Daily Brief: Saudi-Led Coalition, UN Spar Over Yemen

Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. December 29, 2017 Daily News Brief   TOP OF THE AGENDA Saudi-Led Coalition, UN Spar Over Yemen Editor’s note: There will be no Daily Brief on Monday, January 1, for New Year’s Day. The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen accused the United Nations of "bias" in favor of rebels (AP) after a UN official, in remarks on civilian casualties, called the war “absurd.” On Thursday, the thousandth day of the war (CNN), the United Nations reported that 109 civilians had been killed over ten days. The U.S.- and UK-backed coalition carried out intensified air strikes over that period in response to Houthi rebels shooting a ballistic missile toward Riyadh (Guardian). ANALYSIS "With Donald Trump’s hollowing out of the US State Department the capacity to grapple with this conflict is further weakened. Add to that Trump’s enthusiastic embrace of Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, while using increasingly hostile rhetoric towards Iran, and the American president is at risk of extending the devastating war, notwithstanding his recent call for an end to the Saudi blockade," Iona Craig writes for Prospect. "War crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated on an almost daily basis in Yemen have triggered renewed focus on the astonishing lack of accountability for such atrocities," Noha Aboueldahab writes for Al Jazeera. "From Iran’s point of view, engagement with the Houthis in Yemen has the added benefits of providing an opportunity to probe Saudi defence capabilities, and of offering a diplomatic and public relations tool to offset accusations of Iranian-backed atrocities in the Syria conflict and elsewhere," Peter Salisbury writes for Chatham House. Foreign Policy Stories to Watch in 2018 CFR’s James M. Lindsay looks at seven news stories likely to shape the coming year.   PACIFIC RIM Vessel Suspected of Delivering Oil to North Korea Seized South Korean authorities seized a Hong Kong–flagged ship they accused of transferring six hundred tons of refined petroleum to a North Korean vessel in violation of UN Security Council sanctions (Korea Times). This CFR Backgrounder lays out the international sanctions on North Korea. MYANMAR: Two foreign journalists working for a Turkish broadcaster and two members of their local staff will be freed after serving a two-month sentence (WaPo) for flying a drone over the parliament. Earlier this week a court extended the detention of two Reuters journalists who face trial for violating state secrets. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Pakistan Warns United States Against Military Action Military spokesman Major General Asif Gha­foor warned warned the United States against taking  "unilateral action" (Dawn) against armed groups on Pakistani soil. His comments followed U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s call for Pakistan to fight terrorist groups (Al Jazeera) that have allegedly found safe haven there. AFGHANISTAN: Six children were killed (RFE/RL) by a roadside bomb in Balkh Province as they watched over a herd of animals, according to a district governor. MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Street Protests in Iran Over High Prices, Foreign Policy Hundreds of antigovernment protesters in Iran's second-largest city, Mashhad, and at least two other cities rallied against the cost of living (BBC). Some also shouted "leave Syria" (Reuters), in reference to Iran's military and financial support for the government of President Bashar al-Assad. Haleh Esfandiari discusses Iran's path to democracy in Foreign Affairs. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Weah Wins Liberian Election Former professional soccer player George Weah was declared the winner of Liberia's presidential election, which was held Tuesday, with 61.5 percent of votes as ballot-counting neared completion. He is set to succeed President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in Liberia's first democratic transition of power (WSJ) in more than seventy years. SOMALIA: President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo inaugurated an aviation control center in Mogadishu, enabling Somalia to control its skies for the first time since 1992 (VOA), when the United Nations took over the task following the outbreak of civil war. EUROPE Italy Plans to Deploy Troops to Niger The Italian military said that, pending parliamentary approval, it will deploy up to 470 personnel to Niger to help the country’s forces combat migrant smuggling (Reuters). The announcement follows Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni's statement that some of Italy's 1,400 troops in Iraq could be redeployed to the Sahel. The International Rescue Committee’s David Miliband discusses the historic displacement of millions of people this year. AUSTRIA: International luminaries called on European governments to boycott the upcoming EU presidency of Austria in light of its new government’s inclusion of the far-right Freedom Party (DW). The open letter, published in Le Monde, called the party “the heirs of Nazism.” Reinhard Heinisch discusses the Freedom Party's entry into government in Foreign Affairs. AMERICAS Venezuela Accuses Portugal Over Pork Shipments President Nicolas Maduro said that Portugal "sabotaged" pork shipments (BBC) due to arrive in time for Christmas, a charge Lisbon denied. Hundreds of people have protested the holiday-time meat shortage in Caracas. BRAZIL: The Supreme Court partially suspended an annual Christmastime presidential pardon (FT). Critics of President Michel Temer allege that he used the pardon this year to soften punishments for political figures and businessmen charged with corruption. UNITED STATES Trump Administration to Rescind Restrictions on Drilling The Trump administration announced it will rescind Obama-era rules limiting oil and gas drilling (AP) on public lands. The restrictions were support to take effect in 2015 but were subjected to legal challenges. Two Romanians arrested in Bucharest have been charged by the Department of Justice with hacking into computer networks (VOA) used for police surveillance cameras in Washington, D.C.          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 29, 2017 at 11:16PM