I've been meaning to write something about the ISI, but then I sat down and listened to Brother Borger, here, and acknowledged that he said everything I'd say and more, and better besides. I don't know that there's anything that can be done about the ISI.
The news -- well, it isn't quite yet news; the informed speculation -- that Dick Holbrooke is under consideration as Obama's special envoy to South Asia is somewhat promising. Holbrooke did work some diplomatic miracles with the Serbs and the Croats, and at the UN in terms of getting member nations to pitch in their fair shares of dues. He is by all accounts an annoyingly persistent man, which is good.
However, I do disagree with Julian on the question of whether Obama's national-security team represents a paradigm shift. He says no, because of the presences of Clinton and Gates. I say yes. The bottom line is that they'll be taking orders from a new guy at the top. Obama is not George Bush.
The peoples of the world aren't going to link hands anytime soon and sing "Imagine" -- a song I've decided I don't really like anyway, but that's for another post -- but there will be change, and I think lots of it.
