Just Foreign Policy News
September 24, 2009

Tell President Obama: No More Troops for Afghanistan
Some of Obama's advisers are urging him to reject General McChrystal's request for more troops. With Obama publicly deliberating, now is the time to weigh in. Send President Obama a letter. Urge him to reject the request for more troops and turn U.S. policy away from military escalation and towards diplomacy and negotiation.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/nomoretroops

Scholars, NGOs Appeal to President Obama for UN Security Council Meeting on Honduras
Brazil has asked for an emergency UN Security Council session on the crisis in Honduras. The State Department has said it is viewing Brazil's request positively. Scholars and NGO leaders have initiated a letter to President Obama urging him to support Brazil's request. You can sign too.
http://bit.ly/3KGt7g

Video - Andrea Mitchell: 500,000 Troops Needed for Afghanistan?
Journalist Andrea Mitchell is reporting that in the classified section of the McChrystal report on Afghanistan was a statement that 500,000 troops would be needed in Afghanistan. That's total troops, not U.S. forces, but Mitchell makes the point that since many are deeply skeptical that McChrystal's goals for increasing Afghan troops are realistic, it's reasonable for President Obama to view McChrystal's request for more U.S. troops very skeptically, since the request for more U.S. troops is based on a promise of a "success" in which there are 500,000 troops overall.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWX794aJ_y8

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Just Foreign Policy News
September 23, 2009

The Real Failure of the Afghan Election
The post-election claims about the Afghan election have had the unfortunate effect of obscuring a far more fundamental consequence for evaluating the future of US policy. The fundamental failure was not the attempted theft of votes by some Karzai supporters and some Abdullah supporters. The fundamental failure was the failure of the US and allied forces to provide security for the election, as they had promised to do. If the US and its allies could not establish security for this single event, an event on which they were highly focused, an event for which they had explicitly increased their forces in the country, that suggests that current plans to provide security by increasing foreign forces will fail, absent a broad political process to resolve Afghanistan's conflicts - a political process that must include the "Taliban" insurgencies to be successful.
http://www.truthout.org/092209R?n

Withdraw from Afghanistan with a Public, Negotiated Timetable
In this short video from the CATO forum, Just Foreign Policy makes the case for a timetable for withdrawal.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/exit-afghanistan

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Summary:
U.S./Top News

Just Foreign Policy News
September 22, 2009

Now is the Time to Restore President Zelaya
Secretary of State Clinton says that "now that President Zelaya is back, it would be opportune to restore him to his position." But before there can be a diplomatic solution, the U.S. must make clear to the coup regime that a violent crackdown won't solve the crisis. Urge the State Department and the White House to speak out forcefully against violent repression.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/node/342

Withdraw from Afghanistan with a Public, Negotiated Timetable
In this short video from the CATO forum, Just Foreign Policy makes the case for a timetable for withdrawal.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/exit-afghanistan

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Summary:
U.S./Top News
1) Honduran authorities maintained a security cordon around the Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa Tuesday after forcefully dispersing supporters of ousted President Zelaya, CNN reports. Police and soldiers blocked off streets throughout the capital to enforce a nationwide curfew. All flights in and out of the country were canceled. The de facto authorities isolated the Brazilian Embassy by cutting water, power and phone lines to the building. The U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa was closed. The State Department said U.S. diplomats remained in contact with both sides in the conflict.

Just Foreign Policy News
September 21, 2009

A Winnable Fight: No More U.S. Troops to Afghanistan
The stars are aligning for a winnable and worthwhile fight on U.S. policy in Afghanistan in the next several weeks: stopping the Obama Administration from sending more troops.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/node/337

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Summary:
U.S./Top News
1) President Zelaya returned to Honduras Monday and took refuge in the Brazilian embassy, Reuters reports. His appearance in Honduras increased pressure on the country's ruler Roberto Micheletti to cede power, Reuters says. Several thousand Zelaya supporters gathered outside the embassy while a military helicopter clattered overhead and a small group of police stood 100 yards away. The U.S. called for restraint. Brazilian Foreign Minister Amorim said he was hopeful Zelaya's return could start a new stage in negotiations to end the crisis.

2) OAS Secretary General Insulza said the de facto government authorities must be responsible for the security of President Zelaya and for the Brazilian Embassy, the Buenos Aires Herald reports. The OAS held an emergency meeting in Washington to decide when Insulza will be able to travel to Honduras.

Just Foreign Policy News
September 17, 2009

A Winnable Fight: No More U.S. Troops to Afghanistan
The stars are aligning for a winnable and worthwhile fight on U.S. policy in Afghanistan in the next several weeks: stopping the Obama Administration from sending more troops. If the Administration sends 10,000 more troops, they'll just replace the Canadian, Italian, and British troops that are leaving.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/node/337

Cutting Off the Honduran Coup's Air Supply
Laura Carlsen reviews the Obama Administration's ambiguous policy moves towards the coup in Honduras.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-carlsen/cutting-off-the-honduran_b_289520.html

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Summary:
U.S./Top News
1) The U.S. intelligence community is reporting to the White House that Iran has not restarted its nuclear-weapons development program, Newsweek reports. The latest update to policymakers has been that as of now - two years after the period covered by the 2007 National Intelligence Estimate - U.S. intelligence agencies still believe Iran has not resumed nuclear-weapons development work. Top policymakers are being told that there is no significant disagreement among U.S. intelligence agencies and experts about the latest assessments regarding Iran's nuclear effort.

Just Foreign Policy News
September 16, 2009

Just Foreign Policy News on the Web:
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Paul Pillar: Afghanistan a "Terrorist Haven"? So What?
It's been a parameter of debate that the United States cannot allow Al Qaeda to re-establish a "terrorist haven" in Afghanistan. But in today's Washington Post, Paul Pillar challenges this assumption.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/node/333

Al Jazeera video: UN inquiry finds Israel guilty of Gaza war crimes
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/node/334

Venezuela's "troubling" military spending?
Secretary of State Clinton has urged Venezuela to be "transparent" about its military spending. Borev.net publishes graphs that put this concern in context. Looking at military spending for 2007-8, among Brazil, Colombia, Chile, and Venezuela, Venezuela comes in last, both in absolute terms, and as a share of GDP.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/node/335

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Summary:
U.S./Top News

Just Foreign Policy News
September 15, 2009

Just Foreign Policy News on the Web:
[To receive just the Summary and a link to the web version, send a note with subject: "subscribe JFP News short summary" to naiman@justforeignpolicy.org.]

CATO Forum: Should the United States Withdraw from Afghanistan?
Unfortunately, the CATO forum was not webcast live as previously advertised; apologies to those of you who tried to watch live.
However: the full video of the event is now posted:
http://www.cato.org/event.php?eventid=6496
The presentation of Just Foreign Policy is posted here:
Withdraw from Afghanistan with a Public, Negotiated Timetable
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/node/329
We are working on a video excerpting highlights of the forum. Watch this space.

Members of Congress Urge Caution on Colombia Basing Agreement
Sixteen Members of Congress - fifteen Representatives and a Senator - have written to Secretary of State Clinton and Secretary of Defense Gates, urging caution in expanding the U.S. military presence in Colombia.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/node/330

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Summary:
U.S./Top News

Just Foreign Policy News
September 11, 2009

Support British Efforts to End the War in Afghanistan
Labour Party activists in Britain are forcing a debate on the presence of British troops in Afghanistan at the Labour Party's annual conference in Brighton on September 27. Show your support of British efforts to end the war.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/labour

Oliver Stone's South of the Border - Official Trailer
Oliver Stone's new movie seeks to tell Americans the story we aren't getting from U.S. media about the historic political changes taking place in Latin America. Watch the trailer and spread the news.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hwhau48LUAA&e

Cato Forum: Should the United States Withdraw from Afghanistan?
Monday, September 14, 2009, 12PM Eastern time; broadcast on the internet. http://www.cato.org/event.php?eventid=6496

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Summary:
U.S./Top News
1) The State Department said Friday the U.S. and five partner countries have accepted Iran's new offer to hold talks, AP reports. Department spokesman Crowley said although Iran's proposal for talks was disappointing for sidestepping the nuclear issue, it represented a chance to begin a direct dialogue.

Just Foreign Policy News
September 10, 2009

Support British Efforts to End the War in Afghanistan
Labour Party activists in Britain are forcing a debate on the presence of British troops in Afghanistan at the Labour Party's annual conference in Brighton on September 27. Show your support of British efforts to end the war.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/labour

Oliver Stone's South of the Border - Official Trailer
Oliver Stone's new movie seeks to tell Americans the story we aren't getting from U.S. media about the historic political changes taking place in Latin America. Just Foreign Policy's Mark Weisbrot was a consultant on this project. Watch the trailer and spread the news, and maybe this movie can get a mainstream distributor in the United States.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hwhau48LUAA&e

Cato Forum: Should the United States Withdraw from Afghanistan?
Monday, September 14, 2009, 12PM Eastern time; broadcast on the internet. http://www.cato.org/event.php?eventid=6496

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http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/donate.html

Summary:
U.S./Top News

Just Foreign Policy News
September 9, 2009

Cato Forum: Should the United States Withdraw from Afghanistan?
Monday, September 14, 2009, 12PM Eastern time; broadcast on the internet. With Malou Innocent, Cato; Celeste Ward, RAND; Patrick Cronin, National Defense University; Robert Naiman, Just Foreign Policy; and Ted Galen Carpenter, Cato. Moderated by Christopher Preble, Cato.
http://www.cato.org/event.php?eventid=6496

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Summary:
U.S./Top News
1) Key Senate Democrats signaled Friday that any push by the White House to send more troops to Afghanistan is likely to hit resistance, AP reports. Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Levin said the US must focus more on building Afghanistan's security forces. His cautionary stance was echoed by Sen. Jack Reed.

2) A U.N.-backed complaints panel charged widespread fraud in the Afghan presidential election and ordered a partial recount, the Washington Post reports. The Afghan election commission said Karzai had won 54 percent of 5.4 million valid votes tallied - 91 percent of the total. The results indicate that he probably has enough votes to avoid a runoff with Abdullah, who has 28 percent.