War.Wire Update
Two more AFP Spacewar stories, then it's time for me to get ready for class.
First, "analysts" (I love how the French news agency is so nebulous about everyone they quote) are saying, and I think correctly, that India is an integral part of the American strategic plan for Asia. Are you at all surprised? India is a developing nation, but it has a record as being moderate, pursuing peace and globalization, and encouraging warm ties with the United States. Who else is in Asia? You have Pakistan, a sometimes uneasy ally; Afghanistan, blessed with freedom but still in rough shape; the former Soviet republics, that tend to be messy themselves; the nations of Southeast Asia, which are only now becoming even remotely stable; Nepal, a nation that is currently experiencing political unrest; Tibet, a wholly owned subsidiary of China; China, a strategic and economic competitor; Mongolia, a stable republic, but a relatively minor player in world affairs; the Koreas, one a strong democratic ally, the other a brutal terrorist regime that occupies the majority of the former's attention; Japan, a strong ally, but one with other priorities with respect to foreign policy; and Taiwan, whose entire foreign policy goal is avoidance of a Chinese takeover. So of course India is important.
The other news, this time unfortunate, is that an American Chinook (most of these are the H-46 model, but I've heard talk of H-47's regarding this, so it could be either) has crashed in Afghanistan, likely due to hostile fire. Rescuers are attempting to reach the aircraft, which rolled into a ravine; the fate of the seventeen personnel onboard is currently unknown.
First, "analysts" (I love how the French news agency is so nebulous about everyone they quote) are saying, and I think correctly, that India is an integral part of the American strategic plan for Asia. Are you at all surprised? India is a developing nation, but it has a record as being moderate, pursuing peace and globalization, and encouraging warm ties with the United States. Who else is in Asia? You have Pakistan, a sometimes uneasy ally; Afghanistan, blessed with freedom but still in rough shape; the former Soviet republics, that tend to be messy themselves; the nations of Southeast Asia, which are only now becoming even remotely stable; Nepal, a nation that is currently experiencing political unrest; Tibet, a wholly owned subsidiary of China; China, a strategic and economic competitor; Mongolia, a stable republic, but a relatively minor player in world affairs; the Koreas, one a strong democratic ally, the other a brutal terrorist regime that occupies the majority of the former's attention; Japan, a strong ally, but one with other priorities with respect to foreign policy; and Taiwan, whose entire foreign policy goal is avoidance of a Chinese takeover. So of course India is important.
The other news, this time unfortunate, is that an American Chinook (most of these are the H-46 model, but I've heard talk of H-47's regarding this, so it could be either) has crashed in Afghanistan, likely due to hostile fire. Rescuers are attempting to reach the aircraft, which rolled into a ravine; the fate of the seventeen personnel onboard is currently unknown.
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