Subject: The Evening CSIS: All Eyes on Sea, Turkey Talks, Alabama Shakes & More
From: "Andrew Schwartz" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 16 Feb 2016 23:35:51 -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. If you want to view this in your browser, click here [ http://CSIS.informz.net/InformzDataService/OnlineVersion/Individual?mailingInstanceId=5360800&subscriberId=1062005454 ] . To subscribe, please send me an email at [email-masked] [ mailto:[email-masked] ] .

 All Eyes on Sea
 The US and Southeast Asia nations turned their attention to the South China Sea today in the second day of the Sunnylands Summit, as Reuters’ Jeff Mason and Bruce Wallace report [ http://cs.is/1TmGucX ] .

 Dive Deeper:  CSIS’s Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) [ http://cs.is/amtiMischiefReef ]  has all the latest satellite images, analysis, and resources regarding activity in the South China Sea.

 China's Economy
 This weekend, China’s central bank stepped up efforts to restore stability to the nation’s currency and economy, with Governor Zhou Xiaochuan breaking his long silence to argue there’s no basis for continued yuan depreciation, as Bloomberg’s Enda Curran reports [ http://cs.is/1TmHbDg ] .

But today, Bloomberg’s Lianting Tu reports  [ http://cs.is/1TmHn5o ] that China’s banks may be getting creative about hiding their losses.

 Dive Deeper:  CSIS’s Scott Kennedy today authored a new commentary: “Not Your Average Zhou: China’s Central Bank Governor Finally Speaks.” [ http://cs.is/1TmHOwy ] 

Plus Brookings’ Jeff Bader authored a new commentary today: “How Xi Jingping sees the world…and why.” [ http://cs.is/1TmIdz9 ] 

 Turkey's Talk
 Turkish officials increased the tension level over Syria today, indicating that it is in discussion with the US and allies over a military ground operation into northern Syria, as the  New York Times ’ Ceylan Yeginsu and Rick Gladstone report [ http://cs.is/1PPd7vm ] .

 Dive Deeper:  Chatham House’s Hassan Hassan had a new commentary published: “Regime Advance Could Open Door to Another ISIS Push.” [ http://cs.is/1TmFsxB ] 

Plus, the Atlantic Council’s “Syria Source” [ http://cs.is/1TmFzZX ]  has the latest reporting on the nearly 50 civilians killed in missile attacks according to the UN.

 In that Number
  49% 
The percentage of Americans who say that the US is the number one military power in the world, down from 59% last year. 
Source: Gallup [ http://www.gallup.com/poll/189191/americans-less-likely-no-militarily.aspx?g_source=Politics&g_medium=newsfeed&g_campaign=tiles ] .

 Critical Quote
 “As four successive days of long-range shelling by its artillery of targets in northern Syria confirms, Turkey is increasingly unhappy over the Russian-backed advances by the Assad regime near Aleppo and the Syrian Kurdish PYD close to its border. However, Ankara is continuing to find it difficult to persuade Washington to support a ground operation it has long advocated in Syria. Combined with Turkish objections to growing cooperation between the US and the PYD, this is inevitably putting further strains on the US-Turkish alliance.”
— Bulent Aliriza, CSIS Turkey Project director, on Turkey’s view of the situation in Syria.

 One to Watch 

 

 

 ( Photo Credit: Twitter. )
Pamela Engel (@PamEngel12 [ https://twitter.com/PamEngel12 ] ) reports on foreign policy for  Business Insider ’s politics section. Pamela previously reported from Indianapolis for the Associated Press. For the latest news on terrorism and geopolitics, Pamela is one to watch.

 Optics

 

 

( Photo Credit: Arthur MacMillan [ https://twitter.com/arthurmacmillan ] . )
Campaigning for Iran’s parliamentary elections is set to begin on Thursday. AFP’s Tehran deputy bureau chief, Arthur MacMillan, tweeted [ https://twitter.com/arthurmacmillan/status/699602482046070788 ]  this photo of a street poster in Tehran today.

 Highly Recommended
  Defense News ’ Vago Muradian interviews  [ http://cs.is/1Tmwd0g ] Pentagon comptroller Mike McCord on the FY2017 DoD budget request.

 CSIS Today
 Watch tonight [ http://csis.org/event/statesmens-forum-right-honourable-theresa-may-mp-home-secretary-united-kingdom ]  as The Right Honourable Theresa May, MP, Home Secretary, United Kingdom, joins CSIS to discuss counterterrorism policy in Europe and how the US and UK can work toward ending violent extremism.

 CSIS Tomorrow
 Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., the CSIS Energy and National Security Program previews the 2016 state of the oil market [ http://csis.org/event/state-oil-market ] . The panel will discuss updated forecasts of supply and demand and the implications for the midstream and refining sector. And afterward, the CSIS Europe Program and CSIS Sumitro Chair for Southeast Asia Studies present “Strengthening EU-U.S. Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region,” a half-day conference [ http://csis.org/event/strengthening-eu-us-cooperation-asia-pacific-region ]  exploring new ways that the European Union and the United States can enhance cooperation in the region, with panels addressing trade, investment, and security issues.

 This Town Tomorrow
 Tomorrow you can join Johns Hopkins SAIS or watch live online as an all-star panel discusses the challenges facing Iran’s economy after the lifting of sanctions. Register or catch it live here [ https://www.sais-jhu.edu/content/after-sanctions-challenges-facing-iranian-economy ] .

 CSIS on Demand
 What’s on the agenda at today’s ASEAN Sunnylands summit? The CSIS Sumitro Chair for Southeast Asia Studies   hosted a conference call on what’s at stake; download the transcript here. [ http://csis.org/files/attachments/160205_ASEAN_summit_conferencecall_transcript.pdf ] 

 Sounds
 With over 1 million people infected, CSIS’s Steve Morrison joins the latest CSIS podcast [ https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-csis-podcast/id214886950?mt=2 ]  for a discussion on the Zika virus, the international response, and the steps the United States and international community is taking.

 I Like It Like That 
 Eye-catching things in CSIS's orbit
 The latest podcast news [ http://cs.is/1TmDJs4 ]  from Hot Pod—who always know what’s going on.

 Smiles
 Last night’s 58th annual Grammy Awards was interesting and smile worthy in that it presented something of a changing of the guard. The show was laden with tribute performances to late-greats David Bowie, Glen Frey, Maurice White, and BB King. They received their proper respect to be sure.

But it’s exciting that the raves in the press the morning after are about young artists who have enlivened their respective genres: Broadway’s “Hamilton,” Rapper Kendrick Lamar, and alt-rockers, the Alabama Shakes to name a few.

Fronted by lead singer/guitarist Brittany Howard, the Shakes took home three awards, two of them for this song, “Don’t Wanna Fight,” performed here [ http://cs.is/1TmtS5y ]  in a more organic setting than glitzy Grammys. It’s a smile to see rock so alive and not completely dependent on the alta kachers…

 Feedback
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