The Morning Brief- - Lignet
US Push for Peace Talks Could Strengthen Taliban
During its accelerated military drawdown from Afghanistan, the Obama
Administration is continuing to pursue reconciliation talks between the
Taliban and the Afghanistan government, seeing them as a key element of
its disengagement strategy. However, the U.S. push for talks looks not
only likely to fail but may actually embolden the Taliban and weaken the
authority of the Afghan national government, as LIGNET explains.
To continue reading this LIGNET special report, upgrade your
account status by clicking here.
US Unlikely to Ever Arm Syrian Rebels
A newly revealed plan for arming the Syrian opposition was considered
but finally nixed by the White House, and LIGNET believes it is unlikely
that the United States will send arms to Syria at any time in the near
future. The risk of weapons falling into the wrong hands is too great.
But in deciding not to arm the rebels, the United States likely passed
up an opportunity to bring the civil war in Syria to a quicker
conclusion.
To continue reading this LIGNET special report, upgrade your
account status by clicking here.
Groombridge: North Korea Repeats Old Tactic with Nuke Test
In a new interview, LIGNET senior Asia analyst Mark Groombridge said
that North Korea’s February 12 nuclear test was a repeat of the same
tired tactic that Pyongyang has used for two decades to extort aid from
other countries. The trouble is, this tactic could work again, says
Groombridge.
To continue reading this LIGNET special report, upgrade your
account status by clicking here.
Tibet: China Squeezes Harder To Exert Control
Beijing ushered in the Year of the Snake on February 10 alongside its
annual crackdown on ethnic Tibetans, who began the two-week festival of
Losar, the Tibetan New Year, on February 11. The latest security
clampdown comes as a response to a spike in self-immolations from
Tibetans increasingly frustrated by their lack of freedom and indicates
that the new Chinese leadership is unlikely to change its harsh policies
toward the resistive province
To continue reading this LIGNET special report, upgrade your
account status by clicking here.
Hezbollah In The EU’s Crosshairs, But Will Europe Pull The
Trigger?
With the Bulgarian government’s recent finding that members of Hezbollah
are responsible for a suicide bombing last July that killed six people,
the European Union can now take strong action against the Lebanese
Shiite group. It could brand it a “terrorist organization,” as the
United States has done. But LIGNET believes that another outcome is more
likely.
To continue reading this LIGNET special report, upgrade your
account status by clicking here.
Venezuela: Devaluation Hurts Economy But Will Boost Opposition
This week, the Venezuelan government devalued the currency by nearly a
third to deal with severe economic problems stemming from President Hugo
Chavez’s mismanagement of the economy. While this move is intended to
address the government’s huge budget deficit, it is a short term fix
that will not address core problems affecting the Venezuelan economy. It
will, however, probably boost support for Venezuela’s opposition.
To continue reading this LIGNET special report, upgrade your
account status by clicking here.
|