[Khaama (Afghanistan)] China has offered the Afghanistan army expanded military aid to combat the Taliban, according to the Afghan Defense Ministry, a move that reflects Beijing’s readiness to deepen its engagement with the war-torn country, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The offer was made during a rare, high-level visit at the end of February by a Chinese military delegation headed by General Fang Fenghui, chief of the Joint Staff Department of the People’s Liberation Army, Afghan officials said.
China has been wary of publicly supporting the Afghan military against the Taliban, as it nurtures relations with the holy warrior group in an effort to be seen as a neutral party in the conflict and help the grinding of the peace processor. However, a person who gets all wrapped up in himself makes a mighty small package... deteriorating security and the emergence of Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... has prompted China to take a more active role in Afghanistan.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/10/2016 00:00 ||
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#1
As per SPUTNIK TODAY, Russia is claiming that the UK/Brit-trained Afghan National Army [ANA] is failing to meet many or most operating and battlefield standards, + hence is more likely to run from battle agz the Hard Boyz than fight one???
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] The growing cross-border violations by Pakistain was agenda as President Mohammad Ashraf chaired National Security Council (NSC) meeting today, the Office of the President said.
This comes as numerous cross-border violations have been reported during the past one week, including an attack by Pakistain forces which led to a clash with the Afghan border police forces in eastern Nangarhar The unfortunate Afghan province located adjacent to Mohmand, Kurram, and Khyber Agencies. The capital is Jalalabad. The province was the fief of Younus Khalis after the Soviets departed and one of his sons is the current provincial Taliban commander. Nangarhar is Haqqani country.. province.
Expressing concerns regarding the growing violations by Paks, the relevant institutions were instructed to take necessary measures in a bid to repulse the attempts.
The Pak military helicopters infiltrated inside the Afghan soil in eastern Kunar province ... which is right down the road from Chitral. Kunar is Haqqani country..... of Afghanistan recently with the local officials saying the helicopters dropped bombs on certain areas in this province.
The cross-border violations by Pak military was at its peak before the formation of the government of national unity late in 2014, but the provocative moves reduced by a larger extent last year.
The Pak military used to fire scores of artillery shells on daily basis to eastern Kunar and Nuristan provinces as well as other provinces located along the Durand Line.
The latest provocative moves by the Pak military comes amid ongoing joint efforts by the two countries, involving China and United States, to put an end to the ongoing violence in the country through peaceful negotiations in the form of Quadrilateral Coordination Group.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/10/2016 00:00 ||
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[AnNahar] The Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (IS) group has around 5,000 fighters in Libya with the capacity to carry out deadly raids into neighboring countries, Italia's foreign minister told parliament on Wednesday.
The figure is at the top end of recent Western estimates of the number of IS fighters in Libya.
Italy last week dispatched a reported 50 members of its special forces to join US, British and French agents already on reconnaissance and intelligence operation services in Libya.
"According to our analyses, there are today around 5,000 Daesh [Islamic State] fighters in Libya," Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni told the Italian Senate, using an Arabic name for IS. "They are concentrated particularly in the area of (the city of) Sirte but from there they have the capacity to carry out dangerous incursions (into neighbouring states)."
Italia last week dispatched a reported 50 members of its special forces to join US, British and French agents already on reconnaissance and intelligence operation services in Libya.
Rome has also recently authorised the United States to launch drone strikes into its former colony from an airbase in Sicily in what has been seen as a sign of Western powers moving towards more active involvement in the country.
Gentiloni told the Senate there were no plans for action beyond the possible deployment of an Italian-led peacekeeping force if and when Libya forges a unified national government with the authority to request outside security support.
"The government will not be dragged into a pointless adventure that would be potentially dangerous for our national security," the minister said.
"Military interventions are not the solution," Gentiloni added, recalling that "Libya is six times the size of Italia and has 200,000 gunnies between the militias and the army."
Posted by: trailing wife ||
03/10/2016 00:00 ||
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At least that's what I think they're for. I can't imagine any other reason to send them there.
The United States has deployed three B-2 Spirit nuclear stealth bombers to support U.S. Pacific Command, U.S. Strategic Command announced Wednesday.
The aircraft are the United States' most advanced bomber and part of its nuclear deterrent defenses.
It is not the first time that the United States deployed the B-2 bombers to the Pacific Command. Last fall, the U.S. Air Force deployed three B-2s to Guam. In March 2013, the U.S. sent two B-2s to conduct a flyover near Seoul, South Korea. All three bomber deployments followed North Korean missile tests.
In recent weeks, U.S. and South Korean officials have publicly discussed providing additional strategic defenses for South Korea, including deploying the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile defense system. The officials announced they were discussing its deployment in response to long-range missile launches in early February by North Korea.
Previously, U.S. and South Korean officials had not publicly acknowledged any discussions on the deployment of the THAAD missile defense system due to pressure placed on South Korea by China not to accept the system. U.S. officials now emphasize the deployment of THAAD would be to protect South Korea and the approximately 28,500 U.S. soldiers based there.
On Tuesday, North Korea announced it has developed the capability to put a miniaturized nuclear weapon on a ballistic missile, the same day that the Air Force deployed the B-2s. The Air Force did not specify where the B-2s would be based.
"Recent events demonstrate the continued need to provide consistent and credible air power throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific region," said Gen. Lori J. Robinson, Pacific Air Forces commander. "Our ability to demonstrate credible combat power while training and inter-operating with our network of like-minded partner nations is vitally important."
[Jpost] The issue came to the forefront this week after the Joint List parties Balad and Hadash condemned the decision of Gulf states to label Hezbollah a terrorist organization. Rights without obligations is a good deal---as long as it lasts
[An Nahar] U.S. Vice President Joe Foreign Policy Whiz Kid Biden The former Senator-for-Life from Delaware, an example of the kind of top-notch Washington intellect to be found in the World's Greatest Deliberative Body... on Wednesday implicitly criticized Paleostinian leaders for not condemning attacks against Israelis, as an upsurge in violence marred his visit.
Six separate attacks took place shortly before or after Biden's arrival Tuesday, including a stabbing spree on Tel Aviv's waterfront by a Paleostinian who killed an American tourist and maimed 12 other people.
The stabbings in the Jaffa port area took place as Biden met former Israeli president Shimon Peres about a kilometer (less than a mile) away on Tuesday.
Biden said his wife and grandchildren had been having dinner on the beach not far from the site of the stabbings.
"The United States of America condemns these acts and condemns the failure to condemn these acts," Biden said while meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"The kind of violence we saw yesterday, the failure to condemn it, the rhetoric that incites that violence, the retribution that it generates, has to stop."
Biden offered his condolences to the family of the American victim, 29-year-old Taylor Force, whom he noted had served in the U.S. military in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/10/2016 00:00 ||
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[IsraelTimes] Netanyahu orders repairs for gaps in security barrier, blocking entry from the West Bank; calls for inciting media to be shut down
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday ordered a series of measures following three bloody attacks by Paleostinians the previous day, including repair work to seal gaps in the security barrier near Jerusalem, harsher punishments for those who help Paleostinians illegally enter Israel, and the shutting down of Paleostinian media channels that broadcast incitement.
Two of the three Paleostinians who carried out the attacks did not have permits to be Israel. The third was an East Jerusalem resident.
Netanyahu called a late-night emergency security meeting at his Jerusalem bureau in the wake of the attacks, which left one person dead -- American visitor Taylor Force -- and a dozen injured. Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, and Israel Police Chief Roni Alsheich attended the meeting, along with representatives from the IDF and the Shin Bet security service.
As an immediate measure, a decision was taken to seal any gaps in the security fence through which Paleostinians are able to cross from the West Bank into areas around Jerusalem. In addition, work to finish construction of the security fence in area of Tarkumiya, south of the Hebron Hills, was to be accelerated.
The meeting also resolved to push legislation to increase punishments for those who help Paleostinians enter Israel without permits. In addition, authorities would cancel many existing work and trade permits that have been issued to Paleostinians, tens of thousands of whom commute every day from the West Bank to jobs inside Israel.
Paleostinian media channels that incite to violence were also to be shut down. According to a Haaretz report, Defense Ministry officials will decide which Paleostinian media the measures apply to.
Following the Tuesday incidents police increased their presence in cities across the country and called on the public to remain alert
[IsraelTimes] A member of Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason,’s military wing died during a training exercise Wednesday morning, according to a statement released by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
The man was named as Suleiman Mohammed al-Ayadi from the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gazoo Strip.
Local sources told the Paleostinian news site Milad that al-Ayadi, 22, drowned during a training session with the al-Qassam Brigade’s frogman unit.
Iranian military leaders announced Thursday that they had successfully reproduced and improved a U.S. sentinel spy drone, one of which was downed and captured in Iranian territory in 2011.
Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps' Aerospace Force, announced that Iran is calling its own version of the spy drone, "Simorgh," which is Iranian for "Phoenix," according to the country's state controlled media.
Iran's version of the drone "was manufactured through reverse engineering of the U.S. drone, which was tracked and hunted down in Iran late in 2011, and has been equipped by the IRGC with bombing capability," according to Fars News Agency. Remember when our government told us that this drone was so delicately balanced that there was no room for an explosive detonator on it to mitigate the damage if this thing fell into enemy hands? Remember when I called BS on that? Well, it seems I was right. Although the Iranians did sort of cheat by putting the explosive on the outside, their primitive engineering team managed to find a way whereas our far more advanced team supposedly could not. I blame the idiots making the decisions.
The Iranian media outlet further claimed that "Iran has downed many other U.S. drones as well, and they have always started reproducing them immediately after conducting reverse engineering." Golly, I sorta doubt that. But maybe I missed something in the news.
[ALMANAR.LB] US Vice President Joe Foreign Policy Whiz Kid Biden The former Senator-for-Life from Delaware, an example of the kind of top-notch Washington intellect to be found in the World's Greatest Deliberative Body... said on Wednesday that the United States would take action against Iran if long-range ballistic missile tests Tehran said it carried out were confirmed.
"I want to reiterate, as I know people still doubt, if in fact they break the (nuclear) deal, we will act," Biden said during a visit to Israel and the Paleostinian territories.US Vice President Joe Biden
"All their conventional activity outside the deal, which is still beyond the deal, we will and are attempting to act wherever we can find it."
Iran fired two more long-range ballistic missiles on Wednesday as it continued military tests in defiance of US sanctions and fresh warnings from Washington.
Coming just weeks after the implementation of Iran's historic nuclear deal with world powers, this week's multiple missile tests were described by Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards as a show of force in the face of US pressure.
After similar tests on Tuesday, Washington warned it could raise the issue with the UN Security Council and take further action after US sanctions were imposed in connection with Iran's missile program in January.
The hard-fought deal, which saw international sanctions lifted in exchange for curbs on Iran's nuclear ambitions, did not extend to its missile program.
Biden spoke after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who forcefully opposed the nuclear accord with Iran.
General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, who heads the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' aerospace wing, said the longer-range missiles tested would be capable of hitting the Zionist entity.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/10/2016 00:00 ||
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#1
Good for Biden, but IMO it would be better to hear from the Bammer himself as per Iran + China.
[An Nahar] The Appeals Panel of the Special Tribunal for Leb on Tuesday acquitted al-Jadeed television and its vice chairwoman Karma al-Khayat of all charges of contempt.
The panel issued its judgment with "two separate opinions and one partially dissenting opinion," the STL said in a statement.
Presided over by STL President Judge Ivana Hrdlièková and consisting of Judge Janet Nosworthy and Judge Walid Akoum, the Appeals Panel reversed Khayat's conviction under Count 2 and set aside a fine of 10,000 Euros imposed on her by the Contempt Judge.
The panel also affirmed Khayat’s acquittal under Count 1 and al-Jadeed’s acquittal under both counts.
This case concerned al-Jadeed's August 2012 broadcast of five episodes regarding purported confidential tribunal witnesses and their online availability "in violation of an order issued by the Pre-trial Judge on August 10, 2012."
The accused, al-Jadeed and Khayat -- at the time al-Jadeed's Deputy Head of News and Political Programs -- were each charged with two counts of contempt of court for "knowingly and willfully interfering with the administration of justice by:
1. Broadcasting and/or publishing information on purported confidential witnesses in the Ayyash et al. case, thereby undermining public confidence in the Tribunal’s ability to protect the confidentiality of information about, or provided by, witnesses or potential witnesses (Count 1);
2. Failing to remove from Al Jadeed TV’s website and YouTube channel information on purported confidential witnesses in the Ayyash et al. case, thereby violating the 10 August 2012 Order (Count 2)."
On September 18, Contempt Judge Nicola Lettieri issued a judgment acquitting al-Jadeed on both counts while acquitting Khayat on Count 1 and finding her guilty on Count 2.
Consequently, on September 28, the Contempt Judge sentenced Khayat to a fine of 10,000 Euros.
In the proceedings before the Appeals Panel, the Amicus Curiae Prosecutor appealed al-Jadeed’s acquittal on both counts and Khayat’s acquittal on Count 1. In addition, the Defense appealed Khayat’s conviction on Count 2.
The STL has indicted five Hizbullah ...Party of God, a Leb militia inspired, founded, funded and directed by Iran. Hizbullah refers to itself as The Resistance and purports to defend Leb against Israel, with whom it has started and lost one disastrous war to date, though it did claim victory... members for involvement in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's Feb. 2005 liquidation.
Hizbullah chief His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah The satrap of the Medes and the Persians in Leb... has dismissed the court as a U.S.-Israeli scheme against his group and vowed that the accused will never be found.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/10/2016 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] The United States has expressed concern ...meaning the brow was mildly wrinkled, the eyebrows drawn slightly together, and a thoughtful expression assumed, not that anything was actually done or indeed that any thought was actually expended... over a Saudi announcement that it was cutting off $4 billion of aid to the Lebanese army and security forces, and stressed that assistance to the military is "essential" to limit Hizbullah ...Party of God, a Leb militia inspired, founded, funded and directed by Iran. Hizbullah refers to itself as The Resistance and purports to defend Leb against Israel, with whom it has started and lost one disastrous war to date, though it did claim victory... 's role.
"We’ve raised our concerns about the reports of aid cutoff with the Saudi authorities. I’m not going to talk about the details of that," State Department Spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday.
U.S. support to the Lebanese army "is important and it’s going to continue," he said, adding that assistance to the military and "to other legitimate state institutions is essential to help diminish the role of Hizbullah and its foreign patrons."
Kirby stressed that Washington doesn't want "to leave the field open to Hizbullah or its patrons. Our assistance to the Lebanese military makes a real difference on the ground against Daesh [Islamic State] and other hard boys."
The military "deserves the support of the international community as well," he told news hounds.
Kirby's comment came after he was asked about a report in The Wall Street Journal that the Obama Administration is pressuring Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... not to take further steps to punish Leb economically in retaliation for the growing political power of Hizbullah in Leb.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/10/2016 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] The commander of U.S. special operations said Tuesday that, while coalition forces have put the Islamic State group under pressure, there is no immediate battlefield plan to take its de facto capital.
Briefing U.S. lawmakers in Washington, senior generals said the U.S.-led anti-IS coalition was working with local ground forces to isolate the group's Syrian stronghold in the city of Raqa.
But General Joseph Votel, head of Special Operations Command, said this broad strategy does not yet amount to a plan to take Raqa, despite recent advances by U.S.-backed fighters grouped under the "Syrian Democratic Forces" banner.
"There is currently not a plan," he said. Asked whether the coalition has a plan hold the city after it falls, he added: "I would say no, there is not a plan to hold Raqa."
And, under questioning from the Senate Armed Services Committee, he admitted that the SDF force that the U.S.-led coalition relies upon for ground forces in the Raqa area is "probably about 80 percent" Kurdish.
The coalition has been criticized for its over-reliance on Kurdish allies, who may struggle to win over civilians in a mainly Arab town like Raqa and are considered suspect by neighboring Turkey.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/10/2016 00:00 ||
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#1
"There is not a plan to hold Raqa" > One would think there would be given repor UK fears that the ISIS/ISL could strike London or other major British, EU Cities within range from Raqa via captured Iraqi-Syrian SCUDS armed wid Conventional, WMD, or "Dirty Nuke" warheads.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Joe 
[IsraelTimes] A member of 
Iranian military leaders announced Thursday that they had successfully reproduced and improved a U.S. sentinel spy drone, one of which was downed and captured in Iranian territory in 2011.
