[RED DEMOCRATICA] CFR.org Daily Brief, March 19, 2010

 

March 19, 2010 View this newsletter as a web page on CFR's website. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - Quartet Condemns Israeli Settlements - Mousavi Criticizes Iranian Regime - Obama Pushes Asia Trip to June - Germany Open to IMF Role for Greece Top of the Agenda: Mideast Quartet Condemns Israeli Settlements In Moscow, the Quartet of Middle East mediators called on Israel and Palestine to return to peace negotiations and condemned (WSJ) Israel's expansion of housing settlements in East Jerusalem. The diplomats included U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The Quartet's statement focused partly on the humanitarian situation in Gaza and supported a plan (NYT) by the Palestinian Authority to build a state within twenty-four months. U.S. Mideast special envoy George Mitchell attended Friday's talks and returns to the Middle East Sunday to start indirect talks (WashPost) between Israelis and Palestinians. Analysis: On ForeignPolicy.com, Ian Bremmer says Israel's small size and political isolation make it vulnerable to losing foreign investment and talented Israelis to other countries. Hezbollah will also soon have missiles capable of targeting Tel Aviv. On Slate.com, Fred Kaplan says U.S. General David Petraeus' March 16 statement to the Senate Armed Service Committee indicated that "a perception of U.S. favoritism for Israel" was weakening Arab moderates, strengthening Iran, and playing into the hands of al-Qaeda. In the Times of London, Malcolm Rifkind says there is growing belief that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants only nominal autonomy for the Palestinians with the Israelis retaining real control. Background: In this Expert Roundup, five CFR experts assess the causes for the U.S.-Israeli divisions over the settlements issue, citing everything from diplomatic bungling to Obama administration aims to destabilize the Israeli coalition. MIDDLE EAST: Mousavi Criticizes Iran on Economy, Foreign Policy Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi leveled fresh criticism (WSJ) at the Iranian regime's handling of the economy and foreign policy in an Internet video marking the Iranian new year. Iranian opposition leaders say they need more international help in skirting the government's information roadblocks, reports the New York Times. PACIFIC RIM: Obama Pushes Asia Trip to June U.S. President Barack Obama delayed his Asia trip until June (Reuters) to give his healthcare overhaul a final push in Washington. China: Credit-rating agency Standard & Poor's warned (WSJ) that a potential spike in bad debts resulting from China's government-backed lending surge will be Chinese banks' biggest challenge in years ahead, but that lenders should be able to manage the problem. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA: Pakistan Arrests Halt UN-Taliban Talks Former top UN official in Afghanistan Kai Eide said (BBC) recent arrests of high-ranking Taliban individuals by Pakistan have severed important secret communications between the Taliban and the UN. India: India is seeking access (Reuters) to interrogate the Chicago man who pleaded guilty to scouting targets for the 2008 Mumbai attacks in a U.S. court this week. AFRICA: Nigeria Recalls Ambassador to Libya Nigeria recalled its ambassador to Libya (ThisDay) and questioned whether Libya is inciting violence after Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi said Nigeria should split along religious lines. Guinea: Anglo-Australian mining company Rio Tinto says it signed a deal with China (BBC) to develop a $1.3 billion iron ore mine in Guinea. AMERICAS: Obama Nears Deal on Guantanamo The Obama administration is nearing a deal (WSJ) with a bipartisan group of senators to close the Guantanamo prison and have more detainees tried by military commissions. Mexico: Roughly two hundred American law enforcement agents cracked down (NYT) on the Barrio Azteca street gang in El Paso as suspicions grew it might have been behind the shooting deaths of three people connected to the American Consulate in Ciudad Juárez. In Ciudad Juárez, it's local gangs rather than drug cartels that are spreading violence, says CFR's Shannon O'Neil. EUROPE: Germany Open to IMF Role for Greece Germany is leaning toward involving the International Monetary Fund (FT) if Greece requests a bailout, which would help avoid objections from the German constitutional court. Markets' reactions to the sovereign debt crisis in Greece and other European countries suggest global governments "have used up all their ammunition to boost global growth," and could be punished by the markets if they sustain stimulus programs, says CFR's Sebastian Mallaby. Russia: During her Moscow visit, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized (WSJ) Russian President Vladimir Putin's plan for a Russian-built nuclear-power plant in Iran set to begin operating this summer. With hopes high that strategic nuclear arms talks are wrapping up, Russia's position on new UN sanctions on Iran will likely figure prominently in Clinton's trip to Moscow, says CFR's Stephen Sestanovich. TRANSNATIONAL: Urban Slum-Dwellers Increase Globally A UN-Habitat report on the state of the world's cities found that 227 million people have moved out of urban slum conditions over the past decade, led by China and India. But the number of people living in slums still grew (CSMonitor).

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