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The Weekly GAB Friday, September 29, 2017
U.S. Global Leadership Coalition | www.usglc.org
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Who's in the News

FOX NEWS SUNDAY
Bill Gates on Efforts to Fight Global Poverty |
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=4jQRKx3BsVe4J6ee-TLZfA

Video

Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates
discusses what the Gates Foundation has accomplished and the
challenges it still faces.

THE HILL

Best Practices in US Global Development Should Guide Effort to
Redesign

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=-HOxIu9A7w7rrtXTq71wBw

Former Congressman Jim Kolbe (R-AZ)

Right now in Washington, there's growing interest in the
redesign of U.S. foreign assistance architecture, and rightfully so,
as it could in large part determine what the future of U.S.
development looks like. If the ultimate purpose of foreign assistance
is to "end its need to exist," as USAID's new
administrator Mark Green has articulated, then the Trump
administration should start its redesign process by looking back on
what we've learned from 60 years of U.S. global development. The
new design should consider what is working across U.S. development
efforts and build from there, scaling up best practices that have made
our foreign assistance far more efficient and effective in recent
years.

DEVEX

Exclusive Interview: Mark Green Says 'America Will Continue to Play
its Role In the World' |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=8qz4I36TECffedW0L0Pg7w

Michael Igoe

President Donald Trump's budget proposal signaled a deep
skepticism of U.S. foreign assistance efforts and other "soft
power" foreign policy tools. His pick to lead U.S. global
development programs signaled the opposite. "My background is
not a secret. What I believe in, what I've worked on -
there's a clear record," Green told Devex in one of his
first extended interviews since taking office. "The fact that
both the White House and the Secretary [of State Rex Tillerson]
brought me here, I think is a sign that America will continue to play
its role in the world." This is part two of our exclusive
interview with Green, which focuses on how his views about development
intersect with the Trump administration's plans and priorities.

MSNBC

President Trump says the U.S. gives too much foreign aid to the rest
of the world and wants to cut funding by nearly 40%. It has been a
consistent theme since he first proclaimed "America First" on the
campaign trail. But according to George Ingram of the Brooking's
Institution, U.S. foreign assistance should be an integral part of any
"America First" policy.

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=2lIIqjfycU_SJe_BOqT7Cw

Development & Diplomacy

THE NEW YORK TIMES

In Grim Camps, Rohingya Suffer on 'Scale That We Couldn't
Imagine' |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=vO0ULHoV-ByTGZXNSF30NQ

Ben C. Solomon

There were already more than 200,000 ethnic Rohingya migrants stuck in
camps like this one, Balukhali, in southern Bangladesh. But over the
past month, at least 500,000 more - more than half of the
Rohingya population thought to have been living in Myanmar - are
reported to have fled over the border to take refuge, surpassing even
the worst month of the Syrian war's refugee tide. As
international leaders squabble over whether to punish Myanmar for the
military's methodical killing and uprooting of Rohingya
civilians, the recent arrivals are living in abjectly desperate
conditions.

REUTERS
Yemen Cholera Cases Could Hit 1 Million by Year-End: Red Cross |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=nfWLeYWIPqBVAmNF_dg45w

Stephanie Nebehay

The humanitarian situation in Yemen is a "catastrophe",
and cholera cases could reach a million by the end of the year, the
International Committee of the Red Cross said on Friday. Warring
parties in Yemen - including the western-backed Saudi-led coalition -
are all using disproportionate force, leading to "very
excessive" civilian casualties, said Alexandre Faite, the head
of the Red Cross delegation in Yemen. In addition, suspected cases of
cholera have reached 750,000, with 2,119 deaths, Faite said, and the
Red Cross expects at least 900,000 cases by the end of the year.

DEVEX
Sullivan Sees a Leaner, More Diverse State Dept, no USAID Merger |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=4H8cTREytqfohtQ0aF1CYA

Amy Lieberman

Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan fielded questions Tuesday
about how the State Department plans to lead more effectively and
recruit a more diverse body of employees - all while operating
with one-third of its present budget. Several members of the House
Foreign Affairs Committee appeared skeptical that talk of
"efficiency is not just code for budget cuts," as New York
Congressman Eliot Engel said in his opening remarks. Morale is low at
the State Department, Sullivan conceded during the nearly three-hour
hearing in Washington, D.C., which was broadcast online. "There
is uncertainty. We are doing our best to reduce that
uncertainty," he said. The State Department has 75,000 employees
worldwide, but about 30 high-level ambassador positions are currently
unfilled, including the position of ambassador to key U.S. allies,
such as Jordan.

FOREIGN POLICY
Aid Groups Slam Trump's Reduced Refugee Quota |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=5XXSIEXb2t5zPHl1BViAjQ

Robbie Gramer

Drawing outcry from humanitarian and refugee aid groups, President
Donald Trump's administration formally proposed Wednesday
slashing the number of refugees allowed into the United States to its
lowest level in decades. "With historically high numbers of
innocent people fleeing violence worldwide, the United States response
cannot be to welcome a historically low number of refugees into our
country," said Bill O'Keefe of the Catholic Relief
Services, an organization that works on resettling refugees globally.
Top Democratic lawmakers also joined the wave of criticism. Sen. Ben
Cardin (D-Md.) called it "devastating to tens of thousands of
innocent people, and a blow to America's standing as the premier
global humanitarian leader."

DEVEX
Senator Cardin Blames Congress for US Aid's 'Budget Disaster' |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=cEypSojJ_bh92A8l88TEfw

Michael Igoe

The federal budget process has been a "disaster," but
don't blame it all on President Donald Trump, Senator Ben Cardin
told global development leaders in Washington, D.C., Tuesday. The
Maryland democrat - an ardent supporter of U.S. foreign affairs
programs - said he would accept a modest cut to diplomacy and
development accounts if it meant the U.S. Congress would stop failing
to pass annual budgets and falling back on continuing resolutions.
Cardin, the ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
spoke to Devex President and Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar as part of a
Devex conversation series with policymakers in global development.

FOREIGN POLICY

As Cholera-Wracked Yemen Starves, Saudis Paint Rosy Picture of Their
Relief Efforts |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=mRJEXwXV6EDhQrxQPadDrQ

Dan De Luce

International relief organizations, human rights advocates, and a
growing number of U.S. lawmakers say Saudi Arabia and its military
partners are aggravating the mounting humanitarian catastrophe in
Yemen by delaying or blocking access for emergency aid to areas
controlled by Houthis, including a crucial port and the
country's airport. "Refusing to permit the delivery of the
cranes and thereby impeding the flow of food to starving people to
achieve a political purpose is inconsistent with humanitarian
principles, international law, and our national security interests
- and the United States should use its leverage to end this
policy," Young said [Sen. Todd Young R-IN]. Young, a Republican
who served in the Marine Corps and is decidedly hawkish on Iran, sees
the suffering of civilians in Yemen as strategic issue for the United
States, and not merely a humanitarian concern.

Politics & Foreign Policy

THE WASHINGTON POST

The Most Interesting Part of Corker's Retirement Isn't
What You Think It Is |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=Pr3LWOQqZ2kbf26CfcMD8Q

Jennifer Rubin

The more interesting aspect of Corker's retirement has to do
with who will succeed him as chairman of the critical Foreign
Relations Committee. Corker was a true moderate, often not as
aggressive as Republican hawks would have liked but well within the
traditional GOP mainstream on foreign policy. He has been critical of
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's slow pace in filling
political slots and Tillerson's support for an absurd budget
that would have devastated his department. Corker was not so much a
creator of policy or high-profile foreign policy voice
internationally, as Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has been, but he has
earned his colleagues' respect and kept a fractious committee
- which includes diverse members such as Sens. Rand Paul
(R-Ky.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.)

POLITICO
Rubio Won't Seek Foreign Relations Chairmanship |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=TrutIZ_vF_zDSY44-j3gSw

Seung Min Kim and Elana Schor

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said Wednesday that he has no interest in
seeking the chairmanship of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, clearing the way for Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) to claim the
gavel in the next Congress. Risch is next in seniority on the panel,
although Rubio - a former presidential candidate who has made
foreign policy a major part of his Senate portfolio - could have
made a play for it as well. But Rubio responded "no" when
asked whether he was interested in vying for the chairmanship in 2019.
"Jim Risch wants to be chairman," Rubio said Wednesday.
"I'll support him."

THE NEW YORK TIMES

In Tillerson's China Stop, Questions on North Korea but Slim
Chance of Clarity |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=0VZlACptoF5bJDLZVxYk_Q

David E. Sanger

Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson is scheduled to arrive in Beijing
early Saturday for a brief visit, amid confusing signals about
President Trump's position on two questions looming over the
confrontation with North Korea: Is America's long-term goal to
overthrow its leader, Kim Jong-un, or just try to change his behavior?
And what would it take to get negotiations with Pyongyang started? Mr.
Tillerson, who is confronting a problem for which his background as
chief executive of Exxon Mobil is of little help, has tried to
reassure North Korea with his oft-repeated assertion that "we do
not seek the collapse of the regime."

THE WASHINGTON POST

U.S. to Slash Embassy Staff in Cuba, Warns Travelers of Hotel Attacks
|

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=kT0PrmZF_MRT4dqlXVouog

Carol Morello

The United States is yanking more than half its diplomatic personnel
from its embassy in Havana and warning Americans not to visit Cuba,
saying it is for their own safety after a string of mysterious
injuries harmed at least 21 Americans stationed there. Senior State
Department officials said embassy employees have been
"targeted" for "specific attacks," a
significant change from previous characterizations of what happened as
simply "incidents." The decision to draw down the
diplomatic presence in Cuba does not represent a break in U.S.-Cuba
relations, which were normalized in 2015 by President Barack Obama.

CNN
Saudi Arabia to Let Women Drive at Last |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=O5JPxKPtCpkuaokiXO5TwA

Nicole Gaouette and Elise Labott

Saudi Arabia is easing restrictions on women driving, finally allowing
almost half its population to get behind the wheel. A royal decree has
been issued that will allow women in the country to drive, the Saudi
Foreign ministry said Tuesday on its official Twitter account. State
Department spokesman Heather Nauert said the US "would certainly
welcome that" news, while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wrote
on his official Twitter it was "an important step in the right
direction." The move to ease restrictions on women has huge
implications for the Saudi economy and women's ability to work.


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