What NEXT for Afghanistan ?

The New York Times: Reports that President Obama will announce on Wednesday the scale of US troops withdrawals from Afghanistan. Of all the options that has been presented to President Obama the one that this blog favours is that POTUS should set the end of 2012 as a deadline for the US surge troops to return to the US, while leaving the timetable to the Generals on the ground, as they have to fight the War. If President Obama takes a heavy withdrawal option it can be argued that POTUS is playing politics with Afghanistan. The NATO Allies have an exit date set for 2014 for Afghanistan, if with the death of OBL, POTUS rushes the withdrawal this could risk giving a PR victory to the Afghan Taliban and Al Qaeda. Also let us not forget Pakistan, if Afghanistan falls to the Taliban after the NATO Allies have left this could lead to the Taliban of Pakistan taking over Pakistan, this would cause a War with India and the US, also as noted Pakistan is a nuclear armed power, thus worse than 9/11. Thus there is no easy solution to Afghanistan folks.

No way Ref = Gladiator Red Carded

Daily Mail: Has a breaking news form 1,800 years ago, a Roman Gladiator was red carded, breathed his last due to ref rule. This is a great story folks, shows how sports in some respects has not changed, the Ref that did us in is a common comment after your side has lost a game. In this case the Roman Gladiator Diodorus was stitched up by a Roman Referee, before he was stitched up to be buried, the Gladiator had his opponent on the floor, but it was seen against the rules and the opponent was allowed to get his sword back and was not happy! Thus poor Diodorus met his maker, but had the last word on his gravestone, he told his side of the story, this story someway is going to end up in the TV series Spartacus, its to fun and full of dark humour not to get a look in, perhaps the Ref was having a bad day!!
　

Greece and Default

Telegraph: The Credit Agency Fitch has stated in essence that if any Greek debt is voluntary written off it will consider Greece in default of its sovereign debt. In reality a write off of Greek debt by the banks is the idea of Germany, this was rejected by France as it banks has heavy Greek debt. The German Government wants the banks to write off some of the debt as to make the German tax payer happy, as this would allow the German tax payer to pay less to a bailout Greece. Thus this news by Fitch spikes that idea, from reports it seems that the Greek Government will win the confidence vote but the real vote in many respects will come with the vote on 28th of June, this is the demand by the EU/IMF for another 28 billion euros cut in the Greek Budget. That vote will be interesting folks, will the MPs support Greece or the German and French banks.

G Day = Greece and the Truth

BBC News: Reports that the reshuffled Greek Government will face a vote of confidence today in the Greek Parliament, that is the first step to get a package of 10 billion pounds from the EU/IMF, the second step is that the Parliament must agree to further austerity on the 28th of June. Well folks its high noon, will the Greek Parliament do the right thing for Greece and reject the Government and default on its debt of three hundred and forty billion Euros or will it sell Greece down the river to protect the banks of Germany and France. Lets make it simple, either the Greek MPs are for the people or they are for the EU. A default would allow Greece to restart its economy, it would get loans from the EU/IMF as it could not borrow form the money markets. The intended Greek loans could be used to secure French and German banks, also secure Ireland and Portugal in the Euro. It crunch time folks, will Greece face reality or will the Greek politicians destroy Greece.