Democratic.net: [RED DEMOCRATICA] CFR.org Daily Brief, July 15, 2009

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

[RED DEMOCRATICA] CFR.org Daily Brief, July 15, 2009

July 15, 2009

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

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

-UK to send more troops to Afghanistan.
-Indian and Pakistani foreign secretaries meet.
-Nigeria's main rebel group announces cease-fire.
-EU elects new president.

Top of the Agenda: Deadly Violence in Afghanistan; Britain Bolsters Troops

Violence continued in Afghanistan on Tuesday as the Taliban claimed responsibility for shooting down a civilian helicopter bringing supplies to NATO-led forces (al-Jazeera). The crash happened in Helmand province, where a major U.S. military operation against the Taliban is underway. Six Ukrainians on board were killed, as well as one child on the ground.

Britain announced it would send an additional 140 troops (AP) to join the effort in Afghanistan. There are already more than 9,000 British soldiers fighting in the country. The announcement comes amid some public concern in Britain about the war after 15 British soldiers were killed in Afghanistan (WSJ) this month.

Background:

The New York Times looks at the evolution of the Afghan insurgency’s deadly improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Reuters offers a Factbox about Helmand province.

The Independent answers questions about the war in Afghanistan “underlying the grief” surrounding the recent deaths of British soldiers.

Analysis:
A new article in Foreign Affairs argues that deployment of more U.S. troops to Afghanistan will not be enough to win the war. A military "surge" must be accompanied with a political one designed to persuade insurgents to give up their fight, it says.

Voice of America looks at the need to address women’s health issues in U.S. development and security efforts in Afghanistan.

MIDEAST: Iran Executes Sunni Militants

Iran hanged 13 Sunni Muslims (Tehran Times) on Tuesday who were reportedly members of Jundallah (God's Soldiers), a militant group that has claimed responsibility for several attacks in southeast Iran.

Plane Crash: 168 people are feared dead after an Armenia-bound airplane crashed in northwest Iran (PRESS TV), Iranian state media reported on Wednesday.

Israel: Two Israeli Navy ships passed through Egypt's Suez Canal (Haaretz) on Tuesday. An Israeli submarine also crossed the canal in June as part of a naval drill. The Jerusalem Post says the move “could be interpreted as a message to Iran and a demonstration of a strengthening of ties between Egypt and Israel.”

Gaza Atrocities: BBC reports a group of Israeli soldiers who took part in the assault in Gaza earlier this year say widespread abuses were committed against civilians under "permissive" rules of engagement.

Israel denies breaking the laws of war and dismissed the report as hearsay.

PACIFIC RIM: China Calls for Retraction from Turkish PM

The Chinese government asked Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to retract his statement (CS Monitor) on Tuesday that China has committed genocide against its Uighur population.

Japan: Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso survived a no-confidence vote (Straits Times) on Tuesday, but speculation continued that his ruling political coalition, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), might lose the August 30 general election to the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ).

SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA: India-Pakistan Talks

The foreign secretaries of Pakistan and India met Tuesday night to discuss a joint effort (Hindu) to stop terrorists launching attacks on India from the Pakistani border. The talks are intended to help mend relations (Bloomberg) between the two countries, which have been tense since last year’s terrorist attacks on Mumbai, India.

As Indian and Pakistani leaders meet to consider resuming peace talks, in this new CFR interview, five South Asia experts assess the importance of solving the Kashmir dispute in relation to U.S. security interests in the region. Many caution any U.S. role should be discreet.

AFRICA: MEND Cease-fire

Nigerian rebel group MEND (the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta) announced it would observe a 60-day cease-fire (This Day) starting Wednesday. MEND agreed to the cease-fire after the Nigerian government freed rebel leader Henry Okah on Monday.

This CFR Backgrounder profiles MEND.

Somalia: Islamist guerrillas in Mogadishu kidnapped two French security advisers (FT) to the Somali government on Tuesday. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the abduction.

AMERICAS: Sotomayor Confirmation Hearings

U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor faced hours of questioning in confirmation hearings (WashPost) on Tuesday. If confirmed, Sotomayor will be the first Hispanic judge on the Supreme Court. The hearings will continue Wednesday.

Honduras: Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya said Tuesday that Hondurans have "the right to insurrection" (AP) against the interim military government that overthrew him last month in a coup. Zelaya was speaking at a press conference in Guatemala with President Alvaro Colom.

EUROPE: EU Elects President

The European Union’s parliament elected former Polish Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek (Dow Jones) as its president on Tuesday. EU Observer reports Buzek’s election has been hailed as historic, as Poland, a former communist country, joined the European Union only five years ago.

Italy: A World Politics Review briefing looks at Italy’s tough stance on illegal immigration.

TRANSNATIONAL: Swine Flu Vaccine Delayed

Margaret Chan, director general of the World Health Organization, told the Guardian she doubts that an effective and safe swine flu vaccine will be available for several months.

EXPLORE CFR'S WEBSITE

Browse Content by

Region

Issue

Publication Type

The Think Tank

For the Media

For Educators

About CFR


		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

__._,_.___

Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic

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

MARKETPLACE

Mom Power: Discover the community of moms doing more for their families, for the world and for each other