Center for Strategic Communication

U.S. Imposes Sanctions Against Seven Russians, 17 Companies It Links to Putin

Reuters

The United States on Monday imposed sanctions against seven Russian government officials and 17 companies linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin in its latest action to punish Moscow for its intervention in Ukraine.

U.S., Philippines to Sign 10-year Defense Agreement Amid Rising Tensions

Juliet Eilperin / The Washington Post

The United States and the Philippines will sign a 10-year defense agreement Monday, officials said, one of the clearest signs yet of renewed American engagement in the region at a time when tensions between China and its neighbors have been rising.

China Video Site: US TV Show Ban Not Policy Change

The Associated Press

The boss of a Chinese online video site said Monday he believes the sudden banning of four American TV shows does not represent a wider trend, though it’s unclear why the shows were targeted.

Hagel Urges Trilateral Work for Threat Assessment, Cybersecurity

Cheryl Pellerin / American Forces Press Service

At the second North American Defense Ministerial, with his counterparts from Canada and Mexico, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel urged a quick start to trilateral work on continental threat assessment and cybersecurity, and closer work among the three nations on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

South Korea Prime Minister Resigns Over Ferry Sinking

Jonathan Cheng, Jaeyeon Woo, and In-Soo Nam / The Wall Street Journal

South Korea’s prime minister resigned Sunday over the government’s handling of the recent ferry sinking, a tragedy that has many Koreans questioning the government’s ability to cope with crises.

Syria’s Bashar al-Assad Announces Candidacy for June 3 Elections

The Associated Press

President Bashar al-Assad announced his candidacy for the June 3 presidential elections on Monday, a race he is likely to win amid a raging civil war that initially began as an uprising against his rule.

Afghan Election: Abdullah and Ghani Set for Second Round

BBC News

Both candidates in the Afghan presidential election are insisting that they are prepared to fight on rather than make a deal. Preliminary results show that neither the former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah or former World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani reached the 50% needed for an outright win.

Intelligence Agencies Granting Fewer Security Clearances

Eric Katz / Defense One

The number of new security clearances provided by the federal government — both initial clearances and renewals — has decreased by 9 percent since 2011, according to a new report.

ASP Recent Publications

Ten Key Facts – Climate Change
Andrew Holland & William Fassuliotis

In order to clearly show the basics that policymakers need to know, this paper lays out 10 essential facts about climate change.

FACT SHEET – Current Space Launch Vehicles Used by the United States
Nathan Daniels

This paper serves as a brief, but factual overview of active launch vehicles used by the United States, as well as a basis for progression within ASP’s national security and space initiative.

WHITE PAPER – National Security and Space – The Next Space Race: Competition
August Cole

This paper goes into detail on the next steps the United States should be considering to enhance our national security, secure our access to space, as well as to gain value for money from taxpayers.

On Our Flashpoint Blog

The Negative Effects of the United States’ Reliance on Russia for Rocket Engines – Undermining Ukraine Sanctions
Nathan Daniels

According to Fox News’s James Rosen, a top Russian official is still benefiting from a DoD contract that supplies the U.S. Air Force with RD-180 engines for its EELV Space Launch Program, despite White House sanctions in regard to the Ukraine crisis.

Top Ten Reasons for ITER

Kathy Duong

As climate change becomes a serious national security threat, we must look to the future for a clean, safe and sustainable source of energy for our future.

US-Japan Trade Talks Come Up Empty
Brendan Connell

In Tokyo on Thursday, US and Japanese sides negotiated into the night with hopes of hammering out a preliminary trade agreement that could act as a major building block for the coveted Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). But the efforts of USTR Michael Froman and Japanese Minister Akiri Amari stalled in the end.

Upcoming Events

CHICAGO EVENT – The Multiplication of Threats: Climate Change & the Risks to National Security
April 30 – 6:00 – 8:30 P.M.

Join Brigadier General Stephen A Cheney, USMC (Ret.) and Senior Fellow Andrew Holland to discuss how climate change is creating new threats to America’s National Security.

21st Century U.S.-Egypt Strategic Relations Conference
May 7 – 1:00-6:00 P.M.

Join us for in depth look into the current state of Egypt, the challenges the nation faces, and the future outlook for the government and people. Key Note Speaker – H.E. Amr Moussa; followed by 3 expert panels – U.S.-Egyptian Strategic Relations – Moving Forward, Counter-Terrorism & Regional Security, and Investment Climate & Entrepreneurship.

Building a Better Corporate Tax Regime & Strengthening our Economic Security – A conversation with Robert Pozen
May 13 – 8:00 – 9:30 A.M.

Join ASP Tuesday, May 13th as we host Bob Pozen for an informative discussion about corporate tax reform, as well as the many fiscal and political obstacles facing it.

EU Election Results: Implications for the United States
May 28 – 8:30-9:30 A.M.

Join the American Security Project for a conversation about the affects these elections will have on the United States. We will be joined by Paul Adamson, Philippe Maze-Sencier, and Geoffrey Harris who will be contributing their years of experience to the discussion.

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