Had I known that Mr Jimmy Wales would be in a city a mere three hours drive away I would have certainly not missed the opportunity of meeting him. He was in town for what soft ware people call an "un conference", and from the gushing reports from the local press he was a resounding success. He stayed as a house guest of a techie-blogger and answered all questions posed to him without an ounce of patronising familiarity and believe me everyone was impressed. As a founder of the online Wukiped...
Late last night a series of bomb explosions took place in thye train that links India and Pakistan killing nearly 70 passengers. The blasts took place around midnight whenb theassengers were fast asleep and in the ensuing fire several ore were killed. The tragedy happened near Panipat, a station on the way. This train named Samjhautha Express which roughtly trnslates as Friendship Express and was introduced by7 the former government in order to bring the people of the two countries together....
Ever since the USA under George W Bush with his neo conservative acolytes embarked on a major misadventure in the Middle East, particularly Iraq, there has been a number of books explaining/justyfying this horrendous tranformation form a vibrant, if clumsy hegemon to a ruthless blood letting power in the near east. Niall Ferguson with his fashionable right of center political views is one historian who has written about this change in the basuic structure of USA after the collapse of the USSR...
The Baghdad Security Paln has been launched with great fanfare. The al Maliki Government and the Secretary Defence, Dr Robert Gates were both extremely optimistic about the success of this Plan. A week into the operation and six appache helicopters later the Plan has slowly, but surely, begun to get stuck. Let me state that the paln was well thought out and could have worked has certain basic conditions been met. First, there was need for the sectarian violence to be tamed through a politica...
Finally the US voting public has awoken to the fact that the Iraq War into which President Bush plunged his unsuspecting people is virtually lost. Even Republicans are breaking ranks and are calling for the withdrawal of troops and the Bush strategy of escalation, euphemestically caslled "surge" will come a cropper. Having said the obvious let me move on to the issue at hand. Barack Obama made a fine speech at Springfield, standing on the very steps that Lincon had walked 160 years earlier...
In the article whose link I have provided we had pointed out that Israel had used c luster munitions in civilian areas during the recebnt Lebanon-Israel-Hizbollah War. At that time several of those who wrote in response came after mw with vehemence. Once again I was right and now the US State Department will issue Report to the US Congress that Israel has violated its agreement by deploying Cluster Munitions against civilian targets. I have always believed that we have a responsibility to TR...
The state of the Union Speech was a piece of political theatre and it cerainly set the Republican fox amongst the Democrat pigeons. George Bush, struggling for political relevance did what every politician is distress does: he coopted the entire Democrat agenda for himself. This astute move will ceratinly gain him some political mileage, but the conservatives will feel that they have been betrayed and the Democrats will feel upstaged. This round to George Bush. The Democrats realising the g...
The tsunami that devastated the Indian Ocean region on December 26, 2004 left in its wake a trail of destruction and death. In Sri Lanka and Souther India maore than 100,000 people were killed and most of them happened to be poor fisher folks living on the sea shore. Soon after the Tsunami the region was overwhelmed with help. Nearly 5 billion dollars worth of aid flowed into the tsunami affected region. Yet the relief and rehabilitation remains incomplete. Less than 25% of the houes destroye...
The excecution of Saddam Hussein aon the day of Id marks an opportune moment to look back on his life, his brand of politics and of course, his relationship with the US which extended over three decades. I must say at the very outset that I deplore all that Saddam Hussein did in his life time, but yet maintain that the killing was not just bad politics but totally unjustified due to the fact that he did not receive a fair trial. Saddam Hussein was born on 28th April 1937 near Tikri to a s...
The Bush White House has let it be known to the world at large that though the Iraq Stusy Group had called for negotiations with Syria and Iran, the strategy of the Bush regime is to "surge"troops in Ieaq. What on earth does this mean. There are two options only. On the one hand it means that there will be more American troops on Iraqi soil and therfore more casualities. Instead of saying that troop strength is to be increased the Bushmen have mangaled the English language and term it "sur...
Few images are likely to be more compelling than the picture of a shackled, manacled Saddam Hussein dressed in a dark overcoat calmly walking to the gallows. He was always the defiant one as his name translates in Arabic and he lived up to his name. Not a sign of weakness, not even a nervous twitch as the hangman's noose was fixed round his neck. His lips moving in silent prayer and the dignified manner in which Saddam Hussein faced his death will live in the minds of the Iraqi people. Even h...
The confirmation of the death sentence handed down to Saddam Hussein is not a surprise. In a few days time Saddam would be killed and the Iraqis will have a new symbol to rally around. In fact Saddam will play a far greater role after death than he ever did in his lifetime. The trial which was held in connection with the Dujail killings was not free and fair. Right from the start the decks were stacked against the former President. The judges were frequently changed anfd the prececution team ...
In a few months from now Tony Blair would have given up the Premiership to Gordon Brown, his long neglected successor. As he leaves Downing Street, it is time to reflect upon the remarkable carreer of Tony Blair and his most uninspiring legacy he leaves behind. He shares along with Dame Margret Thatcher the distinction of being the only PM re elected thire in English history. He shares with Maggie the credit for reshaping the very contours of contemporary politics. While the Graet Dame enjoy...
In a few months from now Tony Blair would have given up the Premiership to Gordon Brown, his long neglected successor. As he leaves Downing Street, it is time to reflect upon the remarkable carreer of Tony Blair and his most uninspiring legacy he leaves behind. He shares along with Dame Margret Thatcher the distinction of being the only PM re elected thire in English history. He shares with Maggie the credit for reshaping the very contours of contemporary politics. While the Graet Dame enjoy...
A cynic might say that instead of the US troops withdrawing from Iraq it is time for the Iraqis to wihtdraw from Iraq given the utter chaos that the so called coalition of the willing has wrought in Iraq. Everyday nearly 3000 to 4000 Iraqis are feeling from their homes due to the unsettled conditions prevailing. The US troo[s are not in a position to maintain peace and their very presence is gfueling more violence. THe US and Britain have now become part of the problem and any solution will h...