Word: stills
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...once the U.S.'s most essential ally and its most troublesome obstacle. Enter General Ashfaq Kayani, the current army chief. His presence in talks between a Pakistani delegation and top officials in the U.S. capital overshadowed that of his country's civilian Foreign Minister - a sign of who still calls the shots in Islamabad. That may no longer be such a bad thing. Kayani's visit comes in the wake of two hard-fought campaigns by his troops against local militants and the capture of assorted Afghan Taliban leaders on Pakistani soil. The general is confident enough to demand...
...embassy van, and soon the remaining bottle of Champagne was uncorked. As Bieniawski slapped backs and offered high fives, his deputy remained quiet. Chuck Messick, a Navy man, has worked on the HEU-retrieval program since its inception in 1996. The HEU, he reminded anyone who would listen, still had to find safe passage through the Panama Canal and be safely unloaded in the U.S. "The mission," he said, "is not over yet. The mission is not over...
Elements of the Kyrgyz nomadic heritage still shape much of this largely pastoral and agrarian society. The brand of Sufi Islam practiced by the majority of the population has blended easily with sky- and nature-worshipping traditions of an earlier era. Though now illegal, the distasteful custom of wife-kidnapping - where a woman is unsuspectingly and often forcibly seized and taken to her husband-to-be's home - perseveres in parts of the country. (See a TIME piece on whether Moscow subverted the upheaval in Kyrgyzstan...
...Soldiers, however, were still meddling in politics. According to poll monitors, military officers have interfered in just about every election since 1992. Military personnel are part of the patronage networks of leading politicians, whose influence they rely upon to advance their careers in the armed forces. This provides incentive for soldiers to try to influence political outcomes. The most blatant example of such patronage came when Thaksin appointed his cousin as army chief in 2003. That move sparked a backlash among soldiers who were not part of Thaksin's patronage network. They feared the army would become a political tool...
...does not appear certain. A day after the decree was issued, the military had yet to take action. Perhaps the military fears another May 1992, in which by cracking down on protesters, it will become the villain. Perhaps new deals are being struck. Or maybe the high command is still preparing its plans for clearing the streets. The next few days may tell. But when Abhisit appeared on national television to announce emergency rule, he was flanked by politicians - and noticeably no generals...