International News Coverage
Middle East, Terrorism and Counterterrorism
Gunmen storm Paris satirical newspaper, killing at least 12
Virgile Demoustier | The Washington Post
Security forces launched a massive manhunt Wednesday after masked gunmen opened fire inside the offices of a French satirical newspaper known for provocative content on Islam, killing the editor and at least 11 others before fleeing in waiting cars.
Car bomb kills 35 people outside Yemen police college
Mohammed Ghobari | Reuters
A car bomb exploded outside a police college in Yemen’s capital Sanaa on Wednesday, killing 35 people and wounding dozens, police said, less than a week after a suicide bombing south of the capital left nearly 30 dead.
U.S. training of Syrian rebels could begin in spring: Pentagon
David Alexander | Reuters
The U.S. military has made progress in its effort to identify moderate Syrian rebels to train for the fight against Islamic State militants and a U.S. training mission could begin this spring, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.
U.S. Clears Iraq Arms Sales but Congress Could Block
Doug Cameron / Wall Street Journal
U.S. government approvals for U.S. weapon sales to Iraq have nearly tripled this year to almost $15 billion, promising much-needed work for U.S. weapons factories if the proposed deals can overcome congressional concerns.
The Americas
Security on agenda as embattled Mexican president visits Obama
David Gaham | Reuters
Mexico’s embattled President Enrique Pena Nieto will discuss security and justice with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington next week amid public anger about how he has handled a probe into the apparent massacre of 43 trainee teachers.
Drone Patrols on U.S. Border Ineffective, Report Finds
Jack Nicas | Wall Street Journal
Using drones to guard the U.S. border has been more costly and less effective than previously thought, according to a government watchdog report.
Americans are eager to visit Cuba, but changes to U.S. rules may come slowly
Joshua Partlow | The Washington Post
There are the people who want to honeymoon on the same beaches their grandparents did. Those who want to extend their Florida vacations with a quick jaunt to the island 90 miles south. Those who want to buy the Havana Club rum and the hand-rolled cigars and see the midcentury jalopies before they disappear. And they want to go, like, today.
Asia
Tail of Missing AirAsia Plane Is Found, Indonesian Official Says
Tom Mccawley / The New York Times
The head of Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said Wednesday that the tail of AirAsia Flight 8501 had been spotted in the Java Sea, a development that could be significant because the plane’s so-called black boxes were contained there.
Hong Kong government cements support for China’s pre-screening of poll candidates
Clare Baldwin | Reuters
The Hong Kong government on Wednesday cemented its support for China’s plan to pre-screen candidates for the city’s 2017 leadership election, just weeks after authorities cleared the streets of protesters pushing for greater democracy.
Energy Security, Science and Technology, Climate Change
Bilal Y. Saab | Foreign Affairs
Oil prices recently dipped below $50 per gallon for the first time since May 2009. Observers have attributed the drop to both an increase in supply, resulting from the shale revolution in the United States, and a decrease in demand, owing to sluggish global growth.
The Pentagon’s newest weapons look like something out of ‘Star Wars’
Christian Davenport | The Washington Post
One of the newest weapons in the Pentagon’s vast arsenal is a concentrated beam of light, a laser that zaps and burns, delivering destruction by the kilowatt, as if in “Star Wars.”
China encourages environmental groups to sue polluters
Agence France-Presse | The Guardian
China on Wednesday granted public interest groups more power to sue those that flout environmental protection laws, the country’s highest court said, as Beijing steps up efforts to curb pollution that regularly chokes major cities.
SpaceX Rocket Launch Is Called Off Minutes Before Liftoff
Kenneth Chang / The New York Times
The launch countdown of a rocket carrying equipment and supplies for the International Space Station was called off just minutes before the rocket was to lift off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Tuesday morning.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
President Obama Speaks at Auto Plant Idled by Low Gas Prices
Andrew Holland
One would hope that the American consumer wouldn’t be so short-sighted as to base a major purchase – one that could affect their personal economic health for five years or more – on short term fluctuations in gas prices.
What if it happens here? It’s not “if” – it’s “when”
Paul Hamill
While not widely reported in the U.S. media, there have been a number of much smaller terrorist incidents in France over the last few weeks, in which the French Government even deployed military personnel all over the country to help contain these attacks.
Energy Deal the Focus of President’s Trip to India
William George
President Barack Obama’s upcoming trip to India is shaping up to be a “golden opportunity” to discuss cooperation between the two countries concerning climate change along with a potential deal involving green energy.
Why Cheap Oil can Help the U.S. Deal with Climate Change
Philip Rossetti
The price of oil continued to fall today, dropping to nearly $51 per barrel for Brent crude oil, while already dropping to below $50 per barrel for U.S. oil. The economic impact of this price decline though is highly variable.
Luke Lorenz
When was the last time that you heard of a federal agency giving money to the taxpayer? For the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im), that is business as usual.
Welcome to 21st Century Warfare
Dante Disparte
As the scale and sovereign culprit behind the attack on Sony were revealed, the world awakens to the specter of an uncomfortable new normal emerging in warfare – cyber terrorism.
5 MENA News Stories You May Have Missed Over the Holidays
Maggie Feldman-Piltch
Principles in Action: Stability Through Trade
Luke Lorenz
The United States must pursue trade policies, which increase prosperity, decrease inequality and create durable peace around the globe.
Dante Disparte
In today’s modern frictionless economy, the principal requisite for growth and order is the free flow of sensitive information, banking transactions and private data on a global scale.
Water Security in Central Asia: Rogun Dam and Human Rights
Elise Reifschneider
Construction on Tajikistan’s Rogun hydropower plant began in 1976; thirty-eight years later, the Rogun Dam is still unfinished.
10 Key National Security Challenges in 2015
Paul Hamill
The United States and its allies are going to face a variety of challenges on the international stage in 2015, many will take forward the situations that arose in 2014, but others are long-term strategic issues. Here are 10 key challenges for 2015.
BGen Stephen A. Cheney USMC (Ret.)
It always seems so easy to just send in the 82nd Airborne Division, let them perform their magic for a year or two, then pull them out and think the problem is solved. Never, never that simple.
Key Quotes on the U.S.-Cuba Relations
Marylin Carino
Upcoming Events
Economic Diplomacy: How Economic Ties Can Strengthen National Security with Amb. Rivkin
January 15 @ 12:30pm – 1:30pm
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.
Conference – Energy Security in the Caribbean: Unique Challenges
February 4 @ 12:00pm – 5:00pm
Join ASP as we host a conference on February 4, 2015, discussing the challenges facing the Caribbean in securing their energy future and how to move forward in the years to come.
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