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Wednesday's global agenda: Geithner calls for global cooperation at Friends of Syria meeting
Your morning global affairs speed-read
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will call for increased international cooperation to maximize financial pressure on Syria's government when he delivers opening remarks at the second meeting of the Friends of the Syrian People's International Working Group on Sanctions this morning. The meeting will be attended by more than 50 countries.
The speech comes as President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday reshuffled his government and named a new prime minister, after allowing international relief agencies to increase their presence and deliver aid to about one million people. The impact of the latest moves are unknown. [The New York Times]
On the hot seat: President Obama's pick to be ambassador to Iraq, Brett McGurk, can expect some tough questions on his role in failing to keep U.S. troops in the country past 2011 and his ties to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki during his Senate Foreign Relations nomination hearing on Wednesday. Obama's picks for Tajikistan and Sri Lanka will also be reviewed. Read the Global Affairs preview here.
The Human Rights panel will ramp up the pressure on the State Department to get more involved in the case of an American businessman incarcerated in Bolivia (read the Global Affairs story here);
The Asia/Pacific panel examines “what's next for the U.S.-Korea alliance?”; and
The Oversight panel investigates “waste, fraud and abuse in Afghanistan.”
Sea to it: The Joint Ocean Commission Initiative will call for Senate passage of the Law of the Sea Treaty in its 2012 U.S. Ocean Policy Report Card to be released today. The report is being released as part of Capitol Hill's Ocean Week.
Not-so-clear skies: The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation holds a hearing on the European Union Emissions Trading System and its impact on U.S. airlines. The ETS program caps greenhouse gas emissions for certain industries.
Rate cut: The European Central Bank isn't expected to make any policy moves when it meets today but could indicate a readiness to cut interest rates as early as next month. [Reuters]
Frayed ties: Pakistan summoned U.S. chargé d'affaires Richard Hoagland to complain of continued drone strikes even as the White House confirmed that one had killed al Qadea's No. 2. [The Washington Post]
Trust but verify: U.S. envoy Robert Wood called on Iran to open a military installation to international inspection as International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano expressed hope that Iran would soon sign an agreement to let the agency probe its nuclear research. [The Associated Press]
What you might have missed on Global Affairs:
Panetta's trip to India stirs trouble with Pakistan
Syria retaliates against US, expels diplomats
Kyl offers compromise on Law of Sea treaty
