Last week US defence chiefs unveiled their plan for battling global Islamist extremism. They envisage a conflict fought in dozens of countries and for decades to come. Today we look in detail at this seismic shift in strategic thinking, and what it will mean for Britain The message from General Peter Pace, the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, was apocalyptic. "We are at a critical time in the history of this great country and find ourselves challenged in ways we did not expect. We face a ruthless enemy intent on destroying our way of life and an uncertain future." Gen Pace was endorsing the Pentagon's four-yearly strategy review, presented to Congress last week. The report sets out a plan for prosecuting what the the Pentagon describes in the preface as "The Long War", which replaces the "war on terror". The long war represents more than just a linguistic shift: it reflects the ongoing development of US strategic thinking since the September 11 attacks. Looking beyond the Iraq and Afghan battlefields, US commanders envisage a war unlimited in time and space against global Islamist extremism. "The struggle ... may well be fought in dozens of other countries simultaneously and for many years to come," the report says. The emphasis switches from large-scale, conventional military operations, such as the 2003 invasion of Iraq, towards a rapid deployment of highly mobile, often covert, counter-terrorist forces. Among specific measures proposed are: an increase in special operations forces by 15%; an extra 3,700 personnel in psychological operations and civil affairs units - an increase of 33%; nearly double the number of unmanned aerial drones; the conversion of submarine-launched Trident nuclear missiles for use in conventional strikes; new close-to-shore, high-speed naval capabilities; special teams trained to detect and render safe nuclear weapons quickly anywhere in the world; and a new long-range bomber force.
The message from General Peter Pace, the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, was apocalyptic. "We are at a critical time in the history of this great country and find ourselves challenged in ways we did not expect. We face a ruthless enemy intent on destroying our way of life and an uncertain future."
Gen Pace was endorsing the Pentagon's four-yearly strategy review, presented to Congress last week. The report sets out a plan for prosecuting what the the Pentagon describes in the preface as "The Long War", which replaces the "war on terror". The long war represents more than just a linguistic shift: it reflects the ongoing development of US strategic thinking since the September 11 attacks.
Looking beyond the Iraq and Afghan battlefields, US commanders envisage a war unlimited in time and space against global Islamist extremism. "The struggle ... may well be fought in dozens of other countries simultaneously and for many years to come," the report says. The emphasis switches from large-scale, conventional military operations, such as the 2003 invasion of Iraq, towards a rapid deployment of highly mobile, often covert, counter-terrorist forces.
Among specific measures proposed are: an increase in special operations forces by 15%; an extra 3,700 personnel in psychological operations and civil affairs units - an increase of 33%; nearly double the number of unmanned aerial drones; the conversion of submarine-launched Trident nuclear missiles for use in conventional strikes; new close-to-shore, high-speed naval capabilities; special teams trained to detect and render safe nuclear weapons quickly anywhere in the world; and a new long-range bomber force.
About time we lined up?
*see Spiegel article above.
NEW DELHI - Along with the possibility of international sanctions hanging over Iran, the future of a 2,600-kilometer pipeline to transport natural gas to India from Iran through Pakistan, which is actively opposed by Washington, has fallen into jeopardy. While the three regional governments are going through the motions of planning for the US$7 billion project and say it will be unaffected by an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) referral of Iran's nuclear dossier to the United Nations Security Council, analysts say chances of the pipeline being built are now remote. Pakistani Oil Minister Amanullah Khan Jadoon is scheduled to visit India this Friday and Saturday to resume talks on the pipeline with Murli Deora, India's newly appointed minister for petroleum and natural gas. Significantly, Deora is perceived as belonging to the pro-US lobby within India's ruling Congress party while Mani Shankar Aiyar, the man he replaced two weeks ago, has openly socialist views. The change of petroleum ministers came amid speculation that New Delhi was having second thoughts about going ahead with the ambitious pipeline project after voting against Iran at the IAEA. There is a May deadline for India to join the project. Top independent commentators in India have criticized the easing out of Aiyar. Writing in the Outlook weekly, Prem Shankar Jha said Aiyar may have been moved out as a side-effect of the long-term energy-security plans he was beginning to implement, which would have shifted control of the energy market in this region away from the United States.
While the three regional governments are going through the motions of planning for the US$7 billion project and say it will be unaffected by an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) referral of Iran's nuclear dossier to the United Nations Security Council, analysts say chances of the pipeline being built are now remote.
Pakistani Oil Minister Amanullah Khan Jadoon is scheduled to visit India this Friday and Saturday to resume talks on the pipeline with Murli Deora, India's newly appointed minister for petroleum and natural gas.
Significantly, Deora is perceived as belonging to the pro-US lobby within India's ruling Congress party while Mani Shankar Aiyar, the man he replaced two weeks ago, has openly socialist views.
The change of petroleum ministers came amid speculation that New Delhi was having second thoughts about going ahead with the ambitious pipeline project after voting against Iran at the IAEA. There is a May deadline for India to join the project.
Top independent commentators in India have criticized the easing out of Aiyar. Writing in the Outlook weekly, Prem Shankar Jha said Aiyar may have been moved out as a side-effect of the long-term energy-security plans he was beginning to implement, which would have shifted control of the energy market in this region away from the United States.
the long-term energy-security plans he was beginning to implement, which would have shifted control of the energy market in this region away from the United States.
I'd take this with a grain of salt. The last I heard, India (presumably under this guy's leadership) was not even willing to commit to buying gas from that pipeline on a long term basis, which is the most basic commitment you need to actually get going with a pipeline.
This will be a extraordinarily difficult projet in the best case; I seriously doubt that we'll see these 3 countries do it on their own. Ever. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
In selecting Ibrahim al-Jaafari as its nominee for a second prime ministerial term, the dominant Shiite bloc has betrayed the hopes of all those who have wanted Iraq's first constitutionally elected government to make a fresh start at reunifying the country, rebuilding the economy and putting an end to the beating, torture and murder of civilians by Shiite militia members in and out of the official security forces. Jaafari has been a spectacular failure on all these fronts over the past 10 months. He is unlikely to do a better job if he gets the job a second time, particularly since he owes his selection to a political deal with the followers of Muqtada al-Sadr, a man whose own armed gang, the Mahdi Army, is very much part of the problem. The Mahdi Army controls the Shiite slums of Baghdad and, with allies, controls the slums of Basra as well, imposing fundamentalist Islamic mores, Taliban style, on those deemed insufficiently devout. The support of the Sadr bloc was crucial to Jaafari's one-vote victory over a more promising opponent. Sadr's spokesman has already made it clear that the price for those votes will be support for Sadr's political program, which includes solidarity with the governments of Iran and Syria and has inspired Mahdi Army attacks on American and British troops. Jaafari's nomination by the Shiite bloc is not quite tantamount to his election by the new Parliament. By itself, the bloc controls only 130 of Parliament's 275 seats, while a two-thirds majority is required to approve the new prime minister and the cabinet.
Jaafari has been a spectacular failure on all these fronts over the past 10 months. He is unlikely to do a better job if he gets the job a second time, particularly since he owes his selection to a political deal with the followers of Muqtada al-Sadr, a man whose own armed gang, the Mahdi Army, is very much part of the problem.
The Mahdi Army controls the Shiite slums of Baghdad and, with allies, controls the slums of Basra as well, imposing fundamentalist Islamic mores, Taliban style, on those deemed insufficiently devout.
The support of the Sadr bloc was crucial to Jaafari's one-vote victory over a more promising opponent. Sadr's spokesman has already made it clear that the price for those votes will be support for Sadr's political program, which includes solidarity with the governments of Iran and Syria and has inspired Mahdi Army attacks on American and British troops.
Jaafari's nomination by the Shiite bloc is not quite tantamount to his election by the new Parliament. By itself, the bloc controls only 130 of Parliament's 275 seats, while a two-thirds majority is required to approve the new prime minister and the cabinet.
We live in an era when two types of fundamentalisms are running rampant. One is religious fundamentalism, the other is its secular version. Both types of fundamentalism are equally dangerous, especially since neither side realizes how treacherous it is, and also because the people on both sides are convinced that they are so right and other side is so wrong. Muslim hardliners have been most visible in their practice of extremism since the 1990s, if not earlier. Then their ranks were taken over by the likes of al-Qaeda, who declared a global jihad against the United States. There is no denying that because of the absence of any distance between religion and politics in Islam, most Muslim grievances are couched in the language of religion. One has to look at the history of Islam to validate it. In the 19th century, Islam also became an anti-colonial force. As such, its forces fought losing battles with European colonialists. By the same token, Islamic forces of the early 20th century (the so-called "Basmachis") clashed with the communist czars of Russia and met the same fate, when they put up bloody resistance against the communist takeover of their homeland in Central Asia. In the era between the two world wars, Islam remained in the background, while Arab and other Muslim countries were busy emancipating themselves from the yoke of colonialism-imperialism. In Indonesia, Sukarno championed socialism and secularism, since it was in vogue among all major leaders of the so-called non-aligned countries.
Muslim hardliners have been most visible in their practice of extremism since the 1990s, if not earlier. Then their ranks were taken over by the likes of al-Qaeda, who declared a global jihad against the United States.
There is no denying that because of the absence of any distance between religion and politics in Islam, most Muslim grievances are couched in the language of religion. One has to look at the history of Islam to validate it. In the 19th century, Islam also became an anti-colonial force. As such, its forces fought losing battles with European colonialists. By the same token, Islamic forces of the early 20th century (the so-called "Basmachis") clashed with the communist czars of Russia and met the same fate, when they put up bloody resistance against the communist takeover of their homeland in Central Asia.
In the era between the two world wars, Islam remained in the background, while Arab and other Muslim countries were busy emancipating themselves from the yoke of colonialism-imperialism. In Indonesia, Sukarno championed socialism and secularism, since it was in vogue among all major leaders of the so-called non-aligned countries.
This is an important point I tried to articulate in earlier threads. 'Radical Islamists' can be people who found Islamic fundamentalism as an ideological framework in which they can express grievances, and you will hear people use that language even while not living according to dogma. This was very apparent to me in some newspaper portrayals of Iraqi resitance fighters. (Of course, terrorist groups can 'brainwash' recruits to switch to seeing the dogma as central.) *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
And doesn't "despictable" come form the same root as "picture"? Interesting... In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
Despicable means 'that should be looked down upon'. guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper
(The "spic" bit = "spec", not "pic" from "pict", which has to do with pigments and colours).
Just sayin'
<snark>If you are a secular humanist and disagree, you may be a secular fundamentalist yourself.</snark> guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper
This is getting seriously silly. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
The distinction is between fundamentalist religion and other religion. You can be an extremist fundamentalist or not. The fundamentalist religions are branches of the underlying religions, not on the main trunk. You can be an extremist Catholic without being a Catholic fundamentalist.
I think there are wider issues that are important. I think fundamentalism is terribly dangerous. It needs to go. However by it's nature it can't be destroyed by a frontal attack.
I'd like to hear from those that argued that the cartoons were needlessly provovcative: how would YOU react to the demands?
are you with us or against us?
I'll put this on your anti-French bias. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
Then again, you seem to have an answer to the cluster of issues surrounding the cartoons. I have admitted I am not sure what to make of the whole thing, nor what the right course of action is. End of story. You can argue your point more forcefully bacause of the certainty you have in the rightness of your position, which I lack about my position.
Ok? guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper
I don't have an "answer". I think there are some points worth making, even if there are real consequences which would cause us not to make such points in other circumstances (and which I acknowledge). I also think that the issue is not going to go away and that it is simpler to take a stand now. It's not a matter of certainty, it's my opinion today, I very much think it is right but I don't know for sure - and that's the whole point of this debate, to have some perspective, and all of you guys have provided a lot of it, for which I am grateful even if I argue against some of the arguments provided. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
Irony is sometimes a way to make one's point while disguising a direct confrontation.
Really?
So what should that school do? I'd like to hear from those that argued that the cartoons were needlessly provovcative: how would YOU react to the demands?
On the other hand, just because I am an atheist doesn't mean that I don't recognize the religious experience [this is what all that fashionable "spiritual but not religious" nonsense is about]. To DoDo I argued that being an apatriot does not prevent me from recognizing the national experience. I suppose I should start arguing to Jerome that just because I am a secularist doesn't mean I don't recognize the reality of confessionalism. guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper
Indeed that's what is derided as US-style multiculturalism in France. A fundamentalist tolerantist would tolerate female circumcision.
An fundamentalist scientist?
Positivist.
A fundamentalist doubtist?
Postmodernist :-) *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
Strict adherence to dogmas not related to any god. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
I defend secularism, not any ideology. Secular fundamentalism is like science fundamentalism or doubt fundamentalism - it's like saying that I have absolute certainty that there cannot be too much doubt. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
Well, that's exactly how I understood the term, but I see Colman disagrees.
Thus you can tar me with fascism, stalinism and nazism.
Please. I haven't tarred you with anything. Unless you believe that al-Qaida terrorism tars Hindus, there is no connection.
I defend secularism, not any ideology.
That, too, can become a fundamentalism the way I understood the term (but again Colman apparently doesn't), if you stick to secular principles in an infexible unresponding way (i.e. using secular principles as the sole standard to judge issues). (For example, I would consider a blank rejection of the German practice of church tax and religion courses at public schools secular fundamentalism, a rejection after considering the practical positives and negatives not.)
I note I myself am quite close to secular fundamentalism, even if I am at loggerheads with you on the cartoons issue. (I support the French ban on religious symbols and the shroud in school for example, dismissing a lot of counterarguments I read on progressive British blogs.) *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
They have a point. Personally I'm not seeing any huge difference between fundie Islam and fundie Adam Smith-ism at this point. From here they both look equally moonbat. The Islamites seem to be more overtly excitable, but the Smith-ites just do their calm supposedly reasoned juggernaut thing instead - and indirectly, as the market turns, a lot of people get ground to a pulp under the wheels.
The Smith-ites are usually better dressed and travel first rather than coach, but if you're looking at metrics of violence, oppression and general social damage, I'd wonder if perhaps the Smith-ites aren't ahead.
Us vs Them isn't the issue. I wish the West would realise that it doesn't have the high ground in terms of free speech or openness. In the West the only reason you're allowed to say what you want is that mostly it doesn't matter to the ruling elites. Both sides are addicted to violence and posturing, but Western violence is exported and kept out of sight, so it doesn't have the same immediate impact.
Is there really such a huge difference between a mullah calling for a fatwa, or a Wall St analsyst explaining why AIDS drugs can't be sold at generic prices because it would be bad for business? In terms of fatalities, which kills more people?
'Clash of Civilisations' is right. The problem is that at this point, neither of the civlisations is all that convincingly civilised.
Last week the board of directors of General Motors voted to give a seat to Jerry York, a senior advisor to billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian and a former chief financial officer known for his drastic cost-cutting measures at Chrysler Corporation and International Business Machines. Kerkorian is a Las Vegas casino mogul who owns nearly 10 percent of the automaker's stocks. The GM board also voted at its February 6 meeting to accelerate the "turnaround" strategy of job cuts and reductions in workers' health and retirement benefits, as demanded by Kerkorian. GM capped salaried retiree health benefits at 2006 levels starting in January, affecting roughly 100,000 white-collar retirees and about 25,000 employees who have yet to retire. Next year GM will "reassess" medical benefits for white-collar retirees and consider the imposition of higher monthly contributions, deductibles, coinsurance and other options, according to the Detroit Free Press. The company said it will freeze the accrual of pension benefits for salaried workers next month and will probably replace GM's traditional defined benefit plan with a cash balance or a 401(k) plan that would put more of the burden for retirement savings on workers. Late last year GM imposed unprecedented healthcare takeaways on active and retired United Auto Workers members and announced plans to wipe out 30,000 jobs by 2008, eliminating shifts or carrying out closures at a dozen plants in Michigan, Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Ontario, Canada.
The GM board also voted at its February 6 meeting to accelerate the "turnaround" strategy of job cuts and reductions in workers' health and retirement benefits, as demanded by Kerkorian.
GM capped salaried retiree health benefits at 2006 levels starting in January, affecting roughly 100,000 white-collar retirees and about 25,000 employees who have yet to retire. Next year GM will "reassess" medical benefits for white-collar retirees and consider the imposition of higher monthly contributions, deductibles, coinsurance and other options, according to the Detroit Free Press.
The company said it will freeze the accrual of pension benefits for salaried workers next month and will probably replace GM's traditional defined benefit plan with a cash balance or a 401(k) plan that would put more of the burden for retirement savings on workers.
Late last year GM imposed unprecedented healthcare takeaways on active and retired United Auto Workers members and announced plans to wipe out 30,000 jobs by 2008, eliminating shifts or carrying out closures at a dozen plants in Michigan, Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Ontario, Canada.
WASHINGTON, USA (AFP): The United States Monday defended its actions in pressuring a US-owned hotel in Mexico earlier this month to expel Cuban officials, creating a diplomatic row. A US Treasury official said the US embargo on Cuba applies to American firms operating anywhere in the world, and that the "alert" it issued over the presence of Cuban officials at the hotel was a normal part of US law enforcement. "We're not looking to irritate our friends in Mexico, but the law is clear," Assistant US Treasury Secretary Tony Fratto told reporters. "US firms must not engage in activities with the government of Cuba." Fratto added that "Wherever US firms operate, they have to operate within the scope of US law."
A US Treasury official said the US embargo on Cuba applies to American firms operating anywhere in the world, and that the "alert" it issued over the presence of Cuban officials at the hotel was a normal part of US law enforcement.
"We're not looking to irritate our friends in Mexico, but the law is clear," Assistant US Treasury Secretary Tony Fratto told reporters. "US firms must not engage in activities with the government of Cuba."
Fratto added that "Wherever US firms operate, they have to operate within the scope of US law."
MORE photographs have been leaked of Iraqi citizens tortured by US soldiers at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison on the outskirts of Baghdad. Tonight the SBS Dateline program plans to broadcast about 60 previously unpublished photographs that the US Government has been fighting to keep secret in a court case with the American Civil Liberties Union. Although a US judge last year granted the union access to the photographs following a freedom-of-information request, the US Administration has appealed against the decision on the grounds their release would fuel anti-American sentiment. Some of the photos are similar to those published in 2004, others are different. They include photographs of six corpses, although the circumstances of their deaths are not clear. There are also pictures of what appear to be burns and wounds from shotgun pellets. The executive producer of Dateline, Mike Carey, said he was showing the pictures leaked to his program because it was important people understood what had happened at Abu Ghraib.
Tonight the SBS Dateline program plans to broadcast about 60 previously unpublished photographs that the US Government has been fighting to keep secret in a court case with the American Civil Liberties Union.
Although a US judge last year granted the union access to the photographs following a freedom-of-information request, the US Administration has appealed against the decision on the grounds their release would fuel anti-American sentiment.
Some of the photos are similar to those published in 2004, others are different. They include photographs of six corpses, although the circumstances of their deaths are not clear. There are also pictures of what appear to be burns and wounds from shotgun pellets.
The executive producer of Dateline, Mike Carey, said he was showing the pictures leaked to his program because it was important people understood what had happened at Abu Ghraib.
