Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan Set For Three-Way Talks on Controversial Nile Talks
Nigel Wilson / International Business Times
Sudan is set to host three-way talks with Egypt and Ethiopia over the construction of the Grand Renaissance Dam, according to Egyptian state news agency MENA.
Ukraine, Rebels Accuse Each Other of Attacking Refugee Bus Convoy
Richard Balmforth and Stephen Brown / Reuters
Ukraine accused pro-Russian rebels on Monday of hitting a refugee convoy of buses with rocket fire near the eastern city of Luhansk, killing people trapped in the burning vehicles, but the separatists denied responsibility.
Pope Francis Endorses Use of Force in Iraq to Stop Persecution of Religious Minorities
Nicole Winfield / Huffington Post
Pope Francis on Monday endorsed the use of force to stop Islamic militants from attacking religious minorities in Iraq but said the international community — and not just one country — should decide how to intervene.
Kurdish Military Says it Controls Iraq’s Mosul Dam
Sinan Salaheddin and Vivian Salama / The Associated Press
A spokesman for the Kurdish military says its peshmerga forces are now in full control of the Mosul Dam and its vicinity, successfully wresting back control from Islamic State group militants.
Saudi Prince’s Convoy in Paris Attacked by Gunmen
BBC
Heavily armed men have attacked a convoy of cars belonging to a Saudi prince, stealing 250,000 euros (£200,000; $330,000), police say.
‘It is Time to Take Up Arms’: Yazidi Volunteers Fight Back Against Islamic State
Ruth Sherlock and Carol Malouf / The Telegraph
Hundreds of Yazidi volunteers are being trained to handle weapons and fight to drive the Islamic State from their homes.
Clive Palmer to Host ‘World Climate Change Convention’ at his Resort
Daniel Hurst / The Guardian
The Palmer United party leader, Clive Palmer, has announced plans to host an unofficial “world climate change convention” at his Sunshine Coast resort, but would not reveal who would attend.
The Indian Express
Acting tough, India on Monday called off Foreign Secretary-level talks with Pakistan next week, reportedly angry over Pakistan High Commissioner’s meeting with Kashmiri separatist groups in New Delhi.
Six ‘Qaeda’, Three Yemen Troops Killed in Clashes
The National
Six Al Qaeda militants and three Yemeni troops died in clashes on Sunday in the southeastern province of Hadramawt, scene of frequent attacks on the army.
WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Says he will Leave Ecuadoran Embassy ‘Soon’
Griff Witte / The Washington Post
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said Monday he would “soon” be leaving the Ecuadoran Embassy in London, where he took refuge more than two years ago to avoid extradition to Sweden to face questioning for alleged sexual assaults.
UN Wants ‘Progress’ in Probe into Iran’s Nuclear Record
Deutsche Welle
The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog says Iran is cooperating with a probe into the country’s nuclear activities. World powers have long been attempting to strike a deal with Iran over its contested nuclear program.
Key Events on Sunni Militants Surge in Iraq
The Associated Press
A timeline of key events in Iraq as the Islamic State extremist group, formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, started to grab land in the Sunni heartland of western and northern Iraq.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
BGen Cheney Discusses U.S. Space Program on BBC Newsnight
Adin Dobkin
Last week, ASP CEO, BGen Stephen A. Cheney, USMC (Ret.) discussed the role of RD-180s in U.S. national security on BBC Newsnight.
Upcoming Events
Invite – Under Secretary Richard Stengel: American Public Diplomacy in 2014 and Beyond
September 16 @ 12:30 PM – 13:30 PM
Join us at ASP as we host Richard Stengel, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, as he discusses his plans for America’s public diplomacy.
What’s Next? Fostering the Next Generation of Energy Security Conference
September 30 @ 09:00 AM – 16:30 PM
The next steps in building a cleaner, more resilient energy system and economy will not be easy. The American Security Project intends to build on its years of research into energy security and climate policy by initiating a study into the next generation of energy policy. Join ASP and our panelists as we discuss the next generation of energy technology and climate policy.
Employment Opportunities at ASP
Internship Opportunity
ASP is looking for current or recently graduated students interested in hands-on public policy experience for full and part-time internships. Interns will support ASP researchers and staff in multiple areas including communications, development, programming and research. Applicants for the 2014 Fall semester (September through December) should send a cover letter, resume, references and a short writing sample to Maggie Feldman-Piltch at mfeldmanpiltch@americansecurityproject.org no later than August 25, 2014.
The post What We Are Reading … August 18, 2014 appeared first on American Security Project.
