 |  | 
June 07, 2012 | | MAJOR BLOW No one—not even bin Laden himself—could inspire jihadists and attract new recruits more effectively than Abu Yahya al-Libi. How will the terrorists replace the group’s top ideologue and imam? Sami Yousafzai and Ron Moreau report. TRAGEDY Following reports of a fresh massacre by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, U.N. special envoy Kofi Annan will meet Thursday with the Security Council and the General Assembly about the growing crackdown in Syria. After the latest massacre—in Qubair, a village of 140 people on the outskirts of Hama—residents reached by telephone said pro-government thugs sprayed the village with machine-gun fire, burned houses, and stabbed women and children to death. Both residents gave a death toll of 86 people. British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday condemned Assad’s “illegitimate regime." RAHM Unions are still licking their wounds over the loss in Wisconsin’s recall election. But the GOP isn’t alone in crowing. James Warren reports on Rahm Emmanuel’s looming battle with Big Labor. HARSH WORDS The U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Thursday that the U.S. is “reaching limits of patience as far as Pakistan is concerned.” During a trip to Kabul for talks with military leaders, Panetta said it is “difficult to achieve peace in Afghanistan as long as there is a safe haven for terrorists in Pakistan.” Panetta’s words are some of the strongest yet in the diplomatic tug-of-war with Pakistan, a country whose cooperation is considered vital in stabilizing Afghanistan. Pakistan’s parliament has been drawing up recommendations on how to proceed with Washington, although the U.S. has strongly condemned the country for sentencing a doctor who helped the CIA in the deadly raid that killed Osama bin Laden to 33 years in prison. MELTDOWN Spanish leaders on Thursday urged Europe to centralize policy on the budget and tax on the common currency—and also save the country the humiliation of asking for a bailout. Spain rejected the demands of European leaders who have insisted on a rescue plan that could have unpleasant consequences for the country. Sources familiar with the negotiations said Spanish leaders feel the euro’s meltdown is not the fault of Spain, but rather the lack of centralized policy by the European Union—and without any established policies, the euro could collapse within several months. As the fourth-largest economy in the Euro Zone, Spain holds a trump card in that its economy is considered too big to fail and also too large to intimidate. | | 
GET The Cheat Sheet A speedy, smart summary of news and must-reads from across the Web. You'll love the featured original stories on politics, entertainment, and more from The Daily Beast's diverse group of contributors.  GET The Yes List Weekly cultural recommendations from The Daily Beast.
| |
No comments:
Post a Comment