Key Reads
Russia lifts ban on S-300 missile system delivery to Iran
BBC
Russia has lifted a ban on supplying Iran with a sophisticated air defence missile system, the Kremlin has said.
Iraqi Prime Minister meeting with President Obama to request weapons
Andrew V. Pestano / UPI
Iraq’s Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi, will arrive to the United States in a visit where he is expected to request for additional weapons from President Barack Obama to fight the Islamic State.
American Competitiveness
Stronger U.S. economy and dollar tighten Latin American ties
Tulsa World
A strong economy, dollar and Cuba breakthrough give the U.S. a chance to regain clout in the region.
National Security & Strategy
U.S. to file complaint over ‘unsafe’ intercept by Russian fighter jet
Kevin Bohn and Steve Almasy / CNN
After a Russian fighter jet intercepted a U.S. reconnaissance plane in an “unsafe and unprofessional manner” earlier this week, the United States is complaining to Moscow about the incident.
Asymmetric Operations
Pakistan’s Neutrality on Yemen Draws Gulf Allies’ Ire
Saeed Shah / The Wall Street Journal
Pakistan’s decision to stay out of Yemen is causing a cleavage with its traditional allies in the Gulf, as the Yemen crisis begins to remake alliances across the Muslim world.
Islamic State militants breach Iraq refinery perimeter, repelled
Reuters
Islamic State militants breached the security perimeter around Iraq’s largest refinery in Baiji early on Monday but were beaten back by security forces and coalition air strikes, local officials said.
IS in Egypt claims soldier’s execution-style killing
AFP / Yahoo News
Egyptian jihadists who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group have posted a video online appearing to show them shooting dead an Egyptian soldier and beheading another captive.
Reuters Iraq Bureau Chief Leaves Country After Being Threatened Over Story
Reuters / The Huffington Post
The Baghdad bureau chief for Reuters has left Iraq after he was threatened on Facebook and denounced by a Shi’ite paramilitary group’s satellite news channel in reaction to a Reuters report last week that detailed lynching and looting in the city of Tikrit.
ISIS Executed 4 Senior Commanders, 13 others in Iraq
Al-Alam
ISIS terrorist group has executed four of its senior commanders in Iraq’s northern province of Salahuddin on the ground that they had fled during clashes with Iraqi government forces.
U.S. Steps Up Bombing Raids in Anbar After Shiite Militias Withdraw
Rod Nordland and Falih Hassan / The New York Times
Under pressure from American officials here, Iraq has withdrawn Shiite militiamen from the Ramadi area in Anbar Province, and the American-led coalition immediately responded by stepping up bombing raids to support Iraqi forces battling extremists of the Islamic State there, according to Iraqi officials involved in the decision.
Climate Security
Students Push College Fossil Fuel Divestment To Stigmatize Industry
Carolyn Beeler / NPR
In the past few years, students at hundreds of colleges and universities have started pushing their schools to divest from fossil fuel companies as a way to slow climate change.
Report: Climate Change Poses High Risk for Low-Income Rural Communities
RP Siegel / Triple Pundit
…the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) hosted a conference call based on its new report, Bridging the Clean Energy Divide. The call focused specifically on the challenges that climate change poses to low-income families, seniors and rural communities. Public health is a portion of this conversation, but it also includes financial impacts, both in terms of reduced expenditures and job creation.
Energy Security
Russia Plans to End Ukraine Gas Transit for New Route After 2019
Elena Mazneva / Bloomberg
Russia is planning to let its natural gas transit contract with Ukraine expire in favor of a route it seeks to build under the Black Sea or supplies to Asia.
Fusion energy: Mimic sun, harness the energy and put it to good use
Jenny Day / San Diego 6 the CW
Friday, General Atomics unveiled the world’s most powerful super-conducting electromagnet. Many of the brightest minds say that this is the future of energy — it could potentially eliminate coal, oil, even solar panels.
Nuclear Security
Deal or not, many U.S. states will keep sanctions grip on Iran
Yeganeh Torbati / Reuters
As the United States and Iran come closer to a historic nuclear deal, many U.S. states are likely to stick with their own sanctions on Iran that could complicate any warming of relations between the long-time foes.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
Iran’s Fragile Rise
Sungtae “Jacky” Park
Iran is a rising force in the Middle East, but one whose power is far more fragile than assumed by many observers.
Geopolitics of Energy in the Eastern Mediterranean: Panel 3
William George
The panel will examine America’s role in building energy cooperation between countries in the region, as well as promoting economic and investment opportunities for new found energy reserves.
Geopolitics of Energy in the Eastern Mediterranean: Panel 2
William George
The panel will examine the challenges to developing the newfound energy resources in the region.
Geopolitics of Energy in the Eastern Mediterranean: Panel 1
William George
The panel will examine the potential of using new found energy reserves to build international cooperation within the region.
What the Experts Are Saying About the Nuclear Framework Deal with Iran…
Sungtae “Jacky” Park
Here is a list of opinions from political and military leaders, academics, scientists, and other experts on the nuclear framework deal with Iran.
Upcoming Events
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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