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NEWNATIONS BULLETIN 1ST SEPTEMBER 2010
Calamity Corps
We make a plea for a UN quick-response civil disaster agency, using the armed services of participating nations. We argue that there is a probability that over the years ahead many, perhaps most, of the armed forces personnel in democracies, may never hear a shot fired in anger, yet there are many civil crises globally when only military teams can do what needs to be done. Our PAKISTAN report illustrates the horrifying calamity scenario in that unfortunate nation.
North Korea
We anticipate that the succession to the leadership of ‘the hermit nation,’ the smallest and most belligerent member of the world’s nine nuclear-armed powers, will shortly be revealed.
Philippines
Early in the reform administration of newly elected President Aquino, comes a savage reminder of the levels of violence in this Pacific nation and the challenge that he confronts.
Taiwan
It appears that China is achieving peacefully what it could not do militarily, in bringing the island republic under its control. The Economic Framework Co-operation Agreement (EFCA) in our reading, combined with a KMT government does give economic control to Beijing. After that, political re-unification becomes less urgent for China, and may be expected to follow in due course.
Syria and Iraq
IRAN, TURKEY, SAUDI ARABIA all neighbours of IRAQ, as well as the USA seek to influence the future of events there. As well as updating the Iraqi political picture in the wake of US troop withdrawals, we describe how SYRIA, the only secular state in the neighbourhood and hosting some hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees, is particularly well placed to influence events in IRAQ.
South Africa: Worm in the Apple
We greatly admired South Africa’s staging of the world cup – a triumph given the doomsayers predictions, but within weeks a wave of strikes (of a particularly ugly nature), threatens to undo the favourable image earned, as strikers target doctors and nurses for not deserting their patients. Other stories emerge of President Zuma’s nephew, not a known commercial ‘player’ before this presidency, acquiring corporate assets, receiving directorships and partnerships, being awarded mining concessions and oil exploration rights. We see the once admirable ANC which campaigned for so long to achieve final success, has now become a political monolith contiguous with the state, rather than a political party of government, with its funding remaining a closed book, but suspected of being financed by kick-backs from deals done at government level.
Dr David Kelly: his death and the consequences
The UK is a nation that glories in its loyalty to the rule of law. Hence we add our voice to the calls for a coroner’s inquest on this violent death, which had been subsumed by a government appointed political enquiry. It just won’t do when the government itself, or its agencies or allies, are themselves leading 'suspects', to put such an issue on a political level, rather than through the due process of law.
Russia’s second tier of leadership and Mayor Luzkhov
We look at how the leaders of Russia’s 89 component republics and territories are chosen, and how one in particular, the highly successful Mayor of Moscow might be moving on.
Iran; Opposition to Ahmadinejad from the Right
Certain it is that things have not settled down since the presidential election.
Unhappy Afghanistan
There is now much informed comment on engaging with the Taleban off the battlefield to seek a political solution. We ask in terms of a settlement, what about the Northern Alliance of Tajiks, Uzbeks and Hazara whom the west then supported and who won their brutal civil war? Afghanistan is about religious sectarianism but also tribalism - the nation is a miscellany of different tribes with the Taleban mainly being from the numerous Pashtun - and tribalism is more meaningful than nationalism, still a frail concept.
Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Romania
We have Updates of these Balkan and SE European states.
The ‘Stans of Central Asia
KYRGYZSTAN is to hold elections on 10th September which some say will be the freest yet. Also Updates from UZBEKISTAN, KAZAKHSTAN and from TURKMENISTAN, now emerging as one of the energy giants of all time.
Russia, Ukraine, Armenia and Georgia
In our last issue we described Russia attaining its foreign policy objective of consolidating its ‘Greater Russia’ influence in its non-Moslem near-abroad. How these nations fit emerges from their Updates. GEORGIA presently does not fit, but ARMENIA certainly does and UKRAINE’s new government is a reward for Moscow’s patience.
Turkey &Azerbaijan
Allies since the times of Tsars and Sultans, nevertheless RUSSIA whilst supporting ARMENIA does not want to completely lose former Soviet AZERBAIJAN to the west.
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