Defeating the ISIL Threat – For Good
Fadi Elsalameen / Huffington Post
ISIL is barbaric and violent. The brutal murder of journalist James Foley last week showed the true realities of ISIL to an American audience, but throughout the region under their control, their unimaginable barbarism is prevalent.
Former NASA Chief Says Russia Holding US Spaceflight Hostage: Report
Miriam Kramer / Space.com
Former NASA administrator Mike Griffin thinks the United States’ dependence on Russian technology to fly astronauts to the International Space Station is tantamount to a “hostage situation,” according to an interview conducted in May.
Russian Soldiers’ Capture Clouds Putin – Poroshenko Talks
Andrei Makhovsky and Alessandra Prentice / Reuters
Ukraine released a video of captured Russian soldiers on Tuesday, sharply escalating a dispute over Moscow’s alleged backing for separatist rebels in the east of the former Soviet republic.
UN Envoy Opposes Foreign Intervention in Libya
Associated Press
The newly appointed U.N. envoy to Libya said Tuesday he doesn’t believe foreign intervention of any kind can halt the North African country’s turmoil as political divisions and infighting push it deeper into chaos.
How Norway has Avoided the ‘Curse of Oil’
BBC
For while other countries have struck oil and then binged on the revenues, by contrast Norway is continuing to invest its oil and gas money in a giant sovereign wealth fund.
A Climate for Change: America Should Not Wait While the World Warms
The Washington Post
FOR MORE than a century, scientists have understood the basic physics of the greenhouse effect. For decades, they’ve realized humans can affect the climate by burning coal, oil and gas. But the country’s leaders remain divided on the need to curb greenhouse emissions, let alone how to do it.
4 Scenarios Show What Climate Change will do to the Earth, from Pretty Bad to Disaster
Ben Schiller / Co.Exist
The most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report left no doubt about the future of the world if we don’t slow the rate at which we release heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere. In a word, it’s going to get bad.
Finland says NATO an Option After Russia ‘Violates’ Border Laws
Kati Pohjanpalo / Bloomberg
Finnish President Sauli Niinistoe said joining NATO remained an option for the Nordic country as Prime Minister Alexander Stubb criticized Russia for what he characterized as an illegal incursion into Ukraine.
AP Sources: US Surveillance Planes Fly Over Syria
Lolita C. Baldor and Julie Pace / Associated Press
The U.S. has begun surveillance flights over Syria after President Barack Obama gave the OK, U.S. officials said, a move that could pave the way for airstrikes against Islamic State militant targets there.
Residents ‘Threatened’ by Boko Haram Caliphate
Philipp Sandner (Interview) / Deutsche Welle
Boko Haram has declared an Islamic caliphate in the northern Nigerian town of Gwoza. African linguistics expert Norbert Cyffer knows Nigeria well: He tells DW people from the town are fleeing to the mountains in fear.
Ebola has Killed More Than 120 Health Workers, WHO Says
Kim Painter / USA Today
The Ebola outbreak in West Africa has taken an unprecedented toll on health care workers, infecting more than 240 and killing more than 120, the World Health Organization says.
U.N. Reports Improved Aid Access in Syria, But Outlook Bleak
Louis Charbonneau / Reuters
Humanitarian access in Syria has improved since the U.N. Security Council last month authorized the delivery of emergency aid across the Syrian border without the government’s consent, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a new report.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
Iran Negotiations Update
Theresa Shaffer
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is slated to meet with the European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton in Brussels on Monday, September 1st to discuss Iran’s nuclear program. This occurs during an extension of the deadline to reach a comprehensive agreement until November 24th of this year.
Pakistan’s Energy Crisis
Kendall Strong
Pakistan is in the midst of a complex energy crisis that is going to require multiple levels of government response, private investment, and cultural change. The foundation of the problem is Pakistan’s poor energy infrastructure, which makes energy theft easy and transmission and distribution losses high.
Energy’s Global Leverage: The U.S.’ New Paradigm
Kendall Strong
Increasing American energy production, coupled with resources disputes such as we are seeing between Ukraine and Russia, shows the importance of American involvement in global energy markets and our national security. A recent event hosted by the Foreign Policy Initiative (FPA) and Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) shed light on the current status and shifting focus of U.S. energy, global markets, and national security.
Upcoming Events
INVITE – Under Secretary Richard Stengel: American Public Diplomacy in 2014 and Beyond
September 16 @ 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
The United States faces many challenges abroad. In a time when the actions of foreign publics are changing political and security landscapes, the need for effective public diplomacy is becoming more urgent. Understanding this need, how should the U.S. best build relationships and influence with target audiences overseas? Join us to hear from Richard Stengel, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, as he discusses his plans for America’s public diplomacy.
INVITE –Future of the Middle East and America’s Role
September 18 @ 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
The Middle East is currently brimming with violence – bringing into question the future of the region and the role of the United States. The panel of experts will discuss the possible outcomes of the present turbulence in the Middle East. They will also discuss what options the United States has, and if it should be engaged in the region in the first place.
What’s Next? Fostering the Next Generation of Energy Security Conference
September 30 @ 9:00 AM – 4:30 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.
The post What We Are Reading … August 26, 2014 appeared first on American Security Project.
