International News Coverage
Climate Change
Op-Ed China, America and Our Warming Planet
John Kerry | The New York Times
The United States and China are the world’s two largest economies, two largest consumers of energy, and two largest emitters of greenhouse gases. Together we account for about 40 percent of the world’s emissions.
China, U.S. agree to limit greenhouse gases
David Nakamura & Steven Mufson | The Washington Post
Chinese leader Xi Jinping and President Obama struck a deal Wednesday to limit greenhouse gases, with China committing for the first time to cap carbon emissions and Obama unveiling a plan for deeper U.S. emissions reductions through 2025.
Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt
U.S. troops back in Iraq’s Anbar, scene of heaviest combat of 2003-2011 war
Nancy A. Youseff | McClatchy DC
The first U.S. troops to enter an active combat zone since President Barack Obama ordered the American military back to Iraq arrived Monday in Anbar, the Iraqi province where Americans suffered their heaviest losses during the 2003-2011 occupation, the Pentagon announced Monday.
Egypt signals parliament election to be held by March
Reuters
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has told visiting U.S. businessmen that a parliamentary election will be held by March, his spokesman said on Tuesday, trying to reassure them that the delayed poll would not be put off indefinitely.
Largest US business delegation ever visits Egypt despite criticism of country’s rights record
Sarah El Deeb | AP
Representatives from over 60 U.S. companies wrapped up Tuesday a two-day visit to Egypt described as the largest such delegation in history that aimed to explore potential businesses to boost the country’s ailing economy. LINK
Syria faces decisive battle in north, south
Edward Dark | Al Monitor
While events on the regional diplomatic scene are moving rapidly, there is renewed momentum to draw the outlines of a final endgame in Syria.
Saudi, Iraqi leaders hold landmark talks
Al Arabiya
Iraqi President Fuad Masum arrived in Saudi Arabia Tuesday for the highest-level talks between the two neighbors in years.
Sinai buffer zone no solution to militancy in Egypt: Amnesty
Maha El Dahan & Stanley Carvalho | Reuters
Egypt’s plan to create a security buffer zone along its border with Gaza is not a solution to growing militancy in the Sinai region as it does not address the roots of the problem, the head of Amnesty International said on Wednesday.
International Trade Agreements
Politics And A Food Fight Are Stalling A Major U.S. – Asia Trade Deal
Marilyn Geewax | NPR
The dream of a free-trade zone stretching from Asia to the Americas keeps getting tripped up by the stalemate over farm exports. The United States wants Japan to lower barriers to agricultural imports, including rice, pork, beef, dairy and sugar. But Japan wants to protect those sensitive food products.
EU backs US position on Turkey’s inclusion to TTIP
Serkan Demirtas | Hurriyet Daily News
A statement issued by Turkey’s EU Minister Volkan Bozkir last week that said Turkey might freeze its Customs Union deal with the European Union if the planned Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) does not include Turkey was quite important, showing the government’s determination toward this end.
Nuclear Security
Russia to build two more nuclear reactors in Iran
The Guardian
Russia has struck a deal to build two more nuclear reactors in Iran to be possibly followed by another six, a move intended to cement closer ties between the two countries.
Russia’s nuclear deal with Iran creates concern in West
Paul Ricther | The LA Times
Russia signed a nuclear deal with Iran on Tuesday that prompted anxiety in the West because it appeared to open the way for Tehran to potentially supply domestically produced fuel for its own nuclear reactors.
Science & Technology
Cosmic 1st: Spacecraft sends lander toward comet
Frank Jordan | AP
Hundreds of millions of miles from Earth, a European spacecraft released a lander toward the icy, dusty surface of a speeding comet Wednesday, setting off a seven-hour countdown to an audacious attempt to answer some big questions about the origin of the universe.
Employment
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.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
Getting the old band back together? A possible partnership between ISIS and al-Qaeda
Matt Suber
In 2013, the jihadist group ISI (Islamic State in Iraq) began tactical operations in Syria, taking advantage of the country’s civil war. Fighting in both Iraq and Syria, ISI became ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria).
Jon Breed
Veterans are unique members of American society. I believe this, not because veterans receive specialized combat training or make extraordinary sacrifices on behalf of this country. I believe this because, while serving in the military, volunteers from small country towns and big urban cities acquire new experiences and perspectives that most American’s go a lifetime without.
U.S. Military Medicine Drives Innovation and Affects Civilian and Ebola Patients
Jay Lopez
This is a Guest Post from Jay Lopez, President and CEO of Estill Medical Technologies. In this post, the topics of medical innovations on the battlefield, affects on civilian life, and the medical needs for Ebola patients are covered.
Optimism or Reality: US – China Cooperation on Shale Gas
Frauke Heidemann & Patrick Renz
This is the final post of a series on US – China strategic energy relations. Chinese investment in unconventional fossil fuels is aimed at China’s goal of restricting coal use and increasing domestic natural gas production. It also presents an opportunity for increasingly difficult Sino-US bilateral relations.
The U.S. – E.U. Partnership: Looking Ahead
Maggie Feldman-Piltch
The EU-US partnership has been integral in successfully addressing many of the most serious threats to peace, stability, and democracy across the globe in the two decades since its formalization.
The Rise of Lithuanian LNG: A Long-term Opportunity for the U.S.
Hidetoshi Azuma
Lithuania officially made its debut in the global LNG market with the arrival of its floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) Independence on Monday, October 27, 2014.
Upcoming Events
Orlando Event – Climate Change: Risks for National Security
November 17 @ 8:00AM – 10:30AM
Location: Pegasus Ballroom – Student Union Building – University of Central Florida: 12715 Pegasus Dr., Orlando, FL 32816
Join us for a discussion with senior flag officers as they discuss the steps the US military has taken and future implications for our national security.
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.
For more information, visit www.americansecurityproject.org info@americansecurityproject.org
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