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"Why of course the people don't want war... but after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, a parliament or a communist dictatorship... voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders.  That is easy.  All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and for exposing the country to danger."

Herman Göering, Nazi leader at the Nuremburg trials after WWII

Hot Spots US Invasion of Iraq Listen to Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid on Fresh Air radio He has just returned from several weeks in Afghanistan. His book, Jihad: The Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia, is now out in paperback. He's also the author of Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil, and Fundamentalism in Central Asia. Rashid is a correspondent for The Far Eastern Economic Review and The Daily Telegraph, reporting on Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia. US to Leave Saudi Arabia According to Middle East Newsline, Saudi officials have confirmed that U.S., British and French forces would leave the kingdom later this year, following the conclusion of a war with Iraq. Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khaled bin Sultan reportedly said he expects the no-fly zones over Iraq to be eliminated -- and with that, any need for Western military presence in Saudi Arabia.   North Korean Crisis Council on Foreign Relations Task Force Report Fear and Loathing in North Korea Fresh Air Commentary   audio file "The North Korean nuclear crisis is far more perilous than many people realize." North Korea Threatens End To Armistice Agreement Feb 18, 2003 A spokesman for North Korea's military mission to Panmunjom has warned that Pyongyang may abandon the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War. The spokesman accused the United States of violating the armistice by preparing new sanctions and a blockade of North Korean ports, citing the brief detention late last year of a North Korean ship taking missile parts to Yemen. He added, "If the U.S. side continues violating and misusing the armistice agreement as it pleases, there will be no need for [North Korea] to remain bound to the armistice agreement uncomfortably."   Pakistan and India   US war in Columbia Afghanistan Famine Southeast Asia   Southwest Asia Georgia: Radioactive Material Goes Missing Feb 18, 2003 Georgian authorities have confirmed that three small containers of cesium-137, a radioactive material often associated with "dirty bombs," have gone missing from the Vaziani military base in Tblisi. Authorities did not say how much of the material is missing or the grade of the matter, which military prosecutor Mamuk Tsaav said has been missing since December. The head of the Georgian Environment Ministry's radiation department, Soso Kakushadze, says his department learned of incident on Feb. 17, but experts deployed to the scene were not allowed to enter the military base. Road Map for Peace A Performance-Based Roadmap to a Permanent Two-State Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict   The following is a performance-based and goal-driven roadmap, with clear phases, timelines, target dates, and benchmarks aiming at progress through reciprocal steps by the two parties in the political, security, economic, humanitarian, and institution-building fields, under the auspices of the Quartet [the United States, European Union, United Nations, and Russia].

 

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Commentary The American Empire Al Qaeda’s goal always has been to unify the Islamic world under an Islamic government—to create, in effect, an Islamic empire that is ready to both protect the interests of the Islamic world and to expand Islamic influence. It is doubtful that al Qaeda will achieve this goal. Indeed, al Qaeda’s actions will, contrary to its intentions or expectations, generate the exact opposite effect -- the creation of an American empire. Exxon and Terror Third quarter of 2002 The third quarter of 2002 rounds out a year since the attacks by Islamic militants on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. In that time, the tenor of global politics has changed deeply and comprehensively. But one year later, is the United States any closer to ensuring its security than it was on Sept. 11, 2001? The third quarter finds much of the world well under way in adapting to Washington's global crusade against al Qaeda, but the burning question remains: Who will strike next, and when? Terrorism War One Year On One year after the attacks on New York and Washington, both the United States and al Qaeda have mixed successes to show for their respective efforts. Fourth quarter 2002