The Pakistani populace is hopping mad with the US today. A leading Pakistani Islamic group, Jamaat-e-Islami, has reached their end of their patience with the US pre-emptive strikes in to Pakistan. They are threatening reprisals including the blockading of trade routes that provide NATO forces with vital supplies. Pakistan has been somewhat tolerant of [...]
Has the US been sidelined?
Many important things happened last night while the Western world slept, and they all have a common thread - the US was not involved in any of them. In Damascus, the British Foreign Minister and the Syrian President agreed to high level intelligence sharing. Syria has excellent intelligence on the insurgents in Iraq which it [...]
The struggle for Tibetan independence
From today’s International Herald Tribune:
DHARAMSALA, India: Young Tibetan leaders at a summit meeting of exiles are pushing the Himalayan region to declare independence from China, while the older guard continues to support a more conciliatory approach toward Beijing, participants said.
The tug-of-war over the future of the Tibetan movement comes after the Dalai Lama, the [...]
Pressure mounts on Israel and the Gaza
From today’s Al Jazeera:
UN condemns Israel for Gaza closure
It must end now,” Pillay said in a statement released in Geneva on Tuesday.
Only a full lifting of the blockade followed by a strong humanitarian response will be adequate to relieve the massive humanitarian suffering evident in Gaza today.”
Pillay also urged Israel to allow the flow of aid [...]
John Howard - forever Bush’s man
Mr Howard - nothing like leaving public life with a whimper…
From today’s Sydney Morning Herald: The Opposition Leader, Malcolm Turnbull, has repudiated John Howard’s attack on Barack Obama as al-Qaeda’s candidate of choice for US president. Mr Howard made the outburst in February last year, angering the newly announced presidential candidate and leading to [...]
Internet monitoring - is Big Brother watching you?
Today the Daily Clarity had a very special electronic visitor originating from a site called ‘preconflict.org’ using software developed with funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The site appears to be an electronic listening system that allows the web to be crawled for key phrases or terms, so that it can collect ‘public opinions [...]
Everybody is doing it - the trade in nuclear technology
Once upon a time, being a member of the nuclear club was relatively exclusive - these days everyone is doing it. The new diplomatic tool de jour seems to be the provisioning of nuclear technology in exchange for for extended trade links. The US has used it as a tool to cement ties with [...]
The most expensive small arms buy ever - China and the Congo
Since 1998, 5.4 million people have died as a result of violence in the Congo. This is more deaths than from any other conflict other than World War II. A report by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) said “Congo’s loss is equivalent to the entire population of Denmark or the state of Colorado perishing within a [...]
The most difficult election in the world?
If you think the US Election was challenging, imagine trying to run a month long election process in a country whose ownership is disputed by two neighbors, where governance over a divided country is shared, and whose population are fighting for separatist independence. If you can’t guess - the country is Kashmir. From AP today:
“Large crowds voted [...]
US Foreign Policy Survey
Interesting piece from Haaretz today: Poll: Only 6% of Americans think U.S. should back Palestinians in peace talks
Only 6 percent of Americans think the United States should stand behind the Palestinians in Middle East peace talks, according to a recent poll of voters conducted by Public Opinion Strategies and Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and [...]
Evening up the playing field - nuclear proliferation in the Middle East
There appears to be a mini-race in the Middle East at the moment to become a member of the nuclear club. Many analysts believe that this is bacause other countries do not want to lag behind Iran. They are fearful of an uneven balance of power where Iran becomes the dominant regional power. Israel has nuclear power [...]
Iraq’s ‘Promised Day Brigade’ - the reforming of the Shiite Militia
In 2004, al-Sadr and his Shiite militia were a major problem for the US forces in Iraq. Iranian armed and trained, they pursued an agenda of open resistance to US forces and were a large part of the factional violence against the Sunni minority. In a negotiated settlement, al-Sadr then disbanded much of his ‘irregular [...]
The next world famine - the Gaza?
The world abhors the tragic footage of famine that all too often fills the TV screens - memories of Ethiopia, the Sudan and others are brought to mind. Most famines are nature induced, some bear the hand of man. The latest famine that the world may see, is unquestionably man-produced and totally avoidable. The UK’s Independent [...]
One final Bush gesture….
Despite the traditional ‘no substantive action’ mantra during the US Presidential transitional period, President Bush ever the undiplomatic one, made a rash and symbolic gesture of solidarity today. His actions said so much about the lack of international sensitivity that has marred his Presidential tenure. President Bush was in attendance at an interfaith conference organized by the [...]
The dangers of the double standard - Rahm Emanuel
The comments of soon to be White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel’s father are being lightly (and surprisingly) mildly reported in the press today. Benjamin Emanuel when discussing his son’s appointment with the Israeli Press said ..”Obviously he will influence the president to be pro-Israel. Why wouldn’t he be? What is he, an [...]