Messages In This Digest (15 Messages)

11.: Iran, Russia, Armenia to hold joint meeting From: muratoglunazar

12.: Turkey and Russia move closer to building strategic partnership From: linguisticresearch

13.: Moldovan "Twitter Revolution" Chief In U.S. To Pursue NATO Accession From: Rick Rozoff

14.: Iran Warns Against NATO's Eastward Expansion From: Rick Rozoff

15.: Yanukovich -- Man for all seasons From: Rick Rozoff

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1.: 2009: 243,000 U.S. Combat Troops Passed Through Irish Airport

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Mon Jan 18, 2010 6:07 pm (PST)

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/letters/2010/0119/1224262632345.html

Irish Times
January 19, 2010

Letter

Use of Shannon by US troops

Madam – The release and detailed coverage of the official papers for the year 1979 may help equip ordinary citizens with a reality-based appreciation of their State's evolving orientation.

A striking contrast occurs.

In 1979, official unease arose at a US request to allow 12,000 troops to pass through Shannon following a Nato exercise in Germany.

An explicit concern was whether Ireland's traditional military neutrality would be "compromised".

Fast-forward 30 years. In 2009, 243,000 US combat troops passed through Shannon.

Arguably the documented 1979 precedent may belong historically in a Cold War context.

Nevertheless, an apparent sea-change developed over the next three decades. "Educate that you may be free" (Thomas Davis). – Yours, etc,

JA BARNWELL,

St Patrick's Road,

Dublin 9
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2.: Military Muscle: German Arms Giant In The Making

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Mon Jan 18, 2010 6:08 pm (PST)

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/german-defense-giant-in-the-making-2010-01-18?reflink=MW_news_stmp

MarketWatch
January 18, 2010

German defense giant in the making
Commentary: Making up for lost time in military muscle
By David Marsh

-The merger seems sensible and well-timed. First, it ties in with the requirement of both MAN and Rheinmetall to bring more focus into their corporate activities. Second, it centers not on high-tech "smart" or airborne weaponry, but on the utilitarian area of land-borne systems that have been centre-stage priorities in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq....[I]it meets the long-held German desire to build industrial companies with world scale in the defense field.
-[S]uccessive German governments have long hankered after building national champions along the lines of Thales in France, BAE Systems in the U.K. and General Dynamics Corp. in the U.S.

LONDON: Since the end of World War II, building up large-scale defense companies in Germany has always been something of a taboo.

The dam seemed to burst in the late 1980s when Daimler-Benz joined up with aerospace group Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm to form a defense giant with military equipment-making activities on the land, and at sea and in the air. But the timing - just before the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War - turned out wrong.

In those days, don't forget, people started talking about the "peace dividend". Newly-reunited Germany was not in the mood to start supporting a new high-profile weapons-making titan. So, after a lengthy series of false starts and embarrassing reversals, Daimler these days has gone back to concentrate once again on making cars.

Now Germany has made a new, less grandiose effort at picking winners in the defense industry. Last week came the news that truck maker MAN and defense and automotive group Rheinmetall are merging their military wheeled vehicle businesses to create a European land systems leader.

Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles will eventually have about 1,300 employees and revenues of more than 1 billion euros after merging in two stages. Sales and development activities are coming together first, and then production at the end of 2011.

The merger seems sensible and well-timed. First, it ties in with the requirement of both MAN and Rheinmetall to bring more focus into their corporate activities. Second, it centers not on high-tech "smart" or airborne weaponry, but on the utilitarian area of land-borne systems that have been centre-stage priorities in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq -- and will be of increasing importance in fields like UN peace-keeping.

Third, it meets the long-held German desire to build industrial companies with world scale in the defense field.

The consolidation has been under discussion for about a year. The German government - a big supporter of building larger companies in the German defense business to compete with rivals in France, the U.S. and U.K. - has been providing behind-the-scenes assistance to make sure industry goes in the right direction.

War-time sensitivities - and, in particular, Germany's highly delicate balancing act with Israel and the Arab states - preclude German government ministers or officials saying too much about this issue in public.

However, successive German governments have long hankered after building national champions along the lines of Thales in France, BAE Systems in the U.K. and General Dynamics Corp. in the U.S.

At present, MAN's wheeled military business, which makes trucks for the U.K.'s Ministry of Defence among others, has sales of about 500m euros while Rheinmetall's, which includes the Boxer and Fuchs armored vehicles, has revenues of about 250 million euros.

One important aim of the merger is to provide international customers with an integrated offering and a "one stop shop" for military purchases.

It could pave the way for an eventual deal for Rheinmetall to become undisputed leader of the German defense industry. One route would be for the company to divest its automotive division that contributed roughly half of the group's revenue last year but was far less profitable than defense.

Rheinmetall has long had its eye on privately-held German tank-maker Krauss Maffei-Wegmann, but the two companies have been unable to agree a merger because of differences over control of the mooted new group. Now that Rheinmetall has acquired greater critical mass, it may be able in the next few years to remove obstacles to a link-up with Krauss-Maffei.

David Marsh is chairman of London and Oxford Capital Markets. The Marsh on Monday column appears in German in the newspaper Handelsblatt.
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3.: ALBA Nations Say U.S. Exploits Haitian Catastrophe For Military Aims

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Mon Jan 18, 2010 6:09 pm (PST)

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/59936

CNS News
January 18, 2010

Leftist Leaders Say U.S. Is Using Relief Mission As Pretext to Occupy Haiti
By Patrick Goodenough

The United States is using the humanitarian crisis in Haiti as an excuse to occupy the earthquake-hit island nation, two of Washington's most vocal leftist critics in Latin America implied at the weekend.

To support the massive aid operation following last Tuesday's devastating quake, the U.S. was set to have up to 10,000 troops on the ground or in the waters off Haiti by early this week

But the presence of 82nd Airborne Division troops at Port-au-Prince airport, Air Force C-17s ferrying in equipment, water and supplies and the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson equipped with 19 helicopters off Haiti, along with the news that more troops and assets including a hospital ship are on their way, raised suspicions in some quarters.

"What is happening in Haiti seriously concerns me as U.S. troops have already taken control of the airport," Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega said late Friday.

The Nicaraguan newspaper El Nuevo Diario said Ortega accused the U.S. of manipulating the tragedy to install troops in Haiti. It said the comments were made during a meeting with a Syrian government minister.

"Haiti seeks humanitarian aid, not troops," he said. "I hope they will withdraw troops occupying Haiti."

Ortega also expressed satisfaction that members of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) – a left-wing regional grouping led by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez – were involved in the humanitarian effort. Nicaragua earlier sent 31 military doctors and Venezuela has sent doctors, medicines and food.

On Sunday Chavez weighed in, using his weekly television and radio show to question U.S. motives in Haiti, and accusing it of "occupying Haiti undercover."

"[President] Obama, stop sending troops to Haiti, send doctors," the official Venezuelan ABN news agency quoted him as saying. "Haiti does not need troops."
....
Soon-to-arrive additional assets included more than 2,200 U.S. Marines onboard an amphibious ship, equipped with heavy lift and earth-moving equipment, a dozen helicopters and additional medical support capabilities, Southern Command said.
....
Chavez and other ALBA leaders frequently allege that the U.S. is conspiring to bring down their governments and has plans to intervene militarily in the region.

In recent months they have pointed to a U.S. agreement to use military bases in Colombia as supposed proof of such a plot. The U.S. and Colombia say the agreement is in support of counter narcotics operations in the region. It followed the refusal of Ecuador's President Rafael Correa – another ALBA member – to renew a 10-year lease for the use of an Ecuadorian airbase for the anti-drug mission.
----------------------------------------------------------
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2010-01/15/content_12811750.htm

Xinhua News Agency
January 15, 2010

Nicaragua sends rescuers, military doctors to Haiti

MANAGUA: Nicaraguan on Thursday sent 31 military doctors of the Humanitarian Rescue Unit (URH) and humanitarian aid for the victims of a magnitude-7 earthquake that shocked Haiti on Tuesday.

The Nicaraguan rescuers and doctors will assist at least some 3,000 victims of the earthquake in Part-au-Prince, capital of Honduras, for some 10 days.

Before the plane took off, chief of the Nicaraguan Army, General Omar Halleslevens inspected the two AN-26 planes which carried the aid to Haiti.

The 31 officers of the URH travel in one of the planes, while the other plane was loaded with portable beds and medicines to aid the victims in Haiti. The cost of this aid is of 100,000 U.S. dollars.

Among the 31 URH officers there are experts to reestablish the electricity system and to provide the first aids.

The two Nicaraguan planes will make a stop in Jamaica for later take off to Haiti. Haitian President Rene Preval said on Wednesday that there are at least some 100,000 deaths and Port-au-Prince was devastated by the strong earthquake.

On Wednesday, Nicaraguan government spokesman Rosario Murillo announced that Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega ordered to send two planes of the army to Haiti with a humanitarian brigade and humanitarian aid.
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4.: Nicaragua Invites Russia To Build New Atlantic-Pacific Canal

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Mon Jan 18, 2010 6:09 pm (PST)

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=14730552&PageNum=0

Itar-Tass
January 18, 2010

Nicaragua invites Russia to help build canal between Atlantic, Pacific Oceans

MOSCOW: Nicaragua has asked Russia to join in the construction of a ship canal between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans.

This issue was discussed at a meeting between Russian Deputy Transport Minister Sergei Aristov and his Nicaraguan Deputy Foreign Minister Manuel Coronel Kautz on Monday.

"The Nicaraguan side asked the Russian side to participate in the construction of the canal running across Nicaragua and linking the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans," a Transport Ministry spokesman said.

According to an expert assessment, the project will costs 18 billion U.S. dollars.

Aristov said this issue would require further examination due to a change in economic conditions and the financial situation in the world, as well as in connection with the start of renovation work on the Panama Canal.
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5.: Obama Dispatches Pentagon Chief To India To Boost Military Ties

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Mon Jan 18, 2010 6:10 pm (PST)

http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_obama-dispatches-gates-to-india-to-upgrade-military-ties_1336423

Daily News & Analysis
January 19, 2010

Obama dispatches Gates to India to upgrade military ties
Uttara Choudhury

-India bought $3.5 billion of US weaponry in 2008. For the US, securing arms deals brings many advantages including the fact that such links make it easier to operate with allies that use similar equipment.

NEW YORK: US defence secretary Robert Gates is expected to arrive in New Delhi on Tuesday, seeking to upgrade the Obama administration's ties with India through military cooperation.

His first visit in nearly two years is aimed at jump-starting talks on hanging defence pacts.

It will be the first high-level talks between the two countries since prime minister Manmohan Singh sat down with president Barack Obama at the White House in November. Pentagon officials, briefing reporters ahead of the trip, said Gates will meet Singh, external affairs minister SM Krishna, and defence minister AK Antony.

"We obviously view India as a regional power and emerging global power," a senior defence official told reporters. "The key objective of the trip is to emphasise the importance of this bilateral relationship, and the role defence relations play in advancing the strategic partnership."

The Pentagon chief had planned to visit Australia over the
weekend, before flying to India, but cancelled that leg of his trip to direct US relief work in quake-hit Haiti.
....
India bought $3.5 billion of US weaponry in 2008. For the US, securing arms deals brings many advantages including the fact that such links make it easier to operate with allies that use similar equipment.

Gates's visit comes in the wake of India writing a letter of interest to the US government for the acquisition of 10 C-17 aircraft worth over $2 billion. Gates, who was last in India in 2008 — when he held the same post as defence chief for the Bush administration — is likely to make a strong pitch for US defence firms.

[The] US is courting India, the world's 10th largest defence buyer, and is looking to spend over $50 billion over five years to modernise its army.
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6.: Gates On 21st Century U.S.-India Military Cooperation In Asia, Globa

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Mon Jan 18, 2010 6:12 pm (PST)

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Forward-together/articleshow/5473680.cms

Times of India
January 19, 2010

Forward, together
Robert M Gates

-[T]he security threats and challenges of the 21st century present new opportunities for our nations and militaries to work together in unprecedented ways....India can be a net provider of security in the Indian Ocean and beyond - making valuable contributions to stability operations across the globe. In many respects, that belief is at the heart of the 2005 defence framework agreement, which, five years in, has amply demonstrated how much our countries have to gain from a long-term, reliable defence relationship.

Two years ago, during my first visit to India as the United States secretary of defence, I was struck by how much our relationship had improved since I was last in government in the early 1990s. With its dynamic free market and thriving democracy, India has emerged as a world power - one of the greatest shifts in the strategic landscape in recent memory. Our shared values and convergent interests form the foundation of our relationship - and have drawn us together even as governments have changed in our respective countries. At the same time, the security threats and challenges of the 21st century present new opportunities for our nations and militaries to work together in unprecedented ways.

I arrive in New Delhi today believing firmly that we must seize these opportunities because the peace and security of South Asia is critical not just to this region, but also to the entire international community. India can be a net provider of security in the Indian Ocean and beyond - making valuable contributions to stability operations across the globe. In many respects, that belief is at the heart of the 2005 defence framework agreement, which, five years in, has amply demonstrated how much our countries have to gain from a long-term, reliable defence relationship.

One of the great successes in recent years has been the increase in the number and complexity of joint training exercises between our militaries - exercises that not only increase trust and confidence, but also prepare our armed forces to confront security challenges that can only be solved by many nations working in concert. One example is the counter-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden, where India is working alongside the multinational naval task force.

We have also made significant strides in developing a stable defence trade, most recently with India's decision to buy American transport aircraft and other military equipment. The US defence industry produces the best products in the world, and using the same platforms also enhances our militaries' ability to interact and communicate more effectively.

That said, there are still more opportunities for closer cooperation that will allow us to share technology and increase the flow of information and expertise. In particular, we both have to re-examine policies dealing with exchanging technology. Moving forward together on certain regulatory measures in this area - especially those dictated by United States law - will enable greater levels of cooperation and provide tangible benefits for both governments and economies.
....
Two months ago, Singh arrived in Washington for the first official state visit of the new US administration. In his welcoming remarks, Obama referred to the relationship between our countries as a defining partnership of the 21st century - a union between two of the world's great democracies. During my meetings with India's leaders this week, i look forward to solidifying these pillars - and strengthening a relationship indispensable to both of our nations' future peace and prosperity.

The writer is US secretary of defence.
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7.: British Tory Leader: NATO Must "Protect" World Energy Supplies

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Mon Jan 18, 2010 6:18 pm (PST)

http://www.publictechnology.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=22376

PublicTechnology.net
January 18, 2010

Cameron on energy: the UK is vulnerable

Speaking at Chatham House on security and energy, David Cameron said that energy supply is critical for the functioning of society and the UK is in jeopardy.

"After decades as an energy-secure nation, safely reliant on fossil fuel supplies from the North Sea, the United Kingdom has in the last decade added itself to the long list of import-dependent nations.
....
By 2025, 47% to 50% of the UK's energy supply will come from abroad.

"These imports come from volatile regions like the Middle East, where political instability, terrorism and piracy pose real risks to supplies. As state control over commodities increases, so does resource nationalism.

This was demonstrated by disputes between Russia and Ukraine with knock-on effects for the rest of Europe.
....
To improve security and resilience of energy supply, Cameron said a Conservative government will ensure that energy security is high in FCO priorities.

He advocated that diplomatic effort and representation should reflect UK strategic energy interests and security of supply.

In particular, we need to catch up with other countries in securing long-term energy supply contracts.

• Reflect energy security concerns in the tasking of the Armed Forces. The MoD should have regard to energy security in the tasking of our Armed Forces, for example the Royal Navy in the security of the sea lanes and the safety of maritime traffic.

• Develop a role for NATO. NATO must develop, in doctrinal and practical ways, the concepts of solidarity and mutual assistance in the context of threats to energy security as part of the operational underpinning given to collective security in the twenty first century.

• NATO navies should cooperate with other navies to help police supply lines.

Cameron said: "The security of our energy supplies increasingly depends on supplies of fossil fuels located in some of the most unstable parts of the world. Nuclear proliferation is a growing menace, focused for the time being on the possibility of a nuclear-armed Iran and the unpredictable actions of North Korea.
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8.: U.S. Troops Train In Hungary For Afghan War

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Mon Jan 18, 2010 6:22 pm (PST)

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-oh-ohioguard-hungari,0,6618227.story

Associated Press
January 18, 2010

Ohio, Hungarian soldiers deploy to Afghanistan
By MEGHAN BARR

COLUMBUS, Ohio: Twenty-eight soldiers from the Ohio Army National Guard have deployed overseas to help Hungarian troops train Afghan forces.

Members of the 174th Air Defense Artillery Brigade mobilized for active duty in early January as part of the Operational Mentor and Liaison Team, a collaboration between U.S. and NATO forces that enables countries with less advanced military capabilities to work side-by-side with American soldiers.

The unit will train first in Hungary and Germany, then deploy to Afghanistan.

Michigan, Minnesota and Tennessee are also part of the mentor program.

President Barack Obama has ordered 30,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan but said they would start to leave in 2011 depending on the readiness of Afghan forces.
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9.: Afghan War: NATO Recruits More Finnish Troops

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Mon Jan 18, 2010 6:40 pm (PST)

http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Finland+may+increase+size+of+force+in+Afghanistan/1135252219473

Helsingin Sanomat
January 19, 2010

Finland may increase size of force in Afghanistan

- Finland will provide special training to British, Norwegian, and German soldiers, who are to coach Afghan security officials. The training is to take place in Finland, because Finland has large numbers of aging Soviet-made weapons, which are similar to the weaponry in use in Afghanistan....
Finland already has the resources to increase its presence, as the Kosovo operation winds down.

Finland is preparing to decide on a significant proportional increase in its commitment to Afghanistan. The move is being considered at a time of changes in conditions in the area where Finland's crisis management forces are deployed.

The reason for the change is the arrival of new US soldiers into the north of Afghanistan, where there are crisis management troops from a number of countries, including Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Germany.
....
Decisions are to be made at the foreign and security policy committee of the government and president on Friday this week, in time for next week's international Afghanistan meeting in London.

The decisions would also be a response to a request for additional forces that had been presented by the United States through various channels.
....
According to various assessments, the strength of the Finnish force in Afghanistan could be raised from the present 120 to about 200.

The goal has been mentioned previously as part of long-term visions, but the weakening of the security situation in Afghanistan adds pressures to speed up the decisions.

Finland already has the resources to increase its presence, as the Kosovo operation winds down.

The increase could not go at the same pace as the buildup of the United States, whose 30,000 additional forces are to be deployed in Afghanistan by mid-2010. When this happens, the total number of soldiers under US and NATO command in Afghanistan would be more than 140,000.

Finland has also been asked for more military trainers, but only a handful of the 30 trainers who have been promised have been recruited.
....
The Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) reported on Sunday that Finland will provide special training to British, Norwegian, and German soldiers, who are to coach Afghan security officials. The training is to take place in Finland, because Finland has large numbers of aging Soviet-made weapons, which are similar to the weaponry in use in Afghanistan.
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10.: Swden's New NATO-Linked Army: 100% Deployable Worldwide

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Mon Jan 18, 2010 6:46 pm (PST)

http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/International/nyhetssidor/artikel.asp?ProgramID=2054&format=1&artikel=3378563

Radio Sweden
January 18, 2010

Last Conscripts Training in Sweden

-In the old system, a third of the forces - which in 2008 meant 11,400 military personnel - were supposed to be able to deploy within one year from mobilization. In the new defence system, all 50,000 members of the forces would have to be "usable and available" within a week....The soldiers in the conscript army could never be used for missions outside Sweden's borders, but now that all soldiers will either be full-time employees or on contract, they will be available to deploy anywhere....

The last male and female military conscripts have been called in for their tour of duty - ending a 100 years of compulsory service which started only for the young men here in Sweden.

It is the biggest renewal of Swedish defence and security policy for decades, according to Defence Minister Sten Tolgfors. From this summer, the conscript system will officially end, and a contracted military service will take over.

New is also the focus on the Baltic Sea Region, and areas just one step away from our borders, said the minister, who spoke at an annual defence and security conference at the ski resort Salen in Western Sweden, which every year gathers politicians and the Swedish defence and security lobby.

Defence Minister Sten Tolgfors made his opening speech at the Society and Defence conference on Sunday, making repeated use of the phrase "usable and available", which is how he wants to contrast the new military that the government wants to build, to the old one.

In the old system, a third of the forces - which in 2008 meant 11,400 military personnel - were supposed to be able to deploy within one year from mobilization. In the new defence system, all 50,000 members of the forces would have to be "usable and available" within a week, should Sweden be threatened.

Tolgfors said that there has been a gap between on the one hand a national defence force to defend the country within our borders, and on the other hand contracted troops for missions very far away. And in between, it has been unclear what applies for Sweden's immediate surroundings, the Nordic countries, the EU and the Baltic Sea.

The soldiers in the conscript army could never be used for missions outside Sweden's borders, but now that all soldiers will either be full-time employees or on contract, they will be available to deploy anywhere, both in Sweden, in its vicinity or further away. So Sweden would be able to live up to the so called solidarity clause signed this summer, where this country pledges that it will not remain passive if another EU or Nordic country is attacked.

But the decision to end the era of conscription went through parliament by just a small margin, and at the conference in Salen the controversy was still fresh.

The criticism partly centres the lack of information to the public, where awareness of the changes is doubtful.
....
Defence Minister Tolgfors admitted in Salen that there might be unforeseen problems, but he said smaller problems are inevitable in such a paradigm shift to what he calls a more "usable and available" defence.
....
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11.: Iran, Russia, Armenia to hold joint meeting

Posted by: "muratoglunazar" muratoglunazar@yahoo.com muratoglunazar

Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:21 pm (PST)

Mehr News Agency, Iran
Jan 16 2010

Iran, Russia, Armenia to hold joint meeting in Yerevan

Moscow, 16 January: Armenian Minister of Transport and Communication
Gurgen Sargsyan met with the Iranian ambassador to Yerevan and stated
that a trilateral meeting among Iran, Armenia and Russia will be held
late January in Yerevan to discuss the construction of Iran-Armenia
railway.

IRNA news agency quoted Armenian prime ministers office as reporting
Saturday [that in the meeting between Sargsyan and Ali Saqqa'ian, the
Armenian official pointed out that last April an MOU was signed
between the two countries to build a railway.

He added that the cost of the railway was estimated to be 1.4 billion
dollars of which Iran said it would pay 400 million dollars.

Armenian prime ministers office reported that the Iranian ambassador
expressed Iran's firm willingness to construct highways in Armenia,
adding that Iranian banks are keen to finance transportation projects
in that country.

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12.: Turkey and Russia move closer to building strategic partnership

Posted by: "linguisticresearch" LinguisticResearch@gmx.de

Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:24 pm (PST)

http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-198585-turkey-and-russia-move-closer-to-building-strategic-partnership.html

Turkey and Russia move closer to building strategic partnership

Turkey and Russia have come closer to building a strategic partnership
by agreeing to deepen cooperation in the area of energy and work on a
plan to lift visa requirements for their citizens.

The two countries also have ambitious plans to boost their trade volume
to $100 billion in the coming years. "Our relations are developing and
becoming more diversified in the political, military, economic and
cultural spheres. What is exciting for me is that both sides have a
positive will," to further boost ties, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdog(an said at a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart,
Vladimir Putin, late on Wednesday.

Erdog(an, who had talks with Putin and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
during his one-day visit to Moscow, announced that the two countries
will start work on abolishing visa requirements for their nationals.

"The prime minister [Putin] has just given us the good news that efforts
to mutually abolish the visa requirements will go forward as planned,"
Erdog(an said, adding that the Turkish side hoped that a final deal
would be concluded during an upcoming visit by Medvedev in May or June.

Erdog(an said later in I.stanbul that the two countries would also hold
a strategic cooperation council meeting during Medvedev's visit, a
cooperation platform similar to the ones Turkey launched with
neighboring Syria and Iraq last year.

Both Putin and Erdog(an pledged to increase the use of national
currencies in bilateral trade, which the leaders want to boost to $100
billion within the next five years. Erdog(an said the aim is achievable
in the next four years.

In another key achievement of Erdog(an's short visit, Energy Minister
Taner Y?ld?z and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin signed a
memorandum on building nuclear power plants in Turkey in a sign that
Russian firms would be given a second chance to build Ankara's first plant.

Turkey canceled a previous tender to build a nuclear power station,
after a court earlier ruled the tender, won by Russian Inter RAO and
Atomstroiexport and Turkey's Park Teknik, invalid due to problems with
the pricing of electricity from the plant.

Putin and Erdog(an also had talks on energy projects. Putin said the
governments of Italy, Turkey and Russia should consider signing a deal
to support the proposed Samsun-Ceyhan pipeline, an oil link between
Turkey's Black Sea coast and the Mediterranean.

The Russian prime minister also said Russia has won Turkish support for
all its major oil, gas and nuclear projects, while carefully avoiding
its usual harsh criticism of the rival trans-Turkish EU-backed Nabucco
gas pipeline. He said Ankara had pledged to fully clear the Russian gas
pipeline project South Stream before November 2010, when construction is
due to begin.

"We have an agreement that before Nov. 10, 2010 ... the Turkish
government will make all the necessary judgments and issue a
construction permit. In the course of today's talks Mr. Erdogan
confirmed these intentions," Putin said. "I very much hope this work
will be finished as planned," he said, adding that the work on South
Stream was going according to plan with environmental, geological and
seismic studies near completion.

Putin also said the project, which apart from Russia's gas export
monopoly Gazprom involves Italy's ENI, may benefit from an
inter-governmental agreement between Russia, Turkey and Italy.

Turkey aspires to become a key transit hub for Europe, but is facing a
tough balancing game between rival projects supported by Moscow and the
European Union. It insists South Stream and Nabucco are not rivals.

Putin added that cooperation with Turkey should also involve asset swaps
between major firms and added Russian firms were ready to take part in
the privatization of Turkey's state assets.

Russia: No link between Armenia ties, Karabakh

Putin also told Erdog(an that Turkey should not link the problem of
Nagorno-Karabakh, a region of Azerbaijan populated by ethnic Armenians
who are now in control of the area, to its bilateral relations with
Armenia. "Both the Nagorno-Karabakh problem and the Turkish-Armenian
problem are very complicated by nature. I do not think it is right to
tie them into one package," Putin said. "It is unwise from both a
tactical and a strategic point of view to package these problems
together," he added.

On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov echoed Putin at a
press conference with his Armenian counterpart, Eduard Nalbandian. "To
try and artificially link those two issues is, in my opinion, not
correct," Lavrov told reporters in Yerevan. "We are interested in this
relationship normalizing. The sooner that happens, the better for the
whole region."

Turkey and Armenia agreed in October last year to establish diplomatic
ties and reopen their land border, closed by Ankara in 1993. But the
accords need parliamentary ratification, a step Turkey says depends on
Armenia making concessions in the festering conflict with Turkish ally
Azerbaijan over the breakaway mountain region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

"I don't want to have the impression, and I think the international
community also does not, that Turkey is specially blocking the
ratification of the protocols," Nalbandian said. "What's a reasonable
timeframe? It's not dragging it out or creating artificial barriers."

<http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-198585-turkey-and-russia-move-closer-to-building-strategic-partnership.html>

15 January 2010, Friday

FARUK AKKAN MOSCOW

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13.: Moldovan "Twitter Revolution" Chief In U.S. To Pursue NATO Accession

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Tue Jan 19, 2010 6:32 am (PST)

http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100119/157611177.html

Russian Information Agency Novosti
January 19, 2010

Moldovan PM to visit U.S. for financial aid deal

CHISINAU: Moldovan Prime Minister Vladimir Filat has left for the U.S. on Tuesday to finalize a $262-million non-repayable financial aid deal.

Unlike his communist predecessors, the new Moldovan leadership, which came to power following snap elections in late July, has openly supported closer ties with the West. Filat has set Moldova's integration into the European Union and accession to NATO as his top priorities.

The board of directors of the U.S. Government's Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) approved the five-year economic development grant to Moldova in November 2009. The money will be used primarily for improving the country's dilapidated road network and irrigation systems.

During his visit to Russia a month ago, Moldovan Vice-Premier and Economy Minister Valery Lazer said his country would also seek to develop economic cooperation with Russia.

He asked the Russian authorities to provide Moldova with a $500 million loan for investment programs requested by the country's former pro-Russian leader, Vladimir Voronin.
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14.: Iran Warns Against NATO's Eastward Expansion

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Tue Jan 19, 2010 6:36 am (PST)

http://en.trend.az/regions/iran/1621117.html

Trend News Agency
January 19, 2010

Ahmadinejad warns against NATO's eastward expansion

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says NATO's eastward expansion does not serve the interests of the countries in the region, Press TV reported.

"They (NATO) are ready to expend the prestige and [undermine] the national interests of all regional countries" to serve their own interests, Ahmadinejad said during a meeting with Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze in Tehran on Monday.

Countries in the region should strengthen their relations in order to prevent outside interference, he added.
....
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15.: Yanukovich -- Man for all seasons

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Tue Jan 19, 2010 7:01 am (PST)

http://ericwalberg.com

Yanukovich -- Man for all seasons

Ukraine's new president -- unless there is another Orange Revolution -- has fashioned a comeback worthy of Nixon, marvels Eric Walberg
January 19, 2010

Ukraine's presidential elections Sunday were remarkable in more ways than one. The winner of the first round and favourite to lead Ukraine at a crucial moment in its history is the one politician observers long ago dismissed as a has-been. Viktor Yanukovich is mocked by his opponents as an illiterate bumpkin, a puppet of Ukrainian business magnates, a former criminal and communist, a conspirer against the brave democrats of the legendary Orange Revolution of 2004. Have I left anything out? Does he kick dogs or beat his mother?

As the results came in, pro-Western commentators rushed to claim that Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko (25 per cent) would surge past Viktor Yanukovich (36 per cent) in the runoff 7 February, Tymoshenko announcing she would immediately seek the support of the also-rans to "move forward with uniting the democratic forces." However, the two candidates who came third and fourth, former Central Bank chief Sergei Tigipko (13 per cent) and former parliament speaker Arseniy Yatsenyuk (seven per cent), said they would not support any candidate in the second round. President Viktor Yushchenko polled five per cent and Ukrainians are holding their breath till they see the last of him.

The real story behind the rivals is not as it appears. Tymoshenko, with her faux peasant blond braids and matriushka doll demeanour, amassed a fortune in her years of speculative buying and selling of Russian gas, for which she spent several months in prison under president Leonid Kuchma. Her pretenses as a populist democrat are skin-deep.

Yanukovich comes from a working class background and worked his way up honestly literally from rags to hard-won respectability. He lost his mother at the age of two and grew up in bleak post-WWII Ukraine. His attitude towards dogs is unclear, but he was indeed jailed for hooliganism at the age of 17, apparently learned his lesson, was released after eight months for good behaviour and never looked back, at least until the so-called Orange Revolution of 2004. In the waning days of the Soviet Union, he graduated in engineering from the Donetsk Polytehnic Institute and joined the Communist Party, when it was no longer fashionable or of much use, suggesting he is much more a populist than any of his elite rivals (Yushchenko and Tigipko are bankers). He served under president Leonid Kuchma as prime minister, and was the favourite to succeed him.

Certainly, the 2004 elections were marred by electoral rigging, but to blame Yanukovich is a mistake, as the whole process was infiltrated by US-sponsored NGOs as part of policy of "colour revolutions" across the region. Ukraine is sharply divided -- a legacy of Stalin -- between the anti-Russian west (formerly part of Poland) and the pro-Russian east, with rigging taking place according to these