Morning Brief, Tuesday, February 26
2008 U.S. Elections J.D. Pooley/Getty Images John McCain tripped himself up over whether his presidential run hinges on U.S. success in Iraq. The Arizona senator also said, in an effort to clarify previous remarks, “[T]he insurgency will go on for years and years and years, but it’ll be handled by the Iraqis not by us.” ...
2008 U.S. Elections
2008 U.S. Elections
John McCain tripped himself up over whether his presidential run hinges on U.S. success in Iraq. The Arizona senator also said, in an effort to clarify previous remarks, “[T]he insurgency will go on for years and years and years, but it’ll be handled by the Iraqis not by us.”
Sen. Chris Dodd will endorse Barack Obama. The Illinois senator’s support keeps growing, according to polls.
Not everyone’s caught up in the Obamania, though. In a speech billed as a major foreign-policy address, Hillary Clinton questioned Obama’s fitness to be commander in chief. (Careful readers of the speech will note the spelling of “security counsel”.)
Asia
The New York Philharmonic performed a historic concert in Pyongyang. Eric Clapton has agreed “in principle” to perform in North Korea in 2009. (Kim Jong Il’s son is reputed to be a huge Clapton fan.)
Dutch troops in Afghanistan have gotten more than they bargained for.
China says it’s willing to restart a dialogue about human rights with the United States. The Chinese also assured U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice they would pressure the North Koreans to finish dismantling their nuclear program.
A radical Muslim seminary in India with ideological ties to the Taliban has denounced terrorism.
Europe
The European Union is warning its member states not to unduly restrict the activities of sovereign wealth funds.
Kosovo is Serbia, says Russia’s president-to-be.
In a move sure to pique other European countries, Hungary announced its support for a key Russian gas pipeline.
The benefits of globalization outweigh the costs, a new study of Western European economies has found.
Middle East
Iran accuses the United States of trying to “sabotage” its cooperation with the IAEA. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei nonetheless claimed a “great victory” on the nuclear issue and credited President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with “outstanding” execution of the winning strategy.
The U.S. military expects to keep around 140,000 troops in Iraq after a partial drawdown to be completed in July.
The Iraqi cabinet denounced Turkey’s incursion in northern Iraq.
Elsewhere
Kofi Annan is threatening to throw in the towel if Kenya’s factions don’t reach agreement soon.
The Bush administration is pushing the International Monetary Fund to sell gold bullion, shore up its finances, and restructure its board.
Bank crises increase the number of deaths from heart disease by at least of 6.4 percent on average, a Cambridge study has found.
Wheat prices jumped by a record 25 percent after key producer Kazakhstan threatened to impose export tariffs.
Today’s Agenda
- Norway officially opens its “doomsday vault.”
- A Nigerian court is to rule on challenges to last year’s presidential election.
- Cleveland, Ohio, hosts a debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
- French President Nicolas Sarkozy visits South Africa.
Yesterday on Passport
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The Endless Frustration of Chinese Diplomacy
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The End of America’s Middle East
The region’s four major countries have all forfeited Washington’s trust.
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