LENTA TRANSICIÓN MILITAR EN AFGANISTÁN

Top of the Agenda: Last U.S. Surge Troops Leave Afghanistan Marking a milestone, the final 33,000 troops that President Barack Obama (BBC) sent into Afghanistan in 2009 have withdrawn, returning U.S. troop levels to pre-surge levels, according to the Pentagon. President Obama ordered the extra forces at the request of Pentagon commanders in December 2009, and they deployed into Afghanistan over the next seven months. The Defense Department added that the transition to Afghan security control was set to be completed by the end of 2014. U.S. troops in Afghanistan reached a high at about 100,000 last year. Analysis "Although the Obama administration has reached out to the Taliban and Pakistan in the hopes of achieving a negotiated settlement, the U.S. transition strategy still prioritizes military activity over diplomacy. As Washington draws down its troops, it has armed both regular and irregular Afghan forces and targeted insurgent commanders and other extremists in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The military campaign has had significant successes, particularly in dismantling al Qaeda and largely destroying its senior leadership in the region, achieving a primary U.S. national security objective. It has also weakened Taliban insurgents and restored Afghan government control over significant portions of southern Afghanistan," write Stephen Hadley and John D. Podesta for Foreign Affairs. "The lack of a clearly defined narrative about Afghanistan, combined with election noise and economic worries in the United States, has pushed the war out of the American consciousness. In recent weeks, the spate of insider attacks put it back on the media's map, temporarily. But the next several months will in many ways shape the U.S. exit between now and December 2014. Soon, we will learn how many troops will remain in the country. We'll learn what impact attacks on militants may have on the battlefield. We'll see if the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) can truly stand on their own. And we'll learn just how fast U.S. forces will be sent to the exits," writes Gordon Lubold for Foreign Policy. PACIFIC RIM Chinese Recession Sparks New Fears About Global Economy Fears of a synchronized global slowdown took hold of markets on Thursday after leading economic indicators revealed that China's factory output shrank for an eleventh straight month (Guardian), while Europe's recession continued to intensify and the U.S. manufacturing sector suffered its weakest quarter in three years. JAPAN: On Wednesday, the Bank of Japan announced that it would extend its bond-buying program by double the usual amount (Telegraph), as slowing global demand and renewed tensions with China have hurt its chances of a near-term recovery. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA India's Government to Survive Unpopular Reforms Despite a nationwide strike against politically unpopular economic reforms (WSJ) that include lowering diesel subsidies and permitting foreign supermarkets to open in India for the first time, the Congress party-led government appears to have gathered enough political support to avoid being forced from office. PAKISTAN: Police shot and killed a television station employee in the northwestern city of Peshawar Friday asviolent crowds filled the streets of several cities (VOA) on a day of government-sanctioned protests against an anti-Islam film made in the United States. MIDDLE EAST Iran and Israel Trade Words at IAEA Meeting At the International Atomic Energy Agency meeting of its member states Thursday, Iran noted that Israel was the only country in the region not party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (GulfNews) and should accede. In turn, Israel pointed to Iran and Syria, saying "the most significant threats to the nuclear non-proliferation regime" are those pursuing weapons under "the pretense of their NPT membership." SYRIA: President Bashar al-Assad said in remarks Friday that he is resolute his regime will continue (Reuters) and attacked Gulf countries, which he says are attempting to use their massive oil wealth to drive him from power.    AFRICA Suicide Bombing in Somalia Cafe A suicide bombing at a café in Mogadishu (AP) killed fourteen people Thursday evening. The café was popular with journalists and government workers, and a police official said three journalists were among those killed. Al-Qaeda affiliated militant group al-Shabaab is suspected of carrying out the attack. ETHIOPIA: Hailemariam Desalegn, the country's new prime minister, was sworn in today (BBC), succeeding Meles Zenawi, who led the country for twenty-one years. EUROPE Russian Army Kills Militants in Caucasus At least twelve people, including suspected Islamist militants, were killed in a raid by Russian security forces (Al Jazeera) in the North Caucasus republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and Chechnya. BRITAIN: A report has confirmed that Baroness Catherine Ashton, the EU's High Representative of Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, was absent from twenty-one out of thirty-two weekly European Commission meetings (Telegraph), leading some to question her commitment to her job--one of the highest paid political posts in the world. AMERICAS U.S.-Brazil Frictions on Looming Tariffs U.S. trade officials have signaled to Brazil that plans to raise import tariffs on 100 foreign products (Reuters) will significantly hit U.S. exports. But Brazil said Thursday the moves are legitimate under global trade rules and are necessary because the latest U.S. monetary stimulus threatened a "flood of imported goods at artificially low prices." PERU: Clashes between police and members of an Andean community have resulted in one death and the closure of the Pierina gold mine (WSJ). It was the latest in a series of confrontations usually related to environmental conditions caused by intensified mining. CAMPAIGN 2012 Obama Defends Immigration Record on Univision President Obama defended his immigration record (NPR) at a Univision forum last night against accusations that he has broken campaign promises he made in 2008. The wind production tax credit--at the center of debate over manufacturing jobs and U.S. energy security--is now in the middle of an intense lobbying battle that has played out in the presidential campaigns, reports theWashington Post. Connect with CFR