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| September 13, 2001 | atimes.com | ||
 
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Osama bin Laden: Myths and reality Washington has long wanted to get its hands on Osama bin Laden, whom they wanted on international terrorism charges even before Tuesday's attack on the United States. The Taliban government in Afghanistan, under whose wing bin Laden shelters, has refused to cooperate. Syed Saleem Shahzad writes that it will continue to do so, even in the face of a military attack by the US. (Sep 13) Full text THE ROVING EYE All no longer quiet on the Afghan front It was quiet on the Taliban-Northern Alliance frontline when Pepe Escobar visited recently. Not any more. The forces of Ahmad Shah Masoud attacked Kabul this week in retaliation for the suicide assassination attempt on Masoud by radical Arab "Afghans". Ironically, writes Escobar, these Muslim extremists - Osama bin Laden among them - were encouraged by the US itself to go to Afghanistan to fight the Soviets. (Sep 13) Full text US girds for war with an unidentified enemy After the most lethal attack on US territory, a stunned superpower has told its people to prepare for war against an as-yet unidentified foreign enemy. US diplomatic moves and rhetorical declarations appear designed to prepare the ground for military action against targets in Afghanistan and perhaps elsewhere. (Sep 13) Full text Palestine: the cornered have cause One thing is clear about Tuesday's attacks: the direction from which they came, namely the Middle East and the seemingly desperate cause of the Palestinians confronting Israel. They are the ones who took to the streets after the attack and rejoiced. Moreover, writes Francesco Sisci in this first part of a three-part series, they are the only ones with the kind of ax to grind that could motivate this kind of attack. (Sep 13) Full text Echoes across South Asia In the wake of the New York terror attacks, Pakistan and India have to deal with a whole new reality. Islamabad needs to balance the needs of the United States against those of radicals within the country, while India has the opportunity to strengthen its security ties with Washington, writes Sandeep Shenoy. (Sep 12) Full text US courts Muslim backlash United States retaliation against Osama bin Laden, the man widely believed to have masterminded the attacks on the United States, could have the reverse effect of stirring presently peaceful Muslims around the world to militancy, writes Syed Saleem Shahzad. (Sep 12) Full text Everything's at stake in terror's wake Tuesday's attacks against the United States portend far-reaching implications for everything from the country's anti-terrorism efforts and its plans for a National Missile Defense shield, to global finance. (Sep 12) Full text I saw it happen The sight of a gigantic plume of gray smoke billowing from the top floors of one of the towers of the World Trade Center was what greeted Chawadee Nualkhair upon waking up and looking out her window on Tuesday morning. She describes her day spent within sight of New York's tallest buildings, before they disappeared. (Sep 12) Full text Related articles
As shockwaves from the terrorist attacks continued to ripple around the globe, Asia's indices fell drastically on fears of a full-blown global recession. Shares in airlines, insurers and exporters suffered heavily. It is estimated that global insurance groups will have to pick up a tab worth up to US$40 billion. Oil and gold, seen as safe havens, rose. Tokyo sunk to its eighth-largest percentage decline ever. Australia, Hong Kong and South Korean all came crashing down. (Sep 12) Full text PYONGYANG WATCH Memo from JZ to KJI: Get real, comrade China's ties with North Korea come at a cost, writes Aidan Foster-Carter. On the one hand it loses millions of dollars for exports that are never paid for, while on the other the recalcitrant state stands in the way of Beijing's greater designs for the region. (Sep 12) Full text Australia's foreign policy bankruptcy The Australian government some years ago identified, in the country's national interest, four nations with which it should maintain strong links - Indonesia, China, Japan and the United States. In the current crisis over refugees, however, none of these offered Australia assistance. Purnendra Jain writes that Australians will now learn the hard way how crucial it is to assess accurately where national interests really lie. (Sep 12) Full text PACIFIC BEAT Fiji under a shadow At first glance, Laisenia Qarase, the new Fijian premier, is in a position to provide the steady hand that the country needs as it steers through the racial tempest stoked up by this month's general election. Unfortunately, writes Alan Boyd, this is unlikely to happen, and worse, the shadow of the military looms. (Sep 12) Full text Voting remains a dream for overseas Filipinos Guaranteed by the constitution, absentee voting continues to be an elusive dream for millions of overseas Filipinos. Although the Philippines is the second-largest exporter of labor in the world, those not voting in person are unable to have their voices heard by their own democratic system. In the wake of still more scandals in the current administration, absentee voting may yet again be put on the back burner. (Sep 12) Full text Jiang's party turns a brighter shade of red The induction of the entrepreneurial class into China's Communist Party brings a new meaning to the word "red", writes Francesco Sisci. As the party will reflect the interests of all people, and not simply those of the proletariat, loyalty to the party leadership will mean loyalty to the greater interests of the country. (Sep 11) Full text EDITORIAL China to the rescue? Nine of the world's 10 largest economies have a severe sinking feeling. The odd one out is number six, China, and Asian nations are pinning their hopes on that country tossing them a lifeline. But their calls for China to revalue its currency constitute an admission that domestic reforms are going nowhere and exports as usual are their only hope. China should stay the course, and East Asia must find its own ways to meet the challenge. (Sep 11) Full text HEY, JOE The shortcut to ruin A shortcut out of Manila saves one a bit of motoring time, but it also exposes one to some of the most unimaginably sordid living conditions in the world. In the face of this, and other mounting problems in the Philippines, an incredible sense of urgency is needed. Yet, writes Ted Lerner, the cold, hard reality is that absolutely nothing is being done. (Sep 11) Full text
SRI LANKA: THE UNTOLD STORY Chapter 5: Political polarization on communal lines As Ceylon's Legislative Council evolved in the 1920s, Tamil leaders insisted on their importance as a race and opposed the territorial representative system. Thus, the majority Sinhalese were able to re-establish their political superiority, writes K T Rajasingham in the fifth chapter of his treatise, a history of Sri Lanka from a Tamil viewpoint. (Sep 7) Full text FINER THINGS Just the thing for a love glutton Tomatoes are being turned into cosmetics and scented candles, but Chawadee Nualkhair just guzzles the "love apples", whether on toast or in soup. And she's prepared to share her recipe for a rather risque bisque. (Sep 7) Full text ANOTHER CHINA Chapter 11: Peace or war? War is war, whether waged by means of missiles or international finance. Francesco Sisci argues in this serialization of his book that the Asian financial crisis, the Indian nuclear tests, and the US-Japan plan to deploy a Theater Missile Defense shield are linked in a geopolitical struggle that has evolved from Cold War to "soft war". And all this has cost China dear by distracting it from what has been its primary task for the past 20 years: economic construction. (Sep 3) Full text | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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