November 01, 2019



									Daily News Brief
									
								
									November 01, 2019
									
								
									Top of the Agenda
									
									
									Iraq’s Prime Minister Agrees to Resign, Says President
									
									
									After weeks of anti-government protests, President Barham Salih announced that (CNN) Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi will step down if political parties are able to agree on a successor. He also said his office will draft a new electoral law and overhaul the country’s election commission, as a precursor to new elections (WaPo).

									 
									Iraq’s latest round of protests, which began early last month, have decried high unemployment and government corruption. More than 250 people have died in the demonstrations. The head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, part of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, reportedly traveled to Baghdad (Reuters) this week to try to prevent Abdul-Mahdi’s ouster.
									
									
									Analysis
									
									
									“The only way protesters will get what they want is if Iraq’s ruling elite perceives it to be more dangerous to ignore their demands or to make only cosmetic changes—as they have done so far—than to enact the dramatic and difficult reforms needed to galvanize the private sector economy,” writes CFR’s Max Boot.

									 
									“President Salih seems to have given everyone a reasonable way out. If his plan is accepted, the protesters can go home having accomplished what they demanded, albeit not immediately, Abdul-Mahdi will avoid a vote of no-confidence, and Iraq will be saved from an unprecedented constitutional stalemate,” writes the Atlantic Council’s Abbas Kadhim.

									 
									In Foreign Affairs, Robert S. Ford and Randa Slim lay out how the United States can play the long game to counter Iranian influence in Iraq.
									
									
									Pacific Rim
									
									
									Southeast Asian Trade Ministers Meet in Bangkok
									
									
									Trade ministers will meet today (PTI) to discuss the details of a proposed free trade agreement known as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP. The pact would comprise all ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as well as Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand.

									 
									China: The country’s three state-backed telecom companies introduced 5G mobile phone services (Al Jazeera) today. The move means China now has the largest commercial 5G network in the world, according to the research firm AllianceBernstein.
									
									
									South and Central Asia
									
									
									HRW Details Abuses by Groups in Afghanistan
									
									
									A new report by Human Rights Watch found that in 2017–19, Afghan forces backed by the CIA committed atrocities including summary executions, forced disappearances, and the killing of civilians in night raids. The organization called for such groups to be disbanded and for independent investigations into the reported abuses.

									 
									Pakistan: Tens of thousands of opposition supporters in Islamabad protested against (Reuters) Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government, calling it illegitimate and criticizing Khan’s economic management.
									
									
									Middle East and North Africa
									
									
									Islamic State Announces New Leader
									
									
									In a recording released by its media arm, the self-proclaimed Islamic State confirmed the deaths (WaPo) of its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and a spokesperson for the group. It named Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi its new leader.

									 
									CFR’s Bruce Hoffman and Jacob Ware write that Baghdadi’s death could benefit al-Qaeda.
									
									
									Sub-Saharan Africa
									
									
									Sudan Approves Plan to Rebuild Its Finances
									
									
									The transitional government and the African Development Bank, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank have agreed on a rehabilitation roadmap (Reuters) that includes a debt relief program that would start by late 2020, the finance minister announced.

									 
									CFR’s Michelle Gavin writes that Sudan’s economic crisis was at the heart of Omar al-Bashir’s ouster.

									 
									Nigeria: The government lifted a ban (BBC) imposed in September on two humanitarian groups that it accused of aiding Boko Haram militants and transporting large sums of cash.

									 
									This CFR Backgrounder looks at Nigeria’s battle with Boko Haram.
									
									
									Europe
									
									
									Spain Offers to Host UN Climate Summit
									
									
									Spain has offered to host (Guardian) the upcoming United Nations climate conference known as COP25 in Madrid after Chile withdrew its hosting role amid social unrest. The UN climate panel will review the proposal next week.

									 
									EU: The Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland broke European Union rules (DW) requiring them to accept asylum seekers during the migrant crisis that began in 2015, said an advocate general for the European Court of Justice. Such opinions are not binding but are often adopted by the court.
									
									
									Americas
									
									
									Two Dead in Postelection Clashes in Bolivia
									
									
									Two men died in clashes (BBC) between supporters and opponents of President Evo Morales in central Bolivia, government officials said. Morales was declared the victor in October’s election, which is currently being audited by the Organization of American States.
									
									
									United States
									
									
									Divided House Formalizes Impeachment Inquiry
									
									
									In a 232–196 vote, the U.S. House of Representatives endorsed (NYT) the impeachment inquiry into President Donald J. Trump, stipulating that Congress should hold public hearings that would allow the president to present a defense.
									
									
									Global
									
									
									African Swine Fever Could Kill Quarter of World’s Pigs
									
									
									The head of the World Organization for Animal Health called the spread of the disease (TIME) “the biggest threat to any commercial livestock of our generation.” He warned of possible shortages of food and other products.
									
									
									Friday Editor’s Pick
									
									
									For the London Review of Books, Thomas Meaney looks at the debate in Europe over how to address African migration to the region.
									
									
									Council on Foreign Relations

									58 East 68th Street - New York, NY 10065
									
								
									 |  |  |  | 
									
								
									Forward This Email | Subscribe to CFR Newsletters | Unsubscribe
									
								
			.