South Africa's political foundation continues to rattle as the result of the ANC National Executive Council's decision to request Thabo Mbeki's resignation. Numerous cabinet members have resigned, including, as promised, Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, and unexpectedly, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel. Manuel has kept open the possibility that he would return under a new dispensation, but […]
Amidst the tumult in South Africa, Zimbabweans and other observers worry whether Thabo Mbeki's resignation will have a deleterious impact on the still tenuous negotiation process in Zim. Despite Mbeki's de facto ouster, it appears that high-ranking officials in both Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF and Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change want Mbeki to continue as […]
Yesterday, we quickly went over the planned new alignment of the CSTO, which would consist of a deployment of 10,000 more troops and a missile shield, in what the organization's Secretary General called “a powerful military grouping of five countries in Central Asia." Eurasia Daily today provided more details of the new force structure, its […]
In an interview with BBC, General Petraeus, the outgoing commander of US troops in Iraq, states that he probably will not ever use the word ‘victory’ in discussions about Iraq. Further (and this is what I like about our military leaders), he argues that honesty is the best policy when it comes to reports about […]
The LAT reports that Iraqi (primarily Sunni) men are being held in prisons for considerable time periods (in years) without having access to counsel. This is upsetting, and counterproductive for purposes of national reconciliation/progress/peace. The US government is currently sponsoring a legal aid clinic to help secure representation for these men, but as negotiations for […]
ISLAMABAD — Pakistani officials said Saturday's suicide blast that killed 53 people at the Islamabad Marriott Hotel bore the hallmarks of al Qaeda and showed how the group was operating freely inside Pakistan and was determined to wreak havoc on the nation's already weak economy. At least 50 were killed in a suspected suicide bomb […]
The "Lebanese Resistance Martyrs" mass was held on Sunday in the Faoud Chehab stadium in Jounieh commemorating slain Lebanese Forces supporters. "I fully apologize for any mistakes we committed when we carried out our national duties during the war," Geagea said, adding that he asked for forgiveness from God and for those they had hurt. […]
It appears that the ANC has tagged party deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe as caretaker president to keep the seat warm for Jacob Zuma. Motlanthe has kept his powder dry in the Zuma-Thabo Mbeki personality wars, which appears to have paid off for him. Motlanthe is left-leaning but gained status within the party for chastising rowdy […]
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan ‚ Pakistan continued Sunday to reel from the deadly truck bomb blast at the Marriott Hotel here on Saturday, as the government described the bombing as an attack on democracy. "Our enemies don't want to see democracy flourishing in the country," Rehman Malik, a senior Interior Ministry official, said at a news conference […]
Pakistan's top leaders were to dine at the Marriott hotel that was devastated by a truck bombing over the weekend, but changed the venue at the last minute, a senior government official said Monday. The blast in the capital Islamabad killed at least 53 people and underscored the extremist challenge facing nuclear-armed Pakistan. Two intelligence […]
Pakistani troops and tribesmen opened fire on two U.S. helicopters that crossed into the country from neighboring Afghanistan, intelligence officials said Monday. The helicopters did not return fire and re-entered Afghan airspace without landing, the officials said. Pakistan's army and the U.S. military in Afghanistan said they had no information on the reported incursion late […]
Today we will discuss two recent developments: An expansion of the Russia-dominated Collective Security Treaty Organization CSTO and the first EU/Central Asian Forum on Security Issues held this past week. What do these two developments individually tell us about Russia and the EU's role/position in Central Asia? Which cooperation discussions and pronouncements have or will […]
Most South Africans, and indeed observers the world over, have been left scratching their heads over the recent events that with dizzying speed led to Thabo Mbeki's looming resignation and the biggest political crisis in South Africa since the period prior to 1994. Not all are thrilled with the decision and others are worried about the ramifications. […]
Twelve hours after the blasting of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, the flames had still not been doused. The medium-sized Shehzore truck, packed with 600 kg of RDX explosives, drove up to the hotel barrier and exploded, setting the hotel on fire. It is more than likely that, just as he was "pleasantly" surprised by […]
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The deadly suicide truck bomb attack on Marriott Hotel in the heart of the capital highlights security inadequacies and the urgent need to rethink strategy to combat surging militant violence, analysts said on Sunday. Four foreigners were among those killed, including the Czech ambassador, with more than 270 people wounded in the worst […]