Egypt and Indonesia   

As mass protests sweep through Cairo and Hosni Mubarak teeters, some U.S. observers have turned almost reflexively to the analogy of Iran and the Shah in 1979. “Just look at Iran,” Leslie Gelb wrote earlier this week: If the Muslim Brotherhood takes control in Egypt, which Gelb believes may be at hand, “it’s going to be almost impossible for the people to take it back.”    (The New Republic)

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Mudflow management: Lessons for S-E Asia   
The Hungarian toxic red mud spill in early October was a calamity for the people in the town of Ajka. This incident provides an important comparison with similar incidents in South-east Asia such as responses to the 2006 mud flood in Sidoarjo, Indonesia (known locally as Lumpur Sidoarjo or Lusi) and the need for precautionary measures in future development projects in Vietnam. (The Straits Times)

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