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Pyongyang's
cyber-terrorism hits home
North Korea's audacious cyber-offensive this week at high-profile computer
systems in South Korea and the United States is clearly linked to its earlier
nuclear and missile tests. The next step is for Pyongyang to perfect its
ability to deliver weapons of mass destruction to carefully selected targets in
countries where information systems have been disabled. - Donald Kirk
(Jul 9,'09)
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A leaner, meaner Iranian regime
President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has broken all the rules that govern the art of
politics in Iran, and the Islamic Republic's culture of factional politics has
now collapsed before his commanding presence. This new political reality is
going to severely disappoint those who hoped the recent rioting and mayhem
would spell the end of the hardline regime. - Mahan Abedin
(Jul 9,'09)
 SUN
WUKONG
No question, Hu's in charge
When President Hu Jintao dashed home from the Group of Eight summit in Italy to
personally oversee the aftermath of the bloody ethnic riots in Xinjiang, it may
have been due to a loophole in Beijing's military command structure. That Hu is
the only politburo member authorized to deploy China's army is a situation that
has to be addressed. - Wu Zhong (Jul 9,'09)
Xinjiang - China's energy
gateway
Beijing's concern at the unrest in Xinjiang extends beyond the threat to its
own authority. The vast region, already an essential supplier of oil and gas to
the rest of China, is an important border gateway for energy supplies from its
numerous Central and South Asia neighbors.
- Robert M Cutler (Jul 9,'09)
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The same - but different - in
Indonesia
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono appears headed to a landslide mandate for a
second term after promising continuity. His opponents promised a different
brand of continuity - one that ignored just how much Indonesia has changed in
the past five years. - Gary LaMoshi (Jul
9,'09)
Indian might met with Chinese
threats
For decades, India has backed down from Chinese intimidation. But that's now
changing, evident by Delhi's continued moves to heighten defenses along its
disputed Arunachal border. This is not going over well in China, prompting
Beijing to angrily remind New Delhi of its perceived superiority. - Sudha
Ramachandran (Jul 9,'09)
Food fight in East Timor
East Timor Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao is under fire over allegations he
awarded a rice contract to a company that listed his daughter as a shareholder.
The opposition isn't backing down on its calls for an inquiry, part of an
ongoing effort to tarnish the image of the new country's resistance hero. The
charges also threaten to spiral East Timor into new bouts of political
instability. - Simon Roughneen (Jul 9,'09)
Constitutional crisis in Turkey
escalates
The power struggle between Turkey's Islamist-rooted ruling party and its
staunchly secular armed forces has escalated over a new law allowing officers
to be tried in civilian courts. The government says the law is needed for
European Union membership, but an angry military says it is an unconstitutional
attempt to erode its power base in the wake of an alleged coup plot.
(Jul 9,'09)
Mixed signals over Chinese missiles
As concerns grow in India, the United States and Japan over China's expanding
ballistic missile force, the US has recognized that it has to do a much better
job when it comes to the broad topic of space intelligence. - Peter J Brown
(Jul 8,'09)
THE MOGAMBO GURU
Abandon ship
Stock prices soared in six bear market rallies during the first three years of
the Great Depression. Our present rally is already higher than four of these in
percentage gains and longer than all but the biggest and the best. We're coming
to the edge of Previous Known Highs at hyperspace speed. Time to abandon
ship!!! (Jul 8,'09)
Baseless expenditures
The United States empire of bases - at US$102 billion a year already the
world's costliest military enterprise - just got a good deal more expensive
with the projected $736 million new American war embassy to be built in
Islamabad, Pakistan. For other countries getting a bit weary of the American
military presence on their soil: cash in now, before it's too late. - Chalmers
Johnson (Jul 8,'09)
 SINOGRAPH
Beware the Tiananmen reflex
The bloody riots in remote northwestern China set off a knee-jerk assumption:
if there are dead people on the streets, it must be Beijing's fault. It is more
likely that the brewing hatred among ethnic Uyghurs for the majority Han
Chinese was funneled into the protests by anti-government organizations. A
brutal police intervention only made things worse. - Francesco Sisci
(Jul 8,'09)
Obama discredits Iran 'green light'
Responding to claims that Washington has given Israel approval to strike Iran's
nuclear facilities, United States President Barack Obama insists Washington's
position remains unchanged. Nonetheless, debate over Vice President Joe Biden's
comments that Israel could determine for itself how to deal with the perceived
threats from Iran isn't going away. - Jim Lobe and Ali Gharib
(Jul 8,'09)
Goldman good but not that bad
There is no denying that Goldman Sachs workers are far smarter than the average
George W Bush flunkie, but attributing them the power to control every major
world market is stretching a point too far. Even more invidious, such claims
discourage people from actually feeling that they can control their own
destiny. - Julian Delasantellis (Jul 8,'09)
Indonesia votes for more of
the same
If early forecasts are accurate, incumbent Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will be the
first Indonesian president elected in a single round of voting, avoiding a
two-candidate run-off. With a resounding win, Yudhoyono's administration can
push through economic reforms and further consolidate the country's democratic
transition. - Megawati Wijaya and Shawn W Crispin
(Jul 8,'09)
Ghost of Marx haunts China's riots
As Marxism dims as the dominant ideology in China, the sense of political
equality is also fading away. Common people aren't really considered the owners
of the country anymore, and workers are no longer a respected class.
Capitalists now sit at the government's table as the socialist identity of the
Chinese gradually falls to pieces. The riots in Urumqi may be the start of
something much, much bigger. - Jian Junbo (Jul
7,'09)
Inside the unquiet west
The violence in the Uyghur-populated Xinjiang region has caught both Beijing
and outside observers by surprise. China has been quick, though, in responding
with an explanation similar to the one used for the Tibetan revolt of last
year: the foreign-based diaspora is plotting to disrupt social harmony. - Sreeram
Chaulia (Jul 7,'09)
THE ROVING EYE
Go ahead, Bibi - drop the bomb
As unclenched fists go, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu's
government and that of the newly empowered administration of the "mullahtariat"
in Iran now seem to be locked in a free-for-all cage match - regardless of
United States President Barack Obama's self-styled "refereeing" positioning. - Pepe
Escobar (Jul 7,'09)
US revives talk of Iran-Taliban ties
Despite the lack of evidence or a plausible motive, the Barack Obama
administration is revisiting the previous US administration's charges that Iran
is arming and training the Taliban. Although the allegations could damage hopes
of Iranian cooperation in the Afghan conflict, some members of the US
government see them as a golden opportunity to pressure Tehran over its nuclear
program. - Gareth Porter (Jul 7,'09)
THE BEAR'S LAIR
US adds to its cost burden
The US government could soon be setting prices in as much as 40% of the
economy, putting it on a par with the more liberal countries of Eastern Europe
under communism, or like France in the 1980s. The outlook is for huge long-term
costs on US living standards. - Martin Hutchinson
(Jul 7,'09)
Indian defense spices things up
 The
world's hottest chili pepper, which is grown in India, could soon come to the
country's defense. Military scientists aim to use this super-hot chili in hand
grenades for use in counter-insurgency operations and riot control. But it
doesn't stop there. They're also cooking up plans to use it to ward off
elephants and warm up soldiers posted at the world's highest battlefield. - Sudha
Ramachandran (Jul 7,'09)
Crossing the Helmand
The ambitious goals of the United States surge in Afghanistan - to drive the
Taliban out, curtail the opium trade and win hearts and minds - faces a stern
test in Helmand province. By starting the offensive in a Taliban stronghold,
the army has ignored a basic tenet of counter-insurgency warfare - to begin in
districts where insurgent support is weak. - Brian M Downing
(Jul 7,'09)
A town braces for Taliban battle
As United States tanks, aircraft and troops roll out for Operation Dagger
Thrust in Afghanistan's Helmand province, war-weary locals are skeptical about
the "surge". They say the US's new tactics and hardware will be more deadly for
civilians than insurgents, as despite promises to fight "until the last
breath", locals believe the Taliban will merely slip away and regroup. - Mohammad
Ilyas Dayee and Aziz Ahmad Tassak (Jul
7,'09)
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Mukherjee budget bows to politics
Indian stocks tanked after Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee delivered a
give-away budget that showed little concern for reform and pointed to a grossly
understated yet still frightening 6.8% fiscal deficit. Investors should not
have been surprised. The earlier railways budget had already pointed the way. - Kunal
Kumar Kundu (Jul 7,'09)
A moment of truth for Obama in
Moscow
Through a series of labyrinthine maneuverings, Russia has sought leverage in
US-Russia relations by offering greater cooperation to President Barack Obama
over Afghanistan. It is possible that at a juncture when the overall US-Russia
relationship is lurching dangerously close to breakdown, cooperation in the
Hindu Kush might provide a much-needed leitmotif for Monday's summit in Moscow.
- M K Bhadrakumar (Jul 3,'09)
<IT WORLD>
Fast Firefox comes with bugs
The latest version of Mozilla's Firefox web browser, which attracted 5 million
downloads in its first day of release, will please most users. Others may wish
they had held back until the plethora of bugs are fixed.
(Jul 3,'09)
Martin J Young surveys the week's developments in computing, science,
gaming and gizmos.
SAUDI BOMBSHELLS, Part 3
FBI chief defended Saudis
The pro-Saudi bias of former FBI director Louis Freeh during the investigation
of the 1996 Khobar Towers terror bombing in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 United
States airmen shut down a probe in which Osama bin Laden was clearly
implicated. Had the case run its course, the US may not have been so brutally
blindsided by 9/11. - Gareth Porter (Jul
3,'09)
This is the final article in a three-part report.
Part 1:
Al-Qaeda excluded from suspect list
Part 2:
Why US officials blamed Iran
US Marines to 'drink lots of tea'
The new strategy of the United States in Afghanistan is now in play, including
a troop surge, fresh attempts to curtail the poppy trade and a mission to get
to know the locals. Questions linger, though, about the feasibility of
concentrating US forces in areas where the Taliban have established full
control. - Ali Gharib (Jul 3,'09)
 CHAN
AKYA
Raining on the Blue Fox
The shine has started wearing off the "Green Shoots" story that has propped up
stock markets and helped various countries pretend that further developments
aren't imminent. As various US states approach different stages of bankruptcy,
the time for governments to change policies is dawning.
(Jul 3,'09)
INTERVIEW
Missing the point on Myanmar
The international community continues to pursue the  wrong
path in Myanmar, argues Burmese historian Thant Myint-U, as United Nations
secretary general Ban Ki-moon begins his visit to the country on Friday.
Instead of focusing on interlocution between the military junta and the
opposition, it's the ongoing civil war and devastated economy that should first
be addressed. Lost opportunities, he says, are legion. - Charles McDermid
(Jul 3,'09)
China's rogue regimes play up
North Korea's willingness to export high-tech weapons and know-how to Myanmar
and other reclusive, anti-Western regimes has raised regional security concerns
and could launch a new Southeast Asian arms race. If Pyongyang is indeed
helping Myanmar achieve its nuclear and ballistic missile ambitions, China may
shut the door on its troublesome client states. - Brian McCartan
(Jul 2,'09)
Manmohan hits the ground running
Sitting in an unprecedented comfort zone, India’s Congress-led government has
borrowed from the United States' 100-day hoopla to set its own short-term,
capsule-like targets. This has given New Delhi the illusion of speed, with
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's ministers running in overdrive. The most
stunning evidence of this is Thursday's landmark ruling on homosexuality. - Santwana
Bhattacharya (Jul 2,'09)
Dollar's future in US hands
China's moves to have its exports paid for in yuan should not be interpreted as
a push to make the yuan a reserve currency for international trade. The US
dollar will continue to play this role - if the United States puts its own
financial house in order. - Henry C K Liu (Jul
1,'09)
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David P
Goldman
(Jul 3, '09)
The US may have the worst of both worlds: currency devaluation and price
deflation, as in the 1930s.
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Asia's
growth
hopes crumble
Early hopes that Asia would be largely immune from the global financial crisis
have been shattered as a collapse in export markets has thrown millions of
people out of work and wrecked prospects millions more had of escaping poverty.
- Chee Yoke Heong
No end in sight to
US jobless rise
The continued rise in US unemployment underlines the failure of Federal Reserve
chairman Ben Bernanke's unprecedented aggressive monetary policy to deliver the
economic recovery that he promised at each interest rate cut. - Hossein Askari
and Noureddine Krichene
FROM THE BLOG
Goods out of fashion
If everyone hypothetically wanted to buy securities rather than goods, prices
of goods would crash. Something like this is happening, of course. - David
Goldman
 Double-digit
doom
While some pundits still squawk about the risk of deflation, the recent
explosion in US money supply growth could mean inflation being much worse than
in the 1970s, when the prime rate hit 21.5%! That means poverty, empty stomachs
- and soaring gold prices!!
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MARKET RAP
Shanghai sets pace
Shanghai-listed stocks continue to defy concerns of an overheated market and an
absence of strengthening overseas demand for Chinese goods. Across the Taiwan
Strait, investors are also still driving up prices. (Jul
3,'09)
R M Cutler runs his eye over the ups and downs in the week's markets.
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[Re Beware the Tiananmen
reflex, Jul 8] Some foolish Indians may experience glee/schadenfreude
upon hearing of the Xinjiang riots, but all the sensible ones are trembling
with fear because China right now is in exactly the kind of situation where it
needs a foreign enemy to beat up.
Amit Sharma
Cincinnati, OH, USA
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 Go
to Letters to the Editor |
On The Edge
Pakistan is big, populous, has natural resources and got independence from
Britain sooner. Singapore is tiny, devoid of resources, has a small population
and gained its independence much later (1965 from Malaysia). Out of the two,
Pakistan by now should be more prosperous and strong, given its clear
advantages.
MonsoonWind
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| Go
to the readers' forum topic,
A tale of two ex-British colonies
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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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