Quickhits

(Bloomberg) Zbigniew Brzezinski said the plan to surge troops into Iraq is "a gimmick because it satisfies McCain, it satisfies the hardliners.'' (He says alot more. Worth a quick read.)

(AFP) James Wolfensohn recognized the crest of the empire, "Western nations must prepare for a future dominated by China and India, whose rapid economic rise will soon fundamentally alter the balance of power."

(AFP) "Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has said his country would not wait for foreign approval to attack powerful Islamists in neighboring Somalia that many fear could lead to a regional war."

(Reuters) The conflict in eastern Chad has heated up with rebels taking two towns and the Chadian army taking one back.