US troops to cease fighting in Afghanistan by mid-2013; Is the NATO consensus disintegrating?; al-Qaeda militants killed in Philippines; Pakistani PM charged with contempt, government to appeal; Facebook IPO values company at up to $100 billion (meet the lucky stock-owners); At least 73 dead in Egyptian football riot; and more
Top of the Agenda: US to End Afghan Combat Mission by 2013
US defense secretary Leon E. Panetta said US forces would end their combat mission in Afghanistan by mid-2013, taking on an "advise and assist" role (NYT) to Afghan security forces. All US troops are expected to be withdrawn from Afghanistan by the end of 2014. Panetta made the announcement en route to Brussels for a NATO meeting focusing on the future of Afghanistan. The decision comes on the heels of a leaked NATO report that says the Taliban, allegedly backed by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency, remains a significant obstacle to peace in Afghanistan.
Analysis
"For the United States, the war is coming to an end. Its critical goals have been achieved. Osama bin Laden is dead. Al-Qaeda there is virtually dead. There are no vital interests to justify further great sacrifices. And now it's time to act upon this reality and bring the heroes home, writes CFR's Leslie H. Gelb at the Daily Beast.
"The US report belies the notion that the policy of assassinating mid-level Taliban commanders (night raids are often little more than death squads) is having any lasting effect on an organization which retains the ability to selectively moderate its violence in order to encourage NATO forces to leave faster," says this Guardian editorial.
"The essential goal now--as 11 years ago--is to prevent Afghanistan becoming a base for international terrorism. Worryingly, however, NATO's common purpose is disintegrating. America announced yesterday that it would end combat operations in the middle of next year, well ahead of the December 2014 deadline for withdrawal agreed by NATO," says this Telegraph editorial.
PACIFIC RIM
Philippines Targets Militants
The Philippines military killed three senior al-Qaeda-linked militants (BBC) in an air raid on Jolo island in the in the southern Mindanao region, officials said.
CHINA: Villagers in Wukan, Guangdong province, a site of anti-government protests last year, held a first round of free elections to select local leaders (WSJ), a potentially significant indicator for grassroots democracy in China.
ELSEWHERE:
Pakistani PM to appeal contempt charges
Egypt's football tragedy focuses attention on political failures
Facebook IPO to be valued at "north of $75 billion" (+ the graffiti artist now worth $200m)
This is an excerpt of the CFR.org Daily News Brief. The full version is available on CFR.org.
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