Shaan Akbar Militant groups, sponsored by Pakistan’s military, have turned on the state. They are not the product of a conspiracy hatched by any combination of Indians, Israelis or Americans. The only conspirators here are those who nurtured these groups For the last several months, we’ve witnessed Pakistan tread down the path of implosion. The country finds itself in a recession and is relying once again on the IMF for budgetary support. The military campaign in South Waziristan may have merely displaced militants who continue to carry out retaliatory bombings and assassinations in Pakistan proper. The nation’s allies (even the … Continue reading Geopolitical reality bites as Pakistans Mullahs wake people up against them

By Wu Zhong, China Editor HONG KONG – China’s tropical island province of Hainan is to be developed into a top international tourism resort by 2020, under ambitious plans announced this week by the State Council, or central government’s cabinet. The proposals include visa-free entry for foreigners, increased access for airlines, duty-free shopping, and possibly some relaxation of gambling regulations, which would help to attract tourists from within China. The unprecedented privileges will make Hainan, which is across the Gulf of Tonkin from Vietnam and which lies on the same latitude as northern parts of Laos and Thailand, the most … Continue reading Hainan tries (once more) to get rich

By Sudha Ramachandran BANGALORE – Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka’s presidential aspirations received a shot in the arm this week when a key Tamil party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), promised him support in presidential elections to be held on January 26. In an election in which the majority Sinhala vote seems split down the middle between the two frontrunners – incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa and the opposition’s Fonseka – the TNA’s endorsement of the latter could prove crucial. The TNA’s support of Fonseka is not without its ironies. Widely regarded as a proxy of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), … Continue reading Tamils emerge as kingmakers in Colombo

By Nelson Rand and Chandler Vandergrift UDON THANI and BANGKOK – Thailand’s United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) red-shirted protest movement is poised to launch a renewed campaign to topple Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva’s wobbly coalition government. The protests promise new rounds of instability after a period of relative political calm and threaten to derail the country’s still tentative economic recovery. The new push will commence on Monday with a planned rally of 10,000 protesters around a royal privy councilor’s allegedly ill-gotten land in a provincial forest reserve and eventuate in what UDD leaders contend will be a “decisive” … Continue reading Reds ready to rumble in Thailand

By Ian Williams WASHINGTON – From Mexico to Iraq, we can see the practical consequences of “wars” against abstractions, whether drugs or terror. In Yemen, there are signs that both President Ali Abdallah Saleh’s government and the Barack Obama administration are drawing back from repeating the mistakes of Afghanistan, and perhaps even of Somalia. Indeed, it is worth comparing Somalia with Yemen. In traditional Western terms, Somalia should have been almost the most successful state in Sub-Saharan Africa. Its population was homogenous in religion, language and culture, with a strong sense of identity. But what outsiders did not realize was … Continue reading US hand stayed – for now

Rtrs There’s a reason why people are often reluctant to stand up to bullies, especially when those bullies have an enormous size and strength advantage and are credibly threatening to hurt you very badly. And so it’s going to be very interesting to see what happens now that Iceland’s figurehead president, Olafur Grimsson, has suddenly decided to cause a major international incident by vetoing a bill which would have put his country’s citizens into billions of dollars in debt to bail out the UK and Dutch governments. In principle, I’m with Mish on this one: if you’re the president of … Continue reading Iceland stands up to bullies

William Maclean, Security Correspondent Rtrs LONDON Muslims arrive at Al Hidayah, a youth camp at Warwick University in Coventry, central England, August 9, 2009. Preacher Muhammed Tahir ul-Qadri, who addressed participants, conveyed a message of moderation, peace, inclusion and understanding. Photograph taken on August 9, 2009. REUTERS/Kieran Doherty LONDON (Reuters) – A report that a Nigerian who tried to down a U.S. airliner joined al Qaeda as a student in Britain has raised concerns about radical Islamists on UK campuses in a test for authorities trying to balance security and free speech. World Radicalization is a growing security worry after … Continue reading Plane plot stirs concern over UK campus militants