Korean War Remains | Record Afghanistan Air Strikes | UN Cash Shortage
Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. July 27, 2018 Daily News Brief TOP OF THE AGENDA U.S. Receives Korean War Remains North Korea returned what it said were the remains of fifty-five Americans killed during the 1950–53 Korean War to the United States. The White House said the move is signaling positive change (NYT) in Pyongyang and could serve as momentum for diplomacy over North Korean denuclearization. The remains were taken on a U.S. transport plane to South Korea before being moved to Hawaii (Korea Times) for analysis. Some 7,700 U.S. soldiers who fought in the Korean War are still officially missing (VOA), and the remains of more than five thousand of them are believed to be in North Korea. ANALYSIS “Although POW/MIA (prisoners of war/missing-in-action) remains recovery would appear to be an easy humanitarian confidence building step completely unrelated to American denuclearization demands, working-level communication regarding the handover has become an example of the depth of distrust between the two sides,” writes CFR’s Scott A. Snyder. “The end state on the Korean Peninsula and the path followed to get to that end state must leave the United States in a stronger position in the region vis-à-vis China, without turning a rising China into an adversary,” Ferial Saeed writes for War on the Rocks. “The scale of the problem faced by [nuclear weapons] inspectors is immense and unprecedented. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has 300 inspectors. The large number of facilities poses a daunting challenge let alone all barriers and impediments North Koreans are likely to put up,” Kim Chong Woo and Ham Geon Hee write for the Asan Institute for Policy Studies. U.S.-Russia Relations With Michael McFaul The former U.S. ambassador to the Russian Federation joins CFR’s James M. Lindsay to discuss the fraught relationship between the United States and Russia on this episode of the President’s Inbox. PACIFIC RIM Philippines Gives Troubled Island More Autonomy President Rodrigo Duterte signed legislation that grants more autonomy (Nikkei) to the southern island of Mindanao to try to ease years of conflict with Islamist rebels. Duterte said he will meet the head of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a Muslim rebel group, to discuss a 2014 peace deal (Phil Star). SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Former Cricket Star Khan Claims Victory in Pakistan Imran Khan of the center-right PTI party promised a new governance strategy (CNN) in Pakistan, while leaders of other parties claimed vote-rigging or faulty tallying in yesterday’s general election. PTI received at least 114 of 270 seats (Dawn) in the National Assembly. CFR’s Alyssa Ayres writes that Khan’s postelection speech laid out some foreign policy priorities, with China at the top of the list. AFGHANISTAN: The U.S. led coalition in Afghanistan dropped 2,911 weapons (VOA) on the country in the first half of 2018. The previous high, 2170 bombs, was set over the same period in 2011. Experts at this CFR event examined the United States’ longest war. MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA U.S.-Led Coalition Admits a Thousand Civilian Deaths in Iraq, Syria The U.S.-led coalition fighting the self-proclaimed Islamic State said its roughly thirty thousand air strikes in the region have killed 1,059 civilians (VOA) since August 2014. A UK-based monitoring group has put the death toll as high as 9,947 civilians. IRAN: Major General Qassem Soleimani, who heads the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ Quds force, warned U.S. President Trump (BBC) that Iran is ready for war if provoked by the United States. The statement comes days after Trump threatened severe consequences for Iran. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Manager of Ethiopian Dam Project Found Dead The chief engineer for the country’s massive Renaissance Dam project was found dead in a car (DW) near a busy public square in the capital of Addis Ababa. The dam construction has heightened tensions with Egypt and Sudan over Nile River access. EUROPE Pence Threatens Turkey Over Jailed U.S. Pastor U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said Turkey will face "significant sanctions" (VOA) if it does not free a U.S. pastor accused by Ankara of supporting U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen. The Turkish foreign minister said the country will “never tolerate threats.” GREECE: Government officials said there were “serious indications” that wildfires near Athens that killed more than eighty people earlier this week were the result of arson (Ekathimerini). AMERICAS Privatization Begins for Brazilian State Electric Firm Brazilian firm Equatorial Energia bought state-owned Eletrobras’s unit (LAHT) in northeastern Piaui State for a symbolic $13,500. Eletrobras, Latin America’s largest power utility, has begun a controversial privatization program (Reuters). UNITED STATES Hundreds of Migrant Families Still Separated More than seven hundred migrant children in the United States remained separated (WaPo) from their parents despite a court-ordered Thursday deadline for the Trump administration to reunite them. Around 430 parents were deported. GLOBAL UN Chief Raises Alarm Over Cash Shortage Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the United Nations is facing a cash shortfall (NYT) due to delayed contributions by members states; so far, 112 of 193 member states have paid their annual assessments in full. Leaders of the BRICS nations—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—issued a joint statement that backs the “importance of an open world economy” (AFP) in the face of economic policy changes in some major economies, an apparent reference to rising U.S. protectionism. CFR’s Shannon K. O’Neil writes that Latin American leaders are looking past the United States on trade. Council on Foreign Relations — 58 East 68th Street — New York, NY 10065 CFR does not share email addresses with third parties. Forward This Email | Subscribe to CFR Newsletters | Unsubscribe - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
From: dailybrief@e.cfr.org
Date: July 27, 2018 at 10:12PM
Calming Trade War Fears | Khan Leads in Pakistan | Southern Syria Attacks
Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. July 26, 2018 Daily News Brief TOP OF THE AGENDA U.S. and EU Ease Trade Tensions The United States and the European Union appeared to walk back from the brink of a costly trade battle (NYT) yesterday, with both sides agreeing to hold off on imposing more tariffs as they work through various differences. At a White House press conference, President Donald J. Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker pledged a new round of discussions aimed at removing tariffs (WSJ) and other barriers to transatlantic trade. In addition, the leaders said the European Union will buy more U.S. natural gas and soybeans. “This was a very big day for free and fair trade,” said President Trump. The meeting was expected to lay the groundwork (FT) for months of trade talks. ANALYSIS “If all the threatened Trump tariffs take effect, and the targeted countries respond with the expected retaliatory tariffs on American exports, everyone will lose. Fortunately, the global financial markets will act as a safety net,” writes Roger C. Altman in the Wall Street Journal. “The international trading order is confronting its deepest crisis to date. The threat of a global trade war is looming over us. Some now believe it is time to pull the plug on 70 years of trade diplomacy and pursue trade goals by other means. There is no doubt that if this happens, it will be the public that takes the hit,” writes EU trade chief Cecilia Malmstrom in the Financial Times. “Given Trump’s mercurial nature, it is not yet clear that this rapprochement will last. But there is reason for cautious optimism. The Trump administration has expressed openness to lifting its recent tariff hikes on imported European steel and aluminum, and this small gesture appears to have yielded dividends,” writes Reihan Salam in the Atlantic. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Ex-Sports Star Leads in Pakistani Election Imran Khan’s PTI party was leading in early vote tallies on Thursday, putting the former cricket star on course to become Pakistan’s next prime minister (BBC). Several rival candidates complained of vote rigging, which election officials denied. Khan’s party is currently expected to come up short of a majority and is likely to seek governing partners. AFGHANISTAN: Ambassador Alice Wells, the top U.S. diplomat for South Asia, met with Taliban leaders (WSJ) this week to set the stage for fresh peace talks. The discussions aim to build off of a three-day cease-fire. UNITED STATES Pompeo Reassures on Russia In a combative session at the U.S. Senate, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo testified that the United States would never recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea (WaPo). The top U.S. diplomat also faced pointed questions about North Korea and President Trump’s recent summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. President Trump’s approach to summits is fueling, rather than mitigating, global instability, writes CFR President Richard N. Haass. The White House said the president wants to push a planned summit (NYT) with Putin in Washington until after the U.S. investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller is concluded. PACIFIC RIM China Spikes Massive Semiconductor Deal Beijing effectively sunk a $44 billion takeover bid by Qualcomm for Dutch semiconductor company NXP by withholding regulatory approval (FT). The move is being seen as retaliation for recently imposed U.S. tariffs. JAPAN: The government executed six former members of Aum Shinrikyo, the doomsday cult that orchestrated nerve gas attacks (Nikkei) and other crimes in the country in the 1990s. Several other members, including the group’s leader, were executed earlier this month. MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Hundreds Killed in Southern Syria Attacks Islamic State militants killed at least 204 people (NYT) and wounded another 180 people in coordinated attacks in southern Syria yesterday, according to a Sweida Province official. Analysts said the violence demonstrates the endurance of the jihadist group despite its territorial losses. CFR’s Global Conflict Tracker explores Syria’s complex battlefield. EGYPT: The United States released $195 million in military assistance to Egypt (WSJ), stating that Abdel Fatah al-Sisi’s government has taken steps to address lingering U.S. concerns about its human rights record and ties to North Korea. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA South Sudan Rival Leaders Reach Power-Sharing Deal The South Sudanese government and the country’s main rebel group struck a deal to share political power (WaPo) that observers hope will bring an end to a five-year civil war. Other armed resistance groups did not sign the agreement. NIGERIA: Violence between cattle herders and farmers has killed more than 1,300 people (Reuters) in the first half of this year, many times more than have perished in violence linked to Boko Haram over the same period, according to a new report by the International Crisis Group. EUROPE EU Court Ruling Intensifies Feud With Poland The European Court of Justice, the bloc’s highest court, ruled that Ireland can refuse to extradite an alleged criminal (Politico) to Poland if the former thinks the suspect would not get a fair trial there. Polish authorities criticized the decision, which could prompt an escalation in the European Union’s battle over rule of law in Poland. AMERICAS Mexico, Canada Insist NAFTA Remain Trilateral Deal Top envoys from Mexico and Canada, meeting in Mexico City yesterday, stressed that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) should remain a three-way accord (Reuters). U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, talking in Washington, suggested the trade pact could be negotiated separately with the two neighboring countries. This CFR Backgrounder looks at NAFTA’s economic impact. NICARAGUA: Supporters of embattled President Daniel Ortega are reportedly squatting on tracts of land (Miami Herald) across the country. Some landowners say the move is part of government-backed retaliation against business elites who no longer support the president. Council on Foreign Relations — 58 East 68th Street — New York, NY 10065 CFR does not share email addresses with third parties. Forward This Email | Subscribe to CFR Newsletters | Unsubscribe - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
From: dailybrief@e.cfr.org
Date: July 26, 2018 at 09:58PM
White House Trade Talks | Pakistan Election Attack | Greece Wildfires
Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. July 25, 2018 Daily News Brief TOP OF THE AGENDA EU’s Juncker Hopes to Head Off Trade Escalation European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is in Washington today in a bid to find common ground (Politico) with U.S. President Donald J. Trump and halt an escalating trade war between the United States and the European Union. Trump has imposed a range of tariffs on foreign goods, including on steel and aluminum imports from Europe, and threatened fresh tariffs on European automobiles after accusing the bloc (Bloomberg) of unfairly protecting its own car market. The European Union has already imposed retaliatory tariffs and threatened to expand them (Reuters) to cover $20 billion worth of U.S. goods if Trump moves ahead with auto tariffs. Juncker hopes to instead reach a deal to reduce tariffs among leading industrial economies. Yesterday, the Trump administration announced a $12 billion aid plan (Washington Post) for American farmers hit by retaliatory tariffs. ANALYSIS “The tariff war that Trump has launched is poised not only to depress trade and growth but also to do irreparable harm to the rules-based trading system that has anchored the expansion of international commerce since World War II,” write CFR’s Edward Alden and Charles A. Kupchan in Foreign Policy. “If the EU is to stop the world from returning to an era of warring trade blocs, it needs to meet Trump’s fire and fury not with retaliatory measures but with liberal leadership by example,” argues the American Enterprise Institute’s Dalibor Rohac in Politico. “A bilateral deal between the EU and the United States to cut industrial tariffs, or a plurilateral agreement to rid the world of car tariffs, are just two of the many ideas circulating among experts,” writes the Atlantic Council’s Marie Kasperek. PACIFIC RIM Airlines to Comply With China’s Taiwan Demand Major U.S. airlines including American Airlines and Delta agreed to stop referring to Taiwan (BBC) as a separate destination after China threatened sanctions. Until today most U.S.-based carriers had refused the change; the U.S. State Department had referred to the demand (Politico) as “nonsense.” This CFR Backgrounder explores the controversy over Taiwan’s status. CAMBODIA: The country’s armed forces paraded in the capital, Phnom Penh, ahead of a weekend election, a show of force (Reuters) authorities said is meant to discourage illegal boycotts of the vote. International election monitors have called for greater oversight (Radio Free Asia) of Cambodia’s democratic process. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Suicide Bombings Mar Pakistani Election The self-proclaimed Islamic State claimed a suicide bomb attack (BBC) near a polling station in the city of Quetta that killed at least thirty-one people as voting got underway. Ahead of the election, the country’s human rights commission warned of attempts to manipulate vote tallies and the Islamic State said it was responsible for an earlier bombing that killed 149 people. CFR’s Alyssa Ayres argues that Pakistan’s democratic challenges are cause for concern. INDIA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in Kampala for a state visit, offered Uganda (Reuters) $205 million in credit to upgrade its electricity infrastructure and agricultural sector. Modi concluded a visit to Rwanda yesterday. MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Islamic State Blamed for Attacks in Southwest Syria State media reported that Islamic State militants were behind a wave of suicide bombings and other attacks in the city of Sweida and nearby villages that killed dozens of people Wednesday. The southwest has seen an increase in violence (Al Jazeera) as Syrian government forces have made gains against rebels there in recent months. IRAN: President Hassan Rouhani removed Valiollah Seif (AFP) as head of the country’s central bank amid a currency crisis that has seen the Iranian rial lose half its value since April. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA China’s Xi Promises South Africa Investment Chinese President Xi Jinping, meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday, committed to $14.7 billion (Mail and Guardian) in new investments to Africa’s second-largest economy, including $10 billion toward expanding Chinese auto plants. Xi and Ramaphosa are set to meet with the leaders of Brazil, India, and Russia later this week for the annual BRICS summit. ZIMBABWE: President Emmerson Mnangagwa said he “will not allow chaos” during next week’s presidential election after authorities banned a planned opposition march (Zimbabwe Herald) in the capital of Harare. Mnangagwa’s main challenger, Nelson Chamisa, has threatened to “shut down the country” if defeated. EUROPE Death Toll Rises in Greece Wildfires Officials said that at least eighty people have died (Ekathimerini) and many more are missing following Greece’s deadliest wildfires in over a decade. European Council President Donald Tusk has promised EU aid (Guardian), and countries including Cyprus and Spain have dispatched firefighter teams and water-dropping aircraft. AMERICAS Colombian Ex-President Leaves Senate Former President Alvaro Uribe resigned from his Senate seat (NYT) yesterday after the Supreme Court announced it would expand its probe of the ex-leader to include allegations of bribery. Uribe has been under investigation for witness tampering related to accusations he founded a “death squad” militia before becoming president. He says the charges are politically motivated. MEXICO: Journalist Ruben Pat Cahuich was gunned down (LAHT) near the resort town of Playa del Carmen yesterday. He was the ninth Mexican reporter to be murdered this year. UNITED STATES Migrant Parents Reportedly Deported Without Children The Trump administration told a federal court yesterday that more than 450 migrant parents who were separated from their children (NYT) after entering the United States are no longer in the country, though it remained unclear how many were deported. Federal agencies face a Thursday deadline to reunite more than 1,500 migrant parents with their children. This CFR Backgrounder explores the U.S. immigration debate. Council on Foreign Relations — 58 East 68th Street — New York, NY 10065 CFR does not share email addresses with third parties. Forward This Email | Subscribe to CFR Newsletters | Unsubscribe - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
From: dailybrief@e.cfr.org
Date: July 25, 2018 at 09:54PM
North Korea's Test Site | Pakistan Election | EU's Juncker in DC
Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. July 24, 2018 Daily News Brief TOP OF THE AGENDA North Korea Starts Dismantling Rocket Site North Korea appears to have started dismantling facilities at a rocket launch test site known as Sohae, according to new satellite imagery (38 North). Pyongyang has maintained that the facility, which sits on North Korea’s northwestern coast, is a satellite launching station. It remains unclear whether Pyongyang plans to raze the whole site (NYT), which U.S. President Donald J. Trump said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had told him he would dismantle. While analysts say the move may signal North Korea is taking steps to build confidence (WSJ) and fulfill commitments made at a June summit between the North Korean and U.S. leaders in Singapore, they also caution that the dismantlement work at the Sohae site is reversible. Additionally, Pyongyang has not taken steps to dismantle its nuclear weapons. ANALYSIS “Since these facilities are believed to have played an important role in the development of technologies for the North’s intercontinental ballistic missile program, these efforts represent a significant confidence building measure on the part of North Korea,” writes Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. for 38 North. “Sohae’s engine test stand is moot at this point, and DPRK could easily build another if they decide to test new designs. Instead, we should be looking for DPRK locations where more missiles and the means to launch them (TELs) are being assembled. We ignored North Korea too long, and now it’s about managing how many nuclear weapons and delivery systems they have, not if they have them,” tweets Melissa Hanham of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. This CFR Timeline explores the history of North Korean nuclear negotiations. PACIFIC RIM Hundreds Missing After Dam Collapse in Laos Hundreds of people are missing and thousands are homeless after heavy rains and flash flooding caused a hydroelectric dam in southeastern Laos to give way (Guardian), local media reported today. The dam, still under construction, is a joint venture (AP) between Lao, South Korean, and Thai firms. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Pakistan Ups Security Ahead of Election Pakistan’s armed forces dispatched hundreds of thousands of personnel (AFP) across the country ahead of a general election tomorrow. Several hundred people have been killed or injured in preelection attacks (NYT). Two border crossings along the Afghan border have been closed for two days (Tolo) as part of election security measures. Ahmed Rashid writes in Foreign Affairs that Pakistan’s military and judiciary could threaten upcoming elections. CENTRAL ASIA: U.S. officials met with representatives from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan over the weekend under the so-called C5+1, launched in 2015 as a forum for the United States to further economic and security cooperation (RFE/RL) with Central Asian nations. MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Israeli Air Defenses Activated on Syrian Border Israel sounded air defense sirens in Golan Heights, near the Syrian border, today, while its military reportedly fired two interceptor missiles (Reuters). It said incoming Syrian rockets prompted the response. The country is expected to put more than $8 billion (Haaretz)toward its missile defense systems over the next decade, according to a new defense spending plan. IRAN: The Foreign Ministry said Iran will respond with “equal countermeasures” if the United States moves to block the country’s oil exports (Middle East Monitor). The statement comes a day after U.S. President Trump threatened Iran and several weeks before the United States is set to reimpose sanctions. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Rwanda Inks Deals With China and India Chinese President Xi Jinping signed more than a dozen agreements (DW) with his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, during a multi-country Africa tour. Separately, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to a number of deals (East African) with the East African nation yesterday. The $300 million in loan agreements (Reuters) will fund irrigation, road construction, and the development of special economic zones. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Opposition leader Jean-Pierre Bemba, who was acquitted of war crimes charges last month, is set to return to the DRC (AFP) next week in preparation for a presidential bid. The election is slated for December 23. This CFR Backgrounder tracks the trend of entrenched leadership in sub-Saharan Africa. EUROPE Trump Hosts EU’s Juncker in Washington European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is set to meet with U.S. President Donald J. Trump (Bloomberg) tomorrow afternoon. The two are expected to discuss trade relations, including a U.S. threat to increase tariffs on European car imports. ITALY: The foreign minister said yesterday that Italy will accept migrants arriving on its shores (DW) for the next five weeks in accordance with an EU anti-trafficking operation in the Mediterranean. The announcement reverses a decision by Italy last week to no longer allow vessels participating in the mission to dock at Italian ports. AMERICAS Nicaragua’s Ortega Rejects Calls for Resignation President Daniel Ortega dismissed protester calls (BBC) for him to step down three months into anti-government demonstrations that have led to the deaths of more than three hundred people. He also rejected the possibility of early elections; his term ends in 2021. VENEZUELA: Inflation in Venezuela could hit 1 million percent (AP) by the end of the year, according to the International Monetary Fund. IMF economist Alejandro Werner warned that the country’s deepening financial crisis will likely intensify spillover effects in neighboring nations. UNITED STATES Russian Hackers Targeted U.S. Electric Utilities Hackers belonging to a Russian state-sponsored group accessed U.S. electric utilities networks (WSJ) last year, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. The hackers had enough access to disrupt power flows and cause blackouts, a Homeland Security official said. In Foreign Affairs, CFR’s Rob Knake discusses protecting the U.S. power grid from Russian cyber threats. Council on Foreign Relations — 58 East 68th Street — New York, NY 10065 CFR does not share email addresses with third parties. Forward This Email | Subscribe to CFR Newsletters | Unsubscribe - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
From: dailybrief@e.cfr.org
Date: July 24, 2018 at 10:08PM
U.S., Iran Trade Threats | Japan Heat Wave | Syrian Rescuers Evacuation
Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. July 23, 2018 Daily News Brief TOP OF THE AGENDA Trump, on Twitter, Threatens ‘Consequences’ for Iran U.S. President Donald J. Trump threatened Iran with “consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered” in an all-caps tweet Sunday evening after the Iranian president warned the United States not to incite Iranians (WaPo) against their government. President Hassan Rouhani’s remarks, reported by state news yesterday, came as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Iran’s leadership (CNN) of corruption and human rights abuses, saying the government “resembles a mafia.” The escalation in heated rhetoric follows the U.S. decision to withdraw from the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement and reimpose sanctions; the first round of banking sanctions suspended under the deal is set to come back into effect in several weeks. ANALYSIS “Iran’s regional adventurism in conflicts such as those in Syria and Yemen, mismanagement of the economy, and rampant corruption have cost the regime between $7 billion and $15 billion at a time when the country’s needs are becoming ever more pressing,” writes CFR’s Ray Takeyh. “For Trump to deride Tehran as a mafia state while courting the leaders of Russia and North Korea is bit rich,” Simon Jenkins writes for the Guardian. This CFR Backgrounder looks at the impact of the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. PACIFIC RIM Death Toll From Japan Heat Rises The temperature in Saitama Prefecture, outside Tokyo, reached its highest on record (Japan Times), 105.9 degrees, amid a weeks-long heatwave that has killed at least forty people in Japan. Eleven people died on Saturday alone. CHINA: President Xi Jinping began a three-country tour in Africa on Saturday with a visit to Senegal (Reuters), marking his first trip to the continent’s west. This CFR Backgrounder looks at China’s growing presence on the African continent. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Twenty Dead in Attack Targeting Afghan Vice President A suicide bomber killed twenty people, including nine members of First Vice President General Abdul Rashid Dostum’s security detail, in an attack at Kabul’s international airport yesterday. Dostum was returning from a year in exile in Turkey (NYT), where he fled after he was accused of abducting and assaulting a political rival. The self-proclaimed Islamic State said it was behind the attack. BANGLADESH: Eight suspects were charged with involvement in a 2016 attack on a Dhaka bakery (Dhaka Tribune) that killed twenty-two people, including two police officers. Six of the accused are in custody. MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Israel Helps Evacuate Syrian White Helmets Israel authorized the transport (Haaretz) of Syrian first responders and their families through Israeli territory as they made their way to Jordan, where they are expected to eventually be resettled (Reuters) in Britain, Germany, and Canada. Some four hundred people were evacuated in total. In Foreign Affairs, Maha Yahya discusses the obstacles for Syrian refugees to return home. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Ethiopia’s Abiy Calls for Multiparty Democracy Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, meeting yesterday with representatives from more than fifty political groups, said Ethiopia has “no option” but to become a multiparty democracy (DW). The Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front coalition has been in power since 1991. CFR’s Michelle D. Gavin discusses Ethiopia’s long political transition. ZIMBABWE: President Emmerson Mnangagwa, at a campaign event ahead of next week’s election, said he is “racially blind” (BBC) and that he will end the seizure of lands from white farmers. Mnangagwa is the favorite in the crowded presidential race. EUROPE UK Reportedly Wouldn’t Block Death Penalty for IS Suspects According to a leaked letter, UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid told U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions that his country will not seek assurances that the United States would not execute (Guardian) two Islamic State suspects captured in Syria in January. Several human rights groups have criticized the UK stance on the fate of the pair, who are believed to have been stripped of their British citizenship. EU: The European Commission is preparing a list of U.S. products to be hit with retaliatory tariffs (FT) if President Trump does not back down on threats to impose tariffs on car imports in Wednesday talks with the commission’s president, Jean-Claude Juncker. AMERICAS FARC Members Join Colombia’s Congress Ten members of the now demobilized Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) were sworn in as lawmakers (CNN) over the weekend. Part of a landmark peace deal with the government guarantees the former Marxist rebel group ten seats in the legislature. BRAZIL: Far-right politician Jair Bolsonaro declared his candidacy (BBC) for an October presidential election. Opinion polls put Bolsonaro in second place, behind former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who may be ineligible to run due to a corruption sentence. In Foreign Affairs, Bruno Carazza discusses Bolsonaro’s rise. UNITED STATES White House Officials Signal Possible Retreat on Gaza Top Trump administration officials, including presidential advisor Jared Kushner and UN envoy Nikki Haley, wrote opinion pieces (NYT) blaming the militant group Hamas for “prolonging the suffering” (WaPo) of Palestinians in Gaza. Kushner said that provocations by the group will “not be rewarded with aid.” Council on Foreign Relations — 58 East 68th Street — New York, NY 10065 CFR does not share email addresses with third parties. Forward This Email | Subscribe to CFR Newsletters | Unsubscribe - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
From: dailybrief@e.cfr.org
Date: July 23, 2018 at 10:13PM
Brexit and the Irish Border | Putin's White House Invite | Kunduz Strikes
Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. July 20, 2018 Daily News Brief TOP OF THE AGENDA Brexit Battle Looms Over Irish Border British Prime Minister Theresa May, in a speech in Belfast, called the European Union’s current Brexit proposal on the Irish border “unworkable” and urged the bloc (Guardian) to evolve its position on the issue so they can move forward with negotiations, heightening fears a Brexit deal could be out of reach for the two sides. The European Union had said that a “hard border” between Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland could be avoided through a backstop solution in which the former remains largely within the bloc’s single market and customs union. May argued, however, that such a proposal would create a de facto border down the Irish Sea, between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom. In the Friday speech, May said she will never accept (BBC) a “third country” customs border within her own country. ANALYSIS “The UK and the EU would prefer to solve the Irish border issue through an overarching economic and security deal. However the UK’s current red lines, which include leaving the customs union and the single market, make that very difficult and could lead to no deal at all,” John Campbell writes for the BBC. “If Britain refuses to enforce checks on the Irish Sea, it implies the EU would allow an open land border with the UK stretching 499 km, or enforce checks on the continent, disrupting the flow of Irish goods within the single market,” Alex Barker and Claire Jones write for the Financial Times. “[Northern Ireland staying in the customs union] would maintain the status quo for both nationalists and unionists, at the cost of watering down Brexit and angering pro-Brexit politicians and voters, perhaps leading to the downfall of the current government led by Prime Minister Theresa May,” Henry Farrell writes for Foreign Affairs. UNITED STATES White House Invite to Putin Surprises Intel Chief U.S. Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats appeared blindsided when NBC’s Andrea Mitchell questioned him about a White House decision to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin (WaPo) to visit Washington this fall. While meeting with Putin in Helsinki, Trump appeared to question U.S. intelligence assessments led by Coats on Russian election interference. PACIFIC RIM South Korea’s Park Gets Additional Sentence Ousted President Park Geun-hye received an eight-year prison sentence (Korea Times) on Friday for loss of state funds and election interference. The latest sentence comes on top of the twenty-four-year one she is already serving for corruption. AUSTRALIA: The United Nations criticized Australia for a policy of “actively and indefinitely separating” (VOA) parents and children seeking asylum in the country, citing a recent case in which a Sri Lankan man was deported while his partner and infant child remained in Australia. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Civilians Killed in Kunduz Air Strikes At least fourteen people, including women and children, were reportedly killed during joint U.S.-Afghan air strikes in northern Kunduz Province. A U.S. military official said he did not have indications (WaPo) the U.S. strikes caused civilian deaths, while an Afghan Defense Ministry spokesperson said the government was “deeply saddened” by the report. This CFR panel examined the United States’ longest war. INDIA: Whatsapp, a messaging app owned by Facebook, announced it will limit message forwarding (Hindustan Times) by its users in India. The move comes after the government complained that rumors and misinformation are “propagated by mischief mongers” on the app. MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Iraq’s Sadr Backs Protesters in South Influential cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose political bloc won in a May general election, called on politicians to hold off forming a government (Reuters) until they meet what he called “rightful demands” raised by protesters in the country’s south. Demonstrators have called for fair distribution (AP) of natural resource revenue. SYRIA: A Michigan man accused of being a fighter for the self-proclaimed Islamic State and an Indiana woman who married an Islamic State militant were apprehended by U.S.-allied forces in Syria (NYT) and are expected to be brought to the United States for prosecution. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA U.S. Renews Protections for Somalis The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is extending temporary protected status (VOA) through 2020 for some five hundred Somali migrants living and working in the United States due to ongoing conflict in their home country. CFR lays out how temporary protected status (TPS) works. UGANDA: The government plans to maintain a recently imposed social media tax (Quartz) despite widespread protests, Finance Minister Matia Kasaija announced, citing the need to curb harmful gossip on social sites and apps. EUROPE Spanish Court Strikes Catalan Leader’s Extradition Order A Spanish supreme court judge dropped international arrest warrants (Guardian) for former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, who was being held in Germany. A German court had recently ruled that Puigdemont could be extradited to Spain, but not on charges of rebellion. AMERICAS Nicaragua’s Ortega Speaks Out on Protester Crackdown President Daniel Ortega told a crowd of supporters yesterday that the government’s response over the last three months to protests against his rule has been “a painful battle" (AP), referring to Nicaragua’s Catholic church as allies of “coup mongers.” Human rights groups have estimated more than 350 deaths since April. COLOMBIA: Nearly one-fourth of some 870,000 Venezuelan refugees tracked by Colombia’s migration agency have relocated to the capital of Bogota, according to a new report (Colombia Reports). Other major recipients include Medellin and Cali, as well as border cities. CFR’s Shannon K. O’Neil discussed Venezuela’s migration crisis. Council on Foreign Relations — 58 East 68th Street — New York, NY 10065 CFR does not share email addresses with third parties. Forward This Email | Subscribe to CFR Newsletters | Unsubscribe - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
From: dailybrief@e.cfr.org
Date: July 20, 2018 at 10:09PM
Israel's Nation-State Law | Thai National Strategy | OAS on Nicaragua
Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. July 19, 2018 Daily News Brief TOP OF THE AGENDA Israel Adopts Controversial Nationality Law The Knesset, Israel’s parliament, voted 62–55 to pass a contentious law (Haaretz) that defines Israel as the “national home of the Jewish people” and states that Jews have the exclusive right to self-determination in Israel, prompting outcry from the country’s Arab lawmakers The law defines Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, downgrades Arabic from an official language (Ynet) to one of “special status,” and says the state will promote the establishment of Jewish settlements. Lawmakers from the country’s Arab minority, which comprises about one-fifth (Reuters) of Israel’s population, decried the vote as enshrining racial discrimination. ANALYSIS “There is no country in the world that has not specifically enumerated the right of equality in its constitution—therefore, it is difficult to understand why the authors of this bill insist not to include this important value,” Amir Fuchs said in an interview with CNN. “Considering the number of discriminatory laws already on the books (from family unification, immigration, land ownership, housing discrimination, etc.), it’s not a stretch to imagine any number of situations in which the courts determine ‘Jewish’ rights to trump principles of equality once the Nation-State Law is passed,” Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man writes for +972 Magazine. “There is no reason why a Jewish nation-state bill has to be problematic on its face; the problem is not with the idea, but with the execution. In this instance, the nation-state bill doesn’t sit well because it needs to be based on a vision of ethical nationalism, but is instead based on an exclusive vision of nationalism that strikes a jarringly discordant note,” Michael Koplow writes for Forward. PACIFIC RIM Thai Junta Finalizes Twenty-Year National Strategy Thailand’s ruling military junta is expected to soon submit for royal approval (Nikkei) a National Strategy Act that includes targets for per capita income and happiness and would allow a pro-junta anticorruption panel to sentence members of future governments to jail time for straying from the national plan. CFR’s Joshua Kurlantzick writes in World Politics Review that much of the world has warmed to Thailand’s military rulers. AUSTRALIA: Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said that Pope Francis should dismiss Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson, who was convicted in May on charges of concealing child sex abuse (SMH) by a priest. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA India’s Modi to Face No-Confidence Vote Prime Minister Narendra Modi will face a no-confidence vote in parliament tomorrow, though his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies have a comfortable majority and are expected to easily defeat the motion (Hindustan Times). AFGHANISTAN: A former U.S. defense contractor was found guilty of theft of government property (DOJ) for shipping items, including computer equipment and construction materials, from a U.S. base in Kandahar to his home in Arizona for resale. This CFR panel examined the United States’ longest war. MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Thousands in Syria’s Idlib Moved in Population Swap An estimated six thousand people were evacuated from rebel-held territory (Al Jazeera) in the northern province of Idlib, the last major opposition stronghold in Syria, to government-controlled areas in neighboring Aleppo. The government released 1,500 civilians and rebels from state prisons as part of the exchange. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA New HIV Infections Drop in Eastern, Southern Africa Kenya, Malawi, Mauritania, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe recorded steep drops in new HIV infections among adults between 2010 and 2017, according to a UN report (Business Daily). NIGERIA: Eight suspected Boko Haram militants confessed to their involvement in kidnapping more than two hundred schoolgirls (CNN) in Chibok in 2014, according to police. About a hundred of the girls remain in captivity. EUROPE UK Police Reportedly Identify Suspects in Salisbury Attack Investigators have identified several suspects (ITV) who are believed to have carried out a nerve agent attack against a former Russian spy and his daughter in March, according to a source familiar with the probe. HUNGARY: The country will pull out of a global migration pact (Reuters) approved last week by all 193 UN member states except the United States, according to Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto. Countries are set to sign the final agreement in December. In Foreign Affairs, Ivan Krastev discusses Eastern Europe’s democratic decline. AMERICAS OAS Calls for Early Elections in Nicaragua A majority of the Organization for American States’ thirty-four members voted in favor of a U.S.-backed proposal to urge Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega to hold early elections (LAHT). More than three hundred people have been killed in anti-government demonstrations over the last three months. MEXICO: The country’s oil regulator said it will postpone an oil field auction (Reuters) slated for late 2018 or early next year to allow President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to set up his administration. Lopez Obrador has said his team will probe current oil and gas contracts for corruption. UNITED STATES Trump to Mull Offer on Election Interference Probe U.S. President Donald J. Trump and his aides will discuss an offer (WaPo) made by Russian President Vladimir Putin to allow U.S. investigators to interview Russians indicted for hacking during the 2016 U.S. presidential election, according to the White House press secretary. The Kremlin seeks to question some U.S. officials, including former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul, in exchange. In Foreign Affairs, Michael McFaul writes that the United States needs a Russia strategy now more than ever. Council on Foreign Relations — 58 East 68th Street — New York, NY 10065 CFR does not share email addresses with third parties. Forward This Email | Subscribe to CFR Newsletters | Unsubscribe - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
From: dailybrief@e.cfr.org
Date: July 19, 2018 at 10:08PM
