International News Coverage
ISIS, Terrorism and Counter Terrorism
Obama, Kerry: No U.S. troops will be sent into combat against ISIS in Iraq, Syria
Jim Acosta, Kevin Liptak and Josh Levs | CNN
The U.S. is not returning combat troops to Iraq, President Barack Obama insisted again Wednesday, despite the suggestion by his top general that option is something the Pentagon could consider.
Obama Insists U.S. Will Not Get Drawn Into Ground War in Iraq
Michael D. Shear | The New York Times
President Obama on Wednesday repeated his vow to destroy Islamist terrorists in Syria and Iraq, but he insisted that the United States would not go it alone and promised a military audience that he would not send them back into direct combat.
Congress poised to approve Obama’s Iraq-Syria military strategy amid skepticism
Ed O’Keefe and Paul Kane | The Washington Post
Congress is poised to approve President Obama’s plan to train and equip moderate Syrian rebels to counter the growing threat of the Islamic State terrorist organization, but many lawmakers in both parties remain deeply skeptical about its chances for success.
US Public Diplomacy attempts to confront Islamic State
Barbara Slavin | Al-Monitor
The Barack Obama administration is focusing its public diplomacy efforts on persuading “swing voters” in the Muslim world that the group calling itself the Islamic State (IS) is a bigger threat to them than US policies, the State Department’s top communications official says.
Under Secretary Stengel: US in Information ‘Battle’ with IS, Russia
Alex Villarreal | Voice of America
U.S. Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Richard Stengel says that in the face of strong foreign propaganda machines such as Russia and the Islamic State, the U.S. needs to harden its “soft power” with its own participation in the global conversation.
ISIS video is counterpoint to Obama’s ‘dismantle’ and ‘destroy’ speech
Ed Payne | CNN
The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria is out with a new video from its Al Hayat Media Center. It took nearly a week, but this appears to be the terror group’s response to President Barack Obama’s speech in which he said the U.S. objective in expanded airstrikes would be to “degrade, and ultimately destroy” ISIS.
Man Accused of Trying to Aid Islamic State Group
Associated Press
An upstate New York man accused of plotting to kill members of the U.S. military and others faces new charges that he tried to aid the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.
Ukraine
Ukraine Grants Amnesty and More Autonomy to Separatist Regions
David Stout | Time
As Ukrainians celebrated the passage of an agreement to deepen ties with the EU on Tuesday, the country’s parliament approved legislation giving greater political autonomy to pro-Moscow regions in the country’s east.
Ebola
Obama Presses Leaders to Speed Ebola Response
Helene Cooper and Sheri Fink | The New York Times
President Obama on Tuesday challenged world powers to accelerate the global response to the Ebola outbreak that is ravaging West Africa, warning that unless health care workers, medical equipment and treatment centers were swiftly deployed, the disease could take hundreds of thousands of lives.
U.N Chief: ‘Ebola Has Gone Beyond Health Issues’
Helen Regan | Time
The Secretary-General of the U.N., Ban Ki-moon, said Tuesday that the Ebola epidemic in West Africa has “gone beyond health issues” and could even affect the political stability of the region.
Climate Change and Environment
Companies join Obama climate push to cut coolant use
Wendy Koch | USA Today
More than a dozen major U.S. companies — including Kroger, Target, Coca-Cola, Pepsi and DuPont — joined a new Obama administration push Tuesday to reduce use of a popular coolant that contributes to global warming by emitting a potent greenhouse gas.
Red Tide off Northwest Florida Could Hit Economy
Jason Dearen | Associated Press
Slow moving glops of toxic algae in the northeast Gulf of Mexico are killing sea turtles, sharks and fish, and threatening the waters and beaches that fuel the region’s economy.
Tropical storm Odile moves toward US state of Arizona
BBC News
Tropical storm Odile is moving up the Gulf of California, bringing with it heavy rains and the threat of mudslides and flash floods. Forecasters expect the storm to continue weakening as it moves towards the US state of Arizona.
Northern CA’s rapidly expanding King fire threatened more than 1,600 homes overnight
Abby Ohlheiser | The Washington Post
Wildfires continue to besiege drought-dried Northern California, where firefighters battled the worst conflagration – the rapidly expanding King fire – into the morning as the blaze threatened to jump U.S. Route 50 and burn into a community on the other side of the highway.
Science and Technology
American Companies Selected to Return Astronaut Launches to American Soil
Administrator Charles Bolden | NASA
Today, with the selection of Boeing and SpaceX to be the first American companies to launch our astronauts to the International Space Station, NASA has set the stage for what promises to be the most ambitious and exciting chapter in the history of human space flight.
MacArthur Awards Go to 21 Diverse Fellows
Felicia R. Lee | The New York Times
Twelve men and nine women, whose work is as diverse as studying the racial elements in perceptions of crime and translating contemporary Arab poetry, have been named the 2014 fellows of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The fellowships, based on achievement and potential, come with a stipend of $625,000 over five years and are among the most prestigious prizes for artists, scholars and professionals.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
Under Secretary Stengel – Public Diplomacy is a Conversation
Matthew Wallin
Giving his first comprehensive presentation on his view of public diplomacy, Under Secretary Richard Stengel spoke to an audience of prominent practitioners and academics at ASP on Tuesday, and addressed a variety of issues the United States faces in 2014 and beyond.
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.
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.
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