Center for Strategic Communication

Negotiators Put Final Touches on Iran Accord

Michael R. Gordon and Eric Schmitt / New York Times

Iran and a group of six world powers completed a deal on Sunday that will temporarily freeze much of Tehran’s nuclear program starting next Monday, Jan. 20, in exchange for limited relief from Western economic sanctions.

Natural Gas Export Project Could Hinge on Court Case

Max Ehrenfreund / Washington Post

The future of a massive, controversial construction project on the Chesapeake Bay for exporting natural gas could depend on one poorly written sentence.

Oil Slips as Iran Agrees to Nuclear Deal: Bargain Hunting Lifts Natural Gas

William L. Watts and Michael Kitchen / Wall Street Journal

Oil futures edged lower Monday, giving back some of the sharp gains at the end of the previous week after Iran and world powers agreed to implement a program later this month to curb Tehran’s nuclear program.

China in Race to Build First Code-Breaking Quantum Supercomputer

Stephen Chen / South China Morning Post

Researchers in China are pulling out all the stops to create the holy grail of technology – the world’s first code-breaking supercomputer.

U.S. Calls China’s New South China Sea Defense Zone ‘Potentially Dangerous’

Heather Timmons / Defense One

China’s recent announcement that foreign fishing vessels traveling in disputed areas of the South China sea need to seek permission from China first has been dismissed as “provocative and potentially dangerous” by the US, “threatening the existing international order” by Japan and dangerous to “peace and stability” by the Philippines.

The “Rise” of Al Qaeda in Iraq and the Threat from Prime Minister Maliki

Anthony H. Cordesman / Center for Strategic & International Studies

No one can deny that al Qaeda is a violent extremist threat wherever it operates. It poses a threat in terms of transnational terrorism in the United States and Europe, and a far more direct threat to the people who live in every area it operates.

Energy 2014: New Battles Loom in a Long War

Alexis Simendinger / Real Clear Politics

In key states important in a midterm election year, conservative activists and coal country representatives have joined forces to accuse Obama and congressional Democrats who support him of trying shutter an industry. These efforts, Republicans say, are killing jobs and making electricity more expensive for consumers.

The World Economy’s Shifting Challenges

George Soros / Project Syndicate

As 2013 comes to a close, efforts to revive growth in the world’s most influential economies – with the exception of the eurozone – are having a beneficial effect worldwide. All of the looming problems for the global economy are political in character.

US Carbon Pollution Up 2 Percent in 2013

Matthew Daly / Associated Press

A new government report says energy-related carbon dioxide pollution increased slightly last year after declining for several years in a row.

Egypt’s Draft Statute has 247 Articles

Ramadan AL Sherbini / Gulf News

Egypt’s draft constitution is made up of 247 articles, including 42 new stipulations mostly tackling individual, political and socioeconomic freedoms.

EVENTS:

America’s Energy Choices for 2014

American Security Project

The way America uses and produces energy remains a hotly debated issue in Washington and around the country. We will discuss the various energy choices available to the United States currently and in the years to come.

Defense Budget in 2014: A Conversation with Russell Rumbaugh

American Security Project

Since sequestration and passage of the new budget, the Defense Department has been adjusting to a reduced funding environment – and 2014 won’t be much different. The speaker will discuss the outlook for Pentagon spending in 2014.

FLASHPOINT BLOG:

ASP Statement on P5+1/Iran Agreement

American Security Project

ASP would like to once again acknowledge U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and other foreign ministers for their outstanding work and diligence in negotiations over the past few months in working to successfully resolve the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.

Top 10 U.S. Public Diplomacy Priorities for 2014

Matthew Wallin / Fellow & Officer Manager – American Security Project

It’s a new year for public diplomacy, and one that’s likely to be filled with opportunities and challenges. With this in mind, I have assembled a top 10 list for public diplomacy priorities for 2014. While by no means serving as a complete list of all the important issues facing U.S. public diplomacy, it is a reflection of the numerous discussions I have held with officials, practitioners, and academics over the past year.

Egypt: The Realities on the Ground

Brigadier General Stephen A. Cheney, USMC (Ret.) / CEO – American Security Project

Having just returned from a week in Cairo, I can say this – Egyptians, as a whole, are considerably happier now and more anxious to move on then they have been in several years.

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