[RED DEMOCRATICA] CFR.org Daily Brief, August 4, 2010

 

August 4, 2010 View this newsletter as a web page on CFR's website. Executive Summary - BP Says Oil Well Sealed - UN Says Israel Didn't Enter Lebanon - Pakistan's Flood Impacts Deepen - New START Deal Stalled Top of the Agenda: BP Says Worst Oil Spill Now History After nearly four months of failed attempts and nearly five million barrels of lost crude, BP says its ruptured oil well in the Gulf of Mexico is finally under control. Officials pumping drilling mud into the well to stabilize it reported today that the procedure has worked, and the well is effectively closed (WashPost). Meanwhile, a government report due out today is expected to conclude that three-quarters of the oil spilled as a result of the Deepwater Horizon disaster has already evaporated, and poses little, if any, additional risk (NYT). With the worst of the disaster apparently over, questions about cleanup responsibility--and federal and local responses--begin in earnest. The Wall Street Journal notes that with the oil industry's recent tactical success, there's concern over potential costs to the environment, while the Financial Times reports that BP faces more than $20 billion in penalties associated with the spill and its aftermath. Analysis Following criticism that President Obama overreacted to the Gulf spill by suspending all new drilling activities, the White House says it may end its ban on deepwater drilling "significantly in advance" (WashPost) of its November 30 expiration date. But some analysts caution against proclaiming victory too soon (CJR). Background This series of graphics from Wall Street Journal offers a pictorial guide to capping the worst oil spill in history. MIDDLE EAST: UN Says Israel Didn't Enter Lebanon The UN peacekeeping force in South Lebanon found that Israeli forces were cutting trees in their own territory (NYT) before a lethal exchange of fire with Lebanese Army troops on Tuesday, largely vindicating Israel's account of how the fighting began. The operation along the border was meant to improve Israel's visibility into southern Lebanon (National). Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak praised his forces' restraint (JPost) in the skirmish, but Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri condemned Israel for violating Lebanese sovereignty (DailyStar). Iran: Iranian officials have denied media reports (National) that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was targeted in an assassination attempt--the Financial Times reports the device was a "homemade grenade"--and say the alleged attack was only a thrown firecracker (al-Jazeera). Iraq: The Center for a New American Security offers a range of views on the looming U.S. withdrawal from Iraq. The New York Times, meanwhile, reports that Iraqis remain suspicious of U.S. intentions. SOUTH ASIA: Pakistan's Flooding Crisis Worsens Damage from the worst flooding in a generation continues to mount, as thousands of people from the hardest-hit regions are fleeing their homes (al-Jazeera). An estimated 1,500 people have died in the last week, and over three million have been affected. Floodwater has even impacted the U.S.-led war effort in Afghanistan, as NATO supply lines through Pakistani territory are reportedly under water, delaying the delivery of fuel and food (Nation). Indonesia: A new report from the International Crisis Group warns that political tensions and a lingering debate over identity in Papua is threatening relations between Jakarta and the country's largest province. Pakistan: President Asif Ali Zardari says the international community "is in the process of losing the war against the Taliban," comments interpreted as an attempt to deflect criticism that Pakistan has not done enough to target terrorism inside its border (Telegraph). PACIFIC RIM: Another China School Attack Three children and at least one teacher have been killed in a knife attack in a Shandong Province kindergarten, the sixth in a string of school assaults this year (NYT). China's official news agency reports a suspect is in custody (Bloomberg). Japan: With its currency approaching a fifteen-year high against the dollar today (Reuters), Japanese lawmakers are scurrying for solutions to maintain their country's fragile economic recovery. AFRICA: Kenya Vote Amid Tight Security Kenyans are slated to vote on a new constitution Wednesday that observers say could remake the country's institutions by cutting down the president's enormous powers (al-Jazeera). Voting was underway amid tight security over fears of a repeat of the deadly violence that followed the disputed 2007 presidential election (VOA). Niger: Niger celebrated its fiftieth anniversary of independence amid a crippling food shortage (AFP) that threatens seven million people, or roughly half its population. AMERICAS: New U.S.-Russia Nuclear Deal Stalled Democratic lawmakers have delayed a vote on a new arms-reduction treaty with Russia, the so-called New START treaty, amid signals that many Republicans will not support the measure (WashPost). President Obama had hoped for rapid approval of the treaty, terms of which were agreed to by both the United States and Russia in March. This Expert Roundup explores the key elements of the debate. United States: Plans for construction of a controversial mosque near the site of the World Trade Center attacks cleared a last hurdle (NYT), following a spirited debate about radical Islam and religious tolerance in post-9/11 New York. Mexico: With the pace of drug-fueled killings soaring in Mexico, the nation's armored car industry is one of the economy's few bright spots (NPR). EUROPE: German Economy Shows Signs of Life Germany's battered economy is showing signs of rebound, with unemployment levels dipping and exports again booming (NYT). Britain: Food safety officials are investigating how meat from a cloned cow entered the food chain (Telegraph). Under European law, products from cloned animals must receive prior authorization before being marketed, a procedure that appears to have been ignored.

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