US targets travellers from 'high risk' countries, considers bombing Yemen; Australia and New Zealand join ASEAN states in world's largest free trade zone; diesel spill in Yellow River; Afghan parliament rejects Karzai nominations; and more

Top of the Agenda: New Airport Security Measures

Travelers from fourteen countries flying into the United States will face (NYT) additional airport screening at airports as part of new security measures imposed by the Obama administration. The measures, in response to the Christmas Day bombing attempt on a US air carrier, will include (WashPost) pat-downs and carry-on bag searches for citizens of countries including Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and Yemen. The new rules will have little impact on US domestic flights since use of passports is not required.

The United States and Britain closed embassies (Guardian) in Yemen over the weekend following intelligence that showed that the wing of al-Qaeda linked to the Christmas Day incident may be planning an attack on US targets in Sana'a. Increase in al-Qaeda activity has led to worry that Yemen will become a failed state similar to Somalia. President Barack Obama is under increased pressure to reconsider (al-Jazeera) the repatriation of Yemenis held at Guantanamo Bay, amid focus on al-Qaeda-linked activity in their home country.

Background:

A New York Times Magazine article looks at the Obama administration's war on terrorism.

This CFR Backgrounder explains al-Qaeda's origins and reach.

The BBC profiles al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

Analysis:

In the Guardian, CFR's Micah Zenko says an immediate US military strike in Yemen in response to the failed bomb plot may look increasingly likely, but it would be a bad short-term solution.

In a CFR interview, Carnegie Endowment's Christopher Boucek says that if left unchecked, the rise of Yemen's al-Qaeda affiliates could lead to al-Qaeda's further entrenchment in Yemen.

Newsweek's Christopher Dickey says US anti-terror efforts have entered an especially dangerous phase, which could mean increasing numbers of individual, freelance terrorists.

 

PACIFIC RIM: New Asian Free-Trade Zones

Australia's free-trade zone with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and New Zealand began Monday (Bernama). The agreement spans twelve economies with a combined GDP of A$3.1 trillion. Indonesia is petitioning (Reuters) for the delay of some tariff reductions in the new China-ASEAN free-trade deal--over fears sectors such as textiles would be vulnerable to cheap Chinese imports. Under the pact, which went into effect Friday, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand must reduce tariffs on about 90 percent of imported goods to zero.

China: The National Petroleum Corporation is working (Bloomberg) to contain a diesel fuel spill on the Yellow River, which supplies drinking water for roughly 107 million people. A TIME article says the spill highlights how far China still has to go to before ensuring the health of its endangered waterways.

 

ELSEWHERE:

Additional Sanctions for Iran
Afghan Parliament Rejects Cabinet

This is an excerpt of the CFR.org Daily News Brief. The full version is available on CFR.org.