UN Nonproliferation Conference | Niger Drone Base | Nicaragua Protests

Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. April 24, 2018 Daily News Brief   TOP OF THE AGENDA UN Backs Iran Deal, North Korea De-escalation at NPT Conference The UN disarmament chief opened a Geneva conference on nuclear nonproliferation by reaffirming the international body's support of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and welcoming a recent announcement by North Korea that it will suspend nuclear tests and long-range ballistic missile launches. The UN official warned member states, however, of the erosion of a global commitment to nuclear disarmament (UN News), saying the success and credibility of the 1970 Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) "cannot and should not be taken for granted." The U.S. envoy at the conference cautioned that Iran is "dangerously close to rapid weaponization" (VOA) of its nuclear stockpiles. ANALYSIS "All nuclear-armed states are currently engaged in large nuclear modernisation projects [PDF], and the last few years have seen a spike in overt nuclear threat-making," writes the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. "The [Trump] administration deserves credit for crafting a multifaceted policy that raised the costs of malfeasance to North Korea and China, let allied concerns predominate, and produced an opening for diplomacy on a very difficult and dangerous problem," Kori Schake writes for the Atlantic. "If Trump abandons the [Iran nuclear] deal, the Islamic Republic still isn't likely to run amok, ramping up its nuclear program and killing American soldiers in the Middle East," Reuel Marc Gerecht and CFR's Ray Takeyh write for the Washington Post. PACIFIC RIM Taiwan Announces Defensive Military Drills Taiwan's defense ministry announced it will simulate repelling an invasion (Reuters) and conduct a live-fire drill in exercises beginning next week. The move comes less than a week after China carried out live-fire drills near islands long controlled by Taiwan. PHILIPPINES: The foreign affairs secretary apologized to the Kuwaiti government after the Philippine embassy in the Gulf country rescued what it said were distressed Filipino workers. The official said Manila will "respect Kuwaiti sovereignty" (Phil Star). SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Coalition Bombs in Afghanistan Hit Fifteen-Year High The U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan dropped 1,186 weapons on the country (VOA) in the first quarter of 2018, a record high for any three-month period over the last fifteen years. The United States has not published air strike data for 2001–2003. Experts at this CFR event looked at America's longest war. PAKISTAN: The Pakistani and Russian national security advisors led inter-ministerial talks in Moscow (Express Tribune) this week, the first meeting of its kind for the two nations. MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Yemeni Civilians Killed in Saudi-Led Air Strike More than twenty people died and dozens were injured when the U.S.-backed, Saudi-led coalition hit a wedding party (NYT) in a village in northwestern Yemen, according to the head of the regional health office, who said some of the victims were children. One official from the coalition said it is taking the report of civilian deaths "very seriously." IRAN: President Hassan Rouhani warned his U.S. counterpart against abandoning the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, saying in a televised address that anyone who "betrays" the pact will "face severe consequences" (Middle East Eye). Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif discussed U.S.-Iran relations at this CFR event. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Southern African Leaders Meet Over DRC Crisis Southern Africa's economic and development bloc will meet today in the Angolan capital to discuss repeatedly delayed elections (VOA) in the Democratic Republic of Congo. President Joseph Kabila, whose term was due to expire at the end of 2016, may not attend. NIGER: Construction has begun on the first U.S. air base in Niger for armed drones (NYT), just outside the city of Agadez. The U.S. Air Force estimates the $110 million project will be functional by early next year (AP). EUROPE UK Pledges Citizenship to Postwar Commonwealth Migrants The home secretary vowed to address the "harrowing" experiences of Caribbean immigrants who assisted in rebuilding post–World War II Britain, known as the Windrush generation, and to expedite issuing British citizenship to all Commonwealth migrants (Guardian) who came to the United Kingdom between 1948 and 1973. This CFR Backgrounder explores London's relationship with its Commonwealth partners. AMERICAS Toronto Attack Suspect to Appear in Court Toronto police identified twenty-five-year-old Alek Minassian as the assailant who killed ten people and injured fifteen others when he drove a van into pedestrians yesterday. The public safety minister said the attack, though "horrendous," did not appear to pose a wider threat to national security (CBC). NICARAGUA: Thousands of people in the capital of Managua are calling on President Daniel Ortega to resign (Reuters) after a violent crackdown by security forces on protesters in recent days. UNITED STATES Pompeo Narrowly Secures Senators' Endorsement The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 11–10 along party lines (WaPo) in favor of President Trump's nomination for secretary of state, CIA Director Mike Pompeo, after Trump called Senator Rand Paul to persuade him to back the choice. The White House will host the first state dinner (NYT) of the Trump presidency, for French President Emmanuel Macron, on Tuesday. Celia Belin asks in Foreign Affairs if France could be the United States' new bridge to Europe.         Council on Foreign Relations — 58 East 68th Street — New York, NY 10065 CFR does not share email addresses with third parties. 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From: dailybrief@e.cfr.org

Date: April 24, 2018 at 10:08PM