Wednesday, December 30, 2009

[RED DEMOCRATICA] CFR.org Daily Brief, December 30, 2009

 

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From the Council on Foreign Relations

December 30, 2009

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

- Fallout from Terror Plot Deepens
- Deadly Blast in Iraqi City
- Australian Wildfires Rage
- Delay Sought in Afghan Vote

Top of the Agenda: Airline Terror Plot Deepens

Fallout from the Christmas Day airline terror plot continues to deepen amid revelations that U.S. intelligence agencies had the information to keep a Nigerian national from boarding a plane bound for Detroit, but failed to connect the dots. President Barack Obama called the oversight a "systemic failure" of the U.S. intelligence system, and said he would "insist on accountability at every level."

The National Security Agency had been monitoring "chatter" (The Times) among al-Qaeda militants in Yemen, including a former Guantanamo detainee, and learned that plans were underway to prep a Nigerian for a terror strike. But U.S. officials say it isn't clear whether this information was shared by intelligence agencies in Washington.

Authorities are focusing on time the suspect, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, spent in London, including the possibility that he was recruited by al-Qaeda while attending University College London (The Times). Abdulmutallab reportedly told authorities he received weapons training in Yemen, and an al-Qaeda affiliate in Yemen has claimed responsibility. The Yemen connection could prove the most immediate challenge for President Obama. Roughly 90 of the remaining prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility are Yemeni, and the Wall Street Journal reports that the terror development might hinder efforts to transfer suspects and shutter the prison as Obama has vowed.

Analysis:

Analyst Christopher Boucek tells CFR.org more U.S. aid is needed to help address Yemen's mounting problems, which have allowed an al-Qaeda affiliate to gain strength.

A New York Times editorial concludes that only luck and courage saved Northwest Flight 253 from disaster; the aviation security system failed.

Background:

The Global Post details the competing security and refugee challenges that are mounting along the Yemen-Somalia border.

Former colleagues of the accused terror plotter talk to The National newspaper about the "smart but introverted" Abdulmutallab.

MIDDLE EAST: Deadly Blast in Iraqi City

Nearly two dozen people have been killed in twin suicide bombings on the same street in the Anbar provincial capital of Ramadi. The attack occurred in a heavily protected part of the city; one attacker was reportedly wearing an army uniform. Governor Qassim Mohammed was injured in the strike (BBC).

Iran: Tehran has accused Western countries of fomenting the wave of deadly opposition protests that swept Iran in recent days, leaving at least eight dead and many more injured (AP).

PACIFIC RIM: China Justifies Execution

Beijing has urged British officials to view the execution of a British national "rationally," arguing that the tough sentence for Akmal Shaikh, who was charged with drug trafficking, should not hurt bilateral ties (Global Times).

Myanmar: Myanmar has agreed to repatriate some 9,000 Muslim Rohingya refugees living in camps in Bangladesh (al-Jazeera), amid concerns that they face religious persecution at home.

SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA: Delay Sought in Afghan Vote

U.S. lawmakers have urged Afghan President Hamid Karzai to delay parliamentary elections scheduled for May 2010, fearing a repeat of the flawed presidential balloting in August (AP). Karzai insists the elections must proceed as planned (Quqnoos).

The New York Times reports on China's foreign investment efforts in war-torn Afghanistan.

AFRICA: Nigerian President’s Health a Concern

The health of Nigerian president Umaru Yar'Adua is raising fresh concerns about stability in the Niger Delta, as threats of violence mount amid the president's prolonged absence from government (Daily Champion). Yet staffers say Yar'Adua, hospitalized for what is believed to be a heart condition, will not step down or relinquish power (Vanguard).

Nigeria: The Red Cross says children were among those killed during clashes this week between an Islamist sect and state security forces. As many as thirty-nine died in the fighting; more than half were reportedly younger than 15 (BBC).

Congo: Government-led military campaigns against the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda, a militia group, have significantly reduced the rebels' fighting capacity, a Congolese government official says (NYTimes).

AMERICAS: Kidnappings Surge in Venezuela

TIME magazine examines the increase in Venezuelan kidnappings, as abduction-for-ransom plots are adding to the country's exploding crime rate.

EUROPE: Body Scanners in Europe

Several EU countries plan to introduce new body scanning technology (EUObserver) to airports soon in the wake of the failed attack on a U.S. airliner, but the process remains controversial in Europe.

Britain: Newly declassified cabinet papers offer an inside look the earliest days of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's tenure, on matters ranging from nuclear power to refugee policy, and document "impatience at the cautious approach of Whitehall" (Guardian).

France: A French court has struck down a new carbon tax proposal, dealing a blow to the country's bid to cut consumer use of oil, gas, and coal (BBC).

Editor's Note: Please note the relaunch of CFR.org's home page offering improved site navigation, expanded content, and new multimedia options.
 

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