News Update 2/16/2010-2/23/2010

Vanderbilt Model UN Weekly Briefing

For 2/16/2010-2/23/2010

Written on 02/23/2010 at 11:00 am

Next General Body Meeting: Tuesday, March 2^nd, 2010, Furman 114 at 7:00pm

• Sudan: Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir will sign a ceasefire with rebel group the “Justice and Equality Movement” (Jem)
• Accord will allow Jem to become a political party
• Accord outlines sharing power “at all levels,” meaning rebels will be offered seats in the Khartoum government
• There is still an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant out for Bashir’s arrest for war crimes in Darfur
• There are no indications of peace talks with other main rebel group, Sudan Liberation Movement
• China: China has tightened internet controls
• Anyone who wants to set up a website must meet certain government regulations and produce identification documents
• The government has arrested thousands of people in the last year due to use of pornography online
• Africa (Uganda): Anti-gay protests have arisen throughout Africa in response to an anti-gay bill in Uganda calling for the death penalty for homosexuals
• For the past few weeks, police in Malawi have been openly pursuing gay activists and anyone suspected of being homosexual
• President Obama condemned the anti-gay bill, that was followed by anti-gay rallies throughout Africa
• Iran: Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran’s Vice-President and head of the nuclear program, has said Iran will build two new uranium enrichment plants within the next year
• Will be built in mountains “to protect them from attack”
• Iran has denied the enrichment of uranium for weapons
• According to a UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report, Iran’s level of cooperation is decreasing with the agency
• Haiti: Haitian officials barred six children bound for adoption in the U.S. from boarding a flight to the U.S. amid fears of child trafficking
• Children had been adopted prior to the Jan. 12 earthquake
• Children range from ages 1-5 and are currently living in a “tent city”
• Whaling: The International Whaling Commission suggested that the commission condone commercial whaling for the first time in 30 years, in exchange for reducing the number of whales killed each year
• Aims to break a deadlock between countries that favor and oppose whaling
• Japan, Norway, and Iceland are the three nations that currently hunt whales

Week of Feb 8-Feb 15

Vanderbilt Model UN Weekly Briefing

For 02/08/2010-02/15/2010

Written on 02/15/2010 at 7:30 pm

· Saudi Arabia: Country voices its doubts over effectiveness of new sanctions on Iran

o Prince Saud al-Faial says the situation requires a more immediate solution

o On Tuesday, Turkey’s foreign minister will arrive in Iran to mediate

o Saudi Prince says they will work in long term, but not in the short term

o Clinton is hoping to convince Saudi Arabia to encourage China to take a tougher stand against Iraq

o China is against imposing more sanctions as well, as it may result in major revenue losses from investments in Iran

· Greece: Finance Minister asks for details regarding bailout plan

o Greece seeking bailout from eurozone nations as it tries to reduce its public deficit (12.7%, which is four times higher than eurozone rules allow)

o Pledged to cut it to 8.7% this year through major cuts in public spending

o EU has given Greece until end of February to give details on how currency swaps affected Greek government’s financial accounts since 2001

o EU statistics agency revealed that Greece falsified data last year to hide extent of debt

· Guinea: Guinea Unveils Interim Government

o Transitional government will steer country from military to civilian rule

o Interim government pledges to hold election in 6 months, which will produce first democratically-elected administration since coup in December, 2008

o Government contains mix of both civilian and military leaders

· Libya: Libya Stops Issuing Visas to Several European Countries

o This is an apparent act of retaliation for alleged Swiss measures against Gaddafi family

o Barred people from “Schengen Zone,” which is over 25 European countries

o Rift began with the arrest of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s son and daughter-in-law in Switzerland in June 2008

· Kenya: Kenya Urges Kofi Annan Intervention

o President Raila Odinga will ask Annan to intervene in bitter power struggle

o Odinga and President Mwai Kibaki are fighting over who is in charge of cabinet affairs

o Result of struggle has been relative anarchy, as the people no longer know who is in charge

Update: 2/2/10-2/8/10

Vanderbilt Model UN Weekly Briefing

For 02/02/2010-02/08/2010

Written on 02/08/2010 at 7:30 pm

• Iran: Iran’s President Moves Ahead on Uranium Processing
• Scientists will begi enriching uranium in order to power a medical reactor
• Just days ago, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad proclaimed that Iran might accept a Western exchange of its uranium for medial-reactor fuel that cannot be recognized
• Even if Iran successfully produces the enriched uranium, it would have to manifacture it into specialized fuel rods for the reactor (which would take years)
• The West is now considering placing even stronger options on Iran
• Sri Lanka: Defeated Candidate in the Previous Election Arrested
• Gen. Fonseka had contested the results and threatened to challenge them
• The charges against him relate to the “violation” of rules preventing the discussion of political matters while being a member of the military
• The General has also been accused of divulging sensitive information to the public and of plotting both a coup and an assassination of the president
• Europe: France and Russia in warship deal
• France has agreed to sell Russia an advanced warship, and is considering sending three others as well
• Deal would increase Russia’s capacity to launch amphibious (suited for both land and water) offensives
• Ex-Soviet states are alarmed, as this is the first deal of this sort between Russia and a Nato member
• Ukraine: Pro-Moscow Yanukovych likely to win Ukranian Election
• Yanukovych obtained a 3.2% lead over rival, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko
• Results represent a comeback from Yanukovych’s defeat by the 2004 “Orange Revolution”
• This represents the pro-Western Orange Revolution’s failure to deliver on their promises
• Sudan: ICC Rejects Charges against Darfur Rebel
• First Darfur war crimes suspect to face international judges has had the charges against him dropped
• Bahar Idriss Abu Garda was accused of planning the killing of 12 AU peacekeepers
• He has always denied being a part of the attacks on the peacekeepers
• Australia: Australia Tightens Migrant Rules
• The country will begin to focus immigration policy on skills
• They will abolish the current list of 106 skills in demand and review a points test used to assess migrants
• New policy will focus on health workers, as well as workers in engineering and mining

News Update 1/27/2010-2/2/2010

· Haiti: US Missionaries Attempted to Take Children out of Country

o Haiti’s Prime Minister criticized missionaries for attempting to take 33 children

o Some of the children have parents, which they are attempting to locate

o A Haitian judge will decide whether the 5 men and 5 women missionaries were acting in good faith or if they were child traffickers

· Somalia: Somali Islamists Join Al-Qaeda

o Rebel group al-Shabab has confirmed this partnership for the first time

o Group said it is trying to unite all Islamist forces to create a Muslim state under hard-line interpretation of Sharia law

o Somalia has not had a functioning government since 1991

· Sri Lanka: Group of Senior Military Officers Dismissed

o Defense officials claim that they were being a threat to national security

o National Security Director says they were involved in “party politics” (during the recent election) and they were dismissed to maintain impartiality of the armed forces

o A military source says they were let go to prevent a coup by General Fonseka’s (the unsuccessful candidate) supporters inside the military

· Sri Lanka: Country Prepares to Choose its Next President

o Election is the first since the Tamil Tigers were defeated (after 25 years of war)

o President Mahinda Rajapaksa faces tough reelection against his former army chief, Gen. Sarath Fonseka

· Iraq: Female Suicide Bomber Kills Dozens

o Female set off explosive vest among Shia pilgrims who were marking Arbaeen (end of 40 days of mourning death of Prophet Muhammad’s grandson)

o This pilgrimage has been target of similar attacks blamed on Sunni extremists

o There are currently heightened tensions between the religions factions due to the parliamentary elections scheduled for March

· China: China Accuses US of Arrogance over Taiwan Deal

o China accused US of double standards in pursuing arms sales to Taiwan

o China also threatened retaliation for US actions

o US says it will go ahead with the sale anyway

o The US is Taiwan’s biggest ally and is obliged by the Taiwan Relations Act to help in the island’s defense