International News Coverage
Middle East, Terrorism and Counterterrorism
Under-reported conflicts seen affecting millions in 2015 – TRFN
Alex Whiting / Reuters
While wars in Syria, Iraq and Ukraine make headlines in the West, around 30 other conflicts receive little press coverage, and the resulting lack of pressure for change could have serious implications for millions of people, experts say.
Robert D. Kaplan / The Atlantic
Whatever the eventual outcome of the long-running negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, Israeli interests cannot impede a warming of relations between Iran and the United States in the coming years, under either this president or the next.
Islamic State hostages: Jordan seeks proof pilot is alive
BBC
The Jordanian government is seeking proof a pilot captured by the Islamic State group is still alive as efforts continue to negotiate a prisoner swap.
Dozens killed in Afghanistan in attacks on funeral, checkpoint
Kabul / Reuters
A suicide bomb attack on a funeral in east Afghanistan killed 16 people and injured another 39 on Thursday, a local official said, an unusually high death toll for a single bombing in a country ravaged by decades of war.
The Americas
Arizona tracking up to 1,000 potentially exposed to California-linked measles
Lindsey Bever / Washington Post
The measles outbreak that originated in California’s Disneyland has now spread to seven people in Arizona, with up to 1,000 people in the state potentially exposed to the disease, including nearly 200 children.
U.S. fugitive treasure hunter appears in Florida court
BBC
Tommy Thompson was arrested on a criminal contempt warrant for evading a civil case brought by his investors. They accuse him of cheating them out of promised proceeds from one of the biggest shipwreck hauls in US history.
Africa
AFRICOM Commander Wants Full Counterinsurgency Plan for Boko Haram
Kevin Baron and Molly O’Toole / Defense One
U.S. Africa Command’s Gen. David Rodriguez, who previously served as the No. 2-ranking commander of the Afghanistan war, said he believes to turn the tide against Boko Haram would require a full-scale counterinsurgency plan across four countries.
Boko Haram strikes again: ‘They slaughter people like animals’
Greg Botelho / CNN
For two weeks, Boko Haram gunmen have sacked dozens of villages in Michika district, close to the border with Cameroon, slaughtering male residents and abducting others, said Adamu Kamale, a lawmaker representing Michika district in the Adamawa state House of Assembly.
Asia
U.S. would welcome Japan air patrols in South China Sea
Tim Kelly and Nobuhiro Kubo / Reuters
The United States would welcome a Japanese extension of air patrols into the South China Sea as a counterweight to a growing fleet of Chinese vessels pushing China’s territorial claims in the region, a senior U.S. Navy officer told Reuters.
Malaysia declares MH370 an ‘accident’, airline to proceed with compesnation
Kuala Lumpur / Reuters
Malaysia declared on Thursday the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 an accident, clearing the way for the airline to pay compensation to victims’ relatives while the search for the plane goes on.
China officials dine on endangered salamander: reports
AFP
Chinese officials feasted on a critically endangered giant salamander and turned violent when journalists photographed the luxury banquet, according to media reports Tuesday on the event which appeared to flout Beijing’s austerity campaign. The 28 diners included senior police officials from the southern city of Shenzhen, the Global Times said.
Energy Security, Science and Technology, Climate Change
Flooding leaves mess in oceanfront Massachusetts after storm
Scott Malone / Reuters
Ocean Street in the waterfront Massachusetts town of Marshfield was littered with lobster traps, downed wires and chunks of houses on Wednesday, after a massive blizzard hammered New England.
Climate concern ‘linked to floods’
Helen Briggs / BBC
Public belief in the reality of climate change has risen in Britain, partly because of the 2013 winter floods, according to a report.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
Global Challenges and U.S. National Security Strategy
Paul Hamill
Key Quotes from the Testimony before Senate Armed Services Committee, 27 January 2015
ASP’s Caribbean Energy Security Event Follows Biden’s Lead
Andrew Holland
Earlier this week, Vice President Biden hosted the Caribbean Energy Summit at the State Department. He said to leaders and stakeholders from across the region: “We’re in the midst of a seismic shift in the global economy: the ascendancy of the Americas as the epicenter of energy production in the world. We have more oil and gas rigs running in the United States, than all the rest of the world combined. Mexico, Canada and the United States is the new epicenter of energy — not the Arabian Peninsula. It is the new epicenter of energy in the 21st century.”
What’s in a Name? ISIL being labeled Daesh
Matthew Wallin
Check off another name on the list of officials, states, and agencies which refuse to grant ISIL its self-appointed label of being the “Islamic State.” Business Insider has noted that LTG James Terry, in command of Operation Inherent Resolve, is using the term “Daesh” to refer to ISIL.
The U.S. Should Take the Lead on Climate Change
Philip Rossetti
Climate change presents a serious risk to the national interests of the United States, yet it still struggles to garner political support to address it as a diplomatic issue. Expansive multilateral agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol have failed to produce any significant progress towards achieving objectives of reducing global emissions. This has been largely due to the need for balance between inclusiveness and commitments, necessitating that obligations be low enough that a large number of states are still able to participate.
The Progress and Uncertainty of the Agreement at Lima
Philip Rossetti
The Lima conference marks a significant shift in the thinking of the global community to move away from commitments which are well defined and strictly enforceable to more ambiguity and inclusivity, focusing on global cooperation rather than burdening developed states that are seen as responsible for climate change.
Green Bonds for Clean Energy
Luke Lorenz
The promise and potential of alternative energy is rapidly becoming a reality. In the manufacture of green technology, the United States has a clear opportunity for significant export growth and global leadership. This sector is also becoming a sound investment. The issuance of “Green Bonds”, investment instruments of which proceeds are dedicated to the advancement of alternative energy initiatives, has skyrocketed in just a few years.
5 Key World News Stories
Maggie Feldman-Piltch
Government officials in the Philippines said Monday at least 43 members of the elite Special Action Force were killed in a counter-terrorism raid, making it the largest single loss of involving Philippine police officers in recent history.
Upcoming Events
Conference – Energy Security in the Caribbean: Unique Challenges
February 4 @ 12:00pm – 5:00pm
Join ASP as we host a conference on February 4, 2015, discussing the challenges facing the Caribbean in securing their energy future and how to move forward in the years to come.
Obama’s National Security Policy: A New Assessment
February 25 @ 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Based on the research for his new book, Faces of Power: Constancy and Change in United States Foreign Policy from Truman to Obama, Seyom Brown will argue that Obama’s national security policy resembles those of Reagan and George W. Bush in their second terms more than any of his other predecessors; and will assess the implications of Obama’s evolving grand strategy for his successors.
ASP Recently Published
Libya: On the Brink
Giancarlo Lima
This report analyzes the recent events that have placed Libya on its current path. In order to understand events on the ground, this report includes a breakdown of key Libyan parties and figures as well as an examination of the economic and energy dimensions of the conflict. The report then concludes with a look forward for Libya and recommendations for the U.S. and international community.
U.S. Fusion Program Recommendations
Caroline Julia von Wurden and Andrew Holland
This report on fusion energy is informed by a roundtable discussion of fusion energy that was hosted by ASP on December 4, 2014. The report goes on to explain the potential benefits of fusion energy in the U.S. as a safe and clean source of power, but only if certain barriers to the implementation of this technology are overcome.
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