[RED DEMOCRATICA] CFR.org Daily Brief, February 8, 2010

 

February 8, 2010 View this newsletter as a web page on CFR's website. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - Iran to Announce Enriched Uranium Plans - China Heralds Internet Hacker Crackdown - Karzai Demands End to NATO Raids - Bernanke to Detail Fed Tightening Plan Top of the Agenda: Iran to Announce Enriched Uranium Plans Iran will inform the International Atomic Energy Agency about its plans (NYT) to enrich uranium for use in a medical reactor, heightening international tensions over its nuclear ambitions. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ordered his atomic scientists to begin enriching the stockpile. Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, said the uranium would be enriched to 20 percent, and Iran would halt the production if it received enriched fuel from abroad. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said the process does not contradict (PRESSTV) the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Previously, Salehi announced plans to build ten new enrichment plants, which would begin on March 21. It is unclear whether Iran is capable of enriching uranium to 20 percent or building ten new plants, since in the past it has had difficulty obtaining materials from abroad. Iran currently (Reuters) enriches uranium to 3.5 percent. A nuclear bomb would require 80 percent or more. Analysis: On Forbes.com, Jamsheed Choksy says economic sanctions against Iran have not curbed its oppression, nuclear ambitions, or support for terrorism, because they have failed to target "the lavish lifestyles of those in power." The Washington Institute's Jeffrey White and Loring White say war games conducted by Harvard University, Tel Aviv University, and the Brookings Institution suggest the West is unlikely to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. In the Financial Times, Philip Stephens says the United States and Europe should more aggressively support democracy and human rights in Iran, but recognize that overt foreign backing for the opposition movement would only hurt it. Background: This CFR Backgrounder explores Iran's nuclear program. MIDDLE EAST: U.S. Hostage in Iraq An Iraqi Shiite group with close ties to Iran claims (LAT) it is holding an American hostage, who is believed to be a civilian contractor reported missing in Baghdad by the Pentagon. PACIFIC RIM: China Internet Hackers China announced it is busting (WSJ) the country's largest distributor of malicious Internet attack tools, underscoring its pledge to help enhance global online security. North Korea: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the Obama administration will continue engaging (Yonhap) North Korea in an attempt to restart stalled international nuclear talks. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA: U.S. Afghanistan Raids At a security conference in Munich, Afghan President Hamid Karzai demanded (al-Jazeera) that NATO stop all military raids on local villages because of anger over civilian deaths and injuries inflicted. Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka's Tamil minority appears further from their goal of self-rule following (NYT) last month's presidential election. AFRICA: Somalia-Kenya Relations The Somali militant group Al-Shabaab, which controls part of Somalia's south, declared holy war (Garowe) on Kenya over reports that Nairobi is training Somali troops. Nigeria: Reports of vote-buying and ballot-box theft during a state election in Nigeria's oil-rich Delta bode poorly (BBC) for the country's voting system ahead of its 2011 national elections. AMERICAS: Bernanke to Detail Fed Tightening Plan U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will begin laying out (WSJ) a credit-tightening blueprint for the central bank this week. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said the United States is not in danger (Bloomberg) of losing its triple-A debt rating, despite the Obama administration's estimated $1.6 trillion budget deficit in 2010. Costa Rica: Laura Chinchilla won (MercoPress) a landslide victory in Costa Rica's presidential election, the first woman to occupy the post. EUROPE: Ukraine Elections Nearly complete poll results suggest Viktor Yanukovich won (DeutscheWelle) Ukraine's presidential election, but Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko refused to concede. Britain: The British government plans to cut (Telegraph) its number of foreign student visas and tighten standards, after facing criticism that lax policies allowed terrorist suspects and non-students into the country. TRANSNATIONAL: International Financial Regulation At a conference in Iqaluit, Canada, G7 financial leaders agreed (WSJ) on the need to support their economies until financial recovery takes hold, but they have not reached consensus on overhauling financial regulation.

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