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The Terrorist Attack In Iran

May 29th 2009 05:22
: Why would anyone do this?
Why?


It was a sad day in Iran yesterday. There was an attack on a Mosque in the City of Zahedan in Southeastern Iran, near the border with Pakistan. 19 people died while attending Friday prayers to commemorate a major religious event . According to the dispatch I reviewed from the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), the wounded included a 4 year old child.


The Governor of the Province said that arrests have been made. What I found bothersome is how lawless that region of Iran has become. What the world needs to realize is that the attack is significant on several fronts. First of, this occured near the border with Pakistan. The troubles in Pakistan are on the front pages of world news everyday. Two days ago, Lahore was attacked. Yesterday, it was Peshawar's turn.

The Southeast border region of Iran and Pakistan has become the new "Golden Triangle" that is a major transit route to transport Afghan drugs. So, this notion of Karzai claiming that 25 provinces are "opium-free" is just baseless. Iranian security agents lose their lives everyday fighting the drug runners. This story is one of the most underreported stories in the so-called mainstream media around the world.

It is the paramount reason why the drug cancer and the insurgency it is feeding must be eradicated. Failure is truly not an option.

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The Laurel and Hardy of South Asia Speak!!!

May 10th 2009 22:20
: Should we believe them?
Zardari and Karzai, the Laurel and Hardy of South Asia, have spoken on the predicament faced by their countries. Zardari was quite forceful and eloquent in laying out the stark choices. He is asking for more help:




I think he's absolutely right when he notes that it is not really rocket science that more development is needed. But, the problem is the inherent crony structure that Pakistani Politics has right now. If the Pakistanis are able to overcome the Taliban menance, let's see how they will construct the day after. There lies their challenge.

As for Karzai, all I can say about him is that he is one slick sales guy. For someone who has to depend on the U.S. for his personal safety, who has presided over 7 years of failure, he has a lot of nerve. It appeared that he cited statsitics fully realizing what the questions were beforehand. The sad part of it is that there is no Alternative.

The whole world is hoping that Pakistan prevails in erasing this "cancer" that Zardari correctly noted both America and Pakistan helped create. The challenge is the day after. The bigger challenge is what will be done with Afghanistan.

There is no rest for the weary..that's for sure!!!
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Obama & the AfPak Dynamic Duo

May 7th 2009 03:38
: How low can we go?
The Image
What a Beautiful Scene

The useless Karzai and the playboy Zardari have seen President Obama. I am sure that the President read the riot act to both of them. When I saw the President's statement, everyone was happy and gong-ho. I am still trying to understand why the United States supports such men who have been nothing but a disaster for their countries.

If a choice is between bad and worst, I would rather take a bad choice. The Taliban continue their advance throughout Pakistan. If I was a betting man, I'd bet that the Pakistan Army will defeat the Taliban and provide a semblance of stability. But that still does not address the long term structural and systemic problems both Pakistan and Afghanistan have. Karzai does not even have control over Kabul after 5:00 PM. His own brother is a reputed drug runner and arms smuggler.

As I saw both men standing besides President Obama, they reminded me of used car salesmen. They are slick, dress well, eloquent and sure know how to entice U.S. Media. The problem I have is with U.S Policy. The United States has had such policies ever since the end of the second world war, where it backed the wrong guy and ended up paying for it strategically for years. Now, Richard Holbrooke has come out in support of Zardari. In addition, it is increasingly likely that Karzai is the guy that will be with us for a while longer. There is no credible challenger to him as Afghanistan gears up to elect its' next President. With the Taliban being in control of over 80% of the country, I wonder how could such an election be even possible.

It is very much an option question whether the present path will work. The U.S. Government needs to take Gideon Rachman's words to heart, when he noted that ".....the only long-term hpoe for stabilising Afghanistan and Pakistan is to develop sustainable governments that have roots and support in the societies they are attempting to govern." (Source: http://www.ft.com, retrieved May 5, 2009). I see no other way.

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The Continued Happy Talk About Iraq & Afghanistan

May 1st 2009 09:51
: And the Truth???????????!!!!!!??????
I caught the program, Empire, that Al Jazeera's Marwan Bishara hosts talking about U.S. Foreign Policy and the future. The analysis done is chilling. The session he hosted had Seymour Hersch, Lakhmar Brahimi and Tariq Ali. Tariq Ali and Seymour Hersch are considered "lefties" by the Conservative Community. But, sometimes lefites have words of wisdom that should be listened to.

In Iraq, there is some consesus that there is reasonable security. Hannity, in his radio interview on Thursday with Governor Rendell of Pennsylvania, said that the United States won the Iraq war. My reaction was, really? How? The fact is that Suicide bombers are back in fashion as America begins to withdraw. If the United States did in fact win, then why do we still have 150,000 troops in that country? Why are people dying


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An Alternative View of Obama's Plan For Afghanistan

April 1st 2009 07:07
: Washington Ought To Listen....
I have continued to express reservations about Afghanistan and have profoundly concerned about the way ahead. I think Pepe Escobar's Report is as insightful as it gets:
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Witness to History: An Historical Inauguration

January 21st 2009 04:12
: ..and now the real work begins......
History.....
A New Dawn Has Arrived


Barack Hussein Obama is now the 44th President of the United States. Throughout my lifetime, I have had the privilege to read on the traditions and was finally able to be a true witness to this momentous transfer of power due to the power of technology. I have continued to marvel at how someone with so much power gives it up so willingly because the people are truly sovereign in America. This was quite moving when the President and the First Lady escorted Former Mr. and Mrs. Bush


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