foreignpolicy--2020-07-27--The Chinese Communist Party Is an Environmental Catastrophe

The Chinese Communist Party Is an Environmental Catastrophe As China struggles to recover economically from the impact of the pandemic , it is set to deal a painful blow to global efforts to fight climate change .
The party has often sacrificed environmental regulations as soon as GDP targets and economic growth have been threatened , thus industrial or trade decline paradoxically produces soaring pollution .
But even in normal times , China ’ s soaring carbon dioxide ( CO2 ) emissions are a massive part of the dire threat to all life on earth posed by climate change .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ China ’ s CO2 levels lead the world , few appreciate the scale : how disproportionate they are compared to other large emitters ; the speed of their growth ; and the impossibility of reining them as long as the CCP remains in power .
In 1990 , China ’ s CO2 emissions were just half those of the United States .
In the next 15 years they more than doubled , overtaking the United States .
Then in just 12 years , from 2005 to 2017 , China ’ s emissions nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the United States ( 13,110 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent , or mtCO2e , compared with 6,457 million ) —although China ’ s GDP was only 63 percent as large as the U.S. GDP in 2017 .
It ’ s often said in China ’ s defense that while its emissions may lead the world , its per capita emissions are a fraction of those of the United States and that America ’ s historical emissions dwarf those of China .
Yet after three decades of breakneck growth , China is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s per capita CO2 emissions surged past those of the EU six years ago and are now just under half those of the United States ( 7.45 mtCO2e vs. 15.56 mtCO2e in 2018 ) .
Yet China ’ s per capita GDP was just 15 percent that of the United States in 2018 ( $ 9,627 vs. $ 62,904 ) .
Similarly , China ’ s cumulative emissions between 1965 and 2018 are now more than two-thirds those of the United States , and according to one assessment in Forbes , based on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the most atmospheric carbon dioxide in less than 20 years.
” The atmosphere doesn ’ t care about per capita emissions—only total atmospheric CO2 concentrations .
And unlike elsewhere in the developed world , China ’ s numbers are trending upward , not down .
Emissions from the United States have declined from the peak in 2007 , and EU nations—collectively the world ’ s third largest emitter—have trended downward for the past three decades .
To be sure , those declines are far from sufficient to reverse global warming .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. and EU commitments to the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change .
But at least they ’ re declines .
By contrast , China ’ s carbon emissions have relentlessly grown , quadrupling between 1990 and 2017 .
As the world ’ s largest emitter , accounting for 30 percent of total global emissions against 15 percent for the United States , 9 percent for the EU-28 , 7 percent for India , 5 percent for Russia , and 4 percent for Japan , China is by far the leading driver of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate crisis paradox .
China is the largest producer of photovoltaic panels and wind turbines ; it leads the world in installed capacity of both , accounting for about 30 percent of global total in 2018 .
It has invested more money in renewable energy and electric vehicles than the rest of the world combined .
Moreover , President Xi Jinping stated his aspiration to lead the fight against global warming .
In June 2017 , when President Donald Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris Agreement , Xi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ all signatories must stick to.
” “ Walking away from the pact would endanger future generations , ” he said .
Yet that ’ s exactly what Xi has done .
As China ’ s economy has rebounded from the coronavirus , industrial pollution has surged .
“ As the world ’ s largest carbon dioxide emitter and as the first major economy to reopen after the crisis , all eyes are on China , ” said Lauri Myllyvirta , lead analyst Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for policymakers to prioritize clean energy and reduce the country ’ s economic reliance on highly polluting , energy-intensive industries .
But China ’ s leaders are doing no such thing.
” Instead of prioritizing clean energy , Xi ’ s government is slashing funding for wind and solar power while ramping up spending on new coal-fired power plants .
That ’ s an inevitable result not only of the post-pandemic economic crisis but of the general slowing in the Chinese economy in the last few years .
For all of China ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solar and wind produced barely 8 percent of the country ’ s electric generation in 2018 ( compared with 9 percent in the United States with less than a third as much investment ) while coal accounted for 70 percent .
In the most optimistic Chinese government scenario , coal and other fossil fuels will still provide at least two-thirds of China ’ s electricity until as late as 2050 , by which time it will be too late to matter .
Similarly , instead of reducing reliance on highly polluting energy-intensive industries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investments into yet more unnecessary industries and infrastructure—more steel , aluminum , plate glass , cars , and dozens of other commodities that are already in oversupply , more unnecessary high-speed trains that run near empty , more useless subway systems built in small towns , more empty airports , more empty “ ghost cities ” even as the population is set to decline , more gargantuan “ blingfrastructure ” vanity projects to the glory of the party and local officials , such as the world ’ s largest radio telescope ( which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because China has no qualified scientists to operate it ) , the world ’ s largest and second largest dams , the most skyscrapers , longest bridges , fastest trains , magnetic levitation trains , and so on .
China ’ s bureaucratic rulers are driven by three imperatives that are at least as powerful , if not more powerful , drivers of hyper-growth than profit maximization under capitalism .
First , they must maximize economic growth and self-sufficient industrialization .
As a state-based ruling class and communist nation in a world dominated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mao and his successors understood , like the Soviet Union , that they must “ catch up and overtake the United States ” : build relatively self-sufficient high tech superpower economies shielded from Western takeover by barring foreign investment in key state sectors like energy , rails , telecom , etc.
, protecting state industries against foreign competitors , and so on .
The Soviets ’ failure to win the economic and arms race with the United States doomed the Soviet Communist Party .
Mao ’ s successor as leader , Deng @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Xi Jinping , have been determined to avoid that error .
Environmental concerns come a far second behind the fear of economically induced collapse .
Secondly , they must maximize employment .
In capitalist economies , employers have no obligation to the unemployed .
If workers are laid off , it ’ s not the capitalists ’ problem .
It ’ s not even the government ’ s problem—except in severe downturns like the Great Depression when they could face unrest or even revolt .
But because the CCP was once a workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its legitimacy from its status as the self-appointed representative of the working class , it can ’ t completely ignore the workers .
And it ’ s better to have them producing something than just milling about producing nothing .
That ’ s why the government seeks to keep them busy : by generating jobs .
Five-year plans regularly include job creation targets .
In November 2013 , Premier Li Keqiang underscored this imperative , saying : “ Employment is the biggest thing for well-being .
The government must not slacken on this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , stable growth is mainly for the sake of maintaining employment.
” Yet keeping China ’ s hundreds of millions of workers working often means producing superfluous steel , needless infrastructure , ghost cities , etc .
Maximizing employment is a major driver of overproduction , over-construction , so-called blind growth and blind investment , and profligate waste of energy and resources across the economy .
And finally , they must maximize consumption and consumerism .
In the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Communist Party in 1991 and the Chinese Communists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Square protests in 1989 , the party leadership resolved to create a mass consumer economy and raise incomes , in order to focus people ’ s attention on consumption and take their minds off politics .
That ’ s why , ever since the early 1990s , successive Five-Year Plans have prioritized new consumer industries and the government has promoted one consumer craze after another : cars ; condos ; shopping malls ; tourism ; golf courses ; theme parks ; bike sharing ; cruise boats ; food delivery ; online shopping , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government has also partnered with and backed private capitalists like Jack Ma ’ s e-commerce giant Alibaba to promote shopping , the movie industry , video gaming , theme parks , tourism , social media , and more .
State banks went into the mortgage business to promote housing speculation , then created a consumer credit industry to keep consumers focused on making money to spend on new trinkets .
Housing privatization promoted the growth of furniture , home decoration , and renovation markets , spurring yet more growth—and all of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is thanks to the glorious Communist Party .
No doubt after centuries of privation and decades of Maoist austerity , China ’ s masses were overdue for some creature comforts .
But the promotion of mindless consumerism for the sake of consumerism on the model of Western capitalism is contributing mightily to China ’ s and the world ’ s waste and pollution crises .
Less enviable among China ’ s many firsts is this headline , from the China Daily : “ China No .
1 dumper of plastic into ocean.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that to maximize economic growth , employment , and consumerism , China ’ s leaders have no choice but to let the polluters pollute .
There ’ s just no way around that .
This tendency is further exacerbated in China ’ s case because as nationalists concerned with self-reliance , the government strives to rely on China ’ s own energy resources : mostly coal , because it ’ s available nearly everywhere and 24/7 .
That ’ s why , rather than rely mainly on intermittent renewables or the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though it imports those , too ) , Xi ’ s government is firing up more coal-fired power plants .
In short , in their race to overtake the United States , China ’ s leaders find they must prioritize hyper-growth over the environment , even if this ends in global climate collapse and eco-suicide .
True , Western capitalist economies led by the United States are racing China to the brink of climate collapse , and likewise can not prioritize people and planet over profit , as I ’ ve argued elsewhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the Chinese case is that its emissions are so huge , nearly a third of total global emissions , and growing so fast that scientists tell us they could eventually doom the climate on their own regardless of what the rest of the world does .
And while citizens in the West ( still ) have the freedom to mobilize and fight governments and companies whose emissions threaten our survival , and their collective actions have in fact restrained—if not enough—the growth of emissions in the United States and Europe , by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ totalitarian police state that ruthlessly suppresses all resistance to the party agenda .
In the comparatively liberal atmosphere of the 1990s and 2000s , there was some limited space for NGOs and discussion of non-party suggestions .
But Xi has doubled down both on repressing any hint of opposition while simultaneously accelerating and broadening his superpower ambitions , regardless of their environmental consequences .
Given the Great Firewall , most Chinese people today have no idea that their country leads the world in CO2 emissions , and even if they did know , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and resist the vainglorious but eco-suicidal ambitions of their rulers .
In October 2019 , climate scientists published new research showing that on present trends , global warming will “ all but erase ” Shanghai , Shenzhen , and most of the world ’ s great coastal cities by 2050—barely thirty years from now .
There won ’ t be any “ great rejuvenation ” and glory for the Communist Party when Shanghai and Shenzhen are underwater , when China ’ s glaciers melt and its rivers dry up , and when soaring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North China Plain .
Even those in the leadership who do care about the country ’ s outsized emissions can ’ t suppress them because that would require pulling the emergency brake : shutting down and/or retrenching China ’ s overproducing , overpolluting industries—and that would doom Xi ’ s “ China Dream ” of global tech supremacy and Communist Party glory , if not the party itself .
Parts of this article were adapted from China ’ s Engine of Environmental Collapse .

As China struggles to recover economically from the impact of the pandemic, it is set to deal a painful blow to global efforts to fight climate change. The party has often sacrificed environmental regulations as soon as GDP targets and economic growth have been threatened, thus industrial or trade decline paradoxically produces soaring pollution. But even in normal times, China’s soaring carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are a massive part of the dire threat to all life on earth posed by climate change.
As China struggles to recover economically from the impact of the pandemic, it is set to deal a painful blow to global efforts to fight climate change. The party has often sacrificed environmental regulations as soon as GDP targets and economic growth have been threatened, thus industrial or trade decline paradoxically produces soaring pollution. But even in normal times, China’s soaring carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are a massive part of the dire threat to all life on earth posed by climate change.
While it’s often reported that China’s CO2 levels lead the world, few appreciate the scale: how disproportionate they are compared to other large emitters; the speed of their growth; and the impossibility of reining them as long as the CCP remains in power.
In 1990, China’s CO2 emissions were just half those of the United States. In the next 15 years they more than doubled, overtaking the United States. Then in just 12 years, from 2005 to 2017, China’s emissions nearly doubled again to more than twice those of the United States (13,110 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent, or mtCO2e, compared with 6,457 million)—although China’s GDP was only 63 percent as large as the U.S. GDP in 2017.
It’s often said in China’s defense that while its emissions may lead the world, its per capita emissions are a fraction of those of the United States and that America’s historical emissions dwarf those of China. Yet after three decades of breakneck growth, China is catching up fast. The country’s per capita CO2 emissions surged past those of the EU six years ago and are now just under half those of the United States (7.45 mtCO2e vs. 15.56 mtCO2e in 2018). Yet China’s per capita GDP was just 15 percent that of the United States in 2018 ($9,627 vs. $62,904).
Similarly, China’s cumulative emissions between 1965 and 2018 are now more than two-thirds those of the United States, and according to one assessment in Forbes, based on present trends “China will be responsible for the most atmospheric carbon dioxide in less than 20 years.” The atmosphere doesn’t care about per capita emissions—only total atmospheric CO2 concentrations.
And unlike elsewhere in the developed world, China’s numbers are trending upward, not down. Emissions from the United States have declined from the peak in 2007, and EU nations—collectively the world’s third largest emitter—have trended downward for the past three decades. To be sure, those declines are far from sufficient to reverse global warming. They’re not even enough to meet U.S. and EU commitments to the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. But at least they’re declines.
By contrast, China’s carbon emissions have relentlessly grown, quadrupling between 1990 and 2017. As the world’s largest emitter, accounting for 30 percent of total global emissions against 15 percent for the United States, 9 percent for the EU-28, 7 percent for India, 5 percent for Russia, and 4 percent for Japan, China is by far the leading driver of global warming.
The country presents a climate crisis paradox. China is the largest producer of photovoltaic panels and wind turbines; it leads the world in installed capacity of both, accounting for about 30 percent of global total in 2018. It has invested more money in renewable energy and electric vehicles than the rest of the world combined. Moreover, President Xi Jinping stated his aspiration to lead the fight against global warming. In June 2017, when President Donald Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris Agreement, Xi termed it a “hard-won achievement” that “all signatories must stick to.” “Walking away from the pact would endanger future generations,” he said.
Yet that’s exactly what Xi has done. As China’s economy has rebounded from the coronavirus, industrial pollution has surged. “As the world’s largest carbon dioxide emitter and as the first major economy to reopen after the crisis, all eyes are on China,” said Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). “It is essential for policymakers to prioritize clean energy and reduce the country’s economic reliance on highly polluting, energy-intensive industries. But China’s leaders are doing no such thing.”
Instead of prioritizing clean energy, Xi’s government is slashing funding for wind and solar power while ramping up spending on new coal-fired power plants. That’s an inevitable result not only of the post-pandemic economic crisis but of the general slowing in the Chinese economy in the last few years. For all of China’s investments in renewables to date, solar and wind produced barely 8 percent of the country’s electric generation in 2018 (compared with 9 percent in the United States with less than a third as much investment) while coal accounted for 70 percent. In the most optimistic Chinese government scenario, coal and other fossil fuels will still provide at least two-thirds of China’s electricity until as late as 2050, by which time it will be too late to matter.
Similarly, instead of reducing reliance on highly polluting energy-intensive industries, Xi’s government is pouring investments into yet more unnecessary industries and infrastructure—more steel, aluminum, plate glass, cars, and dozens of other commodities that are already in oversupply, more unnecessary high-speed trains that run near empty, more useless subway systems built in small towns, more empty airports, more empty “ghost cities” even as the population is set to decline, more gargantuan “blingfrastructure” vanity projects to the glory of the party and local officials, such as the world’s largest radio telescope (which was finished in 2016 but remains unused because China has no qualified scientists to operate it), the world’s largest and second largest dams, the most skyscrapers, longest bridges, fastest trains, magnetic levitation trains, and so on.
China’s bureaucratic rulers are driven by three imperatives that are at least as powerful, if not more powerful, drivers of hyper-growth than profit maximization under capitalism. First, they must maximize economic growth and self-sufficient industrialization. As a state-based ruling class and communist nation in a world dominated by more advanced and powerful capitalist nations, Mao and his successors understood, like the Soviet Union, that they must “catch up and overtake the United States”: build relatively self-sufficient high tech superpower economies shielded from Western takeover by barring foreign investment in key state sectors like energy, rails, telecom, etc., protecting state industries against foreign competitors, and so on. The Soviets’ failure to win the economic and arms race with the United States doomed the Soviet Communist Party. Mao’s successor as leader, Deng Xiaoping and those following him, notably Xi Jinping, have been determined to avoid that error. Environmental concerns come a far second behind the fear of economically induced collapse.
Secondly, they must maximize employment. In capitalist economies, employers have no obligation to the unemployed. If workers are laid off, it’s not the capitalists’ problem. It’s not even the government’s problem—except in severe downturns like the Great Depression when they could face unrest or even revolt.
But because the CCP was once a workers’ party, and because it derives its legitimacy from its status as the self-appointed representative of the working class, it can’t completely ignore the workers. And it’s better to have them producing something than just milling about producing nothing. That’s why the government seeks to keep them busy: by generating jobs. Five-year plans regularly include job creation targets. In November 2013, Premier Li Keqiang underscored this imperative, saying: “Employment is the biggest thing for well-being. The government must not slacken on this for one moment. … For us, stable growth is mainly for the sake of maintaining employment.” Yet keeping China’s hundreds of millions of workers working often means producing superfluous steel, needless infrastructure, ghost cities, etc. Maximizing employment is a major driver of overproduction, over-construction, so-called blind growth and blind investment, and profligate waste of energy and resources across the economy.
And finally, they must maximize consumption and consumerism. In the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Communist Party in 1991 and the Chinese Communists’ own near-death experience with the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989, the party leadership resolved to create a mass consumer economy and raise incomes, in order to focus people’s attention on consumption and take their minds off politics. That’s why, ever since the early 1990s, successive Five-Year Plans have prioritized new consumer industries and the government has promoted one consumer craze after another: cars; condos; shopping malls; tourism; golf courses; theme parks; bike sharing; cruise boats; food delivery; online shopping, and more. To this end, the government has also partnered with and backed private capitalists like Jack Ma’s e-commerce giant Alibaba to promote shopping, the movie industry, video gaming, theme parks, tourism, social media, and more.
State banks went into the mortgage business to promote housing speculation, then created a consumer credit industry to keep consumers focused on making money to spend on new trinkets. Housing privatization promoted the growth of furniture, home decoration, and renovation markets, spurring yet more growth—and all of this, the government constantly reminds its citizens, is thanks to the glorious Communist Party. No doubt after centuries of privation and decades of Maoist austerity, China’s masses were overdue for some creature comforts. But the promotion of mindless consumerism for the sake of consumerism on the model of Western capitalism is contributing mightily to China’s and the world’s waste and pollution crises. Less enviable among China’s many firsts is this headline, from the China Daily: “China No. 1 dumper of plastic into ocean.”
The problem with all of this is that to maximize economic growth, employment, and consumerism, China’s leaders have no choice but to let the polluters pollute. There’s just no way around that. This tendency is further exacerbated in China’s case because as nationalists concerned with self-reliance, the government strives to rely on China’s own energy resources: mostly coal, because it’s available nearly everywhere and 24/7. That’s why, rather than rely mainly on intermittent renewables or the world market for oil and natural gas (though it imports those, too), Xi’s government is firing up more coal-fired power plants. In short, in their race to overtake the United States, China’s leaders find they must prioritize hyper-growth over the environment, even if this ends in global climate collapse and eco-suicide.
True, Western capitalist economies led by the United States are racing China to the brink of climate collapse, and likewise cannot prioritize people and planet over profit, as I’ve argued elsewhere. But what’s uniquely dangerous about the Chinese case is that its emissions are so huge, nearly a third of total global emissions, and growing so fast that scientists tell us they could eventually doom the climate on their own regardless of what the rest of the world does.
And while citizens in the West (still) have the freedom to mobilize and fight governments and companies whose emissions threaten our survival, and their collective actions have in fact restrained—if not enough—the growth of emissions in the United States and Europe, by contrast, the Communist Party runs a totalitarian police state that ruthlessly suppresses all resistance to the party agenda.
In the comparatively liberal atmosphere of the 1990s and 2000s, there was some limited space for NGOs and discussion of non-party suggestions. But Xi has doubled down both on repressing any hint of opposition while simultaneously accelerating and broadening his superpower ambitions, regardless of their environmental consequences. Given the Great Firewall, most Chinese people today have no idea that their country leads the world in CO2 emissions, and even if they did know, they have no legal means to organize and resist the vainglorious but eco-suicidal ambitions of their rulers.
In October 2019, climate scientists published new research showing that on present trends, global warming will “all but erase” Shanghai, Shenzhen, and most of the world’s great coastal cities by 2050—barely thirty years from now. There won’t be any “great rejuvenation” and glory for the Communist Party when Shanghai and Shenzhen are underwater, when China’s glaciers melt and its rivers dry up, and when soaring temperatures and drought collapse farming across the North China Plain. Even those in the leadership who do care about the country’s outsized emissions can’t suppress them because that would require pulling the emergency brake: shutting down and/or retrenching China’s overproducing, overpolluting industries—and that would doom Xi’s “China Dream” of global tech supremacy and Communist Party glory, if not the party itself.
Parts of this article were adapted from China’s Engine of Environmental Collapse.


foreignpolicy--2020-07-27--Democrats Make Last-Ditch Effort to Kill a Trump Pentagon Nomination

Democrats are urging U.S. President Donald Trump ’ s controversial pick to lead the Defense Department ’ s policy shop to withdraw his nomination over offensive and conspiratorial tweets , according to a new letter shared with Foreign Policy .
In a last-ditch attempt to force Anthony Tata to give up his White House-backed bid to become the undersecretary of defense for policy , 10 Democratic lawmakers , led by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren , argue that the retired Army brigadier general has a record of “ offensive and inflammatory comments ” that disqualify him from taking the job .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ former President Barack Obama as a “ terrorist leader ” and floated a conspiratorial claim that former CIA Director John Brennan had ordered the assassination of Trump via a coded message on social media .
Tata , whose confirmation hearing is slated for Thursday , apologized in a letter to the leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee , calling on the panel to judge him on a “ 30+ year career and record of achievement and not a few regrettable tweets.
” But the about-face has done little to quell anger among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Rhode Island , the ranking member of the Armed Services panel , who uncharacteristically announced that he would not support the nomination ahead of a confirmation hearing .
Foreign Policy first reported that Tata will have a Senate hearing on Thursday , preceded by a closed session on Tuesday aimed at firming up wavering votes for an embattled pick .
“ Your letter to committee leadership appears to be a conveniently timed retraction by someone who has suddenly realized his nomination is in jeopardy , ” the signatories wrote to Tata on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statements can not be dismissed simply as an aberration.
” “ Your views are wholly incompatible with the U.S. military ’ s values , ” the senators concluded .
Other signatories include Sens .
Kirsten Gillibrand of New York , Mazie Hirono of Hawaii , Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut , and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois , all members of the committee .
But the Trump administration could install Tata in another senior defense role if his nomination flounders in Congress , as Politico first reported .
Tata began serving as a senior advisor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year , which could allow him to move into another senior slot without answering to Capitol Hill .
Tata left the Army in 2009 after an investigation found that he had committed adultery twice during a previous marriage .
Democratic senators appeared most concerned by Tata ’ s Islamophobic comments on Twitter and repeated attacks against lawmakers .
Warren and her colleagues flagged posts by Tata calling Islam “ the most oppressive violent religion that I know of ” and calling Obama ’ s push for the 2015 Iran nuclear deal part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interests to Islam.
” They also highlighted Tata ’ s false assertions that Obama supported Russian interference in the 2016 election .
“ Nominees should see the value diversity , inclusion , and unity bring to our institutions , ” the senators wrote .
“ Unfortunately , your history of public remarks does not meet this standard.
” Additionally , lawmakers flagged Tata ’ s branding of Democratic Reps. Maxine Waters and Nancy Pelosi , the speaker of the house , as “ violent extremists , ” among other inflammatory epithets .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , repugnant statements like yours should be nominated to serve in a senior position of public trust at the Pentagon , ” the senators added .
More than 50 advocacy groups have also announced their opposition to Tata ’ s nomination , and the Muslim civil rights advocacy group Council on American-Islamic Relations first pushed against the then-rumored pick over false claims in a spy novel written by the Trump favorite , which asserted that British Muslim men used gang rape as a rite of passage .
The push for Tata ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sought to stack the Pentagon with new officials connected to former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn .
Additionally , White House staffers are conducting interviews of Defense Department appointees that are seen as loyalty tests .

Democrats are urging U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial pick to lead the Defense Department’s policy shop to withdraw his nomination over offensive and conspiratorial tweets, according to a new letter shared with Foreign Policy .
Democrats are urging U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial pick to lead the Defense Department’s policy shop to withdraw his nomination over offensive and conspiratorial tweets, according to a new letter shared with Foreign Policy.
In a last-ditch attempt to force Anthony Tata to give up his White House-backed bid to become the undersecretary of defense for policy, 10 Democratic lawmakers, led by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, argue that the retired Army brigadier general has a record of “offensive and inflammatory comments” that disqualify him from taking the job.
CNN previously reported that Tata had characterized former President Barack Obama as a “terrorist leader” and floated a conspiratorial claim that former CIA Director John Brennan had ordered the assassination of Trump via a coded message on social media. Tata, whose confirmation hearing is slated for Thursday, apologized in a letter to the leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee, calling on the panel to judge him on a “30+ year career and record of achievement and not a few regrettable tweets.”
But the about-face has done little to quell anger among Senate Democrats, led by Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the ranking member of the Armed Services panel, who uncharacteristically announced that he would not support the nomination ahead of a confirmation hearing. Foreign Policy first reported that Tata will have a Senate hearing on Thursday, preceded by a closed session on Tuesday aimed at firming up wavering votes for an embattled pick.
“Your letter to committee leadership appears to be a conveniently timed retraction by someone who has suddenly realized his nomination is in jeopardy,” the signatories wrote to Tata on Monday. “But your multiple past statements cannot be dismissed simply as an aberration.”
“Your views are wholly incompatible with the U.S. military’s values,” the senators concluded. Other signatories include Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, all members of the committee.
But the Trump administration could install Tata in another senior defense role if his nomination flounders in Congress, as Politico first reported. Tata began serving as a senior advisor to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper earlier this year, which could allow him to move into another senior slot without answering to Capitol Hill. Tata left the Army in 2009 after an investigation found that he had committed adultery twice during a previous marriage.
Democratic senators appeared most concerned by Tata’s Islamophobic comments on Twitter and repeated attacks against lawmakers. Warren and her colleagues flagged posts by Tata calling Islam “the most oppressive violent religion that I know of” and calling Obama’s push for the 2015 Iran nuclear deal part of a “drive to subvert U.S. interests to Islam.” They also highlighted Tata’s false assertions that Obama supported Russian interference in the 2016 election.
“Nominees should see the value diversity, inclusion, and unity bring to our institutions,” the senators wrote. “Unfortunately, your history of public remarks does not meet this standard.” Additionally, lawmakers flagged Tata’s branding of Democratic Reps. Maxine Waters and Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the house, as “violent extremists,” among other inflammatory epithets.
“No one with a record of repeated, repugnant statements like yours should be nominated to serve in a senior position of public trust at the Pentagon,” the senators added.
More than 50 advocacy groups have also announced their opposition to Tata’s nomination, and the Muslim civil rights advocacy group Council on American-Islamic Relations first pushed against the then-rumored pick over false claims in a spy novel written by the Trump favorite, which asserted that British Muslim men used gang rape as a rite of passage.
The push for Tata’s withdrawal comes as the White House has sought to stack the Pentagon with new officials connected to former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. Additionally, White House staffers are conducting interviews of Defense Department appointees that are seen as loyalty tests.


foreignpolicy--2020-07-27--The U.S. Is Out of Chengdu In New Low for U.S.-China Ties

The U.S. Is Out of Chengdu In New Low for U.S.-China Ties Here is today ’ s Foreign Policy brief : The U.S. consulate closes in the Chinese city of Chengdu , a cease-fire begins in Ukraine , North Korea announces a possible coronavirus case , and what to watch in the world this week .
If you would like to receive Morning Brief in your inbox every weekday , please sign up here .
A statement from the U.S. State Department confirmed the suspension of activities .
“ We are disappointed by the Chinese Communist Party ’ s decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the people in this important region through our other posts in China , ” the statement read .
It marks another low point in U.S.-China relations after the U.S. government ordered the closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston on Friday .
The tit-for-tat leaves the two countries with an equal , but diminished , diplomatic presence : At present , both countries still maintain four consulates and an embassy on each other ’ s soil .
“ Madmen ” in America .
The pro-government Chinese newspaper Global Times lamented the fraying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doubt of where to lay the blame .
“ Right now , it is no longer a matter of whether China-U.S. ties are in freefall , but whether the line of defense on world peace is being broken through by Washington , ” a Sunday editorial said .
“ The world must not be hijacked by a group of political madmen.
” A rush to decoupling ?
Foreign Policy ’ s James Palmer reflected on U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ’ s speech at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a vision for an alliance of “ free world ” countries to take on China .
The speech , Palmer writes , highlights the divisions within the Trump administration between those who wish to maintain business ties with China and those who want the U.S. to disentangle itself from the Chinese economy altogether .
On Monday , July 27 , Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his annual address .
He is expected to focus on his country ’ s fight against the coronavirus , where over 80,000 cases have been reported so far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper will host their Australian counterparts , Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defense Minister Linda Reynolds , for the 2020 Australia-U.S .
Ministerial ( AUSMIN ) consultations at the Department of State .
Also on Tuesday , Chinese Finance Minister Liu Kun is expected to speak at the annual meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank ( AIIB ) , held virtually .
On Wednesday , July 29 , the U.S. Federal Reserve Federal Open Market Committee ( FOMC ) will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or maintain current interest rates .
Fed Chief Jerome Powell will hold a press conference at 2:30 p.m. in Washington .
The Eid al-Adha Islamic holiday begins at sunset on Thursday , July 30 and runs for four days .
Coronavirus in North Korea .
North Korea has put the city of Kaesong on lockdown after a suspected coronavirus case was discovered .
North Korea ’ s Central News Agency said the suspected case came from a defector who had returned to the country .
In April , Radio Free Asia reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of confirmed cases in North Korea as early as March .
Those cases were in Pyongyang , South Hwanghae province , and North Hamgyong province .
U.S. mulls more coronavirus relief .
Republican lawmakers are set to release their proposal for another coronavirus-driven relief package , expected to cost around $ 1 trillion .
The plan includes another $ 1,200 one-off check to qualifying Americans and floats a new mechanism to supplement lost income from unemployment .
A $ 600 supplemental weekly unemployment benefit enacted in March effectively ended over the weekend .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Khabarovsk , a city in Russia ’ s Far East , took to the streets in the thousands for the third Saturday in a row to protest the arrest of their governor , Sergei Furgal , by federal police on murder charges .
Mikhail Degtyarev , Furgal ’ s Kremlin-appointed replacement , has dismissed calls to resign and instead accused the protesters of being influenced by foreigners who had flown in to Khabarovsk .
Ukraine cease-fire begins .
A cease-fire between Ukrainian government and rebel forces in Eastern Ukraine went into effect just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President President Volodymyr Zelensky after it had been brokered by representatives of Russia , Ukraine , and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) last week .
Domestic violence treaty in trouble in Poland .
Poland ’ s ruling Law and Justice party has pushed back on a proposal by Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro to withdraw the country from a European treaty on violence against women .
Ziobro is a member of another right-wing party , United Poland , in coalition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have not been taken .
This is not our common stance , ” a Law and Justice spokesperson said after Ziobro ’ s proposal was made public .
Deposed CAR leader to run again .
Former Central African Republic President Francois Bozize has announced his intention to run in the country ’ s December presidential elections , despite U.N. sanctions and facing an arrest warrant for crimes against humanity .
Bozize had led the country for ten years before being overthrown in 2013 .
Khalilzad pushes for peace .
Zalmay Khalilzad , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visit five countries this week as he seeks to encourage peace talks and ramp up prisoner exchanges between the Taliban and the Afghan government .
Khalilzad ’ s travels will take him to Doha , Kabul , Islamabad , Oslo , and Sofia according to the State Department .
On Saturday , the Taliban accused Afghan authorities of recapturing some of the former Taliban detainees released as part of confidence-building measures ahead of peace talks .
Kabul has rejected the Taliban ’ s claim .
A St. Bernard dog , a breed usually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was the subject of a rescue operation after it collapsed while descending Scafell Pike , England ’ s highest mountain .
A 16-person volunteer rescue team was dispatched to attend to Daisy , the 120-pound canine , carrying her down the mountain on a stretcher .
Due to Daisy ’ s size , the operation was “ not that much different to a normal adult evacuation , ” a spokesman for Wasdale mountain rescue team told the Press Association .
For more from FP , visit foreignpolicy.com , subscribe here , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Send your tips , comments , questions , or corrections to morningbrief @ foreignpolicy.com .

Here is today’s Foreign Policy brief: The U.S. consulate closes in the Chinese city of Chengdu , a cease-fire begins in Ukraine , North Korea announces a possible coronavirus case, and what to watch in the world this week .
Here is today’s Foreign Policy brief: The U.S. consulate closes in the Chinese city of Chengdu, a cease-fire begins in Ukraine, North Korea announces a possible coronavirus case, and what to watch in the world this week.
If you would like to receive Morning Brief in your inbox every weekday, please sign up here.
Following Houston, U.S. Consulate Closes In Chengdu The flag at the U.S. Consulate in Chengdu was lowered in the early hours of this morning, signaling the end of U.S. diplomatic operations in the capital of Sichuan province for the foreseeable future.
A statement from the U.S. State Department confirmed the suspension of activities. “We are disappointed by the Chinese Communist Party’s decision and will strive to continue our outreach to the people in this important region through our other posts in China,” the statement read.
It marks another low point in U.S.-China relations after the U.S. government ordered the closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston on Friday. The tit-for-tat leaves the two countries with an equal, but diminished, diplomatic presence: At present, both countries still maintain four consulates and an embassy on each other’s soil.
“Madmen” in America. The pro-government Chinese newspaper Global Times lamented the fraying of ties, while being in no doubt of where to lay the blame. “Right now, it is no longer a matter of whether China-U.S. ties are in freefall, but whether the line of defense on world peace is being broken through by Washington,” a Sunday editorial said. “The world must not be hijacked by a group of political madmen.”
A rush to decoupling? Foreign Policy’s James Palmer reflected on U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s speech at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum last Thursday, when the secretary laid out a vision for an alliance of “free world” countries to take on China. The speech, Palmer writes, highlights the divisions within the Trump administration between those who wish to maintain business ties with China and those who want the U.S. to disentangle itself from the Chinese economy altogether.
The World This Week
On Monday, July 27, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his annual address. He is expected to focus on his country’s fight against the coronavirus, where over 80,000 cases have been reported so far.
On Tuesday, July 28, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper will host their Australian counterparts, Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defense Minister Linda Reynolds, for the 2020 Australia-U.S. Ministerial (AUSMIN) consultations at the Department of State.
Also on Tuesday, Chinese Finance Minister Liu Kun is expected to speak at the annual meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), held virtually.
On Wednesday, July 29, the U.S. Federal Reserve Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) will announce its decision to raise, lower, or maintain current interest rates. Fed Chief Jerome Powell will hold a press conference at 2:30 p.m. in Washington.
The Eid al-Adha Islamic holiday begins at sunset on Thursday, July 30 and runs for four days.
What We’re Following Today
Coronavirus in North Korea. North Korea has put the city of Kaesong on lockdown after a suspected coronavirus case was discovered. North Korea’s Central News Agency said the suspected case came from a defector who had returned to the country. In April, Radio Free Asia reported that North Korean authorities had warned citizens of confirmed cases in North Korea as early as March. Those cases were in Pyongyang, South Hwanghae province, and North Hamgyong province.
U.S. mulls more coronavirus relief. Republican lawmakers are set to release their proposal for another coronavirus-driven relief package, expected to cost around $1 trillion. The plan includes another $1,200 one-off check to qualifying Americans and floats a new mechanism to supplement lost income from unemployment. A $600 supplemental weekly unemployment benefit enacted in March effectively ended over the weekend.
Eastern Russia protests continue. Residents of Khabarovsk, a city in Russia’s Far East, took to the streets in the thousands for the third Saturday in a row to protest the arrest of their governor, Sergei Furgal, by federal police on murder charges. Mikhail Degtyarev, Furgal’s Kremlin-appointed replacement, has dismissed calls to resign and instead accused the protesters of being influenced by foreigners who had flown in to Khabarovsk.
Ukraine cease-fire begins. A cease-fire between Ukrainian government and rebel forces in Eastern Ukraine went into effect just after midnight. The cease-fire was welcomed by both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President President Volodymyr Zelensky after it had been brokered by representatives of Russia, Ukraine, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) last week.
Keep an Eye On
Domestic violence treaty in trouble in Poland. Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party has pushed back on a proposal by Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro to withdraw the country from a European treaty on violence against women. Ziobro is a member of another right-wing party, United Poland, in coalition with Law and Justice. “Decisions have not been taken. This is not our common stance,” a Law and Justice spokesperson said after Ziobro’s proposal was made public.
Deposed CAR leader to run again. Former Central African Republic President Francois Bozize has announced his intention to run in the country’s December presidential elections, despite U.N. sanctions and facing an arrest warrant for crimes against humanity. Bozize had led the country for ten years before being overthrown in 2013.
Khalilzad pushes for peace. Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan, will visit five countries this week as he seeks to encourage peace talks and ramp up prisoner exchanges between the Taliban and the Afghan government. Khalilzad’s travels will take him to Doha, Kabul, Islamabad, Oslo, and Sofia according to the State Department. On Saturday, the Taliban accused Afghan authorities of recapturing some of the former Taliban detainees released as part of confidence-building measures ahead of peace talks. Kabul has rejected the Taliban’s claim.
Odds and Ends
A St. Bernard dog, a breed usually known for its prowess at high altitudes, was the subject of a rescue operation after it collapsed while descending Scafell Pike, England’s highest mountain. A 16-person volunteer rescue team was dispatched to attend to Daisy, the 120-pound canine, carrying her down the mountain on a stretcher. Due to Daisy’s size, the operation was “not that much different to a normal adult evacuation,” a spokesman for Wasdale mountain rescue team told the Press Association.
That’s it for today.
For more from FP, visit foreignpolicy.com, subscribe here, or sign up for our other newsletters. Send your tips, comments, questions, or corrections to morningbrief@foreignpolicy.com.


foreignpolicy--2020-07-25--Our Top Weekend Reads

Our Top Weekend Reads

The Trump administration has done little to help schools reopen in the fall , despite threatening to pull federal money if they don ’ t .
Meanwhile , the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has been hotly disputed in Africa .
Our latest FP Guide rounds up our best pieces on the issue .
And a dearth of adequate technology in India ’ s rural areas will severely limit educational opportunities if schools continue online learning .
The White House is pressuring schools across the United States to reopen in the fall but is offering little guidance on how to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Laurie Garrett writes .
2 .
In Portland , the Baby Fascists Have Shown Their Face The use of paramilitary-style federal units against protesters in Portland looks uncomfortably similar to the tactics used by fascist regimes across history , Timothy Snyder writes .
In our latest FP Guide , Foreign Policy ’ s Kathryn Salam rounds up our best reads on the controversy surrounding the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam .
4 .
Offline and Out of School The Indian government has said remote learning will continue until at least August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ educational prospects of those living in the country ’ s rural areas , where access to technology is limited , Sarita Santoshini writes .
Israel had been one of the early success stories in the fight against the coronavirus , but now the country is facing an aggressive resurgence of the virus , and the government has been left scrambling , Joshua Mitnick reports .

The Trump administration has done little to help schools reopen in the fall, despite threatening to pull federal money if they don’t.
The Trump administration has done little to help schools reopen in the fall, despite threatening to pull federal money if they don’t.
Meanwhile, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has been hotly disputed in Africa. Our latest FP Guide rounds up our best pieces on the issue.
And a dearth of adequate technology in India’s rural areas will severely limit educational opportunities if schools continue online learning.
Here are Foreign Policy’s top weekend reads.
Picture of an empty classroom at the Eustaqui Palacios school in Cali, Colombia, taken on March 16, 2020.
The White House is pressuring schools across the United States to reopen in the fall but is offering little guidance on how to do so safely, Foreign Policy’s Laurie Garrett writes.
Federal officers stand guard after dispersing protesters in Portland, Oregon, on July 21.
The use of paramilitary-style federal units against protesters in Portland looks uncomfortably similar to the tactics used by fascist regimes across history, Timothy Snyder writes.
In our latest FP Guide, Foreign Policy’s Kathryn Salam rounds up our best reads on the controversy surrounding the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
Children attend a telelearning class displayed on Kalvi TV channel, an education initiative set up by the Department of School Education to allow students to continue their curriculums as schools remain closed, at their home in Chennai, India, on July 15.
The Indian government has said remote learning will continue until at least August, but that could seriously damage the educational prospects of those living in the country’s rural areas, where access to technology is limited, Sarita Santoshini writes.
An Israeli protester lies on a banner showing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a demonstration against anti-democratic measures to contain the novel coronavirus outbreak in Tel Aviv on April 19.
Israel had been one of the early success stories in the fight against the coronavirus, but now the country is facing an aggressive resurgence of the virus, and the government has been left scrambling, Joshua Mitnick reports.


foreignpolicy--2020-07-28--Israel Accuses Hezbollah Of ‘Playing With Fire’ In Alleged Incursion

Israel Accuses Hezbollah Of ‘ Playing With Fire ’ In Alleged Incursion Here is today ’ s Foreign Policy brief : Israel and Hezbollah exchange statements over an alleged incursion in the Golan Heights , former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is found guilty in the 1MDB case , and Vietnam ‘ s third-largest city goes into lockdown .
We welcome your feedback at morningbrief @ foreignpolicy.com .
Israel has accused Hezbollah of “ playing with fire ” after an alleged incursion by up to four of the group ’ s fighters into the Golan Heights on Sunday .
Hezbollah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place .
“ Everything claimed by the Israeli media and the IDF about a Hezbollah infiltration … is an attempt to invent false Israeli victories , ” the group said .
The Israel Defense Forces ( IDF ) said that the incursion was halted after an exchange of gunfire , causing the militants to return across the border into Syria .
The risk of open conflict between Israel and the Lebanese group has increased following the killing of a Hezbollah fighter in an Israeli airstrike in Syria last week .
In a Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strike “ will definitely come , ” although Hezbollah ’ s deputy secretary-general , Naim Qassim , suggested that it is not imminent .
“ The deterrence equation with Israel is holding and we are not willing to amend this equation .
There is also no change in the rules of engagement , ” he told the news channel Al-Mayadeen on Sunday .
A good crisis .
The flare-up comes at an opportune time for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , who is facing loud street protests calling for his resignation .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10,000 demonstrators in front of the prime minister ’ s official residence—a crowd that has been increasing over the past two weeks .
Budget troubles .
It also comes as the coalition between Netanyahu ’ s Likud and Benny Gantz ’ s Blue and White party comes under strain .
The latest flashpoint is an impasse over the national budget .
Gantz is insisting on passing a two-year budget , while Netanyahu wants the budget to cover one year .
Critics say such a maneuver would give Netanyahu room to force another election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minister in 2021 .
And the pandemic , too .
All the while , as Joshua Mitnick reports for Foreign Policy from Tel Aviv , Israel is facing a second wave of coronavirus infections .
As Mitnick observes , Israel ’ s response has been “ a cautionary tale about governance that responds well to emergencies but fails to organize for a sustained fight and about the distractions of politics and populism.
” Najib Razak found guilty .
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has been found guilty of all seven charges in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looting of the 1MDB state investment fund .
Najib had been charged with abuse of power , three charges of criminal breach of trust , and three money laundering charges .
This trial is just one of five brought against the former prime minister , who could face years in prison .
Najib plans to appeal the ruling and has denounced the trials as politically motivated .
Trump ’ s national security advisor has coronavirus .
U.S. National Security Advisor Robert O ’ Brien has been diagnosed with COVID-19 .
He is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus so far .
It ’ s not yet known how recently O ’ Brien was in contact with U.S. President Donald Trump , but White House officials played down the risk of the infection spreading .
“ There is no risk of exposure to the President or the Vice President , ” and the “ work of the National Security Council continues uninterrupted , ” a White House Statement said .
Danang on lockdown .
Danang , Vietnam ’ s third-largest city , has been placed on lockdown after a the discovery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local hospital .
Vietnam is still closed to foreign tourists , but all flights , buses , and train services in and out of the city have been suspended .
Vietnam is the most populous country that has not yet registered a single coronavirus-related death .
It has reported only 431 cases in total .
New Zealand suspends extradition treaty with Hong Kong .
New Zealand has joined Australia , Canada , and the United Kingdom as the latest country to suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong following the passage of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zealand can no longer trust that Hong Kong ’ s criminal justice system is sufficiently independent from China , ” Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said on Tuesday , adding that if China was to revisit its “ one country , two systems ” policy then New Zealand would reconsider its decision .
ECOWAS threatens sanctions over Mali proposal .
The 15 West African nations of ECOWAS have called on opposition leaders to embrace a government of national unity and abandon hopes of ousting sitting President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita or risk facing sanctions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government , the ECOWAS plan would involve by-elections for 31 parliamentary seats won in March and April ’ s disputed legislative elections .
Mali ’ s opposition has been unmoved by the ECOWAS proposal .
“ We take note , but we really believe that this is not the will of the people , it is not what we expect , ” said opposition coalition spokesman Nouhoum Togo .
Zimbabwe targets U.S. ambassador .
Zimbabwe ’ s ruling ZANU-PF party labeled U.S. ambassador Brian Nichols a “ thug ” and accused him of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Zimbabwe summoned Nichols after U.S. National Security Adviser Robert O ’ Brien accused the southern African country of stoking unrest online after the police killing of George Floyd in late May .
Opposition groups plan to protest on July 31 against government corruption and an ongoing economic crisis .
As the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic threatens to erode U.S. soft power , Harry Harris , the U.S .
Ambassador to South Korea , has gone the extra mile and removed his signature mustache in a move that could smooth relations between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mother was born in Japan , drew criticism from some sectors of South Korean society when he took up his post sporting his newly-grown facial fashion .
Critics said it was reminiscent of the mustaches worn by Japanese governor-generals during Japan ’ s colonial rule of the peninsula from 1910-1945 .
Harris has given a more innocent explanation for the removal , saying a clean-shaven look helps him both handle the muggy summer and follow facemask guidelines .
For more from FP , visit foreignpolicy.com , subscribe here , or sign up for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , comments , questions , or corrections to morningbrief @ foreignpolicy.com .

Here is today’s Foreign Policy brief: Israel and Hezbollah exchange statements over an alleged incursion in the Golan Heights, former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is found guilty in the 1MDB case, and Vietnam ’s third-largest city goes into lockdown.
Here is today’s Foreign Policy brief: Israel and Hezbollah exchange statements over an alleged incursion in the Golan Heights, former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is found guilty in the 1MDB case, and Vietnam’s third-largest city goes into lockdown.
If you would like to receive Morning Brief in your inbox every weekday, please sign up here.
Israel and Hezbollah Trade Barbs Over Alleged Incursion
Israel has accused Hezbollah of “playing with fire” after an alleged incursion by up to four of the group’s fighters into the Golan Heights on Sunday.
Hezbollah has denied that any such incursion took place. “Everything claimed by the Israeli media and the IDF about a Hezbollah infiltration … is an attempt to invent false Israeli victories,” the group said.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that the incursion was halted after an exchange of gunfire, causing the militants to return across the border into Syria. The risk of open conflict between Israel and the Lebanese group has increased following the killing of a Hezbollah fighter in an Israeli airstrike in Syria last week.
In a Monday statement, Hezbollah said retaliation for the strike “will definitely come,” although Hezbollah’s deputy secretary-general, Naim Qassim, suggested that it is not imminent. “The deterrence equation with Israel is holding and we are not willing to amend this equation. There is also no change in the rules of engagement,” he told the news channel Al-Mayadeen on Sunday.
A good crisis. The flare-up comes at an opportune time for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing loud street protests calling for his resignation. On Saturday, Haaretz reported a gathering of 10,000 demonstrators in front of the prime minister’s official residence—a crowd that has been increasing over the past two weeks.
Budget troubles. It also comes as the coalition between Netanyahu’s Likud and Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party comes under strain. The latest flashpoint is an impasse over the national budget. Gantz is insisting on passing a two-year budget, while Netanyahu wants the budget to cover one year. Critics say such a maneuver would give Netanyahu room to force another election before Gantz assumes the role of prime minister in 2021.
And the pandemic, too. All the while, as Joshua Mitnick reports for Foreign Policy from Tel Aviv, Israel is facing a second wave of coronavirus infections. As Mitnick observes, Israel’s response has been “a cautionary tale about governance that responds well to emergencies but fails to organize for a sustained fight and about the distractions of politics and populism.”
What We’re Following Today
Najib Razak found guilty. Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has been found guilty of all seven charges in his first corruption trial related to the looting of the 1MDB state investment fund. Najib had been charged with abuse of power, three charges of criminal breach of trust, and three money laundering charges. This trial is just one of five brought against the former prime minister, who could face years in prison. Najib plans to appeal the ruling and has denounced the trials as politically motivated.
Trump’s national security advisor has coronavirus. U.S. National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien has been diagnosed with COVID-19. He is the highest-ranking Trump administration official to contract the virus so far. It’s not yet known how recently O’Brien was in contact with U.S. President Donald Trump, but White House officials played down the risk of the infection spreading. “There is no risk of exposure to the President or the Vice President,” and the “work of the National Security Council continues uninterrupted,” a White House Statement said.
Danang on lockdown. Danang, Vietnam’s third-largest city, has been placed on lockdown after a the discovery of a coronavirus outbreak linked to a local hospital. Vietnam is still closed to foreign tourists, but all flights, buses, and train services in and out of the city have been suspended. Vietnam is the most populous country that has not yet registered a single coronavirus-related death. It has reported only 431 cases in total.
New Zealand suspends extradition treaty with Hong Kong. New Zealand has joined Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom as the latest country to suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong following the passage of a Beijing-imposed national security law. “New Zealand can no longer trust that Hong Kong’s criminal justice system is sufficiently independent from China,” Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said on Tuesday, adding that if China was to revisit its “one country, two systems” policy then New Zealand would reconsider its decision.
Keep an Eye On
ECOWAS threatens sanctions over Mali proposal. The 15 West African nations of ECOWAS have called on opposition leaders to embrace a government of national unity and abandon hopes of ousting sitting President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita or risk facing sanctions. As well as establishing a unity government, the ECOWAS plan would involve by-elections for 31 parliamentary seats won in March and April’s disputed legislative elections.
Mali’s opposition has been unmoved by the ECOWAS proposal. “We take note, but we really believe that this is not the will of the people, it is not what we expect,” said opposition coalition spokesman Nouhoum Togo.
Zimbabwe targets U.S. ambassador. Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party labeled U.S. ambassador Brian Nichols a “thug” and accused him of funding anti-government protests planned for this week. Zimbabwe summoned Nichols after U.S. National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien accused the southern African country of stoking unrest online after the police killing of George Floyd in late May. Opposition groups plan to protest on July 31 against government corruption and an ongoing economic crisis.
Odds and Ends
As the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic threatens to erode U.S. soft power, Harry Harris, the U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, has gone the extra mile and removed his signature mustache in a move that could smooth relations between the two countries. Harris, whose mother was born in Japan, drew criticism from some sectors of South Korean society when he took up his post sporting his newly-grown facial fashion. Critics said it was reminiscent of the mustaches worn by Japanese governor-generals during Japan’s colonial rule of the peninsula from 1910-1945. Harris has given a more innocent explanation for the removal, saying a clean-shaven look helps him both handle the muggy summer and follow face mask guidelines.
That’s it for today.
For more from FP, visit foreignpolicy.com, subscribe here, or sign up for our other newsletters. Send your tips, comments, questions, or corrections to morningbrief@foreignpolicy.com.


foreignpolicy--2020-07-28--Is It Time to Repatriate Africa’s Looted Art?

The art from its royal palace and civilian homes was looted during a 10-day massacre described in the British National Archives as a “ punitive expedition ” —a punishment for the Benin king ’ s men killing seven British officials demanding control of regional trade .
At least 3,000 artifacts—known as the Benin Bronzes—were stolen and taken to Britain , with 40 percent sent to the British Museum .
The remaining loot was sold to private collectors and galleries across Europe and the United States .
Much of it ended up in major Western museums , such as the Metropolitan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Ethnological Museum of Berlin .
More than a century later , Nigeria is Africa ’ s biggest economy , but a large number of its historical artworks remain outside the country .
It ’ s a familiar story across Africa : 90 to 95 percent of Africa ’ s heritage is held outside the continent , according to a 2018 report commissioned by French President Emmanuel Macron .
Given the shameful manner in which African artifacts were taken and the collapse of the colonial empires that enabled the looting , it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of restitution .
In Africa , there are a number of new museums planned with a mission to empower citizens with this cultural heritage that could receive the artifacts .
As Black Lives Matter protests spread globally in June , anger directed at statues memorializing slavers and colonialists soon turned to Western museum collections .
Activists urged museums to return art and artifacts taken from African countries under colonialism or offer direct financial compensation .
Last month , protesters unsuccessfully attempted to remove a 19th-century South Sudanese funeral pole from the Quai Branly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bring to Africa what was taken , ” the Congolese artist Mwazulu Diyabanza , who led the demonstration , said in a video posted online .
“ Most of the works were taken during colonialism , and we want justice.
” The protests have strengthened calls to decolonize museums , but little has happened so far in terms of restitution .
For example , London ’ s Victoria and Albert Museum responded to Ethiopia ’ s request for the return of plundered treasures with an offer to loan the items to Ethiopia for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have also come under fire for selling items removed during Nigeria ’ s civil war .
Despite an online petition and a strongly worded letter from Nigeria ’ s National Commission for Museums and Monuments calling for Christie ’ s to halt the sale of sacred Igbo sculptures in Paris , the auction went ahead in June and fetched 212,500 euros ( about $ 240,000 ) .
The British Museum in London holds at least 73,000 objects from sub-Saharan Africa .
France holds 90,000 artifacts , most of which were stolen during its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Belgium ’ s controversial Royal Museum for Central Africa holds more than 120,000 artifacts—mostly taken from the Belgian Congo during King Leopold II ’ s regime , which was characterized by slavery , rape , and mutilation and resulted in the killing of at least 10 million Congolese .
Germany ’ s Humboldt Forum holds around 75,000 artifacts , including 10,000 objects looted by German troops during the Maji Maji uprising against colonial rule in present-day Tanzania .
Around 300,000 locals were killed .
These Western museums have done little to recount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or reflect on the millions of African lives lost .
Hartwig Fischer , the British Museum ’ s director , expressed “ solidarity with the British Black community , with the African American community , with the Black community throughout the world , ” in a statement in June , adding that the museum would “ continue to research , acknowledge and address the colonial history of Britain and its impact on our institution.
” But critics described the response as performative .
In an open letter , the visual artist Bayryam Mustafa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ it took the death of an unarmed Black man for you to join the conversation.
” “ The issue of repatriation is essential , ” he said .
In practice , the British Museum has dismissed all restitution claims .
Geoffrey Robertson , a prominent human rights lawyer , told the Guardian that “ the trustees of the British Museum have become the world ’ s largest receivers of stolen property.
” The “ barbaric manner of the taking of the [ Benin ] Bronzes amounted to a war crime , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Who Owns History ?
.
African countries have responded by constructing new facilities and promoting them as potential homes for repatriated art and artifacts , including Senegal ’ s Museum of Black Civilisations , completed in December 2018 and founded to address the “ cultural devaluation ” of Black achievements .
A private museum funded by Yemisi Shyllon , one of Africa ’ s biggest art collectors , recently opened in Lagos , Nigeria .
It houses more than 1,000 artworks donated by Shyllon , including treasures dating to the 16th-century Benin Kingdom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lomé , a former seat of German and French colonial power , has been transformed into a space for cultural heritage .
Others include Congo ’ s National Museum and the planned Benin Royal Museum in Nigeria .
Shyllon , a Yoruba prince from Nigeria ’ s southwest , began his own collection of more than 7,000 African artworks—mainly contemporary—when he was an engineering student at the University of Ibadan in the 1970s .
For now , he isn ’ t advocating for restitution : Shyllon is eager to see better state funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he said .
At present , he wants a deal in which the British Museum acknowledges Benin City ’ s rights .
“ They will pay us royalties for those works because they acknowledge our legal ownership , ” Shyllon told Foreign Policy .
As in Benin City , British troops mounted a punitive expedition against Ghana ’ s Ashanti people in 1874 , looting several gold treasures from the king ’ s palace that were largely auctioned off , with the rest obtained by London ’ s Victoria and Albert and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a nearly life-size gold head , which Ghana ’ s government requested back in 1974 .
It came as no surprise that the British government reaffirmed its position that items in its collections can not be returned .
But the Ghanian writer Nana Oforiatta Ayim has called the repatriation of some objects “ inevitable.
” She curated Ghana ’ s first ever presence at the Venice Biennale in 2019 and has created a different concept of the exhibit in Ghana : a traveling museum that hands over the control of narratives to communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Open Society Foundations ’ four-year , $ 15 million initiative to help African nations get back cultural objects from Europe .
Whether this monetary might will force institutions to reconsider restitution claims remains to be seen .
Twelve African heads of state , including major players such as Nigeria and South Africa , recently added some foreign-policy weight to the repatriation debate by committing to “ speed up the return of cultural assets ” during the African Union ’ s summit in Addis Ababa in February .
“ African heritage can not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Macron tweeted in 2017 .
But action from European institutions has been polarized .
In 2019 , Germany agreed on guidelines for restitution and set aside more than $ 2 million into provenance research of objects held by German institutions .
Likewise , Macron equally positioned himself as a leader willing to hear demands on restitution .
“ African heritage can not be a prisoner of European museums , ” he tweeted during a 2017 trip to Burkina Faso .
After commissioning the 2018 report , which recommended that African treasures in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to repatriate 26 looted objects to the country of Benin—not to be confused with Benin City in Nigeria .
But the president hasn ’ t yet delivered on this promise .
So far , only one repatriation has occurred : the temporary return of Senegal ’ s saber , owned by the 19th-century leader Omar Saidou Tall .
That is because final parliamentary legislation is needed to return treasures : European laws forbid museums from giving away items in collections .
Macron also faces scrutiny from museum professionals .
That report “ can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Emmanuel Kasarhérou , the head of the Quai Branly , said recently .
Even so , these initiatives still reflect a shift in government thinking with which the United Kingdom is increasingly out of step .
British institutions there are pushing various loan terms rather than restitution .
The British Museum presented such a deal to the Benin Royal Museum , set to open in 2023—but in all agreements , the British institution would retain legal ownership of all artifacts .
Talks have been ongoing for over a decade .
The Nigerian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the British Museum , but there is growing resentment among Nigerians toward repeating such a move .
The loan suggestions have been met with criticism .
The Nigerian artist Victor Ehikhamenor , a member of the Benin Dialogue Group , a consortium of European museums and the Nigerian government , has called the arrangement an “ insult.
” “ These loan agreements assume that they have a legal right to those works , ” Shyllon said .
“ When somebody is possessing something that doesn ’ t belong to him or her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owner of the works , I think it is odd.
” African countries with developed economies deserve to tell their own stories without a European filter .
Western museums could offer curator residencies to African historians , with the ultimate goal of reuniting some artifacts with African people in the countries they were taken from .
After all , the British Museum exhibits just 1 percent of its 8 million objects , while the rest are hidden in storage .
Around 100 Benin Bronzes are displayed out of a bounty of 900 items @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraction .
In Lagos , Shyllon ’ s own living room is dominated by an 8-foot-tall statue , with intricately carved figurines that recount Earth ’ s creation according to Yoruba folklore .
Part of the story goes that Olodumare , seen as the supreme being , authorized the deities Obatala and Oduduwa to create land between the sky and the ocean below .
In exhibits across Europe , I have often seen the bronze heads of Oduduwa , regarded as the founder of the kingdoms of Ife and Benin , displayed entirely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said these works “ represent our civilization .
They represent what our forefathers were able to contribute.
” Museums now face a moral reckoning over artifacts stolen by people who took colonial violence and racial superiority as a given .
It is time to start having honest conversations about righting those wrongs .

Hundreds of thousands of historical artworks from Africa remain outside the continent, including (clockwise from top left): an Oduduwa helmet mask made of bronze from Benin City in Nigeria, housed at the British Museum in London; the “Royal Seat of the Kingdom of Dahomey” from Benin Republic, at the Quai Branly Museum in Paris; an ivory receptacle with figurative relief and stopper from the Loango coast, part of modern-day Republic of Congo, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; a Central African power figure from the coast of Congo and Angola, now at the Met; a Mbangu mask from southern Bandundu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, housed at the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren, Belgium; a head of a royal ancestor from the former Benin Kingdom, a part of modern-day Nigeria, displayed at the Quai Branly; and a carved ivory pendant mask of Queen Idia, inlaid with iron and bronze, from Benin Kingdom, now at the British Museum. © Trustees of the British Museum; Gerard Julien/AFP via Getty Images; Metropolitan Museum of Art; Royal Museum for Central Africa; Philippe Wojazer/Reuters; © Trustees of the British Museum
On the eve of Feb. 9, 1897, the ancient Kingdom of Benin, now part of modern-day Nigeria, stood as a marker for the achievement of Black civilizations. Archaeologists describe Benin City’s earthworks as the world’s largest built before the mechanical age, and its city walls were estimated to have been “four times longer than the Great Wall of China.” But the next day, the British military entered the city to overthrow Benin’s king by force. By Feb. 18, soldiers had burned Benin City to the ground. After Benin’s fall, the British donned blackface and faux native dress to celebrate.
The art from its royal palace and civilian homes was looted during a 10-day massacre described in the British National Archives as a “punitive expedition”—a punishment for the Benin king’s men killing seven British officials demanding control of regional trade. At least 3,000 artifacts—known as the Benin Bronzes—were stolen and taken to Britain, with 40 percent sent to the British Museum. The remaining loot was sold to private collectors and galleries across Europe and the United States. Much of it ended up in major Western museums, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Ethnological Museum of Berlin.
Members of the British military—with soldiers in blackface—reenact a scene from the Benin expedition of 1897. Seated in the middle is a captive, presumably representing Oba Ovonramwen, the king of Benin.
More than a century later, Nigeria is Africa’s biggest economy, but a large number of its historical artworks remain outside the country. It’s a familiar story across Africa: 90 to 95 percent of Africa’s heritage is held outside the continent, according to a 2018 report commissioned by French President Emmanuel Macron. Given the shameful manner in which African artifacts were taken and the collapse of the colonial empires that enabled the looting, it is time for European institutions to reevaluate claims of restitution. In Africa, there are a number of new museums planned with a mission to empower citizens with this cultural heritage that could receive the artifacts.
As Black Lives Matter protests spread globally in June, anger directed at statues memorializing slavers and colonialists soon turned to Western museum collections. Activists urged museums to return art and artifacts taken from African countries under colonialism or offer direct financial compensation. Last month, protesters unsuccessfully attempted to remove a 19th-century South Sudanese funeral pole from the Quai Branly Museum in Paris. “I will bring to Africa what was taken,” the Congolese artist Mwazulu Diyabanza, who led the demonstration, said in a video posted online. “Most of the works were taken during colonialism, and we want justice.”
The protests have strengthened calls to decolonize museums, but little has happened so far in terms of restitution. For example, London’s Victoria and Albert Museum responded to Ethiopia’s request for the return of plundered treasures with an offer to loan the items to Ethiopia for the long term. Private auction houses have also come under fire for selling items removed during Nigeria’s civil war. Despite an online petition and a strongly worded letter from Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments calling for Christie’s to halt the sale of sacred Igbo sculptures in Paris, the auction went ahead in June and fetched 212,500 euros (about $240,000).
The British Museum in London holds at least 73,000 objects from sub-Saharan Africa. France holds 90,000 artifacts, most of which were stolen during its colonial rule over much of the region. Belgium’s controversial Royal Museum for Central Africa holds more than 120,000 artifacts—mostly taken from the Belgian Congo during King Leopold II’s regime, which was characterized by slavery, rape, and mutilation and resulted in the killing of at least 10 million Congolese. Germany’s Humboldt Forum holds around 75,000 artifacts, including 10,000 objects looted by German troops during the Maji Maji uprising against colonial rule in present-day Tanzania. Around 300,000 locals were killed.
Wooden African statuettes are housed in the Royal Museum for Central Africa, an ethnography and natural history museum in Belgium.
These Western museums have done little to recount the violence used to procure these artifacts or reflect on the millions of African lives lost. Hartwig Fischer, the British Museum’s director, expressed “solidarity with the British Black community, with the African American community, with the Black community throughout the world,” in a statement in June, adding that the museum would “continue to research, acknowledge and address the colonial history of Britain and its impact on our institution.” But critics described the response as performative. In an open letter, the visual artist Bayryam Mustafa Bayryamali wrote that he was disappointed that “it took the death of an unarmed Black man for you to join the conversation.” “The issue of repatriation is essential,” he said.
In practice, the British Museum has dismissed all restitution claims. Geoffrey Robertson, a prominent human rights lawyer, told the Guardian that “the trustees of the British Museum have become the world’s largest receivers of stolen property.” The “barbaric manner of the taking of the [Benin] Bronzes amounted to a war crime,” Robertson wrote in his 2019 book, Who Owns History?.
A private museum funded by Yemisi Shyllon, one of Africa’s biggest art collectors, recently opened in Lagos, Nigeria. It houses more than 1,000 artworks, including (clockwise from left): a full-length, bronze-clad royal figurine of the Ooni of Ife, dated to the 14th-century Ife Kingdom in Nigeria; an Igbo-Ukwu bronze ceremonial vessel dated to the 10th century; a bronze pelican by the Nigerian sculptor Ben Osawe; and a Benin royal head dated to the 15th- or 16th-century Benin Kingdom in Nigeria.
African countries that have sought restitution of artworks and artifacts include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Senegal. But in response to restitution claims, Western collectors have expressed concern that African museums lie semi-derelict and lack the security to stop the pilfering of their few remaining objects. Bernard de Grunne, the Brussels-based dealer who sold the controversial Nigerian sculptures to Christie’s in 2010, recently cited a common defense. By coming to the West, “these great works of art were saved for the world to admire at that point, instead of being burned and destroyed during the war,” de Grunne told the New York Times.
African countries have responded by constructing new facilities and promoting them as potential homes for repatriated art and artifacts, including Senegal’s Museum of Black Civilisations, completed in December 2018 and founded to address the “cultural devaluation” of Black achievements. A private museum funded by Yemisi Shyllon, one of Africa’s biggest art collectors, recently opened in Lagos, Nigeria. It houses more than 1,000 artworks donated by Shyllon, including treasures dating to the 16th-century Benin Kingdom. In Togo, the Palais de Lomé, a former seat of German and French colonial power, has been transformed into a space for cultural heritage. Others include Congo’s National Museum and the planned Benin Royal Museum in Nigeria.
Shyllon, a Yoruba prince from Nigeria’s southwest, began his own collection of more than 7,000 African artworks—mainly contemporary—when he was an engineering student at the University of Ibadan in the 1970s. For now, he isn’t advocating for restitution: Shyllon is eager to see better state funding of Nigeria’s cultural sector beforehand, he said. At present, he wants a deal in which the British Museum acknowledges Benin City’s rights. “They will pay us royalties for those works because they acknowledge our legal ownership,” Shyllon told Foreign Policy.
As in Benin City, British troops mounted a punitive expedition against Ghana’s Ashanti people in 1874, looting several gold treasures from the king’s palace that were largely auctioned off, with the rest obtained by London’s Victoria and Albert and the Wallace Collection. The artifacts include a nearly life-size gold head, which Ghana’s government requested back in 1974. It came as no surprise that the British government reaffirmed its position that items in its collections cannot be returned.
But the Ghanian writer Nana Oforiatta Ayim has called the repatriation of some objects “inevitable.” She curated Ghana’s first ever presence at the Venice Biennale in 2019 and has created a different concept of the exhibit in Ghana: a traveling museum that hands over the control of narratives to communities. She is also a part of the Open Society Foundations’ four-year, $15 million initiative to help African nations get back cultural objects from Europe.
Whether this monetary might will force institutions to reconsider restitution claims remains to be seen. Twelve African heads of state, including major players such as Nigeria and South Africa, recently added some foreign-policy weight to the repatriation debate by committing to “speed up the return of cultural assets” during the African Union’s summit in Addis Ababa in February.
“African heritage cannot be a prisoner of European museums,” Macron tweeted in 2017.
But action from European institutions has been polarized. In 2019, Germany agreed on guidelines for restitution and set aside more than $2 million into provenance research of objects held by German institutions. Likewise, Macron equally positioned himself as a leader willing to hear demands on restitution. “African heritage cannot be a prisoner of European museums,” he tweeted during a 2017 trip to Burkina Faso. After commissioning the 2018 report, which recommended that African treasures in French museums be returned, Macron vowed to repatriate 26 looted objects to the country of Benin—not to be confused with Benin City in Nigeria.
But the president hasn’t yet delivered on this promise. So far, only one repatriation has occurred: the temporary return of Senegal’s saber, owned by the 19th-century leader Omar Saidou Tall. That is because final parliamentary legislation is needed to return treasures: European laws forbid museums from giving away items in collections. Macron also faces scrutiny from museum professionals. That report “cannot be a blueprint for policy,” Emmanuel Kasarhérou, the head of the Quai Branly, said recently.
Even so, these initiatives still reflect a shift in government thinking with which the United Kingdom is increasingly out of step. British institutions there are pushing various loan terms rather than restitution. The British Museum presented such a deal to the Benin Royal Museum, set to open in 2023—but in all agreements, the British institution would retain legal ownership of all artifacts. Talks have been ongoing for over a decade.
The Nigerian government has previously purchased small Benin Bronzes from the British Museum, but there is growing resentment among Nigerians toward repeating such a move. The loan suggestions have been met with criticism. The Nigerian artist Victor Ehikhamenor, a member of the Benin Dialogue Group, a consortium of European museums and the Nigerian government, has called the arrangement an “insult.” “These loan agreements assume that they have a legal right to those works,” Shyllon said. “When somebody is possessing something that doesn’t belong to him or her but insists on lending it to the owner of the works, I think it is odd.”
Plaques that form part of the Benin Bronzes are displayed at the British Museum in London on Nov. 22, 2018. The brass plaques were originally nailed to the doors and walls of the Benin royal palace. They commemorate past kings, military chiefs, and key events in Benin Kingdom.
The Benin Bronzes, which include carved ivory, bronze statues, and brass plaques commemorating various conquests, are an integral part of Nigeria’s national story. The British Museum has possessed the artifacts for more than 100 years, but the institution has no Black curators. And ordinary citizens lack a fundamental understanding of Nigerian history: Indeed, one-third of Britons believe that countries are better off having been colonized by the British, according to a YouGov poll.
African countries with developed economies deserve to tell their own stories without a European filter. Western museums could offer curator residencies to African historians, with the ultimate goal of reuniting some artifacts with African people in the countries they were taken from. After all, the British Museum exhibits just 1 percent of its 8 million objects, while the rest are hidden in storage. Around 100 Benin Bronzes are displayed out of a bounty of 900 items. It can afford to repatriate a fraction.
In Lagos, Shyllon’s own living room is dominated by an 8-foot-tall statue, with intricately carved figurines that recount Earth’s creation according to Yoruba folklore. Part of the story goes that Olodumare, seen as the supreme being, authorized the deities Obatala and Oduduwa to create land between the sky and the ocean below. In exhibits across Europe, I have often seen the bronze heads of Oduduwa, regarded as the founder of the kingdoms of Ife and Benin, displayed entirely devoid of this cultural context. Shyllon said these works “represent our civilization. They represent what our forefathers were able to contribute.”
Museums now face a moral reckoning over artifacts stolen by people who took colonial violence and racial superiority as a given. It is time to start having honest conversations about righting those wrongs.