NATO forces in Afghanistan

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said today that the British forces are being asked to do too much in what is a NATO operation in Afghanistan (I heard him on World Service radio - I can't find the exact quote but the basic story is here or here). He said as directly as you'll hear from an international diplomat that other alliance members need to step up and help out.

Within the UK there is increasing coverage of the intensity of the fighting in Afghanistan - described by one senior commander as the most intense since Korea (so more intense than the battles during the Falklands campaign?!) - as the numbers killed are rising by the day. Footage from one para's mobile phone (click on the video link top right) has made it on to the BBC despite the MoD stopping journalists from visiting the areas of combat.

For the second time in as many days, I'll link to Alex at the Yorkshire Ranter who has been looking at Afghanistan in much greater depth and with more expertise (I presume from a military background) over the months, and who suggested today the conceivable notion that it will be one of these small UK "fire bases" that the Taliban seem to be throwing men suicidally at in waves, finally being over-run and all in it killed that will bring down the Blair government.

Anyway - which NATO nations aren't doing all that they should? It definitely can't be the Canadians.

Odd Finnish thingies: soldiers fundraising

Can any Finnish readers tell me why presumably conscripts, in their uniforms, are sent out on to the streets to collect money for the veterans? Do you have to do this - i.e. are they ordered to spend the day on the Helsinki street corners rattling collecting tins? Or is it something you volunteer to do on a day off?

I really need to start carrying a camera around so I can take photos of such things.

Update: Lauri in the comments confirms that it is indeed compulsory but even if it wasn't the conscripts would volunteer as it's probably more interesting than the alternative options! Thanks Lauri.

Three minutes of your life that you won't get back

I saw this quiz on the Yorkshire Ranter and couldn't resist trying.


You scored as Finland. Your army is the army of Finland. You prefer to win your enemy by your wit rather than superior weapons. Enemy will have a hard time against your small but effective force.

Finland		88%
Poland		75%
British and the Commonwealth		69%
Italy		63%
France, Free French and the Resistance		50%
Soviet Union		38%
Japan		38%
United States		38%
Germany		19%

In which World War 2 army you should have fought?
created with QuizFarm.com

It seems that everyone gets Finland as their outcome. The Quiz writer is clearly Finnish so the questions tend to bring anyone who doesn't want to look like an arse ("I am both thick and ugly. Agree ---------- Disagree" Sure - I'm going to tick agree...) to the Finnish answer.

If anyone gets a different country, do tell.

Good people

The world can be a really depressing place if you listen to/read/watch too much news like I have a habit of doing, so its always nice to hear something that is the opposite. I just heard a short piece on the radio about this years winners of the "Purpose Prize", which to be blunt is given to old American folk who do really great stuff. I had only heard of one of the winners, Judea Pearl - father of the Journalist Daniel Pearl who was murdered by Jihadis in Pakistan. Pearl along with a former Pakistani government official, Akbar Ahmad, have started an organisation to commemorate his son by promoting understanding between Jews and Muslims, something that is sorely needed these days. But all the other prize winners have good stories to tell.

So if you wonder why you only hear about the angry or the despairing or bad, here's a happier story (see the report in the Washington Post on the prize or a PDF of the prize winners from the body that gives the award).

No one is all bad...

I'm no fan of Hugo Chavez. He tried in 1992 to stage a coup before getting elected President in 1998. That doesn't really establish your democratic bona fides does it? If you can't become pres of your chosen country by military force then give elected politics a go? So it's really depressing to hear self-described British or Finnish (and presumably many other nationality) left-wingers lauding him because he regularly tells the US where to go but for not too much else.

I'm sure he has done a lot in office to redistribute some of Venezuela's oil wealth to the poorest sections of society, but then goes and spoils all that by having a foreign policy that seems based on solely on "my enemy's enemy is my friend", but that could more accurately described as: "my enemy's enemy is totalitarian, human-rights-abusing, illiberal thug but - hey-ho! - who cares?". That has long been a feature of the US foreign policy that he never tires of criticising. From his famous sucking up to that well known defender of the best traditions of the European enlightenment - Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus (see above top-right) - via our chums in Tehran, to that pin-up boy of human rights activists everywhere, Bashar al-Assad of Syria, there doesn't seem to be any unpleasant dictator that Chavez won't dance a jig with if they're also dissing America.

But before anyone asks me for a paypal link to donate into the, I'm sure, already bulging CIA account entitled "for doing what we used to do so well - ousting Latin American lefty leaders" it must be said no one is all bad. The Mayor of Caracas who is a key Chavez supporter has announced he is seizing a number of golf courses in the city to redevelop them as low cost housing. Some say its part of a populist campaign in the run-up to the next presidential election in Venezuela, but perhaps Hugo is like me and just really, really hates golf.

Thanks to Mike for alerting me to the BBC story.

Birmingham - European cultural hub

The Complaints Choir of Birmingham

For those who haven't seen it, you must watch the brilliant "Complaints Choir of Birmingham" (or click here for a pop-up quicktime version). I first saw it as an installation at the Kiasma - the Finnish modern art museum - back in the depths of winter. I'm not very 'in to' modern art, we must have gone with visitors, but Brummies complaining to music was worth the five euros entrance on its own.

Helsinki and somewhere in Germany have since copied the Birmingham original doing their own versions, and with imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, this clearly demonstrates that Brum is a European cultural powerhouse... at least when it comes to moaning. As a West Midlander myself, I feel very very proud.

Here is the Finnish one with subtitles:


Thanks to Phil at Finland for Thought for reminding me about this.

Weekend Pics

An Adder (Vipera berus) seen at Haukkakallio cliffs near Ruotsinphytää in SE Finland. I was quite excited about this; when one of my friends spotted the snake, I was about 20 foot up a rock climb so had to climb back down to the ground, untie the rope and run over to take the pic. I spend a lot of time in the Finnish forests year round and have not seen one before and I don't remember seeing them in the UK either, where likewise they are widespread but rarely seen, so this was quite special. For people who live in warmer parts of the world, seeing snakes is probably not very exciting but in Northern Europe it seems there are generally only two types of snakes, adders and grass snakes, so spotting one is always exciting.

Haukkakallio is a good climbing venue for wildlife spotting on the side as we saw a pair of Ospreys soring above the cliffs earlier this summer, which are truely splendid birds.

Beirut dispatch

Marion sent me the following report at the beginning of this week. I apologise to Marion and to any interested readers for taking this long to post it. After a weeks holiday the previous week I got back to work and of course had to catch up with various things, so being busy was my excuse at the start of week, whilst for the last three days I've been in bed with the flu feeling generally crappy. Anyway at long last here it is. Some of the news events Marion refers to are now a bit dated, but as ever it gives a good insight into the diversities of positions within Lebanon.

Monday 21st of August 2006:

It is exactly one week since the ceasefire between Israel and Hizballah began and it has been calm except for the Israeli commando raid into the Bekaa, claiming it was planned to stop weapons shipments arriving for Hizballah from Iran. Alternatively the Lebanese minister of defence claimed the Israeli mission was made in order to capture a major Hizballah leader, and therefore failed as Hizballah fought off the attackers.

The situation today is the best since the beginning of the war:

There are no more bombers above our heads (until further notice); shipments carrying fuel and French UN troops have arrived in the south; refugees have been able to go back to their homes even if most of them found their homes turned to ashes; a few Lebanese parliamentarians have offered to rebuild some of the destroyed bridges from their own money; France has offered to rebuild six bridges as well; our Sunni Prime Minister walked side by side with Nabih Berreh, the most senior Shiite parliamentarian in the Dahiyeh district (the area most damaged in Beirut) inspecting the overall damage. This really comforted many Lebanese, as seeing the Sunni and Shiite leaders together, pushes away some fears that a civil war might start between those two Muslim groups due to the tensions resulting from this war.

On the other hand the Syrian president had a speech in which he not only supported Hizballah but also accused the Sunnis, Christians and Druze Lebanese leaders of being Israeli agents. Also he accused Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia for having supported the Lebanese government and not Hizballah. After his speech there was so much fury among the Lebanese politicians and each one had his reply to the Syrian president. I personally liked the Egyptian reply to Bashar al Assad which was very firm. As a result Syria apologized to Egypt by claiming it did not mean to accuse Egypt, but rather it had been a friendly jibe between two close Arab friends. If the Syrian President meant by his speech to separate the politicians in Lebanon or even establish fear among the Lebanese, I guess he was wrong since his harsh speech went back on him and his country only.

From its side, Hizballah has started paying cash, around USD 10 000, for each homeless family after the war. As a latest estimate, there have been around 15 000 homes destroyed by Israel. This huge amount of cash held by Hizballa was strongly questioned by the Lebanese government. Hassan Nassrallah assured them that it was not given to them by Iran, but who believes him? I wonder if those Shiite people whose homes were destroyed but who quickly were given money to rebuild their homes or to find homes to rent, will care at all if another war occurs if in they end they have lost nothing? They would not demand peace like the Sunnis, Christians and Druze are working for. And I think that is what makes Hizballah strong among this specific Muslim denomination.

But on the other hand though it looked strong after the fighting Hizballah is now gradually losing its power inside the country. Non-Shiite Lebanese who used to be neutral about them before the war, now hate Nassrallah for giving Israel the justification to destroy Lebanon, and for having decided the fate of millions of citizens without consulting the rest of the government. Ironically for Hizballah the Lebanese army has now deployed in the south: for many years leading up to this war Hassan Nassrallah threatened the Lebanese army not to come to the south where his troops, and secret tunnels and weapons warehouses are.

There is one additional thing to mention: Hizballah claims to have won this war, yet yesterday in a speech our Minister of Defence threatened Hizballah: saying that if any rocket is fired into Israel those responsible will be condemned and gaoled. Once there was a time when Hassan Nassrallah thought himself to be the only decision maker when it comes to Israel, a time when he thought himself to be the winner… I am sure now he will have to think again.

As for work, all companies are still working half day with some employees having half their salaries as I wrote in previous report. The Lebanese are divided into two parts: an optimistic half who are looking forward to a peaceful country once again, even if this will not happen for a month or two. The other half is extremely depressed; down, not motivated and most of all it has lost complete trust and faith in their Lebanon. This can be understood: it is not easy rebuilding the country once again. This portion of the citizens feels exhausted and need a little peace in their lives. We all want that, but I believe if we lose hope now, then we are giving up on Lebanon. The country is disfigured, strangled and needs the help of its people in order to get back on its feet.