Monday, December 21, 2009

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

 

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From the Council on Foreign Relations

December 21, 2009

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

- Iran erupts over ayatollah's death.
- Dubai World meets with creditors.
- Pakistan government defends graft charges.
- GM considers Saab's fate.

Top of the Agenda: Iran Clashes over Ayatollah's Death

Iranian reformists clashed with police (BBC) following the funeral of dissident cleric Grand Ayatollah Hoseyn Ali Montazeri in the city of Qom, a sign of persisting tensions between the Iranian government and people following disputed elections in June. Montazeri denounced Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's reelection. The reformist Jaras website said mourners chanted slogans in support of the grand ayatollah and of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, who participated in the procession with fellow opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi. The scale of the confrontation is not clear. In response to the demonstration, the Iranian government has imposed strict new restrictions on foreign and domestic media. The BBC reports that attempts have been made to jam its Persian television service to Iran.

The opposition website Kalme reported that officials stopped a bus (al-Jazeera) carrying opposition leaders to the funeral, and some passengers were arrested. Ghanbar Naderi, a journalist for the Iran Daily newspaper, said Montazeri's death is a "huge blow to the reformist camp, because he is unreplaceable and nobody is happy to hear about his sad demise."

Analysis

In TIME, Robin Wright says Montazeri's passing is a loss to the Green movement but could be a catalyst for more protests.

In an interview, CFR's Ray Takeyh says Washington's Iran policy needs to frame the nuclear development question within the context of a broader range of diplomatic issues, and that Iran's domestic turmoil hinders negotiations on its nuclear program.

Background

A new Brookings Institution report says the idea of crippling Iran's economy with sanctions is "a fallacy, and a dangerous one at that."

MIDDLE EAST: Dubai World's Creditors

Dubai World met with more than ninety of its creditors to discuss its debt repayment plan (FT).

PACIFIC RIM: Chinese Uygurs in Cambodia

Cambodia deported twenty Chinese Uygurs (GlobalTimes) accused of committing crimes during July riots in Xinjiang, after the Uygurs applied for asylum at the UN refugee agency in Phnom Penh.

Myanmar: Myanmar's supreme court announced it will hear the appeal (Irrawaddy) of Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi of the extension of her eighteen-month house arrest.

SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA: Pakistani Graft Cases

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani say the government will defend all the graft cases against Pakistan People's Party ministers and leaders and that no one will resign (Dawn) based on the accusation.

Afghanistan: Afghan President Hamid Karzai pledged to prosecute (al-Jazeera) any of his twenty-three cabinet ministers if links to warlords or bad behavior is found.

AFRICA: Somali Attacks

Somali government forces and Islamist rebels traded artillery fire (Reuters), killing at least fourteen people and wounding twenty-eight others.

Madagascar: Madagascar's leader Andry Rajoelina scrapped a power-sharing peace deal (BBC) a day after appointing a military prime minister, whose predecessor Rajoelina dismissed Friday.

AMERICAS: The Federal Reserve’s Track Record

As policymakers debate the future role of the Federal Reserve, the Washington Post reports that the central bank failed to identify risks (WashPost) and protect the banks it regulated leading up to the financial crisis.

A CFR Backgrounder examines the debate on whether the Federal Reserve's powers should be augmented or curbed.

Columbia-Venezuela: Columbia says it will build a new military base (LAHT) near the Venezuelan border, a move likely to increase tensions between the two countries.

EUROPE: General Motors-Saab Deal

General Motors says it's considering bids (BBC) from several firms to buy its Swedish car business Saab after it announced Friday that it would "wind down" the company, which employs 3,400 people in Sweden.

Poland: Five suspects arrested in connection with a stolen Auschwitz sign have criminal pasts (DeutscheWelle) but are not members of a neo-Nazi group, Polish police say.

TRANSNATIONAL: Business Reaction to Copenhagen

Global energy businesses criticized Copenhagen's climate deal (FT), saying it does not provide enough certainty to justify the huge investments needed to cut carbon emissions.

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