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The Evening CSIS: Commanded Killed, Nordic Summit & More Album Covers
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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 send me an email at aschwartz@csis.org (mailto:aschwartz@csis.org) .


** Hezbollah Commander Killed
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The Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah says one of its top commanders, Mustafa Badreddine, was killed in a major explosion in Syria near the Damascus International Airport, as NPR’s Merrit Kennedy reports (http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/05/13/477950955/hezbollah-says-a-top-commander-was-killed-by-huge-blast-in-syria) .

Meanwhile, ISIS terrorists gunned down at least 13 people in a coffee shop north of Baghdad today, as the Wall Street Journal’s Ghassan Adnan and Asa Fitch report (http://www.wsj.com/articles/attack-on-coffee-shop-north-of-baghdad-kills-at-least-13-1463132100) .

Dive Deeper: CSIS’s Anthony Cordesman today authored a new commentary: “US Strategy and the War in Iraq and Syria (http://csis.org/publication/us-strategy-and-war-iraq-and-syria) .”


** The Wild, the Innocent, and the South China Sea Shuffle
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Despite overlapping claims made by Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines, China is undertaking a diplomatic and public relations blitz to rally support for its sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea ahead of a decision by an international court that is expected in the coming weeks, as the New York Times’ Michael Forsythe reports (http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/14/world/asia/south-china-sea-philippines-hague-ruling.html?_r=0) .

Dive Deeper: CSIS’s Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI), an interactive micro-website developed with the CSIS iDeas Lab, today published a new feature: “Vietnam’s Island Building: Double-Standard or Drop in the Bucket? (http://amti.csis.org/vietnams-island-building/) ”


** Nordic Summit
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President Obama and leaders of five Nordic nations presented a united front against Russia today, expressing concern about Moscow’s military buildup in the Baltics and calling for sanctions against Russia to continue, as Reuters’ Roberta Rampton and Jeff Mason report (http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-nordic-summit-idUSKCN0Y409Q) .

Dive Deeper: CSIS’s Heather Conley today authored a new commentary: “Word of the Day: Nordic + Easy = NORD-EASY (http://csis.org/publication/word-day-nordic-easy-nord-easy ) .”

And, the Atlantic Council today published “Ten Ideas for the US-Nordic Summit (http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/images/publications/US_Nordic_Summit_RW_0511v2.pdf) .”


** In that Number
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** 27
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The Senate Armed Services Committee has proposed cutting the number of four-star generals from 41 to 27. Source: CSIS senior adviser Mark Cancian’s “Restructuring National Security Organizations and Decisionmaking (http://csis.org/publication/restructuring-national-security-organizations-and-decisionmaking) .”


** Critical Quote
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** “There is nothing irrational about ISIS’s actions from its ideological perspective and values. They have a solid strategic rationale.”
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—CSIS’s Anthony Cordesman on ISIS’s horrifying terror attack on a Shi’ite market earlier this week.
Source: CSIS, “U.S. Strategy and the War in Iraq and Syria (http://csis.org/publication/us-strategy-and-war-iraq-and-syria) .”


** One to Watch
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(Photo Credit: Twitter.)
Karen Leigh (@LeighWSJ (https://twitter.com/LeighWSJ) ) is the Wall Street Journal’s deputy Middle East and North Africa bureau chief. Karen was previously the managing editor for Syria Deeply. Karen recently authored this WSJ interactive, “Islamic State and Its Affiliates (http://graphics.wsj.com/islamic-state-and-its-affiliates/?mod=e2tw) .” For the latest news out of the MENA region, Karen is one to watch.


** Optics
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(Photo credit: STRINGER/AFP/Getty Images.)
Members of Lebanon’s Shiite militant group Hezbollah carry the coffin of Mustafa Badreddine, a top Hezbollah commander who was killed in an attack in Syria, during his funeral in the Ghobeiry neighborhood of southern Beirut on May 13, 2016. Hezbollah announced that Badreddine had been killed in an attack in Syria where the Shiite militant group has deployed thousands of fighters in support of the Damascus regime.


** Highly Recommended
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David Samuels, author of this controversial profile (http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/08/magazine/the-aspiring-novelist-who-became-obamas-foreign-policy-guru.html) of Ben Rhodes, responded to the critics today with “Through the Looking Glass With Ben Rhodes (http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/12/magazine/through-the-looking-glass-with-ben-rhodes.html) .”

The Telegraph’s Richard Spencer authored a fascinating interactive article: “Four jihadists, one prison: all released by Assad and all now dead (http://s.telegraph.co.uk/graphics/projects/isis-jihad-syria-assad-islamic/index.html) .”

And the Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg released an interview with Mark Landler: “Is There a Hillary Doctrine? (http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/05/hillary-doctrine-goldberg-landler/482667/) ”


** CSIS Today
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CSIS’s Europe Program hosted the “Launch of the Lillan and Robert D. Stuart Jr. Center for Euro-Atlantic and Northern European Studies (http://csis.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=833ec271d60c6750d9c3baaac&id=e9de311e17&e=d556e146bd) ,” with a keynote speech by Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway.


** CSIS Tuesday
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Join the Atlantic Council on Monday at 5:00 p.m. for “TPP: A Strategic Imperative—A Conversation with Admiral Michael Mullen (http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/events/upcoming-events/detail/tpp-a-strategic-imperative-a-conversation-with-admiral-michael-mullen) .”


** This Town Monday
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Join Georgetown University at 4:00 p.m. on Monday for “The Global Future of Security: A Conversation with Former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel (http://csis.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT01NDQ4NTEyJnA9MSZ1PTEwNjI1NTcxMTQmbGk9MzQxNDQ5NzI/index.html) .” Register here (http://csis.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT01NDQ4NTEyJnA9MSZ1PTEwNjI1NTcxMTQmbGk9MzQxNDQ5NzI/index.html) .


** CSIS on Demand
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CSIS’s Wadhwani Chair in U.S.-India Policy Studies released part 2 of their video series: “India’s Spring Elections 2016 (http://csis.org/publication/video-series-indias-spring-elections-2016-part-2) .”


** Sounds
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Listen to the latest episode of CFR’s “The World Next Week (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-world-next-week-may-12-2016/id306597476?i=1000368571105&mt=2) .”


** I Like It Like That
Eye-catching things in CSIS's orbit
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Tour the CBS This Morning studio (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cbs-this-morning-live-virtual-reality-stream/) in virtual reality 360-degree video as they broadcasted this morning.


** Smiles
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It’s been a smile talking about album covers, liner notes and lyrics this week. I haven’t fact checked this against anything and don’t have any real data to prove it, but I believe album covers still matter.

I bought another piece of music formerly known as an album just last night because of its micro-album cover on iTunes. I instantly clicked on Charles Bradley’s new record, “Changes” because the cover was a legitimate throwback to what soul records used to look like. Bradley has on this wicked paisley shirt, is sporting a bold ring on his finger and looks like a cross between James Brown and Otis Redding. He’s photographed in full frame against a yellow background and it looks like he is about to pounce right off the cover.

So I had to figure out who Charles Bradley is and what he sounded like. All because of this funky little micro-album cover.

I learned a bunch about the difficult life Bradley has led, and his unlikely rise as an artist.

I learned that this guy has major pipes and a crack band reminiscent of the great house band at Memphis’ Stax Records. And I learned that Bradley is no novelty or impersonator even though he once made a living as a James Brown impersonator.

Then, I saw that Stephen Colbert had the good taste to hold up Bradley’s album cover and have him perform a bit of his blisteringly elegant funk from “Changes (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRejeTMJX9E&feature=youtu.be) .”

Album covers matter. Charles Bradley matters.


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


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