Iran
Iran raised the possibility on Wednesday of delaying or canceling the resumption of nuclear talks with the big powers, scheduled in less than two weeks, because of what it called dithering by the other side in holding preliminary meetings aimed at ensuring some success. – New York Times
In Israel, however, the United States is still saying plenty, with a stream of current and former officials traveling there to threaten additional sanctions on Iran and to reiterate Mr. Obama’s readiness to use military action against Iran if diplomacy fails. – New York Times
Interview: The acting U.S. ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says Iran needs to stop calling the UN nuclear watchdog names and focus on answering suspicions about its nuclear program. – Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
James Anderson and Frank Marlo write: Indeed, the intensity with which senior U.S. officials have hectored Israel to delay a military strike against Iranian nuclear facilities provides a window into just how reluctant the Obama administration is to threaten military action of its own. But with his emphasis on sheathing the saber, Obama is undermining his own diplomatic leverage and actually making armed conflict with Iran more likely. – Defense News
Syria
Syrian opposition activists reported a mass killing of villagers by pro-government militiamen and security forces on Wednesday — if verified, the fourth massacre in less than two weeks — threatening to inject a new surge of angry momentum into the growing international effort to isolate President Bashar al-Assad and remove him from power. – New York Times
Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan is reaching out to world powers, including Syrian allies Russia and Iran, to plan a transition that could ease President Bashar al-Assad from power, according to people familiar with the effort. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
It’s almost a throwback to the Cold War: a toxic mixture of distrust, weapons shipments and chess moves to preserve spheres of influence. But that’s how Russia and the United States have been maneuvering over Syria. – CNN’s Security Clearance
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner called on Wednesday for the global community to level tough economic sanctions against Syria to quell the continued violence ravaging the country. – The Hill’s On the Money
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Western and Arab nations at a meeting in Istanbul on Wednesday that a transition strategy in Syria must include President Bashar al-Assad’s full transfer of power, a senior U.S. State Department official said. – Reuters
International mediator Kofi Annan will present the U.N. Security Council on Thursday with a new proposal in a last-ditch effort to rescue his failing peace plan for Syria, where 15 months of violence have brought the country to the brink of civil war. – Reuters
The United States accused Syria on Wednesday of cynically using its crackdown on an uprising at home to justify its stonewalling of a United Nations watchdog investigation into the Arab state’s nuclear activities. – Reuters
Syrian businessmen living abroad have created a $300 million fund to support rebels fighting forces of President Bashar al-Assad, opposition activists said on Wednesday. – Reuters
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) writes: America’s Syria policy has been all wishful thinking and no national will. It has been based on the false hope that Assad will realize the error of his ways, that Russia and other unreliable nations will change, and that a positive outcome can be attained absent American leadership. Although U.S. policy has been that Assad must go, this demand has not been coupled with action. This devalues America’s power and influence in the world, with disastrous and lasting consequences. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
Egypt
Former President Hosni Mubarak’s health has deteriorated so sharply since he was first taken to prison five days ago that the authorities are close to a decision to return him to a hospital outside the penal system, security officials and the state news agency said on Wednesday. – New York Times
An Egyptian judicial body recommended on Wednesday that two crucial laws be overturned, allowing former President Hosni Mubarak’s prime minister to stand for election and possibly dissolving a parliament dominated by his Islamist foes. – Reuters
Reports of assaults on women in Tahrir, the epicenter of the uprising that forced Hosni Mubarak to step down last year, have been on the rise with a new round of mass protests to denounce a mixed verdict against the ousted leader and his sons in a trial last week. – Associated Press
Mike Singh writes: During the Cold War, though U.S. policies were not always consistent, it was clear that the U.S. stood for freedom and democracy. In the Middle East today, that has been far from clear, as the U.S. has responded to the Arab uprisings hesitantly, even passively. If nothing else, Washington must ensure that every person in the Middle Eastern understands that America remains committed to this vital region, and remains committed to freedom and democracy for its citizens. – Shadow Government
Libya
A senior Libyan official says a “miscommunication” was responsible for militia shutting down Tripoli’s international airport on Monday, the latest challenge to the interim government’s authority. – Washington Times
A bomb exploded outside the U.S. diplomatic mission in the Libyan city of Benghazi overnight, an attack that could be retaliation for the killing, in a U.S. drone strike, of al Qaeda’s Libyan second-in-command. – Reuters
Yemen
U.S. policymakers might talk down “boots on the ground” in Yemen but with military advisers and contractors deployed and aid funding rising, Washington and its allies are already being drawn ever deeper into the country. – Reuters
Tens of thousands of Yemeni civilians are trapped by fighting during a U.S.-backed army offensive on Islamist militants in the south of the country and urgently need help, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Wednesday. – Reuters
Iraq
President Obama’s controversial nominee for ambassador to Iraq sailed through his confirmation hearing relatively unscathed on Wednesday despite reservations about his lack of experience heading an embassy. – The Hill’s Global Affairs
Analysis: A wily political survivor, Maliki has so far emerged unscathed from the unrelenting melee since the government was formed 18 months ago. Now his foes want to test his survival skills to the limit with the threat of a vote of no confidence. – Reuters
Saudi Arabia
The stated goal of the [King Abdullah Scholarship Program], which the Arab News daily in December reported cost more than 20 billion riyals ($5.3 billion), is to prepare Saudi nationals to replace expatriate workers in better-paid technical jobs in the kingdom, reducing unemployment. But a secondary ambition of making Saudi Arabia a more open society has always been more or less explicitly acknowledged by the authorities. – Reuters
Middle East Economies
Governments in the Middle East are investing less internationally than they have at any time in the past three years, as pressure to focus on domestic needs has shifted their attention away from global trophy acquisitions, analysts say. – New York Times
The key role played by social media in the Arab Spring political movement has helped to encourage the growth of online start-ups across the Arabic-speaking region. Young entrepreneurs say that creating businesses that employ people and contribute to social change can be just as revolutionary as marching in demonstrations. – New York Times
Israel
Israeli lawmakers voted overwhelmingly Wednesday against a measure that would have legalized unauthorized Jewish settlements in the West Bank, including one that the Israeli Supreme Court has ordered to be partially demolished before July. – Washington Post
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, at the second annual International Cyber Security Conference in Tel Aviv, said Wednesday that his country was engaged in a new battle frontier. – CNN’s Security Clearance
Afghanistan
Leon E. Panetta, the United States defense secretary, arrived in Afghanistan on Thursday, after the deadliest day for civilians this year and amid controversy over a NATO airstrike the day before in which Afghan officials say 18 women and children were killed. – New York Times
During a two-day stop here, Panetta urged Indian officials to take a “more active role” in Afghanistan and tried to allay their concerns about a new U.S. strategy for Asia that aims in part to counterbalance China’s increasing influence and military power. – Washington Post
China President Hu Jintao called for greater efforts by China, Russia and Central Asian nations to help stabilize Afghanistan to prevent wider regional disruptions, underscoring the group’s broader aspirations for a coordinated response on security issues—as well as its worries. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
Violence took the lives of at least two dozen Afghan civilians and possibly many more on Wednesday, making it the deadliest day for Afghan civilians so far this year. The day included a complex suicide attack in Kandahar City and a NATO airstrike that Afghan officials and residents said had killed women and children in eastern Afghanistan. – New York Times
A recently completed Pentagon inquiry into the accidental burnings of Qurans in Afghanistan could result in disciplinary action against U.S. troops. – DEFCON Hill
Bibi’s case has put the spotlight on the controversial ALP, a 13,000-strong force that is divided into some 80 units across Afghanistan. – Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Afghan President Hamid Karzai is cutting short an official visit to China following reports of civilian deaths in a NATO air strike in southeast Afghanistan and an insurgent bombing in the south, the presidential palace said on Thursday. – Reuters
John Nagl writes: Like any successful counterinsurgency, Afghanistan is likely to end somewhat unsatisfyingly for Americans, with a corrupt but gradually improving government in Kabul, advisers helping Afghan security forces fight a weakening but still dangerous Taliban, and a schizophrenic Pakistan alternately helping Afghan and Taliban fighters. It may also, in the odd logic of counterinsurgency, be more likely to succeed if we leave the project somewhat unfinished – New York Times
Pakistan
Amid accusations of conflict of interest, Pakistan’s chief justice announced on Thursday that he is removing himself from a panel investigating corruption allegations against his son and announced the formation of a two-member bench to look into the claims. – New York Times
Pakistan is impeding U.S. attempts to curb the flow of bombmaking materials from Pakistan to Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan, a report by the Government Accountability Office obtained by USA Today shows. – USA Today
Pakistan’s harshest critics in Congress are applauding Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta for finally acknowledging that America is at war within the boundaries of the nominal U.S. ally. – The Hill’s Global Affairs
Pakistan’s new defense budget increases funding for the Army and Air Force and slightly decreases it for the Navy, but challenging economic conditions put near-term procurements in doubt. – Defense News
Just two days after a drone strike killed al-Qaida’s second-in-command, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta made it clear Wednesday that such attacks will continue as long as the U.S. needs to defend itself against terrorists that threaten America. – Associated Press
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Thursday the United States was reaching the limits of its patience with Pakistan because of the safe havens the country offered to insurgents in neighboring Afghanistan. – Reuters
Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered police and government officials to fly to a mountain village to investigate whether four women were killed for clapping and singing as men danced at a wedding. – Reuters
China
China’s overseas investment surged in the first quarter to $21.4 billion as state-owned companies snapped up resource-related assets around the globe, according to a report by a private investment firm that counts China’s sovereign-wealth fund among its partners. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
The Communist Party’s top disciplinary body is enacting an “anti-flight” program to keep people in place. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection last month reviewed ways to keep people from moving abroad, including confiscating passports and registering family members living overseas as a way to monitor who might be kept out of high positions. – Los Angeles Times
Beijing has curtailed access to information often used by investors and short sellers to evaluate Chinese companies, which could further cloud an often murky market for foreign investors. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
China’s military is building up space warfare forces with missiles, military satellites, and electronic systems designed to attack U.S. satellites and space-transiting precision strike vehicles, according to a congressional report. – Washington Free Beacon
Online petitioners stepped up pressure on China on Thursday to investigate the death in hospital of a labor activist after spending more than 22 years in jail for his role in the 1989 pro-democracy protests in Beijing. – Reuters
Bill Gertz reports: A key House Republican this week stepped up pressure on the Obama administration for its weak public response to the growing threat posed by China’s military buildup. – Washington Times’ Inside the Ring
Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA) writes: If the Navy wants to build a larger attack submarine fleet or the Air Force hopes to develop and field a new long-range bomber in the decade ahead, for instance, civilian and military leaders will have to clearly articulate the role these platforms play in our national security policy to the Congress and U.S. public. Ultimately, we won’t succeed if we remain averse to discussing the strategic competition where we find ourselves or talking openly about PLA military modernization and how it affects our goals and objectives. China is a competitor. There, I said it. – The Diplomat
East Asia
Mongolia has blocked former president Nambaryn Enkhbayar from running for parliament in upcoming elections, a move that many say could damage the young, mineral-rich democracy’s reputation for transparency and upholding democratic principles. – Financial Times
North Korea’s young leader, Kim Jong-un, on Wednesday made his second speech at a major public event since taking power in December, addressing a children’s rally aimed at winning a new generation’s support. – Associated Press
Josh Rogin reports: Right-wing Japanese lawmakers and activists have successfully rounded up more than 25,000 signatures for a petition on the White House website asking the Obama administration to force the state of New Jersey to take down a monument dedicated to the memory of “comfort women,” the thousands of women kidnapped and raped by Japanese soldiers during World War II. – The Cable
Mike Green writes: The North Koreans don’t care much for democracy, but they sure enjoy negotiating with democracies in an election year — especially when they detect that mission number one in Washington is to avoid troubling foreign policy headlines until after November 6 – Shadow Government
India
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta urged India on Wednesday to build a closer military relationship with the United States, but Indian leaders appeared more interested in buying U.S. weapons than in aligning strategically with Washington. – Los Angeles Times
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday laid out ambitious infrastructure development plans for the current fiscal year, in an effort to counter criticism over a perceived policy paralysis that has led India into its worst slowdown in nearly a decade. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
Southeast Asia
Aung San Suu Kyi attempted to play down the impact of her recent warnings to investors to retain a “healthy skepticism” and beware of “reckless optimism” when dealing with Myanmar, which had led to talk of an opening rift between the opposition figure and the country’s leadership. – Wall Street Journal
A former top Singapore government official was charged on Wednesday with accepting sexual favors from women seeking to influence government contracts—a rare corruption case in the city-state, which prides itself on transparency in government and business. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
American warships and fighter plans can once again call Subic Bay and Clark Air Force Base home after Manila approved limited U.S. deployments to the former American military outposts. – DEFCON Hill
President Obama’s pick to be U.S. ambassador to Sri Lanka vowed to make human rights a priority during her confirmation hearing Wednesday. – The Hill’s Global Affairs
Thai “red shirts” rallied outside parliament on Thursday to demand the removal of judges whose order to halt a parliamentary debate on changes to the constitution has sparked fears of a fresh round of political turmoil. – Reuters
Jermyn Brooks writes: The Internet is bound to feature in Thailand’s high-growth future. Bangkok now has an opportunity to lay the legal foundation for that future, if it understands that free expression plays a big role in economic development. – Wall Street Journal Asia (subscription required)
Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s opponents warned on Wednesday that their protest movement could become more radical while more than 10 protesters were detained after parliament approved a law increasing fines on demonstrators who violate public order. – Reuters
Russia will probably be in breach of global trade rules when it joins the World Trade Organisation this year, the EU executive said on Wednesday, signaling Brussels would feel justified in filing a case against the club’s newest member. – Reuters
Editorial: Although many analysts in Russia have expressed hope that a more open and competitive political system might grow out of the demonstrations, Mr. Putin shows no sign of considering it. He endorsed the new legislation, saying, “We must shield our people from radical actions.” How radical? In some of the recent protests, participants have held aloft placards saying, “Russia without Putin!” Now, Mr. Putin is saying he wants a Russia without them. – Washington Post
The human rights situation in Russia in the last dozen years has deteriorated significantly, as documented both by Freedom House and by the State Department’s Human Rights Report. These abuses are a symptom of the larger problem in Russia, which is the endemic corruption of people in high places. That is why Congress should replace Jackson-Vanik with modern legislation that addresses today’s Russia. – Washington Post
Europe
Hungary’s government defended its efforts to crack down on corruption after separate reports by nongovernmental organizations Freedom House and Transparency International found corruption was still widespread in all levels of Hungarian society. – WSJ’s Emerging Europe
The [EU] boycott threat has cast a pall over a month seen as a chance for Ukraine to shed its Soviet image and show its European mettle. But it’s also hardened attitudes among many Ukrainians that Tymoshenko is part of a larger problem they’re weary of dealing with. – Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Russia accused the United States on Wednesday of encouraging Georgia to seek revenge against Moscow for a 2008 war, a day after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton promised new U.S. military support for Tbilisi. – Reuters
United States of America
The House and Senate intelligence committees announced plans Wednesday to draft new laws against leaks of classified information, adding to an uproar on Capitol Hill over a series of recent stories that revealed details of terrorism threats and CIA programs. – Washington Post
Analysis: In recent years, the United States has pioneered the use of two innovative weapons, drones and cyberattacks, that by many accounts have devastated Al Qaeda and set back Iran’s nuclear effort. Now those programs are at the heart of a bipartisan dispute over secrecy, with Congressional Republicans accusing the Obama administration of leaking classified information for political advantage and Democrats lodging their own protests about high-level disclosures. – New York Times
Venezuela
Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez will personally go to register his candidacy for the October 7 election on Monday, officials said, dampening rumors he might be too unwell from cancer or considering a successor. – Reuters
West Africa
The haven taking shape in West Africa — more than 250,000 square miles, including the legendary city of Timbuktu — risks turning into another outland like the remote areas of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen, where terrorists linked to al-Qaeda seek safety from U.S. and other efforts to hunt them down, according to European diplomats, academic experts and reports from the region. – Washington Post
Angola began withdrawing its troops and military equipment from Guinea-Bissau on Wednesday, officials said, ending a year-long mission in the West African country aimed at reforming the army but which instead helped trigger a coup. – Reuters
Liberia’s government has failed to stop mercenaries and militias based on its soil from recruiting child soldiers and launching a series of deadly raids on villages across the border in Ivory Coast, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday. – Reuters
East Africa
The United States is offering rewards of up to $7 million for information leading to the location of seven key leaders of Somalia’s al Shabaab, seeking for the first time to target top echelons of the al Qaeda-linked militant group. – Reuters
Sudan warned of renewed hostilities with newly independent neighbor South Sudan as disagreements over the creation of a demilitarized border zone held up peace talks between the former civil war foes on Wednesday. – Reuters
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has submitted his first report to the Security Council detailing grave crimes committed against children by Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony and his feared Lord’s Resistance Army, the U.N. announced on Wednesday. – Reuters
