Pompeo in North Korea | Armenia Protests | Post-Castro Cuba
Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. April 18, 2018 Daily News Brief TOP OF THE AGENDA Trump Praises Pompeo Over North Korea Meeting CIA Director Mike Pompeo, awaiting confirmation as secretary of state, traveled to North Korea to meet Kim Jong-un last week to discuss an upcoming summit between the U.S. president and the North's leader, President Trump confirmed on Twitter this morning. The meeting between Pompeo and Kim was the highest-level North Korea–U.S. contact since Secretary of State Madeleine Albright met with Kim's father in 2000 (WaPo). President Trump said on Tuesday that he would back talks between North and South Korea to formally end hostilities (NYT) on the peninsula. ANALYSIS "Trump is Kim's best chance. Being an unconventional leader, Trump is the first U.S. president in recent years who takes the North Korean issue seriously by actually mobilizing his policy resources, not just through words," Lee Seong-hyon writes for the Korea Times. "The Chinese are well aware of the significance of a meeting between Trump and Kim, as it is the first time a sitting American president will meet with a North Korean leader, and they would be extremely worried about being cut out of any bilateral deal," CSIS's Lisa Collins writes for the Hill. "It's time that we acknowledge the downsides of a purist nonproliferation policy and have a more clear-eyed debate about the pros and cons of engaging with emerging nuclear powers," Nicholas L. Miller writes for Lawfare. PACIFIC RIM Chinese Naval Drills a Provocation, Says Taiwan Taiwan's defense ministry accused Beijing of intimidation and saber rattling (Reuters) as China began live-fire naval drills near islands off its southeastern coast that have been controlled by Taiwan for decades. SOUTH KOREA: In an unusual exercise, the U.S. military is practicing a wartime evacuation (WSJ) of about one hundred Americans from South Korea to Dallas, Texas, through an air base in Japan. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Bangladeshi PM Calls for 'Sustainable' Solution for Rohingya Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is bearing the brunt of the Rohingya refugee crisis, currently hosting 1.1 million refugees (Dhaka Tribune) who have fled Myanmar. Hasina said millions of people in her country could eventually be displaced due to rising sea levels. This CFR Backgrounder looks at the Rohingya refugee crisis. INDIA: Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi called child rape and abuse a "national emergency" (PTI) as protests in India continued over two high-profile sexual assault cases involving young girls. MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Chemical Weapons Watchdog Yet to Reach Syria's Douma The Syrian envoy to the United Nations said a UN security team visited the city of Douma, the site of a suspected recent chemical weapons attack, to determine if investigators from a chemical weapons watchdog could safely visit the area. On Monday, the watchdog's head accused Syria and its ally Russia of blocking its experts (CBS/AP) from reaching the city. CFR's Lori Esposito Murray discusses whether Syria's chemical weapons use can be stopped. SAUDI ARABIA: The foreign minister said his country has been in talks with the United States "since the beginning of the Syrian crisis" about deploying Saudi troops to the country (Al Jazeera). The comment follows reports that U.S. President Trump is considering calling on Arab allies to send troops into Syria to replace U.S. personnel there. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Protesters in Nigeria Demand Shia Leader's Release Clashes between police and protesters calling for the release (Vanguard) of Shia cleric Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, continued into their second day on Tuesday. Zakzaky was arrested in 2015 but has yet to face charges. DRC: A UN spokesperson said the international body is waiting for further clarity from the Congolese government after it said it would set up a special fund to manage humanitarian aid donations (Reuters). The government boycotted a Geneva aid conference for the DRC last week. EUROPE Armenian PM Sworn In Amid Mass Protests Tens of thousands of people in the capital city of Yerevan and elsewhere are demonstrating against new Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan (RFE/RL), who served two five-year terms as president before lawmakers unanimously selected him on Tuesday to become prime minister. EU: The European Commission recommended the bloc begin membership talks (DW) with Albania and Macedonia. AMERICAS Cuba's Castro Expected to Step Down The National Assembly is expected today to formally elect Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel to replace President Raul Castro (Guardian), a move that would end six decades of rule by the Castro family. Marguerite Jimenez argues in Foreign Affairs that Washington should reach out to the new Cuban leader. VENEZUELA: Venezuelan intelligence agents arrested two Venezuelan executives (Reuters) at the U.S. oil company Chevron in the city of Puerto la Cruz. It is believed to be the first such move against employees of a foreign oil company. UNITED STATES Lawmakers Grill Pentagon, State Dept. Over Yemen The Senate Foreign Relations Committee questioned top Defense and State Department officials over the implications of U.S. weapons sales and intelligence-sharing with Saudi Arabia during its campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen. Lawmakers have introduced a bill to add conditions to U.S. military support for Saudi Arabia (WaPo), including the reduction of civilian casualties in Yemen. 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: April 18, 2018 at 10:05PM
