Putin pledges 400 ICBMs for Russia in 10 years

Russia's armed forces will receive over 400 modern intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), more than 100 military spacecraft and over 2,300 new tanks within the next 10 years, Prime Minister and presidential candidate Vladimir Putin said. Earlier media voiced fears that by 2020, Russia' ICBM arsenal could reduce by more than half as over 400 missiles would go beyond their maximum service life without timely replacement.
"Within the next decade, the armed forces will receive more than 400 modern ground- and sea-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, eight ballistic missile submarines, about 20 general purpose attack submarines, over 50 surface ships and some 100 military-purpose spacecraft," Putin wrote in a new article for the Rossiiskaya Gazeta government daily.

US, France, UK, Turkey, Italy prepare for military intervention in Syria

Despite public denials, military preparations for intervention in the horrendous Syrian crisis are quietly afoot in Washington, Paris, Rome, London and Ankara. President Barack Obama is poised for a final decision after the Pentagon submits operational plans for protecting Syrian rebels and beleaguered populations from the brutal assaults of Bashar Assad’s army, debkafile’s Washington sources disclose. This process is also underway in allied capitals which joined the US in the Libyan operation that ended Muammar Qaddafi’s rule in August, 2011. They are waiting for a White House decision before going forward. In Libya, foreign intervention began as an operation to protect the Libyan population against its ruler’s outrageous crackdown on dissent. It was mandated by UN Security Council. There is no chance of this in the Syrian case because it will be blocked by a Russian veto. Therefore, Western countries are planning military action of limited scope outside the purview of the world body, possibly on behalf of “Friends of Syria,” a group of 80 world nations which meets for the first time in Tunis Friday, Feb. 24, to hammer out practical steps for terminating the bloodbath pursued by the Assad regime. The foreign ministers and senior officials – Russia has excluded itself – will certainly be further galvanized into action by the tragic deaths of two notable journalists Wednesday, Feb. 22, on the 19th day of the shelling of Homs.

The Coalition Crumbles: Erdoğan, the Gülenists, and Turkish Democracy

The authority of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been challenged by the security apparatus, the police and parts of the judiciary that enjoy the backing of the brotherhood of the Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen. The unprecedented challenge compels Erdoğan to circumscribe the power of his erstwhile ally, which thrives with the application of oppressive security measures. Whether Erdoğan will now see the strong incentive to seek a democratic, negotiated solution to the Kurdish issue, or continue to concentrate power in his own hands, remains to be seen.

Is Egypt about to Elect an Islamist President?

Registering to run for president of Egypt will begin March 10. The military moved it up from April 15 to show that it is handing over power to the civilians. As I’ve said before, I’ve never seen any evidence that the army is not going to turn over control of the country to a new, elected president. All of the mass media and political hysteria to the contrary, the generals don’t want to hold onto the government. Has the Brotherhood’s success in parliamentary elections gone to its head? Has the weak international response to its ascendancy emboldened the Islamists to seek total power now rather than go slow and be patient? It’s starting to look that way. The Muslim Brotherhood has announced once again that it will not run a candidate for president in the elections projected for June. “The Muslim Brotherhood will not support Abdel-Moneim Abul-Fotouh or any candidate,” says Muhammad al-Badi, the leader of the Brotherhood.

Colombia wants to export military expertise

Colombia has grown from being a recipient of U.S. mililtary aid to an ally that is able to share its military experience and knowledge with other countries in the Americas, the country's defense minister said Friday.
"We want to contribute to the development of the capacity of other nations in the region, Central America and the Caribbean" in order to fight drug trafficking throughout the Americas, Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon told reporters in Washington.
Pinzon and other high government officials have been in Washington the past three days to discuss military strategy and how to strengthen Colombia's ability to assist other countries in the region with their fight's against drug trafficking and terrorism.

Syria - The REAL Story

Assad ‘not ready to resign’

“I met Assad and did not get the impression that this is a person who is ready to leave power tomorrow,” Alexei Pushkov, the head of the international affairs committee of the State Duma lower house, told reporters.
“The protest movement exists, but it is not such that the president would feel everything crumbling around him — that everything is falling apart and he needs to resign,” Pushkov said.
Assad’s ouster “is an absolutely artificial and far-fetched issue,” he said, adding that he talked to the Syrian strongman for more than an hour.

Venezuela y China firman acuerdo para construir plataformas petroleras

Este viernes, el presidente de Petróleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa), Rafael Ramírez, y la presidenta de la empresa china Citic Construcciones, Hong Bo, firmaron un acuerdo de construcción de plataformas petroleras entre Venezuela y China.
El acuerdo, concretado en el Palacio de Miraflores, en Caracas, permitirá la creación de plataformas petroleras en ambos países, comenzando por la nación asiática y luego en Venezuela. También se estableció otro acuerdo con Citic para el mapa minero venezolano, a través del que se realizará la certificación y exploración geológica de reservas minerales nacionales.

Is Germany Still A EU-ropean Power?

All eyes have been on Germany’s role in the euro crisis. Judgements differ on the degree of solidarity and leadership that it has shown in this crisis; serious criticisms are certainly merited of its stub- born insistence on harsh fiscal stringency. Few question the fact that on economic matters it is now the undisputedly dominant player. However, a question of equal significance is the fact that Germany’s new economic power has not translated into leadership of Europe’s common foreign policy interests but rather into an instrumental focus on narrow, national geo-economic interests.

Is a 9/11 Attack Facilitator Alive and Well in London?

A Saudi businessman suspected of being involved in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks is now living in London, where he works for the Saudi Arabian oil company Aramco. Abdulaziz al-Hijji and his wife, Anoud, were living in the gated community of Prestancia near Sarasota, Florida, in 2001, when they abruptly left the country only two weeks before the attacks. The couple left behind three cars and a home filled with furniture, food and personal mail, as well as a private safe found wide open.

Scandal: Greece To Receive "Negative" Cash From "Second Bailout" As It Funds Insolvent European Banks

Earlier today, we learned the first stunner of the Greek "bailout package", which courtesy of some convoluted transmission mechanisms would result in some, potentially quite many, Greek workers actually paying to retain their jobs: i.e., negative salaries. Now, having looked at the Eurogroup's statement on the Greek bailout, we find another very creative use of "negative" numbers. And by creative we mean absolutely shocking and scandalous. First, as a reminder, even before the current bailout mechanism was in place, Greece barely saw 20% of any actual funding, with the bulk of the money going to European and Greek banks (of which the former ultimately also ended up funding the ECB and thus European banks). Furthermore, we already know that as part of the latest set of conditions of the second Greek bailout, an 'Escrow Account" would be established: this is simply a means for Greek creditors to have a senior claims over any "bailout" cash that is actually disbursed for things such as, you know, a Greek bailout, where the money actually trickles down where it is most needed - the Greek citizens. Here is where it just got surreal. It turns out that not only will Greece not see a single penny from the Second Greek bailout, whose entire Use of Proceeds will be limited to funding debt interest and maturity payments, but the country will actually have to fund said escrow! You read that right: the Greek bailout #2 is nothing but a Greek-funded bailout of Europe's insolvent banks... and the Greek constitution is about to be changed to reflect this!

Smuggling wars in the Sahara?

On Saturday, the last bit of proof I have sought since last year about surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) leaving Libya became public, when Reuters reported that Algerian security forces had seized a sizable cache of the weapons a little more than 60 km south of In Amenas, itself about 40 km from the border with Libya. On Monday the francophone Algerian daily El Watan provided more details on the story, noting that the stock, which had been carefully protected and buried in the desert, contained 43 missiles, including 28 SA-7 missiles as well as 15 of the significantly newer and more advanced SA-24 (oddly, the link to the original El Watan article seems to have disappeared from the website). This is of course important news, as it would seem to confirm what Algerian and Chadian leaders first warned about last March, that highly advanced missiles were being taken from Libya – though we do not know for certain when the weapons actually began disappearing into other countries.
Unsurprisingly given the concern about the threat these weapons may pose to civilian aviation, this story was reproduced by several wire services and press outlets. But for me another key part of the story that got less attention was that Algerian security forces only discovered the weapons stores after another trafficker or group of traffickers tipped them off.
The weapons seem to have been at a midway point in the delivery process; as the original article noted, after bringing in the weapons from Libya, smugglers wrap the stock in protective plastic before burying it and marking the location on a GPS. Once the prospective buyer has paid for the weapons, the article continues, they are then given the GPS coordinates for their brand new supply of missiles, guns, or whatever else might be buried in the desert.
While the article did not go into more detail, the suggestion of rivalries among weapons traffickers in southeastern Algeria raises some intriguing questions for me. The first is, well, why talk to the Algerian authorities? Did Algerian authorities arrest a group of traffickers who then squealed on another group? Was this a calculated attempt to eliminate rivals, curry favor with authorities, or perhaps drive up the price of other available weapons? And presuming this was not the only collection of such weapons that have made it across the border, how many others have gotten through? After all, Algeria’s government says that they arrested 214 weapons smugglers in 2011 – including 87 Libyans – but this is the first publicly announced seizure of SAMs that I can recall.
This leaves just one final question: Where were these weapons going? The natural choice for many would be al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), though there are other militant and criminal networks in the Sahel and North or West Africa that could certainly make use of these weapons. However, it is worth noting that relatives of key Sahelian AQIM commander Abdelhamid Abou Zeid (Or Abid Hammadou, or Mohamed Ghdir, depending on which name you prefer) are known as prominent smugglers in this region as well as in Libya, where Abou Zeid himself reportedly operated as a smuggler before entering into militancy.
Indeed,  some sources suggested that relatives of Abou Zeid may have been responsible for the brief kidnapping last month of the prefect of the Illizi province following guilty verdicts handed down by an Algerian court not just on Abou Zeid but also on several family members. Other sources indicated that the kidnappers were AQIM members under Abou Zeid’s command, though the two are not mutually exclusive. Either way, the kidnappers made quick time into Libya, where they were stopped by Libyan militia forces a day later and more than 100 km away from the Algerian border.
All of this goes to show that for all of the discussions of weapons smuggling in the post-Qaddafi Sahel, there’s been relatively less public inquiry into the extremely complicated networks of smugglers in the Sahel, groups sometimes linked by direct family ties, by tribe, by ideology, or just by the allure of cash. Yet in order to understand how weapons, drugs, cigarettes, and people circulate in the Sahel’s clandestine networks, we need to learn more about the smugglers who make these trades possible.

Saudia Arabia Intensifies its Crackdown on Protesters

Saudi Arabia´s Interior Ministry has defended the regime’s ruthless repression of anti-government protests on Monday and threatened to use an “iron fist” against protesters. “It is the state’s right to confront those that confront it first… and the Saudi Arabian security forces will confront such situations … with determination and force and with an iron first,” the ministry said in a statement on Monday. An interior ministry spokesman said the statement was released in reaction to a sermon delivered last Friday in the Eastern town of Qatif which criticized the Saudi government´s handling of the protests. In a statement released Monday, a security source at the ministry said the sermon of the “Sheikh”, who was not named, was highly politicized and contained “controversial arguments and odd logic”. According to the ministry, the Sheikh was ignoring the fact that the protests were “nothing but terrorism which gives the state every right to deal with it”.

Israel Backing Off Iran Attack?

Israeli President Shimon Peres will tell Obama early next month that he believes his country should not launch an attack on Iran in response to its nuclear program, Haaretz reports. Peres said the Israeli government should not engage in “unnecessary warmongering” and the issue should fall on the United States and the superpowers.
Peres will meet with Obama a day before Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who will arrive in the United States following a visit to Canada. “When Obama meets with Netanyahu, he will already know what Peres thinks – information he will use in his meeting with Netanyahu,” writes Yossi Verter.

Areva: uranium et périls au Niger

Les manœuvres qui battent leur plein à Paris pour placer des fidèles aux postes clés de la filière électrique, renvoient au rôle stratégique que représente le groupe nucléaire français Areva. Après avoir débarqué Anne Lauvergeon en 2011, l’Elysée compte garder la main sur le groupe nucléaire qui exploite au Niger l’un des plus grands gisements d’uranium en Afrique. Areva mène avec EDF des discussions difficiles pour des opérations de fourniture de combustible et de prise de participation dans des actifs miniers. Le groupe Areva assure que les négociations portent essentiellement sur la future mine d’Imouraren au Niger.

Despite Tuareg Rebellion, Mali Gives Assurances on Presidential Elections in April

The Tuareg rebellion that began last month in northern Mali has continued. Rebels belonging to the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) attacked two towns over the weekend, and the Malian army “has launched an air-and-land offensive” to win back territory and defeat the MNLA. The fighting in northern Mali has sparked protests in the south, as military families shaken by news of losses marched in the capital Bamako and elsewhere. The emergence of these interlocking crises has fueled speculation that Mali’s presidential elections, scheduled for April 29 and seen as symbolizing the consolidation of Mali’s democratic credentials, could be delayed.
On Sunday, President Amadou Toumani Toure gave assurances that the elections will go forward as planned.

“We are already used to holding elections during war, and during Tuareg rebellions,” Toure said on national radio, referring to past polls during Tuareg uprisings in the 1990s. “Whatever the difficulty, you must have a president, elected legally and legitimately.”

Instability in Nigeria Hurting Niger’s Economy; Boko Haram Clashes with Authorities in Kano Again

Attacks by the rebel sect Boko Haram in Northern Nigeria, along with border closures and expulsions of foreigners by Nigerian security forces, are beginning to hurt the economy of neighboring Niger.
IRIN reports:

For generations, Diffa, the arid southeastern corner of Niger, has benefited from being closer to Nigeria than to commercial centres in Niger: Staple grains, fuel, clothing and other items at attractive prices have made their way across the border.
Diffa’s main outputs – livestock, dairy produce and red peppers – have also found a ready market in Nigeria. Common languages and family ties have strengthened links to such an extent that the Nigerian naira is Diffa’s main currency.
But Nigeria’s latest export, Boko Haram militants, is less welcome: It has forced the authorities to close the border, with tragic consequences for Diffa, just as it is trying to deal with the worst drought in recent years.

Argentine advice for Greece: ‘Default Now!’

Here in Argentina, when we watch the terrible things that are happening today in Greece, we can only exclaim, “Hey!! That’s exactly what happened in Argentina in 2001 and 2002…!” A decade ago, Argentina too went through a systemic Sovereign Public Debt collapse resulting in social turmoil, worker hardship, rioting and street fights with the police. Some months before Argentina exploded, then-President Fernando de la Rúa – forced to resign at the height of the 2001 crisis – had called back as finance minister the notorious pro-banker, Trilateral Commission member and Rockefeller/Soros/Rhodes protégée Domingo Cavallo.
Cavallo was the gruesome architect of Argentina’s political and economic capitulation to the US and UK when he was President Carlos Menem’s foreign minister and economy minister in the ’90s. Menem and Cavallo are primarily responsible for Argentina’s signing of a formal Treaty of Capitulation with the UK/US after the 1982 Falklands War, opening up our economy to unrestricted privatization, deregulation and grossly excessive US Dollar-indebtedness, almost tripling our sovereign debt in a few short years (see my February 11, 2012 article British Laughter in the Falklands).  The Plan? Prepare Argentina for planned weakening, bankster take-over and collapse, so that a new weakening-takeover-collapse cycle could begin.   In 2001, Cavallo was back to finish his work…

Les services de renseignement indiens démantèlent une cellule du Mossad impliquée (entr’autre) dans le trafic de drogue!

Un couple israélien de la secte Chabad, le rabbi Sheneor Zalman et sa femme Yaffa Shenoi, ont été avertis par la police de Kerala de quitter l’Inde sous quinzaine. Les deux personnes sont suspectées par le service de renseignement indien, le Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), d’être impliquées dans une opération secrète en Inde ayant des ramifications avec l’attaque terroriste de 2008 à Mumbai lors de laquelle six membres de la secte Chabad ont été tués dans une fusillade entre  les gangsters basés au Pakistan de Dawood Ibrahim et les résidents de la maison Chabad de Mumbai. L’incident fut rapporté comme un acte terroriste majeur alors qu’en fait, ce n’était qu’un règlement de comptes entre le cartel de la drogue d’Ibrahim et les Chabadniks qui étaient perçus comme faisant une incursion dans le réseau de la drogue de Mumbai, contrôlé par Ibrahim.

Greek Deal Leaves Europe on the Road to Disaster

If Europe’s new plan for Greece succeeds, nobody will be more surprised than the politicians who designed it. At best, the arrangement is a holding action, one that fails yet again to deal with the much larger confidence crisis facing the euro area. The deal announced on Tuesday starts with private lenders. Their representatives agreed to accept even bigger losses on Greek government bonds than previously discussed. The bonds’ face value will be cut by 53.5 percent, and they’ll pay a low interest rate, starting at 2 percent then rising later. Altogether, this reduces their net present value by about 75 percent, far more than deemed necessary just weeks ago. If enough private lenders go along, that triggers the inter-governmental side of the plan: new official loans to cover Greece’s ongoing budget deficit and replace debt coming due. The terms include a lower interest rate on bailout loans as well as various other kinds of European Union taxpayer subsidy, folded in with greater or lesser degrees of stealth. The European Central Bank and national central banks, for example, will pitch in by channeling back to Greece the “profits” they have made on Greek bonds bought at deep discounts to face value. The International Monetary Fund is going to take part, too. Exactly how still isn’t clear.

Egypt rejects UN assistance in drafting new constitution

The Egyptian authorities have told the United Nations that they do not require the international body's help to draft the proposed new constitution. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Amr Roshdy said that his country was grateful to the UN but had declined the offer of help. Addressing a press conference Cairo, Mr. Roshdy explained that his country has managed to write its constitutions for almost a century and has sufficient expertise and law schools to do the job again. Indeed, he said, many newly-independent countries have sought Egyptian assistance when drafting their own constitutions. Roshdy pointed out that the schedule adopted by the Egyptian government during the transitional period includes a national referendum on the new constitution. He stressed that this is a purely internal matter for the people of Egypt.

Islamic parties in Tunisia and Egypt signal bigger role for Sharia

After months of reassuring secularist critics, Islamist politicians in Tunisia and Egypt have begun to lay down markers about how Muslim their states should be -- and first signs show they want more religion than previously admitted. Islamist parties swept the first free elections in both countries in recent months after campaigns that stressed their readiness to work with the secularists they struggled with in the Arab Spring revolts against decades-long dictatorships. With political deadlines looming, the Tunisian coalition led by the reformist Islamist Ennahda party and the head of Egypt's influential Muslim Brotherhood both made statements this week revealing a stronger emphasis on Islam in government. Popular List, an Ennahda coalition member tasked with writing Tunisia's new constitution, announced on Monday its draft called Islam "the principle source of legislation" -- a phrase denoting laws based on the sharia moral and legal code.
On Tuesday, Egyptian Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie said his group wanted a president with "an Islamic background." That term is vague, but not as vague as the conciliatory "consensus candidate" talk heard from most parties until now.

Moves to question Turkish spy chiefs quashed

State prosecutors have abandoned an attempt to question Turkey's spy chiefs over past secret contacts with Kurdish militants after government moves to curb their investigation of the intelligence agency (MIT), state
media said on Monday. In his first comments on the affair, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, who had  pursued concession to end a 28-year-old conflict, rejected talk in media and political circles of a power struggle drawing in police, judiciary and the MIT.

"There is no conflict between this country's institutions. That is impossible," said Erdogan in a live video link to a meeting of his ruling AK Party on Sunday from his home in Istanbul, where he is recovering from surgery. Prosecutors lifted an order summoning MIT head Hakan Fidan after a parliamentary vote on Friday outlawing any attempt to investigate him without Erdogan's consent. The opposition said it would challenge it in the constitutional court.

WikiLeaks document to expose Swedish Foreign Minister as US spy

International whistleblower website WikiLeaks says it intends to publish a classified document that allegedly exposes Sweden’s current Foreign Minister as a spy for the United States. According to Swedish newspaper Expressen, which says it has seen the document in question, Carl Bildt, Sweden’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, is shown to have operated as an informant for the United States since the mid-1970s. The revelation, which is allegedly included in a classified diplomatic cable sent from the American embassy in Stockholm to the US Department of State, is likely to cause a major political crisis in Sweden and end the career of Carl Bildt, a popular politician who served as Sweden’s Prime Minister between 1991 and 1994. In an article published on Wednesday, Expressen cites an anonymous WikiLeaks source that claims Bildt “cooperated with the American government in a manner that is in direct violation of Swedish law”.

Neo-Paramilitary Groups Divvy Up Colombia's West

Three of Colombia’s most powerful neo-paramilitary criminal bands, have reportedly agreed to a non aggression pact, and opted to delineate territory over several sections of the country’s troubled north and western regions, marking a new chapter for drug trafficking.

In early February, leaders of three Colombian criminal gangs (called by the government BACRIMs - 'bandas criminales'), the Rastrojos, the Urabeños and the Paisas – reportedly met in Medellin to clarify the borders between their respective areas of control in the country. Colombian daily El Pais interviewed two anonymous sources familiar with the meeting, who said that it was attended by Fernando Varon, alias "Martin Bala," a Rastrojos leader, the Urabeños’  "Mi Sangre,” and Julio Cesar Sanchez alias "El Politico," a leader of the once-powerful Paisas. Sanchez was captured just days after the meeting, in the northern province of Cordoba.

Argentina Struggles to Rein in Police Corruption

The arrest of four police accused of murdering a homeless man in order to boost their image illustrates that although Argentina is one of the safest countries in the hemisphere, police corruption and misconduct remain a serious problem.

On February 10, a Buenos Aires judge ordered the arrest of four policemen for allegedly staging the January 2011 murder of Andres Lezcano, who had been working as a paid informant for police on the outskirts of the capital city. Prosecutors allege that the officers, in an attempt to regain status after losing some of their equipment, shot Lezcano and made it look as if he had been attempting an armed robbery. Lezcano, a lower-class drug addict, was apparently targeted because the officers thought no one would miss him after his death. According to leading Argentine daily Clarin, the case is an example of the “well-oiled mechanism of corruption” within the police force.

Dawn of Honduras Election Season Sparks Warnings of Narco-Politics

As politicians prep for Honduras’ 2013 general elections, allegations are surfacing that some electoral bids are funded by drug money, leaving the authorities with the challenge of keeping tainted candidates out of the running.

Victor Hugo Barnica, head of Honduras' National Council against Drug Trafficking (CNN), warned recently that organized criminal groups are working to put their chosen candidates in power. He said that drug traffickers are investing heavily in backing certain candidates in the parties’ November internal elections and primaries to select candidates for the 2013 general elections, when the country will elect a new president, members of congress, and mayors.

Shifting Alliances Cannot Halt Decline of Mexico Cartels

A new report argues that, far from fracturing, Mexico's drug trafficking groups are stronger than at the beginning of Calderon's time in office. However, this overlooks the fragile and fast-changing nature of alliances between these gangs, and the shifting nature of the power they wield.

A recent article published by Proceso argues that Calderon’s crime policy has not only coincided with a dramatic increase in the number of murders linked to organized crime, but has also had the perverse effect of strengthening the very gangs it should be weakening. Written by the longtime drug war chronicler Ricardo Ravelo, it states that:

Pakistan, India Renew Nuke Accident Accord

Rivals Pakistan and India on Tuesday said they had decided to renew for another five years a bilateral accord intended to lower the potential for nuclear arms mishaps, the Press Trust of India reported. The Agreement on Reducing the Risk from Accidents Relating to Nuclear Weapons was first implemented in February 2007 with a five-year timeline, according to the Pakistani Foreign Office. The new extension means the agreement would now expire in February 2017. Indian and Pakistani government specialists in December agreed the pact should be renewed in accordance with joint efforts to improve mutual trust on nuclear-weapon issues. The nuclear-armed states have fought three wars since 1947. A bilateral comprehensive peace process begun in the 2000s ground to a halt following the 2008 terrorist attacks on the Indian city of Mumbai that resulted in more than 160 deaths. New Delhi blamed for Islamabad for not doing enough to suppress militant groups operating from Pakistani territory. The two sides in 2011 agreed to reinvigorate the peace talks, which include consideration of nuclear confidence-building measures. The South Asian states in December also agreed to advance plans to renew another accord that requires each country to notify the other prior to a ballistic missile trial launch (Press Trust of India/The Hindu, Feb. 21).

Russia Vows to Neutralize NATO Missile Shield if Deal is Not Struck

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday said his nation will work to neutralize any advantages gained by NATO through establishment of a European missile shield if the two military powers fail to reach a compromise on the issue, RIA Novosti reported. "This does not mean the beginning of confrontation, but it means that we cannot treat their plans indifferently since it concerns our strategic interests," Medvedev said regarding updates to Russia's own antimissile complex. NATO is pursuing a missile defense system that would focus on enhancing and coordinating individual member states' antimissile programs. At the center of the effort is a U.S. plan to through 2020 deploy increasingly advanced missile interceptors at bases in Poland and Romania and on battleships home ported in Spain. The stated purpose of the missile shield is to protect Europe against a feared ballistic missile attack from the Middle East. Moscow, however, continues to suspect the interceptors would secretly be aimed at its long-range nuclear missiles.

The PKK in 2012

As a result of the crackdown on the Kurdisk PKK by the Turkish government the organisation has lost much of its popular support. In the light of the Arab Spring and growing tensions between Turkey and its neighbours the PKK might strive to regain support through its old habits of violence, or try to emulate the popular resistance movements. The killing of 34 Kurdish civilians last December in an airstrike in Uludere, on the Turkish-Iraqi border, is as good a starting point as any in trying to fathom the dynamics at work in the latest round of confrontation between the Turkish state and the PKK.1 The official version of events is that the victims were mistaken for PKK fighters smuggling weapons into Turkey from Iraq. They later turned out to be civilians smuggling cigarettes and diesel.

Analyzing The Present Iranian Crisis

Iran is presently the centre of international controversy with Israel leading a strong campaign against it. As per the logic of Tel Aviv, the nuclear programme of Iran poses an existential threat and it is ready to take all measures to ensure its survival. Similarly, Washington and the European Union are also up in arms and giving several reasons to justify sanctions against Iran. The current anti-Iran posturing of West has several hidden meanings. The Iranian nuclear issue is a cause of concern, but the question is the West — which once had complete monopoly on nuclear science –  and Israel – which has some 250 nuclear arsenals -  really worried about the Iranian ‘weapons’ in making. Iran has unique history and from the Islamic revolution of 1979, till the present date it has been deprived of good friends in the West, but due to its energy resources and geopolitical location it has remained a pertinent international player. Iran is also a country, which is consistent on its position against Israel and this has also remained a bone of contention.

China Fears Rise In Fuel Prices As Result Of Iran Tensions

China is examining plans for raising state-controlled fuel prices as it weighs the risk of disruptions in oil supplies from Iran. On Feb. 8, state media reported that officials are studying quicker responses to market pressures after the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) hiked fuel prices for the first time since last April. Aside from the 3.6-percent increase this month, the only other recent change came last October when the NDRC cut pump prices by about 3 percent after a long delay in reflecting world market trends. China’s price rules, which are meant to protect consumers, often wind up doing the opposite by failing to keep pace with market conditions, resulting in fuel shortages and losses for state-owned refiners.
Under the current formula, the NDRC only allows retail price changes after shifts of at least 4 percent in crude oil costs over 22 working days. In practice, the government has delayed action for far longer periods due to inflation, social concerns or industry subsidy demands. Last year, the NDRC allowed gasoline prices to rise by only 6.4 percent although crude oil prices climbed as much as 38 percent, the official Xinhua news agency said.

Economic Crisis And Emerging Powers: Towards A New International Order?

International order within a system of more or less sovereign states implies the absence of major conflict between those states. It implies their general acceptance of norms of international behaviour that preserve the peace and enable them to pursue their objectives in a competitive manner but without jeopardizing the peace and prosperity of others. International order does not imply the absence of low-level conflict around the world or the disappearance of various other forms of injustice. From a European perspective, then, the question of whether we are moving towards a ‘new international order’ generally implies that a transfer of power is taking place from states in the West to those in the East and, therefore, from ‘us’ to ‘them’. Seen from this perspective, international order could easily decay over the coming years. Large-scale international disorder was a central feature of the early 20th century when two World Wars accompanied the rebalancing of power among states in Europe, the Middle East and in the Asia-Pacific region. And the further rebalancing of power at the end of the Second World War evolved into a Cold War between the US-led Western bloc and its protectorates, on the one hand, and the Soviet Union and its network of proxies, on the other. The fear is that China, India, Brazil and other emerging powers may increasingly ignore the norms, rules and institutional arrangements put in place by the US and European nations after 1945 or seek to redefine them to their advantage. At a minimum, they may limit efforts by some in the West to extend or deepen those rules or institutions, by transforming the Kyoto Protocol into a global agreement on combating climate change, for example, or by further opening markets through the Doha trade round.

The Intensifying Covert War Between Iran And The West

The magnetic bomb – attached to his car – that killed Professor Mustafa Ahmadi Roshan in Tehran on January 11, 2012 is the latest in a series of assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists involved in Iran’s nuclear program. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused the Israeli secret service, Mossad, of being behind this murder. As was predicted, the Netanyahu administration totally rejected this accusation. An alternative explanation to Israel’s involvement is based on the growing tension between Ahmadinejad and Ali Khamenei, the Iranian Supreme Leader. There may also be a connection to the upcoming U.S. presidential elections. The Israeli frenzy in calling for a preemptive strike against Iran’s facilities could actually portend a significant turning point in the intricate story of the Iranian nuclear dossier. Coincidence or not, Professor Ahmadi Roshan was the deputy head of the government’s commercial uranium enrichment site at Natanz. The Iranian Fars news agency reported that he had been involved in a project for the production of polymeric membranes for gaseous diffusions, a technology used to produce enriched uranium.

Understanding The Great Trade Collapse Of 200

The sharp, sudden, and synchronised fall in world trade that took place in the wake of the 2008–09 financial crisis is one of the most remarkable events to hit international trade in decades. What is particularly striking is not so much the fact that trade fell in the months following the beginning of the financial crisis, but rather that trade contracted so much more than output: in 2009, real world output decreased by 0.7%, whereas real trade flows collapsed by a much larger proportion, 11%. These developments are surprising because they stand in sharp contrast with past experience (Figure 1). The dynamics of trade in 2008–09 were striking enough to become widely known as the Great Trade Collapse (Baldwin 2009).

Le Nigéria bientôt purifié de ses chrétiens ?

Depuis des années déjà, sur fond de réislamisation des 12 Etats du Nord du pays à majorité musulmane, le Nigéria premier producteur de pétrole d'Afrique, peuplé de 150 millions d’habitants, est le théâtre de violences ethno-religieuses de plus en plus meurtrières qui menacent l’unité même du pays. Ces violences intercommunautaires opposent grosso modo les ethnies musulmanes du Nord du pays, plus pauvre, aux ethnies chrétiennes originaires du Sud, plus riche. Elles ont déjà fait des milliers de morts et elles pourraient même, à terme, dégénérer en guerre civile. Il est vrai que cet antagonisme islamo-chrétien n’est pas nouveau. Mais il s’est nettement intensifié depuis le début des années 2000, lorsque la Loi islamique, la charià, a été imposée dans 12 Etats nordistes – gérés par des gouverneurs musulmans – aux minorités animistes et chrétiennes, qui refusent de devenir des citoyens de seconde zone.

Comment Israël détruira le nucléaire iranien

Concernant d'éventuelles frappes préventives israéliennes contre le nucléaire offensif iranien, David Isenberg dans Asia Times écrit (extraits adaptés) : Les Iraniens connaissent les capacités israéliennes et savent que cet Etat possède des bombes antibunker intelligentes fabriquées par les Etats-Unis. Le programme nucléaire iranien est dispersé sur tout le pays, le nombre de sites varie de 12 à 20, voire plus. Les installations ont été construites en gardant à l'esprit les capacités américaine et israélienne et sont protégées par un système de défense antiaérienne moderne russe. L'élément essentiel du programme nucléaire iranien est sans doute l'usine de Natanz. Le cœur du site est la zone des centrifugeuses, installées sous terre dans une structure renforcée. Mais même si Israël limitait ses cibles, il faudrait quand même qu'il attaque d'autres sites. Par exemple, l'usine d'enrichissement d'uranium de Fordo – elle a accueilli 3,5 % de l'uranium enrichi de Natanz –, près de Qom, qui est plus récente et est hautement fortifiée. Ou l'usine de conversion d'uranium d'Ispahan, l'usine de production d'eau lourde qui est en construction à Arak et les centrifugeuses qui sont situées près de Téhéran. Il y a près de 1'609 kilomètres à vol d'oiseau entre Israël et le site de Natanz. Comme les deux pays n'ont pas de frontière commune, les avions ou les missiles israéliens devraient survoler un espace aérien étranger – et hostile – pour parvenir à leur objectif. La méthode la moins risquée pour toucher Natanz, serait d'envoyer des missiles balistiques à moyenne portée Jéricho I ou III.

Renseignement : L’infrastructure internationale du Hezbollah

Le 12 février 2011, les services de renseignement grecs ont arrêté deux Libanais d’origine palestinienne soupçonnés d’avoir voulu planifier et perpétrer un attentat terroriste. Les suspects ont été identifiés. Ce sont des membres du « Fatah al-Islam », une organisation issue du camp de Nahr al-Bared, un camp où sont parqués des « réfugiés » palestiniens dans le nord du Liban. Le quotidien italien Corriere della Sera avait mentionné que les deux terroristes étaient entrés clandestinement en Grèce. Leur mission était d’infiltrer les terroristes d’une autre organisation islamiste en utilisant de faux passeports.

Taiwan to Arm Subs with U.S. Missiles

Taiwan’s navy will arm its submarines with anti-ship missiles for the first time ever beginning next year, a report said Feb. 22, as the island boosts its defense capabilities against rival China. The Taipei-based United Daily News said the navy, which ordered the U.S.-built Harpoon missiles in 2008, recently test-fired the weapons in the United States, in preparation for installing them on its two Dutch-built submarines. “The missiles will become operational on the two submarines next year,” the newspaper said, citing an unnamed naval source. It said that the more than 30 missiles, which have a range of 72 miles, will give the two submarines long-distance strike capabilities that they have previously lacked. Taiwan’s navy declined to comment on the report, citing a long-standing policy of not discussing arms purchases with the media.

Russia Tells Norway To Keep Aegis BMD System off Vessels

Russia has warned Norway not to get pulled into a possible area of conflict by bowing to U.S. pressure to equip its naval vessels with Aegis ballistic missile defense system missiles. The warning came from Nikolai Makarov, commander of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. Russia hopes to eliminate this threat through talks and greater transparency and military cooperation with Norway, said Makarov, adding that Russia will not accept U.S. vessels equipped with the Aegis system operating near its Arctic territories or in the Black Sea.

A New Strategic Role for Cyprus

The island of Cyprus has for centuries been the cat’s paw of foreign powers, including the United States. But now, with the discovery of vast deposits of natural gas, the tables have turned. The strategic balance of power has shifted and is a threat to stability in the region. For the Crusaders, Cyprus was a place d’armes, guarding the route to the Holy Land, and for a hundred years it protected Venetian trade until the Ottomans conquered the island in 1571. For the British, who took control in 1878, it protected the sea route through the Suez Canal, and with the Cold War Cyprus took on a new significance. In 1960, Cyprus became independent with a constitution that shared power between the Greek Cypriot majority and Turkish Cypriot minority. However, Britain retained two sovereign base areas, which, together with intelligence-monitoring facilities, were crucial in tracking Soviet missile launches and, now, in monitoring Iran.

The Economic and Geopolitical importance of Eastern Mediterranean gas fields for Greece and the EU

“Europe is currently confronted with a unique challenge and a remarkable opportunity! A challenge and opportunity faced also by countries of the Eastern Mediterranean, EU-member and non-EU alike. For the first time ever in Europe’s energy history, the EU is guaranteed an uninterrupted supply of a traditional energy source: The already confirmed and estimated discoveries of substantial hydrocarbon deposits in the Eastern Mediterranean can be complimented by the scientifically estimated deposits within the Exclusive Economic Zone of Greece and in particular those that lie south and southwest of the island of Crete.

The estimated Greek hydrocarbon deposits complete the European energy puzzle as they contribute to a now more than possible (long-term) scenario that envisages an Israel-Cyprus-Greece-Italy pipeline network, dictating a transit route that avoids non-EU countries and thus guaranteeing an uninterrupted energy supply source for the EU, of the EU.

Arrests of two accused Syrian spies in Germany and subsequent expulsion of four Syrian diplomatic personnel

Two men, identified solely as Akram O. and Mahmoud El A., a Syrian national and a German-Lebanese dual citizen respectively, were taken into custody in Berlin on the 7th on suspicion of espionage targeting Syrian opposition groups operating in Germany. They are alleged to have carried out a systematic monitoring spanning a number of years. The suspects themselves had been under surveillance by the German domestic intelligence service. Approximately 70 officers conducted a search of both men’s apartments, as well as the homes of six purported accomplices, according to the Federal Prosecutors’ Office. No additional details were provided and the investigation is continuing. The arrests occurred against a backdrop of worldwide disapprobation at Syria’s ruthless crackdown on domestic opposition forces, that has claimed more than 5000 lives in less than a year of political resistance. Two days later, the German Foreign Minister, Guido Westerwelle disclosed the expulsion of four Syrians attached to the embassy in Berlin. The three men and one woman were ordered to depart from Germany within three days. The Foreign Ministry cited activities not in keeping with their diplomatic position. Westerwelle would not elaborate on the grounds for the expulsions but did make mention of the arrests.

Expulsion of Rwandan Diplomat by Sweden amid allegations of refugee espionage

A well placed source has disclosed to the Associated Press under cover of anonymity that the Swedish government ordered a Rwandan diplomat to leave the country earlier this month because of espionage targeting Rwandan exiles living there. A second anonymous source identified the Rwandan envoy as Evode Mudaheranwa, who held the second highest ranking position at the Rwandan embassy. The two sources opted for anonymity due to the delicate diplomatic situation. Both the Swedish Foreign Ministry and the Rwandan legation have refused to address the current matter. A modest number of Rwandans reside in Sweden, and count among their ranks opponents of Rwandan President Paul Kagame’s regime who operate blogs and online newspapers.

Bashar’s ‘Iron Fist’

Svadkovsky

Capture from a video, purportedly from Homs, that shows Free Syrian Army soldiers with members of al-Qa'ida. In the background, alongside the banners of the Free Syrian Army, there are the familiar black flags of al Qaeda's Iraqi branch, with the black background and white Arabic script, featuring the Shahadah on top and a circular logo bearing the words "Allah, Rasul Mohammed." The black background indicates the Islamist militants' mindset: they are fighting in Dar al-Harb against an infidel regime. This point is corroborated by the fact that they identify the Free Syrian Army with the "mumineen" ("believers"). (Source: youtube)

The iron fist against “terrorist gangs” as promised by Bashar Assad got off to a fairly impressive start two weeks ago. Homs — the Benghazi of the Syrian rebels — has been subjected to massive and sustained shelling for days, causing hundreds of fatalities among the defenders. With the fist heading for its third week, however, the spectacular artillery barrages seem to have delivered little.

The Two Faces of Al Jazeera

One of the principal beneficiaries of the Arab uprisings has been Al Jazeera television. Viewers are praising the English and Arabic channels’ comprehensive coverage of the revolts while the Obama administration continues to court the network as part of its signature foreign policy goal of improving ties with the Arab and Muslim worlds. On August 1, 2011, Al Jazeera English (AJE) began broadcasting to two million cable subscribers in New York — the third major U.S. city to carry the station after Houston and Washington, D.C.^[1] AJE’s gutsy, driven reporting — one commentator aptly commended its “hustle”^[2] — has won it friends in high places: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lauded the channel as “real news,”^[3] and Sen. John McCain (Republican, Ariz.) said he was “very proud” of its handling of the so-called Arab Spring.^[4]
Lost in the exuberance is the fact that a vast gulf still separates the channel’s English iteration from the original Arabic, which fifteen years after its birth continues to inflame Arab resentments in its promotion of anti-Americanism, Sunni sectarianism and, in recent years, Islamism. As AJE debuts in New York, many viewers who do not speak Arabic will presume the station to be a direct or approximate translation of its parent network in Qatar.^[5] But to appreciate what Al Jazeera English is, it is critical to remember just what it is not — even a remote likeness of its Arabic-speaking progenitor.

Iran Cuts Down to Six Weeks Timeline for Weapons-Grade Uranium

Tehran this week hardened its nuclear and military policies in defiance of tougher sanctions and ahead of international nuclear talks.
The threat by Iran’s armed forces deputy chief Gen. Mohammad Hejazi of a preemptive strike against its “enemies,” was accompanied by its refusal to allow UN nuclear watchdog inspectors to visit the Parchin facility, following which the IAEA chief cut their mission short.
Western and Israeli intelligence experts have concluded that the transfer of 20 percent uranium enrichment to the underground Fordo site near Qom has shortened Iran’s race for the 90 percent (weapons) grade product to six weeks.

Germans, French Were Keen to Sell Arms to Greece

As Greeks waited for a second eurozone rescue package to finally be agreed in Brussels today, many were blaming Germany and France for encouraging and benefiting from some of the much-criticized profligate spending that reduced Greece to near bankruptcy. About 1000 protesters gathered in front of the Greek Parliament in central Athens yesterday, while riot police waited to see if there would be a fresh confrontation. But, in general, Greeks are resigned to the new package of austerity measures which will cut jobs in public service and slash pensions and the minimum wage. Hopes are high that the eurozone ministers’ meeting today will agree to the €130 billion bailout after Athens detailed the new budget cuts. While most Greeks are critical of the reforms on which the troika of the EU, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank are insisting, many also feel that Germany and France share some of the blame for Greece’s overspending.

Saudi Arabia vows to end violence with "iron fist"

Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry said on Monday its security forces would use "an iron fist" to end violence in a Shi'ite Muslim area of the country and defended its tactics against what it called foreign-backed troublemakers.
Sunni Muslim kingdom Saudi Arabia has blamed an unnamed foreign power, widely understood to mean Shi'ite Iran, for backing attacks on its security forces in its Eastern Province. But members of the Shi'ite minority in the area have accused the kingdom's own security force of using violence against protesters. "It is the state's right to confront those that confront it first ... and the Saudi Arabian security forces will confront such situations ... with determination and force and with an iron first," the ministry said in a statement. The statement came in response to a sermon preached in the Qatif area of the Eastern Province last week that criticized the government's handling of the situation, in which at least six people have been killed, a ministry spokesman said.

8 Reasons Why The Greek Debt Deal May Not Stop A Chaotic Greek Debt Default

The global financial system is not a game of checkers.  It is a game of chess.  All over the world today, news headlines are proclaiming that this new Greek debt deal has completely eliminated the possibility of a chaotic Greek debt default.  Unfortunately, that is simply not the case.  Rather, the truth is that this new deal actually “sets the table” for a Greek debt default.  When I was studying and working in the legal arena, I learned that sometimes you make an agreement so that you can get the other side to break it.  That may sound very strange to the average person on the street, but this is how the game is played at the highest levels.  It is all about strategy.  And in this case, the new debt deal imposes such strict conditions on Greece that it is almost inevitable that Greece will fail to meet some of them.  When Greece does fail, Germany and the other northern European nations may try to claim that they “did everything that they could” but that Greece just did not “live up to its obligations”.  So does this mean that we will definitely see a chaotic Greek debt default?  No.  What this does mean is that the chess pieces are being moved into position for one. The following are 8 reasons why the Greek debt deal may not stop a chaotic Greek debt default….

Nigel Farage - Greece being destroyed by EU fanatical ideology

EU plans to freeze Hungary funds over budget deficit

The European Commission plans to suspend 495m euros (£417m; $655m) of Hungary's EU funds next year because of the country's budget deficit. The penalty is "unprecedented" for an EU nation, said a statement from the commission - the EU's executive arm. The sum represents 29% of Hungary's cohesion (development) fund allocation. Last month the commission threatened Hungary with legal action over new laws said to restrict the independence of its central bank and courts. Hungary has until 1 January next year to improve its budget finances - otherwise the EU funds will be frozen.

France asks EU to suspend GM crop authorisation

France's ecology ministry said Monday it had asked European regulators to suspend authorisation for the use of genetically modified MON 810 maize crops from US company Monsanto based on new studies. The request is "based on the latest scientific studies" which show that the use of the GM crops "pose significant risks for the environment," the ministry said in a statement.

Jihadi Soft Power in Tunisia: Ansar al-Shari’ah’s Convoy Provides Aid to the Town of Haydrah in West Central Tunisia

Yesterday, the salafi group Ansar al-Shari’ah in Tunisia provided aid in a convoy to residents in the city of Haydrah (Haïdra) in West Central Tunisia who have been hit hard by extremely cold weather. This may give pause and alarm to the elites in Tunis. As Erik Churchill, based in Tunisia and an independent development consultant, pointed out to me: “The French speaking elites have been patting themselves on the back the last few weeks for their ability to mobilize aid to these regions. Ansar al-Shari’ah’s work shows that the elites (both secular and an-Nahdha) do not have a monopoly on this kind of social work.”
Over the previous few weeks, there has been a major cold front, which included sub-zero temperatures and snow in northwest and west central Tunisia in regions within the governorates of Jendouba and Kasserine. Due to the remoteness of some of the locations and coinciding with many strikes and protests by factory and distribution center workers, there has been a major shortage of essential goods to stay warm and replenish food supplies. According to Tunisia-Live:

Ten questions Britain’s William Hague won't answer about Iran crisis

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, British Foreign Secretary William Hague claims that Iran is threatening to spark a nuclear arms race in the Middle East which could be more dangerous than the original East-West Cold War.

William Hague’s double talk

"It is a crisis coming down the tracks,” he says. “Because they are clearly continuing their nuclear weapons programme… If they obtain nuclear weapons capability, then I think other nations across the Middle East will want to develop nuclear weapons.

“And so, the most serious round of nuclear proliferation since nuclear weapons were invented would have begun with all the destabilizing effects in the Middle East.

How Greece Could Take Down Wall Street

In an article titled “Still No End to ‘Too Big to Fail,’” William Greider wrote in The Nation on February 15th: Financial market cynics have assumed all along that Dodd-Frank did not end “too big to fail” but instead created a charmed circle of protected banks labeled “systemically important” that will not be allowed to fail, no matter how badly they behave. That may be, but there is one bit of bad behavior that Uncle Sam himself does not have the funds to underwrite: the $32 trillion market in credit default swaps (CDS).  Thirty-two trillion dollars is more than twice the U.S. GDP and more than twice the national debt. CDS are a form of derivative taken out by investors as insurance against default.  According to the Comptroller of the Currency, nearly 95% of the banking industry’s total exposure to derivatives contracts is held by the nation’s five largest banks: JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Bank of America, HSBC, and Goldman Sachs.  

Russia: Israeli attack on Iran would be catastrophe

Russia warned Israel not to attack Iran over its nuclear program, saying on Wednesday that military action would have catastrophic consequences. "Of course any possible military scenario against Iran will be catastrophic for the region and for the whole system of international relations," Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said. "Therefore I hope Israel understands all these consequences ... and they should also consider the consequences of such action for themselves," Gatilov said at a news conference. Gatilov's comments came as Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday that Tehran's nuclear course would not change regardless of international sanctions, assassinations or other pressures. "With God's help, and without paying attention to propaganda, Iran's nuclear course should continue firmly and seriously ... Pressures, sanctions and assassinations will bear no fruit. No obstacles can stop Iran's nuclear work."

Globalists Push Internet Control Freak Treaty at the United Nations

Popular outrage over SOPA and PIPA has forced the globalists to seek a new line of attack in their effort to control the internet. On February 27, they will engage in a “diplomatic process” that will hand over to the United Nations unprecedented control over a free and open internet. Numerous countries are pushing for United Nations governance over the internet by the end of the year, including Russia and China. Russian PM Vladimir Putin said last year his goal is to impose “international control over the Internet” through the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a treaty-based organization under the auspices of the UN.

“I Won’t Pay Movement”

Leftists shine when it comes to direct action. And that’s what they are doing in Greece and elsewhere in Europe in response to bankster imposed austerity measures – direct action at the point of highway robbery. In the above video, we see students and unemployed workers shutting down public transportation toll collection. It’s called the “I Won’t Pay” movement. It began last year in Greece and has spread to other locales on the continent, including Spain and Sweden. Thousands of Greeks are now refusing to validate their public transit tickets following well-publicized protests by leftists and communists in response to ticket price hikes by the government. Some believe this sort of civil disobedience is ineffective and merely theatrical, but it is a good way for people to make a point – they are opposed to the state acting as an enforcer for the IMF, the World Bank and the international bankers. Maybe Texans outraged by the Trans Texas Corridor and proposed toll roads should think about following the lead of Greek leftists.

Alert on Hacker Power Play

The director of the National Security Agency has warned that the hacking group Anonymous could have the ability within the next year or two to bring about a limited power outage through a cyberattack. Gen. Keith Alexander, the director, provided his assessment in meetings at the White House and in other private sessions, according to people familiar with the gatherings. While he hasn't publicly expressed his concerns about the potential for Anonymous to disrupt power supplies, he has warned publicly about an emerging ability by cyberattackers to disable or even damage computer networks. Gen. Alexander's warning signals a growing federal concern over the capabilities of Anonymous, a loose affiliation of so-called hacktivist computer programmers who have launched a raft of high-profile cyberassaults against U.S. government and corporate targets such as Visa Inc., MasterCard Inc. and eBay Inc.'s PayPal service.

Anonymous attacks WSJ page hours after story warning group is getting more powerful

A number of Wall Street Journal Facebook pages were the subject of a comment flashmob Tuesday, claimed by Anonymous, just hours after the Journal published a report that warned the hacker group was getting more powerful.
The Anonymous Kollektiv, believed to based in Germany, told participants to copy the following message on Journal sites:

“Dear editors of the German Wall Street Journal, You equated Anonymous with al-Qaeda in your February 2012 article and the related coverage. With this type of coverage you may be able to stir up fear in the United States, but not in the land of poets and thinkers! With this comment, we would like to oppose the deliberate dissemination of false information and express our displeasure with your lobby journalism. We are Anonymous. We are millions. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us!”

How the Yakuza went nuclear

The denials began almost immediately. “There has been no meltdown,” government spokesman Yukio Edano intoned in the days after March 11. “It was an unforeseeable disaster,” Tepco’s then president Masataka Shimizu chimed in. As we now know, the meltdown was already taking place. And the disaster was far from unforeseeable.
Tepco has long been a scandal-ridden company, caught time and time again covering up data on safety lapses at their power plants, or doctoring film footage which showed fissures in pipes. How was the company able to get away with such long-standing behaviour? According to an explosive book recently published in Japan, they owe it to what the author, Tomohiko Suzuki, calls “Japan’s nuclear mafia… A conglomeration of corrupt politicians and bureaucrats, the shady nuclear industry, their lobbyists…” And at the centre of it all stands Japan’s actual mafia: the yakuza.

Strike Apart: Israel & US clash over Iran attack

Evacuation warning to Britons in Greece as country prepares to sign off yet another rescue package

Britons in Greece were warned yesterday they may have to be evacuated. It comes as eurozone ministers prepare to sign off another £108billion rescue package for the crippled economy. Tonight as the bailout approaches, Netherlands Finance Minister has said it's 'really an issue' that Greece has 'time and time again' failed to satisfy the conditions imposed upon it by the international community. Foreign Secretary William Hague revealed Britons were being urged to register with the consulate as officials are updating plans to evacuate citizens ‘on a daily basis’ in case Greece goes under. There has been widespread civil unrest in the country as the prospect of it defaulting on its loans and exiting the euro has grown. Last night 3,000 protesters clashed with riot police in Athens as Greek prime minister Lucas Papademos flew to Brussels for last-minute preparations to seal the bailout deal. As demonstrators poured into he capital's central Syntagma square riot police shielded the national assembly. Economists do not expect the new package to resolve Greece's economic problems which could take up to a decade to tackle. 

Canada: Section 34 of the Online Surveillance Bill Would Give Orwellian Powers to Government-Appointed ‘Inspectors’

Among other things, the bill requires ISPs to install surveillance technology and software to enable monitoring of phone and internet traffic. Section 34 is there to make sure ISPs comply. So what, exactly, does it say?
Essentially, it says that government agents may enter an ISP when they wish, without a warrant, and demand to see absolutely everything — including all data anywhere on the network — and to copy it all. If that seems hard to believe, let’s walk through it.

Signs Beyond Western Eyes: Unpacking The Announcement of the al-Bara’ ibn Malik Martyrs Brigade

This past Thursday, on February 16, a group of around twenty individuals claiming to be part of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), released a video message to YouTube announcing the formation of a new battalion named the al-Bara’ ibn Malik Martyrs Brigade. It should be noted that during the Iraq war, al-Qa’ida in Iraq (AQI) also named one of their battalions the al-Bara’ ibn Malik Martyrs Brigade. There is no definitive proof that the new battalion established by the FSA is connected with the old al-Qa’ida in Iraq networks. That said, one should be cognizant of the expansive facilitation networks there were for foreign fighters attempting to join the Iraq jihad in Syria.

Thai Muslim Leader: Mossad’s MEK Responsible for Diplomat Attack

As officials in Thailand paraded suspects accused of attacking Israeli diplomats in Bangkok before the corporate media, new details emerged about the attack and the group responsible for them. Syedsulaiman Husaini, the Shia leader of Thailand, said on Sunday that the inept bomb plot targeting Israeli diplomats was the work of the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization, also known as MEK. He said Thai officials are not familiar with the terrorist group.

Former CIA Boss Says Iran Will Attack Statue of Liberty

Former CIA boss James Woolsey told WABC Radio in New York that Iran will retaliate against the United States by taking out the Statue of Liberty.
“We will have a very serious problem from terrorism if we insist on Iran shutting down its nuclear program, but we have to do that. And so we have to get ready to deal with assaults on government facilities, on famous symbols of the country like the Statue of Liberty, on Jewish synagogues, there are a number of things Hezbollah could go after… and they probably will,” Woolsey told Aaron Klein.

Signs of Iran activity in Yemen, US envoy says

Iran is becoming more active in Yemen and could pose a deeper threat to its stability and security, the US envoy to Yemen said on Monday, highlighting what would be yet another layer of uncertainty in a near-failed state. US Ambassador Gerald Feierstein's warning is likely to reinforce long-held fears among Sunni Gulf monarchies that Shi'ite Muslim power Iran is trying exploit regional unrest. "We do see Iran trying to increase its presence here, in ways that we believe are unhelpful to Yemen's stability and security," Feierstein said in an interview one day before Yemenis head to the polls to elect a new president to replace Ali Abdullah Saleh, ending his three decades in power. The election, where Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi is the sole candidate, is part of a power transfer plan backed by the United States and brokered by Gulf Arab countries after a year of protests against Saleh's rule.

Greece Throws in the Towel, Bows to German Jackboot

Greeks expect to agree a deal with the Eurozone leaders today, Monday, that will cede much of their country’s independence. Greece will become an economic – and to a large extent a political – colony of Germany and its allies. Berlin will have a say in everything from the choice of prime minister to the types of medicines dispensed by pharmacies.
In return for €230bn, made up of €130bn in fresh loans and €100bn in write-downs on privately held Greek government bonds, Greece is relieved from its immediate debt burden. But the money does not go to the Greek government, still less to the Greek people. It simply leaves them to live off the money they earn.
For all the television pictures of rioting protesters, clouds of tear gas and burning buildings in central Athens over the last week, a striking feature of the political landscape is the lack of resistance to the German terms. The Greek political elite sound and look stunned, grudgingly surrendering to the demands of the Troika (EU, IMF and European Central Bank), but bereft of ideas about what else to do.

Consequences To Expect If The U.S. Invades Iran

Let’s be honest, quite a few Americans love a good war, especially those Americans who have never had to bear witness to one first hand.  War is the ultimate tribally vicarious experience.  Anyone, even pudgy armchair generals with deep-seated feelings of personal inadequacy, can revel in the victories and actions of armies a half a world away as if they themselves stood on the front lines risking possible annihilation at the hands of dastardly cartoon-land “evil doers”.  They may have never done a single worthwhile thing in their lives, but at least they can bask in the perceived glory of their country’s military might.

Data collection arms race feeds privacy fears

This week’s revelations that Google Inc, Twitter and other popular Internet companies have been taking liberties with customer data have prompted criticism from privacy advocates and lawmakers, along with apologies from the companies. They are the latest in a long line of missteps by large Internet companies that have faced little punishment for pushing privacy boundaries, which are already more expansive than most consumers understand.

Government spy programme will monitor every phone call, text and email

Director of Big Brother Watch, Nick Pickles, told The Sunday Times: ‘How many parents knew that a simple mobile phone game would give someone the ability to access their child’s location, see what their camera lens is looking at or see the phone number of who is calling their child?’
Government spy programme will monitor every phone call, text and email… and details will be kept for up to a year
Details about text messages, phone calls, emails and every website visited by members of the public will be kept on record in a bid to combat terrorism. The Government will order broadband providers, landline and mobile phone companies to save the information for up to a year under a new security scheme. What is said in the texts, emails or phone calls will not be kept but information on the senders, recipients and their geographical whereabouts will be saved.

Slaves to Euro: Greece at austerity abyss

What's My Debt, Dad? Greece left to beg for pocket money'

Venezuelan Government: Oil Spill under Control

Venezuelan Environmental Minister Alejandro Hitcher has confirmed that the government has managed to contain over 90% of the leaked crude oil which escaped into the Guarapiche River when a pipeline ruptured on the 4th of February.
In comments made to press agencies last Saturday, Hitcher said that the actions of the national government had managed to avert an ecological disaster in the eastern state of Monagas where the pipeline burst.
“Yes, there was an oil spill in Monagas state, everyone knows that, but thanks to the effective actions of Environment Ministry and the (clean-up) teams, we were able to contain 90% of the spill," said Hitcher.
Venezuelan news agencies report that a pipeline carrying crude oil from Maturin city as part of the government’s Jusepin project burst over 2 weeks ago, with the crude flowing into the adjacent river. Around 2,000 employees from state oil company PDVSA have been deployed to the area in order to help with the clean-up efforts, using absorbent barriers to contain the oil and industrial skimming machines to extract it. Photos of the clean-up operation have provoked concern from observers, who note that some workers have not been provided with adequate protective clothing.

US Ambassadors to Venezuela: A Chronology of Failure

During his 13-year-long presidency Hugo Chavez had to deal with five US ambassadors and numerous charge d'affaires. The history of relations between them and the Venezuelan leader shows how successfully one can oppose a policy of blackmail, conspiracy, overturns and 'orange revolutions'.
John Maisto and Donna Hrinak
The very first ambassador- John Maisto- arrived in Venezuela in 1997. His credentials were accepted by elderly Rafael Caldera, the last president of the corrupt Fourth Republic, which by that time had fully exhausted its potential. Venezuela was then preparing for presidential elections, and the U.S. propaganda was targeting Chavez’s candidacy.

Captures Top Overdick-Zetas Lieutenant

Guatemalan authorities captured a top lieutenant of the country's most powerful organized criminal gang, continuing what has been an impressive offensive against the group and its Mexican Zetas allies, launched after a brutal 2011 massacre of 27 farmhands.
ElPeriodico reported that Alvaro Gomez Sanchez, alias "El Sapo Gomez," was captured in Salama, Baja Verapaz, a known center of recruitment and operations for these suspected traffickers. Guatemala's President Otto Perez Molina said the government had been investigating Gomez for two years and labeled him as the head of the Zetas in Guatemala.
More accurately, Gomez is a top lieutenant for Horst Walther Overdick, alias "El Tigre," (pictured above to the right) a Guatemalan national who is arguably the country's largest suspected drug trafficker.
Overdick, who is not formally charged with a crime in Guatemala, is the son of a former mayor and officially a local purchaser and purveyor of cardamom.

UN: Violence, Gang Activity on the Rise in Caribbean

A new UN report paints an alarming picture of the crime surge in the Caribbean, a trend that may escalate if drug trafficking groups come under increasing pressure in Mexico and Central America.
The report, the first one released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to examine security in the Caribbean, is the result of survey responses from some 11,555 citizens and interviews with 450 experts and politicians.
According to the study, every Caribbean country except for two (Barbados and Suriname) saw an increase in homicide rates and gang-linked killings over the past 12 years.
The decline in security is especially evident in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. Although Jamaica saw a seven-year low in homicides in 2011, the 1,124 homicides registered last year make the island the most violent country in the Caribbean, with the third highest homicide rate in the world (60 murders per 100,000 inhabitants).
While not as deadly, the homicide trend in Trinidad and Tobago is just as alarming. Over the past decade the island country saw its murder rate increase more than fivefold to 36 killings per 100,000 people, more than double the average homicide rate of the Americas at 15.6 per 100,000.

Fall From Middle Class

Lessons learned 10 years after failed FARC peace talks

Colombian and American universities, together with several non-governmental organizations released ten lessons they think should be learned from the 1999 - 2002 peace talks that ended unsuccessfully exactly ten years ago on Monday.
The Washington-based Center for Latin American Studies of Georgetown University, Bogota's Los Andes University, the United States Institute of Peace and Colombian Jesuit Research Institute CINEP published the lessons in "10 Years After Caguán: Some lessons to Help Attain Peace.”
Because the publication has only been released in Spanish, Colombia Reports took the liberty to attempt to translate the lessons learned by the study group.

Mexico: Federal Prosecutor Arrested for Drug Ties

Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office announced the arrest of a federal prosecutor in Saltillo, capital of the northern state of Coahuila, for allegedly providing protection to the violent Los Zetas drug cartel.

Claudia Gonzalez Lopez’s arrest occurred Wednesday as part of an ongoing investigation in which other suspects also are being sought, Attorney General Marisela Morales told reporters, adding they will remain unidentified because they are “on the verge of being detained.”

The prosecutor has been jailed in Coahuila for alleged links to organized crime and a federal judge will soon determine her legal status, Morales said Thursday.

Beating The Bomb

FBI Latest Government Agency to Target Social Media