Once again, Democrats.com called it right. We predicted that the sudden removal of thousands of troops from Korea would be followed by a commensurate deployment (redeployment) to the Pacific. China and other southeast Asian countries are disturbed by the move, and now analysts say Condi Rice's trip to the region last week was aimed at smoothing things over. But she hasn't convinced anyone so far. "It is an unprecedented show of force and a return to gunboat diplomacy," said Andrew Tam, a security expert at the Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies in Singapore.The People's Daily accuses Bush of trying to build up a line of defense in the Western Pacific that starts with Japan and extends down China's coastline through Taiwan and the Philippines. "The US global strategic review not only again fully exposes a wild ambition for world domination, but at the same time also shows its intention to take unilateral actions in every part of the world," the paper said.

Bush wants to demonize Burma (Myanmar) so he can add it to his list of "evil countries." Nearly all "evil countries" have one thing in common: they represent real estate required for a cross-south Asia oil/gas pipeline network. Recently, the Bush cartel said sanctions were required because pro-Democracy candidate Aung San Suu Ky was being held under house arrest by Burma's military junta. (Btw - the Bush campaign violated these same sanctions by importing promo jackets made in Burmese sweatshops!). Now that the junta has pledged to release Ky by May 17, Bush has upped the ante and says that's not good enough. What's next? Charges of "harboring terrorists" or blackmarketing nukes? The US-based think tank, the National Bureau of Asian Research, says the sanctions are pointless at best and at worst might strengthen the military junta's power - which is no doubt part of the demonization strategy.

We have long predicted that Bush's long-term scheme is to pump oil out of South Asia (which stretches from the Middle East to Vietnam) and sell it to Japan and the US. The "real estate" required for this continuous "oil line" includes: Syria, Iraq, Iran Afghanistan, India and Burma (Myanmar). Iraq and Afghanistan have been invaded, Syria and Iran have been put on the hit list, and India is already "in the bag." Bush paid them off with billions in outsourced jobs he allowed the US to lose. That leaves Burma... So now the Bush cartel is beginning its "evil country" rhetoric, a prelude, we have no doubt, to declaring Burma a terrorist stronghold that should be invaded. For map of south Asia see: http://www.askasia.org/image/maps/asias1.htm

"Bush has used his massive military build-up in Central Asia to seal the cold war victory against Russia, to contain Chinese influence and to tighten the noose around Iran. Most importantly, however, Washington - supported by the Blair government - is exploiting the 'war on terror' to further American oil interests in the Caspian region. But this geopolitical gamble involving thuggish dictators and corrupt Saudi oil sheiks is only likely to produce more terrorists... Today, the US has taken over the leading role from the British. Along with the Russians, new regional powers, such as China, Iran, Turkey and Pakistan, have entered the arena, and transnational oil corporations are also pursuing their own interests... The main spoils in today's Great Game are Caspian oil and gas. On its shores, and at the bottom of the Caspian Sea, lie the world's biggest untapped fossil fuel resources. Estimates range from 110 to 243bn barrels of crude, worth up to $4 trillion."

Andre Vltchek writes for ZNET: "In February, the people of Asia stood shoulder to shoulder, protesting in front of their US embassies against the forthcoming war against Iraq. They marched through rain, snow and tropical heat, their numbers varying from several hundreds to hundreds of thousands. But their message was unanimous: 'We are not irrelevant. We, the people of the largest and the most populous continent on earth are against the war and against the Western hegemony. And we want our voices to be heard.' Even in Japan, a country often described as the staunchest supporter of US foreign policy, around 80% of the population is against the war. There is no major nation on the Asian continent that is cheering for an invasion of Iraq."