Lunes, 27 de agosto de 2007

MundoOriente Próximo, ,

Recent bombings in Iraq's Kurdish area nearly annihilated two Yazidi villages, killing hundreds of this ancient angel-revering, Indo-European religious group. The single deadliest atrocity of the Iraq conflict, it was also the latest demonstration that Iraq's non-Muslims are in danger of extinction.

Sixty years ago, Iraq's flourishing Jewish population, a third of Baghdad, fled in the wake of coordinated bombings and violence against them. Today, a handful of Jews remain. Unless Washington acts, the same fate awaits Iraq's million or so Christians and other minorities. They are not simply caught in the crossfire of a Muslim power struggle; they are being targeted in a ruthless cleansing campaign by Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish militants.…  Seguir leyendo »

MundoAmérica,

The forced resignation two weeks ago, under pressure from President Álvaro Uribe, of three prominent officers accused of drug trafficking is not likely to end the shakeup in Colombia's army and navy. More heads will roll in a long-overdue purge of corruption in the military. The credit has to go to the left-wing members of Congress who have taken over the Colombian account on Capitol Hill since the Democratic victory in the 2006 elections.

A conservative American with close, longtime ties to Colombia put it to me bluntly: "The firing of these officers is seen as President Uribe's way of clearing the decks to make the Democrats in Congress happy, in order to secure the free-trade agreement.…  Seguir leyendo »

EspañaJusticia

Anduve diez días fuera de España y a la vuelta me entero por los periódicos de varios sucesos judiciales que ignoraba. Por su orden, las novedades son: a) que un académico de la lengua ha escrito una diatriba contra un juez por pronunciar una resolución que no le fue favorable; b) que el 31 de julio el juez instructor del denominado caso Malaya cesó en sus funciones; c) que el juez Garzón hizo aparición en un festival de paz y espiritualidad en Edimburgo.

Primera noticia. Que un miembro de la Real Academia de la Lengua -el título del artículo La poca vergüenza ya dice bastante- dedique a un juez ciertas habilidades ofensivas por dictar una resolución contraria a sus intereses, es muy mala señal.…  Seguir leyendo »

Europa

The notion that democracy and Islam are fundamentally incompatible is about to get a resounding rebuke, just at the moment it is threatening to congeal as conventional wisdom in Washington.

Barring a last-minute surprise -- such as a military coup -- a liberal and pro-Western politician named Abdullah Gul will be elected president of Turkey by the country's parliament tomorrow. Gul speaks fluent English and has been a steady if somewhat quiet friend of the United States during more than four years as foreign minister. He also identifies himself as a religious Muslim in a country with an 85-year history of militant secularism.…  Seguir leyendo »

ReflexionesNuevas Tecnologías

Cuando sueña que es engullida por el irresistible ascenso de Internet, la Galaxia Gutenberg se echa a temblar. Y su pesadilla se parece al cuento de Caperucita, pues quienes están siendo devoradas no son las empresas editoriales, cuyas sucursales electrónicas hacen de cazadores mercenarios vendidos al lobo feroz, sino las criaturas juveniles, cuya cándida mente se deja seducir por los perversos peligros que les acechan en el bosque digital: pederastia, pornografía, manipulación, etcétera.

En efecto, la educación sentimental de los menores de la e-generación está guiada por el influjo de la lectura digital, y ya no por el espíritu de la lectura impresa como se cree que sucedía con las generaciones previas.…  Seguir leyendo »

EspañaCultura y Ciencia,

Mientras no lo tergiversen, que todo es posible, el 29 de junio de 1236, día de los Santos Apóstoles Pedro y Pablo, el rey Fernando III de Castilla entró triunfante en Córdoba, conquistándola para siempre.

El asalto a la ciudad mora, que había sido la capital de al-Andalus durante los siglos del emirato y califato, lo inició, por su cuenta, un piquete de caballeros castellanos, de los llamados de frontera o almogávares, que tenían por oficio correr moros o escalar, al amparo de la noche, los muros de castillos y ciudades, para entrar en el recinto como verdaderos demonios, sorprender a la guarnición y a los habitantes, arrebatarles todo lo bueno que tuvieren y pedirles rescate por su libertad, so pena de reducirlos a esclavos.…  Seguir leyendo »

MundoAméricaMundoOriente Próximo,

Critics of the Iraq war have called it George Bush's Vietnam. Now, it appears, President Bush himself agrees. In a speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars last week, the president sought to increase support for his policy by drawing parallels between the consequences of the US departure from Indochina in the mid-1970s and possible consequences of a US withdrawal from Iraq. In Vietnam, the president stated, "the price of America's withdrawal was paid by millions of innocent citizens, whose agonies would add to our vocabulary new terms like boat people, re-education camps and killing fields". Similar suffering would follow from US withdrawal in the midst of continuing conflict in Iraq.…  Seguir leyendo »

EuropaUnión EuropeaDefensa y Seguridad, ,

From August 10 the Ministry of Defence imposed a gagging order on the Armed Services. Members of the Forces are no longer allowed to discuss any matters relating to defence through any public means of communication. They cannot speak at public meetings, write letters to the press, write blogs or even take part in surveys. This gagging order applies to men and women of all ranks.

Can I ask two questions: Why now? For whose benefit? The new censorship is a reaction to low morale in the Services, which extends from top to bottom, from general to private. The people protected are the politicians, who are responsible for the crisis in morale.…  Seguir leyendo »