U.S. Accuses Syria of New Chemical Weapons Attack

Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. January 24, 2018 Daily News Brief   TOP OF THE AGENDA U.S. Accuses Syria of New Chemical Weapons Attack Top U.S. officials accused the Syrian government on Tuesday of using chemical weapons on civilians in rebel-held Eastern Ghouta, where more than twenty people, including children, were reported injured. The attacks, carried out Monday using rockets loaded with chlorine gas, brought the total since the start of 2018 to four (WaPo), according to medical workers in the country. U.S. officials also blamed Russia for failing to stop the Syrian regime (Guardian) from carrying out such attacks. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley rebuked Moscow for refusing last year to renew the mandate (NYT) of a UN panel investigating chemical weapons use in Syria. The Syrian government agreed to destroy its chemical weapons stockpile following a 2013 sarin gas attack in Eastern Ghouta that is believed to have killed more than a thousand people.  ANALYSIS "The one thing the regime never wants is a confrontation with the United States. All the other things are worth risking and up for grabs, but that they avoid," Faysal Itani said in an interview with Syria Deeply. "The war offered the regime a means of navigating a transition from a prewar order to a new one. By annihilating the environment in which its opponents could operate, the war left the regime with no counterpart with whom it needed to negotiate," Kheder Khaddour writes for the Carnegie Middle East Center. "In 2015 and 2016, the Russians still entertained the thought of jointly developing and implementing a diplomatic solution with the Americans. But today, thanks to waning interest in and a lack of engagement from Washington, Moscow has teamed up with the Turks and the Iranians instead," Dmitri Trenin writes for Foreign Affairs. PACIFIC RIM U.S. Presses China to Expel North Korean Agents The top U.S. envoy for international sanctions held high-level meetings in China this week to urge the country to expel North Korean agents (WSJ) she said are financially facilitating Pyongyang's nuclear weapons and missile programs. This CFR Backgrounder looks at North Korea's weapons capabilities. INDONESIA: U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis visited Indonesia on Tuesday (DoD), where he met with President Joko Widodo and the country's defense minister before traveling to Vietnam. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Two Dead in Attack on Aid Agency in Afghanistan At least two people died and another dozen were injured in an attack on offices of the aid organization Save the Children (Tolo) in Afghanistan's Jalalabad that began early Wednesday. The self-proclaimed Islamic State in Afghanistan claimed the attack (CBS/AP). BANGLADESH: Two international trade unions said Tuesday that an unidentified apparel brand has agreed to pay $2.3 million to improve workplace safety (DW) in 150 factories in Bangladesh. MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Presidential Contender in Egypt Arrested General Sami Anan, a former army chief of staff, dropped out of Egypt's presidential election (Middle East Eye) on Tuesday after he was arrested for document forgery and incitement, among other alleged crimes. Anan declared his intent to run on Saturday. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Zimbabwean Leader Calls on Officials to Declare Assets President Emmerson Mnangagwa has given ministers and senior government officials until the end of February to declare their assets (Reuters) in a bid to boost government transparency. Mnangagwa is making his first foreign trip as head of state (Al Jazeera) this week, traveling to Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos. SUDAN: The foreign ministry has summoned the Libyan ambassador to Sudan (Sudan Tribune) after video that appeared to show Sudanese migrants being beaten and tortured in Libya circulated on social media this week.  EUROPE EU Clears Eight Nations From Tax Haven Blacklist European finance ministers agreed on Tuesday to remove eight countries including Panama and the United Arab Emirates from the European Union's tax haven blacklist after the nations announced their commitment to abide by EU tax standards (DW). GERMANY: The government is facing calls to halt weapons shipments to Turkey (BBC) following reports that German-made tanks were used in Turkey's offensive against Kurdish forces in Syria. In the Atlantic, CFR's Steven A. Cook looks at Turkey's motivations for attacking Syria's Afrin. AMERICAS Venezuela to Hold Early Elections The National Constituent Assembly, a government body that was formed last year and is comprised of supporters of President Nicolas Maduro, announced on Tuesday that presidential elections will be held before the end of April (WSJ). Maduro said at a rally that day that he is ready to be a candidate (NYT). CFR's Amy Myers Jaffe discusses the worsening crisis at Venezuela's state oil company. BRAZIL: An appeals court will rule on Wednesday whether to uphold an almost ten-year prison sentence (FT) for former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Da Silva, convicted of corruption, plans to run in an October presidential election.  UNITED STATES Trump to Invite France's Macron for State Visit The White House announced on Tuesday that U.S. President Donald J. Trump will invite French President Emmanuel Macron for a state visit (Guardian), the first such invitation by the Trump administration. The Justice Department confirmed that Attorney General Jeff Sessions was questioned last week (FT) by the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is leading an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The interview was the first by Mueller's team (RFE/RL) of a member of President Trump's cabinet.         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 24, 2018 at 11:04PM