Yes, the Balkan interventions did lead to connectivity

■"Macedonia makes progress on path to membership of EU," by Daniel Dombey, Financial Times, 9 November 2005, p. 3.

Way back when, a fellow Naval War College professor wrote a nasty letter to Esquire about my article, "The Pentagon's New Map." In it, he dismissed the notion that our efforts in both war and peace in the Balkans across the 1990s constituted integration into the Core. He could write with this sort of confidence because he's an expert on the Balkans.

Well, I maintain that he's still full of shit on the subject, besides suffering a pathetic sort of professional jealously.

Macedonia is announced to be worthy of "candidate status" by the EU. Macedonia joins Croatia in such a migration. Won't be easy, and won't go fast. But it began when America and NATO decided to intervene and change history.

Pentagon's New Map Image in PDF

/pdf/pentagons_new_map.pdf

Short night's journey into day

Dateline: Delta flights to Berlin from Indy through JFK, 7-8 November 2005; then in Berlin Hilton, 8 November 2005

Heading to a NATO conference.

Not my first NATO gig, but first one in Europe.

First time in Germany since the early 1990s, when the Balkans genocide was raging just a couple of doors down the hall.

Different, more distant challenges now for NATO. Must mean the Core is growing.

Hoped to do this mega-blog plus a Director's Commentary on flight over, but I needed some sleep too, so I take the Ambien and get what I can.

I am awakened about an hour out of Berlin (Bear-lin, as they like to pronounce it) and I get somewhat into the first chapter Director's Commentary, but I run out of time before we land. Picked up at airport by German troops, along with a Joint Forces Command general who does lessons learned for the Chairman. I discuss including his office's work in my upcoming effort for Esquire. He thinks his group would have a lot to tell me.

Not bad for the van ride in!

Now in my Hilton Berlin room, I need to get my day going. So I will shower up, work the clothes and then head down to conference to check it out a bit. Then lunch with a Vice Admiral, a Major General, a Brigadier General and a Rear Admiral . I have no idea which are U.S. and which are German/NATO, but I guess I'll find out.

After lunch I get guided tour of Berlin, to include some shopping.

Then back for reception tonight at Aquarium at Berlin Zoo (should be cool).

Tomorrow is breakfast with same Read Admiral I have lunch with today, then 45 minutes of presentation and 30 of Q&A to the NATO conference. Then some local media, and then the journey continues.

Here's the daily catch:

■ Global trade talks: the calm before the shturm

■ France's connect-or-die moment (part duh!)

■ India and North Korea: compare and contrast content controls

■ Sudan's continuing horrors: Left's definition of "empire made easy"?

■ Oil scarcity will be about investment, not reserves, in coming years

■ SysAdmin in the U.S. gets privatized and professionalized

■ Sequencing is everything in SysAdmin work; delay being the greatest enemy of success

■ The big contrast with Vietnam: lack of meddling incentives for outsiders

■ Good news on grad students coming to the U.S.

■ Don't it turn my red states bluuuuuuue?

■ Does the federal law sometimes kill the logical outcome of rule set clashes among states in the U.S.?

Global trade talks: the calm before the shturm

■"Failed Summit Casts Shadow on Global Trade Talks: In Blow to U.S., Chavez Taps Latin America's Discontent To Fight Opening of Markets," by Matt Moffett and John D. McKinnon, Wall Street Journal, 7 November 2005, p. A1.

■"Push for 'Made In' Tags Grows in EU: Trade Groups Urge Europe To Impose Origin Labeling; Fashion Houses Are Divided," by Alessandra Galloni, Wall Street Journal, 7 November 2005, p. A6.

■"Bush, Replying to Chavez, Urges Latin Americans to Follow U.S.," by Elisabeth Bumiller and Larry Rohter, New York Times, 7 November 2005, p. A6.

■"Trade Officials to Hold Talks To Save a Global Agreement: Difference over agricultural issues have stalled a deal," by Keith Bradsher, New York Times, 7 November 2005, p. C9.

■"U.S., EU Push Plan to Trade Aid for Open Markets," by Greg Hitt, Wall Street Journal, 5-6 November 2005, p. A4.

■"Japan to Take 'Friendly' Approach With China Over Gas Drilling," by Ginny Parker Woods, Wall Street Journal, 5-6 November 2005, p. A4.

■"U.S., China Agree to 3-Year Deal On Textile Trade," by Mei Fong and Greg Hitt, Wall Street Journal, 7 November 2005, p. A3.

Global trade negotiations are always at death's door, until the breakthrough occurs. This is the queer history of globalization's emerging economic rule set: delay and non-action and hardened positions, then panic and a shturmovschina-like rush to beat the deadline, typically getting in just under the wire with an agreement that's nothing more than an agreement to have an agreement.

Watch regional trade efforts continue to falter until the Doha "development round" of the World Trade Organization bears some fruit.

Hugo Chavez can prance and strut all he wants, but he offers no answers with state-heavy economics and socialism. He's just a useful tool for South American leaders, like Brazil, to needle the U.S. with over its rather sluggish pursuit of reduce agriculture subsidies to its domestic farmers.

Yes, yes, trade threatens all even as it lifts hundreds of millions out of poverty around the world (Riddle me this: Who exactly is China "exploiting" with its development? Quick! Ah yes, that would be Americans.)

Just watch the Old and New Core come together in hastily arranged, last-minute negotiations in London and Geneva to hammer out the deal. Brazil and India, New Core pillars, will represent the Group of 20 (virtually all New Core states), the U.S. and EU will rep the Old Core, and Australia will rep the food producers (Cairns Group of 17). Missing will be the hardcore ag protectionists like Japan, South Korea, Switzerland et. al.

But expect a deal to get cut. The Americans and Europeans will throw money at the problem, promising special aid. Par for the course.

This isn't being optimistic. It's just counting on normal greed and expecting the logic of nonzero sum competition to emerge. So Japan will make nice with China over logically shared energy reserves in the South China Sea, and America and China will make nice over textiles.

And the Doha deal will get cut just in time, and that will trigger Mercosur getting its way with America on the Free Trade Area of the America, and it will all work out in the end because everybody wants to make some money over no money, and more money than before.

France's connect-or-die moment (part duh!)

■"10 Officers Shot As Riots Worsen In French Cities: Clash In Suburb of Paris; After a Meeting With Top Officials, Chirac Vows to Restore Order," by Craig S. Smith, New York Times, 7 November 2005, p. A1.

■"Youths' simmering anger, despair fuels crime in Paris' inner suburbs," by Scheherezade Faramarzi, USA Today, 7 November 2005, p. 8A.

■"Muslim Groups May Gain Strength From French Riots: Islamists Try to Mediate Peace But Encourage Isolation From Secular Society," by John Carreyrou, Wall Street Journal, 7 November 2005, p. A1.

France has ten dead cops and 5 million Muslims, far too many of which lives in slums and are pissed off about it and won't take it anymore.

Listen to this description and see if it reminds you of anything in America:

Families break down in the pressure cooker of crime, poverty and unemployment. Many single mothers are left to fend for themselves, said Imloul, a single mother whose Algerian parents divorced before her father's death.

"Fathers do not play any role in their children's lives. (It's as if) the father doesn't exist at all. French justice gives full right to mothers," Imloul said.

Coming to France has given some Muslim North African women new freedoms.

"They want to lead a similar life as their French counterpart," Imloul said. "But it is very difficult to leave a patriarchal culture all of a sudden. Women take on the responsibility of both mother and father while they are not at all suited for it. In the end, it is their children who suffer."

Estimates of these Muslim slums are that 40% of the families there are dysfunctional in some way, leading to dropouts, drug abuse, crime, etc. It's the 12-year-old on the street at midnight that drives too much of this.

Fools will rush in with promises of crackdowns of all sorts (like Chirac), but we'll also get the separatists from among the Muslims who argue that salvation is cultural apartheid, a view that will get your serious cancerous tumors within your society, unless the Martin Luthers are replaced by the Martin Luther Kings.

In short, we need more than Reformation. We need political connectivity.

Or we'll see more death and destruction in France.

India and North Korea: compare and contrast content controls

■"Once Footloose, Bangalore Clubs Are Now Dancing-Free: To Rein In Western Influence, Indian City Tightens Rules; DJs Lower the Volume," by Eric Bellman, Wall Street Journal, 7 November 2005, p. A1.

■"Pack up the pants, North Korea tells women: Communist government wants females to reject foreign styles and wear traditional garb," by Associated Press, Indianapolis Star, 5 November 2005, p. A10.

Fascinating story on how Bangalore Hindi leaders are trying to keep the city stuck in the equivalent of America's 1950s (before that Elvis did us all in with his ungodly hip shaking evil!). Good luck with that one. The young people have been Westoxified all right, tainted with that all-work-and-no-play-leaves-Johnny-a-dull-boy mentality that comes with modernization and rising affluence among the young.

"Parents are really strict in India. I'd be hung if mine knew I was here," says Lorraine Pereira, 32, a Taika [dance nightclub] regular and call-center employee who pitches refinancing packages to Americans while most of India sleeps.

The clash is on vivid display in Bangalore. In less than a decade, it has changed from a sleepy college and retirement town to a buzzing city with cafes, clubs and epic traffic jams.

Me, I'm betting on Kevin Bacon. I don't care how many degrees of separation are involved!

Meanwhile, watch North Korea's bizarre regime try to force all women to stay in dresses and avoid the Western plot called "pants."

Hmmm. We fight the commies with pants after they tried to conquer us with fluoride!

The North, which demands unquestioning allegiance of its citizens and controls all media, has stepped up the ideological education of its people to counter outside influences. However, the country's loosely controlled border with China has led recently to increased traffic in smuggled recordings of music and videos from the outside.

G.D'd Chinese: simultaneously propping up the regime and undermining it at the same time.

I'd call it a "Western plot," but . . . you know . . .

Sudan's continuing horrors: Left's definition of "empire made easy"?

■"Surge in Violence in Sudan Erodes Hope: More Than 100 Members of Congress Denounce Bush Approach; A growing sense that the Darfur peace effort will not succeed," by Joel Brinkley, New York Times, 7 November 2005, p. A10.

Yes, yes. A Core-wide capacity to process politically bankrupt states in the Gap is, in the words of one recent infantile review of Blueprint for Action is nothing more than "empire made easy."

Sudan is certainly a place I'd like to build an empire, what with it's puny oil reserves and nonstop genocide. This is a failed state for the taking, yes?

So why not take it and end the suffering. Or does the Left simply whine about U.S. militarism while the death toll in the country surpasses 200,000?

Everybody is ready to blame Bush for "coddling" this horrible regime. I suppose many of these congressman are raring to lay economic sanctions on this amazingly disconnected nation, the sum impact of which will certainly be to kill thousands more each year we would persist in this stunningly ineffective approach.

How many of these congressman and big-mouths of the Left are ready to build the SysAdmin force and forge that A-to-Z rule set? Or is that effort simply anathema to do these do-nothing, know-nothing types who wear their selfishness and self-righteousness on their sleeves like medals of moral honor?

Oh yes, the finger-pointers have a field day with Sudan. Line them all up end to end and you'll reach an accusation, just never a conclusion.

Oil scarcity will be about investment, not reserves, in coming years

■"Oil Producers Are Urged To Invest in More Capacity," by Jad Mouawad, New York Times, 7 November 2005, p. C5.

Interesting report from International Energy Agency in Paris, basically an analytical creature of consuming states. It says that the world is looking at roughly $3 trillion in infrastructure investments in current oil-producing states if rising demand is going to be met over the next 25 years.

That's the cool catch-22 at work here: if we want the Middle East to satisfy the energy demand in both the Old Core (West) and New Core (East), then the region has no choice but to open itself up to significant capital flows. What the countries in the region earn from oil exports won't be enough, not with those youth bulges working their way through their populations.

So not a question of supplies, but what the region's autocratic regimes are willing to risk in their political evolution in order to meet the global market's incredible demand.

Otherwise, the Core takes its business (and its technology) elsewhere, as in hydrogen.

Clock is ticking all right.

SysAdmin in the U.S. gets privatized and professionalized

■"Firms ponder bird flu scenarios: Plans evolve to cope with sick workers, travel restrictions," by Stephanie Armour, USA Today, 7 November 2005, p. 1B.

■"Number of volunteer firefighters is declining: People are too busy to serve, especially if unpaid," by Rick Hampson, USA Today, 7 November 2005, p. 1A.

The private sector is planning aggressively on avian flu, wargaming it from stem to stern and putting ducks in order. Estimates of as much as a quarter-trillion in economic losses in America alone get the attention of business leaders.

This is not distrust of the government. It's just the private sector rising to the challenge as it should. Most of our nation's natural resiliency lies with the private sector.

So the SysAdmin gets increasingly privatized and professionalized in America, even among some of the most seemingly public venues, like volunteer firefighting, where the percentage of volunteer firemen and stations around the country are in a long, slow, steady decline (still, roughly 3/4ths are non-professionals, meaning they do it on the side for no salary).

SysAdmin work is complex, requiring lots of skills and training (a burden that gets harder for volunteers). People need to be incentivized or else they'll stop volunteering. They need to know they'll get the right training, have the right skills and equipment, and be put to use in the right ways.

Individuals want instinctively to connect to larger, collective purposes (to serve and protect), but you have to treat them with more respect if you expect them to consistently up their efforts to match the world's growing complexity.

Sequencing is everything in SysAdmin work; delay being the greatest enemy of success

■"Delays Hurting U.S. Rebuilding In Afghanistan: Unease Growing Amid Charges of Waste," by David Rohde and Carlotta Gall, New York Times, 7 November 2005, p. A1.

■"Louisiana Lawmakers Begin Special Session on Rebuilding," by Jeremy Alford, New York Times, 7 November 2005, p. A14.

I can say the same thing about the U.S. Agency for International Development's ability to do SysAdmin work in postconflict/disaster situations that I say about the U.S. military: arguably the best in the world and it still sucks.

So many promises and plans, so little accomplished to date. Too many Afghans complaining that it's a "wasteful, slow-moving effort that benefits foreigners far more than themselves."

The main reasons? We wage this "peace" as though it really was a stable environment when, in reality, we're still working the transition from war to peace, from conflict to stability, and ultimately from Gap to Core status. USAID's planning methodologies and acquisition programs are almost as ponderous and lethargic as those of the Pentagon. In short, the sense of urgency just isn't there.

As one World Bank official on the spot puts it, "We really need to reform the external assistance in this country. We are not in the position to provide the result on the ground that the people of this country are expecting."

Key word: expecting. You wage war and people expect peace--no ifs, ands or buts.

Yes, some good successes, like five times as many kids in school, including 1.6 million girls that the Taliban kept out of school by law.

But listen to this complaint and see if it rings a bell from Baghdad (and New Orleans): "This golden period has also been this massive waste period. The efficiency has to be increased."

In short, we've haven't done so little as to lose the Afghanis yet, but their patience isn't unlimited.

Now just watch the same political dynamic unfold in Louisiana?

The big contrast with Vietnam: lack of meddling incentives for outsiders

■"U.S. slowing flow of foreign fighters into Iraq: Weekend offensive with 3,500 troops aimed at halting supply line out of Syria," by Ricky Jervis, USA Today, 7 November 2005, p. 8A.

■"A New Sunni Party Raises Hopes Of More Political Participation: A group of sheiks say Sunni leaders have failed to represent the grass roots," by Sabrina Tavernise, New York Times, 7 November 2005, p. A8.

The key reason why we lost Vietnam was because the other side had some very serious backing from the Sovs and Chinese, plus a regional environment that was conducive to the dual strategy of civil war and insurgency from within.

The analogies to Vietnam now being employed work only to the extent that the regional environment is permissive, with some states obviously lending some support (Syria, Iran). The recent efforts to secure the border and the move to put Iraqis at the forefront of the counter-insurgency effort is the basic prescription package that many strategists argued would have worked in Vietnam.

Now we get a chance to test it.

Syria's definitely in a world of trouble, but Iran's hardliners are thriving in our feeble continuing attempts at isolation over WMD-pursuit.

You get Iran, you really got the ball rolling for the long-term solution set.

Meanwhile, the continued evolution of Sunnis in the direction of deeper political participation is certainly hopeful.

Some great quotes:

"We are very close to the community," said Hussein Jumaili, a professor of political science from Falluja. "We are trying to influence people, to satisfy them. We do not claim we're going to stop the terror tomorrow or the day after. This is just the beginning" ?

"When we achieve our progress, it will make Ramadi quiet," said Tariq al-Barwari, the group's leader, who is a Kurd.

"The people of Anbar are not represented by those conferences outside of Anbar," Mr. Shawka said, in reference to meeting held by other Sunni Arab parties. The Anbar residents, he added, "are not those who are living in five-star hotels or following the satellite channels."

Closeness, a desire for progress, a sense of local identity.

Nice.

Good news on grad students coming to the U.S.

■"Grad Students From Abroad Are Increasing," by Tamar Lewin, New York Times, 7 November 2005, p. A15.

Big sources of grad students in U.S.? All New Core pillars, naturally (India, China, South Korea).

Last year we see the first annual uptick since 9/11, with the largest increase being from the Middle East (and as we know from other sources, more and more of those traveling here are women, because the Muslim men are turned off disproportionally).

China's enrollment dropped a ton last year, but is up this year, despite all the efforts to grow their own. Reason? They can't grow enough of them fast enough. Like China's search for energy, the nation must do everything within its power to satisfy the ratcheting demand curve.

So a hopeful turning point, perhaps. Makes me feel better.

Don't it turn my red states bluuuuuuue?

■"Saying Goodbye California Sun, Hello Midwest," by Motoko Rich and David Leonhardt, New York Times, 7 November 2005, p. A1.

■"A Tornado Rips South Indiana; At Least 22 Die," by Roger McBain and Christine Hauser, New York Times, 7 November 2005, p. A1.

So we're not the only people leaving the crowded, overpriced coasts!

I will confess: the house we now build would be prohibitively expensive for us back on the East Coast, and I don't even want to think about California on the coast (i.e., being as close to the ocean as we were in Rhode Island).

Of course, you leave one type of threat (earthquakes in CA, hurricanes in RI) and you face another (tornados in the Midwest).

But for me, that's an easy choice. Grew up with tornados. They're simply part of what I consider perfectly normal.

And it's nice to be in "Kansas" ever more.

The long-term impact of all these moves: do the red states turn pinker, even blue-ish ("Funny, you don't look blue-ish!" [name that movie, quick!])? Or do the people who move inland turn simply red (now there's a blue-eyed soul singer who could do justice to that tune)?

Does the federal law sometimes kill the logical outcome of rule set clashes among states in the U.S.?

■"Abortion and the Law: What would a world without Roe look like?," editorial, Wall Street Journal, 5-6 November 2005, p. A8.

Fascinating editorial, one of the best I've ever read.

It asks the question, How would history have been different if Roe v. Wade had never been passed?

Point being: there was massive debate across the country and what I'd call a growing rule-set clash among the states in their competing interpretations.

Enter the Supreme Court. In his Roe opinion, Justice Harry Blackmun purported to find in the "penumbras" and "emanations" of the Constitution the right to abortion. His ukase struck down 50 state laws, but, more destructively, he also stopped democracy cold. Without Roe, we likely would have had a decade or so of political battles in 50 state legislatures. Our guess is that we would have ended up with a rough consensus close to where every poll shows the American public stands on abortion: legal in the first trimester, with restrictions later in pregnancy and provisions for parental and spousal notification.

A very interesting thought, worthy of consideration, but, of course, a completely moot point, except to remind us that sometimes rule-set clashes are what make America a great country, a continuing experiment, and an inspiration to countries the world over.

The larger point: sometimes perhaps it is better to trust the American people to do the right thing over time. My favorite example of this: the illogic of a two-term limit on the presidency. Throughout most of our history we got along just fine without it. Most presidents couldn't manage a second, and those who did felt that two terms were enough. Absurd comebacks, like Teddy Roosevelt trying for just one more shot at the bully pulpit, were summarily rejected by the populace.

Then FDR set a new example, angering the Republicans to no end. His was a unique situation, never, I would argue, to be repeated again. Yet the Republicans, in their idiotic anger, engineered the amendment that's haunted us since, creating lame-duck presidents in their second terms, all of which since have been sincerely below par (Ike's drift, Nixon's self-destruction, Reagan's Iran-Contra hijacking of the Constitution, Clinton's pathetic scandals, Bush's equally pathetic version).

Instead, if we had trusted the people, I would argue that many of these outcomes could have been avoided by presidents that either chose to end their careers on their own terms or had them ended by the voting public.

Sometimes, you gotta trust the system if you want to call yourself a democracy, or even just a representative republic like the United States.

The email's are coming in: "sound familiar?"

Thanks to each of you who have sent email. `critt

"Is There a Doctrine in the House?," New York Times Op-Ed, By Richard N. Haas, November 8, 2005

And, yes, it sounds familiar.

The goals are universal inclusiveness and global peace. As fantastic as those goals might seem in the early years of a global war on terrorism, they speak to a future worth creating, and so I have made the enunciation of this strategy my lifeís work. Readers throughout the U.S. defense establishment, as well as those serving in militaries the world over, made clear in their responses to the first book that they desired more than an accurate description of todayís security environment and a grand strategy for directing its ultimate improvement. They wanted a description of the journey. They wanted an enunciation of the crucial tasks ahead: the rule sets to be forged, the institutions to be built, the peace to be won.

This second volume delivers them.

Tom's in Berlin today. Tomorrow, as keynote speaker of the day, he delivers the brief to Allied Command Transformation.

Welcome to NATO.

The Chosen Ilbo top viewed stories

Among the top 5 most viewed stories:

"U.S. Author Sees Kim Jong-il Gone in Five Years," The Chosun Ilbo

A U.S. global security pundit says the U.S. can mobilize the help of South Korea, China and Japan to get rid of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il within five years if it wants to. Thomas Barnett, the author of the widely discussed "The Pentagon's New Map" on Washingtonís future military strategy released in 2004, makes the suggestion in his follow-up "Blueprint for Action: A Future Worth Creating" published last month.

Read the full text. . .

Yonhap News interview with Thomas Barnett

"Security expert says Kim Jong-il will go down with China's help," Yonhap News, by Lee Dong-min.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's Kim Jong-il regime has to be removed and the United States must strategically ally with China to achieve this, even at the cost of compromising Taiwan. And South Korea should realize, the sooner the better, that this will happen.

China is getting fed up with North Korea's counterfeiting activities, and Japan must suffer military casualties if it wants to become a serious member of the global community.

Also, Korea will be reunified within five years.

Read the full text. . .

Korea Times publishes Thomas Barnett interview

American Military Strategist Offers Scenarios for Kim Jong-ilís Removal

The Korea Times

WASHINGTON (Yonhap) _ A U.S. military strategist, claiming it is urgent to remove North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, offers three scenarios that at worst would mean a direct threat of war and the flaunting of occupation plans.

In his new book "Blueprint for Action: A Future Worth Creating," published late last month, Thomas Barnett argues the United States must stabilize Asia in order to free its military resources for more urgent tasks in the Middle East.

Stabilizing Asia requires "putting a leash" on Taiwan, forging partnerships with China and India, and ousting Kim Jong-il, Barnett says.

Read the full text. . .

Some quick media and then out the door

Dateline: Indy Airport, 7 November 2005

Nice weekend at the mother-in-law's in Terre Haute.

Today it's a couple of phoners First comes after a slew of emails with yet another South Korean female journalists (weird, but all Japanese journalists I meet are male and all the South Korean ones I interact with are female), she calls me on cell about 30 seconds after I give it to her in a message. Apparently, that other SK journalist I spoke with last week already went to print with a story on me (I hae received no info from her on it), and this second reporter (based in SK) wanted in. So we go about 20 mins while I buy printer cartridges in an Office Depot.

Racing back to apartment, I then tape a solid 20 mins with CNN Radio for a segment that will apparently be fed to their 200 affilates sometime in the very near future (my webmaster will try to keep your informed on timing, unless you hear first and then tell him!).

Fly across the pond tonight.

Will try to stay connected but no promises. Heading to a city I've always wanted to visit, so will work hard to live in the here and now on this very short trip.

BFA rings in at #5 on Foreign Affairs best-seller list for November

Here is the list (found online at foreignaffairs.org:

(1) The World Is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman (#1 last month/ 7 months on list)

(2) The Assassins' Gate by George Packer (new/1 month)

(3) Imperial Grunts by Robert D. Kaplan (5th/2 months)

(4) Collapse by Jared Diamond (2nd/10 months)

(5) Blueprint for Action by Thomas P. M. Barnett (new/1 month)

(6) Night Draws Near by Anthony Shadid (4th/2 months)

(7) Postwar by Tony Judt (new/1 month)

(8) China, Inc. by Ted C. Fishman (8th/9 months)

(9) The Fate of Africa by Martin Meredith (6th/3 months)

(10) 9/11 Commission Report by National Commission on Terrorist Attacks (7th/14 months)

(11) The Case for Peace by Alan Dershowitz (3rd/3 months)

(12) The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth by Benjamin M. Friedman (new/1 month)

(13) Why Europe Will Run the 21st Century by Mark Leonard (10th/2 months)

(14) Three Billion New Capitalists by Clyde V. Prestowitz (9th/5 months)

(15) First In by Gary C. Schroen (11th/5 months)

Pretty pleased since book not selling until 20th of October. So the pre-sales get counted somewhere!

For the record, PNM appeared on the list from May through August 2004, and then from October 04 through April 05 (note: you appear on the list for the previous month's sales)