TODAY
Summary of international news stories from five major daily papers: the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and the Financial Times. The summary focuses on Editors’ World’s priority issues as the news permits.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
TODAY'S STORY IDEA:
Global food shortages have made their way to the U.S., with big-box retailers like Costco and Sam’s Club reporting that consumers are cleaning their shelves of bags of rice and other staples. Sam’s Club has imposed a limit of four bags of rice per visit on its customers. Have food retailers in your area observed this trend? Are residents concerned about local food supplies?
Expert sources:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.N. World Food Programme
Also see our Roster of Experts
GLOBAL MAYHEM
North America
Bush Nominates Petraeus to Lead Central Command
The Washington Post
Army Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, became President Bush’s nominee Wednesday to supervise U.S. military operations in the Middle East and Central Asia as head of Central Command, putting him in position to oversee American strategy in Iraq for years to come. Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, who worked closely with Petraeus as the No. 2 commander in Iraq until two months ago, was nominated to receive a fourth star and to take Petraeus’s current job. Senior officials said the shifts in top command are aimed at minimizing disruption to the military campaign in Iraq, at a time when security there remains fragile, and as the prospect looms in Washington of major changes in Iraq policy after the U.S. presidential election in November. (Ann Scott Tyson and Thomas E. Ricks) Full story
Related stories:
Los Angeles Times
By promoting Petraeus, President Bush is taking a step toward perpetuating his policy of high troop levels in Iraq and is putting his most trusted general in charge of renewing the military’s focus on Iran, according to the L.A. Times. Full story
The Wall Street Journal
Some Democratic lawmakers expressed concern Wednesday that Petraeus would focus too heavily on Iraq in his new position. Full story
The New York Times
The Times says that the nomination of Petraeus could portend a renewed American focus on Afghanistan, where the American war effort is widely recognized to be lagging, with violence by the Taliban and Al Qaeda on the rise. Full story
CIA Chief to Resign Military Position
The Wall Street Journal
Nearly two years into his tenure as director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Gen. Michael V. Hayden will retire from the military and continue to head the agency as a civilian. The decision may quell longstanding concerns on Capitol Hill over a military officer controlling a civilian intelligence agency, according to The Journal. (Siobhan Gorman) Full story
Justice Department Cites Growing Threat from Global Criminal Networks
The Washington Post
Justice Department officials on Wednesday said that foreign criminal syndicates posed a growing threat to the America by attempting to penetrate the energy sector, furnish weapons to terrorists and wreak havoc on the U.S. economy by using computers and shell companies to launder money and peddle phony goods. In a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey claimed that international organized crime had become richer, more technologically sophisticated and more politically savvy in recent years. (Carrie Johnson) Full story
Government to Make Third Attempt to Try Terror Suspects
The New York Times
Federal prosecutors said Wednesday that they would try for a third time to convict six men accused of conspiring to destroy the Sears Tower in Chicago and join the ranks of Al Qaeda. At the first trial, which ended in December 2007, a seventh defendant was acquitted, and the jury was unable to come to a unanimous decision about the remaining six. A second trial ended last week with jurors again unable to decide. (Carmen Gentile) Full story
Asia
Video Showed North Koreans at Secret Syrian Reactor
The Washington Post
A video taken inside a secret Syrian facility last summer convinced the Israeli government and the Bush administration that North Korea was helping to construct a reactor similar to one that produces plutonium for North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, according to senior U.S. officials. Nuclear weapons analysts and U.S. officials predicted that CIA Director Michael Hayden’s planned disclosures to Capitol Hill could complicate U.S. efforts to improve relations with North Korea as a way to stop its nuclear weapons program. (Robin Wright) Full story
Related story:
The Wall Street Journal
The Journal says in an editorial that President Bush risks turning his legacy on nuclear proliferation into “a global farce” by trusting North Korea to tell the truth about its activities. Full story
A Growing Backlash Against Al Qaeda
Los Angeles Times
Al Qaeda increasingly faces sharp criticism from once-loyal sympathizers who openly question its ideology and tactics, including attacks that kill innocent Muslims, according to U.S. intelligence officials, counter-terrorism experts and the group's own communications. The Los Angeles Times reports that the terrorism network’s leadership has been reaching out to disgruntled allies in an attempt to defuse the growing backlash. Intelligence analysts differ over whether the trend poses significant risks for Al Qaeda, or whether it is simply a public relations problem. (Josh Meyer) Full story
Afghan Agency Extends Government’s Reach in Effort to Weaken Taliban
The New York Times
Local governance has become one of the most pressing issues in Afghanistan, according to Afghans, Western diplomats and NATO and American military officials, and one that could determine the outcome of the still-uncertain conflict. The Times reports on the efforts of the newly formed Independent Directorate of Local Governance, which has shown signs of success in reducing corruption, winning the confidence of Afghans and reducing the influence of Taliban militants. (Carlotta Gall) Full story
Afghan Farmers Planting Less Opium
Financial Times
Afghanistan’s opium crop is forecast to shrink by as much as half this year after 2007’s record harvest, counter-narcotics officials in Kabul said, as evidence emerges that some poppy farmers are switching to legal crops because of rising food prices. The country produced an estimated 93 percent of the world’s opium last year, with output rising almost every year since the Taliban was ousted in 2001. (Jon Boone and Stephen Fidler) Full story
Iraq
U.S. Blames Militants Backed by Iran for Recent Baghdad Attacks
The New York Times
Nearly three-quarters of the attacks that kill or wound American soldiers in Baghdad are carried out by Iranian-backed Shiite groups, the U.S. military said Wednesday. Senior officers said that 73 percent of fatal and other harmful attacks on American troops in the past year were caused by roadside bombs planted by Iranian-trained “special groups.” Officials also said that 82 percent of the rockets and mortar rounds that have struck the fortified International “Green Zone” in Baghdad in the past month were fired from the Shiite slum of Sadr City. (Stephen Farrell and Alissa J. Rubin) Full story http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/24/world/middleeast/24iraq.html?ref=todayspaper
Related story:
The Washington Post
U.S. officials said Wednesday that a military campaign in the Baghdad stronghold of anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has succeeded in nearly eliminating the deadly rocket and mortar attacks launched from the area. Full story
Arab News Station Reports Iraq’s Former Hussein Aide Captured
Los Angeles Times
Arab satellite news channel Al Arabiya reported that a man suspected of being Izzat Ibrahim, who tops Iraq’s most-wanted list, was captured Wednesday by Iraqi soldiers in the northern part of the country and that DNA tests were being conducted to confirm his identity. Ibrahim, who served as Saddam Hussein’s vice president and deputy chairman of the Baath Party’s Revolutionary Command Council, is believed to head an armed wing of the Baath Party in Iraq. The U.S. had ranked Ibrahim No. 6 on its most-wanted list after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003. (Ned Parker and Saif Hameed) Full story
Elsewhere in the Middle East
Israeli Claims of Secret Agreement With U.S. Impedes Peace Process
The Washington Post
Claims by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert earlier this week that his predecessor, Ariel Sharon, was personally given a letter by President Bush four years ago giving Israel permission to expand its settlements in the West Bank despite the U.S. officially calling for a freeze on new construction has emerged as an obstacle to a peace deal with the Palestinians, The Post reports. American officials deny that such an agreement exists. Many experts say new settlement construction undermines the political standing of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who is to meet with Bush today at the White House, and adds to Palestinian cynicism about the peace process. (Glenn Kessler) Full story
Related story:
The New York Times
President Bush and King Abdullah of Jordan met privately on Wednesday morning, as the White House tries to resuscitate the ailing Middle East peace talks before Bush leaves for Israel next month. Full story
Signs of Israeli and Syrian Détente on Golan Heights
The New York Times
Peace overtures between Israel and Syria moved up a gear on Wednesday when a Syrian cabinet minister said that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel had sent a message to President Bashar al-Assad to the effect that Israel would be willing to withdraw from Golan Heights in return for peace with Syria. Israeli officials neither confirmed nor denied the claim. Israelis who favor a deal contend it would take Syria out of the Iranian sphere and end Syrian support for some groups hostile to Israel, such as the Lebanese Hezbollah and Hamas. (Isabel Kershner) Full story
Tehran Agrees to Talks with Nuclear Inspectors
Los Angeles Times
International arms inspectors have reached an agreement with Iran to discuss alleged evidence of nuclear weapons experiments, officials said Wednesday, signaling a potential breakthrough in negotiations over Iran’s controversial research program. The material was discovered on a laptop computer purportedly smuggled out of Iran and given to U.S. officials. Its authenticity has long been a bone of contention between Tehran and international inspectors. (Borzou Daragahi) Full story
Lebanese Buy Up Arms as War Threatens
The Washington Post
Political tension has been rising in Lebanon since 2006, with a stalemate between the government backed by Egypt and the U.S. and opposition groups led by Hezbollah having led to stalemate and the parliament unable to pass laws or elect a new president. The Post reports that the anxiety is reflected by the soaring price of weapons as Lebanese stockpile arms in anticipation of open war. (Alia Ibrahim) Full story
Africa
No Consensus on Unity Plan for Zimbabwe
The New York Times
As Zimbabwe’s political impasse drags into its fourth week, talk of a power-sharing deal between the governing party and the opposition came to the fore Wednesday, though both sides indicated they were unprepared for the compromises that would be required. An editorial in the state-run newspaper, often used as a mouthpiece for Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe, floated a proposal for a transitional unity government that would be led by Mugabe until new elections could be organized. The government has refused to announce who won last month’s presidential race, though independent monitors say Mugabe trailed opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai and may have lost outright. (Celia W. Dugger and Alan Cowell) Full story
Related stories:
The Washington Post
Zimbabwean opposition leader and presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai writes that Mugabe’s actions are “attacks on democracy itself.” Full story
The Wall Street Journal
James Kirchick of The New Republic writes in a commentary piece that America should consider providing weapons to Zimbabwe’s political opposition to help it defend itself against Mugabe’s violent repression. Full story
Los Angeles Times
An editorial praises officials in South Africa, Mozambique and Zambia for blocking a Chinese ship bringing arms to Zimbabwe this week and says that Beijing should bring the vessel home. Full story
Europe
Kremlin Tightens Control Over Religion
The New York Times
Under the tenure of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, the government has embraced the Russian Orthodox Church as a de facto state religion and moved to suppress competing denominations, The Times reports. The newspaper says that there is a tone of nationalism and mistrust of Western influence in the growing relationship between the church and the Kremlin grounded in part in a common nationalistic ideology dedicated to restoring Russia’s might after the disarray that followed the end of the Soviet Union.(Clifford L. Levy) Full story
CHINA AND INDIA
China Moves to Rein in Nationalist Fervor Before Olympics
The Wall Street Journal
The Chinese government is moving to tamp down nationalistic anger over Western criticism of Beijing’s policies in Tibet as the Olympic Games draw near, The Journal reports. Authorities have been cracking down on student protests and online videos of demonstrations have disappeared from Chinese Web sites. Beijing has seemed to tacitly endorse displays of patriotic fervor before for political purposes, then moving to rein it in before the situation spirals out of control. (Geoffrey A. Fowler, Juliet Ye and Loretta Chao) Full story
Related stories:
The New York Times
Even as Beijing is promising to welcome 1.5 million visitors to the Olympic Games, public security officials are tightening controls over daily life and introducing visa restrictions that are causing anxiety among the 250,000 foreigners who have settled in the country in recent years, The Times reports. Full story
The Wall Street Journal
Some 75 percent of the 6.8 million tickets available for the Beijing Games are reserved for domestic sales, which has resulted in complaints from other parts of the world that there aren't enough tickets for foreigners. Full story
Chinese Sovereign Wealth Fund Increases Global Clout
Financial Times
The China Investment Corporation, China’s $200 billion sovereign wealth fund, now has as much as $90 billion to spend on assets abroad, an increase of more than 30 percent on its original allocation, officials told western bankers in Beijing on Wednesday. CIC has recently become more cautious in the face of intense domestic criticism over its investment record and a frosty reception from foreign governments because of a perceived lack of transparency and questions over political motivation. (Jamil Anderlini) Full story
China’s New Car Consumers
The New York Times
Western attention to China’s growing appetite for automobiles usually focuses on its link to mounting dependence on foreign oil, escalating demand on natural resources like iron ore, and increasing emissions of global warming gases. But with more Chinese joining the middle class as the country’s economy continues to expand, The Times reports that many are purchasing their first cars and becoming more discriminate in their automobile standards. China recently passed Japan to become the world’s second-largest car market, behind the United States. (Keith Bradsher) Full story
U.S. Businesses Outsourcing Debt Collection to India
The New York Times
As the U.S. economy slows and consumers struggle to pay their bills, many American businesses are outsourcing debt collection to Indian companies, The Times reports. Debt collectors in India often cost about one-quarter the price of their American counterparts, and are often better at the job, according to many U.S. debt collection company executives. (Heather Timmons) Full story
India Experiences Hotel Shortage as Tourism Booms
The Wall Street Journal
With India’s economic boom generating more foreign and domestic travel in the country, room rates have shot up in New Delhi and Mumbai, where a night at a central five-star hotel can cost more than $500. The Ministry of Tourism predicts India's room shortfall will increase by more than 50 percent to about 150,000 rooms by 2010 because of the increasing demand. (Niraj Sheth) Full story
TRADE, MANUFACTURE, AND WORK
Global Run on Rice Reaches U.S.
Los Angeles Times
The global run on food that has led to shortages and riots in Egypt, Haiti and other nations has made its way to U.S. shores. Concerned about rising prices and limited supplies of staples such as rice and flour, customers across the country have been cleaning out the shelves at big-box retailers, including Wal-Mart Stores’ Sam’s Club and Costco. On Wednesday, Sam's Club said customers would no longer be allowed to purchase more than four bags of jasmine, basmati or long-grain white rice on each visit. (Jerry Hirsch and Tiffany Hsu) Full story
Toyota Has Lead in Global Auto Sales, GM Says
The New York Times
General Motors said on Wednesday that the slowdown in the U.S. market had led to a first-quarter sales decline that gave Toyota the early lead in this year’s global sales race. Toyota outsold G.M. in the same period a year ago but ended the year about 3,100 vehicles short of the American automaker. But G.M. could have more difficulty keeping pace this year as record crude oil prices and gasoline prices near $4 a gallon damp demand for vehicles in the United States, where G.M.’s market share is still considerably larger than Toyota’s. (Nick Bunkley) Full story
Free-Lance Miners in Congo Compete with Modern Industry
The Washington Post
With Congo’s long civil war mostly over and a democratically elected government in place, major foreign companies are spending billions of dollars creating modern mechanized mines to tap some of the purest concentrations of copper and cobalt on the planet. But The Post reports that these companies are competing with an estimated 2 million free-lance “artisanal” miners already working the same concessions and who currently supply as much as 90 percent of Congo’s mineral exports. The newspaper says that the eviction of these independent diggers has sometimes led to clashes and a growing militancy among workers who feel that they have a right to a portion of their nation’s natural resources. (Stephanie McCrummen) Full story
Democrats Take Risks in Blocking Colombia Trade Pact
The New York Times
Columnist Nicholas D. Kristof criticizes Democratic lawmakers for their opposition to a free trade agreement with Colombia, saying that the country has made enormous progress towards reducing violence against labor activists in recent years and that the move would harm Colombian workers. Kristof says that failure to ratify the deal would be seen as America retreating from internationalism and “thumbing its nose at the world.” Full story
GLOBALIZATION AND WEALTH
Emerging Economies Plagued by Rising Inflation
The Wall Street Journal
After years of experiencing strong economic growth, emerging countries are now grappling with rising inflation, partly as a result of their hard-won gains. Governments and central banks are taking drastic measures to rein in rising prices and political unrest as food and fuel costs cause hardship for poor citizens. (Joanna Slater) Full story
South Korea Confronts Issue of Corporate Control in Wake of Scandal
The New York Times
The abrupt resignation and public apology by the chairman of electronics giant Samsung earlier this week amid criminal indictments has pushed South Koreans to confront the influence of the powerful family groups known as chaebol, according to The Times. According to the Bank of Korea, the 30 largest chaebol control almost 40 percent of the world’s 13th-largest economy. (Martin Fackler) Full story
IMMIGRATION AND MIGRATION
Blaming Immigrants When Times Get Hard
The Wall Street Journal
Jason L. Riley writes for The Journal’s editorial board that Americans have a habit of blaming immigrants during economic downturns and rising unemployment, and that Latinos are likely to be the present-day target. Riley says that immigration actually helps keep labor markets flexible and is a boon for both labor and employers. Full story
