Operation Free is an organization of US military veterans campaigning for the development and deployment of renewable energy technologies to reduce our dependence on foreign hydro carbons, particularly from hostile regimes, and combat climate change.
Lack of, or very expensive, fuel hurts our ability to prepare our military, deploy, sustain ourselves and fight. Climate change creates more conflict and deployment of military resources weather for peacekeeping, conflict prevention/intervention, or disaster relief.
You can learn more about this organization here
Monday, August 24, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Legacies of Conflict
BBC World recently aired an episode of 'Our World' called 'Chechnya's Missing Women'. It gives an introduction of a problem that has come to threaten every woman in Chechnya - kidnapping and forced marriage.
Though the short documentary was not nearly enough time to explore the issue, it is one that needs attention.
Following years of conflict as Chechnya won de facto independence in 1994, a new war beginning in the late 90's when Russia re-invaded the country led to radical Islamicization of the conflict as rebels sought to mobilize youth and gain more funding from abroad. While many in the Caucasus have returned to the Orthodox Church or Islam, be it Sufic, fundamentalist, violent extremist or local traditional, it constant conflict and brutality from both Russian and rebel groups, all of which are also involved in criminal activity, have led to an environment of total impunity, where practices like kidnapping and forced marriage are justified by invoking Islam.
There is also a radio version you can listen to here.
In prolonged conflict, social systems, which provide clear structures for power and authority, break down, leaving a vacuum for strongmen like Chechen president Kadyrov to step in with their own methods and priorities. The conflict is heating up again in Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan after Russia declared its counterterrorism operations over on 16 April, and could begin to destabilize the whole region.
Though the short documentary was not nearly enough time to explore the issue, it is one that needs attention.
Following years of conflict as Chechnya won de facto independence in 1994, a new war beginning in the late 90's when Russia re-invaded the country led to radical Islamicization of the conflict as rebels sought to mobilize youth and gain more funding from abroad. While many in the Caucasus have returned to the Orthodox Church or Islam, be it Sufic, fundamentalist, violent extremist or local traditional, it constant conflict and brutality from both Russian and rebel groups, all of which are also involved in criminal activity, have led to an environment of total impunity, where practices like kidnapping and forced marriage are justified by invoking Islam.
There is also a radio version you can listen to here.
In prolonged conflict, social systems, which provide clear structures for power and authority, break down, leaving a vacuum for strongmen like Chechen president Kadyrov to step in with their own methods and priorities. The conflict is heating up again in Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan after Russia declared its counterterrorism operations over on 16 April, and could begin to destabilize the whole region.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Helping others, then helping ourselves
Why aren't we taking more lessons from alternative energy solutions devised in the field in countries without regular fuel supply?
Here's a neat little tidbit on an Iraqi Army checkpoint running on alternative energy.
Here's a neat little tidbit on an Iraqi Army checkpoint running on alternative energy.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Selling torture, among other things
Sigh.
It's amazing how sooooo many unqualified, unvetted people have been trusted with supporting the fight against terrorism and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It's amazing how sooooo many unqualified, unvetted people have been trusted with supporting the fight against terrorism and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Russia's next new base
Hmm. Hearing some speculation that the planned second Russian base in Osh, Kyrgyzstan may be more intended to fight militants and therefore instability and/or drug trafficking in Central Asia, especially the Ferghana Valley, which has uncertain, interlaced borders, as Turkic militants of various kinds may have been pushed out of the Pakistani tribal areas by the recent military campaign there.
Most media speculation has it that the base is simply to counter the US presence there at a small base supporting US forces in Afghanistan. Could it be both? Or is it really more the former?
Most media speculation has it that the base is simply to counter the US presence there at a small base supporting US forces in Afghanistan. Could it be both? Or is it really more the former?
Russia in Afghanistan
Plenty of the dodgy contractors we are dealing with in Aghanistan are from Western firms. But though discussion of Russian involvement in Afghanistan is usually centered around NATO/US use of air space and rail transport, as well as counternarcotics operations along key border areas, little to nothing is said of the Russian firms operating there.
The run up to Afghan elections
Violence is increasing agaisnt candidates in the run up to the presidential election, in which Afghans will also vote for provincial council seats.
Some women are running as well. I'm sure some of this violence has nothing to do with the Taliban and everything to do with various rivalries and grievances, as well as the fact that they are taking place in a society were power has been decided by force for the last three decades.
However it is unclear to me exactly how US and ISAF troops will protect populations. Cordons around towns? Searches? and from what perimeter?
Some women are running as well. I'm sure some of this violence has nothing to do with the Taliban and everything to do with various rivalries and grievances, as well as the fact that they are taking place in a society were power has been decided by force for the last three decades.
However it is unclear to me exactly how US and ISAF troops will protect populations. Cordons around towns? Searches? and from what perimeter?
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Cash for inter-confessional marriage
Hmmm. The Iraqi government is now paying cash and providing mass weddings to Sunni-Shia couples.
Despite the 'ethnic' cleansing that occurred during the worst violence in the Iraq war, it seems some Iraqis are returning to their old neighborhoods and getting on with their lives.
Hopefully this will become the norm and we won't see much of the 'love IED'.
Despite the 'ethnic' cleansing that occurred during the worst violence in the Iraq war, it seems some Iraqis are returning to their old neighborhoods and getting on with their lives.
Hopefully this will become the norm and we won't see much of the 'love IED'.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
What's the lesser evil?
Often we are forced to deal with criminals who also command resources and political power. Often such people are present in the governments of established democracies as well.
But how does one make decisions on whom to deal with, when and how when trying to build a legitimate government in a country? Karzai is receiving scathing criticism for his capitulation to warlords and drug traffickers. And now for paying off Taliban in exchange for security for the upcoming presidential elections on August 20:
"The Afghan President made a reported treaty with insurgents in Badghis province last week. The deal included an alleged payment of £20,000 to Taleban commanders to allow voting in the area. Diplomats reported similar negotiations with Taleban commanders in provinces such as Farah, Nimroz and Herat."
While this may provide better security in the short term so that people from this area may get to the poles, it does not mean they won't suffer other forms of retribution and intimidation. It also provides Taliban with more funds with which to buy weapons and equipment and fund attacks. Kidnappings are increasingly used for this purpose.
It also makes Karzai look weaker. He has essentially recognized that Taliban are the power brokers there. Both his government and the international community have failed to provide security in these areas, and Taliban are actively working to destabilize others.
But what else to do? This excellent article by Elizabeth Rubin from this week's NYTimes Magazine gives some interesting insight into his current situation and perspective. Chatting with my colleagues that know better than I, they seem to think it's a fairly accurate portrayal, though some of info on how he became president is missing.
When a society experiences decades of massive conflict and movement, social systems break down. Old power structures that shape daily life and give paths and purposes to members of that society break down and disappear, as do traditional forms of social protection. Cooperation between groups becomes increasingly problematic, especially when resources are short, as each group is trying to extract the maximum amount from the earth, each other, foreign sponsors, etc, just to survive a bit longer, because thinking in the long-term has basically become pointless. Those in refugee camps don't learn many of the farming and other survival skills their parents or grandparents had, and have also lost many social and entrepreneurial traditions. Secular schooling, when there is any available, remains largely pointless when there are no jobs for educated person to have.
In Afghanistan, one reason the Taliban were successful is that they were united and organized just enough to bring order after years of infighting and chaos after the Soviets left. The various warlords had turned against each other, rocketing each other and Kabul and preventing any stability from taking hold. Many of them also came from extremist, Saudi-funded madrassas that offered young, impressionable boys food, safety, and an extremist, violent interpretation of Islam, as well as little to no contact with women. Many of them were taken their by parents who couldn't feed them.
It is into a country that has survived years of brutality and uncertainty that the international community has come to build a new government that won't provide safe haven to terrorists. The educated have mostly left, and foreigners with little to no knowledge of the country and its various tribes, clans and cultures have come into advise, or paid millions to development and military contractors to do the work for them largely unsupervised. Those Afghans who have stayed on for the duration have had to survive in an extremely uncertain environment and leaders are generally involved in the region's massive organized crime networks.
But they are also the leaders commanding votes and resources, so we have to deal with them.
The US and other countries have had their fair share of robber barons that helped to establish schools, museums and other forms of development. Of course Afghanistan is starting at a much lower level of development. The answer could be gradually drawing the better of them into legitimate, formal economic transactions while making drugs and other illegal activity increasingly costly. But this will require cooperation with all of the countries neighbors.
In the end we will have to deal with warlords. It has been a fact of power brokering since the beginning of human civilization. No society has become democratic over night, and none ever will. Democracy requires a functioning economy, stability and authorities that are not immune to accountability. The availability of lethal weapons to whomever can pay has removed the monopoly of deadly force from governments, and social systems, stability and a functioning economy both require security and bolster it. Which means there is a bit of a chicken-and-egg aspect to this exceedingly complex problem.
Not dealing with these local power brokers at all would be a mistake, but more purposeful and coordinated action is needed from the international community, and it has to step up and commit real resources and action to provide security, and therefore a space for development to occur. It has so far failed on numerous promises, and this has allowed the balance of power to alter as Taliban successfully destabilize areas where they have no public support, but the very real threat they pose to the safety of civilians and lack of protection from Afghan and international forces means locals must base their actions according to what is safest, and often this means never openly opposing the Taliban.
I wonder why they haven't tried to up salaries so that Afghan soldiers and police are better paid than Taliban foot soldiers? After the millions wasted on ineffective aid, why hasn't sufficient fund been channeled to the Afghan Army? It could be a first step.
But how does one make decisions on whom to deal with, when and how when trying to build a legitimate government in a country? Karzai is receiving scathing criticism for his capitulation to warlords and drug traffickers. And now for paying off Taliban in exchange for security for the upcoming presidential elections on August 20:
"The Afghan President made a reported treaty with insurgents in Badghis province last week. The deal included an alleged payment of £20,000 to Taleban commanders to allow voting in the area. Diplomats reported similar negotiations with Taleban commanders in provinces such as Farah, Nimroz and Herat."
While this may provide better security in the short term so that people from this area may get to the poles, it does not mean they won't suffer other forms of retribution and intimidation. It also provides Taliban with more funds with which to buy weapons and equipment and fund attacks. Kidnappings are increasingly used for this purpose.
It also makes Karzai look weaker. He has essentially recognized that Taliban are the power brokers there. Both his government and the international community have failed to provide security in these areas, and Taliban are actively working to destabilize others.
But what else to do? This excellent article by Elizabeth Rubin from this week's NYTimes Magazine gives some interesting insight into his current situation and perspective. Chatting with my colleagues that know better than I, they seem to think it's a fairly accurate portrayal, though some of info on how he became president is missing.
When a society experiences decades of massive conflict and movement, social systems break down. Old power structures that shape daily life and give paths and purposes to members of that society break down and disappear, as do traditional forms of social protection. Cooperation between groups becomes increasingly problematic, especially when resources are short, as each group is trying to extract the maximum amount from the earth, each other, foreign sponsors, etc, just to survive a bit longer, because thinking in the long-term has basically become pointless. Those in refugee camps don't learn many of the farming and other survival skills their parents or grandparents had, and have also lost many social and entrepreneurial traditions. Secular schooling, when there is any available, remains largely pointless when there are no jobs for educated person to have.
In Afghanistan, one reason the Taliban were successful is that they were united and organized just enough to bring order after years of infighting and chaos after the Soviets left. The various warlords had turned against each other, rocketing each other and Kabul and preventing any stability from taking hold. Many of them also came from extremist, Saudi-funded madrassas that offered young, impressionable boys food, safety, and an extremist, violent interpretation of Islam, as well as little to no contact with women. Many of them were taken their by parents who couldn't feed them.
It is into a country that has survived years of brutality and uncertainty that the international community has come to build a new government that won't provide safe haven to terrorists. The educated have mostly left, and foreigners with little to no knowledge of the country and its various tribes, clans and cultures have come into advise, or paid millions to development and military contractors to do the work for them largely unsupervised. Those Afghans who have stayed on for the duration have had to survive in an extremely uncertain environment and leaders are generally involved in the region's massive organized crime networks.
But they are also the leaders commanding votes and resources, so we have to deal with them.
The US and other countries have had their fair share of robber barons that helped to establish schools, museums and other forms of development. Of course Afghanistan is starting at a much lower level of development. The answer could be gradually drawing the better of them into legitimate, formal economic transactions while making drugs and other illegal activity increasingly costly. But this will require cooperation with all of the countries neighbors.
In the end we will have to deal with warlords. It has been a fact of power brokering since the beginning of human civilization. No society has become democratic over night, and none ever will. Democracy requires a functioning economy, stability and authorities that are not immune to accountability. The availability of lethal weapons to whomever can pay has removed the monopoly of deadly force from governments, and social systems, stability and a functioning economy both require security and bolster it. Which means there is a bit of a chicken-and-egg aspect to this exceedingly complex problem.
Not dealing with these local power brokers at all would be a mistake, but more purposeful and coordinated action is needed from the international community, and it has to step up and commit real resources and action to provide security, and therefore a space for development to occur. It has so far failed on numerous promises, and this has allowed the balance of power to alter as Taliban successfully destabilize areas where they have no public support, but the very real threat they pose to the safety of civilians and lack of protection from Afghan and international forces means locals must base their actions according to what is safest, and often this means never openly opposing the Taliban.
I wonder why they haven't tried to up salaries so that Afghan soldiers and police are better paid than Taliban foot soldiers? After the millions wasted on ineffective aid, why hasn't sufficient fund been channeled to the Afghan Army? It could be a first step.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Brussels, Capital of Europe
I'm often confounded by how many things don't work properly in Brussels. Or the bizarre little systems not used anywhere else I've ever lived.
Another is the rather crappy security. With NATO HQ here and the European Commission and Parliament, you'd think security would be a bigger issue. Nope, not the case. The bank inside the parliament was robbed at gunpoint during a session and the robber wasn't caught.
And in the last couple of weeks, several prisoners have escaped and re-escaped police custody. One via helicopter.
The ubiquitous lap dog poo is one thing, but jeez, shouldn't Brussels be a better face for Europe?
(I still like it better than London, however)
Another is the rather crappy security. With NATO HQ here and the European Commission and Parliament, you'd think security would be a bigger issue. Nope, not the case. The bank inside the parliament was robbed at gunpoint during a session and the robber wasn't caught.
And in the last couple of weeks, several prisoners have escaped and re-escaped police custody. One via helicopter.
The ubiquitous lap dog poo is one thing, but jeez, shouldn't Brussels be a better face for Europe?
(I still like it better than London, however)
Erdogan and the DTP
Well the foreign press doesn't seem to care too much but according to Haber Turk Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be meeting with Kurdish Party DTP.
The PM meeting with a party that has reps in parliament may not sound like a big deal, but this is. Every previous Kurdish party has been banned, leaving Kurds with no political outlet for their very real grievances and ensuring continued if grudging support for the PKK.
But after years of inching forward on the 'Kurdish Question', 2009 has seen some major steps.
For a rather good and simple summary of the domestic forces (which means any results will be far more enduring than what the international community ever could have achieved) see this piece by Yigal Schleifer, who is an excellent source on Turkish affairs.
This ethnic conflict has long been a justification for the military's stranglehold on politics, which has been severely weakened since the last economic crisis in 2001 and rise of the AK Party. In the civil war of the 80s and 90s, around 30,000 people died, and the southeast has remained severely underdeveloped, especially compared to Western Turkey. Whole villages in the east were destroyed and their inhabitants forced to move to bigger eastern cities (making Diyarbakir into a city of refugees) or to cities such as Izmir and Istanbul in the west, with whole districts inhabited by hundreds of thousands of migrants with little to no education or work.
The separatist, sometimes abusive and criminal PKK didn't help matters, as civilians were caught between them and a state which has until very recently identified all Kurds with the PKK. The conflict exacerbated migration west with Kurds filling the slums around Istanbul that house around 6 million people.
Forget human rights, displacing millions that then must live in shanty towns as they seek menial labor only creates a disgruntled underclass caught in a cycle of poverty and ensures a large pool of recruits for organizations like the PKK. Politically expedient for the military yes. But for ensuring sustainable development for Turkey's children? The current moves to allow Kurdish political expression are a very good sign, and at least on this issue, I'm rather optimistic despite the very long road ahead.
The PM meeting with a party that has reps in parliament may not sound like a big deal, but this is. Every previous Kurdish party has been banned, leaving Kurds with no political outlet for their very real grievances and ensuring continued if grudging support for the PKK.
But after years of inching forward on the 'Kurdish Question', 2009 has seen some major steps.
For a rather good and simple summary of the domestic forces (which means any results will be far more enduring than what the international community ever could have achieved) see this piece by Yigal Schleifer, who is an excellent source on Turkish affairs.
This ethnic conflict has long been a justification for the military's stranglehold on politics, which has been severely weakened since the last economic crisis in 2001 and rise of the AK Party. In the civil war of the 80s and 90s, around 30,000 people died, and the southeast has remained severely underdeveloped, especially compared to Western Turkey. Whole villages in the east were destroyed and their inhabitants forced to move to bigger eastern cities (making Diyarbakir into a city of refugees) or to cities such as Izmir and Istanbul in the west, with whole districts inhabited by hundreds of thousands of migrants with little to no education or work.
The separatist, sometimes abusive and criminal PKK didn't help matters, as civilians were caught between them and a state which has until very recently identified all Kurds with the PKK. The conflict exacerbated migration west with Kurds filling the slums around Istanbul that house around 6 million people.
Forget human rights, displacing millions that then must live in shanty towns as they seek menial labor only creates a disgruntled underclass caught in a cycle of poverty and ensures a large pool of recruits for organizations like the PKK. Politically expedient for the military yes. But for ensuring sustainable development for Turkey's children? The current moves to allow Kurdish political expression are a very good sign, and at least on this issue, I'm rather optimistic despite the very long road ahead.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Army Green
One thing I never understood about the Bush administration was its refusal and even attempts to undermine development of renewable energy sources. Developing renewables at home (as well as decreasing energy consumption and increasing efficiency) will make us less dependent on depletable resources with highly volatile prices.
The Army seems to finally be getting it. Forget any considerations about being green. Self-sustaining renewables are just good security all around, as the linked story explains.
Fuel/electricity are critical to military operations. If our interconnected grid is disrupted, so are our power supplies to our military bases. Generators only last for so long and require diesel to run.
As Dr. Kevin Geiss told a bloggers conference: "If we were going to try to get power and energy for our installations and we wanted to make sure that we have consistent access, that it’s affordable, that we would be at a low risk for disruption, that we would have decreased impact on the environment, I would say that our renewable and alternative energies would pop to the top of the list."
Solar plants will still have to be backed up with generators, and I don't know how much capacity they have to store energy for inclimate weather, nor will many military bases be appropriately located to produce substantial amounts of power by solar panels. But the more we look for solutions, the more we will find.
The Army seems to finally be getting it. Forget any considerations about being green. Self-sustaining renewables are just good security all around, as the linked story explains.
Fuel/electricity are critical to military operations. If our interconnected grid is disrupted, so are our power supplies to our military bases. Generators only last for so long and require diesel to run.
As Dr. Kevin Geiss told a bloggers conference: "If we were going to try to get power and energy for our installations and we wanted to make sure that we have consistent access, that it’s affordable, that we would be at a low risk for disruption, that we would have decreased impact on the environment, I would say that our renewable and alternative energies would pop to the top of the list."
Solar plants will still have to be backed up with generators, and I don't know how much capacity they have to store energy for inclimate weather, nor will many military bases be appropriately located to produce substantial amounts of power by solar panels. But the more we look for solutions, the more we will find.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Interspecies communication?
An incredible story about interactions between whales and humans along the Mexican coast. A must read.
Cyberwarfare
This NYTimes article raises many of the issues regarding cyberwarfare.
Though the Geneva Convention doesn't cover this explicitly, rules governing proportionality and collateral damage still apply.
The article starts out addressing concerns about collateral damage - taking out civilian communications and other networks that are not related to military or government communications of the country being attacked.
In 2003 a major cyber attack didn't go forward because of concerns about collateral damage to communications networks, which really struck me as strange, as there has been an enormous amount of collateral damage in civiliian lives and physical infrastructure throughout the Iraq war.
Then I came upon this quote:
“Policy makers are tremendously sensitive to collateral damage by virtual weapons, but not nearly sensitive enough to damage by kinetic” — conventional — “weapons,” said John Arquilla, an expert in military strategy at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif. “The cyberwarriors are held back by extremely restrictive rules of engagement.”
Is this because they were aware they could cause a major economic disruption in a key part of the world? Despite the ongoing conflict, until the financial crisis most countries in region continued record economic growth, including in their stock exchanges. The lives of ordinary Iraqis were highly expendable, but not the communications networks that support financial activity around the region.
Of course a major concern with cyberwarfare is also that networks supporting hospitals, sanitation facilities and others could be accidentally taken out and contribute directly to the deaths of civilians. However one of the greatest failures of in Iraq war was an immediate failure to protect civilian infrastructure, particularly hospitals, from looting and physical damage. Why worry about damaging their communications when the buildings and equipment themselves are not protected?
Hopefully lessons have been learned from this. Bremmer's administration in Iraq consciously ignored many lessons of post-conflict reconstruction and reintegration. (For more on this, read this excellent article)
There doesn't seem to be much protection of schools and other civilian infrastructure in Afghanistan, especially outside Kabul. This may be due in large part to the already overextended forces there. But what good is building new schools when the Taliban can simply blow them up?
Cyberwarfare will not likely apply to Afghanistan in large order, as much of it is still off the grid, relying on generators or simply doing without electricity. However this is highly relevant for other conflicts. If the US attacks communications and computer networks in one country, it may damage critical communications infrastructure for surveillance and security in friendly countries.
Cyber security is another sexy topic these days, but as more and more of our lives rely on networks supported and regulated by computer programs, we will become ever more vulnerable in the event of such attacks.
Though the Geneva Convention doesn't cover this explicitly, rules governing proportionality and collateral damage still apply.
The article starts out addressing concerns about collateral damage - taking out civilian communications and other networks that are not related to military or government communications of the country being attacked.
In 2003 a major cyber attack didn't go forward because of concerns about collateral damage to communications networks, which really struck me as strange, as there has been an enormous amount of collateral damage in civiliian lives and physical infrastructure throughout the Iraq war.
Then I came upon this quote:
“Policy makers are tremendously sensitive to collateral damage by virtual weapons, but not nearly sensitive enough to damage by kinetic” — conventional — “weapons,” said John Arquilla, an expert in military strategy at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif. “The cyberwarriors are held back by extremely restrictive rules of engagement.”
Is this because they were aware they could cause a major economic disruption in a key part of the world? Despite the ongoing conflict, until the financial crisis most countries in region continued record economic growth, including in their stock exchanges. The lives of ordinary Iraqis were highly expendable, but not the communications networks that support financial activity around the region.
Of course a major concern with cyberwarfare is also that networks supporting hospitals, sanitation facilities and others could be accidentally taken out and contribute directly to the deaths of civilians. However one of the greatest failures of in Iraq war was an immediate failure to protect civilian infrastructure, particularly hospitals, from looting and physical damage. Why worry about damaging their communications when the buildings and equipment themselves are not protected?
Hopefully lessons have been learned from this. Bremmer's administration in Iraq consciously ignored many lessons of post-conflict reconstruction and reintegration. (For more on this, read this excellent article)
There doesn't seem to be much protection of schools and other civilian infrastructure in Afghanistan, especially outside Kabul. This may be due in large part to the already overextended forces there. But what good is building new schools when the Taliban can simply blow them up?
Cyberwarfare will not likely apply to Afghanistan in large order, as much of it is still off the grid, relying on generators or simply doing without electricity. However this is highly relevant for other conflicts. If the US attacks communications and computer networks in one country, it may damage critical communications infrastructure for surveillance and security in friendly countries.
Cyber security is another sexy topic these days, but as more and more of our lives rely on networks supported and regulated by computer programs, we will become ever more vulnerable in the event of such attacks.
American hikers in Iran
The Iraqi (Kurdish?) border guards that saw the 3 American tourists now being held in Iran cross the border said they didn't stop them because they are American - and they thought Americans are allowed to go anywhere, according to the BBC.
According to the LA Times, they simply ignored warnings. But they were still clearly allowed to pass right through.
What does this say about border security in Northern Iraq? I imagine it's all quite patchy, but jeez. Sounds like open season for any corrupt person with an American accent.
American citizens traveling to Iran have to get visas. If they are going as private citizens, they are usually required to have submit an itinerary and hotel reservation confirmations when applying for an entry visa. I guess these kids didn't do their research. Granted you can generally get around much of the Middle East by just showing up and waiting at border, but Iran is something else.
According to the LA Times, they simply ignored warnings. But they were still clearly allowed to pass right through.
What does this say about border security in Northern Iraq? I imagine it's all quite patchy, but jeez. Sounds like open season for any corrupt person with an American accent.
American citizens traveling to Iran have to get visas. If they are going as private citizens, they are usually required to have submit an itinerary and hotel reservation confirmations when applying for an entry visa. I guess these kids didn't do their research. Granted you can generally get around much of the Middle East by just showing up and waiting at border, but Iran is something else.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Stories
Against my better fiscal judgment, I went to the bookstore today and couldn't keep from help myself.
Haven't gotten far yet but this book by Tahir Shah looks great. While being tortured in Pakistan on suspicion of spying with Al Qaeda, he got through not only be escaping into memories, but the Moroccan stories his Afghan father had told him. The book begins in his torture chamber, then moves to his travels through Morocco upon his release, in search of more stories and storytellers.
Will post thoughts as I read through it.
I also recently read The Wasted Vigil by Nadeem Aslam. Beautiful, but not recommended if you're looking for happy endings. An ensemble cast of characters including a Taliban, Afghans, Englishman, American and Russian have their various stories told indirectly and we see how they've all come to Afghanistan. Aslam can go slightly too far on occaision with his gorgeous and sometimes sensual imagery, but it is a beautifully written story, if at times horribly brutal.
Haven't gotten far yet but this book by Tahir Shah looks great. While being tortured in Pakistan on suspicion of spying with Al Qaeda, he got through not only be escaping into memories, but the Moroccan stories his Afghan father had told him. The book begins in his torture chamber, then moves to his travels through Morocco upon his release, in search of more stories and storytellers.
Will post thoughts as I read through it.
I also recently read The Wasted Vigil by Nadeem Aslam. Beautiful, but not recommended if you're looking for happy endings. An ensemble cast of characters including a Taliban, Afghans, Englishman, American and Russian have their various stories told indirectly and we see how they've all come to Afghanistan. Aslam can go slightly too far on occaision with his gorgeous and sometimes sensual imagery, but it is a beautifully written story, if at times horribly brutal.
Sustainable links
A good friend of mine is doing awesome work at Digital Links, a tiny, London-based NGO in the process of rolling out several programs across sub-Saharan Africa. They provide IT equipment and training to Africans, who run the lab, learning center or whathaveyou, and can open an internet cafe or training center. They are also developing computer curricula for school systems there. Please visit the link if you would like to learn more.
A Snapshot from Swat
Small wire story on the slow return to normalcy in Pakistan's Swat valley. There's still a long way to go, and no telling what will happen in the future.
Sidenote: Pakistan is one country that despite sustained economic growth has actually been falling backwards, rather than moving forward, for decades on human welfare indicators. This has exacerbated violence in the country, where female literacy has been on the decline for some time. Much of it do to an absolute lack of political will.
Meanwhile, groups such as the Central Asia Institute have been working to improve the situation, but, rightly, only for communities that invite them. And many did. I wonder how many of their schools have been destroyed?
Sidenote: Pakistan is one country that despite sustained economic growth has actually been falling backwards, rather than moving forward, for decades on human welfare indicators. This has exacerbated violence in the country, where female literacy has been on the decline for some time. Much of it do to an absolute lack of political will.
Meanwhile, groups such as the Central Asia Institute have been working to improve the situation, but, rightly, only for communities that invite them. And many did. I wonder how many of their schools have been destroyed?
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