NATO now NOT-O; Taliban to the Table
Synopsis: On the 8th anniversary of the US-led NATO invasion of Afghanistan, a resurgent Taliban combined with a fraudulent election and a wimpy and demoralized NATO have made for a disastrous situation for all. In this dire hour for the entire Afghan campaign, the Plaid Avenger predicts that the US administration will have to change its tactics…namely by starting negotiations with the Taliban to bring it into a coalition government while focusing on al-Qaeda as the real target of the war. In addition, what we are now seeing is two different Taliban teams in the field: the Afghan Taliban and the Pakistan Taliban…the latter team being the real one to watch as it picks apart Pakistan and causes way more calamity for the region and the world.
Related Stories:
U.S. Reviewing Taliban Links with Al-Qaeda
Taliban growth weighs on Obama strategy review
Europeans must do more in Afghanistan, NATO chief says
Afghanistan and Pakistan: is it time to ditch “AfPak”?
Pakistani army facing threat from Punjabi, al-Qaida and Taliban militants
Keywords: US, NATO, Taliban, Afghanistan, Pakistan, al-Qaeda, President Obama, General McCrystal
Diplomatic Dalai Diss to Save 6-Party
Synopsis: The venerated Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, is hanging out in and around Washington DC this week….but will NOT be meeting with US President Obama. Why the diss from the world’s most popular politician to the world’s most popular buddhist? Ah….there is always more going on behind the scenes in the international intrigue game of politics! The Avenger explains why the US cannot meet with the Lama right now, so as not to piss off the Chinese….specifically as Chinese Premier Wen Jaibao is concurrently visiting North Korea to re-start the 6-Party talks with Kim Jong-Il. US reliance on China’s money and political influence, as well as what the hell the 6-party is, are elaborated on as well.
Related Stories:
Dalai Lama not to meet Obama during US visit
Dalai Down Under
New hope for six-party talks
Premier Wen Jiabao speaks on Six-Party talks
Keywords: 6-Party Talks, NPT, nuclear weapons, Wen Jaibao, China, Dalai Lama, Tibet, Kim John-Il, North Korea, Barack Obama, US
A Shift to the BRIC
- World
- International Organizations
- East Asia-Pacific
- European Eurasia
- South Asia & Central Asia
- The Americas
Synopsis: The Avenger has his plaid panties in a bunch about a serious global shift that started during the big G-20 in Pittsburgh last week: a move to more representative economic and political power on the world stage. Listen as the plaid one explains the background of the G-20 evolution, and the impacts of the most recent G-20 party….specifically for the BRIC countries….as they redistribute voting power in global institutions like the IMF and World Bank. Gee golly, its G-20 genius!
Related Stories:
G-20: New Clout, New Responsibilities
G-20 Agrees to Boost Emerging Nations Clout at IMF, World Bank
BRICs stand by demand for bigger share of IMF votes
Keywords: BRIC, G-20, G-7, G-8, IMF, World Bank
At 60, NATO turning into NOT-O
Synopsis: NATO celebrated its 60th anniversary last week in Strasbourg, France. The military/defense group had clarity of purpose back in 1949: stop Soviet aggression/expansion. However, since the fall of the USSR in 1991, the group has lost a bit of focus of mission and today's NATO is nowhere near the cohesive tight military unit it once was. The Plaid Avenger highlights a variety of issues that the organization is currently NOT doing so well at, from its relationship with Russia to the current war in Afghanistan.
At 60, NATO Faces Challenges Both Old and New
Kremlin 'pushing Nato divisions'
NATO Struggles With Conflicting Views on Russia
Lukewarm Afghan commitment raises credibility issues for NATO
Keywords: NATO, Cold War, USSR, Soviet, Russia, US, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Afghanistan, Obama, Sarkozy, Merkel
-----Gargantuan Global Gathering: G-20
The G-20 met this week, in what the Plaid Avenger predicts will be looked back upon as a hugely historic event. This meeting is the first time a truly representative group of the biggest movers and shakers has gotten together to truly try and solve some global problems. Unlike the UN, this tight 20-entity group has the capacity to actually get stuff done without the bloated bureaucracy bogging it down. It represents big changes in the global outlook of how to solve global problems…perhaps for the first time in history. The G-20 is now the premier institutions for problem solving on the global scale. How exciting!
The G-20: saying farewell to the 'blue-eyed blond men'?
G-20 Meeting May Give Impetus to WTO Accord
Sarkozy: G20 Results "Beyond His Expectations"
Take heed from the G20's emerging focus
Keywords: G-20, G-7, G-8, global economy, global issues, UN
