Napolitano and Muslim Brotherhood affiliates met secretly

Last year, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet and her senior staff secretly met with a select group of Muslim, Arab, and Sikh organizations. Among the mix were three organizations directly associated with an outlawed terrorist entity — the Muslim Brotherhood, who are involved in the current uprising in Egypt.
Walid Phares, director of the Future Terrorism Project at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, criticized the partnership concept: "Through the so-called 'partnership' between the Jihadi-sympathizer networks and U.S. bureaucracies, the U.S. government is invaded by militant groups." Just recently, a Washington, DC-based legal group uncovered documents from the Department of Homeland Security that detail a two-day meeting on January 27 and 28, 2010, between DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and Arab, Muslim, Sikh, and South Asian "community leaders."

FARC has 25 foreign members: Army

Colombia's largest rebel group the FARC has 25 foreigners in its ranks, and more than half of them are from Europe, army officials told a local newspaper Thursday. The most famous foreign FARC guerrilla is Dutch national Tanja Nijmeijer, who has been fighting alongside the guerrillas since 2002. But she is not the only Dutch citizen in the guerrilla organization. Newspaper El Tiempo, citing army intelligence sources, reported Thursday that two more Dutch citizens have joined in the rebel group. Without identifying the nationalities or identity of most of the foreign guerrillas, the newspaper said that 14 of the 25 foreigners in the FARC are from Europe.

Albania Opposition Brings Tirana to Standstill

The rallies, which were held in the cities of Vlora, Lezha, Korca as well as the capital Tirana, were the third wave of protests launched by the opposition in the last three weeks. Police said that no incidents were reported and the protests passed peacefully. In Tirana, the thousands of protesters that showed up brought the city to a standstill. The marchers avoided the area of the capital where government offices are located in a clear effort to avoid confrontations with police.

Magnetic polar shifts causing massive global superstorms

NASA has been warning about it…scientific papers have been written about it…geologists have seen its traces in rock strata and ice core samples… Now "it" is here: an unstoppable magnetic pole shift that has sped up and is causing life-threatening havoc with the world's weather. Forget about global warming—man-made or natural—what drives planetary weather patterns is the climate and what drives the climate is the sun's magnetosphere and its electromagnetic interaction with a planet's own magnetic field. When the field shifts, when it fluctuates, when it goes into flux and begins to become unstable anything can happen. And what normally happens is that all hell breaks loose. Magnetic polar shifts have occurred many times in Earth's history. It's happening again now to every planet in the solar system including Earth. The magnetic field drives weather to a significant degree and when that field starts migrating superstorms start erupting.

Small Demonstrations Begin in Syria, Regime Suppresses

The Reform Party of Syria has the following reports:

• The Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Syassah reports that 2,000 Hezbollah members have supplemented the regime’s security in Damascus. This confirms an earlier RPS report.
• Secular activist Suhair Atassi and her fellow protestors holding a candlelight vigil supporting the Egyptian demonstrators were attacked by a mob and the police stood by. She went to file a report at the police station and was detained and accused of being an Israeli agent.

L’industrie cantalienne vigilante face aux espions

Nous ne sommes ni chez Renault, ni chez Michelin... Et pourtant l’espionnage industriel peut aussi toucher les entreprises cantaliennes. Spécialisées dans le bâtiment, la chimie, l’équipement automobile, l’informatique... une poignée de sociétés du département s’inscrivent dans la course à l’innovation. « Ça n’arrive pas qu’aux autres ! » s’exclame Philippe Matière, à la tête d’une entreprise de bâtiment-travaux publics. « En 1985, un de nos salariés a été débauché par une entreprise concurrente qui voyait d’un mauvais oeil notre développement en Auvergne. » Des notes de calculs concernant l’activité béton de l’entreprise ont été vendues à la concurrence. « Nous avons mis huit ans pour circonscrire le problème. Les procédures judiciaires devant le tribunal de commerce dans un premier temps, puis devant le tribunal correctionnel ont été longues. Ça nous a coûté très cher. »

Internet, fil conducteur des dossiers islamistes

À l’heure des réseaux sociaux, la traque des terroristes se fait désormais plus sur Internet que sur le terrain.

Un magistrat antiterroriste l’assure : « Internet est devenu le fil conducteur des dossiers islamistes à Paris. » Le tribunal en instruit une cinquantaine. Sans compter les enquêtes préliminaires diligentées par le parquet. À chaque fois ou presque, les terroristes présumés ont utilisé des moyens de communication informatiques pour endoctriner, recruter, échafauder des projets d’attentat. « Aujourd’hui, dit un expert de la DCRI, service de contre-espionnage français, pour traquer les candidats à l’action suicide, nos agents passent plus de temps derrière un écran d’ordinateur qu’à la sortie des mosquées. »

Egypt: Who are the Muslim Brotherhood?

Las tropas chinas podrían volver a Corea

China podría desplegar un pequeño contingente destinado a proteger el puerto de Rajin. Ello podría facilitar el acceso de Manchuria al mar

Región de Gando, reconocida por Japón en nombre de Corea como parte del territorio chino en 1909 / 4.bp.blogspot.com

yotorgar a Beijing una útil baza ante una hipotética reunificación de Corea.

Rumores no confirmados en la prensa surcoreanaUn artículo en el rotativo Chosun Ilbo ha despertado una oleada de rumores sobre posibles negociaciones entre Beijing y Pyongyang para el despliegue por el primero de un número indeterminado de efectivos militares para proteger las instalaciones portuarias de Rajin (también conocida como Rason o Najin). Concedido parcialmente a China el año 2008, dicho puerto supone para el gigante asiático una puerta abierta al mar de Japón, ese oscuro objeto de deseo que la expansión rusa hacia el Pacífico dejó fuera de su alcance.
Una fuente no identificada en la Casa Azul (palacio presidencial en Seúl) afirma que las primeras discusiones tuvieron lugar hace poco, y que el objeto de Beijing es proteger unas instalaciones que desea modernizar y ampliar. Otra fuente no identificada, en el ministerio de defensa, añade que la presencia de tropas chinas permitiría a Beijing intervenir en caso de inestabilidad en Corea del Norte.

Turkey Battles Resurgent PKK

2010 was an annus horribilis for Turkey's domestic security, with PKK attacks reaching levels thought to have long since subsided in the 26-year long conflict that has dogged southeastern Turkey. Last year highlighted PKK’s ability to improve its tactical skills, while Turkish military forces struggled to keep pace.

China and Global Food Security

China is central to international efforts to address the global food security challenge. However the Chinese interpretation of the concept of Food Security is problematic: it is outdated and diverges from the international norm.

Peak oil notes - Feb 3

Prices have been moving this week in response to the perceived threat to oil supplies stemming from the anti-government demonstrations in Egypt. On Monday prices completed the nearly $8 a barrel surge that began on Friday to trade at $92.84 a barrel in NY. On Tuesday prices fell a bit as oil shipments through the Suez Canal did seem to be affected by the upheavals, but edged higher to close at $90.86 on Wednesday as the demonstrations in Cairo turned violent.

US recruiting young cyber warriors

The United States is looking for the next generation of cyber warriors. The US Cyber Challenge Cyber Foundations competition, kicked off this week by the nonprofit Center for Internet Security, is out to find 10,000 students with the potential to become "top guns in cybersecurity." "The need to find creative solutions to protecting our information systems and digital infrastructure has never been greater," said center chief executive William Pelgrin. "The Cyber Foundations competition will help us tap into the tremendous talent across our nation's schools to identify those with a passion for security and a desire to put their skills to good use," he continued. The competition consists of a series of timed quizzes to test high school students in computer science categories considered key to protecting networks and systems. Top-scoring students will get status, prizes, and introductions to government or industry leaders.

Growth of world prices on hydrocarbons can no longer help Russia

It has long been known that oil is our all. When the world price of a barrel increases, the prosperity of the country also increases: Export deliveries of gas become more expensive, the state gets surpluses with which to fill the reserve funds, etc. It would seem that this is good for everyone, and there are no problems to be seen on the horizon... But there is a problem: In recent times, the dependence between expensive oil and prosperity of the country, which had taken years to build, is suddenly beginning to falter.

Controversial statement by EU commissioner on Ukrainian gas pipelines

During a meeting at the European Policy Centre think tank in Brussels, the EU Commissioner for Energy Günther Oettinger questioned the EU's policies towards Ukraine by saying, "There is no point in modernising the Ukrainian gas system if there is no gas in it, and gas comes from Russia." Later, the Commissioner’s representative stated that the statement had been misunderstood, although it may demonstrate that continuing Ukraine’s status as a transit country for Russian fuels is not a priority for the EU. If Ukraine loses this status (for example, if Russia completes the South Stream pipeline) Brussels will have no intention of giving aid to the Ukrainian gas sector.

Russian refinery in Ukraine suspends production

On 31 January, the board of the Russian firm TNK-BP decided to halt production in its refinery in Lysychansk, the second largest in Ukraine. Lukoil took the same step with its refinery in Odessa last autumn. The decision by TNK-BP demonstrates the difficult situation which refineries in Ukraine are facing; but above all, this move should be seen as a means of putting pressure on the Ukrainian government to introduce a protective customs duty on the import of fuel from abroad, with which Ukrainian plants cannot compete.

Pratiques d’espionnage économique en Afrique

Au moment où « l’affaire Renault » prenait un tour diplomatique entre la Chine et la France, Knowdys a accepté de dévoiler, en exclusivité pour Les Afriques, le Top 10 des pratiques d’espionnage économique les plus courantes en Afrique au cours des cinq dernières années.  Ce classement est présenté dans un ordre décroissant : 1 étant la pratique la plus courante

1. Corruption

La corruption est l’un des moyens les plus efficaces et le plus mobilisé de collecte du renseignement économique sur le continent africain. Dans son rapport « Indicateurs du développement en Afrique 2010 », publié le 15 mars 2010, la Banque mondiale a estimé le manque à gagner pour l’économie formelle en Afrique à 200 millions de dollars. Autrement dit, l’Afrique perd l’équivalent de 25% de son PIB pour cause de corruption.

Bolivia's water wars

The stark and arid Bolivian Altilpano is one of the regions of our planet most susceptible to the impacts of climate change—ominous portents can already be seen. Yet, as South America’s poorest country, Bolivia is among the least prepared on Earth to meet these challenges. Last year, water levels in Lake Titicaca—upon which some 2.6 million people depend for their sustenance—dropped 81 centimeters (2.6 feet). The Lake Titicaca Authority, jointly overseen by the governments of Bolivia and Peru, found that the lake is at its lowest level since 1949. Water levels in the lake fluctuate due to El Niño weather phenomena—but this time it looks uncertain that Titicaca will recover. Over the past four years, seasonal rainfall and the flow into Titicaca from feeder rivers was insufficient to compensate for evaporation and drainage. The authority says 95% of the lake's inflow is being lost.

Algeria: regime pledges to lift state of emergency

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika said on Thursday that the country's 19-year state of emergency would be lifted "in the very near future". The state of emergency was installed solely in response "to the fight against terrorism" Bouteflika said in remarks cited by APS news agency, denying it had "interfered" with the country's political process. Made during a cabinet meeting, the president's announcement came amid mounting calls by members of civil society and opposition parties to lift the state of emergency in Algeria, which endured a brutal 1990s conflict with Islamist insurgents that killed tens of thousands of people.

Calls for Revolution Continue in Iran

The Arab states are not the only places where revolution is spreading. Could it be that only governments we want changed are getting covered in the American press?These from our friends in Iran.
Tehran- Feb.1, 2011. A group of students in Mashhad called for protest gathering against the clerical dictatorship in Melat Park of Mashhad on Feb. 3. The call says in part: Is our homeland Iran going to be enchained for ever…now Tunisia, Egypt and…are gaining their rights … so we cry ‘Iran shall not be destroyed, it is worth much more’.” These students also called for nightly protests (cry of Allah O Akbar) at 8 pm the same day.

Iran, Hezbollah Coming to Assad’s Rescue?

The Reform Party of Syria has previously reported about the deployment of Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps personnel alongside Syrian security forces ahead of the planned protests. Now this:

Syrians in Lebanon have witnessed small battalions of Hezbollah reach the Syrian-Lebanese borders awaiting further instructions. Combined with the IRGC fighters inside Syria already deployed, this will be a massacre if the White House and the international community do not openly support the people of Syria.
The Al-Arabiya and Al-Jazeera offices in Damascus were visited by Syrian Internal Security men who told them not to cover the events unfolding tomorrow and Saturday. They threatened with imprisonment any reporter who disobeys their instructions.

U.S. Shadow War Will Go On, Whoever Runs Yemen

By the time you read this, huge anti-government demonstrations may already be taking place in Yemen. If U.S. officials are freaked out about instability in Egypt, just imagine the panic over losing a U.S. client as it fights a shadow war against one of the nastiest al-Qaeda franchises on the planet. But even if President Ali Abdullah Saleh actually falls, expect his successor to be just as eager to gobble up U.S. cash — and look the other way when the drones fly overhead. Sure, Saleh is preemptively conceding to the opposition crowds that want him to go. On Wednesday, he said he won’t run for another term and his son won’t replace him. But that’s toothless: Saleh’s term won’t end before 2013.

Experts Discuss Why Russians aren’t in Revolt

The spread of political protests in the Middle East and increasing problems inside Russia including corruption, income differentiation and official arbitrariness have prompted ever more Russian analysts to ask why is it that Russians are not going into the streets more often and revolting against the powers that be.
Such queries were given a new focus recently when Lev Gudkov, the head of the Levada Analytic Center, told the Moscow media that “85 percent of the population of Russia considers that they are not in a position to influence anything in the country” and thus do not try to change things by engaging in public protests. But Gudkov insisted, Russians should not be blamed for this apparent social apathy. The figure he cited, the Levada head said, “means not that people do not sympathize with the victims [of this or that disaster or policy] but rather that they are not prepared to do something because of this.” In short, “cases of force generate [both] horror and indifference.”

Dugin Describes ‘Egyptian Scenario’ for Russia

Aleksandr Dugin, the influential Eurasian activist, says that no one should think that the events in Egypt are “isolated” or even restricted to the Arab world. Instead, he said, they are part of a broad American effort to weaken others by promoting democracy in place of authoritarianism. But he suggests that in Egypt and quite possibly in the Russian Federation as well, this effort may backfire, bringing to power not democratic regimes deferential to Washington but rather “fundamentalist” groups hostile to the West, Islamic in the Egyptian case and “Orthodox-monarchist nationalist” ones in Russia.

Taliban leader, police link Iran to attacks in Afghanistan

According to both the Afghan police and a recently captured Taliban commander, Iran is training and supporting the operations of the Taliban in southwestern Afghanistan. A Taliban commander named Mullah Gul Ahmad, who led a group of 30 fighters and was captured recently by police in Nimroz province, said he was recruited in the eastern Iranian town of Zahedan, a known hub for Iranian Qods Force's operations in Afghanistan. "I studied at a religious school in Iran where someone named Khaled provoked me to perform jihad against Americans," Ahmad said in a confession obtained by the Afghan interior ministry and aired on Afghan television two days ago. Ahmad claimed that he and his group fought in Helmand province after receiving training in Iran.

King Of Jordan Meets With Muslim Brotherhood For First Time in a Decade

US media is reporting that the King of Jordan has met with the Jordanian mg for the first time in a decade. According to a New York Times report:

AMMAN, Jordan — King Abdullah II, struggling to stave off growing public discontent, widened his political outreach on Thursday and met with the Muslim Brotherhood for the first time in nearly a decade. He also asserted in a statement that he would fight corruption and foster broad national dialogue. The statement from the royal court said, “The king reaffirmed in a meeting with a delegation from the Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamic Action Front that it is important for them to work together to press political reform that will increase the role of citizens in decision making.”

An Overview of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood's Stance on U.S. and Jihad; Translation of Its Draft Political Platform

This report presents an overview of the positions of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, as expressed by its general guide, Muhammad Badi', since his nomination in January 2010, and as set out in its proposed political platform, which was drafted in the era of Badi's predecessor, Muhammad Mahdi 'Akef, and was leaked to the media in August 2007. The translations are taken from reports published by MEMRI over recent years.[1]
Badi': The U.S. Is on the Verge of Collapse
In a Friday sermon in September 2010, Badi' said that the U.S. was already on the threshold of collapse and would soon fall, like other immoral societies before it: "The Soviet Union fell dramatically, but the factors that will lead to the collapse of the U.S. are much more powerful than those that led to the collapse of the Soviet empire – for a nation that does not champion moral and human values cannot lead humanity, and its wealth will not avail it once Allah has had His say, as happened with [powerful] nations in the past. The U.S. is now experiencing the beginning of its end, and is heading towards its demise..."

Hamas Prime Minister Congratulates Ghannouchi On Return To Tunisia

MEMRI has translated an Iranian news report on congratulations extended by the Hamas Prime MInister to Global Muslim Brotherhood leader Rachid Ghannouchi who recently returned to Tunisia. According to the MEMRI translation:

Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood Spokesman Says Referendum Will Be Held On Israel Peace

Global media are reporting on comments by a prominent Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood spokesman that if President Mubarak is replaced, a referendum will be held to decide the fate of the 1979 peace treat with Israel. According to one report:

Go Down Fighting

In the south, disputes between the factions of the rebel MILF and pro-government MNLF has led to several gun battles in the last month, leaving dozens wounded (including 13 dead). Several thousand people have fled their homes to avoid the shooting. Two local MILF and MNLF commanders had disputes with each other, and the argument escalated to involve over a thousand armed men from both groups. The army and police are trying to broker a ceasefire. Meanwhile, peace negotiations with MILF are still underway, mostly haggling over details. Abu Sayyaf continues to be worn down, and its core members appear ready to go down fighting.

Islamic Terrorists Deploy The Special Ink

India has been finding a lot more counterfeit currency lately, especially in Kashmir. It's apparently coming from Islamic terrorists, and has been tracked back to Pakistan. There, with government help (in getting the special paper, inks and printing equipment needed to produce convincing counterfeit Indian currency), the fake rupees are produced. Pakistan denies everything, but over $10 million worth of the bogus rupees has been detected so far, and the stuff is sometimes found on Islamic terrorists killed or captured while trying to cross from Pakistan into Indian Kashmir.

Dictatorship, People’s Revolution and Social Media

The people’s revolution in Egypt was waiting to happen for a long time. The situation had become acute and it only needed Tunisia’s Jasmine revolution earlier in the months to trigger the protests in Egypt. Is it possible that the Egyptian fire will also spread to the other countries of the region? If it does, the outcome could create a situation the results of which cannot be clearly forecast yet. The slogans in the streets of Cairo and Alexandria are bread, stability and “go Mubarak”. The people do not have an alternative to Mubarak at the moment, there is no leadership, and they do not care. They just want Mubarak and his coterie to go. One welcome aspect of the protests was that religion has not been mentioned yet. In his 30 years of rule as President, the 82 year old Hosni Mubarak ensured that all opposition was decimated or emasculated. The largest opposition party, the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, has become an issue among foreign observers as it has come out to join the people’s revolution.

Will economic development lead to conflict resolution?

There is a facile assumption among many that economic development by itself would solve many of our problems and, in particular, resolve conflicts. This indeed was the dream of our college days and the early years of Independence when we were on a socialist path and embarking on Five Year Plans. We had hoped that the Plan programs would lift us to higher levels of growth and development. Growth, we believed, would lead to higher incomes, wages and reduce poverty. It was also taken as a better way of organizing our society and as the road to harmony and social cohesion. In the last sixty years, especially after we took the so-called path of ‘economic reforms’, we are less optimistic and less sure of these assumptions.

La CIA évalue le risque des pays arabes et du Maghreb

La centrale américaine de renseignement CIA a dépêché en urgence au Maghreb et dans le monde arabe ces dernières semaines une équipe de ses plus fins limiers et analystes afin d’effectuer une évaluation globale de la situation et de préparer un rapport destiné à Barack Obama pour l’aider dans les décisions politiques difficiles auxquelles il est confronté depuis le déclenchement des crises tunisiennes et égyptienne. Pour Washington, il est en effet primordial de pouvoir évaluer les risques de l’éventualité d’un « effet domino » dans le monde arabe et le Maghreb, thèse évoquée par un certain nombre de médias internationaux depuis le départ de Zine El Abidine Ben Ali du pouvoir.

Election Updates: Central African Republic and Niger

Following recent elections, officials in the Central African Republic have declared that incumbent President Francois Bozize won over the opposition:
The electoral commission says provisional results from January’s vote show President Francois Bozize has won re-election with more than 66 percent of ballots cast. President Bozize came to power in a 2003 coup against Ange-Felix Patasse.  Mr. Patasse returned to the Central African Republic to contest this election and, according to provisional results, finished second with just over 20 percent of the vote. Mr. Patasse’s campaign intends to challenge the results before the constitutional court.  An opposition coalition that includes a former prime minister and a former defense minister also intends to appeal the electoral commission’s results, calling the ballot a “masquerade.” President Bozize’s spokesman says his re-election is a great victory for the people.

Warsaw predicts imminent fall of Lukashenko regime

Belarusian president Aleksandr Lukashenko will have to flee his country, says Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski. ­“President Lukashenko, you are losing,” the official appealed to him speaking in Warsaw during a fundraising conference for supporting democracy in Belarus. “Sooner or later you will have to escape from your own people and search for shelter abroad,” Sikorski warned. The minister said Belarusian authorities lag behind the rest of the world. The minister said if society and the country’s leadership do not evolve, the political turmoil in Egypt and Tunisia will most likely happen in Belarus.

Obama’s turn to sign New START treaty

A new nuclear arms reduction treaty between Russia and the US is closer to coming into force as Barack Obama signs off the ratification document in the Oval Office in Washington DC on Wednesday. The US president was joined by the top members of his administration, including Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and others. The formal exchange of so-called “instruments of ratification” – signed papers – will put the agreement into effect. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Clinton are set to make the exchange on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed the ratification bill on January 28 after it was approved by both chambers of the Russian parliament.

Federal Security Service knows Domodedovo suicide bomber

Russia’s Federal Security Service has information about the organizers and suicide bomber involved in the Domodedovo terror attack on January 24. The head of the Federal Security Service, Aleksandr Bortnikov, told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday that his agency believes it knows who organized the attack which claimed 36 lives. Bortnikov added that the identity of the suicide bomber is already known.
"The identity of the suicide bomber has been established. I will only say that he is 20 years old and a resident of one of the North Caucasus republics. He joined one of the gangs last August,” he said.

IRAN : Déclaration du ministre Iranien du renseignement et de la sécurité, au sujet d’une fondation Israélienne

L'Hodjatoleslam Heydar Moslehi, le ministre Iranien du renseignement et de la sécurité, a prétendu hier, dans un communiqué de presse, que les membres de son ministère seraient parvenus à  infiltrer les bases de données d’Internet du Mossad, le service Israélien du renseignement.

Un concours pour détecter les futures fines lames de la cyber-sécurité américaine

Un concours a été lancé cette semaine aux Etats-Unis par une organisation à but non lucratif pour détecter 10.000 étudiants ayant le potentiel pour devenir les futures "fines lames de la cyber-sécurité". "La nécessité de trouver des solutions ingénieuses pour protéger nos systèmes d’informations et nos infrastructures numériques n’a jamais été aussi grande", a estimé dans un communiqué William Pelgrin, président de l’organisation à l’origine du concours, "Center for Internet Security". La compétition "nous aidera à dénicher dans l’incroyable vivier de talents des écoles du pays ceux qui sont passionnés par la cyber-sécurité et qui ont à coeur de mettre leurs dons au service d’un bon usage", a-t-il ajouté.

Renault - Geos confirme l’implication d’un de ses salariés

La société privée de renseignement Geos confirme mardi soir l’implication d’un de ses salariés dans l’affaire d’espionnage présumé visant le groupe Renault (RENA.PA : Cotation). "Un salarié de Geos International a fait l’objet, au début de l’été 2010, d’une demande de la part de membres du groupe Renault pour effectuer une étude de solvabilité concernant une entreprise", déclare le président du directoire de Geos, Jean Heinrich, dans un communiqué adressé par mail à l’agence Reuters. "Ce salarié a pris l’initiative, à titre personnel et sans en référer à sa hiérarchie, de servir d’intermédiaire entre ses contacts chez Renault et un tiers investigateur", ajoute-t-il. "Le salarié ayant reconnu les faits, s’est engagé à présenter sa démission à compter de ce jour. Le Groupe Geos, considérant avoir subi un préjudice, se réserve le droit d’exercer toute action en justice contre les acteurs de cette opération", ajoute-t-il.

CIA et Culture

CIA & Culture
Enviado por xenoo. - Assista os últimos vídeos de notícias.

Mideast Turmoil is a Direct Threat to American Empire, and That’s Great News

Following is an exchange between two extraordinary American activists, Amy Goodman and Noam Chomsky, who have chosen to use their intellect in support of equality and liberty—pursuits that carry with them risks and indeed guarantee of marginalization in America when directed at the people of Palestine and the region, particularly so when terror is identified as Zionist terror and bigotry,  Islamophobia, is challenged.

Global food prices hit new record high

Global food prices have hit a new record high, amid fears that the escalating cost of bread and meat is adding to the turmoil in the Middle East.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO) gave warning that the high prices, already above levels in 2008 which sparked riots, were likely to rise further. The FAO measures food prices from an index made up of a basket of key commodities such as wheat, milk, oil and sugar, and is widely watched by economists and politicians around the world as the first indicator of whether prices will end up higher on shop shelves. The index hit averaged 230.7 points in January, up from 223.1 points in December and 206 in November. The index highlights how food prices, which throughout most of the last two decades have been stable, have taken off in alarming fashion in the last three years. In 2000 the index stood at 90 and did not break through 100 until 2004.

Mexico supplies electricity to wintry Texas

Mexico's state electricity company on Wednesday started supplying electricity to the US state of Texas, where demand shot up amid unusually cold temperatures and caused power outages. Mexico's Federal Electricity Commission "was determined to support Texas with electrical energy faced with the problems the state is suffering due to climatological conditions," a statement said. An energy transfer of 280 megawatts began at midday (1800 GMT) via the north Mexican border cities of Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa and Piedras Negras, it added.

US might respond militarily if Suez Canal is closed, US commander says

The United States would respond "diplomatically, economically, militarily" to any closure of the Suez Canal, although such an event seems inconceivable, the head of US Central Command said on Tuesday. General James Mattis, who oversees US military operations in an area stretching from Egypt to Pakistan, also said the US had no plans to order its military forces into the region because of instability in North Africa. "When you look at the fiscal impact of that [closing the Suez canal] on whoever is in a position of authority in Egypt, I just can't imagine the motive to shut that down," Mattis said at a London event hosted by the Policy Exchange think tank.

Prepare for the worst

End of the US dolar, currency revaluation, COMEX shorts and new precious metal currency

Los 'mitos urbanos' de la parapolítica

Ahora que la parapolítica comienza a ser parte del pasado, es tiempo de reflexionar sobre lo ocurrido sin tantas pasiones. Una forma peculiar de hacerlo es utilizar la analogía de los 'mitos urbanos' para descifrar qué tanto hay de cierto y qué tanto de mentira en las percepciones de la opinión pública. Aquí me aventuro con cuatro mitos:
Mito 1: Los paramilitares eran sólo una herramienta de élites más poderosas.
Falso. Este es un mito generalizado dentro de la izquierda colombiana. Ciertamente, políticos, empresarios, militares y demás miembros del establecimiento han mantenido algún tipo de alianza con narcotraficantes y ejércitos privados. Y puede ser que en sus inicios algunos de ellos hayan participado activamente en la organización de estos grupos. Sin embargo, ya para mediados de los noventa los paramilitares no eran una marioneta de nadie, sino que eran un poder per se. Don Berna, Macaco, Mancuso, Jorge 40, los hermanos Castaño y demás comandantes, habían organizado poderosos ejércitos de varios miles de hombres.

Pueden las liberaciones terminar en un proceso de paz con las FARC?

Unrest In Egypt Spurs Worry Over Oil Supply

Foreign oil companies in Egypt are evacuating their staff from the country and shutting down some operations amid the massive protests seeking the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak. BP, which has operated in Egypt for more than four decades and has the largest presence there among the big oil companies, evacuated two planeloads of expatriate staff. It shut down new drilling as a precaution, but BP says production has not been affected by the unrest. Like every other oil company contacted for this story, BP declined to talk in detail about the current situation in Egypt. Even if protesters aren't targeting oil facilities, experts say that at times like this companies should play their cards close to the vest.

U.S. reviews relationship with Muslim Brotherhood

With the departure of Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak looking increasingly likely, the Obama administration has been meeting regularly to discuss the situation there. In particular, what a new government in Egypt might look like. One of the groups that would likely be part of the political process in a post-Mubarak era is the Muslim Brotherhood. But how would the administration deal with the Islamist group, if it does become part of a new government? The Muslim Brotherhood has been a part of Egypt's social fabric since the late 1920s, but it was banned by the Mubarak regime.

PFLP warns of US and Israeli attempts to derail Egyptian uprising

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) has made an open call to stand beside the Egyptian people and their independent choices without interference and warned of feverish US and Israeli attempts to derail the course of the democracy struggle. In a statement, the PFLP saluted the Egyptians demonstrating for the sake of freedom, dignity and social justice, as well as other Arab nations working to liberate their homelands from dictators and despots. The PFLP confirmed its complete support for the choices made by the people in Egypt as they seek to build national institutions based on democratic values of justice and freedom. It called on Arab regimes to take heed of the lessons of Tunisia and Egypt and listen to the demands of the people as they seek to restore their national sovereignty and integrity. “The struggle of the Palestinian people and our national liberation movement is an integral part of the struggle of the Arab commonwealth of nations; the liberation movement influences and is influenced but vigilance is required to strengthen our efforts and unity,” added the spokesman.

In Memoriam Aleksander Litvinenko

Russia warns Ireland it will retaliate in spy row

Moscow has warned Dublin it will retaliate for the "unfounded" expulsion of a diplomat over the alleged theft of six Irish citizens' identities. Their identities were allegedly used to provide cover for members of a 10-strong Russian spying ring which was cracked in the US last year. One spy, Anna Chapman, allegedly used details stolen from a member of Dublin children's charity To Russia With Love. The Russian foreign ministry promised to respond, but did not give details. Tit-for-tat expulsions, in which a diplomat of equal standing is expelled, are usually not announced until after the first diplomat leaves the country, and it is unclear if the Russian has left Ireland yet. The Irish Republic's foreign affairs department said on Tuesday it had, with regret, taken the decision to expel the Russian after a police investigation.

Mexico Says ‘No’ to Monsanto

The Mexican government denied Monsanto’s request to expand its pilot project in northern Mexico.  The request was rejected because the government says additional tests and studies need to be carried out to determine the effect of genetically modified corn on native corn species.

Wikileaks: Urgent cables warn al-Qaeda is stockpiling materials for "dirty bomb" campaign

Warnings and rumors about an al-Qaeda "dirty bomb" and other nuclear, biological, and chemical attacks are nothing new, of course. What is noteworthy here is the urgency of the behind-the-scenes discussions and the confirmation these cables provide of the scope of the threat. "World 'on brink of nuclear 9/11' as Al Qaeda plans large 'dirty' bomb," from the Daily Mail, February 2:

Chinese use honeytraps to spy on French companies, intelligence report claims

Among the cases cited by the intelligence reports, is the predicament of a top researcher in a major French pharmaceutical company wined and dined by a Chinese girl who he ended up sleeping with. "When he was shown the recorded film of the previous night in his hotel room ... he proved highly co-operative," said an economic intelligence official. In another case, an unnamed French company realised too late that a sample of its patented liquid had left the building after the visit of a Chinese delegation. It turned out one of the visitors had dipped his tie into the liquid to take home a sample in order to copy it. French companies should do more to protect themselves from prying eyes among the 30,000 Chinese students who conduct internships in France, warned experts. Among the most frequent techniques cited by French intelligence was the so-called "lamprey technique", which usually takes the form of an international tender for business.

Analysis: Spy Agencies Failed to Predict Egypt Uprising

It is becoming increasingly clear that the ongoing popular uprising in Egypt represents the most important geopolitical development in the Middle East since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran. In light of this, it is remarkable how unprepared foreign intelligence agencies have proven in forecasting the crisis. Even the Israelis were caught completely unaware: on January 25, the day when massive protests first erupted across Egypt, Major General Aviv Kochavi, newly appointed head of Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate, told a Knesset committee that “there are no doubts about the stability of the regime in Egypt” and that “the Muslim Brotherhood is not organized enough to take over”. Instead, Kochavi focused on political volatility in Lebanon; ironically, the latter now seems like an oasis of tranquility compared to the explosive state of Egyptian politics.

Patterns of Misconduct: FBI Intelligence Violations from 2001 - 2008

In a review of nearly 2,500 pages of documents released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a result of litigation under the Freedom of Information Act, EFF uncovered alarming trends in the Bureau’s intelligence investigation practices. The documents consist of reports made by the FBI to the Intelligence Oversight Board of violations committed during intelligence investigations from 2001 to 2008. The documents suggest that FBI intelligence investigations have compromised the civil liberties of American citizens far more frequently, and to a greater extent, than was previously assumed. In particular, EFF’s analysis provides new insight into:

Britain’s MI6 trained Abbas in suppression of Palestinian opposition

Secret documents show that Britain’s intelligence service, MI6, and civil servants played a key role in crushing all opposition by militant groups, including Hamas and other Islamist factions, to Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine by developing a “security” blueprint for President Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian Authority (PA). The papers are just a few of the 1,600 confidential documents that Jazeera and the Guardian have published, relating to the secret US-brokered peace talks between Israel and the PA over the last 10 years. They shed light on Britain’s role in shoring up the PA in the interests of Tel Aviv and Washington.

Jalisco Will 'Burn in Flames,' Threatens Milenio Cartel

A series of warning banners, or ‘narcomantas,’ have appeared in the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco, on which the Milenio Cartel printed warnings to its rivals and the authorities, threatening to turn the state into "another Tamaulipas." The banners, translated below, offer a glimpse into the power relations between Mexico's drug cartels and public officials.

Bolivia and Brazil Unite Efforts in Drug War

The Brazilian and Bolivian police are starting joint anti-drug operations, an acknowledgement of the scale of the cross border problem, perhaps heralding a new direction for the Bolivians, who have resisted working closely with the United States on the drug issue. As part of an agreement signed in 2010, Los Tiempos reports, Bolivian officials will fly to Brazil, and Brazilian police travel in the opposite direction, to pool intelligence and foment closer cooperation and integral action between the two national forces. As well as against drug smuggling, efforts will be directed against money laundering, the eradication of illicit drug crops (Bolivia plans to erradicate 8200 hectares of illegal coca in 2011) and immigration. In the sights are transnational criminal organizations.

US Embassy Cables: FBI Hunts The 9/11 Gang That Got Away

Secret documents reveal that the three Qatari men conducted surveillance on the targets, provided “support” to the plotters and had tickets for a flight to Washington on the eve of the atrocities. The suspected terrorists flew from London to New York on a British Airways flight three weeks before the attacks. They allegedly carried out surveillance at the World Trade Centre, the White House and in Virginia, the US state where the Pentagon and CIA headquarters are located. Ten days later they flew to Los Angeles, where they stationed themselves in a hotel near the airport which the FBI has now established was paid for by a “convicted terrorist”, who also paid for their airline tickets. Hotel staff have told investigators they saw pilot uniforms in their room along with computer print outs detailing pilot names, flight numbers and times and packages addressed to Syria, Afghanistan, Jerusalem and Jordan.

The Triviality of US Mideast Policy

That was the phrase used by PJ Crowley, the US state department spokesman, in his recent interview with Al Jazeera. In the midst of the startling and compelling events taking place in the Middle East since the advent of Tunisia's ongoing "jasmine revolution", with people taking to the streets in Algeria, in Yemen, in Jordan, and, most importantly, shaking the foundations of the Mubarak regime in Egypt - the US, he said, is passively "watching and responding". It all reminds me somehow of my poor old headmaster. A tall, unbending, flinty New Englander, he had presided over my boarding prep-school - what the British would call a "public school" - since 1949.

Uma OTAN mais agressiva

Em novembro do ano passado, a Organização do Tratado do Atlântico Norte (OTAN), criada em 1949, pelos Estados Unidos, no contexto da Guerra Fria, aprovou um novo conceito estratégico que a torna mais agressiva. A cada dez anos, a OTAN revisa essa política e promove as atualizações que julga necessárias de acordo com os interesses majoritários da aliança. Dentre os vários temas discutidos, a Cúpula de Lisboa terminou com a aprovação de um documento que prevê a criação de um escudo antimísseis nos moldes do projeto instituído por Washington. Para as entidades de defesa da paz mundial, a OTAN já é o principal instrumento de militarização e guerra a serviço dos Estados Unidos e de seus aliados europeus. O secretário-geral da Aliança Atlântica, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, destacou que a Cúpula de Lisboa, constitui "um novo começo" nas relações com Moscou, após o impasse gerado pelo conflito russo-georgiano de agosto de 2008.

La guerre économique absente des présidentielles 2012?

La France est un pays extraordinaire. L’affaire Renault a été un coup de semonce médiatique au retentissement sans égal depuis vingt ans. Cette attaque contre une des entreprises phares de l’économie française révélait subitement la dimension prise par les affrontements économiques dans le monde d’aujourd’hui. Mais cette affaire risque de passer du cas d’exemplarité à la rubrique des faits divers à cause des méandres d’une enquête privée sans valeur juridique. Faut-il pour autant jeter le bébé avec l’eau du bain ? Le contexte n’a pas changé. L’industrie française ne cesse de céder du terrain. Prenons l’exemple de la région Alsace : à la fin des années 80, cette région était dynamique, presque conquérante sur le plan économique. Aujourd’hui, le bilan est négatif. Les PME alsaciennes ont perdu du terrain, beaucoup sont en posture défensives. La proximité de l’Allemagne n’a pas joué pour permettre à l’Alsace de maintenir ses positions. La sclérose des réseaux locaux, la fascination de certains patrons pour le modèle américain, l’opportunisme des structures régionales à l’égard du Japon n’ont pas compensé l’absence de pensée stratégique au niveau régional.

The Muslim Brotherhood and the Egyptian Crisis

Will the Obama administration's policy toward Egypt be based on a perception that the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood would be extremely dangerous? Or have they taken the position - voiced in parts of the U.S.
foreign policy establishment - that the Brotherhood has become moderate and can be talked to? Initial administration reactions indicate that it does not rule out Muslim Brotherhood participation in a future Egyptian coalition government. Since January 28, the Muslim Brotherhood's involvement has become more
prominent, with its support of Mohamed ElBaradei to lead the opposition forces against the government. In the streets of Cairo, Muslim Brotherhood demonstrators disdainfully call people like ElBaradei "donkeys of the revolution" (hamir al-thawra) - to be used and then pushed away - a scenario that sees the Muslim Brotherhood exploit ElBaradei in order to hijack the Egyptian revolution at a later stage.

Revolutionary Fervor to Spread beyond Arab States; Europe next

When the Tunisian government toppled, the mass media and their stable of experts ­ who were blindsided by these events ­ quickly stepped in to proclaim the obvious: that citizens of other Arab nations would be emboldened to challenge autocratic and corrupt governments. Now Egypt is in the throes of insurrection, and Algeria, Jordan, Morocco and Yemen are already targeted for revolutionary change. The richer and more tightly controlled Kingdoms of the Middle East will not be immune to challenges from their citizenry to break the chains of royal rule. But, as I had forecast in the Trends Journal, it is not solely the Middle East that is destined to experience episodes of violent upheaval. What is transpiring in the Arab world will spread throughout many European states.  While the call to arms will be spoken in different tongues, the underlying causes will be the same.

China Urged To Buy More Gold

The Muslim Brotherhood

The Muslim Brotherhood Strategies in Egypt and Jordan

Coping with Islamist Pakistan

The revolution in Tunisia, with ripple effects in Egypt, Yemen and Lebanon, has placed authoritarian regimes across the Muslim world on notice. On the face of it, Pakistan, having a democracy, albeit with a guardian military, does not qualify as the next domino. Yet, in light of the recent assassination of the Governor of Punjab and the aftermath revealing an elite-mass disconnect, an Islamist take over has moved from an academic possibility to a real probability. Though this dénouement may not be revolutionary, portents of a slow burn have been around for as long as Pakistan has been reckoned as a failing state.

Egyptian Unrest Likely to Affect Moscow’s Position in North Caucasus

Many analysts have speculated that the events in Egypt, especially in the wake of the revolutionary events in Tunisia, will have affect other authoritarian regimes in the Arab world, but few have considered the ways in which these events may have an impact further afield, including on the Russian Federation. But in an essay posted on the CaucasusTimes.com portal, Sergey Markedonov, one of Russia’s leading specialists on the North Caucasus, argues that “the Egyptian factor” is likely to have a significant impact on the evolution of events in that region, albeit in ways that many do not now suspect. That factor, the Russian analyst suggests, is likely to prove “particularly important” as far as the North Caucasus is concerned, as, Markedonov continues, “the terrorist attack on Domodedovo [Airport] demonstrates.” That is because an attack on that facility is an attack not only on Russian officialdom but on citizens of other countries.

Mid-East unrest could increase global phosphorus threat

Two Australian experts in global phosphorus have warned instability in the Middle East and North Africa could threaten world food security, due to the high proportion of global phosphate rock reserves in the region. Speaking in the US today at the Sustainable Phosphorus Summit at Arizona State University, Professor Stuart White and Dr Dana Cordell voiced concern that the instability is an additional component in a looming supply-demand gap in global phosphorus resources. Phosphorus is required to produce fertiliser and is not able to be substituted in food production. "Morocco alone controls the vast majority of the world's remaining high quality phosphate rock," Professor White said. "Even a temporary disruption to the supply of phosphate on the world market can have serious ramifications for nations' food security."

373,000 say no to the EU

The Daily Express’s historic crusade for the country to withdraw from the EU marched on Downing Street.

Editor Peter Hill led a delegation to hand over the bulging sacks of petition coupons signed by 373,000 of our loyal readers. In an indication of the growing support at Westminster, five senior MPs from both sides of the House of Commons helped to carry the petition to the Prime Minister’s home. Tory MP Philip Hollobone said: “Congrat­ulations to the Daily Express for saying so clearly what most of Britain actually feels. At least one national newspaper has the guts to speak out on this issue.

Les équivoques de la lutte contre la prolifération nucléaire

Géopolitique des armes nucléaires. La mise en place d’une série de conventions, cristallisant le déséquilibre stratégique entre Etats dotés et Etats non dotés d’armes nucléaires s’est avérée nécessaire, du point de vue des puissances nucléaires, pour pallier les insuffisances du droit international coutumier. La crise opposant depuis plusieurs années l’Iran à une partie de la société internationale témoigne des heurts récurrents dans la poursuite des politiques de non-prolifération des armes nucléaires. Ceux-ci trouvent leur origine dans une certaine méconnaissance des objectifs complexes, et conflictuels, de ces politiques. Par non-prolifération, on désigne la volonté d’empêcher « la dissémination de matières, de technologies et de savoir-faire permettant de fabriquer une arme nucléaire » [1]. Celle-ci correspond, sans aucun doute, à une volonté de protéger la paix et la sécurité internationales en réduisant les possibilités d’usage d’armes au très fort potentiel de destruction.

Indian Ocean's Great Game

The intensifying great power rivalry that has characterized the geopolitics of the Indian Ocean is providing unprecedented impetus for the economic development of the region. The weakening of Western, or more specifically, U.S. influence throughout the world has in part enabled an increasingly powerful China, and an emerging India, to expand their influence through shrewd soft-power diplomacy. Due to the confluence of common strategic interests shared by the world's major powers, a new great game is emerging in the Indian Ocean region. Both China and India have fostered initiatives and forums to attract and project their power and influence.

France Offers Mirage F1 Fighters to Iraq

As Iraq continues to rebuild its Air Force, one glaring hole in its capabilities is the lack of combat aircraft. With U.S. forces set to completely withdraw from the country by the end of the year under the current Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), the Iraqi Security Forces will be faced with the responsibility of air policing and aerial protection, but without sufficient aircraft to do the job. To remedy that situation, the Iraqi government is currently negotiating with the U.S. to buy 18 F-16 jet fighters. On January 26, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Cabinet green-lighted negotiations on first-payment terms of the contract.

India Rejects US F-35 JSF Offer

India has no plans as of now to either join the US-led joint strike fighter (JSF) programme or buy the F-35 `Lightning-II' fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) when it finally becomes operational. "We cannot have two types of FGFA. We have already launched preliminary work for our FGFA after inking the $295 million preliminary design contract (PDC) with Russia last month,'' said a top defence ministry official on Friday.
This comes in the wake of comments made by a top Pentagon official, undersecretary of defence for acquisition, technology and logistics Ashton Carter, in Washington that the US was open to Indian participation in its JSF project.

Pakistan warns against India nuclear support

Pakistan warned on Tuesday that growing international support for rival India's nuclear program would force Islamabad to bolster its deterrence and destabilize the region. In the opening session of the 2011 Conference on Disarmament, Pakistan's ambassador Zamir Akram sharply criticised reported moves to bring its neighbor into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and other bodies that allow trade in nuclear materials, including for weapons. "Apart from undermining the validity and sanctity of the international non-proliferation regime, these measures shall further destabilize security in South Asia," Akram said. "As a consequence Pakistan will be forced to take measures to ensure the credibility of its deterrence. The cumulative impact would be to destabilize the security environment in South Asia and beyond," he told the 65 nation conference. He said Pakistan maintains its opposition to negotiations on a ban on the production of new nuclear bomb-making material, a lone public stance that has blocked the Conference on Disarmament despite pressure from major powers.

Pakistan nuclear arsenal tops 100

Pakistan has doubled its nuclear weapons stockpile over the past several years, increasing its arsenal to more than 100 deployed weapons, The Washington Post reported late Sunday. Citing US non-government analysts, the newspaper said that only four years ago, the Pakistani nuclear arsenal was estimated at 30 to 60 weapons. "They have been expanding pretty rapidly," the report quoted David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security, as saying. Based on recently accelerated production of plutonium and highly enriched uranium, Islamabad may now have an arsenal of up to 110 weapons, Albright said. As a result, Pakistan has now edged ahead of India, its nuclear-armed rival, The Post noted. India is estimated to have 60 to 100 weapons.

Defense, Energy Experts Aid China’s Nuclear Security

The Defense and Energy departments are working under a government-to-government agreement signed Jan. 19 with China to establish a regional center of excellence there for nuclear security, a Pentagon official said. Rebecca K.C. Hersman, deputy assistant secretary of defense for countering weapons of mass destruction, told American Forces Press Service the effort will allow the agencies to leverage their expertise and resources for “maximum effect to President Barack Obama’s nuclear security agenda.” In April 2009, from Hradcany Square in Prague in the Czech Republic, Obama called for reducing the number of nuclear weapons in the world and building a new framework for civil nuclear cooperation. A year later at the Nuclear Security Summit here, the United States and China agreed to strengthen cooperation in nuclear nonproliferation, nuclear security and the fight against nuclear terrorism. Also at the summit, Chinese President Hu Jintao committed to building the Center of Excellence on Nuclear Security outside Beijing.

Iranian Opposition Leader Mousavi on Egypt and Tunisia Rebellions

It is interesting to point out that there are two Iranian models for what’s happening now. I am not saying that anyone is consciously thinking in these terms; this is just from the point of view of outside analysts:
– The Iranian revolution of 1978-1979: That is, a protest movement that evolves into a new Islamist dictatorship.
– The Iranian rebellion of 2009: That is a democratically minded protest movement which was repressed.
Both were against dictatorships. But, of course, in each case left a radical Islamist regime on power. Ironically, if the Egyptian rebellion fails it can easily be romanticized and is more like 2009; if it succeeds, the outcome could be very bad and more like 1979.
His January 28th statement is as follows. The translation is unofficial and Mousavi is not responsible for it:

The ‘Palestine Papers’: Now We Know the Real Story

We now know what actually happened in the negotiations mischaracterized by the “Palestine Papers,” but before I tell you the true story, let me say some words about how it has been distorted.
Maybe it’s just me out of step with the rest of the world, but someone tell me where the following paragraph is wrong:

WikiLeaks: Suleiman Vows to Fight Radicalism

During an April 21 meeting with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen, Egyptian General Intelligence Service Chief Omar Soliman explained that his overarching regional goal was combating radicalism, especially in Gaza, Iran, and Sudan.

Germany Banned the anti-Israeli Movie “Valley of the Wolves: Palestine”

Germany banned the distribution of the anti-Israeli movie “Valley of the Wolves: Palestine,” which was supposed to premiere on January 27, International Holocaust Remembrance Day. After the Turkish company appealed, the movie was limited to audiences 18 years old and older. Other European countries are considering banning the movie. The German Movie Control Association, a public committee responsible for assigning ratings to movies, banned the anti-Israeli Turkish movie “Valley of the Wolves: Palestine,” which was based on the events aboard the Mavi Marmara. The Turkish movie was distributed in Germany and was supposed to be released on January 27, International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The Association apparently banned the movie because of its contents, not because of the timing.

Assad: anti-US and anti-Israel Stance will Save Him from an Uprising

Syrian president Bashar al-Assad believes he has more time for reforms, because of his anti-US and anti-Israel policy. He believes Egypt is suffering for its connection with the U.S. and Israel. But the recent popular protests and uprisings in Algeria, Tunisia, Yemen, Jordan and Egypt have far less to do with anti-Americanism or anti-Israeli feelings of the demonstrators on the streets as Assad wants us to believe. They are the results of  the increase in unemployment, rising food prices, government corruption, bad local economy and lack of freedom.

The Australian Take on the Terrorism Threat

The theme that international cooperation is essential to combating international terrorism has been a mainstay of U.S. counterterrorism policy for decades. Usually this means sharing intelligence information, counterterrorism techniques, and sometimes providing training and equipment. Australia is one of the many countries with which the U.S. enjoys a close relationship. The Australian Ambassador for counterterrorism, Mr. Bill Paterson, was in Washington recently for meetings with U.S. State Department and other officials, including sessions with experts from other countries. He also made a public appearance at a Jan 19 round table event of the Homeland Security Policy Institute (HSPI) at George Washington University, which has held sessions with ambassadors from other countries that also are involved in the struggle against terrorism. Ambassador Paterson gave an excellent, comprehensive talk and I just received a copy of Mr. Paterson’s text from the Australian Embassy (delayed because the Ambassador had gone on to Yemen). I thought it worth sharing because of the wide ranging scope of his discussion of the terrorism situation as seen through the perspective of a close ally.

The Making of Egypt's Revolution

April 21, 2008, an assistant high school principal placed an advertisement in Al-Ahram, the largest daily newspaper in Egypt, pleading disparately with President Hosni Mubarak and his wife to intervene and release her daughter from prison. It turned out that her 27 year-old daughter, Israa’ Abd el-Fattah, was arrested 10 days earlier because of her role in placing a page on Facebook encouraging Egyptians to support a strike in the industrial city of al-Mahalla that had taken place on April 6. In her spare time, she and two of her colleagues created the Facebook page. Within days of posting it, over 70,000 people supported their call. After the security forces cracked down against the huge riots in al-Mahalla on April 6, Abd el-Fattah was arrested. What was odd about this arrest was that although thousands of people have been arrested over the past three decades, it was the first time that a warrant was issued against a female under the notorious emergency laws imposed in the country since 1981. To get out of prison she had to apologize and express regret for her actions. But the experience made her more determined than ever to be politically active.

Collapse of the "moderate camp" in the Middle East

We are in the midst of a political revolution in the Arab and Muslim world which shows no signs of abating. Over the past week, we have witnessed one dictatorial regime crumble in Tunisia under the will of its people and another, Egypt, is bound to follow as we enter the 7th day of nationwide protests and demonstrations. These events may be the beginning of what many commentators are calling the "domino effect in the Arab world", with some predicting that it is only a matter of time before other countries in the region follow suit. Revolts have already spread to Yemen, while the king of Jordan has promised political reform after thousands of citizens took to the streets.

Israel places resources at Suleiman's disposal "to protect the Egyptian regime"

Well-placed Israeli sources have disclosed that the Zionist state has offered to place "all its capabilities" at the disposal of General Omar Suleiman, the recently appointed Vice President of Egypt, for the "protection of the regime in Egypt". This offer includes the implementation of "various operations to end the popular revolution". Israel has also asked Suleiman to work on preventing arms being smuggled into the Gaza Strip.
An official in Benjamin Netanyahu's office said that the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu called Suleiman, who is also the director of Egypt's General Intelligence Service, and expressed his concern about the situation in Egypt. Netanyahu apparently suggested the possibility of Israeli intelligence personnel undertaking various specialist operations to bring an end to the demonstrations. The source added that Netanyahu and Suleiman also discussed ways of securing the border between Israel and Egypt.

Deepening Canada-U.S. Security and Military Ties

A recent North American defense ministers meeting was originally scheduled to be a trilateral gathering, but Mexico’s Secretary of Defense was unable to participate in the summit. Canada-U.S. talks focused on continental, hemispheric, as well as global defense issues. The meeting went a long way to further deepen bilateral security and military ties. It was also significant considering that Canada and the U.S. are currently negotiating an agreement that would work towards establishing a perimeter approach to security.

DAS director says will not resign

The director of Colombian intelligence agency DAS, Felipe Muñoz, says that he will not resign over the agency's illegal wiretapping of government opponents. The director made his statement after emerging from a nine hour examination by the prosecutor general over the illegal surveillance, La FM Radio reported Monday. In September authorities announced that Muñoz was under preliminary investigation by the Prosecutor General's Office for his alleged role in the wiretapping scandal. Muñoz also accused several former officials of withholding information in the wiretapping investigations. He said that "what has been proved here is my support for the investigation in [the last] 24 months, in contrast to some former employees who have concealed, removed [and] hidden information, and have only come out two days before they have court rulings." He further stated that he feels calm about his explanations to the Prosecutor General's Office and so will not leave his post, as some victims of the wiretapping have requested. "When you have acted absolutely ethically and in accordance with the law, you are are totally calm.

Chavez lobbied for FARC in Honduras: WikiLeaks

U.S. embassy officials in Honduras suspected Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez of using Venezuelan oil supplies to pressure now-ousted President Manuel Zelaya to explicitly say Colombian guerrilla organization FARC is not a terrorist group, according to a cable released by WikiLeaks. In a diplomatic cable sent to Washington in January 2008, the Tegucigalpa embassy said that according to sources within the Honduran Foreign Ministry, Chavez "asked Honduran President Zelaya to either remove the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) from any terrorist lists or publicly acknowledge it as not being a terrorist organization." "Although flat out denied by MFA sources, we still suspect that Chavez asked Zelaya to make a pronouncement in support of the FARC in return for his concessional Petrocaribe deal," the cable said.

Alleged 'Los Paisas' chief arrested

Colombian police said Tuesday they have arrested one of the alleged leaders of neo-paramilitary drug trafficking gang "Los Paisas" in Medellin. Luis Fernando Jaramillo Arroyave, alias "Nano," was arrested in a restaurant on Las Palmas road in Medellin, in the company of Anderson Vanoy, the son of extradited paramilitary commander "Cuco" Vanoy, and two women. Authorities say Arroyave entered in the drug business in the mid-1980s, worked with the paramilitary group AUC before it was demobilized, and joined up with drug traffickers the Usuga brothers, who are currently leading the neo-paramilitary group "Los Urabeños."

Ejército descubre otro extranjero, un argentino, en las Farc

Facundo Molares estaría vinculado a esa guerrilla desde 2003, según las autoridades. Así lo revelaron según fuentes de inteligencia del Ejército, con sede en la novena brigada de Neiva. Sería el tercer caso que se conoce, después de la holandesa Tanja Nijmeijer y del chileno Manuel Olate Céspedes.

Alías 'Camilo' o 'el argentino', como es conocido en la guerrilla, sería organizador de masas y cercano a 'Alias El Paisa', jefe de la columna móvil Teófilo Forero Castro de las Farc que se mueve entre Huila y Caquetá.

Afghan elite 'plundered $900m' from leading bank

A coterie of well-connected Afghan businessmen and politicians may have plundered as much as $900m from the country's biggest commercial bank, three times the amount of earlier estimates, and the equivalent of about 7 per cent of Afghanistan's total gross domestic product. Kabul Bank's funds were treated like personal accounts, it is claimed by several well-known members of Afghan society. Mahmoud Karzai, a brother of the Afghan President and prominent shareholder in Kabul Bank, told The New York Times that the bank's former chairman lent himself about $98m (£62m) to buy one of Afghanistan's airlines, and then used deposits to subsidise the carrier in an attempt to drive rivals out of business. Yet so difficult has the hunt for the missing millions become that the very same man, Sherkhan Farnood, had been brought in to help trace the missing cash.

Albania's Opposition to Escalate Protests

The Socialist reaction came after the parliamentary commission asked for the phone records of four journalists, placed under investigation for allegedly conspiring to overthrow the government during the January 21 unrest in the country. The opposition, the general prosecutor, the secret service and President Bamir Topi face similar accusations. “Today the violence against institutions was escalated by a regime of thieves,” opposition leader Edi Rama declared in a press conference. “This is not only a full on attack against four journalists but against the fourth [branch] of power that has not bowed to the regime,” Rama added.

Macedonian Parliamentary Crisis May Block Progress

With almost all the opposition parties out of the parliament, internal political dialogue - one of the main prerequisites for the country’s progress towards the EU - is dead in the water for the moment, observers say. In addition, taking big decisions on important issues that require political consensus from all major players will be practically impossible. One such subject is the ongoing name dispute with Greece. “How can we overcome this dispute without all the political parties agreeing on some kind of red line? How are we going to make progress in our EU integration bid?  "One party cannot take decisions on important issues that affect the interests of all the citizens,” says Mirjana Malevska, a political science professor at the Tetovo-based University of Eastern Europe. The main opposition Social Democrats left the parliament on Friday after a controversial court decision to freeze the bank account of the country’s most popular A1 TV.

Jordan’s Monarchy Replaces Government in Reaction to Protests

Jordan’s monarchy has decided to fire the government and has moved to form a new one under the direction of an ex-army general, Marouf al-Bakhit. King Abdullah II decided to take the move after thousands of Jordanians filled the streets to protest their hereditary rulers. The growing protests are inspired by events in Egypt and Tunisia where popular rebellion threatens the established order.

The Pharaoh Will Fall, Oil Will Climb, and Wall Street Will Win

Yesterday, oil broke through the $100 mark for the first time since 2008 due to the populist uprising in Arab nations, indicating it’s well on its way to new heights. Many financial insiders have predicted oil will go to $150 per barrel and beyond this year. But if $100/bbl was not odd enough given the stagnant (at best) economic environment, what could possibly make it jump another 50%? The dollar won’t drop that significantly over the next year, will it? If it does, calls to drop the petro-dollar as the reserve currency will likely turn to reality.  And surely the global economy is not expected to grow fast enough to warrant a 50% jump for the lifeblood of civilization. It seems clear that demand for oil will stay relatively flat, so only a catastrophic supply problem would justify these increases.

Thai army chief dismisses coup rumors

Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha on Tuesday ruled out the rumors being spread around about military's plan to stage coup, saying its "nonsense". The army chief urged Thai reporters to stop asking about a coup and suggested that troops should not be implicated in the stories. "I have no time for this nonsensical matter. I don't want to answer this kind of question because I've answered it several times already." "The army is united and we all have the same stand. We give priority to the national interest so please stop asking and talking about it," Gen Prayuth said. Late last month some opposition Puea Thai Party MPs disclosed that a group of military leaders had held a secret meeting at a safe house in Bangkok to discuss staging a coup, naming high- ranking officers -- Gen Prawit Wongsuwon, the defence minister, and Gen Dapong Rattanasuwan, the army chief-of-staff. "Please don't implicate any soldiers in it, be he Gen D or Gen P," Gen Prayuth said.

Jatuporn: Military discussing a coup

A group of high-level military figures held a meeting at a safehouse in Bangkok on Tuesday and discussed the possibility of staging a coup, Jatuporn Prompan claimed on Wednesday. Mr Jatuporn, a Puea Thai list MP and co-leader of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, made the allegation at a press conference at parliament. He said that at the meeting the officers evaluated the current situation and agreed that there were four conditions that could be raised for staging a coup:

Understanding and fighting modern intelligence technology and psychology

To understand what is going on at intelligence agencies in the most dangerous Shaitan conspiracy countries (Germany, England, France, Russia, China, USA), you must understand the unseen technology put into use.

Through-the-wall ultrawide-band surveillance can be used from a home, van, office building or mounted on satellites to watch anyone through walls of their home. Blocking this is very difficult and would seem to take a large amount of metal, perhaps lead and other material that can block powerful directed radio waves.

Organic Panic: Obama Green Lights Monsanto’s Mutant Alfalfa

The nation’s organic farmers are sounding the alarm after an Obama administration decision they say could destroy their supply chains and drastically limit the choices and availability of some popular consumer foods.
The Department of Agriculture decided last week to allow the widespread, unregulated use of genetically modified alfalfa, commonly known as hay, which is the primary feed for dairy cows and beef cattle across the country. Opponents argue that the mutant crops, engineered to survive being sprayed with insecticide, could escape from their fields and eventually cross-pollinate with and contaminate neighboring organic crops. That could mean less organic feed for the organic cows that produce a range of organic products.

Africa’s worst dictator becomes African Union leader

Equatorial Guinea’s Dictator Teodoro Obiang Nguema has been elected to take over the post of chairman of the African Union (AU). “This is the darkest day in the AU’s history,” afrol News editors comment. President Obiang, taking power in Equatorial Guinea from his uncle in 1978 in a coup, has the dubious honour of competing for the title as Africa’s worst dictator, only comparable to the Presidents of Eritrea and The Gambia. The election of Mr Obiang as the next chairman of the African Union (AU) – taking over from Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika – comes as an unprecedented wave of popular democracy demands is shaking up authoritarian rule at the northern flank of the AU – for now in Tunisia and Egypt.
There was a fear among many African leaders gathered at the Addis Ababa summit that the same wave of rebellion may hit their countries. When the Egyptian protesters succeed, there will be attempts of revolution also in sub-Saharan Africa.

Hundreds of Russians protest against Putin

The rally took place peacefully, but police detained a separate group of 20 opposition activists nearby. About 60 protesters also were detained in St. Petersburg, one of a number of other cities where demonstrations were held. Prominent opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who was arrested and jailed for 15 days following a similar demonstration a month ago, kept up his assault on Russia’s longtime leader as he addressed the protesters on Moscow’s Triumph Square. He compared Putin to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarek, who is facing mass unrest after 30 years in power. “Please, someone tell me how our leadership differs from his,” Nemtsov shouted to the crowd from the back of a truck. “Russia has to get rid of Putin.”
Nemtsov has accused Putin of allowing corruption to pervade the corridors of power and of building up considerable personal wealth during his 11 years in power at the expense of ordinary Russians. He also has denounced Putin’s reversal of the democratic achievements of the 1990s.

Al-Qaïda ciblerait Wall Street

Des responsables du renseignement américain ont prévenu les banques de Wall Street et leurs dirigeants qu’ils pourraient être visés par des attentats d’Al-Qaïda, a dit mardi la chaîne de télévision américaine NBC.
Selon NBC, le renseignement américain pense que des agents d’Al-Qaïda basés au Yémen pourraient essayer d’envoyer des colis piégés, avec des bombes ou des substances chimiques, aux personnels des institutions financières. NBC précise qu’il n’y a « aucune indication faisant état d’un assassinat ciblé » contre un patron de Wall Street, mais que des responsables du renseignement américain s’inquiètent du fait qu’Al-Qaïda a discuté des noms de dirigeants financiers.

Audition de M. Bernard Bajolet, coordonnateur national du renseignement

M. le président Guy Teissier. Nous avons le grand plaisir d’accueillir M. Bernard Bajolet, coordonnateur national du renseignement.
Je rappelle que son poste a été créé à la suite des préconisations du Livre blanc. Le coordonnateur est le point d’entrée privilégié des différents services de renseignement auprès du Président de la République. Il conseille le Président et s’assure de la coopération optimale entre les services.
Alors que vous êtes pressenti pour occuper le poste d’ambassadeur de France en Afghanistan – nous attendons l’agrément des autorités afghanes –, j’ai pensé qu’il serait intéressant de vous entendre dresser le bilan de votre action en tant que coordonnateur. Ce poste vous semble-t-il répondre aux attentes du Livre blanc ? A-t-il permis d’améliorer la collaboration entre les différents services ?

Former Director of the CIA’s Counter-Terrorism Center: American Policy in the Middle East is Failing Because the U.S. Doesn’t Believe in Democracy

Events in the Middle East have slipped away from us. Having long since opted in favour of political stability over the risks and uncertainties of democracy, having told ourselves that the people of the region are not ready to shoulder the burdens of freedom, having stressed that the necessary underpinnings of self-government go well beyond mere elections, suddenly the US has nothing it can credibly say as people take to the streets to try to seize control of their collective destiny.
Our words betray us. US spokesmen stress the protesters’ desire for jobs and for economic opportunity, as though that were the full extent of their aspirations. They entreat the wobbling, repressive governments in the region to “respect civil society”, and the right of the people to protest peacefully, as though these thoroughly discredited autocrats were actually capable of reform.

Mubarak’s new deputy linked to CIA rendition program

The man named by President Hosni Mubarak as his first ever deputy, Egyptian spy chief Omar Suleiman, reportedly orchestrated the brutal interrogation of terror suspects abducted by the CIA in a secret program condemned by rights groups. His role in the controversial "war on terror" illustrates the ties that bind the United States and the Egyptian regime, as an unprecedented wave of protests against Mubarak's rule presents Washington with a difficult dilemma. With Mubarak in jeopardy, Suleiman was anointed vice president last week and is now offering wide ranging talks with the opposition in a bid to defuse the crisis.
Suleiman is a sophisticated operator who carried out sensitive truce negotiations with Israel and the Palestinians as well as talks among rival Palestinian factions, winning the praise of American diplomats.
For US intelligence officials, he has been a trusted partner willing to go after Islamist militants without hesitation, targeting homegrown radical groups Gamaa Islamiya and Jihad after they carried out a string of attacks on foreigners.

Brent Breaks $100 as Unrest in Egypt Alarms Oil Market

The world returned to $100 oil on Monday, as the ICE Brent contract eclipsed that barrier on fresh geopolitical worries. European benchmark Brent, along with the more widely traded New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) crude contract, made strong moves upward at the end of last week, and the momentum rolled over to Monday, largely because of continued anxiety about the political stability of Egypt. Even though the situation has yet to impact oil supplies, there are concerns that the turmoil could lead to reduced traffic flows through the Suez Canal or Sumed Pipeline, increasing travel time for crude and oil products headed from the Gulf that would be forced to take the long route around Africa's Cape of Good Hope to get to Atlantic Basin and Mediterranean markets.

The Unexplained

Oil and the Suez Canal

War Without Borders: Washington Intensifies Push Into Central Asia

A recent editorial on the website of Voice of America reflected on last year being one in which the United States solidified relations with the five former Soviet republics in Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. One or more of the five nations border Afghanistan, Russia, China and Iran and several more than one of the latter. Kazakhstan, for example, adjoins China and Russia. The U.S. and Britain, with the support of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, invaded Afghanistan and fanned out into Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in October of 2001, less than four months after Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan founded the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to foster expanding economic, security, transportation and energy cooperation and integration in and through Central Asia. In 2005 India, Iran and Pakistan joined the SCO as observers and Afghan President Hamid Karzai has attended its last five annual heads of state summits. [1] 

Protests Spread To Saudi Arabia

While the biggest threat to the Middle East region is the possibility that the population of Saudi Arabia may try to imitate what has been happening in the area, thereby bringing total chaos to the established regional geopolitical and more importantly, energy, structure, the first protests in the Saudi Arabia city of Jeddah are already in the books. The clip below shows the peaceful demonstrations that have taken place recently, which as Fedupmontrealer explains are "taking place in front of the Municipality in protest of the severe lack of infrastructure, and corruption, that led the city to be inundated this week causing billions of dollars of damages for the second time in two years." That this is even occurring in a state where the average wealth is orders of magnitude greater than in Egypt is remarkable. On the other hand, we expect more news such as those from yeserday that Kuwait is paying its citizens $3,500 plus free food for a year to keep calm. Oddly, visions of money dropping helicopters, infinitely extendable unemployment insurance and tax breaks keep dancing in our head. Those who wish to follows the latest developments out of Jedda which appears could be the lightning rod for Saudi riots can do so by tracking #JeddahProtests on Twitter.

10 Things That The Egypt Riots Can Teach Us About What Happens When Society Breaks Down

The rioting in Egypt is perhaps the biggest single news story so far in 2011.  The pace at which Egyptian society has been transformed over the past week has been absolutely breathtaking.  A few months ago, nobody would have ever dreamed that there would be huge riots in the streets of major Egyptian cities calling for the resignation of Hosni Mubarak.  But it has happened, and now Egypt will never be the same again.  So what does the future hold for Egypt?  Well, many are hopeful that this revolution will bring about a better government in Egypt and a better way of life for average Egyptians.  Personally, I am not nearly so optimistic.  In fact, I believe that there is a great danger that an even more repressive government could take the place of the current regime.  But in any event, there are important lessons that the Egypt riots can teach all of us about what happens when society breaks down.  Societal collapse is often a very messy, very violent affair.  Someday if the global economy completely implodes, we may see economic riots erupt all over the world (including inside the United States) and we all need to get prepared for that.

Long live BRIC, welcome MIST

After setting the terms of discourse in world affairs at the turn of the millennium with the coinage, "BRIC" (Brazil, Russia, India and China), Jim O'Neill - the former chief economist of Goldman Sachs - has just kick-started the new decade with a fresh acronym: "MIST" (Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea and Turkey). The catchiness of a four-country grouping which can be uttered in a simple abbreviated form that can play on every stakeholder's lip has proven a sure hit with BRIC, which captivated the investor community and shook global geopolitics. Whether MIST can achieve the same haloed status as a byword for high, guaranteed return on money and as a harbinger of further redistribution of power in the international system remains to be seen.

As Egypt goes offline US gets internet 'kill switch' bill ready

As Egypt's government attempts to crackdown on street protests by shutting down internet and mobile phone services, the US is preparing to reintroduce a bill that could be used to shut down the internet. The legislation, which would grant US President Barack Obama powers to seize control of and even shut down the internet, would soon be reintroduced to a senate committee. It was initially introduced last year but expired with a new Congress.

Jordan's powerful Muslim opposition warns that Arabs will topple US-allied Mideast leaders

The leader of Jordan's powerful Muslim Brotherhood warned Saturday that unrest in Egypt will spread across the Mideast and Arabs will topple leaders allied with the United States. Hammam Saeed's comments were made at a protest outside the Egyptian Embassy in Amman, inspired by massive rallies in neighbouring Egypt demanding the downfall of the country's longtime president, Hosni Mubarak. About 100 members of the fundamentalist group and activists from other leftist organizations and trade unions chanted "Mubarak, step down" and "the decision is made, the people's revolt will remain." Elsewhere, a separate group of 300 protesters gathered in front of the office of Jordanian Prime Minister Samir Rifai, demanding his ouster. "Rifai, it's time for you to go," chanted the group.

Egypte : Moubarak nomme un nouveau chef des services de renseignement

Le président égyptien Hosni Moubarak a nommé lundi un nouveau dirigeant pour le service des renseignements, qui sera d’emblée confronté à un mouvement de contestation sans précédent en 30 ans de pouvoir, selon la presse gouvernementale. Pour remplacer l’influent Omar Souleimane, promu samedi au titre de vice-président, une fonction qui avait été abolie il y a 30 ans, Hosni Moubarak a nommé le général Mourad Mowafi, ancien gouverneur du Sinaï-Nord, à la tête des services de renseignements, selon le journal al-Ahram. Depuis une semaine, des centaines de milliers de manifestants réclament le départ du raïs égyptien, à la tête du plus peuplé des pays arabes. Le président s’accroche au pouvoir, malgré des appels de l’opposition et même des Etats-Unis, allié stratégique de l’Egypte, à une "transition" démocratique.