Blogging the democratic revolution
The Iranian government has banned Seymore Hersh’s article about U.S. special forces penetrating Iran from being reprinted in newspapers.
I just came across more commentary from Iraq the Model on the assassination attempt of a democratic Iraqi politician.
When it comes to communists, at least they live up to their beliefs by working together: WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States said on Thursday it was troubled by Russian plans to sell Venezuela arms that U.S. officials suggest could be used to aid leftist guerrillas in Latin America. The arms pact announced last year by Venezuela’s firebrand President Hugo Chavez would give the South American OPEC member 100,000 automatic rifles and a number of helicopters. Venezuela is also evaluating Russian MiG-29 fighters as possible replacements for its F-16s. Bush administration officials have voiced increasing disquiet about the agreement in…
Abbas is quickly getting a reputation for reform: GAZA (Reuters) – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas fired three of his top security chiefs on Thursday after militants, puncturing a cease-fire he reached with Israel, bombarded Jewish settlements in Gaza with mortar rounds. Israeli cabinet minister Ophir Pines praised Abbas for “an unprecedented step” in dismissing the three, members of Yasser Arafat’s old guard, in response to violence that flared after Tuesday’s summit in Egypt with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The United States, which has pledged renewed commitment to Middle East peacemaking after Abbas succeeded Arafat last month, also praised the dismissals.…
In case you weren’t invited to the party, here is a recap: BAGHDAD ???????? U.S. military police threw a mudwrestling party at a prison camp in Iraq and a woman who took part has been found guilty of indecent exposure and demoted, the U.S. military said on Monday. At least three female guards stripped to their underwear and wrestled each other in a paddling pool full of mud in the grounds of Camp Bucca, the biggest U.S. camp for detainees in Iraq, Lt. Col. Barry Johnson said. Several guards who watched the wrestling have been reprimanded for failing to intervene.…
Well, duh: SEOUL, FEBRUARY 10: North Korea declared on Thursday, for the first time, it possessed nuclear weapons and pulled out indefinitely from six-party talks on its atomic ambitions, saying it needed a defence against a hostile US. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice played down the announcement, saying US had assumed, since the mid-1990s, that North Korea could make nuclear weapons. But she said it would only deepen its own isolation, and forego international security guarantees if it pulled out of six-party talks on its nuclear programme. The article contains a lot of international reactions. Japan downplays it as…
David McDuff is reporting: Feb 02 – Estonian European MP Toomas Hendrik Ilves, the first Vice-Chairman of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, together with four colleagues nominated Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and the Ukrainian people for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize. Their letter to the Nobel Foundation says that the orange revolution in Ukraine led by Yushchenko consolidated democracy and brought freedom to thousands of people. Awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to the Ukrainian President would be a sign that Ukraine is becoming a modern, democratic European state, the signatories of the letter find. They said that peaceful, consistent…
Neo Coneli posts an enormous writeup about recent attacks on an Iraqi politician’s life and how the media doesn’t understand why he is being targeted. Very in depth.
President Bush is stepping up the verbal pressure on Iran. And remember, verbal pressure from the U.S. can be deadly when ignored. “The Iranians just need to know that the free world is working together to send a very clear message: Don’t develop a nuclear weapon,” Bush said. “And the reason we’re sending that message is because Iran with a nuclear weapon would be a very destabilizing force in the world,” he said during a meeting with Poland’s president. Bush said he looked forward to discussing concerns about Iran with European allies. “It’s important we speak with one voice,” he…
They are recounting 300 ballot boxes from outlying regions to confirm the count. Doesn’t sound so bad to me, but it is somewat demoralizing to those who want to keep the energy high and know the outcome for sure. Iraqi election officials admitted on Wednesday that the result of the country’s elections 11 days ago would be delayed to allow a recount of 300 ballot boxes from outlying regions. The officials did not say when the final results, which had been due for release on Thursday, would be published. “It will be a little bit delayed,” said Farid Ayar, spokesman…
Michael Rowan writes a special opinion piece for El Universal comparing the elections in Iraq to those of Venezuela. One of them doesn’t measure up to standards, and you may not be surprised as to which one it is. In Venezuela, RR voter turnout was very high – but augmented by two million new voters added late to the messy voter list, such as the FARC’s Granda. Venezuelans at the voting centers did not count the vote – the CNE did a centralized count with new and non-audited electronic machines that could send or receive a vote count. When exit…
Check this out! Not only is the redesign cool, but now there are many new features. You can create an account at Maidan which will allow you to post comments. But that’s not all… it also allows you to create a blog. While that may not be useful to those of us who already have our own, it will be indispensable to those in Ukraine and unfree countries who need a free and easy service to publish their thoughts. Very cool, Maidan!
Aussiegirl is reflecting on Putin post-9/11 and how he has fallen back into his old KGB ways. On November 15, 2001, President Putin visited the United States and was feted at the Bush ranch in Crawford, Texas. He was riding high in the saddle at the time. It looked like Russia was entering the free world at last, democratizing, cooperating on the war on terror, and could easily become an ally and partner of the United States in a new post-Soviet world. This is the meeting where George Bush drove him around the ranch in his pickup truck and treated…
Nathan Hamm has posted his daily article on polical happenings in Russia’s “near abroad.” Democracy is on crack down.
Andy has posted, much to my adoration, his Russia news roundup for the week. Check it out!
The Transitions Trends blogger is somewhat pessimistic to say the least. I have to agree, but mostly because I like to see things done quicker than they are currently being carried out. Praktike has a few good notes and links worth having a look at. My favorite is this tidbit from an interview with Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah: Question: Do you expect this to ever become a representative democracy? Abdullah: I believe it is now a democracy. I hope that isn’t telling of the future. As he notes, John is more optimistic.
Discoshaman is back with another Ukraine update for today. New government policies, evil party disintegration, and the possiblity of a PORA political party. Interesting indeed!
The LA Times is running a story by a female Iranian journalist under a pseudonym. She details the process by which she was taken by the state, interrogated, and imprisoned. It is filled with enraging details and ends with sick irony. TEHRAN ???????? “Excuse me, Miss, but here in my hand I have a warrant for your arrest,” said a middle-aged man with a few days’ growth of beard. “Please do not make any noise as you walk calmly to the Mercedes parked at the corner.” When the man approached me, I had just left a bookstore. It crossed my…
Dan McMinn from Orange Ukraine weighs in with his thoughts on the cabinet appointments, especially the none-Our Ukraine ones.
John Burgess blogs on the recent cabinet appointments made by King Fahd. He also gives his impression of them and what reforms they have (or haven’t in some cases) made for their country.
And it looks like the people at Beautiful Horizons also do a Latin America roundup!
I noticed a trackback on one of my posts by Winds of Change and followed the link. Apparently, Nathan from The Argus does a monthly roundup of all the news from the Caucasus over there. Make sure to check that out. As I have noted before, love stuff like this.
I recently watched a news broadcast on Al-Jazeera of the Sudanese parliament’s unanimous ratification of the peace agreement between the government and the Sudan’s Peoples’ Liberation Army (SPLA), headed by John Garang. This is certainly good news. Millions have died in this on-again, off-again conflict over the past four decades, and perhaps it really is coming to an end. (See also my previous post on the Sudan, Peace in the Sudan? Does the Arab World Care?) At the same time, a representative of the government, speaking in parliament, launched a scathing attack on the United Nations and on the United…
As you have all probably heard by now, Sharon and Abbas have agreed to a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians. SHARM EL SHEIK, Egypt (AP) _ Grinning broadly, the two men clasped hands as they strained to reach across water bottles, their national flags and a bouquet of yellow and white flowers atop a wide table that spoke of the distance remaining between Israel and the Palestinians. The warm and lengthy handshake between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, repeated three times for the cameras at a breakthrough summit at this Egyptian resort Tuesday, lifted…
Sergei Blagov writes on the possibly of colder relations with Russia after Zhvania’s death. Russian analysts and media outlets believe the death of Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania could have significant repercussions for bilateral relations between Russia and Georgia, as well as for stability within Georgia itself. Official statements out of the Kremlin since Zhvania????????s February 3 death have emphasized the political leader????????s moderation and responsibility. ÄFor background see the Eurasia Insight archiveÅ. Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Zhvania as a champion of “friendly and good-neighborly relations” between Russia and Georgia. Russian Transportation Minister Igor Levitin, who headed Russia????????s delegation…