middle east
20,000 to 30,000 U.S. troops will reportedly be sent to Afghanistan by early next summer. According to Admiral Mike Mullen, "it's not a matter of if, but when." The troops will complement the existing 31,000 already in Afghanistan, some of which are serving in the 51,000 strong NATO force. The troop increases are a priority of Obama's and are in response to increased activity from the Taliban. |
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Yesterday in Mumbai, India, there were a series of attacks by militant Islamic extremists on tourist locations, targeting mainly Americans, Britons, and Jews. At least 119 people have been killed and nearly 300 injured; more are missing or taken hostage. The attacks were extraordinarily well-executed and the Indian military is still trying to take back some locations where the extremists have camped with their hostages. The attacks were not apparently by Al-Qaeda, but they were probably Al-Quaeda inspired. India has seen bouts of sectarian violence in Mumbai over the past 3 years. |
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 The Iraqi Cabinet voted Sunday to approve a "proposed security agreement that calls for a full withdrawal of American forces from the country by the end of 2011." Parliament still has to vote on it but leaders say it will easily pass. |
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 Ehud Olmert, Israeli Prime Minister, has announced his resignation. This could lead to one of two scenarios: either the current ruling coalition will agree on a new leader, or the Labor party will pull out of the coalition and there will be a general election. The contenders in a general election are unclear. |
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According to Pulitzer-prize-winning journalist Bob Woodward, the U.S. has developed a secret new way to kill terrorists, and it's very effective. We're not allowed to know what it is, but it has played a dramatic role in reducing violence and eliminating leaders. ...sounds like a movie. |
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Syria and Israel are currently engaged in the fourth round of indirect talks in Turkey, and Syria indicated today that it would likely consider direct talks with Israel if the U.S. |
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Musharraf was about to get impeached and had faced wide pressure to resign. He announced today that he would do so. |
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Image:  Writer's Note: While browsing the NY Times this morning, I came across an article that reminded me of a class discussion... Needless to say, one thing led to another, and here I am putting down my first blog post at BabelUp.
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In other words, they want us out and we're going along with it. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080718/ts_nm/iraq_usa_bush_dc_3 |
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