Center for Strategic Communication

Key Reads

Geneva police hunt possible Paris terror suspects
Ralph Ellis / CNN

Geneva, Switzerland, is on high alert as police search for suspects who may be related to the terror attacks in Paris.

Azerbaijan shells separatist territory for first time in 20 years
AFP

Azerbaijani tanks shelled positions in the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region on Wednesday for the first time in more than 20 years, the region’s rebel defence ministry said.

COP21: US joins ‘high ambition coalition’ for climate deal
Matt McGrath / BBC
The United States has joined with the EU and a range of other countries at COP21 in an effort to secure a final agreement.

American Competitiveness

WSJ Survey: Economists Are Convinced Fed Will Raise Rates in December
Ben Leubsdorf / Wall Street Journal
There now is little doubt among private economic forecasters that the Federal Reserve will raise short-term interest rates next week.

U.S. Import Prices Down 0.4% in November
Harriet Tory / Wall Street Journal
Prices for imported goods fell for the fifth straight month in November, highlighting the drag on inflation from cheap oil, a strong dollar and slow overseas growth.

National Security Strategy
Kerry to visit Moscow for talks on Syria
AFP
US Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday he would head to Moscow next week to meet Russian leaders and try to build momentum for a push to end Syria’s civil war.

America’s iconic war machine
James Morgan / BBC
The most feared bomber plane of the 20th Century is still going strong after 60 years in service in the US military – from Vietnam to Afghanistan. And she will keep on flying until 2044. How does this 1950s behemoth survive in the era of drones and stealth aircraft?

I defected after seeing North Korea regime ‘cruelty’, says Kim Jong-un’s uncle
AFP
The uncle of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has described how fear of the deadly power politics in Pyongyang drove him and his wife to defect to the US nearly 20 years ago.

Asymmetric Operations

US offers helicopters and advisers to Iraq ‘to finish’ Ramadi fight
BBC
The US is willing to do more to assist the Iraqi army in its fight to retake the city of Ramadi from the so-called Islamic State (IS), US Defence Secretary Ash Carter has said.

Key Syria rebel group quits opposition talks
AFP
One of Syria’s main rebel groups, Ahrar al-Sham, on Thursday pulled out of opposition talks aimed at forging a united front ahead of potential discussions with President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Climate Security

Climate change could leave Chesapeake Bay island uninhabitable in 50 years
Oliver Milman / The Guardian
Effects of sea level rise hit close to home for Americans as US army corps of engineers report finds that Tangier Island is crumbling into the sea

Beijing lifts smog red alert as blue skies return
AFP
Beijing’s first ever red alert for smog was lifted Thursday, as blue skies and sunshine replaced the thick haze that covered the city for days.

The Latest: Migration officials warn about climate refugees
AP                                                                                                                                                     

International migration officials want a global climate accord under discussion to address the growing risk of migration because of extreme weather.

Energy Security

Oil dips below $37 as OPEC pumps most in three years
Ivana Kottasova / CNN
Oil fell below $37 a barrel on Thursday, after new data showed OPEC is still pumping like there is no tomorrow.

How Old Is Too Old for a Nuclear Reactor?
Richard Martin
The nuclear industry’s efforts to keep aging plants operating highlight questions about nuclear power’s future in the U.S.

Zombies appear in U.S. oilfields as crude plumbs new lows
Anna Driver and Tracy Rucinski / Reuters
Drained by a 17-month crude rout, some U.S. shale oil companies are merely hanging on for life as oil prices lurch further away from levels that allow them to profitably drill new wells and bring in enough cash to keep them in business.

Nuclear Security

 North Korea claims it has hydrogen bomb
Jason Hanna / CNN
North Korean state media indicated Thursday that the reclusive nation has added the hydrogen bomb — also known as a thermonuclear bomb — to its arsenal, a development that, if true, would represent an upgrade to its nuclear weapons capabilities.

On Our Flashpoint Blog
Paris Update: Climate Adaptation Builds Global Security
Andrew Holland
As the Paris COP climate negotiations continue, Secretary of State Kerry has announced an increased American pledge for adaptation aid to $800 million per year by 2020. As ASP’s CEO wrote in “Strengthening national security through climate resiliency,” funding for adaptation aid is cost-effective because it will address the risks presented by climate change before American troops have to be deployed.

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
Andrew Holland and 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.

Upcoming Events

Department of Defense Action on Climate Change
December 11 @ 12:00pm – 1:30pm
On Friday, December 11, ASP will host Maureen Sullivan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Environment, Safety & Occupational Health. Two members of ASP’s Board of Directors, Vice Admiral Lee Gunn, USN (Ret.) and BGen Stephen Cheney, USMC (Ret.) will also report on what they have learned as a part of ASP’s national climate security tour, and how important the DoD’s efforts on climate change are for national climate preparedness.

Hill Briefing: Understanding What’s Next in Fusion Energy
December 15 @ 12:00pm – 1:30pm
Leading experts in fusion from the public and private sector will discuss the new developments that have been featured over the last several months in major media outlets like Time Magazine, the New York Times, Science, and Nature. ASP is the leading think tank detailing a plan for the future of fusion.

ASP Recently Published

Perspective – Alleviating the Resource Curse
American Security Project
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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