war

 Non-alignment continues in semi-peripheral form?  If someone knows more about India's external relations, I'd be grateful for some input.

A few weeks back, in a meeting with a political advisor of a bilateral development organization, I discovered a new phrase ‘discipline in violence’. He used the phrase while talking about the unruliness and fundamentalism within the state security apparatus. The phrase hit me – I wasn’t sure how there can be discipline in violence; in my mind an image of a methodical violent person emerged. I also thought about well organized acts of violence, something along planned ethnic cleansing or systemic violence against women on grounds of morality.

WTF!!!!

I know it's one story and it's denied and I'm not supposed to be surprised by anything anymore even if it turns out true, but seriously, wtf!?  Doesn't this enrage you?  How did my government get to this point?!

Update - corrected head - apparently they don't kill people for the U.S. government - just for the Pakistani government.  They do planning of killing people for the U.S. government, according to the article. 

If it were shocking that there was little done to stop the war in Sri Lanka before, it is almost astonishing how quickly the messy realities left over have receded into oblivion.  An excerpt from the CNN article:

Published apology in the Daily Star.  Those of us who have national allegiances could take notes on this:

We reject the Pakistani state and army's claim that these atrocities were committed in our name.

Point 1:

Even as the end of the war has brought a new flood of refugees in the north in recent days, the United Nations, the International Red Cross and other groups have said that the military’s restrictions have curtailed their activities and are endangering the lives of a refugee population now estimated at 280,000.

Point 2:

We're hoping to write something longer on Pakistan soon, but I thought I would pass on this appeal in the meantime.  I don't know enough about this situation and haven't researched many of the organisations below to understand how relief fits in with my politics here, so please act on and send on as and how you see fit.  You can see the original unexcerpted text at the website linked above.