ABC Radio Australia

ABC Radio Australia Interviews Rajan Menon on Pakistan

Communications — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 00:47:00 -0400

New America in the News:

Last week Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto addressed her power-sharing deal with General Pervez Musharraf at her press confrerence. “Many have criticized the deal but it is being done to avoid bloodshed and ensure an orderly transfer of power to the people,” she said.

In an interview with ABC Radio Australia, New America Foundation Fellow Rajan Menon discussed Bhutto’s political situation upon her return to Pakistan after eight years in exile.

Has Bhutto been damaged politically by the amnesty deal struck with General Musharraf?

“Yes… There’s no question that within her own party there was great unease about deal cutting with Musharraf. Not only was there the feeling she might taint herself while doing it, but in effect Musharraf was reeling in on the ropes... she rang the bell ending the round. Needlessly she allowed him a second shot as it were,” said Menon.

For the complete interview with Menon and more on the situation in Pakistan, please follow this link.

ABC Radio Australia Interviews Peter Bergen on al Qaeda Resurgence

Communications — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 16:02:00 -0500

New America in the News:

MICHAEL ROWLAND: A resurgent al-Qaeda is the last thing the US and its Coalition allies need at the moment. Bogged down in Baghdad and bracing for a fresh Taliban offensive in Afghanistan, Coalition forces are already stretched perilously thin.

But American Intelligence agencies have concluded al-Qaeda has been steadily rebuilding its global terror network from its operational hub in Pakistan's remote northwest.

The New York Times quotes intelligence officials who say they've identified a number of new al-Qaeda training camps in the Pakistani tribal area of north Waziristan. The officials believe the operatives being trained there are being groomed to launch terrorist attacks in neighbouring Afghanistan and beyond.

The assessment is supported by terrorism analyst Peter Bergen, at the New America Foundation.

PETER BERGEN: Now these are not training camps you can see for the air, from a satellite. But they're inside compounds, you're getting 10 to 20 people practising bomb making, doing exercises.

And we're seeing some of this stuff showing up in these kinds of al-Qaeda training tapes that are coming out, showing training only, in the training, in the tribal areas. And of course, this is more than just training. People are using this training to go and do things.

MICHAEL ROWLAND: Peter Bergen points out that two of the four men involved in the London subway bombings in July 2005 travelled to Pakistan before the attacks.

The officials quoted by the New York Times also say al-Qaeda's leadership remains largely intact, with Osama Bin Laden and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri, coordinating the rebuilding effort.

Mr Bergen, who's had the dubious honour of actually meeting Bin Laden, believes al-Qaeda is on the march.

PETER BERGEN: So unfortunately this group, which the conventional wisdom was that it was sort of out of business, unfortunately is back in business. What that means for American security isn't really clear. What it means for British security is very clear already. They've launched one attack in July 2005, an al-Qaeda operation. They've also tried to bring down 10 American airliners, in August of last year. That plan luckily didn't work out...

For the complete transcript, please visit the ABC Radio Australia website.

Rajan Menon Discusses Sri Lankan Situation on ABC Radio Australia

Communications — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 08:36:00 -0400

New America in the News:

Sri Lanka's military jets have pounded rebel-held territory in the island's north-east in the wake of one of the deadliest ever suicide bombings in which some 100 people were killed.

The latest fighting has heightened international moves to keep next week's scheduled peace talks on track...

To listen to the interview, please visit ABC Radio Australia's website.

ABC Radio Australia Interviews Anatol Lieven on Russia, Georgia

Communications — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 16:24:00 -0400

New America in the News:

On 27 September, four Russian military officers were arrested in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, on charges of spying. In a very public gesture, the alleged spies were paraded in the capital city before eventually being deported back to Moscow.

Russian president, Vladimir Putin accused Georgia of conducting "state terrorism with hostage-taking" and Russia has imposed economic sanctions on Georgia, including cutting all transport and postal links, closing major Georgian businesses in Moscow and deporting Georgians allegedly living illegally in Russia.

This latest confrontation though, simply underlies ongoing tensions between Tbilisi and Moscow.

According to Caucasus specialist, Anatol Lieven, should this situation escalate into an armed clash, it would have grave repercussions extending far beyond the region...

For the complete interview, please visit the ABC Radio Australia website.

ABC Radio Australia Interviews Peter Bergen on Terrorism

Communications — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 18:40:00 -0400

New America in the News:

MARK COLVIN: The Prime Minister has responded to a major report which says the war in Iraq has increased terrorism, by saying that terrorism existed long before the US and its allies overthrew Saddam Hussein.

The US National Intelligence Estimate, or NIE, is a joint document summing up the views of the CIA, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, the National Security Agency, and 12 other American intelligence agencies.

This year's NIE concludes that the war in Iraq has boosted Islamic radicalism.

The report directly contradicts assertions by US President George W. Bush that the war in Iraq has made the world safer...

Peter Bergen is an internationally respected expert on terrorism based at the New America Foundation and he explains the document's significance.

PETER BERGEN: What's really interesting here is that, you know, 16 separate US intelligence agencies have arrived at a consensus document. These National Intelligence Estimates are processes that can take can years, and this is not a conclusion that is arrived at lightly.

And the people who put together these kinds of assessments can hardly be described as sort of, flaming lefties, or you know, consistent critics of the Bush administration. I mean this is... these are career intelligence officers who have put together this assessment. And I think it's pretty devastating...

PETER BERGEN: You know, terrorism certainly existed before the Iraq war, but you know... so, on the other hand, the Iraq war has certainly sort of re-energised al-Qaeda and its affiliates.

Michael Scheuer, who is head of the bin Laden unit at CIA would say that, you know, if bin Laden believed in Christmas, the Iraq war would have been his Christmas gift...

For the complete interview, please visit the ABC Radio Australia website.

Afshin Molavi on Iran on ABC Radio Australia

Communications — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 23:18:00 -0400

New America in the News:

ELEANOR HALL: World leaders are today mulling over Iran's offer to negotiate on its nuclear activities, but there's already scepticism about the regime's sincerity.

While the chief nuclear negotiator in Tehran has today announced that Iran is willing to engage in serious talks about the West's demands that the country halt its uranium enrichment program, this contrasts with Iran's supreme religious leader who vowed yesterday that his country would not suspend its nuclear program...

MICHAEL ROWLAND: The problem for the UN is that sanctions will inevitably hurt Iranians who don’t necessarily agree with what the regime is doing. Afshin Molavi of the New America Foundation says Iran’s well-educated middle class would suffer the most.

AFSHIN MOLAVI: Well I mean this is probably the most pro-American secular middle class you're going to find in the Middle East region and it's very interesting because they are living in this theocratic regime.

Now, one of the things that this middle class is suffering under is a lack of economic dignity. There's widespread unemployment, high prices, underemployment and what I worry about is, if we were to see a robust economic sanctions program what we would be doing would be harming that same middle class that could be an ally to the United States.

And when you isolate countries you get Cuba and North Korea, you don't necessarily improve their behavior.

ELEANOR HALL: And that's Afshin Molavi of the New America Foundation ending that report from our Washington Correspondent Michael Rowland.

For the complete transcript, please vist the ABC Radio Australia website.