Council on Foreign Relations

- Iran tests new long-range missiles; further heightening of rhetoric.
- Fighting erupts in northern Lebanon; Siniora says cabinet deal is close.
- China, India refuse to agree to G8 emissions targets.
- Russia responds angrily to U.S.-Czech missile shield agreement.

Iran test-fired a new, long-range Shahab-3 missile, a weapon capable of striking Israel, in what analysts interpreted as a clear warning (BBC) against U.S. or Israeli pressure. The Bush administration condemned the test, saying it constitutes a violation of UN Security Council resolutions. In response, Iranian officials said the purpose of the "war games" was to show that Iranian missiles are "ready for shooting at any time" (AFP).

The test follows reports that Israel might be preparing for a preemptive military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. Late last week an Iranian military official said any strike on Iran would mark the "beginning of war" (Tehran Times), and early this week a senior aide to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tehran would target Tel Aviv and U.S. interests (al-Bawaba) in the Persian Gulf.

A new Daily Analysis examines the give and take and notes that the stiff rhetoric from Iran comes alongside what some analysts had interpreted as a diplomatic thaw, following comments by Iran's foreign minister praising an incentives package offered in denuclearization negotiations.

Background:

- Reuters has a FactBox feature detailing Iran's military capabilities and questioning what the country could do in a conflict with Israel or the United States.

- An interactive timeline from CFR.org details the history of U.S.-Iran relations.

Clashes between pro-government and pro-opposition groups in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli have left at least two people dead and more than thirty wounded (al-Jazeera).

Lebanon's Prime Minister Fouad Siniora reports progress (Daily Star) in the effort to secure a power-sharing cabinet but refused to say when such a cabinet might be formed. Early this week senior Lebanese officials had predicted the formation of a government within forty-eight hours, but that timeframe has now elapsed.

UAE: The government of Abu Dhabi detained about 3,000 Indian workers (Arab News) on charges of arson and rioting.

SYRIA-FRANCE: The Middle East Times previews meetings next week between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. The paper says the talks could signal the beginning of the end for Syria's political isolation.

Both China and India refused to agree (FT) to G8 targets to halve global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, saying the responsibility to make such cuts lies with developed nations. China's President Hu Jintao put forth a three-point proposal (Xinhua) on how the world's major economies should approach climate change policy.

G8: Meanwhile, the G8 summit in Japan drew to a close today. An analysis from the BBC says the summit sowed confusion on climate change policy by making promises but not setting any framework for achieving them. The New York Times projects cautious optimism, however, pointing out that the summit marked the first time world powers have committed in principle to emissions cuts.

SOUTH KOREA-U.S.: South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak, in meetings with U.S. President George W. Bush, reaffirmed his alliance (Korea Times) with the United States. The alliance that has proven costly for Lee domestically, particularly following recent protests over U.S. beef imports.

Bush met in Japan yesterday with India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and reaffirmed the idea of a U.S.-India nuclear cooperation pact as critical to a new "strategic relationship" (al-Jazeera) between the countries.

The comments came as India's leftist parties lambasted Singh (Rediff) for his support of the agreement, accusing the government of a lack of transparency in the deal.

PAKISTAN: Pakistan's central bank announced it will make sweeping changes (Dawn) to its foreign exchange regulations in an effort to protect the Pakistani rupee against the U.S. dollar.

KYRGYZSTAN: EurasiaNet reports Kyrgyzstan has emerged as a shining success story of how microcredit can be used to boost a developing economy.

Leaders at the G8 summit in Japan promised they will impose financial and other sanctions against Zimbabwe to try to lean on "individuals responsible for violence." AllAfrica says the move amounts to the G8 leaders "effectively reject[ing] the government of President Robert Mugabe as illegitimate."

Russia, however, said it may move to veto (BBC) UN Security Council sanctions against Zimbabwe.

- In a new podcast with CFR.org, Knox Chitiyo, an expert on Zimbabwe, examines the prospects for a power-sharing deal.

SOUTH AFRICA: Business Day reports on a new Moody's analysis that South Africa could fall into recession by the end of the year.

Two former U.S. secretaries of state called for new legislation overhauling (WashPost) the wartime lawmaking authority of the president and Congress, saying the existing legislation is ineffective and possibly unconstitutional.

GUATEMALA: The Los Angeles Times reports on smuggling and poaching operations in Guatemala's secluded Peten region.

COLOMBIA: The Miami Herald reports Colombian military are flying above territory controlled by FARC rebels and broadcasting a message from former hostage Ingrid Betancourt urging the rebels to surrender.

On the Today show Wednesday morning, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) said the United States should respond to Iranian missile tests with aggressive diplomacy.

IMMIGRATION: Both presidential candidates spoke before the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) national conference on Tuesday. Obama promised to make comprehensive immigration reform a "top priority" in his first year as president. "We have to finally bring undocumented immigrants out of the shadows," he said. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) discussed his economic and energy policy plans and pledged to continue to fight for immigration reform.

SERBIA: In a statement on Tuesday, Obama congratulated Serbian leaders for the formation of a new government. Obama encouraged the Belgrade regime to foster "positive and responsible relationships" with its neighbors, including Kosovo.

IRAQ: The Washington Post looks at the evolution of the candidates' positions on Iraq.

Russia reacted sharply (RIA Novosti) to a deal signed between the United States and the Czech Republic, saying it is ready to respond with military action if the United States goes ahead with plans to build a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe. U.S. officials denounced Moscow’s "bellicose rhetoric" (ABC).

- This CFR.org Backgrounder explains some of Russia's concerns about the missile shield.

GERMANY: Der Spiegel interviews the head of Bertelsmann, Europe's largest media conglomerate, about how the expansion of the Internet will affect the company's business.

In Wednesday's roundup: the G8's climate commitment; Britain and Russia's fraught relationship; and Australia's overreach in the Asia-Pacific.

For a free email subscription to the Daily News Brief and other CFR.org eNewsletters, please click here.