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• Daily News Brief

  September 30, 2009

  EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

  - Debate continues over U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan.
  - General Odierno says withdrawal from Iraq on pace.
  - Tsunami slams Pacific islands.
  - High-level U.S.-Cuba talks in Havana.

   

   

  Top of the Agenda: Troop Increase Debate

  Improved recruitment of U.S. and international spies inside al-Qaeda and the increased use of targeted airstrikes have diminished the terrorist organization's effectiveness, according to intelligence officials. The Washington Post says that news has impacted the debate over whether to increase the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, or to build on success against al-Qaeda without boosting troop levels. 
  
  The top UN envoy for Afghanistan, Kai Eide, weighed in on that debate, expressing support for General Stanley McChrystal's call for more troops (VOA). Eide told the UN Security Council he believes more international troops are needed to help train Afghan security forces.
  
  Separately, Peter Galbraith, the top U.S. official at the UN mission in Afghanistan, will reportedly be removed from his job (AP) after a dispute with Eide over how to handle the widespread fraud claims in the country's August general elections.
  
  Analysis
  Afghanistan expert Clare Lockhart tells CFR that more attention must be paid to rebuilding the country's battered civilian institutions.

  Six analysts offer a range of strategic choices for U.S. planners in Afghanistan.
  
  On Foreign Policy, Caroline Wadhams of the Center for American Progress says sending another five thousand to forty thousand U.S. troops to Afghanistan "will not salvage the U.S. mission in Afghanistan. That's just tinkering at the margins." Instead, she says, policymakers should focus on reducing corruption, improving representation governance, and maximizing the impact of aid money, among other measures.
  
  Background
  An interactive CFR timeline tracks the history of the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan.

   

   

  MIDEAST: Withdrawal from Iraq

  General Ray Odierno, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, said the United States is on track to withdraw tens of thousands of troops (WSJ) from Iraq in coming months as planned. The troop level will drop to 115,000 by the end of 2009, and to roughly about fifty thousand by mid-2010.
  
  A CFR Backgrounder looks at the U.S.-Iraq security agreement that stipulates a U.S. withdrawal by 2011, but points to lingering questions about the accords' legal longevity.
  
  Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will introduce a proposal to his cabinet to create a committee to investigate the findings of the Goldstone Commission report (Haaretz) on the Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas last winter. The report says both the Israelis and Hamas committed war crimes during the conflict, an allegation Israel has rejected.

   

   

  PACIFIC RIM: Tsunami in Samoa

  An 8.0 magnitude undersea earthquake triggered a series of tsunamis (Reuters) that hit the island nations of American Samoa, killing possibly one hundred people and injuring hundreds more. There were also reports of a smaller tsunami reaching New Zealand and rising sea levels in several South Pacific island nations.
  
  Philippines: GlobalPost reports on disillusionment with the government's slow response to disaster among survivors of this week's deadly flooding.

   

   

  SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA: Bus Bombing in Kandahar

  A roadside bomb (Quqnoos) blew up a civilian bus in Kandahar province, killing thirty civilians and wounding thirty-nine others.

   

   

  AFRICA: Guinean Protests

  Guinean leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara banned "subversive" meetings (BBC), days after security forces killed some 157 people protesting his rule in the capital city of Conakry. Camara took power last December in a bloodless coup. 
  
  Angola: The International Monetary Fund announced an agreement that will allow Angola to borrow up to 900 million dollars (AFP) over twenty-seven months. The IMF board must ratify the agreement next month in Washington.

   

   

  AMERICAS: U.S.-Cuba Dialogue

  U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Bisa Williams held talks (AFP) with Cuban government authorities, including Deputy Foreign Minister Dagoberto Rodriguez in Havana, according to U.S. State Department officials. The meeting's aim was to " assess the economic and political situation on the island," a U.S. spokesman said.
  
  A CFR Backgrounder examines the U.S.-Cuba relationship.
  
  Mexico: Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore met with Mexican President Felipe Calderon to discuss efforts to reach a new pact on climate change (AP) at UN conference in Copenhagen this December. Gore reportedly praised Mexico's proposal to create a global fund to support rich and developing countries limit carbon emissions.

   

   

  EUROPE: Lisbon Treaty

  Czech senators opposed to the EU's Lisbon Treaty filed a legal complaint (BBC) to block its adoption, potentially for months. The treaty, aimed at streamlining EU decision-making, must be ratified by all twenty-seven EU states to pass. 
  
  Russia: Following a new understanding between U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to strengthen business ties between the two countries, a delegation of lobbyists from Moscow is visiting in Washington this week urging the United States to invest in Russia. NPR looks at the continued lack of transparency in Russia's business sector.

   

• Latest Headlines

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  • 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

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