The Evening: Islamic Resistance Iraq, Chinese Hacking, Galactic, and More

Islamic Resistance in Iraq

The United States on Wednesday attributed the drone attack that killed three U.S. service members in Jordan to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias, as the AP reports.

Iran Not Looking For War

The head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday that Tehran was “not looking for war,” appearing to signal that it would not escalate tensions with the United States. But he also warned that Iran was prepared to respond if attacked, as the NYT reports.

Chinese Hacking Threatens U.S. Infrastructure, Lives

The U.S. government said it had disrupted a uniquely dangerous and potentially life-threatening Chinese hacking operation that hijacked hundreds of infected routers and used them to covertly target American and allied critical infrastructure networks, as the WSJ reports.

Executive Education

Ready to take the next step towards policy success in Washington? Join CSIS experts March 18-21, 2024, at CSIS Headquarters for "Decoding D.C.: Policy, Power, and People," to unlock the secrets to thriving in the capital's unique policy landscape. Register here by March 4.

Audio Briefs

CSIS experts give short, spoken-word summaries on the biggest takeaways from their latest reports, white papers, and commentaries—in their own words.

Listen here: "Achieving Universal Energy Access in Africa amid Global Decarbonization" with CSIS's Gracelin Baskaran.

In That Number

5

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will return to the Middle East later this week on his fifth urgent diplomatic mission since Israel’s war with Hamas began in October, the White House and a State Department official said Wednesday.
Source: AP

Critical Quote

iDeas Lab

CSIS's Emily Benson discusses her 2024 Global Forecast article on why the United States and its partners must deepen cooperation on the technology-driven economic security agenda, which she argues can best be achieved through an expanded G7. Watch the full video here.

The Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS enhances our research with the latest in cutting-edge web technologies, design, and multimedia.

Optics

Army soldiers take part in an anti-infiltration exercise in Taitung, Taiwan, on January 31, 2024.

Recommended Reading

"2024 Global Forecast: A World Dividing - Part II: Winning the Economic and Tech Race"

This Town Tomorrow

At 1:30 p.m., the CSIS Energy Security & Climate Change Program welcomes Andrew Herscowitz, Executive Director of ODI and former inaugural coordinator of President Barack Obama’s Power Africa initiative, to discuss achieving universal energy access in Africa amid global decarbonization.

Earlier, at 10:00 a.m., the Wilson Center hosts a discussion with Ukrainian politician Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze on Ukraine's accession to the EU. 

Then, at 10:30 a.m., Brookings discusses the changing dynamics of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and conflict.

Video

Today, CSIS hosted Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis and Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager of the European Commission to discuss the transatlantic economic security agenda. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

CSIS's Kathleen McInnis sat down with Maria Demaree, Vice President and General Manager of Mission Solutions at Lockheed Martin, for a discussion on the future of the space mission.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

I’m often asked, “what is the New Orleans sound?” It may seem like a simple question to answer, but it isn’t. Jazz was invented in New Orleans, and many believe it is the birthplace of American music with ingredient sounds from Africa, the Caribbean, and Europe. The music of New Orleans is the DNA of rock and roll, and it’s one of the places where the blues evolved. I could talk about the roux of roots music coming from New Orleans all day long. It’s a place where artists as diverse as Mahalia Jackson, Jimmy Buffet, Louis Armstrong, Fats Domino, Little Richard, Sidney Bechet, Dr. John, the Meters, the Neville Brothers, Bobby Charles (“See Ya Later Alligator”), and the Radiators have existed—many of them as contemporaries. And if I were to list all the artists the world over that have been inspired by New Orleans music, it would be almost endless.

So, when I’m asked about the Crescent City sound, I usually start by saying, “It’s a joyful noise.” The sound takes on many forms and one of the cool things New Orleans musicians often do is interpret other artists’ songs and rework them with their own lagniappe. This clip of Galactic featuring Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph performing last weekend in Brooklyn is a terrific example of a well-known New Orleans band taking a rock and roll classic and adding a bit of a Big Easy interpretation. By the way, the excellent bass player bouncing around is Bethesda, Maryland native Rob Mercurio who was my sister’s classmate at Tulane—super cool guy.