2008年11月28日星期五

Mumbai Attack - 印度的恐怖分子是谁?

孟买的恐怖分子是谁?


目前在印度积极活动的恐怖组织达176个,比较激进

和具有恐怖色彩的有以下4类:第一类是“锡克宗教委

员会”、“卡利斯坦突击队”、“全印锡克学生联合会”

和“锡克宗教委员会”等;第二类是印度教徒和伊斯兰

教徒围绕克什米尔争端而成立的如“查谟和克什米尔

解放阵线”等;第三是以少数民族为主体的极端组织,

如“阿萨姆联合解放阵线”、“博多保安军”、“特里普

拉民族解放阵线”和“全特里普拉猛虎军”等;第四类

是反政府的极左组织,如“人民游击军”和“人民战争

集团”等。


但是印度的外交部长说:孟买恐怖袭击事件与巴基斯

坦恐怖分子有关。巴基斯坦的政府从来回答:全地区

的恐怖分子是从阿富汗来得。


2008年9月28日:巴基斯坦


2008年7月6日:巴基斯坦




This morning, further hostages have been freed by special forces from occupied Trident Hotel in Mumbai. [NHK TV, Tokyo, November 28]

2008年11月18日星期二

CUBA - China Breaking the Blockade
古巴—中国突破封锁




胡锦涛主席探望古共中央第一书记菲德尔·卡斯特罗。

胡锦涛出席了金融市场和世界经济峰会、亚太经会组织

会议并访问古巴。


November 18: Chinese leaders sign a trade deal with Cuba.

Chinese President Hu Jintao on a two-day official visit to Cuba. In the same aircraft that brought the Chinese president and China's trade minister Chen Deming, humanitarian cargo for the victims of recent hurricanes was delivered. [Radio Habana / People's Daily online]

There are two aspects making the visit of high-ranking Chinese leaders to Cuba a profitable enterprise for China :

1) The sentimental value of Hu Jintao and Fidel Castro deliberating on the good old days of a Cuban-Chinese friendship that is dating back to Mao Tsedong and Deng Xiaoping, and that is coming together with badly needed humanitarian aid. A sentimental value that pays in terms of an increasing prestige for China.

2) The economic value of a trade deal that enables China to exploit Cuban sugarcane and nickel, both commodities belonging to the few material values Cuba has to offer. An economic value that has to be seen before the background of an outdated U.S. embargo and at a time of "interregnum" when a new and more liberal U.S. president elect is forced to wait for his official inauguration and for the very first opportunity to do his job.

Nevertheless, this is a win-win situation for both, Cuba and China. One partner is gaining political and economic influence, while the other is being helped to survive the hardships of recent natural disasters and a (steadily crumbling) political discrimination. Its the U.S. that is losing this match !


Further information on an international community opposing the economic blockade of Cuba can be found in my blog post: Obama and Change that is Needed

UPDATE November 21: Report by U.S. intelligence agencies projecting U.S. decline and global unrest [Al-Jazeera]

2008年11月16日星期日

NORTH KOREA - A Zombie's Life 死人的活动

On October 11, 2008, North Korean TV published a set of ten images that should prove Kim Jong Il being alive. All images show the North Korean leader while visiting troops. It should be his first public appearance after August 14,2008. [Source 环球日报]


朝鲜中央电视台播放金正日视察朝鲜女子炮兵部队的照片

Kim Jong Il visiting a unit of female artillery soldiers on October 11, 2008. Could it be that the North Korean leader has received a severe burn ?


Since October 3, 2007, when the South Korean president met with his counterpart, we didn't receive any reliable image of Kim Jong Il at all.


Finally, on November 6, 2008, the North Korean "Worker's News" / 劳动新闻 published a report on Kim Jong Il visiting the military units 534 (above) and 2200 (below). [Source人民网/新华网]


We can therefore suppose that "Zombie" Kim Jong Il is still alive and might have recovered from a kind of "disease" that goes without any further comment.

When it comes to analyze North Korea's desolate situation with all its aspects, two points should be considered:
1. The days of the North Korean leadership are obviously counted, and whatever might happen to that country, it will happen very soon.
2. As it is difficult to imagine any essential change coming from the inside, Chinese and South Korean support will be needed to ensure the country's transformation into a modern state, fully accepted by the international community.

2008年11月6日星期四