The Morning Brief : Lignet
Venezuela: Chavez Probably Lied About His Cancer to Win
Re-Election
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s announcement over the weekend that he
will undergo a fourth cancer operation and name a successor suggests he
misled the Venezuelan public about the seriousness of his illness to win
re-election in October. While Chavez has now, for the first time, named
a successor in case he does not survive his illness, the Venezuelan
president reportedly has done little succession planning.
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India: Wary of China but Pakistan and Domestic Problems Hinder
Strong Response
China’s growing political assertiveness and increasing military
capabilities are viewed with growing concern in India, but domestic
inefficiencies and lingering tensions with Pakistan are limiting India’s
prospects for developing a credible response. In addition, there appears
to be disagreement among Indian leaders about how the country should
approach potential friends and allies in the region to help counter, or
at least balance a rising China.
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Algeria: A Natural Ally In The War On Terror
Worried about the Islamist takeover of northern Mali earlier this year,
Algeria has ramped up spending on its military. Although its
military-backed government is not exactly a Jeffersonian democracy, it
fought and won a long civil war against Islamist extremists in the
1990s. Fearful that a new bloodbath could erupt within its borders, it
is taking wise preventive measures to reduce that possibility, even as
it balances its traditional reluctance to support military
interventions.
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Former Ambassador: Greece is Not Financially Viable
Former U.S. ambassador to Greece Daniel Speckhard told LIGNET this week
in an exclusive interview that Greece is no longer financially viable
given that it is only able to make payments on its debts because Europe
is giving it the money.
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