International News Coverage
Turkey, Al-Qaida, ISIL
For Turkey and U.S., at odds over Syria, a 60-year alliance shows signs of crumbling
Liz Sly | The Washington Post
The increasingly hostile divergence of views between Turkey and the United States over Syria is testing the durability of their 60-year alliance, to the point where some are starting to question whether the two countries still can be considered allies at all.
Egypt bans pro-Mursi pressure group
Reuters
Egypt on Thursday banned a pressure group that has pushed for the reinstatement of President Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood, who was overthrown by the army last year, dealing a new blow to the country’s oldest Islamist movement.
Syria rebels plead for U.S. help as Nusra, a former friend, goes on the attack
Roy Gutman & Mousab Alhamadee | McClatchy DC
Al-Qaida’s Syrian affiliate, the Nusra Front, which has long been viewed by that country’s rebels as an ally in the battle to topple President Bashar Assad, has turned on them in recent days, forcing the beleaguered rebels into a three-front war that they say they are sure to lose unless the United States changes policy and sends them more weapons.
First Iraqi Kurdish fighters enter Isis-besieged Kobani
Constanze Letsch | The Guardian
The first Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga fighters have entered the besieged Syrian town of Kobani through the border crossing with Turkey, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Al-Qaida: IS should rejoin group and fight West
Deb Riechmann & Bassem Mroue | AP
U.S. intelligence analysts are closely watching al-Qaida’s overtures to the renegade Islamic State to reunite and fight the West, and while a full reconciliation is not on the horizon, there is evidence the two groups have curtailed their feud and are cooperating on the Syrian battlefield.
Science & Technology
Should the Government Fund Only Science in the “National Interest”?
Eli Kintisch | National Geographic News
The glass-and-concrete headquarters of the National Science Foundation in Arlington, Virginia, normally hosts scientists who decide the fate of fellow researchers’ grant proposals. But in a nondescript spare office on the 12th floor, new players have set up shop: congressional aides reviewing the merits of scientific studies conducted with government funding.
Spooked Investors and Russia in the Crosshairs: The Antares Rocket Explosion Aftermath
Ryan Faith | Vice News
Last night, a rocket carrying a resupply capsule for the International Space Station (ISS) blew up just seconds after liftoff. The Antares rocket, made and operated by Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC) for NASA’s commercial resupply program, the Cygnus cargo capsule, and were completely destroyed, but fortunately no injuries were reported.
Inside ‘Black Dart,’ the US Military’s War On Drones
Ryan Faith | Vice News
Exercise Black Dart is the US military’s largest live-fly, live-fire counter unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) exercise. There is already a fair amount of hush-hush on drones in general, and Black Dart is about drones and cutting-edge military technology.
Russia & NATO
NATO says Russian jets, bombers circle Europe in unusual incidents
Michael Birnbaum | The Washington Post
NATO said Wednesday that it had intercepted a large number of Russian aircraft flying close to European airspace in the past two days, in an “unusual” series of incidents that brought Russian bombers as far afield as Portugal.
Africa
Burkina Faso president declares state of emergency
BBC
Burkina Faso’s President Blaise Compaore has imposed a state of emergency to end violent protests against his 27-year rule. The government has also been dissolved, a statement signed by Mr. Compaore said.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
Fusion is “the perfect way to make energy”
Caroline Julia con Wurden
The BBC Radio 4 series “In Our Time” broadcasted a program on nuclear fusion which offers carbon-free clean energy and is an ideal power source in terms of security and the environment.
Anderson University Podcast – ASP in Indiana: Climate Change and Security in the Heartland
Porter Brockway
At this event, ASP spoke to a group of about 50 undergraduate students as well as members of the local community about how climate change was impacting national security.
Butler University Podcast – ASP in Indiana: Climate Change and Security in the Heartland
Porter Brockway
ASP Senior Fellow Andrew Holland laid out the facts about climate change in a presentation hosted by Butler’s MBA students association.
Climate Change and Food Insecurity Threatens Stability in Developing Countries
AJ Degarmo
Maplecroft released their seventh annual “Climate Change and Environmental Risk Atlas” (CCERA), and the initial findings are bleak for some developing nations.
ASP in Indiana: Climate Change and Security in the Heartland
Andrew Holland
ASP visited Indiana to discuss how the Midwest is threated by climate change.
The US and EU Strategy to Defeat ISIL
Giancarlo Lima
Aside from military operations, US and EU leaders should pursue a comprehensive socioeconomic strategy to confront groups like ISIL.
Upcoming Events
ASP Conference – The US – EU Strategic Partnership: Trade, Energy, and Security
November 12 @ 12:30PM – 1:30PM
Location: American Security Project, Suite 750W – 1100 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
Numerous strategic challenges and opportunities face the United States and European Union in 2015. Join ASP on November 12, 2014 as our high-level panel discusses what options are ahead of the US and the EU.
Tampa Event – Climate Change: Risks for National Security
November 18 @ 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Location: University of Tampa, 401 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, FL 33606
Climate change is already a major concern for US military planners. Meanwhile, American politicians continue to ignore the issue of this growing threat. Join ASP at the University of Tampa on Tuesday, November 18, 2014 as we discuss this important issue.
Geography 2050: Mounting an Expedition to the Future
November 19
Location: Low Memorial Library, Columbia University, 2960 Broadway, Manhattan, NY 10027
The one-day inaugural event, to be held at Columbia’s Low Library in Manhattan, offers an opportunity for thought leaders in industry, government, the social sector, and academe to come together to think about collectively exploring the future, and to examine how geography, geographic thinking, and geospatial data and technologies will enable this new age of exploration.
FSC Event – Climate Change: Risks for National Security
November 19 @ 10:30AM – 12:00PM
Location: Florida Southern College, 111 Lake Hollingsworth Dr., Lakeland, FL 33801
Climate change is already a major concern for US military planners. Meanwhile, American politicians continue to ignore the issue of this growing threat. Join ASP at the University of Tampa on Tuesday, November 18, 2014 as we discuss this important issue.
ASP Conference: Electricity Supply: What it Means for Security, Developments and Geopolitics
November 19 @ 12:00PM – 4:30PM
1100 New York Avenue, NW – 7th Floor – West Tower
The nexus of electricity, development, and security is significant, yet its nuances are too often overlooked. The half-day event will bring together development and energy experts, government officials, and policy makers to better establish the important linkages between power, security, and development, share successful implementation strategies and consider how these successes can be replicated in diverse contexts.
ASP Conference – Pakistan: Aid, Trade, and Security
December 9 @ 12:00PM – 2:00PM
Location: TBA
Join ASP and FTI Consulting as we host an event that will discuss current conditions of economic aid, trade and security in Pakistan, and will feature experts of military and development backgrounds.
About the American Security Project: The American Security Project is a non-profit, non-partisan public policy and research organization dedicated to fostering knowledge and understanding of a range of national security issues, promoting debate about the appropriate use of American power, and cultivating strategic responses to 21st century challenges.
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