Through a myriad of «civil society» organizations, the United States has been financing Chechen groups inside the autonomous republic, in Russia, and abroad. However, large portions of U.S. assistance money has «bled» over to support Chechen and other North Caucasus terrorist groups, which the U.S. State Department and U.S. intelligence agencies insist on referring to as «separatist guerrillas», «nationalists», «insurgents», and «rebels», instead of terrorists.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Boston Echoes in Finland
From: Strategic Culture
What happened in Boston is still rather opaque, but new facts are being revealed. The terrorists from «Iranian branch» of Al Qaeda are on the wanted list in Canada for allegedly trying to do the same thing there. The Tsarnaev brothers have hit the pages of world media. The messages are coming in with reports on Chechen terrorists leaving traces in this or that country. (1) It’s impossible to predict how the events are going to unfold, especially in view of uninterrupted supplies of arms and money to terrorist international in Syria. Still, it’s not excluded that the attention will be shifted from the Middle East to the north-eastern Caucasus as a «hotbed» of instability slipping out of Russia’s control.
Germany’s Political Parties Prior to the Bundestag Elections
From: Strategic Culture
In its 150th anniversary year, the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) is preoccupied with the election campaign. Opening the Party Congress on 14 April, its candidate for chancellor, Peer Steinbrück, began his speech decisively: «I want to become Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany».
According to the polls, the SPD is noticeably losing votes to the Christian Democrats. At present, with less than six months to go before the election, 40-41 percent of voters are planning to vote for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU)/Christian Socialist Union (CSU) and 23-27 percent for the SPD. In the last Bundestag elections in 2009, the SPD collected 23 percent of the votes. The conservatives (Christian Democrats), having taken an historic gamble transforming themselves into a centrist party, did not lose out. They managed to push aside the Social Democrats who are now only able to oppose the CDU/CSU in alliance with the Greens. This alliance outmanoeuvred the conservatives in the January (2013) state elections in Lower Saxony, however. The Social Democrats are also being encouraged by their success in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein (elections were held in these states in May 2012). Theoretically, this could also work in the Bundestag elections, but let’s not forget that voting is set to take place in the Landtag of Bavaria a week before Germany’s general election, where the Social Democrats and the Greens are doomed to remain in opposition.
The French Government’s Exquisite Bullying
From: Testosterone Pit
The French government is saddled with enough problems; in theory, it no longer needs to create new ones. But now it wrote another excellent chapter in its tome on how to interfere with private-sector businesses, hamper entrepreneurs, and encourage them to start up their operations elsewhere instead of creating jobs in France.
Yet, President François Hollande had declared on May 1, after the rolls at the unemployment office had swollen 11.5% in 12 months to an all-time record of over 3.2 million people, that the policies the government was implementing had "only one goal: to win the battle of employment.”
Bahrain first Arab country to designate Hizbullah a terrorist organisation
From: Al-Shorfa
The Bahraini interior and foreign affairs ministries, along with the kingdom's legislative authority, are currently formulating a legal framework to govern the inclusion of Lebanon's Hizbullah on the country's list of terrorist organisations. This comes after parliament in late March approved a proposal to put Hizbullah on Bahrain's list of terrorist organisations "to safeguard the domestic front against foreign intervention". The Bahraini cabinet then announced on April 7th it had tasked the interior and foreign ministries with implementing the decision, making Bahrain the first Arab country to take such action against Hizbullah. According to the proposal, the legislation falls in line with action taken by other countries including Canada, the Netherlands and Australia, and comes as a result of "Iranian-backed Hizbullah's increased activities and flagrant interference in the internal affairs of the countries of the region, becoming the arm Tehran uses to export its revolution." Bahrain has said multiple times it has evidence confirming Hizbullah members are training Bahrainis and inciting them to use violence against security personnel in the kingdom, funded by Iran. The parliament submitted the proposal along with evidence it says incriminates Hizbullah in this regard, most notably the arrest of an eight-member cell in Bahrain whose members had links with Hizbullah.
The Bahraini interior and foreign affairs ministries, along with the kingdom's legislative authority, are currently formulating a legal framework to govern the inclusion of Lebanon's Hizbullah on the country's list of terrorist organisations. This comes after parliament in late March approved a proposal to put Hizbullah on Bahrain's list of terrorist organisations "to safeguard the domestic front against foreign intervention". The Bahraini cabinet then announced on April 7th it had tasked the interior and foreign ministries with implementing the decision, making Bahrain the first Arab country to take such action against Hizbullah. According to the proposal, the legislation falls in line with action taken by other countries including Canada, the Netherlands and Australia, and comes as a result of "Iranian-backed Hizbullah's increased activities and flagrant interference in the internal affairs of the countries of the region, becoming the arm Tehran uses to export its revolution." Bahrain has said multiple times it has evidence confirming Hizbullah members are training Bahrainis and inciting them to use violence against security personnel in the kingdom, funded by Iran. The parliament submitted the proposal along with evidence it says incriminates Hizbullah in this regard, most notably the arrest of an eight-member cell in Bahrain whose members had links with Hizbullah.
Friday, April 26, 2013
BRIC Is Out, MIST Is In
From: Expoweb
Most of us have heard of BRIC, right? Brazil, Russia, India and China. The acronym stood for THE Emerging markets. So what’s happened? Brazil is going strong—but it still has a lot of trade barriers erected. Russia? Politics and corruption have taken their toll. India? Lack of infrastructure in the country, particularly exhibition venues and horrid transportation, has made it less attractive. And China? Well, China’s exhibition industry has made gigantic strides. There are tons of venues and tons of shows. I’d put it in the category of “Mostly” Emerged.
Belarus may sell S-300 systems to Syria
From: Charter97
Four S-300 systems, which will be shipped to Belarus by Russia, may be re-sold to pariah countries.
This is how general Valer Fralou commented for the charter97.org web-site in the shipment of air-to-surface missile systems S-30 and the deployment of a Russian aviation base in Belarus.
Zimbabwean Minister: CIA and BND trained our security services
From: New Zimbabwe
State security minister Sydney Sekeramayi has said it was ironic that the West was leading calls for so-called security sector reforms having helped train the country’s defence and security establishment for more than 20 years. Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T party is insisting that reform of the security sector remains one of the outstanding issues in the implementation of the Global Political Agreement. The party blames service chiefs for helping President Robert Mugabe stay in power by brutalising its supporters during the inconclusive 2008 elections and wants to force them out of office before new elections due this year.
Army briefs govt on military options on Chinese intrusion
From: Economic Times
With China sticking to its stand that its troops have not violated the Line of Actual Control, Army has told the Government about various military options that can be exercised to deal with the situation arising out of the intrusion in Ladakh. The Army has given its inputs on the incursion by Chinese troops to the National Security Advisor-headed China Study Group which includes the Secretaries of the Ministries of Defence, Home and External Affairs, government sources said here. The inputs given by the force are also about various options including using military aggressively in the situation, they said.
Europe Is Warming to Depositor Bail-In
From: WSJ
With little fanfare, Europe’s banking union took an important step forward this week. The European Parliament is coalescing around making uninsured depositors explicitly senior to other bank creditors in the EU’s new bank-resolution rules. The “bail-in” proposal has been on the table since last June, but last month’s Cyprus debacle has concentrated policy makers’ minds.
Violence flares as protesters ‘besiege’ Spanish parliament
From: Deutsche Welle
Police and protesters have clashed at an anti-government demo in the Spanish capital, Madrid, with bottles thrown and officers making baton charges. The government is set to reveal a new plan to turn the economy around. There were violent scenes close to the Spanish national parliament on Thursday, as unrest broke out at a demonstration by protesters calling for politicians to stand down. Some 1,000 activists gathered in front of a police barrier surrounding Madrid’s lower house of parliament, some attempting to pull the barricade down. A group threw bottles and firecrackers at police, who responded with baton charges.
Iran: Challenges For US Intelligence And Policy
From: RSIS
Dealing with Iran and its nuclear programmes challenges the skill and ingenuity of American intelligence and policymakers. Crafting a successful policy requires understanding Iran, but such judgments are politically as well as intellectually difficult. No issue is receiving more attention in American intelligence and policy-making circles than Iran, particularly its nuclear programme. One can argue that this is foolish – that a nuclear-armed Iran would not be a great menace to American core interests, and that there are more serious threats that face the United States. But right or wrong, Iran is at the top of the American agenda, and intelligence on both technical and political questions are at the centre of discussion.
Boston Bombings: The Challenges Ahead For US Counter-Terrorism Policy
From: Observer Research Foundation
For almost 12 years, there has not been a single terrorist attack in the US homeland after the 9/11 terror attacks. The US counter-terrorism measures were able to protect its homeland from terrorist attacks and made it almost invincible. It became a catchphrase and was considered as exemplary by many nations dealing with the problem of terrorism. But the Boston Marathon Bombing on April 15, 2013, in which 3 persons were killed and more than 150 injured, has once again brought the horror of terrorism in US homeland and questioned this invincibility. While raising questions starting from its origin, nature and motives, the Boston terrorist attack also poses new challenges for the US counter-terrorism measures and approach.
Is the Sinaloa Cartel Feeding Ecuador's Domestic Drug Trade?
From: Insight
Reports from Ecuador highlight the size of its domestic drug market, although the country's biggest challenge may lie in the amount of narcotics moving through for international markets -- largely controlled by foreign groups like Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel. As El Comercio reports, Ecuadorian police have identified more than 100 transit routes used to move drug shipments from Colombia and Peru into the country, as well as 10 cities used as the primary distribution points for the domestic drug trade, including the key port of Guayaquil, and capital Quito.
Reports from Ecuador highlight the size of its domestic drug market, although the country's biggest challenge may lie in the amount of narcotics moving through for international markets -- largely controlled by foreign groups like Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel. As El Comercio reports, Ecuadorian police have identified more than 100 transit routes used to move drug shipments from Colombia and Peru into the country, as well as 10 cities used as the primary distribution points for the domestic drug trade, including the key port of Guayaquil, and capital Quito.
XianJiang - Tibet: continuing weaknesses in China's peripherical security
From: Intellibrief
Ten Uighurs, three Hans and two Mongols working for the Ministry of Public Security in Xinjiang and six Uighur separatists were killed on the morning of April 23,2013, in an incident in the Selibya Township in the Bachu county, in the Kashgar area of China's Xinjiang province. The area of the incident is near Xinjiang's borders with Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
Italy’s Corrupt Political Machinery Lurches Forward
From: Testosterone Pit
After eight weeks of deadlock, the Italian political machinery suddenly lurched forward. It started Friday with the leadership implosion at the largest force in parliament, the center-left Democratic Party; its head, Pier Luigi Bersani, a former communist, resigned after his own allies had rejected his candidates for President. On Saturday, Parliament reelected President Giorgio Napolitano for an unprecedented second 7-year term. The office was largely ceremonial, but he could dissolve Parliament and call for new elections.
Child Hunger Is Exploding In Greece – And 14 Signs That It Is Starting To Happen In America Too
From: Economic Collapse
The world is heading into a horrific economic nightmare, and an inordinate amount of the suffering is going to fall on innocent children. If you want to get an idea of what America is going to look like in the not too distant future, just check out what is happening in Greece. At this point, Greece is experiencing a full-blown economic depression. As I have written about previously, the unemployment rate in Greece has now risen to 27 percent, which is much higher than the peak unemployment rate that the U.S. economy experienced during the Great Depression of the 1930s. And as you will read about below, child hunger is absolutely exploding in Greece right now. Some families are literally trying to survive on pasta and ketchup. But don't think for a moment that it can't happen here.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Militarization of Africa: AFRICOM to Deploy “Rapid Reaction” Strike Force in Spain directed against West Africa
From: Silent Crow
In early April, The United States and the Spanish government agreed to station AFRICOM’s “Rapid Reaction” strike force to Moron de la Frontera air base for one year. It involves 500 marines and 8 aircraft that will be used to respond to countries located in Northwest Africa. According to the Associated Press on April 19th, “The U.S. Embassy in Madrid said Friday that “following the tragedy in the Libyan city of Benghazi,” where four U.S. citizens were killed, the U.S. recognized the need for a force able to respond quickly to crises in northwest Africa.” The area of focus is in the Maghreb region in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania.
High Tech Surveillance: U.S. Internal Revenue Snooping Social Media and Emails Without Warrant
From: Global Research
Americans have a big problem with the IRS (Internal Revenue Service). If anyone discuss the filing of tax return in their emails the IRS may be monitoring what you say to see if you may be trying to cheat on taxes, committing money laundering or sending non-reported funds to tax havens. Americans are under siege by questionable U.S. government surveillance tactics, tactics that pry into people’s daily life even when no crime may have occurred. In the past FBI and DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) have used warrantless GPS tracking devices to track vehicles and the latest “Stingray” tracker have been used to listen in on cell phone communication to pinpoint a person’s location, including the extraction of cell data like text messages, which numbers were called–all done without a warrant in violation of the Fourth Amendment Constitution prohibiting “Unreasonable Search and Seizure.”
A Brief History of Islamic Fundamentalism in Chechnya
From: Geopolitical Monitor
After days of media ruminating on the identity of the Boston bombers, it emerged that the suspects are in fact of Chechen descent. What followed was a predictable torrent of simplistic characterizations, portraying the Chechens as a people with a long history of global Islamic radicalism. This is however false on a number of counts.
After days of media ruminating on the identity of the Boston bombers, it emerged that the suspects are in fact of Chechen descent. What followed was a predictable torrent of simplistic characterizations, portraying the Chechens as a people with a long history of global Islamic radicalism. This is however false on a number of counts.
Searching For Future Terrorists, And Unicorns
From: Paul Woodward
A future terrorist is as real as a unicorn, yet I guarantee if Homeland Security went to a Congressional appropriations committee and asked for additional funding to improve their ability to find future terrorists, legislators would approve the request and double the amount. To imagine that there could be such a person as a future terrorist is to think of terrorism as being like a disease — a disease in which someone can harbor the virus before displaying any symptoms.
Who Are The Taliban
From: World Security Network
“Who are the Taliban and whose war they have been fighting” is a question that has been storming headlines in Afghan media. The question popped up after the Afghan President Hamid Karzai made a diatribe against the US and international forces over the alleged collusion of Americans and the Taliban. Karzai said the Taliban operate at the hands of foreigners. He also said that the US and the Taliban are in collusion against Afghanistan, and seen together travelling abroad. The White House has sternly rejected the remarks of Karzai while terming it too contentious and totally unfounded.
Deepening Latin America’s Dependence On Commodity Exports
From: Richard Rosseau
Hugo Chavez, who died on March 5, lavished the Venezuelan people with oil earnings for more than a decade. As in so many other Latin American countries, natural resources were used to prop up an economy characterized by a plethora of imbalances and economic contradictions. Part of Latin America’s problem lies in its generous natural resources endowment – let’s call it the “commodity curse.” The region abounds with natural resources and the current Latin American countries’ economic boom can largely be attributed to the high prices of natural resources and other commodities that they exports. Currently, over 90% of Latin Americans reside in countries that are mostly commodity-dependent exporters. This figure includes Mexico which, despite having achieved remarkable success in diversifying its exports, still depends on oil export to finance the lion’s share of its state budget.
Korean Crisis Reaching Face-To-Face Stage
From: SAAG
North Korea’s deployment of two additional short-range scud ballistic missile launchers in its eastern coast has strengthened speculations in the South that Pyongyang might launch a missile on April 25, the anniversary of North Korean army. According to South Korean media, the latest deployment was in addition to the seven mobile missile launchers already in place on the coast. Coupled with the two Musudan intermediate range missiles already deployed at a place 180 km from the South Korean capital Seoul, has compelled South Korea and the U.S. to take the North Korean bluster a little more seriously. Although, South Korean’s Chief of National Security Kim Jang-soo had recently said DPRK was not capable of conducting a full-scale war on the Korean Peninsula he did not rule out localized ‘provocations.’
German Firm Arms Qatar with Tanks
From: Defence Talk
German arms manufacturer Kraus-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) has just closed a billion dollar deal with Qatar that was five years in the making. On Thursday (18.04.2013), the Munich-based company announced that it signed a contract to deliver 62 Leopard 2 tanks and 24 self-propelled howitzers to the emirate. The price for the arms: roughly 1.9 billion euros ($2.48 billion). Before the deal, Qatar owned old tanks and artillery from France and South Africa, according to KMW. Now the country wants to scrap the old weapons and modernize its 8,500-man army with the German manufacturer’s new weapon systems. As reported vaguely by news agencies, armament experts say Qatar wants to be prepared for a possible conflict with Iran. That sounds convincing to political scientist and Middle East expert Werner Ruf. “One reason is definitely that Qatar is among the nations in the Gulf who consider Iran a real threat, and who want to arm themselves against that threat,” he told DW.
China, Romania key sources of hacking
From: Defence Talk
China and Romania were by far the largest sources of confirmed hacking attempts last year, with China’s mostly from state-controlled sources aimed at data theft, a new report said Tuesday. Verizon’s 2013 Data Breach Investigations report said 30 percent of 621 confirmed attacks were sourced back to China, 28 percent to Romania, and another 18 percent to the United States. By far most of the attacks in China were focused on data theft, the report said, while those from Romania and most of those in the United States were about theft for financial gains. “State-affiliated actors tied to China are the biggest mover in 2012. Their efforts to steal IP (intellectual property) comprise about one-fifth of all breaches in this dataset.”
What Dzokhar Tsarnaev and Bradley Manning Have in Common
From: Counterpunch
The media is ablaze right now with discussions about Dzokhar Tsarnaev, the Boston Bomber, and whether or not he should receive a fair trial as an American citizen. A few politicians and general lunatics have called for torture, military tribunals, and even “a July 4 celebration of stringing this son-of-a-b-tch up in the Boston Common and letting the crows pick on his rotting flesh.” (That last one is courtesy of Ted Nugent). And despite not being read his Miranda Rights, it does seem that, at the least, Tsarnaev will receive a trial-by-jury. How fair that trial will be remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: The only reason Tsarnaev is getting this fair trial is because this case is so predominantly in the public’s eye.
The Implications of the EU’s Lifting Sanctions on Syria’s Oil
From: Oil Price
In an astute political move the European Union lifted its embargo Monday on oil imports from Syria. Actually better make that an embargo lifted on oil imports from rebel held areas in Syria. This is a de facto sidelining of the regime in power by the EU and recognition of the rebels as the legitimate representatives of the Syrian people. Which opposition group will represent Syria in future talks with the EU however remains as murky as the war many of the various factions engaged in the Syrian conflict are fighting. Indeed, the forces queuing up to help President Bashar Assad vacate the presidency are numerous and far from united.
Mother of Bombing Suspects: My Sons Would Never Do This And My Older Son Is Still Alive
From: Business Insider
The mother of the suspected Boston bombers has given an exclusive interview to Britain's Channel 4 in which she reiterates assertions that her sons were set up, and also claims that her oldest son Tamerlan is still alive. "What happened was a terrible thing. But I know that my kids have nothing to do with this. I know it. I am mother. I know my kids," Zubeidat Tsarnaeva told Channel 4 News in Makhachkala, Dagestan.
The mother of the suspected Boston bombers has given an exclusive interview to Britain's Channel 4 in which she reiterates assertions that her sons were set up, and also claims that her oldest son Tamerlan is still alive. "What happened was a terrible thing. But I know that my kids have nothing to do with this. I know it. I am mother. I know my kids," Zubeidat Tsarnaeva told Channel 4 News in Makhachkala, Dagestan.
She said that Tamerlan, who apparently died in a gunfight with police on Thursday night, was being watched by the FBI before the attacks. "They were monitoring him and I know that because I used to talk to them," she said. "They used to come to our house, like two three times. And then my son Tamerlan used to tell me that he used to talk to them too, because they called me once and they wanted his number and then at such moments."
SaxoBank CEO: "We Must Re-Evaluate The European Union"
From: SaxoBank CEO
I have been interested in politics since I was a kid. That is why I remember Denmark’s European Economic Community (EEC) referendum, although I was only nine years old. Election nights were always exciting and I was allowed to stay up a little longer than I otherwise would be allowed to in our home in Loegstrup, outside of the town of Viborg in the western part of Denmark. Here, we had supper at 5pm, I then did my homework and went to bed at a proper time. It was a bourgeois home; my father was, by most accounts, conservative, but voted for The Liberal Party, as did most people in the countryside.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
The Beginning of the End for Hezbollah
From: World Affairs
The Middle East taught me pessimism. Much of the region goes in circles instead of progressing, and I’ve seen one country after another circle the drain. Optimism is very American. It’s not exclusively American, and of course we have our own setbacks and failures, but things have generally trended toward the better in American life since the nation was founded. The Middle East, though, teaches another way of looking at history’s trajectory. My own naïve optimism was dashed on the rocks in Lebanon and Iraq and hasn’t recovered. I never even bothered with optimism in Egypt. There’s nothing there to be optimistic about. And I rarely meet anybody who actually lives over there who isn’t a pessimist. Expecting the best while everyone around you is expecting the worst is a difficult thing to pull off. It probably isn’t advisable even to try.
The Middle East taught me pessimism. Much of the region goes in circles instead of progressing, and I’ve seen one country after another circle the drain. Optimism is very American. It’s not exclusively American, and of course we have our own setbacks and failures, but things have generally trended toward the better in American life since the nation was founded. The Middle East, though, teaches another way of looking at history’s trajectory. My own naïve optimism was dashed on the rocks in Lebanon and Iraq and hasn’t recovered. I never even bothered with optimism in Egypt. There’s nothing there to be optimistic about. And I rarely meet anybody who actually lives over there who isn’t a pessimist. Expecting the best while everyone around you is expecting the worst is a difficult thing to pull off. It probably isn’t advisable even to try.
The End of the EU's Cap-and-Trade Affair
From: WSJ
For some time, a divorce has been on the horizon. For years these sweethearts have soaked up the limelight on the international stage, but the sordid reality has sunk in. On Tuesday, a vote in the European Parliament confirmed that the love affair between the European Union and its climate policy may be well and truly over. This could turn out to be very good news for the world's climate. The EU's cap-and-trade system is the main plank in its approach to dealing with greenhouse gas emissions and has inspired policy makers from California to Canberra. But while it's come at a high cost, it has done almost no good.
Get Ready for the Worst Resource Shock the World Has Ever Known
From: Real Clear
Brace yourself. You may not be able to tell yet, but according to global experts and the U.S. intelligence community, the earth is already shifting under you. Whether you know it or not, you're on a new planet, a resource-shock world of a sort humanity has never before experienced.
Two nightmare scenarios -- a global scarcity of vital resources and the onset of extreme climate change -- are already beginning to converge and in the coming decades are likely to produce a tidal wave of unrest, rebellion, competition, and conflict. Just what this tsunami of disaster will look like may, as yet, be hard to discern, but experts warn of "water wars" over contested river systems, global food riots sparked by soaring prices for life's basics, mass migrations of climate refugees (with resulting anti-migrant violence), and the breakdown of social order or the collapse of states. At first, such mayhem is likely to arise largely in Africa, Central Asia, and other areas of the underdeveloped South, but in time all regions of the planet will be affected. To appreciate the power of this encroaching catastrophe, it's necessary to examine each of the forces that are combining to produce this future cataclysm.
Surveillance Society: Met Police Spying On 57,000 People A Year
From: RINF
Today disturbing new figures have renewed accusations that Britain has turned into a surveillance society, raising more concerns over increasing levels of police surveillance powers. The data obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request by the campaign group Big Brother Watch, shows that Scotland Yard have increased the number of yearly requests to access telephone and postal records, gaining more access than ever before to citizens private landline phone calls, mobile calls and letters sent through the post. The figures show that:
Serbia Makes Breakthrough
From: Strategic Culture
On April 10 the United Nations General Assembly held its first ever and rather unique debate on the role of the international criminal justice system in fostering reconciliation. It summed up and assessed the twenty year experience of international criminal courts and tribunals activities. (1) The hearings were boycotted by some states, like, for instance, the United States of America, Canada and Jordan. Jordanian UN envoy said that the fact of holding the debates was, allegedly, an example of power abuse on the part of President of General Assembly.
Russia’s New Pivot: US foreign economic strategy to create new global order
From: Russia - beyond the headlines
Every American president since Harry Truman has announced a doctrine reflecting the priorities of each White House occupant. In his State of the Union address to Congress in February 2013, Barack Obama set out his priorities. Globally, Obama intends to put the United States at the head of two giant economic blocks – the Transatlantic and Trans-Pacific Partnerships. This should ensure Washington’s leadership in a polycentric system of international relations.
Simultaneously, Obama – who is trying to put an end to a “decade of wars” unleashed by his predecessor George Bush Jr. – faces the task of beating an orderly retreat from the international arena without letting it turn into a panicked flight. This scheme has become a key component of the “Obama doctrine”. It is based on the concept of a “smart force”, which emphasizes non-military means for securing U.S. influence in a multi-polar world.
The Arctic Silk Road: As the U.S. Pivots East, Russia Pivots North
From: Stratrisks
At the Shangri-la Dialogue held in Singapore last June 2012, former U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta stated that the U.S. intends to shift the bulk of its naval force to the Pacific by 2020. Later that year, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton confirmed a similar, but political, U.S. pivot to the Asian arena. In February 2013, President Obama met with China’s new leader, Xi Jinping, and largely discussed the future development of economic relations between the United States and Asia’s largest economy. This is a significant shift in geopolitical attention, and the present administration has good reasons for taking such an interest in Asia. Militarily, the International Institute for Strategic Studies considers an arms race to be in the making as economies develop and associated defense budgets expand. By the end of 2013, India should have its own aircraft carrier, and last year China successfully landed jets on an aircraft carrier of its own. Economically, while Europe and America stagnated in recent years, the economies of Asian countries continued to grow.
ISNA Longs to Replace Spain with Islamic 'Andalusia'
From: Clarion Project
Islamists long for the days of when Spain was under an Islamic state called Andalusia. The Muslim Brotherhood’s founder preached that Spain must return to the House of Islam. The Islamic Society of North America, a U.S. Muslim Brotherhood entity, printed a recent article referring to Andalusia as a “paradise” that will return when “the only victor is Allah.”
Boston Marathon Attacks, Chechnya And Oil - The Hidden U.S. Connection
From: Oil Price
As Boston and U.S. security agencies congratulate themselves over the apparent neutralization of a pair of Chechens that bombed the Boston Marathon, troubling questions are beginning to arise. First and foremost is, why a pair of Chechens, born in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan, apparently committed the attack? For possible answers, one must looks beyond the present and delve into Russia’s and the USSR’s past policies towards Chechnya, and since 1991, U.S. policy in the Caucasus, which since the 1991 implosion of the USSR had a single focus – the exploitation of the Caspian’s massive energy reserves.
Boston bombings suspect spent 10 days in Turkey: Interior minister
From: Turkish Weekly
One of the Boston Marathon bombings suspects spent 10 days in Turkey in July 2003, Turkish Interior Minister Muammer Güler told reporters April 19. Earlier, Boston police identified the suspects as two brothers of Chechen origin from Russia's Dagestan region, 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev and his 19-year-old brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The elder Tsarnaev was killed in a shootout while the hunt for the surviving fugitive has continued, with police ordering a lockdown of the entire city in an effort to find the suspect.
One of the Boston Marathon bombings suspects spent 10 days in Turkey in July 2003, Turkish Interior Minister Muammer Güler told reporters April 19. Earlier, Boston police identified the suspects as two brothers of Chechen origin from Russia's Dagestan region, 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev and his 19-year-old brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The elder Tsarnaev was killed in a shootout while the hunt for the surviving fugitive has continued, with police ordering a lockdown of the entire city in an effort to find the suspect.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Statement of the Command of Mujahideen of Caucasus Emirate's Dagestan Province in relation to events in Boston
From: Kavkaz
The official media outlet of the Mujahideen of the Caucasus Emirate Province of Dagestan,VDagestan, issued a statement of the Mujahideen of the Caucasus Emirate's Province of Dagestan in connection with recent events in Boston, the US.
The statement says:
The statement says:
Baja California: A Test for Mexico's Pax-Mafioso?
From: Insight
In one indication that the Sinaloa Cartel may be wary of attracting federal government attention back to Tijuana, one of the cartel's top leaders reportedly told other criminal bosses to keep homicide levels low in Baja California state. The message seems to fit a pattern in which there may be a move towards a more peaceful coexistence in some traditionally critical hotspots. According to a new report by Zeta magazine, one of the Sinaloa Cartel's top leaders, Ismael Zambada Garcia, alias "El Mayo," issued a warning to at least eight sub-commanders responsible for overseeing drug trafficking operations in Baja California to "stop heating up the plaza" – that is, clamp down on homicides that could be disrupting the international drug trade and attracting too much of the government's attention.
In one indication that the Sinaloa Cartel may be wary of attracting federal government attention back to Tijuana, one of the cartel's top leaders reportedly told other criminal bosses to keep homicide levels low in Baja California state. The message seems to fit a pattern in which there may be a move towards a more peaceful coexistence in some traditionally critical hotspots. According to a new report by Zeta magazine, one of the Sinaloa Cartel's top leaders, Ismael Zambada Garcia, alias "El Mayo," issued a warning to at least eight sub-commanders responsible for overseeing drug trafficking operations in Baja California to "stop heating up the plaza" – that is, clamp down on homicides that could be disrupting the international drug trade and attracting too much of the government's attention.
Is Paraguay Heading for a Narco-President?
From: Insight
On April 21 Paraguay votes for a new president and, if opinion polls are to be believed, a man believed to be one of the country's leading money launderers as well as a DEA target, may get the top job. Horacio Cartes' political career to date has been short and his rise meteoric. But even before entering politics, Cartes was widely known throughout Paraguay as the head of a business conglomerate that includes one of of the country's biggest banks and a principal cigarette manufacturer. He is also the president of a leading soccer team (although on sabbatical to run for the presidency). However, beneath Cartes' legitimate facade lies a web of murky connections, which have earned him a criminal reputation long on accusations although short on convictions.
On April 21 Paraguay votes for a new president and, if opinion polls are to be believed, a man believed to be one of the country's leading money launderers as well as a DEA target, may get the top job. Horacio Cartes' political career to date has been short and his rise meteoric. But even before entering politics, Cartes was widely known throughout Paraguay as the head of a business conglomerate that includes one of of the country's biggest banks and a principal cigarette manufacturer. He is also the president of a leading soccer team (although on sabbatical to run for the presidency). However, beneath Cartes' legitimate facade lies a web of murky connections, which have earned him a criminal reputation long on accusations although short on convictions.
Pakistani Foreign Policy and the Test of New Elections
From: Geopolitical Monitor
For the first time since Pakistan’s independence, the government – led by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) – has completed its fixed five-year term in office, setting the stage for new elections to be held in May. Given Pakistan’s status as a U.S. major non-NATO ally, and the country’s strategic importance, particularly in the lead-up to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan at the end of 2014, upcoming elections and the policies of the next Pakistani government are being closely watched by an American government hoping to further its own interests in the region.
For the first time since Pakistan’s independence, the government – led by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) – has completed its fixed five-year term in office, setting the stage for new elections to be held in May. Given Pakistan’s status as a U.S. major non-NATO ally, and the country’s strategic importance, particularly in the lead-up to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan at the end of 2014, upcoming elections and the policies of the next Pakistani government are being closely watched by an American government hoping to further its own interests in the region.
What Do The Communal Riots In Myanmar Indicate?
From: SAAG
Myanmar’s fledgling democracy faced yet another obstacle to its progress when anti-Muslim violence flared up in Central Myanmar town of Meiktila in March 2013. It quickly spread to six other smaller townships in Thayawady district in Bago Region in Lower Myanmar. According to Human Rights Watch, it also spread to 11 townships in Mandalay and Pegu divisions, where Muslim neighborhoods were ransacked. According to the government a total of 43 people were killed and 93 were injured in the riots, most of them in Meikhtila; 1,227 homes, 77 shops and 37 mosques were destroyed. Police said 68 detainees were being charged for their role in the acts of violence.
Boston Bombings: Possible Lessons
From: IPCS
A few days after the Boston bomb blast, out of the two suspects identified, one has been killed and the other captured, thanks largely to the overwhelming public response with cellphone and camera video and still pictures. What lessons can we take away from this attack and the response to it? Apart from the fact that no country can ensure 100% security against such attacks, the Boston bombings do show that public participation, national resilience, and good police work can make it difficult for culprits to get away and thus raise the costs of future attempts.
China’s Defence White Paper 2013
From: IPCS
China issued its eighth bi-annual Defence White Paper entitled: ‘The Diversified Employment of China’s Armed Forces’, on April 16, 2013. The last White Paper, pertaining to 2010, was published in 2011. China’s Defence White Paper, 2013, is a 47-page document with five sections and 3 short appendices listing: joint exercises and training with foreign armed forces from 2011-2012; participation of China’s armed forces in international disaster relief and rescue (2011-2012); and China’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations (2011-2012).
EU. Which Turkish Candidature ? The Geopolitics of the European Frontiers ? Where Should Expansion Stop ?
From: Diploweb
What can
economics and demography tell us about Turkey
The
advantage of approaching Turkey France is one of the countries that rejected –
much to the disappointment, notably, of Poland
Asia-Pacific Spending Spree
From: Defense News
The Asia-Pacific will comprise
26 percent — nearly $200 billion — of global naval and maritime security builds
in the next 20 years as complex relationships and rivalries drive procurements
designed for particular regional challenges. New builds in Asia and Australia include six aircraft carriers, 128
amphibious and 21 auxiliary ships, 12 corvettes, two cruisers, 42 destroyers,
235 fast attack craft, 115 frigates, 34 mine countermeasures, 82 offshore
patrol vessels (OPVs), 255 patrol craft and 116 submarines, said Bob Nugent,
vice president of advisory services at AMI International, a naval analysis firm
based in Bremerton, Wash. This list includes China
with 172 hulls, South Korea
at 145 and Japan
China, Russia Boost Spending; Western Budgets Decline
From: Defense News
Emerging military superpowers China and Russia
sharply increased military expenditures in 2012 while spending by the US
Chechen Terrorist Networks Trace Back to the US State Department
From: Activist Post
With the latest developments regarding the suspects identified in the Boston Bombing, reports of the alleged perpetrators’ Chechen heritage are being used by the whole of the mainstream media to draw connections between the bombing and Islamic terrorism. Even despite the desire of mainstream magazines like Salon for the bomber(s) to have been white Americans, the narrative being paraded in front of the American collective is currently satisfied with the meme of the Chechen Muslim fundamentalist.
Indeed, in a recent report by FOX News, entitled “Ties Between Islamic Extremist Groups and Chechnya Well-Documented,” the organization states,
With the latest developments regarding the suspects identified in the Boston Bombing, reports of the alleged perpetrators’ Chechen heritage are being used by the whole of the mainstream media to draw connections between the bombing and Islamic terrorism. Even despite the desire of mainstream magazines like Salon for the bomber(s) to have been white Americans, the narrative being paraded in front of the American collective is currently satisfied with the meme of the Chechen Muslim fundamentalist.
Indeed, in a recent report by FOX News, entitled “Ties Between Islamic Extremist Groups and Chechnya Well-Documented,” the organization states,
Reports that the suspects in the Boston bombing are believed to be from the region near Chechnya may have caught some by surprise -- rebels in Chechnya are known for their violent and long-running campaign to break away from Russia, but not for exporting terror to America.
Lies, Damned Lies and Sadistics: the IMF role as bankster enforcer
From: Testosterone Pit
“We make or break human life every day of every year as probably no other force on earth has ever done in the past or will ever do again.”
The above rather dramatic quote comes courtesy of one Davison L Budhoo, a former International Monetary Fund economist who in 1988 broke ranks with the Fund, publishing a scathing 150-page resignation letter. In it he accused the organization of corruption, self-interest, and deceit.
Not that the Fund, then headed by Frenchman Michel Camdessus, was particularly fazed by the allegations. In those days there was no Internet, so the story didn’t exactly go “viral”; in fact, it barely got a mention in the mainstream or financial press. As such, following a spattering of articles in a few specialist newspapers and magazines, Buddhoo’s accusations were quickly forgotten.
Was Boston Bombers ‘Uncle Ruslan’ with the CIA?
From: Madcow
The uncle of the two men who set off bombs at the Boston Marathon, who struck the only grace note in an otherwise horrific week, worked as a “consultant” for the Agency for International Development (USAID) a U.S. Government Agency often used for cover by agents of the CIA, in the former Soviet Republic of Kazakhstan during the “Wild West” days of the early 1990’s, when anything that wasn’t nailed down in that country was up for grabs.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Five dangerous myths about the Boston Marathon bombings
From: Intelnews
The endless opinion pieces about the Boston bombings that have flooded the media-sphere since Monday have one thing in common: they are highly speculative and, for the most part, unreliable. At this early stage, nobody outside the security or intelligence establishments has any idea about the identity or motives of the perpetrator(s) of the attacks —and if they say they do, they are lying. Even those on the inside routinely refer to the ongoing investigation as one of the most complex in the country’s post-9/11 history. As the probe continues, and the nation deals with the meaning of the Boston bombings, it is critical that some of the misinformed and premature notions about the attacks are dispelled at this early stage.
Brazil: Red Command
From: Insight
The Red Command (Comando Vermelho) is Brazil’s oldest and largest criminal group, created in a Rio de Janeiro prison in the 1970s as a self-protection group for prisoners. It started out with low-level crime like muggings and bank robbery, but in the 1980s the group moved into the cocaine trade, working with Colombian drug cartels and taking on a social leadership role in many of Rio’s favelas.
The Red Command (Comando Vermelho) is Brazil’s oldest and largest criminal group, created in a Rio de Janeiro prison in the 1970s as a self-protection group for prisoners. It started out with low-level crime like muggings and bank robbery, but in the 1980s the group moved into the cocaine trade, working with Colombian drug cartels and taking on a social leadership role in many of Rio’s favelas.
Brazil: Amigos dos Amigos
From: Insight
Amigos dos Amigos is a criminal group based in Rio de Janeiro, set up by former members of the Red Command (Comando Vermelho) to fight that group’s dominance, together with current and former members of the security forces. It is currently one of the city’s biggest drug trafficking organizations, although its territory is threatened by the favela police pacification program (UPP).
Amigos dos Amigos is a criminal group based in Rio de Janeiro, set up by former members of the Red Command (Comando Vermelho) to fight that group’s dominance, together with current and former members of the security forces. It is currently one of the city’s biggest drug trafficking organizations, although its territory is threatened by the favela police pacification program (UPP).
Brazil: First Capital Command - PCC
From: Insight
The First Capital Command (Primeiro Comando da Capital - PCC) was inspired by the Red Command (Comando Vermelho). Both criminal organizations were formed by prisoners as self-protection groups in Brazil’s brutal prison system. The PCC arose in Sao Paulo in the 1990s, and has fought a bloody ongoing feud with police in the city. The group, now the largest and best-organized criminal organization in Brazil, is believed to have members in two-thirds of the country's states, and controls drug trafficking routes between Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay.
The First Capital Command (Primeiro Comando da Capital - PCC) was inspired by the Red Command (Comando Vermelho). Both criminal organizations were formed by prisoners as self-protection groups in Brazil’s brutal prison system. The PCC arose in Sao Paulo in the 1990s, and has fought a bloody ongoing feud with police in the city. The group, now the largest and best-organized criminal organization in Brazil, is believed to have members in two-thirds of the country's states, and controls drug trafficking routes between Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay.
Spain's “Move Your Money!” Campaign Advocates for Ethical Banking
From: Global Voices
Various organizations have joined together to launch the “Move your money!“ [es] initiative in Spain, aiming to convince citizens to transition from traditional banks, which are in large part responsible for the current economic crisis, to emerging financial institutions commonly called “ethical banks.”
The recent bailout conditions imposed on Cyprus by the troika pummeled bank savers’ confidence across Europe. The institutions that have agreed to come to Cyprus’ rescue stipulated that Cypriot bank losses be partially covered by a tax levied on those bank's biggest savers, to the tune of up to 60% on accounts that exceed 100,000 euros.
Guinea-Bissau President Caught up in ‘Arms for Drugs’ Conspiracy
From: Global Voices
Guinea-Bissau's interim president is beating back allegations that he played a role in a doomed “arms for drugs” deal that involved smuggling weapons for supposed Colombian FARC rebels
U.S. indictments against seven men, including Guinea-Bissau's former navy chief, includes their testimony which mentions President Manuel Serifo Nhamadjo. The men were arrested off the coast of Cape Verde last week.
According to the documents, these men, now defendants, told U.S. undercover anti-narcotic agents (who were pretending to be FARC rebels) that they were in contact with the president over the cocaine and weapons smuggling deal. The evidence that mentions Nhamadjo is found on page 7 of the indictment [pdf]:
CC-1 (defendant) agreed to a proposal to ship FARC cocaine to Guinea-Bissau for later distribution in the United States and to procure weapons for FARC, including surface-to-air missiles. CC-1 also stated that he would discuss the plan with the President of Guinea-Bissau. CC-1 stated, “The day after tomorrow I'll talk to the President of the Republic.”
Page 10 of the same document, talks about the weapons order:
CS-1 (undercover agent) provided CC-5 (defendant) with a list of weapons that the FARC were requesting, which included among other things, surface-to-air missiles, AK-47 assault rifles, and machine guns. Mane (defendant) said that he and CC-5 (defendant) would speak to the President and Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau about the weapons order for FARC.
The government allegedly expected a percentage of the 4,000 kg of cocaine as a fee:
During the meeting, CC-2 and CC-4 (defendants) agreed to facilitate the receipt of approximately 4,000 kg of cocaine from the FARC in Guinea Bissau, approximately 500 kg of which would be later sent to customers in the United States and Canada.
The president has lashed back at the allegations, calling them “criminal” [pt].
Political and military instability have been a constant feature of life in Guinea-Bissau, a country which has never seen an elected president reach the end of their mandate since its independence from colonial Portugal in 1974. The latest coup d'etat on April 12, 2012, a few days after the second round of presidential elections, saw Nhamadjo appointed transitional president as part of a deal made between military commanders and political, religious, and civic leaders.
US indictment.
Journalist Helena Ferro de Gouveia wrote [pt] on her blog about what it would mean for Guinea-Bissau if the allegations were true:
A confirmar-se o envolvimento do presidente de transição num esquema de tráfico de cocaína e armas, milímetros separam o país do abismo.
If the involvement of the transitional president in a scheme of cocaine and weapons trafficking is confirmed, millimeters separate the country from the abyss.
Even before the coup, connections between certain elites, military figures, and drug traffickers have long been an open secret in Guinea-Bissau. In the last decade, the country has become one of the main transit points for cocaine smuggling from South America into Europe.
Before the news of the president's alleged involvement in the drug and arms smuggling scheme, Nobel Peace Prize winner and former President of East Timor, José Ramos-Horta, who has led the United Nations Integrated Peace-Building Office in Guinea-Bissau since February 2013, said that “Guinea-Bissau faces an existential threat, as a State, as a nation” and hoped that the political and military elites “will conduct an introspection, a self-examination” on the anniversary of the coup.
At the end of March as the anniversary of the country's coup drew near, he described [pt] on his blog Guinea-Bissau's role in the world's drug trafficking:
A Guine-Bissau nao produz droga e o consumo e baixo. Ha sim grupos que funcionam como correio e pelo trabalho recebem umas migalhas e já ficam muito contentes. Individuos de outras nacionalidades – Colombianos, Bolivianos, Peruanos, Libaneses, Marroquinos e Nigerians – os profissionais do negocio. Face a eles, o Bissau-Guineense e um amador que se contenta com migalhas mas que fica com a fama!
Guinea-Bissau does not produce drugs and the consumption is low. There are however groups that work as courier and receive for the work a few crumbs and with that they become very happy. Individuals of other nationalities – Colombians, Bolivians, Peruvians, Lebanese, Moroccans and Nigerians – the business professionals. Comparing to them, the Bissau-Guinean is an amateur who is satisfied with the crumbs but gets all the fame instead!
Confirming Ramos-Horta's point is accused drug kingpin Real Admiral Bubo Na Tchuto's amusingly amateur blog-autobiography [pt]. Na Tchuto, former head of the navy, is now under arrest in New York. He had been released from prison on orders of Guinea-Bissau's army chief in June, 2012, after serving a few months due to accusations of leading the coup attempt of December 2011.
Earlier in March, Guilherme Dias from Lusomonitor blog summarized [pt] a Der Spiegel reporter's experience looking into the drug traffic in the Bijagós islands alongside an underfunded prosecutor:
As drogas chegam em carregamentos de 600 ou 1.200 quilos e são armazenadas em três depósitos, de onde são enviadas para a Europa. Dois países europeus têm satélites apontados à região e os investigadores internacionais sabem que um destes depósitos está numa zona militar. “Eu até sei que um voo vai aterrar esta semana no sul”, afirma Biague, sem dinheiro para qualquer operação de apreensão. Com um custo estimado de 115 euros, o repórter decidiu financiar. No final, foi um fracasso.
Drugs arrive in shipments of 600-1,200kg and are stored in three warehouses, from where they are sent to Europe. Two European countries have satellites pointed to the region and international investigators know that one of these warehouses is in a military area. “I even know that a flight is landing this week,” says Biague [Director of Police Investigation in Guinea-Bissau], without any money for a drug bust. With an estimated cost of €115, the reporter decided to finance the trip. In the end, it was a failure.
Satellite image of Guinea-Bissau in January 2003. The Islands are known as Bijagos Archipelago. Image in the public domain.
Meanwhile, another mainstream media article, this time by Portuguese daily Público [pt], revealed the heroic efforts of two women, Lucinda Barbosa Ahucarié and Carmelita Dias, to enforce the rule of law in Guinea-Bissau. Barbosa Ahucarié, the country's ex-director of police investigation, told Público that captured drug kingpin Bubo Na Tchuto threatened her, accusing her of feeding information to US investigators.
The article seems to have fallen between the cracks, generating very little comment in social media and in the blogosphere, even though it was republished in Brazil and beyond.
The Fed’s Assault On Gold: “Short Selling” and the Rigging of the Gold Market
From: Paul Craig Roberts
I was the first to point out that the Federal Reserve was rigging all markets, not merely bond prices and interest rates, and that the Fed is rigging the bullion market in order to protect the US dollar’s exchange value, which is threatened by the Fed’s quantitative easing. With the Fed adding to the supply of dollars faster than the demand for dollars is increasing, the price or exchange value of the dollar is set up to fall. A fall in the dollar’s exchange rate would push up import prices and, thereby, domestic inflation, and the Fed would lose control over interest rates. The bond market would collapse and with it the values of debt-related derivatives on the “banks too big too fail” balance sheets. The financial system would be in turmoil, and panic would reign.
France’s Media Admits that the Syrian “Opposition” is Al Qaida. Then Justifies French Government Support to the Terrorists
From: Global Research
In a report published on the 11th of April French daily Le Monde admits that rebels fighting the government of the Syrian Arab Republic are dominated by Japhat Al Nosra, a terrorist group linked to Al Qaida. The admission comes after two years of non-stop disinformation trumpeted from all French mainstream media outlets from the official right to the official left, disinformation that has attempted to convince the French public that democratic revolutionaries are fighting a war for human rights and freedom against a brutal, tyrannical dictator, who is ‘’ killing his own people’’.
War In Mali: Geopolitics, Economic Conflicts And Terrorism
From: Turkish Analyst Journal
The Republic of Mali witnessed a number of military and security developments, with the onset of 2013. French Army launched military operations into Northern Mali, where the fundamentalist groups took ground, so that it could render help to the African forces. In fact, social unrest in this region has historical roots in the demands of Tuareg people, which live in Mali. In addition, the transformation that African continent has gone through for more than ten years, has also had a great impact on the incidents in Mali. For the time being, even though most of the states in Northern Africa have been historically within French sphere of influence, it is also predicted that the US will emerge as a dominant actor in this region in the forthcoming period. It is also evident that strong regional actors such as China, India and Brazil will try to get involved in the region as far as they can, due to the rich natural resources of the region. In this context, Mali comes into prominence among various states of the region, because it serves as an intersection among Africa’s critical regions of Maghreb, Sahel, Sahara and the Gulf of Guinea.
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