South Asia Security Monitor: No. 281
Pak lashes out after US attack on border post;
India to (re) join nuclear sub club;
"
Memogate"
may provoke civ-mil crisis in Pakistan
Pak lashes out after US attack on border post;
India to (re) join nuclear sub club;
"
Memogate"
may provoke civ-mil crisis in Pakistan
Female trafficking into China from ASEAN on the rise;
Russia joins hunt for more energy in South China Sea
The sudden death of North Korea's long-serving "Dear Leader," Kim Jong-il, has propelled the world's last remaining Stalinist state back into the international spotlight. In the process, it has refocused attention on one of the most stubborn strategic dilemmas facing the United States.
Beijing fails to broker deal between Burmese junta, separatists;
But China reaffirms defense ties with Burma amid U.S.-Burmese thaw
Europe's security is being threatened by a terrorist organization that many people have never heard of. Last week, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), based in north Africa and active since 2002, posted pictures of five Europeans kidnapped in November and currently being held in Mali. Formerly known as the Salafi Group for Preaching and Combat, AQIM is an al Qaeda affiliate whose principal aim is to overthrow the Algerian government and establish an Islamic state governed by Shariah law in north Africa, Spain and Portugal. The group has a presence not only in Algeria but also in Mali, Niger and Mauritania. It has not yet solidified its foothold elsewhere in the Maghreb, including Morocco, Libya and Tunisia.