Libya Says Gadhafi Regime’s Chemical Weapons All Destroyed
Defense News
Libya has completely destroyed the chemical arsenal it inherited from the ousted dictatorship of Moammar Gadhafi, Foreign Minister Mohamed Abdelaziz announced on Tuesday.
Defense contracts are hard to kill. Does that show up in lobbying totals?
Lydia Depillis / Washington Post
Though modern warfare requires more long-range systems like drones and missiles than overwhelming force on the ground, Congress has continued to give the Army more money than it’s even asked for to keep building expeditionary fighting vehicles.
Time for Natural Gas Diplomacy
Brittney Lenard & Yevgen Sautin / National Interest
The United States is undergoing one of the quietest economic revolutions in history. Unthinkable only a few years ago, the shale gas revolution has drastically reduced domestic natural gas prices, making it possible for the U.S. to shutter heavily polluting coal plants, reduce the overall carbon intensiveness of our economy, and spur domestic manufacturing and petrochemicals industries.
Natural gas closes nearly 10% higher; oil rebounds
Myra P. Saefong & Laura He / Wall Street Journal
Natural-gas prices surged nearly 10% on Tuesday, settling at their highest price in almost a week, with traders betting on a big weekly drop in U.S. supplies as severe cold lingers in the Northeast.
Let’s Stop Talking About Climate Change Like It’s Breaking News
Tom Engelhardt / Mother Jones
Here’s the scoop: When it comes to climate change, there is no “story,” not in the normal news sense anyway.
Iran is not open for business, US tells France
The Local
A visit to Iran by a large French business delegation drew a stern warning from Washington Tuesday that most US sanctions remain in place and will be enforced even against allies.
US negotiator hears, amid skepticism, Senate support for diplomacy with Iran
Laura Rozen / The Back Channel
With support waning for Iran sanctions legislation, top US Iran negotiator Wendy Sherman and Treasury Undersecretary David Cohen testified on the Iran nuclear deal to the Senate foreign relations panel Tuesday.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
Update: Negotiations on Iran’s Nuclear Program
Nathan Daniels
Yesterday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing providing an update on the P5+1’s negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Wendy Sherman, contributed the progress made to a combination of “tough diplomacy” and the most comprehensive targeted sanctions regime ever imposed on a country.
NOAA’s Significant Climate Anomalies and Events
William Fassuliotis
A look and analysis of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report on climate-related occurrences in 2013.
Energy & Climate Security: A Necessary Nexus
Nathan Alvarado-Castle
Energy and climate security should be treated as two sides of the same coin. But often, US national security analysts make a sharp distinction that separates the fundamental link the two issues share.
Are the Olympics an Opportunity for Public Diplomacy?
Madeline Bersch
It’s certainly possible for diplomacy to occur over the course of the Games; however, I’m skeptical that a setting in which nationalism rules would present a fair opportunity to create meaningful and lasting—as well measurable—public diplomacy outcomes, especially in an official government capacity. While bringing athletes together can have positive effects, the environment surrounding the Olympics does not lay sturdy groundwork for public diplomacy to flourish.
Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP): Infrastructure Resilience is Key
Andrew Charles Wills
Speculations and investigations related to national security have identified a growing concern: the potential exploitation of weaknesses in national infrastructure.
The Slow-Minded Myth about a Fast-Tracked Policy
Brendan Connell
The common discourse over fast-track mostly involves the alleged trade-off between effectiveness and accountability in US trade policy. But does a “slow-tracked” nation mean any more accountability than a “fast-tracked” one?
Thoughts on The State of The Union 2014
Stephen A. Cheney
ASP CEO, Brigadier General Steve Cheney – USMC (retired), shares his thoughts the on State of the Union 2014.
Andrew Charles Wills
NERC ensures the reliability of the electricity grid. It is an important, if overlooked part of our energy security.
ASP Recent Publications
Fact Sheet – Executive Authority in US Trade Policy
Brendan Connell / American Security Project
There has been an increasing discussion regarding the possibility of Congress granting the US presidency “fast track” authority in free trade agreements. But the shifting of trade authority to the executive has been a heated debate starting from the days of the Great Depression.
America’s Energy Choices – 2014
American Security Project
Three years after ASP first released “America’s Energy Choices” in 2011, the U.S. remains stuck in a political stalemate over energy. Even so, the energy choices made years or even decades ago by politicians, businesses, and consumers have led to a revolution in how the U.S. produces energy. The reality of change in America’s energy system is far different from the stagnation of the political debate.
Upcoming Events
American Security Project
Join us February 10, 2014 at 7pm on the campus of Washington and Jefferson College. In 2014-2015, the American Security Project (ASP) is undertaking a grassroots effort to build a consensus among Americans around the country from left to right, and especially among the non-political, that climate change is not simply a low-priority ‘green’ issue: but instead it is a pressing national security threat.
American Security Project
Join us February 11, 2014 at 12:15pm on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. In 2014-2015, the American Security Project (ASP) is undertaking a grassroots effort to build a consensus among Americans around the country from left to right, and especially among the non-political, that climate change is not simply a low-priority ‘green’ issue: but instead it is a pressing national security threat.
A View from the Ambassador’s Post: Ambassador Don Beyer on American Public Diplomacy
American Security Project
2014 is a year of opportunity and challenges in public diplomacy. Join us as Ambassador Don Beyer discusses his experiences as Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, and explores the role public diplomacy plays in shaping America’s security, foreign policies and relationships abroad.
EVENT INVITE: Inside Aleppo: New Tools for Understanding the Syrian Conflict
American Security Project
The American Security Project will host Dr. David Kilcullen and Mr. Nate Rosenblatt of Caerus Associates who will provide a briefing on findings from what may be the most detailed, publicly available assessment of the ongoing conflict in Syria to date.
Defense Budget Issues for FY15: A Conversation with Dr. Lawrence J. Korb
American Security Project
Since sequestration and passage of the new budget the Defense Department has been adjusting to a reduced funding environment. The speaker will discuss the outlook for Pentagon spending for FY15 from personnel costs to right sizing the nuclear arsenal.
EVENT: TTIP – Trade and Investment: A U.S. and European Perspective
American Security Project
Paul Adamson, editor of the European magazine E!Sharp and Senior European Policy Advisor, and Peter Rashish, a Senior Advisor for Europe and Transatlantic Trade at Transnational Strategy Group LL, will discuss the key elements of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations, key aspects for the U.S. and the E.U., the 2014 trade-political climate, and key issues both parties will face going forward.
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