International News Coverage
Terrorism and Counterterrorism
Bomb Hit Sole Civilian Airport in Libyan Capital
Suliman Ali Zway and David Kirkpatrick | The New York Times
A fighter plane bombed the air base that was the last airport here in the Libyan capital on Monday in the latest escalation of a struggle for power that is threatening to tear apart the country.
Islamic State toughens tactics in Iraq’s Anbar, targeting potential enemies
Susannah George
A recent Islamic State offensive in Iraq’s Anbar province suggests that the extremist organization is changing tactics, relying less on local Sunni Muslim tribes for support and carrying out what one coalition strategist called a “counterinsurgency campaign” intended to undercut any U.S.-led effort to enlist tribes against it.
Sixty dead in suicide blasts in Nigeria
Al Jazeera
Two explosions at a crowded market in northeastern Nigeria have killed at least 60 people.
Islamic State group recruits, exploits children
Zeina Karam & Vivian Salama | The Associated Press
Teenagers carrying weapons stand at checkpoints and busy intersections in Iraq’s second-largest city, Mosul. Patched onto the left arms of their black uniforms are the logos of the Islamic Police.
Lee Rigby: internet firms providing safe haven for terrorists, says PM
Patrick Wintour, Ewen MacAskill and Vikram Dodd | The Guardian
Internet companies are allowing their networks to be used to plot “murder and mayhem”, David Cameron has said in response to the official inquiry into the intelligence agencies’ actions before the killing of Lee Rigby.
Russia, Ukraine, Europe
Finland feeling vulnerable amid Russian provocations
Griff Witte | The Washington Post
Wedged hard against Russia’s northwestern border, peaceable Finland has long gone out of its way to avoid prodding the nuclear-armed bear next door.But now the bear is provoking Finland, repeatedly guiding military planes into Finnish airspace and deploying submarines and helicopters to chase after Finnish research vessels in international waters.
Ukraine reports new arrivals of Russian supplies for eastern rebels
Reuters
Ukraine leveled fresh charges on Tuesday that Russia was sending support to pro-Russian separatists in the east, saying that five columns of heavy equipment were seen crossing onto Ukrainian territory on Monday.
Merkel hits diplomatic dead-end with Putin
Noah Barkin and Andreas Rinke | Reuters
After nine months of non-stop German diplomacy to defuse the crisis in Ukraine, Chancellor Angela Merkel decided in mid-November that a change of tack was needed. Ahead of a summit of G20 leaders in Australia, Merkel resolved to confront Vladimir Putin alone, without the usual pack of interpreters and aides.
France suspends warships deal with Russia over Ukraine crisis
Kim Willsher | The Guardian
France will not hand over the first of two state-of-the-art warships built for the Russians until Moscow halts its military action in Ukraine, the Elysée Palace has announced.
Asia
Hong Kong Police move in on protest site
Paul Chapman | Reuters
Hong Kong protesters defiant as police and bailiffs clear barricades and tents from part of an occupied site.
Science and Technology
Remastered image shows the icy surface of Jupiter’s moon in living color
Rachel Feltman | The Washington Post
If this stunning shot of Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, looks familiar, that’s because you’ve (sort-of) seen it before. The shot was taken by NASA’s Galileo spacecraft back in the ’90s, and released in 2001. But the image released 13 years ago had a much lower resolution, and its colors all needed to be enhanced. Using new image-processing techniques, NASA now has a better idea of what the moon actually looks like.
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American Security Project
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On Our Flashpoint Blog
Three Challenges for the Next Secretary of Defense
Ken Robbins
What will be on the next Secretary of Defense’s desk? ASP Adjunct Fellow Ken Robbins outlines three main challenges facing the incoming SecDef.
Statement on the Extension of the Iran Talks
BGen Stephen A. Cheney USNM (Ret.)
ASP CEO BGen. Stephen A. Cheney, USMC (Ret) issues a statement on the extension of the Iran nuclear negotiations.
Water Security in Central Asia: The Aral Sea
Elise Reifschneider
A recent report by the International Crisis Group detailed water challenges in Central Asia, highlighting the Rogun Dam, a hydropower plant under construction in Tajikistan planned to be the world’s tallest when complete, as a potential threat to regional water security.
Upcoming Events
Special Envoy Amos Hochstein: Energy Diplomacy and National Security Challenges in the Middle East
December 8, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
ASP will host Special Envoy Hochstein as he speaks on energy as a tool for regional cooperation in the Middle East and Mediterranean, and on coalition efforts to deny oil revenues to ISIL.
NYC Event: Pakistan – Aid, Trade, and Security
December 9, 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Location: NY, New York
The event will be a discussion of the current conditions of economic aid, trade and security in Pakistan, and will feature ASP Board Member Admiral William Fallon USN (Ret.), former Commander of CENTCOM and PACOM; and USAID Assistant to the Administrator for Pakistan in the Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs Mr. Daniel Grant.
Deputy Under Secretary of Defense John Conger: DoD Efforts on Climate Adaptation
December 12, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
A changing climate poses threats to global security and to American interests around the world. In October, the Department of Defense issued its landmark Climate Adaptation Roadmap that detailed how the military is planning for climate change. As the Department of Defense’s lead climate official, Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Conger will discuss how the Department plans to implement the roadmap in the years ahead.
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