 | | March 22, 2011 View this newsletter as a web page on CFR's website.  | EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - Libya Campaign Nears Initial Objectives
- Israeli Ex-President Jailed for Rape
- Karzai Announces Start of NATO Pullout
- Europe Agrees on Permanent Rescue Fund | |  | | Top of the Agenda: U.S.-Led Libya Campaign Nears Initial Objectives Following a third straight night of airstrikes, the U.S.-led military coalition is closing in on its initial objectives (NYT) of eliminating Libyan air defenses and establishing a no-fly zone. Officials say the United States is moving rapidly to hand over command to European allies. During the previous night's fighting, a U.S. F-15 Eagle fighter jet crash-landed (BBC) near Benghazi due to mechanical failure, according to officials. Both crew members ejected and are expected to recover safely. The warplane is the first to crash since the start of military operations. The allied air shield (WSJ) will soon stretch across the entire northern segment of Libya, from Benghazi in the east to Tripoli in the west. It remains unclear who will take command of the ongoing international operation. Coalition members are divided over whether NATO (FT) should assume leadership, with France and Turkey expressing opposition. Forces loyal to Muammar al-Qaddafi pressed on with their attacks on the western city of Misurata, as well as further east in Ajdabiya. Qaddafi's troops (al-Jazeera) retreated from the rebel stronghold of Benghazi following strikes by coalition aircraft. Analysis: In this op-ed for Politico, CFR President Richard N. Haass writes that the United States has now embarked on its third war of choice in less than a decade. And like the 2003 Iraq war and the Afghan war after 2009, this war is ill-advised. In the New York Times, Marwan Muasher of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace says that the Arab League's unanimous call for the implementation of a no-fly zone in Libya is what gave the West political cover to take action. Background: The UN Security Council resolution regarding Libya was passed on March 17, 2011. Multimedia: This interactive map from the Guardian looks at Libyan military assets and some of the main targets on the ground. | | | | MIDDLE EAST: Israeli Ex-President Katsav Jailed for Rape Former Israeli President Moshe Katsav (Haaretz) was sentenced to seven years in prison for raping an employee when he was tourism minister in the 1990s. Yemen: President Ali Abdullah Saleh offered to leave office by the end of 2011, vowing a "constitutional" transition of power that would not include the military. It is uncertain whether the country's opposition, which now includes military defections, will accept Saleh's proposal (al-Jazeera). This CFR issue guide provides a range of background and analysis on the protests in the Middle East and North Africa. Former Israeli President Moshe Katsav (Haaretz) was sentenced to seven years in prison for raping an employee when he was tourism minister in the 1990s. | | | | PACIFIC RIM: Radiation Fears in Japan's Food and Water Japanese authorities detected high levels of radiation (CNN) in seawater near the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant, sparking fears of contaminated marine life. The government has banned the sale of raw milk, spinach, and other vegetables produced in the regions surrounding the plant. While many questions remain about the problems at Fukushima, comparisons with the 1986 Chernobyl incident suggest Japan's government is taking the right steps to mitigate radiation damage, says CFR's Laurie Garrett. China: According to a new survey by the American Chamber of Commerce, U.S. firms are more worried about China's red tape (Reuters) than by its "nebulous" laws, regulation, or corruption. Firms were especially critical of the discrimination endured in applying for business licenses. | | | | SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA: Karzai Announces Beginning of NATO Pullout President Hamid Karzai announced Afghanistan would take control of Panjshir and Bamian provinces and four additional cities beginning in mid-July, marking the first steps in transitioning from NATO forces to local Afghan control (NYT) by 2014. This CFR interactive timeline examines the events that precipitated the U.S. war in Afghanistan as well as the history of the conflict. Pakistan: The death toll from a collapsed mine in Balochistan province (Agencies) rose to forty-three, with no survivors. The mine, run by the state-owned Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation, will be sealed. | | | AFRICA: ECOWAS Laments Lack of Focus on Ivory Coast A Nigerian spokesman for ECOWAS criticized "contradictions" in the actions of an international community that intervened in Libya, but remains idle in the face of similar human rights abuses by strongman Laurent Gbagbo in the Ivory Coast (AFP). | | | | AMERICAS: Obama Praises Latin American Progress Speaking in Chile on Monday, President Obama commended Latin America (BBC) as "a region on the move," vital to the security and prosperity of the United States. Obama will complete his first state visit to the region in El Salvador on Tuesday. President Obama's trip to Brazil hit many new and positive notes, signaling the great potential for boosting ties between the region's two largest economies and democracies, writes CFR's Julia Sweig. Guatemala: President Alvaro Colom and his wife Sandra Torres de Colom filed for divorce in order to avoid a constitutional flap regarding her eligibility to run for the presidency. Guatemala's constitution (AFP) bans the president's close blood relatives and those of "second level of affinity" from running for the office. | | | | EUROPE: Europe Agrees on Permanent Rescue Fund European finance ministers agreed to fund a new, $995 billion permanent eurozone safety net (DeutscheWelle) that will serve as a long-term safeguard against debt-related crises. The European Stability Mechanism will replace the existing rescue fund on January 1, 2013. Russia: U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is set to meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov in Moscow. Analysts expect talks to focus on military action in Libya and U.S. plans for European missile defense (VOA). | | | | EXPLORE CFR's WEBSITE: Regions Issues Experts Publications About CFR Find CFR on Twitter and Facebook. Privacy Policy
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