The Morning Brief - Lignet
Mali: Guerrilla Attack Could Mean an Extended Stay for France
Islamist insurgents staged a daring guerrilla-style attack in the
northern Mali city of Gao yesterday, raising major questions about
French plans to begin withdrawing its forces next month and the
capabilities of Malian and regional African troops. Al Qaeda-linked
militants reportedly crossed the Niger River into the region’s most
populous city using dugout canoes and other boats after two suicide
bombings in the city over the previous two days.
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Defense Expert: Military Cuts Could Lead to ‘Catastrophe’ for
West
British defense expert Julian Lindley-French told LIGNET in an exclusive
interview last week that in cutting their military budgets without
coordinating with one another, the United States and Europe are setting
themselves up for catastrophe.
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Australia: Seeks Transformation for Asian Security Role
Aiming to counterbalance China as a regional force, Australia is making
a major policy shift that echoes America’s defense pivot toward Asia. In
a move beyond counterterrorism and arms proliferation concerns, the new
strategy focuses on transforming Australian national security thinking
to encompass long-term containment and rejuvenate alliances in
preparation for a more serious military conflict in the region.
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Rabil On Syria: Positive Signs, But Peace Still A Distant Hope
In an exclusive interview, Middle East Expert Dr. Robert Rabil tells
LIGNET that Iran and Egypt appear to be growing closer to each other as
they try to develop a common diplomatic approach to deal with the civil
war in Syria. Rabil also sees a new offer by the Syrian opposition to
talk with the Assad regime as a positive development even as a peace
agreement remains a distant hope.
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Paraguay Turns Conservative, Reconsiders Mercosur
In a departure from the sharp turn to the left taken by its neighbors,
Paraguay appears to have moved beyond its suspension from the regional
trade block Mercosur and is on the verge of returning the conservative
Colorado Party to power. These developments could be a boon for the
desperately poor country by leading to economic reforms and closer
relations with Canada, the EU, and the United States, as well as Asia.
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Pakistan: Turmoil to Accompany Spring Elections
Later this month, Pakistan will dissolve its parliament and schedule
general elections, setting up a contentious process with various
political factions wrestling for control of the country. For the first
time in its history, a Pakistani government will complete a full term in
office, but who will lead the new government is the subject of rampant
speculation.
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Former US Ambassador to Vatican Lists Top 3 Pope Contenders
Jim Nicholson, U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See during the administration
of George W. Bush, spoke with LIGNET about the challenges the Roman
Catholic Church confronts after the departure of Pope Benedict XVI,
including fixing a dysfunctional bureaucracy and meeting the threat of
radical Islam.
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Israel: Netanyahu Faces Turmoil Forming New Government
Over the weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won a
two-week extension to form a new governing coalition in the midst of
hardening political divisions and an unexpected alliance that looks
likely to exclude religious parties. While this deadlock is in part due
to the prima donna approaches to forming a coalition by two runner-up
party leaders – Yair Lapid of the centrist Yesh Atid party and Naftali
Bennett of the far-right Jewish Home – Netanyahu and his coalition
appear to have mismanaged negotiations with these parties and probably
will emerge significantly weakened.
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Greece: Eurozone Membership Day of Reckoning Draws Nearer
Spurred by high unemployment and growing domestic pressure, Greek
officials yesterday told a delegation of international creditors that
they could not implement massive public sector job layoffs, a provision
of the latest Greek economic bailout agreement. Coming on the heels of a
decision by a major U.S. fund manager to downgrade Greece from a
“developed” to an “emerging” market, the political and economic
situation in the country remains dire. It is becoming increasingly clear
that the bailout programs that were to salvage the Greek economy over
the last two years have failed.
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