obama
25 May 2009
Young and old, poor and prosperous, sick and healthy -- residents of Pakistan's Swat Valley continue to flee the violence that has erupted there as the military clashes with the Taliban.
Those who have fled tell of the whole valley being turned into a battlefield as citizens run away, many of them with no shoes and some elderly. They fall ill from sun and heat exposure -- particularly infants and those already weak and sick -- as they flee.
Thinking through how to deal with violence in a less-powerful society that is at the whim of larger, more powerful societies is hard. I know I should sign this but take into account the competing agendas of not supporting liberal imperialism ever again and ameliorating humanitarian disasters. Take a look and see what you think and sign AFTER TAILORING the
30 Apr 2009
Sri Lanka has denied reports that a proposed loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is being delayed by the US, officials say.
American officials said the move was aimed at putting pressure on Colombo to do more to help civilians caught up in the fighting in the north.
But a senior Sri Lankan official says the talks are on schedule.
Sri Lanka has been holding talks with the IMF for a loan of nearly a $2bn to weather the global economic crisis.
International concern
22 Feb 2009
An investigation into a missile strike carried out by US-led forces in Afghanistan earlier this week has found that 13 civilians were among 16 people killed, the US military has said.
The military made the admission on Saturday, after originally saying that 15 opposition fighters had been killed in the strike in the Gozara district of Herat province.
Afghan officials insisted all along that six women and two children were among those killed.
Following Afghan outrage over the attack, US generals undertook an investigation, travelling to Gozara and talking to locals there.
