The Evening: Follow-on Possible, Syrian Border, Ring of Fire and More
October 28, 2019
Follow-On Missions Possible
The United States is poring over video recorded during the Special Operations raid that led to the death of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and other information that “needs to be exploited properly for any follow-on missions that we may choose to do,” Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today at the Pentagon, as the Washington Post’s Dan Lamothe reports.
Dive Deeper : “Baghdadi Leaves Behind a Global ISIS Threat,” by the Institute for the Study of War’s Jennifer Cafarella and Brandon Wallace with Caitlin Forrest.
“Islamic State Leader’s Death Does Little to Ease Syria Concerns,” by CFR’s Phillip Gordon.
Turkey Says Kurds Not Fully Withdrawn from Syrian Border
Kurdish YPG forces have not fully withdrawn from a strip of northeastern Syria under a Russia-brokered accord that is about to expire, Turkey’s foreign minister said on Monday, as Ankara prepared to discuss its next steps with Moscow, Reuters’ Ece Toksabay and Jonathan Spicer report.
Boris Johnson Bid Blocked
British lawmakers blocked Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s plan for an early election, but a national ballot this year remained in the cards as opposition parties sought an alternative route to end the Brexit stalemate, as the WSJ’s Max Colchester and Jason Douglas report.
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
14
The ISIS global organization at the time of Baghdadi’s death includes 14 active provinces in 20 countries, all of which publicly renewed their pledges of allegiance to him after his April 2019 video.
Source: Institute for the Study of War
Critical Quote
“Allies of the United States are worried about the dependability of the United States."
— Iraqi President Barham Salih
iDeas Lab
As rumors of economic decoupling between the U.S. and China grow, CSIS's Simon Chair examines how an economic conflict between the United States and China could escalate and eventually de-escalate.
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: Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images). Firefighters discuss how to approach the scene as a home burns near grape vines during the Kincade fire in Healdsburg, California.
Recommended Reading
“U.S. Military Forces in FY 2020: SOF, Civilians, Contractors, and Nukes,” by CSIS’s Mark Cancian.
This Town Tomorrow
At 9:00 a.m., CSIS’s Global Food Security Project in collaboration with FAO of the United Nations, Liaison Office for North America will hold a discussion on the key findings of FAO’s report titled, State of Food and Agriculture Report 2019: Moving Forward on Food Loss and Waste Reduction.
Also, at 2:00 p.m., CSIS will host an event exploring the relationship between U.S. and Chinese technological innovations with an emphasis on the creation of a fairer relationship without the stifling of American innovation.
Later, at 3:00 p.m., CSIS expert Todd Harrison and a panel of guest will present their findings and expert opinions on three projections of the Air Force in 2030.
Video
Last week, CSIS hosted a panel discussion on the regulation of religion throughout Africa. The panel focused on the varied manner in which governments approach religious affairs. Watch the panel discussion in full here.
Podcasts
In the first episode of Defense 2020, Kathleen Hicks, director of CSIS's International Security Program, asks several Democratic defense experts how the Democratic Party is approaching key national security and defense issues heading into the 2020 U.S. election.
Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.
Smiles
Look out. In just a few days (November 1) you’ll be able to stream the latest Bob Dylan Bootleg Series, “Travelin’ Thru: 1967-1969.” This collection focuses on recordings Dylan made with Johnny Cash and unreleased tracks from “John Wesley Harding” and “Nashville Skyline.”
Today, they released this outtake of Dylan covering “Ring of Fire” from the forthcoming Bootleg Series. Oh my.