A recent report found that China is the world’s leading renewable energy producer.

Daljit Dhaliwal speaks to Emma Duncan, deputy editor of the Economist, about the future of green growth around the globe.

Is the United States lagging too far behind other countries in developing renewable energy sources and businesses?

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Susumu Awanohara, an expert on U.S.-Japan relations with Medley Global Advisors, joins Daljit Dhaliwal to discuss the challenges Japan’s new leadership faces and the evolving relationship between Japan and the U.S.

In a country where a woman is confined to her home, Joya is breaking all kinds of cultural, social and religious stereotypes. In May 2007, she was suspended after referring to the parliament as a stable, she said at least in “in a stable we have animals like a cow which is useful in that it provides milk and a donkey that carry a load.”

She speaks candidly about the challenges facing Afghanistan. She says that the low turnout in the presidential election is proof that the Afghan people are dissatisfied with the current government. She attributes the rise of Taliban to the failed policy of the U.S. in Afghanistan. She is also a staunch opponent of increasing U.S. troop levels in her country. Joya wants the U.S. and NATO to keep in mind that no foreign military has ever succeeded in controlling Afghanistan.

For her, the status of women now is no different than under the Taliban. She says that it may even be worse because the rate of suicide and abduction is high, and many rapists go untouched.

Because she is unabashedly outspoken, her life is under constant threat and she must be accompanied by bodyguards. But nothing so far seems to succeed in slowing her down. For sure not the many failed assassination attempts on her life, or the awful treatment she gets from her male colleagues in parliament.

Joya spent her childhood at a refugee camp in Iran and Pakistan, and returned to the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan in the late 1990s and worked for an underground organization helping women. She is now on a book tour in the U.S.  promoting her memoir, A Woman Among Warlords: The Extraordinary Story of an Afghan Woman Who Dared to Speak Out, co-written by Derrick O’Keefe.

- Mohammad Al Kassim

Tarek Bazley of Al Jazeera English reports from Baghdad.

If the security situation is not stable, should the United States withdraw its troops anyway?

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A Mexico city statue during the early days of swine flu. Photo: Flickr user olivcris

With concerns rising in the U.S. and abroad about the H1N1 virus, we want to hear your thoughts.

Do you think the U.S. government is doing enough to protect American citizens from H1N1?

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A young Iranian woman. Photo: Flickr user mailo

Iran faces stiffer economic sanctions if it fails to follow through on a tentative plan to move most of its enriched uranium out of the country. This relocation could placate key Western nations by delaying Iran’s ability to make a nuclear bomb. Yet, Iran continues to issue veiled threats that it could back away from talks if unhappy with the results.

Do you think that Iran can be trusted to make good on its promise to take concrete steps aimed at reducing tensions over its nuclear program?

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It collects surplus medical supplies — such as hospital beds from a facility that is upgrading — and ships them to Africa.

Dalijit Dhaliwal spoke last week with Doc to Dock’s founder, Dr. Bruce Charash.  He says the supplies are desperately needed in a continent where some hospitals are so ill-equipped that women give birth on the floor.

An Afghan villager in late 2008. Photo: Flickr user RugNug

S. Azmat Hassan is a career diplomat and former ambassador of Pakistan, where his postings have included Ambassador of Pakistan to Malaysia, Syria and Morocco, and Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations in New York. He currently serves as an adjunct professor at Seton Hall University.

On how to proceed in Afghanistan: Obama should make haste slowly. He is being pulled in different directions, which is not unusual in American politics. Kennedy was pressured by his senior military commanders to preemptively attack Russian missile sites in Cuba, which he rejected. Instead, he wisely chose diplomacy. He averted a possible nuclear holocaust in the aftermath of which the living if any would have envied the dead. Truman dismissed MacArthur, a general with a big ego, who advised him to nuke China to stop their advance in the Korean War.

Obama should strictly order the US commander in Afghanistan General McChrystal, to observe military protocol by not courting the media to publicize his recommendation for 40,000 additional troops. He should go through the military chain of command instead of trying to become a military prima donna. The buck stops with Obama- the Commander-in-Chief.

Since time immemorial, no foreign army has won in Afghanistan. Alexander, arguably the greatest military commander of all time, and more recently the mighty British and the Soviet armies, all experienced humiliating reverses in Afghanistan. The US Army supported by some NATO forces, has been trying for 8 years to defeat a ragtag militia calling itself the Taliban. They have failed. One does not have to be a military genius to figure out that when the combination of the forces opposing you is in the ascendant; it is time to give up the military option. The Taliban have the advantages of geography, history and resolve to attenuate and outlast the US forces-whom they consider foreign invaders.

Throwing in more troops is not likely to alter the current military equation. In today’s world where asymmetric warfare has demonstrated that a $20 improvised explosive device can destroy humvees and armored personnel carriers costing millions, the military calculus is weighted in favor of the local resistance. It is a resistance, moreover, which is hugely reinforced by an apparently inexhaustible supply of suicide bombers who can wreak havoc among both the military and civilians.

Those who recommend military escalation are still hoping for a military victory. Their rationale for pursuing the military option is the wrongheaded conflation of the Taliban with al-Qaeda. No such partnership is discernible today in Afghanistan. The Taliban regime was overthrown by the US in 2001 for being in cahoots with Osama bin Laden. They are unlikely to make the same mistake twice. American analysts themselves admit that al-Qaeda is down to around 100 adherents in Afghanistan.

Al-Qaeda is thus highly unlikely to be in a position to launch another 9/11 or any operation approaching it. Mullah Omar has publicly proclaimed that his fight is not against the West. It is against foreign military forces and the ineffectual and corrupt Karzai regime which stands further delegitimized in the eyes of many Afghans as well as many in the international community, for blatantly rigging the recent general election. Afghanistan is called the graveyard of empires. It would be prudent for Obama who is considered an astute politician, not to fall further in this bottomless pit like the others before him.

So what can be done? The US must initiate a dialogue with the Taliban beginning with their leader Mullah Omar. A senior British diplomat whom I had invited recently to lecture to my class told them that at the height of the British conflict with the Irish Republican Army (IRA), the British kept up contacts with them. When the IRA was ready to talk with the British authorities, they utilized an already established channel of communication.

Today the centuries old Anglo-Irish problem is largely resolved. Regrettably, the US has not evolved politically to set up such mechanisms with its antagonists such as the Taliban, al-Qaeda, Hizbullah and Hamas. They have forgotten British Foreign Secretary’s Lord Palmerston’s sage advice tendered 150 years ago: in international relations there are no permanent friends or enemies- only interests. Today it is patently in America’s interest to explore the diplomatic option in Afghanistan as the military option has failed. It is the road to a dead end.

- S. Azmat Hassan

Today in the Swat Valley within 100 miles of the Pakistani capital city of Islamabad, at least 41 people were killed. Today’s incident came as the Taliban claimed responsibility for a separate weekend attack on a Pakistani army facility that killed dozens more.

Should the United States send even more money to Pakistan to try to quell the violence there?

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U.S. President Barack Obama was awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.” His selection has generated broad reaction around the world, much of it — but not all — positive.

In the Middle East, Israel’s President Shimon Peres said he was encouraged. But in Gaza, the prime minister of the militant group Hamas said the United States needs to do more.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa said the award “speaks to the promise of President Obama’s message of hope.”

Should the Nobel Peace Prize have been awarded to President Obama?

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Mohammad Al-Kassim is an associate producer at Worldfocus. He blogs here about the significance of the visit of Saudi Arabia’s king to Syria.

Since ascending to the throne in 2005, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah is making his first visit to Syria. The visit is being enthusiastically received by officials and political analysts in both countries. Relations between the two nations became tense following the U.S invasion of Iraq and the kingdom’s support for it. Two years later, relations deteriorated further after the alleged Syrian link to the assassination of Lebanon’s ex-premier, Rafiq Hariri.

Saudi Arabia is aggressively trying to assert itself as the leader of both the Arab and Muslim worlds. Having two of the holiest sites in Islam located within its borders helps a lot, in addition to having lots of petrodollars to spread around.

On the other hand, Syria considers itself the last Arab state standing up for the Arab cause, and the only remaining Arab state that publicly challenges Israel. It therefore sees itself as the natural leader of the Arabs.

But there are other major issues that threaten the relationship between the kingdom and the republic.

Saudi Arabia is not happy with Syria’s close ties with Iran and it has concerns about Damascus’ support for the Lebanese Shiite party Hezbollah.

The issue of Iran’s growing influence in the Middle East disturbs Saudi Arabia, who represents the so-called “moderate Arab state.” The Saudis would love to bring Syria back into the “Arab side.”  It’s very important for Saudi Arabia to have stubborn Syria on its side while aiming to take the leadership position for both the Arab and Muslim worlds.

If relations improve between the two countries, it may finally translate into the formation of a Lebanese government, the process of which has been deadlocked for months. Syria could use its influence on Hezbollah, and Saudi Arabia would do the same on its Lebanese Sunni ally led by Sa’ed Hariri.

Saudi Arabia certainly could use whatever tools at its disposals to persuade Syria.  The rich oil monarchy can start by injecting some much-needed financial help into the Syrian economy. Saudi Arabia could also use its clout with the U.S. and help Syria with opening the door to diplomatic dealings with the White House, something the Syrian government is eager to do.

The thaw in the relationship is in motion; it seems that both leaders are in agreement that rapprochement must not be stopped. But how long will it be before both recall their ambassadors back home is anybody’s guess.

- Mohammad Al-Kassim

Wednesday marks the eighth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan.

The aim was to defeat the Taliban and deny al Qaeda a home base after the September 11 attacks. But today, the Taliban are resurgent, the war has become increasingly deadly for America and its allies, and Osama bin Laden remains a free man. The Afghanistan conflict has gone on longer than anyone imagined it would.

For his part, President Obama says he will not substantially reduce the number of troops in Afghanistan, nor change the mission. But it remains to be seen if he will expand the the American military presence beyond the 68,000 troops already committed as the war becomes increasingly unpopular.

After eight years of war in Afghanistan, are the United States and the world safer from terrorism?

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Gates took the extraordinary step of saying something else — that those advising the president should keep their views private. This was an implicit criticism of the top commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, for publicly lobbying for more troops.

Worldfocus spoke with Gabriel Schoenfeld, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, about U.S. strategy in Afghanistan and the implications of troop increases.

Do you agree with Defense Secretary Robert Gates that those advising President Obama on war strategy should keep their opinions private?

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In this extended interview — recorded in May, prior to the crackdown following the disputed election — Iranian students discuss how they bypass filters to find music and films, both online and in shops on the streets. They also share their ambivalence about the prevalence of Western popular culture in Iran.

Headline from an English-language Russian news site.

Worldfocus producer Christine Kiernan writes about the reaction to the recently-released report on the Russia-Georgia war.

This week, the European Union released its long-awaited report on the five-day-war that broke out between Russia and Georgia in August 2008. The conclusions — the result of a ten-month-long mission to investigate the conflict’s origins led by Swiss diplomat Heidi Tagliavini — were mixed. The report cites as the immediate cause “the shelling by Georgian forces of the capital of the secessionist province of South Ossetia, Tskhinvali, on Aug. 7.”

However, it also acknowledges that Russia had made preparations for armed hostilities by moving paramilitary forces into the Russian-backed republic, and that the shelling was only the “culminating point of a long period of increasing tensions, provocations, and incidents.” The report concludes that all sides violated international humanitarian and human rights laws and warns that the conflict in Georgia continues to threaten peace in the region.

Not surprisingly, both Russia and Georgia seemed to interpret the report’s findings in their own favor. Russian officialdom and media expressed satisfaction, more or less, over the commission’s findings, highlighting as the main conclusion the fact that Georgia started the war. The Russian press secretary said “we can only welcome the said conclusion.”

A headline in the “Gazeta” newspaper read: “The Russian Kremlin and Ministry of Defense welcomed the EU commission’s conclusion that Georgia began the war in South Ossetia.” The article noted that Russia’s ambassador to the European Commission, Vladimir Chizhov, deemed the report  “Pro-Russian.” Russia’s ambassador to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, said it was about time the truth came out; the Echo Moscow radio station quoted him as saying Western politicians owed Russia an apology.

You can read an official reaction on the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Web site. There is little mention of the finding of Russian responsibility for ethnic cleansing and of disproportionate use of force by the Russian side, or the report’s refusal to recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent entities.

My ability to interpret Georgian reaction is limited. But I did come across an English-language version of an official statement issued by the Georgian government. The Georgian government’s takeaway: “Almost all of the facts in the report confirm the Georgian version of events.” The government’s statement failed to mention that the EU mission put responsibility for the immediate commencement of shelling on Georgia. Instead, it stressed the report’s finding that Georgian civilians and peacekeepers were under attack, on Georgian soil, before August 7, and cited the “most important fact documented by the Commission [...] that regular armed Russian forces and mercenaries illegally crossed into Georgia before August 8, 2009.”

Will the report’s release change anything? Probably not. Both Russia and Georgia will continue to adhere to their own version of events and blame the other side. My main takeaway comes from an editorial written by mission-head Tagliavini and published in Wednesday’s New York Times. In it, she focuses not on “whodunit;” instead, she raises the question of what responsibility the international community bears for failing to prevent the conflict. Are there actions Georgia’s and Russia’s neighbors could have taken to avoid the escalation of tensions? Did the involvement of outside powers harden positions, as Tagliavini claims, rather than build common ground? What is the role of the international community at large in deterring conflicts that arise between nation-states? Perhaps it is questions like these that merit further investigation.

- Christine Kiernan

For the U.S., the meeting was all about persuading Iran to come clean on its nuclear program. Thursday’s talks ended with Iran agreeing to more talks before the end of the month.

Flynt Leverett, the director of the Iran Project at the New America Foundation and professor of international relations at Penn State, joins Martin Savidge to discuss the outcome of the talks and the possibility of sanctions on Iran.

If the talks ultimately fail and sanctions are imposed on Iran, do you think Iran will give up its nuclear program?

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China has a close trading relationship with Iran, and its support will be key in any effort to impose new sanctions against the country.

John Delury, the associate director of the Asia Society’s Center on U.S.-China Relations, joins Martin Savidge to discuss China’s willingness — or lack thereof — to go along with sanctions.

Guido Westerwelle

Following Sunday’s election in Germany, there is a new coalition that will govern the country for the next four years. Not only will the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel shift a bit to the right with the Free Democrats Party as its main partner, but the head of that party and the man who will become the vice chancellor — Guido Westerwelle — will become the first openly gay person to hold that position.

Is the United States ready to elect an openly gay man or woman as vice president, or even president?

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Photo courtesy of Flickr user michaelthurm under a Creative Commons license.

In the years since, a stunning transformation has taken place, turning those bases from the ash heap of history into thriving economic enterprises.

Worldfocus correspondent Mark Litke and producer Ara Ayer report from the Philippines.

For more on Worldfocus’ coverage of the Philippines, click here.

Roman Polanski.

In Switzerland, the lawyer for film director Roman Polanski said Monday he will fight American attempts to extradite Polanski to the United States in a sex case that goes back more than 30 years.

The 76-year-old director was arrested Saturday on arrival in Zurich to receive a lifetime achievement award from a film festival. Polanski pleaded guilty in California to having sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977, but then fled to France before his sentencing. French officials have expressed astonishment over the arrest, one calling it a “bit sinister.”

Should Roman Polanski be extradited to the U.S. to face sentencing in a case that is now more than three decades old?

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