U.S., Bahrain Sign Deal to Deepen Security Alliance |
In Washington yesterday, the two nations agreed to step up (FT) economic and security ties in a deal that U.S. officials touted as a template for potential agreements with other Gulf states. While Bahrain is already a major non-North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally of the United States, the new deal guarantees that if Bahrain is attacked, Washington will consult on how to respond, an unnamed U.S. official told the New York Times. The deal also commits to increasing bilateral investment opportunities (AFP) and joint work on “trusted technologies,” an allusion to avoiding providers, such as China, that the United States sees as unsafe.
The United States has also explored new security deals with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in recent months. Those countries have recently de-escalated their tensions with Iran, with China brokering Saudi Arabia’s rapprochement. While human rights activists have criticized Bahrain’s record on prisoner treatment, the White House said that the issue of human rights was an important part of bilateral dialogue. This week, the Bahraini government pledged to improve conditions for prisoners who had been on a hunger strike.
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“There’s keen interest in the Gulf in having explicit security agreements with the U.S.,” the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Jon Alterman tells the Financial Times. “The Bahrain agreement falls far short of what neighbors are seeking, but it will be the key reference point for their negotiations.”
“Washington should not double down on its timeworn, security-focused strategy, rooted in efforts to create pro-U.S. defensive blocs as a counterweight to Chinese encroachment. Instead, the United States should expand its policy tools and investment in the [Middle East] to areas where it enjoys a comparative advantage, such as human capital advancement, education, green technology, and digital platforms,” the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Jennifer Kavanagh and Frederic Wehrey write for Foreign Affairs.
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U.S. Approves Potential $5 Billion Fighter Jet Sale to South Korea |
Washington’s potential sale of up to twenty-five F-35A fighter jets to Seoul is aimed (Yonhap) at helping it maintain a “credible” defense capability, the State Department said. The deal requires U.S. congressional approval.
Cambodia/China: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet is visiting China (Nikkei) today. The United States and several countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have criticized Cambodia’s close ties with China in recent years.
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Beijing Becomes First to Name New Ambassador in Kabul Since Taliban Takeover |
China has pledged that it “will play a significant role” (TOLOnews) in Afghanistan’s economic affairs, though it will not interfere politically, a spokesperson for the Taliban government said.
India: Two army officers and a police official were killed (Hindustan Times) in an operation against militants in the Jammu and Kashmir region yesterday. The clash ended a period of relative calm in the region; terror attacks were at their lowest in five years.
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Middle East and North Africa |
U.S. to Cut Tens of Millions in Military Aid to Egypt Over Human Rights Issues |
At least $85 million in aid will be withheld over Egypt’s failure to meet U.S. demands regarding freeing political detainees and other matters, Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and a congressional notification obtained by Reuters said. Of the aid being withheld, $55 million will be allegedly redirected to Taiwan and $30 million to Lebanon. |
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U.S. Resumes Drone, Manned Air Operations Based in Niger |
Talks with the military junta have allowed air operations to restart, though they are fewer in number than before July's coup, a U.S. Air Force commander told the Associated Press. The United States has based counterterror operations in Niger in recent years, though a Pentagon spokesperson said the operations that had recommenced were focused on protecting U.S. personnel.
Nigeria: The country’s electric grid reported a “total system collapse” today, causing blackouts across the country (Reuters). While the electric grid collapsed at least four times last year, President Bola Tinubu has vowed to improve energy supply and enable more decentralized power.
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Germany Suspends Participation in Migration Deal With Italy |
As part of the voluntary arrangement launched last June, Germany had agreed to take in asylum seekers from countries on external European Union (EU) borders. But Berlin says Rome is failing to comply (FT) with EU rules that migrants’ asylum claims must be evaluated in the country where they first arrive.
Russia: Pegasus spyware was detected in the phone of prominent Russian investigative journalist Galina Timchenko and appears to have been installed (WaPo) while she was in Germany in February, watchdog group Access Now and the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab said.
This In Brief by CFR’s Kali Robinson looks at how Israel’s Pegasus spyware stoked the surveillance debate.
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Argentina’s Monthly Inflation Hits Three-Decade High |
The August inflation rate of 12.4 percent reflects a devaluation (Buenos Aires Herald) in the Argentine peso carried out after mandatory primary elections midway through the month, analysts said. Inflation is a central issue ahead of October’s presidential election.
This Backgrounder by CFR’s Diana Roy looks at Argentina’s struggle for stability.
Canada: Federal housing authorities told city governments that if they reduce bureaucracy and address zoning barriers to create more affordable housing, they will be able to access (Reuters) a $3 billion housing fund announced earlier this year.
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Tech CEOs, Researchers Call for Government Framework on AI |
At a six-hour meeting on Capitol Hill yesterday, tech researchers and CEOs of companies including Meta and Tesla called on government officials to do more (WaPo) to regulate artificial intelligence (AI). Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer signaled that legislators were at least months away from announcing a draft framework on the matter, while China and the EU have moved more quickly toward such regulations.
This explainer video by CFR’s Noah Berman, James Long, and Thamine Nayeem discusses how AI could change the world. |
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Council on Foreign Relations |
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