A FLOWER IN YOU HAIR IS NO LONGER ENOUGH

November 21, 2012

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted by six to five to ban public nudity in the city. District Supervisor Scott Wiener said that he proposed the ban after mounting complaint by all demographic sectors including the gay community. Naturists had become a common sight, particularly in the predominantly gay Castro District. Exceptions will, however, be permitted on special occasions, such as street fairs and parades.

Whilst there is something quite liberating and even innocent about naturism, most people are not ready for it and they may not be for centuries to come. So it would seem best, then, to keep it where it belongs: out of the public eye. This is not pandering to narrow-mindedness, it just a matter of consideration and respect. We have after all been wearing clothes or covering up for millennia. Of course some may say that the same argument can be used for eating meat or persecuting homosexuality, but the difference here is that the inconvenience of wearing clothes is slight in comparison to the discomfort and embarrassment people may feel at the sight of naked people running around the streets.

In the meantime, perhaps art is the best way of gently prodding the taboo. I just wished I could live in a country where one could consider nudity without the prospect of freezing to death!

HEY WORLD!
The Globecatcher website is being developed and the aim is to have regular bite-sized impartial news from every nation in the world. We have started writing on all mainland South American countries, just to get Globecatcher moving, but we need correspondents form all over the world to breath life into the project and and make Globecatcher a record of world events as they unfold. If nothing noteworthy happens in a particular country, for period of four weeks or so, then a feature on its culture, history or geography, for instance, will keep it in the picture. We will also have fact files on every country, like the one that has just been completed on Australia.

If you would like to be a part of this exciting project, please follow this link and I will get back to you with all the information you would need.

I look forward to hearing from you.

SHAME ON INDIA'S GOVERNMENT

November 20, 2012

What on earth is going on with governments! India has now decided to join the not-so-exclusive club of ignorant oppressors by arresting a 21 year-old for mildly criticising the virtual shut-down of Mumbai for the funeral of the ultra-nationalist Bal Thackeray. Shaheen Dhanda's "crime" was to write on her Facebook page on Sunday that:
"People like Thackeray are born and die daily and one should not observe a 'bandh' [shutdown] for that."

And to add insult to injury, her 20 year-old friend, Renu Srinivasan, was also arrested for "liking" the comment.

With all the rubbish and vulgarity that some youngsters post on Facebook, India should be proud that members of its youth can post intelligent and mature comments. India knows better and such hypocrisy does not become it. Apparently the arrest was prompted by a leading politician of the right wing Hindu nationalist party Shiv Sena, that had been founded by Mr Thackeray. The irony is that such nationalists are closer to like-minded bigots in other countries than anything that is of true value and uniqueness in the nation they purport to love. So it is not surprising that people in India are beginning to express outrage at these ridiculous charges.

ARTICLE 19 SLAMS ASEAN HUMAN RIGHTS POSTURING

November 19, 2012

The 21st Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) held in Cambodia has just drafted its very own declaration of human rights. Cause for celebration? Apparently not!

The principles provide enough loopholes to make it a worthless mesh. Its provisos cover national security, public order and morality; in other words anything a government may choose to take objection to. ASEAN was conceived in 1967 and its original membership consisted of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines. It was later expanded to include Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. The ten countries are pledged to support each other in matters of national security as well as economic and social well-being.

Dr Agnes Callamard, ARTICLE 19 Executive Director, had this to say about the hypocritical declaration:

"The ASEAN Declaration is a slap to the face, there is no other way to interpret it. With the Cambodian government cracking down on protestors and activists while it sells off the country’s resources; with Vietnam patrolling the Internet and locking up bloggers; with Thailand’s draconian lèse-majesté law and its devastating penalties; It is clear that the priority of the ASEAN governments is self-preservation above all else." Ouch: the truth hurts!

MALAWI'S BANDA DESERVES THE SUPPORT OF HER PEOPLE

November 18, 2012

President Joyce Banda of Malawi has revealed that confidential documents that she has gained access to as head of state, contain details of a plot by her predecessor, President Bingu wa Mutharika, to have her assassinated. Speaking to the Sunday Times, President Banda spoke of her tribulations as vice-president and how Mr Mutharika had made it immediately clear that he wanted her replaced by his brother. The alleged plot was planned on 2010 and involved having a loaded lorry smash into her car. The "accident" occured, but Ms Banda had been sitting in a different car in the motorcade on the advice of one of her security officers. She explained that the motivation was to stop her form inheriting the presidency in the event of President Mutharika dying in office.

As president, Ms Banda has struggled to tackle the corruption that was endemic in the corridors of power and in her pursuit for reform she found many of her initiatives blocked. Some proposed changes were stalled by public opinion, such as her intention of legalising homosexuality. Despite the hurdles, however, she has managed to make a positive impact, reviving foreign aid, tackling the economy and trimming government excesses. Her problem is that the benefits of her programmes may not be felt until after the next elections due in another 15 months.

It is remarkable that she has managed to achieve so much already. Given the full trust and backing of her people, she would no doubt steer her nation to prosperity and full human rights for all Malawians, irrespective of their gender, religion or sexuality.

CUBA GETS A TRANSGENDER COUNCILLOR

November 17, 2012

Anyone who watched the outstanding film Fresa y Chocolate (Strawberry and Chocolate) would know that Cuba was no picnic for homosexuals.

Adela Hernandez, 48, is a real life example of the persecution Cuba's communist regime meted out to anyone in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) bracket. Born "male", she chose to live as a female since a child. Her family eventually reported her to the authorities when a teenager and she was brutally imprisoned for "dangerousness" for two years. Well, things in Cuba are certainly changing...

Adela Hernandez has now become Cuba's first transgender official, winning a seat in the municipal election in the central province of Villa Clara. The change has been gradual and started with Fidel Castro himself expressing regret over Cuba's anti-LBTG policies.Nowadays even the daughter of President Raul, Mariela Castro, can openly advocating for civil unions and people like Ms Hernandez can be councillors.

Perhaps Cuba can now be an example to other homophobic nations and show that openness and the exercise of human rights brings enlightenment and dignity to a nation.

NOBLESSE OBLIGE

November 16, 2012

Whatever happened to good old diplomacy? Of course there have always been heads of state without savoir faire, but it seems as thought this is becoming the norm. So many leaders think it cool to just bulldoze ahead like a spoilt executive running daddy's company. Civilities are what keep us civilised.

Today for instance the President of Lithuania, Dalia Grybauskaite, defied protocol by welcoming the nation's newly elected parliament with a written message. she may as well have sent a text message. The former president, Valdas Adamkus, has suggested that it is because of her differences with the leading parties following the October elections. The 141-seat parliament was split between the three major parties: the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (38 seats) the Homeland Union - Lithuanian Christian Democrats (33 seats) and the Labour Party (29 seats). Two seats were left vacant following allegations of allegations of foul play in two single-mandate electoral constituencies. A president has to be gracious and respect due process. Ms Grybauskaite will now be expected to chose the premier from the Social Democratic Party as it is the one with the most seats. She'll be wise not to ignore tradition too much or her stance may backfire.

ANY MAN'S DEATH DIMINISHES ME...

November 15, 2012

The news today has been pretty depressing. More climate madness; intensified hostilities in the Middle East; Russia sleepwalking into a dictatorship; the economic downturn spreading like the plague... Even the trains can't seem to be able to run on time any more! Someone with a clapper-board needs to shout: "CUT! This just won't do!" Let's take another shot; without all the crap this time!" He or she had better hurry, or we are going to end up with a real mess on our hands...

"No man is an iland, intire of it selfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; if a clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as well as if a Mannor of thy friends or of thine owne were; any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee...."

John Donne
From Meditation 17

THE KARMA OF THE BAILOUT

November 14, 2012

There have been protests and riots in many European countries today: Italy, Portugal, Greece, Spain... It seems unfair when the governments in question have so little options. But they are all guilty really. With the the general consensus to bail out the banks, the man in the street was being to pay for the misdeeds of the powerful. The very people whose threats and supercilious insensitivity is still leading people to jump out of windows. So the chickens have come home to roost. Where did they expect them to go?

DEATH PENALTY WOULD BE DEATH BLOW TO TURKEY

November 13, 2012

Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, objects to the label "moderate Islam"; and rightly so... After all there is very little in his vision of Turkey that is even close to moderate. The generals saw it coming so he quickly put them in their place. And step by certain step he drags Turkey back in time. Just like Putin's Russia, liberties are being eroded behind the convenient façade of traditionalism.

Mr Erdoğan's latest retrograde move was to announce that he was considering reintroducing the death penalty that had been abolished ten years ago. He blames the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) and their escalation of violence in pursuit of autonomy for the necessity of it. So on the one hand he pretends to want to join the European Union, while on the other he is eroding Turkey's every chances of doing so. Regular visitors to Turkey complain of a dark cloud descending over the nation. the Prime Minister review his policies before he too becomes a victim of his own momentum.

What the Autonomous Turkish Republic of Kurdistan could look like within Turkey
He could start by listening to the PKK. Karakalpakstan with an area of 164,900 km², resides perfectly happy as an autonomous republic within Uzbekistan, whose total area is just 447,400 km²; so why does Mr Erdoğan not look for a similar solution? By doing this he would make his EU bid more realistic and at the same time give the prospective autonomous Turkish Kurdistan more incentives to be part of Turkey and that process. After that he could start considering going back to the future...

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL FOR PALESTINE

November 12, 2012

President Mahmoud Abbas has announced that the Palestinian Authority will be presenting its bid to be upgraded at the UN on November 29, 2012. His intention was shared with Arab League foreign ministers today, despite US and Israeli opposition to the request. If successful, Palestine will move up to the position of "non-member observer state" from that of "permanent observer" and as such may have access to more negotiating opportunities.

Palestine's history goes right back to the dawn of civilisation and the heady days of Jericho: if fair is fair, it should be elevated to UN member status with immediate effect. So letting it crawl up to its deserved place is the least the international community should do for it. Perhaps its time President Obama stood up to pressures of the Mafia-like powers that surround him. Perhaps it is time he took some risks for justice. After all he has had enough time to consolidate his power base now, so he should start standing for something.

ASSAD'S LAST CHANCE TO NEGOTIATE

November 11, 2012

Syrian cleric Moaz al-Khatib, who had fled to Egypt last July after several interrogations and detentions, has been chosen to lead the opposition movement against President Bashar al-Assad and his government. Sheikh Moaz al-Khatib, 52, is a moderate who is also cultured and experienced in dealing with people and events; as such, he appears to be the perfect choice to lead the up-until-now disjointed and somewhat unruly band of anti-Assad factions.

Sheikh al-Khatib studied applied geophysics and followed his distinguished father as Imam at the Grand Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. He has been prominent in the in the opposition movement while in exile and had warned President Assad a month ago that he should negotiate an exit strategy before it became too late. Ironically, with Sheikh al-Khatib's election, that opportunity is drawing to a close and it's now or never for President Assad. A united opposition, led by the moderate and sensible Sheikh al-Khatib, means that western powers will be more inclined to step-up their tactical support and may even be tempted to raise the stakes. Turkey, a NATO member, already has a pretext or two and now Israel, one of the USA's closest allies, is firing warning shots over Syria after one of its outpost in the occupied Golan Heights was hit in the "crossfire" from across the border.

Estimates put the death toll of the conflict, which started in March 2011, somewhere between 36,000 and 40,880; the last figure being that give by the opposition website Syrian Martyrs. UNICEF states that 500 of the dead were children. Thousands more have been made homeless or have fled the country.

With such a legacy, perhaps President Assad feels it would already be too late for him to escape with his life. Even if this were the case, the longer he hangs on, the poorer will be the chances of his friends and allies. So even if he could cherish a life prolonging at the expense of so many innocent civilians, he needs to think of those he does care about, if there are any.

RHINOS NEED MORE THAN JUST SCAPEGOATS

November 10, 2012

Friday was a good day for Africa's rhinoceroses after a judge there sentenced a poacher, Thai national Chumlong Lemtongthai, to a 40-year jail sentence. Mr Lemtongthai was the head of a criminal ring that traded rhino horns, mostly for the Asian medicine markets. Charges against South African and foreign accomplices, however, were dropped.

It is not clear why Marnus Steyl, two of his farm labourers and a couple of foreign nationals were let off the hook; not why Harry Claasens, a professional hunter and hunting safari operator, was granted complete immunity for agreeing to testify against Mr Lemtongthai. This is clearly sending out mixed messages. Even more misleading is South Africa's lax attitude to hunting. The syndicate was exploiting one South Africa's laws allowing hunters to kill one rhino a year, by paying prostitutes to pose as hunters. The government is entrusted with protecting its wildlife not exploiting it for sport.

The WWF summed it up nicely in its statement regarding the conviction:

"Sadly, this does not send a similarly strong message regarding South Africa's attitude to the ongoing involvement of its own citizens in rhino crimes."

SOUTH SUDAN DEFIES THE UN

November 9, 2012

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Navi Pillay, has raised serious concerns with South Sudan over the expulsion of a human rights officer working with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The official in question was declared persona non grata for highlighting human rights violations in the country and is currently in Uganda pending the UN's appeal.

Ms Pillay warned South Sudan that it risked being in breach of international law, as well as UN agreements pertaining to UNMISS, since it has failed to provided any evidence of misconduct relating to the member of staff in question. UNMISS was established following the creation of South Sudan on July 9, 2011, with the intention of promoting peace, security and development in the new country.

“The regular activities of a UN human rights officer cannot and should not be considered as serious misconduct or a criminal activity,” Ms Pillay said. “The promotion and protection of human rights is an essential element in a country’s development and the establishment of rule of law.”

A Train To Nowhere?
This is certainly a bad move by the government in Juba and a slap in the face for the UN who has supported the nascent nation from the onset. President Salva Kiir Mayardit should be striving to make his country a beacon of peace and hope in the troubled region. If the people wanted more of the same, they may as well have remained as they were in Sudan. Its first year did not bode well and it second one is not looking any better (see post dated July 9, 2012: South Sudan is one today: Many Happier Returns). Mr Kiir is not only letting his people down: he is letting history down.

IRAN CARRIES ON PERSECUTING

November 8,2012

So the killings in Iran continue (see post dated October 27, 2012: Iran Tribunal highlights a decade of atrocities). Last week, Mr Sattar Beheshti, was taken into custody accused of undermining national security. His crime consisted in engaging in a blog that criticised the government; his punishment it seems: torture and death. Yesterday his body was released to his family. Only one relation was allowed to attend his funeral.

When a government degenerates to the point of using such evil tactics, it deserves to be overthrown and Iran has been at that point for many years now. Of course, Israel would be more than willing to oblige. The irony is that Iran may be quite justified in seeking to achieve a nuclear status, particularly when Israel's capability creates an unfair balance of power in the region. Irony, because its real evil is its internal policy, which so oppressive that its people could hardly say "boo", let alone rise up in a Persian Spring. So, like Al Capone, who was finally arrested for tax evasion, despite his countless crimes, the Iranian government may also find that Karma always manages to find the back door.

DARFUR ON THE EDGE

November 7, 2012

More trouble in Darfur has prompted the acting head of the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) to urge the Government of Sudan to urgently launch an investigation into the violence.

The UN website reported the incident on its website today:

"UNAMID had received reports some days ago of an alleged attack on civilians that resulted in fatalities, an abduction of a civilian and widespread population displacement in Sigili, located in the Shawa area, about 40 kilometres southeast of El Fasher, the capital city of the west Sudanese state of North Darfur. The attack reportedly took place on Friday."

Despite the various peace talks between the Sudanese government and Darfuri guerrillas after the worse of the Darfur Genocide between 2003 and 2010, the situation is still volatile. Much of the region had been operating as an independent sultanate for several centuries before it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. Many of the inhabitants, however, are non-Arab and these have age-old grievances against the Arab "elite".

UNAMID was established in July 2007 in order to protect civilians, facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and assist with "an inclusive peace process in Darfur". This is all very welcome, but unless the government of Omar al-Bashir doubles its efforts to foster harmony, UNAMID will simply become more and more vulnerable in a festering scenario. President al-Bashir has, despite his indictment, shown that he can at times, make concessions and think creatively, as some of his negotiations regarding the creation of South Sudan has shown. Let him surprise us again. Established in July 2007, UNAMID has the protection of civilians as its core mandate. In addition, the Mission is tasked with facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid and assisting with an inclusive peace process in Darfur, among other responsibilities.

THREE CHEERS FOR MOZAMBIQUE!

November 6, 2012

The Primeiras and Segundas Archipelago, a chain of 10 almost uninhabited barrier islands and two coral reef complexes which is situated off the coast of Mozambique, has been declared a marine protected area. Mozambique's conscientious decision has made it the administrator of Africa’s largest coastal marine reserve, covering an area of about ten and a half square kilometres.

The first European to discover the islands was the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama in 1498 and they soon became a docking area for Portuguese trading vessels. Their rich fishing stocks and natural beauty attracted a fishing and tourism, both of which were detrimental to the delicate bio-diverse balance. The coral and turtles were particularly at risk.

The WWF (which stood for "World Wildlife Fund" when it was founded in 1961)has spent years striving for this outcome. Florêncio Marerua, Mozambique´s WWF Country Director was delighted with result:

“This is a very important step in our effort to achieve the conservation and sustainable management of Mozambique’s marine and coastal resources, as this adds a globally significant area to the network of marine protected areas along the country’s coast. It is particularly exciting that both the government authorities and local communities recognize the benefits of conserving these resources.”

The decision is a credit to Mozambique's government and its people. It is a lesson to those governments who would put profit before responsibility.

OBAMA? ROMNEY? AND THE WINNER IS...

November 5, 2012

Yesterday I spoke about the Coptic Pope and how his name was pulled out of a jar from a short-list of three, by a blindfolded boy. Well, one can't help thinking about the American elections. Think how much time, money and effort would be saved by just pulling the name out of a hat! You would definitely have to have Barack Obama, and Mitt Romney, of course, but you would have to have a third...

Let's see... It's difficult to have a candidate who does not veer towards one or towards the other... Maybe one who touches a bit of both... I know! Mickey Mouse. If Romney is religious and Obama is spiritual, Mickey now has the Jedi Knights behind him. That should cater for all tastes. So what would the different results mean?

Well, if Obama won, it would take him another four years to make a few inroads: a better health service there, a bit more for gay rights here and the closure of Guantanamo... oh no, sorry, not quite. Oh well, "two out of three ain't bad".

Romney would certainly bring a few surprises out of the hat with him. Perhaps a New Jerusalem (probably void of Arabs), maybe a New Iran (probably void of Persians), but certainly and a brand New America (probably void of liberalism).

It's not looking good. But hey, we must not forget Mickey Mouse. He'll add magic, he'll appeal to the young... and he has all the qualities essential for a good politician: he's resilient, he's resourceful, he knows how to act and most importantly he's at ease with vermin. Mickey: you've got my vote!

HABEMUS PAPAM (A COPTIC ONE, THAT IS...)

November 4, 2012

The Coptic Church has elected a new Pope to succeed Pope Shenouda III, who died last March. Bishop Tawadros, 60, has been chosen in a ceremony in St Mark's Cathedral, in Egypt's capital, Cairo. The nomination follows an age-old ritual that involves the compiling of a short-list of three candidates, one of whose names is then randomly pulled out of a container by a blindfolded boy. The other two nominees were Bishop Raphael and Father Raphael Ava Mina, a monk. The three were originally chosen last October in a ballot involving almost two and a half thousand Church officials and community members.

Bishop Tawadros has a tough act to follow. Pope Shenouda III had been in office for over 40 years and had managed to guide and extend the Church through difficult times and negotiations, while maintaining his gravitas and traditions of the Coptic faith. Nevertheless the new Pope has a wealth of experience to back him up. Apart from his ecclesiastical knowledge and work, which includes his current post as aide to the acting leader, Bishop Pachomius, he is well read, has studied in Britain and has even managed a pharmaceutical business. He will need great skill in these uncertain times following the fall of President Hosni Mubarak and the dominance of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.

The Coptic Church is very similar in doctrines and traditions to the Eastern (Greek) Orthodox Church. It went its own way after the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD, owing to differences of opinion regarding the nature of Christ. It is the main Christian faith in Egypt, with a following of about 10% of the 90 million or so inhabitants. It is unlikely that the new Pope will have to face the modernising forces other Christian denominations are having to come to terms with. His main concern will be the safety and freedom of worship of the Coptic faithful in Egypt. He may well need Heaven's help in order to achieve this difficult task.

CATHOLIC CHURCH TARGETS SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BILL

November 3, 2012

The Catholic Church in France has launched a full-on attack against same-sex marriage, as a draft bill to legalise it is set to be debated in parliament on Wednesday. The bill is being proposed by President Francois Hollande's left-wing government and aims to give same-sex couples similar rights to traditional couples, including adoption.

Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois of Paris complained that:

“Changes of this magnitude require a broad national debate that does not involve random sampling or pressure from some ostentatious lobby.”

"Ostentatious"? Quite a remarkable choice of words coming form the higher echelons of the Catholic Church. The cardinal, who was speaking at the annual plenary meeting of Catholic bishops at Lourdes today, went on to call for opposition to same-sex marriage by every democratic means possible. This is bold, seeing as laïcité, or secularism, is enshrined in the French Constitution. Can the Church really prove that there is something socially or ethically wrong with same-sex unions and that its antagonism is not purely on religious grounds? Unlikely.

In France, a civil partnership contract, the Pacte Civil de Solidarité (PACS), was introduced 13 years ago and and it allows for a civil union between two adults of any gender. This has largely been taken up by opposite-sex couples, with only 6% or so "pacsé" from same-sex couples this year. That law too caused much controversy, but it did not, in the end, lead to the decadence predicted by those fighting the change. The outcome of this one, should it pass, would be equally non-apocalyptic; it would simply usher a fairer and more inclusive society.

THE METEOROLOGICAL CONGRESS CANNOT DO IT ALONE

November 2, 2012

"Prevention and preparedness are the heart of public health. Risk management is our daily bread and butter. Information on climate variability and climate change is a powerful scientific tool that assists in these tasks. Up to now, this tool has been underutilized... Climate and weather affect the air people breathe, the food they eat, and the water they drink."

This is the point Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization, made at her opening speech of the Extraordinary Session of the World Meteorological Congress in Geneva, Switzerland on 29 October, 2012.

The Congress, sponsored by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), plans to finalise a model for the Global Framework for Climate Services. This will focus on four areas that are dependent on an understanding of climate change for their development:

health, agriculture and food security, disaster risk management, and water.

UNISDR chief, Margareta Wahlstrom, emphasised Dr Chan's urgency, stating that:

"Over the last ten years the top 40 recipients of humanitarian aid experienced over 1,500 major reported disasters affecting over 900 million people and causing some 800,000 deaths. Many of these disaster events have been weather related. Many have caused economic losses which have put enormous strains on already fragile states."

It's all well and good to keep an eye on the weather, but unless nations do more to stop it going mad in the first place, the UN's role in this respect will end up being like that of the Red Cross or Red Crescent in a war zone: picking up the pieces. If anything good came out of Hurricane Sandy, it is that the US is being forced to take note.

HAITI DEALT ANOTHER BLOW

November 1, 2012

The United Nations headquarters in New York was closed for "an unprecedented three days straight" following the devastation caused by hurricane Sandy on the east coast of the United States, but one of the UN's first concerns as business resumed, was to draw attention to another of Sandy's casualties: Haiti.

The head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)in Haiti, Johan Peleman, said that up to a million people there now faced "food insecurity" as the the half-island nation was dealt another devastating blow from nature. As well as Sandy, the country was hit by a protracted drought this year and another fierce hurricane, Isaac, which struck last summer. All this in the backdrop of the cataclysmic earthquake which destroyed much of the country in January 2010. Sandy contributed another 20,000 or so homes to the heaps of ruins.

Mr Peleman said that the new storm had possibly wiped out many of southern Haiti's crops:

“Already, the drought and the previous storm had hit the northern part of the country very badly and we had seen the levels of food insecurity rise there... With the south being hit now, we are going to face, in the next couple of months, very serious problems of malnutrition and food insecurity.”

Equally worrying is the spectre of a rapid spread of water-borne diseases and a in particular Cholera.

Nature has not been the only power that has reaped havoc in Haiti. Foreign colonial powers have exploited Haiti and contributed to making it the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. See post dated July 20, 20112: We all owe Haiti a debt.

EAST TIMOR'S BIG MOMENT

October 31, 2012

East Timor is a step closer to stability and the prosperity its off-shore oil deposits could bring, as the United Nations peacekeeping mission hands over the responsibility for policing the nation to the government.

The half-island nation of East Timor has had a troubled history. It freed itself from Portuguese rule in 1975, only to be occupied by Indonesia soon after. The subsequent struggle cost the lives of approximately 200,000 people, over half due to direct conflict and the rest through malnutrition. The 1999 UN sponsored referendum, which resulted in a clear vote for independence, was followed by such vicious reprisals by militias backed by Indonesia, that first Australia and then the UN had to intervene.

The situation was so volatile, that the UN stayed and administered the nation for three years. However, the dire economic situation following independence, which was declared on May 20, 2002, led to renewed outbreaks of violence and further interventions from Australia and the UN. The latter will now, at last, be withdrawing its force of approximately 1,200 police officers.

The country's first president, Xanana Gusmão, who was re-elected as prime minister last July, said that he was delighted that the National Police of East Timor "are assuming full responsibility for maintaining law and order".

East Timor now needs to set an example of responsible government to other new or emerging nations by tackling the partisanship, greed and corruption that has been holding it back these last ten years.

TRANSNISTRIA ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF EVENTS

October 30, 2012

Recognition of Transnistria may not be that far away, as events on both sides of its borders seem to be going in its favour.

On its eastern border, the outcome of the Ukrainian parliamentary election (see yesterday's post)lent towards the pro-Russian parties, while to its west, the rest of Moldova and Romania may be edging closer towards reunification, leading Russia to insinuate that it would fully recognise the sovereignty of Transnistria, if the the two countries were to merge. Moldova considers Transnistria, which declared its independence in 1990, part of its territory and the breakaway territory is not fully recognised by any United Nations member state. Nevertheless, if the benefits of unification to Romania were substantial enough, who is to say that the strip of mostly ethnic Russians will not be sacrificed by Moldova?

Transnistria, with its capital Tiraspol, has already managed to assert itself effectively as a presidential republic. It has its own parliament, security forces, postal system, currency and flag. It had split away after the breakup of the Soviet Union out of fear of being absorbed into Romania with the rest of Moldova. Whereas much of Moldova, or Bessarabia as part of it was called, had a strong affiliation with Romania, the territory of Transnistria was, since the late 1700s, very much under the influence of Russia. For Moldova to let it be, might not be such a bad idea.

Alexander Suvorov, founder of Tiraspol

UKRAINE CRITICISED FOR TAKING A "STEP BACKWARDS"

October 29, 2012

The Party of Regions, the Ukrainian pro-Russian party of President Victor Yanukovich, is on course to win a comfortable majority with the support of its traditional political allies. The party and its coalition partners are set to gain more than half of the 450 seats in the parliamentary assembly, thus allowing the incumbent an easy ride before his likely re-election bid in 2015. The new liberal party, UDAR of Vitaliy Klychko, led by Heavyweight boxing champion Vitaly Klitschko did fairly well, as did the far right nationalist party.

Whilst some independent observers were satisfied with the electoral process, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which sent more than 600 observers, expressed deep concerns regarding the fairness of the poll. Objections included "lack of transparency" with regards to campaign funding and a marked bias towards Mr Yanukovich's party by the permitted media. There are also serious doubts about the legitimacy of the continued detention of former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko who was arrested on unsound and politically motivated charges, after having lost the last Presidential election to Mr Yanukovich in 2010. She has now started another hunger strike.

The overall assessment was that the way this election was conducted was a disappointing "step backwards" (alluding to the autocratic leadership of Leonid Kuchma in the 1990s). It is a great pity that this with all the potential Ukraine had to nudge Russia into the right direction, it had decided to follow it into dark days reminiscent of the worse that was the USSR.

GREEK EDITOR ARRESTED FOR EXPOSING TAX EVASION SUSPECTS

October 28, 2012

One would think that journalists were be safe enough in Europe, as long as they did not engage in phone hacking, taking sneaky photos of royal breasts or getting up the nose of the American administration... Well, Greek editor and journalist Costas Vaxevanis can prove that this is not always the case. He was arrested and released pending a trial for publishing the names of 2,059 people on an "official" list of possible tax dodgers.

Mr Vaxevanis claims the list was sent to him anonymously and relates to compilation sent to Greece by France a couple of years ago requesting an investigation into the tax dealings of the suspected evaders. Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was the French finance minister at the time, so the list has been dubbed "The Lagarde List".

Mr Vaxevanis, who published the document in the weekly magazine Hot Doc, justified his actions as being in the public interest:

"I did nothing more than what a journalist is obliged to do. I revealed the truth they were hiding. If anyone is accountable then it is those ministers who hid the list, lost it and then said it didn't exist. I did my job."

He has a point. Particularly in the current climate, where many of Greece's financial problems are said to originate from endemic tax evasion. If he has breached European data protection laws, then surely so have the government officials who lost the document in the first place.

IRAN TRIBUNAL HIGHLIGHTS A DECADE OF ATROCITIES

October 27, 2012

Today the Court Hearings around the Islamic Republic of Iran's involvement in the execution of tens of thousands of citizens in the 1980s came to an end in the Hague. The session, which started on October 25, marks the conclusion of a two-part investigation into the atrocities. The first part consisted of the proceedings of the Truth Commission which took place at the Amnesty International Human Rights Action Centre in London from 18-22 June, 2012. This led to the publication of a 330 page Report, 260 of which consisted of witness statements and other evidence, which informed this week's hearing. Much of this evidence was horrific: hundreds of teenagers were said to have been exterminated, detainees were brutally tortured, and young women were alleged to have been raped prior to their execution, because Sharia Law forbids the killing of virgins...

The process was organised by the Iran Tribunal which does not hold any legal standing, but aims to highlight the the fact that crimes against humanity were committed, in the hope that the case will be taken up by the United Nations. In the words of the Commission:

"The Iran Tribunal Campaign is a social movement which was initiated by a group of individuals composed of the families of the victims of Iran's political prisoners, former Iranian political prisoners, the survivors of mass executions in the 1980s, political and labour activists, women's rights activists, lawyers, students, children's rights activists, writers, artists and human rights activists , who have been holding regular meetings since October 2007 in order to assess the possibility of setting up a "Truth Commission" and a "People's Court."

The idea of such a tribunal is not new, for instance Bertrand Russell and Jean Paul Sartre had organised a similar committee from 1965 to 1967 in order to investigate and publicise the atrocities carried out by American forces during the Vietnam War.

The Court Hearings will add weight to the Truth Commission's conclusion:

"These violations of human rights were devised, instigated and executed (or caused to be executed) by a single central authority and as such the Islamic Republic of Iran is the only authority responsible for these acts."

Let us hope that justice will be done at last, particularly seeing as many of the perpetrators of those heinous crimes are now in positions of privilege and power in today's Iran.

MOUNTAIN GORILLAS FACE EXTINCTION AS GUERILLAS TAKE OVER

October 26, 2012

The promised truce offered by various rebels operating from Virunga National Park, that was supposed to allow rangers and conservationists to ensure the protection of the endangered gorillas living there, appears to have come to an end as two rangers and a soldier are killed in an ambush. Five rebels, thought to belong to the Mai Mai militia, were also killed as military guards shot back.

The park, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is the home to the largest concentration in the world of mountain gorillas, with about 480 out of 790 living there. The gorillas are threatened with extinction owing to human incursions into their habitat. The militias, which include M23 guerillas, have had a particularly devastating effect on the primates and on other wildlife in the National Park, owing to their disregard for the environment and animal welfare. The extreme threat to rich bio-diverse Virunga National Park is such, that the UN has placed it on its list of endangered World Heritage sites.

Since 1996, more that 130 rangers have been murdered while bravely trying to protect the primates from militia and poachers. The military are helping protect them, but clearly more needs to be done. At this rate we will soon be left with guerillas, but with no gorillas or rangers.

IF TRUTH IS THE FIRST CASUALTY OF WAR, JOURNALIST CANNOT BE FAR BEHIND

October 25, 2012

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia has only been in office for a few weeks and despite his excellent credentials, it will no doubt take a good while before he can start making an impact.

Mr Mohamud has to deal with al-Shabab, the Islamist group that is linked to al-Qaeda and that has wielded control over much of the country, and the host of other problems linked to secessionists, the economy and security.

Security is particularly problematic if you happen to be a journalist. This week, yet another has been assassinated, bringing the total killed to 16 so far this year. Ahmed Saakin Farah Ilyas was a television journalist with Universal Television operating in the breakaway, and generally more peaceful territory of Somaliland; he was shot on October 23, at just 25 years of age.

Reporters Without Borders, now ranks Somalia with Syria at the top of the list of deadliest countries for journalists. However, it appears as though the culprits are not solely from the ranks of al-Shabab. Powerful politicians and businessmen are also alleged to be involved. As yet, no one has been convicted for any of these deaths.

Journalists are generally murdered for uttering the truth and their killers would be hypocritical in deed not to acknowledge that they are amongst the most demonic forces on earth. Only a few weeks ago, in Pakistan, it was the 14-year-old Malala Yousafzai, these truth-haters tried to eliminate. If there is such a thing as selling one's soul to the Devil, then they cannot be far from it.

UNREST IN WEST PAPUA

October 24, 2012

Trouble has flared up again this week in West Papua as protesters were fired upon when their rally turned violent. Security forces said that the demonstrators started hurling rocks at them when they were ordered to retreat to the University, as many of them were students. The protesters claimed that the police were forcing them to have their photos taken, which could have resulted in reprisals later. There were a few casualties on both sides, but no fatalities.

Secessionist problems started in West Papua after a rigged referendum administered by Indonesia led to the annexation of the territory by the Indonesian State in 1969. The Dutch has already relinquished territories of the former Dutch East Indies, on the island of New Guinea, to Indonesia after the Indonesian National Revolution in December 1949, but they held on to Western New Guinea (Netherlands New Guinea), because the locals were ethnically different and wanted to be independent from Indonesia. In 1962 the government in the Netherlands agreed to a transitional United Nations administration as part of the New York Agreement which guaranteed a plebiscite on the independence question. Ever since that condition was flouted, unrest has been flaring up periodically.

Independence is not always synonymous with improvement, but when a whole section of the people within a territory does not feel it belongs to the country, then the government of that country should listen. There are so many ways of reaching mutually beneficial agreements, that just ignoring the problems indicates a serious lack of political acumen as well as a shortage good will. Indonesia should spend more time studying how other governments, like those of the Philippines, Spain and even Britain, to name but a few, deal with their secessionist issues. There may be no easy answers, but unless these issues are tackled, they will not go away and risk getting a lot worse.

LOCUST ALERT FOR NORTH AFRICA

October 23, 2012

"They shall cover the surface of the soil so thick, that the soil will not be seen. They shall devour the remainder that is left to you, all that has survived from the hail; they shall devour all your trees growing in the fields; they shall fill your palaces, the houses of your courtiers... Your forefathers and their ancestors will never have seen the like, since first they lived in the country."

Thus does the Book of Exodus describe the coming of the eighth plague. Now the United Nations warns of a a similar plague that may grip North Africa in the coming weeks. The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has issued a press statement highlighting the threat:

"Prevailing winds and historical precedents make it likely the swarms, once formed, will fly to Algeria, Libya, southern Morocco and north-western Mauritania. Once there, they could damage pastures and subsistence rain-fed crops. They could also pose a threat to harvests in Chad, Mali and Niger."

The cause is a 250-fold increase in locust numbers owing to favourable rains and breeding conditions over the summer, that have seen two generations multiply exponentially in the Sahel region. The statement noted that tens of millions were forming and urged the northern African states to mobilize their forces in order to try to contain the damage. The FAO is also trying to raise $6 million to help support the defence effort, which has already started via spraying and other preventative methods.

Swarms can cover over a thousand kilometres in a week and each locust can consume the equivalent of its own body weight - approximately two grams - in a single day, resulting in a calamitous devastation of crops that would otherwise feed hundreds of thousands of people.

Many North Africans have already suffered bereavement through civil wars, as well as the darkness of unenlightened rulers: the last thing they need is another plague.

FROM THE WINDS OF CHANGE TO A LOT OF HOT AIR

October 22, 2012

Madonna has been summoned to appear in a St Petersburg court on Thursday for having challenged a bill that was passed in the city last February that criminalised the promotion of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community to minors .

The charges relate to her concert there on August 9, where she distributed pink wristband and urged her supporters to raise their arms and show their support and love for the gay community.

It is a tragedy that the magnificent St Petersburg, with its rich cultural heritage, should now have more in common with Kampala, Islamabad and Riyadh, than the modern cities of the twenty-first century. In deed, if President Putin had his way, the whole of Russia would be following suit and become the repressive power it was before the fall of the iron curtain.

The greatest tragedy of all is that Mr Putin is having his way.

ROY BATES AND THE PRINCIPALITY OF SEALAND

October 21, 2012

When it comes to eccentricity, few can compete with Prince Roy of Sealand who died earlier this month aged 91.

Paddy Roy Bates was born in Ealing, England and started his career as an apprentice to his father's butcher stall in Smithfield's Market. Much of his early life, however, was spent in the army where he reached the rank of Major. The stories of his military escapades, which started when he was only 15, would have been dazzling enough. He volunteered to fight against Franco's forces in Spain, he fought at the battle of Monte Cassino (nearly losing his head in the process when grenade blew up in his face) and he was captured and escaped several times. On one occasion he would have been shot by firing squad, after having been recaptured by Greek fascists, had it not been for the intervention of a German officer.

His swashbuckling stories and charm secured his greatest victory: the hand of his sweetheart, Joan Collins, a beauty queen from Essex. If she imagined that life with her husband would be an adventure, he certainly did not let her down. A natural entrepreneur, he did not miss a business opportunity. In 1965 he established the first 24-hour pirate radio station from a sea platform 13km off the Suffolk coast and on Christmas Eve 1966 he moved to a similar one called Fort Roughs, which had been abandoned by the Royal Navy, some years earlier. That is when the real fun started...

Realising that British law was going to undermine his operations, because he and his British associates would be subject to restrictions because of their citizenship, despite Fort Roughs being outside any national territorial waters, he took the remarkable step of calling his platform Sealand and declaring it an independent Principality. Legally, there was nothing the British authorities could do and thus he became Prince Roy of Sealand and his wife became princess Joan.

Sealand Standard That was not the end of it, though, for the prince had to battle with a few assailants in order to protect his territory. On one occasion Radio Caroline tried to take over the platform, as a base for their own broadcasts, but he repulsed them with shots and volleys. On another occasion a disgruntled business partner tried to oust him, with the help of mercenaries, while he was away. Prince Roy launched an attack, freed his territory and kept his opponent's lawyer hostage, until reparations were made! He even managed to repulse the Royal Navy, although this landed him in a British court, which, however, was legally powerless to do anything against him.

In the meantime Prince Roy was making money by selling titles, issuing stamps, offering asylum and doing whatever else he could get away with. He is survived by his his wife and daughter, as well as his son, Michael, who has inherited his title.

It sounds like a bizarre story; and yet, in some ways, probably not that different from the beginnings of all royalty: the product of folly or genius, or more likely, a touch of both.

LIBERTAD HIGHLIGHTS ARGENTINA'S POOR RECORD

October 20, 2012

If you lent me $20, as a friendly gesture, it would be a matter of honour for me to repay you as soon as I could; if you lent it to me because you wanted to earn a buck or two on the transaction, I would feel just as obliged to pay you, since that is the nature of business. There is an element of trust that keeps it all ticking. We stay in hotels, we eat in restaurants we have our hair cut, we take out a bank loan... and then we foot the bill. That's how it works; otherwise all our interactions would be plagued by distrust and chaos. So why shouldn't Argentina still be chased for compensation for its 2002 default? A nation has an even greater moral obligation to pay its debts than an individual, firstly because it should know better and secondly because its actions set and example for its people to follow.

Today, President Cristina Fernandez of Argentina, ordered 326 sailors to abandon the navy frigate, Libertad, after life support was being jeopardised by the seizure of the vessel by Ghanaian authorities. The ship was detained in the port of Tema on October 2, 2012, following a court order relating to millions of dollars owed to Elliott Management.

The indignation voiced by the Argentine government is unjustified and it is only fair that firms do all they legally can to recoup some of their losses. "Might" is not "right" and Argentina needs to understand that. Only a few months ago, on the April 16, the Argentine president sent a bill to Congress calling for the nationalisation of 51% of the 57.4% shares the Spanish oil company Respol held in Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales (YPF). The move caused outrage in Spain and the EU, leading to threats of dire consequences...

The Ghana incident shows that it may take time, but karma always finds a way. Argentina cannot expect to carry on being a law unto itself and keep getting away with it. Potential investors will keep away, while past investors will carry on hounding it. And all the while its honour is compromised.

LUXEMBOURG'S BEST OF TIMES

October 19, 2012

This is proving to be quite a month for the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the tiny country nestled in the midst of Belgium, Germany and France. First, on October 12, it is awarded, with the rest of the Europe Union, the Nobel Prize for Peace. Then, yesterday, it was elected to the United Nations Security Council for a two year term which will start in January 2013. And today, its heir to the throne, Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg married Belgian countess Stephanie de Lannoy in a civil ceremony which will be followed by a religious one tomorrow morning.

Luxembourg's area is made up of just over 2,500 square kilometres and its population, of around 513,000 enjoys, after Qatar's, the highest per capita GDP in the world. This weekend Luxembourg is being joined by more affluence and by grandees from all over the world. It will be a time for celebration. Then, with the start of its mandate in January, it will be a time for Luxembourg to turn its attention further afield and show its real worth.

RWANDA GAINS UN SECURITY COUNCIL SEAT DESPITE CONTROVERSY

October 18, 2012

The United Nations General Assembly has elected Rwanda on the Security Council for a two-year term, despite allegations linking it to the March 23 (M23) terrorist group operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Rwanda's mandate will start at the beginning of 2013 and will be joined by Argentina, Australia, Luxembourg and the Republic of Korea (South Korea). The new countries will be replacing Colombia, Germany, India, Portugal and South Africa; and they will be joining the other five non-permanent members Azerbaijan, Guatemala, Morocco, Pakistan and Togo, whose terms will end a year later. The five remaining countries of the 15-strong Council are the permanent, veto wielding, members: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The Security Council is, in theory, the most powerful political force on Earth. The United Nations summarises the Security Council's responsibilities as follows:

"Under the UN Charter, the Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. It has 15 Members, and each Member has one vote. Under the Charter, all Member States are obligated to comply with Council decisions.

"In addition, the Council takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression. It calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommends methods of adjustment or terms of settlement. In some cases, it can resort to imposing sanctions or even authorize the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security.

"The Council also recommends to the General Assembly the appointment of the Secretary-General and the admission of new Members to the United Nations. And, together with the General Assembly, it elects the judges of the International Court of Justice (ICJ)."

This being the case, it is remarkable that Rwanda managed to get through. All the more so because Rwanda's involvement with M23 was highlighted in a recent report by the UN itself. The report states that M23 receives direct military instructions from the the highest levels of the Rwandan administration, thus implicating President Paul Kagame himself. The evidence has been pointing in Mr Kagame's direction for a while now and has resulted in some countries withdrawing substantial financial support to his government.

M23 was only formed formed in April 2012, after some army contingents mutinied on account of the poor conditions they claimed they were having to put up with. Since then it has become a destabilising force in the DRC and has been blamed for numerous atrocities by various human rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch.

If Mr Kagame were involved with M23, as seems likely, he must stop at once, and his country's elevation to this highest honour makes it even more imperative now that he does so.

MARIE ANTOINETTE'S SLIPPERS FIND A HOME

October 17, 2012

Was it a romantic prince charming with a nostalgia for the tales of his youth? Could it have been an ecstatic Imelda Marcos adding the final glory to her collection of shoes? Whoever it was, they paid 62,460 euros for the privilege of owning a pair of slippers that belonged to the remarkable Marie Antoinette. The dainty trophies went under the hammer in France and sold for five times the expected price to a telephone bidder.

Marie Antoinette was the daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and Empress Maria Theresa and an archduchess of Austria. She became queen of France in 1774 when her husband became Louis XVI on the death of his grandfather Louis XV. After the abolition of the monarchy in 1792, she was tried and guillotined on October 16, 1793. She was a romantic figure and died a tragic death, so it would seem appropriate to treasure and safeguard her slippers.

Some will no doubt consider paying so much for a pair of old slippers the modern day equivalent of "Let them eat cake!", but everything has its worth and these are no ordinary slippers. When you consider the billions languishing in banks, the sight of a slippery investment is not a bad thing. They will possibly disappear now, like a fleeting comet, and then reappear in a different generation under a different hammer. At least they will be loved.

STAR...BUCKS!

October 16, 2012

"Laws are like cobwebs: if a powerless of insignificant thing had to get enmeshed, the web would hold it fast, but if anything sizeable should fall into it, the the silky threads would be torn asunder and the creature would go free."

So Solon, one of the seven sages, is reputed to have said about 600 years before the Christian era. Not much has changed then. The same thing can be said about tax.

Take the American coffee company Starbucks for instance. It is the largest coffee-house in the world, operating nigh-on 20,000 outlets in about 60 different countries. In Britain alone it has almost 800. Think how much tax that generates for Britain! Surely it must be worth losing our dear old friendly little coffee shops, with real croissants that shatter with every bite, for all this lovely tax money. So what if the croissants are chewy! Who cares if every Café looks the same! And why not sit on sweaty leathery chairs! Think of all the good those tax revenues can bring. They will be able to keep hundreds of bankrupt coffee shop owners on the dole for years!

Well, think again.

Reuters conducted a four-month's long investigation into Starbucks tax affairs in Britain and found that in the past three years it has paid nothing at all. Illegal? I'm afraid not. Despite the millions it rakes in year after year, the web is so constructed that it happily lets the big fry go. It's worth thinking about as you're sipping your coffee.

PANAMA AIMS TO STRADDLE ANOTHER CONTINENT

October 15, 2012

This must be the European Union's lucky month! First the EU is honoured with the Nobel Peace prize and now a ringing endorsement by President Ricardo Martinelli of Panama who told German Chancellor Angela Merkel that he would like to adopt the Euro alongside the US dollar.

President Martinelli made his announcement today at a news conference in Berlin, while on official visit to Europe. He expressed every confidence in the recovery of the Euro and would work towards facilitate its circulation in Panama as legal tender.

Panama, which straddles North and South America, has a buoyant economy which is forecast to expand thanks to projects centred around the expansion of the Panama Canal. The Euro is already the legal currency in French Guiana which is an overseas region of France, so it would not be new to the Americas. In Europe itself, ten out of the 27 member states have not adopted the Euro, although it is used by a few others that are not in the union, such as Kosovo, Monaco and Montenegro.

For all we know, Mr Martinelli's proposal might end up giving the Euro and even bigger boost than he imagined. After all, it he ends up with a happy relationship, perhaps the dollar will be invited to the old world to repay the compliment. And why not other currencies too? I am sure economists would have plenty of intelligent answers for that, but the simple one is that we would all end up spending too much time on our little calculators

MAURITANIA'S AZIZ MAKES LIGHT OF ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

October 14, 2012

No sooner had the transitional government in Mali received the good news regarding the UN resolution that paved the way for a combined military offensive against the extremists's stranglehold of the north, than its neighbour feels the backlash.

Late yesterday, President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritania, was shot in an ambush by some his own forces, as his motorcade was returning to the capital, Nouakchott, from a visit to his ranch in Toueila. He was wounded in his abdomen and was immediately flown to France for treatment. The bizarre thing about the incident is that, despite his condition, the president was keen to make a public statement - condemning his assailants, one would assume... but no, a statement dismissing the whole thing as "an accident". It is difficult to see how, unless perhaps Halloween comes early in Mauritania and Mr Aziz was dressed as Count Duckula and mistaken for legitimate game. More likely, he is trying to diffuse a potentially explosive situation.

President Aziz is no friend of the extremists. He overthrew Mauritania's first democratically elected president, Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, a few months after he was inaugurated in August 2008, because he had reached out to the fundamentalists. A year later, however, Mr Aziz was legitimately elected president, having resigned from transitional office a few months earlier. That President Aziz should be targeted by moderates or the enemies of Mali would come as no surprise, as a weakened Mauritania is just what the extremists would need. Hence Mr Aziz's desperate attempt to make light of yesterday's incident.

The news is still sketchy, although it seems that the worst has been avoided. If anything the attack may have backfired, showing Mauritania in a stronger position that expected.  

MALI ON THE VERGE OF WAR

October 13, 2012

As the situation in Mali goes from bad to worse, the UN Council has finally agreed a resolution that supports preparations for a joint military response that would aim to put an end to the occupation of the north of the country by Islamist extremists. The UN's 15-member Security Council had been reluctant to give any signs for a go-ahead without a detailed plan for doing so, but has now urged for the submission of an invasion strategy within 40 days. The task will fall on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union (AU) and other partners. The decision will come as a relief to Mali's transitional government which has been pleading for such force, as the top half of the country is ravaged by violent and destructive extremists who have highjacked the Tuareg's initial push for an independent north.

Security Council considers options for northern Mali

The conflict with the Tuareg secessionists had intensified in January 2012 and it briefly turned in their favour after the military coup on March 22. The Tuareg declared the north an independent state called Azawad, but soon regretted the decision as their inexperience and isolation made them easy prey to fundamentalists backed by Al-Qaeda, whose initial support was accompanied by a heavy price. Historical and religious sights are deliberately being destroyed and strict Sharia law is stamping out the spiritual and tolerant expression of Islam that has been practised by the Sufi inhabitants of the area for centuries. Amputations and beating are becoming widespread as forms of punishment, but on the other hand there are reports of all sorts of abuses, including rape and murder.

The Security Council realised that it could no longer take its time, while the treasures of Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal were being destroyed and looted and while innocent lives were being abused or killed. It therefore decided to act under Chapter VII of the UN Charter which will allow “such action by air, sea, or land forces as may be necessary to maintain or restore international peace and security.”

40 days is a long time and there may be incalculable losses in the meantime, and the ensuing civil war may bring many more. Mali is on the verge of war. Still, these usurping rebels may not be as powerful as they make out. The Tuareg are fed up of them, Al-Qaeda is weakened and the signs are that the general population have had enough of them. Perhaps the sight of a united African force may be enough to scatter the darkness.

EU RECEIVES 2012 NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

October 12, 2012

Congratulations to the European Union (EU) for having been awarded the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize! The achievements of the Union are so often taken for granted, that it is encouraging to see that its tireless efforts to bring peace and cooperation amongst the peoples of Europe have been recognised by the Nobel Committee.

The Nobel Peace prize has been going since 1909 and has been awarded 93 times since then, often being omitted during times of international conflict (when one would think it would be needed most). In all, it missed 19 years: 1914-1916, 1918, 1923, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1939-1943, 1948, 1955, 1956, 1966, 1967 and 1972. On several occasions the prize has been shared between two or more people, such as the 2011 award that went to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkol Karman.

The EU is not the first organisation to win the prize. In all 21 organisations received it and two of those received it more than once: three times to the International Committee of the Red Cross and two to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Here's the full list of organisational recipients:

1904: Institut de droit international (Institute of International Law)
1910: Bureau international permanent de la Paix (Permanent International Peace Bureau)
1917: Comité international de la Croix Rouge (International Committee of the Red Cross)
1938: Office international Nansen pour les Réfugiés (Nansen International Office for Refugees)
1944: Comité international de la Croix Rouge (International Committee of the Red Cross)
1947: 1)Friends Service Council (The Quakers),
         2) American Friends Service Committee (The Quakers)
1954: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
1963: 1)Comité international de la Croix Rouge, (International Committee of the Red Cross),
         2)Ligue des Sociétés de la Croix-Rouge (League of Red Cross Societies)
1965: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
1969: International Labour Organization (I.L.O.)
1977: Amnesty International
1981: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
1985: International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War
1988: United Nations Peacekeeping Forces
1995: Joseph Rotblat, Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs
1997: International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), (+Jody Williams)
1999: Médecins Sans Frontières
2001: United Nations (U.N.), (+Kofi Annan)
2005: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (+Mohamed ElBaradei)
2006: Grameen Bank (Muhammad Yunus)
2007: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), (+Al Gore Jr.)
2012: European Union (EU)

THE TRUE ENEMIES OF ISLAM

October 11, 2012

There are different types of blasphemy and the shooting an innocent child in the name of God must certainly be one of the most sacrilegious. When assassins from Tehrik Taleban Pakistan (TTP) shot the 14-year-old Malala Yousafzai and a couple of her companions for advocating girl's rights to education, their insult to to all things holy by far surpassed the cheap, petty and insulting video that resulted in so many violent protests.

Malala, who lived in Mingora, in the volatile Swat Valley of Pakistan , was on sitting on a bus, on her way home after having sat an exam, when the gunmen shot her at close range in the head and neck. The incident happened on Tuesday and Malala is still in a critical condition, as is one of the other girls. Many in Pakistan have united in prayer, but TTP is unrepentant and is threatening to "finish her off".

Where are the demonstrations? Where are the heated protests? Where is the frothing outrage? An enemy's insults on the other side of the globe are far less damaging than this devious cancer within Islam that is trying to highjack all that is good in the religion and taint it with hate, ignorance and violence. Combating these cruel and sinister operatives would be the real concern of those who are truly devoted to their religion. Their priority should be putting their own house in order rather than being the pawns of second rate politicians with agendas of their own.

On this occasion, the real faithful have taken to prayer. They have not opted to riot or cause mayhem. They are clearly very different from the ones on our television screens not that many days ago. I wonder what those people are doing now.