Undiplomatic

Undiplomatic is a new blog by Charles J. Brown, formerly of Amnesty International and formerly Chief of Staff and Director of the Office of Strategic Planning and External Affairs in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor in the U.S. Department of State. (And I thought the Social Security Administration was bad!)

If you're a poly sci major, you will love his blog as much as The Washington Note.

But since you're not, Sempringham will try to bring you some of the best nuggets, the first of which is from his "Five to Watch" -- five things happening in the world right now that are not getting enough press attention.


Just in case you were feeling pretty good about things, let me share number five:

5. Pakistan. Perhaps the biggest mess in the world today, Pakistan continues to find new ways to destabilize itself. As a result of the secret police’s (and perhaps the military’s) role in the bombing of India’s embassy in Kabul, U.S.-Pakistani relations are the worst they’ve ever been. The military’s accomodation of the Taliban and al Qaeda in the Northwest Frontier Province hasn’t helped much either. Meanwhile, Parliament is debating whether to impeach President Pervez Musharaf at the very moment that Musharaf has headed to Beijing for the Olympics. With no one apparently in charge and the ISI and military facing increasing calls for reform, another coup is a real possibility. This time, however, the generals are unlikely to continue to pursue policies favorable to American interests.

If that doesn't make you want to reach for the Maalox, nothing will.