Pakistan Defends Its Record After U.S. Cuts Aid

Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. January 5, 2018 Daily News Brief   TOP OF THE AGENDA Pakistan Defends Its Record After U.S. Cuts Aid The U.S. State Department said Thursday that it is suspending most of its military assistance to Pakistan (NPR) until Islamabad takes action against armed groups that are "destabilizing the region and targeting U.S. personnel." Washington had earlier said it would withhold $255 million in aid to the country; the latest announcement brings the total to an estimated $1 billion (FT). On Friday, Pakistan's foreign office said that Islamabad has spent $120 billion over fifteen years (Dawn) in its fight against terrorism, but that it has "largely" used its own resources to do so. The State Department also announced that Pakistan has been placed on a list of countries that have committed severe violations of religious freedom (Al Jazeera). ANALYSIS "Pakistan survives in the smug belief that after the United States' grandstanding is done and over, Washington will eventually turn to it for mopping up its half-finished mess in Afghanistan," Barkha Dutt writes for the Washington Post. "Pakistan was once the third-largest recipient of U.S. foreign assistance, but administrations, including President Obama's, have withheld funding to Pakistan because of its inaction against bad actors within its borders," Samantha Vinograd writes for CNN. "America and its allies are rightly concerned that any instability in Pakistan may result in terrorists getting their hands on Pakistan's nuclear technology, fissile material, or a nuclear device. This is Washington's worst nightmare," C. Christine Fair writes for Foreign Policy. PACIFIC RIM North Korea Accepts South's Offer for Talks North Korean officials will travel to a village across their southern border (Korea Times) on Tuesday for high-level talks about Pyongyang's participation in the upcoming Winter Olympics. U.S. President Donald J. Trump reportedly said he supports the move to "de-conflict the Olympics." In Foreign Affairs, Oriana Skylar Mastro says that China will not protect North Korea in the case of a crisis. CHINA: The Chinese government has begun offering free ten-year visas (Channel News Asia) to foreigners who qualify as "high-end talent." The government has said it hopes to bring in as many as fifty thousand expatriates (BBC) through the visa category. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Breach Reported at Indian Biometric Database A new report from an Indian newspaper alleges anonymous users on social media offered access to citizens' personal information (Guardian) on India's biometric database for less than $8. The Indian agency that manages the database said its data is safe (TOI). MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Two Dozen Civilians in Syria Killed in Russian Strikes, Says Monitor The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said twenty-three people across three parts of the besieged rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta were killed in strikes (BBC) by what witnesses said were Russian aircraft. IRAN: The UN Security Council will meet on Friday at the United States' request (DW) to discuss recent anti-government protests in Iran. A Russian envoy criticized the U.S. move as interference in Iran's domestic affairs. In Politico Magazine, CFR's Ray Takeyh looks at what's next for Iran. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Ethiopia Claims Mix-Up Over Prisoner Release An aide to Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said that a translation error led to reports that Ethiopia would release all its political prisoners and that the government intended to pardon only some (BBC). The earlier announcement had been welcomed by human rights groups. ZIMBABWE: A Zimbabwean court has dropped charges of subversion against an American working for a comedy production company (VOA). The woman was arrested in November after allegedly tweeting that then President Robert Mugabe was a "selfish and sick man."  EUROPE Migrants Deported by Belgium Allege Torture A top Belgian immigration official is facing pressure to resign following reports late last month that two Sudanese men among migrants deported from the country were tortured by Sudanese authorities (WaPo) upon their return. In this CFR interview, the International Rescue Committee's David Miliband discusses the ongoing historic displacement of millions of people. TURKEY: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron (DW) in Paris on Friday to discuss the future of the EU-Turkey relationship and extremist currents across Europe, according to a spokesperson for Erdogan. AMERICAS Pardoned Peruvian Leader Leaves Hospital Former President Alberto Fujimori, who received a presidential pardon for medical reasons (NYT) last month while serving a twenty-five year sentence for human rights violations, left the Lima hospital where he was receiving treatment on Thursday. The pardon led to large protests in the capital. BRAZIL: Brazil's energy secretary surprised environmentalists by appearing to back away from the government's push for hydropower dam construction (Guardian) during a media interview this week.  UNITED STATES Trump Administration to Open U.S. Coast to Drilling The Interior Department announced plans on Thursday to host dozens of auctions for drilling rights (VOA) in fields across nearly all areas of the U.S. coastal shelf. The proposal reverses an Obama-era ban (NYT) on such drilling. President Trump said that any legislation that would preserve an Obama-era program (VOA) that shields immigrants who entered the country as children from deportation must also include funds to expand a border wall and end so-called chain migration and a U.S. visa lottery program.          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: January 05, 2018 at 11:03PM