Morning Brief, Monday, June 4

Middle East

Wathiq Khuzaie/Getty Images

U.S. and Iraqi troops control less than one third of Baghdad, according to an internal assessment of the “surge” that was leaked to the New York Times. The story is bound to fuel the ongoing efforts of war opponents in Congress to impose a timetable for withdrawal.

The fighting is not over at a northern Lebanese refugee camp; in fact, it may be spreading.

Thousands of Palestinians are moving into Jerusalem in reaction to Israel’s security barrier, the LA Times reports.

Prominent members of the Muslim Brotherhood appeared briefly in a military court north of Cairo in the latest event in a wide-ranging crackdown on Egypt’s largest opposition group. 

Europe

Ahead of this week’s Group of Eight summit in Germany, Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to aim Russian missiles at Europe if a proposed missile shield becomes a reality. 

British Prime Minister Tony Blair sides with Germany in backing tougher emissions controls. Last week, U.S. President George W. Bush unveiled a competing U.S. proposal that has been widely, but not universally, panned by climate change experts.

Asia

Pakistan’s exiled former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto hopes that embattled President Pervez Musharraf allows her to return safely to her country. Musharraf’s government is now blocking transmission of independent TV coverage of protests against his rule.

Is Iran arming the Taliban? U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he’s seen no evidence that the Iranian government is behind the recent influx of Iranian weapons into Afghanistan.

Chinese vice-premier Huang Ju died of cancer. He was the leader of the so-called “Shanghai Gang” close to former President Jiang Zemin and a cautious reformer.

China’s “new” climate change policy rejects curbs on emissions, but lays out a plan to improve energy efficiency.

Elsewhere 

Debate continues in the United States over a foiled plot by radical Caribbean Muslims to bomb New York’s JFK airport.

In a step backwards for one of Africa’s more democratic countries, Senegal’s opposition parties boycotted yesterday’s parliamentary polls. Voters largely stayed home. 

Somalia’s interim prime minister is shaken, but unharmed after a suicide attack on his house.

Today’s Agenda

• It’s the 18th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.
• Today is the opening day of Charles Taylor’s trial at The Hague, but the former Liberian strongman is boycotting the proceedings.
• President Bush is kicking off a European trip with a visit to the Czech Republic for talks over a controversial U.S. missile shield proposal.
• The Asian Cooperation Dialogue begins in Seoul, South Korea; the focus of the gathering of foreign ministers from around 30 countries is on bridging gaps in information technology.