Messages In This Digest (15 Messages)
- 1.
- Afghanistan 2009: Deadliest Year In NATO's 60-Year History From: Rick Rozoff
- 2.
- Military Ties, Arms Sales: Pentagon Chief To Visit India From: Rick Rozoff
- 3.
- Pentagon, NATO Allies Prioritize Yemen For New Year From: Rick Rozoff
- 4.
- U.S. Plans Military Aggression Against Venezuela: Foreign Ministry From: Rick Rozoff
- 5.
- Mediterranean Dialogue: Jordan's Military Role In Afghanistan Reveal From: Rick Rozoff
- 6.
- McChrystal sees victory ahead in Afghanistan From: linguisticresearch
- 7.
- 44 US drone hits in Pakistan killed 700 civilians in 2009 From: linguisticresearch
- 8.
- Pakistan: U.S. Missile Strikes Death Toll Over 99% Civilian From: Rick Rozoff
- 9.
- New NATO: Croatian Soldier Wounded In Afghanistan From: Rick Rozoff
- 10.
- Tony Blair's £1M-A-Year Paymaster Seeks Giant Iraqi Oil D From: Rick Rozoff
- 11.
- Gulf, Shared Democratic Values: UAE Largest Buyer Of U.S. Arms From: Rick Rozoff
- 12.
- Fw: Philippines 2009: Human Rights Took Serious Beating From Arroyo From: Rick Rozoff
- 13.
- Pentagon Builds Up Guam For Pacific Interventions From: Rick Rozoff
- 14.
- U.S. Air Forces Africa Deepen Role In Malian Conflict From: Rick Rozoff
- 15.
- Britain Follows U.S., Plans Second Intervention In Yemen From: Rick Rozoff
Messages
- 1.
-
Afghanistan 2009: Deadliest Year In NATO's 60-Year History
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Sat Jan 2, 2010 5:35 pm (PST)
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2010-01/02/content_12743717.htm
Xinhua News Agency
January 2, 2010
Official: 512 foreign troops killed in Afghanistan in 2009
KABUL: A total of 512 international troops were killed in Afghanistan in 2009, local media reported Saturday.
Among those killed, 448 were in military operations and 64 in other incidents, the English newspaper Outlook Afghanistan quoted Jeff Loftin, press officer of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), as saying.
The press officer told the newspaper that 280 foreign soldiers were killed by improvised explosive device (IED) strikes, which is branded the most lethal kind of attack launched by the Taliban.
Loftin failed to disclose as which country suffered how many military causalities.
The around 83,000-strong ISAF troops were from 44 countries.
===========================
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- 2.
-
Military Ties, Arms Sales: Pentagon Chief To Visit India
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Sat Jan 2, 2010 5:36 pm (PST)
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100103/jsp/nation/story_11936636.jsp
The Telegraph (Calcutta)
January 2, 2009
US defence boss to visit with deals in mind
SUJAN DUTTA
-Gates is one of the few key officials in the Bush administration who has been retained by Barack Obama in his cabinet. It was under the Bush administration that military-to-military relations between India and the US were completely transformed....In 2008, India contracted six Lockheed Martin-made C-130J Hercules aircraft for $ 1.1 billion, the largest defence contract to the US. Early last year, India also contracted Boeing-made P8I maritime surveillance aircraft.
In October, in the largest deployment of its kind outside Iraq and Afghanistan, the US shipped 17 Strykers, its most modern ground-fighting vehicles to India for the war games christened Yudh Abhyas 09 in the Indian army's armoured training establishment at Babina.
New Delhi: US defence secretary Robert Gates is slated to visit India in about a fortnight with the objective of lifting bilateral military relations from a policy-alignment plane to a commercial platform that will translate into larger contracts for American companies.
Gates is likely to be in Delhi on a two-day visit in the third week of this month but the dates are yet to be firmed up because he is likely to combine it with trips to other countries as well, a senior government source told The Telegraph.
Gates is one of the few key officials in the Bush administration who has been retained by Barack Obama in his cabinet. It was under the Bush administration that military-to-military relations between India and the US were completely transformed, especially after the signing of the 10-year Framework Agreement for the India-US Defence Relationship in 2005.
A top defence ministry official confirmed this week that the Defence Acquisitions Council had authorised the outright purchase of howitzers from BAE Land Systems, based in the US, through the Pentagon's Foreign Military Sales route. However, India was not closing other options to acquire ultra-light howitzers.
....
Gates last visited India in February 2008. That was followed by Antony's visit to the US in September that year. In November Gates also met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the US.
With the two countries agreeing in July last year to freeze a standard text for an end-use monitoring programme of military equipment the US sells to India, America is keen that India also sign a Logistics Support Agreement (LSA) and a Communications Interoperability and Security Memorandum of Agreement (Cismoa).
A top defence ministry official said this week that the LSA was still "under examination". The likelihood of the agreement, proposed four years back, being clinched shortly is remote. It is more likely that the two sides would get closer to agreeing on the Cismoa.
But within the framework of the policy agreements, the US is keener that defence trade should increase after the civilian nuclear deal was clinched.
In 2008, India contracted six Lockheed Martin-made C-130J Hercules aircraft for $ 1.1 billion, the largest defence contract to the US. Early last year, India also contracted Boeing-made P8I maritime surveillance aircraft.
In October, in the largest deployment of its kind outside Iraq and Afghanistan, the US shipped 17 Strykers, its most modern ground-fighting vehicles to India for the war games christened Yudh Abhyas 09 in the Indian army's armoured training establishment at Babina.
The Stryker is capable of carrying 11 troops in its infantry-carrying version. It can be reconfigured for multiple roles — surveillance, attack and heavy mobile firepower and is said to be equipped with gear for protection from chemical, nuclear and biological weapons.
Officials from the Pentagon's defence sales department and companies Lockheed Martin and Raytheon were present at Babina during the exercise. Along with the Strykers, they demonstrated the shoulder-fired Javelin anti-tank missiles during the 18-day war games.
In November, the Indian Army issued requests for information to buy 100 armoured personnel carriers that can be transported in aircraft and by ships. The eight-wheeled Stryker all-terrain vehicles made by General Dynamics are estimated to cost upwards of $ 1.3 million each. It is also the US army's first new armoured vehicle in 20 years.
===========================
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- 3.
-
Pentagon, NATO Allies Prioritize Yemen For New Year
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Sat Jan 2, 2010 5:36 pm (PST)
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/01/02/yemen.president.petraeus.meeting
CNN
January 2, 2009
Top U.S. military commander meets with Yemeni president
-American and Yemeni officials are now looking at fresh targets in Yemen for a potential retaliation strike, two senior U.S. officials told CNN Tuesday.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called Friday for an international meeting later this month to discuss how to counter radicalization in Yemen.
-"We have made Yemen a priority over the course of this year, and this is the latest in that effort."
Gen. David Petraeus, head of the U.S. Central Command, met with Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Saturday in Yemen, according to a senior U.S. government source.
During the meeting with Petraeus, Saleh expressed his appreciation for the United States' help in combating extremists, the source said.
Saleh also offered more support for U.S. counterterrorism strikes and said he would continue providing assistance for the U.S. investigation into the attempted bombing of a Northwest Airlines flight on December 25.
President Obama on Saturday linked the man accused in the botched attack to an al Qaeda affiliate based in Yemen.
....
"I've made it a priority to strengthen our partnership with the Yemeni government -- training and equipping their security forces, sharing intelligence and working with them to strike al Qaeda terrorists," [Obama] said.
....
American and Yemeni officials are now looking at fresh targets in Yemen for a potential retaliation strike, two senior U.S. officials told CNN Tuesday.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called Friday for an international meeting later this month to discuss how to counter radicalization in Yemen.
On Tuesday, Yemen's parliament ratified the International Convention for the Suppression of Financing of Terrorism, the official SABA state news agency reported. The move aligned Yemen with the United States in expanding the fight against terrorism to sources of funding.
Petraeus and John Brennan, Obama's counterterrorism adviser, also visited Saleh in Yemen last summer to discuss the threat of terrorism.
Obama aide John Brennan briefed the president on Petraeus' trip to Yemen after Brennan spoke with the general, a senior administration official and a senior government official said.
"Gen. Petraeus was in Yemen today as part of our ongoing consultations with and efforts in support of Yemen," the senior administration official said.
"We have made Yemen a priority over the course of this year, and this is the latest in that effort," the official said.
===========================
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==============================
- 4.
-
U.S. Plans Military Aggression Against Venezuela: Foreign Ministry
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Sat Jan 2, 2010 5:36 pm (PST)
http://rt.com/Top_News/2010-01-02/venezuela-us-military-aggression.html
Russia Today
January 3, 2009
"US plans military aggression against Venezuela"
Venezuela's Foreign Ministry has accused the US of plotting a military aggression from the nearby Dutch islands of Aruba and Curacao, off the Venezuelan coast.
The Foreign Ministry's official statement says recurrent violations of Venezuela's air space by American military planes is "irrefutable" proof that the United States, supported by the Netherlands, is planning and aggression against Venezuela.
Officials in Caracas doubt that the US is using military bases on Aruba and Curacao only for fighting drug trafficking. At the same time, Venezuela does not give any specific details concerning the alleged violations.
....
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has repeatedly accused US authorities of planning a coup against him or invading his country. The US has always denied the claims.
===========================
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- 5.
-
Mediterranean Dialogue: Jordan's Military Role In Afghanistan Reveal
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Sat Jan 2, 2010 7:13 pm (PST)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h-0P80v2ssrgvplZJgprXr-nF3JA
Agence France-Presse
January 2, 2010
Body of Jordan soldier killed in Afghanistan repatriated
-The authorities in Amman have never confirmed the presence of Jordanian troops in Afghanistan.
AMMAN: The remains of a Jordanian distantly related to the royal family who was killed in an attack in Afghanistan were repatriated on Saturday and received by King Abdullah II, Queen Rania and other royals.
Captain Ali bin Zeid was killed "on Wednesday evening as a martyr while performing the sacred duty of the Jordanian forces in Afghanistan," the official news agency Petra said.
The agency provided no further details about his death.
The soldier's family said that Zeid was killed in an attack on Wednesday but the precise circumstances in which he died remain unclear.
The authorities in Amman have never confirmed the presence of Jordanian troops in Afghanistan.
The officer's family said that Zeid, who carried the title "sherif" that is bestowed on members of the royal family, had been in Afghanistan for 20 days and had been due to return home on the day he was killed.
A suicide attack at a base in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday killed seven members of the US Central Intelligence Agency and wounded six others, the CIA said.
The attack, which was claimed by the Taliban, took place at Forward Operating Base Chapman in Khost province near the Pakistani border.
===========================
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- 6.
-
McChrystal sees victory ahead in Afghanistan
Posted by: "linguisticresearch" LinguisticResearch@gmx.de
Sat Jan 2, 2010 7:42 pm (PST)
*McChrystal:* "What we are working on is that we're really focusing on
getting counterinsurgency, protecting the people, in the minds of the
Afghan people. *We are not viewed as occupiers now*."
*F. Dostoevsky:* "A man who lies to himself, and believes his own lies,
becomes unable to recognize truth, either in himself or in anyone else."
---------------
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=66983
McChrystal sees victory ahead in Afghanistan
By Drew Brown <mailto:brownd@estripes.osd.mil>, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Saturday, January 2, 2010
U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan "are not winning yet, but we are
going to win," Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of the NATO-led
International Security Assistance Force, told Stars and Stripes in an
interview Friday.
But the general said it was not possible to say how long it will take to
achieve victory, which he defined as a situation where "the insurgency
is not an existential threat to the government or the people" of
Afghanistan. He added that protecting civilians remains the goal of the
allied counterinsurgency strategy.
"There's no way to put an exact timeline on it, because as I've said,
the Afghan people will decide [what victory is]," McChrystal said,
speaking by phone from Kabul. "[But] I believe that over the next year
to 18 months that we're going to be able to decisively change the
perception of momentum and gains by the insurgents."
President Barack Obama announced Dec. 1 that he was sending an
additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan in an effort to reverse gains
made by Taliban insurgents, and with the goal of training Afghan
security forces and turning over to them the lead in the
counterinsurgency fight. There were 68,000 U.S. troops already in the
country. Obama said he also plans to start withdrawing at least some
U.S. combat forces in July 2011.
The centerpiece of the strategy, outlined by McChrystal when he took
command of the 44-nation coalition last summer, is to focus on
protecting significant population centers. McChrystal said Friday that
these areas would include not only significant cities, but also prime
agricultural centers that "have a significant percentage of the population."
In southern Afghanistan, which is almost uniformly Pashtun and where the
Taliban are most resilient, McChrystal said the focus would be on an
area stretching from the Helmand River valley, where more than 10,000
U.S. Marines are deployed, along with British and other forces, east to
the Taliban's former spiritual capital of Kandahar, and down to Spin
Boldak, an important trading town and crossing point on the border with
Pakistan.
"That's an economic zone that has about 80 to 85 percent of the
population of those two provinces, Helmand and Kandahar provinces," he
said. "If you can get a security bubble around that sort of
horseshoe-shaped area, then suddenly you protect an awful lot of the
population, and you also have an area in which economic and political
activity can occur."
McChrystal's original plan called for building up the Afghan army and
police to 400,000 by the time U.S. troops start to draw down in 18
months, but that figure was shot down by the Obama administration as too
ambitious, according to a recent story in The Washington Post.
McChrystal acknowledged there had been "modifications" to the original
plan and added that coalition officials no longer had a definite target
size in mind.
"We don't have a number now," he said. "So, what we're doing is we're
growing as fast as we practically can, at least over the next two years,
and we'll keep looking at it, and [adjust] as we go."
McChrystal said that the coalition has significantly increased the use
of special operations forces in targeting key Taliban figures.
"The use of special operations forces: coalition, U.S. and Afghan — and
they're all used together — has been really effective, and we have
increased the use of all those forces in very precise targeting," he
said. "So, we're able to put a lot of pressure on those networks."
He dismissed recent claims by the Afghan Taliban that they control 80
percent of the country.
"They have presence in a number of areas, and in some areas, they have a
significant amount of control," he said. "In other areas, they have
presence, but not much real control. But they are trying to give the
impression to everybody that there's this inexorable wave that's coming,
and that's not what I see at all."
With the buildup of U.S. forces, and with NATO countries promising to
add at least 7,000 troops, comparisons with the Soviet occupation of
Afghanistan, which began 30 years ago, are inevitable. McChrystal said
that while the Soviets were quickly regarded as occupiers by most
Afghans, U.S. and other coalition forces are not.
"I'm the first to tell people that tactically, militarily, [the Soviets]
did a lot of things well. But they killed more than a million Afghans in
the process, and they created an environment in which the antibodies of
the society literally surged against them," McChrystal said. "What we
are working on is that we're really focusing on getting
counterinsurgency, protecting the people, in the minds of the Afghan
people. We are not viewed as occupiers now."
Recent Middle East Articles
* Looming U.S. exit to complicate Iraqi training
<http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=66982>
* In Iraq, 'Coalition of the willing' becomes an army of one
<http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=66981>
* Top military stories of 2009: Questions, accusations in wake of
Fort Hood rampage
<http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=66960>
* Top military stories of 2009: Suicides, homicides force Pentagon
to take a long look at troops' states of mind
<http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=66959>
* Top military stories of 2009: U.S. shifts toward lower profile in
Iraq <http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=66958>
* Top military stories of 2009: Obama comes full circle on
Afghanistan war as 2009 draws to a close
<http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=66957>
* Rodriguez: Less aggressive posture is a necessary risk in
Afghanistan
<http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=66948>
- 7.
-
44 US drone hits in Pakistan killed 700 civilians in 2009
Posted by: "linguisticresearch" LinguisticResearch@gmx.de
Sat Jan 2, 2010 7:42 pm (PST)
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=World_News&subsection=Pakistan+%26+Sub-Continent&month=January2010&file=World_News2010010283910.xml
*
*
*44 US drone hits in Pakistan killed 700 civilians in 2009 *
Web posted at: 1/2/2010 8:39:10
Source ::: INTERNEWS
PESHAWAR: Of the 44 Predator strikes carried out by the American drones
in the tribal areas of Pakistan in 12 months of 2009, only five were
able to hit their actual targets, killing five key Al Qaeda and Taliban
leaders, but at the cost of around 700 innocent civilian lives.
According to the figures compiled by the Pakistani authorities, the
Afghanistan-based US drones killed 708 people in 44 predator attacks
targeting the Pakistani tribal areas between January 1 and December 31,
2009. For each Al Qaeda and Taliban terrorist killed by the American
drones, 140 civilian Pakistanis also had to die. Over 90 percent of
those killed in the deadly missile strikes were innocent civilians.
The success percentage for the drone hits during 2009 is hardly 11
percent. On average, 58 civilians were killed in these attacks every
month, 12 persons every week and almost two people every day. Most of
the hits were conducted on the basis of human intelligence, reportedly
provided by the Pakistani and Afghan tribesmen, who are spying for the
US-led allied forces in Afghanistan.
Of the five successful predator attacks carried out in 2009, the first
one came on January 1, which reportedly killed two senior al-Qaeda
leaders - Usama al-Kin and Sheikh Ahmed Salim, both wanted by the
American Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Kin was the chief
operational commander of Al Qaeda in Pakistan and had replaced Abu Faraj
Al Libi after his arrest in 2004.
The second successful drone attack was conducted on August 5 in South
Waziristan that killed the most wanted fugitive chief of the
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan Baitullah Mehsud along with his wife. The US
State Department had announces a $5m head money for information leading
to Baitullah , making him the only Pakistani fugitive with the head
money separately announced by Islamabad and Washington.
- 8.
-
Pakistan: U.S. Missile Strikes Death Toll Over 99% Civilian
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Sat Jan 2, 2010 7:55 pm (PST)
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/18-over-700-killed-in-44-drone-strikes-in-2009-am-01
Dawn News
January 2, 2010
Over 700 killed in 44 drone strikes in 2009
PESHAWAR: Of the 44 predator strikes carried out by US drones in the tribal areas of Pakistan over the past 12 months, only five were able to hit their actual targets, killing five key Al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders, but at the cost of over 700 innocent civilians.
According to the statistics compiled by Pakistani authorities, the Afghanistan-based US drones killed 708 people in 44 predator attacks targeting the tribal areas between January 1 and December 31, 2009.
For each Al Qaeda and Taliban terrorist killed by US drones, 140 innocent Pakistanis also had to die. Over 90 per cent of those killed in the deadly missile strikes were civilians, claim authorities.
The success percentage for the drone hits during 2009 was hardly 11 per cent. On average, 58 civilians were killed in these attacks every month, 12 persons every week and almost two people every day. Most of the attacks were carried out on the basis of human intelligence, reportedly provided by the Pakistani and Afghan tribesmen, who are spying for the US-led allied forces in Afghanistan.
Of the five successful predator attacks carried out in 2009, the first one came on January 1, which reportedly killed two senior al-Qaeda leaders – Usama al-Kin and Sheikh Ahmed Salim – both wanted by the American Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Kin was the chief operational commander of Al-Qaeda in Pakistan and had replaced Abu Faraj Al Libi after his arrest in 2004.
The second successful drone attack was conducted on August 5 in South Waziristan that killed the most wanted fugitive chief of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan Baitullah Mehsud along with his wife.
The US State Department had announces a $5million head money for information leading to Baitullah, making him the only Pakistani fugitive with the head money separately announced by Islamabad and Washington.
===========================
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==============================
- 9.
-
New NATO: Croatian Soldier Wounded In Afghanistan
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Sat Jan 2, 2010 8:01 pm (PST)
http://www.focus-fen.net/?id=n205380
Focus News Agency
January 2, 2010
Jutarnji List: Croatian soldier injured in Afghanistan
Zagreb: A Croatian soldier has been injured in Afghanistan, the Croatian Jutarnji List daily announced on its Internet site.
The Croatian defense ministry says on its website that Croatian soldier Ivica Husar was injured in Afghanistan on December 30 at 3:45 p.m. local time.
The incident occurred in the military base in the city of Mazar-e Sharif during the regular preparation for the military tasks – shooting with mine-throwers, the newspaper says.
The injured soldier will receive medical treatment in a hospital in Marmal military base.
===========================
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- 10.
-
Tony Blair's £1M-A-Year Paymaster Seeks Giant Iraqi Oil D
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Sat Jan 2, 2010 8:06 pm (PST)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article6973974.ece
Sunday Times (London)
January 3, 2010
Tony Blair's £1m-a-year paymaster seeks giant Iraqi oil deal
Jon Ungoed-Thomas
-"Foreign oil companies have been demanding that Iraq privatises its oil since the invasion. It is shocking news that rather than being held to account for his actions in Iraq, Tony Blair now appears to be profiting at the expense of the Iraqi people."
-These roles are generating the biggest fortune earned so far by a former British prime minister.
Blair's consultancy roles with Mubadala, JP Morgan, Zurich Financial Services and the Kuwait government pay him at least £6m a year. He also earns millions on the lecture circuit, with fees of as much as £6,000 a minute.
A Middle Eastern investment fund that pays Tony Blair about £1m a year as an international adviser is in talks to develop one of Iraq's biggest oilfields.
Mubadala, a United Arab Emirates investment firm, is in negotiations to join a consortium of western oil companies developing the Zubair oilfield in southern Iraq. More than £6 billion of investment is required for the project.
Blair has always insisted that the Iraq conflict was never linked to the country's vast oil reserves, but he was facing criticism this weekend over his role with Mubadala. The investment firm, which receives 80% of its revenues from oil and gas, intends to build the biggest oil company in the eastern hemisphere.
It has been confirmed that Mubadala's oil and gas division is in talks with Occidental Petroleum, an American company, about sharing some of its stake in the Zubair deal, which is to be developed by a consortium headed by Eni, the Italian energy firm. The talks were confirmed to financial analysts in a public briefing by Ray Irani, Occidental's chief executive.
Zubair is one of Iraq's largest oilfields, with four billion barrels of reserves. The Baghdad administration offered contracts to develop Iraqi oilfields to foreign companies for the first time last year and the Eni-led consortium has the preliminary go-ahead for the Zubair field.
Ruth Tanner, the campaigns and policy director at War on Want, the anti-poverty charity based in London, said: "Foreign oil companies have been demanding that Iraq privatises its oil since the invasion. It is shocking news that rather than being held to account for his actions in Iraq, Tony Blair now appears to be profiting at the expense of the Iraqi people."
Blair, who is due to give evidence to the Iraq inquiry by early February, is combining pro bono work in Africa with corporate consultancies and serving as an international peace envoy in the Middle East. These roles are generating the biggest fortune earned so far by a former British prime minister.
Blair's consultancy roles with Mubadala, JP Morgan, Zurich Financial Services and the Kuwait government pay him at least £6m a year. He also earns millions on the lecture circuit, with fees of as much as £6,000 a minute.
Asked about his roles with Mubadala and JP Morgan in a Sunday Times interview last month, Blair said: "Because I am travelling the world I can help to explain where I think politics is going."
Mubadala already has oil and gas contracts in Libya, Kazakhstan and Bahrain. It is in partnership with Occidental in the operation of a gas pipeline from Oman to Qatar.
Blair was accused of supporting the interests of the western oil companies with the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, but dismissed the allegations as a conspiracy theory....
The fund was initially administered by the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) and overseen by an advisory body with UN representatives. This body subsequently highlighted "inadequate controls" by the CPA. Funds were being stolen and oil was being smuggled illegally out of the country.
After Saddam Hussein was deposed, western oil firms helped to draft a law under which they would have gained a strong role in controlling Iraq's huge reserves. This was defeated and the current deals are widely viewed as being more fair to the Iraqis, although some MPs in the country are highly critical of the contracts.
Mubadala declined to comment on any talks, but said: "We are always looking for opportunities overseas and have an expertise in oil and gas." Occidental declined to comment. A spokesman for Blair said: "This is not an issue Tony Blair has had anything to do with."
===========================
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- 11.
-
Gulf, Shared Democratic Values: UAE Largest Buyer Of U.S. Arms
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Sat Jan 2, 2010 8:25 pm (PST)
http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100102/BUSINESS/701029922/1005
The National (United Arab Emirates)
January 2, 2010
Emirates is top US military customer
Ivan Gale
-[T]he UAE became the largest foreign purchaser of US defence equipment with sales of $7.9bn, ahead of Afghanistan ($5.4bn), Saudi Arabia ($3.3bn) and Taiwan ($3.2bn).
The spending included orders for munitions for the UAE's F-16 fighter jets as well as a new Patriot defensive missile system and a fleet of corvettes for the navy.
Two UAE orders for military helicopters and guided bombs capped a remarkable year for procurement in which the Emirates became the largest foreign purchaser of US defence equipment, a Pentagon agency said.
The UAE, which has peacekeepers in Afghanistan, awarded Sikorsky Aircraft a US$171 million (Dh628m) contract for 14 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, which are used for tactical transport.
Separately, the US defence security co-operation agency, a unit of the Pentagon, said last week it had notified Congress of a potential sale of enhanced guided bomb units, parts, training and support to the UAE for about $290m.
The same agency said in November that in the last fiscal year the UAE became the largest foreign purchaser of US defence equipment with sales of $7.9bn, ahead of Afghanistan ($5.4bn), Saudi Arabia ($3.3bn) and Taiwan ($3.2bn).
The spending included orders for munitions for the UAE's F-16 fighter jets as well as a new Patriot defensive missile system and a fleet of corvettes for the navy.
"The Emirates is building the best air defence in the region and enhancing its naval capability, and all this costs money," said Riad Kahwaji, the chief executive of the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis. "They have made it clear from the start that they want only the best."
The UAE purchases have been fuelled by a quadrupling of oil prices in the past decade and by continuing regional tensions, including those involving Iran, the US and Israel over the Islamic republic's nuclear programme.
The helicopter deal will require Sikorsky to configure the aircraft to UAE specifications and should be completed by the end of 2012.
The main contractors for the second deal announced last week are Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, the Pentagon agency said.
A number of deals could be announced this year as the UAE fills gaps in its defence system.
"The Government is still very active and there are a few things it needs to close here," Mr Kahwaji said. Those include contracts for C-17 and C-130 military transport aeroplanes, advanced trainer jets and the French Rafale fighter jet.
The advanced trainer jet contract with Alenia Aermacchi of Italy was expected to be announced at the Dubai Airshow in November but was postponed because of unresolved issues surrounding the production of parts in the UAE, Mr Kahwaji said. "There are a lot of technical issues that go into these contracts and they can get very complicated," he said.
===========================
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- 12.
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Fw: Philippines 2009: Human Rights Took Serious Beating From Arroyo
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Sat Jan 2, 2010 8:36 pm (PST)
From: Patrick Mac Manus <patrickpmacmanus@gmail.com>
Subject: Philippines: In 2009, Human Rights Took Serious Beating from Arroyo Regime
To:
Date: Saturday, January 2, 2010, 10:20 PM
In 2009, Human Rights Took Serious Beating from Arroyo Regime
• Extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, illegal arrests, arbitrary detention and tortures;
• Vilification campaign and filing of trumped up and politically motivated charges against leaders and activists of the democratic movement;
• Indiscriminate firing, forced evacuation, militarization and other human rights violations directed at communities;
• Denial of justice through circumvention of the judicial system, cover-up and whitewashing;
• Persecution of human rights defenders;
• Repressive policies and legislation;
• Abetting U.S. military intervention. http://www.bulatlat.com/main/2010/01/03/in-2009-human-rights-took-serious-beating-from-arroyo-regime/
--
Patrick Mac Manus
Midgaardsgade 13, 3. th.
2200 København / Copenhagen N
+45 22 45 41 78
Foreningen Oprør / Rebellion (Denmark): www.opror.net/blog/
Ny udgivelse: Den tilkæmpede historie - fabler og fortællinger. Forlaget Arbejderen 2009. http://arbejderen.dk/bestil_materialer.asp#Manus
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=1524044767&ref=name
- 13.
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Pentagon Builds Up Guam For Pacific Interventions
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Sat Jan 2, 2010 8:41 pm (PST)
http://enews.mcot.net/view.php?id=13543
Kyodo News Agency
January 3, 2010
U.S. military eyes Guam as staging post to counter threats
-''Moving these forces to Guam would place them on the furthest forward element of sovereign U.S. territory in the Pacific, thereby maximizing their freedom of action.''
-The relocation and buildup cost, including expansion of infrastructure needed to maintain a permanent base for Marines and U.S. Army troops on Guam and Tinian, an island 160 kilometers to the northeast, is pegged at $12 billion.
-A U.S. Army ''Air and Missile Defense Task Force'' is also proposed for Guam to protect the island....Weapons emplacement sites would be constructed to accommodate the ''Terminal High Altitude Area Defense'' system, which is designed to intercept missiles during late mid-course or final stage flight.
HAGATNA, Guam: The United States plans to fortify Guam, upgrading its military base on the island into a strategic staging post that would allow rapid access to potential flashpoints in the Pacific region.
More troops, including 9,182 Marines, army soldiers and their dependents from Okinawa, Japan, will be relocated to this island, while more than 9,000 transient troops, mainly from the navy's carrier strike group, will also be based here.
The ''overarching purpose'' of beefing up Guam as a military fortress is ''to provide mutual defense, deter aggression, and dissuade coercion in the Western Pacific Region, according to a draft impact report recently released by the U.S. Defense Department.
The proposed buildup would allow U.S. military forces to respond to regional threats and contingencies in a ''flexible'' and ''timely manner'' as they work to ''defend U.S., Japan and allied interests,'' the study says.
''Moving these forces to Guam would place them on the furthest forward element of sovereign U.S. territory in the Pacific, thereby maximizing their freedom of action,'' it says.
According to the report, the United States envisions Guam as a ''local command and control structure'' manned, equipped, trained, and sustained by a modern logistics infrastructure.
The relocation and buildup cost, including expansion of infrastructure needed to maintain a permanent base for Marines and U.S. Army troops on Guam and Tinian, an island 160 kilometers to the northeast, is pegged at $12 billion.
Japan has agreed to chip in $6.09 billion of the total.
The plan would entail ''increased operational activities,'' more frequent berthing by aircraft carriers and other warships, building aviation training ranges and upgrading of harbors, wharves and ports.
The existing Andersen Air Force Base on Guam would be expanded to include the air elements of the Marines. A new Marine base would be built ''right next door,'' the study says.
Various firing ranges would be built to meet the various training requirements of a larger military contingent.
The U.S. also plans to expand its live fire training ranges in Tinian where about 200 or more Marines could ''realistically train'' with their weapons and equipment ''without restrictions.'' Also on the drawing board is the building of a deep-draft wharf at Guam's Apra Harbor to support nuclear-powered aircraft carriers transiting through the area.
A U.S. Army ''Air and Missile Defense Task Force'' is also proposed for Guam to protect the island and U.S. forces there against the threat of harm from ballistic missile attacks.
Weapons emplacement sites would be constructed to accommodate the ''Terminal High Altitude Area Defense'' system, which is designed to intercept missiles during late mid-course or final stage flight.
Other emplacement sites would accommodate Patriot missiles, which are designed to strike threat aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and cruise missiles just before impact.
The U.S military is beefing up its presence in Guam after U.S. allies in the Pacific - the Philippines, Thailand, Australia, South Korea and Singapore - turned down U.S. requests for permanent basing of U.S. troops on their soil.
Already concerns are being raised over plans to transform Guam into ''a multi-service military base.''
....
Henry Simpson, general manager of Guam Racing Federation, said the U.S.
military aims to take his race track without even consulting him. ''They want to run over our land,'' he said.
....
===========================
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- 14.
-
U.S. Air Forces Africa Deepen Role In Malian Conflict
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Sat Jan 2, 2010 8:50 pm (PST)
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123183937
U.S. Air Forces in Europe
American Forces News Service
December 31, 2009
86th AW expands U.S. Air Forces Africa support with first Super Hercules flight
by Senior Airman Stefanie Torres
17th Air Force Public Affairs
-"The J-model is a significant improvement over the C-130H and E models. It's range and enhanced payload will make the 86th Airlift Wing even more capable of supporting missions in Africa...."
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany: The first C-130J Super Hercules mission in support of U.S. Air Forces Africa, or 17th Air Force, opened up doors to a future partnership of support between the 86th Airlift Wing and upcoming missions into Africa.
The mission's aircraft commander, Maj. Robert May of the 37th Airlift Squadron, and his crew were tasked to fly into Mali Dec. 19 to bring home 17 troops who were assisting with training Malian forces.
The significance of this mission is two-fold, Major May said.
"First, we now recognize the capability of the J-model aircraft," he said. "I really believe that the J-model is uniquely going to show our capabilities in Africa. Second, this shows we can support the guys on the ground with a very reliable aircraft."
The C-130J is the latest addition to the C-130 fleet, replacing C-130Es. The 86th AW is the first wing outside the U.S. to have the C-130J assigned. The unit began receiving the Super Hercules in April 2009, and in late December took delivery of the 10th and 11th aircraft in the fleet of 14 to be assigned to the 37th AS and 86th AW.
"AFAFRICA will be able to call on the 37th AS to support the mission," the major said. "I know this is something our aircrews look forward to."
The J-model has six-blade propellers, new turboprop engines and is larger than previous models. It climbs faster and higher, has a longer range at a higher cruise speed, and takes off and lands in a shorter distance.
The J-model can also perform three times the workload of the previous models, increasing mission capability. Brig. Gen. Michael W. Callan, the Vice Commander at 17th AF, recently experienced these capabilities first hand. He flew one of the 37th AS's new J-models from the Lockheed-Martin plant in Marietta, Ga. to Ramstein Air Base, Germany Dec. 23.
"The J-model is a significant improvement over the C-130H and E models," General Callan said. "It's range and enhanced payload will make the 86th Airlift Wing even more capable of supporting missions in Africa. We're very lucky to have the 86th so close."
The General's sentiments were echoed by Lockheed-Martin.
"The C-130J is the most advanced tactical airlifter in the world," said Mr. Peter Simmons, the Communications director for C-130 programs for Lockheed-Martin. "The newly formed mission in support of Africa Command has given us yet another opportunity to see how this aircraft can operate in a testing environment. Yet, the aircraft is ideally suited for the missions flown on the African continent."
The maximum load of the C-130 J is 45,000 pounds. However, a bigger aircraft doesn't necessarily mean a bigger crew. This cargo plane only needs a minimum of three crew members compared to five on the older models, he explained.
"With a 20,000-pound payload, the aircraft can fly more than 4,000 nautical miles and is well over 15 percent more fuel efficient as well," said Mr. Simmons.
Ultimately, this mission was only a beginning. J-model crews here were excited at the challenge presented by supporting AFAFRICA.
"The increased missions will be a challenge, but we are excited to take this on," Major May said.
===========================
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