UNITED NATIONS: Russia is considering withdrawing its military helicopters servicing the UN peacekeeping force in South Sudan after voicing alarm at attacks on Russian personnel there, a senior UN official said.
They don't like you.
The statement by Susana Malcorra, undersecretary-general of the UN Department of Field Support, came during a recent increase in tribal violence in a remote area of South Sudan that caused some 60,000 people to flee.
My sense is that at this point in time, Russia is seriously considering whether to stay or to leave South Sudan, Malcorra told Reuters in an interview.
The departure of Russia, which provides key services for the UN Mission in South Sudan, or UNMISS, could complicate matters in Africas newest country, an impoverished oil-producing state struggling to establish a functioning security sector that is under the control of the Juba government.
Until recently, Russia had eight helicopters that were being used by UNMISS, Malcorra said. After its utility helicopters were attacked by South Sudanese security forces last autumn, Russia decided in December to withdraw four of them and now appears to be contemplating the withdrawal of the other four, she said.
Russias UN mission acknowledged that Moscow was concerned about the poor security in South Sudan but said there was no point in speculating about its future plans with UNMISS, which has a mandated full strength of 7,000 military personnel, while negotiations with the United Nations were under way.
In a statement to Reuters, the mission said Russia was alarmed by attacks on utility helicopters operated by the Russian military for UNMISS.
Recently the situation in providing security to the Russian helicopter crews has been deteriorating, the mission said.
Administrative matters pertaining to a new letter of assist (contract with the UN) are being discussed by the parties and any speculation about Russias participation in the UN mission for the future is inappropriate, the spokesman said.
South Sudan declared independence in July under a 2005 peace agreement with Khartoum that ended decades of civil war. But the nation has been struggling to end tribal and rebel violence that killed thousands last year.
Fighting broke out recently between members of the Lou Nuer tribe and the rival Murle tribe. Some 6,000 armed Lou Nuer members attacked the town of Pibor in Jonglei state bordering north Sudan. It remains unclear how many people were killed.
After the Lou Nuer campaign lasting several days, Murle men attacked two villages in Akobo county in northern Jonglei, killing at least 24, according to the government.
UN diplomats and officials told Reuters that one of the reasons for the slow deployment of UNMISS troops to Pibor at the time of the clashes was the Russian refusal to fly its helicopters there. Russia, UN officials say, has been refusing to fly its helicopters without a new letter of assist to replace the previous one, which expired at the end of November. But Malcorra said the real reason Russia had grounded its choppers appeared to be security, not administrative bottlenecks.
Never discount the possibility of poor maintenance...
If a countrys contract for providing military assets with a UN mission expires, the expired contract traditionally remains in force until a new one is signed, Malcorra said.
Even though there are administrative hurdles, I do not believe the administrative hurdles are the cause of this problem, she said. I believe it was a safety and security ... question.
One UN official, who spoke to Reuters, was highly critical of Russia, saying the grounding of its helicopters was outrageous and that UN peacekeepers needed to be prepared to put up with a certain amount of risk in the interest of protecting civilians.
Malcorra was careful not to criticize Moscow, which provides civilian and military air services for many UN missions worldwide.
It is clear that the reason why Russia has (grounded) the helicopters is based on the threat and the risk the troops have faced, she said. And I can fully understand that.
South Sudans government has apologized to Russia for the attacks on its helicopters last year and vowed to take steps to ensure there were no new attacks on Russian aircraft by South Sudanese. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has also spoken with senior Russian officials, as has Malcorra.
To cover for the shortage of helicopters in South Sudan, Malcorra said UNMISS would be temporarily using helicopters from the UN mission in Democratic Republic of the Congo and a separate Ethiopian stabilization force, called UNISFA, currently in the disputed Abyei region bordering north and South Sudan.
With all the money the UN spends, perhaps it's time for it to have a technical force that does things like own and fly helicopters...
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/18/2012 00:00 ||
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With all the money the UN spends, perhaps it's time for it to have a technical force that does things like own and fly helicopters
the black ones?
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/18/2012 11:00 Comments ||
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Petrol shortages and rumours of price hikes created havoc in the Egyptian capital for the third straight day Tuesday, as motorists rushed to fill up their tanks despite official assurances.
The oil ministry said on Monday authorities were pumping 21.5 million litres of petrol daily, with nine million litres allocated for the Cairo governorate alone, denying any plans to raise the cost of petrol, which is subsidized. But these assurances failed to calm motorists.
Authorities are blaming speculators and smugglers for the crisis. "What we are witnessing is an artificial crisis caused by rumours by some people who have an interest in making profit," said Planning and International Cooperation Minister Fayza Abul Naga.
Newspapers have linked the crisis to smugglers who reportedly buy up the subsidised petrol to sell abroad at higher prices.
Petrol in Egypt is sold at almost half the market value.
If that's the case, how is there any profit for 'smugglers' and 'speculators'? Oh right, the subsidies distort the market, creating shortages, which leads to speculation and smuggling, which leads to crackdowns, which leads to another revolution. If your citizens were adults you could bring the price up to market levels and avoid all that. But since your citizens are adult babies you'll get your revolution anyway. Enjoy the tiger ride...
The crisis has been exacerbated by allegations that the Egyptian government will lift subsidies on petrol as part of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund to shore up the economy after last year's unrest. Officials have denied these claims.
"No, no, certainly not! Please don't kill us!"
"The government has no intention to raise the price of petrol," the oil ministry said in a statement, adding that it was pumping 33 percent more than usual onto the market to satisfy needs.
"We like our heads attached to our necks! We'll even cut the price of petrol! You'll see!"
"We are currently pumping 21.5 million litres of petrol daily across the country to meet the needs of the local market," with nine million litres going to Cairo, oil ministry under-secretary Mahmud Nazim told reporters on Monday. Nazim said the rumours were "unfounded," adding that Egypt was not facing any shortages.
"The majority of Egypt's gasoline needs are produced by local refineries. Imports are estimated at not more than 10 percent, and all gasoline production units are working at full capacity," he told reporters.
On Monday Egyptian Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzuri held talks with a delegation from the International Monetary Fund on the possibility of obtaining a 3.2 billion dollar (2.5 billion euros) loan to revive the economy.
"We discussed obtaining a loan from the IMF worth 3.2 billion dollars to help the government implement its programme to cut the budget deficit and the balance of payments," Abul Naga told reporters after the meeting. Abul Naga insisted that the IMF has not imposed any conditions on Egypt in exchange for providing it with financial aid, including urging Cairo to raise the price of fuel.
Scrapping petrol subsidies could ease Egypt's budget deficit which the government says stands at 144 billion Egyptian pounds (around 24 billion dollars). But financial analysts believe that the deficit for the current fiscal year -- from July 1 to end of June -- will be much larger. The large fiscal deficit, a fall in receipts from the vital tourism industry and an investment climate badly affected by instability and violence all contributed to the slump.
Wait until the government can't subsidize the grain costs and have to go back to the IMF. Or to Uncle Sugar.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/18/2012 12:59 ||
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We will bail out the EuroPeons, bet on it.
It is integral to maintaining the con for a little while longer. Image is everything when it comes to fiat currency.
CAIRO: Hosni Mubarak's chief defense lawyer on Tuesday portrayed the ousted Egyptian president as a "clean" leader who placed the law above all else and worked tirelessly for his nation.
He even supported the people trying to topple him, so tirelessly was he working for the good of the country...
Farid El-Deeb's opening statements to the court also sought to paint a picture of the 83-year-old Mubarak as a victim of malicious accusations while his health was failing. He was looking to the court for justice, El-Deeb said.
Hosni's health was just fine until he was arrested...
Mubarak is charged with complicity in the killing of hundreds of protesters during an 18-day uprising that toppled his 29-year, authoritarian regime last February. He could face the death penalty if convicted.
Lawyers for families of those killed and wounded have argued that even if Mubarak did not issue orders to shoot protesters, he failed to give orders to stop the killing. The prosecution later delivered a harsh assessment of Mubarak's rule, saying he was directly responsible for the killing of protesters and that he devoted the last 10 of his nearly three decades in power to ensure that his son, banker-turned-politician Gamal, would succeed him.
Mubarak and his two sons -- wealthy businessman Alaa and Gamal -- also face corruption charges. All three were in court Tuesday. As has been the practice since the trial began on Aug. 3, Mubarak was brought by helicopter to the courthouse -- a lecture room in a police academy that once bore his name -- from a hospital where he is held in custody east of Cairo. He appeared in court laying on a gurney inside a metal defendants' cage, wearing dark sunglasses and covered by a blanket.
Judge Ahmed Rifaat has given the Mubaraks' defense lawyers five sessions in court to state their case.
"Mubarak is neither a tyrant nor a bloodthirsty man. He respects the judiciary and its decisions. A clean man who could say no wrong," said El-Deeb, who has built up a reputation over the years as a highly paid celebrity lawyer.
"This man who stands in front of you is 83, fatigued by ailments after devoting his entire life to the service of his nation. He has been mauled by malicious talk. He has been targeted from all directions and his reputation has been hit by tongues and pens," said El-Deeb, who is also defending Alaa and Gamal.
The three have eight co-defendants, including Mubarak's former security chief Habib El-Adly and six top police commanders. El-Adly and four of the six commanders are charged with complicity in the killing of the protesters. A friend of the Mubarak family's, fugitive Hussein Salem, is also facing corruption charges.
El-Deeb enraged lawyers for the victims on Tuesday when he claimed that Mubarak supported the uprising that toppled him. He quoted from a letter Mubarak wrote to lifetime friend and Cabinet minister Ahmed Shafiq, whom he named as prime minister during the uprising.
In that letter, Mubarak said the protesters were exercising their right to stage peaceful protests but were infiltrated by criminals and Islamists who sabotaged public property and challenged the regime's "legitimacy."
El-Deeb also chastised the prosecution for what he said was its deviation from its task when its opening statements were political rather than focused on the legal aspects of the case.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/18/2012 00:00 ||
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He's definitely was a lot better than his countrymen deserve.
#2
Hosni's health was just fine until he was arrested...
Johnson, quick, we need a new name for a 'syndrome' that strikes down powerful and influential politicians when facing justice rendering them unable to appear in court.
#3
I think Mubarak was a Good Guy. Everything following him will be worse. His reign will be seen retroactively as a "Golden Age". But only when it's too late to do anything about it.
#5
"Clean" is relative, especially in the Arab world. Ottoman satraps were expected to make up part of their salary by squeezing those beneath them (baksheesh) and kicking a portion of the proceeds upwards.
#7
In fact, just this morning we were going to dip him in boiling water so that he may be clean for court, but his babblings about bank account numbers or something lasted so long we had to break, so that he would not be late for court.
[Yemen Post] The Yemeni Human Rights Organization, HOOD, has affirmed that hundreds of officers, troops and protesters are being jugged and brutally tortured inside military camps affiliated to the outgoing President President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh. ... Saleh initially took power as a strongman of North Yemen in 1977, when disco was in flower, but he didn't invite Donna Summer to the inauguration and Blondie couldn't make it... The body said that these soldiers were jugged due their support to anti-regime protests.
Hood indicated that the Yemeni authorities have recently released 44 detainees from the Central Prison in Sana'a.
Yemen security and army services have arbitrarily jugged hundreds of peaceful protesters across the country, subjecting them to torture and ill-treatment, since anti-government demonstrations began in February 2011.
"A military court has recently released four officers and troops of the Special Forces Service led by son of Saleh, Ahmed," Hood said."They were tossed in the clink on charges of taking part in anti-regime demonstrations."
One of the released persons revealed that 75 protesters and 70 soldiers of the defected First Armored Division are being held inside a custody in Alsama'a military camp located in Arhab district of Sana'a governorate.
The protester told Yemeni activists that he was kidnapped from the capital in December, 2011, pointing out that he was immediately transferred to this camp.
He said he was subject to brutal forms of tortures, including electro-shock devices and beating with cables and whips, as he was blindfolded and handcuffed.
Yemenis have been demonstrating across the country demanding the release of hundreds of detainees held by Security services which are still controlled by people loyal to Saleh.
Yemeni activists had urged all international human rights ...which often intentionally defined so widely as to be meaningless... organizations to press on the Yemeni regime to release all detainees who are subject to brutal torture.
The exact number of detainees being held by the authorities is unknown, but activists say that it could be as high as 1,400.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/18/2012 00:00 ||
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[Yemen Post] The Yemeni government reconsiders shifting the political capital from Sana'a to Aden, government sources reported.
The sources said Sana'a would be declared as a historical capital, pointing out that it has no longer enjoy qualities of modern capital.
Many Yemeni prominent intellectuals, writers and journalists have called for transferring the political capital to Aden, affirming that Aden enjoys all factors that make it a modern and civilized political capital.
The sources revealed that the Yemeni interim government headed by Mohammad Salem Basindiwa are currently negotiating with international firms specialized in scheming modern political capitals and cities.
The sources said the government seeks to launch huge development projects in Aden that include transfer of Aden International Airport to the neighboring province of Lahj.
"Among the strategic project the new government intends to carry out is a railway project that would link between several Yemeni provinces," they added.
"Establishment of a government compound to include a number of ministries that will be transferred from Sana'a into Aden."
They affirmed that such orientations meet the ambitions of Yemeni youths who took to streets demanding to build a new civil and modern nation.
Many Yemeni prominent writers and journalists had said that Sana'a is no longer appropriate to stay as a capital while it is surrounded with many tribal militias and weapons, emphasizing that it will be subject to risks and turbulences.
They said that Sana'a lacks to secure supply lines for food commodities and oil derivatives from the port cities.
Yemeni experts warned that its water basin will be run out by 2025 and it has been under siege from an on-going drought for many years.
"Sana'a is a mountainous city with a low water table," they added.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/18/2012 00:00 ||
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Sana'a is 1000 years old, in what was historically one of the fertile valley areas in an otherwise uninviting country. Sits at the lower end of the al-Houthi separatist territory.
Aden is on the Gulf of Aden, just around the horn from the Red Sea. Historically a major port for the spice trade, and run by the Brits for many years, it became a Marxist secessionist hotbed when they left.
Not a bad idea, but it will be interesting to watch the, ummm, execution.
#2
Aden was a big Brit naval station. I remember the big deal when they left sometime in the 60's and no one knew who would maintain order east of Aden. No one has.
#3
no one knew who would maintain order east of Aden. No one has.
The old worry was always that there would be a return to anarchy and rampant piracy. So far, that worry has been misplaced. Given the high cost of making sure that other aspects of life in the region are as they were during the Days of Empire, I'd say it's been a real boon for Britain that the wogs were left to fend for themselves.
SANAA, Yemen -- Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday that the U.S. regrets that Yemen's president has not complied with agreements to leave the country and allow elections for a successor.
Since he's still in Sanaa it seems that indeed, he has not complied...
Now they're talking about moving the capital out from under him.
Perhaps he can be the 'historical president' to go along with the 'historical capital'...
Her comments came as Yemen's foreign minister suggested next month's presidential vote could be delayed because of security concerns. A top ruling party official also told The Associated Press that President Ali Abdullah Saleh met with high-level security officials this week and decided to ask parliament to delay the elections until May 22, which would be a violation of the U.S.-backed agreement the president signed in November.
"There have been agreements with respect to the way forward that have not been fulfilled," Clinton said during a trip to Ivory Coast. "We regret that the president has thus far failed to comply with his own commitments to leave the country, to permit elections to go forward that give the people a chance to be heard and be represented."
Saleh, Yemen's authoritarian leader of 33 years, agreed under pressure to a plan brokered by Yemen's Gulf Arab neighbors to transfer power to his vice president and hold presidential elections in February that will essentially rubber-stamp the vice president's takeover. The agreement did not spell out that Saleh must leave the country. But Clinton's remarks appeared to confirm what Yemeni officials close to Saleh have told the AP -- the alongside the Gulf-brokered deal, Saleh made a "gentleman's agreement" with the United States to leave the country.
Saleh, however, may be having difficulties finding a country to take refuge in.
One that won't rat him out to the International Criminal Court, that is...
And since the agreement was signed, there have been growing fears he may try to slip out of the deal and cling to power.
Since he's a slippery fellow...
The suggestion of a delay in the vote will feed those fears.
The Gulf initiative says that presidential elections are to be held on Feb. 21, and that Saleh will not be allowed to run. It was agreed that the only presidential candidate will be Saleh's deputy.
Not much of an 'election' then...
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/18/2012 00:00 ||
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One that won't rat him out to the International Criminal Court, that is...
I thought that's what the Magic Kingdom is for.
#2
Many years ago, I discovered that one of the most highly admired curse words in the world was from India, because of its ornate and complex implications.
The word was "sala", and it literally means "your sister". Figuratively, however, it meant 5 or 6 long paragraphs about your sister's ancestry, hygiene, habits, manners and morals, etc.
In practice, it is the word they save until just before the knives come out.
In any event, it was trivial enough information so after explanation, soon all my young peers were using it as a friendly greeting, along with the traditional two fingered Indian nod, giving us great hilarity.
It didn't hurt that to a casual listener, it sounded close to "Salaam", which is a real greeting, the word for "peace" in Arabic, though ill used in the last century.
[Bangla Daily Star] At the International Crimes Tribunal yesterday a prosecution witness in the case against Jamaat-e-Islami ...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... leader Delwar Hossain Sayeedi ...Islamic orator and politician. He was a former Member of Parliament in the National Assembly of Bangladesh from 1996 to 2008, and is one of the most prominent leaders of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami... accused the defence of intimidating him at his home in Pirojpur.
"They [defence counsels] went to my house and threatened me," said 14th witness Abdul Halim Babul, pointing his finger at the defence counsels of Sayeedi.
"Some 300 to 400 people went there and intimidated me," said the 55-year-old village doctor when he was being cross-examined by the defence lawyers after he had testified before the tribunal.
"We were tortured in 1971 [during the Liberation War]. Even now [they] are intimidating me."
The defence counsels were silent in court after the witness made the claim.
Later, before journalists, they denied the allegation.
Lawyer Tajul Islam, a defence counsel who visited Pirojpur to prepare for the case, said the allegations are "not true". He claimed that in December Babul had misbehaved with them when they went to his home to make a map of the location.
"We have the footage to prove it," he said.
Meanwhile, ...back at the laboratory the fumes had dispersed, to reveal an ominous sight... prosecutor Rana Dasgupta told The Daily Star that the allegation made by the witness was true.
He said a group of defence lawyers with 300 to 400 activists of Jamaat-e Islami and its front organizations visited some parts of Pirojpur to collect information to defend Sayeedi before the trial began.
"We came to know that they also went to the houses of some prosecution witnesses and threatened them," he said.
The state is providing protection to the witnesses and victims of crimes against humanity as per constitutional obligations, he said.
The three-member tribunal headed by Justice Nizamul Huq finished recording the deposition and cross-examination of Babul yesterday.
It prematurely adjourned yesterday's proceedings at 12:10pm, as the next witness could not be produced due to his illness. The tribunal is supposed to record the testimony of the 80-year-old witness today.
Sayeedi has been accused of committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971. He was present in the dock during yesterday's proceedings. He is among six Jamaat leaders, including former Jamaat-e-Islami chief Ghulam Azam and two BNP leaders, facing charges of crimes against humanity before the tribunal.
Babul in his seven-minute testimony told the tribunal that Sayeedi along with other collaborators and Pak soldiers looted and torched his house in Pirojpur on June 2, 1971.
He was standing on the street in front of his house in Nalbunia village when he heard that Pak soldiers and collaborators were approaching towards the area, he said.
"We used to live in fear of the Pak soldiers and Razakars [collaborators]," said Babul, "I entered my home and told everyone to leave.
"They [family members] went into hiding. So did I."
From a distance, they saw Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, Danesh Mollah, Moslem Moulana and some other armed collaborators and Pak soldiers entering his house.
"They looted the house and set it ablaze," he said.
Later, the Pak soldiers and collaborators, including Sayeedi, went to the nearby village of Sankarpasha and set fire to the houses of Khasru Miah and Amir Khan.
"I also heard that they went to Hindupara of Umedpur village, torched many houses and killed people," said the witness.
After Babul finished his deposition at 10:47am, defence counsel Mizanul Islam began cross-examining the witness.
At one point, Mizanul told Babul, "Now, I'm going to ask some unpleasant questions as per my professional responsibilities. You answer if they are true."
Judge AKM Zaheer Ahmed, a tribunal member, then told the counsel, "Do not ask any scandalous questions."
Then, Mizanul asked the witness whether he had secured bail in a theft case filed by one Aklima Khatun from Nalbunia village.
Babul responded that it was not true.
Mizanul then read out the details of the case, including its number (CR-1160, 1982).
At that point, Babul became agitated and stood up in the dock. He sought permission to say something to the tribunal.
Babul said the case had been filed against him to avenge a case he had filed against Aklima in connection with assault on him, which left hack marks on his body.
The witness told the court he could show the marks.
It was then that the witness told the court he had been intimidated by the defence counsels.
Babul said the lawyers went to his house in seven or eight cars along with hundreds of people without any prior notice and intimidated him.
The tribunal then asked Babul to sit down and recorded the fact that the witness had received bail in the theft case against him but that the case was a counter to a case Babul had earlier filed.
Defence counsel Manjur Ahmed Ansari concluded by saying that Babul, a supporter of the Awami League, had made a false statement against Sayeedi on the instructions of his party leaders.
Babul denied the accusation.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/18/2012 00:00 ||
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For a map, click here. For a map of Coahuila state, click here
By Chris Covert
The commander of the Mexican IX Military Region was appointed to a staff post in Mexico City, to be replaced by General de Division Roberto de la Vega Diaz, according to Mexican news accounts.
General Marco Antonio Gonzalez Barreda was appointed Inspector General and Comptroller of the Army and Air Force and will likely move to Distrito Federal.
General Gonzalez Barreda oversaw security operation dubbed Laguna Segura since late October of last year. That operation is still ongoing.
A recent press press report said that intentional homicides were down significantly in the region, possibly as a result of the tightened security. Laguna Segura was instituted to deal with jurisdictional difficulties since the La Laguna region is astride two states, Durango and Coahuila.
The La Laguna region includes the twin cities of Gomez Palacio, Durango and Torreon, Coahuila, as well as Ciudad Lerdo. La Laguna is a critical east west road, the most northerly contiguous east west road system in Mexico. A portion of Mexico Federal Highway 40 running from the port of Mazatlan, Sinaloa to Durango city in Durango state was recently completed to four lanes to aid in commercial traffic in the north.
General de la Vega has held command of the Mexican 35th Military Zone in northern Guerrero, the 41st Military Zone in Puerto Vallarta, and was military attache in Bolivia.
When a field commander goes to Mexico City without an appointent, it usually means SEDENA is trying to shield him from getting into trouble. The staff appointment is sometimes a prelude to senior staff work on down the road, so in this cvase whether GeneralAntonio Gonzalez did well may not even be a facotr in his new job.
Then again, going from commanding the equivilent of a combat division to being an accountant with a uniform is not as glorious work:
There I wuz in Mexico City, fighting transpositions and adding errors...
The FNG is from northern Guerrero where a recent controversy erupted involving the Guerrero state police. Dunno if SEDENA does or even how it would figure into the scandal, but if General de la Vega Diaz was moved to a new command because of it, SEDENA may be getting him ready for retirement.
Associated Press CEO Tom Curley and other staff of the wire service arrived in Pyongyang on Saturday, North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency reported. They are apparently in Pyongyang to discuss the opening of a bureau there as well as how to transmit high-definition images from the electronically backward country.
Any discussion of what AP can and can't transmit?
In June last year, Curly met with KCNA chief Kim Byong-ho at AP headquarters in New York, and signed a memorandum of understanding over the opening of the Pyongyang bureau. Curly said at the time that AP planned to open the bureau early this year.
AP's television affiliate APTN opened a video news bureau in Pyongyang in 2006, but this would be the first western media bureau handling text and photo news.
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/18/2012 00:00 ||
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The Norks had better watch it. The AP is so leftist that they might try to undermine the Nork monarchy.
#3
No discussion of transmitting to, or within, the electronically backward country? Has anyone thought of accidental spillover on the radio frequencies?
Former North Korean Leader Kim Jong-il's eldest son Jong-nam has said the isolated regime will eventually fail with or without reforms.
Either that or Jong Nam will be whacked real soon now...
The comment appears in e-mail conversations exchanged over seven years between Kim Jong-nam and a Japanese journalist and obtained by the Monthly Chosun. The nearly 100 e-mails were sent from 2004 until December last year to Yoji Komi, an editor at the Tokyo Shimbun daily. The two also spoke in person in January and May last year.
Kim Jong-nam, who was passed over for the leadership in favor of his younger brother Kim Jong-un, expresses doubts about his brother's ability and the dynastic succession in general. "I'm concerned how Jong-un, who merely resembles my grandfather [former North Korean leader Kim Il-sung], will be able to satisfy the needs of North Koreans," he wrote. "PudgyKim Jong-un is still just a nominal figure and the members of the power elite will be the ones in actual power."
Dynastic succession would be just fine if he was to be the one in charge...
Kim added that his father had originally intended to halt the hereditary transfer of power, saying it would only damage his and his father's "accomplishments." But he changed his mind because he came to believe that the Kim family bloodline was necessary to maintain the stability of the North Korean regime.
'Stability' defined as keeping all the generals and party bigwigs happy and in place...
Kim Jong-nam said even North Korea's sole ally China is less than enamored of the situation. "Rather than welcoming the hereditary succession, China is merely acknowledging it for the sake of maintaining stability," he said. "The dynastic succession is a joke to the outside world."
Kim also commented on North Korea's deadly shelling of Yeonpyeong Island in 2010. "It was a provocation by North Korea's military to justify their status and existence and the possession of nuclear weapons," he said.
When asked about his thoughts on the sinking of the South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan, Kim said, "From North Korea's perspective, there was a need to stress that the area surrounding [the five northernmost South Korean islands in the West Sea] is a war zone." He added, "That is how the songun (military first) doctrine and the development and possession of nuclear weapons are justified."
Kim said he fell out of favor with his father because of his insistence on reform. "After I went back to North Korea following my education in Switzerland, I grew further apart from my father because I insisted on reform and market-opening and was eventually viewed with suspicion," he recalled. "My father felt very lonely after sending me to study abroad. Then my half brothers Jong-chol and Jong-un and half sister Yeo-jong were born and his adoration was moved on to them. And when he felt that I'd turn into a capitalist after living abroad for years, he shortened the overseas education of my brothers and sister."
Jong-nam isn't a "capitalist" in the way we think of them; he just sees that letting the country work a little better would mean more for him. It's not like he reads Smith, Locke and Madison...
Kim said he told his father what was on his mind whenever he got a chance. "I told him honestly how the international community was concerned about the nuclear tests and missile launches and I am asking him to train my brother [Kim Jong-un] well in order to ensure a good life for the people."
Asked about his relations with his aunt Kim Kyong-hui and uncle Jang Song-taek, who are the patrons of the new leader, he said, "I still have good relations with them and they are fond of me. They pay special attention to me."
Startlingly, Kim Jong-nam said he had never met the new North Korean leader. "I'm his half brother, but I've never met him so I don't know," he said. But he said he saw their middle brother Kim Jong-chol a few times overseas. "The Kim Jong-un regime will not last long," he said, expressing concerns about his brother's young age and utter lack of experience in government. He forecast a power struggle between different factions.
Kim warned, "Without reforms, North Korea will collapse, and when such changes take place, the regime will collapse." He added, "I think we will see valuable time lost as the regime sits idle fretting over whether it should pursue reforms or stick to the present political structure." Kim said the North's hardline stance stems from a political system bent on "survival" and added that Pyongyang will never give up its nuclear weapons.
Kim said he is being watched over by the Chinese government. "The Chinese government is protecting me, but it is also monitoring me too. It's my inevitable fate. If you can't avoid it, it's better to enjoy it." He said, "Because I was educated in the West, I was able to enjoy freedom from early age, and I still love being free. The reason I visit Macau so often is because it's the most free and liberal place near China, where my family lives."
Kim admits his playboy lifestyle. "I don't deny my philandering habits, but I have only one wife, and my wife is the person I love the most in the world." When he was arrested in Japan trying to enter on a false passport in 2001, "the woman who was holding the hand of my young son [Kum-sol] is my wife. The young woman with glasses next to her was my secretary," he said.
He said it was "common" for the North Korean elite at the time to travel abroad with forged passports, and "I went to Japan many times to go to famous hotels and restaurants in Tokyo. Jong-un also went to Japan with a fake Brazilian passport."
Because he loves to drink, he said he is suffering from gout and taking medication.
Asked about his son Han-sol, whom he had with a mistress in Macau and who became the center of a media storm in October 2011, Kim said, "He is adventurous, so he chose to go to an international school in Mostar in tension-filled Bosnia. I had to accept his choice, but I'm concerned now."
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/18/2012 00:00 ||
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#1
"Forged passports" > well, well, well, so tehcnically speaking DPRK POliticos doing so could end up geeeting arrested for false passport, as well either false impersonation of a State Govt-Dplomatic Official, Citizen?, or good old fashioned illegal immigration???
* WORLD NEWS > [Bloomberg News = Commentary] WORLD'S WORST REGIME MAY BE LOOKING AT CHANGE: WILLIAM PESEK.
KIM JONG-UN = MYANMAR'S PRO-DEMOCRACY ANG SYU KYI?, as "Arab Spring" Regime Changes have hit the DPRK's traditional customer base hard in the incoming cash, mil export, + joint coop etc. $$$ coffers. EVEN CHINA IS GETTING TIRED OF THE STATUS QUO WID NORKIES???
IMO the new danger now is how South Korea + rest of NE Asia [Russia, Japan] will react will Rising China's CCP/CPC 2012 Plenum does decide to declare or treat North Korea as a de facto, no longer subjective or nominal, Chinese province???
#7
No mention is made about his occupation. Seems like a guy who might be living in his parents' basement or garage. Glad to hear that he has a secretary to take care of the e-mail so that he can focus on the high-level stuff.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
01/18/2012 22:48 Comments ||
Top||
#8
Yep! He's just another Ex-NORK-Pat tubby princeling---Roger That! Cute.
The countdown is on. The nation's first welcome home parade for Iraq war veterans will take place on January 28th in St. Louis, Missouri.
Some good news for parade organizers. Union Station has opened up its doors for an event before and after the parade, says Craig Schneider, Welcome Home Parade Organizer. "Union station has opened their doors so our dream of this veterans resource village where we can get people and groups together that are welcoming them back and kind of helping them out, Union Station has opened its doors. So it's all going to be inside at Union Station now."
The parade will start run down Market street starting at Kiener Plaza and end at Union Station.
Posted by: Mike Ramsey ||
01/18/2012 00:00 ||
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#1
The mostly young, geeky techy Male Net user prolly found out that 1/3 of all USDOD aircraft are now UAVS, the majority of which are no bigger in size than the ones they can find at their favorite Hobby Shop.
What red-blooded American Net Male is gonna think going into combat wid a Drone = "Transformer/RoboTech" UAV on one's back isn't cool???
[Dawn] The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry has said that transport companies doing business with Afghanistan are suffering financial losses owing to stoppage of hundreds of trucks at Torkham, Pakistain-Afghanistan border.
`The truckers are suffering financial losses of hundreds of thousands of rupees daily because Frontier Corps has stopped their trucks loaded with commercial goods and items in transit to Afghanistan at Torkham border and Takhta Beg checkpost, SCCI vice-president Ziaul HaqSarhadi said on Monday.
In a joint blurb issued by Mr Sarhadi and SCCI president Afan Aziz, they demanded of the government to ensure speedy checking of consignments on route to Afghanistan under the Afghan Transit Trade.
`We are not against the government`s decision of stopping NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A cautionary tale of cost-benefit analysis.... supplies, but it should take appropriate measures to ensure that goods in transit and under regular trade to Afghanistan are not affected,` they said.
They said that the delay in clearing goods by FC had affected trade with Afghanistan. They said that FC hadstopped consignments comprising cooking oil, brake oil, mobile oil, motor oil and grease, whereas, from among the local items the security personnelhad stopped trucks loaded with chemicals for washing carpets.
As a result, each truck was losing Rs3000 daily, they said, adding that the shipping companies were also suffering $15 to $30 daily losses per truck. They said the border security forces and customs authorities needed to improve their liaison, speeding up the clearance of trucks on way to Afghanistan.
`We recognise that strict checking is meant to ensure that NATO goods are not transported to Afghanistan,but the authorities should also recognise that they have not recovered a single item meant for NATO from the trucks transporting commercial items,` they said.
They said that members of the business community held meetings with the FC and Customs authorities explaining to them the SCCFs concerns, but the meetings remained without positive result for the affected businessmen.
Similarly, the matter was also raised with Interior Minister Rehman Malik Pak politician, current Interior Minister under the Gilani administration. Malik is a former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) intelligence officer who rose to head the FIA during Benazir Bhutto's second tenure. He later joined the Pak Peoples Party and was chief security officer to Bhutto. Malik was tossed from his FIA job in 1998 after documenting the breath-taking corruption of the Sharif family. By unhappy coincidence Näwaz Shärif became PM at just that moment and Malik moved to London one step ahead of the button men. and Federal Commerce Minister Amin Faheem, but the contacts did not materialise the required results, according to the blurb.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/18/2012 00:00 ||
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#1
What about the bribery? Isn't that like 80% of their GNP? Do they have a social safety net for all the people out of work due to lack of bribery?
Posted by: Super Hose ||
01/18/2012 22:36 Comments ||
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[An Nahar] Turkey summoned Iraq's ambassador to Ankara to protest claims that it has been meddling in its neighbor's affairs by voicing concerns about a domestic political crisis, a diplomatic source said Tuesday.
Feridun Sinirlioglu, the foreign ministry's undersecretary, told the Iraqi envoy Monday that the accusation of interference was "unacceptable" and Turkey had a legitimate right to be concerned about events on the other side of its borders.
"Iraq's stability concerns all its neighbors including Turkey and this did not mean intervention," Sinirlioglu told the envoy, the source told Agence La Belle France Presse.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/18/2012 00:00 ||
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* WAFF > TURKISH MILITARY INTELLIGENCE TO POLICE: IRAN [Quds Force] WILL STRIKE US TARGETS IN TURKEY | IRANIAN REVOLUTIONARY GUARD, QUDS FORCE COULD BE PLANNING ATTACKS IN TURKEY.
No doubt the Persians, renowned for their hospitality, will be busily tidying the place, putting away clutter and ensuring a comfortable visit to the nicest parts of the country for their visitors. None of those nasty caves and such for their distinguished guests.
[An Nahar] A high-level IAEA delegation is to visit Iran January 29-31 to discuss issues it has over Tehran's nuclear program, Iran's envoy to the U.N. atomic watchdog said Tuesday according to the Fars news agency.
The delegation, to be led by chief inspector Herman Nackaerts, will "negotiate and discuss questions raised by the IAEA," Ali Ashgar Soltanieh was quoted as saying.
Diplomats in Vienna, where the ineffective International Atomic Energy Agency is headquartered, had already said Nackaerts and the agency's number two, Rafael Grossi, were going to visit Iran late this month.
They had spoken of a visit starting around January 28 and lasting into the first few days of February.
Soltanieh said the three-day visit finally agreed was "a new sign of the transparency in Iran's nuclear program and activities and in our interaction with the ineffective International Atomic Energy Agency."
The trip comes at a moment of high international tensions over Iran's nuclear program.
The IAEA issued a report in November expressing strong suspicions -- but stopping just short of declaring them verified -- that Iran was researching the development and delivery of nuclear weapons.
The West, the United States at the fore, has subsequently ratcheted up sanctions on Iran, threatening its ability to export and get paid for its oil.
The European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... is expected next week to announce additional measures said to include a ban on Iranian oil imports.
IAEA diplomats said that, along with Nakaerts, who is Belgian, and Grossi, an Argentine who is IAEA head Yukiya Amano's chief of staff, the delegation will include the agency's senior legal official Peri Lynne Johnson, a U.S. citizen.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/18/2012 00:00 ||
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#1
Just wondering if the Persian Kennel Club will put on a dog show for these esteemed iaea bums. The Iranian love of dogs is well-documented; just another reason to vaporize their "leadership". It's a dog lovers thing and they don't even begin to get it.
[An Nahar] U.S. President Barack Obama On this Memorial Day, as our nation honors its unbroken line of fallen heroes -- and I see many of them in the audience here today... on Tuesday decried continued and "unacceptable" levels of violence in Syria and pledged to redouble international efforts to force Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Lord of the Baath... to step down.
Obama also thanked King Abdullah II of Jordan in the Oval Office for being the first Arab leader to call for Assad to go, after talks that also focused on Jordanian efforts to revive Israeli-Paleostinian peace talks.
The president said the two leaders discussed regional issues including Iran and Iraq and praised the king for being "ahead of the curve" in his efforts to promote political reform inside Jordan.
But he said the violence in Syria and the crackdown on demonstrators by Assad's armed forces had been "uppermost" in their minds.
"We continue to see unacceptable levels of violence inside that country," Obama said.
"We will continue to consult very closely with Jordan to create the kind of international pressure and environment that encourage the current Syrian regime to step aside so that a more democratic process and transition can take place inside of Syria."
Obama also praised King Abdullah for being willing to "stand up" by calling on Assad to go, and for joining Arab League ...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing... efforts to mitigate the crisis.
The president also praised Jordan's leadership in seeking to revive direct peace talks between Israel and the Paleostinians.
"We talked about the importance of continuing to consult closely together to encourage the Paleostinians and the Israelis to come back to the table and negotiate in a serious fashion," Obama said.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/18/2012 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] La Belle France and Germany said Tuesday that a new Russian draft resolution at the U.N. Security Council on the Syrian crisis was inadequate, as Britannia said it was unlikely Russia would let the U.N. body take any serious action.
It was "very far from responding to the reality of the situation in Syria", where Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Despoiler of Deraa... 's crackdown on protests has left thousands of people dead, French foreign ministry front man Romain Nadal said.
La Belle France wants the Security Council to demand that the Syrian regime end repression, respect the rights of the Syrian people, and back the Arab League ...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing... plan to end the crisis, he said.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle also said the draft did not go far enough.
"In our view, the United Nations ...what started out as a a diplomatic initiative, now trying to edge its way into legislative, judicial, and executive areas... Security Council needs to deal again with the situation in Syria," he said in a statement.
"The latest Russian draft resolution does not, in our view, go far enough, although I welcome the fact that other partners, including Russia, are beginning to show some movement in their position.
"What is important in our view is a clear and unambiguous condemnation of the violence committed by the Assad regime. We will push further for this.
"The talks in New York are intensifying. We Europeans are pushing for the U.N. Security Council to take a common position on Syria."
Russia produced the draft on Monday after facing weeks of criticism over the slow pace of talks, diplomats said.
Western diplomats, however, said there was no apparent change in the Russian position opposing any strong U.N. action against Assad's crackdown.
Russia and China vetoed a European resolution on Syria in October, calling it a move by Western nations toward regime change in Syria.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/18/2012 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] Iran on Tuesday warned Soddy Arabia to reconsider its vow to make up for any shortfall in Iranian oil exports under new sanctions, saying Riyadh's pledge to step into the market was unfriendly.
Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi issued the warning in an interview with Iran's Arabic language broadcaster al-Alam.
"We invite Saudi officials to further reflect and consider" their offer to compensate for curbed Iranian oil exports, Salehi said.
He attacked recent comments by Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi saying Saudi oil output could be boosted to by around 2.6 million barrels per day -- the same amount that Iran exports -- and that the world will not permit Iran to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
"These signals are not friendly signals," Salehi said.
Not to Teheran, anyway. And not all really to us either, but the enemy of our enemy etc. etc.
He added: "The security of the Persian Gulf is a collective security and Iran is a major player in this regard."
Iran has told Soddy Arabia and other oil-producing Arab neighbors that if they step in to compensate for Iranian oil exports cut under looming EU and U.S. sanctions, it "would not consider these actions to be friendly."
Tehran's representative to OPEC, Mohammad Ali Khatibi, was quoted as saying on Sunday that those countries "will be held responsible for what happens" if they did so, adding ominously: "One cannot predict the consequences."
Iran's political and military leaders have repeatedly said that, if their country is unable to export its oil, they will stop other producers in the Middle East from sending their oil through the Strait of Hormuz, at the entrance to the Gulf.
The narrow channel is a chokepoint for more than a third of the world's tanker-borne oil, or 20 percent of the world's total traded oil, according to the U.S. Energy Department.
Soddy Arabia is by far the biggest exporter in OPEC, followed by Iran.
Relations between the two countries have long been poor, and have become worse in recent months following U.S. allegations that a thwarted plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington was hatched in Tehran.
The Gulf Cooperation Council, which comprises oil-producers Soddy Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar, have accused Iran of interfering in their internal affairs.
Naimi's interview with CNN was recorded on the weekend, before Khatibi made his warning to Iran's neighbors, but after Iran's threats to close the Strait of Hormuz.
He said Soddy Arabia was currently producing up to 9.8 million barrels per day, but had "substantial spare capacity" to produce 12.5 million bpd.
"I believe we can easily get up to 11.4, 11.8 (million bpd) almost immediately, in a few days. Because all we need is to turn valves. Now to get (the rest) we probably need about 90 days," he said.
On the threats over the Strait of Hormuz, Naimi said: "The world cannot stand for that."
Posted by: Fred ||
01/18/2012 00:00 ||
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#1
With lots of encouragement from Iran, which has tried to destabilize and overthrow the Saud several times now (resulting in decapitated Iranians), the Saud for their part have been actively building up their defenses, preparing to kill Iranians like no tomorrow if they try it on.
#2
And that buildup is resulting in tens of thousands of well-paying jobs for Westerners in Saudi Arabia, since the Arabs cannot maintain high tech gear to save their lives. The only reasons the Saudi Air Force is able to fly are two-fold: 1) they keep buying brand new planes; and 2) they pay thousands of Westerners to maintain their aircraft. Without both of those being true, the Saudi Air Force becomes a very expensive collection of lawn darts.
#3
ION TOPIX > [Fars News = FNA] IRANIAN SUBS SET AMBUSH FOR US AIRCRAFT CARRIERS IN PERSIAN GULF.
SSKS = Diesel-electric Mini-subs.
Nice to know, but IMO Iran's primary method would be to attack US CVNS + BGS wid wave after wave of cheap BMS + TLCMS, followed by the IRGC's fast speedboats.
SEAFORTS, e.g. China's "dual-use" state-owned oil rigs in the South China Sea???
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow area - the SSKS are better used either in front of the SoH, or espec past the SoH further up the Gulf. IN WAR, THE USN IS UNLIKELY TO SEND ANY CVNS PAST THE SOH UNLESS IRAN'S LAND-BASED ANTI-NAVAL DEFENSES ARE FIRST NULLED OR DESTROYED.
IMO the real US-Iran battle front will be the Sea of Oman + peripherals - IRAN WILL NOT CLOSE THE SOH UNLESS IT HAS ALREADY DECIDED TO STRIKE + COMBAT USN FORCES IN THE SEA OF OMAN + OUTER.
* ALso from FNA > ANALYSTS CONFIDENT ABOUT [continuing]FAILURES OF US PRESSURES, THREATS AGZ IRAN.
The US = aligned won't get any.
* SAME > ASSASSINATION OF [nuke] SCIENTISTS SHOW ENEMIES' INABILITY TO BAR IRAN'S PROGRESS, as per Iran Deputy Minister Seyed Javod Sadatinejad.
* RUSSIA TODAY > "ATTACK ON IRAN WILL NOT BE AN EASY WALK" - [Russ FM] LAVROV.
ARTIC > LAVROV = denotes that Mama Russia fears wave after wave of War Refugees fleeing into the Caucasus + CAR [ex-SSRS], + ultimately pushing agz Russia's southern borders.
versus
* CHINESE MILITARY FORUM > [CSM.com] WHY IS RUSSIA PLANING IRAN WAR GAMES? RUSSIA HAS REPORTEDLY ASKED ITS MILITARY TO PLAN WAR GAMES TO DEAL WID POTENTIAL [REGIONAL] SPILLOVER FROM A US-IRAN CONFLICT.
* TOPIX > WEN JIABAO: CHINA SUPPORTS DIPLOMACY TO END US-IRAN STANDOFF, BUT STANDS AGZ IRAN'S DEVELOPMENT OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
Nuclear for Civilan/Consumer Energy is A-OK, NUCLEAR WEAPONS = A MIGHTY "HELL NO"!
Iran = North Korea + late Kim Jong-il = on their own widout Beijing's support iff they unilater dev NucWeaps.
IOW, Tehran cannot count on any support from BFFS Moscow or Beijing iff it ever decides to dev NucWeaps - NUCENERGY FOR RISING IRAN HAS A 000 FATHERS, NUCWEAPS FOR RISING IRAN IS AN ORPHAN.
* SAME > MEMBER OF PUBLIC COUNCIL UNDER RUSSIAN MINISTRY OF DEFENSE: "IFF WAR WID IRAN BEGINS, AZERBAIJAN'S MAIN DUTY WILL BE THE [military]PROTECTION OF THE CASPIAN SEA OIL + GAS FIELDS.
ARTIC = Azeri purchase of S-300 ADS was out of it + Regional fears that IRAN MAY LAUNCH ATTACKS ON UNFRIENDLY BUT NEUTRAL REGIONAL COUNTRIES IFF A US-ISRAELI-IRAN WAR DOES OCCUR, VEE "SHAHAB-III" LR BMS.
* SAME > RUSSIAN EXERCISES IN CAUCASUS PREPPING FOR IRAN WAR? KAVKHAZ-2012 in September.
Russia will repor also strengthen its military forces + capabilities in breakaway GEORGIAN regions, TO WHICH GEORGIA PROPER IS ACCUSING MOSCOW OF PLANNING "OFFENSIVE" MILEX TO ATTACK GEORGIA.
* SAME > [Russian, Regional] ANALYSTS: RUSSIA FEARS US-IRAN WAR WILL IGNITE [simul? multiple?] CAUCASUS CONFLICTS.
---------
There will likely be region-wide "spillover" from a US-Iran war, espec as the Mullahs had said years ago that Iran is not afraid to use the sovereign territories of its neighbors, wid or widout their consent, to wage anti-invasion, Vietnam-War styled, ASYMMETRIC "PEOPLE'S/
GUERILLA WAR" TO FIGHT + DEFEAT ANY US-LED GROUND FORCE INVASION + OCCUPATION OF IRAN.
Lest we fergit, the Mullahs also said years ago that iff Iran has its own Nukes-WMDS, or access to same, IT WILL DETONATE 'EM ON IRANIAN SOIL, CITIES + TOWNS ETC., IFF NEED BE TO DEFEAT THE ZIONIST CRUSADER US-WESTERN IMPERIALISTS + ALIGNED.
Apparently, Moscow = Mama Russia believes in 2012 that Iran's Mullahs will still stick to their guns.
[An Nahar] Iran on Tuesday denied an allegation from La Belle France that it was sending weapons to its ally Syria in violation of a U.N. embargo.
"The declarations from French officials are incorrect," Iranian foreign ministry front man Ramin Mehmanparast told news hounds in a regular weekly briefing.
"Unfortunately we often see political positions by officials from some European countries, this time by La Belle France, that are baseless and not backed by proof," he said.
La Belle France's foreign ministry said on Monday that Iran has repeatedly violated a U.N. arms embargo by exporting weapons to Syria, which is roiled by internal strife.
French foreign ministry front man Romain Nadal said a U.N. panel of experts had informed the U.N. Security Council of "illegal and deeply shocking" violations of the embargo by Iran.
"We condemn these violations and call on Iran and Syria to comply with Security Council resolutions," Nadal said.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/18/2012 00:00 ||
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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.
... Saleh initially took power as a strongman of North Yemen in 1977, when disco was in flower, but he didn't invite Donna Summer to the inauguration and Blondie couldn't make it...
SANAA, Yemen -- Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday that the U.S. regrets that Yemen's president has not complied with agreements to leave the country and allow elections for a successor.
"There have been agreements with respect to the way forward that have not been fulfilled," Clinton said during a trip to Ivory Coast. "We regret that the president has thus far failed to comply with his own commitments to leave the country, to permit elections to go forward that give the people a chance to be heard and be represented."
[Bangla Daily Star] At the International Crimes Tribunal yesterday a prosecution witness in the case against 
Former North Korean Leader Kim Jong-il's eldest son Jong-nam has said the isolated regime will eventually fail with or without reforms. 
The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry has said that transport companies doing business with Afghanistan are suffering financial losses owing to stoppage of hundreds of trucks at Torkham, Pakistain-Afghanistan border.
Turkey summoned Iraq's ambassador to Ankara to protest claims that it has been meddling in its neighbor's affairs by voicing concerns about a domestic political crisis, a diplomatic source said Tuesday.
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
[An Nahar] Iran on Tuesday denied an allegation from 
