International News Coverage
Sydney Hostage Crisis
Police storm Sydney café to end hostage siege, reports say two dead
Lincoln Feast & Nicole Packham
Heavily armed Australian police stormed a Sydney café on Tuesday to free several hostages being held there at gunpoint, in a dramatic end to a standoff that had dragged on for more than 16 hours.
Middle East & North Africa
The terrorist bureaucracy: Inside the files of the Islamic State in Iraq
Jacob N. Shapiro & Danielle F. Jung | The Boston Globe
An exclusive look at captured documents reveals the tight organizational structure – and vulnerabilities – of a violent movement.
Islamic State Imposes Strict New Order in Mosul, and Deprivation Is a Result.
Ben Hubbard | The New York Times
As the school year began in Mosul, the largest city controlled by the Islamic State, the extremists sent a message to teachers: Report for work or lose your jobs.
Egypt Stock Market Loses $3B Amid Oil Plunge
Merrit Kennedy | The Associated Press
Egypt’s stock market shares plunged by 22 billion Egyptian pounds (just over $3 billion) in Sunday trading as low oil prices dragged down regional economies.
Syrian jihadis seize Idlib army base
The Guardian
Jihadis have captured a Syrian army base in the north-western province of Idlib after two days of intense fighting that killed dozens of gunmen, activists have said.
Egypt looks to roll back Islamist militias in Libya
Ayah Aman | Al Monitor
Egypt has been taking diplomatic steps to settle the armed conflict in Libya, but in the meantime, the Libyan national army has been fighting with political, military and logistical support from Cairo to regain gradual control of Benghazi from Islamist militias.
Climate Change
Late-breaking climate deal reached in Lima
Karl Ritter | The Associated Press
Climate negotiators salvaged a compromise deal in Lima early Sunday that sets the stage for a global pact in Paris next year, but rejected a rigorous review of the greenhouse gas emissions limits.
Iran
Iran nuclear talks resume in Geneva
Julian Borger | The Guardian
After failing to reach agreement in Vienna by a November 24 deadline after nine months of negotiations, diplomats are sitting down in Geneva today to try to keep the momentum for a nuclear deal going.
Iran’s Rouhani says will try to clinch nuclear deal as talks with U.S. resume
Reuters
President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday that he would try to clinch a nuclear deal with world powers despite opposition from some quarters in Iran.
Russia
Congress Sends Obama Measure Pushing for More Russia Sanctions
Indira A.R. Lakshmanan
The U.S. Congress has sent President Barack Obama legislation setting out tougher sanctions to punish Russia for its intervention in Ukraine, while giving him leeway in applying most of the provisions.
Russian ruble falls to new low against US dollar
BBC
The Russian ruble has dropped to a new low against the US dollar, as falling oil prices and Western sanctions continue to weigh on the country.
East Asia
Japan’s Abe faces battle on reforms despite win
Elaine Kurtenbach | The Associated Press
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed Monday to prevail over resistance to his plans for economic and political change following a weekend election victory that gives him up to four more years in power.
Employment Opportunities
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
Disaster Risk and Climate Change: The Frog in the Boiling Pot
Sophia Dahodwala
Join ASP and special guest, Mr. Dante Disparte, for a discussion on disaster risk management in the wake of climate change.
U.S. – Russia Relations – New ISAB Report
BGen Stephen A. Cheney USMC (Ret.)
After over a year’s worth of work by a very distinguished board, you’ll find a report that doesn’t whitewash anything – be it Putin, Ukraine, or nuclear weapons.
GCC starting to create regional security
Fadi Elsalameen
This week saw the Gulf Cooperation Council (the GCC) take major security and political steps together.
Pakistan – Aid, Trade, and Security
Maggie Feldman-Piltch
On December 9th, ASP hosted a roundtable discussion sponsored by FTI Consulting with Admiral William Fallon, USN (Re.), Mr. Daniel Grant, Assistant to the Administrator for Pakistan in the USAID office of Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs and Mr. Mark Thompson of APCO Worldwide, titled “Pakistan – Aid, Trade, and Security.”
ASP’s Holland Testifies about the Arctic before House Foreign Affairs Committee
Andrew Holland
On Wednesday, December 10, 2014, Andrew Holland, ASP’s Senior Fellow for Energy and Climate, testified before the House Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats. The hearing, “The United States as an Artic Nation: Opportunities in the High North” took place in 2200 Rayburn House Office Building Washington.
Caroline Julia von Wurden
December 9th, the FY-15 Omnibus was posted by the Rules Committee. Listen to ASP’s Andrew Holland explain the details and the importance of fusion to America’s long term energy security.
Hochstein: “Energy plays a critical role in national security”
Caroline Julia von Wurden
Amos J. Hochstein, Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs leading the Bureau of Energy Resources (ENR) at the U.S. Department of State spoke at the American Security Project on Monday about energy policy and the critical role it plays in global and national security.
Upcoming Events
Economic Diplomacy: How Economic Ties Can Strengthen National Security with Amb. Rivkin
January 15 @ 12:30PM – 1:30PM
Location: American Security Project, 1100 New York Ave. NW – 7th Floor – West Tower, Washington DC, 20005
Join ASP on January 15, 2015 as we welcome Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs Charles H. Rivkin for Economic Diplomacy: How Economic Ties Can Strengthen National Security.
Deputy Under Secretary of Defense John Conger: DoD Efforts on Climate Adaptation
January 21 @10:00AM – 11:30AM
Join ASP on Wednesday, January 21 as Deputy Under Secretary of Defense John Conger discusses the Department of Defense’s Climate Adaptation Roadmap, its implications, and how the military is planning for climate change.
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