Center for Strategic Communication

Turkey should close its border to ISIS

Al-Monitor

US President Barack Obama is reviewing a range of options to deal with the takeover of Mosul and other Iraqi cities by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). One option is Turkey closing its “jihadist highway,” which has provided ISIS and other armed groups a lifeline in Syria.

 

U.N. climate talks fracture over future of carbon markets

Ben Garside / Reuters

The use of carbon markets to curb rising greenhouse gas emissions was dealt a blow on Sunday after two weeks of United Nations talks on designing and reforming the mechanisms ended in deadlock in Bonn, Germany.
Ukraine crisis: Russia halts gas supplies to Kiev

BBC

Ukraine says Russia has cut off all gas supplies to Kiev, in a major escalation of a dispute between the two nations. Both Gazprom and Ukraine’s state-owned Naftogaz company filed lawsuits against each other in the Stockholm arbitration institute.

 

Kerry: US open to working with Iran against extremists in Iraq

Olivier Knox / Yahoo News

Secretary of State John Kerry cautiously signalled on Monday that the United States would be open to cooperating with Iran militarily in Iraq to beat back al Qaida-inspired fighters who pose an “existential” danger to that war-torn country and may look to target Europe and the United States.

 

Moon Power: China’s Pursuit of Lunar Helium-3

Fabrizio Bozzato / The Diplomat

Powering an economy the size of China’s, especially by mid-century, solely by burning massive quantities of finite fossil fuels and relying on conventional nuclear power is not a viable option. For this reason, China is devoting considerable resources to the most futuristic and elusive of unconventional energies: nuclear fusion.

 

Dozens Killed as Militants Attack Kenyan Town

Isma’il Kushkush and Dan Bilefsky / The New York Times

In Nairobi, Kenya, at least 48 people were killed after dozens of militants attacked a Kenyan coastal town overnight, targeting a police station and two hotels. The government blamed a Somali extremist group, the Shabab.

 

Religious Riots Kill 3 Muslims in Sri Lanka

Voice of America

Authorities say clashes between Buddhists and Muslims have killed three Muslims, and wounded at least 75 people in southern Sri Lanka.

 

Pakistan Military Wages Assault Against Militants

Ismail Khan and Declan Walsh / The New York Times

Ending years of hesitation, Pakistan’s military on Sunday said it was launching a major military operation against the Pakistani Taliban and allied foreign militants at their main base in the tribal belt along the Afghan border.

 

On Our Flashpoint Blog

Securing Radiological Materials: Diffusing the Threat of Homegrown Terrorism

Theresa Shaffer

On Thursday, June 12, the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security held a hearing to address the security of radiological materials in the United States.

 

Voice of America Controversy: 5 Must-Read Editorials

Thomas Campbell

A new bill has incited a number of voices to come out in support of maintaining the journalistic credibility of U.S. international broadcasting.

 

Upcoming Events

The 2014 Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review: A Blueprint for State and USAID

June 24 @ 12:30PM – 1:30PM

Join ASP on Tuesday, June 24 as we host a Briefing and Q&A with Deputy Secretary of State Heather Higginbottom, Assistant Administrator Alexander Thier and Special Representative for QDDR Thomas Perriello.

 

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