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Tuesday's global agenda: Romney wraps it up
Your morning global affairs speed-read
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney wraps up his three-nation world tour in Poland with a visit to Warsaw, where he's slated to deliver a final foreign-policy address. Romney is also scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski and President Bronislaw Komorowski before laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and visiting several World War II memorials.
The visit will cap a sometimes-contentious trip that has been marred by several high-profile incidents, such as Romney's comments about London's preparedness for the Olympics and statements about Israelis' cultural superiority over the Palestinians. In a sign of tensions created by the trip, the campaign's traveling press secretary told reporters to “shove it” when asked why the candidate has taken only three questions from U.S. reporters during the trip. [Associated Press]
Down in Africa: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leaves on a 10-day of Africa, during which she'll emphasize U.S. commitments made under President Obama's U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa, issued last month, which aims to strengthen democratic institutions, spur economic growth, advance peace and security and promote opportunity and development for all citizens.
Clinton starts her trip in Senegal, where she'll meet President Macky Sall and other national leaders and deliver a speech applauding the resilience of Senegal's democratic institutions and highlighting America's approach to partnership, before heading to South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi and South Africa.
Fresh blood: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee holds a hearing on Obama's nominees to be ambassadors to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
In neighboring Pakistan, Richard Olson has been tapped to replace Cameron Munter, who also resigned after less than two years on the job. Olson is currently the coordinating director for development and economic affairs at the embassy in Kabul.
Troubled trade: In the afternoon, the committee's western hemisphere panel holds a hearing on “Doing Business in Latin America: Positive Trends but Serious Challenges.” Matthew Rooney, the deputy assistant secretary of State for Economic Affairs in the Western Hemisphere, and Francisco Sanchez, the undersecretary for International Trade at the Department of Commerce, are scheduled to testify.
Terror threat: The State Department releases its annual country reports on terrorism Tuesday afternoon. The Bureau of Counterterrorism’s Ambassador at Large, Daniel Benjamin, will provide remarks and respond to questions.
I spy: The House is expected to easily pass House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith's (R-Texas) Foreign and Economic Espionage Penalty Enhancement Act of 2012 (H.R. 6029) under suspension of the rules. The bill would increase the maximum penalties, including fines, for revealing trade secrets to foreign entities and would direct the United States Sentencing Commission (USSC) to review and, if necessary, amend sentencing guidelines for economic espionage.
In other news:
Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta urged caution and said sanctions against Iran are working ahead of his trip to Israel for talks about the Islamic Republic's alleged nuclear weapons program. [The Wall Street Journal]
Bashar Assad is losing his grip on rural Syria. [The Washington Post]
New boldness by the Haqqani Network poses a risk to U.S.-Pakistani relations. [The New York Times]
What you might have missed on Global Affairs:
Lech Walesa all but endorses Mitt Romney during meeting in Poland
Clinton slams House GOP letter suggesting aide has Islamist ties
Border security with Canada under review
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