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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 11-Mar-2014
11-Mar-14 World View -- Terrorist bombings continue in Pakistan despite so-called 'cease-fire'

Web Log - March, 2014

11-Mar-14 World View -- Terrorist bombings continue in Pakistan despite so-called 'cease-fire'

3D printing promises to revolutionize defense, aerospace industries

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

North Korea's Kim Jong-un reelected with 100% of the vote
Terrorist bombings continue in Pakistan despite so-called 'cease-fire'
Outrage growing in Pakistan as famine kills hundreds of children
3D printing promises to revolutionize defense, aerospace industries

North Korea's Kim Jong-un reelected with 100% of the vote

Kim Jong-un voting for himself on Sunday

Kim Jong-un voting for himself on Sunday

North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong-un has won re-election to the Supreme People's Assembly, receiving 100% of the vote, with 100% turnout. According to the official news agency:

"This is an expression of all the service personnel and people's absolute support and profound trust in supreme leader Kim Jong Un as they single-mindedly remain loyal to him."

When you vote in North Korea, there's only one candidate on the ballot, and you're allowed to vote Yes or No. And the way you do that is to openly pick up the Yes ballot from one table or the No ballot from another table, in full view of everyone, and then drop the ballot into the ballot box.

The reason that North Korea even holds elections is because it allows the authorities to keep track of dissidents, as not being home to vote would put a dissident's life in danger. Independent (London) and AP

Terrorist bombings continue in Pakistan despite so-called 'cease-fire'

On March 3, terrorists carried out a terrorist suicide bombing on a courthouse in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, killing 11 people, including a judge, and wounding 23 others. According to reports, the terrorists entered the complex and opened fire indiscriminately at everyone, hurled hand grenades and later exploded their suicide vests.

This came just one day after the Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-e-Taliban - TTP) announced a one-month "unconditional" cease-fire, to allow negotiations with the government to continue. As I indicated at the time, these cease-fire announcements are often used by terrorists to give themselves time to restock their weapons inventory. After the March 3 attack, a TTP spokesman said,

"We have already declared a ceasefire and we strictly adhere to our deal with the Government. Our colleagues in the organisation also cannot violate this agreement."

Well, apparently that doesn't apply to all of TTP's "colleagues." One of their colleagues is supposed to be Ahrar-ul-Hind (AH), a TTP splinter group, who claimed responsibility for the March 3 attack. According to an AH spokesman:

"We are an independent group and have no links with TTP. We were a part of TTP earlier but now we operate independently."

He said that the judicial system in the country was "un-Islamic" and that they would continue their "struggle" till Shariah law was enforced.

In Punjab province alone (the province where Islamabad is located), there are at least 57 extremist and terrorist outfits, out of which at 28 are homegrown. Punjab is also home to various foreign terrorists, including the Afghan Taliban and Uzbek terrorists. Security forces do little to stop these groups, for fear of being attacked themselves in retribution. Some of these groups, particularly Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), were originally created by Pakistan's security forces in the 1980s to fight the Indians in Kashmir or the Russians in Afghanistan. Today, those groups have turned against Pakistan, and are actively training to take control of Afghanistan once the Americans and Nato leave. South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP - India)

Outrage growing in Pakistan as famine kills hundreds of children

Hundreds of villages have been vacated in the drought (The Nation)

Hundreds of villages have been vacated in the drought (The Nation)

Hundreds of children have died of malnutrition and disease in Pakistan's Sindh province in the last few weeks, because of the worst drought since 2000. On Sunday, 375 children were brought to a single hospital on one day. In just the last few days, thousands of families have been compelled to leave their homes in search of water, leaving hundreds of villages vacated. Finger-pointing has begun, with the federal government and the local Sindh government accusing each other of letting the situation get out of control. The Nation (Pakistan) and Gulf Times

3D printing promises to revolutionize defense, aerospace industries

3D Printing

3D Printing

3D printers have gained worldwide attention for their ability to create all kinds of small objects, particularly guns, on the fly. However, 3D printing, also called "additive manufacturing," has been hampered so far because the plastic materials used in the process created items that broke under stress. But new, more advanced printers use metal-based substances, making it possible to manufacture hard-to-make items, such as brackets and tools for multi-million dollar programs ranging from satellites to jet fighters, revolutionizing the defense and aerospace industries. National Defense Magazine

(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the 11-Mar-14 World View -- Terrorist bombings continue in Pakistan despite so-called 'cease-fire' thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (11-Mar-2014) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 11-Mar-2014 11-Mar-14 World View -- Terrorist bombings continue in Pakistan despite so-called 'cease-fire'

North Korea's Kim Jong-un reelected with 100% of the vote

Terrorist bombings continue in Pakistan despite so-called 'cease-fire'

Outrage growing in Pakistan as famine kills hundreds of children

3D printing promises to revolutionize defense, aerospace industries

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 11-Mar-2014
11-Mar-14 World View -- Terrorist bombings continue in Pakistan despite so-called 'cease-fire'