Paraguay crisis continues

Plus, Chavez is looking pretty healthy.  I thought he was on his deathbed.

The UN whistleblower

Just spoke to an old friend at the UN and this is the topic at the proverbial water cooler.

Turkish F-4 shot down by Syria

It appears the jet was flying fast and low in Syrian airspace right off the Mediterranean coast.  The West is certainly tired of war (and can't afford one).  But what better way to distract the populace from a crappy economy than war.  Will NATO retaliate for the downed plane?

Old school maps

We have been slow in finding appropriate art for our living room.  Finally, we've found something.  These are old (1959 for Spain and 1962 for Latin America) maps that used to hang in a public school classroom.

British and Dutch Guyanas before independence.

Diplomatic to call it "Malvinas or Falkland".  However, the islands are the same color as Argentina.

British Honduras aka Belize.

Now, for the other wall, we're looking for an old world map with the U.S.S.R. and East Germany.

Paraguay president impeached

That was quick!

Pilot defectors

Today, a Syrian air force pilot flew a MiG-21 to Jordan and asked for asylum.  This reminds of...

While growing up in Taiwan during the Cold War, one piece of news got everyone's attention.  Whenever a pilot from Mainland China defected, it was time for celebration.  It confirmed that Communism was bad and that our non-Communist dictatorship was good.  No doubt the gold that was given as a reward was a great motivator.  It was great propaganda.

Red China to Taiwan defections:

1. 1960, MiG-15, pilot died when plane crashed on landing.
2. 1961, An-2, two pilots awarded 25 kilos of gold as award.
3. 1962, MiG-15, pilot got 50 kilos of gold.
4. 1965, Il-28, first Il-28 bomber in "western" hands.
5. 1977, Shenyang J-6.
6. 1983, J-7, landed in South Korea, Taiwan awarded pilot 350 kilos of gold.
7. 1983, J-5, 150 kilos of gold.
8. 1985, Il-28 crashed in South Korea, survivor got 150 kilos of gold from Taiwan.
9. 1986, J-6, landed in South Korea, given 250 kilos.
10. 1986, J-6, landed in South Korea, given 250 kilos.
11. 1987, J-6, 250 kilos.
12. 1989, J-6, 100 kilos given instead of 250 kilos in response to Red China abolishing practice of rewarding defectors from Taiwan.

Taiwan to Red China defections:

1. 1955, C-46 transport plane.
2. 1955, two cadets in a PT-17 trainer.
3. 1955, F-47, crashed and died.
4. 1956, AT-6 trainer.
5. 1963, F-86F.
6. 1969, two pilots in a T-33 trainer.
7. 1981, F-5E, awarded $370,000 U.S. but money was immediately returned.
8. 1986, U-6A.
9. 1986, former U-2 pilot defected in a hijacked 747(!).
10. 1989, F-5E, pilot died after ejecting.

Source.

World's top oil subsidizers

Cool and informative interactive map here.

Russia has a naval base in Syria?!

What is this, 1979?

More here.

BRICS

Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa

And it's in order too!  Taken today in Mexico.

The Cold War continues in Chile

Yesterday, a documentary that shed Augusto Pinochet in a positive light was privately screened in Santiago.  The controversial event drew crowds from both sides.  Here, you see an old timer (pro-Allende and with stick) striking a younger old timer (pro-Pinochet) in the streets.

It's almost comical, if it wasn't so sad.

Thanks to Viva Chile for the tip.

Sharon and Mubarak both in coma now

First dry cleaner in 20 years in Mogadishu, Somalia

Residents were flying their dirty suits to Nairobi before this shop opened.  Unbelievable.  And check out this map of who controls the "country".

Source.

Israel wants Sudanese refugees gone

First, let's be honest.  As progressive and as lofty-minded as we (you, the typical reader of this blog, and me) think we are, we wouldn't want a bunch of impoverished refugees living next door to us.  But it is a bit ironic that many Israelis a) don't want to allow refugees from a war-torn country in and b) complain that foreigners are a menace and have no right to take their land and resources.

U.N. observer in Syria

Pastor Maldonado y Hugo Chavez

Today is a national holiday in Venezuela.  I still can't figure out how Maldonado, the oft-mocked pay driver, won in a Williams (the odds were 300 to 1).  He has the financial support of Hugo Chavez and the national oil company PDVSA.  Chavez is too ill to make an appearance, but here are the two in January 2011.

Some observations:
1. Man, Chavez is a blowhard.
2. Back then, I wonder if Pastor thought: "Boy, is all this ass-kissing worth it?"
3. "Pay driver" is tough to define, but when was the last time a pay driver won a race?

What's Aung San Suu Kyi's ride?

She arrived at Parliament today in that black sedan.  What is it?

Carlos the Jackal: the movie, the cars, the music

This is a wonderful miniseries available on Netflix Streaming.

The movie:

The cars:

The music:

H/t to Alan!

2012 Bahrain GP, final lap

Bahrain bridge shut down tonight with burning tires within 2 minutes

Damn, they work fast!

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.