foreignpolicy--2020-01-03--Former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq: U.S. Personnel and Allies Across Region Could Be Targets

Former U.S .
Ambassador to Iraq : U.S .
Personnel and Allies Across Region Could Be Targets Three days into the new year , the world braced itself for a dramatic escalation in tensions in the Middle East after a U.S. drone strike at Baghdad ’ s international airport killed a top Iranian intelligence and security official , Qassem Suleimani .
The Iranian supreme leader , Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , has promised a “ forceful revenge ” for the killing of Suleimani , the leader of Iran ’ s elite Quds Force , the foreign operations wing of Iran ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump ’ s administration defended the strike , saying it was intended to thwart a planned attack that could have claimed American lives , while U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called for a de-escalation of tensions following the attack .
The targeting of Suleimani has created one of the most dramatic flash points since the Iraq War and could have a profound impact on the regional patchwork of allegiances , particularly in Iraq , which has sought to balance Washington and Tehran .
To understand what Suleimani ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wider region , Foreign Policy spoke to Douglas Silliman , who served as U.S. ambassador to Iraq until February 2019 .
After 35 years with the State Department , he retired from the foreign service in April and now serves as president of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington .
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity .
Foreign Policy : What does this mean for Iraq ?
Douglas Silliman : It ’ ll be interesting to watch the reaction in Iraq , because Iraq is very conflicted about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very conflicted about the Iranian presence and especially Iran ’ s influence on the Shia militias that are now taking over large parts of the country .
It will be interesting to see what the reaction will be of the young Iraqis who have been in the streets for the last four months .
Will they simply condemn this American action or will they seek to use this as a way to press the government to reduce the role of militias ?
The first thing I want to point out is that one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along with Qassem Suleimani , was Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis , who is the deputy commander—but for all intents and purposes the chief Iranian Quds Force operative lieutenant inside Iraq and the de facto leader of the Popular Mobilization Forces [ an umbrella organization of fighters and Iran-backed militias formed to fight the Islamic State in Iraq ] .
He was the best tactician when it came to implementing Iran ’ s strategic objectives in Iraq and Syria to create a ground line of communication , a supply chain from Iran to Iraq into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Assad regime and Lebanese Hezbollah .
His death will be a very big loss for the pro-Iranian militias , and it further loosens the leadership and centralized control of the PMF [ Popular Mobilization Forces ] .
So as I look at potential threats , I am as worried about individual militias , especially some of them had that have been Iranian-trained and -influenced , feeling that this now gives them complete individual freedom of action , because the Popular Mobilization Forces are not one unilateral force .
They are a number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my first concern for my colleagues at the embassy in Baghdad and for U.S. military personnel and coalition military personnel on Iraqi bases around the country .
The reaction of Iraqi officials in the past 14 , 15 hours has been interesting .
President Barham Salih has condemned the attack but called for calm and reason .
Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi has asked for the parliament to meet tomorrow to consider the question of American forces in the country and said in a statement that he believes this American attack violates the terms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country .
What I expect tomorrow is probably going to be a vote in the Iraqi parliament to ask American forces to leave or potentially all foreign forces to leave or coalition forces to leave .
There are many Iraqis who do not want that to happen , if for no other reason , because they understand that if U.S. forces leave Iraq it means almost certainly that the other 16 members of the military coalition that is still helping the Iraqis fight ISIS in training the Iraqi Army will also leave .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to leave could be significant for Iraq and could end up essentially turning over control of security to more pro-Iranian factions inside the security services .
So , again , the stakes are very high for Iraqis and for a lot of Iraqi Kurds , for Iraqi Sunnis and a lot of Iraqi Shia , especially those who support the demonstrators who have been in the streets for the past four months , who want to see better governance and less Iranian and militia interference in their lives .
FP : What does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunni allies in the region ?
How vulnerable are they now as Iran plans its response ?
DS : I am concerned for American allies in the region , particularly Saudi Arabia and the UAE , because they are relatively easier targets for Iranian proxies to attack .
So you might see attacks from Houthis in Yemen across the border into Saudi Arabia .
You could potentially see attacks from Iranian-aligned PMF forces in Iraq into Saudi Arabia .
And there are other people who could do mischief in the region .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fairly vulnerable .
If you look at what has happened in the region over the past six months , what I see is a series of Iranian-inspired , but not always Iranian-conducted , provocations , pokes at American allies to try to increase the cost to our allies and therefore to the U.S. administration of the decision to leave the Iran nuclear deal and the decision to impose economic sanctions—this maximum pressure campaign .
Iran has countered with what they ’ re calling a maximum resistance campaign .
So you saw limpet mines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Strait of Hormuz , the shooting down of the American drone , you saw attacks from inside from Yemen into Saudi Arabia on a civilian airport and some civilian infrastructure .
And then early in the fall , Iranian attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure .
None of that elicited an American response .
And I think that the Iranians had hoped that there would be some sort of excessive American response to some of those steps .
There is also a significant American military presence in virtually all of the GCC [ Gulf @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of those locations , you have not only soldiers and sailors and marines and airmen , but you also have families and children of American service members and not to mention families and children of American diplomats , U.S. business people , NGO workers , and nonprofits .
There are a lot of Americans who live in Saudi Arabia , in the UAE and Kuwait , and elsewhere in the region .
So the number of targets that have an American label gets much larger and much softer as you look at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is also a possibility of attacks on Israel from Lebanon or from western Syria , which would be a little bit more difficult to accomplish .
Condemnation of Israel generally goes along with condemnation of the United States in Iran , and [ the drone strike ] may have been seen by some in Iran as a joint venture [ between the United States and Israel ] .
FP : The administration says that they had learned that Iran was plotting some kind of significant attack against the U.S. and that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you make of that claim , and do you think we will see any declassified intelligence about what that threat was ?
DS : I think it would be a very difficult decision for the United States to declassify information of that nature because of the sensitivity of the way that it is collected .
So I frankly don ’ t expect much more than a rough summary of what we have been able to pick up .
That said , Qassem Suleimani , Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis , pro-Iranian elements of the PMF @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plotting and actively attacking U.S. forces , and shooting rockets at U.S. diplomatic facilities in Iraq for a very long time .
And a lot of these militias , especially Kataib Hezbollah , cut their teeth in the period between 2006 and 2011 , fighting what they considered to be the American occupation of Iraq .
So there has been more than enough history among these people involved of anti-American activity and violent activity .
The administration ’ s claim is credible , but without the specifics , it ’ s hard to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the threat .
FP : Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said he wants to de-escalate the situation .
Based on your experience , what do you think is going on right now in the State Department ?
DS : I think what ’ s going on in the State Department right now is a move to make sure that our personnel in the region are as well protected and out as out of harm ’ s way as possible .
I do believe in the current situation , however , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get a bilateral U.S.-Iranian discussion going .
I think it ’ s going to have to require other international actors .
And President Trump ’ s tweet this morning that Iran has never won a war or lost a negotiation may throw into doubt in Tehran the willingness of the United States to enter into some sort of negotiations that might de-escalate the situation .
All of that said , this is such a shock to the system it does not necessarily have to lead to more conflict , and if the international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iranians play this right , it could end up pushing forward solutions to other problems in the area that have been unsolved for a long time .
FP : You sound a bit more optimistic than the others who are saying , “ This is it , this is World War III.
” DS : I am a diplomat and an optimist at heart .
… My optimism is more in the medium term .
If enough actions can be taken to dissuade Iran from damaging retaliation and to dissuade the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there may be room for some discussion with a lot of international help that can move us in the right direction and move away from a conflict .


foreignpolicy--2020-01-03--Suleimani Killing Sparks Fear of War and Economic Turmoil

Crude oil prices soared after Iran vowed “ harsh retaliation ” for a Friday morning U.S. airstrike that killed the Iranian general Qassem Suleimani , one of the most powerful officials in Iran and the architect of Tehran ’ s terrorist campaigns around the region .
The escalation in recent days between the United States and Iran is now entering a dangerous new phase , with Iran expected to launch both short-term reprisals , especially against U.S. forces in Iraq , and a longer-term acceleration of its efforts to acquire nuclear weapons .
Iran ’ s Supreme Leader , Ayatollah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respond to the U.S. strike with “ harsh retaliation , ” while a former commander of Iran ’ s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps vowed “ vigorous revenge.
” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif lambasted on Twitter what he called a “ dangerous & a foolish escalation ” of tensions between the two countries .
“ The strike that killed Qassem Suleimani is a significant escalation in the current tensions between Iran and the United States , ” said Michael Mulroy , who until last month served as the Middle East policy chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ He is considered a national hero in Iran and one of the most popular senior leaders despite running a clandestine organization .
It is likely that Iran will feel compelled to respond by both overt and covert action against the United States and our interests .
This response or responses could happen anywhere , ” said Mulroy , now an analyst with ABC News .
Russia ’ s foreign ministry and top politicians also criticized the U.S. strike , authorized by President Donald Trump , and said that it would increase the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Iranian reprisals spooked the oil market , with prices for Brent crude jumping more than 4 percent in early trading Friday to just shy of $ 70 a barrel .
Analysts fear that Iran will resume attacks on regional oil infrastructure , following earlier strikes on oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz and a September 2019 drone and missile strike on a key Saudi oil facility that temporarily knocked out half of Saudi oil production .
“ Iran will also likely resume harassment of commercial shipping in the Gulf and may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Henry Rome , an Iran analyst with the Eurasia Group , in a note .
Such actions , or the spread of conflict to the oil fields in southern Iraq , could send crude prices closer to $ 80 a barrel , he said .
At the same time , Iran could further accelerate its uranium enrichment capabilities , after already taking a significant step to quicken its nuclear breakout capacity in November 2019 .
The latest steps may have already shaved Iran ’ s nuclear breakout time to four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Partners in a note .
That nuclear acceleration , on top of any Iranian strikes on regional energy infrastructure , could threaten Israel and “ could add to the risk of regional conflict , further pressuring crude to the upside , ” ClearView said .
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut short a trip to Greece on Friday and put the Israeli military on high alert .
The U.S. strike that killed Suleimani and another top Iranian militia commander at the international airport in Baghdad came in response to an assault on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That was itself a response to U.S. strikes in late December that killed more than two dozen Iranian-backed fighters in retaliation for the Iranian killing of a U.S. military contractor near Kirkuk , Iraq , in late December 2019 .
The latest escalation is the sharpest since Trump called off a military attack on Iran in response to Iran ’ s September 2019 strike on the Abqaiq oil facility in Saudi Arabia .
Several U.S. lawmakers , while shedding no tears for the death of the man who for two decades spearheaded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Quds Force and sowed terrorism throughout the Middle East , criticized Trump ’ s unilateral action and warned that it raised the possibility of major conflict .
Since pulling out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran in May 2018 , “ this president has unfailingly raised tensions with Iran , and his latest act puts Americans at risk by all but inviting retaliation against U.S. and allied interests inside and outside of Iraq , ” said Sen. Ben Cardin , a Maryland Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee .
Like House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack of presidential consultation with Congress before launching the decapitation strike .
The State Department advised U.S. citizens to leave Iraq in the wake of the Iranian threats of reprisals .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , who early Friday said the U.S. strike was motivated by intelligence that Suleimani was planning further attacks , spoke with his counterparts in the United Kingdom and Germany , and he said the United States was committed to deescalating tensions with Iran .
“ We have always recognised the aggressive threat posed by the Iranian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in a statement .
“ Following his death , we urge all parties to de-escalate .
Further conflict is in none of our interests.
” Iraq reacted harshly to the U.S. airstrike , calling it a violation of the country ’ s sovereignty and a breach of the terms under which U.S. troops can operate in Iraq .
Analysts said that rising tensions between Washington and Baghdad , coupled with the threat of more Iranian attacks on U.S. troops and facilities in Iraq , could make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Charles Lister of the Middle East Institute said the strike could increase parliamentary pressure in Baghdad to expel U.S. troops from the country .
Some regional experts said that the U.S. attack , while eliminating a powerful force in Iran ’ s regional ambitions , risks setting off a chain of unpredictable events .
“ Suleimani was reprehensible , so it isn ’ t about him but rather whether the administration sufficiently thought through the range of potential knock on effects—like outright conflict with Iran , putting U.S. citizens in the region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and overflight access in Iraq , etc.—and what that might lead to , ” said Becca Wasser , an expert at the Rand Corp. “ You don ’ t open Pandora ’ s box without having thought about what is inside and how you can handle what could be in there , ” she said .
While most analysts expect Iran to shy away from a full-scale showdown with the U.S. military , they do expect to see more attacks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iran-backed militias inside Iraq .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as Hezbollah could undertake destabilization operations across the region .
“ We expect moderate to low level clashes to last for at least a month and likely be confined to Iraq .
Iranian-backed militias will attack U.S. bases and some U.S. soldiers will be killed ; the U.S. will retaliate with strikes inside of Iraq , ” said Eurasia Group ’ s Rome .
But a bigger potential threat is the acceleration in Iran ’ s quest for a nuclear weapon .
Since the Trump administration withdrew from the nuclear pact , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase its uranium enrichment capacity and maintained hopes that the remaining countries in the deal could somehow salvage it , though by stockpiling more uranium than allowed under the accord , it made it easier to develop a bomb .
However , in November 2019 , Iran stepped up its enrichment activities at its underground , fortified Fordow facility , shortening its breakout time to stockpile enough highly enriched uranium for a bomb .
European Union foreign ministers , like Pompeo , condemned the latest breach of Iran ’ s commitments under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they could seek formal dispute settlement , which could finally scuttle the 2015 pact .

Crude oil prices soared after Iran vowed “harsh retaliation” for a Friday morning U.S. airstrike that killed the Iranian general Qassem Suleimani, one of the most powerful officials in Iran and the architect of Tehran’s terrorist campaigns around the region.
Crude oil prices soared after Iran vowed “harsh retaliation” for a Friday morning U.S. airstrike that killed the Iranian general Qassem Suleimani, one of the most powerful officials in Iran and the architect of Tehran’s terrorist campaigns around the region.
The escalation in recent days between the United States and Iran is now entering a dangerous new phase, with Iran expected to launch both short-term reprisals, especially against U.S. forces in Iraq, and a longer-term acceleration of its efforts to acquire nuclear weapons.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said that Iran would respond to the U.S. strike with “harsh retaliation,” while a former commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps vowed “vigorous revenge.” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif lambasted on Twitter what he called a “dangerous & a foolish escalation” of tensions between the two countries.
“The strike that killed Qassem Suleimani is a significant escalation in the current tensions between Iran and the United States,” said Michael Mulroy, who until last month served as the Middle East policy chief for the U.S. Department of Defense.
“He is considered a national hero in Iran and one of the most popular senior leaders despite running a clandestine organization. It is likely that Iran will feel compelled to respond by both overt and covert action against the United States and our interests. This response or responses could happen anywhere,” said Mulroy, now an analyst with ABC News.
Russia’s foreign ministry and top politicians also criticized the U.S. strike, authorized by President Donald Trump, and said that it would increase the possibility of regional conflict.
The specter of Iranian reprisals spooked the oil market, with prices for Brent crude jumping more than 4 percent in early trading Friday to just shy of $70 a barrel. Analysts fear that Iran will resume attacks on regional oil infrastructure, following earlier strikes on oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz and a September 2019 drone and missile strike on a key Saudi oil facility that temporarily knocked out half of Saudi oil production.
“Iran will also likely resume harassment of commercial shipping in the Gulf and may launch military exercises to temporarily disrupt shipping,” said Henry Rome, an Iran analyst with the Eurasia Group, in a note. Such actions, or the spread of conflict to the oil fields in southern Iraq, could send crude prices closer to $80 a barrel, he said.
At the same time, Iran could further accelerate its uranium enrichment capabilities, after already taking a significant step to quicken its nuclear breakout capacity in November 2019. The latest steps may have already shaved Iran’s nuclear breakout time to four to seven months, said ClearView Energy Partners in a note. That nuclear acceleration, on top of any Iranian strikes on regional energy infrastructure, could threaten Israel and “could add to the risk of regional conflict, further pressuring crude to the upside,” ClearView said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut short a trip to Greece on Friday and put the Israeli military on high alert.
The U.S. strike that killed Suleimani and another top Iranian militia commander at the international airport in Baghdad came in response to an assault on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq by Iranian-backed militias. That was itself a response to U.S. strikes in late December that killed more than two dozen Iranian-backed fighters in retaliation for the Iranian killing of a U.S. military contractor near Kirkuk, Iraq, in late December 2019. The latest escalation is the sharpest since Trump called off a military attack on Iran in response to Iran’s September 2019 strike on the Abqaiq oil facility in Saudi Arabia.
Several U.S. lawmakers, while shedding no tears for the death of the man who for two decades spearheaded the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Quds Force and sowed terrorism throughout the Middle East, criticized Trump’s unilateral action and warned that it raised the possibility of major conflict.
Since pulling out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran in May 2018, “this president has unfailingly raised tensions with Iran, and his latest act puts Americans at risk by all but inviting retaliation against U.S. and allied interests inside and outside of Iraq,” said Sen. Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Cardin criticized the lack of presidential consultation with Congress before launching the decapitation strike.
The State Department advised U.S. citizens to leave Iraq in the wake of the Iranian threats of reprisals. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who early Friday said the U.S. strike was motivated by intelligence that Suleimani was planning further attacks, spoke with his counterparts in the United Kingdom and Germany, and he said the United States was committed to deescalating tensions with Iran.
Britain echoed calls for moderation.
“We have always recognised the aggressive threat posed by the Iranian Quds force led by Qasem Soleimani,” said U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in a statement. “Following his death, we urge all parties to de-escalate. Further conflict is in none of our interests.”
Iraq reacted harshly to the U.S. airstrike, calling it a violation of the country’s sovereignty and a breach of the terms under which U.S. troops can operate in Iraq. Analysts said that rising tensions between Washington and Baghdad, coupled with the threat of more Iranian attacks on U.S. troops and facilities in Iraq, could make the continued U.S. presence there increasingly inviable. Charles Lister of the Middle East Institute said the strike could increase parliamentary pressure in Baghdad to expel U.S. troops from the country.
Some regional experts said that the U.S. attack, while eliminating a powerful force in Iran’s regional ambitions, risks setting off a chain of unpredictable events.
“Suleimani was reprehensible, so it isn’t about him but rather whether the administration sufficiently thought through the range of potential knock on effects—like outright conflict with Iran, putting U.S. citizens in the region at greater risk, revocation of basing and overflight access in Iraq, etc.—and what that might lead to,” said Becca Wasser, an expert at the Rand Corp.
“You don’t open Pandora’s box without having thought about what is inside and how you can handle what could be in there,” she said.
While most analysts expect Iran to shy away from a full-scale showdown with the U.S. military, they do expect to see more attacks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iran-backed militias inside Iraq. At the same time, Iran-backed terrorist proxies such as Hezbollah could undertake destabilization operations across the region.
“We expect moderate to low level clashes to last for at least a month and likely be confined to Iraq. Iranian-backed militias will attack U.S. bases and some U.S. soldiers will be killed; the U.S. will retaliate with strikes inside of Iraq,” said Eurasia Group’s Rome.
But a bigger potential threat is the acceleration in Iran’s quest for a nuclear weapon. Since the Trump administration withdrew from the nuclear pact, Iran had taken only gradual steps to increase its uranium enrichment capacity and maintained hopes that the remaining countries in the deal could somehow salvage it, though by stockpiling more uranium than allowed under the accord, it made it easier to develop a bomb.
However, in November 2019, Iran stepped up its enrichment activities at its underground, fortified Fordow facility, shortening its breakout time to stockpile enough highly enriched uranium for a bomb. European Union foreign ministers, like Pompeo, condemned the latest breach of Iran’s commitments under the terms of the accord and warned that they could seek formal dispute settlement, which could finally scuttle the 2015 pact.


foreignpolicy--2020-01-03--U.S. Strike Kills One of Iran’s Most Powerful Military Leaders

U.S. Strike Kills One of Iran ’ s Most Powerful Military Leaders In what could mark the most dramatic escalation of conflict in the Middle East since the Iraq War , a U.S. drone strike early Friday morning killed one of Iran ’ s most powerful military leaders , Maj. Gen. Qassem Suleimani .
The death of Suleimani , a leader in Iran ’ s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the head of the secretive Quds Force , which conducts military operations in the region , came just days after Iranian-backed militias attacked the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were considered retaliation by Tehran for a previous U.S. airstrike that on Sunday killed 25 fighters of Kataib Hezbollah , an Iran-backed militia in Iraq .
The U.S. military said that the earlier strike was itself a retaliation for the killing of a U.S. contractor at an Iraqi military base .
U.S. officials Thursday night confirmed reports on Iraqi television that Suleimani was killed in a U.S. airstrike near Baghdad ’ s international airport .
The Defense Department said in a statement that Suleimani was targeted in part because he “ orchestrated attacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last several months , ” including the one that cost the life of the contractor , and that he had “ also approved the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad that took place this week.
” “ At the direction of the President , the U.S. military has taken decisive defensive action to protect U.S. personnel abroad by killing Qasem Soleimani , the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force , a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization , ” the Pentagon statement said .
The statement said that Suleimani “ was actively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service members in Iraq and throughout the region .
General Soleimani and his Quds Force were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members and the wounding of thousands more.
” U.S. President Donald Trump , in a statement to reporters later Friday , said , “ We caught him in the act and terminated him.
” Trump added , “ We took action last night to stop a war .
We did not take action to start a war.
” But some experts suggested that what had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between the United States and Iran could soon explode .
“ We are moving into a period where there is a strong possibility of escalating war and direct conflict between the United States and Iran .
The Middle East is already in flames from conflict and large-scale protest movements .
It may now get much , much worse , ” Seth Jones , an expert on Middle East extremism and unconventional warfare at the Center for Strategic and International Studies , told Foreign Policy .
“ First , the attack eliminates Iran ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least the Iran-Iraq War , Iran has focused its foreign policy on building its asymmetric capabilities—particularly the IRGC-Quds Force .
Suleimani has spearheaded Iran ’ s efforts to build upwards of 280,000 fighters in Yemen , Syria , Iraq , Lebanon , Afghanistan , and Pakistan—and to expand Iran ’ s power in the Middle East .
Suleimani has personally overseen Iran ’ s expansion , creating a cult of personality throughout the region .
His death will be a serious blow to Iran ’ s asymmetric strategy , ” Jones said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Suleimani will likely trigger a dangerous escalation of the conflict between Iran and the United States .
Until now , military conflict between Iran and the United States has largely been indirect and has involved U.S. economic sanctions and military attacks against partners , such as Iranian strikes against Saudi critical infrastructure , Iranian sabotage of commercial ships , Iranian mines against Japanese and Norwegian tankers.
” Reuel Marc Gerecht , a former CIA official and Iran expert who takes a hard-line view of the regime in Tehran , praised Trump for ordering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ They will strike back .
The only question is choosing a target .
Probably in Iraq .
I suspect we had an intercept on IRGC planning against U.S. forces , and Trump went for it .
Bravo to him.
” He added that Tehran will be rocked by what was “ an enormous loss for them .
Suleimani was in a class by himself : the clerical regime ’ s most cosmopolitan killer.
” But Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif , in a tweet , called the U.S. strike an “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assassinated “ THE most effective force fighting Daesh ( ISIS ) , Al Nusrah , Al Qaeda et al , ” and an “ extremely dangerous & a foolish escalation.
” The U.S. action marks a dramatic change of course by Trump , who for many months has signaled that he wants to withdraw from the Middle East .
Last September , after announcing the United States was “ locked and loaded ” for attack , Trump declined to respond militarily to a devastating attack on Saudi Arabia ’ s oil infrastructure blamed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a planned strike following the shootdown of a U.S. drone , disconcerting the Israelis and other hard-liners .
But in recent days , the administration has stepped up its rhetoric and readiness .
Earlier Thursday , Secretary of Defense Mark Esper warned that the United States might take preemptive military action if it received warning that Iran or its proxy forces were planning further strikes on U.S. interests in the Middle East .
“ We ’ re prepared to do what is necessary to defend our personnel and our interests and our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told reporters at the Pentagon .
He added that Washington had “ indications ” of additional Iranian provocations .
Some critics , however , worried that the strike meant a whole new war in the region .
“ A president who vowed to keep the United States out of another Middle Eastern war has in effect just issued a declaration of war , ” said Robert Malley , the president of the International Crisis Group .
“ A strike that the administration claims was intended to deter Iranian attacks is almost certain to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soleimani ’ s death is undoubtedly a very serious blow to Iran .
But it also is a very serious blow to any hope for regional de-escalation.
” Trump began his efforts to confront Iran almost as soon as he became president , pulling out of the nuclear agreement negotiated by his predecessor , Barack Obama , and by Foreign Minister Zarif .
He also imposed tough new sanctions on Iran that have devastated its economy .
Trump has , until now , signaled his willingness to negotiate with Tehran and has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Gerecht said of Trump : “ I didn ’ t think he had the intestinal fortitude for this .
That Suleimani is dead , and we killed him , shows that we can still deliver condign punishment .
American soldiers are applauding from heaven .
Whether the administration is prepared to escalate , I do not know .
We will find out.
” Some U.S. officials noted that Suleimani had increasingly adopted an attitude of invulnerability to U.S. retaliation , and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei had only days ago taunted Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t do anything.
” Suleimani was considered the key figure in organizing Iranian influence operations in Iraq and during the Syrian civil war .
As the correspondent Dexter Filkins wrote in a detailed profile in the New Yorker in 2013 , Suleimani ’ s task was to “ reshape the Middle East in Iran ’ s favor , working as a power broker and as a military force : assassinating rivals , arming allies , and , for most of a decade , directing a network of militant groups that killed hundreds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ however , Suleimani has only been sanctioned by the United States .
U.S. Sen. James Risch , the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee , also praised Trump ’ s action .
“ Congratulations to President Trump on his decisive action and the successful outcome , ” Risch said in a statement .
He said Suleimani ’ s death “ presents an opportunity for Iraq to determine its own future free from Iranian control.
” Others suggested the act might amount to an unnecessary provocation .
“ Soleimani was an enemy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not a question , ” Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy , the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee , wrote on Twitter .
“ The question is this – as reports suggest , did America just assassinate , without any congressional authorization , the second most powerful person in Iran , knowingly setting off a potential massive regional war ?
” Iraqi TV reported that along with Suleimani the strikes killed Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis , the deputy commander of Iran-backed Iraqi militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces .
Ironically , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ militias with helping to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq .
Senior Trump administration officials from the State Department , Pentagon , and intelligence community were scheduled to give classified briefings to the Senate on Friday before the news broke , according to congressional aides familiar with the matter .
Staff writers Robbie Gramer and Colum Lynch contributed to this report .
Update , Jan. 3 , 2020 : This article has been updated as breaking news has progressed .

In what could mark the most dramatic escalation of conflict in the Middle East since the Iraq War, a U.S. drone strike early Friday morning killed one of Iran’s most powerful military leaders, Maj. Gen. Qassem Suleimani.
In what could mark the most dramatic escalation of conflict in the Middle East since the Iraq War, a U.S. drone strike early Friday morning killed one of Iran’s most powerful military leaders, Maj. Gen. Qassem Suleimani.
The death of Suleimani, a leader in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the head of the secretive Quds Force, which conducts military operations in the region, came just days after Iranian-backed militias attacked the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad in a series of violent protests. Those demonstrations were considered retaliation by Tehran for a previous U.S. airstrike that on Sunday killed 25 fighters of Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia in Iraq. The U.S. military said that the earlier strike was itself a retaliation for the killing of a U.S. contractor at an Iraqi military base.
U.S. officials Thursday night confirmed reports on Iraqi television that Suleimani was killed in a U.S. airstrike near Baghdad’s international airport. The Defense Department said in a statement that Suleimani was targeted in part because he “orchestrated attacks on coalition bases in Iraq over the last several months,” including the one that cost the life of the contractor, and that he had “also approved the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad that took place this week.”
“At the direction of the President, the U.S. military has taken decisive defensive action to protect U.S. personnel abroad by killing Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization,” the Pentagon statement said.
The statement said that Suleimani “was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region. General Soleimani and his Quds Force were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members and the wounding of thousands more.”
U.S. President Donald Trump, in a statement to reporters later Friday, said, “We caught him in the act and terminated him.” Trump added, “We took action last night to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war.”
But some experts suggested that what had been, until now, a low-level war between the United States and Iran could soon explode. “We are moving into a period where there is a strong possibility of escalating war and direct conflict between the United States and Iran. The Middle East is already in flames from conflict and large-scale protest movements. It may now get much, much worse,” Seth Jones, an expert on Middle East extremism and unconventional warfare at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Foreign Policy.
“First, the attack eliminates Iran’s most important military figure. Since at least the Iran-Iraq War, Iran has focused its foreign policy on building its asymmetric capabilities—particularly the IRGC-Quds Force. Suleimani has spearheaded Iran’s efforts to build upwards of 280,000 fighters in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Pakistan—and to expand Iran’s power in the Middle East. Suleimani has personally overseen Iran’s expansion, creating a cult of personality throughout the region. His death will be a serious blow to Iran’s asymmetric strategy,” Jones said.
“Second, the death of Suleimani will likely trigger a dangerous escalation of the conflict between Iran and the United States. Until now, military conflict between Iran and the United States has largely been indirect and has involved U.S. economic sanctions and military attacks against partners, such as Iranian strikes against Saudi critical infrastructure, Iranian sabotage of commercial ships, Iranian mines against Japanese and Norwegian tankers.”
Reuel Marc Gerecht, a former CIA official and Iran expert who takes a hard-line view of the regime in Tehran, praised Trump for ordering the attack, telling Foreign Policy: “They will strike back. The only question is choosing a target. Probably in Iraq. I suspect we had an intercept on IRGC planning against U.S. forces, and Trump went for it. Bravo to him.” He added that Tehran will be rocked by what was “an enormous loss for them. Suleimani was in a class by himself: the clerical regime’s most cosmopolitan killer.”
But Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, in a tweet, called the U.S. strike an “act of international terrorism” that had assassinated “THE most effective force fighting Daesh (ISIS), Al Nusrah, Al Qaeda et al,” and an “extremely dangerous & a foolish escalation.”
The U.S. action marks a dramatic change of course by Trump, who for many months has signaled that he wants to withdraw from the Middle East. Last September, after announcing the United States was “locked and loaded” for attack, Trump declined to respond militarily to a devastating attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure blamed on Iran. He also stepped back from a planned strike following the shootdown of a U.S. drone, disconcerting the Israelis and other hard-liners.
But in recent days, the administration has stepped up its rhetoric and readiness. Earlier Thursday, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper warned that the United States might take preemptive military action if it received warning that Iran or its proxy forces were planning further strikes on U.S. interests in the Middle East.
“We’re prepared to do what is necessary to defend our personnel and our interests and our partners in the region,” Esper told reporters at the Pentagon. He added that Washington had “indications” of additional Iranian provocations.
Some critics, however, worried that the strike meant a whole new war in the region. “A president who vowed to keep the United States out of another Middle Eastern war has in effect just issued a declaration of war,” said Robert Malley, the president of the International Crisis Group. “A strike that the administration claims was intended to deter Iranian attacks is almost certain to trigger far more of them. Qaaem Soleimani’s death is undoubtedly a very serious blow to Iran. But it also is a very serious blow to any hope for regional de-escalation.”
Trump began his efforts to confront Iran almost as soon as he became president, pulling out of the nuclear agreement negotiated by his predecessor, Barack Obama, and by Foreign Minister Zarif. He also imposed tough new sanctions on Iran that have devastated its economy. Trump has, until now, signaled his willingness to negotiate with Tehran and has been restrained in his use of military force.
Gerecht said of Trump: “I didn’t think he had the intestinal fortitude for this. That Suleimani is dead, and we killed him, shows that we can still deliver condign punishment. American soldiers are applauding from heaven. Whether the administration is prepared to escalate, I do not know. We will find out.”
Some U.S. officials noted that Suleimani had increasingly adopted an attitude of invulnerability to U.S. retaliation, and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei had only days ago taunted Trump by saying, “You can’t do anything.”
Suleimani was considered the key figure in organizing Iranian influence operations in Iraq and during the Syrian civil war. As the correspondent Dexter Filkins wrote in a detailed profile in the New Yorker in 2013, Suleimani’s task was to “reshape the Middle East in Iran’s favor, working as a power broker and as a military force: assassinating rivals, arming allies, and, for most of a decade, directing a network of militant groups that killed hundreds of Americans in Iraq.” Until recently, however, Suleimani has only been sanctioned by the United States.
U.S. Sen. James Risch, the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, also praised Trump’s action. “Congratulations to President Trump on his decisive action and the successful outcome,” Risch said in a statement. He said Suleimani’s death “presents an opportunity for Iraq to determine its own future free from Iranian control.”
Others suggested the act might amount to an unnecessary provocation. “Soleimani was an enemy of the United States. That’s not a question,” Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy, the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote on Twitter. “The question is this – as reports suggest, did America just assassinate, without any congressional authorization, the second most powerful person in Iran, knowingly setting off a potential massive regional war?”
Iraqi TV reported that along with Suleimani the strikes killed Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of Iran-backed Iraqi militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces.
Ironically, Washington has previously credited Suleimani’s militias with helping to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq. Senior Trump administration officials from the State Department, Pentagon, and intelligence community were scheduled to give classified briefings to the Senate on Friday before the news broke, according to congressional aides familiar with the matter.
Staff writers Robbie Gramer and Colum Lynch contributed to this report.
Update, Jan. 3, 2020: This article has been updated as breaking news has progressed.


foreignpolicy--2020-01-03--Iran Vows to Avenge U.S. Killing of Suleimani

Iran Vows to Avenge U.S .
Killing of Suleimani Here is today ’ s Foreign Policy brief : A U.S. drone strike kills Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Suleimani at Baghdad ’ s international airport , officials warn the weekend could see Australia ’ s worst bushfires yet this season , and Spain ’ s parliament is expected to confirm Pedro Sánchez as prime minister .
If you would like to receive Morning Brief in your inbox every weekday , please sign up here .
Maj. Gen. Qassem Suleimani , who led Iran ’ s elite Quds Force , was killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s international airport on Friday—an attack ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump .
Suleimani managed Iran ’ s covert military operations and intelligence gathering in the Middle East , and was seen by some as a possible future leader of Iran .
The deputy commander of the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces and three others were also killed .
Iran ’ s supreme leader , Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , said “ a forceful revenge awaits the criminals who have his blood and the blood of the other martyrs last night on their hands.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against another Iran-backed militia , which prompted a two-day retaliatory attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad .
The Pentagon accused Suleimani of directing that attack .
Preemptive strike .
The Pentagon also said that Suleimani “ was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region.
” Earlier on Thursday , U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that the United States might take preemptive action against the Iran-backed militias .
“ The game has changed and we are prepared to do what is necessary to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our partners in the region , ” Esper said .
Deadly puppet master .
Retired U.S. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal profiled Suleimani in FP in 2018 .
“ His brilliance , effectiveness , and commitment to his country have been revered by his allies and denounced by his critics in equal measure , ” he wrote .
“ Suleimani is arguably the most powerful and unconstrained actor in the Middle East today.
” Australia ’ s bushfires expected to worsen .
Devastating bushfires in Australia ’ s southeast are expected to worsen this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency evacuations in Australia ’ s history .
On Thursday , tens of thousands of evacuees were stuck in traffic for hours in southeastern New South Wales .
In Victoria , the Australian navy began evacuating people by ship from a coastal town where 4,000 residents have been stranded on the beach .
At least eight people have been killed , with 28 more unaccounted for in Victoria .
On Thursday , Prime Minister Scott Morrison visited Cobargo , New South Wales , where he was heckled by residents who blamed his government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the area .
( Morrison has long been criticized for his climate change policies , which some say prioritize the economy over the environment . )
The emergency services minister for New South Wales has also been criticized : He has not yet returned from vacation .
Spain ’ s political deadlock set to end .
A Catalan separatist party , the Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya ( ERC ) , announced Thursday that it would abstain from Spain ’ s parliamentary vote in the coming days on confirming the Socialist party leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move paves the way for Sánchez ’ s Socialists to rule in coalition with the leftist Podemos party , following months of political deadlock and two inconclusive elections in 2019 .
The deal struck with the ERC stipulates that negotiations over the future of Catalonia will begin 15 days after Sánchez ’ s cabinet takes office .
Interpol issues arrest warrant for Nissan exec .
Lebanon has received an arrest warrant from Interpol targeting Carlos Ghosn , the former Nissan chairman who fled there via private jet from Japan , where he faced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ghosn revealed on Tuesday that he was in Lebanon , and he is a Lebanese citizen .
It is not yet clear if authorities will summon him for questioning due to the warrant , but an official told Reuters that Lebanon does not extradite its citizens .
Ghosn fled Japan after learning his second trial would be delayed until next year .
Floods in Jakarta .
Major flooding in Indonesia ’ s capital , Jakarta , has killed at least 30 people and forced tens of thousands out of their homes this week—with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeatedly proposed relocating the capital from flood-prone Jakarta , which has a metro area population of more than 30 million .
The plans are dubious , as Stanley Widianto writes in FP .
Turkey ’ s Libya deployment bill .
On Thursday , Turkey ’ s parliament passed a bill that would allow its troops to be deployed in Libya , signaling more military cooperation between the countries in the future—though it ’ s not likely that Turkish troops will be on the ground in Tripoli immediately .
Turkey and Libya signed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police violence in India .
As protests against India ’ s controversial citizenship law sweep the country , young Muslim demonstrators have alleged violence at the hands of the police , the New York Times reports .
Those protesting against the new law are rallying around secular principles enshrined in the Indian Constitution , Kapil Komireddi writes in FP .
Germany ’ s main rail provider has reduced fares for long distance rail travel for the first time in 17 years , the Guardian reports .
As part of a measure to combat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bahn ’ s Intercity Express trains for journeys of more than 50 kilometers ( 31 miles ) will cost 10 percent less .
The company projects the move will add 5 million passengers annually .
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 .

Here is today’s Foreign Policy brief: A U.S. drone strike kills Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Suleimani at Baghdad’s international airport, officials warn the weekend could see Australia’s worst bushfires yet this season, and Spain ’s parliament is expected to confirm Pedro Sánchez as prime minister.
Here is today’s Foreign Policy brief: A U.S. drone strike kills Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Suleimani at Baghdad’s international airport, officials warn the weekend could see Australia’s worst bushfires yet this season, and Spain’s parliament is expected to confirm Pedro Sánchez as prime minister.
If you would like to receive Morning Brief in your inbox every weekday, please sign up here.
Key Iranian General Killed in U.S. Drone Strike
Maj. Gen. Qassem Suleimani, who led Iran’s elite Quds Force, was killed in a U.S. airstrike at Baghdad’s international airport on Friday—an attack ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump. Suleimani managed Iran’s covert military operations and intelligence gathering in the Middle East, and was seen by some as a possible future leader of Iran.
The deputy commander of the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces and three others were also killed.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said “a forceful revenge awaits the criminals who have his blood and the blood of the other martyrs last night on their hands.”
The attack followed U.S. airstrikes on Sunday against another Iran-backed militia, which prompted a two-day retaliatory attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. The Pentagon accused Suleimani of directing that attack.
Preemptive strike. The Pentagon also said that Suleimani “was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region.” Earlier on Thursday, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that the United States might take preemptive action against the Iran-backed militias.
“The game has changed and we are prepared to do what is necessary to defend our personnel and our interests and our partners in the region,” Esper said.
Deadly puppet master. Retired U.S. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal profiled Suleimani in FP in 2018. “His brilliance, effectiveness, and commitment to his country have been revered by his allies and denounced by his critics in equal measure,” he wrote. “Suleimani is arguably the most powerful and unconstrained actor in the Middle East today.”
What We’re Following Today
Australia’s bushfires expected to worsen. Devastating bushfires in Australia’s southeast are expected to worsen this weekend, prompting one of the largest emergency evacuations in Australia’s history. On Thursday, tens of thousands of evacuees were stuck in traffic for hours in southeastern New South Wales. In Victoria, the Australian navy began evacuating people by ship from a coastal town where 4,000 residents have been stranded on the beach. At least eight people have been killed, with 28 more unaccounted for in Victoria.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison visited Cobargo, New South Wales, where he was heckled by residents who blamed his government for failing to provide enough firefighting equipment for the area. (Morrison has long been criticized for his climate change policies, which some say prioritize the economy over the environment.) The emergency services minister for New South Wales has also been criticized: He has not yet returned from vacation.
Spain’s political deadlock set to end. A Catalan separatist party, the Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC), announced Thursday that it would abstain from Spain’s parliamentary vote in the coming days on confirming the Socialist party leader Pedro Sánchez as prime minister. The move paves the way for Sánchez’s Socialists to rule in coalition with the leftist Podemos party, following months of political deadlock and two inconclusive elections in 2019. The deal struck with the ERC stipulates that negotiations over the future of Catalonia will begin 15 days after Sánchez’s cabinet takes office.
Interpol issues arrest warrant for Nissan exec. Lebanon has received an arrest warrant from Interpol targeting Carlos Ghosn, the former Nissan chairman who fled there via private jet from Japan, where he faced criminal charges for alleged financial crimes. Ghosn revealed on Tuesday that he was in Lebanon, and he is a Lebanese citizen. It is not yet clear if authorities will summon him for questioning due to the warrant, but an official told Reuters that Lebanon does not extradite its citizens. Ghosn fled Japan after learning his second trial would be delayed until next year.
Keep an Eye On
Floods in Jakarta. Major flooding in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, has killed at least 30 people and forced tens of thousands out of their homes this week—with more heavy rains expected. Indonesia has repeatedly proposed relocating the capital from flood-prone Jakarta, which has a metro area population of more than 30 million. The plans are dubious, as Stanley Widianto writes in FP.
Turkey’s Libya deployment bill. On Thursday, Turkey’s parliament passed a bill that would allow its troops to be deployed in Libya, signaling more military cooperation between the countries in the future—though it’s not likely that Turkish troops will be on the ground in Tripoli immediately. Turkey and Libya signed a military and security agreement in November.
Police violence in India. As protests against India’s controversial citizenship law sweep the country, young Muslim demonstrators have alleged violence at the hands of the police, the New York Times reports. Those protesting against the new law are rallying around secular principles enshrined in the Indian Constitution, Kapil Komireddi writes in FP.
Odds and Ends
Germany’s main rail provider has reduced fares for long distance rail travel for the first time in 17 years, the Guardian reports. As part of a measure to combat the climate crisis, tickets for Deutsche Bahn’s Intercity Express trains for journeys of more than 50 kilometers (31 miles) will cost 10 percent less. The company projects the move will add 5 million passengers annually.
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--2020-01-02--Back to India’s Secular Future

Back to India’s Secular Future

For nearly six years , Indians indulged Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he sought to make the world ’ s largest democracy submit to his ideology and impulses .
When he announced one evening in 2016 that all high-denomination currency notes were going to be annulled that very night , supposedly to extinguish the proceeds of graft , a wave of misery washed over the country—but Indians endured extreme hardship without a show of resistance .
Two years later , when it became apparent that the man who had lured young voters in 2014 with the promise of generating 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precipitated the worst unemployment crisis in two decades , there was barely any backlash .
Despite the fact that Modi failed to deliver on the major promises that earned his Hindu-first Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) absolute dominance in parliament in 2014 , he secured a second term in office in 2019 by inciting religious passions and mobilizing voters around the idea of a Hindu nation .
But over the past four weeks , just as Modi began to appear invincible , the resentments seeded by his excesses finally erupted .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him was the legislative subversion of the constitution to introduce a religious test for citizenship .
The spark was supplied by the government ’ s decision in December to railroad through parliament the Citizenship Amendment Act , a piece of legislation that grants expedited citizenship to members of half a dozen religious communities ( Buddhist , Christian , Hindu , Jain , Parsi , and Sikh ) fleeing persecution in Afghanistan , Bangladesh , and Pakistan .
The government justified the exclusion of Muslims from this legislation by arguing that , as members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they will not have encountered the same discrimination as other groups .
This logic , even if it ’ s accepted , is difficult to reconcile with the law ’ s other proviso that qualifies for citizenship only those refugees who entered India before Dec. 31 , 2014 .
To slap an arbitrary cutoff date on a law intended to give dignity to victims of religious oppression , as Modi says it is , is to defeat its proclaimed objective .
Opponents of Modi ’ s Hindu nationalism must not neglect the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in India ’ s neighboring countries being cited by the law ’ s proponents is very real .
They should recognize , too , that the new act does not , by itself , endanger India ’ s own religious minorities .
It does not endow the government with the authority to strip away the citizenship of Indian Muslims .
But when it is combined with another of Modi ’ s initiatives—a proposed National Register of Citizens ( NRC ) — India ’ s religious minorities will be faced with the very real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And that is what has prompted hundreds of thousands of people to pour into the streets over the past three weeks .
The intensifying strain on scarce resources that resulted from this migration gave rise to a formidable local political movement , led by students , to protect indigenous Assamese against foreigners .
No matter the religion of the outsiders , Assam ’ s leaders said , they would have to be detected , deleted from electoral rolls , detained , and deported .
The Indian government pacified the protesters by pledging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Assam after March 24 , 1971—which it pinpointed as the date atrocities began in East Pakistan—and deport them .
Once life in Assam normalized , however , the accord fell by the wayside—until the Indian Supreme Court , responding to petitions by local nongovernmental organizations , ordered the government in 2014 to update Assam ’ s registry .
The process of sifting Indians from supposed foreigners , which lasted four years and cost almost $ 200 million , was unspeakably incompetent and inhumane : nearly 2 million people , omitted from the final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their ancestral connection to India , were rendered stateless and given 120 days to appeal their impending deportation .
Although the exercise had achieved its aim in theory , faith complicated matters .
A substantial number of those left off the NRC were Hindu Bengalis—and the BJP , committed to protecting Hindu interests , could not countenance their expulsion .
So rather than discard the NRC altogether , it hastened to amend India ’ s citizenship law in December to give accelerated citizenship to non-Muslims excluded from the list .
And so religion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s catholic agitation against all foreigners , suddenly became the basis for Indian citizenship .
In other words , the citizenship act and the national registry , rolled out together , will ensure that Pakistani Hindus who have no connection to India are guaranteed Indian citizenship , while Muslims born and raised in India will be forced to devote themselves to protracted legal battles to prove their Indianness .
The Assamese , many of whom are still intent on pushing out foreigners regardless of their faith , began damning the BJP ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Bengali Hindus even before it was put before parliament .
Once it became law , on Dec.12 , the northeast went up in smoke .
But what began unfolding in the rest of India since then is more than a protest .
It is , with all its manifest flaws , a secular uprising to reclaim a great republic from religious nationalism .
Modi , increasingly accustomed to dealing with an obedient populace , did not anticipate the fallout .
And confronted with a severe public challenge to his absolute authority , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gatherings of more than four people , intermittently suspended the internet , and sought to rally his base by playing up the sectarianism that helped him rise to the top .
As police truncheons bloodied young protesters in the Indian capital , Modi lashed out at rootless cosmopolitans for inciting violence and pointed the finger at Muslim troublemakers .
None of it worked .
Across India , people of all religions have joined together to proclaim their allegiance to the secularism that is the foundational basis of the Indian republic .
In New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect Muslim worshippers during a rally .
In Hyderabad , tens of thousands of Muslims , led by the lawmaker Asaduddin Owaisi , recited the preamble to the Indian Constitution : “ We , the people of India , having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a sovereign socialist secular democratic republic… ” Muslims , vilified as a fifth column ever since India was partitioned in 1947 by votaries of religious nationalism , are at the forefront of the nationwide rallies to halt the country ’ s degeneration into a Hindu facsimile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most impugned word in India ’ s political lexicon for the past half-decade , is now being embraced as a badge of honor by young Indians of all faiths .
Universities , throttled for half a decade by Hindu nationalists , are now the staging grounds for patriotic dissent .
Against him , the protesters have nothing but their resolve and faith in the Indian Constitution .
And they are being broken without a hint of clemency .
In the big cities , police are deploying the latest facial recognition technology to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pradesh—home to 200 million people , of whom 40 million are Muslim—the police have reportedly fired at Muslim protesters , killing nearly two dozen ; tortured children as young as 13 ; and pillaged Muslim homes .
The chief minister of the state , Ajay Bisht , has a history of intractable bigotry against Muslims .
In 2002 , he founded a private army that recruited more than a quarter-million fighters over a decade .
Bisht has called on them to kill 10 Muslims for every Hindu killed .
And he said if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ girl , we will take a hundred Muslim girls.
” Bisht himself has faced such criminal charges as an attempted murder , trespassing on burial sites , criminal intimidation , and rioting .
This is the figure Modi hand-picked , in the summer of 2017 , to be the chief executive of India ’ s largest state .
Far from expressing contrition for the conduct of the police on his watch , Bisht , who goes by his born-again name “ Yogi Adityanath , ” has sought compensation from Muslim civilians for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The muddled response to the citizenship law from Modi ’ s elected political rivals certainly hasn ’ t helped the protesters .
They argue in one breath that India should take care of its own citizens first—and complain in the next that India should expand the citizenship act to include Muslims such as the Rohingya in Myanmar and the Ahmadi in Pakistan .
That this baffling mixture of nativism and internationalism is what passes for Indian liberalism today is a measure of how thoroughly Modi has disorientated the opposition .
India , ceasing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office , is inching toward a point of no return .
The mutinies breaking out from Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram could either rescue India—or they could be a swan song to an India irrecoverably lost .
Either way , they should hearten everyone who loves India : They reveal the depths to which the inclusive nationalism propagated by the founders of the republic percolated over the past seven decades .
For the first time in Modi ’ s “ New India , ” Indians are marching—and they are marching not as members of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as citizens joined in the cause of equality .
Their holy book is the constitution , their standard is the Indian flag , and their song is the national anthem .
The men and women who fought for India ’ s freedom , having failed to thwart divisive communalism , would be proud today to behold the sight of India ’ s young refusing to yield to religious nationalists .

For nearly six years, Indians indulged Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he sought to make the world’s largest democracy submit to his ideology and impulses. When he announced one evening in 2016 that all high-denomination currency notes were going to be annulled that very night, supposedly to extinguish the proceeds of graft, a wave of misery washed over the country—but Indians endured extreme hardship without a show of resistance. Two years later, when it became apparent that the man who had lured young voters in 2014 with the promise of generating 20 million jobs a year had in fact precipitated the worst unemployment crisis in two decades, there was barely any backlash.
For nearly six years, Indians indulged Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he sought to make the world’s largest democracy submit to his ideology and impulses. When he announced one evening in 2016 that all high-denomination currency notes were going to be annulled that very night, supposedly to extinguish the proceeds of graft, a wave of misery washed over the country—but Indians endured extreme hardship without a show of resistance. Two years later, when it became apparent that the man who had lured young voters in 2014 with the promise of generating 20 million jobs a year had in fact precipitated the worst unemployment crisis in two decades, there was barely any backlash.
Despite the fact that Modi failed to deliver on the major promises that earned his Hindu-first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) absolute dominance in parliament in 2014, he secured a second term in office in 2019 by inciting religious passions and mobilizing voters around the idea of a Hindu nation. But over the past four weeks, just as Modi began to appear invincible, the resentments seeded by his excesses finally erupted. The issue that jolted multitudes into uniting against him was the legislative subversion of the constitution to introduce a religious test for citizenship.
The spark was supplied by the government’s decision in December to railroad through parliament the Citizenship Amendment Act, a piece of legislation that grants expedited citizenship to members of half a dozen religious communities (Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Parsi, and Sikh) fleeing persecution in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. The government justified the exclusion of Muslims from this legislation by arguing that, as members of religious majorities in all three countries, they will not have encountered the same discrimination as other groups. This logic, even if it’s accepted, is difficult to reconcile with the law’s other proviso that qualifies for citizenship only those refugees who entered India before Dec. 31, 2014. To slap an arbitrary cutoff date on a law intended to give dignity to victims of religious oppression, as Modi says it is, is to defeat its proclaimed objective.
Opponents of Modi’s Hindu nationalism must not neglect the fact that the persecution of religious minorities in India’s neighboring countries being cited by the law’s proponents is very real. They should recognize, too, that the new act does not, by itself, endanger India’s own religious minorities. It does not endow the government with the authority to strip away the citizenship of Indian Muslims. But when it is combined with another of Modi’s initiatives—a proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC)— India’s religious minorities will be faced with the very real threat of being reduced to second-class citizens. And that is what has prompted hundreds of thousands of people to pour into the streets over the past three weeks.
The idea of a national citizen’s registry originated in the 1950s as a way to maintain a tally of Indian citizens in the northeastern border state of Assam. The 1971 genocide of Bengalis by the Pakistan Army in what was then East Pakistan brought millions of refugees to India. Most of them returned home after East Pakistan won independence and became Bangladesh. Of the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, who remained in India, many relocated to Assam.
The intensifying strain on scarce resources that resulted from this migration gave rise to a formidable local political movement, led by students, to protect indigenous Assamese against foreigners. No matter the religion of the outsiders, Assam’s leaders said, they would have to be detected, deleted from electoral rolls, detained, and deported. The Indian government pacified the protesters by pledging to identify all foreigners who arrived in Assam after March 24, 1971—which it pinpointed as the date atrocities began in East Pakistan—and deport them. Once life in Assam normalized, however, the accord fell by the wayside—until the Indian Supreme Court, responding to petitions by local nongovernmental organizations, ordered the government in 2014 to update Assam’s registry.
The process of sifting Indians from supposed foreigners, which lasted four years and cost almost $200 million, was unspeakably incompetent and inhumane: nearly 2 million people, omitted from the final list for failing to furnish documents proving their ancestral connection to India, were rendered stateless and given 120 days to appeal their impending deportation. Although the exercise had achieved its aim in theory, faith complicated matters. A substantial number of those left off the NRC were Hindu Bengalis—and the BJP, committed to protecting Hindu interests, could not countenance their expulsion. So rather than discard the NRC altogether, it hastened to amend India’s citizenship law in December to give accelerated citizenship to non-Muslims excluded from the list.
And so religion, seldom a factor in Assam’s catholic agitation against all foreigners, suddenly became the basis for Indian citizenship.
What began as a crisis in Assam rapidly engulfed the country. In spring 2019, as horror stories of Muslims left off the NRC proliferated—one of those identified as a foreigner and detained turned out to be a decorated veteran of the Indian Army—Amit Shah, India’s home minister, pitched a pan-Indian NRC. Based on the cost of updating the registry in Assam, the distinguished sociologist Niraja Gopal Jayal estimates that a nationwide registry would cost in excess of $50 billion and consume the labor of more than 13 million government officials. It would require every Indian to prove their citizenship by producing a series of documents. Those unable to do so—a very real prospect, as the test case in Assam showed—can invoke the provisions of the Citizenship Amendment Act to seek formal citizenship. But because the act doesn’t extend its protections to Muslims, any Muslim left out of the NRC becomes effectively stateless.
In other words, the citizenship act and the national registry, rolled out together, will ensure that Pakistani Hindus who have no connection to India are guaranteed Indian citizenship, while Muslims born and raised in India will be forced to devote themselves to protracted legal battles to prove their Indianness.
The Assamese, many of whom are still intent on pushing out foreigners regardless of their faith, began damning the BJP’s plan to confer legal status on millions of Bengali Hindus even before it was put before parliament. Once it became law, on Dec.12, the northeast went up in smoke. But what began unfolding in the rest of India since then is more than a protest. It is, with all its manifest flaws, a secular uprising to reclaim a great republic from religious nationalism.
Modi, increasingly accustomed to dealing with an obedient populace, did not anticipate the fallout. And confronted with a severe public challenge to his absolute authority, he activated a colonial law to ban gatherings of more than four people, intermittently suspended the internet, and sought to rally his base by playing up the sectarianism that helped him rise to the top. As police truncheons bloodied young protesters in the Indian capital, Modi lashed out at rootless cosmopolitans for inciting violence and pointed the finger at Muslim troublemakers.
None of it worked. Across India, people of all religions have joined together to proclaim their allegiance to the secularism that is the foundational basis of the Indian republic. In New Delhi, Hindus formed a human chain to protect Muslim worshippers during a rally. In Hyderabad, tens of thousands of Muslims, led by the lawmaker Asaduddin Owaisi, recited the preamble to the Indian Constitution: “We, the people of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a sovereign socialist secular democratic republic…” Muslims, vilified as a fifth column ever since India was partitioned in 1947 by votaries of religious nationalism, are at the forefront of the nationwide rallies to halt the country’s degeneration into a Hindu facsimile of Pakistan. “Secular,” the most impugned word in India’s political lexicon for the past half-decade, is now being embraced as a badge of honor by young Indians of all faiths. Universities, throttled for half a decade by Hindu nationalists, are now the staging grounds for patriotic dissent.
Hope, however, must be tempered by an appreciation of Modi’s command over the state. His degradation of democratic institutions during his first term in office—when he tamed the media, the military, and the electoral commission—has left few checks on his power during his second term. At his disposal are extraordinary powers of patronage, bottomless supplies of cash, an obedient state machinery, and private militias quietly raised by Hindu nationalists over seven decades. Modi has never lost a direct fight in his political life. And, even though he has strategically retreated from the public eye, the prospect of a major defeat is likely to prompt him to throw everything into this battle.
Against him, the protesters have nothing but their resolve and faith in the Indian Constitution. And they are being broken without a hint of clemency. In the big cities, police are deploying the latest facial recognition technology to identify and detain protesters. In Uttar Pradesh—home to 200 million people, of whom 40 million are Muslim—the police have reportedly fired at Muslim protesters, killing nearly two dozen; tortured children as young as 13; and pillaged Muslim homes.
The chief minister of the state, Ajay Bisht, has a history of intractable bigotry against Muslims. In 2002, he founded a private army that recruited more than a quarter-million fighters over a decade. Bisht has called on them to kill 10 Muslims for every Hindu killed. And he said if a Muslim should “take one Hindu girl, we will take a hundred Muslim girls.” Bisht himself has faced such criminal charges as an attempted murder, trespassing on burial sites, criminal intimidation, and rioting.
This is the figure Modi hand-picked, in the summer of 2017, to be the chief executive of India’s largest state. Far from expressing contrition for the conduct of the police on his watch, Bisht, who goes by his born-again name “Yogi Adityanath,” has sought compensation from Muslim civilians for the damage caused during the recent protests.
The muddled response to the citizenship law from Modi’s elected political rivals certainly hasn’t helped the protesters. They argue in one breath that India should take care of its own citizens first—and complain in the next that India should expand the citizenship act to include Muslims such as the Rohingya in Myanmar and the Ahmadi in Pakistan. That this baffling mixture of nativism and internationalism is what passes for Indian liberalism today is a measure of how thoroughly Modi has disorientated the opposition.
India, ceasing gradually to be itself since Modi entered office, is inching toward a point of no return. The mutinies breaking out from Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram could either rescue India—or they could be a swan song to an India irrecoverably lost. Either way, they should hearten everyone who loves India: They reveal the depths to which the inclusive nationalism propagated by the founders of the republic percolated over the past seven decades. For the first time in Modi’s “New India,” Indians are marching—and they are marching not as members of a religious community or a linguistic minority but as citizens joined in the cause of equality. Their holy book is the constitution, their standard is the Indian flag, and their song is the national anthem. The men and women who fought for India’s freedom, having failed to thwart divisive communalism, would be proud today to behold the sight of India’s young refusing to yield to religious nationalists.


foreignpolicy--2020-01-02--Militia Group Withdraws From U.S. Embassy, More Troops Deploy to Region

Militia Group Withdraws From U.S. Embassy , More Troops Deploy to Region Here is today ’ s Foreign Policy brief : Militia group Kataeb Hezbollah and its supporters have fully withdrawn from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad following attacks on Tuesday , Australia ’ s fires are felt further afield , and Benjamin Netanyahu seeks immunity .
Audrey Wilson , Foreign Policy ’ s newsletter editor , is away today , so I ’ ll be standing in .
If you would like to receive Morning Brief in your inbox every weekday , please sign up here .
Supporters of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now fully withdrawn from the U.S. embassy in Iraq after hundreds breached the Baghdad compound on Tuesday .
The attacks were in retaliation for a U.S. airstrike on the group , itself a response to the militia rocket attack that killed a U.S. contractor in Kirkuk last week .
Photos released since the protests show the extent of the damage .
The United States is responding to Tuesday ’ s actions by sending up to 4,000 troops to the Middle East this week , according to Military Times .
The soldiers are from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 82nd Airborne Division .
The boost in forces would add to the 14,000 already deployed in the past six months as U.S.-Iran tensions increase .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , who cancelled a planned European trip to oversee diplomatic response , held phone conversations with the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani , Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , and Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abd al-Mahdi yesterday as Washington considered further actions .
Australia ’ s fires now affecting New Zealand .
The fallout from Australia ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so far and thousands more have been evacuated , has now made landfall in neighboring New Zealand , over 1200 miles away , as a smoke cloud descends on the country ’ s south island .
It ’ s the fourth time this summer that New Zealand has been impacted by Australia ’ s fires .
Netanyahu seeking immunity .
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Wednesday he would be turning to Israel ’ s parliament to seek immunity from prosecution in the three graft cases in which he has been indicted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ deadline that would have seen his cases moved further along in the Israeli court system .
By filing the application , Netanyahu at the least has bought himself time , as a case can not be brought while an immunity request is being heard .
One roadblock remains—Netanyahu needs a majority ( 61 ) of Israel ’ s parliament to support him in his request , which has eluded him in his attempts to form a government since November ’ s elections .
Hong Kong protests top 1 million .
Organizers say over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Day mass demonstration in Hong Kong , that led to over 400 arrests and small-scale violence as the peninsula enters its seventh month of protests .
Police cut short the planned march after acts of vandalism by protestors that targeted the High Court , HSBC banks and a Starbucks .
Despite the short-lived demonstration , organizers say turnout exceeded the 1.03 million estimated to have taken to the streets in June in protest over a proposed extradition bill .
New Tunisian government .
Three months since its general election , Tunisia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country ’ s designated prime minister Habib Jemli announced he has submitted a proposed cabinet to President Kais Saiedis .
Jemli ’ s cabinet , expected to be made up of political independents , must be approved by a majority of Tunisia ’ s fractured parliament , with a vote expected today .
Sebastian Kurz is set to regain his title as the world ’ s youngest head of government and return as Austria ’ s prime minister for the first time since his coalition with the right-wing Freedom Party collapsed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Party has agreed to a coalition deal with the resurgent Green Party .
It marks the first time the environmentally focused party would hold power in Austria ’ s history .
If the Green Party ’ s members approve of the deal , the new government could be seated as early as next week .
St Peter ’ s Square-off .
Pope Francis is in hot water after video emerged of the pontiff hastily slapping a worshipper on the hand after she appeared to grab hold of his wrist and pull @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself a former bouncer , was greeting the faithful in St Peter ’ s Square when the incident occurred .
He has since apologized for the incident , as the Washington Post reports .
“ So many times we lose our patience ; me too , and I apologize for yesterday ’ s bad example , ” Pope Francis said .
A curious case .
Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn ’ s flight from Japan to Lebanon took another turn as Lebanese news sources reported that Ghosn fled house arrest in a musical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a private jet .
Ghosn was awaiting trial in Japan for corruption and self-dealing .
Lebanon and Japan do not have an extradition treaty , leaving his case in limbo .
Effective today , France has begun its war on plastic and has banned plastic cups , plates and cotton buds as part of its goal to fully eliminate single-use plastics by 2040 .
Under current plans , plastic straws , coffee cup lids , styrofoam containers and disposable cutlery are all to be axed in 2021 .
France isn ’ t alone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Thailand began its New Year with a ban on plastic shopping bags in all major stores .

Here is today’s Foreign Policy brief: Militia group Kataeb Hezbollah and its supporters have fully withdrawn from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad following attacks on Tuesday, Australia ’s fires are felt further afield, and Benjamin Netanyahu seeks immunity.
Here is today’s Foreign Policy brief: Militia group Kataeb Hezbollah and its supporters have fully withdrawn from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad following attacks on Tuesday, Australia’s fires are felt further afield, and Benjamin Netanyahu seeks immunity.
Audrey Wilson, Foreign Policy’s newsletter editor, is away today, so I’ll be standing in.
If you would like to receive Morning Brief in your inbox every weekday, please sign up here.
Militia and Supporters Withdraw from U.S. Embassy Baghdad
Supporters of the Iraqi militia group Kataeb Hezbollah have now fully withdrawn from the U.S. embassy in Iraq after hundreds breached the Baghdad compound on Tuesday. The attacks were in retaliation for a U.S. airstrike on the group, itself a response to the militia rocket attack that killed a U.S. contractor in Kirkuk last week. Photos released since the protests show the extent of the damage.
The United States is responding to Tuesday’s actions by sending up to 4,000 troops to the Middle East this week, according to Military Times. The soldiers are from the Immediate Response Force (IRF) of the 82nd Airborne Division. The boost in forces would add to the 14,000 already deployed in the past six months as U.S.-Iran tensions increase.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who cancelled a planned European trip to oversee diplomatic response, held phone conversations with the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abd al-Mahdi yesterday as Washington considered further actions.
What We’re Following Today
Australia’s fires now affecting New Zealand. The fallout from Australia’s bushfires, where 15 people have died so far and thousands more have been evacuated, has now made landfall in neighboring New Zealand, over 1200 miles away, as a smoke cloud descends on the country’s south island. It’s the fourth time this summer that New Zealand has been impacted by Australia’s fires.
Netanyahu seeking immunity. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Wednesday he would be turning to Israel’s parliament to seek immunity from prosecution in the three graft cases in which he has been indicted. The announcement came just hours before a deadline that would have seen his cases moved further along in the Israeli court system. By filing the application, Netanyahu at the least has bought himself time, as a case cannot be brought while an immunity request is being heard. One roadblock remains—Netanyahu needs a majority (61) of Israel’s parliament to support him in his request, which has eluded him in his attempts to form a government since November’s elections.
Hong Kong protests top 1 million. Organizers say over one million people joined a New Year’s Day mass demonstration in Hong Kong, that led to over 400 arrests and small-scale violence as the peninsula enters its seventh month of protests. Police cut short the planned march after acts of vandalism by protestors that targeted the High Court, HSBC banks and a Starbucks. Despite the short-lived demonstration, organizers say turnout exceeded the 1.03 million estimated to have taken to the streets in June in protest over a proposed extradition bill.
Keep an Eye On
New Tunisian government. Three months since its general election, Tunisia could finally have a new government as the country’s designated prime minister Habib Jemli announced he has submitted a proposed cabinet to President Kais Saiedis. Jemli’s cabinet, expected to be made up of political independents, must be approved by a majority of Tunisia’s fractured parliament, with a vote expected today.
Sebastian Kurz is set to regain his title as the world’s youngest head of government and return as Austria’s prime minister for the first time since his coalition with the right-wing Freedom Party collapsed in May. Kurz’s Austrian People’s Party has agreed to a coalition deal with the resurgent Green Party. It marks the first time the environmentally focused party would hold power in Austria’s history. If the Green Party’s members approve of the deal, the new government could be seated as early as next week.
St Peter’s Square-off. Pope Francis is in hot water after video emerged of the pontiff hastily slapping a worshipper on the hand after she appeared to grab hold of his wrist and pull him toward her. The Pope, himself a former bouncer, was greeting the faithful in St Peter’s Square when the incident occurred. He has since apologized for the incident, as the Washington Post reports. “So many times we lose our patience; me too, and I apologize for yesterday’s bad example,” Pope Francis said.
A curious case. Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn’s flight from Japan to Lebanon took another turn as Lebanese news sources reported that Ghosn fled house arrest in a musical instrument case before departing the country on a private jet. Ghosn was awaiting trial in Japan for corruption and self-dealing. Lebanon and Japan do not have an extradition treaty, leaving his case in limbo.
Odds and Ends
Effective today, France has begun its war on plastic and has banned plastic cups, plates and cotton buds as part of its goal to fully eliminate single-use plastics by 2040. Under current plans, plastic straws, coffee cup lids, styrofoam containers and disposable cutlery are all to be axed in 2021. France isn’t alone in pushing toward a more sustainable decade. Thailand began its New Year with a ban on plastic shopping bags in all major stores.