Center for Strategic Communication

Key Reads

 Gulf Nation Leaders Seek Security Commitments from Obama

Deb Riechmann / The Associated Press
Leaders of Gulf nations unnerved by Washington’s nuclear talks with Iran and Tehran’s meddling across the Mideast look to President Barack Obama to promise more than words and weapons at Thursday’s Camp David summit.

Kerry to Meet with Putin in Russia on Tuesday
Felicia Schwartz / The Wall Street Journal

Secretary of State John Kerry will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, Russia, on Tuesday, the first U.S. Cabinet-level visit to Russia since the Ukraine crisis flared last year.

American Competitiveness & Economic Diplomacy

Next Up for China’s Central Bank: How to Get Loans to Small Firms

Lingling Wei / The Wall Street Journal
Having delivered an interest-rate cut to help big state-owned companies and local governments cope with debilitating debt, China’s central bank is grappling with another thorny task: how to steer credit to the private businesses Beijing deems crucial to growth.

Wall St. Mixed on Greece, China Worries; Energy Stocks Down
Tanya Argawal / Reuters
Wall Street was mixed in morning trading on Monday amid worries about Greece’s precarious financial condition and slowing growth in China, while energy stocks fell on weaker oil prices.

 

National Security & Strategy

Georgia Hosts Joint Military Exercises With U.S.

Margarita Antidze / Reuters
U.S. and Georgian forces began two weeks of military exercises in the South Caucasian republic on Monday, a move that is likely to irritate Georgia’s former Soviet master Russia.

Surge in Jet Purchases Reshuffles Market
Defense News

The activity continued last week, with sources telling Defense News that the US government is nearing agreement to sell up to 40 F/A-18 E and F Super Hornet strike fighters to Kuwait.

EU Asks U.N. to Sanction Military Action Against Migrant Boats in North Africa

Don Melvin / CNN
The European Union, facing a rising tide of migrants, asked the United Nations on Monday to authorize military action to destroy boats used to smuggle people from Africa to Europe.

Russia Tests Distant Waters, Resurfacing Cold War Fears
Stephen Castle / The New York Times
An 80-ton trawler that normally catches prawn in its nets, the Karen this time seemed to have ensnared a submarine. And, with the British Navy and NATO both denying involvement, suspicion has fallen on Russia, which since the conflict in Ukraine has been testing the response times of the alliance in the air and at sea.

King’s Absence from U.S. Summit Shows Saudi Displeasure Over Iran Push

William Maclean  / Reuters
The Saudi king’s absence from a regional summit to be hosted by President Barack Obama shows how Gulf states, displeased by what they see as U.S. indifference to Iranian meddling in the Arab world, may hesitate to bless any nuclear deal with Tehran.

 

Asymmetric Operations

Macedonia Charges 30 With Terrorism After Kumanovo Clashes

BBC
Prosecutors in Macedonia say they have charged 30 people with terrorism-related offences following deadly clashes in the northern town of Kumanovo. Some have also been charged with illegally possessing arms and explosives, a statement quoted by AFP news agency said.

Moroccan F-16 Jet from Saudi-led Coalition in Yemen Goes Missing
Aziz El Yaakoubi, Mohammed Ghobari, Praveen Mennon / Reuters
A Moroccan F-16 warplane that is part of the Saudi-led force carrying out air strikes in Yemen has gone missing, Morocco’s military said on Monday, and Iran-allied Houthi rebels and Saudi forces traded heavy fire across the border.

Boko Haram Kills Two Soldiers in Cameroon: Sources
Sylvain Andzongo / Reuters via the New York Times
Gunmen from Nigeria’s Boko Haram Islamist militant group killed two Cameroonian soldiers in fighting at the weekend that also left three militants dead, military officers said on Monday.

Turkish Cargo Ship Attacked Near Libya
Emre Peker, Hassan Morajea / The Wall Street Journal

A Turkish cargo ship was attacked by the Libyan military Sunday, killing one crew member and triggering mutual recriminations that highlight a further deterioration of relations between once close nations.

 

Climate Security

Greater Youth Involvement in Climate Change Sensitization Encouraged
The Jamaica Observer
Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change Minister Robert Pickersgill is encouraging the nation’s youth to become more informed and involved in educating the public about climate change adaptation.

Australia PM’s Adviser Says Climate Change a UN Hoax
BBC
A top Australian government business adviser has said climate change is a hoax by the United Nations. Most climate models were wrong and there was little evidence of climate change, said Maurice Newman. He said the UN had used climate change as a “hook” to establish and control a new world order.

 

Energy Security

OPEC: Oil Prices Will Stay Below $100 for a Decade

Devin Henry / The Hill
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) doesn’t expect oil prices to return to the $100 per barrel mark for at least the next decade, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

G7 Ministers Discuss Europe’s Energy Security Ahead of Summit
Europe Online Magazine
Energy ministers of the G7 nations were in Hamburg, Germany on Monday for two days of talks on energy security and how to reduce Europe‘s continued dependency on Russian energy exports.

Nuclear Security

Ex-DOE Worker Charged With Trying to Steal, Sell Nuclear Data 

Elise Viebeck / The Hill
A former employee of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is facing up to 50 years in prison for allegedly attempting to use a spear-phishing campaign to harvest sensitive nuclear weapons information from government computers.

 

On Our Flashpoint Blog

What Tesla’s Powerwall Means for Energy Security

Philip Rossetti

The Powerwall and Powerpack mark the first commercial success in bringing batteries powerful enough to power a home—or even a factory, as the factory where Tesla will produce the Powerpacks will be powered entirely by (naturally) Powerpacks.

The ISIS Threat in U.S.

American Security Project
ASP’s Director of Strategy and Communications Paul Hamill was featured on Fox Local News yesterday discussing the threat of ISIS terror cells in the United States. A report from someone claiming to have ties to the terrorist organization reported over 70 militants living in 15 states across the country.

Exporting the Best of America – What the Business Sector Can Learn From Jazz

Chad Tragakis
Jazz, once a uniquely American art form, has been embraced in nearly every corner of the populated world. Many of its most ardent and enthusiastic devotees – both listeners and performers themselves – are now found outside of the United States. And, there are dozens of wonderful programs around the world that use Jazz as a means to promote peace and foster cross-cultural understanding, even among those who share little if any other common ground. It is a grand idea, though not a new one.

From over the Pond – Four things to watch after the UK’s General Election

Paul Hamill
This Thursday will see a General Election in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK). All 650 seats in the House of Commons are up for grabs.

ASP Recently Published

 Critical Issues Facing Russia and the Former Soviet Union: Governance and Corruption

American Security Project

When it comes to Russia and the other post-Soviet states, corruption is the subject of constant academic, policy, and popular debate. According to many, persistent corruption is the major factor undermining post-Soviet states from achieving broad-based political, economic, and social development along liberal-democratic lines.

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.

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