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When, in April 1937, the German Condor Legion dropped 45,000 kilograms of explosives on the Spanish town of Guernica, international outrage followed, and Pablo Picasso was inspired to paint his now famous Guernica. When the US Air Force recently loosed 45,000 kilograms of bombs on a small Sunni farming district in Iraq, there was hardly a peep. These days, only “insurgent” suicide bombings warrant media attention, while the US’s air “surge” is politely played down. – Tom Engelhardt (Jan 31, ’08)

The new-wave United States counter-insurgency approach looks a lot like old-school peacekeeping as the military reaches out to Afghanistan’s younger generation. Troops on the ground tell Philip Smucker that taking the fight to the enemy these days is not simply a matter of firing off bombs and bullets. (Jan 31, ’08)

Even with a new government in place, Thailand’s political conflict remains unresolved. Stability is at stake and Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej must decide between being ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra’s loyal proxy or steering his strong royalist credentials in an unexpected direction. – Shawn W Crispin (Jan 31, ’08)

An Indian military outpost in Tajikistan was expected to irritate Islamabad and Beijing, not Moscow. Russia’s pressure, which has led to the project being stalled, is a wake-up call for India’s big-power dreams and a reminder to Delhi that it can’t expect a strategic beachhead in Central Asia if it continues to pursue close ties with the Americans. – Sudha Ramachandran (Jan 31, ’08)

President-elect Lee Myung-bak occupies Seoul’s Blue House soon, amid concern over his “house of the Lord” Christian faith. Many South Koreans fear he may pack his cabinet with members of his church’s congregation, at the expense of Buddhists and non-believers. – Sunny Lee (Jan 31, ’08)

Nepal’s twice-postponed polls are scheduled for April 10, but there are severe doubts whether they can take place amid an atmosphere of political instability. Maoists, royalists, political opportunists of all stripes, the military, religious tensions, fears of Indian influence as well as a lack of security in rural districts put the process in dire peril. – Dhruba Adhikary (Jan 31, ’08)