Entracte

So Ms Vasco has just hopped into a pre-dawn taxi (yet again!) and will soon be en route to Harare where she'll spend a few weeks. While she's away I'll be busy with a couple of little projects that will consume much of my time and energy, so it seems like a good time to give the blog a bit of a break. I imagine I'll be writing again in a month or two. Adieu!

Thanks, now I know what Afghanistan is like

While searching a library database the other day I found a relevant article published in the April edition of National Review. I recognised the journal's name from some "conservative" blogs I read from time to time, so I was cautious. Still, it contained all of the keywords I was looking for, and articles about the province I am researching are thin on the ground. So I put my preconceptions aside and gave it a go.

The article, 'The New Afghan War', is written by someone called Richard Lowry. At first, I thought Lowry must be some bright-eyed journo from the States who's just made his first trip overseas. You'll see why I thought that. Turns out, though, that Lowry has been a "journalist" for some years now and is actually the editor of National Review. Anyway, to the article, which is not available online without a subscription.

First, we need to get our bearings. What is this Afghanistan?

This is the country that, with a handful of Special Forces troops on the ground and precision strikes from the air, fell into our lap in 2002.

Okay. A little gung-ho for my liking, and there's some context missing, but I guess Lowry is just working his audience. I can handle that. Besides, I am interested to see what observations Lowry makes.

Next, he seems amazed to learn that there are cars in Kabul.

There is traffic in the roads, and even traffic jams. The cars are surprisingly modern.

But it isn't just the cars that astound this fearless correspondent. These people also have phones!

Like they do throughout the Middle East, men tend to sit crouching on their haunches, like a catcher resting between pitches. In a strange juxtaposition, men in traditional garb will be sitting like this by the side of the road, as they have for centuries--chatting on cell phones.

Such a place must be difficult for Lowry's readers to imagine. They need some image that will help them visualise.

Think a post-apocalyptic Denver.

Does that help? No? Well how about this?

Think a post-apocalyptic Bejing.

Now that's exotic.

Finally, there's the sheer backwardness of Afghanistan. At times, it comically defeats the best American intentions. An American involved in developing an Afghan air force shows off the fancy new facilities we have bought for the Afghans. He says we have to tell them not to cut up their food on the floor, that's why we gave them stainless-steel tables. [Emphasis mine.]

Lowry has left me speechless. And needless to say I learned nothing new about the province I am researching or the ISAF's activities there. Never again will I give a "journal" like National Review the benefit of the doubt.

Still, reading this nonsense does help me to understand where bloggers like MK of A Western Heart are coming from. When you rely on people like Lowry to provide you with an understanding of what the rest of the world is like, it's no wonder you end up writing things like this.

So let me get this straight, the savages in Pakistan have no food, no money and no future...

Says it all.

War: It doesn't end just because you have gone home

After her experiences in Somalia last year, Ms Vasco came to understand a little about trauma and how it impacts on individuals who return home from conflict zones. We've come to understand that the transition back into "normal life" can be as stressful and painful as the adjustment to the conflict zone was.

As a result, we have both been taking an interest in the stories about returned United States soldiers and the difficulties they encounter after serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. I haven't blogged on the topic before now, but I would like to share a news segment from Al Jazeera. This young man explains things far better than I possibly can.

My world's turning French

Something weird happened to me at work today. I had my mp3 player on, earphones in, listening to some French lessons from Coffee Break French. I was tapping away at something on my computer when suddenly it beeped loudly at me and an error message appeared. In French.


Too strange.

Roadside barbie in Uganda

On the road in northern Uganda, Nathan of Post Conflicted spotted this enterprising young fella barbecuing goat by the roadside.

I remember dad building a barbecue out of an old drum one time when I was a kid. It looked pretty much like this one. Although I'm pretty sure he didn't have a wok sitting on top, and I'm certain he never cooked goat.

Hey, does anyone know whether barbecued goat is called nyama choma in Uganda like it is in Kenya? Although, I guess this isn't really barbecued, is it? More like fried goat.

Somalia: more weapons, more troops, and brutality

Earlier this week the Kenyan government finally made a definitive statement about intervening in Somalia: it's not getting involved. Perhaps Al Shabaab's threat of terrorist attacks in Nairobi was a factor, maybe not. Either way, Al Shabaab considers Kenya's decision a victory.

Others have heard the government of Somalia's call for help, however. Ethiopian troops are believed to have crossed into Somalia (although this is disputed), Uganda is planning to increase the size of its contingent within the African Union force in Somalia, and the United States has sent arms to the government of Somalia.

More troops, more weapons. That should do the trick.

Meanwhile, Al Shabaab is continuing to enforce its brutally strict law by amputating the hands and legs of thieves.

I intended to write something meaningful about Somalia tonight. You know, try to analyse things, suggest options, be hopeful. But the best I can do is a heavy sigh.

See also Somalia: A concise summary. It seems little has changed since then. If anything, the situation's worse.

Another beaut little gift from the missus

Just what I needed.


There have been so many occasions when I've been perched on a barstool down at the Kippax Tav discussing this or that aspect of the UN Charter with one of the fellas there. Now, should there ever be a disagreement over the precise wording of a section, I'll be able to grab my copy from the back pocket of my cordies and settle the matter once and for all.

The blokes down the pub will love it.

Islam and refugees

The wingnuts and xenophobes will just love this:

Islam’s 1,400-year-old tradition of generosity and hospitality towards refugees has had more influence on modern-day international refugee law than any other historical source, says a new book by Ahmed Abu al-Wafa, a professor of law at Cairo University.

The book entitled The Right to Asylum Between Islamic Shari’ah and International Refugee Law: A Comparative Study was published on 23 June by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in cooperation with Naif Arab University and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

In the book, al-Wafa describes how Sharia (Islamic law) and Islamic tradition respect refugees, including those who are not Muslims. UNHCR said in a press release that Islam also forbids forcing non-Muslim refugees to change their beliefs; avoids compromising their rights; seeks to reunite families; and guarantees the protection of their lives and property.

Refugees, Islam, and the evil United Nations. I can hear the teeth gnashing and the keyboards tapping already.

I think I might buy a copy of the book and donate it to Camden library.

Missing our ducks

This is why we miss our duckies. So comical. So cute.

And Quacker reminds us of Bule.

Kenya, Somalia, and the politics of peacekeeping

For those who are following events in Somalia one of the big questions right now is, will Kenya intervene militarily in the conflict? Since early this month, the government of Sharif Ahmed has been calling on the international community, particularly Somalia's neighbours, to come to its aid. Ethiopia plans to act as soon as it has an international mandate, and some believe it has already sent troops across the border. Kenya has been making noises about intervening militarily but so far has not made a decisive move. What next?

Throughout the past few decades, Kenya has been involved in a range of peacekeeping activities. It's contributed both to United Nations (UN) missions and Commonwealth operations. Kenyan peacekeepers have served both inside Africa - in Burundi, Congo, Namibia, Ethiopia/Eritrea, and elsewhere - and around the world. Today, the largest contingent of Kenyan peacekeepers is in Southern Sudan (a region of strategic interest to Kenya, as I have recently discussed.) So far, however, Kenya has not deployed peacekeepers to the African Union (AU) mission in Somalia, which is currently comprised of soldiers from Burundi and Uganda.

Many analysts have argued that nations tend to participate in peacekeeping operations only when it is in their interests to do so. Those interests may be economic or strategic. Sometimes the benefit may take the form of prestige or respect as a responsible and active international player. Humanitarian concerns do enter the equation, of course, but generally only when the costs and risks of becoming involved are relatively low. Understandably, then, there are many countries that don't want to go near Somalia. Some have sent naval forces to defend maritime interests from piracy, or have supported the efforts of Ethiopia and the AU on land. Overall, though, none have been inclined to get involved in a peacekeeping - or "peace enforcement" - mission.

So will Kenya take that step now?

Ministers in the Kenyan government have stated on a number of occasions recently that an unstable Somalia is an unacceptable threat to Kenya's national security. The number of refugees gathering at the border may be seen as dangerous, too. But this kind of talk has been going on for months now and still there has been no decisive action. Meanwhile, Al Shabaab (the Islamist group I've discussed a few times) is threatening to stage attacks in Nairobi if Kenya deploys troops in Somalia. I can only imagine how the Kenyan public, scarred by the terrorist attacks of 1998, feels about that. Whether Al Shabaab has the capability to carry out its threats is uncertain. Either way, a Kenyan politician who commits to intervention in Somalia will be taking a huge political risk.

To be honest, I'm not sure what will happen next. Kenya certainly has good reason to consider intervention in Somalia, at least in terms of strategic interests (regional security) and humanitarian need. But there are risks: no one has been able to defeat the Islamist insurgency yet - indeed it seems to be getting stronger - and the threat of terrorist attacks against Nairobi must be taken seriously. The Kenyan government says it cannot afford to do nothing. Yet there's a chance that doing something will only inflame the conflict, as if it could get any worse. So while Kenya's decision-makers weigh up their options, the killing continues and the refugees continue to flow. And the world, with a few exceptions, simply looks on.