Colom: Central American Nations to Join Forces Against Zetas

Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador will create a special task force charged with confronting the Zetas, said President Alvaro Colom, as the Guatemalan security forces captured 20 people allegedly working with the Mexican cartel. In an interview with Mexican newspaper El Universal, Colom described his proposed strategy, which he called the "Mesoamerican Plan for Security and Justice," focusing on combining forces from the three Northern Triangle nations, and receiving logistical support from Mexico, the United States and possibly Colombia. The idea of Colom is more than just cross border cooperation, but also mooting the possibility of Mexican troops operating on foreign territory and inter-agency cooperation that would go beyond intelligence sharing, and may involve the creation of what is essentially a multinational, transborder crime unit.

Thousands of Jordanians march to press for reform

Thousands of Jordanians held peaceful demonstrations in Amman and other cities on Friday to press for reform and the government's resignation, taking their cue from Tunisia and Egypt. "Egypt, the Arab nation salutes you. We urge your men to get rid of (President Hosni) Mubarak," an estimated 3,000 people chanted as they marched through central Amman holding national flags after Muslim weekly prayers. "The Arab people's message: you are corrupt, beware our anger. (Ousted Tunisian president Zine El Abidine) Ben Ali is waiting for you," they said, referring to his ouster in a popular uprising. Police said around 2,000 people staged protests in other cities, answering a call by the powerful Muslim Brotherhood which demands political and economic reforms in the kingdom.

The Long Winter of 2010-2011

For New Yorkers and those in my part of New Jersey across the river, snow has fallen eight times since December 14, an average of once every five days, 56.1 inches in Central Park as of Jan 27th, and people are, shall we say, taking notice? Along with the snow come power outages, disrupted bus schedules, air travel delays, commuting by car becomes an auto body repair business bonanza, schools shut their doors, and some people die from weather-related accidents or just from trying to shovel the snow from the driveway. Having battled the “global warming” hoax since it was first perpetrated in the late 1980s, I have had the good fortune to make friends with many of the world’s top meteorologists and climatologists who joined in the long effort to educate people to the fact that there never was a rapid rise in the planet’s overall temperatures.

Brzezinski’s Feared “Global Awakening” Has Arrived

The Protest Movement in Egypt: "Dictators" do not Dictate, They Obey Orders

"Dictators" do not dictate, they obey orders. This is true in Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria. Dictators are invariably political puppets. Dictators do not decide. President Hosni Mubarak was a faithful servant of Western economic interests and so was Ben Ali. The national government is the object of the protest movement. The objective is to unseat the puppet rather than the puppet-master. The slogans in Egypt are "Down with Mubarak, Down with the Regime". No anti-American posters have been reported... The overriding and destructive influence of the USA in Egypt and throughout the Middle East remains unheralded. The foreign powers which operate behind the scenes are shielded from the protest movement. No significant political change will occur unless the issue of  foreign interference is meaningfully addressed by the protest movement. The US embassy in Cairo is an important political entity, invariably overshadowing the national government. The Embassy is not a target of the protest movement.

Tunisia and the IMF's Diktats

General Zine el Abidine Ben Ali , the defunct and deposed president of Tunisia is heralded by the Western media, in chorus, as a dictator. The Tunisian protest movement is casually described as the consequence of an undemocratic and authoritarian regime, which defies the norms of the "international community". But Ben Ali was not a "dictator". Dictators decide and dictate. Ben Ali was a servant of Western economic interests, a faithful political puppet who obeyed orders, with the active support of the international community.

Foreign interference in Tunisia's domestic affairs is not mentioned in the media reports. The food price hikes were not "dictated" by the Ben Ali government. They were imposed by Wall Street and the IMF. The role of Ben Ali's government was to enforce the IMF's deadly economic medicine, which over a period of more than twenty years has served to destabilize the national economy and impoverish the Tunisian population.

Why the Fuss? The Call to Arms against UN Rapporteur Richard Falk for Alluding to Gaps in the 9/11 Official Story

A former Princeton international law professor has been condemned by the UN Secretary General and the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations for alluding to “an apparent cover-up” of the events of September 11^th, 2001. On January 11, 2011, UN Special Envoy to Palestine Richard Falk posted on his personal blog an article entitled “Interrogating the Arizona Killings from a Safe Distance.”[1] Dr. Falk made a tangential point in his blog-post that governments too often abuse their authority by treating “awkward knowledge as a matter of state secrets”. To illustrate the point, he referred to gaps and contradictions in the official account of the 9/11 attacks, which have been documented in the scholarly works of Dr. David Ray Griffin, a professor emeritus of philosophy of religion and theology.

Egypt: The Day of Reckoning

No one anticipated that an internet campaign for a “Day of Wrath” in Egypt would have a turnout beyond what the organizers would have hoped in their wildest dreams. No one expected that a day of wrath would turn to continued days of fury. Protesters spilled into the streets in an unprecedented display of anti-regime rage. Throngs in the sprawling city of Cairo marched without being deterred by the oppressive state apparatus. They broke police cordons and encamped large squares. The demonstrators called the day of Wrath an end to an era of silence, acquiescence, and submission. A wave of protests erupted and swept through other cities in Egypt as well. The stunning spectacle of crowds surging into the streets, singing the national anthem, and chanting angry slogans to express ire toward the regime took everyone by surprise. The security forces were taken aback by the anger of the defiant demonstrators.

Egypt: Army envisages post Mubarak scenario

As crowds are gathering in central Cairo for the fifth consecutive day, sources in Egyptian army, security services and political circles told ESISC they are “pessimistic”. They told us they don’t think the promises delivered this night by President Hosni Mubarak will be sufficient to disarm the street and calm contestation.

“The regime is not weak, they say and it could resist but it is important to avoid slaughter”.  The army is not the police, we don’t think they will accept to kill hundreds of people. And we don’t think even, President Mubarak will order this. The game today is to exit the crisis by concrete offers which materialize very quickly”. 

Tunisian army wins popular support

Tunisians have a new respect for the army in the aftermath of former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s ouster. After Ben Ali left the country, army forces were deployed in Tunisian cities to restore stability. In addition to successfully controlling armed gangs, preventing the spread of chaos and protecting property, soldiers repeatedly placed themselves between demonstrators and police in an effort to calm tensions.
On social networking sites, Tunisians posted videos showing how the people sought shelter near army vehicles to avoid gunfire. In one video, soldiers are seen pointing their weapons at security forces in an attempt to prevent them from approaching protestors. On Monday, the head of the Tunisian army, General Rachid Ammar, addressed protestors in the Kasbah, saying that “the army will protect the revolution”.
The army’s success and its defence of the people won the respect of many Tunisians. In turn, citizens helped troops put an end to the rampant lawlessness by setting up neighbourhood checkpoints and inspecting vehicles. A new Tunisian solidarity emerged.

Countdown to Zero

Countdown to Zero is a documentary film released in 2010 which argues that the likelihood of the use of nuclear weapons has increased since the end of the Cold War due to terrorism, nuclear proliferation, theft of nuclear materials and weapons, and other factors. The film features interviews with leading statesmen and experts, including Tony Blair, Jimmy Carter, Mikhail Gorbachev, Robert McNamara, Pervez Musharraf, and Valerie Plame Wilson.


Countown to Zero from Kimmy Morgan on Vimeo.

Kashmir: A Hot Summer Ahead?

Events in Tunisia, Egypt and Lebanon have drawn widespread surprise since for the first time Arabs have turned out on the streets. After decades of domination by authoritarian regimes, supported by the West in most cases, democratic stirrings have been received with welcome and apprehension, depending on the political slant of the commentator. Why does this article, whose title suggests it is one on Kashmir, need to begin with events elsewhere? To recall, the outbreak of peoples’ participation in the militancy in Kashmir was at the turn of the nineties. The Berlin Wall had just come down. The upsurge in Eastern European nations had overthrown communist regimes. The Palestinian intifada dating to 1987 had captured minds. Images from these events, far away as they were, unfolded and influenced those viewing them on newly acquired TV screens in Kashmir. All accounts from the heady days of the militancy mention the impact of the communication revolution and globalization, then in infancy, on peoples’ participation in the ‘rebellion’, to borrow from a perceptive title, ‘Lost Rebellion’. Therefore, in case the unrest in Arab lands is to spread, the ripple effects will be felt right up to Kashmir.

Fiddling in Davos While Arab World is Burning

The prairie fire of mass protests in Tunisia continues to burn and shows signs of spreading to Libya, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan and Yemen. In Tunisia, protesters want the entire old leadership to be removed, arrested and prosecuted lock, stock and barrel and their illegally-acquired wealth parked in secret bank accounts abroad to be brought back. Saudi Arabia, which has been giving shelter to the discredited despots of the Arab world, has not yet been affected, but it cannot remain unaffected for long. Egypt saw massive protests on January 25 in response to tweeted calls from nowhere and everywhere for observing a day of revolt. Tweets are now calling for a “Day of Anger” as a follow-up on January 28. Libya, Algeria, Jordan and Yemen are seeing the beginnings of a protest movement. Whether the prairie fire continues to spread or subsides would depend on what happens in the coming days in Tunisia and Egypt.

The United States and the Prospects for Democracy in Islamic Countries

The unarmed insurrection that overthrew the Ben Ali regime in Tunisia has opened up debate regarding prospects for democratization in Arab and other predominately Muslim countries. Many in the West are familiar with the way unarmed pro-democracy insurrections have helped bring democracy to Eastern Europe, Latin America, and parts of Asia and Africa. But they discount the chances of such movements in Islamic countries, despite Tunisia being far from the first. Meanwhile, the United States — despite giving lip service in support for democracy – continues to actively support authoritarian governments in Islamic countries.
Obama was correctly cautious about offering more overt support for the 2009 pro-democracy uprising in Iran, recognizing that his advocacy could set back the more critical issue of curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions. He was also aware that the history of U.S. intervention, explicit threats of “regime change” by the previous administration, and the U.S. invasion of two neighboring countries in the name of democracy had resulted in such strong anti-Americanism in Iran that the regime could use such support to discredit the pro-democracy movement.

WikiLeaks: For Norway, oil wealth and humanitarianism go hand in hand

Most variations of international-relations realism include some notion of states sacrificing ethical considerations at the altar of national interest. It's never been completely clear, of course, whether this is a descriptive claim, or a prescriptive one — whether, in other words, the idea is that states should behave this way, or that they in fact do. Those pondering this question ought to consider the case of Norway. In a brief but revealing cable included in the vast WikiLeaks "CableGate" trove and published last week by the Norwegian paper Aftenposten, US embassy officials report that the Nordic nation opted to divest its sovereign wealth holdings from companies violating "humanitarian principles" and "fundamental ethical norms." In case you are thinking that major global corporations aren't exactly quaking in their boots at the prospect of divestiture by Norway, think again. Built on the healthy revenues of Norway's thriving oil sector, the country's sovereign fund invests its considerable wealth in over 7,000 corporations worldwide. In fact, the fund is the largest single investor in Europe.

Oil and Food Prices

Several years ago National Geographic magazine published an article on oil that included a stunning photo of mature steer and the barrels of oil needed to grow an animal to that size. I recently went looking for that picture, found it, and post it here because it hasn’t lost its impact or relevance one bit.

Weighing in at 1,250 pounds (567 kilograms), Marina Wilson’s champion steer Grandview Rebel is ready for auction at a county fair in Maryland. Raising this steer has taken an agricultural investment equal to 283 gallons (1,071 liters) of oil, represented here by the red drums. That includes everything from fertilizers on cornfields to the diesel that runs machinery on the farm. Overall, it takes three-quarters of a gallon of oil to produce a pound of beef.

Égypte : arrestation de 19 terroristes d'Al-Qaïda

Les forces de sécurité égyptiennes ont arrêté dix neuf terroristes kamikazes, liés à Al Qaïda, s'apprêtant à commettre des attentats contre divers lieux de culte en Egypte, selon le ministre de l'Intérieur Habib Al Adli. Ce dernier a révélé que de grandes quantités d'armes, de munitions et des documents prouvant le lien entre ces terroristes et Al Qaïda ont été saisis. Le ministre de l'Intérieur égyptien a déclaré que les terroristes d'Al-Qaïda se rendent au sein du territoire palestinien par les tunnels de contrebande se trouvant près de la ville de Rafah. Il estime aussi que le Hamas, le groupe terroriste islamiste qui dirige la Bande de Gaza, tente d'empêcher l'établissement d'un tel réseau, ajoutant qu'il était de l'intérêt de l'Egypte de détruire ces tunnels. Un des hommes arrêté a affirmé avoir séjourné dans la Bande de Gaza en 2008 où il a reçu des instructions pour photographier l'église d'Alexandrie.

Egypt protests: America's secret backing for rebel leaders behind uprising

The American Embassy in Cairo helped a young dissident attend a US-sponsored summit for activists in New York, while working to keep his identity secret from Egyptian state police. On his return to Cairo in December 2008, the activist told US diplomats that an alliance of opposition groups had drawn up a plan to overthrow President Hosni Mubarak and install a democratic government in 2011. He has already been arrested by Egyptian security in connection with the demonstrations and his identity is being protected by The Daily Telegraph. The crisis in Egypt follows the toppling of Tunisian president Zine al-Abedine Ben Ali, who fled the country after widespread protests forced him from office.

Vers une catastrophe majeure au Proche Orient?

Au moment où j’écris ces lignes, les principales villes d’Egypte sont en proie à l’incendie et au chaos. Tout ce qui sépare le régime Moubarak de la chute, sur un mode tunisien, est l’armée. Si l’armée se retourne contre Moubarak, celui-ci devra suivre le chemin suivi par Ben Ali. Ceux qui aujourd’hui parlent de démocratie et s’extasient feraient bien de réfléchir. Si, en Tunisie, le risque d’une montée en puissance des islamistes d’En-Nahda est grand, en Egypte, l’arrivée au pouvoir des Frères musulmans en cas de chute de Moubarak serait une quasi certitude. Les Frères musulmans sont une organisation sunnite, mais ses liens avec l’islam radical shiite sont grands : la branche palestinienne des Frères musulmans est le Hamas, aujourd’hui largement financé par l’Iran. Mohamed El-Baradei, aujourd’hui en résidence surveillée, est tout à la fois proche des Frères musulmans et proche du régime des mollahs en Iran, et pendant sa présidence de l’Agence Internationale de l’Energie Atomique, il a rendu de bons et loyaux services à Téhéran. Il entend se placer et servir d’interface.

Egypte : les enjeux de la succession de Hosni Moubarak

L’actualité invite à mettre à la Une cette étude initialement publiée le 12 octobre 2008 sur le Diploweb.com. Avec toutes les précautions d’usage, elle démontre que l’analyse géopolitique peut permettre d’identifier plus de deux ans à l’avance une crise en formation. Pivot entre l’Afrique et le Proche-Orient, l’Egypte constitue un pôle de stabilité particulièrement rassurant pour les occidentaux, notamment pour les Etats-Unis. Or, la question de la succession de Hosni Moubarak se pose avec d’autant plus d’acuité que de nombreux signes politiques indiquent la fin de règne. Depuis quelques années, Le Président de la République égyptienne et son fils, Gamal Moubarak, préparent la transmission du pourvoir malgré les vives protestations de l’opposition. Si les modalités de la succession laissent entrevoir plusieurs scénarii, deux obstacles majeurs risquent de la compromettre : l’impopularité du dauphin et la montée du mécontentement populaire. Enfin, l’attitude des puissants services de renseignement, qui contrôlent tout le pays, demeure inconnue. Dans ce contexte particulier, le scénario privilégié des Occidentaux, à savoir une transmission dynastique du pouvoir, peut ne pas se dérouler comme prévu.

Israel Plans To Merge IMI, Rafael

In yet another industrial-policy zigzag, Israeli trade, finance and labor leaders last week jettisoned plans to privatize Israel Military Industries (IMI) and now intend to merge it with another state-owned company, Rafael. Official notice of the proposed merger came in a joint Jan. 20 statement by Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz and Histadrut Secretary-General Ofer Eini. Under the plan, debt-saddled IMI would first become a wholly owned subsidiary of Rafael, which netted some $120 million in profit last year on sales of more than $2 billion. Included in the deal would be IMI business units, including its Givon rocket division, the Maltam advanced systems division and the Slavin armor and upgrade division.

Bulgaria To Sell Off Defense Firm VMZ Sopot

The Bulgarian government on Jan. 27 said it had agreed to a strategy for the full privatization of defense giant VMZ Sopot. According to a statement, there will be a public tender of 100 percent of VMZ's capital, with potential buyers required to have previous experience in defense production and management.  They must also present a three-year business plan for the firm's development under the sale proposal, which still has to be approved by parliament. Bulgaria's biggest defense firm and the last of the country's communist-era defense giants to have remained state-owned, VMZ Sopot produces a large range of missiles and artillery ammunition, as well as civil-use machinery and household appliances. A lack of strategic investors in previous defense company tenders has led other state-owned firms to morph into joint-stock companies, owned primarily by their managers and staff. Bulgaria's defense industry exports stood at 145 million euros ($200 million) in 2009, according to economy ministry data.

Sierra Leone Ready To Join Ivory Coast Intervention

Sierra Leone is prepared to contribute troops if regional governments decided to take military action to force Laurent Gbagbo from power in Ivory Coast, the defense minister said on Friday. "We have the capability to deploy between 100 and 120 soldiers if ECOWAS takes a decision on the issue," Defense Minister Paolo Conteh told a press briefing. "Our troops are more than competent to do justice to that cause. Our bilateral partners will come on board to support us in terms of funding." The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has threatened to use force to compel Gbagbo to stand down in favor of Alassane Ouattara, the internationally recognized winner of a November presidential election. But with Ouattara holed up in a hotel in Abidjan, Gbagbo shown no sign that he is willing to accept defeat and there have been signs recently that the region's resolve to intervene militarily is weakening. The current manpower of Sierra Leone's army is 8,500, according to official figures. Any force would likely be dominated by Nigeria, the region's powerhouse.

NATO, Russia Meet at Odds over Missile Shield

NATO and Russian military brass went into talks Wednesday, bound in outrage over terrorism after Moscow's airport bombing, but at odds over cooperation on a missile shield for Europe. Russian General Nikolai Makarov flew into Brussels to meet with fellow chiefs of staff from the 28-nation alliance in the latest step in thawing ties between the former Cold War foes following Russia's 2008 war with Georgia. The NATO-Russia Council, the forum for discussion between the two military powers, issued a statement condemning Monday's "terrorist bombing" at Domodedovo airport. "Our countries stand together in the fight against terrorism, and we are determined to expedite our efforts to counter this scourge," the statement said.
NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who has championed better ties, had already offered the Western alliance's "solidarity" after the death of 35 people in the suicide attack. "We are in this fight together," he said after Monday's blast. "This is why in the NATO-Russia Council we have to strengthen our cooperation in the fight against terrorism."

Europe Divided Over China Arms Sales

Britain is on a collision course with the European Union over the sale of arms to China. Since the Beijing government crackdown on protestors in Tiananmen Square in 1989, EU member states have been banned from selling goods that could be used by the Chinese military. China’s new J-20 stealth fighter roars along the runway and takes to the skies, the maiden test-flight of a plane designed to rival the United States’ radar-eluding aircraft. Images of the flight, leaked on the Internet and subsequently confirmed as genuine by the Beijing government, have focused attention on China’s military modernization. The European Union banned the sale of military technology to China following the crackdown on dissidents in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in 1989.

Northrop Responds To Federal Agency Needs For Stronger Cloud Security

Northrop Grumman has unveiled a new methodology for strengthening data security in the "cloud" at the recent 6th Annual SANS Institute Cyber Defense Initiative conference. Northrop Grumman introduced its Cyber Architecture Reference Series, an approach to building in strong security measures in the highly vulnerable world of public/private clouds - or hybrid clouds - storage vehicles that offer enormous capacity but possess significant security risks. "Although many private clouds can be made highly secure, more and more federal agencies are seeking a hybrid cloud approach to expand capacity and respond to emergency server needs, like the Haitian earthquake, when agencies needed additional IT capacity," said Robert F. Brammer, vice president, advanced technology and chief technology officer, Northrop Grumman Information Systems.

Wave of Mass Protests in Arab World: Jordan Next

Thousands of Jordanian opposition supporters took to the streets Friday in the country's capital demanding the prime minister step down and venting their anger at rising prices, inflation and unemployment. It was the third consecutive Friday of protests following Muslim prayers in Jordan, inspired by the unrest in Tunisia and rallies in Egypt demanding the downfall of the country's longtime president. About 3,500 opposition activists from Jordan's main Islamist opposition group, trade unions and leftist organizations gathered in Amman's downtown, waving colorful banners reading: "Send the corrupt guys to court." The crowd denounced Prime Minister Samir Rifai's unpopular policies. Many shouted: "Rifai go away, prices are on fire and so are the Jordanians." Another 2,500 people also took to the streets in six other cities across the country after the noon prayers. Those protests also called for Rifai's ouster.

WikiLeaks: US Orders to Spy on Israel and Palestinians

The WikiLeaks website last week leaked a secret State Department cable (see cable below) from October 31, 2008, directing United States officials to spy on Israel. The cable, dated only days before the 2008 American presidential elections, was signed by then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
The recently leaked cable reveals former U.S. President George W. Bush’s foreign policy czar instructing American diplomats in Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, as well as the Defense Intelligence Agency and the CIA, to conduct a massive espionage operation against the Jewish state. The sought-for information covered all aspects of Israel’s political system, society, communications infrastructures and the Israel Defense Forces.

Institutional Weakness & Egypt's Future

Events in Egypt are developing quickly. Predictions are a dangerous business, but even if the Mubarak regime can ride out these protests, something profound has changed. In a region where l’etat c’est moi is the standard for the rulers, ripping down the giant posters of President Mubarak is a profound symbol of the public’s disaffection. Facts about economic stagnation and reports of human rights abuses can tell the story of Egypt’s decay under Mubarak – but perhaps this newsbrief best encapsulates the situation:

Ozymandias in Egypt

Even as Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak orders his government to resign, well-informed experts are concluding that the course of events in Egypt is not likely to result in a revolution. They argue that Egypt's military controls the country and understands that a revolution generally isn't good for business.
In the words of Brookings Institution expert Ken Pollack, "The history of revolutions is that they only succeed when the government loses the will or the capability to use violence and so far there is nothing that is happening in Egypt that suggests that either one is going to happen."

Terror and Politics: Lashkar-e-Taiba, HuJI and Assassinations in Bangladesh

Very often western observers play down the existence and influence of Pakistan based Lashkar- e-Taiba and Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami inside Bangladesh’s territory. Investigations into number of terror strikes in Bangladesh occurred between May 2004 and December 2005 have revealed, rather unearthed, a lethal nexus between these two Pakistan based terror groups and couple of mainstream political parties (Pro-Islamic Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) in Bangladesh. It also revealed how they teamed up to score a political point by assassinating rival political leaders.

The Revolution Shall be Tweeted

The prophets of social media are getting excited.  Not only can such forms of media as Twitter and Facebook often prove to be banal time wasters, they can also generate revolutionary excitement.  Communities connected by messages instantaneously gather to promote their demands on political change.  Tribes of cyber connected groups gather to post messages and terrify officials. The case with Egypt is being touted as a classic example of this movement.  Various facebook groups numbering in the tens of thousands have mushroomed. Their demands are various: an end to the emergency powers that have held the country hostage for over three decades; a desire for reforms targeting corruption.  Protests are being arranged and coordinated through the various formats and the government is worried.

Strongest ever nuke warhead in Russian hands

Mexico's 2011 Gubernatorial Elections and their Impact on Drug Policy

Sunday, January 30, a hotly contested vote in Guerrero state marks the first of six elections this year for Mexican state executives. They will set the stage for the 2012 presidential race and indicate whether the once-dominant Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) can continue its political rebound. Most important is the July 3 competition in Mexico State where Governor Enrique Peña Nieto seeks to put in place a successor to spur his chances of succeeding President Felipe Calderón.

OPEN DOCUMENT

The Moscow Airport Bombing

Russia suffered another serious terrorist strike this week when a suicide bomber, thought to be from the volatile North Caucasus region, detonated explosives inside the international arrival hall at Moscow’s Domodedovo airport, killing 35 people and wounding 170. This attack follows the 2010 Moscow subway bombings and other high-profile strikes on transportation infrastructure, including railways and airplanes. Over the past 10 years, theaters (the Nord-Ost siege in Moscow in 2002) and schools (the Beslan massacre in North Ossetia in 2004) have also been the setting for dramatic and shocking confrontations between North Caucasus separatists and Russian and local security forces—with the widows of deceased militants often playing a leading role. The North Caucasus region is home to a brutal insurgency that dates back to 1991. Islamic militants have engaged both local and Russian federal forces in an ongoing bid for autonomy.

Albania Relieved As Rally Passes Peacefully

Albania breathed a sigh of relief at the weekend after an opposition rally that some officials predicted could turn violent ended without incident. The rally was headed by Socialist opposition leader Edi Rama and the families of three victims who died on January 21 when an opposition demonstration descended into chaos.
Friday's demonstrators traversed Tirana’s Heroes of the Nation Boulevard, halting to lay flowers where the three were shot in front of Prime Minister Sali Berisha’s office. The government and police had earlier warned that the march could turn violent but no incidents occurred. Hundreds of police in riot gear surrounded government offices, while Republican Guard soldiers armed with AK-47s kept watch inside the front courtyard and on the roof.

Economist: United States Worse Off than Greece

Dr. Laurence Kotlikoff is an economics professor at Boston University. He says the Treasury and the government are fudging the national debt numbers. Kotlikoff says the United States is bankrupt and we don’t even know it. During his SOTU address, Obama called for a freeze on discretionary spending. He called for a five-year freeze on non-mandatory domestic spending, a proposal he estimated would save $400 billion over the next decade.

Le torchon brûle entre Renault et le contre-espionnage

La DCRI a mené cette nuit des perquisitions discrètes dans les bureaux des cadres licenciés par le constructeur. Ce dernier accuse le contre-espionnage de nuire à son image. Nouveaux rebondissements dans l’affaire d’espionnage qui secoue Renault. Dans la nuit de mardi à mercredi, la Direction centrale du renseignement intérieur français (DCRI, contre-espionnage) a mené des perquisitions dans les bureaux des trois cadres de Renault soupçonnés d’espionnage par le groupe automobile, selon des informations du Parisien.fr confirmées par les agences de presse. Les ordinateurs des employés licenciés, Mathieu Tennenbaum, Michel Balthazard et Bertrand Rochette, brutalement mis à pied le 3 janvier dernier, ont été saisis. Depuis le début de l’affaire, ces trois salariés n’ont cessé de clamer leur innocence.

CGI vise le marché canadien de la défense et du renseignement

L’industrie de la défense et du renseignement au Canada est dans la mire de CGI (TSX:GIB.A). L’entreprise québécoise est en effet en train de se doter d’une équipe-choc pour convaincre le gouvernement fédéral de faire appel à son expertise dans le domaine de la cybercriminalité ou de l’identification par caractéristiques biométriques, par exemple. Le pdg de la société, Michael Roach, a indiqué mercredi qu’il évaluait les occasions d’affaires dans ce secteur à 1 milliard $ par an. "De plus en plus, le renseignement militaire repose sur les technologies de l’information. C’est moins une question de travail acharné qu’une question de logiciel", a-t-il expliqué en marge de l’assemblée annuelle des actionnaires, à Montréal.

La France et la Russie signent pour quatre Mistral

La signature a été officialisée ce mardi matin à l’occasion de la visite de Nicolas Sarkozy à Saint-Nazaire. L’accord gouvernemental porte sur la vente de deux BPC de type Mistral, livrables entre 2013 et 2014. Deux autres navires suivront. Un bol d’air pour le chantier de Saint-Nazaire. "C’est clair, on respire", lance ce salarié de STX France dans le hall de fabrication des coques. "Même si cela ne vaut pas un gros paquebot en charge industrielle, ces deux BPC donne un bol d’air au chantier". Après plusieurs mois de suspense, Nicolas Sarkozy, Alain Juppé, son ministre de la Défense et Igor Setchine, vice président du gouvernement de la fédération de Russie ont paraphé un accord gouvernemental de coopération pour construire quatre bâtiments de projection et de commandement (BPC) de la classe Mistral.

Forces canadiennes : fuite de documents classifiés

Les Forces armées canadiennes ont enquêté sur une potentielle fuite de documents classifiés d’une station de travail sécurisée à la base militaire de Kandahar, en Afghanistan, l’an dernier. Les données électroniques, qui contenaient des informations sur les ressources et les objectifs de l’armée canadienne dans la guerre en Afghanistan, ont été envoyées à un nombre inconnu de destinataires non autorisés, selon des documents militaires obtenus grâce à la Loi sur l’accès à l’information.

Dramatic video as thousands clash with Egypt riot police in Cairo

Egyptian Police Joining Protests

If true, this report could spell the beginning of the end for Hosni Mubarak’s rule of Egypt. Police have been struggling to control the protests agains the regime the last several days and it now appears that some elements may even be joining them. With the arrest of ElBaradei and reports of beatings of his followers, this comes as another escalation. With the Muslim Brotherhood involved as well, the Egyptian army may be foced into supporting or deposing Mubarak. It is possible that the army will open fire on protesters, as Tunisian dictator Ben Ali ordered before the army removed him from office. The next 24-48 could be the breakingpoint

Egypt’s Internet Shutdown Can’t Stop Mass Protests

Protesters have flooded the streets of Alexandria and Suez. In Cairo, they’re publicly praying in the thoroughfare. And the Egyptian government can’t seem to stop them, despite the crackdown on internet access and cellular communications. The past four days’ worth of protests in Egypt, spurred by those that dethroned the Tunisian government on Jan. 14, have been accelerated by social media. The #Jan25 hashtag gave the leaderless revolt an internal organizing tool and global communications reach. So it shouldn’t be surprising that the Mubarak regime responded by ordering the withdrawal of over 3,500 Border Gateway Protocol routes by Egyptian service providers, shutting down approximately 88 percent of the country’s Internet access, according to networking firm BGPMon.

Russian Nationalist Backs Independence for Non-Russians Who Want It

Russian nationalists who support an expansive imperial agenda have always attracted more attention, but there is within the Russian nationalist camp a group that favors the creation of a smaller but more homogeneously ethnic Russian state by allowing non-Russian areas now within the Russian Federation to go their own way. Perhaps the leading spokesman for that position now is Konstantin Krylov, the leader of the Russian Social Movement, who has told the Daghestani newspaper “Novoye delo” that he sees “nothing horrible” or “dangerous” in an outcome where a “’Russia for the Russians’ would be reduced to the area of several oblasts of Central Russia”.

Belarusian Opposition Exploring the Creation of Government in Exile

Outraged by Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s actions since the elections and encouraged by the support they have received from the European Union, Belarusian opposition leaders are discussing with Lithuania the possibility of creating “an informal embassy of Belarus” there, a kind of government in exile with which other states could interact. “If Europe does not recognize the elections [in Belarus], Oleg Metelitsa, a close advisor for former presidential candidate Vladmir Neklyayev who is now in a Minsk prison, said yesterday, “it is important to have a political represtantion so that Europe will be able to speak with someone from Belarus”.
Another reason for the establishment of such an institution is have a focal point for providing assistance of one kind or another to the hundreds of young people who have fled Belarus in the wake of the latest Lukashenka crackdown in order to seek refuge in neighboring states like Poland and Lithuania.

Only Repression or a Massive Infusion of Money Can Save Russian Army

Some 200,000 young Russians avoided military service this fall, an indication that the draft in the Russian Federation has become so unpopular that Moscow can save the situation only by employing ever more repressive measures or providing a massive infusion of new funds for the armed services, according to a Russian analyst. In an article in “Svobodnaya pressa” yesterday, Sergey Ishchenko points out that the number of young men who avoided the draft this past fall could have formed 40 motorized rifle brigades -- not to mention the number of units that could be in existence if those avoiding service in earlier rounds of the draft had gone into the military.

Russia Losing War on Terrorism Because Moscow isn’t Doing What is Necessary

Unlike other countries which have suffered a major terrorist attack and then blocked further ones, Russia continues to suffer ever more of them, an indication that regardless of whether such violence is criminal or ideology, Moscow is “losing the war,” according to an increasing number of Russian analysts. What makes this especially troubling, Roman Popkov writes in “Osobaya bukhva” today is that the Russian people should that “in exchange for freedom [they would get] security, but instead, [they] have received terrorism”. While the population at large is not yet posing questions to the powers that be about this, many in the blogosphere are already raising them and suggesting some disturbing answers, Popkov says. “The majority of bloggers,” he says, are already talking about “the crying inadequacy of the special services which have not been able to prevent terrorist acts.”

Colombia asks Israel to extradite mercenary convicted of training drug assassins

Colombia asked Israel on Thursday to extradite former Israeli army Lt. Col. Yair Klein, who was convicted by a Colombian court and sentenced in absentia to nearly 11 years in prison for training drug lords' assassins in the late 1980s. "The evidence (against Klein) is conclusive," Interior Minister German Vargas told a news conference, saying the formal request had been made in Tel Aviv by Colombia's embassy there. "For the Colombian government it is essential that this sentence is completed and that this citizen clarify his participation in the organization and training of these groups." A spokesman for the Israeli Embassy in Bogota said it would have no comment on the extradition request. Colombia lacks an extradition treaty with Israel.
In Israel, Klein and his attorney told The Associated Press that Klein's life would be in danger if he were imprisoned in Colombia. "Colombia is trying malevolently and without any legal basis to have Klein extradited even though he has done nothing wrong," said the lawyer, Mordechai Tzivin. "They tried me in absentia. They are persecuting me. Everything they say is delusional," Klein told the AP.

The spy who quit

Why Al Jazeera Supports Hamas

There's been another leak of secret diplomatic documents, and this time it involves the peace negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel. Actually, there talks only involve the Palestinians in the West Bank (run by the Fatah party as head of the Palestinian Authority.) The documents were leaked to al Jazeera, an Arab language satellite TV news outlet that tends to favor Hamas (which controls the Gaza Palestinians), and condemn Fatah as corrupt (which is true, and why the Islamic radicals of Hamas won control of Gaza). The leaked documents proved very damaging to Fatah, because they detail Palestinian negotiators offering things that Palestinian media propaganda (in Gaza and the West Bank) have always declared off limits. The leaked documents show the Palestinians actually trying to negotiate a peace deal with Israel.

Sweden Runs Out Of Soldiers

Sweden is running out of soldiers. It all began when, six months ago, Sweden abolished conscription. Sweden has been reducing the size of its armed forces over the past decade, and has been discussing the mechanics of abolishing conscription for over three years. As a result of that, fewer (recently only 10,000 a year) young men were being conscripted, and for shorter (11 months) terms. With conscription gone, Sweden thought they could rely on volunteers, serving for longer terns of service.

Algeria: revolution is in the air

Larger, and more violent, anti-government demonstrations are showing up in Algeria, in the last two weeks (since the dictatorship in neighboring Tunisia was overthrown). So far, the violence has led to about ten deaths, and over a thousand wounded. The people want economic, and political, justice, and an end to the "emergency rule" (sort of martial law, with increased police powers) that has been in force for two decades. Like their counterparts throughout the Arab world, the demonstrators want competent government, less corruption and more economic growth. The young want jobs, opportunity and a future, things too many of them don't have now. Algeria, and the other North African nations, are all Arab dictatorships, and all worried about the growing, and increasingly organized, popular demonstrations against the ruling groups. It's basically a revolt of the young (teenage to early 30s) men who suffer high unemployment (often 30 percent or more) and encounter constant reminders that education and talent is no match for political connections when it comes to getting a job.

Barelvis and Deobandhis: “Birds of the Same Feather”

Like Deobandi Ulema, Ahmad Riza Barelvi (1856-1921) a prominent Islamic cleric of brilliance who was born in Barelli of present Uttar Pradesh launched another institutionalised Islamic revival movement of Sunni Islam in 1880 which is more formally known as the Ahl-e Sunnat wa Jama'at. It is popularly known as Barelvi movement. A general perception is prevailing among some section of intellectuals that the Barelvi sect of Sunni Islam belongs to a tolerant and moderate version of Islamic faith because it follows the unreformed Sufi tradition of tomb worship and other rituals which are strongly opposed by the radical Deobandis.

India & the Chinese Threat

India’s China policy is going nowhere. The Chinese have bluntly declared that they will continue with their policy of issuing stapled visas as usual. Now the ball is in the Indian court. It is the Indian pride which is at stake – and it is not the India of 1962 when the Indian troops fought the Chinese without rudimentary battle uniform and were mauled. It is time India conveys to the Chinese that it will be forced to review its One China policy if the Chinese pinpricks on Jammu and Kashmir continue. China must be made to understand the Indian sensitivities on Kashmir and that Kashmir is to India what Tibet is to China. India did not sing the One China hymn in the joint communiqué that was signed at the conclusion of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s recent visit to New Delhi. That may be pragmatic but not bold enough. India has to convey the ‘enough is enough’ message to the Chinese in concrete terms, in its back-channel as well as official contacts. India has to tell the Chinese that if they continue to give stapled visas to the people from the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh (no matter if in the case of the latter it is understood to be a ‘concession’ from the Chinese side) then India will retaliate in kind.

The US should leave the Caucasus alone – Chechen leader

Ramzan Kadyrov, Head of Russia’s Chechen Republic, says in an exclusive interview with RT that the West is consciously building a negative image of the restored Chechnya. ­In the aftermath of the terror attack at Domodedovo Airport, he stresses that the West eagerly promotes the idea of a “Caucasus trace” in any terror acts, and even uses human rights activists for its own agenda of unhinging Russian unity. He drew attention to the fact that in Chechnya, they build both Orthodox churches and mosques, and that Muslims are restoring Orthodox cemeteries, but despite that, foreign terrorists sent to the Caucasus by the West preach jihad against Russians and Christians in the Russian language.

Duma talks threat levels as public grieves and gives

A bill on a new terror-combat system was passed in the first reading on Friday by Russia's parliament. The bill was considered in the wake of the suicide bombing at the country's busiest airport, which left 35 people dead. President Dmitry Medvedev harshly criticized law enforcement and airport authorities and several officials have since been over security lapses which led to the tragedy. At this point in Russia there is no unified system of alertness when it comes to the prevention of terrorist attacks.

Russia US relations is hostage of Reps-Dems internal fight

The new strategic arms reduction treaty between Moscow and Washington is set to cut the number of nuclear warheads on both sides by a third each, a significant step forward in terms of both global security and relations between the two countries. Presidents Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama signed the document before the US Republicans gained control over the Congress and demanded some amendments to be made before the treaty could be ratified. The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federation Council of Russia Mikhail Margelov said the consultations on the treaty with the Senate started long before it was passed for ratification and the US Senate – the Federation Council permanent working group made everything possible to eliminate potential problems on the way of ratification in good time.

Analyse du cas Renault par Dominique Bourra sur France24

STUXNET: roulette russe et guerre de l'information

Jerusalem - Teheran: clin d'oeil des rens militaires israeliens a l'Iran

L’Iran et Israël, les deux grandes puissances militaires non-arabes du Moyen-Orient, n’ont  jamais été en guerre au cours des 60 dernières années. Leurs relations obéissent en effet à une géométrie subtile fondée sur la défiance et le respect, hors des sentiers battus de la diplomatie conventionnelle.  Un cas atypique régulièrement illustré par NanoJV (ici et  là ou encore en Afrique).  Les déclarations récentes du nouveau patron des renseignements militaires israéliens s’inscrivent dans ce schéma hors-norme. Faute de remise en perspective, on pourrait ainsi se pincer en lisant les dernières déclarations d’Avi Kochavi nouveau patron d’Aman  (les renseignements militaires israéliens). Apaisement tout d’abord, non, aujourd’hui, l’Iran n’a pas la bombe. Ensuite, affirme Kochavi, « il n’est pas dans l’intérêt de Téhéran » de poursuivre le programme d’enrichissement militaire. Peu probable donc qu’un pas soit fait vers l’enrichissement à 90%, dans l’année qui vient  tout du moins.  Premier clin d’œil.

The Moscow Airport Bombing: Chechen ‘Rebels’ Or Israel Mossad?

Odd, is it not, that Russia would reaffirm its recognition of a sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital and then, less than a fortnight later, some deranged person would blow themselves up at Moscow airport killing some 35 people and injuring scores of others. According to reports, Russian police are hunting for three men said to be the suicide bomber’s accomplices. The suspects according to the reports are all from Russia’s predominately Islamic (Sunni) north Caucasus region which includes Chechnya. The questions that analysts must ask are these: First the obvious one; is the bombing of Moscow airport linked to Russia’s recognition of Palestine and, if so, then who is responsible and why? And, secondly; if it is not linked and Chechen Islamic fighters are responsible, then why and to what end did they take this action considering that Chechnya has recently enjoyed a reasonable period of calm.

Les services de renseignements africains attendus sur le front économique

Les scandales d’espionnage économique qui éclatent plus souvent dans les pays industrialisés depuis la guerre froide ne signifient pas que l’Afrique est à l’abri. Au contraire. Partout dans le monde, les services de renseignement sont désormais attendus sur le front de la guerre économique. Y compris en Afrique. D’après les analystes, seuls l’Afrique du Sud, la Libye, Maurice, le Nigeria, le Rwanda et, dans une moindre mesure, l’Algérie sont dotés – au sein de leurs services de renseignement – d’unités spécialisées qui sont (ou s’apparentent à) des dispositifs d’intelligence économique acceptables. Ce dernier qualificatif renvoie, dans notre nomenclature, à un niveau égal ou supérieur à 5/10 au regard des défis économiques du pays concerné.

La tension monte entre Renault et le contre-espionnage français

La tension est montée mercredi entre la société Renault  et les services de renseignement français, chargés d'une enquête préliminaire de police sur l'espionnage industriel dont la société se dit victime de la part d'une puissance étrangère. L'avocat de la société s'est dit furieux de la divulgation d'une mesure banale d'enquête dans la presse, présentée comme une perquisition à Renault, "fuite" qu'il impute à la Direction centrale du renseignement intérieur (DCRI). "On constate qu'à l'évidence la DCRI est dans une position d'apporter sur la place publique des éléments qui portent préjudice à la qualité de l'enquête et au sérieux de ce qui a été fait par Renault depuis le début", a déclaré sur France Info Me Jean Reinhart, avocat de Renault.

Alain chouet ancien DGSE: C’est l’armée qui a chassé Ben Ali du pouvoir, pas la rue

Alain Chouet est un ancien chef du service de renseignement de sécurité de la DGSE chargé de la lutte anti-terroriste, co-auteur de plusieurs ouvrages concernant l’islam et le terrorisme. Dans La Sagesse de l’Espion, paru aux éditions L’Oeil neuf en octobre 2010, il explique ainsi que “C’est ne rien comprendre que d’accuser les services secrets de faire « dans l’illégalité ». Bien sûr, qu’ils font « dans l’illégalité ». Ils ne font même que cela. C’est leur vocation et leur raison d’être“. Autant dire que son point de vue sur la “révolution” tunisienne, et l’éventualité d’un processus de démocratisation du Maghreb, dénote quelque peu avec les visions romantiques que certains se font de ce qui se passe en Tunisie. L’exemple de la Tunisie est-il en train de faire tâche d’huile en Égypte ?

Singularité tunisienne? Les limites d’une contagion régionale

Personne ne s’attendait à ce que Sidi Bouzid devienne en quelques jours seulement la capitale arabe de la contestation populaire et l’immolation un modus operandi d’une jeunesse désespérée. Il est encore tôt pour cerner les implications du soulèvement tunisien, mais on peut d’emblée dire que désormais rien n’est plus comme avant : une population déterminée a eu raison d’un président autoritaire. C’est un précédent historique dans une région où le changement se fait par le haut.

La caída de Ben Ali: ¿hecho aislado o cambio de paradigma en el mundo árabe?

Ben Ali ha sido el primer dirigente de un Estado árabe en abandonar su cargo y huir del país a causa de unas revueltas populares espontáneas. El resto de líderes autocráticos árabes han tomado nota, al igual que sus poblaciones. A pesar de las diferencias en los modelos sociales y sistemas políticos de los países árabes, muchos de sus habitantes tienen en común un profundo desapego hacia los representantes del poder. La falta de oportunidades para progresar, la rampante corrupción y la creciente carestía de la vida están generando frustración e ira cada vez más difíciles de contener. Hay quienes prefieren ver lo ocurrido en Túnez como un caso aislado. Sin embargo, bien podría ser un reflejo de fenómenos más profundos que harán insostenibles las actuales formas de gobernar en la región, basadas en el autoritarismo y la imposición.

Domodevo and the Chechen Conflict

The explosion that tore through Moscow's Domodedovo airport's international arrivals hall and killed 35 people and injured more than 150 was the suspected work of a suicide bomber. No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the act, which Russian President Dmitry Medvedev labeled a terrorist attack, vowing to find those responsible. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin vowed "retribution" for those responsible and US President Barack Obama also condemned the "outrageous act of terrorism."
Domodedovo is a highly symbolic target, as it handles more passengers and cargo than any other airport in Russia - more than 22 million passengers annually. Domodedovo hosts 77 airlines, many of them international.

China and the Realities of Power in Asia

US-China relations over the past two years have been a tale of two diplomacies. Secretary of State Clinton and Deputy Secretary Steinberg have been promoting a new American leadership designed to create "a new global architecture" that will "help integrate emerging powers into an international community with clear obligations and expectations." American diplomacy, according to this vision, will help China and the other emerging nations to overcome the mistrust and suspicion that blocks international cooperation and burden sharing. The rise of a new global middle class and a shared sense of common threat and common interest will open new opportunities to make China and other emerging powers global and regional "anchors of stability" that cooperate, under American leadership, to uphold international law and universal rights.

Stealth Jihad Roots In America

Forty-five radical Islamic enclaves are now operating with the borders of Canada and the United States. One of them has the audacity to call itself: Islamberg. Clear and simple, their intention is to destroy us. Nothing is being done about it. In France, the growth of Radical Islam has spread to all four corners where enclaves have demanded, and basically received, the right to run their communities under Sharia Law. These are called “No-Go Zones” meaning, French police and government officials stay away unless invited, and let the enclaves govern themselves as they wish. Understand this: There are over seven hundred “No-Go Zones” in France. There were none thirty years ago. Imagine the next thirty years? We have ‘No-Go Zones” as well, thirty-five in the U.S. and more in Canada.

Iraq Prepares For War With Iran

The Iraqi Army is hustling to get ready to deal with Iran, by the time the last 50,000 U.S. troops leave at the end of the year. Increased oil production, and oil prices, has made it possible to recruit more troops, and equip more combat divisions. Particularly noteworthy is the creation of Chemical Defense Regiments, with the goal of one of these units being assigned to each combat division over the next few years. The only neighbor known to have chemical weapons is Iran. Iraqi diplomats spend a lot of time trying to improve relationships with Iran, but just in case things go south, the Iraqi military is preparing for the worst.

Hot Topics On The Islamic Internet

While al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations try and keep secret their plans, this is no longer practical. The terrorists are now a dispersed organization, their base areas and headquarters constantly attacked by increasingly effective counter-terror operations. So the terrorists have gone over to a more public form of leadership and planning. Thus the importance of the Internet, which most Islamic terrorists, and potential recruits and donors, have access to. While there are some hidden terrorist discussions on the Internet, public discussions there are more useful, because it attracts ideas and useful criticism from a wider number of terrorists and fans (people who agree, but are not gutsy enough to join in the violence).

Somali militant group recruiting Canadian youth

Top Canadian security officials say they have intercepted or intervened in a number of cases involving Canadian youths set to join the Somalia-based militant organization al-Shabaab, but in spite of their efforts many others may have joined the group. Canadian security officials believe at least 20 Canadian youths have been recruited by al-Shabaab — and that most of those young men have come from the Greater Toronto Area. Al-Shabaab is based in Somalia, and believed to have links to al-Qaeda. Canadian officials claim the group has been so successful at recruiting that it is now considered to be the number 1 threat to Canada's national security.

El fin del narcotráfico no implica la desaparición del conflicto

“Tanto en los Estados Unidos como en Colombia se ha considerado que suprimir la producción de droga u otra economía ilegal significa suprimir el conflicto armado”, asegura Felbab-Brown, investigadora del Brookings Institution, un reconocido centro de investigación con sede en Washington D.C. En Afganistán se lucha por  erradicar la amapola, mientras que en Colombia el blanco han sido los cultivos de Coca. Esta política parte del hecho de que los grupos armados ilegales se lucran de la droga y otras economías ilegales. Felbab-Brown ha estudiado la relación entre conflictos armados y economías ilegales en países tan distintos como Afganistán, Perú, Irlanda del Norte, Birmania y Colombia. Después de recorrer Cúcuta, Medellín y Tumaco, llegó a la Universidad Javeriana el pasado martes 25 de enero. En una conferencia convocada por Nuevo Arco Iris y el grupo de investigación Estado, Conflictos y Paz de la Javeriana, la estadounidense compartió las conclusiones de su reciente libro Shooting Up - Contrainsurgencia y guerra contra las drogas.

Repression still in place in Tunisia, activists warn

Mubarak Era Spans Three Decades In Egypt

Egypt's Leaders Refuse To Budge As Protests Flare

Egypt's ruling party said it was ready for a dialogue with the public but offered no concessions to address demands for a solution to rampant poverty and political change heard in the country's largest anti-government protests in years. At the same time, the grass roots protest movement was getting a double boost likely energize the largest anti-government demonstrations Egypt has seen in years. Mohammed ElBaradei, a Nobel peace laureate and the country's top pro-democracy advocate, returned to the country Thursday night and declared he was ready to lead the protests. The country's largest opposition group — the fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood — also threw its support behind the demonstrations.

Anti-Government Protests Spread To Yemen

Tens of thousands of Yemenis demanded the president step down in nationwide protests Thursday, taking inspiration from the popular revolt in Tunisia and vowing to continue until their U.S.-backed government falls.
Yemen is the latest Arab state to be hit by mass anti-government protests, joining Tunisia and Egypt in calls for revolutionary change. The demonstrations pose a new threat to the stability of Yemen, the Arab world's most impoverished nation, which has become a haven for al-Qaida militants. "No delays, no delays, the time for departure has come!" shouted protesters, calling for the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has ruled for nearly 32 years. Saleh's government is riddled with corruption, has little control outside the capital, and its main source of income - oil - could run dry in a decade.

ElBaradei Back In Egypt; Says It's Time For A New Government

Dramatic developments continue in Egypt, where anti-government protests have have extended to a third day in the streets of Cairo and Suez. Mohammed ElBaradei, a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and one of Egypt's most influential advocates of democracy, returned from abroad and said he is ready to lead a transitional government if that's the direction his nation takes. Before leaving Vienna for Cairo, ElBaradei told reporters that "If [people] want me to lead the transition, I will not let them down," the BBC says. He also said, according to the Associated Press, that it is time "to see a new regime and to see a new Egypt through peaceful transition.'' President Hosni Mubarak has led Egypt for nearly 30 years.

How Arab Satellite Stations Show the Unrest in the Arab World

With no fewer than five major areas of unrest/revolutions/regime changes going on in the Arab world, Arab satellite television, one of the mainstays of information dissemination in the Middle East, has been playing a major role in communicating news – or attempting, if not to suppress it, then at least to spin it. For most Westerners (and Israelis), “satellite TV,” like cable TV, means a mix of entertainment and news stations – mostly entertainment. And with the decline of terrestrial TV in most parts of the world, families and individuals who want to watch television usually take out a subscription to a cable or direct satellite service. In Israel, these two services are provided respectively by HOT and YES.

Iran's Saderat Bank invest $4bn in refineries

The National Iranian Gas Co (NIGC) has said Saderat Bank of Iran is to invest $4bn in building two refineries. The lender holds an 80% stake in the Bidboland 2 and Parsian Phase 3 refineries while NIGC holds the rest. Bidoland 2 refinery is 17% completed and is scheduled to come on stream in 44 months, after which it will produce 57 million cubic meters of natural gas daily, 1.48 million tones of ethane feed for Gachsaran Petrochemical plant, 1.51 million tones of liquid gas and 400,000 tonnes of gas liquids for export.

Stuxnet could have caused "new Chernobyl," Russian ambassador says

The Stuxnet worm attack known to have struck computers at the Russian-built Iranian Bushehr nuclear plant in Iran has serious implications and could have caused "another Chernobyl," a Russian ambassador is said to have advised NATO yesterday, according to a Reuters report. The Reuters report says Dmitry Rogozin, Russia's ambassador to NATO, called the Stuxnet virus "very toxic, very dangerous" and said it had caused centrifuges to spin out of control and was dangerous enough to have possibly caused "a new Chernobyl," an allusion to the devastating nuclear-plant accident in the mid-1980s in Ukraine.
According to Reuters, Russian ambassador Rogozin said NATO should be investigating the Stuxnet matter.
Security experts have spent considerable time examining Stuxnet code, with many regarding it as weaponized malware that was likely used by an enemy of Iran to slow down development of Iran's nuclear program, with some believing that Israel or the U.S. or both having had a stealthy hand in Stuxnet's creation as malware targeted Iran industrial control systems in the plant..

Hariri bloc will not join new Lebanon government

Lebanon's former premier Saad al-Hariri and his political allies will not join the government of his successor, Hezbollah-backed Najib Mikati, sources close to Hariri said on Thursday. Mikati started talks on Thursday to form a government to succeed Hariri, who was brought down by resignations of Hezbollah ministers and their allies two weeks ago, and had urged his rival to join a government of all Lebanese factions. "March 14 will not take part in the formation of the government," one source told Reuters, referring to Hariri's coalition.
The movement had earlier demanded Mikati maintain Lebanon's ties to a U.N.-backed tribunal investigating the 2005 killing of Hariri's father, Sunni Muslim statesman Rafik al-Hariri.

Iran halts production of gasoline at petrochem plants on reduction of fuel

Iran has halted production of gasoline at petrochemical plants after a reduction by the Government in fuel subsidies that led prices to quadruple and consumption to fall, as per Bloomberg. Iranians now pay 4,000 rials (40 cents) a liter of gasoline for up to 50 liters a month, and 7,000 rials a liter for larger quantities. Until fuel subsidies were cut, people paid a subsidized price of 1,000 rials a liter for a monthly maximum of 60 liters. Demand for gasoline in Iran has started to dwindle after the government cut fuel subsidies on Dec. 19. Additionally, Iran’s gasoline reserves have reached a peak amid expected completion of refinery projects in coming months, providing the country a robust supply of gasoline.

The Inevitable Collapse of the dollar

Le président Abdel Aziz étouffe un vrai scandale dans les chancelleries

Le président mauritanien Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz fait tout pour étouffer un scandale financier à l’ambassade de Mauritanie à Paris. Son ministre des finances, après avoir procédé à un vaste mouvement des comptables en poste à l’étranger, a dépêché de toute urgence en France, une commission d'enquête pour passer au peigne fin la comptabilité de l'ambassade, où de graves malversations financières ont été commises.

La CIA ne doute pas de Housni Moubarak

C’est le branle-bas de combat dans l’antenne cairote de la centrale d’intelligence américaine. Depuis 15 jours, la CIA aurait demandé à ses « honorables correspondants » présents aussi bien dans l’administration égyptienne, dans l’armée qu’au sein des partis de l’opposition égyptienne, d’estimer la durée de vie du pouvoir actuel. Le résultat a été sans appel : le pouvoir en place au Caire serait bien ancré. Il ne présente aucun risque dans l’immédiat ou dans le moyen terme.

The great global warming swindle

Mugabe and the White African

Not Evil Just Wrong

Ankara and Baku to discuss possibility of war in Karabakh and participation of Russia and Turkey in it

During his visit to Baku, the head of Turkey's Gendarmerie Forces, Army General Necdet Ozel, met with Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiyev. During the talks, the parties discussed their military and technical cooperation and situation in the region, Azeri media outlets report. Informed sources of the newspaper Yeni Musavat reported that the generals also discussed issues related to a possibility of renewed hostilities in Karabakh. According to experts, in case of a new war in Karabakh, Turkey and Russia may be involved in fighting. Yerevan and Moscow have an agreement on military alliance. Turkey and Azerbaijan are also allies.

Russian Espionage Steals 2010 Limelight

As the first decade of the 21^st century is coming to an end, few would dispute that Israeli and American spy agencies have been among the most talked-about intelligence organizations of 2010. The reasons for this are equally undeniable: the United States tops the list because of its political prominence, which inevitably attracts media attention; Israel tops it because of the sheer ferocity of its espionage output throughout the Middle East. And yet there is nothing new about this, since neither the Central Intelligence Agency nor the Mossad are exactly novices when it comes to high-profile media exposures. The same cannot be said with respect to Russian intelligence agencies, which went through a period of prolonged hibernation following the end of the Cold War. Indeed, the year that is about to end demonstrates that the stagnant interlude in Russian espionage may well be in its closing stages.

South African spy chief had secret US talks, embassy cable reveals

South Africa’s spy chief regularly gave the American embassy in Pretoria detailed information on internal African National Congress (ANC) politics, according to a diplomatic cable leaked by WikiLeaks. The cable, entitled “Zuma Advisor Threatens to Expose Political Skeletons”, was authored on September 10 2008 by the embassy and communicated to several recipients, including the State Department, CIA, and the National Security Council. It reveals that Moe Shaik, who heads the South African Secret Service (SASS), the country’s external intelligence agency, met regularly with an unnamed political officer of the US embassy and “always share[d] insights into the motivations and strategies of the Zuma camp”. The reference is to Jacob Zuma, President of the governing ANC, who assumed the organization’s leadership in May of 2009, after a bitter internal party struggle. Several months prior to Zuma’s election as ANC’s President, the organization’s rival faction, which was loyal to Thabo Mbeki, attempted to challenge Zuma’s eligibility by leveling corruption charges against him.

US pays Colombia to train Mexican soldiers

Some 7,000 Mexicans have participated in a program through which the Colombian government trains Mexican soldiers and police in techniques for fighting drug cartels, according to an article in the Jan. 22 Washington Post. The administration of US president Barack Obama is encouraging this effort, and the US is paying part of the costs. Washington's share so far is $800,000, according to the article. The program provides the Obama administration with "a politically viable way to improve Mexican security forces without a substantial American military or police presence in Mexico," reporter Juan Forero writes. "The American military can indirectly do a lot more through the Colombians than they politically would be able to do directly," Roderic Ai Camp, of Claremont McKenna College in California, told the Post. "Given the loss of half of Mexico's national territory to the United States in the 19th century, and the Mexican army's hesitant cooperation with their American counterparts, the Colombians are a logical proxy."

Police: BACRIMs Main Threat to Colombian Security

The head of the Colombian National Police, General Oscar Naranjo, declared this week that the biggest threat to national security are now the activities of what the government calls Emerging Criminal Bands (Bandas Criminales Emergentes – BACRIMS). These declarations come a few days after the Washington-based NGO, Human Rights Watch, published a report on Colombia warning about the threat these groups pose to human rights in the country. These BACRIM, often called ‘neo-paramilitary groups,’ are the heirs to the multi-million drug trafficking operations run by the now demobilized United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia - AUC), which officially ceased to exist in 2006. Despite their paramilitary background, the BACRIMS have no political facade and are almost exclusively dedicated to drug trafficking.

Familia Michoacana is "Completely Dissolved"

The Familia has committed similar public relations stunts before, previously announcing that they would cease all "criminal activity" for the month of January, in a pledge of solidarity for the "people of Michoacan."
If the banners mean anything at all, it is that the top-ranking Familia lieutenants like Servando Gomez Martinez and Jose Jesus Mendez Vargas may be more interested in seeking a lower profile than in "ceasing" criminal activity. The profits to be made from methamphetamine production and extortion in Michoacan are far too lucrative and attractive a business for the Familia to simply walk away. According to a report by George Grayson for the Strategies Studies Institute at the U.S. Army War College, the Familia pays its local drug dealers between $1,500 and $2,000 a day. Daily earnings from drug sales in Morelia alone may reach up to 4 million pesos (about US$330,400) a day. The Familia now have a very high profile, attracting too much security force attention, so it could be the criminal enterprise is looking to reorganize itself into a more clandestine, underground force.

The Corruption Game

Here's one obvious lesson of the Tunisian Revolution of 2011: paranoia about Muslim fundamentalist movements and terrorism is causing Washington to make bad choices that will ultimately harm American interests and standing abroad.  State Department cable traffic from capitals throughout the Greater Middle East, made public thanks to WikiLeaks, shows that U.S. policy-makers have a detailed and profound picture of the depths of corruption and nepotism that prevail among some “allies” in the region. The same cable traffic indicates that, in a cynical Great Power calculation, Washington continues to sacrifice the prospects of the region’s youth on the altar of “security.”  It is now forgotten that America’s biggest foreign policy headache, the Islamic Republic of Iran, arose in response to American backing for Mohammad Reza Pahlevi, the despised Shah who destroyed the Iranian left and centrist political parties, paving the way for the ayatollahs’ takeover in 1979.

The al-Madhoun Assassination

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has shown operational willingness to co-operate with Israel to kill its own people, the Palestine Papers indicate. Among the documents are notes, handwfritten in Arabic, revealing an exchange in 2005 between the PA and Israel on a plan to kill a Palestinian fighter named Hassan al-Madhoun, who lived in the Gaza strip. Al-Madhoun (born 1973) was a leading figure within the Al Aqsa Martyr’s Brigade, a movement aligned to Fatah, which at that stage still held power in Gaza. Al-Madhoun had been accused by Israel of planning deadly bombings at Israel’s Ashdod port and the Qarni crossing between Gaza and Israel.

Hamas: “Abbas No Longer Authorized To Negotiate On Behalf Of the Palestinians”

The Hamas movement in Gaza stated that Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, does not represent the Palestinian people, and is no longer authorized to negotiate with Israel on behalf of the Palestinians. Hamas political leader, Khalil Al Hayya, stated that Hamas is withdrawing its authorization granted to Abbas under the National Unity Agreement of 2006, which was never implemented. Al Hayya said that the claim made by Mahmoud Abbas and his Authority in the West Bank that they negotiate on behalf of the Palestinian people is “nothing but lies and nonsense”. During a massive protest organized by Hamas in Gaza, Al Hayya slammed what he called “concessions” presented by the Palestinian Authority of Mahmoud Abbas to Israel, and called for supporting the resistance and maintaining the legitimate Palestinian demands.

Agência Anti-Droga dos EUA pode retornar à Bolívia

O governo boliviano confirmou que a agência antidrogas dos Estados Unidos poderá regressar ao país por meio de um acordo bilateral de respeito mútuo. A DEA foi expulsa do país em 1º de novembro de 2008 acusada pelo presidente Evo Morales de financiar atividades políticas para desestabilizá-lo. Antes disso, Morales já havia expulsado de La Paz o embaixador norte-americano Philip Goldberg, também acusado de conspirar contra o seu governo. Desde a expulsão da DEA, a Bolívia busca parceiros para combater o narcotráfico. Negociações com a Rússia e o Brasil estão avançadas. A Bolívia também defende uma maior coordenação internacional para o combate ao narcotráfico. “Nós queremos que todos os países participem porque o problema das drogas é global”, afirmou o chanceler David Choquehuanca.

EUA querem fortalecer presença na América do Sul

O presidente norte-americano Barack Obama, confirmou nesta terça-feira, que em março visitará o Brasil, Chile e El Salvador, na sua primeira viagem à América do Sul em mais de dois anos de mandato. Ele fez o anúncio em pronunciamento no Congresso e afirmou que pretende forjar novas alianças com a região. Esta será sua terceira viagem a países latino-americanos. No início do mandato em 2009, Obama esteve em Trinidad e Tobago e México.

Army Commander Reveals Irans New Air Defense Plan

Commander of the Iranian Army Major General Ataollah Salehi announced on Wednesday that Iran is prepared to carry out a comprehensive air defense plan to protect the country's entire airspace. "The plan has been drawn by the personnel of the Air Defense Base and completed in the General Staff of the Armed Forces and will be put into action in a five-year-long period once it is approved by the General Commander of the Armed Forces (Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei)," Salehi said. He also reiterated that the Army will make its utmost efforts to produce the tools, weapons and equipment needed for defending the country's airspace during the aforementioned period. In February 2009, Iran formed an Air Defense Force as a part of its Air Force restructuring to boost the country's defense capabilities. Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Ahmad Miqani told reporters at the time that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei had ordered the air force be split into an Air Force and an Air Defense Force.

Iranian Intelligence Ministry Captures All Terrorists behind N. Scientists Assassination

The Iranian intelligence ministry announced on Wednesday that the ministry's forces have captured all terrorists behind the last year assassination of Iran's nuclear scientist Masoud Ali Mohammadi, revealing
that the terrorists were affiliated to the foreign spy agencies. "All conspiracies and agents behind the assassination of Massoud Ali-Mohammadi, who had been misused by foreign intelligence services, have
been recognized and further information will be announced in the future in order to bring more disgrace on foreign intelligence services," Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi said on Tuesday. He added that Iran has found "new clues" on the assassination of Dr. Ali-Mohammadi, a lecturer at the University of Tehran, which would be announced later.

Head of the Intelligence Corps, Hezbollah wont take over Lebanon

Head of the IDF's Intelligence Corps, Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, delivered a preliminary security briefing to members of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee of the Israeli Knesset (parliament) on Tuesday (Jan. 25) regarding strategic challenges Israel will face in the near future. Maj. Gen. Kochavi addressed growing tension in Lebanon after publishing conclusions about the investigation of the assassination of Lebanon's former Prime Minister Rafic Al-Hariri, saying the report will become public in a month and a half to two months. "It's unclear if Hezbollah will take power in Lebanon because it understands this goes against its own self interest, as the position has innate limitations,” explained the head of the Intelligence Corps. Maj. Gen. Kochavi said, "Hezbollah has learned from Hamas that there are many limitations once you are in power.

Winters will now be Coldest in Centuries

China to invest $121.5 bln on Building 10 More Mega Nuclear Reactors

World’s most populous country China plans to build 10 more mega nuclear reactors, in addition to 25 currently being built, at an investment of $121.5 billion to boost atomic power generation to meet its energy requirements. The world’s second biggest economy expects to raise its 2020 nuclear power generation target by 5 percent to 86 GW with an annual investment of $10.6 billion, state-run newspaper China Daily reported. China will build 10 additional nuclear power plants to reach the required capacity during the 12th Five-Year Plan, Zhang Guobao, former director of National Energy Administration was quoted as saying. China National Nuclear Corp will invest $121.5 billion in nuclear projects by 2020 although China aims to get 15 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2020. The world’s most populous country has 12 nuclear reactors working at present generating 10.15 GW of power, accounting for about 2.2 percent of the total power production that largely relies on coal and hydel projects. However, official media reports say 25 nuclear power plants were under construction.

U.N. Chief Urged to Fire Official for Promoting 9/11 “Conspiracy Theory”

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon was urged today to fire an official of the world body who endorsed the conspiracy theory that the 9/11 terrorist attacks were orchestrated by the U.S. government and not Al Qaeda terrorists.
In a blog post last week, Richard Falk, the U.N. Human Rights Council’s permanent investigator on the Palestinian territories, endorsed the “authoritative” book by 9/11 conspiracy theorist David Ray Griffin, and wrote of an “apparent cover up.” He said that the mainstream media was “unwilling to acknowledge the well-evidenced doubts about the official version of the events: an al Qaeda operation with no foreknowledge by government officials.” UN Watch, an independent Geneva-based watchdog organization, called on Ban Ki-moon to condemn the remarks, recalling that in September he had condemned Iran’s President Ahmadinejad for saying the same. Noting that Falk has made similar statements numerous times before, the NGO called on the UN chief to remove him from his post.

Global Poverty, Food Riots, and the Economic Crisis

The sugar-coated bullets of the “free market” are killing our children. The act to kill is instrumented in a detached fashion through computer program trading on the New York and Chicago mercantile exchanges, where the global prices of rice, wheat and corn are decided upon. People in different countries are being impoverished simultaneously as a result of a global market mechanism. A small number of financial institutions and global corporations have the ability to determine the prices of basic food staples quoted on the commodity exchanges, thereby directly affecting the standard of living of millions of people around the world.

Revival of a Military Option: Israel's Covert War Against Iran Is On

After talks in Istanbul between Iran and the West on its nuclear program broke down on January 22, the danger of revival of a military option looms large. It may not come in the form of a direct, conventional US and/or Israeli strike against Iran’s nuclear installations, but rather in the guise of the warfare of the future, with cyber-weapons and terrorism. Political forces opposed to such an escalation in the Iran conflict would do well to examine the reasons why dialogue on the nuclear issue has failed thus far, and reshape their approach to dealing with the Islamic Republic. On the eve of talks between Iran and the West, the German weekly of record published a devastating expose’ of Israeli covert operations against the Islamic Republic, including targeted assassinations. The cover story of the popular weekly Der Spiegel, entitled “David’s Avengers: Israel’s secret killer-commandos,“ hit the newsstands and arrived in subscribers’ mailboxes on Monday January 17, just four days before talks were to open in Turkey, between Iran and the 5+1 group – the five UN Security Council permanent members plus Germany.

Revolutions in the Middle East

Analyst Reva Bhalla outlines the issues at stake in the protests that have embroiled Lebanon and Egypt.In other words, a wholesale MidEast mess.A security crackdown in Egypt, after fury over poverty and inequality, led to the biggest anti-government rallies in decades against the 30-year-rule of President Hosni Mubarak.

Libya - Succession and Reform

The second eldest of Colonel Qadhafi's seven sons, Saif al-Islam, has for some years been the most likely pretender to his father's throne. But events over the last year show that succession in Libya still lies very much in the balance - the outcome of which will bear directly on the reform process. Libya's political system is as opaque as any in the world. One thing is clear, however: it is a system in thrall to a single personality. The world's longest serving republican head of state, Colonel Muammar Qadhafi has exercised almost total control over Libya for more than 41 years. Throughout his tenure, the "Brother Leader" has increasingly centralized power in his own hands. He has embedded his authority through tribal and family ties, while protecting it through the support of numerous military and security organs.

The Palestine Papers: Offering Palestine

The Palestine Papers had damaged whatever little credibility the Ramallah-based authority still enjoyed among Palestinians The Palestine Papers, the 1,300 leaked documents that Aljazeera began publishing starting January 23, are the Palestinian response to the Israeli ‘generous offer’, an Israeli diplomatic ruse that was aimed at discrediting Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat following the collapse of the Camp David talks of July 25, 2000. But unlike the fictitious Israeli ‘generous offer’, the Palestinian offer, as revealed by Aljazeera, was barely a testament to the spirit of the famed Arab generosity, but a series of decided and embarrassing concessions that, at times, took even the Israelis by surprise. Over a decade has passed since Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak reportedly made his ‘generous offer”, only to be met by “Arafat’s recalcitrance” (L.A. Times editorial, April 08, 2002) and “Palestinian rejectionism” (Mortimer Zuckerman, U.S. News & World Report, March, 22, 2002, as referenced by Seth Ackerman in Fair.org).

Resource revolts: the year of living dangerously

Get ready for a rocky year.  From now on, rising prices, powerful storms, severe droughts and floods, and other unexpected events are likely to play havoc with the fabric of global society, producing chaos and political unrest. Start with a simple fact: the prices of basic food staples are already approaching or exceeding their 2008 peaks, that year when deadly riots erupted in dozens of countries around the world. It’s not surprising then that food and energy experts are beginning to warn that 2011 could be the year of living dangerously -- and so could 2012, 2013, and on into the future.  Add to the soaring cost of the grains that keep so many impoverished people alive a comparable rise in oil prices -- again nearing levels not seen since the peak months of 2008 -- and you can already hear the first rumblings about the tenuous economic recovery being in danger of imminent collapse.  Think of those rising energy prices as adding further fuel to global discontent.

Energy: Hydrocarbons in North America

North America is at the top of the food chain when it comes to consuming energy: Its inhabitants have nearly four times the average global per capita energy consumption. Although Mexicans consume less than the global average, Americans consume 4.5 times and Canadians nearly 6 times as much. In absolute numbers, we in North America consume one-quarter of the world’s primary energy production, even though we make up less than 7 percent of the world’s population.

We need freedom of action to confront peak oil

The Arab crisis: food, energy, water, justice

The desperate act of an unemployed university graduate living in the Tunisian town of Sidi Bouzid sparked a wave of popular unrest that in January 2011 overthrew the authoritarian regime of the president, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. The self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi has been echoed in other parts of the Arab world. In Algeria, riots and demonstrations in protest against steep rises in basic foodstuffs (the price of sugar and cooking oil, for example, went up by 30% on 1 January 2011) forced the authorities to rescind the increases; the protests continue in Egypt and elsewhere, even in the face of deaths and injuries, and have broadened into demands for greater freedom.