Revolt Injection: Cash, arms & jihadists fuel Syria war

Russia Votes

Nigel Farage: Mass anger could trigger Euro's Greek Spring

Drug economy(?): Africa and the international illicit drug trade

Whilst much attention has been given to the scourge of illicit drug trading on black markets in Latin America, drug trafficking in Africa has continued to increase in severity. African-organised criminal networks have been described as being globally-reaching, flexible and fluid.(2) Its scope and scale has caused international agencies and police alike to be more concerned that Africa’s illicit drug trade could follow that of Mexico’s “gang-fuelled violence.”(3)
In addition, there are fears that the proliferation of this illegal drug trade risks “becoming a development model”(4) for vulnerable countries to follow. As a further cause for concern is the fact that fake malaria drugs are being traded on these illicit markets.(5) It is, therefore, argued that these illicit markets “represent some of the gravest problems in all societies…jeopardising international safety and security.”(6)

The shortcomings of African peacekeeping regarding terrorist groups: The case of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)

Traditionally, peacekeeping is conceptualised as the practice of assisting "countries to navigate the difficult path from conflict to peace."(2) This is principally done by participating or interested actors deploying human and monetary resources into the conflicting region.(3) Various international and regional organisations now facilitate and generate support for dire conflicting situations and, therefore, play a greater role in the conflict, whereas, in the past, the state would hold the imperative to take action. The appeared state of endless conflict on the African continent may be in part due to the after effects of the legacies of colonialism and the Cold War,(4) as great levels of political and social angst remained as well as the proliferation of arms. Thus to many, a generalised Africa is synonymous with conflict. Observers note the activity of peacekeeping in Africa either as a successful or failing solution to African conflicts. Regardless, African peacekeeping remains a vital component to contentious continental situations.(5)

UK Politician Resigns After Saying Israel 'Will Not Go On Forever'

"It will not go on for ever, it will not go on for ever. Israel will lose support and then they will reap what they have sown." These words, spoken by a member of the UK's House of Lords, have sparked a huge amount of controversy in the UK. The Guardian reports that Baroness Jenny Tonge, a Liberal Democrat peer, was filmed making the remarks during a student panel last week. She also went on to say, "One day, the United States of America will get sick of giving £70 billion [$112 billion] a year to Israel to support what I call America's aircraft carrier in the Middle East – that is Israel. One day, the American people are going to say to the Israel lobby in the USA: enough is enough."

FARC shut down transport in western Colombia

Public and cargo transport have come to a halt in the western Colombian department of Choco, following the FARC's declaration of an "armed strike." in the Pacific region. According to Choco Government Secretary Ary Piñeres, the 57th Front of Colombia's largest guerrilla group issued leaflets warning that major transport routes into and around the department would be closed off to passengers and cargo for one week. Following the imposed "armed strike," transport companies have suspended all travel to the region until March 8, newspaper El Tiempo reported. Choco police began surveillance of some of the major road and river routes, while the Army's Fifteenth Brigade has been mobilized to respond to terrorist activity, particularly in urban areas.

Britain hopes to grab Somalia’s untapped oil reserves

In a report published Saturday, The Guardian revealed Britain’s involvement in a secret high-stakes dash for oil in Somalia.
Somalia, a former British colony, has been suffering decades of conflict and is known as a hotbed of piracy plaguing international shipping in the Indian Ocean. In early February, British Foreign Secretary William Hague paid an unannounced visit to Somalia to become the first British Foreign Secretary to visit Mogadishu in almost two decades. He also appointed Matt Baugh as Britain’s first ambassador to war-torn Somalia, which he described the country as “the world’s most failed state.” Last week, UK Prime Minister David Cameron hosted an international conference on Somalia where he pledged more aid, financial help and measures to fight terrorism in the African nation. The Guardian report, however, described the summit as talks between British officials and Somali counterparts over exploiting intact oil reserves in the arid northeastern part of Somalia.

Pakistan Majority Want US Out of the Region Says Blogger

Israeli Officials Call for Starving Millions of Iranians

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s best and brightest have an idea on how to deal with Iran’s imaginary nukes – starve the Iranian people to death.  “North Korea is halting its nuclear program in order to receive aid in food, and this is what should be done with Iran as well,” an unnamed official told Ynetnews. “Suffocating sanctions could lead to a grave economic situation in Iran and to a shortage of food,” the source explained. “This would force the regime to consider whether the nuclear adventure is worthwhile, while the Persian people have nothing to eat and may rise up as was the case in Syria, Tunisia and other Arab states.”

Hillary Clinton Admits US and Al-Qaeda On Same Side in Syria

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has admitted that Al-Qaeda and other groups on the State Department’s terror list are on the same side as the United States in Syria and that they are aiding opposition rebels. In an interview with BBC News, Clinton states, “We have a very dangerous set of actors in the region, Al-Qaeda, Hamas, and those who are on our terrorist list, to be sure, supporting – claiming to support the opposition [in Syria].” Clinton’s admission that Al-Qaeda is supporting the armed insurrection in Syria dovetails with reports that the same Al-Qaeda terrorists who helped overthrow Colonel Gaddafi in Libya were airlifted into Syria by NATO forces.

US draws military options for striking Iran

US Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz says the Pentagon has prepared military options to strike Iranian nuclear energy facilities. Schwartz said that as far as the military options are concerned, Marine Gen. James Mattis, the Mideast combat commander who would oversee a potential war with Iran, “is satisfied that we have been as forthcoming and imaginative as possible” in the planning. “We have an operational capability and you wouldn’t want to be there when we used it,” he said when asked about a 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bomb in a meeting with defense reporters on Wednesday. The general, however, refused to comment if the MOP bomb could reach underground nuclear sites in Iran. “Not to say that we can’t continue to make improvements and we are,” he said. “The bottom line is we have a capability but we’re not sitting on our hands, we’ll continue to improve it over time,” Schwartz added. The US and Israeli officials have intensified their anti-Iran war rhetoric in recent months to put more pressure on the country over its nuclear energy program.

Economy Squeezed As Debt Accelerates

Senator Jeff Sessions, ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee has pointed out that our per capita government debt is already larger than Greece’s. Per person, our government owes over $49,000 compared to $38,937 per Greek citizen. Our debt has just reached 101% of our Gross Domestic Product. Our creditors see this and have quietly slowed down or stopped their lending to us. As a result, the Federal Reserve has been outright monetizing debt as a way to patch things together and keep the economy on life support a little longer. There is rapidly shrinking demand for our debt, and confidence in the dollar is falling. This phenomenon is hidden only by the fact that confidence in all other fiat currencies is falling faster.

Army defectors operate in Damascus

Bailout Blood: Greek lab rats for market Taliban

Italy clashes video: Police battle rail protesters in Turin

Zetas VS CDG, the battle for Monterrey

EU sanctions against Belarus 'a form of coercive pressure' – Putin

Russian Prime Minister and presidential candidate Vladimir Putin considers the sanctions imposed by the European Union against Belarus to be meaningless and irrelevant. The Prime Minister recalled the 'similar sad events in Iraq and Libya' which lead to unfortunate results. 'Whatever sanctions are imposed, they all lead to intervention. It is a form of coercive pressure', the Prime Minister said.

Opposition should act within democracy rules – Putin

Prime-Minister Vladimir Putin has said that the existence of an opposition in the country is perfectly normal, but at the same time he urged opposition representatives to respect the opinion of the majority, adding that 'the minority has no right to impose their opinion on the majority'.

Iran ready to be paid in gold, national currencies for oil

Tehran announced Tuesday that it is ready to receive payment for oil supplies in gold as well as the national currencies of importer countries. That’s according to Mahmoud Bahmani, Governor of the Central Bank of Iran.

In trade operations with foreign countries Iran does not limit itself to dollars, and any state is free to use its own currency, Bahmani is quoted as saying by Russia's Itar-Tass news agency. He also added that if any client state wants to pay in gold, Iran would accept it without hesitation.

In 2012 the US toughened sanctions against the country that attempt to obstruct the activities of the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Washington warned that sanctions would also be applied against international banks that use US dollars in deals with Iran. As a result, countries that buy Iranian oil have faced the problem of how to pay for it. Now, the Islamic country is working to accommodate its clients through the offer to accept their national currencies.

Last week India angered the US by continuing to import oil from Iran, while Washington is trying by any and all means to persuade the country take its oil needs elsewhere. The US is expected to make every effort to find alternate suppliers for Iran.

There are currently no sanctions that would restrict India from continuing to do business with Iran, but any disruption in their relationship could cause the Iranian economy to be impacted significantly. Traditionally, India purchases around 12 per cent of all its crude from Iran, a transaction worth around $12 billion each year. As the Obama Administration continues to warn Iran over its nuclear energy program, American officials are getting creative in finding ways to get them to crack.

Violence in Western China underscores uptick in minority unrest

China on Wednesday accused terrorists in a Muslim Uighur region of attacking civilians, but an exiled Uighur group said the violence that killed at least 12 people mainly targeted armed Chinese personnel. The bloodshed late Tuesday in the restive northwestern region of Xinjiang came at a sensitive time, ahead of next week's opening of China's national legislature, when authorities tighten security nationwide to prevent anything that would mar the annual session. Officials and state media said the bloodshed started when assailants attacked civilians with knives on a commercial street in Yecheng city, killing 10 people; police fatally shot two of the attackers, the official accounts said. Think you know China? take our quiz  

US Strike against Iran: Plans and Consequences

A whiff of gunpowder is in the air. It was the recent Iranian threats to close the Persian Gulf that made the apprehensions grow and exacerbated the situation to the point when an unintended spark may fuel the fire even if nobody wants it to be sparked and fuelled. The world history is full of such examples, it’s enough to remember WWI to confirm the fact. 

Vice-President of Iran Mohammad-Reza Rahimi made the statement on December 27 saying Iran may close the Strait of Hormuz for shipping in response to toughening economic sanctions. The statement was repeated immediately afterwards by Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari at the Velayat - 90 maneuvers. The Admiral said the mission was an easy one and the oil transit was under full Iranian control.

The Strait is a critical oil choke point. The transit is about 17 million barrels a day what corresponds to 20% of world oil trade and 35% of oil sea transit. Iran controls all big islands in the Gulf. It’s navy possesses significant mine laying and anti-ship capability. US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dempsey said Iran was capable of closing the Gulf for some period of time. 

Zionists Attack Chavez

Chavez took the first round of hammering over alleged antisemitism at the early phase of his presidency in 1999 for his association with Argentinian political scientist and Peronist Norberto Rafael Ceresole who, in the early 1990ies, introduced the future Venezuelan leader to his Caudillo, Ejército, Pueblo (Leader, Army, Nation) doctrine of ascension to power. Ceresole used to be a vehement critic of Israel's policy in Palestine, denied Holocaust, and upheld a plan for a Venezuelan strategic intelligence service which he evidently expected to personally chair. It used to be an open secret that Mossad operatives  kept the Venezuelan intelligence community on a short leash in the pre-Chavez epoch. Even though they had to pack and go when the populist regime took over, deeply entrenched supporters of Israel in Venezuela's state machine put up strong opposition to Ceresole's presence in the country and representatives of the Jewish community of Venezuela showered its secret police DISIP with complaints that Ceresole, “a present-day Nazi”, presented a permanent problem. At the time, Chavez was preoccupied with concentrating power and preparing Venezuela's new constitution, and  Ceresole's deportation came as a foregone decision. DISIP agents saw Ceresole off to the airport, and he later told journalists that Zionists coerced him into leaving by murder threats.

Turkey Will Have Its Own Gaza Strip

There is no question that after Western- and Gulf Arab-backed Sunni Salafist radicals take complete control of Syria or become a significant part of a post-Bashar al-Assad Syrian government, Syria’s minority Alawite community will seek refuge in a contested strip of Turkey that extends from Anatolia along the Mediterranean coast along the northwest border with Syria. The strip already has a significant Alawite community.

That strip is Turkey’s Hatay province, a former Ottoman territory that became a French-ruled territory after the signing of the Treaty of Sevres of 1920 between the World War I Allied nations and the Ottoman Empire.

There are already indications that Hatay could become a second Gaza Strip, a cramped refugee sanctuary for Alawites and other religious minorities fleeing a Salafist-dominated regime in Damascus bent on the same level of retribution against supporters of the ousted regime as that meted out against Qaddafi loyalists by the Salafist-dominated regime in Libya.

Anonymous Revenge: Interpol site down after hacktivists arrested

Occupy London camp destroyed by police in riot gear

The Occupy London camp outside St Paul's Cathedral was destroyed early Tuesday. Hundreds of officers converged on the camp just before midnight local time and began to dismantle what had been home to around 70 activists. ­Bailiffs in high-visibility jackets dragged tents and their contents to garbage trucks and dumpsters where they were crushed. Police in riot gear formed cordons to keep protesters and their supporters out of the camp. Activists say the police were met with peaceful resistance.  However, media reports say around 20 protesters have been detained. Several dozen protesters have been camped on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral since October last year. It was one of the longest-surviving encampments inspired by the New York “Occupy Wall Street” movement against corporate greed. Last week a court rejected an appeal by protesters against the eviction order. The court ruled that the right to protest did not justify a semi-permanent camp on a public pathway. Local authorities also claim the camp harmed nearby businesses, caused waste and hygiene problems, and attracted crime and disorder.

Google Wanted: $1 million to hack Chrome

The IT giant Google has offered hackers a reward of up to $1 million for pinpointing vulnerabilities in its Chrome browser. ­The contest, called Pwnium, will be held at this year’s CanSecWest security conference on March 7, the company announced in its blog. Google will offer prizes of $60,000, $40,000 and $20,000 – up to a total of $1 million – for demonstrating vulnerabilities in Chrome. The value of the prize will depend on whether the exploits identified have their origins solely in the Chrome, or in a combination of bugs in the browser and other software. The prizes will be paid on a “first-come-first-served” basis. Each winner will also receive a Chromebook – a laptop computer running the Google Chrome OS operating system. Google is offering such a massive reward so that the flaws of their web browser can be identified and vulnerabilities repaired. This year’s Pwnium is a splinter from the annual Pwn2Own browser hacking contest held at the same conference. Google has taken part in previous years, but decided to hold a separate competition in 2012. That is because organizer Tipping Point said teams did not have to reveal the techniques they used to breach the browsers’ security. Last year no team challenged Chrome’s code despite Google’s offering $20,000 on top of the $15,000 prize offered by the organizer. This year’s Pwnium is only offering a combination of Chrome/Windows 7 as the target for hackers.

Anonymous joins forces with OWS against NDAA-supporting politicians

America’s most powerful protest groups are joining forces to warn elected officials that they will be held accountable for their actions. The campaign is called Our Polls and its being launched with help from both Anonymous and the Occupy movement.
The AnonOps Communications website revealed details early Monday this week regarding the hacktivist collective’s latest campaign. Along with the nation-wide Occupy Wall Street movement, Anonymous says they are going after the politicians in America that supported legislation that both entities have largely advocated against.
“Elected officials serve one purpose — to represent their constituents, the people who voted them into office,” reads a statement posted to the website. “Last year, many of our elected officials let us down by giving in to deep-pocketed lobbyists and passing laws meant to boost corporate profits at the expense of individual liberty.”

Israel will strike Iran without warning US - intelligence source

Israeli officials say if they decide to launch a pre-emptive attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, they will do so without the prior consent or knowledge of the US, according to an AP report citing leaked US intelligence.
­The message was conveyed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak to a number of senior US officials visiting the country, the news agency said, citing a US intelligence source. The official spoke about the sensitive strategic negotiations on condition of anonymity. Both the US and Israel declined to make any official comment. Tel Aviv insists its strategy is necessary in order to protect Washington from being blamed for failing to stop an Israeli attack, should it take place. But it may also signify Israeli frustration over America’s position on the conflict.

Did Germany approve bailout to force Greece out of eurozone?

Germany’s parliament has approved a vital €130 billion bailout package for Greece. But political analyst William Engdahl believes this is part of Germany’s strategy for getting “the weakest link out of the eurozone.”

“The terms that Germany imposed – insisted on – for Greece’s second bailout of €130 billion were so stringent that it was pre-planned to force Greece out,” Engdahl told RT. “Some time later in the year, perhaps as early as June or July, maybe later in the autumn, it is expected that Greece is going to leave the eurozone.”
The parliament approved the bailout with 496 votes in favor, 90 against and five abstentions. The decision gives a green light to Greece’s second rescue package in less than two years. However, it is not clear what share of the new package Germany will have to pay from its own pocket. It is expected that the IMF will also make a significant contribution.

BRICS prepares world banking revolution

BRICS member-states are preparing a world banking revolution. They are planning to nominate an alternative candidate for the post of the Chairman of the World Bank for the first time in history. BRICS also demands redistribution of quotas in the International Monetary Fund in the near future and intends to study India’s initiative on creating a South-South Bank.

Representatives of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa proposed a reform of the world financial system at their meeting in Mexico City which took place during the conference of G20 finance ministers and heads of central banks.

Iranian Reinforcements Arrive in Syria

Reinforcements from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards have just arrived in Syria, raising the number of Iranian and Hezbollah operatives helping the Assad regime to the “high hundreds.” The majority of foreign assistants are training Assad’s thugs and helping them gather intelligence, which presumably means operating the electronic communications monitoring equipment that the Iranian regime uses. Some are even involved in the physical attacks on the Syrian opposition. The report says that Iran’s financing is being used to stabilize Damascus and Aleppo, two of the regime’s power centers that have yet to erupt into full-blown protests. In recent weeks, the opposition took over some suburbs of Damascus and demonstrations spread to Aleppo. The regime launched a military offensive that took back the suburbs from the rebel forces. Hugo Chavez, president of Venezuela, is also helping Assad. One of his government’s ships delivered fuel to Syria recently for the second time.

Inside the Meltdown

Russians protest against Vladimir Putin by forming human chain in Moscow

Russians protesting against the likely return of Vladimir Putin as president in elections next weekend have made a final push to show their discontent by forming a human chain around the capital. Tens of thousands of people turned out in Moscow on Sunday wearing white scarves and ribbons, and carrying white balloons and flowers, the colour and symbols of the protest movement calling for Putin's removal from power. For an hour they lined the Garden Ring, a circular road around the city centre, holding hands to form a human chain. The protesters were joined by thousands of motorists who decorated their cars and honked their horns in support as they circled the eight-lane, 10-mile long road. "This can't go unnoticed," said Olga Soldatova, a 46-year-old artist at the rally.

Israel, Kurdish fighters destroyed Iran nuclear facility, email released by WikiLeaks claims

The mega-leaks website, WikiLeaks, has partnered with the hackers cooperative Anonymous, to publish internal emails of the American strategic intelligence company Stratfor. In one of the hacked emails, Stratfor officials discuss information obtained from one of their sources who reports that Israeli commandos, in cooperation with Kurdish fighters, have destroyed Iranian nuclear installations. WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, will hold a press conference today in London where he plans to reveal new details from the Stratfor emails, including details on the company's dealings with the American government and major corporations, and its network of paid sources. In a WikiLeaks press release last night, the group said that it had obtained over five million emails generated by the Stratfor headquarters in Texas, from 2004 until the end of 2011. Though the organization does not specify the source of the emails, it has already been published that Stratfor was a target of the Anonymous hackers. 

Russia upgrades Syria-based electronic station to warn Iran of US/Israeli attack

The Russians have upgraded their Jabal Al Harrah electronic and surveillance station south of Damascus opposite Israel’s Sea of Galilee, adding resources especially tailored to give Tehran early warning of an oncoming US or Israeli attack, debkafile’s US military sources report.
Before it was boosted by extra advanced technology and manpower, the station covered civilian and military movements in northern Israel up to Tel Aviv, northern Jordan and western Iraq. Today, its range extends to all parts of Israel and Jordan, the Gulf of Aqaba and northern Saudi Arabia.

The Arab Awakening

As revolution shakes the Arab world, a series of films explore the roots of the uprisings and ask what next?

The Arab Spring began in 2010 ushering in an era of revolution and protest. Revolution has shaken the Arab world for a year, as protesters, many armed only with smartphones, stared down heavily armed riot police and rattled the Middle East and North Africa. During the early days of Egypt’s revolution, the once-powerful and much-feared interior minister, Habib al-Adly, reportedly dismissed Cairo’s protesters as abunch of incognizant, ineffective young people.