Asia Times - Daily News
Asia Times Online
People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan
Southeast Asia - Myanmar, Thailand, Burma, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia
South Asia - India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan
Japan
Korea
Central Asia
Middle East
War on Terrorism
Business in Brief
Asian Economy
Global Economy
Letters to the Editor

Search Asia Times

Advanced Search



 ATol Specials

Iraq: In all but name the war's on 
(Aug 17, '02)


4
Kabul Diary
    by Pepe Escobar
    Nov-Dec 2001
 
4Iran Diary
    by Pepe Escobar
    May-June 2002

4
Iraq Diary
    
by Pepe Escobar
    March-April 2002
 
War and Terror


By July-August 2001, it was clear that something dramatic was about to happen. Pepe Escobar, our "Roving Eye", was
traveling in Afghanistan and the tribal areas of Pakistan. The rumor was that US forces were about to use Pakistan to launch a raid into Afghanistan. Escobar's article, published by Asia Times Online on August 30, 2001, was headlined  Get Osama! Now! Or else ... Our Karachi correspondent, Syed Saleem Shazad, was meanwhile filing articles like Osama bin Laden: The thorn in Pakistan's flesh (August 22, 2001) ...


June 2004

The taming of the rogue
Given that the political and strategic future of Iraq will be mapped by the United States-installed interim government, backed by a conspicuous US military and economic presence, the removal of Saddam Hussein looks like a strategic victory for the US. For the time being, at least. - Ashraf Fahim (Jun 30, '04)

New US envoy: His past and present
Washington's new ambassador to Iraq, John Negroponte, will oversee the US$18.4 billion in US reconstruction funds earmarked for the country, help Iraqis defeat "terrorists and criminal elements", and nurture democracy. He will also hope that his past in Central America will not come back to haunt him. - Jim Lobe (Jun 30, '04)

Bremer's legacy will linger
Former Iraqi civil administrator L Paul Bremer leaves behind a country far from capable of ensuring its own security, and a government with laws and regulations that still bear his imprint. (Jun 30, '04)

Russia scents oil
Moscow is cautiously applauding the transfer of power to an Iraqi interim government - a move that has important implications in Russia's global oil game. - Sergei Blagov (Jun 30, '04)

In Afghanistan, the return of the reds
Faced with harsh reality in Afghanistan, the United States has had to swallow its pride in an attempt to bring "moderate" Taliban into the political process. Now, with a little help from Pakistan, it is courting communists from the days of the Soviet puppet regime in Kabul. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (Jun 30, '04)

Sovereignty: Now the games really begin
Iraq has its sovereignty, and the real test begins for the interim government to convince the people - and the insurgents - that it is not a US puppet. In the meantime, three actors - Iran, Turkey and Israel - are already involved in a dangerous game of promoting their clashing strategic presence and agendas. - Ehsan Ahrari (Jun 29, '04)

A clean break for Israel
By ramping up its armed proxies, the Kurds, who are devoted to a crypto-secessionist struggle, and leaking its support for them, Israel has delivered a masterstroke of strategic foresight: it has declared to regional power centers that it is an indispensable player in the stability of the greater Middle East. - Sadi Baig (Jun 29, '04)

South Korea's post-mortem politics
South Korea, reacting to the latest "threat" to the country, has arrested at least 12 people for illegally downloading the video of Kim Sun-il's beheading in Iraq. Normally happy-go-lucky when it comes to gore, Seoul's heavy-handed approach in this case smacks of politics, not reverence for the deceased. - David Scofield (Jun 29, '04)

New leaders, old rivalries
Iraq's new leaders now have a mandate to run the country's civil affairs without oversight from the outgoing US-led occupation authority. But whether this freedom contributes to Iraq's stability or merely opens the way for increased factional feuding is another matter. (Jun 29, '04)

Iran warms to the NATO card
As the North Atlantic Treaty Organization expands eastwards and assumes a growing role in the security environment of Eurasia, the need for NATO and Iran to forge bonds, regardless of points of hesitation on both sides, becomes all the more pressing. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi (Jun 29, '04)

Harsh legal lesson for Bush
The US Supreme Court has put the kibosh on one of the Bush administration's key policies in its "war on terror", ruling that national security does not give Washington a "blank check" to deny suspects their basic rights. The decision, though, opens a can of worms. - Jim Lobe (Jun 29, '04)

Surprise, surprise: Iraq free at last
Possibly hoping to outsmart insurgents, the US-led coalition has officially handed over sovereignty to the interim Iraqi government - two days before the June 30 deadline. Meanwhile, in Baghdad's war-ravaged Sadr City, despite a decrease in attacks on US forces and a pledge by cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to observe a ceasefire, optimism runs thin. (Jun 28, '04)

SPENGLER
You have met the enemy and he is you
Perhaps Iraq is not the disaster so many believe, except for the ideologues who argued that America's political model could be exported and assembled in Iraq. And perhaps for the Kurds, who eschew the American "melting pot" model of democracy in pursuit of their own tragic destiny. (Jun 28, '04)

Send in the Gurkhas
Despite being unable to quell the ongoing Maoist rebellion at home, Nepal's Gurkhas are synonymous with bravery, ferocity and honesty for their peacekeeping activities worldwide. The United States, never one to overlook a possible source of warm bodies, continues to eye Nepal for assistance in Iraq. - Dhruba Adhikary (Jun 28, '04)

Iran spoils for a fight
Blaming European intransigence, a defiant Iran has officially told the world that it will resume construction of centrifuges for uranium enrichment, while unofficially it appears determined also to go ahead with its uranium-enriching programs. The next target, the Non-Proliferation Treaty? - Safa Haeri (Jun 28, '04)

Israel, Iran chart collision course
The post-invasion opening of Iraq to foreign influence has set up a new and dangerous chapter in Israel-Iran rivalry that in all likelihood will permeate Iraq and the "new Middle East" indefinitely. Israel dreams of regional superpowerdom, and of a Mosul-Haifa oil pipeline. The Kurds - Iranian, Iraqi, and Syrian - are the key. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi (Jun 25, '04)

Tehran's demons revisited

Incendiary remarks by an Iranian ideologue responsible for recruiting volunteers for suicide missions against the US apart, Tehran is returning to its former demons of the Islamic Revolution, saying goodbye to detente. - Safa Haeri (Jun 25, '04)

Realism takes root in Washington
From Iraq to North Korea and the United Nations, US foreign policy over the past few weeks has been tempered with unaccustomed realism, marking supremacy of State Department pragmatists over right-wing hardliners in the Pentagon. Now the question is, will this realism carry over to dealing with Iran? - Jim Lobe (Jun 25, '04)

Small victory in House of Saud's war
While the elimination of individual al-Qaeda leaders in Saudi Arabia is good for propaganda purposes, as with the killing last week of Abdul Aziz al-Muqrin, the kingdom's problems with militants will not go away unless the House of Saud faces up to the real problem: itself. - Sudha Ramachandran (Jun 25, '04)

Turmoil over anti-terror standards for ports
New anti-terrorism standards geared to enhance maritime security are set to take effect next week, possibly provoking a serious trade disruption. Less than 16% of the world's ports have met the requirements and even fewer in Asia, where some of the world's most vulnerable ports are located. - Alan Boyd (Jun 25, '04)

'The liberation of Baghdad is not far away'
"If they [the US] have won a battle, they have not won the war yet. The great battle is still to begin. The liberation of Baghdad is not far away." So say three former senior officers in Saddam Hussein's army, now leaders of the Iraqi resistance, in an exclusive meeting with Alix de la Grange. That battle may have begun Thursday. (Jun 24, '04)

We fight, you pay: Costs of the Iraq war
According to a major new study on the Iraq war and occupation, it will cost the average US household at least US$3,415 through the end of this year. Then there are the inestimable costs of the loss of many thousands of lives, and the resentment generated towards the US. - Jim Lobe (Jun 24, '04)

SPEAKING FREELY
Perils of a US-dominated world
The US's inflexible unilateralism will undermine its power, erode transnational democracy and encourage anti-unilateralism alliances in the near future. The view from China: There's more to the new world order than the US-led "war on terror". And hands off Taiwan. - Haibin Niu and Shixiong Ni (Jun 24, '04)

Malaysia tweaks its terror compass
Seems all it took was a heart-to-heart with a top US admiral for Malaysian Defense Minister Najib Razak's change of heart after flatly rejecting any greater US assistance to fight terror in the Malacca Straits. Now he's calling for "expanded cooperation" and even joint intelligence exercises to protect the vital sea trade route. - Ioannis Gatsiounis (Jun 24, '04)

UN rebuff to the US is a Pyrrhic victory
Although the US has abandoned its proposal to seek United Nations Security Council exemption for US soldiers from possible war crime charges in future United Nations peacekeeping operations overseas, the likelihood of their prosecution in an international court remains near zero.

SPEAKING FREELY
Al-Qaeda's thumbs up for Bush
A book soon to be released by an anonymous senior US intelligence official is already causing a stir with its claims of failed Bush administration policies on Iraq, and that President George W Bush is taking the US in exactly the direction Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda want: towards all-out confrontation with Islam under the banner of spreading democracy. - Craig B Hulet (Jun 23, '04)

Bush wins Putin's vote
Russian President Vladimir Putin surprised many people by unexpectedly announcing that Russian intelligence had received information that Saddam Hussein planned terrorist attacks against the US. The KGB veteran does not make such revelations without reason: George W Bush can only be pleased. (Jun 23, '04)

New dimension of terror
With militants increasingly adopting precise assaults - such as beheadings - combined with modern communications technology, the maximum damage is exacted on the Western psyche. - Sudha Ramachandran (Jun 23, '04)

Execution stirs up hornets' nest
If the aim of the executioners of a South Korean contractor in Iraq on Tuesday was to divide and anger South Koreans over the deployment of their troops in Iraq, they have succeeded. Now all the pressure is on Seoul, and it's coming from all directions, including those who want revenge. Seoul is going to have to change its wishy-washy ways. - David Scofield (Jun 23, '04)

Pakistan: 'Through hell' and onwards
Pakistanis are still coming to terms with the killing of Nek Mohammed, who bitterly opposed the presence of Pakistani troops in the tribal areas. And just as he did in life, in death Nek has become a rallying point - even President General Pervez Musharraf is braced for trouble. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (Jun 21, '04)

Bush team tries to brazen it out
The most aggressive Bush administration proponents of the theory that Saddam Hussein worked with al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden for years have resorted to the old standby of repetition, blaming the media and epistemological puzzles to defend their position. - Jim Lobe (Jun 21, '04)

Pakistan gets its man - dead
The Pakistani army wanted him dead or alive, and got him dead. Nek Mohammed, who led fierce resistance to the army's efforts to flush out al-Qaeda and Taliban elements from Pakistan's tribal areas, was killed in a raid late on Thursday. Nek's death is a major victory for Islamabad and the US, but it will not go without retaliation.  - Syed Saleem Shahzad (Jun 18, '04)

US gets cosy with the Taliban's point man
With time running out before November's presidential elections, the US is still scrambling to solve Afghanistan's problems. So who better to turn to than Pakistan's Maulana Fazlur Rehman? The colorful cleric, who has wide experience in building bridges to the Taliban, explains toSyed Saleem Shahzad why the hardline Islamists are needed.(Jun 17, '04)

Credibility at breaking point
Fifty-two percent of Americans (possibly) will be disabused of their views on the Iraq war by the special commission investigating September 11 finding that there is "no credible evidence" of any operational link between Iraq and al-Qaeda. Neo-conservatives will also have some explaining to do. - Jim Lobe(Jun 17, '04)

  
Telling Bush to beat it

Iraq as the 51st state
Juan Cole, professor of history at the University of Michigan, has positioned himself as a virtually indispensable voice in the Iraq debate. A fluent Arab speaker, he monitors the Arab press daily and, drawing on his experience in the region, pulls no punches on the Bush administration's "crazy" adventure. He speaks to Asia Times Online in an extensive interview.(Jun 17, '04)

America's military on the move
Troop cuts in Germany and South Korea are part of a plan to reinvent United States forces worldwide as "globocops", stationed at smaller, more widely dispersed facilities. But while the move might make sound military sense, the political and diplomatic fallout could be immense.  - Jim Lobe (Jun 16, '04)

COMMENTARY
Is the US clever enough to rule the world?
US foreign policy has been infected by megalomania, which has brought down other mighty empires throughout history. The US will remain a world power. Whether it will be the world power is another matter. - Ian Williams (Jun 16, '04)

Iraqi dinar: Let the speculators beware
Iraq's currency is plummeting, along with the dreams of the many speculators who raced to pick up the dinar when it was launched last October. But hope springs eternal, and another batch of speculators believes there's a killing to be made. (Jun 16, '04)

US terror report misses the mark
With its gross miscalculations, the US's highly publicized terror report should set alarm bells ringing worldwide. An analysis of the report's South Asia findings alone contains shocking omissions, leading those who have to deal with the often disastrous consequences of American intelligence and policy with a lot to ponder. (Jun 15, '04)

Divisions over threat in Malacca Straits
Malaysia and Indonesia are resisting US pressure that Americans assist in safeguarding the vital Malacca Straits sea trade route, saying this will only raise the possibility of maritime terror attacks. Singapore, meanwhile, is taking no chances, and plans to rope in Japan, South Korea and India to help keep the waterway safe. - Sudha Ramachandran (Jun 15, '04)

  Fighting maritime terrorism

New twist in the Afghanistan story
The world's interest in battered, bruised and divided Afghanistan might have cooled in the wake of the US invasion over two years ago, but the country's tragic story continues to unfold. Now, the US television networks are back. Something must be in the air. (Jun 15, '04)

Sovereignty and Saddam
A series of attacks on officials has put Iraq's interim government under intense pressure just two weeks before Washington is scheduled to hand back sovereignty. And then there's the problem of handing over Saddam Hussein. (Jun 15, '04)

COMMENTARY
Rebuild or retreat: America's dilemma
After the lessons of Iraq, the US faces the option of either rebuilding its military power or retreating into a more defensive posture. Either way, though, advocates of the two paradigms face the same requirement - a strong army - in order to fulfill their strategic designs. Look for the crunch to come after November. (Jun 15, '04)

How America can win the intelligence war
The late president Ronald Reagan's CIA chief, Bill Casey, knew that if you want intelligence, first you start a war. In other words, if you apply enough pressure, you'll find out who the enemy is, what it wants, and how it might be defeated. This is what America needs to do now, instead of misguidedly trying to wage war on "terrorism".

Al-Qaeda cell caught in US squeeze
The US has clearly set its sights on eliminating al-Qaeda and jihadi elements sheltering in Pakistan's tribal areas. To get the job done, Washington has placed relentless pressure on Islamabad and its army. Unexpectedly, perhaps, this pressure galvanized a strong al-Qaeda cell in Karachi into revealing its hand, leading to many of its members being arrested. - Syed Saleem Shahzad
(Jun 14, '04)

Iraq a vote loser for Bush's European allies
One after another, the White House's closest European allies have been pummeled at the polls. Britain's ruling Labour Party came an unprecedented third in local elections, and did even worse in this weekend's European Parliament vote; Italians also dealt their pro-Bush premier a blow. With regime changes imminent, thenbsp;to the Taliban, explains to/EM/FONT/B shadow of Iraq has become a big, black cloud. - J Sean Curtin (Jun 14, '04)

SPEAKING FREELY
Fear and favor: Australia-Iraq-US equation
Like Spanish premier Jose Maria Aznar before him, Australian Prime Minister John Howard - apparently endorsed for re-election by George W Bush - could pay a heavy political price in upcoming elections for his support of the Iraq war. But regardless of political stripe, Australians worry about another Spanish connection: a Madrid-style terror attack by Islamic extremists. - Rich Bowden (Jun 14, '04)

COMMENTARY
Bush has no one to blame but himself
Just how pivotal will be the call by a group of former American diplomats and military officials - that President George W Bush should be "defeated in November" for his national security blunders - remains unclear. But they certainly have no doubt where Bush's problems begin - and end. - Ehsan Ahrari (Jun 14, '04)

Saddam and his old buddy Ronald
In the 1980s it was expedient for Ronald Reagan's administration to actively court Saddam Hussein and turn a blind eye to Saddam's chemical warfare against his Kurdish population, as a senior Iraqi officer at the time recalls with some fondness. (Jun 14, '04)

    Reagan's legacy in Afghanistan, Pakistan

Kurds want autonomy, nothing less
Officials, including United Nations envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, are falling over themselves to allay the fears of Iraq's Kurds, who are angered over this week's UN resolution on Iraqi sovereignty, which omits any reference to their autonomous status. It is action, though, not words, that the Kurds want. (Jun 11, '04)

COMMENTARY
Drifting toward multi-polarity
In the wake of Washington's unilateral Iraqi misadventures and the resulting loss of credibility, two foundational models for global power relations are making a comeback - multilateralism and multi-polarism. China, India and Russia already are taking advantage of the change. (Jun 11, '04)

Good news boosts Bush - a bit
A new poll taken after the administration of George W Bush finally enjoyed some relatively good news, both on the economy and on Iraq, shows him still lagging behind his Democratic rival John Kerry, though not as badly as before. But November is still a long way off. - Jim Lobe (Jun 11, '04)

Warning shots for Musharraf
While a no-nonsense top officer was the target of Thursday's assassination attempt in Karachi, he was chosen as a sacrificial offering by the perpetrators to get their message across to President General Pervez Musharraf that not everyone is marching in step with him. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (Jun 11, '04)

Pakistani army: Hunter and hunted
Pakistani troops are once again in action in the South Waziristan tribal area. Unlike their previous bloody incursion in March, though, the target is not so much foreign fighters but rather a key Pakistani resistance commander. Over 1,000 miles away in Karachi, one of President General Pervez Musharraf's most trusted aides survived an assassination attempt in which at least six people were killed, illustrating in the most violent way possible that the army has itself become a target. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (Jun 10, '04)

  
Second round: Worse than the first 
   Under fire in Karachi

SPEAKING FREELY
Kurdistan: No more Mr Nice Guy
In failing to recognize Kurdish autonomy in northern Iraq, despite the region's long-standing support for the US-led coalition, the new United Nations resolution has dashed the hopes of Kurds worldwide. But the Bush administration may be in for a surprise, as Kurdistan's new motto is "no more Mr Nice Guy". - Ahmed Karadaghi (Jun 10, '04)

Bush just doesn't get it ...
Given the Bush administration's record in Iraq, its stated intent to democratize the Middle East will be viewed as just another "ploy" by Washington to subjugate the Arab Middle East: democratic change in the region must come from within, or through dialogue among friends. -
Ehsan Ahrari 
(Jun 10, '04)

Malaysia's tightrope act
Malaysia's decision to reject US forces in tackling "terrorism" in the Straits of Malacca, where most have not forgotten the legacy of past US military involvement, reflects the thin line America's 10th-largest trading partner must walk, reports Anil Netto. Others argue, notes Ioannis Gatsiounis, that a concrete plan to address rising anti-Western sentiment appears to have gone missing from Malaysia's counter-terror strategy. (Jun 10, '04)

   Fear and fanaticism 
   Fodder for anti-Americanism

Iraq anger in India's city of courtesy
Known for its fine manners and exotic cuisine, Muslims in the Indian city of Lucknow are angrily warning British and American visitors to stay away from their sacred shrines, in protest against the US-led war in Iraq. And there is not much the Delhi government can - or will - do about it. - Siddharth Srivastava (Jun 10, '04)

US seeks war crimes immunity, firms sued
The United States is going to the UN Security Council again, this time to renew a resolution granting its troops immunity from war crimes prosecution. The timing could be better, coming on the heels of the Abu Ghraib torture scandal and in the same week that alleged torture victims are suing two private security firms. (Jun 10, '04)

Saudi Arabia and its 'creeping militancy'
The recent violence in Saudi Arabia directed at foreigners is widely attributed to al-Qaeda. But the severely rattled House of Saud is the more likely target of a "creeping militancy" that threatens the very roots of the royal establishment. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (Jun 9, '04)

John Kerry's sucker Saudi punch
Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry continues to perfect an anti-Saudi Arabia routine that offers cost-free shots to President George W Bush's solar plexus. If Kerry really intends to win the race, however, he should consider pulling his punches. - Ashraf Fahim (Jun 9, '04)

Iraq: A perplexing predicament
Turkey is becoming increasingly strident in its criticism of almost-ally Israel over Palestine. This does not help Ankara's relationship with Washington, just at a time when the US needs Turkish cooperation. And then there's the matter of Iraq's "sovereignty". As the Iraqis say, al-wad' ash-shadh - a perplexing predicament. - K Gajendra Singh (Jun 9, '04)

Northern Iraq: Calm like a bomb
By its short-sighted, ad hoc approach to Iraq's complicated situation, first using the Kurds and then casting them aside, the United States may have sealed both its own and Iraq's fate: it has let loose a "monster" that will prove impossible to contain. - W Joseph Stroupe (Jun 8, '04)

The dangers of a US civil-military divide
No exit strategy, no war, was the doctrine adopted by the US military after the lesson of Vietnam. The Bush administration, however, dragged the military into Iraq, and told it to stay for the "long haul". Now, military personnel are taking their case outside the confines of the political leadership, marking arguably the lowest point in civil-military relations since the days of Robert McNamara. - Sadi Baig (Jun 8, '04)

India and the interim mess in Iraq
India's Congress party-led government has found itself at the receiving end of a major courting campaign by the United States, hoping to obtain New Delhi's support in Iraq. But as the government depends on the support of the left for its survival, Washington has its work cut out. - Sultan Shahin (Jun 8, '04)

Torture: Another blow for Rumsfeld?
With the publication of a classified Pentagon report providing legal arguments to justify abuses and torture against detainees in US custody, comes further ammunition for those who believe that easing the rules governing interrogations was a top-level policy decision. - Jim Lobe (Jun 8, '04)

More intrigue as Tenet quits CIA
Central Intelligence Agency director George Tenet's desire to leave the job has been known for some years. But the timing of his exit has caught Washington by surprise, especially after riding out the storm over his "slam dunk" case that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. So why go now? - Jim Lobe (Jun 4, '04)

COMMENT
The first domino falls
Undoubtedly, faulty intelligence has been a major factor in the Iraq debacle, and that in itself is good enough reason for George Tenet to quit. But many others are just as culpable. - Ehsan Ahrari (Jun 4, '04)

COMMENT
Iraq tests US's Asian friends
The US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq has put Asian governments, especially those with an interest in good relations with Washington, in a difficult position, and things are not getting any easier. But the US needs the long-term support of Asian allies such as South Korea and Malaysia, and now is the time for it to make the required moves. (Jun 4, '04)

Pakistan's forgotten al-Qaeda link
It took the September 11 attacks for America to finally present Pakistan with a stark choice regarding its support of the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. What will it take for the US to effectively confront Pakistan about its nuclear freelancers, jihadi army officers and their ties to terror outfits? - Kaushik Kapisthalam (Jun 3, '04)

Troubled Karachi being held randsom
The easy explanation of the recent violence in Karachi is to dismiss it as sectarian strife. There is more, though, to events in Pakistan's commercial hub: Washington's exasperation over Islamabad's inability to deliver "high-value targets" in the tribal areas, and the ability of the US-favored Muthahida Quami Movement to create mayhem in the city. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (Jun 3, '04)

The rout of the neo-cons
In the past month, the US neo-conservative retreat has turned into a massacre, particularly with reports of their former protege Ahmad Chalabi's coziness with Iran, and just as important, senior military officers indicating that a military victory over the Iraqi insurgency is not possible. - Jim Lobe (Jun 3, '04) 

Iraq, US, and the Israel connection
(Jun 1, '04)
It's business as usual
Conn Hallinan argues that the crisis in the Middle East is not a clash of civilizations, less so a hijacking of American foreign policy by the "Jewish lobby": it's business as usual - oil business.

SPEAKING FREELY

Creating a 'secure Israel'
Erik Zielinski analyzes possible mechanisms of the link between US policy in the Middle East and Israeli interests, with some help from Leo Strauss, the father of US neo-conservatism.

Dropping the sovereignty baton
The post-June 30 government being assembled for Iraq is likely to be as unknown and unpopular within the country as the now defunct US-appointed Iraqi Governing Council. And now the Kurds in the north are getting restive. - K (Jun 10, '04) Gajendra Singh (Jun 1, '04)

Iyad Allawi: A premier for all reasons
Iraq's prime minister-designate, former Ba'athist and ex-military man Iyad Allawi, will not only have to prove that he has the capability to run the country, but also that the United States is not pulling his strings. - Ehsan Ahrari (Jun 1, '04)

May 2004 




  For earlier articles,
  please go to:

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, '02

Nov 10-Oct 11, '02

Oct 10-Sep 10, '02

Sep 9-Jul 20, '02

Jul 19-Jun 21, '02

Jun 20-Apr 9, '02

Apr 9-Jan 2, '02

Dec 31-Jul 26, '01
   

 

 

No materiaFONT face=FONT color=navytd vAlign=top width=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serifl from Asia Times Online may be republished in any form without written permission.
Copyright 2003, Asia Times Online, Rm 202, Hau Fook Mansion, No. 8 Hau Fook St., Kowloon, Hong Kong