Center for Strategic Communication

Air Algerie flight crashes en route to Algiers
Al Jazeera

A missing Air Algerie flight en route from Burkina Faso to Algiers has crashed, an Algerian aviation official confirmed. I tis unclear if anyone survived the crash.

It’s not just about the Malaysian flight. Russians are living in a distorted reality.
Mark Adomanis / Washington Post

Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 has already shined a spotlight on the Russian public’s somewhat unique  views. Russian media are running with conspiracy theories. The only theory missing is the right one: that Russian-backed separatists accidentally shot down the plane when they mistook it for a Ukrainian military transport.

Norway boosts security in Syria-linked terror alert
BBC

The head of the PST security service, Benedicte Bjoernland, said it had “reliable information” about plans for some kind of attack “within days.”

Veteran Kurdish politician elected president of Iraq
Loveday Morris / Washington Post

A veteran Kurdish politician was elected president of Iraq on Thursday, as political leaders moved a step closer to forming a new government that will face the momentous task of repairing the deep divisions that are tearing the country apart.

Two Ukrainian parties leave parliament coalition to trigger election
Reuters

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko welcomed the departure of two parties from parliamentary coalition on Thursday, opening the way for him to call a new election and give Ukrainians “a full reset” of power.

MH17: Ukraine fighter jets shot down close to crash site
The Independent

Ukraine has accused rebels of shooting down two fighter jets on Wednesday close to where the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crashed. A spokesman for Ukraine’s military operations told Reuters the planes were hit near Savur Mogila, a burial mound in the Shaktersky region. But a separate statement from Ukraine’s Security Council on Wednesday said preliminary information suggested the missiles had been fired from Russia.

Chief Ebola doctor overseeing cases in Sierra Leone contracts the virus
NBC News

A doctor who has played a key role in fighting the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone is infected with the disease, according to that country’s Minister of Health.

 

On Our Flashpoint Blog

Four Key Challenges to Increasing U.S. Private Investment in Chinese Shale Gas
Andrew Holland

China has watched the U.S. success in unconventional oil and natural gas production closely and has plans to replicate it at home. Estimates by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) of June 2013 fuel such plans by suggesting that China might have the world’s largest technically recoverable shale gas resources with up to 1,115 trillion cubic feet.

Climate Change and Security Deep in the Heart of Texas – San Antonio
Andrew Holland

On Tuesday, June 10, representatives of the American Security Project visited San Antonio, Texas for a series of meetings, public events, and briefings on how climate change is affecting security, and how institutions in the region are planning for it.

Upcoming Events

Beyond Rhetoric: How the US can Help Enhance European Energy Security
July 30 @ 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM

Join ASP on July 30, 2014 as a panel of four distinguished experts will discuss LNG and the concrete steps that the United States can take to help enhance Europe’s Energy Security.

What’s Next? Fostering the Next Generation of Energy Security Conference
September 30 @ 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Join ASP and our panelists in a discussion about the next generation of energy technology and climate policy.

The post What We Are Reading … July 24, 2014 appeared first on American Security Project.