[RED DEMOCRATICA] CFR.org Daily Brief, June 18, 2010

 

June 18, 2010 View this newsletter as a web page on CFR's website. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - Crisis in Kyrgyzstan Deepens - U.S. Backs S. Korea on Sunken Ship - S. Africa Power Strike Delayed - Spain Rumored to Want Bailout Top of the Agenda: Crisis in Kyrgyzstan Deepens Kyrgyzstan's interim government has lost control of large areas in the country's south, failing to suppress attacks on at least several hundred ethnic Uzbeks (NYT). As many as four hundred thousand people have fled their homes, and many have set up barricades in their neighborhoods, refusing to recognize government authorities. The UN said as many as one million people may need aid. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake called the situation a humanitarian crisis, but the pace of humanitarian aid has been slow. Interim president Roza Otunbayeva has not responded to credible reports that military factions carried out attacks on ethnic Uzbeks and that the government lacks full control of the military. The government says deposed president Kurmanbek Bakiyev incited the violence to get back in office. The conflict is adding uncertainty to the military relations between the United States and Russia in Kyrgyzstan, where both countries have military facilities. Otunbayeva says the country's death toll could be ten times higher (BBC) than official figures. Analysis: In the National, Adrian Pabst says the conflict indicates "the rise of old Eastern empires dressed in new clothes," disproving the claim "that the world will gradually converge towards a universal model of liberal democracy." In the Weekly Standard, Stephen Schwartz says the "designs of competing dictators, like Karimov; unconvincing democrats (e.g., Putin); and an exiled autocrat, Bakiyev, will allow for no easy solution for either Kyrgyzstan or America." MIDDLE EAST: EU Approves Broader Iran Sanctions EU governments agreed Thursday to ban (WashPost) companies from investing in or otherwise assisting Iran's oil and gas industry in expanded sanctions that go far beyond those approved by the UN Security Council last week. Sanctions may slow Iran's nuclear drive but won't halt it, says Iran expert Karim Sadjadpour, who calls for shifting to a containment policy that helps "expedite political transformation." Israel: Roughly one hundred thousand ultraorthodox Jews took to the streets (WSJ) in a dispute over a court order to desegregate religious schools, posing a threat to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling coalition. PACIFIC RIM: U.S. Backs S. Korea on Sunken Ship Following a meeting with South Korean officials, Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Kurt Campbell urged the international community to take a strong stance against North Korea (Reuters) on the sinking of a South Korean warship. The Obama administration should mount a more vigorous effort to address North Korea's nuclear weapons program, says Charles L. (Jack) Pritchard, co-chairman of a new CFR Independent Task Force report. China: Chinese officials said discussions about revaluing the yuan would not be on the agenda at the G20 meeting (MarketWatch) in Toronto next week. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA: Task Force Addresses Afghan Corruption The U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan created a new task force (WSJ) to investigate allegations about corruption among companies hired to provide security, supplies, and reconstruction work for allied forces. AFRICA: South Africa Power Strike Delayed South African electricity workers gave mediators three more days to resolve a pay dispute with employers and avert power cuts during the World Cup (Reuters). Ethiopia: Ethiopia's Supreme Court rejected a case (AFP) brought by the opposition party against the ruling regime's victory in elections that were criticized by the European Union and the United States. AMERICAS: U.S. Energy Bill Faces Uphill Battle The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has reinvigorated the U.S. Congress to pass a comprehensive energy bill (Politico), but legislators are struggling to find political support for the effort. President Obama's vow to make BP pay, and Congress' tough questions to the oil industry, highlight a tense debate over oil policy given the Gulf's ongoing Deepwater spill. Peru: Peru's Perupetro, the company that awards and supervises all oil and gas contracts, is expected to double oil production (MercoPress) in two years under steady demand for contracts from foreign countries. EUROPE: Spain Rumored to Want Bailout The head of the IMF is meeting with political leaders in Spain, amid rumors the Spanish government is planning to follow Greece in requesting a bailout (BBC) from the IMF and EU . The glum economic picture in Europe and the United States has led to a debate on whether or not fiscal spending can stave off recession. EU: EU leaders meeting in Brussels agreed to call for a tax on global financial transactions (DeutscheWelle) at the G20 next week. They also approved Estonia's bid to join the euro currency.

EXPLORE CFR'S WEBSITE

Regions

Issues

Experts

Publications

About CFR

Find CFR on Twitter and Facebook.

		Privacy Policy The Council on Foreign Relations does not share email addresses with third parties. Council on Foreign Relations 58 East 68th Street New York, NY 10065 Tel. +1 212.434.9400 Fax: +1 212.434.9800 Learn about this and other newsletters offered by the Council on Foreign Relations. To pause your subscription, to switch between HTML and text-only versions of the newsletter, to change your email address, or to unsubscribe, click here.

---

Email list management powered by http://MailerMailer.com

__._,_.___

Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post | Start a New Topic

Messages in this topic (1)

Recent Activity:

Visit Your Group

Red Democratica 10 years "On line" (1998-2008)!
Http://reddemocratica.blogspot.com
Boletin Diario :
Http://reddemocratica01.blogspot.com
Foro Debate :
Http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eleccion

Ahora en FACEBOOK : Red Democratica

Http://www.caretas.com.pe/2000/1631/articulos/protesta.phtml
Http://www.caretas.com.pe/2000/1612/articulos/debate.phtml

Celebrando 10 anos "On Line"..2009

Keep the candle burning

I have a dream
http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/about_king/interactiveFrame.htm

FORUM TPSIPOL: RED DEMOCRATICA (1998-1999).
Informacion : Http://tpsipol.home-page.org

Para enviar un message , enviar a: eleccion@yahoogroups.com
Para suscribirse al Forum , enviar un mensaje a : eleccion-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Para salir del Forum, enviar un mensaje en blanco : eleccion-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Switch to: Text-Only, Daily Digest • Unsubscribe • Terms of Use

.

__,_._,___