Subject: The Evening CSIS: ISIS Attack, Kurdish Offensive, Tangled Up in Blue & More
From: "Andrew Schwartz" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2015 23:20:42 -0000

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 Good Evening, 

Welcome to  The Evening CSIS —my daily guide to key insights CSIS brings to the events of the day plus HIGHLY RECOMMENDED content from around the world. To subscribe, please click here [ http://CSIS.informz.net/CSIS/profile.asp?fid=3087 ]  and if you want to view this in your browser, click here [ http://CSIS.informz.net/InformzDataService/OnlineVersion/Individual?mailingInstanceId=5165887&subscriberId=1062005454 ] .

 ISIS Twin Suicide Bombs
 Twin suicide bombings claimed by ISIS killed dozens of people and wounded more than 100 in Beirut today, raising fears of intensified attempts by the radical group to undermine Lebanon’s fragile stability, as the  Washington Post ’s Hugh Naylor reports  [ http://wapo.st/1Y7zgdZ ] from Beirut.

CNN is reporting  [ http://cnn.it/1Y7zKkq ] that over 41 have been killed and 200 wounded.

Lebanon’s  Daily Star  has this alarming photo gallery [ http://bit.ly/1Y7zqC1 ]  of the bombing’s aftermath (warning: some graphic images are in this slideshow).

 Dive Deeper:  CSIS’s Anthony Cordesman’s latest report [ http://bit.ly/1Y7Ai9R ] ,  ISIS and “Failed State Wars”: Libya, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen , is essential reading.

 Modi's Scorecard
 India’s Narendra Modi, reeling from defeat in regional elections last week today began a three-day visit to the United Kingdom, as CNN reports [ http://cnn.it/1HElcVa ] .

 Dive Deeper:  CSIS’s Wadhwani Chair in India Studies today launched an interactive microsite, “The Modi Government’s Reform Program: A Scorecard,” which examines the Modi government’s 29 big reforms, with information on the status of each. [ http://csis.org/india/india.html ] 

And, CFR has released a new task force report cochaired by CSIS trustee Joseph Nye: “Working With a Rising India: A Joint Venture for the New Century.” [ http://on.cfr.org/1HEmU93 ] 

Plus, CFR today interviewed Dr. Nye about “The Promise of a US-India Partnership.” [ http://on.cfr.org/1HEn14B ] 

 Kurdish Offensive
 Kurdish forces backed by US and allied warplanes began a major assault today aimed at retaking an Iraqi city from ISIS and severing the extremist group’s crucial supply line to Syria, as the  Wall Street Journal ’s Ben Kesling and Ali A. Nabhan report [ http://on.wsj.com/1HEnCmQ ] .

 Dive Deeper:  Excellent piece [ http://bit.ly/1HEofg5 ]  by the  Christian Science Monitor ’s Michael Holtz: “Fighting ISIS: Why the Kurdish battle for Sinjar City matters.”

And, to learn more about the Kurds, visit this excellent website: “The Kurdish Project.” [ http://thekurdishproject.org ] 

 South China Sea Shuffle Update
 A US B-52 strategic bomber flew near artificial Chinese islands in the South China Sea recently and was contacted by Chinese ground controllers but continued its mission undeterred, a Pentagon spokesman said today, as Reuters reports [ http://reut.rs/1HEot6Z ] .

 Dive Deeper:  ICYMI, CSIS’s Bonnie Glaser provided the  NewsHour  with an excellent analysis of “Why the U.S. Navy is navigating the South China Sea.” [ http://to.pbs.org/1PB6kIk ] 

And, CSIS’s Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI [ http://amti.csis.org ] ) recently published a new feature, “A Freedom of Navigation Primer for the Spratly Islands,” complete with vivid new infographics. In addition, AMTI’s “Island Tracker” has all the latest satellite images of continuing construction in the South China Sea, and the digital publication provides key analysis regarding the region’s maritime disputes.

 War Stories from the Future
 The Atlantic Council’s Art of Future Warfare [ http://artoffuturewarfare.org ]  project had a big day worth taking note of. Seriously.

Today, the project rolled out its first sci-fi anthology, War Stories from the Future/em. [ http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/publications/books/war-stories-from-the-future ] 

And, announced its latest short-story contest winner. [ http://artoffuturewarfare.org/2015/11/remote-operations ] 

Plus, the Council held a superb event [ http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/events/webcasts/after-the-war-veterans-and-post-conflict-issues-of-the-future ]  on veterans issues in future wars, with authors Elliot Ackerman ( Green on Blue ), Maxwell Neely Cohen ( Echo of the Boom ), and Gayle Tzemach Lemmon ( Ashley’s War ), as well as Dr. Linda Schwartz, assistant secretary for policy at the VA.

 In that Number
  $3.2 billion 
The amount of money that the European Union has offered Turkey in order to stem the flow of refugees into Europe. 
Source:  New [ http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/13/world/europe/european-union-refugees-migrants-sweden.html?ref=world&_r=0 ]    Yor [ http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/13/world/europe/european-union-refugees-migrants-sweden.html?ref=world&_r=0 ] k Time [ http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/13/world/europe/european-union-refugees-migrants-sweden.html?ref=world&_r=0 ] s .

 Critical Quote
 “A Chinese PLA officer once said to me the problem is, both countries live in glass houses and both have stones.”
—James A. Lewis, director of the CSIS Strategic Technologies Program, on the United States and China engaging in cyber espionage.
Source: Politico [ http://www.politico.com/tipsheets/morning-cybersecurity/2015/11/does-cyberwar-make-sense-the-playboy-cyber-criminals-of-brazil-tv-hacking-211235 ] .

 One to Watch 

 

 

Rob Hendin (@robhendin [ https://twitter.com/robhendin ] ) is the first-ever [ http://www.theatlantic.com/personal/archive/2015/11/the-atlantics-events-division-atlanticlive-hires-award-winning-journalist-rob-hendin-as-executive-producer/413635 ]  Executive Producer of  AtlanticLIVE , the team behind  The Atlantic ’s thought-provoking live events. Rob joined CBS News in 2000, most recently serving as a senior producer at CBS News’  Face the Nation . Prior to joining  Face the Nation , Rob served as  CBS News ’s senior political producer, chief White House producer, and chief justice producer.

 Optics
 Captain Florent “Flo” Groberg (USA Ret.) was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Obama today. While serving in Afghanistan, Captain Groberg selflessly intercepted and shoved a suicide bomber away from his fellow soldiers during a patrol. Captain Groberg was wounded when the bomber’s vest detonated during the confrontation, but his actions saved the lives of numerous comrades. For more on this remarkable individual, check out the US Army’s webpage [ http://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/groberg/?from=hp_spotlight ]  honoring Captain Groberg.

 Highly Recommended
 “Does cyberwar make sense?,” [ http://politi.co/1Y7tmJN ]  by  Politico ’s Tim Starks in the excellent “Morning Cybersecurity,” which I also recommend you have sent to your inbox daily.

 CSIS Today
 The West Africa Ebola crisis, the deadly April 2015 earthquake in Nepal, and ongoing crises in Syria, Central African Republic, and beyond have exposed weaknesses of global humanitarian emergency response efforts. The CSIS Africa Program hosted a conversation on how best to strengthen collaboration on humanitarian emergency response. Catch today’s recap here [ http://csis.org/event/strengthening-collaboration-humanitarian-emergency-response-0 ] .

 CSIS Tomorrow
 Tomorrow at 8:30 a.m., the CSIS Russia and Eurasia Program will host a half-day conference, “The Transatlantic Forum on Russia.” Panelists will discuss Polish-Russian relations and the broader implications for regional security. Register or watch live here [ http://csis.org/event/transatlantic-forum-russia ] .

 This Town Tomorrow
 The US-China economic relationship is now the most important one in the world; join the Elliott School of International Affair as it hosts its annual Conference on China’s Economic Development. Register for the conference here [ http://elliott.gwu.edu/events-calendar?trumbaEmbed=view%3devent%26eventid%3d116714617 ] .

 CSIS on Demand
 This week the CSIS Strategic Technologies Program hosted Sean O’Keefe, former secretary of the navy, and General James Cartwright, former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for a discussion on “Leveraging the Internet of Things for a More Efficient and Effective Military.” Catch the insightful conversation here [ http://csis.org/event/leveraging-internet-things-more-efficient-and-effective-military ] .

 Sounds
 As Kurdish fighters roll toward the strategic Iraqi town of Sinjar, NPR’s Kelly McEvers talks with  Buzzfeed  reporter Ayman Oghanna, on the ground in Iraq, about the fighters’ efforts to retake Sinjar from ISIS. [ http://www.npr.org/2015/11/12/455797397/kurdish-fighters-roll-toward-sinjar-in-battle-to-retake-strategic-iraqi-town ] 

 I Like It Like That 
 Eye-catching things in CSIS's orbit 

CNAS released a really cool new infographic today: “The Value of Mission Endurance: Affordable Power Projection.” [ http://bit.ly/1Y7xVnn ] 

 Smiles
 I’ve been obsessed with Bob Dylan’s recently released Bootleg Series Volume 12: “1965-1966: The Cutting Edge,” which is by far the best volume of the series.

But the second best of Dylan’s Bootleg series is Volume 5: “Bob Dylan Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue,” which documents an incredible tour in which Dylan performed 30 shows in the fall of 1975.

For Rolling Thunder, Dylan assembled an all-star band consisting of incredible musicians like violinist Scarlet Rivera and drummer Howie Wyeth. But it was the addition of glam rock guitarist Mick Ronson (of David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars band) that had the most impact on Dylan’s sound and performance.

This intense clip [ http://bit.ly/1Y7xn12 ]  of Dylan’s “Tangled Up in Blue” features Dylan performing in whiteface make-up as he did at many of the shows, possibly taking a cue from Ronson and Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust days. 

When asked about it, Dylan explained that he was masking because “the meaning” was in his words, not in seeing his face.   It’s all such a big smile because Dylan was at the mischievous height of mixing his serious and farcical sides.  Maybe the face paint was nothing deeper than he just wanted to accentuate his blue eyes…

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