What we are reading

Parties shouldn’t make Afghanistan an election issue

Ronald E. Neumann / The Hill

Rushing the pace of withdrawal of U.S. forces and funds cuts the chance of success to a razor-thin margin. Rushing gambles that the enemy cannot regroup in sanctuaries and retake transferred territory before weak Afghan forces are ready. Rushing confuses PowerPoint charts of success with a complex reality on the ground.

Nato leaders said they expect France to remain part of Afghanistan effort

Ben Farmer / The Telegraph

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the alliance’s secretary general, said he would speak with the new French president immediately amid concerns France would soon announce the withdrawal of its 3,600-strong contingent.

Arab League, Red Cross warn Syria heading to civil war

Erika Solomon / Reuters

Security forces killed at least 10 people in fighting across Syria on Tuesday, activists said, in a 14-month-old revolt that the Red Cross and Arab League warned was becoming a civil war.

Israeli premier Netanyahu unveils unity government

Josef Federman / AP

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled a revamped coalition government on Tuesday, forming a broad alliance with the chief opposition party that could free his hand to take action on peace with the Palestinians and decide whether to attack Iran.

India Vows Cuts in Iranian-Oil Imports as Clinton Visits

Indira A.R. Lakshmanan / Bloomberg

India will curtail its imports of Iranian oil by 20 percent, officials said, as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held talks in New Delhi to enlist India’s help with sanctions aimed at pressuring Iran over its nuclear program.

Divisions complicate plans for MidEast nuclear meet

Fredrik Dahl / Reuters

The Western official tasked with preparing for a conference this year on ridding the Middle East of nuclear weapons said on Tuesday he had yet to secure the needed participation of all the region’s states, leaving it unclear when the event will be held.

Renewable energy: Clean power needs serious investment

Joshua Chaffin / Financial Times

On Our Flashpoint Blog

New ASP event: A Conversation with Walter Pincus: Nukes, Missiles, and the Truth

Gold: The Nuke Review: April 25 – May 7

Pakistan launched a new nuclear-capable missile, Iran is considering a Russian proposal, and North Korea may detonate another nuclear weapon. Stay up to date on the news in Washington and around the world.

Gold: HASC Chairman’s Mark Released for FY13 NDAA

Today, the House Armed Services Committee released its chairman’s mark for the FY13 National Defense Authorization Act. In addition to the tradition defense provisions the bill includes language on Iran and its nuclear program.  Included in section 1221 is provision that “it is the policy of the United States to take all necessary measures, including military action if necessary, to prevent Iran from threatening the United States, its allies, or Iran’s neighbors with a nuclear weapon.”

Holland: Energy Development in the Arctic – Threats and Opportunities

One of the most contentious domestic political issues in the debate between energy development and environmental policy for over 20 years has been how to develop America’s energy resources in the Arctic. As Shell makes preparations to send offshore drilling rigs into the Beufort and Chukchi Seas north of Alaska, I thought it would be important to walk through the history of energy exploration in Alaska.

ASP Reports and Media

ASP Podcast: Afghanistan

In the podcast we discuss the Afghan conflict, the implications of the SPA, and what next for Afghanistan and its people.

ASP is joined by Joshua Partlow from the Washington Post, in a personal capacity. He spent over 3 years covering Afghanistan as the bureau chief in Kabul, and before that was in Iraq.

The War on Terror: One Year On

One year ago, Osama bin Laden was killed in a daring nighttime raid by Navy SEALs on his compound in a small military garrison town in Pakistan. Since then, how has the war on terror changed? Should we be looking at it more critically than we are? In this essay collection, we examine the war on terror from several angles not often found in the popular discourse.

About the American Security Project: The American Security Project is a non-profit, non-partisan public policy and research organization dedicated to fostering knowledge and understanding of a range of national security issues, promoting debate about the appropriate use of American power, and cultivating strategic responses to 21st century challenges.

 For more information, visit www.americansecurityproject.org. info@americansecurityproject.org

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