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The
'other' Kurdistan seethes with rage
While Iraqi Kurdistan elects its own parliament and forges oil contracts
independent of Baghdad, other ethnic Kurdish insurgents from Iran, Syria and
Turkey are flooding into remote redoubts in the fearsome Qandil Mountains to
battle nation-states that have persecuted them for decades. With Turkish
warplanes above and Iranian artillery firing over the border, Asia Times Online
traced a torturous path to speak with Kurdish guerrillas. - Derek Henry Flood
(Oct 15, '09)
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Taliban have a free ride in Kunduz
Once one of the most stable provinces in Afghanistan, parts of Kunduz are
falling under Taliban control, so much so that the insurgents ride around with
impunity in captured police vehicles. The governor of Kunduz blames Pakistan
for the emergence of the insurgents, while others point fingers at the United
States. - Gul Rahim Niazmand (Oct 15, '09)
Maoists go on pilgrimage in China
 Nepal's
top Maoist leader and former prime minister, Prachanda, took time out on his
trip this week to China to visit the birthplace of Mao Zedong. Prachanda has a
deep-seated interest in original communist concepts, and in comparing them with
present-day realities. Beijing is looking for a dependable ally in Kathmandu,
and Prachanda believes his Maoists can take on this role, he tells Asia Times
Online. - Dhruba Adhikary (Oct 15, '09)
India takes off against 'Red
Taliban'
The Indian Air Force has requested government permission to fire in
self-defense should its helicopters or crew operating in Maoist areas come
under attack, marking a significant change in India's counter-insurgency
strategy against what are now being called the "Red Taliban". - Sudha
Ramachandran (Oct 15, '09)
ADRIFT ON A RUSSIAN ISLAND, Part 1
Koreans left high and dry
When Sakhalin Island, off Russia's east coast, became a Japanese colony in
1905, thousands of Koreans were brought in to work in the fishery and timber
industries. When the Soviet Union regained the island 45 years later, the
Koreans became virtual prisoners, and a stormy coexistence began that lasts to
this day. - Andrei Lankov (Oct 15, '09)
This is the first article in a two-part report.
Taiwan tones down celebrations
Unlike mainland China, with its 
mammoth 60th anniversary celebrations, Taiwan celebrated its national day in a
less glitzy fashion due to the recent deadly typhoon. In his muted address,
President Ma Ying-jeou acknowledged warmer cross-strait ties, while adding he
had not forgotten about a possible military threat from that direction. - Lin
Zixin (Oct 15, '09)
AN ATol EXCLUSIVE
Al-Qaeda's guerrilla chief lays out
strategy
 The
top field commander of al-Qaeda, in an exclusive interview with Asia Times
Online, proves he is alive and well after repeated drone attacks and delineates
in broad strokes al-Qaeda's strategy. The Afghanistan trap, baited on September
11, 2001, has been sprung, says formidable guerrilla leader Ilyas Kashmiri, and
events from Gaza to Mumbai should not be seen in isolation but as part of the
master plan to bloody the United States and its proxies. - Syed Saleem Shahzad
(Oct 14, '09)
Omaha greets an unusual visitor from
China
People's Liberation Army Colonel Yao Yunzhu is frequently invited to
international conferences because she is one of only a handful of military
researchers in China who speaks English well. But what was she doing at the
United States base near Omaha, Nebraska, which oversees all aspects of US
nuclear warfighting? - Peter J Brown (Oct 14,
'09)
Obama beset by America's far right
Neo-conservative heavyweights are working overtime to paint United States
President Barack Obama's foreign policy as designed to weaken and constrain
American power by abandoning the more aggressive policies of his predecessor,
George W Bush. The Nobel committee's decision to honor Obama, they say, only
hastens America's decline. - Jim Lobe (Oct
14, '09)
Gold's true standard bearers
As the price of gold soars, its rise is accompanied by a constant drumbeat
hammered out on and around United States talk-show programs to persuade
over-anxious, middle-aged Americans to buy Keynes' "barbarous yellow relic". - Julian
Delasantellis (Oct 14, '09)
Turkey won't play with Israel
Israel believes Turkey's cancellation of joint war games is linked to lingering
anger in Ankara over Israel's offensive on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, while
Turkey is trying to downplay what is clearly a blip in one of the region's most
strategic - and unlikely - relationships. (Oct 14,
'09)
Hawks still link Taliban to al-Qaeda
The relationship between Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network and the Taliban has
been a central issue in White House discussions on Afghanistan strategy that
began last month, with security officials insisting that Afghan insurgent
groups have "much closer ties to al-Qaeda now than they did before 9/11". - Gareth
Porter (Oct 14, '09)
Benchmarks prove elusive in Iran
talks
Russia has politely yet firmly rebuffed United States Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton's bid to secure Russian support for tougher sanctions on Iran
if talks on its nuclear program fail. This will please those in the
administration of President Barack Obama who prefer dialogue to threats. The
administration, though, does not speak with one voice. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi
(Oct 14, '09)
 SINOGRAPH
Asia steels for
challenges ahead
All of Asia has witnessed the United States battered and mired in Iraq and
Afghanistan, and buffeted by financial crisis. As the world's largest economy
takes stock, trends in Asia could take new directions and countries in the
region might decide it is more practical and efficient to sort out their
problems by themselves. - Francesco Sisci (Oct
14, '09)
China's rich throw lifeline to
the West
Western makers of luxury products are enjoying a sales boom in China, as the
number of rich Chinese continues to grow while the rest of the world struggles
amid the continuing downturn. - Olivia Chung (Oct
14, '09)
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)
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)
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
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)
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)
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)
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)
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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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Price
limit on China's Russian friendship
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's latest visit to China indicates that a
closer strategic cooperation is developing between the two countries. Beijing's
determination to drive a hard bargain on the price of gas imports, a change
from the offer of oil-related concessionary loans earlier this year, indicates
that the cooperation has its limits. - Robert M Cutler
Sechin's energy enigma
Russia's agreement in principle to supply up to 70 billion cubic meters a year
of natural gas by pipeline to China raises a discomfiting question for Deputy
Prime Minister Igor Sechin - if the Chinese haven't agreed on a price for the
gas, is there a real deal to sell it? Either way, gas monopoly Gazprom looks to
have come out ahead. - John Helmer
Bali escapes tide of recession
In the face of global economic woes and collapsing tourism markets, Indonesia's
top holiday destination is notching up record arrival numbers. - Muhammad Cohen
Tsang keeps purse strings tight
Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang, who oversees a city with about US$64
billion in fiscal reserves and a budget surplus even amid the present downturn,
used his annual policy address to promise redevelopment of a few old buildings
and to give handouts for light bulbs. The city's increasing numbers of
unemployed and impoverished appear to have disappeared off his radar. - Olivia
Chung
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.
(Oct 13, '09)
Doug Noland looks at the previous week's events each Monday.
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... You and I may well abhor the backblocks, narrow-minded fundamentalism of
the Taliban; yet arguably that is the reason the Taliban won [pre-2001]. By
emphasizing Islamic values and precepts they appealed to the only thing that
Afghans of all tribal affiliations have in common. - MonsoonWind
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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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All material on this
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permission.
Copyright 1999 - 2009 Asia Times Online
(Holdings), Ltd.
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Office: Unit B, 16/F, Li Dong Building, No. 9 Li Yuen Street East,
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