Judging by news reports the situation in Pakistan is seemingly becoming more precarious with some believing it’s not a matter of if but when Pakistan collapses under the threat of the fundamentalist Taliban and their allies. It seems the Pakistani Government was ill-advised at best and naive at worst in brokering a peace deal with the Taliban over the Swat Valley – formerly a tourist mecca filled with ski resorts and called “theSwitzerland of Pakistan”, just 100 miles from the capital, Islamabad. What’s followed has been a series of abuses and injustices under the guise of Sharia Law and an emboldened Taliban who have increasingly come to believe that they can take on and defeat Pakistani forces and in doing so gain more land and power within the nation – now almost within sight of their main goal, the capital Islamabad. And, lately it seems that they have been largely successful – despite Army offensives – in doing so.
Photograph depicting a girl being held down and flogged by 3 men in the Swat Valley as punishment for her perceived 'crime'
What’s at stake is too scary to imagine. You’re looking at the sixth most populous nation on Earth with the second largest Muslim population behind Indonesia already in possession of up to 100 nuclear warheads. A nation strategically located in Southwest Asia, next to India to the east, China to the north and Afghanistan and Iran to the northwest and west. Pakistan has long had to deal with fundamentalist minorities within the population, particularly in the North-West Frontier Province and Provincially Administered Tribal Areas, which have long been hotbeds of fundamentalism with loose Government control and known to have housed and sheltered Islamic fundamentalists and militants such as the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. The nation has long clashed with India – three major conflicts have been fought between the two since 1945 – where a shaky peace holds but, should the Taliban gain control, this fragile peace would almost certainly be broken in probably the most violent of fashions.
So, why hasn’t Pakistan done enough in the past to adequately address this problem? Well, it seems to be a case of Pakistan not having enough of any or all of the following: resources, intelligence, conscience, support, courage, stamina and know-how to adequately tackle the problem of fundamentalists within the nation, particularly along its western and northwestern fringes. The result of which has led us to now where if the worse case scenarios are to be believed, we could be just days away from a full-scale civil war and possibly weeks away from nuclear warheads being under the control Islamic fundamentalists.
That’s why the stakes are so high in Pakistan – stakes that make Afghanistan and Iraq pale into insignificance – and why the Governments of the US, India, Russia, Europe and China should be doing all they can to assist the Pakistani Government and its military in its time of need as the risk of this country collapsing under the weight of fundamentalism is a scary prospect indeed and would have widespread and almost instanteous ramifications worldwide, particularly across the Middle East and Indian sub-continent.
Let’s hope Pakistan can get its house in order for there is an awful lot at stake should they fail to do so.
I was a bit lax and overlooked last week’s World in a Week section but here I am back today with avengeance to deliver the World in a Week, highlighting news across the world from the previous seven days.
The Sydney bikie war refuses to die down with an unprecedented meeting of top rival motorcycle gangs in Leppington, south-western Sydney last night, uniting to discuss plans to challenge the police’s attempts at targeting them. I hope the producers of Underbelly are chronicling all these events, it’ll make for a great third series!
The Pakistani Army have made incursions into land taken or under-threat from the Taliban, though the Taliban still possess an enormous threat to the nation, and a result, the entire world should they succeed in taking control of Pakistan. Initially, reports were that the Army had been somewhat successful in their foray to wrest land back from the Taliban. But, recent reports indicate maybe they haven’t been as successful as previously thought. It’s suggested that the Army are at the root of many of the country’s problems ever since its independence 60 years ago. The US are currently considering a range of options to deal with this increasing threat.
Anzac Day was observed across Australia and New Zealand, and in former battlefields such as Gallipoli – where the Anzac spirit was born – and across Europe and the Pacific yesterday commemorating those men and women who have served – and continue to serve - in the various wars and battles the two countries have been involved over the past century and a bit since the Boer War. Lest We Forget.
North Korea has recommenced extracting plutonium from spent nuclear rods and have continued their bellyaching and belligerence in doing so. Meanwhile, American journalists, Euna Kim and Laura Ling, are to set to placed on trial for alledgedly crossing the Tumen river into North Korea before being apprehended by North Korean soldiers and could face up to five years in North Korean labour camps for their ‘crimes’. However, eyewitness accounts indicate that they were indeed captured on the Chinese side of the border by North Korean troops and hustled into North Korea. Moves are continuing to free the journalists.
Iranian-American journalist, Roxana Saberi was sentenced to eight years in prison for alledgely ‘spying’ on Iran whilst working as a journalist. She, along with her friends and colleagues vigourously deny these allegations and Roxana herself has since commenced a self-imposed hunger strike in protest to her sentencing. Work is underway to free her of these false allegations.
And lastly, Mahmoud Ahmedinejad unsurprisingly makes a fool of himself whilst speaking at the UN’s forum on racism. Note to UN – Next time, don’t allow a self-proclaimed bigot to address a forum on racism, it’s bound to ruffle more than a few feathers and leave the UN looking like an ass!
It’s been a while between drinks but today’s Song of the Day is sure to make up for the relative absence of Song of the Days in recent weeks. It’s from the great Australian/NZ (and now, partially US) band, Crowded House who have comprised of various members over the years but found the bulk of their success and fame with the trio of singer-songwriter and lead guitarist Neil Finn, bass player Nick Seymour and drummer, the late Paul Hester at the helm. Crowded House largely spun off the previously popular Australian/NZ band Split Enz, which contained Neil Finn, along with older brother Tim (who was also a temporary momber of Crowded House) and Paul Hester among a host of others over its 12 year incarnation.
Crowded House were a popular indie-pop band of the 80s and 90s – having been reincarnated in 2006 – producing memorial hits such as “Don’t Dream It’s Over“, “Something So Strong“, “Weather with You” and “Distant Sun“. Their main fan base was located in their homelands of Australia and New Zealand but they also managed to find a fanbase in Europe and amongst the US college scene. Original members Neil Finn and Nick Seymour are still with the band since its return in 2006 following the tragic loss of Paul Hester a year earlier.
Crowded House are known for their often beautiful and poignant lyrics created by Neil Finn, their quirky muisc videos, their catchy melodies and stirring ballads. This song, “Better Be Home Soon” is a simple yet beautiful track of love separated by distance featuring Neil Finn performing on a mock stage with an acoustic alongside Seymour and Hester.
A subtype of flu baring the same hallmarks as the deadly flu Pandemic of 1918 has mutated from Mexican pigs and has already killed 80 Mexicans within the past few days. The flu, labeled Mexican Swine Flu, has already two presumed cases in Kansas City and eight in New York City with fears that now the flu has spread to continental United States that it will rapidly spread throughout the world and – if worse fears are realised – could prove to become the next deadly global pandemic.
A group of nuns wearing surgical masks to protect themselves from the deadly virus in Mexico City
Authorities are already moving very swiftly both in Mexico, the United States and abroad to ensure that the deadly virus is contained as much as possible but, the damage may well have already been done with contaminated individuals possibly already located throughout the United States, Mexico and abroad. Accounts of the flu already being presumed to have reached as far afield as the United Kingdom and New Zealand is very worrying indeed. Meanwhile, conspiracy theories are already popping up as to the actual origin of this outbreak.
The deadly influenza pandemic of 1918, also known as the Spanish flu, was an incredibly virulent and deadly virus which accounted for the presumed deaths of as much as 2.5 to 5% of the global population with as many as 20% of the global population suffering from the disease to some extent. It was labeled as the “the greatest medical holocaust in history” and a major, if not the main, cause of death during World War I, where the conditions were ripe for the spread of the disease.
Scary stuff indeed. Hopefully, this outbreak is contained swiftly and minimal deaths result from this deadly disease. By the way, you can track the latest outbreaks and suspected fatalities as a result of the flu via this interactive Google map.
Posted by elcanguro76 
