Nuclear Iran, China & the World Bank, Guatemala's President

A nuclear Iran?

Another Iranian nuclear scientist has died in a targeted bomb attack. According to sources, two motorcyclists attached a magnetic bomb to the underside of his car and drove off. Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan, who worked at the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, is only one of several Iranian nuclear scientists to have been assassinated over the years. In fact, the exact same thing happened last November. As everyone knows, Iran has taken steps to become nuclear capable and obviously the death of Mustafa has been unsettling to the government. Iran has blamed both USA (particularly the CIA) and Israel for the killing of the 32-year-old, allegations of which USA has denied. However, many are certain that Mostafa’s death will not impede progress in Iran’s nuclear programme. Tensions are also running high as Washington and its allies suspect Iran of secretly trying to develop a nuclear weapons capacity but Iran insists the programme is peaceful. Many countries, like Russia, fear that Israel is pushing for war with Iran, and that an escalation of this situation could bring about military conflict. (I’m pretty sure that right about now, people are developing conspiracy theories) Whatever their intention, you can be sure that Western nations will be imposing sanctions on Iran’s nuclear programme.

Is china reducing the influence of the World Bank?

Over the past few years, delegations from china’s big banks have been travelling the globe, signing billion dollar deals with some of the world’s poorest nations. In fact, last year china provided more loans to the developing worlds than the World Bank! According to sources, china has $3tn sat in its import export bank. Some of the things possible because of china’s help include the vast hydropower dam being constructed in Coca River (Ecuador). One of the main reasons Ecuador has gone to china for funding is because no other international markets are ready/ willing to buy Ecuadorian debt (since they have defaulted once in the past). In Angola, China has been offering loans since 2003 when the nation emerged from civil war. To date, it has extended credit lines to Angola worth $15bn as Chinese companies come over and build new infrastructure in the country. In return, Angola sends China its oil. Many argue that this arrangement has flaws though. Instead of money circulating in Angola, it stays within the Chinese project circles. This could be why some Africans are starting to dislike the Chinese. The high influx of Chinese into countries like Zambia could also account for the high rates of unemployment and destitution over there. Basically, some feel that china is neglecting a moral duty to ensure that their loans come with requirements that improve the “long term health of a nation”. The World Bank hopes that China will work with them to ensure loans come with tougher conditions on transparency, anti-corruption and human rights.

Guatemala's new president

For those of you who might not know it, Guatemala has one of the highest murder rates in the world, with much of the violence blamed on criminal street gangs. Its security forces have also been battling against the rising influence of Mexico’s powerful drug cartels (who have caused a reported 47,515 killings since 2006). Taking over in a time of crisis, in a country dominated by corruption is never easy, and Mr Perez Molina (who leads the right-wing Patriotic Party), is ready for that. A former army general (the first military figure to lead since the return of democracy in 1986), he has promised tough action to fight soaring levels of violent crime and drug trafficking. The scale of the challenge he faces was underlined on the eve of his inauguration, when a congressman and his brother were shot dead in the centre of Guatemala City. Many though are skeptical of the new president’s record during the 36-year-civil war, when the army committed widespread atrocities.

"I pray that my generation is the last of war and the next one is the first of peace," he said. Well, it’s a little too early to speculate what might happen, so let’s just see what happens next.