Business groups are urging lawmakers and the White House to work together to normalize trade relations with Russia by the end of the year.

In a letter to President Obama and congressional leaders on Friday, nine business groups teamed up to call for passage of a measure that would extend permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) with Moscow they argue will bolster exports, jobs and the economy. 

"We strongly urge the White House and Congress to work together to ensure passage of this legislation as quickly as possible after the November elections," they wrote. 

"Further delay in its passage will hurt U.S. interests and is not an option."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is set to clear the Mujahedin-e-Khalq, according to media reports.

The last of the 33,000 U.S. “surge” troops left Afghanistan on Thursday ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline, marking the end of a key phase in the 11-year war.

While in New Zealand on Friday, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced that the withdrawal of surge troops had been completed.

“This week, the ongoing effort in Afghanistan marked an important milestone: The United States military has completed drawing down the surge forces President Obama committed in December of 2009, reducing our presence by 33,000 troops on schedule,” Panetta said in a statement.

Your morning global affairs speed-read

Congress tries to wrap things up today before heading out of town. Senate leaders are still trying to work out when to vote on Sen. Rand Paul's (R-Ky.) bill to cut foreign aid to Egypt, Libya and Pakistan, and on Sen. Lindsey Graham's (R-S.C.) Iran resolution after a deal on the bills was scuttled Thursday evening.

Africa gets its day: Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee's Africa panel, and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation host a day-long discussion on “Africa Rising” at the Washington Convention Center. More information is available here. 

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) tried Thursday to pass by unanimous consent a treaty that recognizes the rights of people with disabilities worldwide.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) objected to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, a treaty proposed by the United Nations that would require approval from two-thirds of the Senate. 

“They're trying to cover their behinds,” Rep. Bill Flores (R-Texas) told The Hill.

The U.S. government made a $70,000 ad buy on Pakistani TV condemning the anti-Islamic video that has sparked protests across the Middle East and led to the U.S ambassador to Libya’s death.

As tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Thursday, the State Department announced it had bugun running a series of public service announcements that feature clips of President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemning the film.

Purchases like this are regularly made in places like Pakistan, said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.

Eight top-ranking House Republicans are pressing the White House not to release “the blind sheikh” from prison, saying that it would be “a sign of weakness” by President Obama.

The administration has repeatedly stressed that it has no intention of freeing Omar Abdel-Rahman from federal prison. But rumors to that effect sprang up last week after a news article said the unrest at the U.S. Embassy in Egypt was initially motivated by calls for “the blind sheikh’s” release.

Rahman was convicted for his role in planning an attack on New York City in 1993 and is serving a life sentence, but he has remained popular in Egypt, where a group of supporters continue to call for his release.

In a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Attorney General Eric Holder this week, eight heads of House committees and subpanels pressed the administration not to appease the acts of violence in Egypt by releasing Rahman.

Asked specifically if al Qaeda was behind the attack, Obama replied, “Well, we don’t know yet.”