In Poland, Biden Promises Allies Protection
Mark Landler / The New York Times
Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., declaring that “it’s more important today than ever that friends stand with one another,” promised Poland and the Baltic states on Tuesday that the United States would protect them from any Russian aggression similar to what has taken place in Crimea.
More Theories But Still No Sign of Missing Malaysian Jet
Mark Memmott / NPR
The search continues for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 and the 239 people on board, a search that stretches far to the south in the Indian Ocean to far to the north in Central Asia. The area covers more than 3 million square miles.
In Eastern Ukraine, the Curtain Goes Up, and the Clash Begins
C.J. Chivers & Andrew Roth / The New York Times
The opponents arrived in the city’s center and prepared for the coming scuffle with ritualized familiarity. On one side of Freedom Square, beneath a towering statue of Lenin, hundreds of pro-Russian Ukrainians unfurled Soviet banners and flags and set up a public-address system on the bed of a truck. On the other, under a blue-and-yellow Ukrainian national flag atop the regional administration building, a few hundred police officers stepped from buses to reinforce the small overnight guard.
Egypt Convicts 4 Policemen in Deaths of Islamists
Sarah El Deeb / Associated Press
An Egyptian court convicted four police officers on Tuesday for the killings last summer of 37 Islamist detainees, most of them supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi, and sentenced one of the officers to 10 years in prison.
Three Years of Strife and Cruelty Put Syria in Free Fall
Anne Barnard / The New York Times
At the start of the fourth year since Syrians rose up in a peaceful movement that turned to arms after violent repression, a snapshot of the country presents the harsh truth that Syria’s descent is only accelerating, with nothing to check it.
Russian and Crimean parliaments sign treaty of accession
Will Englund / The Washington Post
Russia effectively absorbed Crimea Tuesday afternoon, moments after President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia has no designs on any other parts of Ukraine. In a speech to a joint session of parliament, which he used to call for the “reunification” of Crimea with Russia, he said that the region has a special role in Russian history that makes it unique.
Scientists Sound Alarm on Climate
Justin Gillis / The New York Times
The report will warn that the effects of human emissions of heat-trapping gases are already being felt, that the ultimate consequences could be dire, and that the window to do something about it is closing.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
Prospects for the Egyptian Economy are Linked Directly to Security
Dina Khayat
In the end, issues of security will determine the presidential candidate the majority of Egyptians will vote for, as well as the future of the country’s economic prospects. It is true that the fate of Egypt is directly linked to the performance of the economy in the few years to come. It is also true that these are inextricably linked to security.
A Military View: Climate Change is Threatening our National Security
BGen Stephen A. Cheney USMC (Ret.)
Climate change is threatening our national security, and indeed the security of hundreds of millions around the world. It is a “threat multiplier” or an accelerant of instability” that affects issues like food and water availability and energy security. It will drive migration and create economic challenges.
Virginia and Climate Change
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.
ASP Recent Publications
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.
ASP 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
April 7, 7:30-9:00 P.M.
Today, the U.S. Navy is preparing for an open Arctic, the Marines are deploying in response to historic typhoons, and the Army is preparing their bases to use less energy than they produce. We know the effects of climate change are here. Meanwhile, many American politicians continue to ignore climate change.
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