[RED DEMOCRATICA] CFR.org Daily Brief, August 5, 2010

 

August 5, 2010 View this newsletter as a web page on CFR's website. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - More Flood Fallout in Pakistan - New Rules for Troops in Afghanistan - South Korea Holds Military Drill - Ban on Gay Marriage Overturned Top of the Agenda: Pakistan's Flooding Crisis Deepens Destruction caused by floods in Pakistan's northwest has moved into the heartland (VOA), as heavy rains forced hundreds of thousands of people in Punjab province to evacuate homes with little more than their personal belongings. Al-Jazeera reports from the scene that the Pakistani government "is not able to move itself to a position where it can help people." The government's response is sparking a new round of public criticism. President Asif Ali Zardari is not in the country due to a previously scheduled trip to Europe. And his government's inability to provide food aid, shelter, and relief services has infuriated average Pakistanis (Reuters). There is concern the flooding crisis--as well as a series of killings across the country, including the assassination of a top-ranking security official on Wednesday--could jeopardize efforts to target terrorism in Pakistan's tribal areas (WashPost). Analysis Speculation is growing that militant groups will seek to fill the humanitarian void (CSMonitor), a common occurrence in Pakistan following large-scale emergencies. Pakistani commentator Huma Yusuf warns extremist groups and militants have previously exploited (Dawn) the grievances of the Pakistani population and "will no doubt seize upon them again in future recruitment drives." Background As this Backgrounder notes, radical Islamic groups have a history of gaining local support in humanitarian emergencies as they move in to fill the vacuum created by government's inadequate response. MIDDLE EAST: UN Vindicates Israel in Clashes with Lebanon The UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon has confirmed Israel did not cross into Lebanon during a deadly skirmish that left four dead (al-Jazeera). This CFR Contingency Planning Memo examines how to avoid a new round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant Islamist group. UAE: The UAE's Gulf News reports on an illegal alcohol sales ring in Dubai, "believed to be run by a cartel of Iranian, Baloch, and Indian businessmen." In nearby Abu Dhabi, the National examines how alcohol laced with drugs or chemicals is putting the region's laborers at risk. SOUTH ASIA: New Rules for Troops in Afghanistan Commanding General David Petraeus has issued new rules for U.S. and coalition troops in Afghanistan (LAT), asserting their right to self-defense but demanding fresh attention to safeguarding Afghan civilian lives. Aimed at addressing frustration among Afghan officials over avoidable civilian deaths, the updated Tactical Directive (SmallWarsJournal) is intended to provide guidance on the "disciplined use of forces." Afghanistan: President Hamid Karzai has elevated tensions with the United States, asserting control over two U.S.-backed anticorruption task forces. A U.S. official told the Wall Street Journal the Afghan president's takeover is "a huge blow" to improving government transparency. PACIFIC RIM: South Korea Holds Massive Military Drill The South Korean military is engaged in its largest ever anti-submarine drills along its western sea border with North Korea (Yonhap). The five-day exercise, which started Thursday, follows a massive joint U.S.-South Korea naval exercise conducted in late July. Both exercises follow the apparent sinking of a South Korean warship, the Cheonan, which has been blamed on the North. A statement attributed to Pyongyang's leaders called the latest military exercise a "direct military invasion" (BBC). China: Doubts are being raised (NYT) about the size of and response to a massive oil spill in Dalian, on China's northern coast. Some residents and environmental activists believe the amount of oil spilled was far more than the Chinese government has admitted. Questions are also emerging about the long-term environmental impacts of the spill (GlobalTimes). AFRICA: Kenyans Vote in Peaceful Referendum Preliminary results in this week's historic voting show that a majority of Kenyans have backed a new constitution (al-Jazeera). The measure--supported by roughly 65 percent of voters--reduces presidential powers and addresses corruption and political patronage. Liberia: Naomi Campbell testified in the war crimes trial of ex-Liberian leader Charles Taylor (BBC). The British supermodel told the tribunal at The Hague that Taylor gave her stones believed to be diamonds. Taylor is accused of using "blood diamonds" to fund a civil war in Sierra Leone. AMERICAS: Ban on Gay Marriage Overturned A federal judge in California overturned the state's ban on same-sex marriage (LAT), finding that the prohibition violated constitutional right to equal protection. The ruling is the first step in a legal road many believe will end at the Supreme Court (WashPost). Brazil: A new gas pipeline through hundreds of acres of Amazon rainforest is expected to bring cheap and clean energy to the industrial center of Manaus. But environmentalists fear the pipe will lead to even more exploitation of resources in the fragile ecosystem (Guardian). United States: The Financial Times reports that U.S. banks are bracing for a decline in profits amid lingering global economic uncertainty and Europe's sovereign debts woes. EUROPE: Russian President Fires Officials Over Blaze Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has fired several senior military officials (BBC) for failing to prevent wildfires from destroying a naval base near Moscow. The Moscow Times reports that Medvedev vowed to show "no sympathy" toward any government official found liable for the fires. Russia is in the midst of its worst wildfire season in decades; 520 fires have claimed the lives of forty-eight people. Kyrgyzstan: Tensions are growing in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek as demonstrators gather in support of a regional leader returned from exile (RFE/RL). In southern Kyrgyzstan, meanwhile, EurasiaNet reports that tens of thousands of Uzbeks are fleeing due to lingering insecurity.

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