Saudi Arabia Gets Pakistani Military Support vs CIA Color Revolution, India Confirms Chinese Military Engineers in Kashmir, India’s Secret Services Join Hands With CIA to Destabilise Pakistan, Saudi Diplomat Shot Dead Two Days after Grenade Attack on Consulate in Karachi, “Pakistani Militants” Hit Anti-Submarine Warfare Base in Karachi, China “Asks” U.S. to Respect Pakistan’s Sovereignty, Islamabad Offers China a Naval Base on Indian Ocean, Russia Expels Israeli Military Attache for “Industrial Espionage”, Expelled Israeli Spy was after Russian-Arab Arms Deals, Moscow Says Washington May Extend Missile Shield to Bulgaria Turkey, Threatens Nuclear Build-up, Syrian Policemen Clash With Hundreds of Gunmen on the Turkish Border, 120 Members of the Security Forces Killed in Ambush, Armed Groups Flee to Turkey, Erdogan: Turkey Will Not Close its Borders to Syrian “Refugees”, Saudi Air Force to Take Part in Turkey’s Anatolian Eagle Exercise, CIA Now Thinks Greece Military Coup Possible, Britain Will Not Abandon Military Bases in Cyprus, Israeli Stealth Ships in Reconnaissance Missions against Iran’s Secret Nuclear Sites, Iraq’s Sadr Rallies Supporters against U.S. Troop Extension, Five U.S. Soldiers Killed in Attack on Base in Iraq, German Soldiers Killed, NATO General Wounded in Afghanistan Attack, Iranian Submarines Sent to the Red Sea
Tarpley.net | April 20,2011
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India confirms Chinese military in PoK
Indian intelligence agencies now have credible evidence of their own that several hundred of the Chinese working in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir are People’s Liberation Army engineers. They are in the process of verifying if these Chinese military engineers are engaged in some sort of military construction like bunkers.
Continue Reading >> The Times of India | May 12, 2011
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RAW, RAMA join hands with CIA to destabilise Pakistan
The ongoing tussle between the ISI and the CIA has intensified while the Indian, Israeli and Afghani secret agencies have stepped in to support the American secret service, raising concerns about possibility of more attacks on Pakistan’s military and other strategic installations.
Continue Reading >> The Nation | May 25, 2011
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Saudi diplomat shot dead in Pakistan
Shooting comes two days after grenade attack on consulate in Karachi as tensions rise between Sunni and Shia populations.
Motorcycle-riding assassins have gunned down a Saudi diplomat in the Pakistani city of Karachi, four days after a grenade attack on the Saudi consulate there.
Continue Reading >> The Guardian | May 16, 2011
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Pakistani militants hit Karachi naval base in Bin Laden revenge attack
Pakistani commandos continued to battle with heavily armed militants at a naval airbase in Karachi on Monday after 10 hours of fighting triggered by a Taliban assault to avenge the death of Osama bin Laden.
Blasts were heard after dawn local time as the military stepped up its counterattack on insurgents inside the PNS Mehran base, just off one of the city’s busiest roads.
Continue Reading >> The Guardian | May 23, 2011
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China asks US to respect Pak’s sovereignty, independence
China on Thursday said the international community “must respect” Pakistan’s sovereignty, tacitly confirming reports that it has asked the US not to violate Islamabad’s territorial integrity, following the killing of Osama bin Laden.
Continue Reading >> The Economic Times | May 20, 2011
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Pakistan Offers China a Naval Base on Indian Ocean
China’s “good neighbor” Pakistan recently confirmed to the Financial Times (FT) that it has requested China to build a naval base at its China-financed southwestern port of Gwadar and hopes to see the Chinese navy maintaining a regular presence there.
Continue Reading >> Military.com | May 24, 2011
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Russia expels Israeli military attache for ‘industrial espionage’
The Kremlin has expelled a top Israeli diplomat, accusing him of illegally obtaining Russian military secrets in order to help Israeli companies win lucrative defence contracts.
Continue Reading >> The Daily Telegraph | May 19, 2011
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Expelled Israeli spy was after Russian-Arab arms deals, says FSB
The military attaché at the Israeli embassy in Moscow, who was unceremoniously expelled by the Russian government last week, was allegedly gathering intelligence on Russian arms exports to the Arab world.
Continue Reading >> Intelligence News | May 24, 2011
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Russia Says U.S. May Extend Missile Shield to Bulgaria, Turkey
[...] “Russia is deeply concerned that after Poland and Romania, elements of U.S. missile defense will emerge in the Czech Republic, Turkey, Bulgaria and some other NATO members,” the deputy chief of Russia’s general staff, Valery Gerasimov, told foreign diplomats today in Moscow. “In the future, it may create risks for Russian strategic nuclear forces.”
Continue Reading >> Bloomberg | May 20, 2011
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Russia threatens nuclear build-up over U.S. missile shield
Russia will need to speed up the development of its nuclear strike capabilities if the United States does not convince Moscow its missile defense system isn’t aimed at Russia, President Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday.
Continue Reading >> CNN | May 18, 2011
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Syrian forces clash with hundreds of gunmen – TV
Syrian security forces clashed with hundreds of gunmen in the northwestern town of Jisr al-Shughour on Monday, state television said.
“They have managed to end a blockade over one of the neighbourhoods that was seized by the gunmen for a while and are now battling them to end the blockade on the other neighbourhoods,”
Continue Reading >> Reuters | May 18, 2011
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Syria armed groups flee to Turkey
The terrorist groups behind days of deadly clashes in a northwestern Syrian town have escaped to Turkey, reports say.
Hundreds of Syrian civilians have also crossed the northern border into Turkey to escape violence in the town of Jisr al-Shughour after Ankara announced that its doors are open to those seeking refuge.
So far, hundreds of Syrians have crossed the border and Turkish ambulances have moved into Syria, transferring those injured in the unrest to the other side of the border.
At least 120 Syrian soldiers were killed after armed groups attacked police and security stations in the town on Monday. Some 200 others were also injured in the clashes.
Dozens of civilians were also killed and injured during the exchange of fire. Syrian officials said the armed groups were hiding in houses and firing at soldiers and civilians alike, using residents as human shields.
According to the state TV, armed groups also took over parts of Jisr al-Shughour and torched several government buildings.
Continue Reading >> Press TV | June 8, 2011
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Royal Saudi Air Force to take part in Anatolian Eagle exercise
The Royal Saudi Air Force will participate in this year’s Anatolian Eagle military training exercise, which will begin next month in the central Anatolian province of Konya, a newspaper in Saudi Arabia has reported.
This year the participation of the Royal Saudi Air Force, which joined last year’s Anatolian Eagle exercise as an observer, will be a first. Jordan, Pakistan, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and Turkey are other participants in the exercise which will run June 13-24.
[...] In the fall of 2009, the Turkish military changed the Anatolian Eagle exercise, which is a joint international military exercise and which was to have included Israel, into a national military exercise, in a move widely seen as a way to exclude Israel.
A delay in the delivery of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Turkey from Israel was linked to the tension sparked by this cancellation, which is contrary to popular speculation that the delay was due to Turkey’s disapproval of Israel’s devastating offensive against the Gaza Strip in the winter of 2008/2009.
Continue Reading >> Today’s Zaman | May 24, 2011
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CIA Now Thinks Greece Military Coup Possible
Despite last year’s 110 billion euro Greece bailout — from the European Union, the International Monetary Fund, and the European Central Bank — there remains serious concern that the periphery EU nation will be unable to continue its debt repayments. Due to the increasing severity of the problem, and the ongoing resistance to additional support, the Central Intelligence Agency has now issued a report warning on how worsening Greek unrest could bring rise to even a military coup.
Continue Reading >> Business Insider | June 1, 2011
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Britain says will not abandon bases in Cyprus
Britain said on Wednesday that the review of its military bases in Cyprus does not involve entirely abandoning them.
In remarks to mostly correspondents of Cypriot media, made public in Nicosia, a spokeswoman for the British Defence Ministry said the bases in Cyprus are very important for Britain from a strategic point of view. “Issues which will be reviewed are what we have now there, how do we use it, can we use it in a better way and with less spending, are changes needed and if yes which these changes should be,” the spokeswoman was quoted as saying.
Continue Reading >> Xinhuanet | May 26, 2011
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Israeli Stealth Ships in Raids on Iran
Cargo vessels owned by Israel’s richest man, who died on Friday, had been used to ferry elite Israeli forces for operations inside Iran, according to defence sources.
The death in Tel Aviv of Sammy Ofer, 89, came just days after the United States accused his company of breaching sanctions by selling an oil tanker to Iran. It has mystified Israelis why a company with close links to the government was allegedly breaching sanctions.
Military experts suggested the cargo ships had carried Black Hawk helicopters, hidden in modified containers, for use by commando teams in reconnaissance missions against Iran’s secret nuclear sites. Israel is conducting a massive intelligence operation to monitor Iran’s nuclear weapons programme.
Continue Reading >> The Progressive Mind | June 5, 2011
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Iraq’s Sadr rallies supporters against U.S. troop extension
Anti-U.S. Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr brought thousands of Shi’ite supporters onto the streets of Baghdad on Thursday in a show of force against any extension of the U.S. military presence in Iraq past a year-end deadline.
Sadr’s threats to revive his Shi’ite militia and protests by his Sadrist bloc are testing Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s fragile coalition government over the divisive issue of whether American troops should remain on Iraqi soil.
Continue Reading >> Reuters | May 26, 2011
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Five U.S. soldiers killed in attack on base in Iraq
The American military suffered the deadliest attack against its forces in Iraq in more than two years Monday when rockets slammed into a joint U.S.-Iraqi base in Baghdad, killing five U.S. troops and reviving concerns about security and the stability of the country’s unwieldy coalition government.
Continue Reading >> The Washington Post | June 6, 2011
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German soldiers killed, NATO general wounded in Afghanistan attack
Two German soldiers and the police chief of northern Afghanistan were killed in a suicide attack in Takhar province. General Markus Kneip, the German commander of NATO forces in the region, survived the attack.
Continue Reading >> DW-World | May 29, 2011
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Iranian subs to the Red Sea – riposte for nuclear watchdog’s indictment
The deployment of Iranian “military submarines” in the Red Sea, announced Tuesday June 7, was Tehran’s response to the latest International Atomic Energy Agency’s report accusing Iran of nuclear work with “possible military purposes.”
Continue Reading >> DEBKAfile | June 7, 2011
Washington Provoking China and Russia in Mediterranean Sea, the Main Objective Behind Engineering the Libyan War and Syrian Unrest is to Remove the Two Major Powers from the Region, Pakistan and China Holding Joint Military Exercises, Osama Bin Laden Supposedly Found Hiding Near top Pakistani Army Base, U.S. and Saudi Arabia Trying to Wean China off Iranian Oil, China Focuses on Stability Says Pakistan Made “Important Contributions” to International Fight against Terrorism, Vladimir Putin “Dumbfounded” Over NATO Operation in Libya, Moscow Concerned Over U.S. anti-Missile Base in Romania, Will Deliver 3 Combat Helicopters to Peru
U.S. Provoking China and Russia in Mediterranean
The United States is at the risk of a war with China and Russia as its main objective behind engineering the Libyan war and Syrian unrest is to remove the two major powers from the Mediterranean, a senior former U.S. official has warned.
“Washington is all for invading Libya and is putting more and more pressure to intervene in Syria because we want to… clear China and Russia out of the Mediterranean,” Dr. Paul Craig Roberts, who served as an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan Administration, said during an interview with Press TV on Tuesday.
Continue Reading >> The Journal of Turkish Weekly | April 28, 2011
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Pakistan, China to hold joint military exercises
Pakistan and China will hold two joint military exercises in 2011, a Pakistani senior military leader said Tuesday.
The two exercises, one army drill and one air force one, will be held to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Pakistan and China, said General Khalid Shameem Wynne, chairman of Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.
Continue Reading >> China Daily | February 23, 2011
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Frenemies: U.S. ally in hot seat after bin Laden found in Pakistani army town
U.S. officials have left little doubt that they did not sufficiently trust their counterparts in Pakistan to keep quiet on the plan to send a team of U.S. special forces and CIA operatives into the country on Sunday to kill Osama bin Laden. And now that the whole world knows U.S. forces found and killed bin Laden in a large, conspicuously fortified compound in an affluent Pakistani military town less than forty miles from the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, American officials are likewise making it clear that they don’t fully buy the Pakistani government’s see-no-evil line on bin Laden’s whereabouts. It’s hard for Pakistani military leaders in particular to make a credible case that they were shocked–shocked!–to learn bin Laden was right there under their noses; the Pakistani army, after all, has a college in Abbottabad about 800 yards away from the compound where bin Laden was found and killed.
Continue Reading >> Yahoo News | May 2, 2011
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How U.S. trying to wean China off Iranian oil
The United States collaborated with Saudi Arabia to increase crude oil supplies to China at the expense of Iran, U.S. diplomatic cables show. The move was designed to hurt Iran and win Beijing’s support for sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear programme.
China has long worried that oil supplies from Iran could be choked off if Beijing sides too closely with the West over Tehran’s disputed nuclear activity, which opponents say is intended to give it the means to assemble nuclear weapons. Iran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful.
But as Saudi deliveries of crude increased to China over the past years, so has Beijing’s support for U.N. sanctions against Tehran — although Chinese state oil conglomerates have been moving into the vacuum created by the withdrawal of most major players from the Iranian oil patch.
Continue Reading >> Reuters | May 2, 2011
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China focuses on stability in Pakistan
China has indicated it will deepen cooperation with Pakistan on counterterrorism issues and back its long-term strategic ally’s efforts to maintain stability, in the wake of renewed international concern over the country’s efforts to clamp down on terrorist groups on its soil following Osama bin Laden’s killing.
Continue Reading >> The Hindu | May 3, 2011
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China says Pakistan made “important contributions” to international fight against terrorism
China on Tuesday said Pakistan has made “important contributions” to the fight against terror worldwide following the U.S. announcement of Osama bin Laden’s death.
“We noticed that the Pakistani Foreign Ministry has pledged not to allow its territory to be used for terrorist attacks against any country and it will continue to support the world’s anti-terror efforts,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu told a regular media briefing.
Jiang said the south Asian country is at the anti-terror front-line, and its anti-terror resolve is unwavering and its action powerful.
Continue Reading >> Xinhuanet | May 3, 2011
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Putin says ‘dumbfounded’ over NATO operation in Libya
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin continued on Wednesday to criticize NATO military operations in Libya, saying that he was “dumb-founded” over how easy decisions are made to use force against countries.
When asked by a Swedish journalist, Putin, who is currently on a visit in Stockholm, said “this happens despite human rights and humanity concerns which the civilized world is believed to advocate,” apparently referring to reports about NATO planes bombing civilian objects in Libya.
“Don’t you think that there is a serious controversy between words and practice of international relations?” he said, adding that this “misbalance” should be eliminated.
Continue Reading >> RIA Novosti | April 27, 2011
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US antimissile base to be deployed in Romania
The US and Romania have agreed on the deployment of US missile defence elements on Romanian soil.
Continue Reading >> Voice of Russia | May 3, 2011
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Russia to deliver 3 combat helicopters to Peru
The Peruvian Air Force will receive next week three Russian combat helicopters intended for military operations in remote areas of the country.
Continue Reading >> Andina | May 4, 2011
Blast Rocks Minsk Metro Near Lukashenko Office, Rouble Down By a Third against the Dollar, Lukashenko Says West “Trying to Strangle Belarus With a Slipknot”, Russia to Deliver More S-300 Air Defense Systems to Belarus, Seeks to Expand Its Customs Union, Kremlin Joy as Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan Sign up, Putin Urges Ukraine to Join New Space Center Project, Poland-Lithuania Relationship in Downward Spiral, Russia-Poland Rapprochement against a Backdrop of Contradictions, Moscow’s Star On Rise Again In Kyrgyzstan, Armenia Agrees Long-Term Russian Army Presence Boosting Moscow’s Military Influence in the South Caucasus Region, Turkey “Will Defend Rights of Azerbaijan”, Georgia Annuls Russian Military Transit Agreement, Saudi-Born Militant Killed in Chechnya, Israel Claims Russian Missile Hit School Bus, FSB Calls for Skype Gmail Ban in Russia
Belarus: Blast Rocks Minsk Metro Near Lukashenko Office
Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko says 11 people were killed and hundreds injured in an explosion in the metro system of the capital, Minsk.
He called for a moment of silence to honour those killed in the blast, which struck a metro station close to his main office and residence.
[...] Mr Lukashenko said it was aimed at undermining “peace and stability”.
And he hinted at foreign involvement, linking the explosion to a blast at a concert in 2008 in which about 50 people were injured.
“These are perhaps links in a single chain. We must find out who gained by undermining peace and stability in the country, who stands behind this,” Mr Lukashenko said.
“I do not rule out that this [blast] was a gift from abroad.”
Continue Reading >> BBC News | April 11, 2011
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Belarus Rouble Plunges in Setback for Lukashenko
The Belarussian rouble BYR= lost more than a third of its value against the dollar on Wednesday after the central bank introduced a free floating exchange rate for trade between banks.
The development starkly highlighted the currency problems of the ex-Soviet republic and amounted to a setback for President Alexander Lukashenko who was due on Thursday to deliver his annual state of the nation speech.
Continue Reading >> Reuters | April 20, 2011
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President Lukashenko says West trying ‘to strangle’ Belarus
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Thursday Western countries are preparing direct interference in his country’s affairs and are trying “to strangle the country with a slipknot.”
“First there were political threats, disavowal of [presidential] elections, [European] entry bans and economic sanctions. Then there was an instigation of turmoil on our foreign currency market and dances on the bones after the blast at the Oktyabrskaya metro station,” Lukashenko said addressing the parliament and his people.
Continue Reading >> RIA Novosti | April 21, 2011
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Russia to Deliver More S-300 Air Defense Systems to Belarus
Russia will continue deliveries of S-300 air defense systems to Belarus, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Wednesday.
Belarus has several battalions equipped with Russian-made S-300 air defense systems on combat duty as part of the Russian-Belarusian integrated air defense network.
Continue Reading >> Democratic Belarus | April 21, 2011
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Kremlin joy as Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan sign up for customs union
A post-Soviet customs bloc has received a major boost after the decision by Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan to sign up for membership.
Continue Reading >> Tribune Magazine | April 20, 2011
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Putin Urges Ukraine To Join New Russian Space Center Project
Ukraine should participate in the construction of the Vostochny Space Center in Russia’s Far East, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said in Kiev on Tuesday. Russia currently uses two launch sites: Baikonur in Kazakhstan, which it has leased since the end of the Soviet Union, and Plesetsk in northwest Russia.
Putin said construction work at the new space center had already started.
“You can join at the first stage,” the prime minister said at a meeting with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
Yanukovych, in response, said there were good prospects for Russian-Ukrainian space cooperation.
Continue Reading >> News One | April 13, 2011
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Poland-Lithuania Relationship in Downward Spiral
Relations between Poland and Lithuania deteriorated to a new low when Poland summoned its neighbor’s ambassador to express anger over what it called “the atmosphere of hostility” toward the Polish minority in Lithuania.
Continue Reading >> The Wall Street Journal | April 20, 2011
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Russia-Poland rapprochement against a backdrop of contradictions
[...] However, these changes in rhetoric have not caused any change in the two states’ strategic priorities. On the eve of the NATO summit in Lisbon (19-20 November 2010) President Komorowski confirmed the inviolability of the basic principles of Polish foreign policy, namely: the perception of Russia as a potential threat; assistance in preserving U.S. military presence in Europe, and assistance in integrating former Soviet republics into “Transatlantic institutions.” During the Warsaw meeting Komorowski also added that Poland would only countenance cooperation with Russia in the broader context of relations with the EU and NATO. Besides, Warsaw did not withdraw from the plan to allow U.S. TMD systems to be based on its territory or “the promotion of democracy” in Ukraine and Belarus. Such moves prompted hesitant but harsh criticism from Russia.
Continue Reading >> RIA Novosti | April 19, 2011
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Russia’s Star On Rise Again In Kyrgyzstan
Outside forces have competed for influence in Kyrgyzstan since the vacuum left by the Soviet Union’s collapse two decades ago.
Kyrgyzstan allowed the United States to use its Manas airport for supporting efforts in Afghanistan and eagerly welcomed Chinese investment. Bishkek also granted Russia use of an air base at Kant. Kyrgyz policy appeared to play one power off against another.
For a time, Russia’s power appeared to be on the wane. But the overthrow of Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev’s regime a year ago might have paved the way for Moscow’s resurgence.
Continue Reading >> Eurasianet | April 9, 2011
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Armenia Agrees Long-Term Russian Army Presence
Armenia’s parliament on Tuesday ratified a deal to allow Russian troops to remain in the country for more than 30 years, boosting Moscow’s military influence in the strategic South Caucasus region.
Continue Reading >> Hurriyet Daily News | April 12, 2011
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Erdogan says Turkey will defend rights of Azerbaijan
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday Turkey had made commitments to protect rights of Armenian people, however, he added that Turkey would also defend rights of Azerbaijan.
Continue Reading >> World Bulletin | April 13, 2011
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Georgia Annuls Military Transit Treaty with Russia
Georgian Parliament unanimously endorsed on April 19 government’s proposal to annul a five-year agreement with Russia setting out procedures for transit of Russian military personnel and cargo to Armenia via Georgia.
Continue Reading >> Georgian Daily | April 19, 2011
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Saudi militant killed in Chechnya
Officials said the militant known as Moganned had been operating in the northern Caucasus since 1999 and was involved in many bombings.
Continue Reading >> The Taipei Times | April 24, 2011
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Israel claims Russian missile hit school bus
Israel claims anti-tank missile Kornet involved in terror attack originates from Russian factory. Official: It was smuggled into Gaza with Syria, Iran’s help.
Continue Reading >> Ynetnews | April 11, 2011
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Kremlin rejects FSB proposal to ban Skype, Gmail
A Kremlin official has rejected a proposal from within Russia’s main domestic security agency to ban Skype, Gmail and Hotmail as a major threat to national security.
Continue Reading >> The Associated Press | April 9, 2011
Russia Hopes Turkey Will Eventually Give the Green Light to the South Stream Gas Pipeline Project, “Turkey to OK South Stream When Conditions Met”, “Project is Not in the Best Interest of Ukraine and the Country is Working against it”, Iran Plans to Invest $90 Billion in South Pars Gas Field, U.K. Royal Dutch Shell Drilling 17 Gas Wells in China, Beijing Urges Quick End to American-Led Airstrikes in Libya, Considers the Security Situation in the Asia-Pacific as “Volatile”, Points to the U.S. Reinforcement of Military Alliances and Rising Suspicions in the Region, Seeks to Reinforce Trust With Neighbours, Will Stick to a Defensive Military Doctrine, The World’s Largest Arms Importer is Now India Not China, South Korea U.S. Conduct Large Military Exercise in Yellow Sea, Singapore Thailand U.S. Conclude Military Drill, Naval Exercises Between the Philippines and Malaysia, Venezuela’s $15 Billion Weapons Purchase Concerns Latin America, Joint Ghana U.S. Jungle Warfare Exercise Ends
Russia hopes Turkey will approve South Stream
Russia hopes Turkey will eventually give the green light to the section of the South Stream gas pipeline project that crosses its territory, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.
Turkey has not given its consent to the laying of part of the 15.5-billion-euro marine pipeline across its Black Sea territory. South Stream is designed to diversify Russian gas export routes, and will stretch to Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast and then on to Italy and Austria.
[...] The land section of the pipeline will go across Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Greece, Slovenia, Croatia and Austria, with whom Russia has already signed intergovernmental agreements.
Continue Reading >> RIA Novosti | March 22, 2011
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“Turkey to OK South Stream When Conditions Met”
Energy Minister Taner Yıldız said Turkey would still abide by the terms of a 2009 agreement with Russia over a proposed underwater pipeline that will carry natural gas to Europe bypassing Ukraine.
South Stream, controlled by Russian Gazprom and Italian Eni, is planned to carry Russian natural gas under the Black Sea to Bulgaria and on to Europe via Italy and Austria. In an exclusive interview with Today’s Zaman, Yıldız reaffirmed the Turkish position on the $21.5 billion pipeline project called South Stream, saying nothing had changed on the Turkish side. “We are still waiting for the environmental impact studies, as well as feasibility studies, on South Stream to see if the required criteria demanded by Turkey are met. If met, there is no question we would give our approval to the project,” he said.
Continue Reading >> Today’s Zaman | March 26, 2011
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Minister: Ukraine Works Against South Stream
The South Stream natural gas pipeline project is not in the best interest of Ukraine and the country is working against it, according to Ukrainian Minister of Energy Yuriy Boyko.
Boyko said his country is undergoing “tense discussions” with Russia, the main country supporting the project, set to deliver gas to southern and central Europe, bypassing Ukraine.
“South Stream is a political project of our Russian partners, who want to create an excess of transit capacities for gas, like what they did back in the day for oil,” said the Ukrainian minister, quoted by MIGnews.
Boyko said that in collaboration with Ukraine’s “EU partners,” the country will be putting efforts so that in the end the pipeline be not built.
Sofia News Agency | April 2, 2011
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Iran Plans to Invest $90B in South Pars
Iran’s Oil Ministry plans to invest about $90 billion in South Pars gas field in the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21), Oil Minister Masoud Mirkazemi said.
According to Mirkazemi, about $60 billion of the mentioned amount will be allocated to the upstream projects and about $30 billion to the downstream sector, SHANA News Network reported.
The official also noted that an extra $20 billion will be invested in the petrochemical projects of the giant field.
Mirkazemi further said that the Oil Ministry plans to complete the developing projects of all the remaining phases of the field within 35 months.
The Iranian oil minister also stressed the need for foreign investment in the site to speed up the projects, saying that once all the phases of the South Pars come on stream, the field can produce 25 million cubic meters of natural gas and about 40,000 barrels of liquefied natural gas per day, making the country’s annual revenue from the field hit $110 billion, Press TV reported.
The South Pars gas field is located in the Persian Gulf in the border zone between Iran and Qatar. The field’s reserves are estimated at 14 trillion cubic meters of gas and 18 billion barrels of liquefied natural gas.
Payvand Iran News | April 1, 2011
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Shell Drilling 17 China Gas Wells
U.K. oil major Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA.LN) is drilling 17 wells in China, including for tight gas and shale gas, Reuters reported Sunday, citing Chief Executive Peter Voser.
If drilling is successful, Shell plans to spend $1 billion a year during the next five year years on shale gas in China, Voser was quoted as saying.
MarketWatch | March 20, 2011
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China Urges Quick End to Airstrikes in Libya
China escalated its opposition to American-led airstrikes on Libya on Tuesday, joining Russia and India in calls for an immediate cease-fire and suggesting that coalition forces were imperiling civilians by exceeding the United Nations-mandated no-fly zone.
[...] China’s response to the campaign has been the most forceful, warning that the assault could bring about a “humanitarian disaster.” In a news briefing Tuesday, Jiang Yu, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, called for an end to hostilities. “We’ve seen reports that the use of armed force is causing civilian casualties, and we oppose the wanton use of armed force leading to more civilian casualties,” she said.
China was one of five countries to abstain from the United Nations resolution that authorized the allied airstrikes against the forces of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, which have been seeking to crush a rebellion against his four-decade rule. Russia, Brazil, India and Germany also abstained, while South Africa joined nine other Security Council members in supporting the resolution approved last week.
In its decision to abstain rather than block the resolution through its veto power, China said it was heeding the wishes of the Arab League and the African Union.
Continue Reading >> The New York Times | March 22, 2011
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China to Reinforce Trust With Neighbours
The Chinese government on Thursday said it viewed the security situation in the Asia-Pacific as “volatile”, pointing to the United States “reinforcing” regional military alliances and rising suspicions among China’s neighbours.
In a national defence white paper issued on Thursday, China said it would seek to expand confidence-building measures with its neighbours, as well as stick to a defence policy that was defensive in nature.
The white paper, the seventh that China has issued since 1998, portrayed a strained regional security environment, describing the Asia-Pacific region, in particular, as “volatile.”
“Relevant major powers are increasing their strategic investment,” said the paper. “The United States is reinforcing its regional military alliances, and increasing its involvement in regional security affairs.”
Continue Reading >> The Hindu | March 31, 2011
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The World’s Largest Arms Importer is Now India, Not China
India has spent US$80 billion to modernize its military to keep up with China and now, India has become the world’s number one arms importer according to Swedish think-tank keeping tabs on global arms transactions. India makes up 9 percent of global arms purchases while China has 6 percent of market share in comparison.
“India has ambitions to become first a continental and [then] a regional power,” Rahul Bedi, an analyst with London-based Jane’s Defence Weekly, told AP.
“Just from what they have already ordered, we know that in the coming few years India will be the top importer,” said Siemon Wezeman, a senior fellow at SIPRI told the International Business Times.
SIPRI’s report stated India’s defense budget for the coming fiscal year is in the region of $32.5 billion, 40 percent more than in 2009. In addition, India will spend over $50 billion in the next five years to modernize its military – including purchasing new fighter jets and aircraft carriers.
“The kind of purchases that India is buying, no country in the world buys,” added Bedi of Jane’s Defence Weekly. India has also been importing 82 percent of its weapons from Russia and plans to purchase 250 to 300 advanced fifth-generation stealth fighter jets worth $30 billion in the next decade.
SIPRI also included in its report:
Average volume of global arms transfers in 2006-2010 increased 24 percent from 2001-2005.
Asia and Oceania accounts for 43 percent of arms imports, Europe for 12 percent, 17 percent in the Middle East, 12 percent in the Americas and 7 percent in Africa.
The largest arms importers are locate in Asia with India accounting for 9 percent of all imports, 6 percent in China, 6 percent in South Korea and 5 percent in Pakistan.
USA remains the world’s largest exporter of military equipment and totals 30 percent of global arms exports in 2006-2010; of which 44 percent were exported to Asia and Oceania, 28 percent in the Middle East and 19 percent to Europe.
EconomyWatch | March 30, 2011
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S. Korea, US Conduct Large Military Exercise in Yellow Sea
A large-scale South Korea-U.S. military exercise in the Yellow Sea seeks to prepare for North Korea`s use of nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, submarines and special forces to destroy or blockade major infrastructure in the South.
Continue Reading >> Donga.com | March 24, 2011
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Singapore, Thailand, US Conclude Military Exercise
Singapore, Thailand and the United States concluded the trilateral “Exercise Cope Tiger 2011″ at Korat Air Base in Thailand on Friday.
[...] About 100 aircraft and 34 ground-based air defence systems were deployed.
[...] More than 2,300 personnel took part.
Continue Reading >> Channelnewsasia | March 26, 2011
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Military Exercises Strengthens RP-Malaysian Relations
The ten-day military exercises between the Philippine Navy and the Royal Malaysian Navy, which concluded March 25, has been beneficial to both parties and was a success in its purpose, the Naval Forces West (NFW) claimed. The activity opened on March 16.
Continue Reading >> Zamboanga Today | April 1, 2011
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Hugo Chavez’s $15 Billion Weapons Purchase Concerns Latin America
With the acquisition of hundreds of tanks, helicopters and bulletproof vehicles as well as submarines and missile networks, Venezuela is arming itself at a speed unprecedented in the history of the South American country.
Continue Reading >> McClatchy | March 21, 2011
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Joint Ghana, US Military Exercise Ends
The Africa Partnership Station (APS) 2011 jungle exercise, conducted by personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and the United States Marines, has ended at Achiase Jungle Warfare in the Eastern Region.
[...] The two-week training exercise comprised 100 troops from GAF and 42 US Marines.
Continue Reading >> Vibeghana | March 22, 2011
CIA Operating Inside Libya, U.S. Agents are Helping Guide Air Strikes and Determining the Allegiances of Rebel Forces, Egypt Supplies Libyan Insurgents With Weapons at Washington’s Instigation, Egyptian Special Forces Secretly Pouring into Libya to Back the Rebellion, Cairo Keen to Cozy up to Iran and Hezbollah, Stalls Reopening of Natural Gas Pipeline to Israel, Iran and Saudi Arabia Cold War Entering a New Era, Saudi Arabia Virtually Annexes Bahrain, Willing to Swap Gesture Favoring Coalition Operation in Libya for Recognition of its Takeover of Bahrain, Will Build a Missile-Naval Base Opposite Iran, Israeli and Saudi Leaders in a Discreet Meeting in Moscow, Israel Holding Secret Talks With Russia in Bid to Thwart Recognition of Palestinian State, Facebook Drops Palestinian Uprising Page after Israel Protest, Israel’s Military Intelligence Monitoring Foreign Left-Wing Organizations “Aiming to Delegitimize Israel”, Saudi Foreign Minister in Ankara, Visit Linked to Bahrain Events, Bahrain Foreign Minister in Turkey to Discuss Turmoil, Turkey Seizes Rifles on Grounded Iranian Plane, Turkey to UN: We Seized illegal Iran Arms Shipment en Route to Syria, Turkey to Dispatch a Naval Force to Libyan Waters, Will Assume Control of Benghazi Airport, Turkish Prime Minister Cancels Brussels Trip, Visits Iraq and Kurdish Autonomous Region, Turkey Hosts Joint “Urban Warfare” Exercises With Troops from Afghanistan and Pakistan, Trust in Turkey’s Ruling Party Diminishing among European Circles, Unprecedented Wave of Popular Protest Hits Syria, Damascus Deploys Troops, Accuses “Armed Groups” of Seeking to Incite Sectarian Strife, Israeli Army: Syria May Provoke Israel to Distract from Domestic Unrest, Bomb Rocks Jerusalem Bus Stop, Seven Estonian Tourists Kidnapped Hours after Entering Lebanon through Syria, Church Blast in the Same Lebanese Region, Israel Discloses Map Detailing Hezbollah Tunnel Network in Lebanon, Syria Releases Egyptian-American Accused of Espionage
CIA Operating Inside Libya
U.S. agents are helping guide air strikes and determining the allegiances of rebel forces
Since the conflict in Libya began, Barack Obama has promised not to put U.S. “boots on the ground” in the country. CIA agents presumably sport some other kind of footwear, then, because there are dozens of U.S. spies already in Libya, working with rebel forces and attempting to learn more about them, with the ultimate aim of determining whether the U.S. should arm the rebellion. Weeks ago, Obama signed a secret “presidential finding” that authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to provide weapons to the anti-Gadhafi forces, but so far no weapons have been shipped, and officials in Washington continue to weigh the consequences of such a move. British Special Forces and agents with the MI6 intelligence agency are also operating inside Libya.
The Mark News | March 31, 2011
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Egypt Supplies Libyan Insurgents With Weapons, Reports American Newspaper
Egypt has began, at Washington’s instigation, sending arms shipments to insurgents fighting against Gaddafi’s forces in Libya, said on Friday the Wall Street Journal.
This information was obtained from a member of the National Transitional Council which represents the insurgents and US officials, indicated the American newspaper.
The newspaper further noted that this is the first time a confirmation is obtained on sending arms including light rifles and ammunition from a foreign country to Libyan revolutionaries who have recently been defeated by government forces, much better equipped.
The US had expressed its disappointment at the unavailability of Arab countries to solve regional problems and critics against Western countries engaged to help settle these issues.
According to a US official quoted by the Wall Street Journal, the dispatch of Egyptian arms shipments started a few days ago. However, he stressed that Washington has not put in place a clear official policy on this score, even if it knows.
The official considered that the quantity of weapons as too small and too late to have influenced the balance of power in favor of the insurgents.
Afrique Avenir | March 19, 2011
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Egyptian Special Forces Secretly Storm Libya
Crack special forces troops have been secretly pouring into Libya to back the rebellion against Colonel Gaddafi.
The elite troops moved in as the defiant tyrant vowed to “fight to the last man and woman” – and warned that “thousands will die” if the West intervenes.
[...] Intelligence sources have told us that post-Mubarak Egyptian troops have been allowed into Libya by Tunisian soldiers – showing increasing Arab-backing for the anti-Gaddafi revolt.
Continue Reading >> The Daily Mirror | March 3, 2011
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Egypt Keen to Cozy up to Iran, Hizballah
[...] Egypt’s new foreign minister, Nabil al-Arabi, told reporters in Cairo on Tuesday that he intends to reestablish ties with the regime of Iranian strongman Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Islamic overseers.
“We will turn over a new leaf with all states, including Iran,” said al-Arabi.
The minister said he was not yet sure if Egypt would be opening an embassy in Tehran anytime soon, but was keen to begin promoting friendly relations with the Islamic Republic.
Asked about Lebanon’s Hizballah terrorist militia, which more or less runs that country, al-Arabi indicated he had no problem with the group, and would not oppose official ties between Hizballah and Egypt.
“Hezbollah is part of Lebanon’s composition, and we see this as an internal matter,” he said. “If any party wishes to have ties with Egypt there will be nothing preventing us from talking.”
Continue Reading >> Israel Today | March 30, 2011
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Egypt Stalls Reopening of Natural Gas Pipeline to Israel, Once again
Egyptian company Eastern Mediterranean Gas hints closure is political, asks U.S. government for help
Egyptian authorities refused to allow the reopening of the natural gas pipeline to Israel yesterday, which was closed a month ago after a terrorist bomb damaged part of the pipeline. Sources at the Egyptian company Eastern Mediterranean Gas, which supplies Israel with the Egyptian gas, hinted the issue is not actually technical − but political.
Some of the owners of EMG, which sells gas to Israel, asked the American and Thai governments to push the Egyptian government to resume the flow of gas to Israel. The reopening was scheduled for today, after three previous postponements.
Continue Reading >> Haaretz | March 4, 2011
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Iran and Saudi Arabia Cold War Has Entered a New Era
Saudi Arabia fears Iranian influence – its Bahrain intervention has echoes of the Soviet reaction to the 1956 Hungary uprising.
Democracy is arriving in the Middle East, albeit slowly. But what is making progress at a much faster pace is the cold war between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Some described the fall of the Mubarak government, preceded by the fall of the Ben Ali regime in Tunisia, as the Middle East’s Berlin Wall moment. The parallels with the cold war in Europe do not end there. There are also similarities between the entry of Soviet forces into Budapest in November 1956 to put down a popular uprising and the Saudi decision to send forces into Bahrain on 14 March this year.
The Soviets were worried that communist Hungary might fall into the hands of their western cold war adversaries, and thus felt it necessary to send their forces to put down any such initiative. The new Saudi strategy is based on similar calculations. They sent their forces into Bahrain because they felt that if the Shia uprising succeeded, it could turn the country from a Saudi friend into an ally of Iran.
The Saudi decision to risk the lives of its own soldiers in Bahrain is a sign of how seriously they view the situation. It is a departure from the old strategy, where the Saudis paid others to do their fighting for them – as with the Saudi financing of Saddam Hussein’s war against Iran between 1980 and 1988.
As far as the Saudis are concerned, the gloves are off and this means that the Middle East’s version of the cold war is intensifying.
The Iranian government is furious as well. Publications such as the pro-Ahmadinejad Raja News have accused the Saudis of creating a “bloodbath” in Bahrain. Others, such as the Tehran-based Asr Iran, have called for the creation of a Hezbollah movement in Bahrain. Meanwhile, the Association of Independent Student Unions in Iran has declared its readiness to go to Bahrain in order to confront government and Saudi forces there.
This fury is now turning into warnings. President Ahmadinejad has already cautioned the Saudi royal family that they should “learn from Saddam’s fate”.
The Saudis should now start preparing themselves for Iran’s response, because the Iranian government is not going to let this pass quietly.
Continue Reading >> The Guardian | March 24, 2011
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Saudi Arabia Virtually Annexes Bahrain, Will Build a Missile-Naval Base Opposite Iran
Saudi Arabia ranges defenses against Iran, is willing to swap gesture favoring coalition operation in Libya for recognition of its takeover of Bahrain.
Continue Reading >> DEBKAfile | April 1, 2011
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Israeli and Saudi Leaders in Moscow as Palestinians Ramp up Missile Strikes
[...] In Moscow, DEBKAfile’s exclusive sources report that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was working to set up a discreet meeting between two visitors – Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, failing which he will try and bring the Saudi Intelligence chief Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, who arrived with the foreign minister, together with the Israeli leader.
Muqrin has met Israeli leaders in secret before, including the former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
[...] DEBKAfile’s Jerusalem and Moscow sources note that this is the point at which Israel’s declining security situation becomes relevant to a possible Israeli-Saudi dialogue.
Neither Jerusalem nor Riyadh is at ease with the US role in favor of the popular uprisings against veteran Arab regimes – and most particularly the US-UK-French military intervention in Libya. Both find this policy detrimental to the national and security interests of America’s foremost Middle East allies.
They also share resentment for the benefits accrued from this wave of unrest by Tehran and the effect it has had to turn world attention away from its progress toward manufacturing a nuclear bomb.
The Saudi king and Israeli prime minster are apprehensive, on the strength of their intelligence input, that Iran will eventually seize control of the popular uprisings in Arab lands, especially Egypt.
Riyadh alone took a substantial precautionary step against this menace by sending military units into the Bahrain on Feb. 14 to pre-empt the Iranian-backed Shiite threat to King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the tiny kingdom’s financial and oil assets at the back door of the rich eastern Saudi oil center.
Continue Reading >> DEBKAfile | April 1, 2011
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Israel Holds Secret Talks With Russia in Bid to Thwart Recognition of Palestinian State
Isaac Molho, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s senior adviser and top negotiator on the Palestinian channel, made a secret trip to Moscow on Wednesday and met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The purpose of the visit was to dissuade Russia from supporting the European Union’s intention to present in two weeks’ time a plan for the establishment of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders.
Continue Reading >> Haaretz | April 1, 2011
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Facebook Drops Uprising Page after Israel Protest
Facebook on Tuesday removed a page calling on Palestinians to take up arms against Israel, following a high-profile Israeli appeal to the popular social-networking site.
The page, titled “Third Palestinian Intifada,” had more than 350,000 fans before it was taken down. It called on Palestinians to take to the streets after Friday prayers on May 15 and begin an uprising. “Judgment Day will be brought upon us only once the Muslims have killed all of the Jews,” a quote from the page reads.
Facebook said the page began as a call for peaceful protest, even though it used the term “intifada,” which has been associated with violence in the past.
“However, after the publicity of the page, more comments deteriorated to direct calls for violence,” said Andrew Noyes, Facebook’s public policy communications manager. He said the creators of the page eventually made calls for violence as well.
“We monitor pages that are reported to us and when they degrade to direct calls for violence or expressions of hate — as occurred in this case — we have and will continue to take them down.”
In a letter last week to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Israeli Cabinet Minister Yuli Edelstein said the page included “wild incitement.” Edelstein applauded Facebook for removing the page, saying he hoped the action would be an example to others and deter similar postings in the future.
Continue Reading >> The Associated Press | March 28, 2011
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Military Intelligence Monitoring Foreign Left-Wing Organizations
Military Intelligence is collecting information about left-wing organizations abroad that the army sees as aiming to delegitimize Israel, according to senior Israeli officials and Israel Defense Forces officers.
Continue Reading >> Haaretz | March 21, 2011
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Saudi Foreign Minister to Visit Turkey
Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Saud al-Faisal on Thursday will arrive in Ankara, reported the website of CNN Turk TV channel, which links the visit to Bahrain events.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet al-Faisal after returning from Russia. According to the report, the foreign minister of Turkey, Ahmet Davutoglu will also attend the meeting.
On Wednesday, Davutoglu spoke with foreign ministers of Iran, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain by phone, Anadolu Agency reported.
Officials said that Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi called Davutoglu, stating that Davutoglu and Salehi discussed “developments in the region”.
Davutoglu called foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and phone conversations mainly focused on developments in Bahrain, officials said.
Anti-government protests began in Manama, Bahrain in February. Demonstrators have been demanding the ouster of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa as well as constitutional reforms, with hundreds camping out peacefully in the capital’s Pearl Square since February 14th.
Bahraini forces imposed a curfew and started to intervene in the protesting group on Wednesday. At least six people were reported to have been killed in Manama during attacks by Bahraini forces against the anti-government protesters in the capital. In response to this, Iran recalled its ambassador from Bahrain.
Troops from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states were dispatched to Bahrain at the country’s government’s request to help quell the uprising by majority Shiite Muslims against the Sunni leadership.
Trend News Agency | March 17, 2011
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Bahrain FM to Visit Turkey to Discuss Turmoil
Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmad Al-Khalifa will visit Turkey on Tuesday to discuss unrest in his country sparked by a Shiite-led opposition movement, Turkey’s foreign minister said, AFP reports.
Turmoil in the Gulf kingdom “could produce a potential to create an international conflict… and spread Shiite-Sunni tensions across the region,” Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in an interview with CNN Turk television Monday.
Turkey is in contact also with Saudi Arabia and Iran to ease tensions, he said.
“On the one side, we are advising Bahrain to put in practice democratisation reforms as soon as possible, and on the other side we are advising Iran, Saudi Arabia and the other related parties to show restraint,” he added.
Tension has escalated between Gulf states and Iran as Tehran condemned the deployment of Saudi-led Gulf troops in Bahrain last week, followed by a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests in the Shiite-majority country.
Focus Information Agency | March 22, 2011
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Turkey Seizes Rifles on Grounded Iranian Plane
The Turkish authorities have seized rifles on a Syria-bound Iranian plane, grounded since the weekend, and questioned its seven-man crew, police and judicial sources said Tuesday.
The cargo plane, a civilian Ilyushin, was ordered to land in Diyarbakir, in Turkey’s mainly Kurdish southeast, on Saturday night on suspicion that it had military or illicit cargo on board.
The plane had declared a cargo of spare car parts, but the inspection resulted also in the discovery of a box containing automatic rifles, a police source told AFP, without providing further details on the guns.
The crew was taken to a police station for questioning and argued that the weapons were on board as part of routine security measures, declining to give additional information.
Continue Reading >> AFP | March 22, 2011
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Turkey to UN: We Seized illegal Iran Arms Shipment en Route to Syria
Turkey has informed a UN Security Council panel that it seized a cache of weapons Iran was attempting to export in breach of a UN arms embargo, according to a document obtained by Reuters on Thursday.
Security Council diplomats said the report of the seizure from an Iranian cargo plane reflected positively on Turkey, which some U.S. and European officials say has taken a lax approach to implementing international sanctions against Iranian financial institutions.
The report to the council’s Iran sanctions committee, which oversees compliance with the four rounds of punitive steps the 15-nation body has imposed on Iran over its nuclear program, said a March 21 inspection turned up the weapons, which were listed as “auto spare parts” on the plane’s documents.
The plane was bound for Aleppo, Syria, and was given permission to pass through Turkish airspace provided it made a “technical stop” at Diyarbakir airport.
Continue Reading >> Haaretz | March 31, 2011
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Turkey to Take Over Benghazi Airport
Turkey has said it will help with distributing humanitarian aid to Libya and has suggested it could play a part in mediating between rebels and the government of Muammar Gaddafi.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the country’s prime minister, said Turkey would take over the running of Benghazi airport to take responsibility for distributing humanitarian aid from the rebel-held eastern city.
The AFP news agency also quoted an official as saying Turkey was responding to a request from fighters in Libya, saying civilian and technical personnel would be sent out.
Ankara has already sent a ferry carrying a medical team, two ambulances and two tonnes of medical supplies to Libya in an attempt to help treat wounded people.
Cemil Cicek, the deputy prime minister, said Turkey was planning to take around 450 injured people from the rebel-held port of Misurata to Turkey for treatment.
Last week, the Turkish parliament also approved the dispatch of a naval force to Libyan waters as the government moved reluctantly to join the military campaign in the north African country.
Continue Reading >> AlJazeera | March 28, 2011
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Turkish PM Cancels Brussels Trip amid Criticisms Over Press Freedom
The Turkish prime minister has canceled his April 1 trip to Brussels to avoid criticisms from EU officials over the deterioration of press freedom, the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review has learned from diplomatic sources.
[...] Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was scheduled to meet with top EU officials, including Herman van Rompuy, president of the EU Council, and Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission. A joint press conference was also expected during the Brussels talks.
Continue Reading >> Hurriyet Daily News | March 28, 2011
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Turkey’s Erdogan in First Visit to Iraq Kurd Region
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan was welcomed on Tuesday as the first Turkish leader to visit Iraq’s Kurdish region, on a trip laden with significance born of Turkey’s own history of conflict with its Kurdish minority.
Continue Reading >> Reuters | March 29, 2011
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Turkey Hosts Military Exercise with Pakistani, Afghan Troops
Turkey has hosted joint “urban warfare” exercises with troops from Afghanistan and Pakistan, comprising sniper and anti-tank units from the three countries.
The number of troops was small — apparently 128 — but the meaning of the exercise was more political than operational. Turkey has long been NATO’s point of contact for relations with Pakistan, and Washington and Brussels have been trying to get Turkey to help build relations between the militaries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. So this exercise — agreed upon at a summit between the three countries in December — is a step in that direction.
Continue Reading >> Eurasianet | March 30, 2011
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Signs of an Axis Shift in EU’s Trust in Turkey’s Ruling Party
Trust in Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, appears to be diminishing among European circles due to growing concerns about fundamental freedoms.
[...] The views of EU institutions vis-a-vis Turkey have seen a clear shift, according to Demir Murat Seyrek, a senior policy adviser for the European Foundation for Democracy.
Continue Reading >> Hurriyet Daily News | March 31, 2011
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Unprecedented Wave of Popular Protest Hits Syria
After Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen, a wave of unprecedented anti-regime protests has now hit Syria, a country known for its iron grip on security matters.
[...] Daraa, a southern town that is home to large tribal families, has been the focal point of the rallies, the latest in a string of uprisings against long-running autocratic regimes across the Arab world.
Continue Reading >> Ahram Online | March 23, 2011
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Syria Deploys Troops after Clashes
Syria has deployed security forces to the northern city of Latakia after violent protests left at least 12 people dead and more than 150 injured amid calls for reform.
[...] Syrian authorities have accused “armed groups” of seeking to incite sectarian strife in the city, which has seen violent clashes between pro-reform protesters, security forces and government supporters.
Continue Reading >> AlJazeera | March 28, 2011
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IDF: Syria May Provoke Israel to Distract from Domestic Unrest
[...] The IDF is also preparing for the possibility that Damascus might use Hezbollah or other militant organizations in Lebanon to heat up that front to divert attention from events in Syria.
Continue Reading >> Haaretz | March 23, 2011
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Bomb Rocks Jerusalem Bus Stop
A bomb struck a crowded bus stop in central Jerusalem Wednesday, killing one woman and wounding more than 20 other people in what authorities said was the first major Palestinian militant attack in the city in several years.
The bombing brought back memories of the second Palestinian uprising last decade, a period in which hundreds of Israelis were killed by suicide bombings in Jerusalem and other major cities.
The Denver Post | March 23, 2011
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Lebanon: Estonian Tourists Kidnapped in Bekaa Valley
Seven Estonian tourists have been kidnapped while cycling in the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon.
The army has now begun searching for the group, who had entered Lebanon legally from Syria earlier in the day.
They were in the town of Zahle when they were seized by men in a car and two vans.
It is not clear whether the kidnapping is politically motivated. The Bekaa Valley is a stronghold of the Islamist Hezbollah movement.
During Lebanon’s civil war, at least 88 foreigners were taken hostage between 1984 and 1990, including the journalist John McCarthy and peace envoy Terry Waite.
The Bekaa Valley is known for lawlessness, drug trafficking and feuds between the powerful clans which control the region’s hashish plantations.
The tourists’ abandoned bicycles were found near the industrial complex in Zahle where they were abducted.
BBC News | March 23, 2011
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Bomb Explodes at Zahle Church, None Hurt
A bomb exploded Sunday at a church in the eastern town of Zahle, causing severe damage but injuring no one, in an act denounced by politicians and religious leaders as an attack on Lebanon’s stability.
A security source told The Daily Star that a device containing 2 kilograms of TNT exploded inside Saidat al-Najat church at 4.15 a.m. Sunday morning, in a detonation performed via cellphone.
“This is the first time this kind of bomb has been used [in Lebanon], whereby the individual can detonate the bomb from anywhere,” the source said.
Continue Reading >> The Daily Star | March 28, 2011
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Israel Releases Map of Hezbollah Bunkers in Lebanon
Washington Post obtains map detailing bunkers, arms caches, surveillance sites in south Lebanon. IDF official: We want to show world that Shiite group has turned villages into fighting zones.
Continue Reading >> Ynetnews | March 30, 2011
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Syria Releases Egyptian-American Accused of Espionage
Syrian authorities have released an Egyptian-American man one week after detaining him on espionage concerns and showing him in what was billed as a televised confession on state TV.
Muhammad Radwan was released to the Egyptian Embassy in Damascus on Friday.
Continue Reading >> CNN | April 1, 2011
Uruguay Joins South American Nations in Recognizing Palestinian Statehood, French Foreign Minister : European Union Should Consider Recognizing Palestinian State, Mossad Ex-Chief : Israelis and Palestinians Won’t Agree Anytime Soon on Clear Borders for a New State, Israel Seizes Boat “Carrying Weapons from Turkey to Gaza”, “Arms Came from Iran Via Turkey, Syria, and Egypt”, Iran on Arms Seizure : “Zionist Regime is Full of Lies”, “Turkey Stops Iranian Cargo Plane en Route to Syria”, Turkish Government Denies, Egypt Uncovers Israeli Spy Network Reporting on “Developments in the Country” and Collecting Detailed Information About the Size of Armed Forces Stationed on the Streets Government Officials and Natural Gas Lines in Sinai Peninsula, Egyptian Military Delegation in Damascus to Restore Relations, Saudi Troops Deployed in Bahrain, Iran Warns Against Foreign Military Intervention Recalls Ambassador from Bahrain Cancels Jordanian Monarch’s Trip, Saudi Envoy Delivering Message from King Abdullah to Syria’s President Situation in Bahrain Discussed, Syrian Foreign Minister on a One Day Visit to Tehran “to Confer on the Latest Developments in the Region”, China Paying $6 Billion to Develop Iran Oil Fields, Warship Deal With Russia Losing Support in France “Because of Concerns Among Russia’s Neighbors”, Turkish Prime Minister in Moscow, Russia to Build Turkey’s First Nuclear Power Station, Final Step in Visa-Free Regime
Uruguay Joins South American Nations in Recognizing Palestinian Statehood
Uruguay has joined a string of South American nations in recognizing an independent Palestinian state.
A Foreign Ministry statement says Uruguay has communicated its decision to the Palestinian Authority.
However the statement does not explicitly say whether the country recognizes
Palestine’s borders predating the Six-Day War of 1967, when Israel captured the West Bank and Gaza.
Foreign Ministry officials declined Tuesday to clarify the matter.
More than a half-dozen countries in South America have recognized Palestine recently, though in different ways.
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador and Paraguay recognized the pre-1967 borders.
Chile and Peru said the issue must be worked out between Israelis and Palestinians.
Haaretz | March 16, 2011
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French FM : EU Should Consider Recognizing Palestinian State
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said Tuesday that the European Union should consider the option of recognizing a Palestinian state if no peace agreement with Israel is reached.
“Recognizing the Palestinian state alone is useless,” he said, explaining that the measure should be taken in collaboration with other countries within the EU. Juppe made the statement during a hearing at the Committee on Foreign Affairs of National Assembly in the lower house of the French Parliament. “We’re not there yet, but personally I think it is an option that one must have in mind,” he added.
YnetNews | March 15, 2011
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Mossad Ex-Chief Halevy Says Mideast Talks Won’t Settle Borders
Israelis and Palestinians probably won’t agree anytime soon on clear borders for a new state, leaving them to maintain current political arrangements for another generation, former Mossad Director Efraim Halevy said.
Even if Palestinians declare a state later this year and garner significant support at the United Nations, the move will have little practical significance and will probably perpetuate Israeli’s occupation of the West Bank.
Continue Reading >> Bloomberg | March 10, 2011
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IDF Seizes Boat Carrying Weapons from Turkey to Gaza
The Israeli navy seized a ship on Tuesday that was apparently smuggling weapons destined for Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The Israel Defense Forces Spokesman Unit said that the ship “Victoria” originated from the Lattakia port in Syria and sailed to Mersin, Turkey. It was seized while on its way from Turkey destined for the El-Arish port in Egypt.
Continue Reading >> Haaretz | March 15, 2011
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Netanyahu : Arms on Seized Ship Came from Iran Via Syria
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that weapons seized by the Israel Navy from a ship bound for Egypt earlier in the day had come from Iran, via Syria, and were intended for militants in Gaza.
“We are currently collecting information and the one thing that is certain is that the weapons are from Iran with a relay station in Syria”.
Continue Reading >> Haaretz | March 15, 2011
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Iran on Arms Seizure : “Zionist Regime is Full of Lies”
Iranian Army Commander-General denies sending weapons to Gaza on “Victoria” ship; Hamas also claims weapons weren’t for them.
Continue Reading >> The Jerusalem Post | March 16, 2011
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“Turkey Stops Iranian Cargo Plane en Route to Syria”
Turkish government denies earlier reports that plane was stopped because it carried weapons meant for Syria, says it is “standard procedure” for planes to be checked.
The Turkish government on Wednesday denied reports that Turkish military jets forced an Iranian cargo plane to land at Biyarbakir airport Tuesday night in order to check it for Iranian arms meant for Syria, reported AP.
The government confirmed that the Iranian plane landed in Turkey, but that it is standard procedure for cargo planes to request permission to fly over Turkey and that sometimes they are required to make unscheduled landings to be searched.
Continue Reading >> The Jerusalem Post | March 16, 2011
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Egypt Uncovers Israeli Spy Network
Egyptian authorities have uncovered a spy network that has been working for Israel, said an official report on Wednesday. The discovery is the first of its kind since the ouster of former president Hosni Mubarak last month.
Official reports circulated by state newspapers said state security prosecutors were interrogating one of the suspects involved in the cell, and he will remain in custody pending investigations. Initial reports said the suspect is Egyptian and that the network includes another foreigner and two Israelis who fled the country before the uncovering of the network.
State-owned al-Ahram newspaper reported on Wednesday that the foreigner admitted he came to Egypt after the 25 January revolution to report on developments in the country. It is believed he is a Syrian national who entered Egypt under the guise of being a businessman.
The suspect said he was working for Mossad, Israeli intelligence, according to al-Ahram.
Bikya Masr | March 17, 2011
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Israeli spy Ring Aimed at Conducting Espionage against Egyptian Army
Mossad agents were arrested in Egypt 5 days ago, and the mission was sent to collect detailed information about the size of the Egyptian armed forces stationed on the streets; its places, prominent Egyptian government officials and natural gas lines in Sinai”, Israeli online edition said.
“The cell received its first assignment after the January 25 revolution on the purpose of gathering key strategic and political information about the situation in Egypt,” The Hebrew-language news site Inyan Merkazi said.
The Higher State Security Prosecution ordered the imprisonment of the first suspect in custody for 15 days while investigations take place. The suspect is a 34-year-old Jordanian who arrived in Cairo during the demonstrations and allegedly sent information concerning recordings of phone calls made by Egyptian officials and important locations in Cairo to Israel. He was charged with spying for Israel and harming Egypt’s national interests by the Public Prosecutor.
IkhwanWeb | March 18, 2011
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Egypt’s New Rulers Friendly with Assad
Egypt’s temporary military rulers sent a delegation to Syria on Thursday to meet with President Bashar al-Assad. Egyptian General Murad Mohammed Muafi and Assad agreed to boost cooperation between the two countries, according to Syria’s SANA news agency.
The meeting follows long-term tension between Egypt and Syria. Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refrained from developing warm ties with Assad due to disagreement over Syria’s role in Lebanon.
Continue Reading >> Israel National News | March 18, 2011
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Saudi Troops Have Entered Bahrain : Saudi Official
More than 1,000 Saudi troops, part of the Gulf countries’ Peninsula Shield Force, have entered Bahrain where anti-regime protests have raged for a month, a Saudi official said Monday.
The troops entered the strategic Gulf kingdom on Sunday, the official told AFP, requesting anonymity.
The intervention came “after repeated calls by the (Bahraini) government for dialogue, which went unanswered” by the opposition, the official said.
According to the regulations of the Gulf Cooperation Council, “any Gulf force entering a member state becomes under the command of the government,” the official added.
The Bahraini government has not confirmed the presence of Saudi troops in the archipelago, which is home to the US Fifth Fleet.
Continue Reading >> AFP | March 14, 2011
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Iran Warns Against Military Intervention in Bahrain, Recalls Ambassador
Iran warned against the consequences of military interventions of foreigners in Bahrain and recalled its ambassador from Manama due to the relevant disputes, local media reported on Thursday.
In telephone conversations with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari and Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad al-Sabah on Wednesday over the recent developments in Bahrain, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi talked about the military meddling in Bahrain.
Iranian foreign minister called for the continued consultations between regional countries to prevent a humanitarian crisis in the Gulf kingdom.
Iranian Parliament (Majlis) Speaker Ali Larijani also warned against foreign military intervention in Bahrain, saying the ” tragic occurrence, would exacerbate the situation in the country.”
“The entering of foreign forces into Bahrain will complicate the situation in the region and make it difficult to find a solution to the ongoing crisis in the country,” Larijani was quoted as saying by satellite Press TV.
Larijani described the move as “detrimental” to the region and added “Foreign troops are committing a bigger crime as they are involved in the crackdown against Bahraini people.”
Continue Reading >> Xinhua News Agency | March 17, 2011
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Jordanian Monarch’s Trip to Iran Cancelled
Iranian MP, Hamid Resai has announced that the King of Jordan’s visit to Iran has been cancelled. “In view of the current critical situation,” he said, “the Jordanian Abdullah’s trip to Tehran did not meet the approval of senior Islamic Republic officials.”
Continue Reading >> Payvand Iran News | March 15, 2011
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Message from Saudi King to President al-Assad on Bilateral Relations, Developments in Arab Arena
President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday received a message from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia highlighting the special relations between their brotherly countries.
The message was delivered during President al-Assad’s meeting with Advisor to the Saudi King, Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah.
The latest developments in the Arab arena, including the situation in the brotherly Kingdom of Bahrain, were discussed in the message.
Continue Reading >> SANA | March 17, 2011
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Syrian FM Due in Tehran Today
Syrian Foreign Minister Valid Muallem is due to visit Tehran on Thursday to confer with the Iranian officials on the bilateral relations between the two countries and the latest developments in the region.
Muallem is also scheduled to meet a number of high ranking Iranian officials in addition to his counterpart Ali Akbar Salehi during his one day visit.
Muallem and Salehi’s latest meeting was on January 29 in Damascus.
Iran and Syria have forged an alliance ever since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the two countries’ officials exchange visits on a regular basis.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was last in Tehran at the head of a high-ranking politico-economic delegation in October 2010.
The two countries enjoy strategic relations in a wide variety of fields.
Fars News Agency | March 17, 2011
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China Paying $6 Billion to Develop Iran Oil Fields
An Iranian official said Beijing has contracted Iran’s Azadegan oil fields for projects estimated at more than $6 billion. The contractor was identified as the state-owned China National Petroleum Corp. assigned to cooperate with the National Iranian Oil Co, Middle East Newsline reported.
Continue Reading >> World Tribune | March 14, 2011
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Warship Deal With Russia Losing Support in France – Paper
The agreement to sell advanced warships to Russia is losing support in France because of Moscow’s wish to get hold of sensitive military technology and concerns among Russia’s neighbors, Le Figaro daily said on Wednesday.
[...] A number of Russia’s neighbors have expressed concern over the upcoming deal, in particular Georgia, Lithuania, and Japan, especially after a Russian Defense Ministry source said in early February the ships would be inducted with the Pacific Fleet to protect the South Kuril Islands claimed by Japan.
Continue Reading >> RIA Novosti | March 16, 2011
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Russia, Turkey to Take final Step in Visa-Free Regime
The final official step in the process of introducing a visa-free regime between Black Sea neighbors Russia and Turkey will be taken during Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s three-day visit to Russia.
Continue Reading >> Today’s Zaman | March 15, 2011
Senegal Cuts Ties With Iran Over Weapons To Rebels, Tehran : Senegal’s Decision “Unjustified and Illogical”, Came Under Foreign Pressure, Iran and Kenya Seeking Expansion of Cooperation “in All Fields”, Somali Rebels Threaten to Attack Kenya for Training Somali Government Forces and Allowing Ethiopian Troops to Operate from Its Towns Call for Revolts in Ethiopia and Kenya Urge Muslims to Liberate Themselves from “Christian Domination”, Dozens of Churches and Residences Burned in Ethiopia By an “Unidentified Group” of Extremists, Islamists Suspected in Abduction of Christian Girl in Sudan, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Meets With Kenyan Speaker of Parliament : Israel Will Assist Kenya Protect Its Borders from “Subversive Elements”, “Israel’s Contribution in Kenya is the Best Answer to Iran’s Dangerous Attempts to Infiltrate the African Continent”, Kenya Needs to Be an Ally of Israel and the United States, Ethiopia and Israel Working to Bolster All Round-Cooperation
New Iranian Foreign Minister Endorsed By Parliament, Senegal Ambassador Returns to Iran After Dispute Over Weapons Shipment Seized in Nigeria, Mossad Station Chief Flees Gambia
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Senegal Cuts Ties With Iran Over Weapons To Rebels
Senegal says it is cutting diplomatic ties with Iran over Iranian weapon supplies to separatist rebels blamed for killing three Senegalese soliders earlier this week.
The Reuters news agency quotes Senegal’s Foreign Minstry as making the announcement in a state-run television broadcast.
The Foreign Ministry statement linked Iranian-supplied weapons to an attack on February 20 in the southern Casamance region that killed three Senegalese soldiers.
In December, Senegal recalled its ambassador to Iran, saying the government of the west African country was unsatisfied with explanations given by Iranian officials over a seizure of mortars and rockets in Nigeria in October.
Neighboring Gambia has also cut ties with Tehran over the arms shipment.
Radio Free Europe | February 23, 2011
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Senegal’s Decision Came Under Foreign Pressure, Iran Says
Iranian Foreign Ministry has called the Senegalese government’s decision to cut diplomatic ties with Iran “unjustified and illogical.”
The Foreign Ministry in a statement published late on Wednesday expressed surprise at the Senegalese government’s action, saying there is no logical reason behind the move and it seems that Senegal has made the decision under foreign influence.
The statement says it is not clear why the Senegalese government made such a hasty decision especially as Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi visited Dakar in January during which the Iranian and Senegalese officials announced that the misunderstandings between the two countries have been cleared up and the two sides also called for enhancement of ties
The Foreign Ministry also emphasizes again that it is the Islamic Republic of Iran’s policy to expand its relations with African countries based on mutual respect.
On Wednesday, Senegal announced that it has decided to break off diplomatic relations with the Islamic republic, claiming Iran has delivered weapons to separatist rebels in its southern Casamance region.
Tehran Times | February 26, 2011
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Iran, Kenya Stress Expansion of Cooperation
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran and Kenya hold massive potentials to boost mutual ties.
“Iran and Kenya are seeking expansion of cooperation in all fields in favor of the two countries and independent nations,” he said in a meeting with Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga in Tehran on Sunday.
“Iran and Kenya are standing in a joint front and their shared view and culture have made them closely related,” Ahmadinejad continued.
He then called for further economic, political and cultural relations as well as working on industrial and trade domains.
Raila Odinga on his part said Kenya as a trade center in eastern Africa is seriously seeking further relations with Iran in all fields.
He then stressed his country’s will for more political and international cooperation with Iran.
Odinga arrived in Tehran on Saturday for a two-day official visit to discuss bilateral ties with Iranian officials.
The Kenyan premier, who heads a political-economic delegation, is scheduled to meet with other Iranian officials as well.
ISNA | March 7, 2011
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Somalia’s al-Shabaab Threatens to Attack Kenya
Somali’s hardline rebel group al Shabaab threatened on Sunday to attack neighbouring Kenya for training Somali government forces and allowing Ethiopian troops to operate from its towns.
[...] Somali troops backed by government-friendly militia have launched operations in several towns across central and southern Somalia including the al Shabaab-controlled border town of Balad Hawa, a few kilometres from the Kenyan town of Mandera, and Ethiopia.
Somali troop numbers have been bolstered by the deployment of hundreds of new recruits trained in Kenya and Ethiopia, local residents and security sources say.
[...] Al Shabaab has also threatened to hit Ethiopia and Burundi, which has troops protecting the western-backed government in Mogadishu.
Continue Reading >> Reuters | February 27, 2011
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Al-Shabaab Calls for Revolts in Ethiopia and Kenya
A top Somali radicals al-Shabaab official has urged Muslims in Ethiopia and Kenya to rise up against their governments.
Sheikh Mahad Omar Abdikarim made the call on Thursday at a gathering in Baidoa town, 240km southwest of the capital Mogadishu.
Sheikh Abdikarim said Muslims in Kenya and Ethiopia were oppressed, adding that they ought to ‘liberate’ themselves from Christian domination.
Continue Reading >> Africa Review | March 4, 2011
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Ethiopia : Islamist Extremists Set on Fire Dozens of Churches and Residences
An unidentified group of angered Islamist extremists have burnt dozens of churches and homes at a Christian neighbourhood in Ethiopia’s vast Oromya region. It is believed to be a retaliation to allegations that Christians desecrates a copy of the Koran by tearing them up. Unconfirmed sources said that at least one Christian was killed and thousands of Christians have reportedly fled since the attacks erupted few days ago around Asendabo district in the Jimma area.
[...] “We don’t know who these perpetrators are or why they attacked. It seems the police are also facing difficulty in getting the situation under control” the eye witness said adding “we need more protection. People here are in fear.”
Continue Reading >> Sudan Tribune | March 9, 2011
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Islamists Suspected in Abduction of Christian Girl in Sudan
A Christian widow in north Sudan is agonizing over the kidnapping of her daughter eight months ago by suspected Islamic extremists in Khartoum.
[...] She said her 15-year-old daughter, Hiba Abdelfadil Anglo, went missing while returning from the Ministry of Education in Khartoum on June 27, 2010. Hiba, a member of Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church in Khartoum, had gone to the education ministry office to obtain her transcripts for entry to secondary school.
Two days later, the family received threatening telephone calls and SMS messages from the kidnappers telling them to pay 1,500 Sudanese pounds (US$560) in order to secure her return.
Continue Reading >> Charisma Mag | February 23, 2011
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Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister meets with Kenyan Speaker of Parliament
On Monday, March 7, 2011, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister (DFM) Danny Ayalon met with the Kenyan Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Kenneth Marende, E.G.H., M.P.
Ayalon told Hon. Marende that “experience in the Middle East has shown that it is essential to lay the foundations of democracy, rule by law and a strong, prosperous civil society in order to prevent revolutions of the type we are seeing today. Israel is committed to strengthening civil society in Kenya and in the rest of Africa.” Ayalon added that “Israel will continue to help by sharing technological know-how and by providing tools for the development of a strong, prosperous, egalitarian society.”
Ayalon mentioned as well that, recently, he signed a Declaration of Intent with German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Dirk Niebel, for cooperation in saving Lake Victoria, a major source of life and livelihood in Kenya. This is in addition to a long list of activities to solve problems of drought and food shortage in Kenya, such as donation of farms, and other types of aid, such as construction by an Israeli team of a modern emergency room in a Kenyan hospital.
“Israel’s contribution to strengthening the foundations of society in Kenya is the best answer to Iran’s dangerous attempts to infiltrate the African continent,” said Ayalon.
The guest was accompanied by the Chair of the Defense and Foreign Relations Committee and the Chair of the Transportation and Public Works Committee of the Kenyan Parliament.
Today Newsline | March 10, 2011
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Israel to Help Kenya Fight Terror
The Israel Government has appealed to Kenya to support efforts to stop terrorism by sticking with countries that fight the vice.
Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon told a delegation of Kenyan MPs led by Speaker Kenneth Marende that Israel will assist Kenya protect its borders from subversive elements.
He said Israel and Kenya have suffered terror attacks in the past and must work together to deal with its perpetrators.
“It is our interest to ensure that Kenya’s porous border with Somalia is protected to deter subversive and terrorist elements from entering the country,” he said in his offices in Jerusalem on Tuesday.
MPs Adan Keynan, Charles Keter, David Were and David Ngugi and Kenya’s ambassador to Israel Stephen Njoroge attended the meeting at the foreign office.
Mr Ayalon was categorical that Kenya needs to be an ally of Israel and the United States in their effort to fight terrorism.
Continue Reading >> The Standard | March 8, 2011
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Ethiopia, Israel Working to Bolster All Round-Cooperation
Ethiopian Ambassador to Israel, Hilawe Yosef, said that Ethiopia and Israel are working closely to further cement their all round-cooperation.
In an exclusive interview he held with WIC in Tel Aviv, Ambassador Hilawe, said that Ethiopia and Israel are working intimately to scale up their bilateral relations in the political, social, trade and investment sectors.
He said that the two countries are collaborating to combat terrorism, which is a global threat.
He added that Israel has been assisting Ethiopia in its various development activities which include the transfer of agricultural technologies.
Continue Reading >> Walta Info | March 14, 2011
Russia Set to Buy 500 Combat Vehicles from France Meant for the Federal Border Guards, Poland Intelligence Officials : 300 Foreign Diplomats in Country are Spies, U.S. Intelligence Chief Describes China and Russia as “Mortal Threats”, U.S. Vice President in Moscow, Meets Putin and Russian Opposition, Calls for “Political Modernization”, Urges Russia to Improve its “Business Climate”, Russia Warns U.S. Against Afghan Bases, Iran Opposes Long-Term U.S. Military Presence in Afghanistan, Afghan President : U.S. Apology for Afghan Deaths “Not Enough” Civilian Casualties By Foreign Troops “No Longer Acceptable” Decision on Permanent U.S. Bases Must Be in Afghan Hands Account for Neighbor Concerns, Afghan President’s Cousin “Mistakenly Killed” in an Overnight Raid By Nato Troops, U.S. Defense Secretary Warns Allies About “Precipitous” Exit from Afghanistan
Russia Set to Buy 500 Combat Vehicles from France
Russia is in talks with French military manufacturer Panhard on the purchase of 500 light armored vehicles for its border guards, a Russian military think-tank said on Friday.
“Negotiations are being held on [the purchase of] 3.1-ton light armored vehicles Vehicule Blinde Leger on a 4×4 wheel platform,” the Center for the Analysis of the World Arms Trade said on its website, citing Panhard Chairman Christian Mons.
The contract could amount to $260 million, the statement said.
The vehicles are meant for the Federal Security Service border guards.
Russia is also continuing talks with France on a $2 billion contract to buy Mistral class helicopter carriers for the Russian Navy.
RIA Novosti | March 11, 2011
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Poland Intelligence Officials Says 300 Foreign Diplomats in Country are Agents
Poland’s leading intelligence agency believes there are about 300 foreign spies working in the country.
The Internal Security Agency gave the figure Thursday amid efforts to enact a law that would make any espionage illegal in Poland.
In a separate report the agency said Poland expelled a Pakistani from the country in April 2010 for trying to conduct logistical work for a terrorist group.
The news agency PAP quoted the head of the security agency, Krzysztof Bondaryk, as saying that the man was suspected of ties to the Pakistan-based Islamist rebel group, Lashkar-e-Toiba, which is believed to be behind the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India.
The Canadian Press | March 10, 2011
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U.S. Intelligence Chief Alarms Senators By Calling China, Russia “Threats”
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper caused a stir Thursday during an appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee when he described China and Russia as “mortal threats” to the U.S.
His remarks, coming in response to a question from Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), caused concern among senators of both parties.
Continue Reading >> NPR | March 10, 2011
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U.S. Vice President Meets Putin, Russian Opposition
In a speech wrapping up his two-day visit to Moscow, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has reiterated Washington’s support for Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WT) because it will lead to greater trade between the two countries.
But Biden also urged Russia to improve its business climate, saying fears of abuse of property rights and other legal abuses are a “fundamental obstacle” for many potential investors.
Speaking at Moscow State University, Biden said that “it’s better for America and I believe better for Russia to be able to trade with each other under predictable and transparent rules.”
The vice president added that the Kremlin’s drive to modernize the economy will not succeed without “political modernization.”
Continue Reading >> Radio Free Europe | March 11, 2011
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Russia Warns US Against Afghan Bases
Russia has warned the US against setting up permanent military bases in Afghanistan, saying the move could undermine peacemaking efforts and anger neighbors.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has confirmed US plans to set up permanent bases in the war-torn country to enable US troops to stay in Afghanistan beyond the 2014 deadline.
Karzai says the US officials are in talks with the Afghan government in this regard.
“This information makes one think and raises questions,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
“Why will US military bases be needed if the terrorist threat in … Afghanistan is ended?”
“Will Kabul be able to combine negotiations on a long-term American military presence with the reconciliation process? How will Afghanistan’s neighbors view the deployment of a foreign country’s military bases near their territory?” Moscow questioned.
Continue Reading >> Press TV | February 19, 2011
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Iran Opposes Long-Term US Presence in Afghanistan
Iran’s interior minister spoke out against a long-term US military presence in Afghanistan Tuesday, as the American Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited his country’s troops in the warring country.
“(Iran) is definitely against the the deployment, presence of foreign forces and establishment of US permanent bases in Afghanistan,” Mostafa Mohammad Najjar told a press conference in Kabul.
“The permanent bases would further complicate the conditions in the region and in Afghanistan.”
The minister’s Afghan counterpart, Besmullah Mohammadi, praised Iran as a neighbour who “has always helped in reconstruction and ensuring security in Afghanistan.”
Continue Reading >> AFP | March 8, 2011
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U.S. Apology for Afghan Deaths “Not Enough” : Karzai
Afghan President Hamid Karzai told General David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, on Sunday his apology for a foreign air strike that killed nine children last week was “not enough.”
At a meeting with his security advisers at which Petraeus was present, Karzai said civilian casualties by foreign troops were “no longer acceptable” to the Afghan government or to the Afghan people, Karzai’s palace said in a statement.
Civilian casualties caused by NATO-led and Afghan forces hunting insurgents have again become a major source of friction between Karzai and his Western backers.
Continue Reading >> Reuters | March 8, 2011
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Karzai : Decision on Permanent US Bases Must Be in Afghan Hands, Account for Neighbor Concerns
Afghanistan’s president says any decision on a permanent U.S. military presence in the country must be made by Afghans and take into account the concerns of neighboring countries.
President Hamid Karzai said Saturday that a number of American officials have raised the issue of establishing permanent U.S. bases in the country. He didn’t say whether any formal requests had been made.
Karzai didn’t rule out the possibility of the U.S. establishing permanent bases. But he says any decision should be made in the context of Afghans assuming greater authority over the country, and not being subject to “foreign influence.”
He added that the decision would need to take into consideration the views of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries that include Iran, Pakistan and China.
Newser | February 19, 2011
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Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s Cousin Mistakenly Killed By Nato Troops
A relative of Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai was mistakenly killed by Nato troops yesterday.
Yar Muhammad Khan was at his home near Kandahar when he was shot dead in an overnight raid.
Nato says it is investigating and the president’s brother Ahmad Wali Karzai, head of Kandahar provincial council, said: “There were operations taking place near his house. He was killed by mistake.”
The victim, said to be the president’s cousin in his 60s, apparently left the house at night carrying a weapon.
His death comes just days after President Karzai lashed out at US-led forces over the accidental killing of nine boys in Kunar province.
A spokesman yesterday said: “The president once again calls on Nato forces to avoid killing civilians.”
The Daily Mirror | March 11, 2011
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Defense Secretary Robert Gates Warns U.S. Allies About “Precipitous” Exit from Afghanistan
Speaking at a NATO meeting, Robert Gates says, ‘There is too much talk about leaving and not enough talk about getting the job done right’ in Afghanistan. His remarks are seen as an attempt to keep allies from using a planned U.S. drawdown as a pretext for withdrawing large numbers of troops.
Continue Reading >> Los Angeles Times | March 11, 2011
Russia Summons U.S. Envoy Over Japan Islands Dispute, Restates Kuril Position, Japan “Shrugs its Shoulders”, Creates Spy Agency Targeting North Korea and China for First Time After Second World War, China Calls for Talks on North Korea, Rejects American’s Appeal of Spy Charge, U.S. Dismisses Bilateral Talks with Pyongyang, Wikileaks Cables Show China Using Debt to Pressure U.S. on Taiwan, Chinese Regime Portrayed as Clamping Down to Prevent Middle-East-Style Protests, Former U.S. Defense Chief Backs Sale of F-16 Jets to Taiwan, North Korea Reportedly Showing Signs of Nuclear Test, Building New Missile Launch Site, Conflict Looms Over U.S. Military Presence in Australia, U.S. to Boost Naval Forces in Asia, Warns China on Pacific Provocation as China Develops Aircraft Carrier, South Korea Spied on Indonesian Delegation, Indonesia Denies Report, to Observe Cambodia-Thailand Border Conflict, Turkey to Sell Armoured Combat Vehicles to Malaysia
Russia Summons U.S. Envoy Over Japan Islands Dispute
The Russian foreign ministry on Monday summoned the US ambassador to Moscow over comments in which Washington reportedly backed the Japanese position in a simmering territorial row with Russia.
[...] “In this connection, the Russian Federation once again laid out it principled and unwavering position on Russia’s sovereignty over the south Kurils.”
Continue Reading >> AFP | February 21, 2011
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Russia Restates Kuril Position While Japan Shrugs its Shoulders
[...] Tokyo-based Moscow News reader Keiran Drea said that the issue was making little impact on most Japanese people – despite scenes of violence outside the Russian embassy, which got significant coverage in Russia.
Continue Reading >> The Moscow News | February 22, 2011
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Japan Creating Spy Agency for First Time After Second World War
Japan is creating an espionage agency for the first time since the end of the Second World War, amid growing tensions with its superpower neighbour China and nuclear-armed North Korea.
[...] The new unit, modelled on MI6 and the CIA, will also be tasked with gathering information to prevent terrorist attacks against Japanese targets, according to a US government cable obtained by WikiLeaks.
[...] worsening of relations with China and the unpredictability of the North Korean regime means that Tokyo can no longer rely on its allies for intelligence about the activities of its enemies.
China and Japan clashed over the disputed Senkaku islands in the East China Sea last year, and Japan has become increasingly apprehensive of North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes.
Continue Reading >> The Daily Telegraph | February 21, 2011
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China Again Calls for 6-Party Talks Soon
Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi again emphasized the need for the resumption soon of the stalled multinational talks on North Korea’s denuclearization, indicating the lingering opinion gap with Seoul over how to deal with the North’s ongoing nuclear ambitions.
Continue Reading >> Korea Herald | February 23, 2011
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China Rejects American’s Appeal of Spy Charge
A Chinese court on Friday rejected an appeal by American geologist Xue Feng against his eight-year jail sentence for spying, despite a long-running campaign by Washington to free him, including a personal plea by President Obama.
[...] Mr. Xue’s sentencing last summer sent a chill through foreign investors in China and the people who make their money analyzing its economy. He was found guilty of obtaining and trafficking in state secrets after he unearthed information on Chinese oil wells for his former employer—U.S. petroleum research firm IHS Inc.
Continue Reading >> The Wall Street Journal | February 18, 2011
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U.S. Dismisses Bilateral Talks with Pyongyang
The United States Tuesday dismissed any bilateral dialogue with North Korea on easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, urging the North to first improve ties with South Korea.
Continue Reading >> Korea JoongAng Daily | February 24, 2011
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Wikileaks Cables Show China Used Debt to Pressure U.S. on Taiwan
China has sought to use its massive U.S. debt holdings to influence American financial policy and deter arms sales to Taiwan, according to diplomatic cables published by Wikileaks.
Continue Reading >> National Journal | February 22, 2011
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China Clamping Down to Prevent Mideast-Style Protests
A previously unknown group has called on the Chinese to replicate the popular protests in the Middle East by staging their own peaceful “jasmine rallies” in cities across China every Sunday afternoon, to demand an end to corruption, greater accountability and an independent judiciary.
Continue Reading >> The Washington Post | February 23, 2011
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Former U.S. Defense Chief Backs Sale of F-16 Jets to Taiwan
Washington, Feb. 22 (CNA) Former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Tuesday that he supports the sale of U.S. F-16 C/D fighter jets to Taiwan in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act.
[...] But Rumsfeld said that if a cross-strait conflict erupts, it would be an example of terribly handled diplomacy, because such a conflict would be totally unnecessary.
However, he said, he thinks there is little possibility that such a conflict will occur since both Taiwan and China have been engaged in economic and tourist exchanges.
Rumsfeld said he believes Taipei and Beijing can solve their differences with good behavior and wise diplomacy.
Continue Reading >> Focus Taiwan | February 23, 2011
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North Korea Shows Signs of 3rd Nuke Test
Seoul is closely monitoring activities at a North Korean nuclear site amid signs that Pyongyang is preparing for a third nuclear test, government sources said Sunday.
The vigilance comes after South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities spotted the North digging additional tunnels at the Musudan-ri Launch Facility for a possible underground atomic test, a source told Yonhap News Agency.
Continue Reading >> Korea Times | February 20, 2011
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North Korea ‘Building’ New Missile Launch Site
North Korea appears close to finishing a new missile launch site, according to analysis of satellite images taken in the last month, which show an almost completed 100ft tall launch tower, suggesting a step forward in Pyongyang’s inter-continental ballistic missile programme.
Continue Reading >> The Guardian | February 16, 2011
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Conflict Looms Over US Military Presence in Australia
For two decades, the issue of US bases in Australia has remained dormant. The Government and community seem to have become comfortable with their presence, as long as they are perceived as passive.
[...] Nevertheless, the issue of US bases might be about to re-emerge as a hot-button political issue.
Continue Reading >> ABC | February 22, 2011
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U.S. to Boost Naval Forces as China Develops Carrier
The U.S. navy will continue to upgrade its military capabilities in the Pacific given its steadfast commitment to the region, a U.S. vice admiral said on Monday, while urging China’s growing navy to avoid provocation.
[...] “It is our sincere hope that as China continues to develop a blue-water navy, one which may soon include an aircraft carrier, it will employ that navy in a way that is responsible and constructive,” said Vice admiral Scott Van Buskirk during a visit to Hong Kong.
[...] Following on from Gate’s comments that China’s military advances in cyber and anti-satellite warfare technology could challenge the ability of U.S. forces to operate in the Pacific, Van Buskirk said the United States would upgrade its hardware there.
Continue Reading >> Reuters | February 21, 2011
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Alleged Espionage Attempt Embarrasses South Korea
[...] It was reported earlier this week that three unidentified people who broke into a hotel room of visiting Indonesian presidential envoys last week were actually officials at South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS).
The intruders intruded into the hotel room in downtown Seoul in an apparent attempt to steal laptops and fled after being walked in on by a member of the Indonesian delegation.
The Indonesian delegation, led by Indonesia’s coordinating economic minister Hatta Rajasa, was visiting Seoul last week at the invitation of President Lee Myung-bak. The delegates, six of whom are ministerial-level officials, asked for support of the South Korean government and local firms for their major economic projects.
Continue Reading >> People’s Daily | February 22, 2011
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Indonesia Denies Report South Korean Spies Stole Military Data
The South Koreans who entered the hotel room of Indonesian officials visiting Seoul didn’t steal military data, Indonesia’s Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said, denying a report by the Chosun Ilbo newspaper.
The incident occurred on a different floor than the one officials from the Indonesian Defense Ministry were staying, Yusgiantoro told reporters in Jakarta today. An official from the Indonesian Industry Ministry saw the South Koreans in his room and a laptop that was taken from the room was returned, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Hatta Rajasa said.
Chosun reported today South spies broke into the Lotte Hotel room in Central Seoul on Feb. 16 to find out what price Indonesia may bid for weapons and trainer jets. The report cited an unidentified South Korean government official, and didn’t say how the person knew the details of the case.
Bloomberg | February 22, 2011
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Indonesia to Observe Cambodia-Thailand Border Conflict
Amidst the recent border conflicts between Thailand and Cambodia, both countries have accepted Indonesia to observe both sides of the border, officials said Tuesday.
An Indonesian team of observers will be deployed to the region where they will observe and report accurately, as well as impartially on complaints of violations and submitting its findings to each party, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) said.
Continue Reading >> Channel 6 News | February 22, 2011
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Turkey to Sell Armoured Combat Vehicles to Malaysian Military
Turkish defense industry company FNSS signed Tuesday a $600 million deal with Malaysia’s DEFTECH to sell armoured combat vehicles to Malaysian military.
[...] The deal is important for Turkish defense industry as it is the largest amount in defense industry exports of the country at one time.
Continue Reading >> World Bulletin | February 23, 2011
European Union Goes for Merging Nabucco, ITGI Gas Pipelines to Reduce its Dependence on Russian Energy, Russia Risks Losing Over $10 Billion in Arms Sales from Middle East Unrest, Iran-Turkey-Syria-Egypt Bloc Moves Closer, Iran Warships Enter Suez Canal, Israel’s Former Mossad Chief to Head Ports Authority, Greece Israel Draw Closer Following Turkey Spat, Greece in Exploratory Talks with Israel on Gas, U.S. Firm : Good Chance of Large Gas Find Off Cyprus, Offshore Gas Drilling to Start, Separate States in Cyprus on the Horizon, Greece Sends Pro-Kurdish Turkish Politician to Seek Asylum in Cyprus, British Petroleum Suspends Operations in Libya, David Cameron Arrives in Egypt to Meet Military Rulers
EU Goes for Merging Nabucco, ITGI Gas Pipelines
The European Union is moving to secure a merger of two future gas transit pipeline projects – Nabucco and ITGI (Interconnector Turkey-Greece-Italy) – in order to guarantee the natural gas supplies from Azerbaijan to Europe.
The move is intended to consolidate EU’s strategy to start tapping into the natural gas reserves of the Caspian Sea thus reducing its dependence on Russian energy.
[...] The anonymous sources have indicated that, should such a merger come through, this could mean realizing first the cheaper ITGI project in a “Southern Corridor Phase I” to carry gas from Azerbaijan via Turkey to Greece and Italy, and then branching north according to the original Nabucco route plans from Turkey to Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, and Austria.
[...] The Southern Gas Corridor entails the construction of several pipelines, such as Nabucco (running from Turkey to Austria and Germany via Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary), ITGI (Interconnection Turkey-Greece-Italy), White Stream (known also as the Georgia-Ukraine-EU pipeline) and TAP (the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline), aiming to bring gas from the Caspian Sea to Europe.
[...] The several pipelines from the Southern Gas Corridor, which provides an untapped natural gas supply route for the EU circumventing Russia, will supplement the existing gas supplies that the Union gets through pipelines from Russia, Norway and North Africa, most notably Algeria.
[...] The Nabucco consortium, Nabucco Gas Pipeline International GmbH has formally refuted the information on the potential merging of the Nabucco and South Stream projects.
Nabucco and the Gazprom-sponsored gas transit pipeline have been widely considered rival projects, with EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger formally admitting in November 2010, the first such admission by an EU institution, that the two pipelines are competitors.
Continue Reading >> Novinite | February 18, 2011
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Russia Risks Losing Over $10 Billion in Arms Sales to the Middle East
Russia risks losing up to $10 billion (7.4 billion euros) in arms sales from the wave of unrest currently sweeping North Africa and the Middle East, a weapons industry official said Tuesday. The figure is equivalent to Russia’s total arms sales for 2010 and would represent a massive setback to the country’s efforts to maintain its Soviet-era clients in the Middle East. The unnamed arms export official told the Interfax news agency that Russia was carefully monitoring the situation because it had major outstanding contracts with some of the fallen regimes. The source said Russia “was working on and already implementing arms contracts worth some $10 billion” in the affected countries. ”Nothing can be ruled out in the current situation, and in the worst-case scenario, these plans may be wrecked.”
Continue Reading >> Newstime Africa | February 22, 2011
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Iran-Turkey-Syria-Egypt Bloc Moves Closer With Profound Global Effect
[...] So the process is now becoming possible — despite attempts by current Vice-Pres. Suleiman and Defense Minister Tantawy, each in their own ways, to temporize and create delays in the removal of the Egyptian military from its position of power in Egypt — enabling the construction of a loose bloc of states with Iran and Turkey dominant, and Syria and Egypt subordinate.
Tunisia, Algeria, and Lebanon — each undergoing political upheaval — must be influenced by the transformation of reality in the Mediterranean.
Counterbalancing all of this, the rapid growth of an Israeli-Greek bloc, including the strategically impotent Cyprus, provides a link into NATO of which Jordan and Saudi Arabia must avail themselves. Other regional states in the Mediterranean see their fortunes change, especially given that the overall presence of the Islamist bloc will act as a deterrent to external investment in the whole region, but most vulnerable in all of this will be Morocco.
[...] Despite the overwhelming tide of change which began in the region in recent years, the US and British governments still have failed to understand that Turkey is no longer an ally, and now is more firmly aligned with Russia, the People’s Republic of China, and Iran.
Continue Reading >> Oil Price | February 18, 2011
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Iran Warships Enter Suez Canal, Egypt’s State-Run MENA Says
[...] Two Iranian warships have begun crossing the Suez Canal as Israel stressed its objection to their planned voyage to Syria.
The ships entered the canal early today after the approval of Egypt’s Defense Ministry, the state-run Middle East News Agency cited Ahmed El Manakhly, head of traffic at the Suez Canal Authority, as saying.
Continue Reading >> Bloomberg | February 22, 2011
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Former Mossad Chief Meir Dagan to Head Ports Authority
According to financial publication Globes, Israel’s former spymaster, Mossad Chief Meir Dagan, is to be appointed chairman of the Israel Ports Development and Assets Company.
[...] Dagan, known for his aggressive and largely successful conduct of Israel’s secret affairs, will be responsible for implementing a national transportation plan for Israel.
[...] Various activities that delayed Iran’s nuclear plans, to which Israel did not admit publicly, took place during his term of office.
Continue Reading >> Israel National News | February 16, 2011
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Greece, Israel Draw Closer Following Turkey Spat
Moving quickly to fill the diplomatic and economic vacuum created by the deterioration of relations between Turkey and Israel, a new regional partnership is being formed by Israel and Greece.
With Cyprus as a catalyst for rapprochement and wide-ranging cooperation, the ultimate goal is a new multinational bloc that could include Bulgaria and Albania.
[...] Long-range Greek interest in Israel’s natural gas is a major, if not dominant, catalyst in the ongoing rapprochement. With the main impetus evidently coming from Cyprus, which would be one of the projected recipients, experts from all three countries have been preparing blueprints for these underwater conduits. They could link Israel’s Leviathian natural gas field to Crete as well as Cyprus.
From the strategic standpoint, this could be a “game changer,” Tziampiris said. “It certainly would alter Israel’s position vis-a-vis Europe and lessen the continent’s energy dependence on Russia (especially significant now, since the Nabucco gas pipeline project appears problematic).
[...] Routinely, the Greek and Israeli air forces and navies have conducted joint exercises in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
The United States evidently is favorably disposed to the positive turn in Greco-Israeli relations and has been nurturing it. This is a reflection of its having won strong congressional support.
Continue Reading >> The Jewish Chronicle | February 18, 2011
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Greece in Exploratory Talks with Israel on Gas
Greece has begun exploratory talks with Israel about cooperation on transporting recently discovered offshore Israeli natural gas to markets in Europe, Investment Minister Harris Pamboukis said.
[...] “The Israelis have found big quantities of offshore gas in the Mediterranean. We are trying to see how Greece could be seen as a transportation hub and a services centre, since it is on a natural road to the Balkans and Europe.”
[...] Relations between the two countries were frosty for a long period because of Greece’s strong support for the Palestinians and close ties with Arab states. However, ties have warmed partly as a result of a chill between Israel and its traditional strategic partner Turkey, Greece’s neighbour and historic rival.
Continue Reading >> Reuters | January 23, 2011
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U.S. Firm : Good Chance of Large Gas Find Off Cyprus
U.S. company Noble Energy said Wednesday that seismic data indicate a strong chance of a sizable natural gas find off the southeastern coast of Cyprus.
[...] “We don’t have an exact number on the amount of resources available, but the structure that we can tell from seismic looks very favorable to be a sizable quantity,” Terry Gerhart, Noble Energy vice president for international operations, said after talks with Cyprus president Dimitris Christofias.
Continue Reading >> Bloomberg | February 16, 2011
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Separate States in Cyprus on the Horizon
[...] Cyprus, along with the Kurdish question, has been among Turkey’s old problems that have for decades fallen victim to the policies of the status quo. This has stood as the main stumbling block before any contribution to be made by Ankara to end the stalemate over the 40-year-long dispute on the island.
[...] Consciously or unconsciously, the EU paved the way for two separate states to emerge on the island in the future by admitting the Greek Cypriots as full members of the union in 2004.
Continue Reading >> Today’s Zaman | February 15, 2011
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Greece Sends Pro-Kurdish Turkish Politician to Seek Asylum in Cyprus
Authorities announced on Tuesday (February 1st) that they have flown a pro-Kurdish politician wanted in Turkey to Cyprus, where his asylum request should be processed. Mustafa Sarikaya, former deputy leader of Turkey’s Democratic Society Party (DTP), was detained at the Thessaloniki airport in December. He had arrived from Cyprus using fake Bulgarian papers and requested political asylum. A court in Thessaloniki cleared him of charges of entering Greece illegally, accepting that he faced political prosecution in Turkey where he spent a total of 20 years in prison.
Turkey’s Constitutional Court banned the DTP in 2009 over its alleged ties to the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party. Under EU laws, his asylum request must be processed at his point of entry in the bloc, which in this case was Cyprus.
SETimes | February 2, 2011
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Oil Giant BP Suspends Operations After Violent Protests
[...] The British company said 40 expatriate staff and their families, mostly based in the capital, Tripoli, are being evacuated as it temporarily shuts down work on preparations to drill in the Libyan desert.
Continue Reading >> The Press and Journal | February 22, 2011
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David Cameron Arrives in Egypt to Meet Military Rulers
David Cameron has flown into Cairo amid tight security, becoming the first world leader to visit Egypt since Hosni Mubarak was ousted as president in the revolution 10 days ago.
A news blackout was lifted as the prime minister landed in the Egyptian capital for a five-hour stopover that was hastily added to the start of a planned tour of the Middle East.
Continue Reading >> The Guardian | February 21, 2011
Oil Prices Rise on Middle East Unrest and China’s Inflation Report, British Petroleum to Begin Offshore Exploration Drilling in Libya, Political Crisis in Ivory Coast, Connections to Regional Banking System Severed, President Vows to Nationalise Banks, Military Intervention on the Table, South Africa Sends Warship to Gulf of Guinea, Christian-Muslim Divide in Nigeria, Chevron, USAID Putting $50M Into Niger Delta Region
Oil Prices Rise on China’s Inflation Report
Oil prices rose Tuesday on news that China’s inflation rate rose less than expected and traders kept an eye on unrest in the Middle East.
Continue Reading >> Bloomberg Business Week | February 15, 2011
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BP, After Delays, Eyes Start of Libyan Drilling
BP Plc, recovering from last year’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill, plans to begin offshore exploration drilling in Libya by the end of June, later than previously expected.
[...] The Libyan drilling will be the first under a $900 million deal BP signed with Libya in 2007 after the lifting of international sanctions on Libya removed barriers to doing business in the country.
[...] BP’s Libyan plans have aroused suspicion in the United States, where some politicians have said the British government and BP wanted convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdel Basset al-Megrahi released to smooth BP’s deal with Libya. He was freed by Scottish authorities in 2009.
Continue Reading >> Reuters | February 17, 2011
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Ivory Coast On the Brink
[...] Gbagbo, who in his younger days was a trade union leader with leftist pretensions.
[...] Ouattara, who has held senior positions in the International Monetary Fund and other financial institutions.
Continue Reading >> Frontline | January 15, 2011
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Ivory Coast’s Gbagbo Vows to Nationalise Banks
Ivory Coast’s incumbent Laurent Gbagbo decreed on Thursday that major banks suspending business in Ivory Coast are to be nationalised, the latest turn in a bitter struggle for political control of the West African state.
The banking system of the world’s top cocoa grower has been heading towards total collapse this week, with virtually all commercial banks shut and others swamped by customers trying to withdraw savings.
The closures are the consequence of an international sanctions effort to squeeze Gbagbo of funds and force him to stand down after UN-certified results of a November 28 election showed his rival Alassane Ouattara the winner.
Continue Reading >> Reuters | February 18, 2011
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South Africa Explains Presence of Warship Off Cote d’Ivoire Coast
Following the diplomatic spat triggered by the presence of a South African warship off the coast of Cote d’Ivoire, the South African government has explained the reason for the ship’s deployment. ‘The South African government confirms that it instructed the SA National Defence Force to pre-position the SA Navy support vessel, the SAS Drakensberg, in the Gulf of Guinea for possible assistance to SA diplomats, designated personnel and other South African citizens in Ivory Coast,’ Department of International Relations and Co-operation spokesperson Clayson Monyela said in a statement made available to PANA here Wednesday.
[...] ECOWAS Commission President James Victor Gbeho had accused South Africa of deploying the warship to Cote d’Ivoire in support of outgoing President Laurent Gbagbo, who is refusing to step down after being widely-acknowledged to have lost the country’s presidential runoff 28 Nov. to Alassane Ouattara.
[...] South Africa is believed to be among the nations propping up Gbagbo, in defiance of the international community which has recognised Ouattara as the country’s legitimately-elected President.
Continue Reading >> Afrique en Ligne | February 17, 2011
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Church Attacked in Northern Nigeria
Gunmen attacked a church Tuesday in northern Nigeria, but it was unclear if there were casualties in the latest such incident in the region where dozens have been killed in recent months.
[...] “We don’t know who the attackers are yet,” he added, saying he could not provide further details.
[...] Previous such incidents have been blamed on an Islamist sect known as Boko Haram, which launched an uprising in 2009 put down by a brutal military assault.
Three churches were attacked on Christmas Eve in Maiduguri, killing six people. The sect has also claimed responsibility for the recent assassination of a high-profile candidate for governor.
Continue Reading >> AFP | February 16, 2011
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Chevron, USAID Putting $50M into Poor Nigeria Delta Region
A Chevron Corp. foundation and the United States Agency for International Development agreed to put $50 million into the poor Niger Delta area of Nigeria.
San Ramon-based Chevron (NYSE: CVX) has a strong interest in fostering political stability in Nigeria, where it has invested billions of dollars in finding and getting oil. The region around the Niger River delta is very poor and a people there sometimes attack oil company installations or hold workers hostage, demanding a share of their country’s oil wealth.
Continue Reading >> San Francisco Business Times | February 17, 2011
Hugo Chavez and the U.S. Intelligence Community
An array of covert operations devised during G. Bush’s presidency are being actively implemented in Latin America.The plans include a color revolution in Cuba, the toppling of the populist regime in Venezuela, a smear campaign against Evo Morales in Bolivia, a flare up of divisions within the populist ALBA bloc, the geopolitical weakening of Brazil, an expansion of the regional network of US military bases, etc. “Neutralizing” the region’s defiant leaders is a predictable part of the program. Recently, Ecuador’s president Rafael Correa narrowly escaped an attempt on his life, and at the moment Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega who stands in the way of forming a pro-US alliance in Central America seems to be the next figure on the hit list. In any case, Hugo Chavez, the leader who, from Washington’s perspective, represents the most serious geopolitical problem in Latin America, remains the prime target for the US intelligence community.
Continue Reading >> Strategic Culture | February 15, 2011
U.S. Backs Brazil in Currency War with China, China Plans Colombian Rail Link to Challenge Panama Canal, U.S. to Let Colombia Trade Benefits Expire, Turns Up the Heat on Colombian Drug Gangs, Colombian Army Discovers Drugs-Smuggling Submarine “Capable of Reaching the Coast of Mexico”, Ecuador Judge Orders Chevron to Pay $9 Billion Fine, Ecuador Urges Strong Iran Ties, Russian Military Choppers Delivered to Ecuador, Argentina Accuses U.S. of Weapons Smuggling, Argentina’s Economy Gets a Bad Grade, “Does Not Deserve to Be a Member of the G20″, Obama to Travel for the First Time to South America
U.S. Backs Brazil in Currency War with China
Timothy Geithner, the US Treasury Secretary, has voiced tacit support for Brazil in its “currency war” with China in a sign that the two giants of the Americas will work together to tackle the issue.
[...] His comments suggest that the US and Brazilian governments are ready to forge closer links which could see them jointly pressure China on the value of the yuan.
Continue Reading >> The Daily Telegraph | February 7, 2011
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China Plans Colombian Rail Link to Challenge Panama Canal
[...] China is envisaging a new link between the seas: a rail link through Colombia – a potential rival to the canal that would crown China’s economic push into Latin America.
Beijing on Monday confirmed an announcement by the Colombian president, Juan Manuel Santos, that both governments are considering a rail connection from Cartagena, in the Caribbean, to the country’s Pacific coast 280 miles (450km) away. The president’s office refused to say which Pacific site was being considered.
The railway would facilitate the export of raw materials such as coal, as well as opening the way for Chinese imports.
Continue Reading >> The Guardian | February 14, 2011
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U.S. to Let Colombia Trade Benefits Expire
The U.S. Congress will allow the expiration of a the Andean Trade Preference Act, which allows many Colombian goods into the country duty-free.
[...] Colombia’s ambassador to Washington, Gabriel Silva, stated “without action by Congress, many of the Colombian industries that have been devastated by the aftermath of the epic floods stand to suffer further economic harm,” as a result of the act’s expiration.
Although House and Ways Committee Chairman, Republican Dave Camp, has drafted a bill to extend the act through to June, Republican leaders cancelled a vote on the measure.
Continue Reading >> Colombia Reports | February 10, 2011
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U.S. Turns Up the Heat on Colombian Drug Gangs
U.S. authorities are increasing efforts to crack down on criminal gangs in Colombia that are running cocaine to Mexican drug kingpins who are at war with Mexico’s security forces.
Continue Reading >> Reuters | February 10, 2011
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Colombians Seize Drugs-Smuggling Submarine
A fully-submersible drug submarine capable of reaching the coast of Mexico has been found in Colombia.
While another such submarine was seized last July just across the border in Ecuador, this is the first time the Colombian authorities have seized a fully-submersible sub.
They had previously only found semi-submersible boats, where part of the structure always remains above the surface.
The vessel was discovered in a rural area of Cauca province on the Timgiqui River, about 275 miles southwest of the capital, Bogota.
[...] The boat was discovered following intelligence reports and tips from informants.
Continue Reading >> Sky News | February 15, 2011
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Chevron Fined for Amazon Pollution By Ecuador Court
A court in Ecuador has fined US oil giant Chevron $8.6bn (£5.3bn) for polluting a large part of the country’s Amazon region.
The oil firm Texaco, which merged with Chevron in 2001, was accused of dumping billions of gallons of toxic materials into unlined pits and Amazon rivers.
Campaigners say crops were damaged and farm animals killed, and that local cancer rates increased.
Condemning the ruling as fraudulent, Chevron said it would appeal.
The company will also have to pay a 10% legally mandated reparations fee, bringing the total penalty to $9.5bn (£5.9bn).
Continue Reading >> BBC News | February 15, 2011
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Ecuador Urges Strong Iran Ties
Ecuador’s Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino says his country attaches special significance to enhanced relations with Iran, saying that Tehran and Quito enjoy amicable ties in the international scene.
In a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on Wednesday, Patino called on Iranian and Ecuadorian officials to implement agreements that have already been signed following expressed commitments by presidents of both countries to the expansion of bilateral ties.
Continue Reading >> Press TV | February 10, 2011
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Russia Delivers Two Military Choppers to Ecuador
Interfax quotes a military-diplomatic source in Moscow as saying that Russia supplied two military-transport helicopters Mi-171 to Ecuador late last week.
According to the source, Russia and Ecuador signed a 22 billion dollar contract in autumn 2009, with Ecuador planning to purchase another four such choppers. Quito has already started talks to that end.
It is the first time that Russia has supplied helicopters to that Latin American nation.
Voice of Russia | January 24, 2011
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Argentina Accuses U.S. of Trying to Smuggle Weapons into Country
Relations between the US and Argentina have deteriorated after Buenos Aires lodged a formal complaint over a US military plane that landed late last week carrying guns, drugs and satellite phones.
The Argentinian government claimed the US was trying to sneak the weapons into the country, though it didn’t offer an explanation of why Washington might want to do this.
The US state department said the consignment was intended for a police training programme in Argentina.
[...] The relationship between the two countries has been poor since Barack Obama released details of a Latin American tour next month that includes Brazil, Chile and El Salvador but not Argentina.
Continue Reading >> The Guardian | February 15, 2011
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Argentina: Economy Gets a Bad Grade
Argentina does not deserve to be a member of the G20 and President Barack Obama is right not to stop in Buenos Aires on his first state visit to South America. That is the stark view of James Roberts, a former US diplomat and research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative US think tank.
The Foundation’s annual ranking of economic freedom, compiled in conjunction with The Wall Street Journal, ranks Argentina a lamentable 138th out of 179 countries in an annual classification of economic freedom.
Continue Reading >> The Financial Times | February 8, 2011
U.S. and Kyrgyzstan Sign Air Base Fuel Supply Deal, Moscow to Help Kyrgyzstan Enter Customs Union, Russia and Tajikistan Debate Sharing Military Base, Japan Eyes Uzbekistan’s Rich Natural Resources
Kyrgyzstan and the United States signed an agreement on Tuesday on jet fuel supplies to a U.S. air base in the Central Asian state, replacing previous deals with a more transparent system.
The new government in Kyrgyzstan, which also hosts a Russian air base, has tried to remove opaque supply schemes which it says favoured the clan of former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, deposed in a popular uprising last April.
The Manas base, located at Kyrgyzstan’s main civilian airport outside the capital Bishkek, is a vital transit point for the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan.
Continue Reading >> Reuters | February 8, 2011
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Russia to Help Kyrgyzstan Enter Customs Union – Russia’s Customs Chief
Russia could share experience with Kyrgyzstan on entering the Customs Union, currently made up of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, Andrei Belyaninov, the head of Russia’s Customs Service said on Thursday.
In late December, Kyrgyz Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev said the country was interested in joining the Customs Union.
[...] The creation of a common economic space stipulating the free movement of goods, assets and labor force between the countries is to become the next stage of their integration.
Continue Reading >> RIA Novosti | February 10, 2011
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Russia and Tajikistan Debate Sharing Ayni Base
Russia and Tajikistan continue to negotiate over the use of the Ayni military airport near Dushanbe. And the key issue under debate now is whether the base would be a solely Russian facility, or a joint Tajikistan-Russia operation. That’s according to Tajikistan political analyst Alexander Sodiqov, writing on Jamestown’s Eurasia Daily Monitor.
Continue Reading >> EurasiaNet | February 9, 2011
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Japan Eyes Uzbekistan’s Rich Natural Resources
Japan and Uzbekistan agreed Wednesday to strengthen their strategic bilateral partnership in a wide range of fields, including the development of natural resources such as uranium and rare metals.
[...] “Uzbekistan . . . is geopolitically a very important country to Japan, and at the same time it is a strategically important partner from the viewpoint of energy and resources,” Kan told Karimov at their summit.
Continue Reading >> The Japan Times | February 10, 2011
Afghan President : U.S. Seeking Permanent Military Bases, U.S. Postpones Meeting with Pakistan and Afghanistan, Threatens to Cut Aid to Pakistan, Pakistan Issues Arrest Warrant for Former President Exiled in London, U.S. National Who Trained London Suicide Bombers Released for “Exceptional Cooperation”, Former Senior Taliban Member Visits Britain for Secret Insurgency-Ending Talks
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has confirmed that the Obama Administration has been in secret talks with him to formalize a system of permanent military bases across the war torn nation, effectively pledging to keep the unpopular occupation a permanent aspect of life in Afghanistan.
Continue Reading >> Press TV | February 9, 2011
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U.S. Postpones Meeting With Pakistan and Afghanistan
The United States this weekend postponed high-level talks to be held in Washington with Pakistan and Afghanistan, a sign of the displeasure with Pakistan over the arrest of an American official accused of murder.
The talks scheduled for Feb. 23 and Feb. 24, held annually to discuss the war in Afghanistan, involve foreign ministers and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
[...] The State Department did not give a precise public explanation for the postponement of the talks except to say that “in light of the political changes in Pakistan” the talks would not go ahead.
But American officials said the talks were postponed because it was unlikely they would produce anything worthwhile in the charged atmosphere between Pakistan and the United States.
Continue Reading >> The New York Times | February 13, 2011
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US Threatens to Cut Aid to Pakistan
US congress members have threatened to stop aid to Pakistan unless it releases an American detained over shooting deaths of two Pakistani men.
[...] Many observers have questioned whether Davis was an ordinary diplomat.
Three members of the US House of Representatives drove home the point on a visit to Pakistan, telling Yusuf Raza Gilani, the Pakistani prime minister, that congress was working on its budget and looking for areas to cut.
Continue Reading >> Al-Jazeera | February 9, 2011
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Pakistan Issues Arrest Warrant for Pervez Musharraf
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has issued an arrest warrant for former military ruler Pervez Musharraf over the assassination of an opposition leader. [...] Mr Musharraf – who lives in self-imposed exile in London – denies the allegations. His spokesman, Fawad Chaudhry, said Mr Musharraf had no intention of returning to Pakistan for the hearing.
Continue Reading >> BBC News | February 11, 2011
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Terrorist Who Trained 7/7 Bomber Released After Five Years
A terrorist who was jailed for founding a training camp where the leader of the July 7 London suicide bombers were taught to make bombs has been released from prison after serving less than five years, it was claimed.
American Mohammed Junaid Babar walked free just four and a half years into a sentence that could have lasted as long as 70, prompting claims he may have been acting as an informant.
The decision to sentence him to “time served” due to what a New York judge termed his “exceptional co-operation” dating back to before his arrest led to suggestions Babar could have been helping US authorities even while helping to train the man who led the 2005 attacks on London.
[...] According to court documents Babar was sentenced to “time served” in court on December 10, six years after being arrested.
He had spent slightly more than four years in prison and two years on bail.
Continue Reading >> The Daily Telegraph | February 14, 2011
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Former Senior Taliban Member Visits Britain
A former high-ranking member of the Taliban has made the first visit to Britain by a member of the regime to take part in secret negotiations.
Mullah Abdul Salaam Zaeef, a member of the Taliban government before September 11, visited London last week amid closely controlled security.
Zaeef, who is still said to be close to Mullah Omar, the leader of the Taliban, attended a closed conference part funded by the Foreign Office to discuss peace proposals aimed at ending the fighting.
The Taliban leader arrived in Britain on Wednesday and stayed in a central London hotel. He was banned from speaking publicly by the terms of his visa but is thought to have held private meetings with British officials.
Britain is attempting to facilitate talks between Hamid Karzai, the Afghan President, and senior members of the Taliban.
A senior Foreign Office official said last month that senior members of the Taliban have been putting out “feelers” about making peace with the Western-backed government in Kabul.
Continue Reading >> The Daily Telegraph | February 13, 2011
George Friedman on the Iranian Problem
George Friedman claims that absent the United States, Iran will be the dominant force in the Middle East. This Carnegie Council event took place on January 26, 2011.
The Carnegie Council | February 11, 2011
Israel Finances Military Helicopter Deal for South Sudan, New Oil Rush Begins
Reports from Sudan claim that senior Israeli officials have been advising the secessionist Council of Ministers of the Government of the South [Sudan] on matters relating to the “final details” of the expected “independence” from Khartoum and military support. Arab diplomatic sources called a meeting held in Israel in mid-December “important” and “extraordinary”.
According to the Sudanese Centre for Press Services, the meeting put the final touches to the expected changes in international relations and attitudes following the recent referendum, which is expected to call for secession. Egypt is one country which is concerned about the conditions in the region after January 15.
It is claimed that the meeting agreed that Israel would finance a deal to provide attack helicopters for the new army in Southern Sudan, thus “completing” the arming of the South; previous support has included weapons, ammunition, rocket-propelled and anti-tank missiles, anti-aircraft guns, tanks and general vehicles. The reports added that Israel is making “arrangements” to find and equip the new state’s embassies and persuade other countries to assist in this process.
Middle East Monitor | January 18, 2011
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Sudan: New Oil Rush Begins
A new African state is to appear in the political map of the world. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has issued a decree on Khartoum’s official recognition of the results of a referendum on the independence of South Sudan. The virtual reconciliation of the North and the South prompts an oil rush in the region.
[...] “US President Obama has promised to recognize the new state in the near future. Other large countries will follow suit. One of the reasons for this policy is the presence of energy resources. US and other large Western companies are interested in getting their hands on them, hence Washington’s readiness to recognize South Sudan. China is traditionally demonstrating its interest, as it has always been a very active player in Africa. In recent years, China has spent a few billion dollars investing in oil and gas extraction in Africa because China is experiencing a growing shortage of energy supplies.”
Today Sudan takes third place in the Sahara region in terms of confirmed oil resources after Nigeria and Angola.
[...] “Thanks to its oil resources, that country can attract investors for oil field development, especially after the separation of the North from the South. The more so, because production costs are similar to those in the Arab countries. Apart from that, there is an opportunity to export this oil through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. This means that the conditions for transporting this oil are also conducive to keeping the costs low.”
Like other players in the world oil market, Russia would like to promote its energy interests in that region. Moreover, it is capable of becoming a serious competitor for both Western and Chinese companies in oil production and power supply.
Continue Reading >> The Voice of Russia | February 8, 2011
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