Terrorism nostalgia

Following my reading of the BBC World News this past week, as well as my weekly trawl of the Apple movie trailers website, two items caught my eye.

In the news, MI5 in Britain revealed that the threat of attack by Irish Republican elements on mainland Britain has been raised from ‘moderate’ to ‘substantial’, signs that efforts by the Provisional IRA, Real IRA, and numerous other factions are higher than they have been in years.

On the entertainment front, a Spanish-produced English-language movie titled ‘Carlos’ is set to be released in the United States before the end of 2010. Based on a miniseries, it chronicles the life and actions of Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, better known as Carlos the Jackal. The 1970s were the height of Carlos’ activity, at which time he was the world’s most well-known terrorist and assassin, a gun for hire unlike any other during that decade.

That I read and viewed these articles in a short period of time was coincidence. However, it highlights a hearkening back to a time when terrorism, while no less abhorrent or disgusting, was more of a known quantity. The time of the IRA, the Baader Meinhof Gang, Red Army Faction, and Carlos the Jackal. Carlos was well photographed, and his exploits and international man of mystery lifestyle were well chronicled. Demands would be made to governments, in many cases following a movie-worthy Socialist script regarding the release of ‘our revolutionary Socialist brothers and sisters imprisoned around the world’, or something to such effect. In the case of the old-guard IRA, often, but not always, bomb threats would come to radio and other media outlets with enough time for evacuation before inevitable detonation.

Gone are those days. We now live in an era of terrorism that remains symbolic, having a statement, and producing casualties, but on a much larger scale to anything committed in the relative heyday of fledgling terrorism. The mantra of ‘go big or go home,’ sadly, applies all to well to modern approaches by terrorists.

Do we bring it upon ourselves? Self-inflicted terrorism

The phrase ‘you bring it upon yourself’ is one of everyday usage. Insult an individual enough, and that individual may very likely hit you. Poke a hornet’s nest enough times with a stick, and the hornets will probably get angry and sting you.

These are lessons that many young children learn, in one way or another, early in life. However, it appears that as adults, some have forgotten this sage piece of advice.

Two nations with populations that seem to have forgotten, or choose to ignore, the ‘bring it upon yourself’ mantra are the State of Israel and, more recently, the United States.

As a disclaimer, I am NOT anti-Israeli, anti-Semitic, or against the existence of the State of Israel. That said, the Israelis continue, through their actions, to goad, frustrate, and anger elements of the Palestinian population. Further encroachment by Israeli settlements and annexation of land in East Jerusalem, recognized internationally as illegal, stands to radicalize otherwise moderate or ‘on-the-fence’ Palestinians. Until the international community condemns these encroachments, oversees the return of annexed Palestinian lands AND physically polices, cooperatively with Palestinian security forces, land borders, no effective progress will be seen.

With regard to the United States, the recent rise in anti-Muslim sentiment, or ‘Islamophobia,’ related to the location of a Islamic community center in proximity to the former site of the World Trade Center towers in lower Manhattan, is cause for great concern. Relatively large portions of the American public, in recent polls, have unfavorable views of Islam. The threat of Qur’an burning by Pastor Terry Jones in Florida, brought mass protests in Muslim nations throughout the world, and threats against Americans worldwide. A growing lack of tolerance and education could affect Muslim-Americans in the United States, already feeling somewhat marginalized, leading to more young Muslim-Americans seeking out radical elements either within American borders, or abroad in Yemen, Somalia, and elsewhere.

Poke a hornets nest or insult a person too much, and you will elicit a response.

New Iranian Revolution

Following Iran's recently held presidential elections, there have been large protests in Tehran by supporters of reformist-candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi Khameneh. After early reports that the presidential race would be a close one between Mousavi Khameneh and incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, poll results were to the contrary, with Ahmadinejad taking over 60% of the votes. This has lead to widespread allegations of election fraud, rigging, and tampering. While there has yet to be an investigation, it is not unreasonable to believe that Ahmadinejad and loyal followers in the government have interfered in order to retain power.

What can we make of this? The Guardian Council (the ruling legislative body of ayatollahs) announced today there would be a recount of the votes, and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme religious authority, has said that there will be an investigation into the claims of fraud. The large protests against Ahmadinejad and in favour of reformist candidates have continued, in the face of government bans, detaining of protesters, and recent bloodshed. While no longer a 'velvet revolution', like the one seen in the Ukraine several years ago, the popular move against Ahmadinejad could prove successful. If the Guardian Council and Ayatollah Khamenei are smart, they will appease the protestors and remove Ahmadinejad. Such a move would placate not only dissent at home, but would stand as a powerful message to the rest of the world that Iran is ready to re-engage with the US and other states. In any event, the stakes are huge, both for the better or for the worse.

Korean Standoff, Of A Sort

Earlier today, an unnamed North Korean Army spokesman was quoted by the Korean Central News Agency (North Korean state news) as saying: “Any hostile act against our peaceful vessels including search and seizure will be considered an unpardonable infringement on our sovereignty and we will immediately respond with a powerful military strike.” This statement, reported by Reuters, adds to what has already been a busy week in the Koreas. Disregarding opposition and condemnation by the international community of its continued nuclear development program, North Korea test-fired three short range (130-kilometer) missiles from its missile base in Musudanri on May 25th. This was quickly followed by South Korea announcing it would join a U.S.-initiated undertaking that would allow the interception and search of vessels suspected of transporting weapons of mass destruction. And on Thursday, MSNBC reported that American and South Korean forces were placed on an increased alert level of readiness.

 

What can be taken from this past week? Difficult to say. Kim Jong-Il, at the age of 68, remains at the helm of arguably the last die hard communist state in the world, one with a lackluster economy, but of a highly militaristic nature (as evidenced by U.S. State Department estimates of active duty personnel near 1.2 million). It would also seem that he does not intend to leave the political scene voluntarily, having built a considerable cult of personality in the country. This is evidenced by the differences in accounts of Kim Jong-Il’s birth: while Soviet records, widely held as most reliable, state that Jong-Il was born in Siberia to his exiled father Il-Sung and his wife, North Korean records are very different. The DPRK claims that Jong-Il was “born in a log cabin at his father's guerilla base on North Korea's highest mountain, Mt Paektu…marked by a double rainbow, and a bright star in the sky. (news.bbc.co.uk)” Jong-Il shows no signs of giving in to the international community, despite renewed sanctions against the country and condemnation by the world leaders. Instead, he has persisted in flaunting increased pressure with recent displays of force in short- and medium-range missile exercises and covert nuclear tests, with stated long-range missile tests in the near future.

 

South Korea, has for a long time, had the backing of the United States. As of February 2009, American personnel in South Korea numbered 28,000, intended to deter the North from a reprise invasion of the South. It is reasonable to assume that American personnel will remain in the country for the foreseeable future, and the threat of the United States becoming involved, in the event of another North-South conflict, should be enough to put off the North Koreans. It returns to the notion of MAD – mutually assured destruction if a war shifts from conventional to ‘hot’, or nuclear.

 

The next few months will prove interesting, with regard to the proposed board-and-search plan. Undoubtedly, a less involved method will be researched, perhaps scaled-down technology similar to that used in American ports-of-entry that scan containers and vessels for NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) materials. It would achieve the goal of locating these dangerous substances, prevent their reaching the hands of transnational groups or other rogue nations, and not incite immediate armed action. This would be immensely more agreeable to possible stand-offs/conflicts on board vessels. Vessels that may or may not carry the aforementioned materials.

 

 

The Iranian Quandary

The Iranian Quandary. Though it sounds like the title to a Robert Ludlum novel, it is not an unreasonable appraisal of dealing with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Today, quickly following the meetings between Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and President Barack Obama, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced the successful launch of Iran's Sejil-2 missile, a medium-to-long range missile with a 1200 - 2000 kilometer range, as reported by the Washington Post and Al-Jazeera.

It stands to reason that this new development in Iran's nuclear ambitions will give President Obama some pause in his efforts to engage the President Ahmadinejad and the Iranian regime. His pledge of Iranian engagement is commendable, and could prove to be a large step in bringing some improvement to the state of affairs in the Middle East. The adage 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer' has some bearing on his approach. In bringing Iran into the fray and improving relations between the two nations, regional stabilization and increased transparency could be yielded.

This policy, while garnering praise from certain elements, has also made the road slightly bumpier with others. During talks with President Obama, Prime Minister Netanyahu pleaded the case that Iran and its ambitious nuclear program must be dealt with before worrying about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. President Obama, it would appear, gently rebuffed this effort to change priorities, stating that "better relations with its Arab neighbors" would be beneficial to Israel, particularly in placing pressuring Iran with regard to its nuclear program (as reported by the Washington Post).

Yet another factor that will add to the question of how to deal with Iran is the forthcoming national election, to be held June 12th. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is set to share the ballot with four moderate candidates, following confirmation by the country's constitutional body today, according to Al-Jazeera. The moderate candidates have reportedly criticized Ahmadinejad for shunning the international community and alienating and isolating Iran. Depending on how elections play out in Iran, the Iranian quandary may improve, or, conversely, worsen.

Easy Indonesian

I love Asian cuisines. Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian. Perhaps it was instilled in me by my parents, who spent time living abroad in Southeast Asia. Either way, I love the food and the flavors.

The other evening, I really had a taste for Indonesian. In the Somerset Hills, good luck finding somewhere that offers hot chicken satay, or spiced delicious nasi goreng. So, armed with my Indonesian cookbook, I ventured to go Indonesian. And it was fantastic. Even my parents, who ate at some of the best satay spots in Hong Kong and Singapore, enjoyed it.

SATAY MARINADE

Serves 3 – 4

3 small shallots, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tsp chopped fresh ginger

½ tsp sambal oelek/ulek or chili powder

1 – 2 tbsp distilled white vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tbsp peanut oil

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground cumin

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp soft brown sugar (optional)

½ tsp salt

Use the amounts above per pound of meat, be it beef, chicken, or seafood. I went with chicken, cutting it into roughly 1-inch cubes, letting it marinade, covered, in the refrigerator for 1 hour. The longer it marinates, the better the flavor.

To cook, preheat an oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Skewer the meat on metal skewers, and lay them on the edge of a pan, to catch drippings. Cook for 10 - 12 minutes, and serve immediately. If you cannot serve them right away, take them out of the oven, DO NOT leave them in. 2 minutes prior to serving, heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and flash heat the skewers for 2 minutes, then serve.

To accompany the satay, I made nasi goreng, which is the Indonesian take on the classic Asian dish of fried rice.

FRIED RICE (NASI GORENG)

 

Serves 4 – 6

 

2 tbsp peanut oil

1 tbsp butter

3 shallots or 1 small onion, very finely chopped

1 tsp sambal ulek, or ½ tsp chili powder

1 tsp paprika

2 tsp tomato puree or ketchup

2 tbsp light soy sauce

3 carrots, very finely diced

2 tbsp hot water (optional)

salt to taste

1 lb long-grain rice, cooked by the absorption method or in an electric rice cooker, and allowed to cool completely

 

1.   Heat the oil and butter in a wok or large frying pan. Stir-fry the shallots for 1 – 2 minutes, then add the other ingredients, including the hot water (if using), but not the rice. Continue stir-frying for about 6 minutes until the vegetables are cooked.

2.   Add the rice, and mix thoroughly so that the rice is heated through and takes on the reddish tinge of the paprika and tomato. Adjust the seasoning.

3.   Serve hot of a warmed serving dish – by itself as an accompaniment to a main course; garnished with sliced cucumber, sliced tomatoes, watercress, and crisp-fried shallots; or topped with seafood or meat.

Credit for the above recipes goes to Sri Owen, author of 'The Indonesian Kitchen'. The following is a link to her book on Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Indonesian-Kitchen-Recipes-Stories/dp/1566567394/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242585237&sr=8-1

Measures of Persuasion and Related Conflicts

Rendition. Abu Ghraib. Waterboarding. Guantanamo Bay.

These are all terms that in recent years have become increasingly common vocabulary in the area of transnational issues, namely terrorism. As Congressional panels and hearings begin, looking into practices of the last administration of 'acquiring' vital intelligence, a tough scenario is presented to society.

On the one hand, citizens demand, and have a right to a continuous way of life. They want to be safe and secure in the knowledge that their governments are protecting them, their quality of life, and American ideals from external aggressions and attacks. The common adages of 'do whatever it takes' and 'no matter the cost' come to mind. Has the public involuntarily granted the government carte blanche in order to remain safe and secure? There are calls for justice, investigations, prosecution. And these calls may very well be justified, but it could be seen as an attack on those whom the public empowered to protect the population.

On the other hand, one could understand an basic conflict between the American ideals being protected, and the methods employed to protect them. Some may ask, 'what is the point of protecting those ideals we hold dear, that maintain our comfortable way of life, if in the process the methods employed go in face of those same ideals?'

It is a situation that will, undoubtedly, be a prime matter during the first years of the current administration, while memories of the past are still fresh in the minds of the public, advocacy and lobby groups, and members of Congress.