Bombings in Kabul | Moon's High Approval | Buhari and Trump
Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. April 30, 2018 Daily News Brief TOP OF THE AGENDA Dozens Dead in Twin Bombings in Kabul Coordinated suicide bombings in Afghanistan's capital killed at least twenty-nine people, including several journalists who were covering the first blast. The self-proclaimed Islamic State claimed the attacks. The assailant in the second bombing, who reportedly disguised himself as a journalist (RFE/RL), killed members of the press (Tolo) from Radio Free Europe, Agence France-Presse, and Tolo News, among others. The initial target was the headquarters of the national intelligence agency (Al Jazeera) in the city's Shash Darak neighborhood, which also hosts several foreign embassies (WaPo) and NATO. ANALYSIS "[The Taliban has] said it would target Afghan and foreign security forces but would avoid civilian casualties. The rival extremist Islamic State group, however, has made targeting civilians a key part of its strategy," Pamela Constable and Sayed Salahuddin write for the Washington Post. "The emergence of Daesh [the Islamic State] is widely talked about but it's a poorly understood and complex phenomena. In many areas, Daesh is comprised of ex-Taliban commanders with no discernable links to the Islamic State," Ashley Jackson said in an interview with Foreign Policy Interrupted. "Security officials have warned of the risk of increased attacks in the run-up to parliamentary elections planned for October. The attacks underscore the struggles Afghan security forces have faced to rein in the militant groups since the U.S. and NATO concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014," Saeed Kamali Dehghan, Akhtar Mohammad Makoii, and Haroon Janjua write for the Guardian. PACIFIC RIM Moon's Approval Rises Following Summit Approval among South Koreans of President Moon Jae-in reached 70 percent (Korea Times) after a historic inter-Korean summit last week in which he and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pledged to end hostilities. On Monday, Moon called on lawmakers to ratify the declaration (Yonhap) signed by the leaders. CFR's Scott A. Snyder discusses whether the Panmunjom talks were a new opening or déjà vu. AUSTRALIA: The environment minister announced a $379 million plan to protect the Great Barrier Reef (NYT), the largest such pledge by the country. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Second U.S. Diplomat Hits Motorists in Pakistan A U.S. embassy official in Islamabad was arrested after hitting two people on a motorcycle (Dawn) while driving on Sunday. The incident comes weeks after a U.S. military attaché was accused of running a red light and killing a Pakistani motorist; Pakistan's deputy attorney general said he cannot be prosecuted (VOA) due to diplomatic immunity. MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Sixteen Dead in Syria Strikes Targeting Iranian Bases Missile strikes hit bases used by Iran and its proxies (NYT) in the city of Hama and close to Aleppo, in the northwest, according to a UK-based monitoring group. No group has claimed the attacks, though Syria and Russia have blamed Israel for bombings of other Iranian targets in the country. IRAQ: Nineteen women from Russia and ten from Azerbaijan and Tajikistan were given life sentences for joining the Islamic State (Al Jazeera). SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Rwanda's Kagame Criticizes ICC for Targeting Africa President Paul Kagame accused the Hague-based International Criminal Court of bias against Africa (Al Jazeera), noting that all but one of the court's investigations concern countries on the continent. Leaders from several other African nations, including Kenya and Uganda, have made similar claims. ETHIOPIA: New Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed made his first foreign trip since taking office (VOA), to neighboring Djibouti, where he was expected to discuss regional security and trade. EUROPE UK's Home Secretary Resigns Amber Rudd, upon stepping down, said she "inadvertently misled" lawmakers (BBC) about target numbers for deportations of undocumented immigrants. British media published a letter Rudd wrote to Prime Minister Theresa May, in which she said she would increase the number of removals (Guardian) by 10 percent. EU: Negotiations begin this week over the bloc's first budget in the post-Brexit era (EUobserver), which will cover a period from 2021 through 2027. AMERICAS Asylum Seekers Stopped at U.S. Border Some two hundred Central American asylum seekers who were part of a larger migrant caravan were told by U.S. border officials (AP) at the Tijuana–San Diego crossing that their facility did not have enough space to accommodate them. This CFR Backgrounder looks at what's driving Central Americans to seek asylum in the United States. LATIN AMERICA: Nearly 350 victims of forced labor and human trafficking were rescued in raids (BBC) in more than a dozen countries across the Caribbean and South America coordinated by the international policing organization Interpol. UNITED STATES Nigeria's Buhari Visits White House President Trump meets with his Nigerian counterpart, Muhammadu Buhari, today, the first time the U.S. leader will host an African head of state (AP). Buhari is expected to seek additional U.S. assistance in the fight against militant group Boko Haram. CFR's John Campbell writes that Buhari's visit will likely be subdued. Telecommunications companies T-Mobile and Sprint reached a merger deal, a move expected to face significant scrutiny from antitrust regulators (FT). 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 30, 2018 at 10:11PM
