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Links 11/17: Around the World in a few easy clicks |
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Asia:
The death toll in Bangladesh has risen to over 1,500 following a devastating cyclone attack. The effects of the storm will continue to rise as crops have been destroyed and relief efforts have been hampered by flooding.
In Rawalpindi, Pakistan, lawyers continue to protest military rule, reports Pakistan’s Dawn. (Note the interesting by-lines.)
Gearing up for elections in January, the Election Commission of Pakistan has received notice of an ad campaign (published in the national press) aimed at maligning People’s Party leader Benazir Bhutto.
While Pakistan is under military rule, The New York Times reports that, according to senior administration officials, the Bush administration has “spent almost $100 million on a highly classified program to help Gen. Pervez Musharraf…secure his country’s nuclear weapons.”
Meanwhile, India’s leftists have recently decided to decrease their strong opposition to the US-India “123″ nuclear deal, leaving room for the deal to go through. Funny how that happens…
Middle East:
Amidst pressure from Musharraf, the UAE decided to shut down two Pakistani news chanels that began to broadcast from Dubai following the imposition of military rule and media bans, further limiting access to news and information in Pakistan.
In the (mainly) Sunni Doura district of Iraq, US troops have uncovered another mass grave containing 30 bodies.
According to the Independent of Ireland, attacks in Basra have decreased by 90% since British troops withdrew earlier this year. Sounds like a good reason to support a U.S. withdrawal…
Africa:
According to U.S. Secretary of Treasury Henry Paulson, economic integration is good for East Africa.
Following the release of a new report, France has been implicated in the 1994 genocide in Rawanda .
Europe:
At the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in Valencia, Spain, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon noted the “terrifying” and “frightening” nature of scientific evidence about global warming.
In Belgrade, Kosovo’s parliamentary elections closed without any major ordeals. Exit polls suggest the opposition are leading.
The Americas:
In his opening remarks at the Opec summit, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez warned that oil prices could double if the U.S. were to attack Iran. Saudi Arabia, however, has chosen a more moderate stance.
The “Bush-Mush relationship”: Critics say Bush didn’t do enough to see Musharraf’s faults.
In the Senate, Republicans blocked additional funding for the Iraq War because it was tied to troop withdrawal. The House passed the bill earlier in the week.
Video of the Day
We all know what Bush is going to do if he gets a bill with withdrawel in it. The question is what do Democrats do in response? The current play is heartening. Keep passing small appropriations bills, ones that cover the troop’s basic needs, while attaching withdrawal. If Bush vetos, who’s not supporting the troops then?
Good strategy, but do the Dems have the balls to do what needs to be done? Or will they cave (like they have before)?