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China
wary of US-Russia nuclear embrace
The first major United States-Russia nuclear weapons agreement of the post-Cold
War era is a foreign policy milestone for President Barack Obama and equally
timely for his counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev. Beijing sees a desire to keep
China's rise in check as a leitmotif of the US "reset" in relations with Moscow
and has dispatched an important visitor to the Russian capital in response. - M
K Bhadrakumar (Mar 26, '10)
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Decision time for Myanmar's
opposition
Myanmar's detained pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has responded to
military-drafted laws that bar her from running in this year's election by
calling for a boycott. However, she left her opposition party with the final
decision. The movement must now decide if it will contest the poll in defiance
of her wishes, or risk being completely excluded from the political process. - Brian
McCartan (Mar 26, '10)
Muqtada's star on the rise again
The dramatic gains made by Muqtada al-Sadr's movement in Iraq's general
elections mean the anti-American Shi'ite cleric's followers will have a much
greater say in the new parliament. The political gains of Muqtada, currently in
Iran studying to become an eminent scholar, or ayatollah, are matched only by
his growing theological clout. - Abeer Mohammed
(Mar 26, '10)
US dangles Pakistan a carrot
High on the agenda of talks in Washington this week between senior United
States and Pakistan officials was a civilian nuclear deal. It took India many
years to get such a pact; Islamabad could move ahead much quicker, but there
would be a price to pay in Pakistan's ties with Iran. - Syed Fazl-e-Haider
(Mar 26, '10)
Star skates between mom and motherland
After Chinese speed skater 
Zhou Yang won two gold medals at last month's Winter Olympics, she received a
heap of very expensive gifts and the applause of the nation, apart, that is,
from sports officials. They were miffed that after spending all the money and
resources they do on nurturing world-class athletes, Zhou should first have
paid respect to them, rather than to her parents, as she did. - Stephen Wong
(Mar 26, '10)
 BOOK
REVIEW
Bad bet against China's leaders
The Beijing Consensus
by Stefan Halper
Though originally meant to be a book about how China's rising consumer class
was challenging the Communist Party and nudging the country toward democracy,
the harder the author looked, the more he became convinced that its ruling
party would endure. In some ways, the United States has itself to blame. - Paul
Wiseman (Mar 26, '10)
AN ATOL SPECIAL REPORT
War and peace: A Taliban view
Pakistan and the United States are in the process of redefining their strategic
relationship, at the heart of which is the war in Afghanistan. There is much
talk of talks with the Taliban resistance, but it's all hot air, a senior
Taliban official tells Asia Times Online. He says the Americans are not serious
and that the recent arrests of Taliban commanders, far from isolating Mullah
Omar, will only strengthen the Taliban leader's resolve to fight on. - Syed
Saleem Shahzad (Mar 25, '10)
Taliban cry foul over press curbs
The Taliban have objected strongly to the Afghan government's ban on live war
coverage, calling it a flagrant violation of freedom of speech. Kabul says
footage of attacks and the response of the security forces gives the Taliban a
tactical advantage. - Abubakar Siddique (Mar
25, '10)
THE ROVING EYE
Obama squeezed between Israel and
Iran
Washington's schizophrenic reaction to the US-Israel "crisis" - a brief
scolding followed by talk of an "unshakeable bond" and sanctions "that bite"
for Iran, reveals the spat may be theater designed to obscure a not-so-subtle
drive to attack Tehran. After all, Israel's powerful friends have determined
the broad outlines of US policy in the Middle East for decades. - Pepe Escobar
(Mar 25, '10)
US peeks into China's nuclear fortress
A report by a United States think-tank that reveals details of China's nuclear
warhead storage facilities in the mysterious Taibai mountain complex was
probably not well received in Beijing. However, it paints a very positive
picture of the rigid and reliable system of controls put in place by the
Communist Party. - Peter J Brown (Mar 25,
'10)
 SINOGRAPH
Globalization yet
to have its day
Globalization - the most recent phase in capitalism's evolution - is a poor fit
for China's idea of stability. But the attention to common interests that it
fosters adds a new dimension to traditional thinking. A revaluation of the yuan
encouraging the transfer of technology would be the strongest proof to China
that a new paradigm exists and that the zero-sum game is dead or dying. - Francesco
Sisci (Mar 25, '10)
Rio Tinto gets back to business
Rio Tinto may have to wait a month to hear the verdict on four of its employees
charged in China with bribery and stealing commercial secrets. Annual talks on
the iron ore price China's steel mills pay Rio and other mining companies are
also likely to drag on, but peace has at least broken out between Rio and its
biggest shareholder. - Olivia Chung (Mar 25,
'10)
Superpower competition for
little Laos
The United States is making diplomatic overtures to Laos as part of efforts to
unwind Chinese influence in Southeast Asia. Reviving ties may be difficult,
since Beijing has deep trade, aid and investment links with Vientiane while few
forget the legacy of refugees and unexploded bombs created by the US's "secret
war" in the 1960s and 1970s. - Brian McCartan
(Mar 24, '10)
Home truths call for tough love on
Israel
The conventional wisdom of Washington's unconditional support for Israel has
been called into question as the rupture in relations shines a spotlight on the
costs to America of maintaining a status quo that has failed to advance
security in the Middle East. The origins of the peace process the US is now
trying to resuscitate do not lie in the support for Israel that has been the
norm over the past two decades; they lie in national interest-based tough love.
- Tony Karon (Mar 24, '10)
Israel hovers between war and peace
Where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands at a critical juncture
between possible peace with the Palestinians and possible war with Iran may
become clearer during his talks in Washington. The US will not allow Netanyahu
to dodge the question of Israel's border with a future Palestinian state. On
Iran, Netanyahu has offered an ominous pointer. - Jerrold Kessel and Pierre
Klochendler (Mar 24, '10)
Iran in a jam over satellite
blocking
European and American broadcasters, including the BBC and Voice of America,
have ramped up their criticism of Iran for jamming satellite signals carrying
their programs. This throws a harsh light on a senior Iranian government
official who chairs the United Nations body that is supposed to prevent such
jamming. - Peter J Brown (Mar 24, '10)
Tehran's long and winding road
Looming sanctions top the Persian new year list of foreign policy problems that
Mahmud Ahmadinejad needs to resolve as Iran follows, in the words of the
president, ''the path of its high objectives''. With Turkey and Brazil
seemingly in favor of rejecting the US desire for ''crippling sanctions'',
Ahmadinejad could be looking for further support in the United Arab Emirates
and even the capitals of Europe. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi
(Mar 24, '10)
South Korea’s Jeju, a peripheral success
Northeast Asian nations struggling to incorporate peripheral societies in the
transition from a Confucian system to a nation-state system could look at South
Korea's culturally unique Jeju Island. Though the road was violently rough, the
political autonomy the island now enjoys has brought harmony and prosperity. - Andray
Abrahamian (Mar 24, '10)
Taiwan's opposition scents power
As Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party ponders the possibility of returning
to government, it is trying to refine its policies. Pragmatists hope to avoid
repeating the mistakes of the Chen Shui-bian era that saw escalating tensions
with China, though there will always be some who insist on sticking a finger in
the dragon's eye. - David G Brown (Mar 24,
'10)
Putin urges US help for oligarchs
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has recommended that Washington show
support for Russian companies operating in the United States, specifically
naming Norilsk Nickel and steelmaker Severstal. US Director of National
Intelligence Dennis Blair, however, has warned of a Russian oligarch "nexus"
that threatens "bribery, fraud, violence and corrupt alliances with state
actors to gain the upper hand against legitimate businesses". - John Helmer
(Mar 24, '10)
COMMENT
Google blunders in search for
China success
Escalating its public feud with Beijing, Google endangered Hong Kong's freedoms
by routing its servers through there in an attempt to avoid mainland censors.
Fortunately for Hong Kong, it didn't work, but the unanswered query remains:
what is Google looking for in China? - Muhammad Cohen
(Mar 24, '10)
US-Israel spat plants seeds of
crisis
While Washington claims the harsher tone it has adopted over Israeli
settlements in East Jerusalem is "paying off", Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu has energized his supporters by painting himself as a victim of
hatred and foreign-policy ineptitude at the hands of the Barack Obama
administration. Many elements are now in place for the row to escalate into a
larger crisis in relations, most likely - though not necessarily - triggered by
a military flare-up between Israel and Iran. - Victor Kotsev
(Mar 23, '10)
'Strategic depth' at heart of
Taliban arrests
When the Taliban controlled Afghanistan, Pakistan achieved strategic depth, the
elusive goal of a pliant buffer between India and Russia. The arrests of top
Taliban leaders who were negotiating a settlement shows that Pakistan is
determined to assert its influence and carve out a settlement that preserves
the strategic imperative that Afghanistan represents. - Shibil Siddiqi
(Mar 23, '10)
A royalist speaks in Thailand
Former Thai prime minister Anand Panyarachun says the latest red-shirt protests
in Bangkok are nothing violent or drastic, just another chapter in Thailand's
particular brand of "ad-hocracy". However, the royalist does say that former
premier Thaksin Shinawatra has "gone beyond the point of return", both in
rhetoric and action. - Haseenah Koyakutty (Mar
23, '10)
Manila losing its battle with
drugs
The chief of the Philippines' top drug enforcement agency admits that his force
lacks the resources to stop a tide of narcotics flowing through the country.
China's tough anti-narcotics squad is helping out, with special focus on the
operations of major Chinese and West African syndicates. - Cristian Segura
(Mar 23, '10)
India shows an open mind
Following years of road blocks, a bill has been approved in India that allows
foreign universities to open campuses, in line with the country's need to meet
the demands of its burgeoning economy. Although the response from some of the
world's marquee universities has been muted, Delhi says the move will start a
"revolution". - Indrajit Basu (Mar 23, '10)
Game still on at Tencent
Investors sold off shares in Tencent, China's largest Internet company, last
week despite a 74% profit growth, amid concern that demand for its hugely
successful but aging online games might plateau. That may be premature, given
signs that "social games" could prove to be a new gold mine. - Sherman So
(Mar 23, '10)
Huff, puff, banks fall down
Huffington Post founder Arianna Stassinopoulos scores a debating point in
urging Americans to move their money out of big banks - "reckless behemoths" -
to smaller, community-based lenders. Unfortunately, the net result could be the
very damaging opposite of the stability she foresees. - Julian Delasantellis
(Mar 23, '10)
A spy unsettles US-India ties
A plea bargain between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United
States spy who helped plan the 2008 terror attack in Mumbai means his role and
links with Pakistani intelligence may be forever hidden from India. The
chilling question at the heart of the case is whether the Barack Obama
administration shared all "actionable intelligence" with Delhi over
agent-turned-terrorist David Coleman Headley. - M K Bhadrakumar
(Mar 22, '10)
 SPENGLER
Post-Apocalyptic zombie finance
The whole world is bailing out the US government by purchasing US debt - with
money lent by America. While such zombie financing persisted for two decades in
Japan, the US arrangement is weakening the reserve status of the dollar, the
very foundation on which it depends. The situation is so absurd and unstable
that the list of potential points of failure is endless.
(Mar 22, '10)
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David P
Goldman
(Mar 24, '10)
The [12 bps] pop in mortgage rates ... shows where the Obama story may come
unstuck.
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 CHAN
AKYA
The
perfect crime
Rating agencies, for all their role in fueling the financial crisis, survive
essentially untouched by subsequent regulation - official zeal no doubt
tempered by government needs to raise cash (and get ratings) in the bond
markets. If ever there was an issue for Asian countries to take a lead on, it
is the pursuit of truth in credit ratings.
MARKET RAP
Twin peaks
Signs of a deal to resolve the Greek debt crisis were followed by something of
a recovery in Asian stocks on Friday. Yet the risk of a double-dip recovery is
generally increasing, and pessimism might be the better mood.
R M Cutler runs his eye over the ups and downs in the week's markets.
Smart phones get smarter
Asian countries still denying their citizens third-generation phone technology
will soon be falling even further behind the rest of the world as manufacturers
prepare to introduce 4G products this summer, with speeds that may be 10 times
faster than 3G links.
Martin J Young surveys the week's developments in computing, science,
gaming and gizmos.
|
 Follow
the money
The place to be in business these days is with outfits that get United States
government funding because, in the words of bank robber Willie Sutton, "that's
where the money is" - and where corruption gets its start, too. Longer term, of
course, and the way to stay out of jail, is to buy gold, silver and oil.
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FROM THE BLOG
Pop goes the recovery
If 10-year Treasury yields run up into the high 4% area, and TIPS yields go
into the 2.5% range, that is high enough to suck in real money by increasing
the savings rate. A pop in the savings rate, of course, will come straight out
of consumption and the economy will wobble. In short, it could get ugly. - David
Goldman
CREDIT BUBBLE BULLETIN
Greenspan on the crisis
Former United States Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan has again missed
an opportunity to face up to the role he and his successor, Ben Bernanke,
played in creating the present financial crisis, or even at least to question
the dangers occasioned by central bank manipulation of market interest rates.
(Mar 22, '10)
Doug Noland looks at the previous week's events each Monday.
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Re Obama squeezed between Israel and
Iran: The problem is not that Israel and its Zionist backers are so
ruthlesly diabolical in getting their own way ... The real problem is that
America is such a pussycat for such machinations. Why do the Americans allow it
to happen? - MonsoonWind
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From Our Mailbox
[Re Google
blunders in search for China success, March 25] As much as I don't
believe that Google dragged Hong Kong into its ordeal out of malice, it was a
matter of insensitivity and ignorance nonetheless. It is thanks to the
technical feasibility of the "Great Firewall", that the "one country, two
systems" formula remains a reality.
Jeff Church
USA
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to Letters to the Editor |
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ATol Specials
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By Syed Saleem Shahzad
(Jan '09) |
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VIDEO
Taliban's new breed of leader
(May '08) |
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The
Gates
Inheritance
By
Roger Morris
(June '07) |
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Syed Saleem Shahzad reports on
the Afghan war from the Taliban side
(Dec '06)
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How
Hezbollah defeated Israel
By
Mark Perry and
Alastair Crooke
(Oct '06)
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Mark
Perry and
Alastair Crooke
talk to the 'terrorists'
(Mar '06)
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China:
The
Impossible
Revolution
By
Francesco Sisci
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The Coming
Trade War
By Henry C K Liu
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A series
by Henry C K Liu
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Sinoroving
Pepe Escobar in China
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Money, Power
and
Modern Art
A series by Henry C K Liu
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Andre Gunder Frank on Uncle Sam and his
shrinking dollar
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By Pepe Escobar with
photographs by Kevin Nortz
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Nir Rosen goes inside the Iraqi
resistance
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Nir Rosen rides with the US 3rd
Armored Cavalry in western Iraq
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