Key Reads

Pageantry and protests welcome China leader to Britain

Michael Holden and Elizabeth Piper / Reuters

Human rights protesters vied with China supporters and tourists to see President Xi Jinping ride in a carriage to Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, the first day of a state visit Britain hopes will cement financial ties.

Slovenia deploys army at border as thousands of migrants seek to transit

Marja Novak and Aleksandar Vasovic / Reuters

Slovenia said on Tuesday it would deploy the army to guard its border and appealed for help from the European Union as migrants streamed through the tiny country and many thousands more spent another cold night outside in the Balkans.

U.S. pilots told not to react to aggressive Russian jets in Syria

Barbara Starr / CNN

U.S. military pilots have been warned by their top commanders to be careful to react to any Russian military planes flying in Syria as Russian aircraft increasingly fly near American planes, according to a U.S. official familiar with such incidents.

 

American Competitiveness

 

U.S. approves $11.25 billion warship sale to Saudi Arabia

Andrea Shalal / Reuters

The U.S. government has approved the sale of four Lockheed Martin Corp multi-mission warships and associated equipment to Saudi Arabia, a deal valued at $11.25 billion, according to a U.S. government official.

U.S. says further yuan appreciation ‘key’ to rebalancing China’s economy

Lindsay Dunsmuir / Reuters

The United States called on China on Monday to allow its currency to appreciate further as a crucial support to the world’s second-biggest economy in rebalancing its economy.

Euro rebounds versus dollar on data, ECB comments

Patrick Graham / Reuters

The euro rose 0.5 percent against the dollar on Tuesday, helped by solid data and a change in mood from European Central Bank policymakers before Thursday’s meeting, beating back market bets on further monetary easing.

Asia’s energy stocks lose ground on weak oil price, China woes

See Kit Tang / CNBC

Asian equity markets traded mixed on Tuesday, with energy shares taking a hit as stubborn signs of weakness in the Chinese economy rekindled declines in oil prices.

 

National Security Strategy

 

FBI investigates claim that hacker broke into CIA director’s private e-mail

Greg Miller / the Washington Post

Files posted online appear to include lists of names of U.S. officials with their Social Security numbers.

South and North Koreans, Separated Almost a Lifetime, Reunite Briefly

Choe Sang-Hun / the New York Times

As the husband she last saw 65 years ago hugged her on Tuesday, Lee Soon-Kyu, an 85-year-olf grandmother from South Korea, smiled shyly, she the young bride she once was.

 

Asymmetric Operations

 

Third Russian air strike on Syrian rebel group kills leader

Khalil Ashawi / Reuters

Russian air strikes in Syria’s Latakia province killed a top rebel commander from a group armed by President Bashar al-Assad’s foreign enemies, a monitoring group said on Tuesday.

Exclusive: Watchdog to probe alleged mustard gas use by Islamic State

Anthony Deutsch / Reuters

Islamic State militants “most probably” used the banned chemical weapon mustard gas against Kurdish forces in Iraq and international inspectors have been asked to investigate, diplomatic sources told Reuters.

As the Pentagon plan for Afghanistan shifts, dispatches from the war zone

Dan Lamothe / the Washington Post

While Bagram Airfield is mostly isolated from the outside world, it is still subject to deadly attacks.

U.S. and Iraqi Forces Take Offensive against ISIS on Several Fronts

Michael R. Gordon and Eric Schmitt / the New York Times

Struggling to regain the initiative after a long impasse in the battle against Islamic militants, the Iraqi government and the American-led coalition are for the first time in months putting military prepare on jihadist on multiple fronts, official say.

 
Climate Security

 

How Climate Change became a national security problem

Issie Lapowsky / Wired

Towards the End of last week’s Democratic debate, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper tossed the five candidates on stage a relative softball: “What is the greatest national security threat to the United States?” he asked

One Scientist’s Hopeful View on How to repair the planet

Diane Toomey / Huffington Post

For a researcher who studies how humanity is pushing the earth close to potentially disastrous tipping points, Johan Rochstrom is surprisingly optimistic.

Dalai Lama says strong action on climate change is a human responsibility

The Guardian

The Dalai Lama on Tuesday urged strong global action to limit global warming and to protect fragile environments, including the Himalayan glaciers and Tibetan plateau.

Europe Already Beat its 2020 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Target

Huffington Post

The European Union, the world’s No.3 greenhouse gas polluter, says its emissions fell 4 percent last year, meaning the 28-nation bloc has already surpassed its target for 2020.

 

Nuclear Security

 

North Korea said to be preparing for Nuclear Test

Choe Sang-Hun / the New York Times

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service said it believed that North Korea was preparing for another nuclear test, but not in the near future, according to lawmakers who attended a closed-door parliament session with officials from spy agency on Tuesday.

Pak develops nuclear weapons to combat possible war with India

Times of India

Foreign secretary Aizaz Chaudhry has said that the country has made low-yield nuclear weapons to deal with India’s cold-start doctrine that Pakistan claims was developed by Indian military for use in a possible war with the neighboring nation.

 

Energy Security  

 

China to take one-third stake in Hinkley nuclear project

Christopher Adams / CBBC

China is to take a one-third stake in a French-led project to build the first in a new generation of UK nuclear power plants, investing billions of pounds under a landmark commercial deal to be announced on Wednesday.

Kites: The future of the wind energy?

Anmar Franoul / CNBC

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/15/kites-the-future-of-wind-energy.html

Could kites hold the key to cleaner, cheaper energy? Italian company Kitenergy has developed technology that harnesses the power of high-altitude winds and converts it into electricity.

Japan Acknowledges Possible Fukushima nuclear Radiation Casualty

NBC News

Japan has acknowledged a possible first casualty from radiation at the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant — a worker who was diagnosed with cancer after the crisis broke out in 2011.

 

On Our Flashpoint Blog

 

Susan Rice Speaks at Stanford About Climate Change

Ricky Gandhi
On Monday, October 12, former ASP board member and current national security advisor Susan Rice spoke to a Stanford crowd about the ill effects of climate change and our global response to it. She began by noting our failure to adequately respond, and the consequences that ensued.

Who Wields Iranian Sanctions Authority?
Sam Hickey
On December 28, 1977, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) was signed into law, which allows a president to intervene in any U.S. business transactions with a foreign entity if a state of emergency is declared.

Iran’s Close Relationship with Syria Hinders Negotiations with the US
Anil Powers
There appears to be no end in sight for the war in Syria.  As ISIS continues its campaign of terror in the region, Russia and Iran increase their military support of the Assad regime, intensifying a conflict that has already affected millions of people.  With no formal peace talks in the works, the United States is reaching out to Iran to negotiate a political solution, one in which the Assad regime is removed from power.  But the most critical obstacle to this is Iran’s unwillingness to part ways with President Bashar al-Assad.

Biden: Infrastructure a National Security Issue
Ricky Gandhi
Mayor Emanuel of Chicago started the event by discussing the importance of infrastructure investment in local communities. “We cannot have a 21st century economy running on 20th century infrastructure,” he declared. With this philosophy in mind, he explained his platform on infrastructure.

 

 

Upcoming Events

 

Climate Change, Diplomacy, and National Security – A Conversation with Foreign Minister Tony de Brum, Marshall Islands
October 28 @ 12:00pm – 1:30pm

ASP will host a conference to discuss the importance of the upcoming COP in Paris and how effective climate diplomacy can still prevent the worst impacts of climate change.

College of Charleston Event – Climate Change: Risks for National Security

November 09 @ 4:00pm – 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 the College of Charleston on Monday, November 9th, as we discuss this important issue.

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