Saturday
Dec132008
Around the World on A Saturday: From Iraq to Zimbabwe to North Korea
Saturday, December 13, 2008 at 15:44
IRAQ: BLINK AND YOU'LL MISS IT
You might think that, two days after the deadliest bombing in Iraq in six months, the media might want to consider the impact. However, a day after noting the death of 57 Iraqis and the wounding of many more in Kirkuk, everyone has blissfully walked away.
They have done so even though the choice of the restaurant, where Kurdish and Arab leaders were meeting over ethnic tensions in the city, might indicate that someone is quite intent on derailing the political process. Juan Cole even speculates that Iraqi President Jalal Talebani may have been the Number One target.
ZIMBABWE: THE NEW YORK TIMES WAKES UP
Continuing our coverage of Better Late than Never, the editorial staff of the Times have finally noticed the situation, although they don't advocate US involvement: "[The African states] must renounce their recognition of Mr. Mugabe as president and press him and his cronies to cede power."
More substantially, The Washington Post notices an even deadlier situation across the continent, courtesy of a UN report, "Rwanda and Congo have been backing rival rebel and militia groups locked in a violent conflict in eastern Congo that has displaced more than 250,000 civilians since August."
NORTH KOREA: THE FINAL BUSH FAILURE?
Almost eight years after throwing out the negotiating process to halt North Korean development of nuclear weaponry and more than three years after realising that the big stick wasn't going to deter Pyongyang, the Bush Administration suffered a last humiliation when North Korea effectively walked out of talks.
PAKISTAN PLAYS FOR TIME
Richard Oppel and Salman Masood in The New York Times have figured out Pakistan's strategy in dealing with the aftermath of Mumbai. Their article depicts the "house arrest" of the leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hafiz Muhammed Saeed.
With such measures, Islamabad hopes to stave off calls for extradition of Saeed and other LeT leaders, a step which would likely bring the downfall of the Zardari Government.
You might think that, two days after the deadliest bombing in Iraq in six months, the media might want to consider the impact. However, a day after noting the death of 57 Iraqis and the wounding of many more in Kirkuk, everyone has blissfully walked away.
They have done so even though the choice of the restaurant, where Kurdish and Arab leaders were meeting over ethnic tensions in the city, might indicate that someone is quite intent on derailing the political process. Juan Cole even speculates that Iraqi President Jalal Talebani may have been the Number One target.
ZIMBABWE: THE NEW YORK TIMES WAKES UP
Continuing our coverage of Better Late than Never, the editorial staff of the Times have finally noticed the situation, although they don't advocate US involvement: "[The African states] must renounce their recognition of Mr. Mugabe as president and press him and his cronies to cede power."
More substantially, The Washington Post notices an even deadlier situation across the continent, courtesy of a UN report, "Rwanda and Congo have been backing rival rebel and militia groups locked in a violent conflict in eastern Congo that has displaced more than 250,000 civilians since August."
NORTH KOREA: THE FINAL BUSH FAILURE?
Almost eight years after throwing out the negotiating process to halt North Korean development of nuclear weaponry and more than three years after realising that the big stick wasn't going to deter Pyongyang, the Bush Administration suffered a last humiliation when North Korea effectively walked out of talks.
PAKISTAN PLAYS FOR TIME
Richard Oppel and Salman Masood in The New York Times have figured out Pakistan's strategy in dealing with the aftermath of Mumbai. Their article depicts the "house arrest" of the leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hafiz Muhammed Saeed.
With such measures, Islamabad hopes to stave off calls for extradition of Saeed and other LeT leaders, a step which would likely bring the downfall of the Zardari Government.