In The News

Break in Siege is Little Relief to Syrian City

Ben Hubbard / The New York Times

Mortar rounds and gunfire struck near aid convoys, damaging vehicles and leaving victims lying in the streets. What took place in Homs highlights the tremendous difficulties plaguing even modest humanitarian efforts.

Obama, Hollande pen op-ed ahead of visit

Justin Sink / The Hill

A discussion on the Op-Ed recently published by Presidents Obama and Hollande in the Washington Post. In it, the two leaders wrote how the two countries’ “alliance has transformed,” including joint ventures taken on climate change and Iran’s nuclear program.

Nuclear Waste Solution Seen in Desert Salt Beds

Matthew L. Wald / The New York Times

Half a mile beneath the desert surface, the Department of Energy is carving out rooms as long as football fields and cramming them floor to ceiling with barrels and boxes of nuclear waste. The salt beds, are what the federal government sees as a natural sealant for the radioactive material left over from making nuclear weapons.

Homs Siege Sets Grim Tone for Peace Talks

Sam Dagher / The Wall Street Journal

Hundreds of the sick and starving trapped here by civil war were rescued this weekend after a United Nations convoy rolled through mortar shells and sniper bullets into this besieged city, setting a grim tone as peace talks resumed in Geneva on Monday.

Day After Sochi Olympic Opening, Russians Take Beating On Twitter

Kenneth Rapoza / Forbes

“Russians” are trending on Twitter. But not in the most flattering of ways. Less than 24 hours after the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, the country that’s hosting the roughly $51 billion global competition is taking a Twitter beating on Saturday.

Iraq speaker targeted in blast as 21 militants killed

Ammar Karim / Agence France-Presse

Iraq’s parliament speaker narrowly escaped an attack in his home town on Monday while 21 militants died when a car bomb they were readying mistakenly went off, officials said.

White House Announces 7 Regional Climate Hubs

Coral Davenport / The New York Times

The Obama administration announced the creation of seven regional “climate hubs” on Wednesday to help farmers and rural communities respond to the risks of climate change, including drought, invasive pests, fires and floods.

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.

On Our Flashpoint Blog

Egypt and the Brotherhood question
Paul Hamill

In an Op-Ed over the weekend for Forbes, Dina Khayat, a leading Egyptian business women, set out some of the realities Egyptians face with the Muslim Brotherhood.

Threats to Pennsylvania from Climate Change
Adin Dobkin

On Monday and Tuesday, members of the Consensus for American Security will be in Pittsburgh, PA as part of a nationwide tour with the goal of education the American public on the risks of climate change in light of national security.

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.

Upcoming Events

PENNSYLVANIA EVENT: Washington & Jefferson College Discussion on Climate Change and Energy in Regards to National Security
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.

PENNSYLVANIA EVENT: University of Pittsburgh Discussion on Climate Change and Energy in Regards to National Security
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.

PENNSYLVANIA EVENT: VFW Dinner on Climate Change and Energy in Regards to National Security
American Security Project

Join us February 11, 2014 at 6pm for a dinner at West View VFW Post 2754. 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.

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.

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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