Treaty.
ASP in the News
Holland on Weather.com:Typhoon Haiyan and National Security
ASP Senior Fellow for Energy and Climate Andrew Holland wrote an editorial for Weather.com entitled, What Typhoon Haiyan Means for National Security.
The Future of Nuclear Power – A Conversation with Christine Todd Whitman
Wednesday, November 20th, 2013 0830 – 0930
The political debate on nuclear power has been stuck on the same debates for 30 years, but the technology has rapidly advanced. What is the outlook for the American nuclear industry? Governor Whitman will address this questions, and more.
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