The Next Dominoes (2 of 4)

"Hey! I shout better than you! Down with Mubarak!"

They’ve all been ruled by despots. This is what Tunisia and Egypt had in common. Both  Ben Ali and Mubarak have been in power for more than 30 years. And getting through more than 30 years in power meant getting around the weak democratic system of governance in their countries. Mubarak, who came into power in succession to the assassinated Anwar Sadat, asked his rubber stamp parliament to revise the constitution in 2005 in order to allow multi-party elections for the first time in more than 40 years. This enabled him to run for his fifth and final term against largely unpopular opponents, since the formidable ones have been largely harassed and oppressed by government forces. Ben Ali is also known to have used force and intimidation against opposition figures in his country.

An Intensive Look at the Philippine Navy

The Philippine Navy used to be Southeast Asia’s most equipped naval force. In fact, its more powerful neighbors such as Indonesia and Malaysia once looked up at the Philippines for assistance in developing their own navies back when they were just emerging nations in the 1960s.

But now, more than 40 years later, the Philippine Navy is one of the weakest forces in the region.

With an old, decrepit fleet and a formidable yet ill-equipped marine corps, the Philippine Navy cannot stand a chance against the emerging and evolving security threats in Southeast Asia. It has been left behind by neighbors it once trained, who have now emerged as the regions most adept naval forces, capable of thwarting threats not only internally or regionally but also beyond their reach.

I just received reports that the Royal Malaysian Navy has freed a hijacked tanker off the coast of Somalia securing both ship and hostages without the loss of life.