June 17, 2008

Briefing:

- Israel and Hamas claim to have reached a cease fire that will take effect on Thursday morning. The cease fire is contigent on the cessation of the smuggling of arms from Egypt, a halt to rocket attacks, and the handover of five Israeli soldiers. Israeli airstrikes killed six militants on Tuesday, but the Egyptian-brokered cease fire should go ahead. The cease fire should end the blockade on the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Israel continued with talks with Syria in Turkey, and continued to negotiate the release of two Israeli soldiers with HizbAllah. The captured soldiers triggered the 33-day war between Israel and Lebanon in July 2006.

-Peace in Burundi? The country has been in a civil war for 15 years. But in late May a cease fire was signed by the one rebel group that hadn't signed the agreement. Now all rebel leaders are together Bujumbura. Previous peace deals had failed to include the Hutu-led National Liberation Forces. Hutus form the majority in Burundi but, as in Rwanda, the Tutsis held most important government positions. In 1993, a Hutu president was elected, but assassinated shortly thereafter. A civil war soon enguled the country of nine million people. In 2006, a cease-fire was announced but the NLF refused to hand over weapons and continued to fight.

-The president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, has accused the opposition Movement for Democratic Change of provoking and condoning violence and arson in the country. The government has detained the secretary general of the MDC, Tendai Biti, and will press charges of treason against him. The election is scheduled for June 27 as a runoff. Morgan Tsvangirai garnered more votes than Mugabe but failed to obtain a majority. Mugabe was quoted in the state-run Herald that he would not allow an opposition party backed by the colonial west to take power in his country. He said he would launch another war if Tsvangirai won.

-Nine Taiwanese boats accompanied a ship of protesters in waters that both Taiwan and Japan claim as theirs. The territory in dispute is the islands of Senkaku. Last week a Japanese coast guard vessel rammed a Taiwanese fishing boat and sank it. Everyone survived, but the incident revived the small dispute. Japan said the nine boats violated its sovereignty, but Taiwan says it didn't get within a half-mile of any of the islands. Japan seized the islands and Taiwan in 1895. Gas reserves have recently been found near the islands, which lie 2000 km SW of Tokyo. China, Taiwan, and Japan all claim to control the islands.

-Nawaz Sharif and lawyers from all over Pakistan continue to press for the resignation of President Pervez Musharraf. Musharraf has already relinqushed his post as head of the army. Sharif heads the Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N), a junior party in the coaltion. The dominant party is the Pakistan People's Party, headed by Asif Ali Zardari, husband of the assassinated Benizar Bhutto. The lawyers want the 60 judges who were sacked last year by Musharraf to be reinstated. The judges include the supreme court justice Muhammad Chaundry.

-The Taliban appears to be strong near Kandahar. Last week they stormed a prison and released hundreds of prisoners. Yesterday they destroyed several bridges, and claimed to control 10 villages just outside the city in the Arghandab region. The district is crucial to the security of Kandahar. The local Alokozai tribe fiercely opposes the Taliban, but has become much weaker after the deaths of both its senior commander and top leader.

- The prime minister of Malaysia, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi intends to step down for his successor Najib Tun Razak. Badawi leads the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), which comprises the largest block of the National Front, or Barisan Nasional. Accusations between Badawi and his predecessor, Mahathir Mohammad, have escalated. A high court judge accused Mahathir of threatening to remove judges who make rulings he did not like. Mahathir used his web-site to list charges against Badawi. To make matters worse, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, from the state of Sabah, and former finance minister, plans to make a run for the prime minister position. Badawi's son is accused of profiteering by buying too many buses for Kuala Lumpur. Badawai's successor, Najib, is involved in the murder of a Mongolian translator, Altantuya Shaariibuu. Both his advisor and bodyguards have been charged. An affidavit claims Abdul Razak Baginda, a local think tanker, contacted Musa Safri, Najib's close advisor, who then contacted Cheif Inspector Azilah Hadri, who then contacted Baginda. Anwar, meanwhile, has been trying to form his own coalition by September 16. . Anwar was arrested and imprisoned after being fired as prime minister in 1998. Anwar plans to return to UMCO, but could lose the support of fundamentalist Islamic party, Parti Se-Islam Malaysia (PAS) and the Chinese party (Democratic Action Party, or DAP). To keep the coaltion alive, Badwai has visited Sabah and Sarawak in the eastern part of the country