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Thu, February 9, 2012
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OPINION
Axis of Hostility: Iran, Israel and the US Continue Their Mad Rush Toward War
By John Riady

Those who, like me, believe the Middle East deserves a respite from war after protracted conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq are looking at Iran with trepidation. Talk is rife that the country is bracing for war, and some have even suggested a possible date for it: May this year. 9:56am Feb 9, 2012

Nasrep, Tommy and the Smiling General
By Yohanes Sulaiman & Phillip Turnbull

Hoping to bypass the government’s verification process for new political parties, the National Republic Party last week decided to merge with the struggling Ummah Conscience Party, which participated in the 2009 elections and can run again in 2014. As a result, the new party, led by Hutomo “Tommy” Mandala Putra, the son of Indonesia’s former presidential strongman Suharto, can now throw its hat in the ring, too. 10:05am Feb 9, 2012

Karim Raslan: Silence of Snow
By Karim Raslan

There was snow on the ground as I arrived two weeks ago in Switzerland, just as there was snow across the English Home Counties when I finally returned back home to Asia. 10:11am Feb 9, 2012

Solution to Europe’s Crisis Lies in Mona Lisa’s Smile
By A. A. Gill

They discovered another Mona Lisa at the Prado in Madrid, just hanging about in the stock room. “What do you think that is?” asked some Spanish curator. “Let’s clean it and see. Caramba. It’s another Mona Lisa,” painted contemporaneously by Leonardo da Vinci’s favored pupil, perhaps his significant other. 10:13am Feb 9, 2012

Editorial: SOEs Must Become Development Engine

In his clearest statement yet on the roles and expectations governing state-owned enterprises, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has raised the bar in terms of how these companies are to be judged and evaluated. 10:03am Feb 9, 2012

Official Requirement to Publish Papers Is Going to Hurt, Not Help, Our Academics
By Ruli Manurung

Carrying out academic research that contributes to mankind’s body of knowledge is no mean feat, as it demands a deep understanding of the field, follows a rigorous methodology and is subject to intense scrutiny to ensure validity. 11:27am Feb 8, 2012

The Thinker: Let's Talk About Sex
By Lies Marcoes
Editorial: When 240 Million Mouths Need Feeding
Rise of the Brotherhood Won’t Alter Egypt’s Economy Much
By Mohamed El Dashshan
For China, Non-Interference Has a Shelf Life
By James M. Dorsey
Can Indonesia’s New Land Law Help Its Wobbly March Toward Joining the BRICs?
By Mika Purra
Is Atheism Illegal in Indonesia?
By Salim Osman - Straits Times Indonesia
The Thinker: Ungentle Humor
By Oei Eng Goan
Time for Closer Ties With East Timor
By Agus Wandi
Go Ahead, Steal This Column: The Engine of Free Expression
'Iran does not accept the reality of Israel and America does not accept the reality of Iran'

COLUMNS

The Thinker: Let's Talk About Sex

By Lies Marcoes

Aisyiyah, the women’s wing of Muhammadiyah, recently released results of a study it did on adolescent sexuality in Yogyakarta’s Bantul district. Pointing to the widespread practice of girls marrying in their teens and even below the legal age of 16, the study makes for a worrying read. 12:19pm Feb 8, 2012
The Thinker: Ungentle Humor
By Oei Eng Goan
Moments before naming lawmaker Angelina Sondakh as a suspect in a high-profile graft case, Abraham Samad, chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission, joked with journalists at his press conference last Friday. 10:58am Feb 7, 2012
Jamil Maidan Flores: Anwar’s Rebound
By Jamil Maidan Flores
In October 1998, then-Foreign Minister Ali Alatas of Indonesia made a quick, unpublicized trip to Kuala Lumpur. His mission: to convey to Malaysia’s leaders the deep personal concern of then-Indonesian President Habibie at the beating that former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had suffered in police custody. According to Alatas, Habibie was extremely worried because he knew of the frailty of Anwar’s health. 11:37am Feb 6, 2012
Desi Anwar: It’s All in the Neurons
By Desi Anwar
I often wonder what makes some people espouse strong beliefs more than others or what it is that makes an individual, group or society attach itself to a particular belief system. More important, why, when faced with a different opinion or a different belief system, do some people react so strongly, often emotionally, sometimes physically or even violently? 12:01pm Feb 4, 2012
EDITORIALS

Editorial: When 240 Million Mouths Need Feeding

Indonesia has ample land on which to grow food, but as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Tuesday, that alone will not ensure the nation’s food security. 11:52am Feb 8, 2012
Editorial: To Sustain Growth, We Must Invest in People
The country’s strongest gross domestic growth since 1996 is definitely something to celebrate. Indonesia’s economy grew by 6.5 percent in 2011, higher than the 6.1 percent growth it posted a year earlier. 10:51am Feb 7, 2012
Editorial: No Room for Drug Use Among Pilots
The arrest of a third Lion Air pilot for drug use should shock both the aviation industry and the authorities into taking strong action, given the grave implications for the safety of air passengers. 12:01pm Feb 6, 2012
Editorial: Banten Bridge Shows Disregard for Public
It took worldwide media attention for officials in Lebak, Banten, to act despite the imminent danger a badly damaged bridge posed to residents. Only after widespread condemnation did officials move to shut down the badly disintegrating wood-and-wire suspension bridge. 12:29pm Feb 4, 2012
COMMENTARY

Rise of the Brotherhood Won’t Alter Egypt’s Economy Much

By Mohamed El Dashshan

Egypt’s new parliament is taking a seat amid ongoing protests on the streets and deteriorating relations with the United States over the impending trial of NGO workers as they threaten to review $1.3 billion in Egyptian military aid. Thus, it’s essential to read into the economic policy the Muslim Brotherhood will devise to redress an economy battered by a year of severe mismanagement by the ruling military junta and its successive transitional governments. 11:47am Feb 8, 2012
For China, Non-Interference Has a Shelf Life
By James M. Dorsey
China’s decision to veto a condemnation of Syria’s regime at the United Nations Security Council is just the latest signal that illustrates the need for a fundamental change in Chinese foreign policy. 11:23am Feb 8, 2012
Can Indonesia’s New Land Law Help Its Wobbly March Toward Joining the BRICs?
By Mika Purra
Indonesia’s attempts to attract foreign investment took a major leap forward in December when the House of Representatives passed long-awaited land reform legislation. Disputes over land ownership have long been one of the major impediments for improving Indonesia’s grossly inadequate infrastructure — a reality that threatens the country’s future growth. 10:42am Feb 7, 2012
Time for Closer Ties With East Timor
By Agus Wandi
On a recent trip to East Timor, while talking to fishermen on Areia Branca Beach, hanging out with taxi drivers, getting lost cycling in Dili with its new street names, catching up with friends working for the United Nations there, having dinner with a Nobel laureate and coffee with a presidential candidate, it was clear that there is one common feeling among East Timorese: despite the misery of the past, despite the persistent problems of unemployment and poverty, the country is looking forward to a better future. 10:47am Feb 7, 2012
BLOGS