An explanatory note: If you’re wondering why we don’t give more coverage of the events in the Mideast, it’s because those stories are getting wide play, while we tend to focus more on seeking patterns in events that gain widespread attention only sporadically or are otherwise neglected.
First up, via The Intercept, a crucial question in an increasingly Orwellian mediascape:
Should Twitter, Facebook and Google Executives be the Arbiters of What We See and Read?
This week, the announcement by Twitter CEO Dick Costolo that the company would prohibit the posting of the James Foley beheading video and photos from it (and suspend the accounts of anyone who links to the video) met with overwhelming approval. What made that so significant, as The Guardian’s James Ball noted today, was that “Twitter has promoted its free speech credentials aggressively since the network’s inception.” By contrast, Facebook has long actively regulated what its users are permitted to say and read; at the end of 2013, the company reversed its prior ruling and decided that posting of beheading videos would be allowed, but only if the user did not express support for the act.
Given the savagery of the Foley video, it’s easy in isolation to cheer for its banning on Twitter. But that’s always how censorship functions: it invariably starts with the suppression of viewpoints which are so widely hated that the emotional response they produce drowns out any consideration of the principle being endorsed.
It’s tempting to support criminalization of, say, racist views as long as one focuses on one’s contempt for those views and ignores the serious dangers of vesting the state with the general power to create lists of prohibited ideas. That’s why free speech defenders such as the ACLU so often represent and defend racists and others with heinous views in free speech cases: because that’s where free speech erosions become legitimized in the first instance when endorsed or acquiesced to.
The question posed by Twitter’s announcement is not whether you think it’s a good idea for people to see the Foley video. Instead, the relevant question is whether you want Twitter, Facebook and Google executives exercising vast power over what can be seen and read.
From the New York Times, an indictee, making political capital:
Perry Says Terrorists Could Be Entering the U.S. From Mexico
Gov. Rick Perry of Texas warned Thursday that militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and other terrorist groups may have already slipped across the Mexican border.
Mr. Perry said there is “no clear evidence” that terrorists have entered the United States illegally across the southern border. But he argued that illegal immigration should be considered a national security issue as well as a social and economic problem, and as evidence he cited the increase in violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants.
“I think there is the obvious, great concern that — because of the condition of the border from the standpoint of it not being secure and us not knowing who is penetrating across — that individuals from ISIS or other terrorist states could be,” he said during a conference on border security and immigration at the Heritage Foundation.
Homeland Security News Wire covers a familiar tale [as when Reagan/Bush I armed Jihadists to fight communists in Afghanistan:
Kurdish group on U.S. terrorist list now ally in fight against ISIS
Factions long held to be “terrorists” by the United States government are now being seen as allies as they fight against an Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) advance into the traditionally Kurdish areas of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. Fighters from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) have waged guerilla warfare in Turkey for several decades, and have been seen as terrorists by much of the world community — until recently. The PKK is now being seen as a valuable ally in the fight against ISIS.
Factions long held to be “terrorists” by the United States government are now being seen as allies as they fight against an Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) advance into the traditionally Kurdish areas of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria.
From the Guardian, more of that good old-fashioned blowback:
Pentagon: Isis is ‘beyond anything we’ve seen’ and must be contained
Defence chiefs describe militants as ‘apocalyptic’ group that will need to be defeated but maintain limited strikes are sufficient
Senior Pentagon officials described the Islamic State (Isis) militant group as an “apocalyptic” organisation that posed an “imminent threat” on Thursday, yet the highest ranking officer in the US military said that in the short term, it was sufficient for the United States to “contain” the group that has reshaped the map of Iraq and Syria.
Army general Martin Dempsey, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, told reporters in a Pentagon briefing that while Isis would eventually have to be defeated, the US should concentrate on building allies in the region to oppose the group that murdered an American journalist, James Foley.
“It is possible to contain them,” Dempsey said, in a Pentagon press conference alongside the defense secretary, Chuck Hagel. “They can be contained, but not in perpetuity. This is an organisation that has an apocalyptic, end-of-days strategic vision which will eventually have to be defeated.”
TechWeekEurope takes us into the realm of unalloyed crime in the cybersphere:
UPS Hacked, Customer Financial Data Could Be Compromised
The world’s largest package-shipping company says it found malware at 51 retail outlets in the US
United Parcel Service (UPS) has revealed that earlier this year, hackers breached computer systems at 51 of its brick-and-mortar retail outlets across 24 US states, giving them the opportunity to steal customer data, including financial information.
The company didn’t specify the number of customers who might be affected, or the type of malware used in the attack. It also said it doesn’t plan to notify affected customers directly.
“As soon as we became aware of the potential malware intrusion, we deployed extensive resources to quickly address and eliminate this issue. Our customers can be assured that we have identified and fully contained the incident,” said Tim Davis, president of UPS Store.
And Defense One covers a new vein of cash for the publisher of the Washington Post:
Amazon Expands Its Cloud Services to the U.S. Military
Amazon Web Services has become the first commercial cloud provider authorized to handle the Defense Department’s most sensitive unclassified data.
Today’s announcement that AWS has achieved a provisional authority to operate under DOD’s cloud security model at impact levels 3-5 is a major win for the company, as it allows DOD customers to provision commercial cloud services for the largest chunks of their data.
And on to the latest chapter of the Asian Games of Zones, with ongoing tension in Pakistan, India border troubles [external and internal] and new arms orders and a new combat force to add muscle to rhetoric, a Chinese/Korean border buildup, Thai coup consolidation, a Sino/Canadian spooky spat, Korean/Japanese tensions, Japan goes stealthy, a Chinese hypersonic warhead delivery test fail, and yet more “comfort women” agita. . .
For our first Asian item, a Pakistani heads for the exit, via the Express Tribune:
Islamabad IG allegedly removed over ‘failure to use force against protesters’
The interior ministry allegedly removed on Thursday Islamabad Inspector General (IG) Aftab Cheema from his post over his failure to use force against PTI, PAT supporters, who are currently staging a sit-in in Islamabad.
In a mysterious turn of events, DIG Headquarters Khalid Khattak was appointed as acting IG Islamabad after Cheema’s application for ‘leave’ was accepted by the interior ministry.
According to sources, the relationship between Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar and Cheema had been strained for a while, specifically after the Islamabad police chief ‘failed’ to control Sikhs, who had stormed through the gates of Parliament House in May this year to protest the alleged desecration of their holy books in Sindh.
However, the major sticking point between the interior minister and Cheema was allegedly over the latter’s refusal to use force against the protesters unless the government provided a written request to him to do so.
And a second Express Tribune story, covering one of the key players:
House into confidence: PM Nawaz rules out force to quell sit-ins
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif pledged on Thursday to continue his quest for a political solution to the current standoff with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek, ruling out any strong-arm tactics to quell their anti-government protests.
“The government is trying to find a political solution to the crisis, and has no plan to use force,” Prime Minister Nawaz said in a meeting with journalists and TV anchors.
He predicted that some people who wish to see bloodshed will be sorely disappointed because their wishes will not come true.
And strong Indian words from the head of the dominant party, via the Economic Times:
India will not be cowed down: Amit Shah
BJP president Amit Shah Thursday said India will not be cowed down by anybody and there will be no compromise on national honour and integrity.
He said the decision of the Narendra Modi government to call off dialogue with Pakistan over the latter’s move to hold talks with Kashmiri separatist leaders demonstrates India’s new foreign policy.
Addressing Bharatiya Janata Party workers here, Shah said the BJP-led government has made it clear that there will be no compromise on national pride and India’s sovereignty and integrity.
Deutsche Welle covers internal troubles:
Violent territorial dispute flares in India’s Assam state
Police have fired into crowds of protestors in the northeastern Indian state of Assam. The latest wave of violence follows decades of friction over local borders.
Thousands of protestors in the northeastern Indian state of Assam defied a curfew on Thursday and attacked officers near the unstable border with its neighbor Nagaland.
Brandishing sticks, stones, and in some cases bows and arrows, residents of Assam’s Golaghat district assaulted the state police on the grounds that the authorities had failed to defend them from the Nagas.
At least 20 people have died and 10,000 have fled their homes in five days of unrest, according to Indian officials.
Bloomberg covers the coast:
India to Unveil Warship to Deter Chinese Submarines Near Coast
India will unveil its first home-built anti-submarine warship tomorrow in a move to deter China from conducting underwater patrols near its shores.
Defense Minister Arun Jaitley will commission the 3,300-ton INS Kamorta at the southeastern Vishakapatnam port. The move comes a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced the largest indigenously built guided-missile destroyer and vowed to bolster the country’s defenses so “no one dares to cast an evil glance at India.”
India is pushing to catch up with China, which built 20 such warships in the past two years and sent a nuclear submarine to the Indian Ocean in December for a two-month anti-piracy patrol. The waters are home to shipping lanes carrying about 80 percent of the world’s seaborne oil, mostly headed to China and Japan.
And Want China Times heads for the hills:
India plans US$10bn mountain strike corps to counter China
India is building a new 620-billion-rupee (US$10 billion) mountain strike corps to counter China along the China-India border in the northeastern part of the country, according to a report from the New Delhi-based Hindustan Times.
The report said General Dalbir Singh Suhag, Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army, is set to visit the Kolkata-based Eastern Command before the end of the month to track the progress of the new 17 Corps, which is being set up to counter China’s reconnaissance and intelligence along the 4,057-kilometer Line of Actual Control (LAC) between the two countries. The corps is likely to be operational by 2022, the report said, adding that it is expected to reduce China’s combat power advantage over India from the current ratio of 3:1 to 2.1:1.
Singh, who recently completed a tour along the the disputed LAC in the sensitive Ladakh area of India-controlled Jammu and Kashmir, has also served as an inspector general in a covert China-centric unit comprising Tibetan soldiers called the Special Frontier Force, the report added.
Nikkei Asian Review covers coup consolidation:
Thai military chief at the helm for the long haul
Thailand’s legislature on Thursday elected Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, the army chief who heads the current military government, as interim prime minister, keeping him at the top at least until the fall 2015 general election.
The National Legislative Assembly overwhelmingly voted Prayuth, the only candidate, as the country’s next prime minister. Upon approval from King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Prayuth will take office and assemble a cabinet. He will be the first prime minister in around 30 years to serve concurrently as commander in chief of the Royal Thai Army. He currently leads the National Council for Peace and Order, the junta ruling Thailand in the absence of an elected government.
The interim cabinet is expected to be formed this month. Rumors have it that the military’s top brass, including air chief Prachin Chantong and Gen. Thanasak Patimaprakorn, head of the defense forces, are being considered for cabinet posts. It is unclear whether Prayuth, whose appointment as army chief is to expire at the end of September, will step down from that position.
Want China Times again, reassuring by proxy:
North Korean tanks at Chinese border no big deal: Global Times
Reports that North Korea has deployed an estimated 80 tanks to its border with China are completely overblown, says the Global Times, a tabloid under the auspices of the Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily.
South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo created a stir on Tuesday when it reported that Pyongyang had deployed one of its newest and modern armored units, the 12th Corps of the Korean People’s Army, to Ryanggang province, the frontier region that borders China’s Jilin province to its north. No tank units had previously been stationed in Ryanggang, the report said, adding that the 12th Corps has been reinforced with armored infantry units, artillery units equipped with rocket launchers and brigades trained to carry out “special warfare.”
The corps was formed in 2010, reportedly for the task of taking on the People’s Liberation Army should an “incident” occur at the border. The 80 or so tanks are said to be capable of carrying 10-15 soldiers each and can travel at speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour. A further 80 armored carriers are scheduled to be deployed to the province in the near future, the paper said, apparently on the direct orders of North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-un, who is said to be fearing the possibility that China, North Korea’s only ally, might “betray” him by siding with South Korea.
The Winnipeg Sun covers a Sino/Canadian spat:
Prime Minister’s Office bans Chinese reporters from Arctic trip: Sources
The Canadian government says it will not allow reporters from two Chinese state-owned news organizations to fly with the Prime Minister on his annual Arctic tour because of past bad behaviour.
Jason MacDonald, spokesman for the Prime Minister Office, told QMI Agency that “certain news outlets were no longer welcome” to travel with PM Stephen Harper.
A source in the government told QMI Agency that no reporters from the People’s Daily or Xinhua news agency will be allowed on the trip this year.
But intelNews suggests a deeper meaning:
Canada bans Chinese reporters over spy concerns
The office of the prime minister of Canada has banned reporters working for China’s state-owned media from covering the Canadian leader’s official trip to the Arctic, due to concerns that they may be spies.
For the past several summers, Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper has undertaken official tours of the Canadian Arctic, in an effort to promote the country’s northern economy and attend military exercises.
However, in a move that has raised eyebrows in Ottawa and Beijing, the organizers of the trip have issued a ban on a number of Chinese reporters from joining the Canadian prime minister’s entourage.
From People’s Daily, and, uh, sure, we believe ‘em:
Anti-terrorism exercise has nothing to do with America
“Peace Mission-2014,” an anti-terrorism drill under the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) framework, will run from Aug 24-29, 2014. This drill aims at improving member countries’ capacity to strike against the “three evil forces” of terrorism, separatism and extremism, and at boosting the militaries’ coordinated ability to fight against non-traditional security threats, including terrorism. The joint drill is not targetted against any individual country.
Some western media have described this drill as “a Central Asian grouping that is dominated by China and Russia, aiming to challenge U.S. influence in Asia as well as the international order ruled by U.S. and its European allies”.
Any reasonable analysis of this drill will expose the fact that these doubts and criticisms stand on shaky foundations.
JapanToday shares the blame:
U.S. experts blame both Japan, S Korea for tensions
Sharp differences on historical issues that have strained relations between Japan and South Korea require Tokyo to face up to its abusive wartime past and for Seoul to be less preoccupied with it, U.S. experts and former officials say.
The divisions between the two main American allies in Asia, which play host to a total of 80,000 U.S. forces, have become a growing concern in Washington as it attempts to consolidate its system of alliances and deepen its engagement in the region.
South Korea’s ambassador to Washington, Ahn Ho-young told the Heritage Foundation think tank Tuesday that it would difficult for relations between the neighbors to improve unless Japan “fairly and honestly” recognizes its wrongdoings of the past, including its treatment of so-called “comfort women” — mostly Chinese and Korean sex slaves used by Japan’s military during World War II.
The Asahi Shimbun covers the stealthy:
Defense Ministry reveals prototype of first Japanese stealth fighter
The Defense Ministry released images of a homegrown experimental combat plane designed to be Japan’s first stealth fighter.
The sleek jet features huge box-like intakes for its highly sophisticated engines.
The aircraft, dubbed the Advanced Technological Demonstrator (ATD), is now undergoing trials.
South China Morning Post covers a fail:
China’s second test of hypersonic glider fails
The People’s Liberation Army has carried out a second, albeit unsuccessful test of a hypersonic vehicle, two sources close to the military said, as China attempts to find a way to deliver nuclear weapons at immense speed to evade defence systems.
The test was carried out on August 7 at a missile and satellite launching centre in Shanxi province, about 300km from its capital Taiyuan, said the sources, who asked not be named.
It was the second time the system had failed, the two sources said. The vehicle broke up soon after it was launched.
And for our final item, obstinate revisionism from Jiji Press:
LDP Panel to Ask Govt to Issue New Statement on Comfort Women
A Liberal Democratic Party panel decided Thursday to ask the government to issue a new statement on wartime “comfort women.”
The ruling party’s Policy Research Council wants the chief cabinet secretary to issue the statement in 2015, the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.
The government inherited the 1993 statement issued by then Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono that acknowledged the now-defunct Imperial Japanese Army was directly involved in recruiting comfort women to act as sex slaves for Japanese soldiers during the war and offered an apology.
Following the meeting, Sanae Takaichi, chairman of the council, told reporters, “The council intends to dispel false information reported worldwide that will continue to undermine the honor of the country and its people into the future.”
