Asiatica Association

The Global Forum of Japan Commentary of October 1, 2011, Vol. 4, No. 5 presents views of members and friends of GFJ on the relations of Japan with the rest of the world and other related international affairs. The commentary "The Death of Osama bin-Laden" is written by Prof. Bruce Mazlish (MIT).

The Death of Osama bin-Laden, by Bruce Mazlish

The death and disposal in the sea of Osama bin Laden on 5/1/11 seems a fitting book end to the events of 9/11. It cannot be lamented; but it does raise a set of questions. The Letter of Mr. ITO Masanori entitled "Is Osama Bin Laden a Criminal or a Hero?" and carried by "GFJ -Commentary" is very interesting because it tries to answer such questions. Agreeing with him that the international legal system would have benefited from his trial (and he could have been captured,) I would like to respond to some of the questions raised by him.

Something like 3,000 victims were claimed at the World Towers and the other 9/11 sites. Al Qaeda, led by bin Laden, has been responsible for many more. Horrible as they are, their number has been fairly limited. In comparison with the Nazi Holocaust and the killing of an additional 6 million or more Poles, Russians and others, the Al Qaeda attack is dwarfted into insignificance. Its major significance lay in the shattering of the belief in American domestic invulnerability. The fear that was created by the small number dead -compare the 60,000 plus deaths each year on American highways- resulted in a major victory for the terrorists.

Thye Institute of Research on Contemporary Southeast Asia in Bangkok offers 3 grants of 6 months each to doctoral/ post doctoral students to make field studies in Southeast Asia, starting November 1, 2011. Disciplines: Political Science, Anthropology-ethnology, Economics, Geography, Contemporary History, Sociology, International Relations.

I want to recommend to you the Alphabetical List of Open Access Journals in Ancient Studies from the blog The Ancient World Online, by Charles Ellwood Jones, Head Librarian at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at NYU. 

As you can see, also the Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies (IJTS) is listed. The EJVS (Editor-in-chief Prof. Michael Witzel)  is one of the first academic electronic journals of the world, established in 1995 together with the JSAWS and the IJTS, and I humbly serve as Managing Editor for it.