• • Who We Are
  • Mission
  • Leadership and Staff
  • Membership
  • Annual Report
  • History
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • What We Do
  • CFR Headquarters in New York
  • CFR in Washington
  • CFR across the Country
  • Think Tank
  • Meetings, Symposia, Conferences
  • Independent Task Forces
  • Outreach
  • Term Member Program
  • Corporate Program
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Publishing
  • Rental Space
  • Get Involved
  • Career Opportunities
  • Fellowships
  • Newsletters
  • Daily News Brief
  • The World This Week
  • Educators Bulletin
  • Publications Newsletter
  • State and Local Officials Bulletin
  • Religion and Foreign Policy Bulletin
  • Geoeconomics Newsletter
  • IIGG Update
  • Newsfeeds
  • Contact Us

• Daily News Brief

  August 13, 2008

  Executive Summary

  -Georgia accuses Russia of breaking cease-fire; Russian tanks seen in Gori
  -Lebanese bomb blast kills at least 18
  -China arrests pro-Tibet activists
  -South Africa denies Zimbabwe deal

   

   

  Top of the Agenda: Fragile Cease-fire in Georgia

  Georgia is accusing Russia of violating a cease-fire (Bloomberg) brokered by the European Union to end Russia's military offensive. President Mikheil Saakashvili told reporters in the Georgian capital Tbilisi "Russian tanks are in the streets, and Russian soldiers are behaving extremely aggressively." Russia, meanwhile, accused Georgia of violating the truce.

  The BBC reports Russian tanks in Gori and residents being held at gunpoint and stopped at the city's entrances. It says the cease-fire is in place, but it seems to be very fragile.

  On Monday Russia and Georgia accepted a cease-fire plan brokered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev proposed a six-part peace deal (LAT) that called for Georgia to return its troops to the positions they occupied before the conflict. It requires Russia not to use force and to agree to talks about the future status of South Ossetia as well as the secessionist region, Abkhazia, in northwestern Georgia.

  The Los Angeles Times reports that most analysts think the peace agreement "left no doubt that Russia won the military conflict of the last several days." Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei Lavrov writes in today’s Financial Times, this is not a conflict of Russia's making and argues Moscow's response to Georgia's moves in South Ossetia was right.

  The Wall Street Journal says the conflict has set back Western efforts to create new routes for oil and gas that bypass Russian control.

  Background:

  -CFR's Stephen Sestanovich tells National Public Radio the Georgian leader had no reason to believe the United States or the West would back him militarily vis-à-vis Russia.

  Newsweek looks back on the past few days in the life of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.

   

   

  MIDDLE EAST: Lebanese blast

  A bomb killed at least 18 people, including nine soldiers, as they boarded a bus in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli. President Michel Suleiman described the bombing as a terrorist attack (Reuters).

  ISRAEL-US: Haaretz reports that U.S. officials have rejected an Israeli request for military equipment and support that would improve Israel's ability to attack Iran's nuclear facilities.

   

   

  PACIFIC RIM: China Detains Tibet activists

  Pro-Tibet activists and a British journalist were arrested in Beijing after the protesters tried to unfurl a pro-Tibet banner (BBC) near an Olympic venue.

  Japan-North Korea: The Seoul Times reports North Korea and Japan have agreed to an inquiry into Pyongyang's abduction of Japanese people in the 1970s and 1980s, opening the way for Tokyo to lift some travel sanctions.

   

   

  SOUTH & CENTRAL ASIA: Kashmir Riots

  Riots erupted (AP) across Indian-controlled Kashmir as Muslims mourned 15 people killed in violent clashes and the protests spread to other parts of the region.

  Afghanistan: Three international aid workers and their driver were killed near Kabul, as the country faces a growing aid crisis (Times of London).

   

   

  AFRICA: Confusion Over Zimbabwe Deal

  South African President Thabo Mbeki said Zimbabwe's power-sharing talks had adjourned (Mail and Guardian) to allow the main opposition leader time to consider the deal. Mbeki's comments come in response to confusion over reports that President Robert Mugabe and breakaway opposition leader Arthur Mutambara had agreed on a deal to form a unity government.

  Kenya: Humanitarian officials say tens of thousands of people are facing acute food shortages in Baringo (IRIN) and East Pokot in Kenya's north Rift Valley.

   

   

  AMERICAS: Airport Security List

  USA Today reports the U.S. Transportation Security Administration had been collecting the information about of passengers who do not have identification at airport checkpoints, adding them to a database of people who violated security laws. The program began in late June and apparently stopped yesterday after an inquiry.

  Bolivia : Bolivia will seek new operators for its natural-gas fields if the companies managing the concessions fail to make more investments (Bloomberg).

   

   

  CAMPAIGN 2008: Trade Competitiveness

  Responding to new trade deficit figures, an economic adviser to Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), Jason Furman, said the United States should "change our economic policies by investing in education, new energy jobs, and technology so that we can strengthen the productivity of our workers and businesses; by enforcing our existing trade agreements and negotiating better trade agreements; and by reducing record budget deficits and raising low savings rates so that America does not have to borrow hundreds of billions of dollars annually from abroad."

  The New York Observer looks at the test for the presidential candidates presented by the conflict between Georgia and Russia.

   

   

  EUROPE: Recession Warnings

  The British pound sunk to 22-month lows against the dollar after the Bank of England's inflation report warned the UK could be heading for a recession (BBC).

  Germany: Germany's economic powerhouse state of Bavaria is facing political upheaval, with nationwide repercussions, says the Economist.

   

   

  Opinion Roundup

  In Wednesday's Roundup: Georgia's Crisis, Olympic Tricks, and Major Power Double-Standards

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

   

   

• Latest Headlines

  • Mixed Messages from Asia Updated 10:37 AM EST
  • Future of Climate Cooperation Updated 9:30 AM EST
  • In Favor of a Public Trial Updated 4:33 PM EST
  • Myths in U.S.-China Policy Updated 10:00 AM EST
  • Broader U.S. Policy Needed on Iran Updated 3:28 PM EST
  • Skilled Immigrants Help U.S. Economy Updated 8:51 AM EST
  • 'Realistic' Emerging Economies Updated 2:43 PM EST
  • Disillusionment in Afghanistan Updated 10:07 AM EST

  More About CFR

  For more information about CFR's work and research, click here (PDF) to download the new brochure.

   

  

  Career Opportunities

  
  

  Jobs at CFR

  CFR offers exceptional opportunities for individuals at all levels in their careers, from recent graduates interested in pursuing a career in international relations to skilled professionals in a service area such as development or information services.

  • Current Openings

  
  

  Explore the Foreign Affairs Job Board

  Search for jobs, internships, grants, and fellowships using the ultimate resource for careers in international affairs.

  CFR Newsletters

  CFR offers a variety of email newsletters about up-to-date CFR.org material on what’s happening around the world.

  Enter your email address and click 'Go' to subscribe.

   

  Annual Report Bound Copies

  To order a bound copy of the 2009 Annual Report from Amazon.com, please click here.

   

•  

Copyright 2009 by the Council on Foreign Relations. All Rights Reserved.