Blinken Heads to Mideast for Talks on Syria’s Political Transition |
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Jordan today and is due to continue on to Turkey in a flurry of diplomacy to encourage an “accountable and representative” new Syrian government after President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster, the State Department said. Echoing a previous U.S. statement, the UN special envoy for Syria said yesterday that Syria’s political transition should be inclusive to avoid another civil war in the country.
Blinken’s priorities also include preserving gains against the self-declared Islamic State, he told a congressional hearing yesterday before heading east. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump posted on social media last week that Syria “is not our fight,” adding, “Let it play out.” Washington has also called for a Syria free of chemical weapons. Yesterday, Syrian rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani said his group was working with international organizations to identify and secure possible chemical weapons storage sites. A Pentagon spokesperson welcomed the rhetoric but said that “actions have to meet words.” (NYT, AFP, VOA)
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“I share...skepticism that [al-Jolani’s group Ha’yat Tahrir al-Sham] is somehow progressive and inclusive. They have learned, obviously, the lessons from ISIS that the grisly kind of rule is not some way in which to garner support either within the Syrian population who are skeptical of them or among those in the West,” CFR Senior Fellow Steven A. Cook says in this YouTube short.
“Getting involved in a major way [in Syria] is probably contrary to American interests. And of course, we really haven't been involved in a major way in Syria from the beginning of the civil war… over a decade ago,” CFR Senior Fellow Thomas Graham tells Voice of America. In this Expert Brief, CFR Senior Fellow Bruce Hoffman unpacks what to know about HTS, Hezbollah, and Iran in Syria. |
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South Korea’s Yoon Defends Martial Law Decision Ahead of Second Impeachment Vote |
President Yoon Suk Yeol said in a televised address that declaring martial law last week was necessary to “protect the nation.” Opposition parties have filed a second impeachment motion against him after the first failed; this time, the leader of Yoon’s party said he would support the impeachment effort. (Yonhap)
Australia: Canberra is preparing new laws to tax large tech platforms such as Facebook, Google, and TikTok unless they pay for local journalism. Meta has funded Australian journalism in the past but did not originally plan to continue the deal. (ABC, BBC)
The Why It Matters podcast discusses social media influencers altering the media landscape.
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Blast Kills Taliban Minister for Refugees in Kabul |
A group affiliated with the self-declared Islamic State claimed responsibility for the bombing in a statement carried on an ISIS-linked news agency. The minister was the highest-profile Taliban official killed since the group’s 2021 takeover of Afghanistan. (AP)
India/Russia: Moscow’s state oil firm, Rosneft, will supply almost half a million barrels of oil per day to Mumbai-based, private refiner Reliance in the ten-year, largest-ever energy deal between the countries, three unnamed sources told Reuters. Rosneft did not comment, while Reliance said it works with international suppliers based on market conditions. (Reuters)
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Middle East and North Africa |
Saudi Arabia Announced as 2034 World Cup Host |
Riyadh’s hosting of the soccer tournament is part of efforts to rebrand the country as an entertainment hub. Twenty-one human rights groups criticized the pick in a joint statement, citing “weak human rights protections” in the country. (NPR)
Noah Berman covers Saudi Arabia sportswashing its human rights track record.
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Turkey Brokers Pledge Between Ethiopia, Somalia to Resolve Port Dispute |
Ethiopia and Somalia will begin technical negotiations to resolve outstanding disputes by the end of February, according to a Turkey-issued declaration. The countries have been at odds over Ethiopia’s agreement with the breakaway region of Somaliland on a port access deal. (Reuters) Claire Klobucista and CFR’s Mariel Ferragamo explain the dramatic port deal with Somaliland.
Mozambique: A council that advises the presidency recommended “profound” reforms to the country’s electoral process to promote transparency. That’s after more than 110 people died, most from police violence, in post-election protests of the country’s October vote. (Bloomberg)
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European Countries Hold Parallel Talks on Ukraine |
The leaders of France and Poland are meeting today to discuss the possibility of sending European troops to Ukraine in the case of a cease-fire, and the leaders of Hungary and Turkey are gathering to discuss prospects for a peace deal. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met with Donald Trump and then spoke separately with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier in the week. Orbán posted on social media yesterday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected a proposal for a Christmas cease-fire and prisoner swap. (Reuters, Bloomberg)
Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko spoke at CFR last week about the war and U.S. and European support.
Bulgaria/Romania: The two countries will join the Schengen European free travel zone on January 1 after Austria dropped its veto to their accession. Austria had objected to their treatment of migrants arriving through the Balkans. (Politico)
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Argentina Says Venezuela Is Harassing Activists Sheltering at Consulate |
The Argentine consulate in Venezuela is attempting to keep six Venezuelan opposition members safe but is subject to water, power, and food restrictions, Argentina’s foreign minister said. Yesterday, more than a dozen members of the Organization of American States called on Caracas to allow the activists safe passage out of the country. (AP)
Haiti: The country reopened the international airport in its capital of Port-au-Prince, though U.S. aviation authorities extended a ban on airlines flying there. It was closed over a spate of violence last month. (Reuters)
Robert I. Rotberg and CFR expert Ebenezer Obadare make the case for how Washington can help pull Haiti out of gang rule.
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Biden to Commute Sentences of Around 1,500 People |
The largest act of clemency by an American president in a single day will apply to some people placed in home confinement during the pandemic, the White House said. U.S. President Joe Biden will also pardon some people serving sentences for nonviolent crimes, such as marijuana possession. It’s unlikely to be his last before leaving office next month—Biden said he would continue to review clemency petitions in the coming weeks. (White House, WSJ)
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