The Evening: West Bank, Revolutionary Guard, Hard to Handle and More

New Trump Policy Toward Israeli West Bank Settlements

The Trump administration declared on Monday that the United States does not consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank a violation of international law, as the NYT’s Lara Jakes reports.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Threatens Protesters

Iran’s top paramilitary force threatened to crack down on Iranians protesting a rise in fuel prices, as the WSJ’s Aresu Eqbali and Isabel Coles report.

And, Reuters reports that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said today the United States is terminating its sanctions waiver related to Iran’s Fordow nuclear plant and that it is closely monitoring protests in Iran and is deeply concerned by reports of several fatalities.

Dive Deeper : “Iran’s Protests and the Threat to Domestic Stability,” by CSIS’s Seth Jones and Danika Newlee.

Escape from HK Polytech

Dozens of Hong Kong protesters staged a dramatic escape from Hong Kong Polytechnic University sealed off by police on Monday by shimmying down plastic hosing from a bridge and fleeing on waiting motorbikes as the police fired projectiles, as Reuters reports.

CSIS Executive Education

Join CSIS December 9-11 for our course, Unpacking the Defense Enterprise. Get a competitive advantage in analyzing the changes within the defense domain and better understand the future of the U.S. defense enterprise.

Video Shorts

Check out CSIS’s new series of video shorts: “Testify,” "What's Happening," "Preview," and “High Resolution.” And don’t forget to subscribe to the CSIS YouTube Channel!

In That Number

1.7 Billion

Nearly 1.7 billion adults conduct business outside the formal banking system in the developing world.

Source: CSIS, “The New Missing Middle in Development Finance,” by Dan Runde, Erol Yayboke and Sundar Ramanujam.

Critical Quote

“We will take decisive and revolutionary action against any continued moves to disturb the people’s peace and security.”

— Iranian Revolutionary Guard statement

iDeas Lab

China’s spending on R&D for spacecraft manufacturing skyrocketed from $22.6 million in 2000 to $386.6 million in 2016. Read the new ChinaPower feature on China's space capabilities.

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: Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty Images). Protesters lower themselves down a rope from a bridge to a highway, to escape from Hong Kong Polytechnic University campus today.

Recommended Reading

“The End of the American Order: Ian Bremmer speech at 2019 GZERO Summit in Tokyo,” via the Eurasia Group’s Ian Bremmer.

This Town Tomorrow

At 9:00 a.m., The Farm Foundation will host a forum at the National Press Club to evaluate two reports relating to global food security and poverty reduction. The forum will feature a panel of experts discussing the findings of the reports.

Also, at 2:30 p.m., The Asia Society Policy Institute will host an event discussing Japan’s approach to foreign policy in the face of a less predictable U.S. and a more assertive China.

Later, at 5:00 p.m., The George Washington University (GWU) Elliott School of International Affairs will hold an event with three former ambassadors on the refugee crisis and how globalization and rising nationalism effect the future of the issue.

Video

Today, CSIS hosted General John W. Raymond, Commander of the U.S. Space Command and Commander of the Air Force Space Command for a discussion on USSPACECOM and his plans for the future of the command. Watch General Raymond’s full remarks here.

Podcasts

Mike Green sits down with CSIS Korea Chair experts Victor Cha and Sue Mi Terry to discuss U.S. grand strategy on the Korean peninsula and the possible alliance decoupling of the U.S. and South Korea.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

So, if you are excited (as I am) about the Black Crowes getting back together, I think you will enjoy this clip of them performing last week on the Howard Stern Show, and explaining what it’s like to cover an Otis Redding song.