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Cool
G-15 heads take the heat
As the United States and Western allies ratchet up efforts to isolate Iran over
its nuclear program, non-aligned countries are flocking to Tehran for a Group
of 15 summit. The meeting may boost Iran's bargaining power at the ongoing
nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review and it provides a chance to bolster
"south-south" economic initiatives - music to the ears of a developing world
accustomed to airwaves dominated by the Western agenda. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi
(May 13, '10)
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Syria asks
Russia to lean on Israel
Damascus made clear during the visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev its
belief that Syria can become a political and economic gateway between Europe
and Asia, particularly in terms of energy resources. However, Syria first needs
peace in the Middle East, which is far-fetched as long as Washington fails to
put pressure on Israel. This is where Russian diplomacy could come into play. - Sami
Moubayed (May 13, '10)
Macau's Ho bubbles ahead with Oceanus
From its evocative architecture to  knockout
location, the latest casino from market leader Sociedad de Jogos de Macau shows
that 88-year-old managing director Stanley Ho and company remain unsinkable in
their home waters. - Muhammad Cohen (May 13,
'10)
Fortress Guam resists US military buildup
As President Barack Obama prepares for a June visit to the United States
territory of Guam, the former backwater is emerging as a key hub for US armed
forces in the Pacific. Pressure is building for US troops to relocate there
from Okinawa in Japan. But the indigenous Chamorro people are firmly against
plans for a massive military and naval build-up that has potentially dire
consequences for their island's society and the environment. - LisaLinda
Natividad and Gwyn Kirk (May 13, '10)
Every day, Santosh Kumar Mallick heaves corpses onto white-hot sandalwood
funeral pyres on the banks of the Ganges, as his caste - the Doms - has done
for generations. Santosh wants a better life for his newborn son, but the
family's history suggests he, and his son, will not escape the fate of a short,
arduous life spent in a fire-blasted landscape reminiscent of Dante's inferno.
(May 13, '10)
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US, China: A green security blanket?
A high-level second round of the United States-China Strategic and Economic
Dialogue will be held this month, with the security implications of climate
change a hot topic. It's an area of promising bilateral cooperation - by
focusing on scientific research and disaster preparedness, Washington and
Beijing could reframe the focus of existing military exchanges.
(May 13, '10)
US urged to probe Afghan prison
The United States government is under pressure to investigate reports of the
existence of a ''black jail'' at Bagram air base after former inmates said they
were held in isolation away from the main prison and suffered sleep deprivation
and isolation. The American military denies claims it runs a separate facility
and says it will look into the allegations of abuse.
(May 13, '10)
US satellites shadow China's submarines
The next wave of United States spy satellites will likely include advanced
technology to detect newer, quieter Chinese submarines that are difficult to
track with sonar. By linking its powerful space-based sensors with those
mounted on warships, submarines and underwater and airborne drones, the US
could form a frighteningly clear picture of the traffic under the world's
oceans. - Peter J Brown (May 12, '10)
Thai power grows from the gun
barrel
Blunt propaganda and the threat of violence are essential parts of the armory
behind Thailand's anti-government protests in rallying supporters and dividing
opponents, according to Therdpoum Chaidee, a former communist and colleague of
key leaders. The red-shirt movement's deep secrets are the provenance of a few,
while an even smaller number are privy to its entire strategy. - William Barnes
(May 12, '10)
Talk of a nuclear deal gains steam
in Iran
Signs are emerging that Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad is moving towards
a plan that would promote Iran's nuclear program but calibrate its speed to
reduce the costs in terms of international isolation and economic sanctions. If
Tehran is indeed softening its stance, this poses challenges and dilemmas for
both the country�s conservatives and reformists. - Farideh Farhi
(May 12, '10)
 SINOGRAPH
Superpower dreams interrupted
The China dream of becoming the biggest superpower rests not only on a simple
projection of growing economic prowess producing military and political muscle.
China would have to unfetter innovation to usurp America's technological
dominance, and embrace democracy to win the new friends and alliances necessary
to inherit the US's political reach. - Francesco Sisci
(May 12, '10)
DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA
Victory at all costs in Afghanistan
The United States Congress is preparing to vote on a further US$33 billion for
the war in Afghanistan as a new poll suggests the majority of Americans oppose
the conflict and even as Pentagon appraisals grow ever-gloomier. The many
members of congress who say the goal is to "win", "keep us safe" or "get Osama
bin Laden" seem blind to the debilitating impacts of the vast military
expenditure on US healthcare, job-creation and education. - David Swanson
(May 12, '10)
Indians fear Kasab could slip the
noose
Many Indians celebrated the death sentence handed to Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone
surviving gunman of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, but his execution could be delayed
by years if he exploits the country's appeal system. Mindful of public
sentiment - and aware that a delayed sentence could dent pride over the
judiciary's handling of the trial - officials are promising that Kasab's case
will be "fast-tracked". - Neeta Lal (May 12,
'10)
THE POST-CRISIS OUTLOOK
Global sovereign debt crisis
The European states now deep in financial trouble got there by following the
rules of neo-liberal games promoted by US market fundamentalists and supported
by the easy money stance of the US Federal Reserve. The outcome in Europe is a
move by more conservative states, notably Germany, for nationalistic insulation
from free-spending neighbors. - Henry C K Liu
(May 12, '10)
This is the seventh article in a series.
Part 1: Crisis
of wealth destruction
Part 2: Banks
in crisis
Part 3: The
Fed's no-exit strategy
Part 4: Fed's
double-edged rescue
Part 5: Too
big to save
Part 6: Prudence
and folly
Doubts grow on McChrystal's war plan
Signs are emerging that top military officials in Washington are starting to
question the feasibility of US commander General Stanley McChrystal's plan to
win control of the Afghan provinces of Helmand and Kandahar from the Taliban.
Following the Pentagon�s recent bleak report on the war are high-level comments
in the press, all of which suggest that even more serious concerns are being
expressed behind the scenes. - Gareth Porter (May
11, '10)
THE ROVING EYE
The American Taliban are coming
The United States initially said that Faisal Shahzad, charged in connection
with a failed car-bombing in New York, had no connection with the Pakistani
Taliban. Washington now says he did. The Taliban have also reversed their
position, saying he is not tied to them. Either way, the age of the virtual
jihadi nomad is a go. - Pepe Escobar (May 11,
'10)
In denial about North Korea
While South Korea is in denial about the North's likely sinking of the Cheonan,
in Pyongyang Kim Jong-il refuses to accept his mortality and that brandishing
nukes while abjuring markets is a recipe to self-destruct. Meanwhile, as China
still peddles the illusion of six-party talks, the United States hopes the
"darn place" will just go away. - Aidan Foster-Carter
(May 11, '10)
India steals a march on the high
seas
The Shivalik, India's first indigenously  designed
and manufactured stealth frigate, was commissioned last month in Mumbai. With
radar-absorbent paint, the ship is a combination of high-technology and low
manufacturing costs that India hopes will draw customers to its
warship-building industry. - Sudha Ramachandran
(May 11, '10)
 SUN
WUKONG
The writing's on the board
Efforts by a local authority to preserve the blackboard writings of President
Hu Jintao have raised some eyebrows, with critics saying the money would be
better spent on safeguarding schoolchildren. The officials behind the move
might have their own interests in mind, but then so too might Hu. - Wu Zhong
(May 11, '10)
Aquino on brink of landslide
victory
Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III has taken a seemingly insurmountable lead
in the Philippines' presidential election, with his nearest challenger trailing
by 15% and major rivals conceding defeat. While voters see Aquino, the son of
late democracy icon Corazon Aquino, as a clean option after the scandal-tainted
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration, he faces an uphill battle in convincing
congress to tackle corruption and inefficiency. - Joel D Adriano
(May 11, '10)
Pariahs at your back door
Folk who believe that the collapse last week of the US equity markets
strengthens their right to regulate traders might like to think again. Squeeze
those hard-driven pariahs of society, and their absence of social utility, out
of their jobs and where will they go, if not to chase down work usually done by
gentler souls. - Julian Delasantellis (May
11, '10)
 SPENGLER
Ignore Keynes behind the arras
Few forecasters expected the Greek debt problem to threaten the world financial
system, yet it has. And yet again, governments will claim to have "fixed" the
problem and halted the rot. Perhaps the fix will hold for a while, or maybe the
panic will spread. Either way, the markets now recognize such Keynesian
short-term fixes are no solution to deep-rooted problems.
(May 10, '10)
Militants in no mood to talk
Militants in Pakistan have gone back on their word that they would release
"Colonel Imam", the man instrumental in helping raise the Taliban militia.
Instead, they have given a list of demands that includes the release of 150
high-profile prisoners. The al-Qaeda-linked militants also have no interest in
any deals involving "good" and "bad" Taliban. All they want is a fight - and
the United States is welcome to join in. - Syed Saleem Shahzad
(May 10, '10)
On guard at Bangkok's frontlines
 Major
General Khattiya "Seh Daeng" Sawatdiphol, one of the main reasons the Thai
government is afraid to clear the red-shirt protesters from Bangkok's streets,
denies any link to an alleged death squad, nicknamed the Ronin Warriors. But
his ability to warn of grenade attacks - right before they occur - and violent
rhetoric have raised suspicions. - Richard S Ehrlich
(May 10, '10)
 ASIA
HAND
Why Thailand's reds
beat a retreat
The climbdown by Thailand's red-shirted protest group from demanding the
immediate dissolution of parliament to broad acceptance of a government
reconciliation road map has cooled a crisis that threatened to spiral into
wider civil strife. International pressure, information-sharing and a possible
amnesty were instrumental in the still tentative peace - as was ousted premier
Thaksin Shinawatra's public approval for the plan. - Shawn W Crispin
(May 7, '10)
US takes the war into Pakistan
Given Pakistan's reluctance to begin an all-out offensive in North Waziristan,
and the undeniable fact that the tribal area is the nerve center of the Afghan
resistance, the United States had little option but to take matters into its
own hands and allow missile-carrying drones to significantly step up operations
there, including against "low-level" combatants. - Syed Saleem Shahzad
(May 7, '10)
Russia and US march in post-Soviet
step
With United States and Russian troops marching in a Red Square parade, the Cold
War mentality is fading into history. Moscow remained calm about American
influence in democratizing Kyrgyzstan and Washington appears sanguine about
Russia's support in propping up Ukraine and its indebted economy; a fundamental
shift in relations in underway. - M K Bhadrakumar
(May 7, '10)
<IT WORLD>
Sour bite to Apple success
Sales of Apple's iPad have shot past the million mark in less than a month,
demonstrating the popularity of the company as much as the product. That could
change if the Steve Jobs-led outfit continues its heavy handed approach to
software producers and the technology media.
Martin J Young surveys the week's developments in computing, science,
gaming and gizmos. (May 7, '10)
 CHAN
AKYA
Keynesian Waterloo
The numerous factors that contributed to Thursday's record intra-day decline in
the Dow Jones Industrial Average should not mask that we are witnessing the
consequence of government overindulgence in spending as buyers of debt now fear
an explosion of credit risk. Smart advocates of Keynesian profligacy should
recognize the magnitude of this rout and consider quiet exile.
(May 7, '10)
 BOOK
REVIEW
Light on dark conflicts
Primed and Purposeful by Soliman M Santos et al
For anyone interested in non-traditional security issues in the Philippines,
this valuable volume on the country's long-running conflicts is a must-read.
Written jointly by a distinguished group of experts it shines valuable new
light on complex and often contradictory socio-political issues and includes
in-depth profiles of rebel groups. - Fabio Scarpello
(May 7, '10)
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David P
Goldman
(May 10, '10)
The banking system really was about to come down.
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Nabucco,
and Baku,
filling up on gas
Azerbaijan has again raised the amount of gas it is willing to provide to
Nabucco, to the extent that the country could supply half the projected
capacity of the operatically named pipeline planned to carry fuel to Europe. As
the project picks up pace, other interested parties are setting up shop in
Baku, the Azerbaijan capital. - Robert M Cutler
New-look Irbil shows
Iraqi airline optimism
The opening of a state-of-the-art terminal at Irbil International Airport marks
a renaissance of the Iraqi airline business, as local and international
carriers see opportunities where for years there were only high risks and
little prospect of customers. Clouding the revival in optimism is the threat of
lawsuits and rivalry between Iraq's central and local governments. - Mohammad
Furat
China, US jostle in Middle East
China's economic growth and rising demand for oil have led to the country's
increased involvement in the Middle East, notably with Iran but also with Egypt
and Saudi Arabia. As a result, Beijing is changing the regional balance of
power while Washington, distracted by its wars, can do little more than observe
the tectonic shifts.
The tarping of Euroland
The US$1 trillion bailout in Euroland has cheered markets, but, as with the
Troubled Asset Relief Program in the United States, the ax of bankruptcy has
been deflected from banks only for the burden to fall on the private sector, on
workers and on foreigners who hold euros as a reserve currency. There is, as
ever, no free lunch. - Hossein Askari and Noureddine Krichene
 It
all adds up
From Harvard Business School all the way down to these Mogambo columns,
knowledge of mathematics appears to be going out the window, but when the
idiots at the European Central Bank and the US Federal Reserve can press a
button and produce a trillion dollars from thin air, who needs math? All you
need is gold, and lots of it.
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FROM THE BLOG
Hold on tight
The cost of insurance against defaults by European banks reached an all-time
record last Friday, and banks stopped lending to each other on the interbank
market - portending an imminent collapse of the financial system. I'm holding
my gold positions. - David Goldman
CREDIT BUBBLE BULLETIN
'Liquidationist' revisited
"Liquidate labor, liquidate stocks ... It will purge the rottenness out of the
system," urged Andrew Mellon. He may have been putting the case a bit strongly,
but the results of government efforts to maintain bubble economies are
increasingly all too evident. (May 10, '10)
Doug Noland looks at the previous week's events each Monday.
MARKET RAP
Asia stumbles and falls
Traders in Asia were a step ahead of the United States in getting in their sell
orders this week, with the big price drops happening on Thursday. Losses
continued going into the weekend, and the outlook does not look pretty. Risk
aversion could be around for some time.
R M Cutler runs his eye over the ups and downs in the week's markets.
(May 7, '10)
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World Cup: South
Africa is sold a
dummy
Asia is well represented at the Soccer World Cup with Japan, South
Korea and Korea DPR competing on the field. Off the field, the major player is
China ... [T]he contraband knock-off replicas of the official merchandise is
flooding the streets of the cities of South Africa at a tenth of the price.
Serves FIFA right! Everything from ticket prices to the junk that bears its
official seal is unaffordable to ordinary South Africans. What is more, we will
be paying for this spectacle for years to come. - jaridl
One good thing might come out of it: I have a devil of a time trying
to convince some Thais that South Africa is a country, not some amorphous
entity in the bottom half of the continent. Hopefully the World Cup will have
some educational value. - aquicke
South Africa is indeed a country. This was confirmed by Paris Hilton
during her visit here last year. When asked how she liked South Africa, she
said she liked it a lot, but that she also liked North Africa, so there you
are! - jaridl
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From Our Mailbox
Intellectual freedom doesn't always guarantee scientific breakthroughs - more
often than not, the need for a technology compels its very research and
creation, intellectual freedom or none.
Hank
Australia
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ATol Specials
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By Syed Saleem Shahzad
(Jan '09) |
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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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