Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- October 29, 2013

'North Korea is often seen as something of a joke: a strange, secretive place in the grip of cartoon communism and under the thumb of crazed dictators.' Photograph: Kcna/Reuters

North Korea Is Treated As A Joke – But Its Realities Are Deadly Serious -- Ian Birrel, The Guardian

Behind the military parades and Kim Jong-un's bizarre posturing is a repressive regime that the world can no longer ignore

Kim Song-ju sought to escape the living hell of North Korea, but after crossing a freezing river into China was returned, like so many other defectors. He was sent to a prison camp, where he shared – with 40 other unfortunates – a cramped cell that had to be entered on all fours through a tiny door less than two feet high. They were starved – their watery soup often containing stones – and routinely beaten by guards, who told them they were no longer human.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Can Merkel really be surprised the NSA spied on her? -- Erik Kirschbaum, Reuters

Germany's Stasi past looms over NSA spying furor -- Dagmar Hovestädt, special for CNN

Cyber Kleptomaniacs: Why China Steals Our Secrets -- John Lee, World Affairs

Syria’s brutality continues at will -- Michael Gerson, Washington Post

The Case Against Negotiating With Assad -- Aaron David Miller, Bloomberg

Mr. Kerry’s empty words on Syria -- Washington Post editorial

Baghdad bomb blasts pile pressure on Iraq leaders -- Ahmed Maher, BBC

As Syria disintegrates, so too does Iraq -- Patrick Cockburn, The Independent

Iraq and Us -- Bing West, NRO

Fury in the Saudi Kingdom -- Roger Cohen, New York Times

Why Won’t the West Defend Middle Eastern Christians? -- Diarmaid MacCulloch, Daily Beast

Iran's Dangerous Environment -- David Michel, Real Clear World

Nobody, not even Narendra Modi, can drastically change India over the next five years -- Sidin Vadukut, Quartz

Individuals, Worlds Apart, United by the Trauma of Drone Strikes -- John Knefel, Rolling Stone

Libya needs U.S. help for security -- Christopher S. Chivvis, Special to CNN

No comments: