Democratic.net: [RED DEMOCRATICA] CFR.org Daily Brief, August 28, 2009

Friday, August 28, 2009

[RED DEMOCRATICA] CFR.org Daily Brief, August 28, 2009

August 28, 2009

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

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

-United States reconsiders Israeli settlement freeze.
-Suicide blast in Khyber Pass.
-Thousands flee Myanmar violence.
-Military commander says war in Darfur is over.

Top of the Agenda: Settlement Freeze in Question

A U.S. official implied Israeli-Palestinian peace talks could resume even if Israel does not completely freeze construction (Reuters) of Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territories. The Obama administration has called on Israel to halt all settlement construction as a precondition for restarting peace negotiations, but the official said the administration does not want to become an "obstacle" if the Israelis and Palestinians are ready to meet before that condition is met.

Palestinian peace negotiator Saeb Erakat said a full settlement freeze is "critical" to restoring legitimacy to the peace process (Christian Science Monitor), but did not rule out a meeting at the United Nations next month between Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Berlin, urged him to stop construction of settlements (Deutsche Welle).

Analysis

CFR's Steven Cook discusses Arab and Israeli perspectives on a possible settlement freeze in this interview.

Global Post asks whether Prime Minister Salam Fayyad proposal to set up an independent Palestinian state within two years is realistic, and notes that if the plan is a success, it could "force Hamas to come out of its isolation, making peace with Fatah to get a piece of the action."

Background
Reuters has a Factbox on the economy of the West Bank.

The Jerusalem Post reports on intense opposition to the settlement freeze Netanyahu will face in the Likud party.

This interactive CFR Crisis Guide looks at the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA: Holbrooke, Karzai Argue

U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke reportedly had a heated argument (Guardian) with Afghan president Hamid Karzai over reports of widespread voter fraud in last week's presidential elections in Afghanistan. Holdbrooke was also said to be angry that Karzai struck deals to gain the support of warlords ahead of the election.

Pakistan: A suicide bomber killed at least twenty-two guards (Dawn) at a checkpoint in Pakistan's Khyber Pass on the Afghanistan border. The Dr. Abdullah Azzam Brigade, affiliated with the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack.

AFRICA: War Reported Over in Darfur

The six-year war in Darfur, Sudan is over, according to General Martin Agwai, commander of the joint UN and African Union force. Agwai said "low intensity" clashes (Telegraph) and banditry continue in the region. Three hundred thousand people have died in the conflict, by some estimates.

This interactive CFR Crisis Guide traces the roots and current realities of the violence in Darfur.

Food Supply: Two diseases attacking banana crops are threatening African food supplies (BBC) in several African countries where the fruit is a diet staple. Experts say the diseases are spread by insects and are encouraging the use of pesticides to combat their spread.

In an interview, CFR's Laurie Garrett discusses President Barack Obama's food security initiative. Garrett says the program should focus on assisting women, who are responsible for the majority of agricultural work in Africa.

PACIFIC RIM: Japanese Unemployment

Japanese unemployment hit a record high level of 5.7 percent (Guardian) in July from 5.4 percent a month earlier, according to new internal affairs ministry figures. The numbers will likely add to growing support for the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), which is expected to win by a large margin in Sunday's general election.

A CFR Backgrounder looks at the rise of the DPJ.

In an Expert Brief, CFR's Shiela Smith says a change in Japanese power could strain the U.S.-Japan alliance, and says the Obama administration will need to "be patient" through the country's political transition.

Myanmar: Some ten thousand people have fled violence (People's Daily) between ethnic groups and the military government in Myanmar's Kokang region into neighboring China in recent weeks. A twenty-year-old ceasefire was broken when fighting erupted between ethnic rebels and government forces, the Associated Press reports.

A CFR Backgrounder examines Myanmar's history and military junta.

China: The Chinese government criticized Taiwan (Xinhua) for inviting the Dalai Lama to visit the country in the aftermath of Typhoon Morakot. A statement from Beijing said the Dalai Lama continues to attempt to "split the country" through "separatist activities."

AMERICAS: Honduras Sanctions

The United States is preparing to impose sanctions (VOA) on the Honduran military government that ousted democratically elected President Manuel Zelaya in a coup. The United States may make an $18 million cut in aid permanent, and could move to cut off $215 million in funding from the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation for the Honduran farm economy and roads system.

Missile Shield: The United States appears to have abandoned plans to place a missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic, and may now be considering building it in Israel, Turkey or the Balkans, EUObserver reports. The missile shield, spearheaded by the Bush administration, was intended to protect the United States against a potential attack from Iran.

EUROPE: Ukraine-Russia Standoff

The New York Times reports on worsening tensions between Ukraine and Russia over an array of disagreements.

United Kingdom: The UK population grew by 408,000 -- the largest amount in nearly fifty years in 2008, the BBC reports. The population is now estimated to be growing at a rate of 0.7 percent per year, more than double the rate in the 1990s.

TRANSNATIONAL: Climate Costs

A new report from the International Institute for Environment and Development and the Grantham Institute for Climate Change at Imperial College London says equipping societies to cope with climate change will cost much more than the $49-171 billion (BBC) the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicted in 2007.

In an interview with CFR, climate expert Eileen Claussen says progress on global climate talks in December 2009 is dependent on U.S. policy.

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