Cracks in the Facade

That's the Way of the World
19 Nov Edition

What's happening outside the confined media borders of the U.S. today? Let's take a spin 'round the globe, starting with... Pakistan, where we've actually got some bona fide good news (i.e., not of the McConaughey or World Toilet Day variety):

CBC - Extra $3.4B pledged to help Pakistani quake victims
The extra funding – both for short-time relief and long-term recovery – was announced on Saturday after nearly 80 countries and international aid agencies met at a fundraising conference in Islamabad.

The new pledge money – much of it in the form of low-interest loans – brings the total aid tally to $5.8 billion US.

That's slightly more than Pakistan estimated it would need to rebuild from the Oct. 8 quake that killed nearly 90,000 people and left about three million others homeless.

However, back to the bad news in Iraq:

WaPo - Nearly 50 Iraqis Killed in Suicide Attacks
Suicide bombers killed at least 49 people Saturday in attacks targeting a Shiite Muslim funeral in eastern Iraq and an outdoor market in Baghdad, while a disagreement among the country's faction leaders nearly ended a national reconciliation conference on its first day.

In Baiji, about 125 miles northwest of Baghdad, two homemade bombs killed five soldiers from the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division, the military said in a statement. Those deaths, along with that of a member of the 101st Airborne who died in Germany from injuries suffered this week in Baiji, unofficially brought the number of American service members killed in action in Iraq to at least 2,090.

And as far as the various factions of Iraq coming together as one, well...

Agence France Press - Bickering mars first day of Iraq reconciliation talks
Bickering marred the first day of Iraqi reconciliation talks in Cairo, amid confessional tensions heightened by a strain of bloody sectarian attacks in the war-torn country.
[...]
The meetings are aimed at setting a date and agenda for a reconciliation conference to be held in Baghdad, but optimism over the unprecedented talks was dampened by exchanges of mutual recriminations.
[...]
"We have set a red line: there is no room for Baathists in Iraq," Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari told the meeting, which was attended by around 100 Iraqi leaders and regional officials.

Jaafari, a devout Shiite, echoed reservations voiced by the ruling Shiite majority over the participation in reconciliation talks of former members of Saddam Hussein's ousted Sunni-dominated regime.
[...]
"Jaafari's speech was characterized by a spirit of exclusion and he painted a rosy picture of the situation in Iraq," said Hareth al-Dari, who heads the Committee of Muslim Scholars.

Dari described Jaafari's opening speech as "disappointing words that do not lead us to believe we can reach a sincere understanding" and went on to accuse the Shiite-dominated regime of marginalizing the disempowered Sunni minority.

In China, President Bush gets downright messianic in his evangelism:

Agence France Press - Bush pushes China on religious freedom at start of visit
US President George W. Bush has opened a visit to China by attending a church service and, in a human rights message to leaders in Beijing, said a "healthy society" thrives on religious freedom.

"My hope is that the government of China will not fear Christians who gather to worship openly," Bush said after worshipping with wife Laura at the government-approved Gangwashi church and embracing its smiling woman pastor.

"A healthy society is a society that welcomes all faiths and gives people a chance to express themselves through worship," said the US president, who was here as part of a week-long trip to Asia.

Bush, who accepted a Bible written in Chinese, wrote in the church's guest book: "May God Bless the Christians of China, George Bush," while the first lady signed with "With Love and Respect, Laura Bush."

Down in Gitmo, the US disses the UN:

Sydney Morning Herald - UN cancels Guantanamo visit after US refuses free access
team of UN human rights experts has scrapped a scheduled visit to the US detention facility at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, saying Washington is not allowing them free access to detainees.

They said going on the planned December 6 trip without being able to speak privately to inmates "would have created a disastrous precedent".

"Since the Americans have not accepted the minimum requirements for such a visit, we must cancel," Manfred Nowak, the UN envoy in charge of investigating torture allegations around the world, said.

"It means there will be no visit this year for the report we are preparing, but naturally we are totally prepared to go to Guantanamo in the future if the Americans assure us of their full co-operation."

The visit had been arranged after more than three years of discussions between US and UN officials amid claims of human rights abuses at the camp.

But here's the best international news of the day--you'll be happy to know that Chelsea is back in the win column:

BBC - Chelsea 3-0 Newcastle
Chelsea ended their two-game losing streak with an easy victory over Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues took the lead a minute after the break when Joe Cole took advantage of a Titus Bramble error to slot the ball past goalkeeper Shay Given.

Another Bramble error handed Chelsea their second when Hernan Crespo jinked past the defender to sidefoot home.

Chelsea winger Damien Duff added gloss to the scoreline when he rifled in a deflected shot in stoppage time.