International News Coverage
ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Terrorism, and Counterterrorism
US in first air strike near Baghdad on Isil as jihadists shoot down Syria plane
The Telegraph
In a sign America had already begun widening its campaign against Isil, the US military conducted airstrikes near Baghdad, amid claims Isil had shot down a Syria government jet over Raqqa.
Hagel: US ‘finalizing’ Syria strike plans
Kristina Wong / The Hill
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said President Obama will receive completed military plans Wednesday to strike Syrian safe havens of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS or ISIL).
US to strike ISIL ‘sanctuaries’ in Syria
Al Jazeera
US plans to carry out air strikes against Islamic State and the Levant (ISIL) fighters in Syria and will target the group’s sanctuaries, command centers and logistic networks, Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.
US general: Ground troops option if anti-IS strategy fails
BBC
US ground forces could be deployed against Islamic State (IS) militants if the current US-led strategy fails, top US General Martin Dempsey has said.
U.S. Congress poised to approve aid to moderate Syrian rebels
Emily Stephenson & Patricia Zengerle / Reuters
The U.S. Congress appeared poised on Tuesday to quickly approve President Barack Obama’s plan to arm and train Syrian rebels, a major part of the effort he announced this week to fight Islamic State militants.
Iraqi official briefs Syria’s Assad on efforts against Islamic State
Tom Perry / Reuters
Iraq’s national security adviser briefed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on efforts to counter Islamic State on Tuesday, in the first such meeting since the United States launched air strikes on the radical group in Iraq.
Islamic State issues new school curriculum in Iraq
Richard Specer / The Telegraph
National history, literature, art, and evolution banned from school curriculum in Mosul, the largest city under the control of Isil militants, according to new decree.
Al Qaeda hopes to exploit the plight of Myanmar’s embattled Muslims
Patrick Winn / Global Post
For Al Qaeda, their suffering is a convenient call to arms, especially now that the terror consortium — losing global attention to the Islamic State — is struggling to develop a new offensive in South Asia.
Al Qaeda groups urge warring militants in Iraq, Syria to unite
Amena Bakr/ Reuters
Two al Qaeda branches urged warring militant factions in Iraq and Syria to stop fighting each other and unite against a U.S.-led alliance preparing to attack the ultra hardline Islamic State armed group, according to a joint statement posted online.
Russia, Ukraine, and NATO
Ukraine ratifies association with E.U., grants concessions to rebels
Michael Birnbaum & William Branigin/ The Washington Post
The Ukrainian parliament ratified an agreement Tuesday to forge an economic and political association with the European Union and quietly passed legislation to grant amnesty to pro-Russian rebels and greater autonomy to regions they control in eastern Ukraine.
Nato members ‘start arms deliveries to Ukraine’
BBC
Nato countries have started delivering arms to Ukraine to help its soldiers fight pro-Russian separatists in the east, the defence minister says.
US and NATO troops begin military exercises in Ukraine
euronews
More than 1,000 troops from 15 NATO and non-NATO countries are taking part in a military exercise in Ukraine.
Pressure grows for Obama to arm Ukraine
Martin Matishak / The Hill
Senior Democrats are pressing President Obama to announce increased military aid for Ukraine when that country’s leader visits Washington next week.
Vladimir Putin accused of using Soviet-style propaganda strategy to control Russian media
Mary Gearin / ABC News Australia
Russian president Vladimir Putin has been accused of resorting to Soviet-style propaganda to manipulate and control the media.
Asia Pacific
Sri Lanka Backs China’s Maritime ‘Silk Road’ Plan
Bharatha Mallawarachi /Associated Press
Chinese President Xi Jinping won Sri Lanka’s support Tuesday for a proposed maritime “Silk Road” linking China with Europe, and helped launch billion-dollar power plant and port city projects funded by his government.
Exclusive – Japan, U.S. discussing offensive military capability for Tokyo – Japan officials
Nobuhiro Kubo /Reuters
Japan and the United States are exploring the possibility of Tokyo acquiring offensive weapons that would allow Japan to project power far beyond its borders, Japanese officials said, a move that would likely infuriate China.
UPDATE 2-BOJ’s Kuroda says stable yen key for Japan businesses
Leika Kihara / Reuters
Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said stable yen moves are crucial for the country’s business sector, nodding to complaints from some companies that rising import costs from sharp yen declines were starting to hurt their bottom line.
Climate Change
Fixing Climate Change May Add No Costs, Report Says
Justin Gillis / The New York Times
In decades of public debate about global warming, one assumption has been accepted by virtually all factions: that tackling it would necessarily be costly. But a new report casts doubt on that idea, declaring that the necessary fixes could wind up being effectively free.
China to Ban Coal With High Ash, Sulfur
Chuin-Wei Yap, Rhiannon Hoyle & Andreas Ismar / The Wall Street Journal
China will ban certain types of highly polluting coal starting next year, making good on a vow its cabinet issued late last year as part of an accelerating campaign to clean up its air.
Obama unveils major new effort to tackle climate change
Laura Barron-Lopez / The Hill
The Obama administration is taking new steps to phase out the production of a well-known chemical coolant used in refrigerators and air conditioners that has been tied to global warming.
Microgrids can lead to energy savings, sustainability
Andrew Wakefield / Federal Times
At their core, energy microgrids reduce reliance on an increasingly frail external power supply, improve energy reliability and contribute to self-sustainable operations. In day-to-day operations of any government installation, microgrids can help protect against typical power outages caused by downed power lines, grid failure and human error.
OVERNIGHT ENERGY: 125 global leaders to attend UN climate summit
Laura Barron-Lopez & Timothy Cama / The Hill
125 HEADS OF STATE: The United Nations is out with its guest list for next week’s summit on climate change, and 125 heads of state are expected to attend.
Fracking Gives U.S. Energy Boom Plenty of Room to Run
Russell Gold / The Wall Street Journal
The U.S. oil-and-gas industry no longer spends its time trying to find new shale formations to tap. Instead, it focuses on finding ways to get more out of the formations it has found. And it is succeeding.
Ebola
U.N. Sees Need for $1 Billion to Fight Ebola
Nick Cumming-Bruce / The New York Times
The Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa risks ballooning into a humanitarian catastrophe without a major surge in international efforts to contain it, senior United Nations officials said Tuesday, estimating the cost of this effort at $1 billion.
U.S. to Commit Up to 3,000 Troops to Fight Ebola in Africa
Helene Cooper, Michael D. Shear and Denise Grady / The New York Times
Under pressure to do more to confront the Ebola outbreak sweeping across West Africa, President Obama on Tuesday is to announce an expansion of military and medical resources to combat the spread of the deadly virus, administration officials said.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
Fallon: Concerns over ISIL in the Homeland
Naman Jain
On September 12, ASP Board Member Admiral William Fallon, USN (Ret.) was interviewed by Fox Business in regards to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East perpetrated by ISIS.
The New Digital Divide and Countering Extremist Propaganda
Matthew Wallin
A great deal of attention is being given recently to the State Department’s efforts to combat extremism online. Notably, a video recently released by the State Department’s “Think Again Turn Away” campaign contains graphic video of some of the many atrocities committed by ISIS in the name of creating a caliphate.
Domestic Sources power ITER
Caroline Julia von Wurden
Twelve high voltage surge arresters (to protect the electrical system against lightning strikes) were shipped from New York and delivered to ITER on September 4th.
Upcoming Events
INVITE – Industrial Competitiveness & Worker Leadership
September 17 @ 06:00 PM – 09:30 PM
In cooperation with the Harvard Business Club of Washington, DC, we are pleased to present a conversation with Fred Stahl on Worker Leadership. Worker Leadership is a new and innovative production system that creates jobs loaded with responsibility and authority—which workers love because they can be more productive. Managers are thrilled with the dramatic improvements in enterprise productivity, while shareholders love the higher profits. and unions are attracted to a new and vital role.
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.
National Security and Climate Change – Perspectives from the Military
September 22 @ 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
The Morgan Library, 225 Madison Avenue, New York City, NY 10016
The American Security Project, the non-partisan national security think tank, will host a panel discussion on the afternoon of Monday, September 22 as a part of the Climate Group’s launch of Climate Week, taking place at The Morgan Library, 225 Madison Avenue.
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.
ASP Conference: Africa – Promoting Investment and Extending America’s Security
October 2 @ 12:00 PM – 4:30 PM
The half-day event will bring together expects from the public and private sector, as well as policy makers and members of the media to discuss the mutually beneficial impacts of US private investment on the African continent, opportunities for practical investment, and how to effectively manage the accompanying risk.
The post What We Are Reading… September 16, 2014 appeared first on American Security Project.
