[RED DEMOCRATICA] CFR.org Daily News Brief, March 31, 2010

 

March 31, 2010 View this newsletter as a web page on CFR's website. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - Bombs Hit Russia's North Caucasus - Obama, Sarkozy Press Iran Sanctions - India and Pakistan Feud Over Water - Serbia Condemns 1995 Killings Top of the Agenda: Bombs Hit Russia's North Caucasus Two explosions in Russia's North Caucasus killed at least twelve people (NYT) in apparent attacks on the police, two days after two female suicide bombers set off bombs in the Moscow subway. The bombings occurred in the volatile Dagestan region, which borders Chechnya and is frequently subject to attacks on police and government officials. Russia's interior ministry ordered increased security after the initial bombings. No one has claimed responsibility for any of the attacks. At a government meeting, Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned (BBC) the "terrorist act" and said he did "not rule out that it is one and the same gang at work." Analysis: In the Moscow Times, Yulia Latynina says it is unlikely that the number of militants in the North Caucasus has dramatically increased, but their status has changed radically. The suicide attacks in Moscow are a reminder that Russia must work to reform local administration, promote economic development, and end abuses by security forces in the region while cracking down on extremists, writes CFR Russia expert Jeffrey Mankoff. Background: The Center for Strategic and International Studies presents data from 2009, indicating that violence has escalated since 2008 in the North Caucasus, which includes Chechnya, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia, and Dagestan. MIDDLE EAST: Obama, Sarkozy Press for Quick Iran Sanctions At a joint White House news conference, U.S. President Barack Obama, with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, said he wanted approval within weeks (Reuters) for tougher UN sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program. Iraq: Six winning candidates in Iraq's elections should be disqualified (BBC) because of alleged ties to the former Ba'ath government, according to Iraq's Justice and Accountability Committee. In this interview, CFR expert Meghan O'Sullivan says the close vote count in Iraq's elections means that it will take months of coalition-building, and Sunni-Shiite political tensions, before it's clear who will head the new government. PACIFIC RIM: Japan Approves Postal Deposit Plan The Japanese government approved a plan to double the ceiling on postal bank deposits (FT) and maintain the government's significant stake in the operation. This allows the post office, which holds nearly one-third of Japan's government bonds, to continue funding the country's ballooning public debt. Vietnam: Google revealed another case of suppressive cyberattacks (AP), which were used to silence opponents of a Vietnamese mining project that involves a state-run Chinese company. Read CFR's Asia Unbound blog, which highlights timely analysis from CFR's Asia experts. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA: India and Pakistan Feud Over Water India and Pakistan are fighting over shared water (WSJ) from the Indus River, which threatens to derail peace talks between the two countries. Separately, Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered the detention of a top white-collar crime official (NYT), and threatened another official with jail, if corruption cases in Switzerland against President Asif Ali Zardari were not reopened. Afghanistan: A bomb concealed on a bicycle exploded in Afghanistan's Helmand province, killing at least seventeen people and injuring forty-five others (al-Jazeera). Ahmed Wali Karzai, brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, will be allowed to stay in Kandahar (NYT), despite repeated requests by American officials to move him out due to corruption concerns. AFRICA: Kenya Denies al-Shabaab Involvement Kenya denied the findings of a report to the UN Security Council, which said leaders of the al-Qaeda-inspired al-Shabaab in Somalia regularly travel to Nairobi to raise funds and recruit fighters (BBC). In this interview, expert Bronwyn Bruton says instead of fighting jihad in Somalia by supporting the weak transitional government, the United States would have more success focusing on humanitarian aid and development. Libya: Half of Libya's oil-exporting economy will be privatized within ten years (Reuters), according to a Libyan government official, creating opportunities for foreign investors to buy in. AMERICAS: Obama to Unveil Offshore Drilling Plan The Obama administration will announce a proposal allowing offshore oil and natural gas exploration and development (WSJ) along the Atlantic Coast, in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and off the north coast of Alaska. Haiti: Haitian President René Préval will present a reconstruction plan (NYT) to an international donor conference at the United Nations today, attempting to get 120 nations to commit to nearly $4 billion over eighteen months to rebuild Haiti. EUROPE: Serbia Condemns 1995 Srebrenica Killings A resolution passed by Serbia's parliament apologized (Reuters) for not doing enough to prevent the 1995 killings of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica, but stopped short of calling it "genocide." TRANSNATIONAL: Climate Change Agreement Lags A new legal agreement committing countries to curb greenhouse-gas emissions will likely not be completed until the end of 2011 (WSJ), two years later than hoped, according to UN climate official Yvo de Boer.

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