Pakistan and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week

So in the last week in Pakistan a sit in after a horrible shooting caused the government to dissolve a provincial government a cleric started a march on Islamabad to "Pakistan's Tahrir Square" while the supreme court indicted the prime minister for fraud. All of which may have ties to their secret intelligence agency (ISI) who probably kept the location of Osama Bin Ladden secret from the US after taking billions in aid.

French send 1000 more troops to Mali, US to play support role.

This is not a repeat of 1954.......

I've heard that this might be blow back from Libya. I've heard that this is a part of a bigger role in Africa to offset Chinese investment. We'll have to see...

Brazil insists on elections in a post-Chavez Venezuela.

Brazil made a direct request to Venezuela to have elections if Chavez dies. The Venezuelan constitution calls for new elections in the case of a presidential death but rumors of discord between the Vice President and the president of the National Assembly, as well as strong remarks from the opposition, have led to rumors of calling an election off. Brazil is getting out in front of the situation and showing some of its strength in the region at the same time. 

Japan stages public "island seizing" drill.

Another tick in the tension between China and Japan as they get closer to some dumb incident. Japan is also trying a stupid currency devaluing stunt to jump start its economy that won't work. They just might be going nuts.

The New Power Map

The Council on Foreign Relations is super excited about the political ramifications of fracking and shale oil. Not one word on environmental concerns, though. 

Japan to ask for closer NATO ties

Japan to ask for closer NATO ties.

New LDP PM Abe is going to ask for closer ties with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The recent incidents over the "Diaoyu" islands and increases in Chinese naval forces are the admitted reasons. The LDP won the election on a nationalist platform that some thought was mere campaign fluff but movements like this and a willingness to take a more active roll might prove that Japan is serious about opening up defensively.

I've started this blog because I have an abiding interest in international relations, defense policy, and world events. This will be my outlet.