Afghanistan bowling alley

Two Uyghurs from Guantanamo sent to El Salvador

Hurray?

Uyghurs are Turkic-speaking Muslims in western China.  Like the Tibetans, the small minority has had their culture downgraded to the level of exotic savages with colorful costumes and entertaining dances.  Twenty-two were swept up when we invaded Afghanistan.  They were sent to Guantanamo.

Almost immediately, it became patently obvious that these hapless men were not terrorists.  But what to do with them?  They couldn't be returned to China because they would certainly be tortured, imprisoned, or worse.  Third countries refused to take them because they didn't want to anger China and risk crippling trade sanctions.  Finally, they couldn't be relocated to the United States because, let's face it, would most Americans want former Guantanamo detainees as their neighbors?

Thus, the United States had the tough diplomatic job of convincing other nations to take the harmless men.  This meant convincing small, poor countries with little or no relationship with China.  Here is the breakdown of who took whom:

2006: Five Uyghurs to Albania.  Although Albania recognizes China, their relationship with each other has not been warm.  The Albanian government received cash from the U.S. in return for accepting the five.
2009: Six to Palau.  Palau has diplomatic relations with Taiwan, not China.  Money exchanged hands in this transaction as well.
2009: Four were shipped to the British territory of Bermuda.  The locals are not happy and want them gone.
Today: Two to El Salvador.  El Salvador also has diplomatic relations with Taiwan, not China.

That leaves five Uyghurs still at Guantanamo.  The U.S. is probably talking to the following countries, which all recognize Taiwan rather than China, about hosting the remainder of the prisoners:

-Africa: Burkina Faso, Gambia, Sao Tome and Principe, Swaziland
-Oceania: Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu
-Latin America: Belize, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

These are some slim pickings.  But losers can't be choosers, I guess.

Turkmenistan's presidential ride

On Saturday, Turkmenistan's president-for-life drove to the country's first car race in his Veyron.  He wanted to wish the racers good luck.  But then, the crowd convinced the Dear Leader to enter the contest.  And guess what?  He won!

The Taliban morality police is back

Unfortunately, when NATO finally pulls out of Afghanistan, these asshats will be back in charge.

2012 Nuclear Security Summit captions

Leaders from over 50 countries convened in Seoul to talk nuclear security.  Here are some photos from the talks:

 When did Jordan's King Abdullah II become William Shatner?

 Am definitely not a fashionable guy, but I've always dug the cut of Medvedev's suits and his tie knots.

 Say what you will about Kazakhstan's Nazarbayev, but he did unilaterally give up his young nation's entire nuclear weapons stockpile.

 No matter how powerful you are, you always feel like an outsider at social functions.

 I guess the Polish environmental minister memorized the chapter about bowing in Asian cultures on the flight over.

 I now pronounce you man and Sheila!

How did Chile get to stand in the middle of the whole photo op?  Did they draw straws?

Helicopter unloading on steep hillside

Sure, we suck at nation-building.  But we're awesome at flying helicopters.  USA!  USA!

H/t to Demon_Xanth at Opposite Lock.

Uyghur discontent spills into Pakistan

It is just as difficult to get news out of Xinjiang as it is out of Tibet.  This week, a small but serious riot broke out near the city of Kashgar in far western China.  The numbers are all over the place-- between 12 and 20 people were killed.  The ethnic composition of the victims is also in dispute.  Some reports say the majority of the victims were Han civilians.  Others say the majority were knife-wielding Uyghurs killed by Chinese security forces.

I did not post this earlier because there was simply no photographic or video footage of the rioting or the gruesome aftermath.  The photograph above is one of a couple to have trickled out.  Plus, I was waiting for more accurate figures to emerge, which never happened.

The latest development is worrisome.  A Han Chinese woman in a Peshawar market (it's unclear if she was a tourist, a trader, or someone else) was shot dead.  The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility.  It was supposedly retaliation for the violent treatment of Uyghurs by the Chinese in Xinjiang.

The Chinese government has always been quick to link unrest inside Xinjiang to foreign terrorist influences, despite the lack of evidence.  This attack by a non-Uyghur terrorist on a Han Chinese in Pakistan brings forth a whole new element to the conflict.

Taliban destroys Bamiyan Buddhas, 2001

Koran burning in Afghanistan

The burning of Korans (mixed with confiscated pornographic materials) at an American base has caused not only riots all over Afghanistan, but fratricide as well.  Today, two more Americans, a colonel and a major, were shot and killed by an Afghan solider inside the Interior Ministry building.

This video recap was from yesterday:

Future Chinese First Lady to placate Tibetans and Uyghurs with patriotic songs

Yeah, this ought to wipe out all the animus built up as a result of decades of Han political, cultural, and military hegemony and chauvinism.  Delusional, some people are.

Kyrgyzstan prisoners sew lips together

Meanwhile, in Kyrgyzstan,

Mongol Rally 2012

Who's doing this?

Last U.S. and Soviet troops leaving quagmires

U.S. leaving Iraq and crossing into Kuwait:

U.S.S.R. leaving Afghanistan and crossing back into Soviet Central Asia (skip to 34:18):