Wednesday, June 2, 2010

[RED DEMOCRATICA] CFR.org Daily Brief, June 02, 2010

 

From the Council on Foreign Relations

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

- Japan's Hatoyama Abruptly Resigns
- Israel Deports Activists on Aid Flotilla
- Attacks Cloud Karzai Peace Talks
- BP Market Value Plunges on Investigations

Top of the Agenda: Japan's Hatoyama Abruptly Resigns

Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama announced he would step down (WSJ) nine months after taking office, amid criticism of his decision to keep a large U.S. Marine base on Okinawa. The unpopular deal, announced last Friday with U.S. President Barack Obama, was considered essential to thwarting security threats from North Korea and China. Hatoyama's already-low poll ratings fell in response to the pact, which broke one of his main campaign promises. He cited his failure to keep the pledge as the main reason for his resignation. Hatoyama and his Democratic party had set out to transform Japan's politics and policymaking after winning a landslide election last August, which ended half a century of rule by the Liberal Democratic party. He is the fourth Japanese prime minister to resign since 2007.

Political financing scandals are another reason Hatoyama cited for his resignation (NYT) and that of his chief political strategist, Secretary-General Ichiro Ozawa.

Analysis:

In the Financial Times, Jonathan Soble says Japan's frequent ousting of its prime ministers boils down to "back-room dealing among the LDP's many deeply divided factions--a style of politics that Hatoyama's twelve-year-old Democratic party had pledged to end."

Michael Cucek tells WSJ.com that U.S.-Japan relations will "stay the same no matter who the prime minister is. However, that doesn't necessarily mean they'll be good."

MIDDLE EAST: Israel Deports Activists on Aid Flotilla

Israel began deporting hundreds of foreigners (BBC) seized on the aid flotilla that tried to break its blockade of Gaza.

Israel's response to the flotilla off Gaza marked another setback for U.S.-Turkish relations and could complicate the latest U.S.-brokered Mideast peace talks, says CFR's Steven Cook.

Iraq: Iraq's supreme court confirmed the country's election results (LAT) nearly three months after the vote, giving a narrow, inconclusive edge to the mostly Sunni bloc lead by secular former prime minister Ayad Allawi.

PACIFIC RIM: North-South Korea Tensions Weigh on Elections

The deadly sinking of the South Korean warship blamed on North Korea overshadowed (AP) South Korea's local elections and bolstered support for President Lee Myung-bak's ruling conservative Grand National Party.

North Korea's alleged sinking of the ship could have been part of a legitimization process to prepare for a new leader to succeed the ailing Kim Jong-Il, says North Korea expert Victor Cha.

SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA: Attacks Cloud Karzai Peace Talks

Afghan President Hamid Karzai opened a three-day peace conference (al-Jazeera) in Kabul, amid rocket fire and at least one suicide bombing.

Al-Qaeda: The death of al-Qaeda's third-ranking leader in a drone strike was portrayed by U.S. officials as a victory, but the network will have no problem replacing him, reports the Washington Post.

AFRICA: Somali Pirates Hijack Panamanian Ship

Somali pirates hijacked (Reuters) a Panama-flagged cargo ship and its twenty-four crew members in the Gulf of Aden.

Mozambique: Mozambican President Armando Guebuza denied claims (allAfrica) that al-Qaeda is operating on Mozambican soil, after the South African Sunday Times reported that terrorist training camps have been set up there to prepare for an attack at the World Cup.

AMERICAS: BP Market Value Plunges on Investigations

BP lost 15 percent (WashPost) of its market value Tuesday, as U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the Justice Department had launched criminal and civil investigations into the disaster.

This CFR Backgrounder examines the growth of deepwater drilling and the challenges of balancing environmental regulation with efforts to expand U.S. domestic oil production.

Colombia: Colombia's conservative party said it will back (Reuters) former Colombian Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos for president in the upcoming June 20 election. He is already favored to win.

EUROPE: Russia and EU Strike Modernization Pact

Russia and the EU signed off (FT) on a cooperative modernization plan, as the eurozone conflict brought the two powers together to focus on economic ties.

EU: EU leaders are meeting in Bosnia's capital, Sarajevo, to discuss the prospect (BBC) of Western Balkan countries becoming EU members.
 

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