June 5, 2020

Daily News Brief

June 5, 2020

Top of the Agenda

Libyan Government Retakes Capital, Rebel Stronghold

Libya’s UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) took control of Tarhuna (AFP), a major western stronghold of rebel commander Khalifa Haftar, a day after retaking Tripoli, ending a fourteen-month assault on the capital. Earlier this week, the United Nations said the two sides had agreed to resume cease-fire talks.

The conflict is far from over (Al Jazeera) despite the government’s latest victories, as Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) still controls the country’s east and large parts of the south. The LNA is backed by Egypt, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates, while the GNA is supported by Italy, Qatar, and Turkey (BBC).

Analysis

“In terms of its significance, it means the complete end of Haftar’s Tripoli offensive. The military solution that Haftar offered … is no longer on the table, and we are back to the status quo as it was before the beginning of the Tripoli offensive, east and west,” Sami Hamdi, editor in chief of the International Interest, tells Al Jazeera.

“Absent a genuine desire to end combat by the Libyans themselves—an unlikely prospect given Libya’s regional and social divisions and the proliferation of armed militias—the country will remain divided with outsiders seeking to play out other rivalries, to pick winners and losers, or to promote permanent division,” CFR’s Amir Asmar writes.

United States

Trump Agrees to Send Troops Home From Washington

President Donald J. Trump agreed to pull back active-duty troops (NYT) he had ordered into Washington but had not yet deployed. National Guard units and other law enforcement officers remain in the capital as protests against police brutality continue there and around the country.

Pacific Rim

Google: Chinese, Iranian Hackers Targeted Biden, Trump Campaigns

Chinese hackers have targeted the Gmail accounts (WaPo) of former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign staff and Iranian hackers have attempted to infiltrate President Trump’s campaign, Google said. There was no evidence that the accounts had been compromised.

CFR’s Robert K. Knake argues that the United States and other democracies should agree not to interfere in foreign elections.

Hong Kong: Thousands gathered in the city’s Victoria Park to commemorate the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests (SCMP), defying a ban on mass gatherings.

South and Central Asia

IMF Demands Budget Cuts in Pakistan

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is demanding the Pakistani government make cuts (News International), such as salary freezes, to bring down the country’s projected budget deficit. IMF aid could be in jeopardy if the government does not address the issue.

Afghanistan: Following a cease-fire in May, the Taliban has initiated an average of thirty attacks each day (TOLO), Afghan government sources said.

Middle East and North Africa

Iran Releases Detained U.S. Navy Veteran

Tehran released Michael White (AP), a U.S. Navy veteran who was held for two years, in exchange for Washington’s reduction of the sentence of an American-Iranian doctor accused of violating U.S. sanctions. Iran had sentenced White to ten years in prison for insulting its supreme leader and posting private information online.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Thousands Flee Niger Refugee Camp

Thousands of people fled a Niger refugee camp (Al Jazeera) following an armed attack earlier this week. The camp is home to twenty thousand Malian refugees and fifteen thousand internally displaced Nigeriens.

Burundi: A court upheld the results (Reuters) of last month’s presidential election, affirming the ruling party candidate’s victory. The opposition party had alleged fraud.

Europe

Brexit Talks Falter

British and European Union negotiators made little progress in their latest round of talks (FT) to determine the future relationship between the EU and the United Kingdom. One sticking point is the EU’s demand that the UK commits to a “level playing field” on environmental and labor rules, which the UK sees as a violation of its sovereignty.

In Foreign Affairs, Lawrence D. Freedman discusses the UK’s search for its role in a post-Brexit world.

Russia: A bipartisan group of U.S. senators plans to introduce legislation to increase sanctions to deter the Nord Stream 2 oil pipeline (Bloomberg) between Germany and Russia.

Americas

U.S. Would Reconsider Intelligence Sharing if Canada Allows Huawei 5G

Washington would consider restricting intelligence sharing with Canada (CBC) if Ottawa allows Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei to participate in building Canada’s 5G network, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said.

Brazil: The country has surpassed Italy to become the country with the third-highest number of coronavirus deaths (Guardian), behind the United States and the UK.

Friday Editor’s Picks

The Marshall Project looks at how the police’s disproportionate use of force can turn peaceful protests violent.

Foreign Policy examines the parallels between China’s brutal response to the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and the United States’ reaction to its unrest.

The New Yorker discusses how mass protests in the United States could change the course of the coronavirus pandemic.

Council on Foreign Relations

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