JFP News, 4/30: White House Rejects Deadline for Iran Talks
Thursday, April 30th, 2009Just Foreign Policy News
April 30, 2009
NYT: Americans Support Obama’s Outreach to Iran and Cuba
Americans support President Obama’s outreach to Iran and Cuba. The New York Times reports, based on a recent poll: "a majority, 53 percent, said they favored establishing diplomatic relations with Iran, while two-thirds favored Obama’s plans to thaw relations with Cuba." But if you look closer at the questions and responses, the results are even more striking - not only do Americans support’s Obama’s efforts so far - they support things that Obama hasn’t done yet, and hasn’t yet promised to do.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/nyt-americans-support-oba_b_192452.html
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Summary:
U.S./Top News
1) The White House rejected the notion of putting timelines on its engagement with Iran and indicated its efforts could take a significant amount of time, the Jerusalem Post reports. Israel has argued for a time limit. But a National Security Council spokesman said "it’s not appropriate at this time to be trying to establish timetables, but rather seeing how the engagement can move forward."
2) A new poll finds three-quarters of Americans think Israel should not build settlements in the Palestinian territories, up 23 points from 2002, WorldPublicOpinion.org reports. Even among respondents who say they sympathize with Israel more than the Palestinians, 64% say Israel should not build settlements in the West Bank. Opposition to settlements is found among majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents. Those who followed the issue closely oppose settlements by the same margin as those who don’t.
3) 50 Members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus pressed President Obama on the priorities for Afghanistan expressed in the supplemental, Katrina vanden Heuvel reports for The Nation. Rep. Grijalva said the Caucus expressed concern that "we’re making the same mistake - everything is going into militarization, not institutional reform, human and capital development, healthcare." They pointed out to the President that the counterinsurgency strategy calls for 80 percent of the resources to be devoted to non-military/political solutions, and 20 percent to the military. But the supplemental devotes $76 billion for the military and approximately $7 billion for diplomatic efforts and foreign aid. Beyond the supplemental, the Caucus cited four other priorities with regard to Afghanistan and Iraq: no permanent bases; a timetable for exit; the aforementioned 80-20 allocation of resources; and the need to cease using drones due to civilian casualties.
4) Obama’s ability to deliver on commitments to close tax loopholes that promote offshoring and re-regulate the financial sector would be dealt a sharp blow if the Panama trade agreement is passed, says Public Citizen in a new report. The Panama deal includes the controversial private "investor-state" enforcement system, which would give new powers to hundreds of thousands of private investors from around the world that are registered and have operations in Panama. Some of the largest recipients of U.S. federal procurement contracts and money under the TARP, including Citigroup and AIG, have dozens of subsidiaries in Panama that would be empowered with expansive new rights if the FTA is implemented. These firms have been among the top advocates for the Panama FTA.
5) The Obama administration is attempting to head off efforts in Congress to place tough conditions on the assistance package it is seeking for Pakistan, the Politico reports. Pentagon officials said conditions being proposed in Congress could "severely constrain" the U.S. strategy for Pakistan. Rep. Berman said his bill doesn’t include ‘rigid’ or ‘inflexible’ conditions, noting that the President can waive its restrictions if it is "vital to national security."
6) The first known case of swine flu emerged in a Mexican village where residents have long complained about the smell and flies from a nearby pig farm run by the U.S.-based Smithfield Corporation, the Times of London reports.
7) House Judiciary Committee Democrats have called for a special prosecutor to investigate interrogations of terrorism suspects, AP reports. They say a special counsel’s investigation would insulate the department from accusations that the investigation was politically inspired. A coalition including the ACLU, MoveOn, and the Center for Constitutional Rights delivered petitions to Attorney General Holder demanding he name an independent counsel.
Israel/Palestine
8) Little reconstruction has taken place in Gaza since Israel’s offensive, NPR reports. The UN is calling on Israel to allow reconstruction materials into Gaza, but Israel is resisting the appeal. John Ging of UNRWA says rocket attacks have diminished in recent weeks, but Israel has not eased its blockade. "There’s nothing going on in terms of reconstruction because the crossings are still closed. That’s the key to all the misery here," Ging says.
Ecuador
9) The US congratulated Ecuador’s President Correa on his election victory and voiced hope for cooperation after a rocky patch, AFP reports.
Colombia
10) Britain has ended nearly a decade of military aid to Colombia’s armed forces after accusations of gross violations of human rights, the Guardian reports. While welcoming the UK’s decision as "a step in the right direction", the London-based group Justice for Colombia said that the "more offensive" elements of British military aid, labelled counter-narcotics assistance, were not affected.
Mexico
11) Mexico’s Senate approved a bill decriminalizing possession of small amounts of narcotics for personal use, in order to free resources to fight violent drug cartels, Reuters reports. Mexico’s Congress passed a similar proposal in 2006 but the bill was vetoed under pressure from the US. The bill now goes to the lower house.
Contents:
U.S./Top News
1) White House rejects notion of Iran deadlines
Hilary Leila Krieger, Jerusalem Post, Apr. 29, 2009
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1239710821164&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
The White House rejected the notion of putting timelines on its engagement with Iran Wednesday and indicated that its efforts could take a significant amount of time.
While not opposing talks with Iran, Israel has been concerned that the Islamic republic would use the opportunity of negotiations to run out the clock on its nuclear program, and would like to see a time limit set to prevent such a scenario as well as to ratchet up pressure for Iranian compliance.
But White House National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer told foreign journalists Wednesday that "it’s not appropriate at this time to be trying to establish timetables, but rather seeing how the engagement can move forward."
He said the US was not looking for "talk for the sake of talk," but that "there are opportunities there for us to engage with the Iranian government."
So far, he acknowledged that Iranian reactions to US overtures had been "mixed," as Iranian leaders had at times welcomed US President Barack Obama’s efforts to appeal to the Iranian government, and at others put down such moves. But he took that as an indication that engagement, which he defended as "worthwhile," could be slow going.
"We are in a process that we expect will take some time," he said. "We’ve had a difficult - at best - relationship in the past with Iran, and we’re looking to see what is possible. But we’re under no illusions that there will be any change in the near term."
How the US and Israel each approach Iran is expected to be a major subject of conversations between Obama and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu during their first meeting in Washington in mid-May.
2) Growing Majority of Americans Oppose Israel Building Settlements
WorldPublicOpinion.org, April 29, 2009
http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/home_page/604.php
A new WorldPublicOpinion.org poll finds that three-quarters of Americans think that Israel should not build settlements in the Palestinian territories. This is up 23 points from when this question was last asked in 2002.
One third of Americans show more sympathy for Israel than the Palestinians, substantially more than the 12 percent who express more sympathy for the Palestinians.
However the largest number-51 percent-expresses equal levels of sympathy for each side. The percentage expressing equal levels of sympathy is up 10 points from 2002.
Even those respondents who sympathize more with Israel feel that it should not be building settlements in the West Bank by a clear majority (64%), as do those who sympathize equally with Israel and the Palestinians (80%), and those who sympathize more with the Palestinians (96%).
"Americans are showing increasing impatience with Israel for building settlements," comments Steven Kull, director of WorldPublicOpinion.org. "Even the third of Americans who sympathize with Israel more than the Palestinians oppose the settlements."
Opposition to settlements is found among majorities of Republicans (65%), Democrats (83%) and independents (74%). However, more Republicans show more sympathy for Israel (50%) than sympathize with both equally (41%), while Democrats overwhelmingly express equal levels of sympathy (55%) as do independents (64%).
…
However, when it comes to the question of the settlements, those who followed the issue closely are not significantly different from the general sample: three-quarters of both groups oppose the settlements. Their response to the arguments about the settlements and their position after hearing the arguments are also approximately the same.
Those who both follow the issue closely and believe that the government should make it a high priority-what could be called the "issue public"-constitute 21 percent of the sample. This group is also less likely to say they sympathize with both sides equally (36%) and more likely to express more sympathy for Israel (43%) and for the Palestinians (20%), than the sample as a whole. However, they are just as likely to oppose the settlements as is the sample as a whole.
3) The Progressive Caucus and Obama
Katrina vanden Heuvel, The Nation, 04/29/2009
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/edcut/431234/the_progressive_caucus_and_obama
The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) met with President Obama for one hour in the East Room of the White House yesterday.
CPC Co-Chair, Congressman Raúl Grijalva, said that 50 of the 77 Caucus members attended, and they honed in on two major issues: their commitment to only supporting a healthcare reform bill that includes a public plan option that is "more than a gesture"; and the $83 billion war supplemental.
…
With regard to the $83 billion war supplemental, Rep. Grijalva said the Caucus expressed its concern that "we’re making the same mistake - everything is going into militarization, not institutional reform, human and capital development, healthcare… those kinds of things." They pointed out to the President that the counterinsurgency strategy calls for 80 percent of the resources to be devoted to non-military/political solutions, and 20 percent to the military. But the supplemental devotes $76 billion for the military and approximately $7 billion for diplomatic efforts and foreign aid.
Obama said that the supplemental reflects the mess he inherited from his predecessor and the consequent short-term security needs. He said the Caucus should look at the FY2010 budget to see the kinds of investments that he supports.
Beyond the supplemental, the Caucus cited four other priorities with regard to Afghanistan and Iraq: no permanent bases; a timetable for exit; the aforementioned 80-20 allocation of resources; and the need to cease using drones due to civilian casualties.
4) Report: Panama FTA Would Undermine U.S. Efforts to Stop Offshore Tax-Haven Abuse and Regulate Risky Financial Conduct
Trade Deal Would Leave Tax Shelters for AIG and Narcotraffickers Intact While Removing Existing U.S. Tools to Combat Tax Evasion and Other Financial Crimes Public Citizen, April 29
http://www.citizen.org/hot_issues/issue.cfm?ID=2229
President Obama’s ability to deliver on his campaign commitments to close tax loopholes that promote offshoring and re-regulate the financial sector would be dealt a sharp blow if the U.S.-Panama Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is passed, according to a Public Citizen report released today.
The new report details how Panama explicitly created an industrial policy designed to create a "comparative advantage" in tax-evasion and money-laundering services for entities such as the bailed-out American International Group (AIG) and Mexican and Colombian narcotraffickers. The report also examines how specific FTA rules would remove key policy tools - such as limitations on transfers from tax-haven countries that are used to combat financial crimes - and would also conflict with U.S. government efforts to combat the global economic crisis by re-regulating finance.
…
The Panama deal, negotiated by the Bush administration, is modeled on the controversial North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) template. It includes the controversial private "investor-state" enforcement system, which would give new powers to hundreds of thousands of private investors from around the world that are registered and have operations in Panama. This includes the right to challenge U.S. anti-tax haven policies and financial service regulations in foreign tribunals to demand taxpayer-funded compensation.
Among the key findings:
* Some of the largest recipients of U.S. federal procurement contracts and money under the Troubled Asset Relief Program - including Citigroup and AIG - have a combined dozens of subsidiaries in Panama that would be empowered with expansive new rights if the FTA is implemented. These firms have been among the top advocates for the Panama FTA;
* Panama is one of only 13 countries - and the only current or prospective FTA partner - that is listed on all of the major tax-haven watchdog lists that also does not have U.S. tax transparency treaties.
* In the face of recent pressure to reform related to the G-20 Financial Crisis summit process, Panama wrote to the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) defiantly outlining its refusal to adopt key reforms, such as lifting the veil of secrecy on beneficial ownership of bank accounts and automatic exchange of tax information;
* The April 2009 OECD tax-haven watch-list includes Panama among 30 countries that agreed to conform to international tax norms but failed to do so. Indeed, the OECD report notes that Panama made its commitment in 2002 and since has completed not a single agreement to implement its promise. In contrast, other countries on the list have completed as many as eight compliance agreements - which is still not adequate to be taken off this list.
* According to the U.S. Department of Justice and other entities, Panama is also a major financial conduit for Mexican and Colombian narcotraffickers’ money laundering activities;
* According to the U.S. State Department, Panama has more than 350,000 foreign-registered companies, all of which face low to no taxes and regulation. This high rate of foreign incorporation - Panama is reportedly second only to Hong Kong - makes the country a magnet for tax evasion. According to a Panamanian law firm’s advertisement touting Panama’s lax standards: "Even Switzerland cooperates on income tax cases if the return is filed falsely like all income was not declared, things were omitted or so the complaining government says. Belize has tax treaties, as do most of the so-called ‘tax havens.’ There is no better jurisdiction than Panama today!!!!!!!"
5) Pentagon ‘Concerns’ With Pakistan Aid
David S. Cloud, Politico, 4/29/09
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21907.html
After promising last month that U.S. aid to Pakistan would no longer be a "blank check," the Obama administration is attempting to head off efforts in Congress to place tough conditions on the multi-billion dollar assistance package it is seeking for Islamabad.
Senior Pentagon officials told lawmakers yesterday that conditions being proposed by both Democrats and Republican in Congress could "severely constrain" the U.S. strategy for Pakistan, which has assumed greater urgency in recent days as evidence has mounted that the security situation in the country is deteriorating.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, yesterday sent a letter laying out their "strong concerns" about legislation authorizing additional $1.5 billion a year for Pakistan introduced by Rep. Howard Berman, D-Ca., the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
But in a statement replying to Gates and Mullen, Berman played down the conditions in his bill.
"I get the impression that those criticizing my bill haven’t actually read it," he said. "It doesn’t include any ‘rigid’ or ‘inflexible’ conditions. We are simply asking the President to hold the Pakistanis accountable for their commitments to fight the terrorists who threaten their and our national security." The bill does allow the president to waive restrictions on military aid if it is "vital to the national security interest of the United States."
A similar measure is under consideration in the Senate. Lawmakers on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees are also considering proposals for placing conditions on Pakistan aid.
…
Among other requirements, the Berman bill would prohibit military assistance unless the president certified that Pakistan’s government is taking actions to dismantle nuclear weapons-material supply networks and to combat terrorist groups, according to a summary of the bill.
The bill would also halt all U.S. assistance after next January if the "freely elected government of Pakistan," is overthrown in a coup, which has happened repeatedly over Pakistan’s history.
…
The Berman measure would also allow Congress to vote on overturning the presidential determination that Pakistan is cooperating adequately.
6) Mexico outbreak traced to ‘manure lagoons’ at pig farm
Chris Ayres, Times of London, April 28, 2009
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6182789.ece
Mexico City - The first known case of swine flu emerged a fortnight earlier than previously thought in a village where residents have long complained about the smell and flies from a nearby pig farm, it emerged last night.
The Mexican Government said it initially thought that the victim, Edgar Hernandez, 4, was suffering from ordinary influenza but laboratory testing has since shown that he had contracted swine flu. The boy went on to make a full recovery, although it is thought that at least 148 others in Mexico have died from the disease, and the number is expected to rise.
News of the infected boy is expected to create controversy in Mexico because the boy lived in Veracruz state, home to thousands of farmers who claim that their land was stolen from them by the Mexican Government in 1992. The farmers, who call themselves Los 400 Pueblos - The 400 Towns - are famous for their naked marches through the streets of Mexico City.
The boy’s hometown, La Gloria, is also close to a pig farm that raises almost 1 million animals a year. The facility, Granjas Carroll de Mexico, is partly owned by Smithfield Foods, a Virginia-based US company and the world’s largest producer and processor of pork products. Residents of La Gloria have long complained about the clouds of flies that are drawn the so-called "manure lagoons" created by such mega-farms, known in the agriculture business as Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs).
It is now known that there was a widespread outbreak of a powerful respiratory disease in the La Gloria area earlier this month, with some of the town’s residents falling ill in February. Health workers soon intervened, sealing off the town and spraying chemicals to kill the flies that were reportedly swarming through people’s homes.
…
According reports gathered on the website of James Wilson, a founding member of the Biosurveillance Indication and Warning Analysis Community (BIWAC), about 60 per cent of La Gloria’s 3,000-strong population have sought medical assistance since February.
"Residents claimed that three pediatric cases, all under two years of age, died from the outbreak," wrote Mr Wilson. "However, officials stated that there was no direct link between the pediatric deaths and the outbreak; they said the three fatal cases were isolated and not related to each other."
7) Democrats Urge Torture Probe by Special Counsel
Larry Margasak, Associated Press, Apr 28, 7:05 pm ET
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090428/ap_on_go_co/us_interrogations_probe
Congressional Democrats turned up the pressure on the Obama administration Tuesday to start a criminal investigation by a special counsel into harsh interrogations of terrorism suspects.
It would be a conflict of interest for President Barack Obama’s Justice Department to investigate lawyers from the Bush administration, even though they no longer work for the government, Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee said.
In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, the Democrats wrote, "It is impossible to determine at this stage, and before conclusion of the necessary investigation, whether additional conflicts of interest might exist or arise."
The letter said a special counsel’s investigation would insulate the department from accusations that the investigation was politically inspired.
…
Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, also has proposed that independent investigators determine whether Bush administration officials ought to face charges.
…
Levin recommended that the Justice Department select up to three people outside the department, such as retired federal judges, to recommend any charges or other actions against lawyers and others who developed the policies.
In addition to lawmakers, a coalition of liberal groups delivered petitions to Holder demanding that he name an independent counsel. The groups included the American Civil Liberties Union, MoveOn.org, and the Center or Constitutional Rights.
Israel/Palestine
8) Shortages Stymie Rebuilding Efforts in Gaza
Lourdes Garcia-Navarro, NPR, April 28, 2009
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103466982
In the four months since Israel launched its offensive against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, little reconstruction has taken place in the Palestinian territory.
The operation left much of Gaza in ruins, and thousands of Palestinian civilians whose homes were leveled are living in tents or other temporary accommodations.
Every day, Israel allows 80 to 100 truckloads of humanitarian aid into Gaza, but that does not include building supplies. The United Nations is calling on Israel to allow vital reconstruction materials like cement into Gaza. But Israel is resisting the appeal, citing the continuing security threat from militants.
…
John Ging, director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in the Gaza Strip, says that rocket attacks have diminished in recent weeks, yet Israel has not eased its blockade.
"There’s nothing going on in terms of reconstruction because the crossings are still closed. That’s the key to all the misery here," Ging says. "It’s hard to fathom that after all of the outpouring of concern and empathy with the plight of the people here during the January conflict, that months later they are still living in the rubble of their former lives."
"So the rockets have stopped but the siege continues," Ging says. "Where is the dividend for the Palestinians?"
Ecuador
9) US congratulates Ecuador’s Correa on election
AFP, April 28, 2009
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hzl2jUFRe3TmVwgT0IUTTcfyIRWw
The United States on Tuesday congratulated Ecuador’s leftist President Rafael Correa on his election victory and voiced hope for cooperation after a rocky patch between the two countries.
…
"We salute the people of Ecuador for conducting peaceful and transparent elections and congratulate President Correa on his victory," said State Department spokesman Robert Wood. "The United States will continue to build on our cooperation with Ecuador, consistent with our commitment to supporting Ecuadorian democracy, prosperity and security."
US-Ecuador relations have been rocky since Correa was first elected in 2007. Last year, he forced the US military to leave the Manta military base in southern Ecuador - used for a decade for counternarcotics operations in the region - when its contract expires in November this year.
In February, Ecuador expelled two US diplomats amid continuing rifts over a US-funded counternarcotics program.
Colombia
10) UK ends bilateral military aid to Colombia
- Concerns over human rights prompts decision
- Colombia says move is ’severe blow’ to military
Sibylla Brodzinsky, The Guardian, Wednesday 29 April 2009
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/29/colombia-uk-military-aid
Bogotá - Britain has quietly ended nearly a decade of military aid to Colombia’s armed forces after accusations of gross violations of human rights, including the murder of civilians who were shot and reported as guerrillas killed in combat.
The Colombian government was "extremely surprised" by the decision to cut off the bilateral cooperation programmes, the deputy defence minister, Sergio Jaramillo, told the Guardian.
The British foreign secretary, David Miliband, announced the move in a written statement to the House of Commons last month, stating that the government "shares the concern … that there are officers and soldiers of the Colombian armed forces who have been involved in, or allowed, abuses".
"Our bilateral human rights projects with the Colombian ministry of defence will cease," the statement said.
…
While the financial value is relatively small, the termination of British military aid has symbolic significance for Colombia. Jaramillo called the decision a "severe blow" to the armed forces from a "great ally".
"No other European country has worked as closely with the army as the United Kingdom," he said.
Colombia’s military had long been accused of colluding with illegal rightwing paramilitary groups. Investigators are looking into 1,296 cases since 2002 of reported executions of civilians by army soldiers who dressed the victims in rebel uniforms and planted weapons on them to present them as legitimate guerrilla casualties.
The UN high commissioner for human rights described the practice as "widespread and systematic". Many of the cases came to light after a public outcry over the fate of 11 men missing from a poor suburb of Bogotá who were then reported as combat deaths thousands of miles away, days after their disappearance. Twenty-seven officers, including three generals were discharged over those killings.
…
While welcoming the UK’s decision as "a step in the right direction", the London-based group Justice for Colombia said that the "more offensive" elements of British military aid, labelled counter-narcotics assistance, was not affected.
The Foreign Office spokesman acknowledged it would continue to work with "some members of the armed forces" on anti-drug programmes. The UK does not reveal the financial value of that assistance due to "security concerns", he said.
Mexico
11) Mexico Senate OKs bill to legalize drug possession
Reuters, Tue Apr 28, 2009
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN28349522
Mexico City - Mexico’s Senate approved a bill on Tuesday decriminalizing possession of small amounts of narcotics for personal use, in order to free resources to fight violent drug cartels.
The bill, proposed by conservative President Felipe Calderon, would make it legal to carry up to 5 grams of marijuana, 500 milligrams of cocaine and tiny quantities of other drugs such as heroin and methamphetamines.
Mexico’s Congress passed a similar proposal in 2006 but the bill was vetoed by Calderon’s predecessor Vicente Fox, under pressure from the United States, which said it would increase drug abuse, but now is worried by the drug-related violence along its border.
…
The bill, which needs to be approved by the lower house, also allows Mexican states to convict small-time drug dealers, no longer making it a federal crime to peddle drugs. Drug dealers are rarely convicted in Mexico as federal courts are saturated with bigger cases and local judges cannot interfere.
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Robert Naiman
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