Center for Strategic Communication

International News Coverage

Environmental and Climate Security

Strengthening national security through climate resiliency

USMC Brigadier General Stephen Cheney (ret.) and Andrew Holland | The Hill

It is a dangerous and unpredictable world. With terror in the Middle East, a Russian invasion into Ukraine, tensions over borders in the South China Sea, and other threats, our military has many missions to prepare for, even as Congress cuts the military budget. In a world already facing many threats, militaries around the world have recognized a new one: climate change.

 

Former U.S. Sen. Gary Hart calls on China, America to build a global warming accord

Alex Pearlman | Minn Post

A box for energy. A box for foreign policy. A box for economics. “Those boxes can’t be separated anymore,” said former U.S. Sen. Gary Hart in an interview with GlobalPost last week. “Everything fits together now.”

 

Climate Funds for Coal Highlight Lack of UN Rules

Karl Ritter and Margie Mason | Associated Press

About $1 billion in loans under a U.N. initiative for poor countries to tackle global warming is going toward the construction of power plants fired by coal, the biggest human source of carbon pollution.

 

Terrorism, Middle East, Africa

Afghan Fires His Cabinet; Police Chief Offers to Quit

Joseph Goldstein | The New York Times

Unable to form a new government, the new president of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, settled for the next best thing on Sunday: He fired the old one.

 

Insight: Facing Islamic State in Syria, U.S.-trained rebels await more help

Tom Perry | Reuters

Syrian rebel commander Abdulaziz says U.S. military training helped his men kill at least 15 Islamic State fighters in a recent battle near Aleppo. Three months earlier, a similar engagement had gone the other way, with two of his men killed.

 

ISIS Launches Attack On Syria’s Kobani From Turkey: Activists

Bassem Mroue | The World Post

The Islamic State group launched an attack Saturday on the Syrian border town of Kobani from Turkey, a Kurdish official and activists said, although Turkey denied that the fighters had used its territory for the raid.

 

Secret British role in halting Isil ‘massacre’ in Lebanon

Holly Watt | The Telegraph

Clandestine British squad worked at speed to coordinate huge effort to build 12 towers along Syrian border to prevent town from falling to Isil forces

 

Extremists Attack 2 Nigerian State Capitals

Haruna Umar and Adamu Adamu | Associated Press

Suspected Islamic extremists struck two state capitals in northeastern Nigeria on Monday, with twin blasts at a crowded market and the destruction of a police base.

 

U.S., Turkey Narrow Differences on Islamic State Fight

Adam Entous | The Wall Street Journal

U.S. and Turkish officials have narrowed their differences over a joint military mission in Syria that would give the U.S. and its coalition partners permission to use Turkish air bases to launch strike operations against Islamic State targets across northern Syria, according to officials in both countries.

 

Putin in Turkey Amid Syria Differences

Suzan Fraser | Associated Press

The leaders of Russia and Turkey met Monday amid striking differences over the crises in Syria and Ukraine, but the two presidents were expected to focus instead on their countries’ booming economic and trade ties.

 

U.S. News

Congress Crams Unfinished Agenda Into Final Days

Andrew Taylor | Associated Press

Lame-duck lawmakers return to Washington on Monday facing a stacked agenda and not much time to get it all done before the new Congress convenes in January and a Republican takeover is complete.

 

Asia

Taiwan, Hong Kong a Challenge for China’s XI

Ralph Jennings and Christopher Bodeen | Associated Press

An electoral pummeling for Taiwan’s pro-Beijing ruling party and a new spike in pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong have delivered a reality check to Chinese President Xi Jinping just when he was riding a wave of high-profile diplomacy.

 

Employment Opportunity

Available Positions – Internship

American Security Project

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

14 Challenges in the Secretary of Defense’s Inbox on Day 1

Andrew Holland

There’s no shortage of challenges that Secretary Hagel’s successor will face. Here’s a list of 14 detailed by ASP experts

 

Japan Looks East: The Growing Importance of North American LNG

Hidetoshi Azuma

Fukushima nuclear disaster in March 2011 eliminated Japan’s nuclear power. As Japan seeks alternative energy sources, North American LNG is emerging as the country’s solution.

 

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.

 

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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