The Daily Brief

Published on EGF: 16.04.2018

Essential Reading

The Weekly Rundown: Striking Syria, Floating Options With North Korea and Dusting Off the TPP — A review of the world's most pressing geopolitical events and insight into what the coming week will bring. Link

Geopolitical Calendar: Week of April 16, 2018 — Stay informed about the most significant meetings and events planned for the week ahead. Link

For India, Another Day, Another Geopolitical Snag — New Delhi finds that the costs of arm-twisting can outweigh the benefits after voters in Nepal pick a candidate willing to work with China. Link

Libya Contemplates a Future Without Khalifa Hifter — As rumors swirl regarding the health of Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter, all the parties to Libya's conflict are due for a reassessment of their strategies — regardless of the veracity of the news about the commander. Link

Syria: Combined U.S., French and U.K. Attack Strikes Multiple Targets — Beyond the immediate tactical objective of degrading the Syrian government's ability to deliver chemical weapons, Trump's speech announcing the attack touched on a broader strategic intent to challenge Iran's presence in Syria. Link

Global Perspectives

As the British Empire Evolved, the 'Friendly Games' Endured — Stratfor contributor Tolga Ozyurtcu writes that the soft power at play in today's Commonwealth Games lends them a geopolitical relevance beyond a quaint vestige of the United Kingdom's colonial past. Link

Israel and Trump Are at Odds on Syria — Natan Sachs from Stratfor partner Brookings Doha Center says the current U.S. president is in many ways the opposite of his predecessor, but the Israeli government is finding that his views on the Middle East are all too familiar. Link

Stratfor Voices

U.S.-North Korea Summit: Trump, Kim and What’s Different Now — After more than a year of soaring tensions between the United States and North Korea, two key summits on the horizon could change the dynamic completely. For what we should or should not expect, Stratfor's Fred Burton speaks with Rodger Baker for this episode of the Stratfor Podcast. Link

Stratfor Graphic

India's quest to create a sphere of influence in South Asia keeps running into snags. This time the complication is in Nepal.

Forums

Contribute to the conversation. Share your thoughts in our forum section to engage with our analysts, editors and fellow Stratfor Worldview subscribers.

U.S. President Donald Trump is sending signals that he may be interested in rejoining the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) if he is able to renegotiate the deal's terms. However, the countries that remained after Trump pulled out of the deal have already formed a new trade agreement called the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Though a trade agreement like the TPP or CPTPP could help Trump achieve his goal of countering China's economic influence, renegotiating the terms would likely be a long and difficult process, one that the 11 countries currently committed to the CPTPP may not be interested in.

What do you think the future holds for U.S. trade in the Pacific? Will the United States be able to find a way back into the trade deal or forge a new one to Trump's liking?