WRITE for ATol ADVERTISE MEDIA KIT GET ATol BY EMAIL ABOUT ATol CONTACT US
Asia Time Online - Daily News
             
Asia Times Chinese
AT Chinese






  War and Terror
    

February 2010

AN INDIA-PAKISTAN TEST
Delhi papers over cracks
The growing realization within India's policymaking elite that instability in Pakistan is detrimental to India's security and economy has led to optimism in Delhi over renewed India-Pakistan dialogue. However, the countries' conflicting approaches to Afghanistan, a continued atmosphere of mistrust and the precarious state of Pakistan's leadership mean that reconciliation is less likely than renewed conflict. - Chietigj Bajpaee (Feb 9, '10)

Islamabad can't give an inch
The United States has nudged Pakistan and India closer, bending over backwards to reassure each of their strategic importance. But Pakistan stands to lose popular support if it concedes to Indian demands without gaining concessions, while its greatest fear remains militants infiltrating its larger cities and unleashing the type of havoc witnessed recently in Karachi. - Zahid U Kramet (Feb 9, '10)

Operation Breakfast redux
The escalating drone war of the United States in the Pakistani tribal borderlands has ominous parallels with Richard Nixon's secret bombing in Cambodia 40 years ago to destroy a "Bamboo Pentagon", where North Vietnamese communists were supposedly orchestrating raids deep into South Vietnam. Could the US be repeating the same mistakes that brought the Khmer Rouge to power? - Pratap Chatterjee (Feb 9, '10)

Pakistan's military sets Afghan terms
Pakistan's military establishment, taken fully on board by the United States in the efforts to find solutions for Afghanistan, has made clear that its cooperation comes with strings attached. Any Indian role is to be restricted to civilian development projects, and Pakistan will choose for itself who its enemies are. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (Feb 8, '10)

Israeli case for war with Syria - and Lebanon
Threats may be escalating between Syria and Israel, but the chances of war breaking out are very low: it would be too dangerous for Israel and too costly for the Middle East. Nobody, though, can rule out another Israeli war in Lebanon, where there is "unfinished" business to do. - Sami Moubayed (Feb 8, '10)

India-Pakistan thaw key to Afghan peace
The prospect of the first high-level bilateral talks between India and Pakistan since the 2008 Mumbai attack was raised by global powers when they endorsed a United States-backed plan in London that seeks reconciliation with the Taliban in Afghanistan. Washington sees the key to Kabul as lying in Islamabad, and the key to Islamabad as lying in New Delhi. - Siddharth Srivastava (Feb 8, '10)

Taliban go-betweens draw up road map
Plans drawn up by Taliban mediators for a political settlement in Afghanistan encourage the insurgency's leaders and the government to reach agreement on key issues, such as the withdrawal of all foreign troops and al-Qaeda. The reaction of the United States to the plan and the vexed issue of a new constitution are the biggest roadblocks, the mediators say. - Gareth Porter (Feb 8, '10)

US fires off new warning in Pakistan
With its biggest drone attack to date in Pakistan - nine unmanned vehicles firing 19 missiles in one evening - the United States has underscored its invigorated desire to wipe out Taliban and al-Qaeda sanctuaries in the Pakistan and Afghanistan border areas. The efforts are backed by a new intelligence-gathering network tapping into Afghan tribesmen. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (Feb 4, '10)

THE ROVING EYE
Staring at the abyss
On Indonesia's tropical island of Bali, everything is about sekala and niskala, ritual and the occult. In the United States, the Pentagon has its occult as it continues its descent into the ghostly abyss of its "long war". When President Obama visits Indonesia next month, he'd do well to do some soul-searching on Bali if he is to avoid being permanently engulfed by hungry ghosts. - Pepe Escobar (Feb 4, '10)

Pakistani Taliban has its work cut out
If Hakeemullah Mehsud, the leader of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, did indeed die in a United States drone attack last week, there is a ready replacement for him in a young battle-hardened commander with a set agenda: to continue the relationship that Mehsud's group forged with al-Qaeda as a component of its regional plans. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (Feb 3, '10)

Taliban raid showcases new battle tactics
With tactics similar to an earlier assault on Kabul, heavily armed Taliban suicide bombers attacked important buildings in Lashkar Gah, Helmand's provincial capital. The Taliban say the focus on urban targets has been forced on them by the increased presence of troops. - Mohammad Ilyas Dayee (Feb 3, '10)

US, Karzai split over Taliban talks
Differences between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and key officials of the administration of United States President Barack Obama over the issue of talks with the Taliban came to a head at last week's London conference. Peace negotiations are embedded in a deeper conflict over US war strategy, which has provoked broad anger and increasing suspicions of US motives among Afghans - and especially with Karzai. - Gareth Porter (Feb 3, '10)

Taliban take on the US's surge
The Taliban, rather than demand that all foreign troops be pulled out of Afghanistan before negotiations begin with the United States or any other country, have proposed that if the US stops its surge of 30,000 troops, dialogue can start immediately. In addition, the Taliban say they will take measures to reduce hostilities. The dilemma for the US is how desperate is it to take the Taliban's word. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (Feb 2, '10)

DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA
Seven days in January
On his return flight after visiting South Asia, where he was blindsided, United States Secretary of Defense Robert Gates watched Seven Days in May, a Cold War-era film about an attempted military coup in the US. With congress recently approving a US$626 billion Pentagon budget, the US military is so ascendant that it has no need for real-life coups. - Tom Engelhardt (Feb 1, '10)

Dialogue seeks a middle ground
The Taliban, unable to deliver a decisive military blow to oust the government in Kabul, know they will never rule Afghanistan as they once did, while foreign forces up against an intractable foe cannot expect counter-insurgency to succeed anytime soon. Straight talking, however, could give each side in the conflict much of what they seek. - Brian M Downing (Feb 1, '10)


 January 2010

Cost of the war in Iraq
(JavaScript Error)

ATol Specials



Syed Saleem Shahzad reports on the Afghan war from the Taliban side
(Dec '06)

How Hezbollah defeated Israel
By
Mark Perry and
Alastair Crooke
(Oct '06)

Mark Perry and
Alastair Crooke
talk to the 'terrorists'
(Mar, '06)

  The evidence for and against Iran's alleged nuclear weapons program

  Nir Rosen goes inside the Iraqi resistance

Nir Rosen rides with the 3rd armored cavalry in western Iraq

Islamism, fascism and terrorism

by Marc Erikson


For earlier articles go to:

January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
November 2003
October 2003
September 2003
August 2003
July 2003
June 2003
May 2003
April 2003
March 2003
February 2003
January 2003
Dec 24-Nov 11 2002
Nov 10-Oct 11 2002
Oct 10-Sep 10 2002
Sep 9-Jul 20 2002
Jul 19-Jun 21 2002
Jun 20-Apr 9 2002
Apr 9-Jan 2 2002
Dec 31-Jul 26 2001

equity release

Chat
 
 

All material on this website is copyright and may not be republished in any form without written permission.
Copyright 1999 - 2010 Asia Times Online (Holdings), Ltd.
Head Office: Unit B, 16/F, Li Dong Building, No. 9 Li Yuen Street East, Central, Hong Kong
Thailand Bureau: 11/13 Petchkasem Road, Hua Hin, Prachuab Kirikhan, Thailand 77110