Subject: The Evening CSIS: Syria Aflame, Crisis in Kunduz, Still the Same & More
From: "Andrew Schwartz" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 6 Oct 2016 23:23:35 +0000
List-Id: 833ec271d60c6750d9c3baaacmc list <833ec271d60c6750d9c3baaac.212205.list-id.mcsv.net>

The Evening CSIS: Syria Aflame, Crisis in Kunduz, Still the Same & More
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** Good Evening,
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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 sign up here (http://bit.ly/ecs1s) .

** Syria Aflame
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The UN’s envoy for Syria said today that Aleppo may face “total destruction” by the end of the year if fighting doesn’t stop, as the
Washington Post’s Karen DeYoung reports (https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/un-envoy-says-eastern-aleppo-may-face-total-destruction/2016/10/06/e1f43130-8be5-11e6-875e-2c1bfe943b66_story.html) .

The battle for Aleppo has gripped the world, but it is hardly the only major front among the tangle of adversaries clashing across war-torn Syria, as the AP explains (http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/10/06/world/middleeast/ap-ml-syria-other-fronts.html) .

And, as the AP reports (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-issues-stern-warning-to-us-against-striking-syrian-army/) , Russia strongly warned the United States against striking the Syrian army, noting that its air defense weapons in Syria stand ready to fend off any attack.

Dive Deeper: CSIS’s Anthony Cordesman today authored a new commentary, "The Road to Hell in Iraq and Syria (https://www.csis.org/analysis/road-hell-iraq-and-syria?block4) ."

** Venezuela's Citgo
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As Venezuela continues its descent, the cash-strapped government is trying to leverage its crown jewel—the state run oil giant, Citgo, as Bloomberg’s Joe Carroll reports (http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article106406457.html) .

Dive Deeper: CSIS’s Michael Matera and Moises Rendon authored a commentary yesterday, "Venezuela's Lessons for Transition: Five Lessons For Venezuela's Post-Crisis Situation (https://www.csis.org/analysis/venezuelas-lessons-transition-five-lessons-venezuelas-post-crisis-situation) ."

** Crisis in Kunduz
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The UN today warned of a humanitarian crisis in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz, where it said fighting between the Taliban and US-backed Afghan forces had forced some 10,000 residents to flee their homes, as the
Wall Street Journal’s Jessica Donati and Ehsanullah Amiri report (http://www.wsj.com/articles/thousands-flee-fighting-in-northern-afghanistan-1475755300) .

** 2016 Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Forum
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CSIS hosted the 3rd High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation (NAPCI) today, the 1st to take place outside the ROK. The meeting was chaired by US Ambassador Sung Kim and ROK Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Kim Hyoung-zhin, with officials from Japan, the European Union, the United Nations, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

Earlier in the day, CSIS Korea Chair and the Korea National Diplomatic Academy co-hosted the 2016 Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Forum (https://www.csis.org/events/2016-northeast-asia-peace-and-cooperation-forum) .

** In That Number
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** 25 years
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Today, Pakistani lawmakers imposed a mandatory 25-year prison sentence for anyone convicted of an honor killing. Source: AP (https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/pakistan-stiffens-penalty-for-honor-killers/2016/10/06/d7a78e0e-8bd4-11e6-8cdc-4fbb1973b506_story.html) .

** Critical Quote
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** "The focus on ISIS to the near exclusion of other actors seems to be a bit like focusing on a termite problem in a house inhabited by the Hatfields and McCoys, at least four other hostile clans, and all their enemies."
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— CSIS's Anthony H. Cordesman in his latest commentary, "The Road to Hell in Iraq and Syria (https://www.csis.org/analysis/road-hell-iraq-and-syria) ."

** One to Watch
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(Photo Credit: Twitter.)

Idrees Ali (@idreesali114 (https://twitter.com/idreesali114?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor) ) is a Reuters foreign policy correspondent covering the Pentagon. Today, Idrees broke an exclusive story (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1260A1) about 44 Afghan soldiers that have gone AWOL while attending training programs in the United States over the past two years.

** Optics
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(Photo Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images.)

Venezuelan citizens walk across the border daily to Cucuta, Colombia, to purchase food, medicine, and supplies. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has named the situation in Venezuela a "humanitarian crisis."

** Highly Recommended
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American Strategy and the Six Phases of Grief (http://warontherocks.com/2016/10/american-strategy-and-the-six-phases-of-grief/) , via War on the Rocks. It's the first article of a new series in which scholars from the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) will explore the US military’s phasing construct and the line between war and peace.

** CSIS Today
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CSIS’s Korea Chair hosted the 2016 Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Forum (https://www.csis.org/events/2016-northeast-asia-peace-and-cooperation-forum) . The Forum discussed pressing security issues in the region in order to generate ideas for facilitating regional cooperation.

And we hosted a Schieffer Series event, "The Iran Wars: A discussion of US-Iran Relations (https://www.csis.org/events/schieffer-series-iran-wars-discussion-us-iran-relations) " featuring Jay Solomon, chief foreign affairs correspondent, Wall Street Journal; Margaret Brennan, foreign affairs correspondent, CBS News; and David Sanger, national security correspondent, New York Times.

** CSIS Tomorrow
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Join CSIS’s Project on Prosperity and Development at 9:00 a.m. for “Development Finance Institutions in the New Aid Architecture (https://www.csis.org/events/development-finance-institutions-new-aid-architecture) .”

** This Town Tomorrow
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Join the Wilson Center at 8:00 a.m. for the 2016 Brazil Economic Conference (https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/2016-brazil-economic-conference) .

And join Brookings at 10:00 a.m. for “Digital Policy Lessons for the Next Administration (https://www.brookings.edu/events/digital-policy-lessons-for-the-next-administration/) .”

** CSIS On Demand
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The 2015-2016 El Niño system has caused a severe drought in Southern Africa, and almost 40 million people will likely need emergency assistance before the year is out. CSIS experts researched El Niño’s impact with a view from the ground in Mozambique and Malawi. Watch “The Massive Food Crisis You Haven’t Heard About” here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSETZbNqXyU) .

** Sounds
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On Violent Extremism released a new podcast today, “Voice of a Research Fellow and Former Extremist - Jesse Morton (https://www.csis.org/podcasts/violent-extremism) .” Morton is a research fellow at George Washington University’s Program on Extremism.

** I Like It Like That
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Interesting new study (http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/10/06/younger-adults-more-likely-than-their-elders-to-prefer-reading-news/) out from the Pew Research Center today, where they’ve found that younger adults are more likely than their elders to prefer reading their news rather than watching or listening.

** Smiles
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Encore for the iconic Bob Seger. “Still the Same (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfoufXs01KU) ” is one of those songs that was a staple of 70s album rock radio—remember that? I used to bounce along in the back seat of my mom’s car on the way to swim practice grooving to this one. I think it was one of my mom’s favorites, too. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band is such a smile.

** Feedback
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I always welcome and benefit from your feedback. Please drop me a line at [email-masked] (mailto:[email-masked])

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The Evening CSIS is my daily guide to key insights CSIS brings to the events of the day. It is composed with the External Relations team: Colm Quinn, Brandon Schwartz, Jackie Ramsay, and James Dunton.

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