Geo Quiz: Zheng He

Friday’s Geo Quiz.

And answer.

Admiral Zheng He

If you don’t want to hear the answer to today’s Geo Quiz, stop reading now.

The Chinese navy is sending warships to the Gulf Aden to help keep Somali pirates in check. BBC News video here. The news has an interesting parallel with a figure from Chinese history, the 15th century admiral of the most powerful navy in the world, Zheng He.

This was the subject of our Geo Quiz segment today.

The American Influence Podcast, Episode 6

Newly declassified tapes of conversations between Nixon and Kissinger. Listen in as they talk about bombing “the bejesus out of them all over North Vietnam,” and express hope as late at April 1972 that the US was on track to win the war. Condoleezza Rice says Iran’s influence in Iraq has waned. Not true, says one former Iraqi ambassador to the UN. And Pakistan’s president’s peculiar denials related to the Mumbai terrorist attacks. Listen. Share. And happy holidays!

Episode 6 of The World’s American Influence Podcast.

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Now that’s world music

Hot Nixon tape

Nixon just keeps on giving. My story from Tuesday is a listen to some conversation between Nixon and Henry Kissinger about US bombing in Vietnam. As late as April 1972, they both seem to think that the bombing would work… either by getting the Russians to pressure the North Vietnamese into capitulation, or by “shocking” the enemy into “cracking.”

Toyota’s not just a Japanese company

The mighty Toyota is not immune to the economic downturn. The company is expecting its first loss in 70 years. I talked about Shawn McAlinden at the Center for Automotive Research today and asked him to explain how Toyota is not just a Japanese company. It’s a global corporation with a huge stake in the US auto industry. (1:56)

How about some coercion with that North Korea diplomacy?

Coercive diplomacy is what they call it. And in dealing with North Korea in recent years, it’s tough to argue that the US and its negotiation partners have been the ones doing the coercing. Sung-Yoon Lee suggests that it’s time to start in this analysis on the rocky road of North Korea diplomacy. In an interview with me last week, Lee said that Barack Obama should be prepared for Kim Jong-il to come out swinging soon after after inauguration day.

Fast cash for your car

Normally, president Bush wouldn’t agree to nationalizing one of America’s most important industries. But these are not normal times. Foreign automakers are relieved too that the White House is coming through with more than 17 billion dollars for GM and Chrysler, even though the money is essentially a government subsidy for their competitors.

Zardari denial

The peace process between India and Pakistan is on hold, but none of the experts I’ve talked to actually think war is a real possibility. In the short term, at least. Pakistan’s president Asif Ali Zardari is engaging in serious denial however. And that’s a worrisome sign for his country more than anything.

BBC News video of Zardari’s interview with Allan Little, who does a fine job dealing with Zardari’s bobbing and weaving. Listen to longer audio version of the interview here.

Condoleezza Rice’s dream world

Condoleeza Rice did an exit interview of sorts with the Associated Press yesterday and she suggested that US forces have knocked the Iranians back on their heels in Iraq. “The Iranians find themselves unable to operate as effectively in Iraq because we’ve been very aggressive against their agents,” Rice said.

“All respect,” Feisal Istrabadi told me today, “I think Dr. Rice is living in a dream world.”

Istrabadi is a visiting professor of law at Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law. He was Iraq’s deputy ambassador to the United Nations from 2004 -2007.

If Iran moves to fill the void in Iraq created by a US withdrawal, Istrabadi says it will be thanks in large part to US actions.

“It’s really been baffling,” he said. “The US chose to back those groups (in Iraq) most closely allied with Iran.” Istrabadi said the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq is a good example – the group was founded in Iran and it supported Iran in its war with Iraq in the 1980s.

I didn’t manage to work any of Istrabadi’s comments into my radio story today. Will have to wait for the podcast… Meantime: