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Your morning global affairs speed-read

Syria's main exiled opposition group ripped into Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday, just two days before an international meeting in Qatar aimed at shoring up the opposition to President Bashar Assad. Clinton this week said the United States would propose names of individuals and organizations that should be part of a broad-based opposition, drawing the ire of the Paris-based Syrian National Council. 

"Any discussions aimed at passing over the Syrian National Council or at creating new bodies to replace it are an attempt to undermine the Syrian revolution by sowing the seeds of division," the SNC said in a statement. [Agence France-Presse] 

More questions about Libya: Congressional Republicans rekindled their allegations that the administration is hiding what happened at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi following reports that Libyan police may have been casing the compound the day it was attacked. Separately, the CIA revealed for the first time on Thursday its role in providing security for the U.S. mission, which largely served as cover for CIA activities in eastern Libya. [The Wall Street Journal]

CIA officers went to help State Department officials at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, within 25 minutes after the Sept. 11 attack began, senior U.S. intelligence officials said Thursday, pushing back against reports that CIA officers were told to “stand down.”

U.S. intelligence officials provided new details to reporters Thursday, explaining that officers at the CIA annex in Benghazi went to the consulate to attempt a rescue after they were unable to receive help from local militias.

The briefing from intelligence officials in the week before Election Day comes amidst heavy Republican criticism over the Obama administration’s response to the Benghazi attack, in which U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed.

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Rep. Issa said the administration was hiding information pointing to Libyan authorities' possible involvement in the deadly attack.

Foreign carmakers with ties to Iran would not be eligible for U.S. government contracts or financial assistance under proposed legislation.

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An unannounced Spanish-language television commercial from the Mitt Romney campaign looks to tie President Obama to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and former Cuban President Fidel Castro as the GOP nominee attempts to make inroads with Hispanic voters in Florida.

China said Thursday it has proposed a new plan for a Syrian cease-fire involving a phased-in regional approach and a transitional governing body.

China laid out its plan when Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi met with United Nations-Arab League Syrian envoy Lakhdar Brahimi on Wednesday, according to Reuters.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters that under the "new proposal there are constructive new suggestions such as a ceasefire region by region and phase by phase, and establishing a transitional governing body.”

Almost three out of four young adults in the crucial battleground state of Ohio are concerned China is taking over their jobs, according to a new poll from the conservative-leaning Generation Opportunity.

The poll found that 73 percent of 18-to-29 year-olds told pollsters they were concerned that “so many American jobs are going to foreign competitors like China.” They blamed China's lower wages first and foremost (78 percent), but also taxes on U.S. businesses (38 percent), government regulations (30 percent) and “lack of opportunity” to start and grow businesses in the United States (28 percent).

“China is a very important issue to young adults across the country, especially among those living in Ohio, because they view China as either or both an economic and military competitor to the United States,” Generation Opportunity President Paul Conway said in a statement accompanying the poll.