Council on Foreign Relations

The UN peacekeeping chief warned that the joint UN-African Union force mission in Darfur might fail for lack of critical weaponry (BBC), saying an all-African force would not be able to provide these resources. The official, Jean-Marie Guehenno, said an all-African unit would lack the air capabilities and firepower (al-Jazeera) needed to quell violence in the region. He also criticized delays on the part of the Sudanese government, which has yet to approve the makeup of the peacekeeping force.

The debate over the composition of a peacekeeping force follows late October Darfur peace talks in Libya, which analysts regarded as a flop. A recent Daily Analysis underscores the role Sudan’s neighbors Chad and Eritrea have in any peace negotiations, given their vested interests in the Darfur region. This Backgrounder takes a more in-depth look at attempts to patch together a peace process.

The Washington Post reports that senior military commanders now cite intransigence within the Shiite-led Iraqi government as the greatest obstacle threatening the success of U.S. efforts in Iraq. Military officials say Iraq’s political leadership has been unable to capitalize on rapidly declining violence.

Meanwhile, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives have linked $50 billion of war funding to President Bush’s establishment of a timetable for withdrawal by the end of next year, though analysts say the measure has little chance of succeeding (Reuters).

Iran: The Iranian government handed over their nuclear weapons blueprint (Guardian) to the UN’s nuclear agency. The IAEA originally requested the documents four years ago.

Palestine: NPR reports on a new Palestinian police academy, founded by the Fatah Party and funded by the European Union and Saudi Arabia.

The Power and Interest News Report examines the implications of an agreement between Washington and Beijing to establish a live “hotline” connecting the Chinese and U.S. militaries.

Economics: By a government mandate, central heating systems in apartment complexes in many of Beijing’s poorer areas do not go into operation until November 15. The Los Angeles Times reports this can make for a cold autumn.

Japan: The Economist reports on Japan’s Yomiuri media empire and its chairman, Tsuneo Watanabe, who the article says “is more powerful than almost any government minister in Japan could ever hope to be.”

The Christian Science Monitor reports protests on university campuses across Pakistan are gaining steam and could emerge as a new problem for embattled President Pervez Musharraf.

Reuters reports that Musharraf is considering appointing a caretaker government, the goal of which would be to steer Pakistan toward peaceful January elections. The article notes Musharraf’s opponents say any vote held under emergency rule will be a sham.

Kazakhstan: World Politics Review examines Kazakhstan’s energy policy, focusing on several controversial amendments to the country’s oil management regulations recently signed into law by President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Twenty-two Cameroonian soldiers were killed yesterday (This Day) in the Bakassi Peninsula, which divides Nigeria and Cameroon. The governments of the two countries say they will work together to investigate the incident.

Cotton: U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte defended subsidies (BBC) to U.S. cotton farmers on a trip to Burkina Faso, where small farmers say they are undermined internationally by U.S. subsidies. Negroponte said the United States would consider reducing subsidies, but only if the European Union did the same.

A new report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office says security checkpoints at U.S. airports have improved, but major lapses remain. The report says on several separate occasions, undercover investigators were able to smuggle onto airplanes materials that could be fashioned into a bomb.

Offshore Healthcare: NPR examines efforts by employers and insurers to allow their customers access to overseas healthcare services, which often come cheaper than those in the United States.

A Backgrounder examines the effects soaring healthcare costs have on the competitiveness of U.S. businesses.

Venezuela: The Los Angeles Times reports that despite protests by student activists in Caracas, President Hugo Chavez’s attempts to overhaul the Venezuelan constitution and remove term limits will likely pass (LAT).

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) supports New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's move to drop his proposal (NYT) to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, her campaign said in a press release. The statement comes after controversy surrounding her apparent equivocation on the topic at the last Democratic debate.

Republican Fred Thompson is running a new ad in Iowa in which he discusses his opposition to amnesty for illegal immigrants.

Iraq Bill: Reps. Duncan Hunter (R-CA), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Ron Paul (R-TX) and Tom Tancredo (R-CO) all opposed a House bill with a December 2008 deadline for withdrawal. The bill, which granted $50 billion in additional funding for the war in Iraq, passed yesterday.

The Economist says nationwide strikes in France pose the toughest challenge faced by President Nicolas Sarkozy’s young administration.

Georgia: RFE/RL examines Moscow’s influence in Georgia, with Georgia embroiled in a political crisis and many local officials pointing blame at Russia.

Italy: Following a report that over two-thirds of Italians in their thirties still live with their parents, the government is proposing incentives (CSMonitor) to help spur Italians set up residence on their own.