Friday 31 May 2013

SOUTH AMERICA




UNASUR TO CREATE SOUTH AMERICAN DEFENSE SCHOOL



The Union of SOUTH AMERICAN Nations (UNASUR) has announced that it will create a united defence body to promote democratic stability among its member countries.

Military delegates of ARGENTINA, BRAZIL, and ECUADOR concluded a two day meeting in Quito, and agreed on creating the first SOUTH AMERICAN Defence College (ESUDE) – a safety training centre with the aim of turning “the regions into a zone of peace”.

UNASUR has said that the idea behind the project is to “eliminate outdated visions that have formed our military, with manuals and taxes from foreign powers.
“The goal is to start from scratch and consider a defence doctrine, without starting from the premise of opposing countries. It is important to define our role in the military, to assume responsibility for prevention, border control or emergency responses.

“We want to create a body of higher and postgraduate education to create a regional identity for civilians and our military, and to avoid interference of other countries or geopolitical zones,” a UNASUR spokesperson said.

The ESUDE proposal paper will be presented at the next meeting of the executive body for the SOUTH AMERICAN Defence Council in Lima, PERU. Members who attended the meeting in Quito will meet again during the second week of July in Buenos Aires, to define the Esude proposal.
One of the issues that is expected to be up for debate in the following meetings is the level of participation in the armed forces from each country.

The initiative already has the support of other member countries, including ARGENTINA, BRAZIL, ECUADOR, PERU, VENEZUELA, GUYANA, SURINAME, and URUGUAY.

Wednesday 29 May 2013

Privatizing Europe


Under Thatcher, the Poor Became Poorer



Thatcher Gave More Power to Finance

 Thatcher introduced what she called labor capitalism, a term that she took over from General Pinochet in CHILE



Tuesday 28 May 2013

“PIPELINEISTAN”




ASSAD TALKS, RUSSIA WALKS
 
By Pepe Escobar via AsiaTimes
Executive Summary:
  • Nusras is pursuing al Qaeda's agenda of a greater Islamic nation
  • What Aassad didn't say
  • Assad talks, Russia walks
  • Don't forget “PIPELINEISTAN”
  • IRAN-IRAQ-SYRIA gas pipeline agreement signed in July 2012 worth us$10 billion, a “win win” situation, but not for QATAR and TURKEY
  • Is “PIPELINEISTAN”- energy, once more the real reason for the civil war in SYRIA?
  • The EU oil-for-al-Qaeda scheme
  • Whoever gets their hands on the oil, water and agriculture, holds Sunni SYRIA by the throat
So Bashar al-Assad has spoken - exclusively, to ARGENTINE daily El Clarin (there's a huge SYRIAN diaspora in ARGENTINA, as well as in neighboring BRAZIL).

Cutting through the fog of WESTERN hysteria, he made some valuable points. The record shows that, yes, the regime has agreed several times to talk to the opposition; but myriad "rebel" groups with no credible, unified leadership have always refuted. So there's no way a ceasefire, eventually agreed on a summit - such as the upcoming US/RUSSIA Geneva conference - can be implemented. Assad makes some sense when he says, "We can't discuss a timetable with a party if we don't know who they are."
NUSRAS IS PURSUING AL QAEDA'S AGENDA OF A GREATER ISLAMIC NATION

Well, by now everyone following the SYRIAN tragedy knows who most of them are. One knows that the Un-Free Syrian Cannibals, sorry, Army (FSA) is a ragged collection of warlords, gangsters and opportunists of every possible brand, intersecting with hardcore jihadis of the Jabhat al-Nusra kind (but also other al-Qaeda-linked or inspired outfits).

It took Reuters months to finally admit that jihadis are running the show on the ground. A "rebel" commander even complained to Reuters, "Nusra is now two Nusras. One that is pursuing al Qaeda's agenda of a greater Islamic nation, and another that is SYRIAN with a national agenda to help us fight Assad." What he didn't say is that the real effective outfit is al-Qaeda-linked.

SYRIA is now Militia Hell; much like IRAQ in the mid-2000s, much like the WESTERN-imposed, "liberated" LIBYAN failed state. This AFGHANIZATION/SOMALIZATION is a direct consequence of NATO-GCC axis interference. So Assad is also right when he says the West is adding fuel to the fire, and is only interested in regime change, whatever the cost.

WHAT ASSAD DIDN'T SAY
Assad is not exactly a brilliant politician - so he wasted a golden opportunity to explain to WESTERN public opinion, even briefly, why GCC petro-monarchies SAUDI ARABIA and QATAR, plus TURKEY, have the hots for setting SYRIA on fire. He could have talked about QATAR wanting to hand over SYRIA to the Muslim Brotherhood, and SAUDI ARABIA dreaming of a crypto-emirate colony. He could have talked about them both being terrified of Shi'ites in the Persian Gulf harboring legitimate Arab Spring ideals.

He could have pointed to the absolute shambles of TURKEY'S "zero problems with our neighbors" foreign policy; one day there's a triad of collaboration Ankara-Damascus-Baghdad, the next Ankara wants regime change in Damascus and routinely antagonizes Baghdad. And on top of it TURKEY is puzzled to see KURDS emboldened from northern IRAQ to northern SYRIA.
Background Information:

He could have detailed how BRITAIN and FRANCE inside NATO, not to mention the US, as well as their petro-monarch puppets are using the disintegration of SYRIA to hit at IRAN - and how none of these actors supplying weapons and plenty of cash, give a damn about the suffering of the "Syrian people". The only thing that matters is strategic targets.

While Bashar al-Assad was talking, RUSSIA was walking. President Vladimir Putin - well aware that the Geneva talks are being derailed by various actors even before they happen - moved RUSSIAN naval vessels to the EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN; and offered SYRIA a batch of ultra-modern ground-to-sea Yakhont missiles plus a batch of S-300 anti-aircraft missiles - the RUSSIAN equivalent to the AMERICAN Patriot. Not to mention that SYRIA already has RUSSIAN SA-17 anti-aircraft missiles.
DON'T FORGET "PIPELINEISTAN"
NATO-GCC, now try to even bypassing the UN, to unleash a mini-Shock and Awe on Damascus. Or to install a no-fly zone. QATAR and the House of SAUD, militarily, are a joke. The BRITS and FRANCE are seriously tempted, but they don't have the means - or the stomach. Washington has the means - but no stomach. Putin was dead sure the Pentagon would read his message accordingly.
Background Information:


IRAN - IRAQ - SYRIA GAS PIPELINE AGREEMENT SIGNED IN JULY 2012 WORTH US$10 BILLION, A “WIN WIN” SITUATION, BUT NOT FOR QATAR AND TURKEY
Assad could also have talked about - what else - Pipelineistan. It would have taken him two minutes to explain the meaning of the agreement for the US$10 billion IRAN-IRAQ-SYRIA gas pipeline that was signed in July 2012. This crucial Pipelineistan node will export gas from the South Pars field in IRAN (the largest in the world, shared with QATAR), through IRAQ, towards SYRIA, with a possible extension to LEBANON, with certified customers in WESTERN EUROPE. It's what the CHINESE call a "win-win" situation.

But not for - guess who? - QATAR and TURKEY. QATAR dreams of a rival pipeline from its North field (contiguous with IRAN'S South Pars field), through SAUDI ARABIA, JORDAN, SYRIA and finally TURKEY, which bills itself as the privileged energy transit hub between East and West. Final destination: once again, WESTERN EUROPE. 
As in all Pipelineistan matters, the crux of the game is bypassing both IRAN and RUSSIA. That's what happens with the Qatari pipeline - frantically US-supported. But with the Iran-Iraq-SYRIA pipeline, the export route may originate nowhere else than in Tartus, the SYRIAN port in the EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN that hosts the RUSSIAN navy. Gazprom would obviously be part of the whole picture, from investment to distribution.
IS “PIPELINEISTAN”- ENERGY, ONCE MORE THE REAL REASON FOR THE CIVIL WAR IN SYRIA?

Make no mistake; Pipelineistan - once again tied up with bypassing both RUSSIA and IRAN - explains a great deal about why SYRIA is being destroyed.
THE EU OIL-FOR-AL-QAEDA SCHEME
Meanwhile, the real SYRIAN army - backed by Hezbollah - is methodically retaking strategic Al-Qusayr out of "rebel" control. Their next step would be to look east - where Jabhat al-Nusra is merrily profiting from another typical EU blunder; the decision to lift oil sanctions on SYRIA.
WHOEVER GETS THEIR HANDS ON THE OIL, WATER AND AGRICULTURE, HOLDS SUNNI SYRIA BY THE THROAT

SYRIA Comment blogger Joshua Landis drew the necessary conclusions; "Whoever gets their hands on the oil, water and agriculture, holds Sunni SYRIA by the throat. At the moment, that's al-Nusra. EUROPE opening up the market for oil forced this issue. So the logical conclusion from this craziness is that EUROPE will be funding al-Qaeda." Call it the EU oil-for-al-Qaeda scheme.

Monday 27 May 2013

IRAN AND ISRAEL: REAL ARCHENEMIES?






ARE IRAN AND ISRAEL REALLY ARCHENEMIES, OR IS IT JUST A FACADE? 




Executive Summary: 

·         USA granting IRAN large-scale nuclear energy program (1953)
·         Nuclear IRAN topic nothing new: saber rattling since 1979
·         ISRAEL, IRAN and TURKEY formed a trilateral intelligence alliance
·         Until the beginning of 1979, ISRAEL fought hard to help sustain the unity and strength of IRAN
·         ISRAEL’S arms sales to IRAN amounted to $500 million annually
·         IRANIAN regime increased its poisonous rhetoric against ISRAEL in order to maintain credibility in the wider Muslim world
·         Calculated tactics and strategies in order to obtain maximum geopolitical leverage


It is a mistake to believe that ISRAEL and IRAN are eternal enemies. In fact, these two countries that despise each other so much were once allies. This is not ancient history. Both pre- and post-Revolutionary IRAN had extensive military and economic ties with the Jewish state. As recently as two decades ago, each country considered the other a vital friend in a region filled with hostile enemies. Conflict between the two may be bitter, but it is not, and never was, inevitable.

USA GRANTING IRAN LARGE-SCALE NUCLEAR ENERGY PROGRAM (1953)

IRAN informally recognized ISRAEL in 1950, becoming the first Muslim-majority country after TURKEY to do so. With few allies in the region, ISRAEL welcomed IRAN’S modest support.  That support increased when the UK and the UNITED STATES overthrew the government in IRAN in 1953, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Iranian_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat) installing in its place a more Western-friendly regime. The new regime, headed by the Shah, was so aligned with the UNITED STATES that a deal was stuck granting  the PERSIAN nation a huge nuclear energy program, as well as large quantities of plutonium and enriched uranium — two pathways to a nuclear bomb.

Background Information: NUCLEAR IRAN TOPIC NOTHING NEW: SABER RATTLING SINCE 1979. Read entire article at: http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com.ar/2012/06/iran.html
 
The ISRAELI-IRANIAN alliance was a part of the Shah’s pro-Western orientation. The Shah looked at ISRAEL as a way to establish friendly relations with the U.S. ISRAEL saw IRAN as a way to escape its regional isolation. They were bound by common enemies: the SOVIET UNION, and ARAB nationalism, especially IRAQ.

ISRAEL, IRAN AND TURKEY FORMED A TRILATERAL INTELLIGENCE ALLIANCE

The alliance, though never formalized or publicized because of ISRAEL’S unpopularity in the region, consisted of deep intelligence and arms cooperation, as well as oil sharing. In the late 1950s, ISRAEL, IRAN and TURKEY formed a trilateral intelligence alliance and performed counterterrorism intelligence operations. In the early 1960s, they teamed up to support IRAQI KURDS fighting the central regime. Tehran and Tel Aviv developed a close military and intelligence relationship that would continue to expand until the Islamic revolution.
The extent of this alliance should not be exaggerated. The Shah kept IRAN’S relationship with ISRAEL secretive for fear of rousing his own anti-ISRAELI population as well as those of IRAN’S neighbors. Instead, the alliance was based on the perception of common threats. But the threats emanating from the SOVIET UNION, IRAN and the ARAB bloc were perceived as so serious that they outlasted the Shah’s overthrow in 1979.

Background Information: UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF 1979, ISRAEL FOUGHT HARD TO HELP SUSTAIN THE UNITY AND STRENGTH OF IRAN. Read entire article at:
http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com.ar/2013/05/syria-israel-and-turkey-and-iran-love.html

ISRAEL’S ARMS SALES TO IRAN AMOUNTED TO $500 MILLION ANNUALLY

The Islamist government that took power in IRAN in 1979 was deeply hostile towards Western doctrines. And yet, the requirements of IRANIAN national interest trumped ideology to force the Islamic government to cooperate with ISRAEL on a number of issues. Once the U.S.-supported IRAQI government invaded IRAN, the PERSIAN state turned to ISRAEL for much-needed arms. Phantom fighter planes and weapons for the IRANIAN army were sent by ISRAEL. One estimate puts ISRAEL’S arms sales to IRAN at $500 million annually.

IRANIAN REGIME INCREASED ITS POISONOUS RHETORIC AGAINST ISRAEL IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN CREDIBILITY IN THE WIDER MUSLIM WORLD 

In the mid-1980s ISRAEL was the conduit between IRAN and the Reagan administration during the illicit IRAN-Contra affair in which the Reagan administration sold weapons to the IRANIANS and used the proceeds to fund the anti-communist insurgency in NICARAGUA. Even as it was relying more on ISRAEL for arms in its war, the IRANIAN regime increased its poisonous rhetoric attacking ISRAEL, just as the Shah had done. Such rhetoric was meant to maintain credibility in the wider Muslim world, but wasn’t matched by action. “ISRAEL is IRAN’S best friend and we do not intend to change our position,” Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin said in 1987.

Two events caused the gradual splitting between the erstwhile allies. First, the SOVIET UNION collapsed in 1991, removing the greatest threat outside of the region to both nations’ security. Second, the weakening of IRAQ during the Persian Gulf War diluted its menace. Simply put, IRAN and ISRAEL needed each other less, as both were more secure in the post-Cold War world. The common threats that for decades had prompted the two states to cooperate and find common geo-strategic interests — in spite of IRAN’S transformation into an Islamist anti-Zionist state —no longer exist.

The ISRAELIS, who had long ignored IRANIAN rhetoric, decided it needed to be taken seriously, especially in light of the Islamic state’s support for Hamas and Hezbollah. IRAN worried about ISRAEL’S growing power and wanted to assert power in the region. IRAN once had a more pragmatic leadership and policies. The marginalization of the reformers that were popular in the 1990s meant that the extremist factions in the leadership became dominant. AMERICA’S invasion of Saddam Hussein’s IRAQ in 2003 removed that country’s threat to ISRAEL, leaving it with IRAN as the most menacing nation in the region.

CALCULATED TACTICS AND STRATEGIES IN ORDER TO OBTAIN MAXIMUM GEOPOLITICAL LEVERAGE 

In recent past mainstream media and ISRAEL itself, increasingly stipulated that it is pushing for a preemptive airstrike on IRAN. Looking at ISRAEL history and how it conducts its wars and covert operations, it becomes imminent that it relies heavily on the element of surprise. Such was the case during most of its wars, rescue operations such as Entebbe, UGANDA in 1976, the IRAQI nuclear reactor air strike in 1981 and the alleged SYRIAN nuclear reactor airstrike in 2007. Thus as long as ISRAEL is “threatening” to attack IRAN on a daily base, and media coverage is in full swing, one can be sure that no such strike is imminent, for the element of surprise is lost. In most likelihood, ISRAEL’S threats of attacking IRAN and at the same time urging the USA to set a red line are calculated tactics and strategies in order to obtain certain concessions from the USA and indeed other allies. In most likelihood ISRAEL pursues a much more complex goal with its warmongering rhetoric’s against IRAN, than really intending to attack IRAN, one that will give ISRAEL inevitably some significant advantage, be it geopolitical, strategically or economically.

Background Information: WHY OF AN ISRAEL IRAN CONFLICT REMAIN LOW. Read entire article at:

Under current conditions ISRAEL will never initiate a full scale attack against IRAN.  Nevertheless one should be aware that all current assumptions, analysis, opinions regarding the ISRAEL - IRAN confrontation are based on information fed to the broad public and media by the upper echelons of world politics. No one knows what wheeling and dealings regarding IRAN, SYRIA, ISRAEL, SAUDI ARABIA, the USA, TURKEY etc. are currently going on behind closed doors.