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Thai protesters take uneasy time out
For 193 days, an army of paramilitary picnickers staged massive protests,
laying siege to Thailand's Government House and later to two airports, in their
efforts to bring down the government. This has happened, through a court
ruling, and the protesters have withdrawn now that "the enemy is defeated". But
if political developments do not unfold to their liking, they will be back on
the streets in a flash. - Charles McDermid and Jakkapun Kaewsangthong
(Dec 3,'08)
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Neo-cons still preparing for Iran
attack
Neo-conservatives are alive and well in Washington think-tanks, and still
plotting an American assault on Iran. A familiar coalition of hawks, hardliners
and neo-conservatives expects president-elect Barack Obama's proposed talks
with Tehran will fail and are already positioning themselves for the imposition
of an escalating set of measures leading to the attack they have wanted for so
long. - Robert Dreyfuss (Dec 3,'08)
Voices raised for engagement
Two veteran American Middle East experts, whose views are likely to have
influence over the foreign policy of the United States when the Obama
administration takes office next month, argue in a book released this week that
Washington should move quickly to engage Iran without preconditions. - Jim Lobe
(Dec 3,'08)
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Rice on Indian mission to steady
nerves
United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in New Delhi on
Wednesday to meet with Indian leaders angered over last week's terror attack in
Mumbai by militants trained in Pakistan. Some Indian policymakers demand
punitive action against against Pakistan. Rice's aim is to impress on them that
this would be in nobody's interests. (Dec 3,'08)
Laos emerges
as anti-munitions vanguard
Laos' support of a new international treaty on cluster munitions has brought
its leaders out of their diplomatic shell - and out of the shadow of their
powerful and assertive neighbors. There's also a symbolic angle: the US hit
Laos with the most intensive aerial bombardment in the history of warfare, so
the country could use a bit of help with the clean-up. - Nick Cumming-Bruce
(Dec 3,'08)
ENGAGING CHINA IN SPACE, Part 2
US firms tired of being shut out
The new Barack Obama administration has to engage China in space as well as
cope with Europeans eager to do satellite deals with Beijing which United
States companies cannot pursue. - Peter J Brown
(Dec 3,'08)
This is the second article in a two-part report.
 Part 1:
A fresh start or a protracted showdown?
Ins and outs of a China
courtship
China has made great efforts to court its Southeast Asian neighbors and expand
its sphere of economic influence. Through soft power diplomacy, Beijing is able
to obtain more policy channels to engage with these countries, without
sacrificing its own economic and political interests.
(Dec 3,'08)
ENGAGING CHINA IN SPACE, Part 1
A fresh start or a protracted showdown?
The new administration in the United States will have to deal with China in
space at a time when the Europeans, Russia, India and Japan are gaining
momentum there as well. Achieving a greater degree of cooperation sounds easy,
but if another Chinese anti-satellite test takes place, a more confrontational
space warfare agenda will be the driving force again. - Peter J Brown
(Dec 2,'08)
This is the first article in a two-part report.
Taj Mahal leads India's recovery
The venerable Taj Mahal Palace hotel has become the rallying symbol as Mumbai
recovers from last week's multiple terrorist strikes that killed 183 people and
injured over 325. The owners and staff are doing their best to return the
luxury heritage establishment to normal, and as if on cue, the Indian
government and media have in unprecedented fashion refrained from strongly
condemning Pakistan, from where the terrorists originated. - Raja Murthy
(Dec 2,'08)
Court brings down Thai
government
Thailand's courts did on Tuesday what anti-government protesters have been
trying to do for months - bring down the government. The Constitution Court
ordered that the ruling party and two of its allies be disbanded over electoral
fraud, and that numerous politicians, including the premier, be banned from
politics. The anti-government groups responded by saying they will unblock the
international airport and others they have forced to close. But the political
crisis is far from over. - Shawn W Crispin (Dec
2,'08)
Obama team promises 'new dawn'
The key foreign policy and military picks for the Barack Obama administration
who were unveiled on Monday promised to usher in a new era of strengthened
United States diplomacy and multilateralism. But veteran supporters feel
betrayed with the "hawkish" appointments, notably Hillary Clinton as secretary
of state, saying they represent a departure from Obama's campaign stance,
particularly on the questions of Israel and Iraq. - Jim Lobe
(Dec 2,'08)
Cornered Tigers look to India
Things are looking bleak for Sri Lanka's Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam as
the separatist group fast loses key strongholds. The Tigers want India to push
Colombo to call a ceasefire, but in light of the Mumbai terror attacks,
softening its stance on the Tigers is not yet on New Delhi's agenda. - Sudha
Ramachandran (Dec 2,'08)
A bedside guide for Henry
Paulson
Some relationships find that a little spark of danger, a little risk, can spice
up intimate moments; and when that fades, some more risk is called for. Now US
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is finding the truth of the hard-to-please
syndrome. - Julian Delasantellis (Dec 2,'08)
THE MOGAMBO GURU
Joke 'loans' to prevent the bust
The notion that American taxpayers can "lend" US$7.4 trillion is laughable,
with taxpayers already up to their ears in debt. Not to mention local
governments, now so impoverished they are confiscating overpaid taxes. In the
face of such theft, there is only one thing to do - buy gold!!!
(Dec 2,'08)
 SPENGLER
China’s six-to-one
advantage over the US
With 36 million Chinese children studying piano, compared to just 6 million in
the United States, China is set to form an intellectual elite of unrivalled
proportions. By mastering the most elevated and characteristically Western
forms of high culture, China is proving that great empires can transcend their
roots to become originators rather than imitators. Anyone who doubts this
probably doesn't get Mozart's jokes either. (Dec
1,'08)
Al-Qaeda 'hijack' led to Mumbai
attack
The militants who carried out the attacks on Mumbai last week were originally
meant to head for Kashmir as part of a low-profile campaign of
Pakistani-sponsored militancy there. But key reshuffles within Pakistan's
Inter-Services Intelligence and Islamabad's refocus on unrest in the tribal
areas that neighbor Afghanistan resulted in al-Qaeda hijacking the operation. - Syed
Saleem Shahzad (Dec 1,'08)
Strange storm brews in South
Asia
Washington is trying to cool tempers and avoid an eyeball-to-eyeball
confrontation between India and Pakistan in the wake of last week's terror
attack in Mumbai - even as both the nuclear-armed adversaries race to get the
United States on their respective good side. China, Israel and others are
watching the emergence of a new South Asian power equation from the wings, but
the US is a full-fledged participant, thanks to the war in Afghanistan, which
is critically poised. - M K Bhadrakumar (Dec
1,'08)
 CHAN
AKYA
The hottest place in the world
The Mumbai terror attacks present the next-level gambit of an extremist
takeover of Pakistan as the government’s ability to act becomes increasingly
restricted and free agents call the shots across the security spectrum. India's
callous disregard for improving its security infrastructure to protect innocent
taxpayers is tragic, but not surprising given the utter inefficiency of the
current government. (Dec 1,'08)
Obama's collision course with China
President-elect Barack Obama's true agenda for future US-China relations
remains opaque, but recent US Congress reports suggest it will be riven with
conflict. "Economic nationalism" sparked by the global financial crisis; fears
that China's modernization has not equaled reform in governance and human
rights; and ongoing product safety concerns are among the host of divisive
issues presented. - Benjamin A Shobert (Dec
1,'08)
SOFA not sitting well in Iraq
Iraq's security pact with the United States may have been approved by the Iraqi
parliament, but not without highlighting the major divisions in the country.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and Shi'ite leader Muqtada al-Sadr remain on a
collision course, and militants have responded with further violence in
Baghdad, trying to demonstrate that the government cannot survive without the
US presence. - Sami Moubayed (Dec 1,'08)
Mumbai's night
of terror
In a series of attacks by small groups of heavily armed men, more than 80
people have been killed in Mumbai. The financial capital of India has
experienced terror over the years, but nothing like this - pure and simple, it
was urban warfare. Raja Murthy was caught up in the action, and relates
some of the horror stories of foreigners who came under fire - they were the
prime targets in the bloody orgy of violence. (Nov
27,'08)
A country crashes and burns
The brazen occupation of Bangkok's international airport by anti-government
protesters takes Thailand's political conflict to a point of no return. The
relatively peaceful crisis is now on the brink of all-out violence. And the
longer the government refuses calls for it to step down, the greater the chance
of the military making a move. - Shawn W Crispin
(Nov 26,'08)
Marooned: The anatomy of a civil
siege
Within hours, Thailand's US$4 billion airport - the 18th busiest in the
world - was transformed from a glistening gateway for more than 700 daily
flights and some 40 million annual travelers, into a protest site.
Well-orchestrated anti-government protesters simply stormed in, leaving
thousands of travelers stranded and with memories of the "Land of Smiles" they
would mostly like to forget. - Charles McDermid
(Nov 29,'08)
 SUN
WUKONG
Regions won't dance
to Beijing's tune
Controversial comments by the Communist Party chief of Guangdong province in
defiance of Beijing's plans to help small businesses ride out the financial
crisis could highlight power struggles in the party or political
ladder-climbing, but are more likely indicative of China's growing trend
towards regionalism. This places a huge question mark over the 20 million rural
migrant workers in the country's richest province. - Wu Zhong
(Nov 25,'08)
US military ripe for a fight with
Obama
President-elect Barack Obama inherits a chasm of mistrust between the Pentagon
and the White House, regardless of whether Defense Secretary Robert Gates stays
on. First, Obama has to avoid a confrontation over the "don't ask, don't tell"
policy on the sexuality of the forces. Then there are the deep splits sparked
by the difficulties in Iraq and Afghanistan: the counter-insurgency advocates
who feel besieged by the proponents of the "AirLand Battle" doctrine, aside
from those who favor post-combat "nation-building". - Mark Perry
(Nov 24,'08)
INTERVIEW
Taliban not talking peace
Mullah Mohammad Hasan Rahmani
 The
close adviser to Taliban leader Mullah Omar categorically rules out any notion
that the Taliban are a part of - or even plan to be - any peace process over
Afghanistan. It is all propaganda aimed to weaken the Taliban and their jihad,
Hasan Rahmani tells Syed Saleem Shahzad. And the Taliban will continue
their policy of attacking the supply lines of coalition forces.
(Nov 24,'08)
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David P Goldman
(Dec 3, '08)
... give Beijing (or Dubai, or whomever) an inside look at how the sausages are
made in corporate America, access to private data, and a permanent seat at the
table ... |
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SPEAKING FREELY
Obama
needs new start with China
If Barack Obama's administration treated China as an equal partner, the gains
accruing to the US would include reduced military expenditures and better
prospects for world stability. Not least, improved relations would help save
America's foundering economy. - George Koo
Rouble joins Russia's
pointers to decline
Russia's foreign currency reserves are being fast eroded as the government
tries in vain to brake the declining value of the rouble, weakened by tumbling
commodity prices. Under conditions of increasing economic hardship all around,
Russia looks to be on the road to a still more authoritarian state. - Robert M
Cutler
G-20 hot on hocum
The declaration released after the recent Group of Twenty economic summit in
Washington, DC, is a significant - and contradictory - document, riddled with
meaningless and empty hortatory language. As leading economies still lurch from
one massive bailout maneuver to the next, it offers little hope for the future.
- Robert Weissman
FROM THE BLOG
Missing crisis point
The main thrust of international debate on the economic crisis has been on how
to salvage the US financial system, yet numerous proposed measures fail to
address a crucial issue - wherewith is future growth coming? - Francesco Sisci
 A
hitchhiker's guide to oil
US motorists who squawked about the oil price when it went stratospheric
may think they're lucky now it has fallen back to Earth. With the flood of
recycled petro-dollars now slowing, it won't be long before those drivers start
squawking again - unless they've bought gold!!!
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CREDIT BUBBLE BULLETIN
Just the facts
The US government is prepared to lend as much as half the value of everything
produced in the nation last year, as the damage of bursting economic and
financial bubbles spreads. Yet after a fall of 40% in the median price of a
Californian home, single-family home sales there have doubled.
(Dec 1,'08)
Doug Noland looks at the previous week's events each Monday.
MARKET RAP
Bear market rally
Shanghai was alone in showing a negative market movement last week, with even
Mumbai showing some resilience in the face of the terrorist slaughter in the
city, the country's unquestioned financial center. Yet signs of a broad and
deep malaise remain. (Dec 1,'08)
R M Cutler runs his eye over the ups and downs in the week's markets.
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[Re China's six-to-one
advantage over the US, Dec 1] Stunning article by Spengler, the recent
six-to-one scenario. Absolutely riveting, music to my ears. A natural piece of
writing which flows like the classical music he has talked about, a smart
vision into the future where minds will be more important than weapons.
Ghengis Veddar
[Re Al-Qaeda
'hijack' led to Mumbai attack, Dec 1] I wish to congratulate Syed
Saleem Shahzad for his illuminating, well-researched and level-headed write-up
about the genesis and the utter complexities involved in comprehending the
Mumbai attacks. Please keep up the good work!
Anand Kapoor
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| Go
to Letters to the Editor |
On The Edge
I walk on the streets of Beijing without a scintilla of fear that someone might
try to kill me, not the communist authorities, not the Eastern Turkestan
terrorists, not disgruntled ethnic minority killers, not out-of-work rural
migrants and certainly not American bombs. There're problems, huge problems, in
my country, but hey, I walk on the streets of Beijing feeling perfectly safe.
wooddoo
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to the readers' forum topic,
Condolences to India
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ATol Specials
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VIDEO
Taliban's new breed of leader
(May '08) |
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The
Gates
Inheritance
By
Roger Morris
(June '07) |
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Syed Saleem Shahzad reports on
the Afghan war from the Taliban side
(Dec '06)
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How
Hezbollah defeated Israel
By
Mark Perry and
Alastair Crooke
(Oct '06)
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Mark
Perry and
Alastair Crooke
talk to the 'terrorists'
(Mar '06)
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China:
The
Impossible
Revolution
By
Francesco Sisci
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The Coming
Trade War
By Henry C K Liu
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A series
by Henry C K Liu
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Sinoroving
Pepe Escobar in China
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Money, Power
and
Modern Art
A series by Henry C K Liu
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Andre Gunder Frank on Uncle Sam and his
shrinking dollar
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By Pepe Escobar with
photographs by Kevin Nortz
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Nir Rosen goes inside the Iraqi
resistance
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Nir Rosen rides with the US 3rd
Armored Cavalry in western Iraq
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