The real price of your clothes

The recent tragedy in Bangladesh, where a collapsed building left behind 1000 people dead, has oulined that our cheap clothing is at the expense of human rights.

Thousands of people were working at several factories in a building without sufficient security measures and poorly preserved. The conditions for the workers were extremely precarious.

All this would have been overlooked if the Rana Plaza had not collapsed. But the magnitude of the tragedy (1000 dead and counting) and the massive demonstrations on May Day in Bangladesh, have made it impossible to ignore the fact any longer.

Big retail names like Zara, H&M, Benetton and Wal Mart have been involved. As happened with Apple and its factories in China, fashion giants outsource to other companies in Asia to make the clothes that they then sell across the world.

It is one of the effects of globalization. Today, it is cheaper to send raw materials and finished products to go around the world several times than to make them in factories in Europe or America.

Competition is also fierce. A few years ago China was the main recipient of these contracts. But since the standard of living of the Chinese has increased, their wage demands have risen in line with it. Chinese wages are growing around 10% per year and this increase means lower profit margins for textile giants.

That's where, since the beginning of the credit crunch crisis, other countries like Bangladesh have entered in the race. Without as many legal obstacles and with wages of around a dollar a day, these countries are a much more appealing destination for large retail companies.

The way of doing things, however, does not change. They hire contractors and subcontractors. Sometimes the subcontractors hire even more subcontractors. In fact New Wave Style, one of the companies involved in the Rana Plaza disaster, got its first big contract when a contractor for the Canadian company Loblaws could not cope with an order and appealed to them. From there, everything grew until disaster struck.

The chain of contractors and subcontractors is dark. And the more you go down the chain, the less control you have over what happens. Companies such as Primark claim to have under control the companies they hire. But the truth is that it is impossible to be aware of the whole process when it is so complex and confusing.

The conditions are extremely precarious for the workers. Overtime is common to be able to meet deadlines, but it is rarely paid. The workplaces are often poorly conditioned. Too much heat, little ventilation and buildings without sufficient security measures are the norm.

The unions tried to improve those conditions imposing independently controlled safety plans, but the big brands rejected the plan. They needed a plan outside of the corruption circle between factory owners and the government. But it was too expensive and complex and retail companies said no.

It is not the first time a disaster strikes the industry. In fact fashion giants have a long history full of stains. From the use of child labor for sports brands manufacturers to the recent fire in another factory (also in Bangladesh), scandals are many.

That’s why crisis management teams in brands like Loblaws and Primark have been so quick to tackle the tragedy. Immediately, they announced that they will compensate the victims. Others like Benetton have reacted slower. Even the EU has jumped into the wagon.

Zara in turn, has increased its positive presence in various media, with stories that illustrate, for example, how it employs young people in Spain, a country battered by youth unemployment.

The general trend of the industry has been a PR offensive. Big brands know that their main battle is being fought in the streets of Paris, London or New York, with the public opinion at home. After all, they are also to blame in part for wanting cheap clothes. They are the ones who buy the clothes and they are the ones they need to convince to bury all this in the past –until the next tragedy.

Governments and workers in Bangladesh, on the other hand, are too afraid they may lose all they got. The wages of workers in these factories, despite being extremely low, are sometimes the best that can be dreamed of in these countries.

Meanwhile, export remittances provide a generous source of revenue to governments. So much so, that the government of Bangladesh has asked the EU not to impose sanctions or regulations on his country. They fear that, like it happened in China, the factories will relocate to a less problematic country.

However, Bangladesh would probably be better off looking towards Vietnam. The communist country has shown that it is possible to get the production for multinational brands and improve the living conditions of workers all at the same time. But that demands change and courage to do it.

And probably as well, less profit margins and more expensive clothes. But not much. With as little as a 25cents increase in the price of our clothes, we could pay for better working conditions in Bangladesh. Will it happen?

Read more »

The silenced genocide

It's our fault, the media’s fault. We are experts at making huge deals of a sand grain while failing to realize about the huge mountain in front of us. While everyone -including us- is looking to Pyongyang, silence prevails in other parts of Asia such as Burma.

In Korea there has not been yet a single shot, a single death, nor more refugees or displaced in fifty years. Nevertheless, hundreds of foreign correspondents have traveled to the area to tell that absolutely nothing has happened. In the meantime, the Rohingya suffer a very real conflict that gets silenced.

Burma's case is especially flagrant. There are currently several active conflicts against various ethnic minorities in the country. The Karen, Shan, Kachin and Rohingya are just four of the groups that are currently fighting the government in Yangon.

The Karen are an ethnic group divided between Thailand and Burma. Since 1976 they have been fighting for their own state or, more recently, at least greater self-government. Relationships are clearly better than a few years ago and last week both sides sat down to negotiate. That doesn’t mean they are in good terms.

The Shan’s situation is slightly better. They have some degree of autonomy and its own army, but they are subject to the central government. However, both the Shan and the neighboring Kachin have been abused by the majority Bamar that governs Burma. Unlike with the Karen, tension with these two groups has increased in recent weeks.

But the most significant case is that of the Rohingya. Not only they are different ethnically, as the rest of the other groups, but also on the religious level. The Rohingya, mostly Muslims, have suffered all sorts of attacks against their properties and their people for years by the country's Buddhist majority.

In 2012 these attacks increased exponentially. And they do not respect anything or anyone. In early April, a school with 70 children burned down in what appears to be an unprovoked attack. Thirteen of the children died in the fire.

The seriousness of the issue has led some to declare that what is occurring in Burma is nothing less than ethnic cleansing. However, little or no response has been made by the international community.

It is particularly striking that the Nobel Peace Prize Aung San Suu Kyi has not said anything about it. If we take into consideration how the international media are usually always listening to everything she says, her silence is the more disturbing. The once ardent defender of human rights in Burma seems to prefer silence and turn a blind eye in the case of the conflict with the Rohingya.

The Burmese central government has called the Buddhist New Year celebrations to demand national unity. But in the current situation that is more of an utopia than reality. The main concern for Yangon is to prevent the ethnic conflicts to endanger the much needed flow of foreign investment.

What will happen to the country’s ethnic minorities is secondary. Problems endemic to the region, such as amputees by landmines, forced labor with refugees and sex tourism are already threatening the Shan, Karen, Kachin and Rohingya. And no one seems to care about it.

Read more »

Will it be war in Korea?

Kim Jong-un seems to be finally wearing his father’s shoes. He is even surpassing the boldness of his predecessor. The young one is pushing an escalation of the nuclear diplomacy the North Koreans have mastered for years. However, the dangers come from the lack of knowledge about the new leaders more than from what it may actually happen in the end.

Most of what is happening now has happened before to some degree. The US and South Korea usually have drills in the region. North Korea usually responds harshly to it. And North Korea usually tests every new Prime Minister of the South when they access the office. That is all according to the script.

It wouldn’t even be the first time they exchange fire. As recently as in the past three years, North Korea shelled a South Korean island, which retaliated. The North also -allegedly- sank a South Korean corvette, an act that didn’t have a military response from the South.

There are, however, too many changes to be able to know what will happen next. There are new leaders in both Koreas and in China. The latter, only ally of the North Koreans, recently distanced from them by sanctioning the Kim regime in the UN for their last nuclear test.

But being more isolated is where NK’s strength resides. The Kim dynasty has made of isolation a weapon and it is partially the reason it has survived for so long. A society open to the world, like Iran’s, wouldn’t have been so forgiving of the difficulties it is going through in exchange for nukes.

The speech of threat to the South forms part of that strategy too. Despite the recent lack of food and famine due to a poor harvest, Kim has been able to keep the North’s society united around the leadership by crying wolf in the form of the US and Seoul.

By keeping a constant message of fear, Kim manages to maintain cohesion among North Koreans. This may be more needed than ever before if the rumors of an attempted coup that surfaced on March 13^th are true.

Kim Jong-un, however, has gone a step further with that speech of threat since he accessed the office. He has surpassed his father successfully launching a satellite, test firing another long-range rocket (that failed) and resuming the nuclear program.

These last successful trials (the satellite launch and the nuclear test) may have encouraged the young Kim to impatiently launch threats his country cannot fulfill, like attacking mainland America. The latest moves have been cutting communications with the south, banning access to the joint factory park of Kaesong and pointing the batteries of missiles and artillery to the south.

The truth is no one really wants war. South Korea’s capital, Seoul, would be likely carpeted from the north and little could be done to minimize it. Only during the first hour of conflict, 500,000 rounds of artillery could hit the capital. Conservative estimates suggest a death toll of at least 100,000 casualties only in the city.

North Korea also knows that they would have only 24 hours, maybe 48, until they would be obliterated by the US. The use of nuclear weapons so close to its own population would be suicidal for the north without the intervention of the US. Both Koreas would have too much to lose and little to gain.

Jean Lee, the Pyongyang AP bureau chief and one of the few Western reporters on the ground, said that even amid the latest threats, “Inside Pyongyang, much of the military rhetoric feels like theatrics.”

Business was going as usual and, she noted, “in a telling sign that even the North Koreans don’t expect war, the national airline, Air Koryo, is adding flights to its spring lineup and preparing to host the scores of tourists they expect.” Forcing the south and the US to the negotiation table is what is worth for the North Koreans.

Photo AP

The rest of the actors aren’t any keener to go to war. Japan doesn’t want to be again the target of a nuclear attack and they know they are within the range of North Korean missiles. The US, on the other hand, is fairly safe North Korea can’t hit its territory. But being in withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan, it doesn’t make sense to get involved in what could be the bloodiest conflict since 1945.

On the other side, China is not interested in a conflict in the area. Focused on the economy, a war in the region would threaten the growth of the country. An influx of refugees inside its north-eastern border is an added problem. Added to that, if North Korea is annihilated, it could mean US troops on its border while Kim’s regime is now a firewall that would be disadvantageous to lose.

All things considered, recent history tells us it is not likely this will escalate into a full blown war. But as Foreign Policy puts it, “for half a century, neither side believed that the benefits of starting a major war outweighed the costs; the worry is that the new North Korean leader might not hold to the same logic, given his youth and inexperience”. Kim Jong-un is not crazy as some draw him, but our best bet is hoping he is not suicidal either.

Read more »

Asia and Africa dwarf Europe and America in peacekeeping missions

How the US, the UK and France spend most of their forces in private wars

After several weeks of war in Mali, the United Nations has decided to discuss the possibility of sending a contingent of peacekeepers to the African country. France, which has so far led the offensive, has been willing to actively participate in a hypothetical multinational force whose mission would be to keep the peace in the region.

That is not the norm. According to the latest UN report on peacekeeping missions, none of the G8 countries are among the top contributors of personnel. They are the biggest money donors, as several of them must endow an extra amount for being on the UN Security Council -which approves and oversees all missions. But soldiers from other countries, mainly from Africa and Asia, are the ones that put their lives at risk on the ground.

The first strong economy on the list appears at number 11 and it is Brazil, which contributes nearly 2,200 soldiers. In the 15^th position we find the first member of the Security Council (China, contributing 1,869 soldiers). We need to dig until the 20^th position to find the first member of the G8, Italy (1,127 soldiers). Behind the Italians are France in the 26^th (968 soldiers) and way behind the United Kingdom in 45^th place (283 soldiers) and the U.S. in 57^th place (128 soldiers).

One of the main reasons for the lack of Western troops as peacekeepers at the UN is that the organization always tries to implement local solutions to local problems. For example, most of the peacekeepers in Somalia right now are African, while in the missions from the 90’s and 2000’s in the Balkans, European troops were the core of the contingent.

Photo: AP

However Pakistan and Bangladesh, the two biggest net contributors for armed personnel, are present far away from their area of ​​influence. More precisely they are present in Africa -in the Ivory Coast, Liberia, Darfur (Sudan) and Congo- despite having a serious problem close to home with neighboring Afghanistan and tensions with India (another top contributor). Nepal, also in the top 10, has nearly a quarter of its troops in Lebanon, a country with which it shares no cultural, religious or historical ties or even a similar climate.

Meanwhile, European countries seem to have a predilection for the Middle East. 98% of Italian troops at the UN, 97% of Spain’s, 91% of France’s and 77% of Germany’s are in the UNIFIL mission in Lebanon. 97% of British blue berets are deployed in Cyprus. On the other hand, the Americans have 67% of their staff in Haiti.

These figures contrast with the number of troops that all these countries have deployed in Afghanistan. Even after sending home 33,000 soldiers in 2011, the U.S. has 68,000 troops still on Afghan soil, two thirds of the total of peacekeepers deployed by the UN worldwide.

France has deployed around 2,500 troops in Mali. Along with more than the 500 it has in Afghanistan, they make a total of three times the number of boots that the country dedicates to peacekeeping missions. Both Mali and Afghanistan are considered scenarios on the global war on terror against al-Qaeda and its affiliates.

In fact, the countries with the largest contingents in the so-called war on terror (the US, the UK, Germany, Italy, France and Spain), have a total of about 90,000 soldiers fighting in a frontline that stretches from Afghanistan to Mali and Somalia. That number does not include some personnel that do not appear on the books, as the pilots of American drones. Furthermore, none of these operations is supported by the UN, but by NATO.

The total number of UN peacekeepers is a similar figure of 94,090. However, between the six countries mentioned before (the US, the UK, Germany, Italy, France and Spain) they only add 3,400 soldiers to the UN-led operations -less than 3.5% of the total. They provide, however, 59% of the funds for peacekeeping missions, without which none of these operations would be possible. A formula -the world powers pay the bill; let others do the fighting- reminiscent of certain aspects of the theory of dependency and colonialism.

In the event that finally a UN mission to Mali is approved, and providing France finally gets a prominent place, it would be a significant change of policy for the big countries. France would become the only country that currently forms part of the G8, the UN Security Council and a significant contributor of troops to the UN.

Read more »

This time yes

On Wednesday North Korea launched successfully -finally- a satellite into space becoming the 11^th nation to achieve it. The date could not be easier to remember (12.12.12) and it is indeed a huge step forward for the Kim regime. 

Several details of the launch tell how the North Koreans have advanced. They finally got the third stage to separate successfully, which had been the major problem for the previous rockets -at least for the ones that survived more than a minute on the air.

They also managed to predict accurately where the boosters and debris of the rocket would fall -confirming the Philippines’ fears. This is more important than what it may suggest at first sight. For starters, that gives more control of the trajectory and destination for long-range rockets and for, namely say, a hypotetic successful future ICBM.

Photo: Kyodo News

But probably the biggest achievement was fooling half of the world -I have to include myself here- with their “delay due to snow” distraction. We knew it would eventually happen, but didn’t expect it that soon. If it was a trick to get the attention of the world, well, it worked.

All the eyes were on them. But when it finally happened only the region neighbors were kinda fast. Whiting minutes, Japan and South Korea had strongly condemned the action and were having a coordinated diplomatic effort.

That doesn’t mean they were expecting it either. The South Koreans said they never believed the delay and were confirming the reports. The Japanese, on the other hand, said they had their missile frigates locked on the rocket since it took off but didn’t press the fire button. Sounds like an excuse to me.

Europe and America were even slower to react. In the case of Europe, only the UK summoned immediately their ambassador. Fair enough, it was night time for them when the launch took place.

For the US, the embarrassment was even worse. It wasn’t until two hours after the rocket was launched that the Americans released a statement saying they had “noted” the launch. Like if it was a disturbance in the Force.

Images from the official DPRK channel confirming the launch -with special TV programs- and statements from the Japanese and South Korean governments were all over Twitter and Facebook. But the Americans had just “noted” it.

Photo: KCNA

Still, it is not like the Americans should be immediately worried. The DPRK may have put an object in space but it is unclear if that object is an operational sat. Also, although space rockets and ICBM share common tech, the later need twice as much work to develop.

To hit the space you just need for the rocket to go upwards. To hit a place half-way through the planet you need a thermal shield for the reentry and accurate trajectory calculations. It will take several years for the DPRK to build a successful ICBM.

Of course, UN sanctions will not help that development and most likely will follow after this attempt. Even China and Russia have criticized the bold move of the North Koreans.

However, no one has said anything on the UN about the mysterious American X-37B, launched intospace one day before the North Korean satellite. It is a USAF space-drone that the US says is purely experimental, while at the same time declining to disclose what those experiments are.

Read more »

Friendly fire 07/12/09

- The risks of citizen and amateur journalists in war areas.

- Airbus A400M to take off. Finally.

- India concerned over China, Pakistan military "nexus".

- Israel's pro-settlement soldiers worry leaders.

- So, where the hell is bin Laden?


Did you like it? Share it

Read more »

Friendly fire 12/10/09

- NK tests five short range missiles and requests everybody to stay outta their Eastern territorial waters until the 20th.

- SK presses the gas for the purchase of new jets.

- The hardest decision for this year (after Obama's Nobel): Economics Nobel. And the one who messed the less was...

- There is no small foe.

- About to getting divorced? How sounds a trip to Malaysia?


Did you like it? Share it

Read more »

Friendly fire 05/10/09

- Polling round: The Yes wins in Ireland. The Socialist Party wins in Greece. And Rio defeats Chicago, Madrid and Tokio in the race for the Olympics.

- Should Roman Polanski be above the law?

- While waiting for the 2009 Nobel Prizes, here are 2009 Ig Nobel Prizes.

- Seriously, what's wrong with Asia? Earthquakes, floods, tsunamis...

- Israel, in Honduras too? Unlikely.


Did you like it? Share it

Read more »

Friendly fire 18/09/09

- Top destination for spies.

- Top destination for arms dealers.

- Top destination for IAEA inspectors.

- Future top destination for IAEA inspectors.

- Winter top destination for Israeli jets. Unexpected guests not welcomed.



Did you like it? Share it

Read more »

Friendly fire 09/09/09

- Israel signs 455 new homes expanding settlements (and controversy) in the West Bank before the freezing...

-...while calling the Arabs “occupiers”.

- Iran offers a new nuke-deal over growing concern for their nuclear plans (meanwhile, NK enters the “final stage” of his program)

- Kidnapped British journo freed in Afghanistan. Local translator and British commando, dead. Debateover releasing information of kidnapped people, heating up.

- Report: Most Gazans killed in Cast Lead war were civilians. Nothing to worry: Israel gains support in Europe, even in the anti-semite Spain.


Did you like it? Share it

Read more »

Sarko secures the Brazilian job (now, for the Indian job)

Brazil announced on Monday the decision to purchase 36 Rafale for the F-X2 program. The operation also includes 12 Brazilian Embraer KC-390 tanker-transport planes to be exported to Paris, a lot of tech exchange between the two companies and joint ventures for the future. The plan can be worth $7 billion.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy acted as a chief negotiator for Dessault, a political pressure difficult to match by the other bidders of the contract (the Swedish Grippen and the American Super Hornet). As Robert Wall writes in Aviation Week’s Ares blog, “French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been aggressive -some may say shameless- in acting as the chief salesman for the country’s aerospace and defense industry”.

The latest visit to Brazil of Mr. Sarkozy was perfect to seal the deal. But political pressure hasn’t been the only player on the bid. A great part of it came from the tech transfer the French are happy to make, which American government isn’t. The Grippen has also American components that would be subject to the same restrictions. “What’s important for us is to have access to the technology to make this plane in Brazil,” said Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Deal is not closed yet and other bidders may still get a part of the cake. But for now, a few questions are on the air. Stephen Trimble from the DEW line draws them:

1. Will Dassault agree to open a final assembly line for the Rafale F3 in Brazil?
2. Will Embraer invite Dassault to join the supply chain for the KC-390?
3. Does this potential deal pave the way for Embraer and Dassault to collaborate on next-generation projects, such as a fifth-generation fighter and a 737/A320 replacement?
4. How will Brazil's decision to select the Rafale play in India, which is considering all of the same bidders for the far more lucrative MMRCA project?
5. Is Switzerland now Saab's best (only?) chance to win an export contract for the JAS 39 Gripen?

From all of them, no. 4 is probably the best questions of all. India's program MMRCA is looking for a 4th generation plane able to fit in the gap between their most advanced Su-30 and their light attack jets Texas LCA. A fighter to substitute the Mirage 2000 now in duty.

MiG has offered the MiG-29 OVT (aka MiG-35) but lacks the problem of availability, as the Russians are uncapable of delivering the planes before 2013-14. The Eurofighter Typhoon, the F-16 Block 60+, the already on use updated version of the Mirage 2000-5 and the F-35 are over the table too. But as with Brazil’s deal, Boeing’s Super Hornet, Swedish Grippen and Dessault’s Rafale are the best positioned. Again, the Grippen is behind for its uncapability of operating from carriers. But this time is a real deal.



Photo: Dessault

Did you like it? Share it

Read more »

Ahmadinejad joins Kim’s circus

Iranians might have learned the lesson from North Korea. No, we don't talk about the NK cargo ship loaded of weapons seized while heading into Iran. We talk about Kim's negotiation skills: mess with the West and then offer them a sweet.

For the past year, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s cabinet has been messing around with the USA and other Western nations about their nuclear program. The official line stated that it was merely for a civilian use. However, the secretism of the program itself, the banning for the IAEA inspectors and the constant improving of Natanz, Shiraz and Isfahan plants suggested something different.

This week, the UN published a report where they open clearly for the first time the door for the possibility of Iran working in a military nuclear program. It’s the same Israel has been saying for years, but when you are Israel and constantly are calling wolf, you might be unheard. The UN, that’s different: they never speak; if they do it, it might be something there.

The IAEA doesn’t state firmly that Iran is working in the weaponization of uranium. It contains a “maybe”, but it is a big “maybe”. That’s enough for Israel, though. The problem is the focus Israel gives to this problem: now links a solution to the settlements in the West Bank to the Iranian nuclear program, as it they have anything in common.

Netanyahu’s madness with this goes further. Bibi compared the Iranian bomb with Auschwitz. Great timing, just when half the world remembers the 60th anniversary of the beginning of WWII.

Obviously Europe is not in the same trail, but the most surprisingly event came from an unexpected actor: Germany. The Holocaust left a deep scar in Germany’s memory that has been trying to wipe out by supporting actively Israel. That’s why many were surprised when Merkel answered to Netanyahu to forget about Iran and freeze the settlements.

Back to the nukes, in Iran this report hasn’t been welcomed. Iranian representative to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, told the AP he found the report "very frustrating," and angrily suggested that U.S. intelligence was working to undermine Iran's credibility. Indeed, tougher sanctions against Iran have been discussed today.

But following North Korea’s steps, here is the sweet: Iran has opened the door for a new “nuclear proposal” and is ready for new nuclear talks.

And that’s how Ahmadinejad joins Kim’s circus.


Ahmadinejad visiting Natanz uranium enrichment facility
Photo: Iranian's President's office.

Did you like it? Share it

Read more »

Japan and Gabon

Two distant and very different nations went to the polls this weekend: Gabon and Japan. Both of them will see the first change in Governments in more than four decades, but each one their way.

Japan democratically elected, as all the reports suggested it was going to happen, a swift in the Government. The landslide election victory won by the center-left Democratic Party of Japan is historic. After an almost solid run of 54 years in power the Liberal Democratic Party has been sent packing by a Japanese public desperate for change and fed up with its backroom power broking - it has changed prime ministers time after time without a general election.

This has an impact even greater for Japan. The mere fact of a party handling the power for half a century illustrates well this. Up until now, everything was fixed in the Asiatic Giant. Everyone had their place in the chain, everyone knew what they had to do. Like in the assembly line of a Toyota car factory.

Until the recession hit. Or more precisely, until recession blew up the entire world. Japan was already going backwards way before the West started to suffer the present meltdown. Yukio Hatoyama, the new Japanese president, mirrored Obama making a campaign for change, in a way even Obama (not even European leaders) would dare to attempt. The hope for the Japanese is that Hatoyama will be able to accomplish, at least, a few of his promises. First signs of recovery have arrived even before he takes over the office: the Yen is up and the recession is over for Japan (for now).

Gabon too had suffered a rule of more than 40 years, but in this case, somehow imposed. Omar Bongo ruled the country until he died in June. Corruption was normality among Bongo’s cabinet. After his death it was revealed he had properties and millions of wealth in banks all around the globe.

Meanwhile, his country was poor. And its economy is based dangerously only in timber and oil. But at least was stable -a big “at least” when talking about Africa. Now, after Mongo’s death and awaiting for the results of the elections held this weekend to decide his successor, the country heads into an uncertain future.

Even a Gabonese supermodel, Gloria Mika, has been advocating for a fair play in the elections before they took place. But worse could be yet to come. If results aren't the expected by the ruling majority, it might end up in a destabilized country, as often happens in Africa. The favorite is, of course, one of Bongo's sons: Ali Ben Bongo.

Both Japan and Gabon face the future with hope and, until certain point, fear of the future. But something tells me one of them will do better than the other. Anyone?


Gloria Mika
Photo: Telegraph

Did you like it? Share it

Read more »

To the space and beyond

When last April North Korea launched a rocket/long-range missile into space, several voices started to shout out for sanctions against Kim’s regime. In the end, the test was, according to American military sources, a failure; although the North Koreans claim that their satellite is rounding the Earth chanting echoes of admiration for his present leader.

But looking forward the test itself, the point is that North Korea is under sanctions and is not allowed to test that kind of rockets or missiles. As we pointed out here, having a space platform doesn’t automatically qualifies for having a long-range missile system, but it helps. A lot. And that’s why the International community imposed the sanctions against North Korea.

This week, again, a rocket rocketed into the space from the Korean peninsula. Only that this time was from the South. After a few delays due to technical malfunctions and bad weather, the first South Korean satellite launched from its own soil was… Another failure. Exactly for the same reasons as the north neighbors. Both Koreas’ rockets weren’t able to reach a stable orbit, so the satellites were burned into the atmosphere.

But looking again forward beyond the launching, there is still the issue of the sanctions. If the North is banned for launching rockets into space or long-range missiles from its soil, it should rule the same standards for the South. Indeed, the North warned the international community they will be closely watching for the reaction to this launching.

Of course, the reaction has been nothing. It’s quite difficult, taking into account that the current General Secretary of the United Nations is a South Korean himself. Try again, Kim. But the truth has to be said, and it is that for once, the US hasn’t been so hypocrite as usual.

Sure, they haven’t condemned the South Koreans like they did with the northern neighbors. They couldn’t do it, in the end, the south is their ally. But at least they didn’t contributed either to the effort. When the South Koreans turned to the Americans for help with the rockets, they said “nay”. So the South government called on the Russians’ door (who finally helped them).

In this upside-down world, this rocket-incident and the recent behavior of the northsiders have exchanged the characters of the good and the bad guy between the two Koreas.

While the South claims that any critical commentary from the North about their space program is just "propaganda", the North has been giving sweets to the West for the past two months. First was the release of the two American journalists detained in March, after the visit of Bill Clinton.

Then, last week, Kim’s regime decided to resume conversations with the South, sent a delegation and condolences to the funeral of an ex-president of the South and is thinking about reopening the borders to tourists and familiar reunions.

With guys like these (specially Kim, who likes to be the good cop and the bad cop himself), who says politics are boring?



Photo: Park Ji-Hwan/AFP/Getty Images

Did you like it? Share it

Read more »

Holidays round

I’m not too eager of stopping working for long (journalism is more a lifestyle than a business, although others may have a different opinion). But sometimes it’s good to take a break. And that’s what I’m going to do from today.

Meanwhile, here are the main issues to follow during the next two weeks:

- Iraq: No more multi-national task force in Iraq. Instead, from today on, it will be just a sole force of one country, exclusively American.

- Iran: Yesterday was the 40th day anniversary of Neda Soltan’s death. Tehran saw again thousands in the streets mourning those killed in the repression by the government forces. And the Basiji, again, fought them back violently. At least 20 people died during last month post-electoral clashes.

But the scars are still fresh. An Iranian court urged the police to present charges against those detained (hundreds of them) and finally around two dozens will be prosecuted. Another prominent reformist was moved from his cell to a government house where he will be under house arrest.

It’s to expect a surge in the clashes again for the next weeks.

- Afghanistan/Pakistan: Helmand offensive still goes on. Yesterday, two British soldiers were killed and the casualty report doesn’t make anything but grow. The near Presidential election, due the 20th of August, promises a few busy weeks ahead. Karzai will win again, almost for sure, but his popularity is decreasing. The Talibans have already called for a boycott of the polls.

Meanwhile, in the southern country the drone wars go on. A recent attack killed, according to the CIA, one of Osama bin Laden’s son. The operations in Swat valley, carried on by Pakistani militaries with assistance from the Americans, have allowed thousands of refugees to go back to their homes, avoiding what could have been the worst refugee crisis since Rwanda.

But the Taliban menace persists. Pakistan signed yesterday a deal with Tajikistan to secure the region, cooperate in security matters and blahblahblah. So beautiful; the ‘Stans fighting together...

And just in case the Taliban weren’t enough trouble, a separatist group from Balochistan started to attack foreign aid workers in the area.

- China: The Uighur revolt still is on the frontpages. China revealed last week official numbers for killed and detainees. Detentions that today are still going on.

Also abroad. While the Chinese government was exchanging opinions with Obama and messages with Taiwan -both signs of aperture of the regime-, it was angrily criticizing the words of the Uighur exile leader and the projection of an Uighur documentary in a movie festival in Australia.

Australia, by the way, is engaged in another nasty diplomatic clash with China regarding a few wallabie employees of Rio Tinto detained in a spy case. The problem for those employees is that they revealed data from Chinese companies to their partners abroad. Data that is open source in China. This puts over the edge hundreds of consultants. What to do now? Where is the limit about what to publish and what not?

And if they survive that, still can be themselves into a collective illnes inside their company.

- Horn of Africa: With the comeback of somalian pirates, the region should have enough. There is even a new videogame about it. But this is Africa. There is never enough trouble.

Knowing that -or maybe collaborating to that- the USA has intensified his pressure over Eritrea and his support for the Islamist groups operating in Somalia. Yet a hypothetic deal sounds like a far dream.

Meanwhile, America plays a wild card strongening his presence in the area through the semi-autonomus region of South Sudan. Members of the newly created South Sudanese Air Force -no planes yet- were training this week in the USA. South Sudan is undergoing through a rearming process as the recent images of Faina’s tanks found in the region prove it.

- Rest of Africa: In Nigeria, clashes between Islamist militias and government forces in the north of the country left 150 deaths. The ambushes are still taken place.

In South Africa, newly elected President Zuma has abruptly ended his honeymoon with his voters. A massive strike shook the country during this week.

Meanwhile, a new campaign has been launched by a Namibian NGO. “Lords of bling” tries to remind the African leaders their promise to spend at least a 15% of the money in healthcare, a measure long forgotten by most of the African Union signers of it. The signer Akon has designed this song to remind that fact to the African presidents.



- Israel/Palestine: The settlements center the debate. International pressure grows as the US envoy to the region increases the talks too. Netanyahu agreed yesterday to destroy 900 houses in an East Jerusalem colony.

Inside Israel sensibilities around this are also changing. Some analysts consider Israel’s image abroad is being heavily damaged by the settlements (smart guy). Some settlers even are speaking out and admit they would leave in exchange for the money spent in their homes and similar conditions somewhere else inside Israel. Some others, not so.

What doesn’t change is Netanyahu’s hawkish government. The last idea is ask demand the Netherlands and the UK to stop giving funds to the NGO Breaking the Silence, who has done some research of alleged Human Rights violations in Gaza by the IDF. Next will be to point European governments how they should spend their money.

And meanwhile the Netanyahu’s government asks Holland and the UK to stop funding pro-Human Rights NGOs, their allies from the far right ask the IDF soldiers to cover up for the abuses committed in the West Bank.

On the northside, the IDF has been put on alert after Lebanon forces were movilized too. However, Israelí officials consider unlikely a reedition of 2006 Hezbollah-Israel war, specially now with so many international forces in the zone.

On the other hand, in Gaza, Hamas starts to apply their particular vision of government. Up until now, Palestinian women could consider themselves lucky. I was actually talking about this recently with a Palestinian friend. While Saudi Arabian women cannot drive a car or meet with strangers, Palestinian women can do that and even wear trousers, the head uncovered or -if they want, and also the men- buy alcohol.

All that could be about to change. A judge has ordered in Gaza to all the female lawyers to wear a head scarf. It is just an example of many more that are showing Hamas’ Islamist hand in Gaza. Like restrictions with alcohol or the new religious police. Here an Al Jazeera video on it:



- Latinamerica: Honduras’ political turmoil doesn’t look well. But at least negotiations are moving up. Slower than a sloth, but moving up. Zelaya is in Nicaragua’s border from where he visits periodically his supporters. Meanwhile the interim government is more and more in lack of support. Abroad, the USA revoked several diplomatic visas. Internally, the Army admitted the predisposition to accept a unity government with Zelaya in front. Last word is Micheletti’s.

Further to the south, Colombia and Venezuela are again fighting. This time, a few Swedish grenade launchers were the detonant of the diplomatic turmoil. The weapons, sold by Sweden to Venezuela, ended up being discovered in a FARC’s camp. After that, the usual crossfire between governments and Hugo Chavez’s usual recall of ambassadors.




And basically that’s all. Add some narco fights in Mexico and a political fight in Burma (Google this, I’m tired of linking news today) and you have enough to be busy for these two weeks I’ll be out.

So, until then... Be good, have fun, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t.




Did you like it? Share it

Read more »

Friendly fire 27/07/09

- India gets into the selected club of Navies with indigenous built nuclear submarines. It’s just the frontline of what’s still to come, an improvement of the Indian Navy that will include an increase from the actual 140 vessels to the 170 planned. That includes two more nuclear subs and two indigenous carriers.

- Korea continues playing; now they accept to talk about their nuclear program.

- Sarko collapses while jogging. Did he saw a hot chick jogging besides him? Fortunately, it was all just a scarce.

- Obama starts pushing for a deal in the Middle East. Meanwhile, back at home, Sarah Palin resigns; but not without a fight.

- Iranian courts are pushing in favor of the detainees: their future must be decided within a week or be released. Ahmadinejad, may be busy for the last days of his government. Unless he has to quit over a confidence vote from the Parliament.




Did you like it? Share it

Read more »

Kim’s health

The North Korean regime has distributed a recent photo of Kim Jong-il to prove the bad guys from the West that rumors putting Kim in a coffin soon are not true. Well, I have to admit that at least Kim looks better than the three military men behind him (specially the first from the left)




Photo: elmundo.es

Did you like it? Share it

Read more »

Jong-il's fireworks

Yesterday North Korea launched three short range missiles. The test comes after the launching of a Taepodong-2 long range missile in April and at least another mid-range missile by mid-June, apart from a nuclear test.

The missiles from yesterday were short-range KN-1 and KN-2 weapons. They are probably the most accurate among the arsenal of the Koreans. The missiles flew for around a 100 of km and then felt into the water.

When it comes to North Korea, it is always unclear to determine the purpose of those drills. It can be just a test for their military, it can be a threat-message for the West, or even, as some analysts suggest from the last launching, just to make some fireworks in order to please Kim Jong-il

(I don’t know why, but while writing the last sentence of the previous paragraph, it came into my mind an image of Jong-il jumping and clapping his hand excited like a child after the missile launches)

The paranoia over North Korea’s missiles is getting to the media. We already talked here about the chain of mistakes that evolved from a missile launching preparation into an attack on Hawaii on the 4th of July. Well, the paranoia is back.

Some agencies and newspapers are talking again about a possible threat against Hawaii in the Independence day. But that’s highly unlikely. In April’s launch of the Taepodong-2, the Koreans needed 12 day to fuel up the missile and prepare the launching site, all of it was fully observable from satellite images. Now, however, nothing has happened that could suggest an imminent launching. Too much fireworks for Jong-il.

But what is clear and really happened is yesterday’s events. Now we know why the North Koreans asked everyone in the region to stay away from their territorial waters. But also we learned some about the stuff they fired.

David Wright and Theodore Postol have written an analysis on the launching of last April’s Unha-2, or the modified Taepodong-2 used for satellite launchings. According to Wright and Postol, the parts of the missile were of Russian origin. The first stage looks similar to a cluster of four Nodong engines, a model based on the Russian Scud, while the second stage is identical to the Soviet R-27 missile.

As Nathan Hodge, from Danger Room states:

The bad news? The Unha-2 “represents a significant advance over North Korea’s previous launchers” and it could potentially reach the continental United States if it modified for use as a ballistic missile. The good news? The long-range missile “appears to be constructed from components that probably weren’t manufactured in North Korea.” In other words, they will sooner or later run out of missile parts, provided that sanctions remain in place.

So, keep firing Kim. Sooner or later you'll run out of fireworks.



Photo: AP


Did you like it? Share it

Read more »

Kim: Hey guys, I'm still here!

Kim Jong-Il doesn’t want us to forget about him with all the info going on now and frontpages for his commarade in the axis of evil, Iran. That’s why he warned us -again- with an all-out nuclear war.

I bet he regrets now the chocolates he sent to Ahmadinejad. That f**king bastard is stealing his protagonism... His hope rely on the fireworks he prepares for the 4th of July in Hawaii.

Oh, by the way. It's a fake. Not even those fireworks will make it to the US. It has been all a great chain of mistakes by the media.

Read more »

Jong-il strikes back

It seems like if Kim Jong-il North Korea was determined to appear on the frontpage of worldwide newspapers everyday. In the last two weeks, we have had news from Korea in three different fronts.

Probably the less worrying is the concerning to the leader succession. Continuous rumors about Jong-il’s health problems have leakened to the press for years, in a way similar to what happened to Castro. But still, very few is known about this issue.

Many sources identify Jong-il’s youngest son as the most plausible successor of his father. Kim Jong-un was, apparently, finally desinged as that after last nuclear tests. But even that is unclear even after a week.

Not much more is known about Jong-un himself. He is around 25 years old and educated in Switzerland. That and a photo of him when he was 11 years old is everything known about him. His older brother, however, is well known. But he doesn’t represent any threat. Not interested in politics, the older son of Jong-il prefers the casinos of Macau to his homeland.

Last week also were on the frontpages around the world the news about two American journalists arrested in the border with China and condemned to 12 years of forced works. Accused of espionage, they will be “re-educated” in a labor camp. But according with what is known about North Korean labor camps, it won’t be pleasant.

The bad taste joke that plays destiny with the US is that re-education methods used in these camps are the same used in Guantanamo (in fact, the ERE survival guides which are the basis for Guantanamo tortures were written after the experiences with the Koreans and Vietnamese) So, if Guantanamo’s methods are not torture, the US won’t be able to claim tortures on the two journos.

But clearly, the biggest issue has been the military escalade. It all started with North Korea’s missile. After the missile came a nuke test. And they may be more on the way, despite the warnings and sanctions from the UN.

The USA has already responded deploying troops and exercising with the South Koreans at the south of the DMZ. The DPRK gave back the ball chasing South Korean vessels and entering into SK national waters. This maritime tension continues growing up to today and there are worries about an attempt to launch a naval clash from the north. It is especially suspicious not the fact of North Korean vessels patrolling the area, but the ausence of movements from the Chinese fishing fleet.

Then Clinton warned Pyongyang with including it again in the list of terrorist states if they continue that way. Meanwhile, plans to face a possible ground invasion from the north of the 38 parallel were taking place.

Jong-il’s regime threatened then with a nuke total offensive and a “merciless attack”. But according to Gates, they wouldn’t be able to do so and the US may abort that attack immediately. Japan is on alert too and recently the American Senate opened the gate for the Raptor exports. Another reason for Jong-il to think twice before attacking.

However, the most plausible scenario is just a few more up toned words, maybe another nuclear test to provoke from Pyongyang and more sanctions from the UN. And then, back to every day’s game. Although some people in Washington are already theorizing about a postapocaliptic aftermath to the second Korea war, many more argue it will be highly improbable for that to happen. Thank God, because this was starting to be a bit worrying after Ahmadinejad’s victory.



Photo: DMZ / The Guardian - AP


.

Read more »