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The Weekly GAB Friday, January 11, 2019
U.S. Global Leadership Coalition | www.usglc.org
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=BeFxTEEDu_GT5gf9IYCnRA

USGLC in the News

THE WASHINGTON POST
Will Trump Go After Foreign Aid to Pay for His Border Wall? |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=cdfp_AuFPErY0r9Qbi1ycw

Josh Rogin

It's bad enough that the State Department and the U.S. Agency
for International Development (USAID) are victims of the government
shutdown, given that America's diplomats are currently in great
demand. Now, President Trump and other top officials are singling out
foreign aid funding and arguing that money would be better spent on
the southern border... Such a scheme would exacerbate the problems in
foreign countries that form the root causes of the migration problem,
said Liz Schrayer, president and chief executive of the U.S. Global
Leadership Coalition, which advocates development and diplomacy.
"It's a false choice to pit border security funding
- or any other national security tool - against the
foreign assistance resources that America needs to stop threats before
they reach our border," she told me. "Great nations can do
both."

Who's in the News

THE NEW YORK TIMES
Erdogan: Trump Is Right on Syria. Turkey Can Get the Job Done.

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=n3v0aupaBlu4PRoDj3WZ7Q

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey

President Trump made the right call to withdraw from Syria. The United
States withdrawal, however, must be planned carefully and performed in
cooperation with the right partners to protect the interests of the
United States, the international community and the Syrian people.
Turkey, which has NATO's second largest standing army, is the
only country with the power and commitment to perform that task...
Today [in Al Bab, Syria], children are back at school, a
Turkish-funded hospital treats the sick, and new business projects
create jobs and bolster the local economy. This stable environment is
the only cure for terrorism.

THE HILL
Progress in Yemen Requires American Leadership

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=6sUKrFXpVfMSVp1gRLD5SA

Senator Todd Young (R-OH)

Yemen's civil war is an unmitigated humanitarian and national
security disaster. Almost 16 million men, women, and children are now
on the verge of starvation. That's almost two and a half times
the population of Indiana... As retired Marine Corps Lieutenant
General John Castellaw testified before my subcommittee in March,
"food crises ... grow terrorists." ... I have studied
the situation in Yemen as closely as anyone on Capitol Hill, and the
best way to oppose Iran in Yemen and stop ballistic missile attacks on
our partners is to bring all parties to the negotiating table, end the
civil war, and address the humanitarian crisis. Famine and the
indiscriminate targeting of civilians will only push more Yemenis
toward Iran and its proxies.

Development & Diplomacy

THE CHRISTIAN POST

Evangelicals Urge Trump to Save Humanitarian Aid Programs After
Cutting Millions, Cite Luke 12:48 |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=qzL9k93gdZX4Yt4An0pN0A

Samuel Smith

As the Donald Trump administration continues to conduct a review of
United States foreign aid spending after cutting aid earmarked for
Palestine, Syria, and Pakistan last year, evangelical leaders are
calling for the continued funding of crucial U.S. aid assistance
programs overseas. Leaders of over 25 leading faith-based groups and
nonprofits have signed onto a letter sent to President Donald Trump,
Vice President Mike Pence and National Security Advisor John Bolton
last Friday calling for the protection of America's development,
diplomatic, and humanitarian programs around the world... The letter
comes as the Trump White House has spoken out against a Democrat-led
House bill that, among other things, would have provided $12 billion
more for "international affairs programs" than the
administration had wanted.

BLOOMBERG
The U.S. and Europe Should Stand with Congo's Voters |
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=q2i498PcVz2NoJUgnp_x-A

Editorial Board

After a long-overdue election marred by irregularities and a delay in
reporting results, opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi has been
provisionally declared the next president of the Democratic Republic
of Congo... Tshisekedi's win defies pre-election polls and
tallies by credible independent election observers that reportedly
gave the contest to front-runner Martin Fayulu... The U.S.
(Congo's biggest aid provider) and EU are limited in the
leverage they can apply without hurting the country's poorest.
But they can apply useful pressure, as the EU did last month by
extending asset freezes and travel bans on Congolese officials
(including Shadary) for cracking down on protesters and other
offenses.

FOREIGN POLICY
Mike Pompeo Is Flying Solo in the Middle East |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=9uZQTzCTGgwbeDKtHvMLzw

Robbie Gramer

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to the Middle East this
month to soothe nervous allies highlights a problem that has dogged
the U.S. State Department since President Donald Trump took office two
years ago: empty posts and depleted ranks. Of the nine countries
Pompeo is visiting, five are without ambassadors... The vacancies,
current and former officials say, hamper U.S. engagement in the region
as Trump and his top deputies grapple with some of the toughest
foreign-policy challenges Washington faces... The vacancies are
especially problematic as the Trump administration continues to send
contradictory messages about its policies toward friends and foes in
the region. And many of the lower-level diplomats and embassy staff
shuttling the secretary around on his trip are unpaid.

DEVEX

Jim Kim's Resignation Sparks Questions About the Next World Bank
President |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=W-A9PTinAN0nZvtsTkQxaw

Sophie Edwards

World Bank President Jim Kim took the institution's staff and
board members by surprise when he announced his resignation, giving
just three weeks notice of his plan to leave three years early, in
order to join an infrastructure investment firm. The shock move, which
was announced Monday, raised concerns among some members of the
international development community about who will take over when Kim
leaves on Feb. 1... Now, with Trump administration rhetoric that is
critical of multilateralism, there are concerns over whom it may
nominate to run the world's largest multilateral development
bank.

AL JAZEERA
Why Africa Loves China

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=UuynllcvIX3RwFq3KLwTpQ

Mehari Taddele Maru, Institute for Strategic Studies

The China-Africa relationship is currently being interpreted through
two diametrically opposed perceptions. The first of the two is a
Sino-phobic one, mostly adopted in the West... The second and opposing
perception of the partnership between Beijing and Africa is a
pro-China one. This view is adopted mostly in Africa. According to the
proponents of this narrative, China is a saviour - a trustworthy ally
of Africa. They view China, a country that does not have a history of
colonial aspirations in Africa, as a partner which could provide
much-needed funding without any strings attached... As a result,
Africans see the Western criticisms of the China-Africa cooperation
with serious reservations.

USGLC GLOBAL IMPACT BLOG
Frederick Douglass: Fighting Slavery in the Modern Day |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=k_GTV82WbQH4WRo0Xaffrw

Cody Corrington

There's new hope this week for the tens of millions of
trafficked and enslaved persons around the world as new bipartisan
legislation has been signed into law in an effort to fight sex and
labor trafficking both here at home and abroad. The Frederick Douglass
Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act,
championed by Representatives Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Karen Bass (D-CA)
and signed by President Trump on Tuesday, is designed to further the
U.S. fight against modern slavery.

USGLC GLOBAL IMPACT BLOG

Q&A with Former Ambassador Karl Hofmann: "Shutdowns Have All the
Impact Overseas You Would Expect: Confusion, Demotivation, and
Waste" |
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=YiEQGDXfKnYGWKrEtTP4qA

Jennie Bragg

As the partial government shutdown extends into its third week,
federal agencies including the State Department and USAID are feeling
the very real effects of the furloughs. And with the consequences of a
prolonged shutdown still unclear, Ambassador Karl Hofmann, former U.S.
Ambassador to the Republic of Togo and a career diplomat, explains how
the ongoing shutdown is impacting America's diplomatic and
development capabilities right now.

Politics & Foreign Policy

BLOOMBERG

Pompeo Calls the U.S. a 'Force for Good' in Middle East
Speech |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=sJkfDn7EgmJ68KyRHUr-vg

Nick Wadhams

Secretary of State Michael Pompeo accused the Obama administration of
underestimating the threat posed by Islamic extremism and Iran,
delivering a speech in Cairo sharply criticizing President Donald
Trump's predecessor and declaring the U.S. a "force for
good" in the region. Pompeo, speaking to an audience at the
American University of Cairo on Thursday, said the Arab world must do
more in the fight against extremism, reiterated U.S. support for
Israel and declared that America isn't interested in keeping its
troops in the Middle East permanently. He also sought to reassure the
region about the administration's commitment after Trump
announced he was withdrawing troops from Syria... The speech continued
the Trump administration's downplaying of human rights issues in
its dealings with leaders it supports.

AP NEWS
US Official Says Withdrawal from Syria Has Begun |
http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=Q2a0ar-aSV7AGeJr6QiT4w

Philip Issa and Zeina Karam

After days of conflicting statements about a timeline for President
Donald Trump's decision to withdraw American forces from Syria,
a U.S. defense official said Friday the process has begun with the
removal of some military cargo. The official said the movement of
equipment is part of what the military calls a "deliberate
withdrawal" from Syria, where some 2,000 troops have been
working with a coalition of Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighters to defeat
the remnants of the Islamic State group... Hours earlier, Col. Sean
Ryan, spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State
group, said "the process of our deliberate withdrawal from
Syria" has started.

FOREIGN POLICY

The Problem with America's Syria Policy Isn't Trump.
It's Syria. |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=IINunzY8Kz5O57gGFQbq0g

Michael Hirsh

President Donald Trump's apparent confusion about what he wants
the United States to do in Syria-one week he's pulling out
and the next he's not-is hardly unique. During his entire
second term, President Barack Obama occasionally sounded and acted
almost as confused about Syria as his successor has. There's a
reason why two such disparate presidents have suffered this common
dilemma: For Washington, the Syrian civil war is a no-win situation...
On the whole, U.S. policy through both Obama and Trump has become one
of tolerating Assad over the alternative while not saying so and
looking the other way. Certainly one could argue the United States
should be supplying more humanitarian aid, but there is not much else
Washington can do.

POLITICO
Trump Struggles to Replace Mattis as Pentagon Chief |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=v3gw5QmAPb1nNhVNrWJ_AQ

Eliana Johnson and Daniel Lippman

President Donald Trump is having a tough time hiring a Pentagon chief
after the abrupt departure of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis late last
month. Jon Kyl, the retired Arizona Republican senator, became the
second person to wave off Trump's overtures last week, telling
the White House he is not interested in the job. Ret. Gen. Jack Keane
also turned down the job shortly after Mattis' resignation...
The refusals are particularly striking given that the top Pentagon job
is historically among the Cabinet's most prestigious and
powerful, and coveted by national security veterans. But Mattis'
resignation - announced in a letter indicating that Trump had
disregarded his advice on fundamental issues - has reinforced
the image of a commander in chief unafraid to buck his top military
advisers.

IDAHO PRESS-TRIBUNE
Risch Says He 'Won't Be Sparring Publicly' with President Trump |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=6mlbABZaasB17tROJvKNRA

Betsy Z. Russell

U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, a Republican from Idaho and the new chairman of
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Wednesday that
he'll handle the post far differently from the chairman
he's succeeding, Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, who's been
a frequent critic of President Trump on foreign policy... Risch, 75,
is a former longtime state senator, lieutenant governor, and briefly
Idaho's governor; he made his fortune in Idaho as a trial
lawyer, and also is a cattle rancher. He said he and Corker
"have different backgrounds." ... Risch said Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo is "a really good friend of mine," and
he'll have no difficulty working with him. "He and I have
very similar views on life in general, but also on these kinds of
matters," Risch said.

BLOOMBERG

China's Billions Are Powering Latin America's Tech Boom |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=rkhkTgwvy8jaUbeBsmh31g

Daniela Guzman

As America recedes into the background, Chinese foreign direct
investment in Latin America and the Caribbean has skyrocketed over the
last ten years, according to a 2018 report by the Economic Commission
for Latin America and the Caribbean. China dropped close to $90
billion in the region between 2005 and 2016. With a growing emphasis
on telecommunications, Chinese investment in emerging technology is
increasingly the primary fuel behind Latin America's tech boom.
Long term, Beijing wants to cement deals with countries that are both
resource-rich-a critical need for Chinese industry-and
have growing consumer demand. Often, those nations and their
technology firms are seeking Chinese expertise-and money.

THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
Concessions Must Be Made If North Korea Is to Take New Path |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=pMftDgLUg_OVoSsFCay0fA

Editorial Board

All signs point towards the leaders of North Korea and the United
States holding a second summit soon. President Xi Jinping gave backing
during his latest meeting in Beijing with Kim Jong-un, who, like his
American counterpart Donald Trump, has expressed eagerness for further
discussions on denuclearisation. Kim's four trips over the past
10 months have taken place in or around summits with his US or South
Korean opposite numbers, proving the importance of Beijing to the
process... The next summit between Kim and Trump is an opportunity to
formulate realistic plans, a timetable and take bold steps. The
meeting has to be more than just a political show; concessions have to
be made to encourage North Korea to permanently discard a
military-first strategy in favour of peaceful growth and development.

DEUTSCHE WELLE
Trump Administration Downgrades EU Mission to US |

http://action.usglc.org/site/R?i=_I2UCJJNrS0K0_1JCRBmgw

Michael Knigge

The unannounced move by the US State Department, which has not
previously been reported, downgraded the EU delegation's diplomatic
status in Washington from member state to international organization.
"We don't exactly know when they did it, because they conveniently
forgot to notify us," an EU official who is familiar with the matter
told DW in an interview... After the delegation noticed that the EU's
Washington ambassador had not been invited to certain events late last
year, officials organizing the state funeral for President George H.W.
Bush provided final confirmation to EU diplomats that the status of
the representation had in fact been downgraded. Diplomats believe the
downgrade must have been implemented in late October or early
November.


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