http://news.antiwar.com/2012/12/18/exxon-deal-brings-iraq-kurdistan-to-brink-of-civil-war/
Oil and the contracts for them, anyway. Exxon Mobil has signed a pact with the KRG to drill in oil fields along the nebulous line of control between the two sides, near Kirkuk and the Maliki government insists it controls this region, in theory though clearly not in practice.
Indeed, shooting is already a reality, with troops from the Kurdish Peshmerga paramilitary opening fire on an Iraqi military helicopter that was flying overhead, reportedly taking pictures of Peshmerga military positions around Kirkuk.
and......
http://news.antiwar.com/2012/12/17/wave-of-bombings-batters-iraq-in-deadliest-attacks-of-the-month/
But the mess made in Iraq has lingered, with terror attacks actually on the rise late this year, as al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) and other factions get a shot in the arm from the US-backed civil war in neighboring Syria.
That’s because this time, at least according to reports, the unnamed rebel faction rigging the car with explosives accidentally detonated it before it was set up, killing an estimated 40 fighters loyal to the faction.
Speaking at a Monday press conference, Mohseni-Ejei noted that before and after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the US has directly and indirectly committed myriad crimes against Iran, and many terrorist activities and coups have been carried out through direct or indirect involvement of Washington. “In this regard, indictments have been issued for a number of US officials, including some CIA officials, and have been sent to Tehran Justice Department to be pursued according to regulations,” he added.
Since 2009, five Iranian nuclear scientists have become targets of Western-sponsored terrorist attacks, which have killed four of them.
Iran has also been under illegal US and European Union sanctions over its nuclear energy program, which aim to prevent other countries from buying Iranian oil or doing transaction with its central bank.
Exxon Deal Brings Iraq, Kurdistan to Brink of Civil War
Aide: Maliki Willing to Start War Over Oil Drilling
by Jason Ditz, December 18, 2012
War over oil in Iraq is a rather old issue, but as Iraq seems to be drawn ever near to an open civil war setting the central government against the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) oil is once again the principle justification.
Oil and the contracts for them, anyway. Exxon Mobil has signed a pact with the KRG to drill in oil fields along the nebulous line of control between the two sides, near Kirkuk and the Maliki government insists it controls this region, in theory though clearly not in practice.
“The prime minister has been clear: If Exxon lays a finger on this territory, they will face the Iraqi army,” noted MP Sami Alaskary, a close aide of Maliki, adding that “we will go to war, for oil and for Iraqi sovereignty.”
Moving militarily against a major American oil company is risky in and of itself, but doubly so in this case, because the KRG has a military of its own, the Peshmearga, and has shown a willingness to deploy them against the central government’s military when they get too close to the line of control.
The KRG has regularly expressed concern about Maliki’s moves against them, saying they believe his efforts to buy large amounts of US military hardware are a prelude to an invasion of their semi-autonomous region, while warning that if Maliki continues to try to centralize power the Kurds may choose overt secession over waiting around for an invasion.
Exxon had initially had an oil deal with the Iraqi central government for the southern Qurna-1 oilfield, but believes the fields along the line of control, where they could deal with the KRG instead of the Iraqi National Oil Company, to be more profitable. As Iraq has often moved against companies that do separate business with the Kurds, Exxon has made no secret of its intention to unload its portion of Qurna-1 onto some other company.
and.......
http://news.antiwar.com/2012/12/18/kurdish-troops-fire-on-iraqi-military-helicopter-as-tensions-soar/
Kurdish Troops Fire on Iraqi Military Helicopter as Tensions Soar
Helicopter Was Taking Surveillance Photos of Peshmerga
by Jason Ditz, December 18, 2012
With both sides expressing hope for dialogue while conceding the possibility that Iraq and its northern Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) could be on the brink of a civil war, another incident has occurred near Kirkuk underscoring how close a shooting war might be.
Indeed, shooting is already a reality, with troops from the Kurdish Peshmerga paramilitary opening fire on an Iraqi military helicopter that was flying overhead, reportedly taking pictures of Peshmerga military positions around Kirkuk.
There’s no indication anyone was injured in today’s shooting, which the KRG deputy military said was a warning compared to “tougher” reaction if such moves were repeated, but both sides are clearly moving from tense posturing in the area around Kirkuk into a combat zone.
The dispute over the area is long-standing, as it technically lies outside of the KRG’s territory but in areas with a significant Kurdish population, which the KRG argues makes it part of their purview. In addition to the dispute over territorial rights, the rights to the oil fields are also a major issue, with the KRG attempting to sell off the rights to Exxon-Mobil, and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki threatening war to stop this from happening.
and......
http://news.antiwar.com/2012/12/17/wave-of-bombings-batters-iraq-in-deadliest-attacks-of-the-month/
Wave of Bombings Batters Iraq in Deadliest Attacks in Months
At Least 92 Killed on Eve of US Pullout Anniversary
by Jason Ditz, December 17, 2012
This time last year, the US finally completed its withdrawal of military forces from Iraq, bringing an end to the war’s regular appearances on television news in America. Terror was virtually non-existent when the US invaded in 2003, and many hoped it would be again after they left.
But the mess made in Iraq has lingered, with terror attacks actually on the rise late this year, as al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) and other factions get a shot in the arm from the US-backed civil war in neighboring Syria.
The ability of those factions to hit virtually everywhere within Iraq was on display again today, as bombings nationwide killed at least 92, wounded hundreds of others, and marked the deadliest single day in months.
Strikes targeted army patrols, checkpoints and police stations, and in some cases apparently random civilians, another day of ugly violence in a nation which has seen a solid decade of them now.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/12/2012121884452413634.html
| Jalal Talabani, the Iraqi president, is in "stable condition" having suffered a stroke and a hardening of his arteries this morning, Iraqi state television says. Talabani is being treated in the intensive care unit of a Baghdad hospital after being rushed there on Tuesday morning, a statement from his office said. "Tests show that his bodily functions are normal and his excellency's condition is stable," the statement said. "He is under intensive medical supervision." Earlier, a statement from Talabani's office said that he had suffered a "health emergency". The Iraqi president has struggled with various health problems in recent years. He underwent successful heart surgery in the United States in August 2008. A year earlier, he had to be flown to neighbouring Jordan to be treated for dehydration and exhaustion. He has also travelled to the United States and Europe for treatment for a variety of ailments. Talabani survived wars, exile and in-fighting in northern Iraq to become the country's first ever Kurdish president a few years after the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. The Iraqi presidency is a largely ceremonial post, though it does retain some powers under Iraq's constitution. |
and Syria......
Russian warships sail for Syria, large anti-submarine ship for waters near Iran
DEBKAfile Special Report December 18, 2012, 7:11 PM (GMT+02:00)
Russian Northern Fleet
Russian warships set out Tuesday, Dec. 18, for two Middle East flashpoint destinations: Naval sources in Moscow reported that two assault ships, a tanker and an escort vessel were detached from the Baltic Fleet and are sailing for the Syrian port of Tartus – possibly to evacuate Russian citizens. A second naval group led by Russia’s largest anti-submarine vessel, the Severomorsk, is on its way to the Gulfs of Aden and Oman close to the Persian Gulf and Iran.
The ships destined for Syria are the Russian fleet’s two largest amphibious assault vessels, the Kaliningrad and the Alexander Shabalin, which is a cruiser converted to a guided missile frigate renamed Yaroslav the Wise, the SB-921 rescue and tug ship, and the Lena military tanker.
Russian military sources say this flotilla will relieve the Black Sea Fleet’s task force vessels deployed off the Syrian coast since November.
The ships destined for Syria are the Russian fleet’s two largest amphibious assault vessels, the Kaliningrad and the Alexander Shabalin, which is a cruiser converted to a guided missile frigate renamed Yaroslav the Wise, the SB-921 rescue and tug ship, and the Lena military tanker.
Russian military sources say this flotilla will relieve the Black Sea Fleet’s task force vessels deployed off the Syrian coast since November.
The Severomorsk heading for waters near the Persian Gulf is escorted by ships which Russian sources have not named as well as a military tanker and a supply and rescue ship.
DEBKAfile’s military and Moscow sources report that, while the Russians are undoubtedly concerned with the fate of the 20,000 Russian nationals remaining in war-torn Syria, the type of warships dispatched to Tartus do not fit the description of evacuation craft. They look more like a major Russian naval buildup opposite the Syrian coast.
DEBKAfile’s military and Moscow sources report that, while the Russians are undoubtedly concerned with the fate of the 20,000 Russian nationals remaining in war-torn Syria, the type of warships dispatched to Tartus do not fit the description of evacuation craft. They look more like a major Russian naval buildup opposite the Syrian coast.
For one thing, they are larger and more formidable than the Black Sea fleet ships they are relieving: the medium, amphibious assault ships, the Novocherkassk and Saratov, each of which carries 250 marines. The new arrivals each carry 520 marines and 25 amphibious tanks.
For another, if it becomes necessary to evacuate large numbers of Russian refugees in a hurry, they are likely to be lifted out by air rather than by sea. Large transports are already on hand, touching down almost daily at Damascus and Aleppo airports with a continuous supply of weapons, ammunition and spare parts for replenishing the army loyal to Bashar Assad.
The Russian aircraft are practically the only foreign flights visiting the two beleaguered Syrian airports. While keeping Assad’s army in essential supplies, Moscow is also maintaining a constant presence there against the contingency of having to fly large numbers of Russian civilians out of the country.
For another, if it becomes necessary to evacuate large numbers of Russian refugees in a hurry, they are likely to be lifted out by air rather than by sea. Large transports are already on hand, touching down almost daily at Damascus and Aleppo airports with a continuous supply of weapons, ammunition and spare parts for replenishing the army loyal to Bashar Assad.
The Russian aircraft are practically the only foreign flights visiting the two beleaguered Syrian airports. While keeping Assad’s army in essential supplies, Moscow is also maintaining a constant presence there against the contingency of having to fly large numbers of Russian civilians out of the country.
DEBKAfile’s sources add that, while some Western quarters depict Russia’s military steps as actuated by the expectation of Assad’s imminent fall, Middle East military and Western intelligence sources see them rather as preparation for the international commotion and fallout arising from the introduction of chemical warfare to the Syrian conflict by the Syrian army or the insurgents.
Both Washington and Moscow calculate that Assad may be in a race against certain rebel units, which are making a dash to lay hands on some of Syria’s biggest chemical and biological weapons stores.
One high-placed Western military source told DEBKAfile Tuesday: “We can no longer be certain which side will use chemical weapons first - the Syrian army or the rebels – or even against whom: targets inside Syria or across its borders.”
According to this source, the countries abutting on Syria are deep in discreet though comprehensive military preparations in anticipation of three potential perils:
According to this source, the countries abutting on Syria are deep in discreet though comprehensive military preparations in anticipation of three potential perils:
1. A chemical weapons attack on Turkey, Jordan or Israel and US military facilities present in those countries;
2. The outbreak of chemical warfare between the Syrian army and rebels - both armed with poisonsous substances;
3. Either of those contingencies if close would trigger rapid military action - both by combined Western-Arab forces and Israel - to get hold of Syria’s chemical or biological weapons of mass destruction and put them out of reach of Assad’s army and rebel units alike.
http://news.antiwar.com/2012/12/17/report-40-rebels-killed-in-failed-aleppo-car-bombing/
Report: 40 Rebels Killed in Failed Aleppo Car Bombing
Bomb Detonated While Rebels Were Rigging It
by Jason Ditz, December 17, 2012
Car bombings causing massive casualties are common enough in the ongoing Syrian Civil War. Today’s incident in Aleppo’s Bustan al-Qaser neighborhood, however, is something entirely different.
That’s because this time, at least according to reports, the unnamed rebel faction rigging the car with explosives accidentally detonated it before it was set up, killing an estimated 40 fighters loyal to the faction.
Rebels have been claiming major gains in Aleppo in recent days and are predicting they will soon take over the city. They have been predicting imminent victory for months, however.
The Syrian Army is disputingsome of those claims of lost bases as well, insisting bases that were reported overrun remain either under full military control or are still being disputed in open combat.
and items for Iran..........
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/12/17/278594/iran-indicts-18-us-officials-over-crimes/
Iran indicts 18 US officials over crimes: Judiciary spokesman
Iran’s Prosecutor General and Judiciary Spokesman Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei (file photo)
Mon Dec 17, 2012 4:6PM
Iran’s Prosecutor General and Judiciary Spokesman Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei says Tehran has issued indictments for 18 American officials for involvement in Washington’s crimes against the Islamic Republic.
Speaking at a Monday press conference, Mohseni-Ejei noted that before and after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the US has directly and indirectly committed myriad crimes against Iran, and many terrorist activities and coups have been carried out through direct or indirect involvement of Washington. “In this regard, indictments have been issued for a number of US officials, including some CIA officials, and have been sent to Tehran Justice Department to be pursued according to regulations,” he added.
Mohseni-Ejei also noted that Iran Judiciary plans to issue separate indictments for a number of Israeli officials.
Since 2009, five Iranian nuclear scientists have become targets of Western-sponsored terrorist attacks, which have killed four of them.
Iran has also been under illegal US and European Union sanctions over its nuclear energy program, which aim to prevent other countries from buying Iranian oil or doing transaction with its central bank.
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