In an effort to ensure fair elections, Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan’s military ruler and president, suspended Pakistan’s constitution on November 3rd due to the fact that there is a chance nuclear arms can be placed in the wrong hands if elections are not conducted properly. He himself wishes to run for another term despite what Pakistan’s constitution states. America’s Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte recently traveled to Pakistan in hopes of getting Musharraf to end emergency rule in Pakistan as well as reconcile relations with ex-prime minister Benazir Bhutto who recently returned from self-imposed exile. The state of Pakistan is in great turmoil, for Musharraf has silenced independent TV stations, released Supreme Court judges (who decide whether Musharraf’s plea to run for another term as President is constitutional), and jailed several opponents. The rules of democracy are being disregarded within the country, but Negroponte continues to maintain optimism as he praises Musharraf’s efforts in the war on terror and his announcement that elections will be held by Jan. 9.

Tensions are increasing in Iran as the U.S. continues to impose further sanctions on the country for its developing nuclear program. However, according to a recent International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report, Iran has begun to cooperate with the agency and come clean about several of its endeavors. The report has confirmed that, though Iran is enriching uranium, the process is going slowly. It is not enough for a nuclear bomb but instead good for fuel for a nuclear reactor or a nuclear power plant. The United States is not yet sure whether they want to go into Iran to prevent further developments in their nuclear program. The Bush Administration is split on the decision and though Vice President Dick Cheney wants military action, it seems that those who favor diplomacy with the nation maintain an upper hand.

It has been almost a year since the shift in power favoring the Democratic Party took over Congress, yet there still seems to be a problem ending the war in Iraq that Republicans feel is needed to facilitate progress within the Iraqi government. Senate Democrats on Friday November 16th failed to pass a war-funding bill that would provide $50 billion towards combat because of their condition that, in order for the bill to be passed, troops must be allowed to return home from Iraq within 30 days. After the vote narrowly passed by the House, it lost by 7 votes in the Senate. The issue is stirring up problems due to the fact that if the spending bill is not passed before the holidays begin, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has made it known that drastic steps will be taken, including freezing contracts and releasing about 100,000 government employees as soon as mid-December.

Since 1984, a recently deemed terrorist organization called the Kurdish Worker’s Party (PKK) has fought for a wider Kurdish state that encompasses parts of Turkey. The attempts to attain their goal have become very violent in the past few months and Turkey has called on the United States for help. The Turkish Kurds living in the Kurdish region of Northern Iraq have been launching attacks into southeast Turkey and the Bush Administration worries that a war between Turkey and the Kurds will create another front in the war in Iraq. It would bring instability to the calmest part of Iraq and possibly even set a precedent for other countries that also have conflicts with the PKK guerilla force, for example Iran. The Secretary of state has promised our important NATO ally, Turkey, that America will double its efforts against the PKK.