The Evening: Davos, Turkey Tension, Sir Elton and More
January 25, 2018
Good Evening,
It's Thursday, January 25th.
Trump in Davos
President Trump met with British Prime Minister Theresa May and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of Davos today. With regard to the UK, Trump maintained that all is well with the US-UK relationship. During his meeting with Netanyahu, Trump threatened to cut financial aid to the Palestinians, as the New York Times’ Peter Baker reports.
Also, see Bloomberg’s “Today at Davos: Five things you need to know,” by Simon Kennedy.
Dive Deeper: See “Abbas Still Faces Unattractive Alternatives to Peacemaking,” by the Washington Institute’s David Makovsky.
Plus, “What the Global Elite Can Learn From Donald Trump,” by CFR’s Richard Haass.
And, “Transatlantic Relations: Converging or Diverging?,” by Chatham House’s Xenia Wickett.
Turkey Tensions
Turkey today urged the United States to halt its support for Kurdish YPG fighters or risk confronting Turkish forces on the ground in Syria, as Reuters reports.
Dive Deeper: CSIS's Bulent Aliriza just authored a new Critical Questions (our signature series of asked and answered short papers) on Turkey’s Afrin operation.
Preempting North Korea
Senior officials from President Donald Trump’s administration are still considering a “limited,” pre-emptive “bloody nose” military strike against North Korea to demonstrate to Kim Jong-un “American’s resolve and willpower,” as Breitbart’s Edwin Mora reports.
New Missile Defense Report
China or Russia could all too easily detect and destroy US Army missile defenses, exposing American forces to devastating attack, a new study by CSIS finds, as Breaking Defense’s Sydney Freedberg reports.
Dive Deeper: See Distributed Defense by CSIS’s Thomas Karako and Wes Rumbaugh.
Executive M.A. from CSIS/Syracuse U
CSIS & Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs offer Executive Master's in International Relations. Information here.
In That Number
177,000-194,000
A ridge of teeth recently discovered in a cave in Israel were found to be 177,000-194,000 years old. Source: Science Magazine.
Critical Quote
"We will not chase after a Palestinian leadership that lacks what is needed to achieve peace."
— U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley.
iDeas Lab
New satellite imagery shows an improved strength in North Korea's hovercraft units - a key element to the Korean People's Army (KPN).
The Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS enhances our research with the latest in cutting-edge web technologies, design, and video.
Optics
(Photo credit: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images.) President Trump shakes hands with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a bilateral meeting today on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos.
Recommended Reading
“Why a South China Sea Diplomatic Breakthrough Is Unlikely,” by CSIS’s Greg Poling for Foreign Affairs.
CSIS Monday
Join the CSIS Russia and Eurasia Program on Monday at 1:00 p.m. for a discussion on Russia’s electronic warfare capabilities and the future role of disruptive technologies in national security.
On Monday at 1:30 p.m., join CSIS for a conversation on the geopolitical potential of the travel and tourism sector, specifically as an opportunity to leverage its development impact.
Also at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, join CSIS’s Freeman Chair for “Media and Ideology in Xi’s China,” a presentation on the ways in which China has adapted to the latest media technology environment.
Video
The CSIS Missile Defense Project launched a new report today, Distributed Defense: New Operational Concepts for Integrated Air and Missile Defense. You can watch the event on demand here.
Sounds
The latest episode of 35 West breaks down the major issues of NAFTA, and why Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau’s government is taking a harder line.
Available on SoundCloud and Apple Podcasts.
Smiles
Elton John is retiring from touring. I didn’t want to believe the news when I heard it. But I guess Sir Elton knows what he’s doing and when to hang it up. After all, he is one of the most electrifying performers to ever hit the stage. Ever.
I invite you to email me at aschwartz@csis.org and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz