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Tough guys don't need to dance
If United States President Barack Obama could silence the endless cries for
more troops and more war emanating from the military and foreign policy
"experts" around him, he would hear the voices of today's Norman Mailers, of
today's tough-minded dissenters. Were he to do so, he might yet avoid repeating
Lyndon B Johnson's biggest blunder - and so avoid suffering that president's
political fate as well. - William J Astore (Oct
13, '09)
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BREAKING NEWS
 Al-Qaeda's
top guerrilla commander is alive and well despite reports that he was killed in
a drone attack last month. Ilyas Kashmiri has given an exclusive interview to
Asia Times Online, in which he outlines al-Qaeda's master plan to combat the US
and its proxies. Our correspondent, Syed Saleem Shahzad, dodged the
drones to get the story. Please see our Wednesday edition.
Kerry-Lugar bill a Catch-22 for
Pakistan
Conditions attached in the United States Congress to the Kerry-Lugar bill -
which grants Pakistan US$1.5 billion annually over the next five years - have
rubbed some in Islamabad the wrong way. Leading voices berate the bill as
turning Pakistan into an American neo-colony. The dilemma is whether to align
with the US to combat militancy, or take a principled stand in support of a
weak democracy. - Zahid U Kramet (Oct 13,
'09)
Arab world befuddled by Obama's
Nobel
The news that United States President Barack Obama had won the 2009 Nobel Peace
Prize ripped through the Arab world, launching a vociferous debate in the
media, on the streets and in the upper echelons of power. Many snapped that a
Nobel is not granted for good intentions, but others insist his predecessor
George W Bush was so bad, all Obama had to do to win was show up. - Sami
Moubayed (Oct 13, '09)
Sinking feeling in the
Philippines
The tropical storm-induced flooding that has killed at least
700 people in Manila and nearby provinces points to years of government failure
in urban planning and disaster-management preparedness. Philippine President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's limp response has pulled her popularity ratings down
even further, and may sink her anointed successor in next year's polls. - Joel D
Adriano (Oct 13, '09)
SPEAKING FREELY
Debating the dragon-bear duet
Are current Sino-Russian bilateral relations the beginning of a new,
multi-polar world order? Or is Beijing pulling Moscow into a new form of
resource patron-clientism in which the former holds the upper hand? While the
skeptics have plenty of evidence to show that Russia is being short-changed by
China, there are mutual regional and global benefits to this partnership. - Anna
Konopatskaya (Oct 13, '09)
North Korea begins 'Plan C'
As part of a "Plan C", Pyongyang is willing to start acting as a responsible
nuclear power, stop transferring sensitive technology abroad and even help the
Barack Obama administration's goal of global nuclear disarmament, according to
its unofficial spokesman. All it will take is complete US recognition of the
North's nuclear power status, a peace treaty and the establishment of full
diplomatic ties. - Kim Myong Chol (Oct 13,
'09)
China's rockers too pampered for politics
Unlike trailblazers from the 1990s, who sung fiery political anthems and faced
harsh censorship, young rock bands in today's China are indifferent to
politics, with introspection, veganism and day jobs more common than angst.
These children of the urban elite know they should be rebelling against
something, but their lifestyles are just too comfortable to risk. - Alice Liu
(Oct 13, '09)
Pakistan warns India to 'back
off'
New Delhi has the capacity to play a decisive role in crushing the Taliban
insurgency, which is what makes the Pakistani military establishment extremely
anxious in the developing political scenario on the Afghan chessboard. When the
Taliban struck the Indian embassy in Kabul on Thursday, killing 17 people, the
timing may have been coincidence, maybe not. - M K Bhadrakumar
(Oct 9, '09)
Gaza report seals Abbas' political
fate
The United Nations report on the 2008-2009 Gaza
War wasn't 
well received by the United States or Israel, which call it one-sided. What was
more unexpected was an about-face by President Mahmud Abbas' Palestinian
National Authority to seek deferral of a UN debate on the findings. The news
has ripped through the Arab world, destroying any remaining credibility he had.
- Sami Moubayed (Oct 9, '09)
INTERVIEW
Hizbut Tahrir's view on Lebanese
politics
The trans-national and pan-Islamic party Hizbut Tahrir was founded in 1953 in
Palestine to re-establish the Islamic Caliphate that collapsed in 1924. Since
then the party has spread all over the Muslim world and is now estimated to
have hundreds of thousands of members. Osman Bakhach, deputy chairman of Hizbut
Tahrir's Executive Committee, explains why the idea of Muslim unity may be
unstoppable. - Mahan Abedin (Oct 9, '09)
IAEA's not-so-secret satellite game
Iran's decision to reject a protocol enabling the International Atomic Energy
Agency to conduct spot inspections of its nuclear sites means enforcing
safeguard agreements will become more risky and more satellite-driven. Israel's
desire to engage India's space-based surveillance assets is also likely to
intensify. - Peter J Brown (Oct 9, '09)
Beijing hires a media guru
As part of its modernization efforts, the Chinese Communist Party has recruited
a once-famed news anchor as its top media advisor. A lot has changed since the
crisis was met with silence and falsehoods. The party has perhaps realized that
being an international player involves demonstrating some transparency. - Cristian
Segura (Oct 9, '09)
Kabul 2009: War of the Worlds redux
Sometimes it takes 66 pages 
to tell the story of a foreign invasion - as in the case of Afghan War
commander General Stanley McChrystal's recent report to the United States
Congress. Sometimes a century old novel can do the trick. H G Wells' 1898
sci-fi classic The War of the Worlds, old as it is, offers a rare
example of how Afghans may see the high-tech American war machine. - Tom
Engelhardt (Oct 9, '09)
BOOK REVIEW
Short-changing China's century
The Empire of Lies by Guy Sorman
This book penetrates the interior of China, touching on areas too-often
overlooked, such as poverty, human rights, and archaic governance. But it fails
to note how far the nation has come this century, its pulse of progress in
developing regions and subtle changes in leadership, and the analysis suffers
as a result. - Benjamin Shobert (Oct 9, '09)
Dollar exit for oil trade?
A further shadow has been cast over the future of the US dollar on reports that
Arab oil producers and customers including China and Japan may
soon use other means of settling their huge fuel accounts. - F William Engdahl
(Oct 8, '09)
When 5+1 = 1+1 in the Iran equation
Despite accusations from the right-wing in the United States that Iran duped
the Barack Obama administration into serious concessions at last week's nuclear
talks, bilateral Iran-US dialogue, unencumbered by the influence of third
parties, remains the clearest path to easing nuclear tensions. - Kaveh L
Afrasiabi (Oct 8, '09)
Heads or tails, Obama loses
Proponents in the United States of an increased counter-insurgency (COIN) in
Afghanistan want more troops. Those favoring a focus on counter-terrorism want
to maintain force levels while stepping up special operations. President Barack
Obama will be damned whichever option he chooses; perhaps he'd best flip a
coin. - Jim Lobe (Oct 8, '09)
INTERVIEW
The 'perfect' quake this way comes
The 7.9-magnitude earthquake that struck the west coast of Sumatra island on
September 30 and killed more than 1,000 people was nothing compared to the
mammoth quake scientists predict for the area in the relatively near future.
The geological deck is stacked against the region, explains Sumatran tectonics
expert Richard Briggs, and local government apathy isn't helping. - Charles
McDermid (Oct 8, '09)
Confucianism a vital string in China's
bow
A revival of interest in Confucianism, within China and beyond, is helping
Beijing to develop the "soft power" it needs if the country is to become a true
world power. Some modernization of the 2,500 year old system of thought would
help. - Jian Junbo (Oct 8, '09)
Currency fiddlers wrong to cry
foul
China and other countries seeking an end to the US dollar's status in global
commerce should stop crying foul as the dollar's value slides. Instead, they
should abandon currency manipulation and let their populations purchase more US
goods and services. - Peter Morici (Oct 8,
'09)
SPEAKING FREELY
China's electric car revolution
In a world in which market mechanisms determine consumption patterns, it seems
unlikely that clean cars will be able to make significant inroads until the
last drop of oil is sucked out of the ground. But just maybe, China's market
and subsidized rush for electric vehicles could help it mass manufacture
environmentally-friendly autos for the rest of the world. - Ryan Rutkowski
(Oct 8, '09)
THE ROVING EYE
Stuck in Kabul, with Saigon blues
again
What is now being performed for Washington galleries is the dance of the
generals by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, National
Security Adviser retired General Jim Jones and top man in Afghanistan General
Stanley McChrystal. The Pentagon and its experts argue the US should
"Afghanize" the war - but the staggering financial black hole is just getting
bigger as the US slouches towards "Chaos-istan". - Pepe Escobar
(Oct 7, '09)
Syria, Saudi Arabia plot peace path
Saudi King Abdullah's first visit to Damascus since assuming the throne in 2005
signals a rebirth of the historic friendship between Syria and Saudi Arabia. A
mutual dislike for Iraq’s prime minister and Syria's warming ties with the
United States have helped bring the countries together, and to position them to
map out the future of the Middle East. - Sami Moubayed
(Oct 7, '09)
Obama trapped behind wall of
containment
United States President Barack Obama's troubles in the Middle East are not
caused primarily by "bad guys" such as Iran, nor by Israel's supposed power or
that of the domestic "Israeli lobby". Instead, he's trapped in the conundrum
that's built into US containment strategy. No matter what other nations do or
don't do, everything that looks like it might be a solution only turns out to
create new problems. - Ira Chernus (Oct 7,
'09)
Leaked Iran paper exposes IAEA rift
Excerpts of an internal draft report reveal that the International Atomic
Energy Agency has only suspicions - not real evidence - that Iran has been
working on nuclear weapons. This contradicts the agency's earlier claim that
was based on leaked documents, and there is now a fierce struggle in the
nuclear watchdog about whether the leaked material is genuine or fake. - Gareth
Porter (Oct 7, '09)
US public skeptical - and hawkish -
on Iran
The results of a new poll showing that the majority of Americans believe
diplomatic engagement with Iran will fail and that Washington should be
prepared to use military force to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear
weapon clearly play into the hands of the hawks pressuring President Barack
Obama. Other elements of the poll, though, show support for the president's
policy of dialogue. - Jim Lobe (Oct 7, '09)
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Follow the money
For US$200 million of public money we could take a walk in the footsteps of
Jesus Christ, curing millions of leprosy. Or we could just give Hank Paulson a
tax break. Then ask what else could have been done with the $4 trillion the US
government has committed to Wall Street and its already hugely rich denizens. - Matt
Bivens (Oct 7, '09)
China torn over Internet freedoms
 Following
a spate of titillating but fallacious stories posted on the Internet about
high-profile personalities, such as television hostess Fang Jing, many of
China's Internet users want the government to clamp down, even as Beijing
realizes the advantages of promoting free speech in cyberspace. - Stephanie Wang
(Oct 7, '09)
Tortillas taste just great in zero
gravity
Space food has evolved since the toothpaste-tube purees of the early days, with
Japanese noodles, Chinese "moon cakes", Indian curries, and popularly,
tortillas on offer to astronauts. But the 21st-century versions do little to
ease the difficulties of eating in zero gravity, according to the world's first
celebrity space chef. - Raja Murthy (Oct 7,
'09)
THE MOGAMBO GURU
Dry guide to 'recovery'
United States legislators, woefully ignorant of how the financial system works
and how it got the world into the present mess, need only a glance at the
exotic-sounding Baltic Dry Index to find out how strong the so-called recovery
is - it isn't. (Oct 6, '09)
Pakistan goes for militants' jugular
The pieces are all in place for Pakistan to launch an all-out attack on the
Pakistani Taliban and al-Qaeda in the Waziristan tribal areas on the Afghan
border. The formerly reluctant military is fully on board, the United States is
actively assisting with intelligence, and most important, the financial
lifeblood of the militants is being squeezed as never before. - Syed Saleem
Shahzad (Oct 6, '09)
Ghost of Thaksin's past visits
Abhisit
Even as Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva works hard to assure foreign investors
and diplomats that Thailand's recent turmoil is no cause for concern, he is
struggling to control his unwieldy and scandal-tainted coalition. Whether
Abhisit can maintain his clean image while in league with coalition partners
and party members who seem bent on self-enrichment may determine his political
future. - Seth Kane (Oct 6, '09)
Payback time
Efforts to cut back on the vast rewards to United States bankers whose
activities undermine society as a whole could be bad news for girls happy to be
named on the school "slut list" in up-market New Jersey - unless their folks
actually work for Goldman Sachs. - Julian Delasantellis
(Oct 6, '09)
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David P
Goldman
(Oct 8, '09)
Are we due for a repeat of [Paul Volcker's rate] tightening? Not a chance.
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Duty
call trips
Russia steel game
Russian steel bosses and coal-miners, in Beijing this week with Russian Prime
Minister Vladimir Putin hoping to secure business-bolstering agreements with
China, have been done few favors by a Russian Trade Ministry recommendation for
a near 30% penalty duty on imported Chinese line pipes. As it is, the Russians
appear to be playing Chinese checkers, while the Chinese are playing something
much more complex. - John Helmer
MARKET RAP
Asia advances, weakens
Asian markets continue to advance, but there are indications that momentum is
flagging and national markets are diverging from the trend as a whole. One way
or another, caution is increasingly called for.
R M Cutler runs his eye over the ups and downs in the week's markets.
THE BEAR'S LAIR
When money is worthless
The increasing attraction to hedge funds of physical commodities as an
investment rather than commodity futures raises the specter of supply
shortages, severe disruptions to industries, and worse. - Martin Hutchinson
CREDIT BUBBLE BULLETIN
Dollar dilemma
Continued weakness in the US dollar is being met by calls for Washington to
implement a true strong-dollar policy, such as by increasing interest rates or
trimming the country's federal deficit. Yet, such restraint is just not going
to happen. Rather, central banks will be pressured to buy a lot more dollars.
Doug Noland looks at the previous week's events each Monday.
FROM THE BLOG
Comedy act by Bernanke
Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke's warning that he might tighten credit
some time, some day, combined with White House economic advisor Larry Summers'
ringing defense of a strong dollar, are a comic-opera spoof of former Fed chief
Paul Volcker's Wagnerian drama. - David Goldman
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"... Obama will not tolerate the US running away [from Afghanistan] as some
fools perennially and lamely champion. ..." - Robster
"... Afghanistan is a lost cause! Negotiating with the Taliban for the sake of
a dignified withdrawal is not "running away", just a prudent acknowledgement of
reality. As long as the Taliban agree to sever all ties with al-Qaeda and all
other terrorist groups, why not concede Afghanistan to them?" - MonsoonWind
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From Our Mailbox
[Re When 5+1 = 1+1
in the Iran equation, October 7] The message of the United States'
allies on Iran is music to the ears of Iran haters, but at the same time their
business people are all over Iran buying and selling anything and everything
with the US frozen out.
Fariborz S Fatemi
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to Letters to the Editor |
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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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permission.
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(Holdings), Ltd.
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Office: Unit B, 16/F, Li Dong Building, No. 9 Li Yuen Street East,
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