Key Reads
Yemen Crisis: More Than 100 Die in Attacks on Sanaa Mosques
BBC
Suicide bombers have attacked two mosques in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, killing at least 126 people and wounding many others, reports say. The mosques were used mainly by supporters of the Zaidi Shia-led Houthi rebel movement, which controls Sanaa.
Petreaus: Iran, not ISIS, is Main Threat to Iraq
Al Arabiya
Former CIA Director Gen. David Petraeus, who commanded U.S. forces during the 2007-2008 surge in the Iraq war, has said that Iran and the Shiite militias it backs pose “the foremost” strategic threat to Iraq, superseding the threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria terror group.
American Competitiveness
Beijing Helps to Drive Yuan Higher Against U.S. Dollar
Shen Hong / The Wall Street Journal
China’s yuan scored its best week in over seven years, as Beijing steps in to the markets to drive the currency higher and kick out speculators betting on losses as the economy deteriorates.
India’s Forex Reserves Fall on US Rate Hike Fear
The Economic Times
India’s foreign exchange reserves dipped by a tad over $2 billion in the week ending March 13 after Reserve Bank of India intervened to sell the US greenback during the week to prevent a sharp depreciation of the rupee amid concerns over the rate hike stance by the Federal Reserve.
National Security & Strategy
Deadlocked Iran Nuclear Talks Set to Break Off, Resume Next Week
Louis Charbonneau, Parisa Hafezi / Reuters
Iran and six world powers were set to suspend negotiations on a historic nuclear deal and reconvene later next week to break a deadlock over sensitive atomic research and lifting of sanctions, Western officials said on Friday.
More U.S. Troops Seen Staying in Afghanistan
Matthew Rosenberg, Mark Mazzetti / The New York Times
The Obama administration is nearing a decision to keep more troops in Afghanistan next year than it had intended, effectively upending its drawdown plans in response to roiling violence in the country and another false start in the effort to open peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government.
Senators Seek U.S. Strategy to Stop China’s South China Sea Reclamation
David Brunnstrom / Reuters
Leading U.S. senators expressed alarm on Thursday at the scale and speed of China’s land reclamation in the South China Sea and said a formal U.S. strategy was needed to slow or stop the work.
Asymmetric Operations
Security Bolstered Across Tunisia as Rallies Decry Reach of Terrorism
Erin Cunningham / The Washington Post
Tunisian authorities bolstered security at vital installations across the country Friday amid fears of follow-up attacks after a museum massacre apparently carried out by Islamic State gunmen.
Islamic State Video Purports to Show Kurdish Peshmerga Beheadings
Omar Fahmy, Isabel Coles / Reuters
Islamic State has published a video purporting to show the beheading of three Kurdish peshmerga fighters in northern Iraq by militants who threatened to kill “dozens” more of those being held captive.
Boko Haram Blamed for 11 Deaths in Gomboru
VOA News
At least 11 people have died in the Nigerian border town of Gomboru in an apparent attack by the Boko Haram militant group, which had ceded the territory to Cameroonian forces a few weeks ago.
Militants, ISIS Included, Claim Tunisia Museum Attack
David D. Kirkpatrick / The New York Times
The Islamic State and other extremists on Thursday sought to claim responsibility for the deadly attack that killed at least 21 people at the National Bardo Museum in Tunis. The authorities there arrested at least nine people suspected of being accomplices as major cruise lines indefinitely suspended stops in Tunisia, a sign of the looming toll on the crucial tourist industry.
Climate Security
U.S. Negotiator Sees Global Climate Change Deal Happening This Year
Brian Spegele / The Wall Street Journal
The top U.S. climate negotiator expressed cautious optimism about sealing a new global climate change pact by the end of the year, stressing growing cooperation between the U.S. and China to limit carbon emissions.
Fla. Official Says he was Punished for Using ‘Climate Change’ in Report
Terrence McCoy / The Washington Post
The case marks the latest allegation that the Florida government, under the stewardship of climate-change skeptic Gov. Rick Scott (R), has tried to expunge the words “climate change” and “global warming” from official correspondence. News of the alleged ban, originally reported by the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting, quickly went viral this month in large part because Florida is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Energy Security
Energy and Crimean Tatars Top Agenda as Turkey’s Erdogan Visits Ukraine
Orhan Coskun / Reuters
Energy ties and the fate of Crimean Tatars will top the agenda when Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan meets his Ukrainian counterpart in Kiev on Friday, but concrete deals are unlikely as he seeks to avoid straining relations with Moscow.
Solar Eclipse and Supermoon Have Europe Energy Providers Watchful
Melissa Eddy / The New York Times
Germany has enthusiastically embraced the sun as an important source of energy, but a strange celestial trifecta on Friday evoked a shiver of ancient fears — and the more practical concern that the lights might go out.
Nuclear Security
North Korean Envoy Says His Country Has Nuclear Missiles
The Associated Press Via ABC News
A North Korean envoy says his country has developed nuclear missiles and is prepared to use them at any time. North Korean Ambassador to Britain Hyun Hak Bong said in an interview with British broadcaster Sky News that his government would use the missiles in response to a nuclear attack by the United States.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
Water Security and the Nile Basin
Philip Rossetti
Egypt is much better served by pursuing an avenue of cooperation, meeting some sort of agreement on the distribution of the benefits of the Nile as well as the benefits of the GERD.
Non-Binding Document Threatens Cuts to Climate Security Research
Andrew Holland
In the published narrative, Chairman Price list under the “Eliminating Waste” section that “The Department of Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency, two of the most important agencies in our national security apparatus, currently spend part of their budget studying climate change.” This implies that Congress will seek to eliminate that spending.
Vanuatu Devastation Blamed on Climate Change
William George
This past weekend, the island nation of Vanuatu was devastated by Cyclone Pam, a massive cyclone with winds that reached up to 185mph, destroying a significant portion of the country’s infrastructure.
Upcoming Events
LSU Event – Climate Change: Risks for National Security
March 25th @ 6:00pm – 8:00pm
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 Louisiana State University on Wednesday, March 25th as we discuss this important issue.
Climate Change: Risks for National Security
March 26 @ 3:30pm – 5:30pm
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 Tulane University on Thursday, March 26th as we discuss this important issue.
Discussion with Gov. Christine Todd Whitman: Climate Change Calls for Clean and Safe Energy
April 10 @ 10:00am – 11:00am
Join Governor Whitman at the World Affairs Council of Hilton Head Island as she discusses the important issue of climate change and its impact on clean, safe energy. She will recount her experience as governor as well as the Administrator of the EPA. Come join this exciting event.
Conference: Geopolitics of Energy Security in the Eastern Mediterranean
April 15 @ 12:00pm – 5:00pm
ASP will host a half day conference to examine the energy security challenges faced in the Eastern Mediterranean.
ASP Recently Published
Energy in Egypt: Background and Issues
American Security Project
The Egyptian government is making serious efforts to bring more investment into its oil and gas sector while seeking to diversify Egypt’s sources of energy. Given the country’s political, economic, and social challenges, whether the Egyptian government will be able to achieve its objectives remains to be seen.
Energy Security in the Caribbean
American Security Project
On Wednesday, February 4th 2015, the American Security Project hosted a half-day conference examining energy security in the Caribbean. Nearly 100 experts from academia, International Financial Institutions, the US government, and private corporations attended the conference.
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