Asia Times Online
News and business analysis from Asia

• AN ATOL EXCLUSIVE : Taliban and US get down to talks << Fri, 9 Sep 2010 11:00:00 GMT >>
  Preliminary peace talks between the Taliban and the United States have begun, with the Pakistan military and Saudi Arabia acting as go-betweens. An early concession from the US could be the release of Pakistanis detained at Guantanamo Bay. Much thornier issues include a continued US presence in northern Afghanistan and what to do with al-Qaeda, which is busy extending its reach. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (Sep 10, '10)

• Israel joins Russian ballet school << Fri, 9 Sep 2010 11:00:00 GMT >>
  The military agreement Israel and Russia signed this week began a pas de deux that promises to be an absorbing aspect of geopolitics in the Middle East. Anything is possible for a pair untainted by idealism in their foreign policies. The pirouette is already stunning, as shown by Israel seeking to moderate Russia's military ties with Syria and Iran. - M K Bhadrakumar (Sep 10, '10)

• Petraeus spin on roadside bombs belied << Fri, 9 Sep 2010 11:00:00 GMT >>
  United States General David Petraeus claimed this week that increased raids against Taliban units may have "flattened" the incidence of roadside bombs planted by Afghan insurgents in the past year. Pentagon data, however, show the Taliban's improvised explosive devices killed nearly 40% more coalition troops in the first eight months of 2010 than in the same period of 2009. - Gareth Porter (Sep 10, '10)

• Malaysia's forgotten, forgiven 9/11 history << Fri, 9 Sep 2010 11:00:00 GMT >>
  That two 9/11 bombers attended a terror planning meeting in Kuala Lumpur - which has its own twin towers - a year before smashing a hijacked plane into the Pentagon led the United States to brand Malaysia as a "launch pad" for the attacks, an accusation quickly withdrawn. Most of the men at the gathering are now living in obscurity behind walls of still opaque circumstances. - Derek Henry Flood (Sep 10, '10)

• THE ROVING EYE : Nobody expects the American Inquisition << Fri, 9 Sep 2010 11:00:00 GMT >>
  As the anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks approached and the land of the free was still enmeshed in two wars to combat the rising tide of Islamic world dominance, a coalition of Republican politicians, talk show hosts and assorted wackos moved without hindrance throughout the American land, in a reign of intolerance, bigotry and catchy sound bites. This was the American Inquisition ... - Pepe Escobar (Sep 10, '10)

• Rajapaksa looks to his new era << Fri, 9 Sep 2010 11:00:00 GMT >>
  A constitutional amendment that lifts the two-term restriction on Sri Lanka's presidency means Mahinda Rajapaksa could hold the post for life. With Rajapaksa already holding the defense, finance, planning and other portfolios, and his brothers running much else besides, some Sri Lankans complain the family has come to dominate every aspect of their lives. - Sudha Ramachandran (Sep 10, '10)

• BOOK REVIEW : British secret state reaches out << Fri, 9 Sep 2010 11:00:00 GMT >>
  Securing the State by David Omand Written by a senior mandarin of Britain’s security apparatus, this book exposes the global pressures that create a need for intelligence activity, as well as key processes and dynamics such as the often difficult relationship between spy bosses and policymakers. However, the author’s speculation on the emergence of new threats in the years ahead seems to have a hidden agenda. - Mahan Abedin (Sep 10, '10)

• Manmohan opts for the poor to starve << Fri, 9 Sep 2010 11:00:00 GMT >>
  An Indian Supreme Court directive that grain that would otherwise rot be distributed to the poor met with a blunt rejection from Prime Minister (and economist) Manmohan Singh. Yet the country has vastly more buffer-stock grain than it needs, and 25% of the world's hungry poor. - Raja Murthy

• India's food inflation hardens << Fri, 9 Sep 2010 11:00:00 GMT >>
  Food price inflation in India has climbed to 11.5%, squeezing most of the population in a country that is increasingly unequal in terms of wealth, but in particular the more than 400 million poor. Meanwhile, the government ignores the realities of a grossly inefficient food network. - Kunal Kumar Kundu

• MARKET RAP : Mumbai shows its strength << Fri, 9 Sep 2010 11:00:00 GMT >>
  India showed itself Asia's strongest market this week, while at the other extreme a volatile Shanghai was the only one to lose ground. Singapore, however, is the market to keep an eye on for where the future might lead. R M Cutler runs his eye over the ups and downs in the week's markets.

• IT WORLD : Hang on a second << Fri, 9 Sep 2010 11:00:00 GMT >>
  Google is flouting its ability to give customers what they never knew they wanted by offering "instant" search results, which are predicted even as keywords are being entered. The problem now is what to do with all the resulting 2.5 seconds saved per search. Martin J Young surveys the week's developments in computing, science, gaming and gizmos.

• THE MOGAMBO GURU : One abyss, then another << Fri, 9 Sep 2010 11:00:00 GMT >>
  The fall in US house prices has been utterly horrific, yet they are still way above their long-term average in terms of incomes - so more horror awaits. The only one way to be undoomed from this cataclysm is to scrape together all your pennies and buy gold.

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