The Evening CSIS: Huge Cache, Historic Day, Respect & More

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 and if you want to view this in your browser, click here.

Editor's note: The Evening CSIS will not be published tomorrow, December 4th, and will resume normal publication on Monday.

Huge Cache
San Bernardino shooters Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik had amassed an armory of weapons and explosives, including a dozen pipe bombs and thousands of rounds of ammunition as the Los Angeles Times reports.

And, as the AP reports, a U.S. intelligence official says one of the shooters had been in touch on social media with extremists who are under FBI scrutiny.

Plus, the New York Times is compiling the latest information with regular updates.

Also, in a piece published late this afternoon, the Atlantic’s David Graham explains “Why the FBI Isn't Calling San Bernardino 'Terrorism'.”

ISIS Squeeze
President Obama today said in an interview with CBS that his decision to send more special forces to combat Islamic State in Iraq is not an indication that the United States is headed for another invasion like the one in 2003 that locked it in a long, violent conflict, as Reuters’s Susan Heavey reports.

Dive Deeper: CSIS’s Anthony Cordesman today published a new commentary, More Special Forces For Iraq and Syria: Tactical Asset or Strategic Tokenism .

And, CSIS’s Simond de Galbert published a new Critical Questions (CSIS’s signature series of asked & answered short papers), After the Paris Attacks, a European Anti-ISIS Coalition Comes Together .

Historic Day
The U.S. military will open combat positions to women, with no exceptions, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter announced today in a decision that settles a decades-old debate surrounding the armed forces, as the Wall Street Journal’s Felicia Schwartz reports.

Dive Deeper: For more reading on the subject, see “ Women in Combat: Issues for Congress ” prepared by the Congressional Research Service’s Kristy N. Kamarck. (Big thanks to CSIS’s Mariah Deters for pointing me to this paper).

CSIS Task Force Announced
Today CSIS’s Global Health Policy Center launched the CSIS Task Force on Women’s and Family Health. Co-chaired by CSIS trustees Helene Gayle and John Hammergren, this effort brings together a distinguished and diverse group of opinion leaders who will chart a bold vision for the future of U.S. leadership to support women and families around the world. You can learn more at vision2017.csis.org

In that Number
$269 billion
The amount of money that the United Kingdom will spend on defense equipment over the next decade.
Source: CSIS.

Critical Quote
“You can’t just build a wall and declare it sealed.”
—Anthony Cordesman, CSIS Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy, on why Turkey shutting down its border with ISIS is easier said than done.
Source: V ICE News .

One to Watch

Thomas Sanderson (@tomsanderson98) is the director of CSIS’s Transnational Threats Project. Tom is one to watch for insights on terrorism, transnational crime, global trends, and intelligence issues.

Optics
President Xi Jinping of China arrived in South Africa yesterday to attend the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). AFP has video of President Xi’s visit, during which he signed 26 bilateral agreements with South Africa that are worth $6.5 billion.

Highly Recommended
Vicky Gan for the Atlantic on “What Telecommuting Looked Like in 1973.”

CSIS Today
Today, the CSIS Japan Chair hosted the Honorable Aiko Shimajiri for a discussion on “A New U.S.-Japan Soft Power Alliance.” And later, the CSIS Russia & Eurasia Program held “U.S. and Western Policy Towards Russia,” a discussion on how the United States should reevaluate its Russia policies, as well as what Washington’s goals should be in engaging Moscow.

CSIS Tomorrow
Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., CSIS will host a panel discussion on key issues affecting the future scope of missile defense efforts; register here or watch the event live. Also at 10:00 a.m., catch “Cleared in Canada,” as panelists discuss how Congress and the administration can look for innovative ways to maintain and enhance current levels of security while supporting job creation, tourism, and trade.

This Town Tomorrow
Tomorrow at noon, join The Heritage Foundation as they host an event on the state of America’s global counterterrorism campaign; experts will discuss the results from the Obama administration counterterrorism strategy and what it may imply for the next president.

CSIS on Demand
How can the US balance China’s growing influence in Southeast Asia? CSIS hosted a panel of experts to discuss the prospects for emerging US security partnerships in the region.

Sounds
Are drone strikes still working even if something like the Paris attacks can still happen? From theWar College podcast, listen as participants discuss why the US is sticking with its strategy against Islamic State militants.

I Like It Like That
Eye-catching things in CSIS's orbit
The spread of jazz in China …wow.

Smiles
An historic day for the US military deserves an historic smile. There is no one better to deliver this smile than the number 1 singer of all time. Brace yourself, this is rare footage of the Queen of Soul in one of her most powerful performances ever captured on film, singing (you guessed it) “Respect,” in Amsterdam, 1968.

Feedback
I always welcome and benefit from your feedback. Please drop me a line at aschwartz@csis.org.