Headlines:

• Global Corruption Remains High in 2012 despite Arab Spring
• Assad Considers Political Asylum in Latin America if Toppled
• Jewish State Rejects UN Call for Nuclear Transparency
• NATO behind 'Insecurity' in Afghanistan, Karzai says
• America's Agents Kiyani and Islam on Forbes "Most Powerful List"

Details:

Global Corruption Remains High in 2012 despite Arab Spring:

Corruption in the public sector showed no sign of retreating in 2012 despite citizen uprisings that toppled several leaders of graft-ridden governments the previous year, a leading watchdog said on Wednesday as it released its annual ranking of countries based on perceived corruption. Transparency International, which fights corruption worldwide, said two-thirds of the 176 countries it surveyed performed poorly, falling below the 50 percent mark on its Corruption Perceptions Index. The index rates countries from zero to 100 percent in terms of corruption, with zero being the most corrupt. Cobus de Swardt, managing director of Transparency International, called urgently to translate activism into political action against corruption. "We do not see a general trend of an en masse, positive move of countries around the world to embrace greater public accountability," he told TrustLaw. "In that sense, it is largely disappointing that the outcry across the world over corrupt governments and the public sector and the abuse of power has not been translated yet into political action," de Swardt added. Only three countries - Denmark, Finland and New Zealand - were listed as "very clean" the same ones that won top rankings in 2011 thanks to strong access to government information and enforcement of rules governing public officials, Transparency International said. North Korea and Somalia clung to the bottom of the index as the most corrupt countries in the world. This year they were joined by Afghanistan. The index draws on surveys measuring perceived openness of government, enforcement of laws against fraud, bribery and corruption and business views on corruption. Still, the broad picture that emerges is one that shows barely any improvements, even in the Arab Spring countries where citizen uprisings calling for greater accountability led to the overthrow of governments in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and Yemen. Their rankings have essentially stagnated in the 21-41 percent range over the past year.

Assad Considers Political Asylum in Latin America if Toppled:

The embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is considering the possibility to claim political asylum for himself, his family and his close circle in Latin America if he has to cede power, a newspaper reported Wednesday. "Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister held meetings in Cuba, Venezuela and Ecuador over the past week, and brought with him classified personal letters from Assad to local leaders," the Haaretz reported. Some Western and Arab countries have previously offered embattled Syrian President Assad to seek asylum and protection for his family if he leaves power. But the window of opportunity seems to be closing for him. On Wednesday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon hinted that he would not favor an asylum deal for Assad as a way to end the country's civil war. Ban was asked Wednesday about the potential for such a deal. He refrained to comment directly on the matter but told The Associated Press that the United Nations doesn't allow anyone "impunity." Ban says "whoever commits (a) gross violation of human rights must be held accountable and should be brought to justice. This is a fundamental principle." Ban spoke on the sidelines of U.N. climate talks in Qatar. Assad vowed in an interview with Russia Today last month that he would never be forced into exile and that he would "live and die in Syria."

Jewish State Rejects UN Call for Nuclear Transparency:

The Jewish entity has rebuffed a UN call to adhere to the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and open itself to international inspectors, calling the suggestion a "meaningless mechanical vote" of a body that "lost all its credibility regarding the Jewish entity." In a 174-6 vote, the United Nations General Assembly demanded in a non-binding call that Tel Aviv join the NPT "without further delay," in an effort to create a legally binding nuclear-free Middle East. Washington, the Jewish entity's strongest ally surprised no one by voting against the resolution - but did approve two paragraphs that were voted on separately, which called for universal adherence to the NPT and for all non-signatory governments to join. The UN body "has lost all its credibility regarding The Jewish entity with these types of routine votes that are ensured passage by an automatic majority and which single out The Jewish entity," Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor was quoted by Jerusalem Post as saying. The Assembly's call on the Jewish entity comes days after a large majority of its members voted to grant Palestine statehood state status and just weeks after the escalation of violence between Gazans and the Jewish entity's occupation forces. Palmor stressed, however, that since the NPT vote takes place annually, the Palestinian victory is not connected.

NATO behind 'Insecurity' in Afghanistan, Karzai says:

Afghan President Hamid Karzai sharply criticized the United States in an exclusive interview with NBC News on Thursday, blaming American and NATO forces for some of the growing insecurity in his country. "Part of the insecurity is coming to us from the structures that NATO and America created in Afghanistan," Karzai said during a one-on-one interview at the presidential palace. However, he also acknowledged that much of the country's violence was caused by insurgent groups. The Taliban are regaining land and power lost after they were toppled by U.S.-backed forces in 2001. Meanwhile, Karzai has gone from being a favorite of Washington under the presidency of George W. Bush, to a thorn in the White House's side with his criticism of American troops' night raids and mounting civilian casualties at the hands of foreign troops.

America's Agents Kiyani and Islam on Forbes "Most Powerful List":

Pakistan's Army Chief Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and spymaster Zaheerul Islam are the only two from the country who have made it to a list led by US president, Pope Benedict XVI, Angela Merkel, Facebook's founder and other global leaders on Forbes's ranking of the mightiest earthlings. The American magazine placed Kayani on the 28th spot for "controlling nuclear weapons and one of the world's largest standing armies in an unstable country." Kayani had earlier given a statement issued by the public relations wing of the Army that caused a stir in the news. He said: "As a nation, Pakistan is passing through a critical phase. Following Kayani is Inter-Services Intelligence's (ISI) recently inducted chief, Zaheerul Islam.

Abu Hashim