Daily Brief: Islamic Nations Rebuke U.S., Israel Over Jerusalem

Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. December 13, 2017 Daily News Brief   TOP OF THE AGENDA Islamic Nations Rebuke U.S., Israel Over Jerusalem Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned Israel and the United States following the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital last week, and called on the Islamic world to back an independent Palestinian state (Middle East Eye) with East Jerusalem as its capital. The response, during which Turkey also threatened to cut diplomatic ties with Israel (Al Jazeera), came at a meeting of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul on Wednesday. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas rejected a role for the United States as a mediator for the region (Guardian), saying the decision by U.S. President Donald J. Trump was a "crime." Twenty-two heads of states, including from Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Iran, and Jordan, attended the gathering (VOA). ANALYSIS "We see from the lack of response in the Arab Middle East to Trump's announcement that there will be no real consequences for the White House. The 'Arab street' is still crushed from the regimes' violent response to the uprisings of 2011, while the Arab leaders are preoccupied with the ongoing crises in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen," Lisa Goldman said in an interview with Foreign Policy Interrupted. "Erdogan is waging an all-out war against American assistance to the Syrian Kurds, who are fighting successfully against the Islamic State. Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital is therefore an excellent opportunity for Erdogan to conduct his war against Trump under cover of a Muslim consensus," Zvi Bar'el writes for Haaretz. "Abbas was already walking a political tightrope: he is in the middle of a delicate reconciliation process with his rivals in Hamas, and he faces a public deeply skeptical of his leadership and of the United States' role in the peace process," Ghaith al-Omari writes for Foreign Affairs. PACIFIC RIM Philippines Extends Martial Law on Mindanao Lawmakers have approved a one-year extension of martial law (Al Jazeera) on the island of Mindanao as state forces continue to fight militants linked to the self-proclaimed Islamic State and communist rebels. President Rodrigo Duterte declared military rule there in May ahead of a U.S.-backed campaign to oust militants (DW). JAPAN: A student at an Okinawa elementary school was injured on Wednesday when a metal window frame from a U.S. military helicopter fell onto the school grounds (Japan Times). Okinawa's governor called the incident "unforgivable." SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Afghan Drug Facilities Destroyed in Strikes, U.S. Says The U.S. Air Force said $80 million in narcotics revenue has been cut off as a result of three weeks of U.S. air strikes targeting drug facilities (VOA) operated by Afghan militants. The air force praised a new order by the Trump administration authorizing U.S. air power to target Taliban facilities.   INDIA: The foreign minister and her Chinese counterpart said during a meeting in New Delhi this week that a peaceful resolution to a recent standoff over a disputed Himalayan border region reflected "political maturity" on both sides (TOI). MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA U.S. Skeptical of Islamic State's Ouster in Syria The U.S. National Security Council said Russia's declaration that the Islamic State has been defeated in Syria (RFE/RL) is "premature." A Pentagon spokesperson also questioned Russia's announcement that it will withdraw its troops in Syria, saying the United States has not seen any "meaningful reductions" on the ground. In Foreign Affairs, Dmitri Trenin discusses what lies ahead for Russian involvement in Syria. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA African Exim Bank to Boost Post-Mugabe Zimbabwe The African Export-Import Bank said it will offer up to $1.5 billion in loans and financial guarantees to boost the new government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who took power after a military coup ousted longtime ruler Robert Mugabe (Reuters). RWANDA: The foreign minister has accused the French government of getting "away with murder" following a state-commissioned report by a U.S. law firm that accuses France of helping arm and shield (FT) the perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Phil Clark writes in Foreign Affairs that genocide remembrance is official policy in Rwanda. EUROPE Investors Pledge to Cut Financing for Fossil Fuels Several international financial institutions, including French insurer AXA, Dutch lender ING, and the World Bank vowed at a summit in Paris on Tuesday to cut their investments in fossil fuel projects, responding to a call by President Emmanuel Macron (WSJ) for the private sector to combat global emissions. Chatham House's Rob Bailey looks at the future of the Paris Agreement on climate in this Council of Councils Global Memo. IRELAND: The social media giant Facebook said it will stop routing advertising revenue through Ireland (FT) and book it instead through twenty-five other countries where it sells ads, a move that could expose the company to higher tax liabilities.  AMERICAS Rights Group Raises Doubts Over Honduran Vote Human Rights Watch said there are "strong indications" there was fraud (LAHT) in a November presidential election in Honduras in which President Juan Orlando Hernandez claimed victory. The group also called on authorities to refrain from employing "unnecessary force" to hinder citizens from peaceful assembly. UNITED STATES Tillerson Says Open to Meeting With North Korea U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the United States is ready to meet with North Korea without preconditions, but that there must first be "a period of quiet" (VOA) for such a meeting to be productive. A group of fifty-eight former U.S. military officials sent a letter to President Trump on Wednesday to urge against military action in North Korea (WaPo). Riccardo Alcaro and Ettore Greco offer recommendations to reduce conflict with North Korea for CFR's Council of Councils. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Tuesday that Arctic permafrost is thawing faster than ever (Guardian) and that the region is warming twice as fast as the rest of the globe. GLOBAL Record Number of Journalists Jailed Around World The number of journalists behind bars worldwide has reached a new high of 262, with half of those being in China, Egypt, and Turkey (NYT), according to a new report by the Committee to Protect Journalists.         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: December 13, 2017 at 11:02PM