Archive
Stop NATO news: February 29, 2012
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Attacks On Syria, Iran Would Overwhelm Armenia With Refugees
War On Iran Could Destabilize Caucasus, Caspian Basin: CIS Official
NATO Delegation In Armenia For Discussions
Russian Expert: Azerbaijan’s Territory May Be Used To Strike Iran
Report: Move To Drive Russian Radar Station From Azerbaijan
“Nightmare For Invader”: Georgia Is NATO States’ Window To Caucasus
NATO Summit: Special Declaration On Georgia To Be Issued
Georgian Foreign Minister In Israel To Discuss “Regional Security Issues”
Saakashvili: NATO Afghan Operation Provides Training For Local Conflicts
Labor Party Calls On Opposition To Demand Georgia’s Afghan Withdrawal
EU Pushes Trans-Caspian Pipeline Versus Russia, Iran
Azerbaijan: Pivot Of Western Trans-Eurasian Energy Strategy
Former Soviet Space: EU Develops Trans-Eurasian Transport Corridors
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Attacks On Syria, Iran Would Overwhelm Armenia With Refugees
Times.am
February 24, 2012
Expert: “Armenia should support stability in Iran”
Armenia will not manage to overcome the flow of the refuges from Iran and Syria if a military struggle is started, Gagik Harutyunyan, head of the scientific-educational foundation Noravanq, announced concerning the issue during a press-conference today.
“Our economy is not ready to accept 50-60 thousand refugees from those countries”, Harutyunyan said during the meeting with journalists.
According to him, Armenians in Iran feel they are treated well and have official protection. Armenian cultural values are protected in Iran and this speaks about the Iranian good attitude towards Armenia.
In this context the politician underlined that Armenia should support stability and be against military actions.
At the same time the expert is sure that the key of the Iranian problem is in Syria. He considers that Iran will lose if the West manages to repeat the Libyan scenario also in Syria.
Harutyunyan underlined that Iran is also able to pursue a flexible policy despite insufficient resources.
Speaking about Azerbaijani actions in case of a war in Iran, Harutyunyan noted that official Baku would first of all think how to save itself and would leave the Karabakh conflict alone.
The expert also underlined that Azerbaijani calls for Iran to mediate in the NK issue are just propaganda as everyone knows the strained relations between Tehran and Baku.
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War On Iran Could Destabilize Caucasus, Caspian Basin: CIS Official
http://news.am/eng/news/95396.html
News.AM
February 29, 2012
CIS official warns about likely consequences, for Caucasus, of war against Iran
MOSCOW: A war in Iran could cause serious instability in the Caucasus and prompt uncontrollable migration processes, CIS Anti-Terrorism Center Director Andrei Novikov told news reporters on Wednesday.
In his words, if an aggression is waged, the likely geopolitical shifts will be difficult to calculate. “Immigration inconveniences are possible,” Novikov stated.
The Anti-Terrorism Center Director also did not rule out that in the case of military operations, a refugee flow could start from Iran toward neighboring CIS countries. He also reminded that a large number of ethnic Azerbaijanis live in Iran.
“Everything possible is being done so that such instability is not created in the Caspian Basin and in the South Caucasus,” Andrei Novikov maintained, RIA Novosti News Agency of Russia informs.
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NATO Delegation In Armenia For Discussions
http://www.armradio.am/eng/news/?part=off&id=22171
Public Radio of Armenia
February 29, 2012
Minister Ohanyan meets NATO’s Deputy Secretary General
Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan received the delegation headed by Ambassador Hussein Dirioz, NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Defense Policy and Planning.
Minister Ohanyan and Ambassador Dirioz discussed the main directions of cooperation between NATO and the Armenian Ministry of Defense, which includes military education, defense planning and budgeting reforms, as well as the participation of Armenian peacekeepers in NATO missions.
The parties stressed the progress in the field of defense reforms and military cooperation and determined the priorities of future cooperation. Ambassador Dirioz expressed NATO’s willingness to provide necessary expert assistance to Armenia regarding future reforms.
The interlocutors exchanged views on the main issues on the agenda of the forthcoming NATO summit in Chicago with the participation of the heads of partner countries.
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Russian Expert: Azerbaijan’s Territory May Be Used To Strike Iran
http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/95896/
PanArmenian.net
February 27, 2012
Russian expert: Azerbaijan’s territory may be used for striking Iran
Azerbaijan’s Milli Mejlis held debates on amending the Constitution and renaming the country the Republic of Northern Azerbaijan, a Russian expert says.
“Supporters of this idea insist that today’s Azerbaijan is just a part of the Azerbaijani state that used to exist before and was divided by Russia and Iran in the 19th century; they claim two thirds of this state still remain within Iran’s territory, and this is historic injustice,” said Alexander Krylov, chairman of the Scientific Society of Caucasian studies experts, leading research scientist of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations according to Analitika.at.ua.
“Apparently, Tehran views such statement as a bellicose action and a direct challenge to Iran…”
According to the expert, in case of a military resolution of the Iranian issue U.S. and Israeli politicians are insisting on for many years, Azerbaijan’s territory may be used for striking Iran.
“In this case, the current propaganda against Iran is likely to be a part of preparation for this scenario. The U.S. may attempt to use Azerbaijan as a new version of the Afghan “Northern Alliance”; also, in case of large-scale changes in the borders and establishment of new countries in the regions (i.e. Kurdistan), Azerbaijan may receive vast territories,” the Russian expert stated.
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Report: Move To Drive Russian Radar Station From Azerbaijan
http://en.apa.az/news.php?id=166675
Azeri Press Agency
February 29, 2012
Azerbaijan demands $300-mln a year for Gabala Radar Station rent
-“If Azerbaijan persists, the Defense Ministry will have to leave the radar station. This figure is not justified with anything and is too high, we try to reduce the price”.
Baku: Problems occurred in the negotiations between Azerbaijan and Russia on the lease of Gabala radar station.
APA reports quoting Russian Kommersant newspaper that Baku intends to increase the annual rental from $7 million to $300 million.
Russian Defense Ministry sources told the newspaper that they are not satisfied with this figure and Moscow will try to reduce it. “If Azerbaijan persists, the Defense Ministry will have to leave the radar station. This figure is not justified with anything and is too high, we try to reduce the price”.
The 10-year agreement signed between Azerbaijan and Russia on the lease of the Gabala Radar Station expires this year. Moscow wants to prolong tenancy to 25 years and an agreement was reached on it in the negotiations in Baku. Kommersant says that Azerbaijan increased the rental at first from 7 mln to 15 mln, then to 150 mln and now to 300 mln. Consequently the negotiations are deadlocked.
The Russian defense source told the newspaper that Baku’s persistence is caused by its desire to take revenge on Moscow for its position in the negotiations on the legal status of the Caspian Sea.
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“Nightmare For Invader”: Georgia Is NATO States’ Window To Caucasus
http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=24497
Civil Georgia
February 29, 2012
Saakashvili: ‘Georgia Window to Europe for Caucasus’
Tbilisi: President Saakashvili said in his annual state of the nation address on February 28, that Georgia was “a locomotive to the future” and “window to Europe” for the Caucasus region.
“Georgia’s historic choice is the West, but the Caucasus is also our region. There is no long-term security for Georgia without security in the Caucasus. So we will continue active efforts for common Caucasian development and we will always be actively engaged with the Caucasian people,” Saakashvili said.
“Georgia firmly supports the principle of inviolability of borders, however we see the Caucasus undoubtedly as a single united region,” Saakashvili said.
“Our enemy is irritated by Georgia because for the first time in hundreds of years Georgia has created an example of modern statehood in the Caucasus, which amounts to a nightmare for the invader, because it could never imagine it happening; that’s why it is choking up with anger,” he said.
“Not only Georgia is a locomotive for the Caucasus into the future, but we are also a window to Europe for the Caucasus, because the modern, non-corrupt, fast-developing state has emerged in the Caucasus, the state which will have free trade with the U.S. and the EU and visa-free travel with the EU,” he said.
He also added that Georgia would be “the example of development” for the Caucasus, which will share all of its achievement with the rest of the region. “That’s something that Georgia’s enemy can’t swallow,” Saakashvili said.
After that he spoke of Tbilisi’s willingness to improve ties with Moscow, offering to unilaterally lift visa rules for the Russian citizens.
In 2010 Georgia introduced 45-day visa free travel rules for those Russian citizens who reside in Russia’s North Caucasus republics.
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NATO Summit: Special Declaration On Georgia To Be Issued
http://en.trend.az/regions/scaucasus/georgia/1998160.html
Trend News Agency
February 29, 2012
Georgia-NATO cooperation to be reflected in Alliance’s summit declaration
N. Kirtzkhalia
Tbilisi: At the NATO summit in Chicago, cooperation between Georgia and NATO will be reflected in a special declaration, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told Georgian Rustavi-2 Television.
Rasmussen was in Washington at an annual seminar where preparation procedures for the NATO summit were discussed.
He said that the summit declaration will reflect Georgia’s participation in the peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan. He noted the question of inviting new countries to the alliance is not on the agenda, but Georgia’s participation in Afghanistan’s peacekeeping operations and reforms will be assessed.
“Naturally, we will again present an open door policy at the summit. As for Georgia, it has achieved significant success. We appreciate the cooperation with Georgia and in particular its large contribution to the operation in Afghanistan. All this will be reflected in the summit declaration,” Rasmussen stated.
At a press conference, the NATO Secretary General praised the work of the coalition forces in Afghanistan, highlighting the victims among military peacekeepers. Following the death of Georgian military, the coalition had lost a few more soldiers. According to Rasmussen, in spite of this, the alliance has to fulfill its mission to the end.
Rasmussen also touched upon relations with Russia, saying that the alliance could not agree on the missile defense system in Europe, and because of this the NATO-Russia Council meeting would not take place in Chicago.
“I think if Russia fails to agree on a missile defense, the NATO-Russia Council meeting within the Chicago summit will not take place,” he said.
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Georgian Foreign Minister In Israel To Discuss “Regional Security Issues”
http://rustavi2.com/news/news_text.php?id_news=44771&pg=1&im=main&ct=0&wth=
Rustavi 2
February 28, 2012
Foreign Minister pays official visit to Israel
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia is paying an official visit to Israel. Grigol Vashadze has already been hosted by President of Israel Shimon Peres and discussed bilateral relations, and the political and the economic situation in two partner countries.
The sides also discussed regional security issues.
Within the visit, Georgian Minister will also hold meetings with the speaker of the Knesset and the foreign minister of Israel.
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Saakashvili: NATO Afghan Operation Provides Training For Local Conflicts
http://en.trend.az/news/politics/1997878.html
Trend News Agency
February 28, 2012
Georgian Parliament honor memory of victims of war in Afghanistan
N. Kirtzkhalia
Tbilisi: The annual address of the President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili in Parliament began with a minute of silence in honor of 15 Georgian military killed in Afghanistan. Saakashvili suggested that MPs, members of the government, the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia to commemorate the victims by standing.
“The names of the military will be inscribed in golden letters in the history of Georgia,” Saakashvili said.
Saakashvili noted that participation of the military in the operation of NATO in Afghanistan is strengthening Georgia and its armed forces.
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Labor Party Calls On Opposition To Demand Georgia’s Afghan Withdrawal
http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=24493
Civil Georgia
February 28, 2012
Labor Party Calls on Opposition to Demand Georgia’s Afghan Withdrawal
Tbilisi: The opposition Labor Party called on political parties in Georgia to sign a declaration that would demand withdrawal of 935-strong Georgian force from Afghanistan, which the authorities plan to further increase by sending an additional battalion this year.
“The parties, which will not sign this declaration and will be in favor of presence of Georgian troops in Afghanistan, will be worse than Saakashvili is and the blood of Georgian soldiers will be on their hands,” Giorgi Gugava, political secretary of the Labor Party, said on February 28.
The declaration says that President Saakashvili’s administration uses the large contribution to the ISAF for its own political purposes trying to secure the support of the West “to maintain his authoritarian rule” in Georgia, which is “discrediting Western values among the population.”
Georgia has lost fifteen of its soldiers in Afghanistan – all of them in the Helmand province in the south of the country.
The most recent fatalities were reported last week when three Georgian soldiers died as a result of an improvised explosive device attack on February 21.
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President Saakashvili said on February 25 that those who were against of Georgia’s contribution to the NATO-led operations in Afghanistan “are footmen of Putin and of Russia.”
Asked whether he would downscale or increase Georgia’s ISAF contribution in case of coming into power, Bidzina Ivanishvili, leader of the Georgian Dream opposition coalition, responded in his recent interview published on February 27: “We should be proud of being partners of such states like the U.S. and other NATO members. This partnership requires our country to fulfill this mission in dignity.”
“The necessity of whether to decrease or increase our military contingent [in Afghanistan] will be considered, but we will not stop aspiring towards the Euro-Atlantic space. On the contrary, we will intensify and accelerate it,” Ivanishvili said.
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One of the parties, which is likely to join the Labor Party’s declaration, is Free Georgia, led by former Conservative Party co-leader Kakha Kukava, which says that Georgia’s military presence in Afghanistan is “absolutely unjustified”.
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EU Pushes Trans-Caspian Pipeline Versus Russia, Iran
http://en.trend.az/capital/energy/1998109.html
Trend News Agency
February 29, 2012
Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and EU to support Southern Gas Corridor
E. Ismayilov
-A Trans-Caspian gas pipeline running to around 300 kilometres will be laid from the Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijani, where it will be linked to the Southern Gas Corridor.
-The Southern Gas Corridor’ is one of the priority energy projects for the EU. It is designed to diversify the routes and sources of supply and thereby increase the energy security of the EU. The Southern Gas Corridor project includes Nabucco, the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) and ITGI.
Baku: Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and the EU are preparing two documents that will allow them to take delivery of the Caspian and in particular Turkmen gas to Europe, Azerbaijani Industry and Energy Minister Natiq Aliyev said at a meeting with members of the Caspian-European Integration Business Club (CEIBC) on Wednesday.
He said Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and the European Union are preparing a political document to support the Southern Gas Corridor, as well as an inter-governmental agreement on the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline. This should take place before the end of the year.
In September, 2011 the EU Council gave a mandate for negotiations between the EU, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan to build the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline.
A Trans-Caspian gas pipeline running to around 300 kilometres will be laid from the Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijani, where it will be linked to the Southern Gas Corridor. Negotiations between Turkmenistan and the EU and other countries on the construction of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline have been on-going since the late 90s.
During negotiations with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, the EU will discuss agreements outlining the legal obligations of the parties necessary for Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan for the construction and operation of the Trans-Caspian pipeline. Also on the agenda will be the legal framework to be applied to the issue of filling the gas pipeline from Turkmenistan including the recognition of commercial agreements.
The Southern Gas Corridor’ is one of the priority energy projects for the EU. It is designed to diversify the routes and sources of supply and thereby increase the energy security of the EU. The Southern Gas Corridor project includes Nabucco, the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) and ITGI.
The Trans Caspian project involves laying a pipeline (300 km) through the seabed from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan.
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Azerbaijan: Pivot Of Western Trans-Eurasian Energy Strategy
http://en.trend.az/capital/energy/1997976.html
Trend News Agency
February 29, 2012
Azerbaijan’s role in ensuring Europe’s energy security difficult to overestimate
S. Aliyev, E. Tariverdiyeva
-Baguirov said energy security in fact, became an integral part of global security in the world and the development of many countries, particularly countries in the Eurasian region depends on its solution.
-The Nabucco gas pipeline project is designed to transport gas from the Caspian region and Middle East to European countries. The construction of Nabucco pipeline with maximum capacity of 31 billion cubic meters is planned to start in 2013 and its first supplies are scheduled for 2017.
Baku: The role of Azerbaijan and in particular, the Azerbaijani gas in ensuring energy security in Europe is difficult to overestimate, chairman of the Baku Nobel Heritage Fund Togrul Baguirov believes.
“This role has recently increased significantly; Azerbaijan has become a serious player in the European gas market. With its huge gas reserves, Azerbaijan, along with other countries in the Caspian region, is actively involved in ensuring Europe’s energy security,” president of the Moscow International Petroleum Club and the UN expert on energy issues Togrul Baguirov said in an interview with Trend.
In his view, the issues of energy security in recent years have become extremely relevant and are of great public interest.
Baguirov said energy security in fact, became an integral part of global security in the world and the development of many countries, particularly countries in the Eurasian region depends on its solution.
The system of energy security provides for finding a reasonable compromise between the energy producing countries, consuming countries and transit countries, the expert believes.
Baguirov noted this problem is in the focus of the world’s leading powers and is discussed at almost all high forums, including G8, G20, the UN and other organizations.
Today, Azerbaijan considers three proposals for the transportation of gas to Europe – Nabucco, TAP (Trans Adriatic Pipeline) and SEEP (South-East Europe Pipeline, proposed by BP).
In addition Azerbaijan and Turkey signed a memorandum of understanding to establish the consortium that will build the Trans Anadolu Pipeline (TANAP) for supply of gas from Shah Deniz gas field to Europe through Turkey. Gas produced during the second stage of Azerbaijani Shah Deniz gas condensate field development is to be the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor projects. Under the Shah Deniz – 2 project Azerbaijan plans to supply 10 billion cubic metres of gas to Europe.
Baguirov also said the TANAP in principle, is an alternative to Nabucco, a kind of compromise.
“TANAP is two times shorter than Nabucco. Its implementation will not require excessive investment, long-term agreements and approvals in the EU countries,” the expert said.
He believes reduction in gas consumption in Europe is a temporary phenomenon, the crisis sooner or later will be overcome.
“At the same time Nabucco will remain an exceptionally regional Inter-European gas pipeline,” he said.
Speaking of the European gas market, it should be borne in mind that Europe may witness in the near future the so-called shale revolution, similar to the American, Baguirov said.
The expert said some European countries have huge reserves of this unconventional gas.
“The last severe winter showed that, despite the temporary increase in the price of LNG in Europe, in general, its price advantage over the piped gas is obvious (at different times more than $100 per thousand cubic meters),” the expert noted.
Baguirov said therefore, the conclusion is one – gas-producing countries, particularly Azerbaijan, seeking its place in the European gas market – must hurry.
Shale gas is natural gas produced from shale and consisting mainly of methane. Shale gas deposits are developed in the U.S. and some European countries.
The Nabucco gas pipeline project is designed to transport gas from the Caspian region and Middle East to European countries. The construction of Nabucco pipeline with maximum capacity of 31 billion cubic meters is planned to start in 2013 and its first supplies are scheduled for 2017.
The project’s partners include Bulgarian Energy Holding, Romanian Transgaz, Turkish Botas, Austrian OMV, German RWE and Hungary’s FGSZ.
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Former Soviet Space: EU Develops Trans-Eurasian Transport Corridors
http://en.trend.az/capital/business/1998076.html
Trend News Agency
February 29, 2012
EU assists in attracting investments for transport projects along TRACECA corridor
A. Badalova
-TRACECA (Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia) is an international transport cooperation program between the EU and its Partner countries in Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia. It has a permanent Secretariat in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Currently, TRACECA member states are Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Moldova, Romania, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Ukraine and Iran.
Baku: The investment opportunities for projects in member states of the TRACECA programme were discussed during a conference hosted by the European Commission.
The TRACECA Investment Forum 2012 was held this week with the aim to attract investments into transport infrastructure between the EU and Central Asia, ENPI Info Center reported.
The high-level conference was attended by the representatives from the international donor community and TRACECA countries. The conference participants discussed potential funding opportunities for priority projects in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Moldova, and Ukraine among others.
During the forum twelve projects were presented to potential donors and investors interested in logistic centres as well as road, rail, maritime and aviation transport.
European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, Štefan Füle said that an efficient transport system is the backbone of effective regional integration.
“Our Eastern neighbours, who link the Black and the Caspian Seas to China and beyond, could benefit from stronger transport infrastructure and services, in order to help them reach their full potential in their economic and trade relations with the EU,” he said.
TRACECA (Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia) is an international transport cooperation program between the EU and its Partner countries in Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia. It has a permanent Secretariat in Baku, Azerbaijan. The cooperation framework covers the areas of maritime transport, aviation, road and rail, transport security and transport infrastructure.
Currently, TRACECA member states are Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Moldova, Romania, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Ukraine and Iran.
Up to now, the EU has supported this programme with technical assistance of almost €170 million for 80 projects.
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West Intensifies Syria-Style Campaign Against Belarus
Russian Information Agency Novosti
February 29, 2012
U.S. Warns Belarus of Deepening Isolation
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton announced on Tuesday that all EU members will recall their ambassadors to Minsk
WASHINGTON: The United States has expressed “deep regret” over the Belarusian authorities’ decision to expel two European Union diplomats in retaliation for new EU sanctions imposed on Belarusian officials over alleged human rights violations.
The Belarusian Foreign Ministry advised on Tuesday that the head of the EU delegation to Belarus, Ambassador Maira Mora, and Polish Ambassador Leszek Szerepka “leave for their capitals for consultations to inform their leadership of Belarus’ firm position that pressure and sanctions are unacceptable.” Minsk also recalled its ambassadors from Warsaw and Brussels.
“These actions, like the expulsion of the US ambassador to Belarus in 2008 and the closure of the OSCE office in Minsk in March 2011, are only deepening Belarus’ self-isolation,” U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement.
Following the Belarusian statement, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton announced on Tuesday that all EU members will recall their ambassadors to Minsk.
“In expression of solidarity and unity, it was agreed that the ambassadors of the EU member states in Minsk will all be withdrawn for consultations to their capitals,” Ashton said through her spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic. “All EU member states will also summon Belarusian ambassadors to their foreign ministries.”
The diplomatic scandal broke out after the EU announced that it had blacklisted another 21 Belarusian officials over their alleged involvement in the ongoing crackdown on the country’s opposition. More than 200 people were already on the blacklist, including President Alexander Lukashenko, two of his sons, and most of the country’s top leadership. They have been banned from entering the EU and their European assets have been frozen.
Toner said in his statement “the United States stands with our partners and joins them in calling on Belarus to end its repression of civil society and the democratic opposition.”
While announcing the decision to expel the diplomats, Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Savinykh warned that “other measures to defend our interests will also be taken” should Western powers continue putting pressure on Minsk.
He also threatened to ban entry to the country for those EU officials who contributed to the introduction of the new sanctions.
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Belarusian Telegraph Agency
February 28, 2012
EU keeps exerting outright pressure on Belarus
MINSK: The decision of the Council of the EU demonstrates that the European Union sticks to the policy of outright pressure on Belarus, Spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of Belarus Andrei Savinykh said on 28 February, commenting on new sanctions by the EU, BelTA has learnt.
“We have reiterated on numerous occasions at all levels that such a policy towards the Republic of Belarus is futile,” Andrei Savinykh said. He added that Belarus will retaliate by introducing a travel ban to those EU officials who contributed to the introduction of the restrictive measures against Belarus.
Andrei Savinykh added that Belarus’ Permanent Representative to the European Union and Belarus’ Ambassador to Poland were recalled to Minsk for consultations. “The head of the EU Office in the Republic of Belarus and the Polish Ambassador to Belarus were also offered to go to their countries for consultations to deliver Belarus’ position that condemns pressure and sanctions,” he said.
“If the policy of pressure on the Republic of Belarus persists, other measures will follow to protect our interests. We hope that the EU officials and member states will realize the lameness of power politics,” Andrei Savinykh said. He noted that Belarus’ proposals to the European Union to expand dialogue and cooperation based on equality and mutual respect are still on the table.
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Itar-Tass
February 28, 2012
Belarus summons its ambassadors to EU, Poland for consultations
MINSK: Belarus will respond to the decision of the EU Council to tighten sanctions.
“The decision of the EU Council shows that the European Union sticks to the policy of open pressure. We have repeatedly explained on various levels that such policy is unpromising. In turn, Belarus will bar EU officials, who have contributed to the restrictive measures,” Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Savinykh said.
The Belarusian permanent representative to the European Union and the Belarusian ambassador to Poland have been summoned to Minsk for consultations concerning the new EU sanctions on Belarus, he said.
The head of the EU delegation to Belarus and the Polish ambassador to Belarus “were offered to visit their home countries for consultations and for conveying to their administrations the firm position of Belarus on the impermissibility of pressure and sanctions,” Savinykh said. “If pressure on the Republic of Belarus continues, other measures will be taken to protect our interests,” he said.
The European Union Council has given an official approval to new sanctions on Belarus. It said that the sanctions applying to persons responsible for serious violations of human rights or the repression of civil society and democratic opposition were tightened against the backdrop of the continuing exacerbation of the situation in Belarus and 21 such persons were added to the list of those who were prohibited to enter the EU and whose assets would be frozen.
There are more than 200 names of high-ranking Belarusian officials, among them President Alexander Lukashenko, on the list at present. Assets of three companies related to the Lukashenko regime remain frozen, and sanctions on Belarusian arms exporters remain valid, the Council said.
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Belarusian Telegraph Agency
February 27, 2012
Russian MPs urge EU to drop ultimatums to Belarus
MOSCOW: The State Duma of Russia regrets the expansion of the EU sanctions against Belarus, chief of the parliamentary committee for the CIS affairs, deputy head of the Russian delegation to PACE Leonid Slutsky told reporters, BelTA has learnt.
“Russia reiterates that this is a destructive approach,” the Russian MP said.
Leonid Slutsky urged resumption of dialogue and end to ultimatums towards Belarus. “The best way to do it is to restore Belarus’ special guest status at the Council of Europe and its Parliamentary Assembly,” he said.
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Belarusian Telegraph Agency
February 27, 2012
Policy of intimidation unacceptable for Belarus, Russia
MINSK: Russia and Belarus openly state that a policy of intimidation is unacceptable, Vadim Gigin, Editor in Chief of the Belaruskaya Dumka magazine, told Belarus One TV channel in an interview as he commented on the joint statement made by the presidents of Belarus and Russia regarding possible EU and USA sanctions.
“It is a new stage in the development of geopolitical relations in the post-Soviet space. Russia and Belarus openly and unambiguously state that the policy of intimidation pursued by the USA and the EU is unacceptable in the modern world. It is outdated logic,” said Vadim Gigin.
“Unfortunately, in recent years our Western neighbors have been constantly trying to pressure our ways of future political and economic development. In my view it is completely unacceptable with regards to a sovereign and independent country. The way of ultimatums, sanctions and restrictions is the way to nowhere,” said Sergei Semashko, member of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus.
Chairman of the Belarusian Scientific and Industrial Association Alexander Shvets said: “From the economic point of view it is unacceptable in the modern world. There are no sufficient political or geopolitical reasons when it comes to Belarus. Therefore, we oppose such sanctions and such cooperation”.
Storm Clouds Gather Over The Falklands/Malvinas
Voice of Russia
February 28, 2012
Storm clouds gather over the Falklands
Sergei Sayenko
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Adding fuel to the fire will certainly be a visit by British MPs to the Falklands in March and the upcoming deployment of the Dauntless destroyer and a Trafalgar-class nuclear-powered submarine off the Falklands. One can only hope that British authorities will think twice before sending these warships to the Falklands, a saber-rattling move that would herald the beginning of the militarization of the South Atlantic…
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At least 20 operatives from British Special Forces are providing protection to Prince William on the Falkland Islands, where he is serving on a helicopter search-and-rescue crew, British media reported on Monday.
The Voice of Russia’s Sergei Sayenko has more.
The special operations unit is tasked with identifying and thwarting any potential threat posed to the Duke of Cambridge who arrived in the Falklands in early February on a routine deployment. The arrival came in the run-up to the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War which was fought between Britain and Argentina over the disputed islands.
Prince William’s deployment to the Falklands infuriated Argentina’s Foreign Ministry which strongly condemned the move and referred to the Duke as a ‘conquistador’. The Ministry’s comment was echoed by prominent Hollywood actor Sean Penn who was quoted as saying that “it was unthinkable that the United Kingdom can make a conscious decision to deploy a prince within the military to the Malvinas.” The statement was made during Penn’s visit to Argentina earlier this month.
“It’s necessary that these diplomatic talks happen between the United Kingdom and Argentina. I think that the world today is not going to tolerate any kind of ludicrous and archaic commitment to colonialist ideology and yet there are clearly nuances of negotiations that have to be beneficial and understood between both parties.”
Experts say that the biggest threat to Prince William could be posed by “a single person or a group of several people.”
Special Forces personnel had carried out an extensive reconnaissance operation on the Falklands prior to the Duke’s arrival there. They will be on standby to ensure Prince William’s safety, and they even have permission to ‘shoot to kill’ if necessary.
The question is who are they going to ‘shoot’ on the Falklands given that the Argentinian side is currently treading carefully on the matter, our political commentator says. Everyone knows full well that a potential attempt on Prince William’s life would almost certainly spark a war between the UK and Argentina which is why Buenos Aires would never make such an insane move, our commentator adds.
It seems that the Duke’s six-week mission to the Falklands seeks to remind Argentina once again that the South Atlantic archipelago remains an integral part of Britain.
Meanwhile, diplomatic friction between Britain and Argentina over the Falklands shows no sign of abating. On Monday, two British cruise ships were prevented from docking in the Argentine port of Ushuaia, apparently because they had earlier visited the Falklands. Britain demanded an explanation which our commentator says is unlikely to be offered because the incident had been deliberately instigated by Buenos Aires which wants to punish London for its reluctance to negotiate the status of the Falkland Islands.
With the time ticking for the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War, scheduled for April 2, 2012, the UN is surprisingly turning a blind eye to the British-Argentinian dispute which intensifies with every passing day.
Adding fuel to the fire will certainly be a visit by British MPs to the Falklands in March and the upcoming deployment of the Dauntless destroyer and a Trafalgar-class nuclear-powered submarine off the Falklands. One can only hope that British authorities will think twice before sending these warships to the Falklands, a saber-rattling move that would herald the beginning of the militarization of the South Atlantic, our commentator concludes.
American Unipolar Moment Has Ended, Global Multipolarity Emerges
Pakistan Observer
February 28, 2012
Emerging multipolar world
M Zarrar Haider
The last two decades witnessed the expression of unipolarity in terms of unilateralism with invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan and the endemic Global War on Terror (GWOT). We are now in a new, fast-evolving multipolar world in which some developing countries are emerging as economic powers; others are moving towards becoming additional poles of growth; and some are struggling to attain their potential within this new system where North and South, East and West, are now points on a compass, not economic destinies. A new global order is rapidly emerging where the United States will no doubt remain a very important player.
Yet alongside the U.S. there will be several others. By 2025, six emerging economies – Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, South Korea, and Russia – will collectively account for about one-half of global growth. For now, the US dollar remains the most important international currency. In Global Development Horizons 2011, the World Bank presents what it believes to be the most probable global currency scenario in 2025, a multicurrency arrangement centred on the dollar, euro, and renminbi. This scenario is buttressed by the likelihood that the US, the eurozone, and China will constitute the three major growth poles at that time. It is belived that the world economy is on the verge of a transformative change – the transition to a multipolar world economic order.
China is only the largest part of a bigger story about the rise of new economic and political players. America’s traditional allies in Europe – Britain, France, Italy, even Germany – are slipping down the economic ranks. New powers on the rise are India, Brazil and Turkey. They each have their own foreign-policy preferences, which collectively constrain America’s ability to shape the world.
How India and Brazil sided with China at the global climate change talks or the votes by Turkey and Brazil against America at the United Nations on sanctions against Iran and the veto by Russia and China on the US resolution regarding regime change in Syria, all are signs and symptoms of the changing of a unipolar world into a multipolar and interdependent world.
Identifying Players in the New World Order
The world is changing. It is becoming increasingly multipolar with the emergence of China, India and Brazil and with the resurgence of Russia – forming the so-called BRIC.
The world is also becoming increasingly interdependent, not only economically as recently illustrated with the US financial crisis turning into a global economic crisis, but also regarding the threats and challenges our societies face, such as terrorism, climate change, and poverty and energy scarcity. This multipolarity in the age of interdependence, or interpolarity as Giovanni Grevi names it, will most likely shape the 21st century. The American unipolar moment has ended. Yet, it seems too early nonetheless to evoke true multipolarity.
Indeed, the US remains the dominant power, or the “lonely superpower,” and is likely to maintain its status for years and probably decades to come. America’s decline is not an illusion, but it must be understood in relative terms. US global influence is fading because it contrasts with the rise of the ‘rest’, i.e. the empowerment of other actors at the local, regional and global levels.
In late 2005 Goldman Sachs introduced the concept of the Next Eleven (N-11). The prurpose was to identify those countries that could potentially have a BRIC-like impact in rivalling the G7. Their main common ground and the reason for their selection was that they were the next set of large-population countries beyond the BRICs. The result was a very diverse grouping that includes Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Korea, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Turkey and Vietnam. The N-11 weight in the global economy and global trade has been slowly increasing, with a contribution to global growth of around 9% over the last few years.
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Syria’s Dubious Friends Plan To Plunge Nation Into Full-Scale Civil War
China Daily
February 28, 2012
Syrian people’s true friend
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Despite its efforts to brand itself as the “protector” of the Arab people, the US’ conduct lacks any moral backing. History is sure to be the judge of the US’ interventions into the internal affairs of the Arab world and it will show they have brought disaster to the local people. The violence in Iraq is a persistent reminder.
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The situation in Syria is deteriorating and the likelihood of a full-scale civil war is increasing, as fighting between the Syrian government and opposition intensifies and the “Friends of Syria” have agreed to recognize the opposition Syrian National Council as a “legitimate representative”.
Particularly worrying is the willingness of some nations to provide arms to the Syrian opposition and the willingness of the United States to involve itself in the Syrian chaos rather than letting Syrians end the violence with a minimum loss of life.
Washington has tried to hold China and Russia accountable for the ongoing violence in the Middle East nation while portraying itself as the friend of democracy and freedom. Yet in reality the US involvement is only prolonging the bloodshed and making it harder to reach a peaceful solution.
At a news briefing after the “Friends of Syria” conference on Friday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton once again bad-mouthed China and Russia, accusing the two of “opposing the desires of the Syrian people” and of “denying the Syrian people the right to choose their own leader”.
With these words, Clinton ignored the biggest aspiration of the Syrian people: to put an end to the violence and restore their country’s stability.
What the majority of the Syrian people want is a peaceful return to their everyday lives. This is also what China seeks. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has made active efforts to broker talks among the various Syrian factions.
Despite its efforts to brand itself as the “protector” of the Arab people, the US’ conduct lacks any moral backing. History is sure to be the judge of the US’ interventions into the internal affairs of the Arab world and it will show they have brought disaster to the local people. The violence in Iraq is a persistent reminder.
China has a deep and long-established friendship with the Arab world and China respects the Arab people’s choice of their own development path. It is a friendship that has survived the tests of history and it will not be easily broken.
SIPRI Report: International Arms Industry – Business As Usual
Voice of Russia
February 28, 2012
Arms industry – business as usual
Sergei Guk
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Of the SIPRI top 100 arms-producing companies, 73 are based in the United States and Western Europe which account for more than 90 percent of total global military expenditures…
The SIPRI report plays down the problem of upgrading so-called conventional arms which some experts contend can be on a par with nuclear weapons in terms of destructive capacity.
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No economic crises, defaults and budget deficits are able to dampen the arms industry which continues to gather strength. Another illustration of this is a report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) earlier this year.
The report highlights global military expenditure data for 2010. Of the SIPRI top 100 arms-producing companies, 73 are based in the United States and Western Europe which account for more than 90 percent of total global military expenditures that stood at 411 billion dollars in 2010, a 10-billion-dollar increase as compared to 2009. SIPRI experts attribute this moderate growth to the signing of long-term contracts which contributed significantly to the stabilization of the world arms market.
The Arab Spring left the Western arms traders sitting on the horns of a dilemma which was all about the possible arming of the new regimes – something that is still seen as a risky business. NATO’s and Germany’s arms deals with Saudi Arabia are also in danger given that Riyadh is little by little becoming a gendarme of the Arab world, something that can be proved by Riyadh’s recent participation in the suppression of a rebellion in Bahrain. When supplying arms to Arab countries, the West typically cites the necessity of supporting democracy or restoring the balance of power in the region in the face of the potential Iranian nuclear threat.
The SIPRI report plays down the problem of upgrading so-called conventional arms which some experts contend can be on a par with nuclear weapons in terms of destructive capacity. Retired Major General Pavel Zolotarev, deputy head of the Institute for US and Canadian Studies in Moscow, says, in contrast, that drawing parallels between conventional and nuclear arms is irrelevant. It is common knowledge that the use of nuclear weapons is fraught with the mass loss of human life and protracted radioactive contamination of area which is not the case with conventional arms, Zolotarev recalls.
“At the same time,” he says, “there already are some types of high-precision conventional arms which are capable of destroying targets that could only be eliminated with the help of nuclear weapons in previous years.
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Some experts justify the arms race by arguing that military technologies allegedly contribute to developing science and creating more jobs – claims that certainly hold no water.
Stop NATO news: February 28, 2012
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China And Russia Slam West Over Syria
Libya “Close To Disintegration: Prime Minister
Turkey: U.S. Military Running NATO Interceptor Missile Site
Israeli Arms Shipments To Azerbaijan: Against Iran Or Armenia?
NATO’s Special Operations Network “Steadily Growing”
Mediterranean: Canadian Warship Participates In NATO Anti-Submarine Warfare Drills
U.S. Guided Missile Destroyer Headed To Arabian Sea
NATO Wants Azerbaijan As Wedge Between Russia And Iran
NATO Bombed Serbia Because Of Lies: Former OSCE Official
400 Pakistani Troops Escape U.S. Missile Strike Aimed At Drone Wreck Site
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China And Russia Slam West Over Syria
http://www.globaltimes.cn/NEWS/tabid/99/ID/697719/China-Russia-slam-West-over-Syria.aspx
Global Times
February 28, 2012
China, Russia slam West over Syria
By Qiu Yongzheng in Damascus and Wang Zhaokun in Beijing
China and Russia yesterday rejected US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s criticism of their stand on Syria, as the European Union (EU) nations agreed to slap new sanctions on the Syrian government.
China “cannot accept it at all,” foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters at a regular daily news briefing.
At a conference on Syria last week in Tunisia, Clinton called the Chinese and Russian veto of a UN resolution on Syria “despicable.”
“We suggest the Syrian people’s own choice should be respected and outsiders should not impose any so-called Syrian solution on Syria or the Syrian people,” Hong said.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin yesterday also accused the West of being “cynical” over the stance on Syria.
Putin said the West “lacks the patience to work out an adjusted and balanced” resolution that also requires opposition forces to cease fire and withdraw from flashpoints, such as the besieged central city of Homs.
China and Russia on Friday did not attend the “Friends of Syria” meeting, in which more than 60 foreign ministers gathered to seek an end to the 11 months of turmoil in the country.
Hong reiterated China did not attend the conference last week as the aim, effect and mechanism of the conference had not been further studied.
In Syria, the interior minister announced yesterday almost 90 percent of Syrians approved a new constitution, proposed by President Bashar al-Assad, in a referendum on Sunday. Turnout in the referendum was 57.4 percent, state television said.
However, despite the step, which Assad has said is a move toward reform that could bring political pluralism to Syria, the EU agreed to a further round of economic sanctions yesterday, targeting the Syrian central bank and some ministers, curbing gold trading and banning cargo flights.
The vote is likely to further complicate the situation in Syria, according to Yin Gang, a senior Middle East expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
“The legitimacy of the Assad government is set to be strengthened once the draft constitution is approved, but the move will not change the attitude of the forces at home and abroad that has been demanding Assad’s immediate stepping down,” he said.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani said yesterday Arab countries should take part in an international military effort to stop the bloodshed in Syria, urging nations to provide arms to Syria’s opposition.
“If the Assad government could follow up on the reforms it promised in the constitutional referendum, this would help ease the pressure he is facing at home. It might even lead to further division among the opposition groups in Syria,” Li Weijian, director of the Research Center of West Asian and African Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, told the Global Times.
“Since the signal sent by the conference on Syria in Tunisia is that the West will not choose military intervention at the moment. They may choose to secretly arm the Syrian oppositions to pile up pressure on Assad,” Li added.
Agencies contributed to this story.
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Libya “Close To Disintegration: Prime Minister
http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_02_27/67016492/
Russian Information Agency Novosti
February 27, 2012
Libya ‘close to disintegration’ – PM
Speaking on the first anniversary of the anti-Gaddafi revolution in Misurata Monday, interim Libyan Prime Minister Mustafa Abdeljalil warned of complete national disintegration if the rival tribes and clans that had laid hands on Gaddafi’s arsenals continued to refuse to submit to the authority of the central government.
The illegal firearms in circulation in Libya number in the tens of thousands.
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Turkey: U.S. Military Running NATO Interceptor Missile Site
http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/96096/
PanArmenian.net
February 27, 2012
U.S. mans new radar defense site in Turkey
American forces are now manning a new radar defense site in Turkey that could help defend Europe from a potential Iranian ballistic missile attack, the U.S. Army’s commander in Europe said.
“We have the forces in place … at a radar site in southern Turkey,” Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling said in an interview at Montenegro’s main military airport in its capital, Today’s Zaman reported.
It is the first time a senior US commander has confirmed reports that the NATO defense shield radar – which has caused tensions between Turkey and its Muslim neighbor Iran – has been operational in the past few weeks. The radar is a key element in a planned ballistic missile defense system that also would put other land- and sea-based radars and anti-missile interceptors in several European locations over the next decade.
“I can only speak for the ground base air defense units,” Hertling said. “But I will tell you that we make constant coordination (with the US Navy and Air Force), and I think we are well on track to conduct missile defense.”
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Israeli Arms Shipments To Azerbaijan: Against Iran Or Armenia?
http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/96111/
PanArmenian.net
February 23, 2012
Israeli arms supply to Azerbaijan aimed against Iran or Armenia?
The Israel Aerospace Industries company plans to sell to Azerbaijan drones and air defense systems at USD 1,6 bln. The Israeli Defense Ministry deemed the issue a resolved one. Chairman of Islamic Committee of Russia Heydar Jemal rendered his version on Tel Aviv’s selling weaponry to Baku to GeorgiaTimes.
According to the contract, Azerbaijan will get anti-aircraft systems and missile defense systems, without naming the precise volume of arms provided to Baku.
“Selling weaponry to Azerbaijan is another attempt to exert psychological pressure on Iran. Selling drones and air defense systems to Azerbaijan must enhance the conflict level in ties between Baku and Tehran. Israeli weaponry may advance Azeri positions in relation to Armenia, whereas Armenians themselves get enough arms supplies from abroad. Israelis, similar to Americans, always define the conditions under which their armaments must be used. I deem the Tel Aviv-Baku arms deal to be Israel’s transmit to Iran. A Nagorno Karabakh conflict resumption is a mere matter of time. Relations between Armenians and Azerbaijanis for years have remained tense,” Jema said.
Iran has recently accused Azerbaijan of cooperation with Mossad.
Asked whether Israeli intelligence may be found in Azerbaijan, Heydar Jemal said, “Azerbaijan is in close ties with Israel, also in the military field. Baku-Tel Aviv military cooperation implies close relations in the field of military reconnaissance. Azerbaijan has taken the role of Turkey for Israel…”
Thus, tensions between Israel and Iran keep mounting…
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NATO’s Special Operations Network “Steadily Growing”
http://www.nato.int/cps/en/SID-C7E42A5B-BF55385C/natolive/news_84662.htm
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
February 27, 2012
NATO’s Special Forces Network
-Last year the NATO Special Operations School had almost 1000 graduates. And with a total of 2500 graduates so far, NATO’s Special Operations Network is steadily growing.
The skills and expertise of Special Forces are valuable assets to NATO operations. But whereas Special Forces are often seen as a national prerogative, the transatlantic Alliance also has a NATO Special Operations Headquarters (NSHQ) where Special Forces work together.
Located at SHAPE Headquarters in Mons, Belgium, the NSHQ was set up to coordinate NATO’s Special Operations and to optimise the employment of Special Forces. It has one of the most diverse multinational compositions within NATO. NATO Partnership for Peace (PfP) member Austria and the NATO ‘contact country’ of Sweden have also recently assigned personnel to the NSHQ.
“The main advantage of the NSHQ is to bring all SOF – Special Operations Forces – nations from NATO and from partners together to sit around the table and to promote and improve the national SOF capabilities and to assure interoperability. The capability to work together like in Afghanistan currently,” says Colonel Fritz Urbach.
Although the majority of what the NSHQ does is at the strategic and operational level, the NATO Special Operations Headquarters is also the place for training and education. At their training facility at nearby Chièvres Air Base, Special Forces from NATO and partner nations train together.
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Connected Forces
By connecting the different forces, the NATO Special Operations Headquarters creates a network of Special Forces people who train together and who know and trust each other. Once they deploy on a multinational operation they can build on a trusted relationship. Building this Special Forces community is a key element, according to Colonel Fritz Urbach.
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Last year the NATO Special Operations School had almost 1000 graduates. And with a total of 2500 graduates so far, NATO’s Special Operations Network is steadily growing.
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Mediterranean: Canadian Warship Participates In NATO Anti-Submarine Warfare Drills
http://www.aco.nato.int/hmcs-charlottetown-participates-in-natos-largest-asw-exercise.aspx
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Allied Command Operations
February 27, 2012
HMCS CHARLOTTETOWN PARTICIPATES IN NATO’S LARGEST ASW EXERCISE
Nisida, Naples: The Operations Room is the nerve centre of a ship. It contains equipment for monitoring and controlling electronic warfare, fire control, sonar, radar – the full spectrum of detection and analytical sensors. Under the distinctive red-colored lighting, there is constant activity that continues 24/7 while the ship is sailing. It’s here, in the ops room of HMCS Charlottetown – over continuous crackle of the radio and flicker of radar screens – that sailors participate in NATO’s largest Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) exercise.
Eleven NATO nations are providing five submarines, 15 aircraft (including shore and ship based helicopters) and 12 surface ships (including two Auxiliary ships from Italy and one NATO Research Vessel) to take part in PROUD MANTA 12.
Charlottetown is participating in Exercise PROUD MANTA 2012 from February 14-23 in the Ionian Sea to the southeast of Sicily.
“Canada’s role throughout the exercise is to support NATO forces as an effective ASW platform,” said Lieutenant (Navy) Mark McShane, Under Water Warfare Officer on HMCS Charlottetown…
Along with Canada, other forces contributing include France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Canada’s air detachment aboard HMCS Charlottetown will also have an active role throughout the exercise. Canada’s ship-borne maritime helicopter – the CH-124 Sea King – was originally designed as an ASW helicopter. It, along with the helicopter air detachment, provides Charlottetown with an extended range to its ASW platform.
“During PROUD MANTA 2012 Charlottetown’s air detachment will be on a 30 minute standby to launch,” said Captain Chris Cole, pilot with Charlottetown’s air detachment. “When called upon, we will be asked to use the helo’s variety of sensors – such as sonar; Forward-looking Infra-Red; radar; sonobuoys; and its latest addition, an augmented surface plot – to search, localize, detect and track five submarines involved. The helo will work in conjunction with the ship’s sensors and operators to accomplish the various tasks the exercise may present.”
“This is a challenging exercise for both surface and subsurface contacts,” said Lt(N) McShane. “There are five very effective subs participating and all provide significant challenges to the fleet, as both individual units and more so during coordinated attacks. The sheer number of surface and air assets provides a very demanding environment.”
Overall the exercise is challenging, but it demonstrates NATO’s determination to maintain proficiency and improve interoperability in coordinated anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, coastal surveillance and other maritime operations using a multi-national force of ships, submarines and aircraft.
by Lieutenant, RCN Jessica MacDonald
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U.S. Guided Missile Destroyer Headed To Arabian Sea
http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=65556
U.S. Navy
February 26, 2012
USS McFaul Heads to the Arabian Sea
By Story by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Karen E. Cozza, COMNAVSURFLANT Public Affairs
NORFOLK: The guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) departed Naval Station Norfolk today on a regularly scheduled deployment to the Arabian Sea to participate in counter-piracy operations.
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McFaul, commissioned in 1998, is the 24th Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyer, and was named after Chief Petty Officer Donald L. McFaul. McFaul was a local SEAL Team 4 hero who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross, the Nation’s second highest combat valor award, for his heroic actions in saving his teammates during combat operations in December 1989 as part of Operation Just Cause in Panama.
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NATO Wants Azerbaijan As Wedge Between Russia And Iran
http://www.messenger.com.ge/issues/2553_february_24_2012/2553_econ_three.html
The Messenger
February 24, 2012
Tensions with Iran push Azerbaijan towards NATO
-Azeri analysts believe that NATO will be welcoming of their country, as it could help further separate Tehran and Moscow…and it may provide access to Azeri energy resources.
On April 9, a high-ranking NATO delegation will visit Azerbaijan in order to begin negotiations on granting the country an Individual Partnership Action Plan.
The meeting will discuss Azeri politics, security, defense, scientific capability, and environment problems.
So far, Azerbaijan has been moving very cautiously towards NATO, out of consideration for its neighbour, Iran. However, the tense political situation in the region has prompted Baku to seek a new policy direction.
Azeri analysts believe that NATO will be welcoming of their country, as it could help further separate Tehran and Moscow, it could secure an otherwise “risky” country like Azerbaijan, and it may provide access to Azeri energy resources.
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NATO Bombed Serbia Because Of Lies: Former OSCE Official
B92
February 28, 2012
“NATO bombed Serbia because of lies”
BELGRADE: NATO launched its 1999 war against Serbia “because of German Defense Minister Rudolf Scharping’s lies”, claims a former member of an OSCE mission in Kosovo.
Belgrade-based Blic newspaper writes, quoting the Vestionline website, that ahead of the start of the war, Scharping falsely presented members of the ethnic Albanian KLA “rebels” as civilian victims.
The Serbian authorities considered the KLA to be a terrorist group.
Scharping was accused by former German police official Henning Hensch, an OSCE observer in Kosovo before the war, who spoke for Germany’s NDR television.
This OSCE observer was personally present during the investigation of the scene in Rugovo in Kosovo in January 1999, where Serbian police units fought against KLA members.
The German television program featuring an interview with Hensch also showed Scharping in a news conference in early 1999, where he presented photographs from Rugovo of KLA members killed in battle, claiming they depicted massacred civilians.
Furthermore, the German minister told reporters that the OSCE photos of the scene were made “secretly by a German officer”, and that he would have “gladly presented him (to reporters)”, but that the officer is question was “receiving medical treatment because of the traumatic experiences” that he underwent in Kosovo.
13 years later, NDR journalists asked the German Defense Ministry to confirm that “a German officer” was in the area at the time secretly taking photoraphs, to after several weeks receive a reply that this was not the case.
Scharping himself, said the television, could not be reached for comment.
NATO’s aerial war lasted for 78 days in the spring of 1999, and ended with the signing of the Kumanovo Agreement, and the adoption of Resolution 1244 at the UN Security Council.
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400 Pakistani Troops Escape U.S. Missile Strike Aimed At Drone Wreck Site
http://paktribune.com/news/Crashed-drone-wreckage-destroyed-in-missile-strike-247854.html
Pakistan Tribune
February 27, 2012
Crashed drone wreckage destroyed in missile strike
MIRAMSHAH: Around 400 Pakistani soldiers and dozens of political administration officials in North Waziristan’s Mir Ali subdivision narrowly escaped a drone attack on Saturday night when a missile fired by a spy plane hit the wreckage of the US drone that had crashed in the area on Saturday.
“We were looking for the wreckage of the drone in Machikhel village, Mir Ali, and were almost close to the debris of the destroyed aircraft when one of the drones flying over the area fired a missile and hit two missiles lying on the ground,” a senior official of the local administration said.
He said that besides 400 Pakistan Army soldiers, there were dozens of personnel of the Frontier Corps (FC), Khassadars and Levies as well as officials of the political administration, all of them looking for the missing wreckage of the drone on ground at the time. He said they narrowly escaped as the missile fired by the drone landed at a short distance from them. “It would have caused heavy losses to security forces and others engaged in the search operation. They were lucky to survive,” the official said.
Another security official said they had lit the area with big lights to let the people and militants know that security forces were searching for the missing wreckage when five drones started flying over the area. “They decided not to get close to the area where the wreckage was supposed to be lying due to the fear of missile attack,” the official said. He said some of the people even remarked that one should expect anything from the US and suggested not to go beyond a certain position as it could be risky, especially when the drones were flying over their heads.
An official of the political administration said local militants were believed to have fired and shot down the spy plane and even reached there to get hold of some of its wreckage before the government officials could arrive in the village.
The tribal sources said the militants were congratulating one another for downing the CIA-operated spy plane. The North Waziristan Taliban, led by Hafiz Gul Bahadur, last year made a claim that their fighters had shot down a US drone in the Dattakhel area and later rewarded the shooter with a car.
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U.S. Elections: Candidates Are Bought As Wars Are Sold
Global Times
February 27, 2012
US democracy up for grabs by moneybags under new laws
By Christopher Williams
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People got rich because of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Now, swords are being sharpened for Iran. How many players in the Middle East and elsewhere are interested in seeing this happen? All they need to do is pick up the phone or write a check, and it gets closer every day.
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The story begins in 1886, with an obscure court case in California, Santa Clara County vs. Southern Pacific Railroad. In that Supreme Court decision, a corporation was deemed to have the same legal protections under state law as any individual would have. It was originally intended to be used for enforcing a real-estate contract. But fast-forward to 2010. The Supreme Court decided in a new case, Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission, that corporations had the right to make unlimited financial contributions for political purposes, just as a person does.
Corporations and individuals are still limited to $2,500 in direct contributions to a political campaign for federal office. But they may give unlimited funds to a Political Action Committee (PAC), as long as that PAC is not “officially” part of the campaign which they support.
In reality, it means that the PAC can spend whatever it wants as long as they maintain the fiction that they are acting independently. So now we have a Republican presidential primary in full swing, with vast amounts of corporate money being poured into the PACs which support the major candidates. Some of that money is publicly disclosed. But there are also non-profit 501(c) organizations that do not have to say where the money came from.
Why should you care? It means that candidates are no longer being elected, even in the limited sense that they were before. They are being hired, bought and paid for by their supporters whose interests do not in any way reflect the concerns of average citizens. They are supported by energy companies, drug companies, media companies, insurance companies, arms merchants, and bankers.
The candidate will be a de facto lobbyist for the industries that hired them. And they will enact policies supporting only those industries, regardless of the will of the majority. If you’re a citizen concerned about global warming, or gun control, or abortion, or social justice and human rights, well, tough. You can’t afford to play this game, which is estimated will cost $2 billion or more by the time of the general election in November.
The priorities of the corporate world, and the ultra-rich, will be to secure more power and control for themselves. But this does not extend only to US companies or US citizens. The many loopholes in the law now allow foreign citizens, companies, and even nations to directly inject money into campaigns that will support their vested interests.
Israel, for one, will use its considerable clout to insure that whoever is the next president will advocate for them and against countries like Syria and Iran, which will in turn have an impact on China’s foreign policy. Secret or undisclosed financial influence will extend to issues like copyright infringement and intellectual property and censorship, all subjects about which the US and China may have one clear public policy and another quite different clandestine one.
It is impossible to predict exactly how this Supreme Court decision will affect the current and future election cycles. It is a matter that is hotly contested and is being openly challenged by state legislatures and concerned citizens who clearly see the threat it poses to participatory politics. To reverse it would require a constitutional amendment, a legislative effort so difficult and convoluted that it’s virtually unthinkable, or a radical change in the makeup of the Supreme Court and a new case hearing.
But don’t think for a moment that this decision and its consequences are limited only to one country. That country happens to still be the wealthiest in the world, and to control the largest military on the planet. And that country has not hesitated to use its military to further its goals, even when actively opposed by large sections of the population.
People got rich because of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Now, swords are being sharpened for Iran. How many players in the Middle East and elsewhere are interested in seeing this happen? All they need to do is pick up the phone or write a check, and it gets closer every day.
The author is a Guangdong-based freelance writer and marketing consultant from the US. christopherw314@gmail. com
Who Profits From Qatari-Western “Export of Revolutions”?
Voice of Russia
February 27, 2012
Who Profits From Qatari-Western “Export of Revolutions”?
Dmitry Babich
The recent announcement by the Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani about Qatar’s readiness to arm the Syrian opposition puts the situation in the region in an entirely new context. Obviously, the Rubicon has been crossed and the monarchies of the Persian Gulf have opted for a “no limits” strategy in their drive to oust the remaining secular Arab regimes in the Middle East.
So, the Gulf monarchies have made their choice. The European Union does not lag too far behind – its foreign ministers at a meeting in Brussels declared the anti-government Syrian National Council a legitimate representative of the Syrian people. So, the European “democrats” are just one step behind the absolute monarchs of the Gulf – if only one side in the Syrian conflict is “legitimate,” why not send arms to this side?
This new situation raises new questions about the West’s role in this huge rearrangement of Middle Eastern politics. How long will the West (i.e. the EU and the USA) follow the monarchies in their risky undertakings? And do the interests of the Sunni insurgents, supported by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, indeed coincide with the West’s interests?
Yevgeny Primakov, Russia’s former foreign minister in 1996-1998 and later prime minister under Boris Yeltsin in the late 1990s, is puzzled by the West’s desire to satisfy every wish of the radical Sunni opposition movements.
“Doesn’t the example of Egypt teach the United States a lesson or two? There was an Arab Spring in Egypt, but finally the Islamists ended up on the top of that wave. Can anyone think seriously that Assad’s ouster will be followed by an establishment of some kind of a democratic regime? This is just laughable,” Primakov, an Arabist by education and his background, told the Rossiya channel of Russian television on Sunday.
Nikolay Surkov, a specialist on the Middle East, writing for the Nezavisimaya Gazeta daily, thinks that the Western countries decided to “saddle” the wave of the seemingly endless successes of the protest movements in the Arab countries – simply because it was the strongest trend.
“Initially, France, for example, had no intention of inspiring protests in its former protectorates, such as Tunisia, let alone Syria,” Surkov said. “In the initial stages of the protests against Tunisian president Ben Ali the French even pondered helping him with tear gas and other anti-riot equipment. But when the secular regimes began to be one by one swept away by the protests, the French, Britons and Americans decided to go with the flow, sometimes even supporting more moderate Islamist forces against more violent Salafi Islamists,” Surkov explains.
Another Arab country, Yemen, where the new president was recently elected with more than 99 percent of the eligible voters, offers a good example of the expenses that might follow if the monarchs’ and the West’s immediate aims are achieved. The election of the former vice-president, Abed Rabu Mansour Hadi, which followed over a year of violent clashes, can hardly be called an exercise in democracy or a security achievement.
On the contrary, experts agree that during the “revolution,” when Yemeni troops had to be pulled back to the capital to fight the violent uprisings, Al-Qaeda strengthened its presence in the country and became a real threat both to the people of Yemen and to Western interests there. Now, the United States has to spend additional amounts of money on fighting Al-Qaeda in Yemen. The New York Times, citing State Department figures, recently reported that the United States had allocated $53.8 million in security assistance for Yemen this year, up from $30.1 million last year. In fact, Al-Qaeda operatives welcomed the departure of the former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, whom they viewed as their enemy, not as an “impediment to democracy.” The same seems to be true about Al-Qaeda’s operatives in Syria.
“It is interesting to note that the new Al-Qaeda chief, who became a replacement for Bin Laden, said his organization supported the opposition in Syria. So, Al-Qaeda is against Assad,” former prime minister Primakov said in his interview to Russian television.
So, who is profiting from the “revolutionary spirit” that suddenly engulfed both the oil monarchies of the Persian Gulf and Western capitals? Al Qaeda seems to be at least one such force – and not the smallest one.
Russian Policy On Syria: Preventing All-Out War In Middle East
China Daily
February 27, 2012
Russia’s stance toward Syria
By Boris Dolgov*
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If passed, the UN Security Council resolution would have given the leaders of NATO countries the excuse to begin military intervention in Syria. The consequences of such intervention, as was shown by NATO’s military intervention in Libya, would be the deaths of thousands of Syrian civilians, and the opportunity for radical Islamic groups to increase their influence in the country. This would likely lead to civil war or the disintegration of Syria into five or more small states divided on religious and national lines.
Regime change in Syria would also pave the way for eventual military intervention in Iran by NATO and Israel.
NATO and Israel could try to extend their military intervention in Lebanon in order to suppress Hezbollah, and Iran in order to destroy its nuclear program. This would lead to an all-out war in the Middle East.
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Russia vetoed the United Nations Security Council resolution which sought to blame President Bashar al-Assad for violence against civilians in Syria and urged him to step down because it did not correspond to the real situation in Syria, where the majority of the Syrian people, 60 percent, support his government.
I saw for myself demonstrations by tens of thousands of people who support President al-Assad when I visited Syria in August 2011 and in January 2012. Many of the international media, such as CNN, Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya, are waging an information war against Syria. They portray al-Assad’s regime as suppressing the people and shooting peaceful protestors. This is not true. The real cause of the violence in Syria are the terrorist activities of some anti-government groups, which are armed and financed from abroad. This has already resulted in the deaths of 3,000 civilians and 2,000 soldiers and policemen.
If passed, the UN Security Council resolution would have given the leaders of NATO countries the excuse to begin military intervention in Syria. The consequences of such intervention, as was shown by NATO’s military intervention in Libya, would be the deaths of thousands of Syrian civilians, and the opportunity for radical Islamic groups to increase their influence in the country. This would likely lead to civil war or the disintegration of Syria into five or more small states divided on religious and national lines. It would also result in the seizure of the Syrian arsenal by radical Islamic groups, who could then use them against the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and against Russia.
The United States, the United Kingdom, France and Israel, as well as Turkey and the Arabic monarchies of the Persian Gulf, which now play a leading role in the League of Arab States, pursue a policy of pressuring the Syrian leadership to stand down and support the external Syrian National Council and armed opposition groups in Syria with the aim of overthrowing the al-Assad regime.
The Western countries and Israel consider Syria an ally of Iran and the supporter of radical Palestinian organizations, such as Hezbollah and Hamas. Regime change in Syria would also pave the way for eventual military intervention in Iran by NATO and Israel.
Turkey and the Arabic monarchies of the Persian Gulf have approximately the same policy toward Iran and Syria. The Sunni leadership of Turkey competes with the Shiite leadership of Iran for hegemony in the Middle East. Turkey’s leaders originally belonged to the Turkish Muslim Brotherhood and they sympathize with the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood which opposes al-Assad’s leadership, the majority of whom are Shiites of the Alawite sect. The Sunni Muslim leaders of the Arabic monarchies of the Persian Gulf fear the expansion of Shiite Iran’s influence in their countries. So they also support the anti-government Sunni armed groups in Syria.
If Syria followed the Libyan experience of foreign military intervention it could lead to the disintegration of Syria and destabilization of the Middle East. In particular, it would aggravate the conflict between the Sunnis and Shiites in Lebanon and it could increase the influence of Islamist armed groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood and the branches of Al-Qaida. Then NATO and Israel could try to extend their military intervention in Lebanon in order to suppress Hezbollah, and Iran in order to destroy its nuclear program. This would lead to an all-out war in the Middle East.
The politics of Russia toward Syria is based on their long-time friendship and on the cooperation in the economical, political, military, cultural and humanitarian fields. Russia’s stance with regard to the Syrian crisis is to save the Syrian people from eventual foreign military intervention.
Russia supports al-Assad’s government because he is carrying out real political and social reforms, such as the adoption of laws on general elections and a multi-party system, on the media, and on municipal elections. The referendum on a new constitution took place on Sunday, Feb 26. Then parliamentary elections on the basis of the new Constitution will take place in May. Russia’s stance toward Syria is not soley one of conjuncture. It is based on the strategic national interests of Russia. Russia seeks to prevent foreign military intervention, which would result in civilian casualties and a humanitarian disaster.
*The author is a senior researcher of the Centre for the Arabic and Islamic Studies of the Institute of the Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
