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Little Laos relishes its big moment
 For
the first time, Laos will host the Southeast Asian Games, with the 25th edition
of the 11-country sporting fest taking place next month. The tiny landlocked
country has had to rely on massive foreign aid - notably from China - to stage
the event, arousing considerable scorn in some circles. Yet, the enduring theme
of Laos' history has been its engagement with and dependence on foreign powers.
For Laos, this is a glorious coming-out for the one-party state.
- Simon Creak (Nov 4, '09)
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Russia,
India and China go their ways
Despite its best efforts, Russia failed at a recent trilateral summit to get
India and China to agree to a common regional initiative regarding Afghanistan.
This failure ensures that the United States can now press ahead with its own
strategy of striking grand bargains individually with these key players. - M K
Bhadrakumar (Nov 4, '09)
Iraqis divide ahead of elections
Any hopes that sectarianism was on the way out in Iraq died with the massive
August 19 and October 25 terror attacks in Baghdad. Sects and communities are
once again divided, and the coalitions that have been formed to contest
January's elections are a clear reflection of these poisoned waters. - Sami
Moubayed (Nov 4, '09)
US frets over Tokyo drift
The United States-Japan alliance remains a cornerstone of US security in the
Pacific, but Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's pledges to create more
independence for Japan and a viable East Asian community have led to
uncertainty in Washington. Domestically, Hatoyama faces a delicate balancing
act as he attempts to satisfy the demands of the public, pacifist coalition
members, and an ever-more assertive Japanese military. - Peter J Brown
(Nov 4, '09)
Who will be the last frog in the well?
After centuries of Sinocentrism behind the Great Wall and secretive imperial
politics within the Forbidden City, China's opening up and thirst for a greater
understanding of the foreign world has sparked a global Chinese renaissance in
engineering, computing and the classical arts. Should the West not try and
dispel its suspicions over this model of modernization, it runs a real risk of
being left behind. - David Gosset (Nov 4,
'09)
Obama's world outreach teetering
Just months after well-received speeches in Turkey and Egypt, setbacks from
Afghanistan to the West Bank to Pakistan, Iraq and Iran have seen belief plunge
in the Muslim world over United States President Barack Obama and his plans for
progress. With this, anti-US sentiment is back on the rise. - Jim Lobe
(Nov 4, '09)
INTERVIEW
Ex-hostage 'sick and tired' of
rhetoric
Bruce Laingen, a former United States diplomat among those held hostage in
Tehran for 444 days, agrees that the US and Iran should find a basis for a new
relationship. But first Iran needs to end its anti-American tirades, he says. - Golnaz
Esfandiari (Nov 4, '09)
China's Three Gorges Dam comes of age
Fifteen years since work began and at a cost of between US$8 billion to $27
billion, the water level in the reservoir behind the Three Gorges Dam on the
Yangtze River will soon reach its final height of 175 meters. Officials,
though, aren't celebrating too loudly: as China searches for new forms of
renewable energy, the dam has become a monument to obsolete ambitions.
(Nov 3, '09)
The polling booths are finally
closed
The Independent Election Commission in Afghanistan has vigorously defended its
decision to hand President Hamid Karzai a second five-year term following the
withdrawal of his challenger, Abdullah Abdullah. At the same time, the
commission makes it clear the matter is not up for debate - it's time to move
on, like it or not. - Derek Henry Flood (Nov
3, '09)
DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA
Afghanistan as a bailout state
In Washington's terms, the disaster unfolding daily in Afghanistan is not the
definition of failure. In economic lingo, it now falls into the category of
"too big to fail", which means upping the ante; America's leaders always opt
for more in counter-insurgency disasters rather than cutting their losses. - Tom
Engelhardt (Nov 3, '09)
Fighting the 'good' war
Afghanistan is not Washington's "good war", though it is now characterized in
that fashion not only by the Republican right wing but by President Barack
Obama and many Democrats who were critical of the "Bush" Iraq war. - Jack A
Smith (Nov 3, '09)
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Drugs, guns and war in Myanmar
Insurgent groups in the north of Myanmar have begun flooding the region with
cheap narcotics to boost revenues as part of a concerted weapons build-up. An
illicit trade that for years benefited the military leadership may now help
fund a re-ignited civil conflict that has the potential to spill over and
rattle relations with close ally Beijing. - Brian McCartan
(Nov 3, '09)
Refugees turn their backs on Iraq
Since Iraq descended into a living 
nightmare in 2003, about 1.4 million refugees have streamed over the border
into Syria - particularly in the wake of escalating sectarian attacks. It's
tough going in the adopted country, especially for Christians such as Leila
Johana, but she is not going back to Iraq. - Stephen Starr
(Nov 3, '09)
New heights for Singapore
property
Singapore's property market, buffeted as the city-state felt the full brunt of
the global financial crisis, is rebounding so strongly that home sales are
setting records and potential buyers are leaving blank checks with agents to
secure new apartments in new projects. - Megawati Wijaya
(Nov 3, '09)
China electrifies urban transit
Chinese companies such as Zhengzhou Yutong Bus and Anhui Ankai Automobile
China, at present little known outside their home country, are seeking to lead
the world in making public buses fit for a health-conscious world. In their
favor is a vast and growing urban population - and a government determined to
clean up China's megacities. - Ryan Rutkowski
(Nov 3, '09)
THE BEAR'S LAIR
Bernanke learns from the wrong
crash
United States Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke, noted as a specialist on
the 1929 market crash and the Great Depression, would be better off looking at
other financial disasters over the centuries for lessons more pertinent to the
present crisis. - Martin Hutchinson (Nov 3,
'09)
US goofs the Afghan election
Presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah's withdrawal from a runoff that he had
scant chance of winning ends what had become a mere sideshow to more
significant events unfolding in Kabul. President Hamid Karzai can now firmly
take center stage. He has turned the tables on Western powers that would have
seen him vilified and overthrown, and, if the rift worsens, he could yet blow
the lid on an explosive issue: the role of foreign troops in the narcotics
trade. - M K Bhadrakumar (Nov 2, '09)
Al-Qaeda has plans for its new
recruit
With the recent appointment of Ilyas Kashmiri as head of its military
committee, al-Qaeda has recruited a veteran who learned his trade on the
battlefields of Afghanistan and during the insurgency against India in disputed
Kashmir. Ilyas also took with him his elite 313 Brigade, which al-Qaeda claims
it now wants to unleash. A foiled plot in Denmark could be a prelude. - Syed
Saleem Shahzad (Nov 2, '09)
 SPENGLER
The idiot twins of
American idealism
It is mad to believe, as the George W Bush administration did, that the United
States can remake the world in its own image. It is even madder to turn foreign
policy into an affirmative action program for disadvantaged or dying cultures.
In such lean times, Washington's "realists" do not seem focused on what should
be a core interest, fostering viable partners for the future and jettisoning
those that are beyond viability. - Spengler (Nov
2, '09)
Sechin divides the Black Sea
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin appears 
to have overturned the long-term strategic perspective on how the country
should use the Black Sea as an energy transit route. Out goes Bulgaria as a
terminal and key partner; in comes Turkey with a much-enhanced role - with all
waters muddied by claim and counter-claim. - John Helmer
(Nov 2, '09)
Chinese general enters US military core
Ahead of United States President Barack Obama's first official visit to
Beijing, China's second-highest officer became the first People's Liberation
Army member to visit US Strategic Command headquarters. Both sides are sending
the right signals in pursuit of strengthening military-to-military ties;
beneath the surface, improved relations do not appear an urgent priority. - Peter
J Brown (Nov 2, '09)
Sikhs take stock of 1984
In October 1984, the assassination of prime minister Indira Gandhi led to the
massacre of thousands of Sikhs. India now has a Sikh premier and ruling
Congress party leaders say they have won the hearts of the Sikh community. But
not all Sikhs are appeased; they are still waiting for justice. - Sudha
Ramachandran (Nov 2, '09)
NATO forces turn to warlords
Afghan warlords are earning millions of dollars from North Atlantic Treaty
Organization forces to guard forward operating bases and supply convoys. Their
ruthless private armies are reviled by much of the public, and are likely to
turn their rifles on NATO forces should the protection money dry up. - Gareth
Porter (Oct 30, '09)
Doubles, toil and trouble in Pyongyang
 North
Korean leader Kim Jong-il's sprightly appearance in a spate of public showings
since he reportedly suffered a stroke, including meetings with China's Premier
Wen Jiabao and former United States president Bill Clinton, has re-ignited
rumors there is a troupe of look-alike Dear Leader actors. - Donald Kirk
(Oct 30, '09)
AN ATOL INVESTIGATION
Deep inside Indonesia's kill
zone
 Indonesia's
Detachment 88 counter-terrorism teams are seen by some critics as too willing
to kill suspects and so do away with the need for long trials of suspected
jihadis. Yet the training of these crisis response teams, and their weaponry,
is in many ways inadequate for confronting at close quarters suicidal and
well-armed opponents. - John McBeth (Oct 30,
'09)
<IT WORLD>
Microsoft reliable as ever
Microsoft has maintained its reputation for delivering fierce headaches along
with its new software offerings. Many would-be users of Windows 7 are
discovering that the company's new operating system fails to install
satisfactorily and their computers then refuse to restore the old system.
Martin J Young surveys the week's developments in computing, science,
gaming and gizmos. (Oct 30, '09)
Ill winds over Iran's nuclear draft
The contents of Iran's response to a fuel-for-fuel draft proposal from the
International Atomic Energy Agency for Tehran's low-enriched uranium have not
been officially disclosed. Already, though, both inside Iran and in the United
States, the initiative is under attack. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi
(Oct 30, '09
 CHAN
AKYA
Time to go Dutch
The ruling by the European Union Commissioner for Competition that Dutch bank
ING Groep should sell its insurance unit and US banking arm demonstrates that
the Europeans, unlike their US counterparts, are taking the right route
regarding stewardship of the global financial system.
(Oct 30, '09)
SINOGRAPH
China no longer
a law unto itself
China and the West, in particular ancient Rome and Greece, followed markedly
different routes on the way to developing the legal systems in use today. The
West was notably influenced by the needs of merchants and the market place for
equitable regulation, while China saw this as a threat to central power. As
China steps onto the international stage, it will have to reconcile such
differences. - Francesco Sisci (Oct 22, '09)
Helicopter rumors refuse to die
The United States is battling yet another rumor in Afghanistan, that Western
forces are using helicopters to transport Taliban fighters from the volatile
south to the north of the country. Officials have dismissed the claims as
rubbish, but locals are sticking to their stories. - Ahmad Kawoosh
(Oct 28, '09)
Taliban take over Afghan province
 Following
the withdrawal of United States troops from key bases, the Taliban have taken
control of Afghanistan's Nuristan province. It is now under Qari Ziaur Rahman,
a Taliban commander with strong ties to Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda. With this
haven, the Taliban's first goal is to disrupt next month's runoff presidential
election, then to assist militants in Pakistan. - Syed Saleem Shahzad
(Oct 28, '09)
 SUN
WUKONG
Insurers denied run of property
The Chinese government's decision to allow insurance companies to invest some
of their near US$500 billion in holdings directly in real estate has property
developers keenly anticipating a new inflow of cash. Yet the red tape with
which Beijing is tying up the reform should be sufficient to ensure no quick
bucks - or sharp losses - for anyone. - Wu Zhong
(Oct 26, '09)
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David P
Goldman
(Nov 3, '09)
Citigroup was a sick-puppy-in-a-poke. I knew what evil lurked in its back book
...
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China
hints at move
to rein in growth
China's decision to increase the number of funds that invest domestic savings
in overseas markets may be a prelude to a tighter monetary policy as the
country's recovering economy surges towards double-digit growth. - Olivia Chung
Jaipur blaze challenges
India's oil priorities
A week-long fatal oil inferno 
close to the famed Indian "Pink City" of Jaipur, soon after a similar blaze in
Puerto Rico, has raised concerns about placing oil depots close to population
centers and local authorities' failure to limit residential and other
developments in their proximity. The priorities of Indian Oil Corp's management
are also being challenged. - Raja Murthy
Power shift
 The
vast amounts given to banks since the global financial crisis broke have not
altered the deflationary forces of contracting credit in the US economy. If
business continues to slow amid record government deficits, doubts legitimately
grow over the safety of US debt - and raise the possibility of even greater
expansion of the International Monetary Fund's political and financial clout. - Doug
Wakefield with Ben Hill
Bernankeism - the art
of spreading starvation
Ben Bernanke, from well before he was appointed United States Federal Reserve
chairman, guided the US and global economies increasingly towards a world in
which speculators profited and the masses went hungry. Worse is still to come.
- Hossein Askari and Noureddine Krichene
FROM THE BLOG
Overexposed Citi
If you want to own Citi, wait. The stock will become cheaper. It has more
exposure to consumer credit card debt than any of its peers and will continue
to waste away for several quarters. - David Goldman
CREDIT BUBBLE BULLETIN
The newest abnormal
It's as if there's a contest to coin a catchy phrase that will gain popular
acceptance - and persuade the public that everything in the garden is rosy, or
at least heading that way. Now we have the "new normal" - a misnomer for what
is, in fact, the "new abnormal" of unrelenting monetary disorder.
Doug Noland looks at the previous week's events each Monday.
(Nov 2, '09)
MARKET RAP
No silver lining
An end-of-week revival in prices put a positive sheen on recent trading that
might survive for a few more days. The longer prospect is for more or less
generalized declines.
R M Cutler runs his eye over the ups and downs in the week's markets.
(Oct 30, '09)
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"Chan [Akya], re your latest offering,
Time to go Dutch: ... If the Europeans can do it, why can't the
Americans?" - MonsoonWind
"[I]t appears that in the case of America, the banks ARE the government ...
lacking a backbone or at least specific understanding of the banking system,
the US government (represented by Bernanke, Geithner et al) needs the
'approval' of the banks to effect any reforms. ..." - Chan Akya
"[I]n Europe, (1) ideology plays a far smaller role than in US, specifically
'social concerns' and 'regulation' are not dirty words in European
business/political worlds; (2) debate/decision making defers to the
intellectual elites, whereas in the US, debate/decision defers to infotainment
talk shows which [are] really puppet shows run by 'power elites' ..." - ding73ding
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From Our Mailbox
[Re Afghanistan as
a bailout state, November 3] Tom Engelhardt tells it like it is. It was
United States politicians and the US military that made the mess in Afghanistan
and Pakistan, and now they are pouring in more to make the "Big Muddy" bigger
and deeper. Why is it that we elect such stupid people?
Campaign Manager
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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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