Iran
Iran recently has mounted a series of disruptive computer attacks against major U.S. banks and other companies in apparent retaliation for Western economic sanctions aimed at halting its nuclear program, according to U.S. intelligence and other officials. – Washington Post
The Iranian opposition group that attracted that A-list of Washington backers, many of them generously compensated for speeches, learned Friday that it had achieved its goal: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has decided to remove the group, the Mujahedeen Khalq, or People’s Mujahedeen, from the State Department’s list of designated terrorist organizations. – New York Times
Iranian military leaders unveiled a new missile defense system Friday that is built to destroy “aggressive” U.S. aircraft, according to reports. – Washington Free Beacon
A senior Iranian lawmaker accused the UN nuclear watchdog on Sunday of passing confidential details of Iran’s atomic work to Israel, and a military commander said Tehran may consider a pre-emptive strike on the Jewish state if it looked set to attack. – Reuters
An Israeli war on Iran “will eventually happen” but the Jewish state will be destroyed as a result, the head of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards said on Sept. 22, according to reports. – AFP
Syria
Commanders of the Free Syrian Army, the main umbrella group for fighters opposing President Bashar al-Assad, said Saturday that they had moved their headquarters from Turkey into “liberated areas” inside Syria, in what they portrayed as a major step forward in their efforts to aid, coordinate and control disparate groups of rebels. – New York Times
Syrian rebel fighters on the Turkish border are pushing ahead with a plan to turn territory in Idlib province that has been mostly under their control since early summer into a logistics and training base for fighters across the country. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
The raging conflict in Syria will take center stage starting Monday as some 120 world leaders converge on the United Nations for what is sometimes called “diplomacy’s annual trade fair.” – New York Times
In a rare instance of officially tolerated dissent, opponents of President Bashar al-Assad gathered in the capital on Sunday to call for his removal from power. – New York Times
In recent weeks, the Turkish government has made illegal crossings from Syria much more difficult. In the past, Turkish soldiers might turn a blind eye, especially for refugees, and a few dollars. They are now aggressively enforcing the country’s borders. – Washington Post
U.S. and Western diplomats are concerned that the longer Bashar al-Assad hangs on to his failing regime in Damascus, the more likely it is that the aftermath of the Syrian rebellion will be dominated by Islamist elements, completing an arc of newly empowered radical groups along the southern half of the Mediterranean from Libya to Syria. – National Journal
Interview: Erdogan has allowed the Syrian opposition to make its base in Turkey and has remained in the forefront of the fight for regime change. The Washington Post’s Lally Weymouth spoke with Erdogan in Ankara on Tuesday. – Washington Post
David Pollock writes: All in all, the data show that most Syrian opposition activists are far from being Islamic fanatics or extremists…The argument that providing this help might result in trading Assad’s hostile secular dictatorship for a hostile Islamic one does not square with these facts. – Washington Post
Leon Wieseltier writes: The pollsters say that Americans do not care about foreign policy now; but the wanness of our foreign policy only encourages Americans in their pullback mood, their spirit of extrication. There is the isolationism of the mind, which can be engaged by persuasion, and the isolationism of the heart, which is harder to reach. Even at 8.1 percent unemployment, America has historical responsibilities, which are also historical privileges. Even on the back burner, the world burns. – The New Republic
Libya
The attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans has dealt the Central Intelligence Agency a major setback in its intelligence-gathering efforts at a time of increasing instability in the North African nation. – New York Times
Two Islamist militias in the eastern city of Darnah announced Saturday that they were disbanding, bowing to a wave of antimilitia anger that has swept parts of Libya since a deadly attack on an American diplomatic mission on Sept. 11. – New York Times
Libya’s interim government on Sunday ordered the breakup of all militias that do not fall under its authority, and demanded that those militias pull out of military compounds and public property within 48 hours. – New York Times
Libya’s new government is discussing a potentially multibillion-dollar program with at least three European governments to provide sensors and other equipment to secure its borders, industry executives said. – Defense News
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) said Sunday that President Obama needs to set the record straight on what happened in the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. – DEFCON Hill
The heavily armed extremists who laid siege to the U.S. Consulate in Libya used military-style tactics that may have steered Americans toward a waiting ambush, U.S. officials said Friday as they pieced together details about how the compound was overrun. – Associated Press
Stephen Hayes writes: Barack Obama came to office promising to repair relations with the Islamic world. What he couldn’t accomplish by the mere fact of his presidency, through his name and his familiarity with Islam, he would achieve through “smart diplomacy.” Instead, over the last four years, and particularly the last two weeks, the defining characteristics of his foreign policy have been mendacity, incompetence, and, yes, stupidity. – The Weekly Standard
Egypt
On the eve of his first trip to the United States as Egypt’s new Islamist president, Mohamed Morsi said the United States needed to fundamentally change its approach to the Arab world, showing greater respect for its values and helping build a Palestinian state, if it hoped to overcome decades of pent-up anger. – New York Times
The fractious episode, and the Brotherhood’s muddled and contradictory response, also put in sharp focus an emergent rift within the group’s leadership over how to stay true to its Islamist roots yet survive in a world where a close economic relationship with the U.S. appears necessary. – Los Angeles Times
An Islamist militant group based in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula has claimed responsibility for a cross-border attack in which an Israeli soldier was killed, calling the raid a response to an online video mocking the prophet Muhammad that triggered protests across the Muslim world. – Washington Post
The leader of Southern California’s Coptic Orthodox Church canceled a trip to Egypt amid concerns he might be detained if the Egyptian government launches an investigation into whether he is connected to the anti-Islamic video that has sparked violent protests. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
Iraq
In the case of Iraq, the American goal has been to leave a stable and representative government, avoid a power vacuum that neighboring states and terrorists could exploit and maintain sufficient influence so that Iraq would be a partner or, at a minimum, not an opponent in the Middle East. But the Obama administration has fallen frustratingly short of some of those objectives. – New York Times
Turkey
A Turkish court found more than 300 active and retired military officers guilty of plotting to overthrow the government, in a sign that the judiciary is joining a government-led effort to strip the armed forces of political influence. – Wall Street Journal
Dani Rodrik writes: I hope that the world will more closely focus on the gross miscarriage of justice taking place in Turkey. While Turkey touts itself as a leader of democratic freedoms in the Middle East, its actions in this and similar cases indicate otherwise. Let us hope that shining a light on these flagrant manipulations will hasten the day that the rule of law becomes more firmly established in Turkey. – Washington Post
Afghanistan
The American military says it has now fully withdrawn the last of the 33,000 “surge troops” sent to pacify Afghanistan two years ago, but they are leaving behind an uncertain landscape of rising violence and political instability that threatens to undo considerable gains in security, particularly in the former Taliban strongholds in the south and southwest. – New York Times
By daybreak the next morning, as smoke stopped billowing from the airfield and weary commanders gave the all-clear to U.S. Marines and British Special Forces troops who spent the night defending the camp, it wasn’t the threats raised by the infiltration on the minds of many people on the base. Rather, they were primarily struck by the actions of a tough and widely admired commander who returned home in a coffin this week. – Washington Post
Republican defense hawks are urging Mitt Romney to separate himself from President Obama on Afghanistan and back an extended presence for U.S. troops in the country. – DEFCON Hill
Editorial: [T]he threat of infiltration and fratricide should not be allowed to break NATO’s strategy of gradually drawing down forces between now and the end of 2014 while continuing to train and mentor Afghan troops. An accelerated withdrawal or the abandonment of the Afghan army would only lead to far greater problems. U.S. strategy on Afghanistan should remain “on track,” as Mr. Panetta put it — even if it is off the rails at the moment. – Washington Post
Max Boot writes: The present path in Afghanistan—of drift and drawdown—is discouraging. But hard as it may be to swallow, Republicans—including their presidential nominee, Mitt Romney—need to avoid the counsels of despair and to push for a robust, long-term American engagement that can stabilize Afghanistan and prevent al Qaeda’s allies from once again taking over. – The Weekly Standard
South Asia
Violent crowds furious over an anti-Islamic video made in the United States convulsed Pakistan’s largest cities on Friday, leaving up to 19 people dead and more than 160 injured in a day of government-sanctioned protests. – New York Times
A Pakistani cabinet minister offered a $100,000 reward on Saturday for the death of the person behind the anti-Islam video made in the United States that has roiled Muslims around the world, even suggesting that Taliban and Al Qaeda militants could carry out the killing. – New York Times
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made a rare nationwide televised appeal on Friday night to defend a series of unpopular measures, intended to revive the floundering Indian economy, that have stirred mass protests across the country and almost toppled his coalition government. – New York Times
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. WMT -0.40% expects to open its first retail stores in India in the next two years after a contentious government decision this month allowing foreign retailers to expand their footprint in the world’s second-most-populated country. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
China
Wang Lijun, a flashy former police chief who helped derail the career of one of China’s most prominent Communist Party figures, was sentenced Monday to 15 years in prison on charges including covering up a murder and then attempting to defect to the United States. – Washington Post
China’s economy hasn’t shown any signs of rebounding in the third quarter, and domestic investment is unlikely to expand dramatically in the short term, said Song Guoqing, an adviser to the People’s Bank of China. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
China’s first aircraft carrier was handed over to the navy of the People’s Liberation Army on Sept. 23, state press said, amid rising tensions over disputed waters in the East and South China Seas. – AFP
East Asia
As a territorial dispute begins to impinge on Japan’s economic relationship with China, the government of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda looks increasingly likely to shift its focus to a free-trade pact led by the U.S. from one involving China—at least for now. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
Japan’s prime minister warned China that its inflammatory reaction to a territorial dispute—from violent protests to apparent informal trade sanctions—could further weaken China’s already-fragile economy by scaring away foreign investors. The comments show how the diplomatic standoff could broaden into a damaging commercial tit-for-tat between the world’s second- and third-largest economies. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
The value of the islands has never been in their aesthetics, but in history and geopolitics: what control of the islands says about the relative power of Asia’s two economic giants, one rising and the other in what many see as a slow decline. – New York Times
With an orgy of anti-Japanese demonstrations prompted by a dispute over some rocky islands in the East China Sea having recently run its course, China is now being forced to contemplate just how out-of-hand the protests became. – WSJ’s China Real Time Report
Three Chinese ships briefly entered what Japan considers its territorial waters near disputed islands in the East China Sea on Monday, prompting an official protest from Tokyo and renewed diplomatic efforts to cool tensions between the rivals. – Reuters
Editorial: Western journalists noticed that some demonstrators in Beijing carried Mao posters, and they wondered if they were followers of Bo Xilai, the populist provincial party chief who was purged six months ago. Whether in Ohio or Beijing, an opportunistic pander to populist sentiment often boomerangs in the long run. – Washington Post
Koreas
South Korean patrol boats fired warning shots at North Korean fishing vessels in contested waters in the Yellow Sea on Friday, but the North’s boats fled without casualties, the South Korean military said. – New York Times
A meeting Tuesday of North Korea’s rubber-stamp legislature might provide the clearest signals yet of the direction in which new dictator Kim Jong Eun is trying to take the country. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
[T]hose who knew Pak in South Korea, as well as South Korean government officials, say there’s a dark side to Pak’s rise to propaganda stardom. Her story, they say, is largely false and probably state-fed, and it exposes North Korea’s willingness to manipulate a citizen who returned not because she yearned for her homeland but because she feared for the safety of the son she left behind. – Washington Post
Park Geun-hye’s speech Monday morning reconciling the legacy of her father was like the moment Barack Obama faced in the U.S. presidential primaries in March 2008, when incendiary statements by his former minister forced him to speak about race. – WSJ’s Korea Real Time
North Korea plans to allow farmers to keep more of their produce in an attempt to boost agricultural output, a source with close ties to Pyongyang and Beijing said, in a move that could boost supplies, help cap rising food prices and ease malnutrition. – Reuters
South Korea and the United States are close to agreement on more than doubling the range of Seoul’s ballistic missiles to better guard against threats from North Korea, a report said on Sept. 23. – AFP
Burma
[D]uring Saturday’s events, not a hint of bitterness was on display in Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi’s manner as she was lauded by New York politicians, was questioned by students and spoke to Burmese immigrants as if to a room full of old friends. – New York Times
Myanmar’s reformist president heads to the United States this week, keen to win an end to sanctions and open a new chapter in a once frosty relationship that could bring economic and geostrategic benefits to both sides. – Reuters
FPI Director of Democracy and Human Rights Ellen Bork writes: Burma’s leaders may be circumspect about China’s influence as a factor in political reform and ties with the United States. President Thein Sein’s visit to New York begins after he pays a call on Chinese leaders in Beijing. One doesn’t choose one’s neighbors, Aung San Suu Kyi has said. But Burma’s people do want to choose their friends. – The Weekly Standard
James Glassman and Amanda Schnetzer writes: While confident that her country can overcome these and other obstacles to a free society, Aung San Suu Kyi recognizes that “until the army comes out clearly and consistently in support of the democratic process, we cannot say that it’s irreversible.” Let us hope that day comes sooner than anyone expects, just as Suu Kyi’s historic visit to America came this week. – Shadow Government
Southeast Asia
An Indonesian antiterrorist squad arrested 10 suspected Islamist militants and seized a stash of improvised bombs, police said Sunday, as worries grow over home-grown militants’ plans to strike local security forces and government officials. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
A Vietnamese court sentenced three high-profile bloggers to jail terms ranging from four to 12 years on Monday, in the latest crackdown on dissent as booming Internet usage threatens to undermine the Communist government’s authority. – Reuters
Russia
Russia’s lower house of Parliament on Friday unanimously approved amendments substantially broadening the legal definition of high treason, so it applies not only to acts that jeopardize state security but also to those that undermine “constitutional order, sovereignty, and territorial and state integrity.” – New York Times
The decision by the Kremlin this month to terminate all the agency’s programs here…marks the end of an extraordinary collaboration between the two former cold war enemies, one that was unimpeded, at least initially, by the suspicion that often shadows foreign aid, in part because such programs have historically in many places provided cover for intelligence activities. – New York Times
The foundations are starting to crack at Gazprom, the giant energy company that is the central pillar in the economic and political system constructed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. – Washington Post
Business groups are urging lawmakers and the White House to work together to normalize trade relations with Russia by the end of the year. – The Hill’s On the Money
Interview: Among those with doubts about the street protests is Vladimir Milov, 40, chairman of the opposition party Democratic Choice…He questions the goals and tactics of the recent demonstration against the Russian president. – Los Angeles Times
Europe
Eight years ago this small mountainous country, driven by peaceful revolution, picked itself up from post-Soviet chaos and began transformation into a Western state. Now, in the week ahead, it confronts a critical test of how well its young democracy can prevail over an authoritarian past. – Washington Post
Belarus held parliamentary elections on Sunday, though the outcome was hardly in doubt: supporters of President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko have traditionally won, and now hold, all 110 seats in the chamber. – New York Times
Editorial: Though Serbia and Russia have tried to undermine it at the U.N. and elsewhere, Kosovo long ago adopted a constitution, established a parliamentary democracy, set up embassies, chose a national anthem and raised an army. The Kosovars couldn’t have done it without American military and political backing, and they’re grateful. The capital, Pristina, has streets named after Bush and Clinton. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
United States of America
On a morning intended to reassure hard-line anti-Castro voters, who are a powerful force in South Florida Republican politics, Representative Paul D. Ryan made a pilgrimage to a restaurant here at the heart of the Cuban exile community in Little Havana. Part of the reason: to criticize what he called President Obama’s “appeasement” of the Cuban government. – New York Times
A senior U.S. House Democrat knocked GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney for his stance that Russia is America’s top threat, saying there are multiple issues on which the Cold War foes can partner. – Defense News
The Senate approved the six-month spending resolution to keep the government funded early Saturday morning. – The Hill’s Floor Action Blog
Josh Rogin reports: On a conference call with American rabbis Thursday evening, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney altered his position on what “red lines” he would set for Iran before deciding military action was necessary. – The Cable
FPI Director William Kristol writes: Mitt Romney’s virtual silence on foreign policy is the opposite of politically astute. He most likely can’t win the presidency without engaging in, and prevailing in, a serious and sustained national security debate over the next seven weeks. It’s irresponsible to duck that debate. When will he begin to ignore his timid advisers, overrule his calculating functionaries, and make the case against Obama—and for America? – The Weekly Standard
Latin America
[W]hile Venezuelan officials boasted of having caught the man President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia called “the last of the great kingpins,” they were not exactly predicting a new era of cooperation with Washington. – New York Times
Sudans
Leaders of Sudan and South Sudan met on late on Sunday to try reach a deal to end hostilities and restart oil exports but there was still no breakthrough on a key security accord after two weeks of talks in Ethiopia, officials said. – Reuters
South Africa
South African prosecutors issued an arrest warrant for politician Julius Malema, his lawyer said, as the country struggles to resolve worker unrest in which Mr. Malema played an activist role. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
South African tax authorities said they had won the right to issue a 16 million rand ($1.93 million) tax bill to ousted African National Congress politician Julius Malema. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
