20 December SWJ Roundup
Afghanistan
Biden Says U.S. to be Out of Afghanistan by 2014 – Associated Press
Militants Kill Afghan Soldiers in 2 Attacks – New York Times
Taliban Show Reach, Kill 13 Afghan Troops – Associated Press
Karzai to Open Afghan Parliament By January 20 – Reuters
Germany’s Merkel Pays Visit to Afghanistan Troops – New York Times
Afghan War Just a Slice of U.S. News Media Coverage – New York Times
Pakistan
Biden Says Al Qaeda in Pakistan Is Weaker – New York Times
Chinese Premier Praises Pakistan’s Fight Against Terrorism – New York Times
Militants Destroy 2 NATO Tankers in NW Pakistan – Associated Press
Korean Peninsula
U.N. Security Council in Emergency Talks on Korean Tensions – VOA
At Security Council, a Stalemate Over Blame – New York Times
U.N. Fails to Take Action on Korea Tensions – Associated Press
Seoul Undertakes Effort to Measure North Korea’s Longevity – Washington Post
South Korea Concludes Artillery Drill, Scrambles Jet Fighters – VOA
Firing Drill Increases Tensions in Korea – Wall Street Journal
South Korea Conducts Live-Fire Drills Near the North – New York Times
S. Korea Holds Live-fire Drills Despite Threats – Los Angeles Times
War Games Increase Korea Tension – BBC News
S. Korea Conducts Firing Drills from Border Island – Associated Press
North Korean Guns Silent as South Conducts Drill – Reuters
Iraq
Allawi Comments Boost Iraq Government Prospects – Washington Post
Iraq to Reveal New Government, End 9-month Political Gap – Reuters
Iraq Govt Formation Hits New Snag – Associated Press
Infighting Delays New Iraq Government – Reuters
Cleric’s Anti-U.S. Forces Poised for Gains in Iraq – New York Times
Iran
Iranian Police on Alert as Government Cutbacks Begin – Voice of America
Gas Prices Soar in Iran as Subsidy Is Reduced – New York Times
Iranians Brace for Fuel Subsidy Cuts – Los Angeles Times
Police Patrol Cities as Iran Hikes Prices of Gas, Other Staples – Washington Post
Ex-Iranian FM Criticizes President for Sacking Him – Associated Press
WikiLeaks
New Details Reveal More About Problems Assange Faces – Wall Street Journal
Careful When Shooting the Messenger – New York Times
U.S. Department of Defense
Contractors Behaving Badly Mean Headaches for U.S. – Associated Press
‘Double-dipping’ Probe Targets Calif. Air National Guard Pilots – Sacramento Bee
DADT Repeal: A How-To Guide for a New Military – New York Times
Focus Shifts to Implementing Plan to Let Gays Serve Openly – Stars and Stripes
Marines Backing ‘Don’t Ask’ Repeal, With Reservations – New York Times
At Long Last, Military Honor – New York Times editorial
A Win for Fairness and Decency – Washington Post editorial
Time Magazine’s Person of the Year
Person of the Year: SSGT Salvatore Giunta – New York Times
United States
Democrats Scramble to Save Votes to Ratify Nuclear Pact – New York Times
Monitoring America: Domestic Intelligence – Washington Post
Remembering America’s Most Innovative Diplomat – Bloomberg News
United Kingdom
12 Men Arrested in U.K. Anti-terror Raids – BBC News
12 Arrested in British Terrorism Raids – Associated Press
U.K. Police Arrest 12 Men In Counterterrorism Raids – Reuters
Canada
Canada and U.S. Near Border Security Pact – Wall Street Journal
Africa
Islamic Sudan Envisioned if South Secedes – New York Times
U.N. Refuses to Pull Troops from Ivory Coast – Washington Post
U.N. Says More than 50 Killed in Ivory Coast – Voice of America
U.N.: Reports of Abductions in Ivory Coast Grow – Associated Press
Media Fight Rages Between Ivory Coast Rivals – Associated Press
Militia in Somalia Abandons Key Positions to Radical Group – New York Times
2 Main Somali Islamist Insurgent Groups to Merge – Associated Press
Americas
Venezuela: Chavez Defends Plan for Internet Regulations – Associated Press
Venezuela and U.S. in Envoy Dispute – BBC News
Venezuela: A Chance for Democracy – Washington Post opinion
Guatemalan Military Seizes Drug-Plagued Province – Associated Press
Haitians in U.S. Brace for Deportations to Resume – New York Times
Asia Pacific
Chinese Envoy Arrives in Taiwan for Talks – Associated Press
Europe
Lukashenko Wins Belarus Presidential Election, Mass Protests Follow – VOA
Belarus Opposition Attacks Government Building After Election – VOA
‘Hundreds of Protesters Arrested’ in Belarus – BBC News
After Belarus Vote, Riot Police Attack Protesters – New York Times
Middle East
PLO Signals Flexibility on Security – Washington Times
Palestinian Leader Has 60 Israelis to Lunch – New York Times
Why Egypt’s Power Has Dimmed – Reuters
Egypt Arrests 4 Citizens Over Spying for Israel – Associated Press
WikiLeaks: Yemen Nuclear Material Was Unsecured – Associated Press
South Asia
Indian Party’s Leader Stands by Singh – New York Times
That was close… after threatening “brutal consequences beyond imagination” if the drills went forward, when they did the North Koreans did nothing by claiming that they were simply “not worth reacting” to. I guess attacking civilians is much easier when there’s no-one there to fight back, but once the big guns have been deployed chickening out is the better part of valour…
I don’t usually “do” war. Canadian Politics is my usual Bailiwick. Though in that regard, certain issues regarding Afghanistan are inevitable.
But it seemed appropriate enough that with the potential for a global conflict to erupt, I monitored events on the Korean peninsula closely into the wee hours last night and “tweeted” accordingly. At least until the all clear was given.
But what seems to amaze me, is the relative nonchalance of the media regarding the Live Fire drill by the ROK last night. The attitude being something like “been there, done that, bought the end of the world t-shirt all ready”.
Maybe old hands know that this was just typical sabre rattling from two political rivals, but I can’t help but feel that we came perilously close to all out catastrophe.U.S. war planes were on high alert in Guam. If fighting had started, would they have intervened? How would China and Russia react to that. Would we have reverted to 1953 all over again? Would we have found ourselves in a conflict that would make Iraq and Afghanistan look like a walk in the park? (which of course, they are not).
But I guess that in this age of high speed up to the moment global information reporting (except for CNN who were at least an hour behind the live news events) “It came, nothing happened, move on to the next thing”. No time, no point in contemplating the “what ifs”.
I’m sorry though, but I’m just a little shaken still. The feeling of how close we came to something quite terrible makes the domestic news scene seem rather trivial today.
reagarding the ROK artillery exercise and the north’s lack of response:
Many of the Korea hands can say I told you so. But it was interesting listening to the pundits talk all weekend and not understand the true nature of the Kim Family Regime. It will respond but just not how people think it will. Although I did hear some good reports on how major war on the Peninsula will have global effects so in some sense the increase in tension is a good wake-up call.
I do not think that GOV Richardson had any impact and I believe he has been duped. The “agreements” he obtained – a hotline, the return of US remains (for which we have already paid about $1 million per set of remains), the joint north-South working group or commission to reduce tensions or whatever he is calling it, and “concessions” on its nuclear program are nothing to the north. And furthermore, since GOV Richardson is there as a private citizen the regime has an easy out since it can say it made no official agreements. Furthermore, the north used GOV Richardson’s visit and the news coverage – both to appear strong (note the weekend rhetoric) and appear diplomatic as it attempts to seize the “moral high ground” by not responding. GOV Richardson’s presence helped to “legitimize” the north’s actions and in a way he served as a mouthpiece for the regime.