Key Reads

 

US forces to hold exercises in Ukraine
AP / Yahoo News
The United States plans to send soldiers to Ukraine in April for training exercises with units of the country’s national guard.

 

Iraqi prime minister claims victory against Islamic State in Tikrit
Loveday Morris / The Washington Post
Iraqi forces claimed to have seized the city of Tikrit from Islamic State militants on Tuesday after U.S.-led airstrikes cleared the way for ground operations, an advance that would mark the government’s most significant victory over the extremists since their summer blitz.

 

American Competitiveness

 

Russia’s Economic Outlook Worse Than Thought, World Bank Says
Nasdaq
Russia’s economic contraction will be worse than previously thought, the World Bank said Wednesday, as the country continues to suffer from Western sanctions and weak oil prices.

 

National Security & Strategy

 

Obama administration ends long hold on military aid to Egypt
Missy Ryan / The Washington Post
The United States will resume suspended military aid to Egypt, the White House said Tuesday, signaling the Obama administration’s eagerness to help a key Middle Eastern ally confront militant threats despite concerns about its repressive stance on human rights.

 

Asymmetric Operations

 

Iraqi Claims That ‘Tikrit Has Fallen’ Is Disputed
Rod Nordland / The New York Times
Tikrit had not yet actually fallen…according to accounts from several people in Tikrit. Extremists of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, remained in the much-contested city. Other top officials in Baghdad moderated the prime minister’s announcement, saying that while gains had been made in the city, the fight was continuing.

 

U.S. establishes sanctions program to combat cyberattacks, cyberspying
Ellen Nakashima / The Washington Post
President Obama on Wednesday signed an executive order establishing the first sanctions program to allow the administration to impose penalties on individuals overseas who engage in destructive attacks or commercial espionage in cyberspace.

 

Yemen FM calls for military coalition to send ground troops
Khaleej Times
Yemen’s foreign minister called Wednesday for a Saudi-led military coalition targeting rebels in his country to send ground troops.

 

Climate Security

 

Obama’s Strategy on Climate Change, Part of Global Deal, Is Revealed
Coral Davenport / The New York Times
The White House on Tuesday introduced President Obama’s blueprint for cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the United States by nearly a third over the next decade.

 

India may submit climate change plans in September; Javadekar assures pledges will be submitted “in time”
Urmi Goswami / The Economic Times
India is likely to submit its plans to tackle climate change, including steps to curb the amount of carbon pollution, in September.

 

Climate change: Russia sketches emissions cut of up to 30%
Zee News
Russia, moving ahead of a deadline for submitting pledges to tackle climate change has said it could cut its greenhouse-gas emissions by up to 30 per cent compared to 1990 levels, subject to conditions.

 

Latin America divided between oil and green energy
Katell Abiven / Business Insider
Latin America spends billions of dollars subsidizing fossil fuels each year, but also has some of the world’s largest renewable power programs, highlighting the energy-hungry region’s divisions as it charts its future.

 

Energy Security

 

Reckoning Arrives for Cash-Strapped Oil Firms Amid Bank Squeeze
Dawn Kopecki, Christine Idzelis, and Bradley Olson / Bloomberg
Lenders are preparing to cut the credit lines to a group of junk-rated shale oil companies by as much as 30 percent in the coming days, dealing another blow as they struggle with a slump in crude prices, according to people familiar with the matter.

 

Nuclear Security

 

Iran nuclear talks drag past deadline as hurdles remain
Al Jazeera
The nuclear talks between Iran and six world powers have been extended beyond Tuesday midnight deadline in an effort to hammer out the outline of an agreement on curbing Tehran’s nuclear program.

 

On Our Flashpoint Blog

 

Disparte on Entrepreneurialism and National Security on HuffPost
Maggie Feldman-Piltch
The following piece by Chairperson of ASP’s Business Council for American Security Dante Disparte and Daniel Wagner was originally published The Huffington Post Blog.

 

Congressional Support for the Southern Corridor
Andrew Holland
As Members of Congress increasingly tout US exports of LNG to Europe as a way to break Russia’s monopoly (an important option that should be promoted), we should remember that the Southern Corridor is an option as well. Congressman Turner’s resolution is an important, bipartisan effort to show Congressional support for energy security in Europe, and it deserves support.

 

Upcoming Events

 

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.

 

Conference: The Geopolitics of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)
April 16 @ 12:00pm – 4:30pm
The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) has the potential to redefine transatlantic cooperation in the economic, security, and political spheres and provide the U.S. and the EU with a window of opportunity to advance core values that could help shape the international trading system in the 21st century. Our expert panelists will discuss these issues and attempt to examine TTIP’s potential to facilitate further trade liberalization on a global scale.

 

ASP Recently Published

 

Environmental Threats to Louisiana’s Future: Climate change
American Security Project
As one of the centers of energy production, transit, and storage, Louisiana is a hub for the whole country. This ensures that any problems in Louisiana are transferred throughout the country by energy price volatility and uncertainty.

 

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.

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