|
|
 |
US-Pakistan embrace is a fillip for peace
The United States and Pakistan's demarche is back on a firm footing after a
compromise suggesting that Islamabad will not torpedo the Afghan settlement the
White House has in mind. Under a deal forged last week, the US will accommodate
Pakistan's interests in Afghanistan and continue wide-ranging support. Afghan
peace talks may now gain traction. - M K Bhadrakumar
(Oct 25, '10)
|
|
LEAKS ON THE IRAQ WAR
The heat's on private contractors
The release of the 392,832 documents by WikiLeaks on the Iraq War shines a
bright light on the power of private security contractors. The behavior of
these operators in Iraq is already having serious effects on the use of these
assets in Afghanistan, yet more are expected to pour into Iraq as United States
forces shrink. - William Fisher (Oct 25, '10)
'Helping hand' seen at work
Shockwaves from the latest releases by WikiLeaks are being felt in Washington
and Baghdad, with both believing unnamed elements were responsible for the
revelations of widespread torture, arbitrary detention and killings by Iraqi
forces with the aim of endangering remaining US troops in Iraq or orchestrating
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's ouster. (Oct
25, '10)
|
Chinese whistleblower faces hard road
A man calling himself Deep Throat says he plans to have a Chinese version of
WikiLeaks up and running by next year. But China's elaborate state-security
apparatus makes whistle-blowing a risky proposition, and such a website could
turn out to be a trap for dissidents. - Kent Ewing
(Oct 25, '10)
Sympathy for Iran spawns new world
order
As frequent Tehran visitor and Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez exhorts the weak
to take on the "kings of the world'', his Iranian counterpart Mahmud
Ahmadinejad's script for nuclear talks has acquired a larger significance.
Tehran's ability to solicit sympathy from nations ready to break Western
sanctions is accelerating the birth of a new world order. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi
(Oct 25, '10)
Fires of Indian temple row stoked
again
A rightwing Hindu organization has "appealed" to Muslims to hand over their
share of the land at a disputed site in Ayodhya that was recently awarded to
them by a court. The judgment had been hailed as a compromise between Hindus
and Muslims - now the fires have been lit again and hundreds of "future
Ayodhyas" loom. - Sudha Ramachandran (Oct 25,
'10)
Jakarta set on military shopping
spree
Indonesia is eyeing some big-ticket procurements for its military, particularly
for its long-neglected navy and air force. Even if not all of these plans
materialize, there is hope that increased defense spending will help spur the
reform and professionalization of the military. - Trefor Moss
(Oct 25, '10)
Iranian Guards shielded from
sanctions
In leading the latest round of sanctions against Tehran, a major goal for the
United States was to weaken the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. But such
measures will probably do little to reduce its ability to defend against an
Israeli or US attack, or to project Iranian power abroad. - Chris Zambelis
(Oct 22, '10)
US dug in for long haul in
Afghanistan
Plans by the Pentagon to spend billions of dollars upgrading and expanding the
network of forward operating bases in Afghanistan suggest that the military's
long-term strategy differs greatly from the July 2011 drawdown promised by
President Barack Obama. From runways and helicopter parking to PXs and dog
kennels, these bases are becoming too permanent for an imminent withdrawal. - Nick
Turse (Oct 22, '10)
India and China hover over Nepal
After four months without a government, there is still no sign of a resolution
to the political stalemate in Kathmandu. Many Nepalese blame Indian meddling,
but Beijing has been playing its own game in a country that is key to its
battle to pacify Tibet. - Sudha Ramachandran (Oct
22, '10)
Chinese scholars enter Okinawa fray
Chinese scholars who have laid claim to Chinese sovereignty over the Japanese
island of Okinawa by delving into history have found takers for their argument
among young protesters fired up by recent tensions between the two nations. At
least one Japanese scholar is distinctly unimpressed. - Kosuke Takahashi
(Oct 22, '10)
SPEAKING FREELY
Ahmadinejad spurs Lebanon's
Palestinians
Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad received a hero's welcome from Hezbollah
during his recent visit to Lebanon. He also took time out to meet with
Palestinian refugees, who have indirectly benefited from extensive Iranian aid.
"He's more Palestinian than many Palestinians," was one observation. - Franklin
Lamb (Oct 22, '10)
 BOOK
REVIEW
Deep into the roots of war
War Comes to Long An
by Jeffrey Race
This seminal, micro-level analysis of how the Vietcong utilized meager
resources to build a revolutionary force capable of outmaneuvering a powerful
government backed by US military might should be required reading for
counter-insurgency planners in Afghanistan. Rather than vicious recruitment
programs, it was often progressive policies of decentralization and social
reform that drew the peasantry into the Vietcong. - Jason Johnson
(Oct 22, '10)
<IT WORLD>
Apple king of the jungle
Apple boss Steve Jobs drew a quick response from rivals for his
king-of-the-jungle antics when announcing record profits and a new "Lion"
version of the Macintosh operating system. But with sales of the latest iPhone
just starting in China, he could still have much more to roar about.
(Oct 22, '10)
Martin J Young surveys the week's developments in computing, science,
gaming and gizmos.
THE ROVING EYE
Letter from Islamophobistan
The extreme right is more turbocharged than ever in scores of European cities.
From France to Denmark, from Italy to Sweden, savvy populists are
oversimplifying issues to the point that their take seems logical - as 
ammunition against mosques, minarets and headscarves. Throughout Europe,
Islamophobia is gleefully practiced as an electoral business of fear. - Pepe
Escobar (Oct 21, '10)
Extremists winning
the mind games
Pakistan has tried twice to counter radical Islam and al-Qaeda's appeal. The
first attempt under General Pervez Musharraf was gaining traction before he
resigned as president in 2008. The subsequent effort to promote Sufism has
backfired, with Sufi shrines under militant attack and key leaders lying low.
The ideological high ground is back with extremists. - Syed Saleem Shahzad
(Oct 21, '10)
|
F-16 upgrade doesn't fly with Taiwan
 Mindful
of antagonizing Beijing, the United States has offered to upgrade Taiwan�s
aging F-16s instead of replacing them, which is what President Ma Ying-jeou
wants. These upgrades - which include GPS-guided smart bombs - would give the
planes an increased offensive punch, but Taiwan still isn't thrilled with the
offer. - Jens Kastner (Oct 21, '10)
For the Kims, the weakest link is family
A sociological take on North Korea's peculiar evolution suggests that for a
dictator to hold onto power, even after his death, requires three steps:
militarization, family rule, and a quasi-religious cult. Kim Il-sung's
sociological nous has kept the state he created alive longer than many
expected. But among the weak links that could imperil the dynastic chain, the
weakest is family. - Aidan Foster-Carter (Oct
21, '10)
 SINOGRAPH
China feels under the weather
The alarm of floods and heat waves over Asia's long summer may have receded,
but it stirs up frightening visions for China. Migration and food security
issues could heighten tensions in the long term - while more immediately,
flooding disruption and an even hotter summer in 2011 would leave China feeling
dangerously besieged in the run-up to the leadership transition in 2012. - Francesco
Sisci (Oct 20, '10)
 CHAN
AKYA
The Incorrigibles
The end game of a second round of quantitative easing is all but done as a deal
between the United States, Europe and Japan. Fans of quantitative easing round
2 (or QE2) should perhaps pay attention to the other QE2 - an aging cruise ship
that ruled the seas in its day and is now a rust bucket parked outside Dubai.
(Oct 15, '10)
|
|
|
G-20 declares
truce of sorts
US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner talked up the outcome of the Group of 20
finance ministers' meeting in South Korea, and emerging countries gained some
more clout at the International Monetary Fund. With an apparent truce between
Washington and Beijing, perhaps this was progress of a sort. - Donald Kirk
Hong Kong trapped
in price spiral
The Hong Kong government is trying to rein in surging home prices. Yet its
options are limited - the city's interest rates are tied to those in the United
States, while its assets offer better returns to mainlanders who see their
savings losing value to inflation. - Stephen Minas
Baghdad stands
by gasfields auction
Provincial authorities in Iraq claim the government overstepped its bounds in
auctioning rights to develop three natural gas fields holding about 10% of the
country's reserves. The ministry in charge is warning of punishment if efforts
are made to block development.
CREDIT BUBBLE BULLETIN
Rebalancing the world
The United States continues to refer to a "strong dollar" policy, even as the
Federal Reserve prepares to further monetize the nation's federal debt. For all
the talk at the Group of 20 of "global rebalancing", the reality is more in
line with desperate and universal inflationism.
Doug Noland looks at the previous week's events each Monday.
 US
heads
for the cliff
The United States is not only now the second-biggest holder of US Treasury
debt, there are only US$500 billion of long-term Treasuries outstanding. Before
long, the option will be for the US to default - or accept hyperinflation.
Yikes!!!
|
CLARIFICATION
An article in Asia Times Online by Beaumont Smith on October 5, 2010, entitled
A tree falls in Laos, quoted "Christy Lee, executive director of Hmong
National Development Inc, a Washington-based non-profit organization". We would
like to clarify that Christy Lee is not and has never been on staff with Hmong
National Development, Inc. ATol regrets any misunderstanding this might have
caused, and the article has been amended.
FROM THE BLOG
Looney tune
The Obama administration's proposal to set an official target for trade
deficits or surpluses at 4% of gross domestic product has to be the looniest
attempt in modern history to apply mercantilist dirigisme on the global level.
- David Goldman
MARKET RAP
Asia fights for gains
The impressive recent momentum shown by Asian markets in breaking through
important resistance levels petered out over the past week, with Shanghai among
several that look in need of a breather - hopefully, not for long.
(Oct 22, '10)
R M Cutler runs his eye over the ups and downs in the week's markets.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
All material on this website is
copyright and may not be republished in any form without written permission.
Copyright 1999 - 2010 Asia Times Online (Holdings),
Ltd.
|
Head Office: Unit B, 16/F, Li
Dong Building, No. 9 Li Yuen Street East, Central, Hong Kong
Thailand Bureau: 11/13 Petchkasem Road,
Hua Hin,
Prachuab Kirikhan, Thailand 77110
|
|
|
|
Go to 