Formerly Brown asked me to post this:
1. Six Ukrainians and one US citizen have been arrested by india while crossing over from Myanmar. Apparently they were helping to create trouble in Myanmar, an eventually trying for a Christian state there. Sheikh hasina had sounded about US interests in such a venture.
2. Tamilnadu elections might be closer than expected. Side show: seeman’s Tamil party is attracting Brahmins!! who are opposed to Dravidians.
3. LDF might pop UDF once again in Kerala. Ironically both fronts are accusing each other of being B team of BJP, who have 1 seat currently!!!
4. Indian lokasabha is to add 215 more seats reserved exclusively for women by the 2029 polls. Modi has changed india for ever.
Thank you very much.
On the first point. HM shah has said that these guys are not a threat to India. Looks like wheels with in wheels.
On the first point. HM shah has said that these guys are not a threat to India.
Excerpts from article
According to local media reports, they were tasked with training Indian-designated terrorist groups in Myanmar in drone warfare, which readers can learn more about here.
This is followed by Bangladesh’s post-Hasina “Pakistanization” after its US-backed coup in summer 2024 and then the latest round of Myanmar’s civil war in which the US is suspected of backing anti-government groups but also wants critical minerals from the junta too.
https://korybko.substack.com/p/zakharova-tore-apart-ukraines-response
Most Bangladeshis that I know of in the US, Canada and the ones I’ve met in the gulf have been vehemently anti-Haseena, she was viewed as a civilian dictator and puppet of the Delhi establishment. There is still a lot of resentment among Bangladeshis towards her for the killing of student activists and peaceful protestors. I think calling it a “US-backed coup” isn’t accurate and a disservice to the many Bangladeshis who lost their lives and livelihoods to protest and overthrow a corrupt regime that been maintaining its grip on power through stolen mandates and police brutality. Did the Bangladeshi opposition and/or military receive some support from other countries to remove her from power? Perhaps but that’s the norm in geopolitics, it’s also how they gained independence. The 15-years of Haseena/Awaami league rule has been viewed by Bangladeshis as a Delhi-imposed regime.
I know this blog leans openly and heavily towards India, which is fine as its the admins right but the fact remains Haseena was a tyrant to most Bangladeshis and remains incredibly unpopular and most Bangladeshis feel like they can’t heal until she’s been brought to justice for her actions.
Dont know many Bangladeshis.
A few Buddhist Banglas who used to come to the SL Buddhist temple in Queens, NY. Year 2000’s or so. So no Hasina issues and any way was more concerned of SL civil war.
Another war funded and trained by India, starting in the late 70’s.
Happy to accept that I do not know too many details about Bangladeshi politics, but a question for you – if Haseena is a ‘tyrant’ who is to be directly held responsible for lost Bangladeshi lives, why is similar accountability not directed towards the unelected regime that replaced it?
From a distance, such demands for ‘justice’ seem suspiciously witchhunt-esque, and markedly partisan. Especially when you see ridiculous crap like the cricketer Shakib being indicted for similar types of cases.
An excerpt from a longer article.
The writer is Alon Mizrahi and ex IDF soldier
Iran is not waging a defensive war anymore. But again, this is hard for us to see, and I’m going to repeat this many times until we get this. It is hard for us to see for all our racist stereotypes. Iran is now actively working to reshape West Asia and recreate it in its image, in the image of freedom and independence and decolonization. And what this means is Iran has a plan in place to get rid, listen to what I’m telling you, to get rid of the House of Saud. to get rid of the Gulf monarchies of the UAE and Bahrain and Kuwait.
And Iran’s plan, they will exist not much longer. Iran is not going to stop the war. When these countries, these regimes, which are owned and run and controlled by the US, by Iran’s enemies Iran is not going to be patient and allow them to exist anymore…ordan will also not be allowed to continue existing. This is it. The age of treachery is ending.
https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2026/03/iran-war-more-escalation-us-strikes-iran-steel-plants-israel-sends-third-missile-at-iran-nuclear-plant-yemen-joins-war.html
Keep in mind what I wrote a few weeks back.
The oil fields in the Gulf are over where the Shia populations live
Admin Note: we felt this was a bit Islamophobic; which ME states are “theocratic?”
For the non vegetarians (an expensive French dish made cheap)
Creamy Sauce (Scallops, Mussels, Clams) and Pasta.
For us Sri Lankans the Pasta makes it exotic
Replace the heavy cream and milk and other ingredients with thick Kiri Hodi (coconut milk sauce). Or if you wish mix heavy cream if available in SL
Was reminded because of a reply to a FB post.
First ate the French dish, scallops in cream sauce on an Air France flight in 1990 The steward asked me twice if I was sure about my selection. After meal said it was very good and gave explanation of the coconut milk version. He was impressed
Mussels and clams in a thick coconut milk sauce (kiri hodi) is pretty much the same and easier to make. Coconut milk does not curdle when lime is added
My red neck friends and I used to go and collect mussels in Stony Brook. One chap was good cook. He would do mussels in marinara or Alfredo sauce
Plenty of oysters and mussels in Gangewadiya
Meat extracted and sold. About LKR 1,000 kg. Not much demand by non coastal heritage types
https://www.recipegirl.com/scallops-in-cream-sauce/
The Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran.
Also, Iran has threatened to attack US universities in the Gulf. This is after they claim that their own universities were attacked.
Escobar: The Long And Winding Petro-Gold Road
Important read, every single sentence important. So no excerpts
To sum it all up: after the attack on the South Pars gas field – the largest on the planet – and the toll booth in the Strait of Hormuz, it’s yuan-gold settlements, all across the spectrum, that are giving the Russia-China strategic partnership an upper hand unthinkable only a few weeks ago.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/escobar-long-and-winding-petro-gold-road
the way india has climbed out of hole w.r.t nepal, bangladesh and srilanka looks remarkable.
tariq rahaman is to visit india shortly.
srilanka has thanked india for the 38,000 tonnes of petroleum products.
there have been no anti india statements from nepal. infact the anti india figures have been arrested, for various reasons.
Because of strategic location Sri Lanka gets gifts and lot of trouble (regime change attempts)
Iran offered to give us crude oil/ But we no longer have ships or tankers, all sold by our liberal economy politicians pre Rajapakses (out only refinery a gift from Iran is set up to process heavy Iran crude)
srilanka has thanked india for the 38,000 tonnes of petroleum products.
In General Sri Lankans are courteous and dont a look a gift horse in the mouth. However, no illusions of Indias altruism, If India did not step in China would have
better than nothing..
better than nothing..
We would have got from China too
An informative video (cartoon style) on SL Oil Refining
Sri Lanka crude oil options. A very understandable video
https://web.facebook.com/reel/4323114171296864
In return for another Hambantota?
Maybe, Chinese dont want a pound of flesh like the Indians or the Merchants of Venice
Maybe, Chinese can be trusted.
Unlike Indians who want a pound of flesh and cannot be trusted
I guess losing sovereignty over an entire port city doesn’t count as a pound of flesh but that’s okay. Your anti-India animus is not surprising any more.
Pray, tell what pounds of flesh India has extracted since 2009 though.
30 years of civil war initiated by Indians is a lifetime of pounds of flesh.
Even recently the 2022 regime change had Indias fingerprints.
Hambanthota port was first offered to India. They were too cheap.see.
No loss of sovereignty in Hambanthota. They operate the port and take 70%
=====
Lastly, the former parliamentarian (Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena) has revealed that it was then Indian High Commissioner, in Colombo, Gopal Baglay (May 2022 to December 2023) who asked him to accept the presidency immediately.
https://island.lk/finally-mahinda-yapa-sets-the-record-straight/
Weren’t the Chinese caught illegally funding and interfering in SL elections?
Iran’s Victory Would Have a Silver Lining
“Unless the Trump-Netanyahu war criminals use their nukes, Iran is likely to win this war. The silver lining in an Iranian victory is the liberation of both America and the Israeli population from servitude to the crazed Zionist agenda of a Greater Israel from the Nile to Pakistan.
Americans should pray for an Iranian victory. Otherwise, their blood and money will continue to be used for Israel’s bloody purpose of Greater Israel.
“Turkey has a leader who is just as stupid as America’s, as the UK’s, France’s, Germany’s, Russia’s, China’s, India’s. If Tayyip Erdogan understood the Zionist agenda of Greater Israel unfolding in front of his eyes, he would understand that he and his country are next and would have united with Iran to preserve Turkey’s sovereignty. But the fool thinks he can sit on the fence and ride both horses.
https://www.unz.com/proberts/irans-victory-would-have-a-silver-lining/
using a nuclear weapon would cause such incredible global outrage..
not to mention the moral-ethical implications
From my Tamil Nadu friend.
Multi dimension Poor in India.
The contrast between North and South is stark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nPTwlAWrz0
harris sultan says one in 3 uk muslims want to leave. now harris sultan has done this piece in a new setting, with flags etc( is he based in UK now?). his earlier videos were from australia and his room used to have cricket bats, medals won…. may be he is a decent club cricketer.
he is apparently upper class lahori punjabi and is well connected ( as per him!!). may be some of you know him?!
Indi.ca is Indi Samarajeewa who gets mentioned on an off on NakedCapitalism
Why, for instance, does it take a not-widely followed independent site like indi.ca to call out the irretrievably decrepit state of US weaponry? Its critique goes beyond even the solid and very well documented ones by Brian Berletic, of how the US military is built for profit, not purpose, which is how we can spend such eye-watering amounts and yet have a country we like to depict as too economically second-tier (despite being a superpower) of being well ahead of the US in many critical weapons categories, from air defense to signal jamming to hypersonic missiles to drones, as well as having adapted to and extensively battle-tested how to wage war in the new world of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) ?
https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2026/03/iran-war-us-israel-escalation-and-forceful-iran-retaliation-continue-as-trump-says-he-may-take-irans-oil-and-pakistan-hosts-talks-with-nobody-mr-market-finally-starting-to-recognize-risks.html
This was the excerpt from Indi’s article
America’s Military Is Never Coming Back From This
‘America’ is a good military like Cristiano Ronaldo is a good footballer. They was, but their careers are over in Saudi Arabia. And whereas Ronaldo is still in good shape (but a bad person), America is in terrible shape (and bad people). Vital links in their kill chain (refuelers and control planes) are decades old and being put out of their misery by Iran…
People really do not understand how old and crustified the US military is. This is not your grandfather’s US Army, or more precisely it is, without many updates since. They’re still relying on primordial technology like the E-3 and KC-135 that have no modern replacements. Every new weapon these corruption engineers have come up with (like littoral combat ships or the F-35) have either failed or flailed in the field.
People talk about how Iran is a ‘second-tier military’ but they ain’t Iraq and this ain’t Desert Storm. This is Desert Shitstorm and Iran is not just a peer military to ‘America’s’, they are demonstrably superior. Just look at the scoreboard, which isn’t school massacres but military targets. Behold, then, ‘American’ airframes burning in the sun while Iran’s rockets are safe underground. The White Empire stood astride the Middle East like Colossus, but now they lie there in a wreck, colossal morons.
What I want you to understand is that the US military is never coming back from this. There are no modern replacements for these refuelers and control systems. The NGAS is a render and the E-7 Wedgetail was cancelled. They simply don’t make ‘em like they used to anymore. As the meme template goes, “My father is a builder. We were in [Prince Sultan Air Base] I asked him what it would cost to build [an E-3 Sentry] today. I will never forget his answer… ‘We can’t, we don’t know how to do it.’”
Taking these planes to a war of choice was like taking Grandpa’s ‘65 Mustang to a demolition derby and getting your nose out of joint. The White press keeps saying these planes are worth millions or billions which is missing the point. They cannot make these planes anymore, these assets are effectively priceless.…
People really do not appreciate how depreciated the US military is. To rust and dust and gone bust. Some of their vaunted aircraft carriers are supposed to be retired already, they just keep extending their retirement dates because they have no replacements. This moves stuff around on paper, but doesn’t make these lumbering beasts any more limber.
https://indi.ca/americas-military-is-never-coming-back-from-this/
its hilarious how folks are so eager to believe what they want to.
If you give us the order, millions of Pashtuns from the tribes are ready to wage jihad together with Iran against Israel. We will provide ourselves with weapons and food ourselves.”
Leaders of the Pakistani Pashtun tribes met with the Iranian ambassador and made him an offer.
the X has an video
https://x.com/SprinterPress/status/2038222975313342774?
“Does South Asia need secularism?”
By Priyam Paul
https://www.thedailystar.net/slow-reads/focus/news/does-south-asia-need-secularism-4138766
An important interview with Akeel Bilgrami, Sidney Morgenbesser Professor of Philosophy and a faculty member of the Committee on Global Thought at Columbia University, and a renowned scholar of political philosophy
there are lots of talk about iran being a civilizational state and that it would be difficult for america to win this contest.
there are many instances where a superior power has overwhelmed these ‘civilisational states’ and imposed its will.
examples:
i) islamic arabs against zoroastrian persians.
ii) turkic persionate muslims against hindus.
iii) han chines against tibetans.
iv) mongols against muslim arabs.
v) ottoman turks against arabs, christians.
if the elite ( for example brahmins etc in india) survive,the elements of civilisational state such as dress, religion, language, food, etc will survive, although by making some compromises with the conqueror.
if the elites crumble the entire order changes in favour of the invader, eg. persian elites becoming muslim.
Frankly, the reason Iran is doing so well in this war is because modern warfare has changed significantly since the Azeri-Armenian war and traditional/conventional military supremacy no longer means all that much. Case in point – Ukraine-Russia . Ukraine can hardly be called a civilizational state in the sense it is used commonly used but is holding on very well against perhaps an ex-superpower all because modern warfare based on drones and long range stand-off munitions is asymmetric. This, coupled with a rich, democratic country like US’ distaste for the carnage that boots on the ground will entail means Iran had won the war when it didn’t buckle within the first week itself.
If the Americans had decided to attack Iran in 1989-90 things would’ve been very different. Civilizational history notwithstanding. Like you said, civilizations fall all the time. The only difference is that some tend to retain their original culture by assimilating their new overlords (e.g. China) while others have to dramatically adopt a new culture and then use their previous civilizational glory to stand out (e.g. Iran or Egypt). Dr. Edward Luttwak had specifically called out this tendency within the Islamic Iranian regime.
https://www.brownpundits.com/2024/10/02/browncast-dr-edward-luttwak-on-israel-and-the-grand-strategy-of-iran/
also it has captured what is a key critical strait. in a way this isn’t a bad outcome for DT.
America as an Empire.
Mahsa Sotoudeh, a 25-year-old Baha’i resident of Shiraz, was arrested by Iranian government forces and taken to an undisclosed location. She is the third Baha’i adherent to be detained in the city in recent days.
Those who receive support from Israel
Strikes To Begin Today (April 1): Iran Warns Tech Firms Over US’ Killing Of Leaders
(April Fool ?)
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said that they would target 18 leading US technology firms such as Apple, Google, Meta, IBM, Tesla and Boeing starting April 1. In a statement on Tuesday, the Guards alleged that the companies were complicit in the “targeted assassination” of officials.
“These companies, starting from 8:00 pm (1630 GMT) Tehran time on Wednesday, April 1, should expect the destruction of their relevant units in exchange for every assassination in Iran,” the statement read.
In a warning to the employees, it added, “We advise the employees of these institutions to immediately leave their workplaces to preserve their lives.”
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/iran-war-news-if-you-kill-our-leaders-well-attack-us-firms-like-google-meta-iran-11292804
“Perils of mediation”
By Zahid Hussain
https://www.dawn.com/news/1987370/perils-of-mediation
This is specifically on Pakistan’s role as the mediator and the downside of that.
Something very significant that hasn’t received any international media attention (thankfully so) – India has almost eliminated the long festering Maoist insurgency.
https://theprint.in/india/surrender-eliminate-develop-fall-of-the-red-corridor-ending-6-decades-of-maoist-insurgency-amit-shah-chhattisgarh/2892878/
A letter sent by Ayub Khan in August 1959 to all senior civil servants (including my paternal grandfather):
https://thepeshawarreview.substack.com/p/a-field-marshals-guide-to-good-governance
“Sanskrit, The Disapproving Paternal Aunt of Urdu”
By Sophia Khan
https://apinksamosa.substack.com/p/sanskrit-the-disapproving-paternal
“Limited US Ground Operations in Iran Will Not Shift the War’s Balance”
Brandon Carr and Trita Parsi
https://quincyinst.org/research/limited-us-ground-operations-in-iran-will-not-shift-the-wars-balance/
https://www.unz.com/pescobar/the-china-pakistan-gcc-riddle/
pepe escobar, who generally sides with anything anti american has written a very sarcastic piece in unz review.
To be blunt, Egypt geopolitically is a non-entity; and to make matters worse, did less than nothing about the horrendous Gaza genocide. Egypt and Pakistan can be seen in several aspects as vassals of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which are vassals of the combo US-death cult in West Asia (but that, in the case of Saudi, may be about to change).
There was vast spin that the meeting in Islamabad was coordinated by a “Sunni Axis”. Stratospheric nonsense. What really matters is that all of them back the death cult in West Asia; for instance, as in Turkiye continuing backdoor trade despite an “official” ban.
The interlocked relations of these four Muslim nations is complex. Pakistan and Iran share a tricky border: Sistan-Balochistan in Iran, Balochistan in Pakistan, this one crammed with CIA/MI6 infiltrated/weaponized actors such as the Balochistan Liberation Movement, BLM.
Islamabad has a defense pact with Riyadh, signed in September last year; yet that does not mean Pakistan would help Saudi against Iran, which is being illegally bombed by foreign actors. Everybody even in the Baloch deserts knows that if Iran falls, Pakistan is next.
Yes Baluchistan & Afghanistan are being Iran & Pakistan together.
I argued this decades ago that Pakistan & Iran should confederate; Afghanistan would surely follow.
A Khorasanistan Union along EU lines? But that requires pragmatic powersharing and maturity that simply does not exist. At least currently 🙂
Khorasan seems to have a lot of religious and cultural connotations in the Persianate world..
Written on April 1st.
I think this was sarcasm at best by Pepe Escobar
“Pakistan as Mediator in West Asia: What’s in it For Islamabad?”
By Christophe Jaffrelot
https://thewire.in/diplomacy/pakistan-as-mediator-in-west-asia-whats-in-it-for-islamabad
“How Jammu and Kashmir Helped Shape and Carry Buddhism to Central Asia and the World”
By Kanwal Singh
https://thewire.in/history/how-jammu-and-kashmir-helped-shape-and-carry-buddhism-to-central-asia-and-the-world