UK to ban jihadi internet sites?
In her first speech on terrorism since becoming the UK's home minister, Jacqui Smith hinted that the government would consider censoring radical Islamist websites, a move deemed controversial by many critics. Speaking at the launch of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence (ICSR), Smith insisted that "when there is illegal material on the net, I want it removed". So far, the government enforces bans only on child pornography sites.
ICSR's two day conference, which ends tomorrow, boasts a magisterial roster of scholars, journalists, activists and world leaders. toD was in attendance at today's session, hearing the likes of Mary Robinson, former Sudanese prime minister Hassan al-Madhi, former MI6 chief Richard Dearlove and BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner. The general tenor of discussion was unabashedly critical, with speakers generally lamenting the blunt conduct of counter-terrorism in the last six years. Expect a full round-up of the conference, including interviews and audio commentary, on toD soon. Keep up to date with the latest developments and sharpest perspectives in a world of strife and struggle.
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Flag of blood
Twenty high school students in Turkey have found their way into newspapers across the country for making a Turkish flag with their own blood and sending it to the military chief Yasar Büyükanit, who praised the work, saying, "Such a nation is ours". The students claim to have decided to make the bloody flag after the killings of Turkish soldiers by Kurdish rebels in the town of Daglica in October. Critics have attacked Büyükanit for encouraging extreme nationalism and militarism with his comments.
toD's view: Many Turkish commentators, and politicians, have voiced displeasure with Büyükanit's response to the blood flag. This is commendable, but the episode is further evidence of Turkey's unruly and extreme nationalist passions that have resulted in hostility to Christians, Kurds and other minorities, intolerance of criticism, and in murder - notably the killing last year of the Turkish-Armenian writer Hrant Dink.
The other powers
In Beijing, Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao signed on to a statement dubbed "A Shared Vision for the 21st Century" that outlines further cooperation between the "Asian giants" in the areas of civilian nuclear energy, support for India's bid for permanent status in the United Nations Security Council, and negotiations towards a regional trade agreement.
Russian officials are putting pressure on Tajikistan to revoke its agreement with New Delhi that allows for an Indian military base on Tajik territory. The Kremlin initially approved of India's strategic expansion into central Asia, but has since cooled to the Indian presence as a result of warming political and military ties between New Delhi and Washington.
toD's view: India and China have long sought to publicly make mince meat of the idea that they are in intense competition. Yet their recent "Shared Vision" is more than a PR stunt. Both countries have a lot to gain from collaboration, even though cooperation in areas will mask rivalry in others. One region where India and China are leveraging for influence is central Asia, where along with Russia and the United States, the four powers are currently involved in 21st century version of the "Great Game". The Kremlin fears New Delhi is straying too close to Washington, but it is likely that India will not risk greater Russian displeasure. India's base in Tajikistan is crucial to its strategy of countering Pakistani influence in Afghanistan.
Death of the Bush doctrine?
In the wake of George W Bush's visit to the middle east, conservative American columnist Jeff Jacoby claims that the Bush doctrine is dead. Citing Condoleezza Rice's suggestion that the full cessation of "terrorist activity" is no longer a necessary pre-requisite to further negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis, Jacoby argues that Washington has sacrificed the "moral clarity" it once held so dear.
Yisrael Beiteinu, a right-wing Israeli party, seems to agree with Jacoby, and has chosen to leave Ehud Olmert's government as a result of its participation in the Bush-led peace process.
