Admiral William Fallon, the US military commander in the middle east, has retired from his position allegedly as a consequence of significant differences between him and the White House on how to confront Iran. Fallon is thought to be strongly opposed to proceeding militarily against Tehran. The Bush administration's reluctance to take a committed diplomatic route to resolving the nuclear crisis led to insurmountable rifts that made Fallon's position untenable.
According to a BBC World Service poll, global support for economic sanctions or military strikes against Iran is dropping. In thirteen of twenty-one countries polled, stern measures were increasingly unpopular. Only in three countries - Turkey, Israel and South Korea - was a tough stance towards Iran more popular.
Xinjiang in Beijing's crosshairs Keep up to date with the latest developments and sharpest perspectives in a world of strife and struggle.
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Uighur rights activist Rebiya Kadeer speaks with Eurasianet about the Chinese government's "frontal attack" on Uighur identity. The Uighurs comprise a Turkic-speaking, predominantly Muslim minority in the western Chinese region of Xinjiang and have been historically suppressed by Beijing. Cracking down on supposed "terrorist groups", Chinese authorities have more recently used the "war on terrorism" as a smokescreen to round up dissidents and political activists in Xinjiang. Kadeer now lives in exile in Washington, DC.
The right candidate
Der Spiegel weighs the merits of the current field of American presidential candidates in terms of how their presidency might affect relations with Europe. "The era of cowboy diplomacy is over", Hillary Clinton promised recently. But then what will the new era of diplomacy bring? Clinton, Barack Obama, and John McCain have all pledged to eschew George W Bush's unilateralism for multilateralism, and close ranks with their allies. Such closeness may yet be a double-edged sword for Europe, with the next US administration likely to insist that NATO troops join British and American forces more seriously in fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Clear differences do separate the candidates. While McCain emphasises the military agenda in Afghanistan, Obama plays up civilian reconstruction. Obama is willing to meet with Iran's leaders, a position Clinton brands "naive". On Iraq, Obama and Clinton favour a phased withdrawal of troops, with total military victory impossible. McCain still believes in "victory" in Iraq, and is allegedly committed to leaving troops in Iraq for "100 years" in order to secure it. All three candidates are keen to "internationalise" the conflict, which may draw European armies more squarely into Iraq.
Carnage in Lahore
Suicide car bombers struck two office complexes in Lahore, killing at least thirty people and injuring dozens others. The attackers targeted the Federal Investigation Agency and an advertising agency. The carnage further underlines that the impending alliance government of parties opposed to President Pervez Musharraf will inherit a volatile and unstable Pakistan.
"Terrorism insurance" available in India
Businesses in India are increasingly taking out "terrorism insurance" to cover the costs of damage caused by potential terrorist strikes. In Varanasi - a frequent target of such blasts - fifteen establishments have already bought the new insurance policy. Across much of northern India and in New Delhi, Mumbai and other major cities, terrorism insurance is seen as an inevitable, albeit regrettable, necessity.
