Democratic.net: [RED DEMOCRATICA] CFR.org Daily Brief, July 21, 2009

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

[RED DEMOCRATICA] CFR.org Daily Brief, July 21, 2009

July 21, 2009

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

-Suicide attacks in Afghanistan.
-Clinton agrees to U.S.-India defense pact.
-UN groups banned in parts of Somalia.
-Maliki visits United States.

Top of the Agenda: Upsurge in Violence in Afghanistan

The Taliban launched a string of suicide attacks (NYT) on government compounds in Paktia and Nangarhar provinces on Tuesday. At least eight people were killed in the violence.

At least two of the suicide attackers were dressed as women, covered by full burqas (Reuters).

Violence has swelled in recent weeks, making July the deadliest month for U.S. troops in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion. 18 British soldiers have also been killed this month.

But NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer warned NATO allies on Monday against abandoning their mission in Afghanistan (BBC). He said such a move would devastate the region as a whole, especially Pakistan.

Analysis:
A recent Foreign Affairs article says the Obama administration’s military operation in Afghanistan should be accompanied with political efforts to persuade insurgents to stop fighting.

The Washington Post looks at the impact of the loss of poppy income for Afghanis, and how it could affect the upcoming presidential elections.

Background:
A CFR Backgrounder looks at efforts to restore Afghanistan's agriculture sector and weaken the country’s opium trade, which helps fund the Taliban.

MIDEAST: Maliki Visits New York, Washington

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki arrives in New York Tuesday to visit UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (AFP), and will meet with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington on Wednesday. The meeting will be the first between Maliki and Obama since the United States pulled troops out of major Iraqi cities late last month.

Iraq Violence: Ten people were killed (NYT) in Iraq on Monday, including five police officers, in a series of attacks by gunmen in Mosul and in a car bombing in Ramadi.

SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA: U.S.-India Arms Deal

Clinton, visiting India on Monday, finalized an end-use monitoring agreement (Times of India) allowing U.S. arms to be sold to India, with provisions ensuring that the weapons are used for their intended purpose.

A CFR Daily Analysis Brief looks at the outcomes of Clinton’s high-profile trip.

PACIFIC RIM: Secretary Clinton to ASEAN Summit

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will attend a security summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Thailand on Wednesday. The Wall Street Journal says Clinton’s attendance indicates renewed U.S. interest in the region.

This CFR Backgrounder profiles ASEAN.

Japan: Japan’s cabinet on Monday approved Prime Minister Taro Aso’s proposal to dissolve parliament and hold a general election on August 30 (BBC). Public opinion polls show the opposition Democratic Party of Japan could beat Aso’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

AFRICA: Al-Shabaab Bans UN Groups

Somali militants in the group al-Shabaab, believed to have ties to al-Qaeda, have banned three UN agencies (Shabelle Media Network) from two towns they control. After announcing the ban, the group stormed the offices (Al Arabiya) of the United Nations Development Program, the UN Department of Safety and Security, and the UN Political Office for Somalia on Monday.

This CFR Backgrounder profiles al-Shabaab.

Sudan: Sudan said on Monday it had referred Chad to the UN Security Council (Mail & Guardian), saying Chadian planes attacked a section of Darfur last week.

AMERICAS: U.S. Army to Grow

The U.S. Army will temporarily increase its size (NYT) by 22,000 soldiers, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced Monday. The increase will bring the Army to a total of 569,000 active-duty soldiers.

Peru: Peru’s Supreme Court convicted former President Alberto Fujimori with corruption (McClatchy) and sentenced him to seven-and-a-half years in prison on Monday. Fujimori was charged with paying off his spy chief, Vladimiro Montesinos, with $15 million in state funds. The sentence is the third handed down against Fujimori. He was sentenced to twenty-five years in jail for ordering killings and kidnappings by the security forces and six years for ordering an illegal search of the residence of Montesinos’s wife.

EUROPE: Bosnian Serbs Convicted of War Crimes

Two Bosnian Serbs were convicted (Deutsche Welle) at The Hague on Monday of war crimes during the Bosnian civil war. Milan and Sredoje Lukic were found guilty on charges that they burned Bosnian Muslim women and children alive.

TRANSNATIONAL: IMF to Boost Member Nations

The International Monetary Fund will inject $250 billion (AFP) into member nations' foreign exchange reserves, it announced Monday. The move is intended to increase liquidity during the global financial crisis.

Climate Change: The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will look at the impact of global warming (Guardian) on the poorest developing countries in its next study, due in 2014.

This CFR Crisis Guide offers an in-depth, multimedia look at climate change, its global impact, and efforts to combat it.

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