Monday, November 6 06 (2)

Tensions simmering in Kyrgyzstan, where public opinion is beginning to swing against President Bakiev's Constitutional proposals, Bishkek protests are ongoing, accusations continue to fly, and protesters face a crossroads. Now in control of Mogadishu, Somalia's Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) is converted to nonintervention and 'maximum restraint'. This Toronto Star article suggests that the approach to peacekeeping long-accepted by Canadian decision-makers is reducable to a 'luxury item' and 'charitable endeavor focused on raising our profile' that budget-cutters find an easy target. Taiwan President Chen demonstrates how a democratic society can often withstand powerful challenges to its institutional legitimacy.