Friday, August 20, 2010

[RED DEMOCRATICA] CFR.org Daily News Brief, August 20, 2010

 

From the Council on Foreign Relations

August 20, 2010

View this newsletter as a web page on CFR's website.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

- Mideast Peace Talks Likely to Resume
- Iran's Nuclear Reactor to be Fueled
- U.S. Job Losses Dampen Recovery Hopes
- British Economy Shows Strengthening

Top of the Agenda: Mideast Peace Talks Likely to Resume

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to announce that Israel and the Palestinians will resume direct negotiations (NYT) for the first time in twenty months. Envoys from the so-called Quartet (the United States, the EU, Russia, and the UN) agreed to details Thursday (Reuters).

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas agreed to a one-year time limit on the talks. Palestinians want clarity on terms and conditions before talks begin, including assurances that the borders of Israel and Palestinian territories in 1967 will be the basis for a final agreement (WSJ). Israel does not want preconditions, including on an extension of the government's ten-month, partial moratorium on settlement construction in the West Bank (WashPost), which expires September 26. Obama wants direct talks to begin before this date, since full-scale return to settlement construction could permanently end talks. The majority of Netanyahu's inner cabinet opposes extending the settlement freeze, though some support a compromise with Abbas.

Analysis:

In the Jerusalem Post, former Israeli ambassador to the United States Zalman Shoval says the administration has shifted "the tactics it employed against the Netanyahu government" and "learned some lessons from its almost obsessive focus on settlements."

The Economist says direct talks with Palestinians may force Netanyahu and other Israeli politicians "into making the choices they have all been avoiding."

Background:

This Reuters Factbox outlines the major issues in Israel-Palestinian peacemaking.

This CFR Crisis Guide examines the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

MIDDLE EAST: Iran's Nuclear Reactor to be Fueled

Iran's Buschehr nuclear reactor is scheduled to be loaded with fuel Saturday (CSMonitor) under the International Atomic Energy Agency's strict supervision, intensifying debate over whether to bomb the reactor immediately.

PACIFIC RIM: Thailand to Extradite Accused Russian Arms Dealer to U.S.

A Thai appeals court ruled that a Russian arms dealer will be extradited to the United States (WashPost), after a lower court rejected a U.S. extradition request and U.S. pressure mounted.

China: Plans by the United States and South Korea to conduct military exercises in the Yellow Sea (WSJ) are escalating tensions between China and the United States.

CFR's Scott Snyder and Paul Stares say the United States and South Korea need to carefully manage the risks of any unintended military escalation with North Korea following the March 26 sinking of South Korean warship Cheonan.

SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA: Pakistan Accepts India Aid, Appeals for More

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi accepted flood aid from India (Dawn) in a step to improve tense relations, and he appealed to the international community for more aid at a UN General Assembly meeting.

Pakistan's floods spell setbacks for the U.S. fight against extremism and its war effort in Afghanistan, says CFR's Daniel Markey. He says beyond humanitarian aid relief, Washington must focus on boosting Pakistan's economy through greater trade opportunities.

AFRICA: Benin Lawmakers Want President Impeached

A group of lawmakers in Benin want President Boni Yayi impeached (Reuters) over his suspected involvement in a Ponzi scheme that robbed thousands of their savings.

Kenya: Human rights activists accused Kenya of secretly sending four terror suspects to Uganda (BBC) after the World Cup bombings in Kampala, violating Kenyan law. The FBI was also accused of illegally interrogating three of the suspects.

AMERICAS: U.S. Job Losses Dampen Recovery Hopes

U.S. jobless claims jumped to a nine-month high last week (WashPost), suggesting the economic recovery has stalled and driving down U.S. market indexes.

Despite some positive economic data, analysts say China's undervalued currency, rising U.S. imports, and risky Fed policies continue to threaten the global economic recovery.

Brazil: Brazil has overtaken Canada and Spain to become the world's eighth largest economy (MercoPress), relegating Canada to the tenth-largest, despite its official G7 membership.

EUROPE: British Economy Shows Strengthening

The British economy showed signs of improvement (DailyMail), with news that the country's budget deficit shrank at a faster pace than expected in July and retail sales posted their biggest gain in five months.

France: As French officials defend the controversial deportation of Gypsies (DeutscheWelle), critics say the move is not a long-term solution, since as EU citizens the expelled could return to France at any time.
 

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