Libyan war updates/Stop NATO news: June 28, 2011
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Reports Of U.S. Military Plans Against Libya, Syria Cause Concern
U.S. Aircraft Supercarrier Enters Mediterranean For “NATO Missions”
NATO’s Libyan War: Almost 13,000 Air Operations, Nearly 5,000 Combat Flights
Libya: International Criminal Court Cover For NATO Operations
All Freedom-Loving People Must Condemn NATO Action In Libya
Germany To Supply NATO With Arms For Assault On Libya
Standing NATO Maritime Group Surge Operations In Eastern Mediterranean
UN: U.S. Gets 4,200 Ethiopian Troops To Patrol North-South Sudan Border
U.S. Tests Cruise Missiles With Mock Nuclear Warheads
California: New Naval Strike Missiles Tested For Deployment To Norway, Poland
Turkmenistan: NATO To Patrol Eurasian Pipelines?
NATO Caucasus, Central Asia Representative In Armenia
NATO Assistant Secretary General To Visit Azerbaijan
NATO-Georgia Commission Meeting Held At NATO Headquarters
Serbia: U.S. Leads Joint Paratroop Training Exercises
Report: U.S. Missile Strike Kills 20 Pakistani Civilians, Wounds Several More
Pakistan: Three NATO Tankers Torched
U.S. Africa Partnership Station: 37 Stops In 14 Countries
U.S. AFRICOM Conducts Deployment Training In Burundi
Philippines: U.S. Launches Joint Naval Exercises
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Reports Of U.S. Military Plans Against Libya, Syria Cause Concern
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15186523,00.html
Deutsche Welle
June 27, 2011
Rumors of US plans for Libya, Syria cause concern
The idea of US Army boots on Libyan soil is causing alarm
-If an invasion was being planned, the amount of naval firepower now available in the region would give more than adequate support for any land forces being deployed on Libyan soil.
Among the rumors circulating of US plans for expanded military operations in Libya and a possible intervention in Syria lie certain truths which are cause for concern – despite the dismissals of analysts.
When the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1973 on March 17 of this year, it authorized the use of force by UN member states, granting them the right to “take all necessary measures to protect civilians under threat of attack in Libya, including Benghazi, while excluding a foreign occupation force of any form on any part of Libyan territory.”
In the three months that have followed, the rules of Resolution 1973 appear to have been bent to allow the NATO-led mission to not only protect civilians in Libya but actively pursue the forces of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, target his strongholds and effectively force him out of power.
This ‘mission creep’ has caused fractures and divisions within the international coalition that originally agreed to take on the UN’s Libyan operations.
The Arab League, whose involvement helped sell the mission to the Arab world, is becoming increasingly nervous about what it sees as NATO’s new goal of regime change. Meanwhile, those members of the Security Council that abstained from the Resolution 1973 vote are concerned by developments they fear may lead toward a land invasion of Libya and the contravening of the UN resolution.
Russia in particular has been angered by the deployment of military advisors and Special Forces operatives from the US, France and Britain to support the efforts of the Libyan opposition.
Russian warning
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters earlier this month after France and Britain had deployed attack helicopters to Libya for the first time that the prospect of land operations in Libya was against Moscow’s wishes. “We consider that what is going on is either consciously or unconsciously sliding toward a land operation,” he said. “That would be very deplorable.”
Lavrov’s comments came just days before NATO agreed to extend its mission in Libya for a further 90 days and less than a week after French President Nicolas Sarkozy, British Prime Minister David Cameron and US President Barack Obama agreed on the fringes of the G8 summit at the end of May that Gadhafi could not be negotiated with and that “the shadow of tyranny” must be lifted.
Soon after, a number of unsubstantiated reports based on anonymous military sources began flooding the Internet claiming that US forces were already being readied for a full-scale ground invasion of Libya.
The alleged military sources at the US Army’s Fort Hood base in Texas, where these preparations were said to be taking place, revealed to the Infowars.com website that the invasion was being planned for October. This report spawned a wave of similar extrapolations on the theme of a potential escalation in Libya
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US Navy deployments
Whether it is part of a future invasion plan or not, the existence of a recently re-deployed US Navy strike group in the Mediterranean cannot be disputed and its arrival could certainly have helped generate the buzz about a possible escalation.
The group, led by the Nimitz-class nuclear aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, along with the guided missile destroyers Truxtun and Mitscher, the missile cruisers Gettysburg and Anzio and eight squadrons of aircraft, has been sent to strengthen the US Sixth Fleet which is based in Naples, Italy. Most of the NATO missions in Libya to date have originated from bases in that country.
If an invasion was being planned, the amount of naval firepower now available in the region would give more than adequate support for any land forces being deployed on Libyan soil.
This is not the only US Navy strike group on the move. The USS Bataan, which alone can land more than 2,000 marines, equipped with helicopters and vertical takeoff planes, artillery and tanks, along with two other amphibious assault ships, anchored in Italy in mid-May. Reports suggest that the Bataan and its flotilla then left for an undisclosed location off the Syrian coast, prompting further rumors of a potential US intervention in Syria.
Battle group
The independent news site DEBKAfile, again quoting anonymous US military sources, reported that the Bataan was moving into position as part of a potential mission involving US and Turkish forces to stop the anti-opposition crackdown currently taking place in Syria and to counter any response from Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon to any such operations.
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Author: Nick Amies
Editor: Rob Mudge
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U.S. Aircraft Supercarrier Enters Mediterranean For “NATO Missions”
http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2176122&Language=en
Kuwait News Agency
June 24, 2011
US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier transits through Suez Canal
CAIRO: US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier “USS Enterprise” weighing 93,000 tons passed through the Suez Canal on Friday on its way to the Mediterranean Sea to take part in NATO missions.
The US aircraft carrier was accompanied by Pitcher-missile cruiser Light Golf, and a supply ship. It passed the canal under tightened security measures enforced by the Egyptian Suez Canal Authority including halting the traffic of ferryboats across the canal, securing roads parallel to the canal as well as the Peace Bridge across the Suez Canal at Al-Qanatra, west of Ismailia city, said a source from the Suaz Canal Authority.
“USS Enterprise,” is the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
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http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/node/471103
Al-Masry Al-Youm
June 24, 2011
US aircraft carrier crosses Suez Canal
Egyptian shipping sources said US aircraft carrier USS Enterprise crossed the Suez Canal on Friday coming from the Red Sea en route to the Mediterranean.
They added that the ship, which is the US Navy’s oldest and longest aircraft carrier, was accompanied by a guided missile destroyer and a supply ship.
Shipping sources said Egyptian authorities tightened security measures on both sides of the canal to secure the ship.
The USS Enterprise carries 60 aircraft, weighing about 93,000 tons, according to the same sources.
It was not made clear whether the aircraft carrier was on its way to the Libyan coast to participate in NATO air strikes against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s forces.
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NATO’s Libyan War: Almost 13,000 Air Operations, Nearly 5,000 Combat Flights
http://www.aco.nato.int/resources/3/images/2011/June/20110628oup-update[1].pdf
North Atlantic Treaty Otganization
Allied Command Operations
June 28, 2011
NATO and Libya
Allied Joint Force Command NAPLES, SHAPE, NATO HQ
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Over the past 24 hours, NATO has conducted the following activities associated with Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR:
Air Operations
Since the beginning of the NATO operation (31 March 2011, 08.00GMT) a total of 12,887 sorties, including 4,850 strike sorties, have been conducted.
Sorties conducted 27 JUNE: 142
Strike sorties conducted 27 JUNE: 46
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Libya: International Criminal Court Cover For NATO Operations
http://en.rian.ru/world/20110628/164879369.html
Russian Information Agency Novosti
June 28, 2011
Libya says it intends to persecute NATO in international courts
CAIRO: Libya intends to persecute NATO in international courts for the Western military alliance’s attempts to physically eliminate country’s leader Muammar Gaddafi and members of his family, the Libyan Justice Ministry said in a statement.
The statement comes after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued on Monday an arrest warrant for Gaddafi, accusing him of torturing and killing opponents of his regime.
“The so-called International Criminal Court is only a cover for operations of NATO, which repeatedly tried to physically eliminate the leader of the Revolution [Gaddafi] and his family members,” the statement said.
The ministry added that such actions of NATO are “war crimes,” which must be persecuted in international criminal courts.
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All Freedom-Loving People Must Condemn NATO Action In Libya
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/2011-06/28/content_12789365.htm
China Daily
June 28, 2011
Condemn NATO action in Libya
Shi Qingli
Beijing: It has been more than three months since NATO began bombarding Libya. Bombs and missiles have blasted the soil of a sovereign country, killing thousands of civilians, and demolishing homes and workplaces. Libyans, to say the least, are living in horror.
I am pained by the brutal NATO attack and the misery of the Libyan people. I appeal to people across the world to unite against NATO’s action and join the efforts to restore peace in Libya.
Led by France, the United Kingdom and the United States, NATO’s military action against Libya is nothing but a terrorist attack. It is no different from the attack masterminded by Osama bin Laden against the US and its allies.
The bombardment of Libya on the pretext of restoring peace and justice has claimed thousands of innocent lives. The NATO attacks have killed not only Libyan government forces and rebel army members, but also civilians.
On May 23, for example, NATO carried out 21 air strikes on Tripoli, capital of Libya, killing and injuring many civilians. The NATO air raids have caused more than 20,000 casualties. NATO member states have committed a war crime and should be punished for their action.
The NATO air strikes have devastated Libya, traumatized Libyans and horrified people across the globe. NATO needs to realize that this open aggression will stir Libyans against the West and prompt righteous people around the world, including those in NATO member states, to hate it.
Every bomb and missile that has landed on Libyan soil is like a seed of hatred, which will sprout sooner than later. The hands of NATO leaders are covered with blood.
To promote world peace, countries trying to solve international problems should adhere to the principles of equality, sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-aggression and non-interference in other nation’s internal affairs, and peaceful coexistence.
Libya’s internal affairs are for the Libyan people to decide and no country has the right to interfere. If NATO member states assume the right to interfere in Libya’s matters, then Libya is also entitled to do the same in their affairs. But that would make war inevitable and result in the death of more innocent people, making global peace a mirage.
I appeal to all freedom-loving people across the world to oppose NATO’s military action against Libya and restore peace and save innocent lives.
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Germany To Supply NATO With Arms For Assault On Libya
http://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFLDE75Q1PR20110627
Reuters
June 27, 2011
Germany to supply NATO arms for Libya strikes-media
BERLIN: Germany will supply bomb components and other military ordnance to aid NATO in Libya in a concession to allies after Berlin’s controversial opposition to flying air strikes, Spiegel Online reported on Monday.
Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere has approved the measure, according to government sources cited by the online media, which would still mean Germany would not participate directly in any military action.
Spiegel Online said it was not clear what supplies Berlin would provide, but it said it could include complete rockets and high-tech guidance systems.
A spokesman from the defense ministry told Reuters that a request for supplies came from the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA), but declined to give details about the nature.
“The general willingness to provide support was signalled,” he said.
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Berlin hopes that providing arms will be seen as a gesture that it wants to end its isolation following its decision, which earned heavy criticism in Germany as well, according to Spiegel Online.
(Reporting by Michael Nienaber and Christiaan Hetzner;
Editing by Michael Roddy)
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Standing NATO Maritime Group Surge Operations In Eastern Mediterranean
http://www.aco.nato.int/page424205240.aspx
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Allied Command Operations
June 28, 2011
SNMG2 Surge Operations in Eastern Med
Naples, Italy: The Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) has begun surge operations in the Eastern Mediterranean as part of Operation Active Endeavour.
SNMG2 flagship Turkish frigate TCG Orucreis and Greek frigate HS Kanaris recently finished their first work up for operations and are now working intensely in deterrent surge operations for a two-week period.
Unpredictable deterrent surge operations were foreseen by the revised OAE Operational Plan of January 2010 which directed that the overall approach to OAE would become less platform-based and increasingly network-based.
“This is a very interesting moment in what has been almost a decade of OAE,” according to Vice Admiral Rinaldo Veri, Commander of Maritime Command Naples the headquarters running the operation. “There is massive focus on the maritime operations taking place in support of the Security Council Resolutions regarding Libya. However Operation Active Endeavour has not stopped. Indeed due to Libya-related operations there is a large area of the Mediterranean saturate with assets and surveillance which, although not strictly part of the anti-terrorist mission, can act in associated support of OAE and clearly acts to diminish any ability terrorists have to maneuver in the maritime environment.”
The SNMG2 deterrent surge follows another surge recently carried out by the Standing NATO Mine Counter-measures Group 1 in the Western Mediterranean.
Background
Operation Active Endeavour (OAE) is part of NATO’s multi-faceted response to the terrorist threat [sic]. Its mission is to conduct maritime operations in the assigned area of operations to demonstrate NATO’s resolve to help deter, defend, disrupt and protect against terrorism. As the Alliance has refined its counter-terrorism role in the intervening years, the operation’s mandate has been regularly reviewed and its remit extended. OAE’s achievements through targeted maritime operations are highly impressive and constitute a significant deterrent to terrorist activity in the Mediterranean Sea. The Operation not only demonstrates NATO’s resolve but is also a vivid example of the added, essential value that NATO can bring to the complex, global fight against terrorism. The contribution/collaboration/co-operation with partners and Mediterranean Dialogue countries substantially improves the overall effectiveness of OAE.
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UN: U.S. Gets 4,200 Ethiopian Troops To Patrol North-South Sudan Border
http://english.ruvr.ru/2011/06/27/52473945.html
Voice of Russia
June 27, 2011
Ethiopia to patrol Abyei peace
The United Nations Security Council has passed an American resolution to authorize Ethiopia to station 42 hundred peacekeepers in the disputed Abyei region on the border between North and South Sudan.
Meeting in Addis Ababa a week ago at the headquarters of the African Union, the sides in the conflict agreed to withdraw troops from Abyei.
This area is rich in oil. The dispute over it erupted after last January when a South Sudan referendum returned an overwhelming ‘yes’ to complete independence.
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http://en.apa.az/news.php?id=150371
Azeri Press Agency
June 27, 2011
Security Council votes to deploy Ethiopian peacekeepers in Sudan’s Abyei
Baku: Thw UN Security Council Monday unanimously adopted a resolution on sending 4,200 Ethiopian peacekeepers to Sudan’s Abyei area for six months, APA reports quoting Xinhua.
The force, with the name of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), will take into account the Agreement between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement on Temporary Arrangements for the Administration and Security of the Abyei Area, said the resolution.
The Security Council also decided that UNISFA shall comprise a maximum of 4200 military personnel, 50 police personnel, and appropriate civilian support.
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U.S. Tests Cruise Missiles With Mock Nuclear Warheads
http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20110627_5389.php
Global Security Newswire
June 27, 2011
U.S. Tests Cruise Missiles With Mock Warheads
The United States earlier this month carried out two separate flight tests involving a data-collecting Joint Test Assembly for the W-80 nuclear warhead, the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration said on Friday (see GSN, April 5).
A B-52 bomber from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota fired an Air Launched Cruise Missile carrying one of the non-nuclear assemblies in both tests, which each took place at the Utah Test and Training Range near Salt Lake City.
Various data collection components in the Joint Test Assembly verified that the mock warheads behaved as intended in what was described as a comprehensive analysis of the readiness of the cruise missile system.
“NNSA and DOD [the Defense Department] are committed to ensuring that all weapon systems perform as designed, and these successful tests continue to illustrate that commitment,” Brig. Gen. Sandra Finan, an NNSA principal assistant deputy administrator, said in a statement…
The National Nuclear Security Administration produced the mock weapon for the Joint Surveillance Flight Test Program, an effort that the agency oversees along with the Pentagon. Test-assembly trials seek to replicate real warhead configurations and employ the maximum amount possible of actual armaments. The mock bomb was built at the Pantex Plant in Texas (U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration release, June 24).
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California: New Naval Strike Missiles Tested For Deployment To Norway, Poland
http://www.defpro.com/daily/details/841/?SID=934f7d4123a9dcc7a3fe5eb7fe3d97c4
Defence Professionals
June 27, 2011
Kongsberg’s Naval Strike Missile Completes Final Milestone
By Nicolas von Kospoth
-Kongsberg and Lockheed Martin are developing a multi-role version of the NSM, dubbed Joint Strike Missile (JSM), which is to be integrated with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). Being air-launched, the missile will have a greater range, estimated to reach 240 kilometres.
-After this month’s successful test in California, the first deliveries of series-production missiles to the Royal Norwegian Navy and the Polish Navy later this year will be important milestones to underline the system’s operational fitness.
Kongsberg’s Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) anti-ship and land-attack missile has come one large step closer to entering service with the Royal Norwegian Navy after a series-production unit of the fifth-generation missile system performed successfully during a live-fire test earlier in June. The test firing was again conducted at the US Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division’s Point Mugu range in California, chosen because of the location’s versatile testing conditions over land and sea.
According to Norwegian defence manufacturer Kongsberg, the test “demonstrated the unrivalled capabilities of the missile,” resulting in a successful strike against a sea target. The missile was launched from a land-based canister and performed a pre-programmed flight, including a range of demanding manoeuvres such as sea-skimming flight patterns. After having located the sea target, the missile successfully engaged and destroyed it.
The US Navy’s Point Mugu test site had already been the location of several NSM test firings, including in early 2007 when the Norwegian Navy decided upon the final approval for the missile system’s development phase, as well as in February 2009, which resulted in a successful strike by a surface-launched NSM against a sea target.
According to Kongsberg, the NSM is the only fifth generation long range precision strike missile currently available. Further, the company explains: “The missile is completely passive, has proven its excellent sea skimming capabilities, and with its advance terminal manoeuvres it will survive enemy air defences. The Autonomous Target Recognition (ATR) of the seeker ensures that the correct target is detected, recognised and hit, at sea or on land.”
The NSM is currently in series production for Royal Norwegian Navy vessels of the Fridtjof Nansen-class frigates and Skjold-class littoral corvettes. Furthermore, the Polish Navy in December 2008 and December 2010 awarded contracts worth a total of NOK 1.46 billion (approx. $265 million / €187 million) to supply NSM systems to the country’s land-based coastal artillery forces. Poland is the first export customer for the NSM and is considered an important reference for additional foreign orders.
The missiles are now in series production and deliveries to the Polish Navy, as well as the Royal Norwegian Navy, are scheduled for late 2011 through 2014. The land-based systems for the Polish coastal artillery are to be integrated onto trucks built by Polish-based Jelcz SA.
Further, Kongsberg and Lockheed Martin are developing a multi-role version of the NSM, dubbed Joint Strike Missile (JSM), which is to be integrated with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). Being air-launched, the missile will have a greater range, estimated to reach 240 kilometres. The missile will receive significant modifications to fit into the aircraft’s internal weapons bay and will allow for engaging ground targets, in addition to naval targets.
In mid-April 2011, the Norwegian Government decided to present the continued development phase II of the JSM to Parliament in order to achieve approval of the system’s further development. JSM development began in 2008 and received official support from the Norwegian Defence Logistics Organisation (NDLO) in 2009 when a NOK 166 million contract was inked for continued development. According to Kongsberg, there is consensus between the company and the NDLO for a JSM phase II development contract worth NOK 535 million.
After this month’s successful test in California, the first deliveries of series-production missiles to the Royal Norwegian Navy and the Polish Navy later this year will be important milestones to underline the system’s operational fitness. Despite being an independently developed system for a more challenging purpose, the JSM air-launched variant might receive a vital push from the upcoming key events in the NSM programme…
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Turkmenistan: NATO To Patrol Eurasian Pipelines?
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/63753
EurasiaNet
June 27, 2011
Turkmenistan: NATO Official Visits Ashgabat
By Catherine A. Fitzpatrick
-[T]he Russian news agency regnum.ru are among Russian outlets that believe NATO is seeking actually to guard Eurasian pipelines and secure energy resources for its members, based on its experience running its own pipelines established during in the Cold War to secure fuel supplies for its operations.
A NATO representative visited Ashgabat last week, but the NATO website did not have any press statement and the State News Agency of Turkmenistan (TDH) stuck to the usual careful script.
No mention was made of any enhancement of the role of “neutral Turkmenistan” in providing transit access to Afghanistan, beyond the current re-fueling permission for NATO jets at Ashgabat international airport.
James Appathurai, the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia was received on June 24 by President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov. Turkmenistan has participated in NATO’s Partnership for Peace Program since 1994. President Berdymukhamedov visited NATO headquarters in 2007, followed by the Turkmen Defense Minister in February 2010.
Appathurai discussed response to natural disasters, and combating illegal drugs trafficking, international terrorism and organized crime – all under the purview of NATO’s new Emerging Security Challenges Division opened last August.
He spoke of strengthening science and education contacts, which have been emphasized by the Turkmen government lately.
The NATO representative also expressed appreciation for Turkmenistan’s economic assistance to neighboring Afghanistan – and here the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline was mentioned, with the expectation that TAPI will “contribute profoundly to sustainable development of the Asian region,” said TDH.
Yes, NATO is in the pipeline business, too – up to a point. Although NATO has not exactly articulated this claim, the Russian news agency regnum.ru are among Russian outlets that believe NATO is seeking actually to guard Eurasian pipelines and secure energy resources for its members, based on its experience running its own pipelines established during in the Cold War to secure fuel supplies for its operations.
NATO discussed its own pipeline security role in more abstract terms at the Bucharest energy summit in 2008 and at the Security and Defense Agenda meeting in Brussels in 2009, then NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said, “NATO is not in the business of protecting pipelines. But when there’s a crisis, or if a certain nation asks for assistance, NATO could, I think, be instrumental in protecting pipelines on land.”
In 2008, regnum.ru and other Russian-language media quoted Robert Simmons, who at that time held the position of NATO’s Special Representative to the Caucasus and Central Asia, as saying that NATO has been involved in the problem of energy security for 40 years through its own pipeline agencies within its structure – and was therefore ostensibly lobbying for diversification of pipelines to circumvent Russia.
No mention was made of NATO’s assistance to Turkmenistan in cleaning up old radioactive materials from the Soviet era, a subject that was among the urgent concerns of a Turkish ambassador in an alleged cable published by WikiLeaks.
Turkmenistan has more than 21,000 tons of radioactive waste stored primarily at two sites, Khazar and Balkanabat, situated 600 kilometers and 400 kilometers from Ashgabat, respectively.
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NATO Caucasus, Central Asia Representative In Armenia
http://www.armradio.am/eng/news/?part=off&id=20323
Public Radio of Armenia
June 28, 2011
Minister Nalbandian meets NATO Special Representative
On June 28 Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian received James Appathurai, the Special Representative of the NATO Secretary General for the South Caucasus and Central Asia.
Minister Nalbandian congratulated James Appathurai on assuming the position of the Special Representative of the NATO Secretary General, expressing hope that he would contribute to the development of Armenia-NATO cooperation.
During the meeting the interlocutors dwelt on a number of issues on the agenda of Armenia-NATO partnership, particularly the cooperation within the framework of the Partnership for Peace Program, the Euro Atlantic Partnership Council and the Individual Partnership Action Plan.
Edward Nalbandian and James Appathurai discussed the preparation works of the sitting of the North Atlantic Council in 28+1 format, which will discuss and sum up the annual results of IPAP implementation.
Minister Nalbandian presented to the guest the latest developments in the process of settlement of the Karabakh conflict, particularly referring to the results of the Kazan meeting.
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NATO Assistant Secretary General To Visit Azerbaijan
http://en.trend.az/news/society/1897753.html
Trend News Agency
June 28, 2011
NATO’s Assistant Secretary General to visit Azerbaijan
Baku: NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges, Ambassador Gabor Iklody will visit Azerbaijan next week, Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) told Trend.
NATO’s Assistant Secretary General will take part in the event to complete the “Saloglu Project” on cleaning the unexploded ordnance. It is one of the largest conversion projects supported by NATO.
Saloglu was the largest ammunition depot of the Soviet army in the South Caucasus. About 138 depots were destroyed as a result of explosion on the base in August 1991. The “Saloglu project” was launched in December 2005. More than 640,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance were found and destroyed up to now.
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NATO-Georgia Commission Meeting Held At NATO Headquarters
http://en.trend.az/news/politics/1897480.html
Trend News Agency
June 28, 2011
Georgian parliamentary speaker to attend NATO-Georgia Commission meeting
N. Kirtzkhalia
Tbilisi: Georgian Parliamentary Speaker David Bakradze is leaving for Brussels to attend a meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commission at NATO headquarters.
During his visit, Bakradze will meet with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Parliament told Trend.
The meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commission will be attended by Bakradze, Rasmussen and ambassadors from member states.
Bakradze will present Lithuanian Ambassador to NATO Linas Linkevičius with a Presidential Order of Splendour.
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Serbia: U.S. Leads Joint Paratroop Training Exercises
http://www.eucom.mil/english/fullstory.asp?article=US-Serbian-Paratroopers-Joint-Mountaineering
United States European Command
Embassy of the United States of America, Belgrade
July 27, 2011
US and Serbian Paratroopers in Joint Mountaineering and Survival Training
U.S. and Serbian paratroopers engaged in joint training that consisted of two parts: survival training June 6-12 on the Mali Jastrebac and Radan mountains, and mountaineering training June 15-23 at the Jelasnicka gorge and on the Stol Mountain. The American paratroopers from the United States Army Europe 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, joined the Serbian Armed Force (SAF) 63rd battalion’s regular training and were given an opportunity to try their hand at some routine SAF training activities.
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This event is part the two countries’ military-to-military cooperation and is the first training activity undertaken jointly by the American and Serbian paratroopers. Further cooperation between the two forces is planned in the months to come, both operationally (joint paratroop training in Nis and Germany) and on the command level (joint activities related to decision-making processes).
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Report: U.S. Missile Strike Kills 20 Pakistani Civilians, Wounds Several More
http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2011/06/28/dozens-killed-waziristan-drone-attacks
Pajhwok Afghan News
June 28, 2011
Dozens killed in Waziristan drone attacks
By Wasim Yousufzai
ISLAMABAD: Up to 28 people have been killed in US drone strikes in the Pakistani tribal region of South Waziristan, according to officials and witnesses in the area.
The first strike on Monday evening targeted a vehicle in Nashtar Valley of the Shawal area in South Waziristan, a local official said on condition of anonymity.
Three foreigners were among eight fighters killed in the attack, he said.
Another drone fired two missiles on a house about two hours after the first incident, inflicting casualties on more than 10 people in the Manto area of the town, he added.
Another security official said the missile attack targeted a local Taliban commander named Adam Khan, and that several foreigners were among the insurgents killed.
However, a resident of the area, Hajji Malak Dildar, said that 20 civilians were killed and several others injured in the second attack.
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Pakistan: Three NATO Tankers Torched
http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=54885&Cat=2&dt=6/28/2011
News International
June 28, 2011
Three Nato oil tankers torched in Mastung, Dasht
MASTUNG: Unknown armed men set ablaze two more Nato oil tankers in Mastung and one in the Dasht area in separate incidents on Monday.
According to the police, an Afghanistan-bound oil tanker carrying fuel for Nato forces was on its way from Karachi when armed men intercepted and opened fire on it at the Ghanja Dhori outskirts of Mastung.
Meanwhile, another Nato oil tanker was also on its way when armed men riding a bike intercepted and sprayed bullets on it in the Dasht area some 25-km from Quetta. As a result, both oil tankers caught fire while one of drivers sustained bullet injuries. The injured was rushed to the hospital for medical aid.
In the Dasht area of Balochistan, unknown gunmen set ablaze another Nato oil tanker on Monday. According to police, a tanker carrying oil for the ISAF force stationed in Afghanistan was on it way from Karachi when unknown armed men intercepted and opened fire on it. Resultantly, the driver of the vehicle sustained bullet injuries.
Armed assailants later sprinkled petrol and set the oil tanker on fire.
Shortly after the incident, police reached the site and shifted the injured to the nearby hospital. The unknown armed men managed to escape. The Levies Force reached the site and started an investigation.
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U.S. Africa Partnership Station: 37 Stops In 14 Countries
http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=61262
Navy NewsStand
June 27, 2011
Swift Crews Turnover in Preparation For APS
By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ian Carver, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet Public Affairs
ROTA, Spain: The Gold Crew of High Speed Vessel SWIFT (HSV 2) exchanged command June 21 with Swift’s Blue Crew at Naval Station Rota in preparation for its upcoming Africa Partnership Station (APS) 2011 deployment.
With a rotational manning concept, crew turnovers are a common occurrence aboard Swift, substituting crews every four months, allowing Swift to remain forward deployed nearly the entire year, thus enhancing its operational impact to the fleet.
Swifts’ Gold Crew recently completed a 122-day deployment, covering more than 15,000 nautical miles, 37 stops in 14 countries during its participation in Southern Partnership Station (SPS) 2011 and the multinational training exercise African Lion 2011.
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Swift’s current mission is taking part in APS visiting eight West African countries to [host] maritime training courses for military and civilian members.
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U.S. AFRICOM Conducts Deployment Training In Burundi
http://www.africom.mil/getArticle.asp?art=6838&lang=0
U.S. Army Africa
June 27, 2911
USARAF Conducts Deployment Capability Training in Burundi
U.S. Army Africa Public Affairs
-ADAPT is a four phase program, that occurs every 12 months and USARAF has already conducted training in Rwanda, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Botswana, and Ghana.
Vicenza, Italy – …U.S. Army Africa’s Africa Deployment Assistance Partnership Team (ADAPT) conducted a deployment capability training event with uniformed members of the Burundian Defense Forces June 6-10, 2011 at the Bujumbura Military Airfield in Bujumbura, Burundi.
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ADAPT is a U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) program managed and executed by USARAF. The team was in Bujumbura to share best practices on deploying personnel and equipment via aircraft, and to enhance force projection capabilities of African militaries…
“This is our first ADAPT with the Burundian military,” Menzies said. “This event was based off of a pre-deployment site survey we conducted last year so the lesson plan was specifically tailored to meet existing Burundi training requirements.”
Menzies said another focus of the training is to foster positive relationships between the U.S. and African military forces.
“This successful military-to-military ADAPT event demonstrates the important partnerships between U.S. Army Africa and African partner nations in increasing deployment capabilities and capacity,” Menzies said.
Increasing deployment interoperability with U.S. forces in joint/combined operations, training and exercises is a focal point of this military-to-military training opportunity.
“Training and having the capability to deploy personnel and cargo are crucial enabling components to a deploying force. As a matter of fact, Burundian forces soldiers are already applying the ADAPT training to their real world operations,” Febles said.
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ADAPT is a four phase program, that occurs every 12 months and USARAF has already conducted training in Rwanda, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Botswana, and Ghana.
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Philippines: U.S. Launches Joint Naval Exercises
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-06/28/c_13954433.htm
Xinhua News Agency
June 28, 2011
U.S., Philippine navies kick off 11-day joint exercise
MANILA: Navies from the United States and the Philippines kicked off an 11-day joint exercise Tuesday afternoon in waters off the southwestern Philippine island province of Palawan, showcasing the ties and interoperability between the two allies.
Dubbed the 17th “Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training” (CARAT), the exercise was held in the Sulu Sea east of Palawan and is expected to wind up on July 8, both navies said.
Guided missile destroyers USS Chung-Hoon, USS Howard and the diving and salvage ship USNS Safeguard are the U.S. Navy’s centerpieces for the exercise, the U.S. Navy said earlier in a statement, adding that in addition to the three ships, other participants include P-3C Orion aircraft, SH-60 Seahawk aircraft, U.S. Navy Seabees, a U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team, U.S. Navy Mobile Security Squadron, U.S. Navy Riverine Forces and Medical Support personnel.
On the Philippine side, patrol ships BRP Pangasinan and BRP Rizal are dedicated for the exercise, according to Lt. Noel Cadigal, spokesman of the Philippines’ Naval Forces West.
The at-sea phase of the exercise focuses on developing maritime security capabilities in areas such as maritime interdiction, information sharing, combined operations at sea, patrol operations, gunnery exercises, as well as anti-piracy and anti-smuggling exercises.
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“The main purpose of the activity is to strengthen the ties and cooperation between the two navies by the exchange of knowledge and skills in the field of navigation and naval operations, particularly maritime defense, port security, resource protection and disaster response,” said Philippine Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Omar Tonsay, noting the exercise is among the bilateral trainings conducted under the auspices of the Mutual Defense Treaty, which was signed between the Philippines and the United States in 1951.
However, the exercise and the Mutual Defense Treaty were bombarded by a left-wing group in the Philippines.
In a statement issued prior to the exercise, the New Patriotic Alliance, known as Bagong Alyansang Makabayan in Filipino, said the fact that the joint naval exercise will be between modern U.S. warships and ageing Philippine patrol ships shows the entire concept of U.S. military assistance is a failure.
“After 60 years of the Mutual Defense Treaty, several decades of U.S. military bases and 12 years of the Visiting Forces Agreement, our AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) has not modernized. We were promised the same in exchange for approving all these one-sided agreements and yet here is our navy, still employing World War II-era ships,” said Renato Reyes, Jr., secretary general of the New Patriotic Alliance.
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