Key Reads
Greece Fails to Offer New Bailout Plan at Summit
Michael Birnbaum, Griff White / The Washington Post
Greece left its European partners empty handed Tuesday after failing to present written bailout proposals at an emergency meeting in Brussels, dealing a possible setback to attempts at salvaging the country’s financial rescue before banks run out of cash.
Six Powers and Iran to Continue Nuclear Talks past Deadline: EU
John Irish, Arshad Mohammed / Reuters
Iran and six major powers will keep negotiating past Tuesday’s deadline for a long-term nuclear agreement as they tackle the most contentious issues, including the continuation of a U.N. arms embargo on Iran, the big powers said.
Afghan Conflict: Two Suicide Attacks Hit Kabul Hours Apart
BBC
A Nato convoy and an Afghan intelligence agency office have been targeted in two suicide attacks hours apart in the Afghan capital Kabul.
American Competitiveness
Nearly 25% of Chinese Stocks Have Stopped Trading
Heather Long / CNN
The turmoil in China’s stock market is so bad that some companies are calling it quits. Over 700 Chinese companies have halted trading to “self preserve,” according to the state media. That means about a quarter of the companies listed on China’s two big exchanges — the Shanghai and Shenzhen — are no longer trading.
National Security & Strategy
Obama Discusses Anti-ISIL Strategy With National Security Team at Pentagon
Jim Garamone / U.S. Department of Defense
President Barack Obama discussed the strategy to degrade and ultimately destroy the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant with civilian and military leaders of his national security team at the Pentagon today.
Asymmetric Operations
Obama: Fight Against Islamic State ‘Will Not Be Quick’
Michael Bowman, Carla Babb / VOA
U.S. President Barack Obama says the fight against Islamic State radicals will be long, hard-fought and require more than American military might to win.
Attackers Kill 14 in Kenya; Al-Shabaab Claims Responsibility
Ingrid Formanek, Omar Nor / CNN
Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility Tuesday for a nighttime attack on two homes in northeastern Kenya’s Mandera County. The attack killed at least 14 people and injured 11 others, according to Mandera County Commissioner Alex Nkoyo.
Francesca Chambers / Daily Mail
President Barack Obama reiterated today that the global battle to defeat ISIS, almost in its second year, will not be over any time soon and that putting additional U.S. forces in the region isn’t an option his administration is considering.
Climate Security
No Plan B if Paris Climate Summits Ends in Failure, Says EU Climate Chief
Fiona Harvey / The Guardian
There is “no plan B” if the Paris climate conference ends in failure, Europe’s climate chief has warned, urging world leaders to intervene to force their ministers to agree a landmark deal this December.
New Zealand Gov’t Greenhouse Gas Target Too Low, Say Critics
Xinhua News Agency / Global Post
The New Zealand government announced an “ambitious” new greenhouse gas emissions target on Tuesday, but critics said the country was still failing to do its fair share to combat climate change.
Energy Security
Oil Crashes 8 Percent as Greek Vote, Iran Talks Set Off Exodus
Barani Krishnan / Reuters
Oil prices suffered their biggest selloff in five months on Monday, falling as much as 8 percent as Greece’s rejection of debt bailout terms and China’s stock market woes set off a deepening spiral of losses.
Natural Gas Falls to 2-Week Low on Moderate July Heat Outlook
Naureen Malik / Bloomberg Business
Natural gas futures dropped to a two-week low as forecasts for July heat moderated, signaling reduced demand for the power-plant fuel.
Nuclear Security
There are reportedly About 8 Unresolved Issues in Iran Nuclear Talks as Deadline Extended
Reuters / Business Insider
Iran and major powers will continue negotiations on an historic nuclear deal past Tuesday’s deadline for a long-term agreement, European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
What Ex-Im Means to American Competitiveness
Clark Derrington
On June 30th the Export-Import Bank’s charter expired. Ex-Im is an essential part of American economic policy. At a net gain to taxpayers, Ex-Im ensures American small businesses are competitive in the global market by securing loans to buyers of their products, and helps American businesses of all sizes keep up against heavily-subsidized foreign competitors. While the bank is still working on its open accounts, its authorization to make new loans expired on June 30th. Ex-Im is a cornerstone of American competitiveness and its reauthorization is vital to continued American leadership in the global marketplace.
ASP Board Member Alejandro Brito on Bloomberg TV Discussing Puerto Rico’s Debt Crisis
Steven Eisen
Alejandro Brito is President of Brito Development Group (BDG), LLP, and current ASP board member. In the last twenty years, Mr. Brito has overseen the design, construction, development and management of over 1,500 luxury housing units in Puerto Rico. Alejandro graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Economics and from Columbia University in New York with a Masters in Real Estate Development. He appeared on Bloomberg TV to discuss the ongoing Puerto Rican Debt Crisis.
After the Referendum, What’s Next in Greece?
Clark Derrington
Greeks overwhelmingly voted “No” in the July 5th austerity referendum. The referendum asked whether the government should accept the conditions attached to the final EU offer of financial assistance to the indebted nation. Critics of the referendum complained that the text of the question was overly technical, and that it asked citizens about an offer that had expired.
Dante Disparte on International Development for the 21st Century Corporate Leader
Julia Maloof
Dante Disparte, Chairperson of ASP’s Business Council for American Security, was recently featured in a brief interview with DCG Speakers Bureau. Disparte discussed international development from the perspective of a 21st century business leader.
ASP Recently Published
Perspective: Potential Areas of Cooperation Between the U.S. and Cuba
American Security Project
Latin America and the Caribbean are critical regions for U.S. security, but the lack of open communication between the U.S. and Cuba weakens America’s ability to operate in these areas. Open dialogue with Cuba will help the U.S. maintain security, and could also bring potential economic opportunities. Understanding that the isolation of Cuba has not proven to be an effective policy, this paper examines a variety of possibilities for cooperation between the United States and Cuba.
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