The Daily Brief
Essential Reading
Reform Eludes Iraq's Oil Sector — After more than a decade of debate and amendment, the country's landmark oil legislation is no closer to becoming law.
Has AQAP Traded Terrorism for Protection? — The jihadist group may be trying to send a message to Washington. But it remains to be seen whether the White House will listen.
Russia: The Kremlin's Internet Crackdown Makes Progress — Twitter has said it will comply with Russia's anti-terrorism laws and house user data on Russian servers beginning in 2018.
Indonesia: Politics Just Became More Complicated — The Jakarta governor position, important in national politics, has unofficially been won by an opposition candidate.
Global Perspectives
Uzbek, Kyrgyz and Tajik Radicals Behind Terrorism 'Made in Central Asia' — Douglas Green for The Times of Central Asia explores how Central Asia has been turned into a terrorist brand.
Reflections
Military Modernization: A Hard-Fought Battle for Beijing — The reforms are proceeding apace, but the government still faces a daunting road ahead.
Despite the progress that the Chinese military has made toward achieving its ambitious goals, problems may still arise that could delay or even halt the reform initiative. The number of protests, including demonstrations in the capital, by Chinese military veterans has risen over the past year (though most have involved long-retired soldiers demanding unpaid benefits). If the government follows through with its plan to cut another 300,000 personnel, many of whom are officers, the flood of new retirees could strain the country's ability to provide for its veterans. This outcome would be particularly problematic for Beijing in the event of a severe economic downturn — something that can't be ruled out in the next several years.
Stratfor Graphic
Stratfor Video
Why Pence is in Asia — Stratfor East Asia Analyst John Minnich examines the motivation behind U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's trip to the region.
Stratfor Talks
The Future of Global Trade — Beneath the headlines about Brexit, Russian efforts to expand its area of influence and the latest news from the White House lies an evolving story that has shaped the direction of the international system for generations. That's the story of global trade.
News You May Have Missed
- Members of the Bolivarian National Police and the national guard dispersed thousands of protesters in Caracas organized by Venezuela's main opposition coalition, the Democratic Unity Roundtable.
- U.S. President Donald Trump on April 20 is expected to order an investigation on whether steel imports are harming national security, two unnamed White House official said.
- Saudi Arabia and Kuwait signaled that OPEC plans to extend into the second half of 2017 the group’s deal with non-OPEC oil producers curbing oil supplies.
- The participants in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact, minus the United States, will begin talks on implementing the deal in May, Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso said.
- Turkey's High Electoral Board rejected petitions from the political opposition to annul the April 16 referendum because of voting irregularities.
- Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari suspended his country's intelligence chief, Ayo Oke, following the recent discovery of $43 million in cash in an apartment in Lagos.
- British lawmakers overwhelmingly approved Prime Minister Theresa May's call to hold a snap election in early June.
- Early results in the runoff vote for the Jakarta governor post show a strong victory for opposition candidate Anies Rasyid Baswedan over incumbent governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, an ally of President Joko Widodo.
- Italy's Five Star Movement presented its foreign policy platform.
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump will meet in May ahead of a NATO summit, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.
- Pakistan’s Supreme Court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to remove Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from office on corruption allegations stemming from leaks published in the so-called Panama Papers in 2016.