A guardedly optimistic op-ed, "In Pakistan, Islam Needs Democracy," appears in the Feb. 16 New York Times by one Waleed Ziad of the Truman National Security Project, a think-tank that "unites Americans who believe equally in strong liberal values, and the need for strong national security." It is a source of both interest and frustration that this exponent of pro-military, pro-globalist wonkdom favorably cites the Sufis:

We've noted that Zbigniew Brzezinski is one of the primary exponents of the policy-elite backlash against the neocons, and his emergence as an adviser for Barack Obama says much about the coalition that is coming together behind the Obamarama. The original ideological whiz-kid of the (yes, really) Trilateral Commission and Jimmy Carter's National Security Advisor, Zbiggy represents the "pragmatist" wing of the ruling elites. Rival Hillary Clinton has also got "pragmatists" in her camp, and Obama is also attempting to woo the neocons. But the basic division seems pretty clear. From "Behind Clinton and Obama" by Stephen Zunes in Foreign Policy in Focus, Feb. 4 (emphasis added):

We've noted ourselves that Ron Paul is the only Republican candidate that talks a good line on the Iraq war. But it is really disturbing to see anti-war folks line up behind him uncritically. Nico Pitney notes the phenomenon—without comment—on Huffington Post. Why, but why, is word not getting around of his sinister ultra-right connections? While too many "radicals" are taking his noxious bait, leave it to the liberals at The New Republic to call the rascal out. Their James Kirchick last month wrote a profile appropriately entitled "Angry White Man," in which he perused back issues of Paul's monthly newsletter, published under various names—Ron Paul's Freedom Report, Ron Paul Political Report, The Ron Paul Survival Report—since 1978, two years after he was first elected to Congress. Kirchick presents selections of ugly racist garbage that have appeared in its pages over the years. Excerpts:

A joint press release from US Labor Against the War and Oil Change International, Feb. 15:

Stop the Theft of Iraq’s Future – Iraqi Oil for the Iraqi People
In Iraq, the on-going war and occupation has led to hundreds of thousands of Iraqi deaths, widespread devastation, relentless insecurity and crippling poverty. Foreign oil companies are scrambling to use this opportunity to secure access to massive profits from Iraq’s large untapped oil reserves at the expense of the Iraqi people.

In a "rare burst of productivity," Iraq's parliament Feb. 13 passed three key laws and approved them as a package, ending months of deadlock. Two of the laws—providing for a general amnesty for thousands of Iraqi prisoners and defining the powers of Iraq's provinces—are among the "benchmarks" set by the US Congress. The third, Iraq's delayed $48 billion budget for 2008, is considered vital for the government to continue to function and initiate reconstruction projects. Immediately after the unanimous vote, parliament declared a five-week holiday, deferring further progress toward other benchmarks—such as a new oil law. (Chicago Tribune, Feb. 14)

The same depressing story that we've heard from Bosnia to Baghdad now reaches us from Kenya. From the New York Times, Feb. 15, "Signs in Kenya of a Land Redrawn by Ethnicity ":

Kenya used to be considered one of the most promising countries in Africa. Now it is in the throes of ethnically segregating itself. Ever since a deeply flawed election in December kicked off a wave of ethnic and political violence, hundreds of thousands of people have been violently driven from their homes and many are now resettling in ethnically homogenous zones.

Police arrested 24 in Spain's Basque region Feb. 14 in a strike called by the outlawed Batasuna party to protest the banning of other parties supposedly linked to the armed group ETA. Strikers, mostly teachers and academics, held banners reading: "No to the violence of persecution, no to the banning of ideas." Some chained themselves together and attempted to block traffic by placing cement-filled oil drums on the road leading into the northern city of Bilbao. Another two hung themselves by harnesses from a bridge over a commuter line, stopping trains from running. (AlJazeera, Feb. 14)

Some 20 FARC guerillas are dead and 30 more injured in ongoing clashes over the past week at the Colombian village of Chaparral, Tolima department, officials say. High casualties were reportedly due to aerial bombardment of rebel positions by Colombian warplanes. Authorities said the clashes began when army troops occupied Chaparral in response to the deaths of several soldiers stationed there by FARC landmines. National Police also announced the confiscation Feb. 13 of 5.2 tons of marijuana that had allegedly belonged to the local FARC column. (DPA, Feb. 15)