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U.S strikes kill leaders of Al-Shabaab and ISIS in Libya
Eric Bradner / CNN
A senior leader of the al Qaeda-affiliated group Al-Shabaab in Somalia and the senior ISIS leader in Libya were each killed in recent U.S. military airstrikes, the Pentagon said Monday.
Japan launches anti-terror unit ahead of 2020 Olympics, experts urge more intelligence skills
Mari Yamaguchi / U.S. News
Japan launched a new counterterrorism unit in an air of secrecy Tuesday, with journalists only allowed to photograph its 24 members from behind.
American Competitiveness
Ten EU countries agree on aspect of a financial-transaction tax
Jan Strupczewski / Reuters
Ten euro zone countries agreed on Tuesday on some aspects of a harmonized tax on financial transactions and gave themselves until the middle of next year to reach agreement on remaining issues, including tax rates, the group said in a statement.
U.S. accuses China over aircraft tax breaks
Shawn Donnan / The Financial Times
The US has launched a new front in its trade battles with China, accusing Beijing of giving unfair tax breaks to domestic plane producers in a sign of Washington’s anxiety over China’s nascent aircraft industry.
Bank of France trims fourth quarter French growth forecast after Paris attacks
Michel Rose / Reuters
The Bank of France cut its forecast for French economic growth to 0.3 percent on Tuesday, blaming in part the hit to hotel bookings and restaurant takings from Islamist militant attacks in Paris last month.
EU, Ukraine vow to introduce trade pact next month despite Russian threats
U.S. News
The European Union and Ukraine say they will introduce a free trade pact next month as planned despite Russia’s threat to take retaliatory trade action if its concerns aren’t addressed.
National Security Strategy
U.S. to deploy spy plane in Singapore amid China tensions
David Brunnstrom / Reuters
The United States has agreed with Singapore on a first deployment of the U.S. P8 Poseidon spy plane in Singapore this month, in a fresh response to China over its pursuit of territorial claims in the South China Sea.
Syrian opposition seeks unified front at Riyadh conference
BBC News
Syria’s disparate political and armed opposition factions are coming together in Saudi Arabia for a conference aimed at pursuing peace talks.
Asymmetric Operations
ISIS Extends recruitment efforts to China with new chant
Edward Wong and Adam Wu / The New York Times
The Islamic State has been recruiting far and wide for members to join its ranks on the battlefields of Iraq and Syria or elsewhere. Now those efforts are extending to China.
U.S Strategy seeks to Avoid ISIS Prophecy
Rukmini Callimachi / The New York Times
As the debate on how best to contain the Islamic State continues to rage in Western capitals, the militants themselves have made one point patently clear: They want the United States and its allies to be dragged into a ground war.
Turkish leader’s son denies Russian allegations of Islamic State trade
Reuters
The son of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has denied Russian allegations that he and his family were profiting from the illegal smuggling of oil from Islamic State-held territory in Syria and Iraq.
Climate Security
North Korea launches ‘war on deforestation’
AFP / The Guardian
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has launched a war on deforestation, the country’s foreign minister said at the Paris climate talks, pledging to “actively engage” in global environment efforts.
Climate change is a bigger threat to our security than terrorism
Richard Di Natale / The Australian
Two weeks ago in federal parliament, Malcolm Turnbull gave a major address on national security following the tragic wave of extremist violence in Paris, Beirut and Bamako. It was reassuring and measured.
COP21: Ministers in final push for Paris climate deal
Matt McGrath / BBC News
Ministers from all over the world gather in Paris on Monday in a final push for a new global climate compact.
What most people don’t understand about climate change
Robinson Meyer / The Atlantic
The world’s highest-ranking diplomats are meeting in Paris this week to complete the final version of a new UN agreement on climate change.
Energy Security
Egyptian President in Greece for Energy, Security Talks
ABC News
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is in Athens for a two-day visit that will focus on energy and shipping, as financially troubled Greece seeks economic cooperation with regional partners.
What a climate deal means for oil markets
Michelle Patron / Reuters
Over the next two weeks countries from around the world are convening in Paris to develop a global plan to address climate change. A successful deal in Paris could have significant impacts for energy and equity markets.
Afghanistan gets energy security grants
Daniel J. Graeber / United press International
With energy demand growing nearly twice as fast as its economy, the Asian Development Bank said it was distributing grants to address Afghan energy security.
The Mixed Fortunes for Nuclear Power
Maggie Koerth-Baker / The New York Times
In July 2013, hundreds of people took to the streets in the southern Chinese city of Jiangmen to protest the proposed construction of a uranium processing plant in the region.
Nuclear Security
Iran tests another mid-range ballistic missile in breach of UN resolutions
Jennifer Griffin and Lucas Tomlinson / Fox News
Iran has carried out a new medium range ballistic missile test in breach of two United Nations Security Council resolutions, a senior U.S. official told Fox news on Monday.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
Global Military Leaders Call for Action on Climate along with COP 21
Ngoc H. Le
On Monday, 7 December 2015, in Paris, a group of military leaders from around the world launched the “GMACCC Call for Action 2015” at COP 21. The Global Military Advisory Council on Climate Change (GMACCC) members emphasized the need to adapt to climate stress, with the military as a key contributor to climate preparedness.
BCAS Member Fortinet: Fast and Secure Tour 2015
Anil Powers
Join Business Council for American Security member Fortinet at their Reston, VA offices December 7 – 11 for their 2015 “Fast and Secure Tour 2015,” lead by the 18-wheeled FortiExpress.
Andrew Holland and Ricky Gandhi Featured in The Hill
Ricky Gandhi
ASP’s Andrew Holland and Ricky Gandhi recently published an op-ed editorial in The Hill in support of the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act. In it, they discuss the various provisions of the bill, as well as their implications on the nuclear energy sector.
Sam Hickey
Pakistan’s nuclear calculus has been the subject of much scrutiny because its government is unstable, its population is volatile, and its nuclear weapons program is the fastest expanding on Earth. Pakistani officials have maintained that their nuclear program’s only utility is countering the nuclear and conventional military threat posed by India, but Pakistan’s nuclear program is not lagging dangerously behind India. The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) estimates that Pakistan has a stockpile of 110 to 130 nuclear warheads while India sports a stockpile of 110 to 120 nuclear warheads; Pakistan may have already surpassed India in its nuclear warhead buildup.
Turkey Shoots Down Russian Warplane: Possible Consequences for the Turkey – Russia Relationship
Steffen Westerburger
A week ago Turkish warplanes shot down a Russian Su-24 fighter plane that according to Turkey had violated its airspace on multiple occasions. After having warned the plane without success, the Turks decided to engage. Subsequently, the plane was downed with an air-to-air-missile. The two pilots successfully ejected from their plane, and one of them was then killed by Turkmen rebels while still parachuting down. These actions can have serious consequences in the relationship between Moscow and Ankara, and can further complicate the broader conflict in Syria and the Middle East.
Upcoming Events
December 11 @ 12:00pm – 1:30pm
One year ago, the Department of Defense released its landmark Climate Adaptation Roadmap, which outlined the steps that all areas of the DoD must take to prepare for a changing climate. On Friday, December 11, ASP will host Maureen Sullivan, Director of Environmental Management in the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Installations & Environment), responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Department’s climate change adaptation efforts. She will give an update on DoD efforts around Climate Change.
Hill Briefing: Understanding what’s next in Fusion energy
December 15 @ 12:00pm – 1:30pm
This event will be an opportunity for leaders in fusion energy from the private sector and research labs to discuss the significant progress made in advancing fusion and what this clean, safe, and abundant energy source means for America’s national security and energy future.
ASP Recently Published
Perspective – Alleviating the Resource Curse
American Security Project
Very soon, the Securities and Exchange Commission is expected to announce new proposed regulations under Section 1504 of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Financial Reform Act. The goal is to increase transparency and provide the public with greater access to information related to the payments that U.S.-listed companies make to foreign governments to extract oil, gas, and mineral resources. The rulemaking has been delayed by lawsuits and SEC inaction. But now the SEC has an opportunity to put in place a policy for disclosure that is accessible and effective.
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