Quantifying terror
On October 16, 2003, former US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld posed a revealing question in one of his infamous memos, how does one "take stock " of the "war on terrorism"? The answer remains elusive. Terrorism is as much political as it is ideological and occupies a miasma that both eludes and supports conventions of American policy.
Salon journalist Mark Danner writes that "taking stock" of the "war on terrorism" must entail regional fragmentation, diminution of US prestige, and the destruction of internal American political consensus. Danner discusses the impossibility of quantifying terrorism in concrete terms while placing America's current Middle East policy into a historical context. From the meeting between President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the King of Saudi Arabia to the US involvement of the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, Danner writes that the current US Middle East policy is in fact an extension of previous administrations, with one huge exception - an unidentifiable enemy. In Iraq, this means turning Sunni insurgents into US paid "concerned local citizens" at $300 a head per month. Danner writes that "taking stock of that war - merges inevitably with the sad tale of how that so-called war, strange and multiform beast that it is, became subsumed in a bold and utterly incompetent attempt to occupy and remake a major Arab country."
US military aid Keep up to date with the latest developments and sharpest perspectives in a world of strife and struggle.
Sign up to receive toD's daily security briefings via email by clicking here
In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, the US initiated a series of funding schemes meant to finance what Dick Cheney termed as the "dark side" of American counterinsurgency. Combining a year of research, repeated appeals to the Freedom of Information Act, and a host of top investigative journalists, the Center for Public Integrity has since produced one of the most comprehensive reports on post-9/11 US military aid and assistance. Complete with interactive maps, the online toolkit allows users to delve into the murky water of US military expenditures by country, region, and program.
British soldiers guilty of torture
UK defence secretary, Des Browne, admitsto serious breaches of the European Conventions on Human Rights following a case of Iraqi civilians tortured while in custody of British soldiers in 2003. In particular, the case involves the death by abuse of a Basra hotel receptionist, Baha Mousa, who suffered asphyxiation and 93 identifiable injuries on his body. The British military of defence (MoD) will have to pay out millions to Iraqi victims and their families. "This confession of guilt today is a victory for us. Now I can feel that my son's blood wasn't totally in vain," said Mousa's father.
Washington's strong arm tactics
Chilean Ambassador to the United Nations, Heraldo Munoz, discusseshis new book A Solitary War: A Diplomat's Chronicle of the Iraq War and Its Lessons with Democracy Now anchor Amy Goodman. Munoz provides an inside look into how the US bullied countries withholding support to the lead-up invasion of Iraq. At the time, Security Council members Chile along with Mexico, Pakistan, Cameroon, Angola, and Guinea were reluctant to concede to Washington request to authorise the use of force against Saddam Hussein. Munoz says Washington threatened to suspend trade policies with Chile.
North Korea "test fires" missiles
Following deteriorating relations with South Korea, Pyongyang's potentate Kim Jong-il ordered a series of missile launchestoday. According to South Korean Yonhap news agency, three of the missiles landed off the west coast. Yesterday, North Korea expelled South Korean officials from a joint industrial project following South Korea's endorsement of a UN resolution condemning Pyongyang's dismal human rights record. Hours before the expulsion, the South Korean foreign minister also said future relations depend on Pyongyang scrapping its nuclear program.
Mugabe opposition threatens riots
Any evidence of vote rigging in Zimbabwe's presidential and parliamentary elections tomorrow may spark nation-wide riots. Parties opposing the incumbent Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe are threatening nation-wide riots. Ian Makoni, election director for the opposing Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said, "We will be out on the streets celebrating when the polls close. It can turn into a protest easily. Zimbabweans are angry, they are desperate, they are ready to protest. It's the tipping point we are planning for." According to the most recent polls, MDC presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai is leading Mugabe by 8%.
India cracks down on terrorist group
On Thursday, Indian officials issued a statement saying it has captured and arrested thirteen leaders of the banned Student Islamic Movement of India (Simi). One of thirteen, Simi leader Shibly Peedicaal Abdul, is allegedly responsible for the July 11, 2006 rail bombings that killed 185 people and injured 800. The thirteen were in Indoreto finalise details of training programs when Indian police made the arrests.