By S. Rowan Wolf, Ph.D.

August 23, 2005 (Uncommon Thought Journal)-On Wednesday August 17, 350 bombs exploded simultaneously across Bangladesh. The U.S. corporate media did a sound bite and the story disappeared. Even most of the international media have given the story short shrift.

I am baffled as one would think that this would be top line news. Setting off 350 explosions in 50 cities across a country at the same time would seem to require a relatively large network of bombers and a high degree of coordination. True, the bombs were small and the death toll low (2 killed and 125 wounded), but the action itself is stunning.

Because of the "ineffectiveness" of the bombs, it is assumed that they were intended to cause panic and disruption. Perhaps, but couldn’t they also have been a trial run-a test so to speak? Maybe the story has gotten so little coverage because the media doesn’t want to "panic" the public. Or maybe it is because of other issues-such as the "China complex."

I am using the term "China complex" to refer to the growing network of influence and cooperation between China and other nations-such as Bangladesh which has a long history of ties to China. There is also conflict between Bangladesh and India. On August 19, there was a a skirmish at the border between the two countries. India and the U.S. have been strengthening relations, and the US is selling weapons to India.

Of course, the United States’ ally in the "war on terror" has been Pakistan, but Pakistan has also made friendly overtures to China-about a year and a half ago the two nations held joint military exercises.

China has other "friends" that might worry the U.S. China has made an oil deal with Iran and now the two nations are talking about military cooperation. Also part of the China complex is Venezuela (with whom, China is expanding influence with oil contracts), and an ever-strengthening relationship with Russia to the point that China’s military is being "Russianized." It is clear that China is attempting to send the US a message about the US plans for empire. That has made the news-Russia and China join forces to challenge US dominance.

The Bush administration has been trying to build their case for taking military action against Iran-based on Iran’s alleged nuclear weapon plans. However, the IAEA has concluded that Iran is not making weapons from its enriched uranium. (Save that article if nuclear weapons are used as an excuse for invading Iran).

I truly don’t like the way that relations are shaping up. On one hand you have the United States (and maybe Britain). On the other you have the China complex. Is the flap about Iran about Iran, or is it about China, or is it about oil? Are we seeing the alignment of a major resource war? That seems like a distinct possibility, but what about Bangladesh and their 350 bombs exploding in a half hour period? I find that event relatively scary even if the global media does not. It sends a signal, but from whom-"Islamic terrorists" or US (or India) covert operations? Either way, or none of the above, the event should be getting much more air time than it is.

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