Iran detains seven alleged Al Qaeda members

Iran reportedly arrested 7 members of Al Qaeda yesterday. Al Qaeda identifies with Sunni, while Iran is predominantly Shia ( Shi'ite ). The largest Sunni-majority state in the Middle East is Saudi Arabia where Wahhabism, a theological branch within the Sunni school of tradition, is very widely embraced. The Talibans in Afghanistan are also known to identify with Sunni, and under the heavy influences of Wahhabism. However, there is also a fairly sizable number of Shia in Afghanistan. Besides Shi'ite, Shia can also be spelt as Shiah or Shi'ah for 'googling'.

Iran's media watches Shia clampdown in M'sia

Korean Question six-dimensional in substance

It is now fairly clear that the situation on the Korean Peninsula is six-dimensional, whether or not six-party talks are rejected or accepted.

Distrust of Japan still intense in South Korea

Distrust of Japan still intense in South Korea

In spite of the seemingly shared perception of a North Korean threat, South Korea is still wary of Japan's strategic intention on the Korean Peninsula which it once directly and brutally ruled from 1910 to 1945. Many Korean women were forced to 'serve' Japan' s imperial army as 'comfort women' (euphemism for sex slaves) during the 35-year rule. Certainly, sentiment critical of Japan remains strong in North Korea, which shares the same culture and language with the southern state (as there are also many family ties that cut across the state border). Also, South Korea still disputes Japan's claim over Dokdo/Takeshima. Meanwhile, it is highly likely that at least one of the two amphibious assault ships, which Russia has recently ordered from France, will be stationed near the Kurils/Northern Territories where Russia contests Japan's claim on the ownership of the islands with increasing efforts.

Dangerous rhetoric amid ROK's live-fire drills

Dangerous rhetoric amid ROK's live-fire drills

While ROK President Lee Myung -bak has called for "national unity" to confront DPRK' s "aggression", the DPRK has also signalled through its mass media that its "restraint" over ROK' s "provocation" is "limited". Propaganda in crisis times could cause groupthink, which may lead to misjudgement or miscalculation on the part of normally rational men. The setting on the Korean Peninsula now is not an electoral campaign but a stand-off between two militaries and their warfighting systems.

ROK to stage live-fire drills at 23 spots today

ROK to stage live-fire drills at 23 spots today

South Korea has reportedly planned to hold another round of live -fire drills at 23 spots later today. In the previous two such exercises , the DPRK merely responded with denounciation in its state-owned media. ROK's new drills are scheduled to last for five days until 31 Dec (Fri). North Korea has been very well-known for its tactical unpredictability. A critical question which has clearly surfaced is how long can the ROK and DPRK go on like this without experiencing a nervous breakdown ? Meanwhile, Russia has agreed to buy from France two warships to be supplied to its Pacific Fleet, which guards its interests in its Far East. Besides contesting Japanese claim over what it terms as Kuril islands (which is named Northern Territories by Japan) specifically, Russia is also fairly wary of the general strengthening of the US-Japan and US-ROK alliances just as it has always been watchful over NATO's moves in European states which are geographically closed to it, like Estonia. Recently, two sub-hunting jets of Russia's Pacific Fleet flew over the Sea of Japan and disrupted a joint US-Japan military drill in progress.

Security dilemma in Koreas' standoff perilous

Security dilemma in Koreas' standoff perilous

ROK's "largest ever" military drill held yesterday reportedly lasted only for 40 minutes. Verifiably, there was no immediate live-fire response from the DPRK. However , while the ROK has publicly vowed to mount a " massive counter-offensive " against the DPRK, the always-on-alert DPRK has quickly reciprocated by threatening to launch a "sacred war" against the ROK, which, with the USA and Japan on its side, seems to have become more and more 'security-conscious' or 'defence-minded', in anticipation of a general and/or surprise offensive from the North. Fearing the general strengthening of the US-ROK and US-Japan treaty alliances, the DPRK has also stepped up its efforts to militarise itself to prepare for an attack on its homeland by the US-Japan-ROK forces. To a certain extent, China and Russia also share DPRK' s geostrategic concerns as the overall strenghtening of the US-Japan and Japan-ROK military alliances, if unbalanced , could undermine their own security.

ROK plans another live-fire drill to face DPRK

ROK plans another live-fire drill to face DPRK

The ROK may have concluded that the DPRK "blinked" when it held the first live -fire drill. It now plans for another and even larger exercise. Certainly, it is not very easy to ascertain whether the DPRK's surprise inaction on Monday was not merely tactical for that specific moment. The ROK and DPRK may have mastered the arts of brinkmanship, but there are always the not entirely unreal chances, in a still fairly tense situation and also atmosphere intermixed with distrust, anger, panic, fear and feeling of humiliation, for miscalculation and misjudgement which could, in turn, lead to unintended consequences for the region.

ROK ends live-fire drill amid inaction in DPRK

Iran's media watches Shia clampdown in M'sia

The recent clampdown on Shia ( also spelt as Shi'ite ) in Malaysia has drwan the attention of the mass media in Iran. The school of Islamic tradition is the official faith of the Persian-speaking Islamic republic. Besides being a fairly influential player in the regional politics of the Middle East after the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq, Iran also has a very strong and unique civilisational identity in the region as, among other historical and also geographicl factors, Iran was not part of the Ottoman Empire, which disintegrated at the outset of the 20th century as the results of European pressure and domestic decay. However, Iran is not the first and only source of republicanism in the Islamic world as the proclamation of republican polities in, inter alia, Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan predated the 1979 revolution in Iran. Muslims in these three conutries are predomnantly Sunni, not Shi'ite. Another notable Sunni-majority republic in the Islamic world is Egypt.

Shifting Muslim perception of Iran in Malaysia

ROK ends live-fire drill amid inaction in DPRK

The ROK @ South Korea has reportedly ended its live-fire drill around Yeonpyeong island without any immediate reaction from North Korea that sank a ROK warship in the waters and shelled the island recently. Why did the DPRK not respond or react as it had 'threatened' earlier ? How would the ROK interpret the 'unexpected inaction' of the DPRK ? Propaganda ' war' between the ROK and DPRK is expected to continue. Meanwhile, brinkmanship seems to have been developed into a fairly fine art on the Korean Peninsula, as both sides are masters of it now.

Russia's jets disrupt USA-Japan joint exercise

Most newsworthy event on earth for 2010 CE

For Clare Street, the news of the year 2010 is certainly the successful freeing of the 33 mining workers in Chile trapped underground for 68 days. Indeed, it is a very rare triumph of faith, hope and love as well as the good old spirit of the working people, that is forever inspiring. The sweat and tear we saw was truly genuine, not digitally animated, and the 'contagious' emotion springed from human hearts, not minds.

Gracias a la Vida ... que me ha dado tanto

Royal 'stories' from Thailand out in WikiLeaks

WikiLeaks' 'stories' have hit the palace in Thailand too. The Buddhist-majority country has already been been in political upheaval, marked by street violence, since the popularly elected government of ex -PM Thaksin Shinawatra was overthrown in a military coup d'etat in 2006. How would the purported 'revelations' impact on the already unstable situation in Thailand is absolutely noteworthy as well as newsworthy, as political opinions in the Thai society are still fairly deeply devided. Earlier, a ranking Singaporean diplomat was quoted in a leaked cable in WikiLeaks as 'concluding' that Thai politicians on both sides of the divide, including the controversial Thaksin Shinawatra, are "corrupt".

S'pore reacts to M'sia over diplomatic protest

S'pore reacts to M'sia over diplomatic protest

Well, Singapore's FM has reportedly reacted to Malaysia's official note of diplomatic protest over some of the 'stories' in WikiLeaks' release. Diplomatic rows between Malaysia and Singapore are not new as both countries began their on-and-off 'battles' of words even before Julian Assange was born and the Internet became known to ordinary people. In another WikiLeaks cable published today, Singapore's MM Lee Kuan Yew is reported to have opined to senior US officials that the military rulers in Myanmar/Burma are "stupid" and also revealed his dislike of the idea of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and also Myanmar/Burma being accepted as members of the Association of South East Asian Nations. Under the premiership of Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia supported the entry of these four countries into the regional group in the 1990s.

WikiLeaks' 'stories' strain M'sian-S'porean ties

WikiLeaks' 'stories' strain M'sian-S'porean ties

While Singapore insists that the relations with its neighbours are still "robust" and "strong", Malaysia has summoned its High Commissioner in Kuala Lumpur and officially given him a note of diplomatic protest. Many leaders and activists on the other side of the partisan divide in Malaysia are also not happy with MM Lee Kuan Yew' s 'story' on Anwar. However, Malaysian politicians on both sides will certainly attempt to search for 'stories' in the leaked USA diplomatic cables to attack their opponents on the other side with different spins for different groups. On the people-to-people level, Malaysians and Singaporeans continue to be family members, relatives , business partners and work mates. Personal friendship among many Malaysians and Singaporeans would certainly not be adversely affected by any twists and turns in politics.

WikiLeaks hit Down South with more 'stories'

WikiLeaks hit Down South with more 'stories'

Not too sure if DPRK's topmost leeader Kim Jong Il is going to engage a Queen's Counsel in London to sue Singapore' s MM Lee Kuan Yew for libel or defamation. Also not very sure if Singapore is outside DPRK' s missile range. What is certain at this very moment is that Singapore is bloody red-faced after it has been seriously hit by the second wave of WikiLeaks' purported 'revelations' of its worldviews and self-worth. As Kung Fu masters know and always advice their students, punching above one' s own weight too often could lead to over-use of the Qi or 'bodily energy', resulting in the exhaustion of one' s physical strength.

President Obama calls WikiLeaks "deplorable"

President Obama calls WikiLeaks "deplorable"

Reportedly, USA' s President Barack Obama slammed WikiLeaks again when he called the Turkish premier and Mexican president. The USA's diplomatic reports released into the cyberspace recently by WikiLeaks have also stirred the hornets' nests in Spanish-speaking and Catholic-majority Latin America where there is still a popular sentiment which is critical of what is felt or perceived as Anglo-American "hegemony". In 1982 , for example, the United States supported Britain in the war against Argentina over the ownership of Falklands islands / Malvinas. The USA is still reportedly concerned whether Argentina would launch another campaign to reclaim the areas in dispute from its British ally.

Russia's PM Putin supports WikiLeaks' Assange

Russia's PM Putin supports WikiLeaks' Assange

Russia' s premier Vladimir V. Putin has reportedly criticised the West for the arrest of WikiLeak' s lead figure Julian P. Assange. Earlier, it was also reported that " a source " inside the Kremlin suggested that Assange be 'nominated' for the fairly controversial Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Peace Prize of 2010 has been given to China' s Liu Xiao Bo.

WikiLeaks impact on NATO defence in Europe

Russia's jets disrupt USA-Japan joint exercise

Two sub-hunting jets of Russia' s Pacific Fleet reportedly dirupted the joint USA-Japan military exercise on Monday. Russia disputes Japan's territorial claim over Kuril Islands / Northern Territories. At the same time, Japan also has territorial disputes in Northeast Asia with China over Diaoyu /'Senkaku and with South Korea over Dokdo'/'Takeshima.

Russia also wants peace & stability in Koreas

(RIP) Farewell to fellow ex-MP Fan Yew Teng

It is sad for me to have heard that Fan Yew Teng, another ex -MP for Kampar , a personal friend and a fellow Perakian, has passed away in Bangkok at 68. It was Yew Teng's very stirring speeches in Cantonese in the 1970s in downtown Ipoh that first put the fire into my belly. In my memory, Yew Teng is not only an inspiring public speaker but also a fervent reader of a wide range of quality books as well as a prolific writer in high-standard English with a cosmoplitan or internationalist outlook and a very deep organic root in the Kinta Valley and our folks. Meanwhile , allow me to extend my condolence to Yew Teng' s family.

Farewell to Dr. Chandran Mohandas Jeshurun

WikiLeaks impact on NATO defence in Europe

The USA diplomatic cables released into the cyberspace by WikiLeaks without authorization has also revealed the US/NATO plan to 'defend' the Baltic states which closely border on Russia. As expected, Russia has been irked. Earlier, the leaks unexpectedly exposed the locations of the USA's 200 tactical nukes in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Turkey. The USA-led NATO is also said to be planning its defence against a resurgent Iran on the southeast flank of continental Europe. Earlier, the US was alarmed by the UK's deep cut of defence spending.

Scholars in Singapore see 'value' in WikiLeaks

Scholars in Singapore see 'value' in WikiLeaks

Professor T.H.Tang has been reported in Singapore as observing that the US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks are 'turning out' to be " useful research materials" for scholars in the academic discipline of international relations and Associate Professor Alan Chong reportedly added that the materials should also be "contextualised" to be useful. Certainly, Singapore is a center of academic excellence in the region; and there are really excellent bookstores in town, such as Kinokuniya.

WikiLeaks' effects on Turkey's future position

Russia also wants peace & stability in Koreas

The USA, ROK and Japan have held their own meeting on the current situation in the Korean Peninsula but Russia, like China, seems to be unhappy to be excluded. Russia has made it pretty clear that the two Koreas should return to negotiation to settle their disputes peacefully and that Russia supports a six-party consultation to ease the tension. Russia has its very own geostrategic ( such as territorial dispute with Japan over the Kuril Islands/Northern Territories ) and also economic interests in peace as well as stability in the Northeast Asian complex. Also, Russia holds veto power at the United Nations' Security Council. Russia's military operation against Georgia in August 2008 shows that it is willing and able to defend its vital strategic interests with force.

US & China presidents on hotline over Koreas

US & China presidents on hotline over Koreas

USA President Barack Obama and his counterpart in China , Hu Jintao have reportedly exchanged views - through telephone - on the current situation on the Korean Peninsula, which is admittedly tense following the sinking of ROK's warship Cheonan and also shelling of Yeonpyeong island by the DPRK that disputes ROK's territorial claim over the area. As Professor Dr . Lee Poh Ping reasons in an interview on the current development, it is more nuanced than a Cold War paradigm suggests as, among other geo-strategic factors, the balance of military forces in the region have evidently shifted since the Korean War in 1950-53. Also, it is obvious that Northeast Asia is more prosperous than in the early 1950s and the regional economies are far more interdependent.

Senior DPRK leader to visit Beijing tomorrow

WikiLeaks' effects on Turkey's future position

Also, there are Turkish 'stories' in WikiLeaks. How would the released cables affect Turkey's balancing acts in its foreign policy and conduct of international relations is certainly another important area of study as the Muslim-majority secular republic is a very unique model in the worldwide community of Muslims which is said to number 1.4 billions. Officially, PM Tayyip Erdogan has slammed the purported revelations on personalities as well as issues in Turkey as "gossip" and "slander", but, under PM Erdogan's leadership, Turkey still maintains diplomatic relations with Israel and also remains a member of the US -led NATO. However, unlike Kuwait, Turkey did not permit the US military to use its northern territory as a staging post for the attack on Iraq in 2003.

No ban on Net access to WikiLeaks in Pakistan

No ban of Net access to WikiLeaks in Pakistan

Reportedly, a Pakistani court has dismissed a petition to ban Internet access to WikiLeaks while a high-power Cabinet committee has called the purported revelations in the WikiLeaks "a conspiracy" against the Muslim-majority republic that has been heavily criticised in America's diplomatic cables released into the cyberspace without any clearance. Meanwhile, India' s official response remains restrained or measured as the world reputation of India is not hit as hard as that of Pakistan. One very serious security concern is that the many elusive 'non-state actors ' in this as well as the Middle Eastern region would act on their own interpretations of the leaked materials or/and the news reports, at times and in places of their choosing in months and years to come.

Clinton: Arab states shape USA's Iran concern

Clinton: Arab states shape USA's Iran concern

US State Secretary Hillary Clinton reportedly said that US' concern for Iran's nuclear programme is shaped by Iran's neighbours. In America's diplomatic cables released without authorisation by WikiLeaks, Saudi Arabia and also other Arab nations reportedly urged the United States behind the scene to attack Iran militarily to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons but Iran and the Arab states have reportedly refuted the originally confidential cabled reports of the US' State Department. But, what cannot be denied, among other verifiable facts on earth, is that the US' 5th Fleet , answerable to the US' Central Command which planned and executed the 2003 US -led military campaign against the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq, is hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain. Also, US-led forces surged into Iraq from the State of Kuwait in 2003.

Kuwait oficially decries WikiLeaks as "a plot"

Kuwait officially decries WikiLeaks as "a plot"

Sheikh Sabah Ahmed al-Sabah, the Emir of Kuwait, has been reported by Iran's semi-official English-language media Press TV as saying that WikiLeaks' unauthorized released of USA' diplomatic cables which has also infuriated the USA itself, is "a plot". Among other 'stories' in the WikiLeaks, Kuwait' s Interior Minister Sheikh Jaber al-Khalid al-Sabah is reported to have suggeted to the US that Guantanamo detainees to be sent by the US authorities to Afghanistan and 'be killed in combat'. Kuwait was freed from the occupation of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq by an America-led coalition of United Nations ' forces in 1991-92. Like Saudi Arabia , Kuwait is also reported in the leaked US cables to have urged the United States to militarily attack their neighbour Iran. Needless to say, Saudi Arabia has already officially denied that claim.

WikiLeaks also very noteworthy in South Asia

WikiLeaks also very noteworthy in South Asia

Besides West Asia (@ the Middle East) , the other politically sensitive region where the WikiLeaks ' unauthorized release of USA ' diplomatic cables could lead to unintended consequences is doubtlessly Pakistan-India. The rivalry between the two South Asian countries are certainly well -known and both are armed with nuclear missiles whilst they also suspect each other of causing 'troubles' in their respective territories. Many ordinary persons in India and Pakistan of all political affiliations are English-literate and also able to have free access to online media. Fairly unlike Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East , the traditional and also mainstream media in both India and Pakistan are fairly free and critical in the presentation of political news and views. However, quite like the Middle East, South Asia is also fertile land of 'conspiracy theories' in domestic politics and /or international affairs.

Yemen officially reacts to WikiLeaks' 'stories'

Yemen officially reacts to WikiLeaks' 'stories'

Yemen has, through its own Foreign Ministry, officially responded to the purported revelations in the WikiLeaks about the country and its president, Ali Abdullah Saleh. Earlier, Saudi Arabia had also reacted. In the leaked cables, Saudi Arabia's ruler King Abdullah is reported to have urged the United States to militarily attack Iran and to implant Guantanamo detainees, the absolute majority of whom are Muslims, with tracking chips so that they could be traced after being released.

Ecuador retracted residency offer to Assange

Ecuador retracted residency offer to Assange

Ecuador has reportedly retracted its residency offer to Julian Assange who is now on Interpol's wanted list. Wikileaks' massive release of US' diplomatic cables have caused serious concerns not only to the US but many other countries, governments and political leaders in the world, as the contents of the originally confidential cables are also reported or analysed in the traditional or mainstream media all over the world. Most of these news reports and/or analyses are also acessible online. Earlier, a spokesperson of WikiLeaks was reported by the Wall Street Journal as saying that the "leaks" would continue into early next year.

Singapore expresses concerns over WikiLeaks

Singapore expresses concerns over WikiLeaks

Singapore has officially "expressed deep concern" over the WikiLeaks' release of diplomatic cables. The characterization of DPRK' s topmost leader Kim Jong II as a "flabby old chap"and also North Koreans being "psychopathetic" is reportedly attributable to Lee Kuan Yew, who was a former Prime Minister and Senior Minister of Singapore, and whose son, Hsien Loong still serves as the Prime Minister of the city - state, where the father -veteran is officially designated as Minister Mentor. Public dossiers show that Lee Kuan Yew is 87 while Kim Jong II is 69.

WikiLeaks' impacts in Middle East noteworthy

WikiLeaks' impacts in Middle East noteworthy

The Middle East is, most probably, the region where the political and psychological impacts of the WikiLeaks' release of the US' diplomatic cables are most noteworthy and even newsworthy in months to come. The images of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah and Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh have certainly been tainted by the WikiLeaks' 'stories'.

Ecuador offers residency to WikiLeaks' master