This report and linked reports by the BBC analyse the problems and opportunity for peace in the Middle East which the Bush administration has sponsored. Unfortunately there remain fundamental differences which will impede progress, including the exclusion of important stakeholders in the process (such as Hamas) and the favourable bias that many feel the US …
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Category:Risk and Terror
Iraq war costing twice as much as we were told
The US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are costing nearly double the amount previously thought, according to a report, War At Any Price?, by the Joint Economic Committee of the US Congress. (Press release here – pdf) It says “hidden costs” have pushed the total to about $1.5 trillion – nearly twice the requested $804 …
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Suu Kyi “optimism” – is it real or diplomatic?
We have been sanguine about the prospects of reform of the sad situation in Myanmar. The first sign that there might be positive change is the statement that Aung San Suu Kyi is optimistic that a dialogue might produce reconciliation with the military junta. He sentiment was revealed through intermediaries and comes as she communicates …
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Child military recruits in Myanmar
While this news is not surprising, the Burmese government is forcibly recruiting many children, some as young as age 10, into its armed forces. The Human Rights Watch report Sold to Be Soldiers: The Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers in Burma found that military recruiters and civilian brokers receive cash payments and other incentives …
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The US’s poor example of nuclear weapon management
From The Economist: Concerns were raised about the handling of America’s clear weaponry apparatus. Around 70 air force personnel, including four officers, were disciplined for an incident in August when six cruise missiles armed with nuclear warheads were mistakenly flown on the wing of a B-52 from North Dakota to Louisiana, a serious breach of …
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US sanctions on Iran – the pot calling the kettle black?
As expected, the US has stepped up its sanctions on Iran for “supporting terrorists” and pursuing nuclear activities – new measures target the finances of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and three state-owned banks. The US said the moves were part of “a comprehensive policy to confront the threatening behaviour of the Iranians”, while Iran …
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To be a journalist in Iraq – 2 die every week
A couple of years ago I met the founder of Globalegacy at The Frontline Club in London. While waiting, Pranvera Shema kindly allowed me to work in the bar upstairs. I had been to correspondents’ clubs before, but here I was struck by the number of sad stories of journalists dying in the line of …
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Iraq is a resounding success …
It’s The Oil by Jim Holt (a conservative Republican) puts us in the picture. While his pitch is depressing it’s also realistic and underlies all the concerns about the quagmire of Iraq. Bush/Cheney (or should we say Cheney/Bush) got what they wanted from their boondoggle to Iraq – oil and money. And the reason they’ve …
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Bloggers censored just like traditional media channels
Reporters Without Borders’ annual study of press freedom shows that blogging is becoming a serious media channel as bloggers are now finding themselves prey to censorship from repressive governments as much as journalists in traditional media. The report says governments realise the internet is now a key tool in promoting democracy and are moving to …
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Lying to ourselves
The delusion of our own integrity has worn thin. Linked here is an NYT editorial, The Good Germans Among Us, detailing the quilt of lies and deception that we have sewn to keep ourselves in “the right” while portraying others (Iraqis, Burmese, Chinese, Afghan …) as brutal, terrorists and wrong. While the tale is focussed …
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