What Does Wikileaks Have on Bank of America?

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is promising to unleash a cache of secret documents from the hard drive of a U.S. megabank executive. In 2009, he told Computer World that the bank was Bank of America (BofA). In 2010 he told Forbes that the information was significant enough to "take down a bank or two," but that he needed time to lay out the information in a more user-friendly format. Recent new reports suggest that BofA is now moving into high gear on damage control, creating a "war room" and buying up hundreds of derogatory Internet domain names including BankofAmericaSucks.com and BrianMoynihanblows.com (referring to BofA's Chief Executive Officer). Before the big banks start calling for Assange's internment at Guantanamo, the question worth considering is what does Wikileaks have on America's largest bank?

This Is The Wikileak That Sparked The Tunisian Crisis

Tunisia's government has collapsed, partially due to food price inflation and unemployment, but also because of WikiLeaks. One of the U.S. government cables released by WikiLeaks (via @spbaines) exposed the corruption of Tunisia's President's family, its reach into business in the country, and ability to transcend the rule of law. President Ben Ali's family was called "The Family" throughout the leak. The government attempted to block access to WikiLeaks earlier this month.
Here are some highlights from the June 2008 leak: (DOWNLOAD FULL DOCUMENT)

Thousands demonstrate against Hungary media law

Thousands of people protested against Hungary's controversial new media law on Friday, demanding the legislation -- which has come under widespread fire internationally -- be withdrawn. The rally, organised via online social networks and blogs, was the second such protest to be held in front of the Hungarian parliament in three weeks, Many of the demontrators had their mouths taped over in protest against what they see as restrictions on media freedom. Budapest has come under fire from media and rights groups, as well as European governments, for the legislation, which came into force on January 1, just as Hungary took over the presidency of the European Union.

Climate change cost much larger than expected, prize-winning economist says

British economist Nicholas Stern said the price of fighting climate change is now higher than he estimated in a 2006 study that earned him a 400,000-euro (530,000) Spanish award on Friday. Stern won the BBVA Foundation award for measuring the economic cost of climate change, notably in his 2006 Stern Review which found it made more economic sense to combat climate change than to do nothing. The economist's "advanced economic analysis" quantified the impacts of climate change and provided "a unique and robust basis" for decision-making, said the jury in the Frontiers of Science Award.

Congress quietly prepares to renew Patriot Act

Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) has introduced a little-noticed bill that intends to once again renew controversial provisions of the Bush administration's USA Patriot Act that are due to expire this year.
When the act was first signed into law, Congress put in some "sunset" provisions to quiet the concerns of civil libertarians, but they were ignored by successive extensions. Unfortunately, those concerns proved to be well founded, and a 2008 Justice Department report confirmed that the FBI regularly abused their ability to obtain personal records of Americans without a warrant. The only real sign of strong opposition to the act was in 2005, when a Democratic threat to filibuster its first renewal was overcome by Senate Republicans. Since the bill introduced by Rogers on Jan. 5 was virtually identical to the extension passed last year, its passage was seen as likely.

BP and Russia in Arctic oil deal

The "strategic global alliance" will see the firms exchange expertise in exploring the region. As part of the deal Rosneft will take 5% of BP's shares in exchange for approximately 9.5% of Rosneft's shares. It is BP's first deal since the Deepwater Horizon spill last year, which cost it billions. The BP shares stake is worth just under $8bn (£5bn). "BP executives see this as the first piece of good news since that disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico last April," said the BBC's business editor Robert Peston. But he said the deal was a controversial one, with Russia not seen as an entirely transparent society nor as as a stable place to do business.

United We Fall

A documentary about the North American Union that is being developed right now between Canada, the United States, and Mexico. For years this topic has been debated in the news and in political circles as being a possible future for North America. In recent years, the mood has shifted and a rift is developing between those who want a Deeply Integrated North American Community, and those who wish to retain their national sovereignty.

"On a vu des entreprises françaises créer de fausses usines pour duper la concurrence"

Avec Renault et ses vols de données, l’espionnage industriel n’a jamais autant fait parler de lui. Qui le pratique ? Quel est le rôle d’Internet ? La France est-elle performante en la matière ? Christian Harbulot, directeur de l’institut de guerre économique, a répondu aux questions des internautes de LEXPRESS.fr.

gabri : La France est-elle forte en espionnage industriel ?
Contrairement à ce qui est dit sur Wikileaks, la France est plutôt timorée dans le domaine au niveau de ses services d’Etat. En revanche il est vrai que des prestataires privés travaillent dans ce domaine au service de certaines entreprises françaises.

Espionnage industriel : "La France n’a pas d’outils adaptés pour réagir"

L’affaire d’espionnage industriel de Renault, qui a conduit à la suspension de trois cadres du constructeur automobile français, a pris mardi 11 janvier un tour diplomatique. Alors que la piste d’une fuite vers la Chine de secrets touchant à la voiture électrique est privilégiée par le contre-espionnage français, selon la presse et les spécialistes de l’intelligence économique, la Chine a dénoncé des accusations "inacceptables" contre elle.
Cette piste n’a été confirmée ni par Renault ni par l’Etat français, son actionnaire à 15 %, qui a immédiatement assuré, par la voix de François Baroin, porte-parole du gouvernement, qu’"il n’y a pas d’accusation officielle de la France et du gouvernement français à l’égard d’aucun pays aujourd’hui".
Ali Laïdi, expert des questions d’intelligence économique au sein de l’Institut de relations internationales et stratégiques (IRIS), décrypte les possibles implications diplomatiques de cette affaire.

Cassidian vise le milliard d’euros dans la cybersécurité

La filiale défense d’EADS veut s’imposer face aux américains Northrop Grumann, General Dynamics et Symantec. La scène se passe au Moyen Orient. L’alerte rouge se déclenche silencieusement sur le panneau de surveillance de la raffinerie. Le constat est sans appel : plusieurs valves de sécurité ont sauté. Il faut intervenir. « Mais vous faites exploser votre raffinerie si vous appliquez la procédure de sécurité. Car contrairement à ce qu’indique le panneau, les valves sont bien fermées. Nous en avons fait la démonstration récemment à un client potentiel en prenant le contrôle du système de sécurité d’une raffinerie », explique Hervé Guillou, président de Cassidian Systems, une des trois divisions de la filiale défense d’EADS.

Moscow’s Repression of Its Opponents will Backfire

The harshness with which the Russian powers that be are suppressing any action by the opposition is backfiring, one opposition leader says, reinforcing the commitment of opposition figures to continue the struggle and attracting ever more Russians to their side. In an essay on the “Osobaya bukhva” portal yesterday, Ilya Yashin, a leading of the Solidarity Movement, says that the arrests of the leaders of opposition demonstrations in recent weeks and the harsh sentence handed down to Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev are not having the result the authorities expected.

Soviet-Style ‘Permitted Humor’ Returns to Russia

Just like their Soviet predecessors, today’s Russian rulers recognize they need “the imitation of a critical attitude toward reality” of the kind humor can often provide, but also just like their predecessors, they have set clear rules for what humor is “permitted” and what is not, at least in the mass media, according to a Moscow commentator. In an article in “Novaya gazeta” this week, Andrey Arkhangelsky describes how this system came into being, how it operates now in comparison with the Soviet past, and, what is particularly intriguing, the set of rules about what the powers that be will permit and what they won’t in today’s Russia (www.novayagazeta.ru/data/2011/001/25.html).

Mincing the Political Actors of Venezuelan Reality

Our “stubborn and Caribbean” reality forces us to socialize lessons learnt about the political figures and make-up of those who operate from, and on, our national politics. Our “investigative” efforts include an exhaustive dissection of the Venezuelan counterrevolution, an issue that well deserves the wise advice of archeologists and anthropologists who – thanks to god and to the sciences – venture into the forensic.

Let’s start there, with the counterrevolutionary sepoys – with the political representation of transnational capital’s interests and of the national bourgeoisie (our never too well-off, parasitic and dependent, historically dominant class). The well promoted MUD (Democratic Unity Roundtable) is a trial run hybrid-of-interests (and frustrations) that merit both psycho-social studies and university theses. Their political impotence (which in this case is associated to the sexual dysfunction that affects an important number of men) is intertwined with old appetites, with antiquated vices and with royal customs.

Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM): “Support and Affirmation for the Uprising of our People in Tunisia”

On January 13, 2011, Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb leader Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud's issued a statement in “support and affirmation for the uprising of our people in Tunisia.” In the communication, he appealed to Tunisians: “Send your sons to us to train on weapons and gain military expertise.” Addressing his “Muslim brothers in Tunisia”, he counseled them: “your Mujahideen brothers are with you, and your problem is our problem and your happening is ours…By Allah we haven’t forgotten you and we haven’t forgotten about our prisoners in Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania, Algeria and others…By Allah, we will take revenge against your prosecutors and their masters sooner or later Allah-willing, and we will sacrifice everything possible to support you so long as we have an eye that flinches and a vein that beats.”

Support and Affirmation for the Uprising of our People in Tunisia (Clique aqui para abrir o documento)

A New Role for Jihadi Media

Aspiring jihadis need to improve their media skills, such as operating websites and developing their own video sites that resemble YouTube, to be more effective in their fight against the West, according to a new article circulating on a variety of Islamist Internet forums. Improved media, author Abu Sa'd al-'Amili writes, will help increase recruitment of American and Western jihadis, and conduct "continuous psychological media war" against the West. "The enemy can no longer stand alone in the field with its misleading media tools, because the Mujahideen and their supporters have through these blessed pulpits entered the battlefield from a number of gates that they (the enemies) can not completely shut," says the article, which can be found in a jihadi news aggregator "The Unjust Media." "Moreover, they publish news of their Jihad and truthful images of this Jihad, as they likewise are a means of preparing and recruiting new soldiers for Jihadist work through organized, regulated and secure media efforts."

How Tehran/Damascus Terror Axis Targets Israel

Several new reports illustrate how Iran and Syria continue to aid terrorist groups that target Israeli civilians by providing weapons and terrorist training to jihadist organizations on Israel's borders. In Gaza, Hamas and other terror groups have fired thousands of rockets and missiles into neighboring Israeli communities since Israel unilaterally withdrew in 2005. They continue to be re-supplied by Iran and Syria. In Lebanon, Hizballah has received massive supplies of weapons from Tehran and Damascus, including large quantities of missiles and rockets, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles and attack aircraft. Both organizations are committed to Israel's destruction and have gone to war with Israel in recent years: Hamas in 2008/2009 and Hizballah in 2006. And with Iranian and Syrian help, both terror groups are making substantial improvements in their weaponry like this and this.

The Middle East's Christian Onslaught

Church bombings kill scores in Iraq, Nigeria and Egypt. Iran rounds up dozens of Christians for allegedly being "hard-liners" who threaten the Islamic republic. An Egyptian police officer opens fire on a crowded train, targeting only the Christian passengers. For a region that boasts of accommodating its Christian minorities, officials seem at a loss to stem the surge in violence.

China raises bank reserve rate to curb inflation

China's central bank has raised the amount of money banks must keep on reserve for the seventh time in a year, in its latest move to counter inflation. The central bank on Friday ordered state-owned banks to set aside an additional 0.5 percent of deposits as reserves, effective Jan. 20. Reserves vary by institution but could be close to 20 percent for the biggest commercial lenders. China's inflation rate jumped to a 28-month high of 5.1 percent in November. Mindful of the political turmoil linked to past bouts of inflation, Beijing is trying to curb a flood of money in the world's second largest economy following a lending spree triggered by stimulus aimed at fighting the global financial crisis.

Brazil mulls underwater base to guard oil

Brazil is considering plans to build a multibillion-dollar underwater base to guard its offshore hydrocarbon resources and to explore farther into the sea for minerals under the seabed. A string of commercially viable finds of oil and gas deposits on the high seas have given impetus to government plans to exploit the sea within and beyond the country's territorial waters. Various plans for making the most of offshore hydrocarbon resources are in place and most plans involve close collaboration between the government, the state-run hydrocarbons industry and the defense establishment.

Understanding Wikileaks

The WikiLeaks cablegate revelations appear to be subsiding in the new year, and so is the public debate about their meaning and consequences. And yet, as calmer moods prevail, now is the appropriate time to probe the WikiLeaks phenomenon. To do so constructively, it is necessary to move beyond a mere political assessment of WikiLeaks. The question of whether the website, its founder, and its hundreds of volunteers, are criminals, heroes, terrorists, or dissidents, cannot even begin to be answered until WikiLeaks is understood, first and foremost. By ‘understood’, I don’t mean empathize. I mean comprehending WikiLeaks as an ideological paradigm, a technological vehicle reflective of the personal philosophies of its members, but also representative of a much wider sociotechnical trend.

Why is Germany protecting Iraqi informant who lied about WMDs?

German politicians in the state of Baden-Württemberg are questioning the protection given by German intelligence services to a notorious Iraqi informant, who lied about Iraq’s weapons program. Rafid Ahmed Alwan, known in intelligence circles as “Curveball”, arrived in Germany in 1999, where he applied for political asylum, saying he had been employed as a senior scientist in Iraq’s biological weapons program. Despite serious doubts expressed at the time by officials in Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service, the BND, and by some of their CIA colleagues, Alwan was given asylum in Germany.

The Peak Oil Crisis: Civil Unrest

Buried in the millions of words that were written about the shootings in Arizona last week was a recent poll showing that only 13 percent of the American people think favorably of the U.S. Congress. The implication, of course, is that as 87 percent or roughly 270 million Americans harbor some level of animosity towards their elected federal representatives, the emergence of people who believe that exercising their 2^nd Amendment rights is solution to the nation's woes is inevitable. Why are so many, so mad at the Congress? The answer is simple - they have no idea what is happening to their lives. Since the beginning of the great recession way back in 2007 they have been told by two Presidents, their senior officials, 99 percent of the Congress, and most of the media that recovery was on the way and that prosperity would return shortly.

Political Wing Of Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood Approves Four-Year Plan

Jordanian media has reported on the four-year stategy recently approved by the political wing of the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood. According to a report in the Jordan Times:
The Islamist movement on Saturday approved a four-year strategy to increase the membership base of its political party, the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, according to IAF officials. “The political and economic situation in the Kingdom is ripe for the IAF to increase the number of its members by at least 50 per cent, if not double that,” said Tayseer Fityani, head of the IAF’s internal court.

UK Asks Israel For Mandate To Investigate Palestinian Return Center

Israeli media has reported that the British government has submitted a formal request to Israel that it investigate the UK-based Palestinian Return Center (PRC). According to a report in the Jerusalem Post:

The British government has invited Israel to submit a formal request that it investigate a London-based organization that Jerusalem accuses of being affiliated with Hamas and “complicit” in terrorist activities.

It Is How Business Is Done

Somali pirates are delaying essential imports. A current fuel shortage is blamed largely on oil tanker captains demanding an armed escort when in Yemeni waters. But the Yemen coast guard is spread thin, with many patrol boats not available because the coast guard rents them out to merchant ships willing to pay for an escort through the Gulf of Aden. The ships delivering oil, and humanitarian aid for the half million refugees in Yemen, will not, or cannot, pay the Yemen coast guard for an armed escort. The Yemeni government recently fired two senior officials because of a fuel shortage, and the UN is complaining loudly about problems with caring for all those refugees (two thirds of them Yemenis who fled the Shia rebellion in the north.)

Top Military Developments Of 2010

The most interesting military weapons and equipment developments of 2010. Some things you've already heard about, but also some that avoided much mass media attention. The following are in no particular order.
* Infantry. Here we saw more evolution, not revolution, in infantry gear. But at least the trends continued to move in the right direction. The biggest change is the equipment that must be carried. Until the 1980s, you could strip down (for actual fighting) to your helmet, weapon (assault rifle and knife), ammo (hanging from webbing on your chest, along with grenades), canteen and first aid kit (on your belt) and your combat uniform. Total load was 13-14 kg (about 30 pounds).

‘Bin Laden’ Poll Analysis: Part 1b

UBL’s death would potentially bring many outcomes including some of the fourteen choices identified in poll question 1.  I found it hard to choose just one result from the fourteen choices.  “Other AQ member in AF/Pak becomes new leader of AQ Central” ended up being my selection.  This was a tough decision but here was my logic in relation to the other choices.

“Does Bin Laden Matter?” Poll Results; Part 1

I selected the 2011 Bin Laden prediction for two reasons: 1) a really smart person I know brought it up a couple years back and I found no one had a good answer to what would happen post-Bin Laden and 2) there remains a certain undertone within US policy that the Afghanistan conflict’s ultimate goal is getting Bin Laden and subsequently eliminating AQ Central’s AF/PAK safe haven. The Afghanistan invasion originally pursued one central objective: destroy al Qaeda and its leader Usama Bin Laden.  Bin Laden’s escape to Pakistan resulted in the Afghanistan campaign morphing into a perennial low intensity battle with countryside tribesmen and a nation-building quagmire in Kabul.  Almost ten years later, these two drifting sub-objectives have distracted the U.S. from its original ambitions resulting in my question embedded in a prophecy: does Bin Laden really matter anymore?  The answer to this question, I believe, informs current U.S. policy decisions on the future direction of counterterrorism.

Mokhtar Belmokhtar ou le risque d’ « AQMISTAN » au Sahel

Selon plusieurs informations concordantes obtenues de sources sécuritaires présentes au Niger, Mokhtar Belmokhtar, l’un des deux seconds d’Abdelmalek Droudkel, émir d’Al Quaïda au Maghreb Islamique, serait « sur le point » de prendre la tête de la franchise terroriste sahélo-maghrébine. Alors que Droudkel, après un très long silence, a transmis un message audio dimanche 9 Janvier qui a été authentifié par plusieurs services de renseignement, cette résurgence du chef historique d’AQMI ne devrait pas enrayer la montée en puissance irrésistible de Belmokhtar.

Parliament approves terms of Russia’s quitting New START

A draft law on the New START treaty has passed a second reading in the lower house of Russia’s parliament, the State Duma. Deputies have approved amendments describing the terms and conditions under which Russia could quit the agreement. These include unilateral deployment by the US of its anti-missile defense system, which Russia considers a threat to its national security.

Belarus claims Western plot to overthrow Lukashenko

The daily accuses Western countries, Germany and Poland in particular, of sponsoring Belarusian opposition and planning a “color revolution” in Belarus which would bring to power a puppet leader. "The storming of Government House caused indignation in Belarusian society,” it reads. “The underlying reason for these events is well known: foreign analytical centers formed and financed certain radical structures. They attempted to overthrow legitimate power and impose their understanding of “democracy” to the society.”

Russian reporter’s question at White House seen as revival of Cold War

Khodorkovsky does not intend to seek clemency - lawyer

The defense lawyers who work for Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev have said that their clients would not ask for clemency, but promised to file an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, one of the lawyers, Vadim Klyuvgant, said that even the possibility of Khodorkovsky and Lebedev asking for clemency was not being considered.

Saludo del Comandante Alfonso Cano - Secretariado FARC-EP

Parte I

Renault: enquête préliminaire confiée au contre-espionnage

La Direction Centrale du Renseignement Intérieur (DCRI) devra enquêter sur cette affaire jugée "complexe" par le procureur de la République de Paris. D'après Le Monde, l'enquête interne menée chez Renault concluait à des "soupçons de corruption".

China-Spain-Latin America Triangulation in a Chinese Perspective

On 1 October 2010 it was announced that Sinopec, one of China’s largest energy companies, would invest US$7.1 billion in Repsol YPF Brasil, taking a 40% stake. The Brazilian company, which represents the interests of its Spanish parent, Repsol, in the Brazilian market, produces, exploits, transports and distributes crude and gas derivatives throughout Brazil. Its main products are gasoline, alcohol, biodiesel, NGV, diesel, fluids and motor lubricants.

The Muslim Brotherhood Path to Victory (III)

Britain’s willful blindness to the Muslim Brotherhood’s subversive agenda, and its acquiescence to its vitriolic propaganda is not merely a local disease. The international tentacles of the MB assist the organization to infect other countries. Unfortunately the United States seems to follow in the footsteps of England, unwisely ignoring the growing influence of the MB in its borders.

 

Despite renewed attention in recent years on Muslim Brotherhood affiliated groups operating in the U.S. radical Islamic organizations disguised as "mainstream Muslims" are now presenting their Islamic agenda to the government and appear on a regular basis in the media. These groups include the Council on Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Muslim Students Association (MSA), the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT), the Muslim American Society (MAS), Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), and the Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA).

The Muslim Brotherhood Path to Victory (II)

For the past five decades most funding to MB-affiliated organizations around the world – especially those involved directly in terrorist activities – has come from oil rich countries in the Middle East. However the MB Palestinian branch, Hamas, designated as a terrorist organization by the E.U. and U.S., seems to derive large sums of money from the EU, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), and even the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

In fact, the world community facilitated Hamas' victory in the 2006 Palestinian Authority election, when it allowed Hamas to run under the name "List of Change and Reform." In June 2007, Hamas took control over the Gaza Strip from the Palestinian Authority (PA).

The Muslim Brotherhood Path to Victory (I)

 And the award for turning Islam into one of the fastest growing, most influential, and most intimidating religious movements in the world goes to… the Muslim Brotherhood (MB).

The most recent victim of the global Islamic movement’s intimidation of free speech in Denmark is Lee Hedegaard, the President of the Danish Free Press Society and The International Free Press Society.

Denmark has been targeted by the MB after the 2006 publication of ‘Mohammed cartoons’ by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. Following Sheikh Ali Al-Hudaify, imam of the Prophet's Mosque in Medina call "upon governments, organizations and scholars in the Islamic world to extend support for campaigns protesting the sacrilegious attacks on the Prophet,” the MB orchestrated mass riots in Denmark and across the world.

El Mediterráneo Oriental: una zona a tener en cuenta

En las dos últimas décadas, el Mediterráneo tampoco ha ocupado un lugar preeminente desde el punto de vista estratégico. La creciente importancia de Asia en el cambio de poder mundial, deja al continente europeo con sus propios problemas y, en sus aledaños, la atención se centra en las relaciones de Europa, o algunos de sus países, con Rusia. En estas condiciones, con el statu quo de Chipre inalterado, con el conflicto israelí-palestino confinado a una zona concreta y con Jerusalén mirando hacia Irán, Egipto con su protagonismo congelado, con Libia instalada en su semiletargo, sin grandes convulsiones en el Magreb y con la mayoría de los países europeos ribereños instalados en su decadencia económica e irrelevancia, el Mediterráneo da la impresión de ser un pantano estratégico.

Blue Gold: World Water Wars

(parte 1)

In every corner of the globe, we are polluting, diverting, pumping, and wasting our limited supply of fresh water at an expediential level as population and technology grows. The rampant overdevelopment of agriculture, housing and industry increase the demands for fresh water well beyond the finite supply, resulting in the desertification of the earth. Corporate giants force developing countries to privatize their water supply for profit. Wall Street investors target desalination and mass bulk water export schemes. Corrupt governments use water for economic and political gain. Military control of water emerges and a new geo-political map and power structure forms, setting the stage for world water wars.

El acoso a las minorías cristianas se acentúa en Oriente Próximo

El mundo árabe engloba a un conjunto de países muy heterogéneo pero con características comunes, y con un sistema legal basado total o parcialmente según el caso, en la ley islámica o sharia, pero donde tradicionalment, en casi todos los países, el respeto a las llamadas otras religiones del libro, ha estado presente. Sin embargo, las nuevas tendencias ideológicas que afloran de nuevo en la región, de mayoría musulmana, donde el radicalismo de Al Qaeda u otros grupos extremistas está a la orden del día, ha hecho que 2010 termine siendo recordado como uno de los peores años para las minorías cristianas de la región.

El alcance de las revueltas en Túnez y Argelia

Tras casi un mes de movilizaciones violentas en Túnez y otras de menor duración pero también violentas en Argelia, debemos preguntarnos si estas pueden conllevar cambios que puedan afectar a la seguridad y a la defensa en la región. Ambas han permitido evocar las "Revueltas del Pan", en Túnez y en Marruecos a mediados de los ochenta, o la "Revuelta de la Sémola", en octubre de 1988 en Argelia. Esta última, como se recordará, no sólo provocó un millar de muertos en las calles sino que fue el elemento estimulador de un proceso que introdujo cambios estructurales en el país, con un precipitado proceso electoral incluido.

Los "intocables" de la Armada mexicana, un ejemplo para la región

La guerra contra los cárteles en México no es solo la historia de un fracaso, como algunos analistas intentan transmitir. Esa lucha por recuperar la presencia del estado en todo el territorio mexicano deja algunas enseñanzas que deben ser recogidas por otros países que están a las puertas de vivir situaciones semejantes (léase el caso cada vez más preocupante de Guatemala).
El gobierno de Felipe Calderón se planteó en 2007 la necesidad de encontrar y potenciar una fuerza de élite para luchar contra los cárteles. Un grupo de las fuerzas de seguridad del estado que estuviera lo menos contaminado y expuesto a la infiltración del narcotráfico.

10 methods to detect and foil the plots of spies – Abou Zakaria

Published 30 December 2010, Abou Zakaria, who is tagged as a Administrator in the notorious Al Majahden English Network Forum, provides some counter-intel measurements to be taken seriously by every Mujahid and sympathizers. The English section was just established recently, what perhaps explains the date Abou Zakaria joined (24.12.2010). He nevertheless has written over 60 postings. His postings include reposting English material of Anwar al-Awlaqi, the Story of the Lives of Prophets, stories from the Caucasian jihadists and especially about Gaza (for example this story) or the English GIMF booklet by Abu Khabbab al-Misri, where he warns “Please use precautions when downloading by using appropriate anonymizing software.”

EU Prepares to Approve €1 Trillion Master Energy Plan

INCIDENT: Towards the end of last year, the European Commission presented its new energy strategy for the next decade, calling for investment of €1 trillion in the EU’s energy network, among a series of other measures. Leading Eurocrats hope that an EU energy summit scheduled for next month in Budapest will endorse the proposals and give them some political traction.

NATO and Russia: Move towards Cooperation or Deployments

Russia has been able to establish somewhat better relations with the West, after failed attempts of the early 1990s, when the process of systemic transition, disintegration of the USSR and the defeat of communist ideology had created domestic turmoil, undermined its international standing and influence over the former Soviet geo-political space. This had led to Russia being treated as a ‘junior’ and not an ‘equal’ partner by the major powers. Recent developments however promise Russia a more equal standing vis-à-vis the West. This was evident at the summit held in Lisbon on November 20, 2010 and which was preceded by a Russian, French and German meeting at Deauville, the ‘reset’ in USA-Russian and Polish-Russian relations, and the new START treaty. Despite lingering suspicions, both sides are forging better relations. But how enduring is this rapprochement likely to be?

Brasil não aceita ingresso de navios de guerra ingleses

O ministro da Defesa, Nelson Jobim, afirmou nesta quarta-feira, 12, que o Brasil não aceita o ingresso em sua costa de navios de guerra britânicos que operam nas Ilhas Malvinas. De acordo com Jobim, o país reconhece a soberania argentina em relação à Ilha. Em Buenos Aires, o ministro de Relações Exteriores, Héctor Timerman classificou o gesto brasileiro como um passo firme em direção a uma aliança estratégica com a Argentina.

EUA monitoram compra de armas pela Venezuela

Embora a Venezuela não represente uma ameaça para os Estados Unidos, o país monitora a compra de armas por parte de Hugo Chávez. Foi o que confirmou o almirante Mike Mullen, chefe do Estado Maior Conjunto das Forças Armadas norte-americanas. “Não considero a Venezuela uma ameaça significativa para os Estados Unidos neste momento, mas ao mesmo tempo entendo que o país está gastando muito dinheiro com importantes armas que chegarão nos próximos anos”, afirmou.

Brasil e Bolívia fortalecem inteligência na fronteira

Os governos do Brasil e da Bolívia decidiram intensificar os trabalhos de inteligência na fronteira comum com o objetivo de desarticular as organizações criminais que atuam na região. De acordo com o embaixador do Brasil em La Paz, Marcel Fortuna Biato, o intercâmbio de informações de inteligência permitiu que os dois países identificassem e interceptassem os grupos criminosos que operam na fronteira.

Brasil e Portugal discutem acordos em Ciência e Tecnologia

O ministro da Ciência e Tecnologia, Aloizio Mercadante, se reuniu nesta quarta-feira, 12, com o embaixador de Portugal no Brasil, João Manuel Guerra Salgueiro, com quem discutiu o futuro dos acordos firmados acordos entre Brasil e Portugal nas áreas de Ciência eTecnologia. As cooperações entre os dois países iniciaram em 1968, quando firmada a parceria na área de energia nuclear para fins pacíficos. Em 2009, foram retomadas as negociações com acordos nos setores de nanotecnologia, ciências sociais e humanas.

Law Shielding Berlusconi From Trial Weakened

A law shielding Premier Silvio Berlusconi from prosecution was weakened by a top Italian court on Thursday in a highly awaited and politically charged decision. The Constitutional Court's ruling was seen as a compromise between judges who wanted to strike down the law completely, and those who wanted to keep it intact. Berlusconi is a defendant in two trials in Milan, on corruption and tax fraud charges. The trials had been suspended because of the law, which was passed last year by Berlusconi's conservatives in parliament and immediately drew accusations it was tailor-made for the premier.

Tunisian Leader Says He Will Step Down In 2014

Tunisia's autocratic president, struggling to contain deadly riots that have destabilized his authority, made sweeping pledges for political and media freedom and said he will leave the presidency, but not until his term ends in 2014. Facing the worst unrest in his 23 years in power, an unusually contrite President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali ordered prices on sugar, milk and bread slashed. Buoyant crowds spilled into the streets after his speech, many cheering his price cuts but some questioning his commitment to real change.
His bold pledges appeared aimed at quelling public anger while allowing him to cling to power in Tunisia, a country long cherished by European tourists for its Mediterranean beaches and its stability, and seen as an ally against terrorism.

Hezbollah aims for more political power in Lebanon

Hezbollah, already Lebanon's most potent military force, is now making a bid to expand its political power by installing an ally as prime minister now that it has brought down the government. If Hezbollah succeeds, the Shiite militant group and its patrons in Iran and Syria would have far more sway in this volatile corner of the Middle East _ something Washington has worked to prevent.

Islamophobia and the Plight of Christian Arabs

Suddenly, the U. S. - European alliance is acting to protect the “existence” of the Christian Arab minority against the Muslim Arab majority whose very existence is besieged and threatened by this same alliance, drawing on a wide spread Islamophobia while at the same time exacerbating Islamophobia among western audiences whom the international financial crisis is now crushing to the extent that it does not spare them time or resources to question the real political motives of their governments, which have been preoccupied for decades now with restructuring the Arab world geographically, demographically, politically and culturally against the will of its peoples with  a pronounced aim of creating a “new Middle East.”

U.S. recruits Japan as global military partner

During the preceding week the U.S.’s top military officer identified Asia as the central focus of the Pentagon’s attention in the world, U.S. warships joined Japanese counterparts in military maneuvers in the East China Sea for the second time in a month, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrived in East Asia on a trip that began in China and will end in Japan and South Korea on January 14.

America's Economic and Social Crisis: The Fed has Spoken: No Bailout for Main Street

The Federal Reserve was set up by bankers for bankers, and it has served them well.  Out of the blue, it came up with $12.3 trillion in nearly interest-free credit to bail the banks out of a credit crunch they created.  That same credit crisis has plunged state and local governments into insolvency, but the Fed has now delivered its ultimatum: there will be no “quantitative easing” for municipal governments.

The Collapse of Lebanon’s Government

Wednesday’s timeline from the Lebanese news portal Naharnet.com read as follows:
5:17 pm Agence France Presse: Prime Minister Saad Hariri went into talks with U.S. President Barack Obama at the moment that Opposition ministers resigned from the Lebanese government.
5:32 pm Minister of State Adnan Sayyed Hussein announced in a statement his resignation from Cabinet.
In that 15 minute span, President Obama went from meeting Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri to ex-Prime Minister Hariri. The unity government under his premiership had fallen, and deservedly so. Events had rapidly unfolded.

Sahel : les conditions de Kadhafi

Plusieurs personnalités françaises de haut rang ont fait savoir qu’ils regrettaient de ne pas avoir fait appel aux services libyens pour libérer les deux otages qui ont été kidnappés au Niger. Les services de renseignement libyens avaient offert d’aider et de conseiller Paris si celle-ci tenait à préserver ses intérêts dans cette région d'Afrique.

Abdelaziz Bouteflika dit non aux généraux

Soumis ces derniers jours à une pression énorme de la part des généraux, le président algérien s’est muré dans un étrange silence au Palais d’El Mouradia. Sérieusement amoindri par la maladie qui le ronge, Abdelaziz Bouteflika n’a pas répondu aux injonctions de l’armée qui lui a demandé de prendre la parole afin d’apaiser les Algériens après les émeutes qui ont ensanglanté les rues d’Alger, d’Oran et de Blida. C’est le général-major Abdelamalek Guenaïzia qui aurait rendu visite au président pour le convaincre de s’adresser au peule à la télévision. D’après des sources proches de la présidence, ce dernier a tout simplement éconduit son ministre délégué à la Défense.

Radical Islam on UK Campusses - Interview and CSC report

Foreign bloggers sent thousands of Russian KGB and police terrorist troops to guard chilly empty Moscow square

According to unofficial news reports, foreign bloggers created a virtual "Russian patriotic ultra-nationalist organization The December 11 Movement" in the Internet and urged Russians to take part in a anti-government rally on Tuesday at 7 pm local time in central Moscow in order to undermine and weaken Russia and facilitate its disintegration into at least 100 historically justified independent countries.

After dividing Sudan, U.S. and Europe intend to divide Egypt

Coptic leaders call for the creation of an independent Coptic state in Egypt, Islammemo reports. They plan to combine the date of its creation with the referendum on the secession of southern Sudan (where Christian militias are acting) and to announce the formation of a constitutional body, involving hundreds of Copts living in Egypt and beyond. They call for the establishment of a state similar to Vatican which is to be independent from the government of Egypt.

Mossad Terrorist confesses to murdering Iranian nuclear scientist

Lateste food crisis brewing for months

The United Nations, which is trying to reach out to nearly a billion undernourished people, some living in perpetual hunger, is anticipating another food crisis later this year. And the signs of impending trouble have been there for some time. The Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) warned last week that world market prices for rice, wheat, sugar, barley and meat will remain high or register significant rises in 2011 - perhaps replicating the crisis of 2007-2008.

Unrest Threatens Middle East as Food Prices Climb Amid High Unemployment

The deadly rioting that has gripped Algeria and Tunisia in recent days may portend unrest elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa, amid a potentially combustible combination of rising food prices and the region’s chronically high levels of unemployment, analysts say. At least 14 Algerians were killed in a week of rioting as of Monday while in Tunisia the number of dead reached at least 14 and may be as high as 20.  In Tunisia, the unrest was sparked by the suicide of a street merchant December 17 that pointed up the lack of jobs and opportunities. In Algeria the disturbances were sparked by higher prices for basic food items, including milk, oil and sugar, but analysts said joblessness was also a factor.

Wage Drop Has Been Worst In Decades

Wages for American workers have fallen dramatically since the financial crisis, in what will likely turn out to be the worst such plunge since the Great Depression, the Wall Street Journal reports. When hard times hit, employers typically are reluctant to reduce wages. But this downturn has been different: More than half the workers who found new work by early 2010 after losing jobs between 2007 and 2009 said their pay had dropped, according to Labor Department data cited in the WSJ. A full 36 percent said the new job paid 20 percent less than their former one.

Sudan: A tale of blood and oil in Africa

Media reports of the referendum to determine whether the southern provinces of Sudan should secede have taken on a celebratory character, even before the polls close at the end of the week. The same tone is assumed in an op-ed piece in the New York Times written by President Barack Obama. This “historic vote is an exercise in self-determination long in the making,” he declares. “A successful vote will be cause for celebration and an inspiring step forward in Africa’s long journey toward democracy and justice.”

Pak probe unearths massive NATO container liquor and arms smuggling scam

The investigation into the NATO containers scam has confirmed the smuggling of liquor and arms in the containers supposed to carry goods for the forces based in Afghanistan. The Supreme Court (SC) took suo moto notice of a report aired on Dunya News about liquor being smuggled in containers meant for carrying ammunition, food and other necessities for NATO forces in Afghanistan.

U.S. Seeks To Revitalize Ties With China

Hungarian Media Laws Embarrass European Allies

Hezbollah Forces Collapse Of Lebanon's Government

Feds Warn Court Against Ex-CIA Agent's Release

A disgruntled former CIA operative accused of dishing confidential documents to a New York Times reporter likely could spill more government secrets if not kept locked up pending his trial, the Justice Department warned in a court filing that casts the ex-operative as untrustworthy and dangerous.
The newly unsealed detention request underscores the federal government's unease about Jeffrey Sterling, claiming his "underlying selfish and vindictive motivations'' could spur him to disclose more government secrets now that he faces a 10-count indictment in Virginia.

Tensions rise over Costa Rican-Nicaraguan border dispute

Costa Rica is attempting to create an armed conflict with neighboring Nicaragua, Nicaraguan Army spokesman Juan Morales said citing counterintelligence information. Relations between the two countries became tense in November when the Nicaraguan military began widening the waterway in the San Juan River Delta and began establishing a military camp on the disputed Calero Island, in particular a small island called Harbor Head to the east of Calero.

The Libyan foreign security agency accused Mossad and Morocco of attempting to break Algeria

For the first time, and officially, the Libyan External Security Agency has accused the Israeli Mossad of being behind what she described as "attempts to break the territorial unity of Algeria, Libya and Tunisia. According to the agency, the Amazigh movement activists, backed by foreign intelligence services (Mossad) are leading a plan to break the Maghreb after succeeding in Iraq, Lebanon, Sudan and Yemen.

Israel's Mossad spying on EU

Belgium's Standing Intelligence Agencies Review Committee will, in a report due to be released later Tuesday, reveal details of a 2003 EU bugging scandal that names the Israeli secret services as a potential culprit, a Brussels-based website focusing on EU affairs reported today. Committee member Peter de Smet told 'EU observer' website that the report says that two people suspected of planting listening devices in the EU headquarters in Brussels , the Justus Lipsius building, when it was constructed mid-1990s had been trained by the Israeli telecommunications company Comverse, which has known links to the Mossad, the Israeli spy agency.

Referendum in Sudan: India’s Predicament

Sudan, Africa’s largest country by territory, is at the crossroads. On January 9, 2011 its semi-autonomous South began a week-long referendum to decide whether to remain part of Sudan or secede. For the Sudan Liberation Movement (SPLM), the main party in the South led by Salva Kiir, it is the culmination of half a century of struggle for recognition against successive regimes in Khartoum. By the time fighting stopped in 2005, Africa’s longest war had cost 2.5 million lives and displaced many millions more. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended the war set up the semi-autonomous region of South Sudan, to be ruled by SPLM, as well as a Government of National Unity (GoNU) in Khartoum led by President Omar al Bashir. The CPA also mandated a referendum in the South.

Senadores norte-americanos fazem lobby por caça F-18

Nesta segunda-feira, os senadores republicanos John McCain (Arizona) e John Barrasso (Wyoming), estiveram com os ministro da Defesa, Nelson Jobim, da Casa Civil, Antônio Palocci, o vice-presidente Michel Temer, e a presidente Dilma Rousseff. Na pauta, a defesa dos caças F-18 fabricados pela Boeing e que disputa a licitação da Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB) junto como Gripen NG da sueca Saab e o Rafale da francesa Dassault.

Oposição Venezuelana condiciona ingresso do país ao Mercosul

Deputados venezuelanos no Parlamento Latino-Americano querem que o país seja admitido como membro pleno do Mercosul apenas quando respeite os Direitos Humanos e a institucionalidade, previstos na Carta Interamericana Democrática da OEA.

Colômbia e Reino Unido fortalecem cooperação em Defesa

A ministra colombiana para a Estratégia e Planejamento, Yaneth Giha, está em Londres desde o último sábado com o propósito de fortalecer a cooperação bilateral na luta contra o narcotráfico e o terrorismo. Na segunda-feira, Giha reuniu-se com o ministro de Estado inglês para a América Latina, Jeremy Browne, com quem discutiu os objetivos do presidente da Colômbia, Juan Manuel Santos, quanto às políticas de defesa e segurança.

Geithner Says U.S. Insolvent

The U.S. government is insolvent. Who says so? Timothy F. Geithner, the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.
Geithner sent a letter to Congress on Jan. 6, 2011 asking for the debt limit to be raised. If it is not raised, he warned, the U.S. will default on its debt. In his words:

Gerald Celente: Internet nuke bomb waiting to go off

The Next World War: The “Great Game” and the Threat of Nuclear War

Mistrust between the triple entente of Eurasia — Russia, China, and Iran — and their other allies still exists. Ahead of a state visit to India in 2007, the Belarusian President, Aleksandr Lukashenko, expressed the tensions in the geo-political climate of Eurasia during an interview. He was asked about Minsk’s ambitions in regards to entering the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization). President Lukashenko stated: “We see great prospects for [the] SCO provided it can harmonise interests and overcome a certain mistrust among its members, for example between Russia and China, or India and China.” [54]

Global Security Management: the potential of emerging powers

Global security management has so far been the preserve of the United States, the Atlantic Alliance countries of Europe and the Former Soviet Union till its disintegration. In other words it was the Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council which managed global security affairs with the exception of China. China as the late entrant as the fifth Permanent Security Council Member has so far not displayed any inclinations to be a responsible stakeholder in global security management.

Taseer’s Assassination In The Context Of Islamic Teachings

Salmaan Taseer, the governor of Punjab province of Pakistan, senior leader of the Pakistan People’s Party and also an industrialist, was brutally killed by his own security guard on January 4. The assassin, Mumtaz Qadri, on his arrest expressed happiness on Taseer’s killing and said since Taseer was critical of the Blasphemy law; hence he was insulted Allah, Quran and Islam. On arrest, Qadri was not at all tensed, rather smiling. Taseer’s killing has once again initiated the debate- whose Islam is real and who is following the true Islamic teachings- liberal and progressive people following the tolerant Islam like Salmaan Taseer or the Talibani, extremist radical Mullahs like Mumtaz Qadri?

The Samjauta Express Explosion

“According to American investigators, the LET (Lashkar-e-Toiba) and Al Qaeda were responsible for the Samjauta Express blast and the HUJI( Harkatul-Jihad-Al-Islami) for the Mecca Masjid blast (in Hyderabad).If the American investigators, who have better sources in Pakistan, are correct, how can our investigators claim that some arrested Hindus were responsible for these incidents? Justice and fairplay demand a thorough investigation into the two different versions that have emerged from Indian and American investigators. While the American investigators have blamed the LET, Al Qaeda and the HUJI, Indian investigators have blamed the Abhinav Bharat. Both cannot be correct.”

India-Russia: Friends Forever

It all began in 1955 with Indian Prime Minister Nehru’s maiden visit to the erstwhile Soviet Union and Khrushchev’s reciprocal trip to India same year. Since then, Indo-Russian ties have withstood every test of time. During this period of over half a century, both nations ferried through turbulent waters. But the relationship between Moscow and New Delhi was never adversely affected per se. Though well on track presently, the ties went lukewarm during 90s. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, Kremlin’s assistance to India suddenly stopped and India, already faced with its worst ever economic crisis, had to turn to the West to keep its economy afloat. Here on commenced the proximity between India and the US, with India liberalising its economy through New Economic Policy.

Mossad responsible for Iranian nuclear scientist assasination

Iran announced confessions of a person who assassinated Iran’s nuclear scientist Masood Ali Mohammadi and that he was linked to the Israeli Mossad. Iranian press claim to have arrested a group linked to the December 2010 assassination of Mohammadi, said to be terrorists and spies of the Mossad. A member of the Mossad-linked spies confessed that he was trained in Jerusalem by the Mossad, where he confirmed visiting Tel Aviv. According to the Iranian Intelligence Ministry, Mossad used Irans neighbors and several European and non-European countries to kill the scientist. A picture was broadcasted for one of the arrestees as well as his confessions with other pictures showing the devices which was used in the assassination, revealing other Mossad information behind this crime where will be announced in appropriate circumstances, the press added.

Spain’s PM Rejects ETA Cease-Fire

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is rejecting ETA’s permanent cease-fire, saying the armed Basque separatist group’s only choice is to disband. Mr. Zapatero told Spanish television Monday that ETA’s offer is no good and that it must take much more forceful and definitive steps. He said there will be no talks with ETA, and he added that, there is no doubt the violence, in time, will stop.

EFF Calls for Immediate Action to Defend Tunisian Activists Against Government Cyberattacks

Demonstrations and protests over unemployment and poor living conditions have been ongoing in Tunisia since the beginning of December, but last week the Tunisian government turned up the heat on bloggers, activists, and dissidents by launching a JavaScript injection attack that siphoned off the usernames and passwords of Tunsians logging in to Google, Yahoo, and Facebook. The Tunisian government has used these stolen credentials to log in to Tunisians’ email and Facebook accounts, presumably downloading their messages, emails, and social graphs for further analysis, and then deleting the accounts entirely.

Serait-ce l’Islam qui a assassiné deux Français?

L'enlèvement (puis l'assassinat) de deux jeunes Français à Niamey (au Niger) demeure étrange à divers égards. Pourquoi serait-ce Al Qaïda ? Pourquoi Al Qaïda, via AQMI, enlèverait-il et assassinerait-il précisément ces deux Français, alors que des dizaines d'autres Français, plus impliqués dans la politique franco-nigérienne que les deux Français enlevés, se trouvaient au même endroit, très fréquenté par les Européens ?

Il faut détruire l’islam pour sauver les musulmans

Joseph Fadelle, ancien musulman devenu chrétien, auteur du livre « Le prix à payer », est interviewé par le journal catholique français ‘L’Homme Nouveau’. Ci-dessous, quelques extraits adaptés par mes soins. Il est à noter - et c'est essentiel - la distinction claire faite par Joseph Fadelle, entre d'une part, l'islam ;  et d'autre part,  les musulmans.

Délirant - La France condamne l’anti-islamisme

Sohby Gress, Secrétaire général de l’association Solidarité Coptes Internationale, a récemment déclaré : « Que s’est-il vraiment passé à l’église des saints ? » (ndmg – en Egypte). “Le président Moubarak a d’abord expliqué qu’il s’agissait d’un kamikaze qui se serait fait exploser. Aujourd’hui tout le monde prend de la distance avec cette première version ‘officielle’. En réalité, on a identifié le modèle de la voiture piégée – une Hyundaï Fantasia – dans laquelle on a trouvé un écrit menaçant : ‘Le reste arrivera’. Des témoins ont vu un jeune en sortir et quelques secondes après, il y a eu l’explosion ».

UNISIE, ALGERIE : des bombes a retardement qui risquent d'exploser

Les émeutes qui touchent la Tunisie et l’Algérie devraient s’achever comme toutes celles qui les ont précédé dans le monde arabe : par la répression, aussi dure et violente soit-elle. Les régimes politiques en place dans ces deux pays sont différents, l’un a des orientations plus socialistes, l’autre se prétend ouvert au capitalisme, l’un vit essentiellement de matières premières énergétiques, l’autre de l’argent rapporté par le tourisme. Mais les points communs abondent aussi : dans les deux cas, il s’agit de dictatures reposant sur une police et une armée omniprésentes. Dans les deux cas, une petite minorité vit de prébendes dans l’opulence tandis que le reste de la population subsiste dans la pauvreté, la frustration, l’absence de liberté de parole et d’information. Dans les deux cas, il n’existe pas de forces d’opposition structurée susceptible d’incarner une alternative démocratique et, tout particulièrement en Algérie, la tentation islamiste rode. 

Les pays européens, et tout spécialement la France, qui est très concernée parce qu’il s’agit d’anciennes colonies françaises et que de nombreux ressortissants de ces pays vivent sur le territoire français, ou ont pris la nationalité française tout en gardant des liens avec leur pays d’origine, se taisent et font preuve de beaucoup de circonspection. Appuyer et approuver la répression aurait des répercussions imprévisibles sur le sol européen, tout spécialement en France. Désapprouver la répression serait prendre le risque de déstabiliser les régimes en place et, s’ils devaient tomber, pourrait provoquer des flux d’immigration incontrôlables et, en Algérie, l’arrivée au pouvoir d’islamistes. 

 

Ce qui est patent dans les deux cas est l’échec du nationalisme arabe, qui n’a rien apporté aux populations sinon l’amertume et l’absence d’espoir. Ce qui est patent aussi est que ces pays sont comme des bombes à retardement qui risquent fort d’exploser, dans quelques années, avec bien plus de violence encore. Dans les deux cas, une forte partie de la population est jeune et les populations jeunes laissent plus aisément éclater leur colère, surtout lorsqu’elles songent qu’elles n’ont rien à perdre. Dans les deux cas, cette colère est teintée tout à la fois du rêve de parvenir à accéder à l’autre rive de la Méditerranée pour s’y installer, et d’une rancœur vis-à-vis des pays situés sur l’autre rive de la Méditerranée, spécialement la France, parce qu’elle a laissé les populations aux mains des régimes en place depuis si longtemps et a considéré qu’entre la peste islamique et le choléra des dictatures, elle préférait le choléra des dictatures. 

 

Aurait-il pu exister une troisième voie, celle d’une démocratisation ? Je le pense, mais je pense aussi que l’occasion a été manquée. Je pense que la division du monde occidental créée par la pusillanimité française après le 11 septembre 2001 a fait qu’il n’a pas été possible de tenir un discours clair et précis en cette direction au monde musulman et, en particulier, au monde arabe. La pusillanimité se paie toujours tôt ou tard. Je m’attends à ce que nous risquions, dans un futur proche, de payer cette pusillanimité au prix fort. Les régimes en place en Tunisie et en Algérie sont iniques et les populations sont dans des situations invivables. L’alternative à ces régimes n’existe pas, ou semble pire qu’eux. Quand l’explosion viendra, l’Europe, spécialement la France, verront de près ce que c’est qu’une explosion. 

 

Et l’explosion sera, sans doute, de plus grande ampleur que ne l’imaginent ceux qui ont des visions cauchemardesques de l’avenir. Je parle de la Tunisie et de l’Algérie, de fait, parce que c’est là que des émeutes ont lieu. Mais la situation est très volatile dans tout le Maghreb. Elle l’est aussi en Egypte, et l’Afrique subsaharienne est porteuse de ses propres charges d’explosifs. Al Qaida y est bien implantée. La situation en Cote d’Ivoire peut tout à fait dégénérer, et avoir prétendu organiser des élections « démocratiques » dans un pays  où, outre le tribalisme, passe une ligne de fracture entre régions musulmanes islamisées et régions animistes et chrétiennes était l’une de ces idées ineptes que seuls des technocrates coupés des réalités du terrain tels que ceux qui peuplent l’ONU peuvent concevoir. Si la situation en Côte d’Ivoire dégénérait, mes répercussions se feraient sentir à des milliers de kilomètres à la ronde.

Algérie : les illusions de la richesse pétrolière

L’Algerie est redevenue un grand chantier : des routes, autoroutes, ports, aéroports, métro, hôpitaux, universités, usines, logements sont en construction, dessinant un paysage à l’opposé de celui des années 1990. De façon symbolique, et après plus de vingt-quatre ans d’absence, les Fenecs, l’équipe nationale de football, se sont qualifiés pour la phase finale de la Coupe du monde de football, plongeant le pays entier dans une euphorie comparable aux scènes de liesse du lendemain de l’indépendance. Hélas, ce renouveau est fragile. Redevenu stratégique, le secteur des hydrocarbures se trouve placé une fois de plus au coeur de la politique de développement. Le dynamisme du secteur pétrolier a certes relancé la croissance économique – son taux est de 5 % entre 2005 et 2010. Mais, comme dans les années 1970, cette croissance s’avère entièrement dépendante du secteur des hydrocarbures : en 2009, plus de 98 % des revenus du pays proviennent des exportations de gaz et de pétrole.

China Conducts First Flight Test of J-20

China has conducted its first flight test of the Chengdu J-20 Black Eagle stealth fighter, according to Chinese media reports. The reports come during a high-level visit to Beijing by U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. According to Chinese-language news reports, a twin-engine J-20 prototype flew for 18 minutes on Jan. 11 from the "Plant 132 aerodrome" in Chengdu in southwest China. "Plant 132" is the designation for the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group. A Chengdu J-10S Vigorous Dragon twin-seat fighter served as the chase plane.

S. Korea, Japan Discuss Pacts on Military Supplies, Secrets

The defense ministers of South Korea and Japan met here Jan. 10 to discuss cooperative pacts on military supplies and information, a symbolic step to establish closer military ties and move past the historical legacy of Japan's brutal colonization of Korea a century ago. The talks between South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and his Japanese counterpart, Toshimi Kitazawa, the first of its kind in about two years, come amid growing calls to further strengthen tripartite defense cooperation among South Korea, Japan and the United States to deter North Korea's military provocation.

EADS, Atlas Elektronik Units Create Signalis

Cassidian and Atlas Elektronik of Germany have given the name Signalis to its newly created maritime security joint venture, the defense and security division of the EADS group said in a Jan. 11 statement.

The joint venture company has been formed from the merger of the EADS Cassidian Sofrelog unit and Atlas Maritime Security, a subsidiary of Atlas Elektronik, intended to create a leading player in the market for marine systems.

The Unreported War in Mexico

Fifty one people were killed over the weekend in drug-related violence across Mexico. In the beach resort of Acapulco, a gruesome record was set when the bodies of 15 men were found in a local shopping center all of whom had been decapitated. Their severed heads were clumped together nearby. The flurry of homicides add to the more-than 30,000 deaths since Mexican president Felipe Calderon took office in December 2006. The daily death toll in Calderon's failed drug war now exceeds that of Afghanistan and Iraq combined.

Oil, Smoke and Mirrors

Through a series of impressively candid, informed and articulate interviews, this film argues that the bizarre events surrounding the 9/11 attacks, and the equally bizarre prosecution of the so-called war on terror, can be more credibly understood in the wider context of an imminent and critical divergence between available global oil supply and increasing global oil demand.

Earth 2100: The Final Century of Civilization? (part 1)

Interesting propaganda from ABC. Planet at Risk: Experts Warn Population Growth, Resource Depletion, Climate Change Could Bring Catastrophe in Next Century. It’s an idea that most of us would rather not face – that within the next century, life as we know it could come to an end. Our civilization could crumble, leaving only traces of modern human existence behind.

China Naval Modernization: Implications for US Navy Capabilities

The question of how the United States should respond to China’s military modernization effort, including its naval modernization effort, has emerged as a key issue in U.S. defense planning. Admiral Michael Mullen, the Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff, stated in June 2010 that “I have moved from being curious to being genuinely concerned” about China’s military programs. The question of how the United States should respond to China’s military modernization effort is of particular importance to the U.S. Navy, because many U.S. military programs for countering improved Chinese military forces would fall within the Navy’s budget.

German Cyber-Defense Center to Launch In 2011

An Interior Ministry spokesperson says cyber-attacks against Germany are on the rise, primarily from China. A new center will open next year, and will follow the example laid out by NATO, the United States and Britain. The German government announced on Monday that it will create a new cyber-defense center in 2011.

'Colombian army identifies all members of FARC's most feared front'

The Colombian army has identified all members of the FARC's Teofilo Forero column, one of the most feared mobile groups within the guerrilla organization, reported Noticias Uno on Monday.
According to the news broadcast, the army was able to obtain laptops and memory sticks that contain the names of the 250 the group and information about their allies in several cities.
The Teofilo Forero column is one of the most bloodthirsty columns of the FARC and is held responsible for the 2009 kidnapping and murder of the governor of Caqueta and the 2003 bombing of an exclusive club in Bogota. Colombian authorities discovered notebooks of El Paisa in February last year after the bombing of a FARC camp in the southern Caqueta department.

Ex-CIA Agent Jeffrey Sterling Arrested, Accused of Leaking to Reporter as Revenge

Former CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling was arrested today on charges that he leaked national defense information to the media and revealed the identity of a “human asset.” The motive, according to the Justice Department, was revenge. Sterling, 43, worked for the CIA from May 1993 to January 2002, and for two years was assigned to “a classified clandestine operational program designed to conduct intelligence activities related to the weapons capabilities of certain countries,” according to the indictment. During that time, he also was handling a “human asset” associated with that program.

Moscow 'ambassador' resigns after spy allegations

The move follows allegations released in the week prior to Christmas by the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) which claimed that Turowski had lied during his so-called lustracja, or vetting, declaration, in which high-ranking public servants are obliged to reveal whether they had contacts with the communist security services during the Cold War era.
Tomasz Turowski, Poland’s so-called ‘titular’ ambassador in Moscow, has offered his resignation after allegations that he collaborated with the Kremlin while working as a secret agent in the Vatican, Cuba and Russia.

Ex-KGB agent sues MI5 over 'privacy breach'

A former senior KGB agent is suing MI5 over invasion of his privacy, alleging his family members were victims of a campaign of harassment and unlawful surveillance. Judges are now investigating claims made by Boris Karpichkov that his east London home was broken into and his telephone calls and post unlawfully intercepted.

El vice colombiano reta a las Farc. Infiltrado en el movimiento sindical durante décadas?

Angelino Garzón, reta a las Farc. "Bravuconadas" dijo groseramente, en alusión a las palabras del líder de las Farc, Alfonso Cano, en el saludo al nuevo año/video, publicado en exclusiva por esta agencia de noticias. "En el 2011 redoblaremos actividades en todo sentido con la fuerza que nos proporcionan nuestras convicciones…”. Anotó con toda claridad el comandante de las Farc. Es la ceguera de Angelino, otrora ’comunista’ y sindicalista’ y absolutamente postrado al gran capital, quien retuerce la proyección política y militar de esta guerrilla marquetaliana.

Grandes Lojas

 

La France s’organise face à l’espionnage industriel

Police, gendarmerie, services de renseignements sont de plus en plus mobilisés. Sur la scène internationale, la guerre froide a cédé place à la guerre économique, et les James Bond se sont adaptés. Un agent de renseignements efficace doit désormais parler chinois plutôt que russe, et qu’importe s’il est une fine gâchette tant qu’il sait décrypter un bilan annuel d’entreprise. Un smartphone caché sous une table suffit pour écouter des discussions, et une cravate peut faire tomber des secrets : une société française qui accueillait une délégation chinoise pour une visite d’usine a ainsi surpris l’un des visiteurs effectuant des prélèvements de sa production en trempant l’accessoire dans une cuve!

Michel Benedittini (ANSSI) : Notre mission : préparer la société française à résister à des attaques informatiques

Les feux des projecteurs sont plutôt braqués vers Patrick Pailloux, Directeur Général de l’autorité nationale en matière de sécurité des systèmes d’information. Créée en juillet 2009, l’ANSSI a pris le relais de la Direction centrale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information (DCSSI), tout en restant rattachée au secrétariat général de la Défense et de la Sécurité nationale.

WikiLeaks perd 480.000 euros par semaine

Le site WikiLeaks est confronté à des difficultés financières, perdant plus de 480.000 euros par semaine depuis le début de la diffusion des câbles diplomatiques, a expliqué le fondateur du site Julian Assange, dans un entretien aux journaux suisses la Tribune et 24heures. Interrogé pour savoir si les multiples pressions qu’il subit pourraient avoir raison de ses activités, M. Assange a expliqué : "d’un point de vue personnel, non. Je dirais même que les pressions renforcent ma détermination".

Sarkozy et Obama unis face au défi du terrorisme

« La faiblesse serait profondément coupable », estime le président français. C’est dans un contexte intérieur et international particulièrement troublé que Nicolas Sarkozy et Barack Obama se sont retrouvés lundi pour des consultations sur le G20 et le G8 et pour un tour des grands dossiers internationaux, dont celui, brûlant, du terrorisme islamiste.

9/11 and British Broadcasting Conspiracy

(Download)

FARC to 'redouble actions' in 2011

Alfonso Cano, supreme leader of Colombia's largest rebel group FARC, said that the guerrillas this year will multiply "actions in every way" in a new-years message released on YouTube Friday. "In 2011 we will redouble activities in every sense," Cano said in an almost 13-minute message read from a Macbook Pro.
The FARC leader also called on viewers to pay special attention to Congress that is in debating laws regarding the return of land stolen from farmers by paramilitary forces and the reparation of victims of Colombia's violent conflict.

The Islam That Hard-Liners Hate

In Pakistan’s heartland, holy men with bells tied to their feet close their eyes and sway to the music. Nearby, rose petals are tossed on tombstones. Free food is distributed to devotees.
This peaceful tableau is part of Sufism, Pakistan’s most popular brand of Islam, which attracts millions of worshipers at about a dozen major festivals throughout the year. Each day, thousands visit shrines dedicated to Sufi saints.
But the rituals came under heavy attack in 2010, as minority hard-line militants took responsibility for five shrine attacks that killed 64 people — a marked increased compared with 2005 to 2009, when nine attacks killed 81 people.

Las FARC-EP más listas que nunca, para la guerra o para la paz

Operativos de fuerzas especiales farianas, en el corazón del Caguán completamente militarizado se realizan desde el sábado en la antigua zona de distención. Con estos operativos, la insurgencia fariana demuestra que no existen zonas vedadas donde su accionar no puede llegar. Las FARC-EP Nunca salieron del Caguán como lo pretenden los cantos de sirena de la oligarquía colombiana. Si el régimen utilizó la duración de la zona de distención para realizar inteligencia a los cuadros farianos y para realizar la reingeniería del ejercito masacrador, la insurgencia demuestra que ha realizado su propia reingeniería y readaptación para confrontar régimen mafioso y a su ejército criminal.

IE : Renault est déjà un cas d’école

"Le maillon faible est souvent l’homme plutôt que la machine" : étudiants et responsables de l’Ecole de guerre économique (EGE) ont déjà tiré quelques enseignements de l’affaire d’espionnage industriel qui secoue Renault, un cas d’école selon eux. "L’économie est d’abord une affaire d’hommes et de femmes avec les vulnérabilités de chacun", souligne Florent de Saint Victor, 23 ans.

Claude-France Arnould est nommée à la tête de l’Agence européenne de défense

Catherine Ashton a confirmé la nomination de Claude-France Arnould en tant que chef exécutif de l’Agence européenne de défense. La française Claude-France Arnould a été nommée directrice exécutive de l’Agence européenne de défense (AED). Sa candidature avait été proposée par Catherine Ashton, Haute représentante de l’Union Européenne pour les affaires étrangères et la politique de sécurité, qui assure la tutelle de l’Agence. « Le comité directeur de l’AED a décidé à l’unanimité de nommer Claude-France Arnould directrice exécutive de l’Agence européenne de défense », a précisé Catherine Ashton.

Commerce mondial d’armes : la Russie conservera la deuxième place

La Russie envisage de vendre pour 10 milliards de dollars d’armes cette année, ce qui lui permettra de conserver la deuxième place au classement mondial des pays exportateurs de matériel de guerre, a annoncé vendredi à RIA Novosti le directeur du Centre d’analyse du commerce mondial d’armes Igor Korotchenko.
"Compte tenu des commandes et des engagements, le volume des ventes d’armes russes est estimé en 2011 à 10,14 milliards de dollars" ce qui placera de nouveau le pays en deuxième position dans le classement des exportateurs d’armes après les Etats-Unis (28,56 mds de dollars), a indiqué le responsable.
L’Allemagne restera le premier exportateur de l’UE (5,3 mds de dollars), loin devant la France (4,02 mds) et la Grande-Bretagne (3,44 mds), a encore précisé M.Kporotchenko.