Stories about War & Conflict from February, 2010
Palestine: Going to School
Mohamed Khaled, posted pictures for Palestinian students going to schools.
India: What Should Be The Response Against Terror?
In the aftermath of the terror attack in Pune The Filter Coffee and Pragmatic Euphony discuss how India should respond.
Philippines: Politics and peace in Mindanao
Steven Rood and Crisanto Cayon look into the political situation and the prospects of ending the war in Mindanao Island in the Philippines.
India: Terror Strikes Pune
At around 7:30 pm on Saturday a bomb blast at a restaurant popular with tourists in India's western city of Pune killed 9 people and left 57 people injured. Emotions are running high as the Bloggers and the Twitterati react.
Darfur: Youth Keep Crisis in the Spotlight
Though the major conflict has ceased in Darfur, in western Sudan, the continuing instability and ongoing attacks have been particularly harmful for the region's young people. But youth both within and outside of Sudan have been vital in raising awareness and funds and trying to bring change to Darfur.
Uzbekistan, Tajikistan: A row on the border
Alpharabius reports on a border incident between Uzbek border guards and Tajik servicemen, which almost led to a gunfire, and wonders could an alleged attempt to steal a cow provoke an armed conflict.
Afghanistan: Prospects for exporting Baghlani Gouda
Peter Marton reports on a cheese factory in Afghanistan. It was started 30 years ago, destroyed in the 1980s and re-launched again in 2006.
Pakistan: The Taliban Succession
Kalsoom at CHUP: Changing Up Pakistan discusses the controversial demise of several Taliban leaders and the battle, drama and rumors about their successors.
Azerbaijan: Book review
Scary Azeri in Suburbs comments on Artush and Zaur, a homo-erotic novel telling the love story between an Armenian and Azerbaijani man. The blogger says that while the book is a brave attempt to overcome taboos, she found it more funny than touching in its depiction of various sexual encounters.
Arab World: Should the New York Times Reassign Ethan Bronner?
Over the past couple of weeks, a much-discussed topic in the broader Arab blogosphere has been a news story that broken by a member of the blogosphere itself. On January 25, the Electronic Intifada (EI) reported that the son of Ethan Bronner, New York Times' Jerusalem bureau chief, had recently been inducted into the Israeli Defense Forces. Arab bloggers discuss the case.
Nepal: Gun Culture On The Rise
Ujjwal Acharya at The Radiant Star informs – “thanks to the Maoists’ People’s War and the rise of armed groups in Terai along with the lack of impunity, the gunture (gun culture) is on the rise in Nepali society.”
Afghanistan: Why so optimistic?
Joshua Foust criticizes General McChrystal, a top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, who offered a hint of optimism on the situation in this country by declaring it is no longer “deteriorating”.
Pakistan: Karachi Under Attack
On February 5, 2010, twin suicidal blasts hit mourners of the Shia sect in Karachi. The attacks came 40 days after the Ashura bombing that killed over 40 people. Bloggers discuss the history of violence in Karachi and the inability of the authorities to gain control of the situation.
Pakistan: Two More Blasts In Karachi
Five Rupees reports that two more suicidal blasts targeting Shia mourners rocked busy streets of Karachi taking scores of lives.
Pakistan: The Dr. Aafia Siddiqui Verdict
Teeth Maestro comments on the Dr. Aafia Siddiqui Verdict : “I and many Pakistanis may not actually like the overall decision, but we must draw the line. [..] Being a staunch believer in supremacy of judiciary we must accept this verdict, without possibly burning down the American Embassy in sheer...
Bangladesh: BRAC In Pakistan
Malik Rashid at BRAC Blog describes how BRAC, the Bangladeshi NGO, is teaching children in the town of Haripur in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) in Pakistan.
Sri Lanka: Reason For Rajapaksa's Landslide Victory
Serendipity comments on the reason for the landslide victory of Mahinda Rajapaksa in the Sri Lankan presidential election – namely gratitude for ending the war against LTTE: “living in fear of the LTTE for so long, left a permanent scar on the psyche of the people, which only the end...
As Liberia stabilizes, youth begin to talk about sex
As Liberia continues to emerge from its horrific civil war, many fear the combination of extreme poverty and risky sexual decisions will increase the country's HIV/AIDS rate and the number of unplanned pregnancies.
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Twitter Diplomacy
With a peaceful resolution to the conflict over Nagorno Karabakh as elusive as ever, Armenians and Azerbaijanis are unable to visit each other’s country or communicate through traditional means such as telephone or mail. Can new and social media step in to fill the gap to break the information blockade?
Maldives: Resist Terrorists
Hassan Ziyau discusses the recent rise of extremism inside Maldives and urges the government to take the issue seriously.