U.S. Arm Sales To India And Pakistan Stirs Resentment
Washington Increases Weapons Transfers to India and Pakistan to Maintain Neutrality, Aid Industry.
The Obama administration is sharply expanding American weapons transfers to both India and Pakistan, longtime rivals about to sit down for peace talks Thursday.
The U.S.
Should NATO Become A Global Security Forum?
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen
MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) – NATO should develop closer ties with China, India, Pakistan and Russia and become the forum for consultation on global security, the alliance’s head said on Sunday, but a senior Russian politician reacted with skepticism.
The four countries all had interests in stability in Afghanistan and could do more to help develop and assist the country, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said.
“What would be the harm if countries such as China, India, Pakistan and others were to develop closer ties with NATO?
U.S. Defense Dollars At Work
Records Show Pentagon Aides Who Chaperone Overseas Excursions Spend Thousands of Dollars to Foster Ties to Lawmakers.
Military officials bought thousands of dollars worth of alcohol, food and other amenities for the U.S.
Schism Within The Muslim World Cancels The Islamic Games
The Persian Gulf from the Space Shuttle
The Islamic Solidarity Games, designed to strengthen ties among Muslim nations, have been cancelled after a dispute between Arab countries and Iran over the name of the waterway dividing them.
The Saudi-based Islamic Solidarity Games Federation says they cancelled the sporting event, which were meant to be held in Tehran in the spring, after Iran put “Persian Gulf” on the logo.
Arabs call the waterway the Arabian Gulf and many were offended by references to its other common name.
Read more ….
My Comment: The animosity between the two sides (Sunni – Shiite/Arab – Persian) run deep, and have been present for centuries. The cancellation of the Islamic Games is just a perfect symbol of how deep this divide is.
An Al Qaeda FARC Drug Connection?
From The New York Times:
Federal prosecutors on Friday charged three West Africans with plotting to transport tons of cocaine across Africa in concert with Al Qaeda, using for the first time against that group a 2006 law aimed at drug trafficking that aids terrorism.
Federal officials say the case promises to peel back what they contend are increasing ties between drug traffickers and Al Qaeda as the terrorist group seeks to finance its operations in Africa and elsewhere.
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