By Asoka Bandarage Given changing geopolitical alliances and the increasing importance of Sri Lanka’s strategic location in the Indian Ocean, the outcome of the presidential elections on Tuesday will be decisive domestically, regionally and internationally. Sri Lanka provided the prototype of 21st century terrorism. According to the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, “The LTTE [Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam] perfected the use of suicide bombers, invented the suicide bomb belt, pioneered the use of women in suicide attacks … assassinated two world leaders [former Indian premier Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan president Ranasinghe Premadasa] – the only terrorist organization … Continue reading Whither Sri Lanka?

By Nick Turse One moment there was the hum of a motor in the sky above. The next, on a recent morning in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, a missile blasted a home, killing 13 people. Days later, the same increasingly familiar mechanical whine preceded a two-missile salvo that slammed into a compound in Degan village in the North Waziristan tribal area of Pakistan, killing three. What were once unacknowledged, relatively infrequent targeted killings of suspected militants or terrorists in the George W Bush years have become commonplace under the Barack Obama administration. And since a devastating December 30 suicide attack by … Continue reading Drone surge: Today, tomorrow and 2047

By Eli Clifton WASHINGTON – China reacted strongly to Hillary Clinton’s speech in which the United States secretary of state called on it to investigate security breaches which preceded Google’s decision last week to end its cooperation with Chinese Internet censorship. And on Sunday, A Chinese Industry Ministry spokesman flatly rejected claims Beijing was behind the recent cyber attacks. “The accusation that the Chinese government participated in [any] cyber attack, either in an explicit or inexplicit way, is groundless,” the spokesman said. “We [are] firmly opposed to that.” The state-run China Daily said the US’s strategy was “to exploit its … Continue reading Echoes of ideologies clashing

By Jian Junbo SHANGHAI – The United States’ relations with China during President Barack Obama’s first year in office climbed and plummeted like a rollercoaster ride. Many in China will recall Obama’s kind words and friendly gestures in a state visit last November, when he told young people in a City Hall-style meeting in Shanghai that America could learn from China because of its great history and culture. While his words still echo in the ears of many, his actions since may stick in others’ throats. The Obama administration has decided to sell updated and advanced weapons to Taiwan, and … Continue reading US and China pick their fights

By Sami Moubayed DAMASCUS – United States President Joseph Biden landed in Baghdad on Friday amid speculation that he might help hammer out differences between Sunnis and Shi’ites ahead of Iraq’s March 7 parliamentary elections. Sunni politicians are furious at having a number of their candidates disqualified by the Accountability and Justice Committee, with the silent blessing of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. The list of 511 banned candidates in fact includes more Shi’ite politicians than Sunnis, but a number of senior Sunnis are included. According to reports from Baghdad, the blacklist could snowball to include 6,000 candidates, with many more … Continue reading Sunnis scramble for allies

By M K Bhadrakumar United States Defense Secretary Robert Gates is not new to the field of diplomacy in the South Asian region. The “Gates Mission” in 1990 to defuse a cascading wave of India-Pakistan tensions is the stuff of legends. Historians are still in two minds whether Gates deserves to be credited for having conceivably averted the world’s first nuclear war. In comparison, Gates’ mission to New Delhi and Islamabad last week wasn’t breathtaking but it stood out as a pivotal moment. He was choreographing the US’s global strategy. Gates charms Indians … Delhi faces an existential dilemma: it … Continue reading US woos India back to the Bush era

The latest supposed message from Osama bin Laden underlines his weakness, not his strength Richard Kemp ‘God willing, our raids on you will continue,” said Osama bin Laden — or someone purporting to be him — in a message broadcast on al-Jazeera over the weekend. The blunt message to “Obama from Osama” is intended to reaffirm that, despite Barack Obama’s overtures to the Islamic world, he and his country remain infidels, every bit as evil as they were under George W. Bush. But ignore the bloodcurdling rhetoric. That bin Laden was reduced to claiming that the failed Christmas Day attempt … Continue reading Al-Qaeda is losing. Prepare for a daring hit

A 16-year-old girl who was raped in Bangladesh has been given 101 lashes for conceiving during the assault. By Dean Nelson, South Asia Editor telegraph The girl’s father was also fined and warned the family would be branded outcasts from their village if he did not pay. According to human rights activists, the girl, who was quickly married after the attack, was divorced weeks later after medical tests revealed she was pregnant. The girl was raped by a 20-year-old villager in Brahmanbaria district in April last year. Bangladesh’s Daily Star newspaper reported that she was so ashamed following the attack … Continue reading Rape victim receives 101 lashes for becoming pregnant