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Lee
puts Japan-Korea ties on the rocks
The timing of South Korean President Lee Myung-bak's visit on Friday to islets
disputed with Japan - days before the South marks its 1945 independence from
Japanese occupation - suggests he plans to inflame nationalist sentiment to
distract from claims his government has run out of steam. For Tokyo, it now
faces another territorial challenge alongside Russian and Chinese claims, as
neighbors capitalize on its weakening regional clout. - Kosuke Takahashi
(Aug 10, '12)
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Reform dance in Myanmar
President Thein Sein is preparing a government shake-up that will shed new
light on the tensions between reformists and hardliners as he tries to balance
bringing the country into the modern world while protecting military interests.
Finding the right successor to former vice president Tin Aung Myint Oo will be
central - and is proving particularly difficult. - Larry Jagan
(Aug 10, '12)
Planning intensifies for Syria
after Assad
As Syrian insurgents are losing ground in Aleppo, their gains elsewhere are
expanding daily, along with the ranks of well-armed foreign jihadists. Even the
Russians are realizing that Bashar al-Assad's position as president is
untenable. Attention is turning to the scenario of Assad's withdrawal to
friendly Alawite coastal areas, and what awaits as his grip on power loosens. - Victor
Kotsev (Aug 10, '12)
Washington puts its money on
proxy war
Outsourcing is an issue in this US election year, but there is one aspect of
the phenomenon that no one is talking about - the outsourcing of war. Proxy war
is certainly not new, and its attraction is obvious: Why send American troops
to unstable countries if you can get someone else to fight and die instead? But
the scope of these programs now is huge, and the very high likelihood of
disastrous blowback is never discussed in Washington.
- Nick Turse (Aug 10, '12)
Tibet's political future lies in 'Middle
Way'
On the first anniversary of the Dalai Lama handing political reins to an
elected leader, Tibetans must reflect on a year marked by anguish over
self-immolations by protesters against China's policies towards the region.
That such acts continue despite the Dalai Lama's emphasis on life's sanctity
underlines the desperation in monasteries undergoing "patriotic re-education".
- Lobsang Sangay, Tibetan leader in exile
(Aug 10, '12)
Prayers in Pattani
Thai Muslim villagers pray during Ramadan at a mosque in Pattani province on
Friday. Muslims fasting in the month of Ramadan must abstain from food, drink
and sex from dawn until sunset, when they break their fast.
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 BOOK
REVIEW
Iran nuclear diplomacy:
An
insider's take
National Security and
Nuclear Diplomacy,
by Hassan Rowhani
Hassan Rowhani, Iran's nuclear negotiator for 22 months during Mohammad
Khatami's presidency, continues to influence the debate on how Tehran deals
with the West. His book, detailing disagreements within the establishment, is
recommended reading for anyone interested in understanding Iran's
post-revolutionary politics and how a changing power structure has transformed
decision-making from one-man rule to a collective enterprise.
- Farideh Farhi (Aug 10, '12)
SPEAKING FREELY
Speaking Freely is a Front Page feature for guest writers to have a say.
 To submit to
Speaking Freely click
here
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Costs stir Korean unification
dreamers
Politicians in both Korean states will invoke possible glories of unification
to mark independence day on August 15, but ambivalence is running high among
people in the South towards that prospect. Visions of an East Asian superpower
have faded as the estimated costs of grafting a Third World dictatorship onto a
modern economy, ranging from $200 billion to some $5 trillion, have come
sharper into focus.
- Andrei Lankov (Aug 10, '12)
Indian rebels on the move in
Myanmar
New Delhi has called on Naypyidaw to take decisive action against separatists
operating from camps on Myanmar's northwestern fringes. Yet as the border with
the restive Indian region of Manipur opens up, promises of security sweeps have
come to nothing and the rebel fighters are being allowed to move into deeper
cover. Inaction speaks to Myanmar's desire to maintain a buffer with its giant
neighbor. - Subir Bhaumik (Aug 9, '12)
THE ROVING EYE
American (jihadi) Idol
Syria is now the ultimate Sex Pistol-inspired Holiday in the Sun (the jihadi
remix); a magnet to Libyans, Jordanians, Saudis, Algerians, Chechens, Af-Pakis,  plus
some enthusiastic young Brits. If anyone doubts this, the US establishment's
Council of Foreign Relations is prepared to put them right.
- Pepe Escobar (Aug 9, '12)
Syrian forces launch
ground assault in Aleppo
Some of the fiercest clashes in the Syrian uprising are being reported as the
Syrian army, using Russian tanks to sweep through the northern city of Aleppo,
attempts to push opposition fighters from a key stronghold. As shells rain down
and the killing mounts, the ground assault that has been months in the making
is in full force. (Aug 9, '12)
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Taiwan pours cement on maritime dispute
His hands tied by Taiwan's international isolation, President Ma Ying-jeou has
been looking for a way to fend off criticism that his stance on the regional
South China Sea tussle is too wimpy. The answer, reportedly, is to extend a
runway on Taiping, the largest of the Spratly Islands. While Taiwan has no
actual illusions about starting a military confrontation, this could be a smart
political move benefiting both Taipei and Beijing.
- Jens Kastner (Aug 9, '12)
Israel hampers nuclear
diplomacy
Israel, concerned that an Iranian "breakout" capability would end the regional
nuclear monopoly that's given Israel four decades of strategic impunity, has
blocked diplomatic resolution of the Iran nuclear crisis through demonizing
Tehran and through threats of unilateral intervention. As Jerusalem sleepwalks
Washington into a Persian Gulf conflagration, President Barack Obama's room for
maneuver is practically nil.
- Richard Javad Heydarian (Aug 9, '12)
Iran's new summit diplomacy
Iran is eyeing significant diplomatic dividends from conferences in Saudi
Arabia and Tehran this month, with plans to repair ties with Riyadh as the
Syrian crisis enters a crucial phase. As the fall of rebel forces in Aleppo
delivers a rude awakening to Western countries funneling arms to the rebellion,
Iran plans to position itself as the region's best hope for a mediated
solution.
- Kaveh L Afrasiabi (Aug 9, '12)
US, India face Sri Lanka challenge
The Sri Lankan government's reluctance to secure reconciliation with the Tamil
population and an increasing military role in the economy challenge the United
States and India, whose economic leverage is countered by geopolitical
concerns. - Anuradha Sharma and Vishal Arora
(Aug 9, '12)
Taiwan jumps into South China Sea fray
Those hoping Taipei would join the regional conflict against Beijing on
sovereignty of the South China Sea could be in for a bitter blow. While the
mainland Communists and Taiwan's ruling KMT certainly disagree on who should
run "one China", they are on the same page when it comes to China's hegemony
over the sea, its islands, and its potentially rich resources. Formal
cooperation on the dispute may be in the works.
- Brendan O'Reilly (Aug 8, '12)
 The
hunger wars
in our future
As climate change wreaks agricultural havoc and the "Great Drought of 2012" in
the United States, the social unrest and conflict to follow will bring the
world closer to the dystopian, resource-scarce future envisioned in The Hunger
Games. While that novel depicts gladiatorial designs to suppress a
rebellion by the starving - in the real world they will number too many to
defeat. - Michael T Klare (Aug 8, '12)
 THE
ROVING EYE
Bomb Iran fever
Well-informed Israelis know striking Iran's nuclear program will only delay it
by six months, while no solution exists to Israel's lack of fly-over rights,
bunker-busters and intel. As the United States is also well aware of the risks,
the only reasons behind the "bomb Iran" mantra seem to be Jerusalem's regional
ambitions and Washington's desire to revive a Persian satrapy. - Pepe Escobar
(Aug 7, '12)
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 CHAN
AKYA
Death
of
the dollar
The recent travails of over-aggressive regulators in the US and elsewhere not
only create significant business risks for global banks, but may also hasten
the end of dollar's reign as the global reserve currency of choice. The lack of
alternatives is never a good reason for the status quo to remain.
Congress hits anti-China
drum
As it becomes more popularly accepted in the United States that China is to
blame for America's economic problems, politicians will come to see the value
of adding to these anxieties. They should instead focus on how their own
economy requires changing. - Benjamin A Shobert
Apples or oranges
Apple is extending its patents battle with Samsung by claiming the Korean firm
copied the designs of its icons, although a graphic designer who formerly
worked for the US computer giant felt that judging the difference in looks
between rival handsets was beyond her area of expertise.
Martin J Young surveys the week's developments in computing, science,
gaming and gizmos.
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CREDIT BUBBLE BULLETIN
Wacky and wackier
The euro crisis can still produce wacky moments, such as European Central Bank
chief Mario Draghi warning against shorting the currency or the Bank of Estonia
claiming its vote matches that of the Bundesbank. At least the German bank
knows better.
Doug Noland looks at the previous week's events each Monday.
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TONY ALLISON (1953-2012)
Asia Times Online's Editor-in-Chief Anthony Allison died on June 20 after a
short illness. We extend our sympathy to Tony's family for their tragic and
premature loss.
Obituary
Tributes
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Chinese
warships in
the Mediterranean
With the Syrian situation hotting up, Beijing couldn’t have chosen a curiouser
moment to show the flag in the Eastern Mediterranean...
- M K Bhadrakumar
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