North Korea July 4th Missiles

As widely expected, the DPRK fired some missiles on the 4th of July. Apparently, however, they were not aimed at Hawaii. North Korea fired seven ballistic missiles off its eastern coast Saturday, South Korea said, a violation of U.N. resolutions and an apparent message of defiance to the United States on its Independence Day. The launches, which came two days after ...

North Korea: Choosing the Lesser Evil

In an op-ed in the Christian Science Monitor Ted Galen Carpenter proposes a solution to our problems in dealing with North Korea that not only shocks me but puzzles me as well: There is a final option that deserves consideration. It would amount to inducing (bribing) China to remove Kim Jong Il's regime and install a more pragmatic government in Pyongyang, ...

South Asia: A Matter of Trust

Over the next three days, a high level delegation of U.S., Afghan, and Pakistani officials will meet to "seriously deal with the hard issues: how do the Afghans want to deal with [the insurgent activity on] their border, how to do this better, how to undermine those insurgents that run across their territory," Laura Rozen reports for The Cable. As I ...

Strong Horse/Weak Horse

There's an interesting quote and observation in the New York Times article about the failure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a regional organization consisting of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, to support Russia's action in the Caucasus: Although the Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan fall within what Moscow considers its sphere of influence, and ...

Musharraf Set to Resign?

The New York Times is reporting that Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf will be resigning within the next few days.Faced with desertions by his political supporters and the unsettling neutrality of the Pakistani military, President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan is expected to resign in the next few days rather than face impeachment, Pakistani politicians and Western diplomats said Thursday. His departure from ...

The Illogic of Empire

Regarding the situation in Georgia, Megan McArdle writes:Another way to look at the question is: are we going to allow Russia to reassemble the old Russian empire? At its heart, that's what this is about. Maybe we should; maybe it's none of our business who Russia decides to invade, or what puppet governments they decide to prop ...

Somehow, I am not Surprised

Via the BBC: China rights 'worsen with Games'

Chinese Terror Cops Get Segways

This story is a few days old now, but Noah Shachtman's post is the first I've seen it: Chinese elite anti-terror police officers are wheeling into action ahead of next month's Beijing Olympics on two-wheeled scooters.  Members of the country's armed police unit practised on the Segway models that have been re-named 'Anti-Terror Assault Vehicles' in the eastern province of ...

Bush: Skipping Olympics an ‘Affront’ to China

President Bush reiterated his intention to attend the opening ceremonies in Beijing and stated that doing otherwise would be an "affront" to the Chinese people. President Bush said Sunday he does not feel the need to boycott the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics to state his opposition to China's human rights record. Skipping the event would be an "affront" to ...

John Bolton Slams Korea Nuke Deal

John Bolton, President Bush's former UN ambassador, is not at all pleased with last week's deal with North Korea on the nuclear stalemate. With much fanfare and choreography, but little substance, the administration has accepted a North Korean "declaration" about its nuclear program that is narrowly limited, incomplete and almost certainly dishonest in material respects. In exchange, President Bush personally declared ...

Let My People Go

Seen on a beat up Hyundai Sonata driving in to DC this morning: A bumper sticker reading, "Let My People Go! Free North Korean Refugees in China Before the Beijing Olympics." That's rather wordy for a bumper sticker, frankly.

In India, Skin Lightening Creams Are All the Rage

The Washington Post reports that American-style beautification obsessions are starting to make their way into India. Like this:He's the rugged type, with sculpted arm muscles. He rides a motorcycle and wears a trendy tank top, wraparound sunglasses and slicked-back hair. There's only one problem: His skin color is a few shades too dark. His fair-skinned love interest won't even accept ...

Ron Paul: Harbinger or Next Year’s Has-Been?

GWU political scientist John Sides is the latest individual to dispute the thesis that Ron Paul is a revolutionary figure in American politics. My working guess (given the givens about social scientists generally, but not knowing him personally) is that Sides is less sympathetic to Paul's agenda than a libertarian (on the big L/little l boundary) like me, but ...

Book Review: The Siege of Mecca

I’ve written a review of The Siege of Mecca: The Forgotten Uprising in Islam’s Holiest Shrine and the Birth of Al Qaeda, a riveting retelling of the events of November, 1979, when a group of around 500 Islamic extremists (including at least two American Black Muslims) seized the Grand Mosque at Mecca. The author concludes that this action, taken along ...

McCain Calls for ‘Strong Action’ Against Burma ‘Thugs’

Senator John McCain held one of his regular conference calls with bloggers. His prepared remarks focused on a speech he's making today in Detroit to the Hispanic business community, his satisfaction in having beaten back Democrats in their efforts to force withdrawal in Iraq (which he attributes mostly to Petraeus' honor, integrity, and leadership), and the situation in Burma. ...