NIGHTWATCH Extract: Pakistan’s Penetration by Radicals–Why Fundamentalism Defeats Security

Pakistan: Update. On 5 January, Pakistani media reported more details about the assassination of Governor Taseer. The assassin said everyone in the governor’s protective detail knew of his intentions. The weird thing is no background investigation would find adverse information about a devout Muslim, not in Pakistan. The guard who assassinated Punjab Governor Salman Taseer …

Journal: Putin to Obama–Stay in Afghanistan + RECAP

Mikhail  Gorbachev, who has been neutralized by the succession of Russian rulers, especially Putin) has just advised President Obama to get out of Afghanistan.  Jonathan Steele suggests here (also attached below) that Obama ought to heed that advice, because Obama is in a similar albeit somewhat worse position than Gorbachev was in 1985-6. Analogies are dangerous, because …

NIGHTWATCH Extracts: NL out of AF, Syria into LE, UN Tribunals Triumphant as Deviners of Fact in Support of Peace

Afghanistan – The Netherlands: BBC and other international media reported that the Netherlands military mission has ended its operations and is withdrawing. They transferred command of Oruzgan to the US and Australians on Sunday. Their departure will serve as a validation of the Taliban long term strategy of outlasting the foreigners and a recruitment appeal: …

NIGHTWATCH Extract: Dictators vs Iran in Middle East

Syria-Saudi Arabia-Lebanon: Syria and Saudi Arabia pledged to support efforts to stabilize Lebanon and preserve its security and unity, Reuters reported 29 July. A joint statement from Saudi King Abdullah and Syrian President Bashar al Asad also called for better inter-Arab relations, praised Turkey’s support for the Palestinians and called for the formation of a …