Tuesday, 1 February 2011
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NEWNATIONS BULLETIN 1ST FEBRUARY 2011
Arabs Standing Up!
We applaud the people power evident in the Arab street today. Our fears are that this secular revolt, by and large leaderless, might be subsumed by the Islamic religionists if there were to be a power vacuum. It is a popular uprising seeking the democracy they are entitled to, NOT a religious protest. Tunisia, Egypt and the others must not become like Iran, worse even than a military dictatorship with political priests calling the shots.
We report in detail on LIBYA, SYRIA and SAUDI ARABIA.
The US Finance industry affects the whole world, so we voice our fears at the inadequate provisions of the Dodd Frank act and wonder how Obama can still depend on the ‘Fed’ – the dog that didn’t bark!
AFGHANISTAN: in this issue, we consider the proposed remedies to its problems and the new problems they would create.
IRAQ finally got its act together on getting a government. This country has so many uniquely Iraqi problems, that it may be that the wave of discontent in the Arab street will pass them by?
IRAN: Negotiations with the west held in Turkey, put the westerners on the back foot as Iran insisted in talking about Israeli nuclear weaponry- a conversation stopper if ever there was one!
BELARUS: Europe’s last dictatorship surprises nobody in the actions of Lukashenko, kicking and bullying his way to a 4th term as president.
TURKEY was for centuries one of the world’s great empires. Having emerged from the shadow of the Nato powers during the cold war, it is now a regional giant with a steady democratic government and great potential for leadership.
North and South: can this be rapprochement? Both KOREAN republics have agreed to meetings, which might even happen. We describe NORTH KOREA’s New Year resolutions- formidable!
PAKISTAN tops our list of ungovernable nations. When things go from bad to worse, where is there to go next?
TURKMENISTAN: we speculate about the security of the proposed TAPI gas pipeline to India via Afghanistan (through Taleban country); and Pakistan’s would-be secessionist province of Baluchistan.
KAZAKHSTAN: the news from which underlines the fact that Nazarbayev is the absolute boss in this vast Central Asian country!
UKRAINE may surprise us all by not being a complete puppet of Moscow, certainly not where Ukrainian oligarchs are in conflict with the Russian variety. Politically they may be complaisant, but where trade is concerned, it’s “Moscow- hands off”.
TAIWAN’s report necessarily concentrates on the top level meeting between Obama and Hu Jintao. At a previous meeting the term ‘core interests’ arose as China’s list of non-negotiables. Again it is being deployed. It was made clear that Taiwan and Tibet are in that category, but now has been added the South China Sea, which of course no US government could recognise as simply a Chinese lake.
Philippines: Life is hard on the archipelago with never enough work and never enough money. This issue celebrates the fact that recent research established that 93% of Filipinos enter 2011 in a spirit of optimism. This is simply explained as relief that the new president is trusted not only to give positive leadership, but also to change direction from the crime, corruption and blatant scorn for the constitution typified by the preceding government of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
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