commentopia What the World Is Saying A SERVICE BRINGING YOU THE BEST READERS' COMMENTS FROM TOP NEWS SOURCES ON THE WEB WORLD ARCHIVES — JANUARY 2010
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JANUARY 25, 2010 -- JANUARY 31, 2010 GENERAL MCCHRYSTAL SEES TALIBAN POWER-SHARING AS KEY TO RECONCILIATION
How do we figure out which Taliban are reconcil-able? This idea sounds radical. I'm for whatever works, but something like this will get Afghan women retreating, and possibly panicking. If this plan goes down, an initiative to protect Afghan women against a repeat of the depravity and torture they suffered from the Taliban before 2001, should accompany it. Just because they accept our preconditions, doesn't mean they've changed their abusive and murderous stances toward women. Will this be letting the wolves back into the hen house? Read the article POLITICO/7 steps to advance talks with the Taliban
Having been to Afghanistan three times as a soldier and once as a contractor, there are numerous issues that are abundantly clear to me and many others on the ground. The sad fact is, the ground truth and the political truth are two separate and completely different truths. Until the two truths become one common truth there will be no dignified, unified ending to this conflict. Gen. McChrystal may have a great plan but it won't come to fruition until he starts listening to advisors who know what is really happening outside his plush office. Read the article DAILY BEAST/McChrystal: Settle with the Taliban BIN LADEN SPEAKS AGAIN — MAYBE...
I can understand many people wanting to believe these tapes are fake just to discredit Bin Laden. However, the research and development, and existing technology for voice recognition has evolved to the point that it rivals DNA as a source of identification. Many experts like it even more than DNA only because of the amount of turn around time involved to run a test and identify the person. This is Bin Laden's 24th or 25th tape so far, so I think by now they have a good idea if it is fake or not. They were able to deduce many important clues as to where he was located by his video tapes years ago. It does not surprise me that they would only make an audio tape. They don't want us to bomb his little hole in the ground and kill the goofy stir crazy hermit in there. Read the article CNN/New bin Laden tape emerges <> A couple of possible scenarios--1) This is bin Laden trying to take credit after the fact. 2) It's not bin Laden at all, but an impersonator trying to convince the world that he is in charge. Read the article NPR/Voice claiming to be bin Laden's takes responsibility for plane plot THE RELIEF WORKERS BATTLING A LOGISTICAL NIGHTMARE IN HAITI
Even the POOREST hungry citizen of the US is better off right now than people in Port-au-Prince and the surrounding areas. This is a humanitarian crisis of EPIC proportions, unfathomable to most of us, even survivors of disasters here in the US. Haiti has a long term need of support and aid to rebuild- aid that compassionate citizens everywhere in the world are stepping up to give. Those of you who think we are not morally obligated to provide whatever aid we can to Haiti (even if all you can afford is a prayer - I say good on ya!) do not understand the magnitude of this crisis or moral obligation. You dishonor the US HEROS (Fairfax, VA Search & Rescue Teams, the USS Carl Vinson, the men and women of the USNS Comfort, to name a few) who have left their families and gone into harm's way to aid Haiti in this time of grievous need. Read the article NPR/Help on horizon as Haitians struggle to survive <> People don’t seem to realize what goes into these relief efforts, or the challenges faced. How much good will be done if doctors are killed or hurt because they were moved in without proper security? I’d bet a lot less than what is being done now. Imagine what the headline “Doctors Killed by Haitian Rioters" would do to the flow of aid to Haiti. If it’s a headline we never see, it will be because people with more experience and knowledge than the average news reader are doing their job and helping these people who need help so badly without compounding the tragedy by adding relief workers to the already too long list of victims. Read the article NPR/Help on horizon as Haitians struggle to survive
People who are blithely unaware of logistics are making loads of unfounded accusations. Here's some points for you to consider: Read the article NEW YORK TIMES/Rescuers race to find survivors in Haiti as U.S. troops work to speed aid flow <> If you see someone drowning in a lake, you don't ask them what their economic history and long term outlook is before deciding to rescue them. Helping people in a crisis like this is like breathing, you just do it. Read the article DAILY BEAST/Entire towns absolutely destroyed
When you hear people in the pub or in the office assailing the Yanks, gently remind them of the great good they do with their military in disasters such as Haiti. Read the article U.K. TIMES/Haiti earthquake latest To make an automatic $10 donation to the Red Cross, text "HAITI" to 90999; the money will be charged directly to your cell phone bill. JANAURY 18, 2010 -- JANUARY 24, 2010 FACING THE UNIMAGINABLE TRAGEDY IN HAITI
I was in Haiti a few years ago. The Presidential Palace caving in is equivalent to Capitol Hill or the White House collapsing. It is unbelievable, and it must seem like the Apocalypse in the Caribbean tonight. There is no concept of a 911/first responder system or safety net there as there is in the US. Read the article NEW YORK TIMES/Haitians confront devastation of quake <> My family is still missing. The phone lines are down and I haven't been able to get in touch with them. I was born and raised in Haiti. My parents and I came to America a few years ago but the rest of my family, my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends are still there. I am using social network sites to try to track them down. I know this is how a lot of my friends have got in touch with each other. I've heard that a lot of people are at the Hotel Oloffson because it's one of the few hotels still standing. I'm in touch with people there and they will let me know if any of my family arrive. I have been up all night trying to get in touch with people. Haiti is very small so everybody knows everybody else, I hope this will help. It's just so awful. I feel sick with worry. I am devastated. I know every building that has collapsed. I know how long those buildings took to build and now they are just rubble. Read the article BBC NEWS/Haitian earthquake <> Is it possible that the new WPA that we so desperately need might be created to rebuild Haiti?
<> It touches me to see how many wonderful people we have in America, and it doesn't surprise me to see how many selfish, cold hearted, Inhumane people live among us. How can you not feel compassionate? And if you don’t feel like helping, fine, but it takes a truly evil person to use sarcasm during such horrendous time and use the internet to try to influence people not to help those fellow humans. I don’t care where you live, what your religion or color of your skin is, It doesn'’t matter, when you find yourself victim of such natural disaster and completely helpless, I am you. have all these evil people forgotten how the world cried with us in 9/11? And are they stupid and delusional enough to think this couldn’t happen to them? People like that are a waste of precious space in this planet. CNN/Bodies line roads as Haiti waits for help
JANUARY 11, 2010 -- JANUARY 17, 2010 VIVE LE FRANCE! TOPS QUALITY OF LIFE INDEX -- USA AT NO. 7
After living in Germany for twenty-two years and more recently in France for eight years the quality of life is far superior in these countries than in the present UK. The most noticeable features of these countries is respect exists amongst all people, young and old, and also decorum. Service is excellent and food couldn't be better in quality and is much cheaper and more varied and local produce is given pride of place on the shelves of the shops including family owned shops as well as the larger supermarkets. Read the article U.K. DAILY MAIL/France tops list of best places to live for the fifth year in a row <> This is not the France I live in. Fresh bread twice a day? The stuff is delivered part cooked to the bakeries who shove it in the oven for half an hour. We then get armour plated bread. Dentists like this system. The wine is mostly overpriced rubbish. New World stuff is much better. Restaurants are closing down in significant numbers, which is why the government reduced VAT on restaurant meals to 5.5% from July 2009. Sunday leisure is sacrosanct, likewise from Monday to Saturday and working hours are very short as many people expect to be paid just for turning up. Window boxes, yes. Out the back you will often find cannabis plants, too. Romantic Paris is the pickpocket capital of Europe. Less crime? Whose stats are we working from here? The healthcare is excellent, granted. I quite like France, but I still prefer my own country, England. And I promise to be back in time for the revolution! MUSLIM EXTREMISTS' PLANNED ANTI-WAR MARCH RILES WOOTTON BASSET
I am following this debate with great interest and like most people I am appalled by the proposed march. It seems to be clear that the whole issue is about one thing and one thing only. What it is NOT about is whether the war in
Afghanistan is justified or not, legal or illegal, just or unjust, necessary or unnecessary, freedom of speech and freedom to protest,a modern day crusade or a war against terror. The people of Wootton Bassett have in an extraordinary way, made hallowed, an ordinary English street, by their quiet, respectful, dignified vigils. The route home for dead, young, service personnel has been "consecrated" by the people of that small town's respect for young lost lives. By their actions they have also touched "the better angels of OUR nature". All this is above and beyond politics, nationalism or religious creed. It is the irreverence of having a meaningless parady of real and personal tragedy, played out by an extremist group, in this particular place, that has really appalled and angered us all. Read the article U.K. TELEGRAPH/Islamic march through Wootton Bassett should not be banned, says Sir Hugh Orde
The right to march anywhere in this country, subject to the law of public order, for or against our government's policy in Afghanistan should be upheld. However, in this case there is a proper question as to whether Mr Anjem Choudary has forfeited this right, assuming he was ever entitled to it. Read the article U.K. TIMES/Walk of Shame
I studied in the U.K. from 1973 to 1979 and after qualifying as a Chartered Accountant returned to Pakistan and have worked here since then. A few days before I returned the Soviet Union sent an army into Afghanistan; this part of the world has never been the same. Religion was used to fight the invasion and now we have all to face the consequences of that. I have had to move my office because it was centrally located and targeted by bombings in Lahore.Without going into the religous or political arguments I would invite Mr Choudary to try and make an honest living in Lahore or perhaps try my firm's office in Kabul. Then perhaps he will understand how easy it is to create a divide and how difficult to get people on the same platform.These extremists have nothing to do with Islam. Read the article U.K. TIMES/Walk of Shame
JANUARY 4, 2010 -- JANUARY 10, 2010 DUBAI'S BURJ KHALIFA REACHES FOR THE STARS
There are so many similarities between the Burj Dubai and the Empire State Building. Both were conceived in a time of unpresedented prosperity and finished during a depression. With similar projects unlikely in the near future, its iconic status will be greater because of this Crisis. Eighty years from now, tourists will see it as the symbol for the beginning of Dubai's transformation into a top tier global city as well as the excesses of a unique time in history. Read the article WALL STREET JOURNAL/Tower embodies Dubai's goals <> The Burj [Khalifa], which I can see over my shoulder, dwarfing me on a 26th floor a mile or so away as I write this, is the pinnacle of one man's (Sheikh Mohammed) drive and determination to take a teeny tiny fishing village and turn it into the brightest light on the surface of the modern world in less than three decades. For all the boom, doom and gloom that has encapsulated this city in recent years, the opening of the newest world's tallest building, and with that a further bar-raising of man's architectural achievements on a global scale, should not have mud thrown at it, but be admired and lauded vociferously. Read the article U.K. DAILY MAIL/The world's tallest skyscraper opens in a blaze of glory
<> I've lived in Dubai for more than 6 years and I love it here. I am female and have never been treated so well in my life. I am tired of the Dubai bashing in western media. If this building were opening in the West there would be much hoopla but because it is in "spoiled" Dubai there is excessive negativity. Shame on you. As for the East Asian labourers, sadly their lives would be a lot tougher at home. They and their families benefit from their employment in Dubai. Read the article CANADA GLOBE AND MAIL/Indebted Dubai puts on brave face <> Oh great, now we have to have another King Kong movie. Read the article SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE/Dubai opens halmile high tower
COUNTER-INSURGENCY MOUNTS IN YEMEN
"U.S., Britain Close Embassies in Yemen Amid Threat" Read the article WALL STREET JOURNAL/U.S. says it missed signs of bomb plot
Ever since the Christmas day bombing attempt, Yemen has been at the forefront of US counter terrorism plots. A missile strike was launched a few days ago, targeting suspected Al-Qaeda training facilities, and today both the US and Britain closed their embassies in Sana. Read the article DAILY BEAST/U.S. and U.K. close Yemen Embassies
DECEMBER 28, 2009 - JANUARY 3, 2009 NEW YEAR 2010 -- LET'S HEAR IT FOR "TWENTY-TEN!"
Those with time aplenty said two thousand and ten Read the article HUFFINGTON POST/ 2010: Twenty-Ten, not Two- Thousand-and-Ten <> Despite the weather and a bloody awful year (thank God almost behind us) there's no need to look back and shake our heads in disbelief. Read the article U.K. TIMES/Australia steals Kiwi thunder by starting New Year early
LOOKING BEYOND THE HUNT FOR SCAPEGOATS IN IRAN
The similarity of the current protests with those in the seventies during the Pahlevi dictatorship is so palpable that to blame the foreigners for causing the people protests these days is blatantly misguided. To date, the current demonstrations in the cities of Iran have openly challenged the core of the Islamic Republic establishment, namely the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei himself and not directed merely toward President Ahmadinejad and his followers. This is a very strong message from the protesters that the current regime has been seen by many loosing its legitimacy as the holder of Imam Khomeini's legacy of the Iranian Revolution in 1979. The regime needs to regroup and starts taking the steps for solving the real problem, namely its survival before it was too late. The most important step would be listening to the voice of the people who demand justice and protection of their basic human rights. Failing to do that would only strengthen the protesters' resolve and militancy. Read the article HUFFINGTON POST/Iran accuses West of instigating protests <> Superb analysis that brings to mind the predictions from the post-election protests into sharper focus (those being that while an imminent revolt and overthrow of Ahmadinejad was not likely, that a long-term movement, much like that which took down the Shah, was taking hold). Personally, I believe that the main question is: where is the point of no return--either a tipping point is reached that will sustain ever-greater momentum of action against the regime until there is a substantial change in power, or an as yet unseen harshness in the countering crackdown that can silence the movement. In the case of the latter, it may be already to late for such a move to silence the opposition. Read the article DAILY KOS/Iran: Let's clarify a few things, shall we? <> Given the riots are widespread and disaffection is nationwide - the government seems unable to bring in security forces from the regions, I'd s ay dissatisfaction occurs in all sections of society. As for this all being an MI6 plot - get real. The nation was relatively peaceful right until the Iranian electorate decided it was being taken for fools. Blaming external forces is merely a tactic. So far the UK and USA have had the sense to keep quiet, and this is a policy they should keep with. I'm guessing sooner or later it'll come down to whether the Army wants to take the Revolutionary Guard on. Whatever the future direction of Iranian society, lets hope it's a more democratic one. Read the article U.K. GUARDIAN/Is this Iran's second revolution? <> Unbelievable how a riot in which rioters burned buildings and cars and attacked police and other unfortunate passers by who weren't with them is portrayed in the mainstream media in the UK and US as 'pro-democracy' protests. In Iran yesterday there were *millions* of people on the streets, the overwhelming majority of whom were observing the ashura day but this was hardly mentioned in the news. Instead, 'demonstrations' in which it is true normal people took part in, but were later hijacked by rioters plain and simple, are given coverage as if they were huge in number. If anything like what happened in Tehran yesterday, your police would have absolutely crushed them. As it is, the police in Tehran yesterday weren't even armed. And before anti-Iranian government posters pile in consider this - would the police have been beaten with sticks and stones so badly had they been armed? And of all the footage which was uploaded yesterday and today, is there a *single* clip of Iranian police firing guns? The lies are getting to unbelievable levels now. .Read the article U.K. GUARDIAN/Is this Iran's second revolution?
Mr Brunel would not let this happen. He was digging tunnels for railway lines two centuries ago. Why is it all suddenly going so badly wrong?? Running a train through a tunnel is hardly rocket science after all. Read the article U.K. TIMES/Eurostar blames fluffy snow for weekend chaos <> I'm a regular user of the shuttle; I'm an engineer and am in Paris . The weather here is not extreme . It has been cold the last few days and there has been some snow . The French are not giving severe weather traffic warnings - just the usual snow reports. I can't understand how Eurotunnel \ Eurostar can cock up things so badly . These are perfectly foresee-able circumstances - they should have been anticipated and been dealt with . To leave passengers without food , water , medical attention etc. for many hours is totally unacceptable . Eurotunnel have all the emergency access and rescue facilites in place - they should have used them. Having said that my one experience where things did go wrong Folkestone side - a traffic accident - Eurotunnel took an hour to get their act together . It looked very much like they had been taking stupid pills. Read the article U.K. TELEGRAPH/Travel chaos as up to eight inches of snow falls across the south <> Eurostar is a great service and no matter how nostalgic you are for cars and ferries, when it works there's nothing like center Paris or Brussels to center London in 2 hours or so. Read the article HUFFINGTON POST/Eurostar cancelled:Train service stopped indefinitely
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