CFR News Letter

September 24, 2010

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In this Issue:



Obama's UN Call to Action



Iran's 'Shaky' Ahmadinejad



Upping the Ante in China-Japan Clash







Obama's UN Call to Action

President Obama's UN General Assembly speech exhorted delegates to support human rights, democratic reforms, and the Mideast peace process. He will likely see a sluggish response, writes CFR's James Lindsay. Read more
Interview: "Crisis of Relevance at the UN" with Stewart Patrick
First Take: "MDGs for Women Largely Unmet" by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
Foreign Affairs: "Not Ready for Prime Time - Why Including Emerging Powers at the Helm Would Hurt Global Governance" by Jorge Castañeda
Backgrounder: The role of the UN Secretary-General
Interactive: Global Governance Monitor
Backgrounder: The role of the UN General Assembly
CFR experts on the United Nations




Iran's 'Shaky' Ahmadinejad

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who addresses the UN in New York this week, is facing domestic challenges from an angry public, an assertive legislature, and conflicts with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, says expert Kaveh Ehsani. Read more
Op-ed: "Domestic Politics Color Iran's Susceptibility to Western Courtship" by Ray Takeyh (Washington Post)
Interview: "A Cautionary Note on Iran" with Matthew Fuhrmann
Op-ed: "Ahmadinejad Is a Star in New York But He's Lost Some Luster" by Mohamad Bazzi (The National)
Interactive: Global Governance Monitor - Nuclear Nonproliferation
Foreign Affairs: "After Iran Gets the Bomb - Containment and Its Complications" by James Lindsay and Ray Takeyh
Contingency Planning Memorandum: An Israeli Strike on Iran by Steven Simon
CFR experts on Iran




Upping the Ante in China-Japan Clash

The escalating dispute between Beijing and Tokyo about Japan's detention of a Chinese fishing boat captain is a challenge for Washington and raises concerns about Chinese maritime activities in the Asia Pacific, says CFR's Sheila Smith. Read more
Foreign Affairs: "The Geography of Chinese Power - How Far Can Beijing Reach on Land and at Sea" by Robert Kaplan
Expert Brief: "Avoiding a Tempest in the South China Sea" by Joshua Kurlantzick
Op-ed: "Meeting Public Expectations Key to Successful U.S.-Japan Agenda" by Sheila Smith (Nikkei Weekly)
Council Special Report: The United States in the New Asia by Evan Feigenbaum and Robert Manning
Interactive: Timeline on U.S. Relations with China
CFR experts on China, Japan



Electoral Violence in Nigeria



Campaigning is underway in Nigeria for a nationwide election that could split the country along religious lines and spawn widespread violence. This Contingency Planning Memo by CFR's John Campbell suggests ways for the United States to work against fragmentation. Read more



Holding Fire on China's Exchange Rate



U.S. Treasury Secretary Geithner signaled the administration's frustration with China's exchange rate policy, while stopping short of endorsing congressional action. But unless China acts soon, the United States may have no other choice than to apply sanctions, writes CFR's Steven Dunaway in this First Take. His Council Special Report, Global Imbalances and the Financial Crisis, addresses one of the root causes of the crisis: imbalances between savings and investment in major countries.



On the CFR Blogs



GEO-GRAPHICS
Graph depicting negative corporate spreads in Greece, Ireland, and Portugal.
More from the Center on Geoeconomic Studies
ASIA UNBOUND
Joshua Kurlantzick on offers insight into China's aggressive actions on the South China Sea
Elizabeth Economy on the ups and downs of the U.S.-China relationship
Adam Segal on how the Internet is complicating the conduct of foreign policy
More from the Asia Program
MICHAEL LEVI
Levi questions the "opportunity carbon cost" of oil sands and shares his observations from Israel on Iran's nuclear program.
More on the blog



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