Saturday, July 12, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
Isolating Iran Creates Stronger Asian Cooperation
Iran and Israel have spent the last number of weeks conducting provocative military exercises in a bid to demonstrate the respective strength of their armed forces. The intention may be deterrence but the further escalation of threats can only lead to negative consequences.
Israel confirmed that it conducted a major aerial military exercise over the eastern Mediterranean Sea during early June. The message was clear: Israel has the capacity to attack any Iranian nuclear programme and is willing to do so. The posturing over recent weeks by both states reached new heights on Wednesday with Iran test-firing its latest missile, the Shahab 3, which has the capability of reaching Israel, eastern Turkey and Pakistan. The next generation of their Shahab missile programme will seek to produce missiles capable of reaching Europe.
The Iranian test led to criticisms from the United States, who signed a missile-defence treaty with the Czech Republic on Wednesday, which in turn led to strong criticism from Russia who view the move as hostile. The Czech Republic will host the radar system for the proposed project. Condoleezza Rica stated that "this missile defence agreement is significant as a building block not just for the security of the United States and the Czech Republic, but also for the security of Nato and the security of the international community as a whole….Ballistic missile proliferation is not an imaginary threat."
With neigbours on both sides (Afghanistan and Iraq) being invaded by the United States, it is no wonder that Iran is feeling somewhat ill at ease. They could be next on the list but are perhaps relieved that the US Presidential system allows for only two terms. We wait to see whether John McCain will provide the third. Iran continues to maintain that the aim of its nuclear programme is purely non-military, though the scepticism that this claim has generated throughout the world has led to the imposition of sanctions on Iran. A nuclear weapon would provide Iran with a greater deterrent against potential attacks but the worry in Israel that such a weapon would be used may very well lead to pre-emptory attacks, and a precedent for this has been set.
Perhaps most worrying for the US should be the fact that their increasing isolation of Iran has resulted in the development of a stronger relationship between the Chinese and Iranian governments. In a visit to Iran during April by China’s Assistant Foreign Minister Zhai Jun, Iranian Foreign Minister Mottaki suggested the possibility of creating an Asian Union that would act as a counter balance to US and European power on the international stage. China has sought to increase trade relations with Iran and, as Western states increasingly isolate Iran, China’s influence in the region has increased. The rapidly expanding Chinese economy requires the energy sources that a nation like Iran can provide. With the growing interdependence between China and Iran, the American policy of isolating Iran may prove another failed policy. With diplomacy and modest reconciliation with North Korea, the ‘Axis of Evil’ club is now down to just one member. It may be time to re-engage with Iran in a bid to relax tensions in the region and prevent any possible move by Iran to disrupt oil shipping through a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Expect the posturing by all sides to continue.
Israel confirmed that it conducted a major aerial military exercise over the eastern Mediterranean Sea during early June. The message was clear: Israel has the capacity to attack any Iranian nuclear programme and is willing to do so. The posturing over recent weeks by both states reached new heights on Wednesday with Iran test-firing its latest missile, the Shahab 3, which has the capability of reaching Israel, eastern Turkey and Pakistan. The next generation of their Shahab missile programme will seek to produce missiles capable of reaching Europe.
The Iranian test led to criticisms from the United States, who signed a missile-defence treaty with the Czech Republic on Wednesday, which in turn led to strong criticism from Russia who view the move as hostile. The Czech Republic will host the radar system for the proposed project. Condoleezza Rica stated that "this missile defence agreement is significant as a building block not just for the security of the United States and the Czech Republic, but also for the security of Nato and the security of the international community as a whole….Ballistic missile proliferation is not an imaginary threat."
With neigbours on both sides (Afghanistan and Iraq) being invaded by the United States, it is no wonder that Iran is feeling somewhat ill at ease. They could be next on the list but are perhaps relieved that the US Presidential system allows for only two terms. We wait to see whether John McCain will provide the third. Iran continues to maintain that the aim of its nuclear programme is purely non-military, though the scepticism that this claim has generated throughout the world has led to the imposition of sanctions on Iran. A nuclear weapon would provide Iran with a greater deterrent against potential attacks but the worry in Israel that such a weapon would be used may very well lead to pre-emptory attacks, and a precedent for this has been set.
Perhaps most worrying for the US should be the fact that their increasing isolation of Iran has resulted in the development of a stronger relationship between the Chinese and Iranian governments. In a visit to Iran during April by China’s Assistant Foreign Minister Zhai Jun, Iranian Foreign Minister Mottaki suggested the possibility of creating an Asian Union that would act as a counter balance to US and European power on the international stage. China has sought to increase trade relations with Iran and, as Western states increasingly isolate Iran, China’s influence in the region has increased. The rapidly expanding Chinese economy requires the energy sources that a nation like Iran can provide. With the growing interdependence between China and Iran, the American policy of isolating Iran may prove another failed policy. With diplomacy and modest reconciliation with North Korea, the ‘Axis of Evil’ club is now down to just one member. It may be time to re-engage with Iran in a bid to relax tensions in the region and prevent any possible move by Iran to disrupt oil shipping through a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Expect the posturing by all sides to continue.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
England v South Africa: First Day at Lords
South Africa elected to field after winning the toss in the first test match of the series with England at Lord's this morning. Both captains felt that there would be something in the wicket for the seam bowlers. However, the South African captain, Graeme Smith, was probably regretting his decision come lunch after his side were unable to take any wickets in the morning session, with England going into the break 71-0. However, the tea and sandwiches clearly gave the South Africans a boost and during a ten minute spell of the afternoon session they had claimed the wickets of Cook (60), Vaughan (2) and Strauss (44). The English seemed on tilt at 117/3. England responded in a positive manner with Ian Bell setting the tone for his innings with a four off the first ball he faced. Pieterson's start seemed somewhat nervous and a poor decision almost led to a run-out and a very early walk back to the pavilion. These early jitters were soon cleared away and replaced by another stunning performance with the bat. Pieterson notched up his first test 100 in his first test against South Africa proving that, while he may have been born in South Africa, he was definitely made in England. After a solid performance on a pitch that has not offered much for the bowlers, England are in a commanding position going into tomorrow. The South African bowling attack will no doubt learn from the mistakes of today and bowl a fuller length tomorrow, forcing the English batsmen to play at the ball more often. Today was surely England's day.
The day's play finished with England on 309/3
K Pieterson 104*
I Bell 75*.
The day's play finished with England on 309/3
K Pieterson 104*
I Bell 75*.
Delays at Dublin Airport
Delays continue to affect flights at Dublin airport today following a serious malfunction of the airport's radar system yesterday. The airport is currently running at 65% capacity but the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has said that the situation is improving. The problems with the French-designed radar system led to the cancellation of 23 Aer Lingus flights and most of Ryanair's 74 flights, while other airlines also suffered delays and cancellations, leading to disruption for thousands of airline passengers' travel plans. The IAA has confirmed that over the past five weeks there have been five radar malfunctions. Ryanair have called for a government investigation into the fault, stating that it is "unacceptable that there is no contingency or back-up plan".
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Former Minister Seamus Brennan dies at 60
Long-serving TD for Dublin South, Seamus Brennan, died at his home this morning following a long illness. On May 6 he had resigned from his Cabinet position as Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism. Mr Brennan had a long and successful career with the Fianna Fail party. He was first elected to the Dail for Dublin South in 1981 and held his seat in the constituency in every subsequent election. He was a true public servant and will be missed by both the people of Dublin South and Ireland as a whole.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Irish Overseas Development Aid Slashed by €45 million
The Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan, made a statement today concerning cutbacks the government will seek to implement as a result of the downturn in the economy. One of the main elements of government plans is a 3% cut to public payroll expenses by the end of 2009. The two departments with the largest payroll expenses, Education and Health are exempt from the planned cut. The Minister claims that the proposed measures will lead to savings of €440 million this year and €1 billion in 2009.
One area of some interest to many people I know is the cut in Overseas Development Aid (ODA) by €45 million this year. The Minister stated that this is as a result of 'the projected revision to GNP and other factors'. The Irish government remains committed to reaching the UN target of 0.7% of GNP on overseas aid by 2012.
It will be very interesting to know specifically where these cuts will be made. Many organisations rely on ODA to fund their development programmes and cutting the ODA budget can have serious consequences for many of these programmes. If it is bi-lateral projects that are to be affected the potential impact on Irish charity and non-governmental organisations would be less. Today's statement did not provide much detail and we will have to wait for individual Ministers to make their reports to the Dail on the proposed spending cuts. Those in the Irish development community will wait with interest for the details of the proposed plan.
____________________________
The Department of Finance has predicted a shortfall of €3 billion in tax revenue this year, while government expenditure is 11 per cent ahead of the same period for last year. The significant increase in the number of people receiving unemployment benefit in the State over the past several months has been a contributing factor to the increased expenditure.
One area of some interest to many people I know is the cut in Overseas Development Aid (ODA) by €45 million this year. The Minister stated that this is as a result of 'the projected revision to GNP and other factors'. The Irish government remains committed to reaching the UN target of 0.7% of GNP on overseas aid by 2012.
It will be very interesting to know specifically where these cuts will be made. Many organisations rely on ODA to fund their development programmes and cutting the ODA budget can have serious consequences for many of these programmes. If it is bi-lateral projects that are to be affected the potential impact on Irish charity and non-governmental organisations would be less. Today's statement did not provide much detail and we will have to wait for individual Ministers to make their reports to the Dail on the proposed spending cuts. Those in the Irish development community will wait with interest for the details of the proposed plan.
____________________________
The Department of Finance has predicted a shortfall of €3 billion in tax revenue this year, while government expenditure is 11 per cent ahead of the same period for last year. The significant increase in the number of people receiving unemployment benefit in the State over the past several months has been a contributing factor to the increased expenditure.
The Hijab Debates
Ireland has finally jumped onto the bandwagon of the great Hijab Debates that have swept across Europe. This has largely been a media-driven debate since there has actually been no problems with schoolgirls wearing the hijab in this country to this point. The government is expected to publish guidelines for schools before the start of the next school year. These guidelines will most likely advise board of managements that the hijab should be allowed to be worn provided the colour is consistent with the uniform. However, this issue has caused much debate in recent weeks in Ireland with opinions both in favour and opposed making themselves heard. However, in a poll conducted by The Irish Times it was found that a majority of people support the right of Muslim girls to be allowed to wear the hijab. In a country with strong religious traditions it is not surprising that there does seem to be some unity amongst the more religious in our society against the possibility that secularist advances could make as a consequence of banning religious symbols in schools. That is not to mention the whole argument that revolves around the freedom of the individual.
A debate on this issue is currently underway on the new Irish Times blog. The debate has also touched on integration, immigration and what it means to be Irish. Interestingly, the Minister for Integration, Conor Lenihan, has also contributed to the blog debate.
If you wish to read my comments you will find them at
Comment 28: 'Irish society is constantly developing. This process of development comes on many fronts. This once traditional Catholic society is being changed by myriad forces from...'
Comment 43: 'Mona, what is ‘full integration’? Before we can talk about integration, multiculturalism or whichever we have to agree on definitions surely. I can cast my mind back...'
The crux of my argument is that Ireland is defined by its democratic nature, the right to free speech, the right to be treated equally before the law, to own property and all the positive aspects that are part of the package of liberal democracies. The issue of wearing the hijab in school or at one’s workplace does not threaten to bring down these fundamental values of the Irish state.
A debate on this issue is currently underway on the new Irish Times blog. The debate has also touched on integration, immigration and what it means to be Irish. Interestingly, the Minister for Integration, Conor Lenihan, has also contributed to the blog debate.
If you wish to read my comments you will find them at
Comment 28: 'Irish society is constantly developing. This process of development comes on many fronts. This once traditional Catholic society is being changed by myriad forces from...'
Comment 43: 'Mona, what is ‘full integration’? Before we can talk about integration, multiculturalism or whichever we have to agree on definitions surely. I can cast my mind back...'
The crux of my argument is that Ireland is defined by its democratic nature, the right to free speech, the right to be treated equally before the law, to own property and all the positive aspects that are part of the package of liberal democracies. The issue of wearing the hijab in school or at one’s workplace does not threaten to bring down these fundamental values of the Irish state.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Growing Uncertainty Looming For Pakistan
Karachi was rocked today by a series of blasts that have so far left one dead and at least thirty-five wounded. Pakistan’s state-run news agency, APP, have described the blasts as ‘low intensity’ with the objective ‘to create panic’. These explosions follow Sunday’s suicide bomb attack in the capital, Islamabad, that left 15 policemen and two others dead and at least 40 injured. These attacks happened shortly after the close of the ‘Lal Masjid Shuhada (martyrs) Conference’, the first anniversary to commemorate the victims of the government’s military operation against the Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) and seminary. 103 people were killed as a result of the July 2007 military raid. Sunday’s attack targeted security personnel and is being viewed as a possible revenge attack. Pakistan is no stranger to instability but the past few days have witnessed an apparent heightened state of volatility.
In October 2007, following her return to Pakistan after years in exile, former Prime Minister and leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Benazir Bhutto became the target of a suicide bomb attack in Karachi. She was assassinated in a subsequent attack in Rawalpindi on 27 December 2007. With 30.6% of the vote, Bhutto’s PPP emerged as the largest party following the February 2008 elections and formed a coalition government with the other main opposition party, PML-N. The parties of the new coalition government are united by their common enmity towards President Musharraf but the coalition government is far from stable and rumours of divisions have already surfaced.
In recent months the increased levels of violence have affected major cities like Islamabad and Lahore. Karachi has witnessed a relative level of calm but today’s blasts could see a worrying return to insecurity in the Southern coastal city.
These type of attacks are not new to Pakistan but their increased frequency is a concern for a government still trying to define its relationship with President Musharraf, while at the same time grappling with the difficulty of policing its porous Northern border with Afghanistan. Despite its reluctant population, Pakistan is a key ally in the US ‘War on Terror’ and has been under increasingly open pressure from US officials to do more to prevent cross-border attacks by a resurgent Taliban. With virtually no government control in the North-West Frontier Province, there have been calls from certain quarters that attacks within Pakistan by US or Coalition forces against Al-Qaeda or Taliban targets are acceptable. However, the infringement of Pakistani sovereignty can only serve to increase the appetite amongst the Pakistani population for anti-government action and risks the further destabilisation of the country. Coupled with the attack on the Indian Embassy in neighbouring Afghanistan today that left at least 40 dead and over 140 injured it is a worrying time for the region and one hopes that a tipping point in the level and magnitude of violence has not been reached.
In October 2007, following her return to Pakistan after years in exile, former Prime Minister and leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Benazir Bhutto became the target of a suicide bomb attack in Karachi. She was assassinated in a subsequent attack in Rawalpindi on 27 December 2007. With 30.6% of the vote, Bhutto’s PPP emerged as the largest party following the February 2008 elections and formed a coalition government with the other main opposition party, PML-N. The parties of the new coalition government are united by their common enmity towards President Musharraf but the coalition government is far from stable and rumours of divisions have already surfaced.
In recent months the increased levels of violence have affected major cities like Islamabad and Lahore. Karachi has witnessed a relative level of calm but today’s blasts could see a worrying return to insecurity in the Southern coastal city.
These type of attacks are not new to Pakistan but their increased frequency is a concern for a government still trying to define its relationship with President Musharraf, while at the same time grappling with the difficulty of policing its porous Northern border with Afghanistan. Despite its reluctant population, Pakistan is a key ally in the US ‘War on Terror’ and has been under increasingly open pressure from US officials to do more to prevent cross-border attacks by a resurgent Taliban. With virtually no government control in the North-West Frontier Province, there have been calls from certain quarters that attacks within Pakistan by US or Coalition forces against Al-Qaeda or Taliban targets are acceptable. However, the infringement of Pakistani sovereignty can only serve to increase the appetite amongst the Pakistani population for anti-government action and risks the further destabilisation of the country. Coupled with the attack on the Indian Embassy in neighbouring Afghanistan today that left at least 40 dead and over 140 injured it is a worrying time for the region and one hopes that a tipping point in the level and magnitude of violence has not been reached.
Everything has a beginning...
During 1728-29, Jonathan Swift and Thomas Sheridan anonymously published the Intelligencer. This Dublin periodical offered trenchant and often witty commentary on the Irish social and political scene. While it is unlikely that this blog will provide as entertaining prose as the original Intelligencer, I hope that I will be able to give to the reader some modicum of amusement.
The primary aim of this blog will be to stimulate debate on a wide range of issues in political and current affairs in Ireland and the rest of the world. Every writer has their own particular interests that affect the topics they address. My strongest interest lies in the field of political campaigning and elections. Consequently, the reader can expect to find topics related to this field addressed regularly on this blog. This blog will also seek to provoke debate on the major issues of the day and may at times include matters of a more trivial nature.
This will be my first experiment in blogging. I am not sure what to expect but I hope that I can offer something of interest for those reading this blog. I bring my own bias and I hope that you will challenge me if you feel that my views are misguided or unwarranted. I look forward to the debate and my entry into the blogosphere.
The primary aim of this blog will be to stimulate debate on a wide range of issues in political and current affairs in Ireland and the rest of the world. Every writer has their own particular interests that affect the topics they address. My strongest interest lies in the field of political campaigning and elections. Consequently, the reader can expect to find topics related to this field addressed regularly on this blog. This blog will also seek to provoke debate on the major issues of the day and may at times include matters of a more trivial nature.
This will be my first experiment in blogging. I am not sure what to expect but I hope that I can offer something of interest for those reading this blog. I bring my own bias and I hope that you will challenge me if you feel that my views are misguided or unwarranted. I look forward to the debate and my entry into the blogosphere.
Photographs Around The Political Scene
National Day of Commemoration 2008
Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin
Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin
With Michael Woods TD (member of parliament), Chairman of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs
With the Chinese Ambassador to Ireland
With Taoiseach Brian Cowen
With Former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
