Egypt: Spotlight on Politics, But Economic Challenges Growing
Nikhil Lohade / Wall Street Journal
While politics remains at the front and center for now, Egypt’s economy continues to flounder – and needs some urgent attention too.
How the Ukraine Crisis May Complicate Iran Nuclear Talks
David Blair / The Telegraph
Will the new confrontation between Russia and America over Ukraine affect the chances of settling that hardy perennial on the world stage, namely the dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme? The short answer is that it could – and not for the better.
Ukraine Creates National Guard ahead of Crimea Vote
BBC
Ukraine’s parliament has voted to create a 60,000-strong National Guard to bolster the country’s defences. The vote came ahead of Sunday’s referendum in Crimea, now controlled by pro-Moscow forces, on whether citizens want to join Russia.
Russia Said to Ready for Iran-Style Sanctions in Worst Case
Evgenia Pismennaya and Ilya Arkhipov / Bloomberg Businessweek
Russian government officials and businessmen are bracing for sanctions resembling those applied to Iran after what they see as the inevitable annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region, according to four people with knowledge of the preparations.
Stephen Harper Touts South Korea Seal ‘wins’ on B.C. Visit
Susana Mas / CBC News
Prime Minister Stephen Harper was in B.C. today, where he touted the benefits of the Canada-Korea free trade deal not only for the provinces, but particularly for B.C.
How to Skirt an Arms Embargo – DPRK Style!
Catherine A. Traywick / Foreign Policy
Let’s say you’re the supreme leader of a pariah state. You’re looking to move a few hundred tons of Soviet-era arms across international boundaries, but you’ve been slapped by a harsh arms embargo. You’d like to quietly transport a weapons shipment across the globe, but you’d really rather avoid detection. So what’s a Dear Leader to do?
Iran hosts Syria Conference of Assad Sympathizers
Reuters
Iran hosted a rival version of a “Friends of Syria” conference on Wednesday, convening lawmakers from allies around the world to push for a diplomatic solution to Syria’s civil war and lambaste alleged Western interference.
Lessons from the Senate’s Climate Change All-nighter
Sen. Barbara Boxer – Op-Ed / The Huffington Post
When my colleagues and I finished our all-nighter on the Senate floor on Tuesday morning, we had spoken for more than 14 hours to draw attention to the threat posed by climate change. As we had hoped, we engaged the American people in our efforts to wake up the Congress to the threat of climate change.
UN Experts Say Libyan Arms are Fueling Conflicts
Associated Press
U.N. experts say arms trafficking from Libya is fueling conflict, insecurity and terrorism on several continents.
On Our Flashpoint Blog:
Andrew Holland
With a population of 8.2 million, Virginia is the 12th most populous state in the country. Virginia borders between the mid-Atlantic region and the Southeast; its climate has similarly been a border. Compared to other regions, like the southwest or the Northeast, warming in Virginia has been moderate over the last 50 years, with warming occurring mostly in the winter months.
The Secret Trade Contest in North America
Brendan Connell
Just two days ago, Canada celebrated its first ever trade deal in the Asian region, hooking up with South Korea to eventually abolish tariffs on 98% of all goods between the two economies
New Standard Development Alert: FERC’s Response to Physical Threats to the Electricity Industry
Andrew Charles Wills
On February 11, 2014, a PBS aired an interview with former FERC Commissioner Jon Wellinghoff where he lamented slow government reactions to a year-old sniper attack on a California electricity substation, an event that received almost no media coverage for months
Time for Strategic Thinking for Space
August Cole
One of the great 21st Century ironies is that the global economy is critically dependent on space-based communications, monitoring and navigation yet decades ago the American public lost its awe for the Space Age feats that made the era such a powerful one.
The 2014 QDR and Public Diplomacy Towards Iran
Madeline Bersch
Earlier this month, the Department of Defense released the 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review, released every four years to “adapt, reshape, and rebalance [the] military to prepare for the strategic challenges and opportunities” to be faced in the coming years.
ASP Reports:
American Security Quarterly V3 Issue 1
American Security Project
We see it in the news nearly every day. The world is rapidly shifting before our eyes as countries sprout up, struggle to gain a foothold in our international community, and sometimes fall just as quickly. One equally important trend is the interrelationship between the United States and international players on this stage. Never before have we seen the level of interdisciplinary security issues that we see today occurring in all corners of the globe.
National Security and Climate Change
Andrew Holland
The American Security Project, as a national security-focused think tank, believes that concern about climate change should be a non-partisan issue. While we know that the argument about solutions will be partisan, both sides should start with a common understanding that climate change poses real threats to national security.
The Ukraine Crisis and the Geopolitics of Energy
Andrew Holland
A briefing note on the Ukraine Crisis and the Geopolitics of Energy – click to find out the facts and way forward the United States could take.
Mapping the Conflict in Aleppo, Syria
American Security Project
Over the course of four months American Security Project supported Caerus Associates and First Mile Geo in what may be the highest fidelity, time series analysis of the ongoing human tragedy unfolding inside of Aleppo, Syria
Upcoming Events:
Norman Augustine on Defense Budget & Acquisition Reform
March 26, 12:30 – 1:30 P.M.
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.
Extreme Productivity – An Evening with Bob Pozen
March 27, 6:30 – 9:00 P.M.
Bob Pozen is one of the most productive executives. While serving as full time chairman of a large asset management company and teaching a full course load at Harvard Business School, he wrote a popular book entitled Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results; Reduce Your Hours.
Cost: $40.00 Member/ $60.00 Non-Members (cost includes copy of Professor Posen’s book, signed upon request) – Click here to buy tickets
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