By Gary LaMoshi DENPASAR, Bali – What a difference a quarter makes. United States President Barack Obama, who spent two years in Indonesia as schoolboy Barry Soetoro, was first scheduled to visit Indonesia in March, but legislative obligations pushed the highly anticipated visit back to mid-June. Over the past 10 weeks, much has changed for both Obama and Indonesia, the world’s third-largest democracy. In March, Obama had the look of a loser. The US economy was still in the tank. Healthcare reform, Obama’s major legislative initiative, seemed destined for defeat. The foiled Christmas Day bombing of a US airliner as … Continue reading Obama, Yudhoyono share a challenge

By Robert Tait His tranquil demeanor has earned him the moniker “Gandhi”, but Kemal Kilicdaroglu will need to show a more pugnacious face than that of Indian spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi’s passivity if he is to meet the rising tide of optimism unleashed by his election as leader of Turkey’s main opposition party. In just a few days, this unprepossessing mustachioed former civil servant has been transformed from obscurity into a potent symbol of hope that the long-dormant Republic People’s Party (CHP) can complete the long march from opposition to the corridors of power that were its intended destiny when it … Continue reading Turkey’s ‘Gandhi’ takes the reins

By Jing-dong Yuan MONTEREY, California – Amid major changes in global and regional security and economic environments, the second United States-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue (SED) achieved some modest results – even as few were expected. The meeting took place in Beijing this week after a brief period of estrangement this year when the Chinese government reacted vehemently to the Barack Obama administration’s decision to sell arms to Taiwan and the US president’s meeting with the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader. The Copenhagen summit on climate change, the Google showdown and the issue of currency revaluation have raised … Continue reading US-China gains are modest, yet vital

By Sreeram Chaulia By persuading Iran to transfer abroad 1,200 kilograms of low-enriched uranium in return for higher enriched nuclear fuel for use in a reactor, Turkey and Brazil have stolen the diplomatic high ground from Western powers at a crucial juncture. A negotiated settlement to the Iranian nuclear imbroglio is in the best interests of the Middle East and for global energy security. That Turkey and Brazil, two non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, could gain the trust of Iranian interlocutors and convince them to enter into the fuel exchange deal is testimony to the expanding diplomatic prowess … Continue reading Diplomacy falls on deaf ears

By Pepe Escobar Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was scheduled to meet Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva this Thursday in Brasilia. As much as the Barack Obama administration has been moving mountains to undermine the Iranian nuclear fuel swap deal mediated by Brazil and Turkey, both leaders (and US allies) are far from dropping the ball. They may have mountain ranges to climb, but their point has resonated across much of the world; were it not for the mediation of two emerging powers and honest brokers, Iran would have never accepted what was in fact a slightly modified United … Continue reading Iran: Obama’s other oil spill

By Robert M Cutler MONTREAL – Events this week confirm that Turkmenistan has taken a decisive strategic decision to diversify its gas exports not only beyond Russia but also beyond China. First, and perhaps most spectacularly, Ashgabat has announced that it will rely upon its own financial resources and technology to renovate and rebuild the East-West Pipeline across the southern part of the country, opening the possibility that gas from the eastern provinces of Turkmenistan may eventually transit to Europe. That strengthens the prospects for the Nabucco pipeline project, which is planned to take gas from the Caspian Sea basin throughGeorgia and … Continue reading Tectonic shift under way in Turkmen gas

Vincenzo Oliveti Patrick Sookhdeo’s article (July 30, 2005) in London’s The Spectator, “The Myth of a Moderate Islam” reflects a dangerous trend in the war on terror. Under the guise of informing Westerners about Islam, he is in fact spreading the very same disinformation that anti-Islamic polemics have been based upon for over 1,000 years. This plays directly into the hands of Osama bin Laden, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and others, for it encourages the “clash of civilizations” they so appallingly desire. It is indeed of the utmost importance that we learn more about Islam and fight the scourge of extremism … Continue reading The Myth of “The Myth of Moderate Islam”

Losing Facebook Inside Pakistan’s decision to crack down on the Web. Arif Ali / AFP-Getty ImagesAt a demonstration in Lahore this week, protesters rallied against caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad on Facebook. Inside the Lahore courtroom, spectators burst into applause. Judge Ijaz Chaudhry had just ordered a ban on Facebook for “deliberately and recklessly” posting “very blasphemous content”—a proposal for an “Everybody Draw Muhammad Day” on the popular social networking site. It was an ironic—and probably difficult—decision for Chaudhry. Back in 2007, when he was among more than 60 judges ousted and arrested by Pakistan’s then-military-led government, he was returned … Continue reading Facebook was responsible for empowering these damn mullahs in the first place!

Republicans and the Tea Party of No by: Arun Gupta, t r u t h o u t | Op-Ed (Image: Lance Page / t r u t h o u t; Adapted: Christian Haugen, webtreats) As much as they may grumble, there is a legitimate reason why the Republicans have been labeled the “Party of No.” For decades, the party’s kneejerk stance has been to oppose any legislation or policy involving social, economic or political progress. You name it, the right has opposed it: civil rights, school desegregation, women’s rights, labor organizing, the minimum wage, social security, LGBT rights, … Continue reading Republicans and the Tea Party of No hopers!

Nine Myths About Socialism in the US by: Bill Quigley, t r u t h o u t | Op-Ed (Photo: Fibonacci Blue) Glenn Beck and other far right multi-millionaires are claiming that the US is hot on the path toward socialism. Part of their claim is that the US is much more generous and supportive of our working and poor people than other countries. People may wish it was so, but it is not. As Sen. Patrick Moynihan used to say “Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. But everyone is not entitled to their own facts.” The fact … Continue reading Myths About Socialism in the US