Arcs of instability

["Tom O'Lincoln" <suarsos@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Fred:
>>The "arc of instability" once began in the Caribbean where Cuba appeared
to hold up the banner of Evil all alone.<<

It's interesting they are using this term. The Australian imperialists have
used it for some time now to refer to the Indonesian/Melanesian/Pacific
islands. If you can visualise the map, it goes like this, from left to
right:

Aceh: major separatist insurgency
Java: Suharto falls 1998 amidst riots, confusion follows
Ambon/Maluku: local civil war
East Timor: catastrophic road to nominal independence - Australian troops
intervene.
West Papau: separatist insurgency
Papua New Guinea: crisis, mutiny in the military not long ago;
Bougainville: major separatist insurgency, Australian "peace keeper" role
Solomon Islands. Virtual civil war; a "failed state", Australian
"peacekeeper" role
Fiji: two coups since 1987.

So many possible "threats". No wonder they sent troops to Iraq -- they will
need US muscle some time, so they had to pay up on their insurance policy.