Geopolitical scrambles.....
http://www.panorama.am/en/popular/2013/08/14/az-weapon/
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/14/egypt-protests-aid-military
http://www.phantomreport.com/sudan-becomes-the-newest-player-in-syrias-protracted-conflict
http://www.panorama.am/en/popular/2013/08/14/az-weapon/
Azerbaijan is to suspend cooperation with U.S. and NATO to ensure energy security
In the framework of Putin's visit to Azerbaijan, the parties coordinated many issues in military sphere; in particular, issues of a rather large-scaled cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia during the 22 years of independence, the Russian military source reported this to "Doctrine", the Military Journalistic Investigation Center, says Azerbaijani news agency "Salamnews".
According to MJIC "Doctrine" information Azerbaijan is committed to purchase weapons and military equipment from Russia by $ 4 billion during the next 2-3 years.
"Representatives of Rosoboronexport will participate in the operation of defense industry facilities in Azerbaijan. Military-industrial companies of Russia will take part in the repair process of military equipment and weapons of Azerbaijani Armed Forces. Azerbaijan will suspend cooperation with the U.S. and NATO to ensure energy security. Azerbaijani-Russian dialogue will be re-established in order to ensure the Caspian safety. Annually 100 people will be sent to Russia by the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry to study at Russian military educational institutions," Salamnews reports.
According to Russian media reports, Azerbaijan had previously purchased from Russia 100 units of infantry fighting vehicles BMP-3, 18 multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) "Tornado", 94 units of T-90S tanks, 6 pieces of heavy flamethrower system TOS-1A "Sun"(a new version of "Buratino"), 18 units of self-propelled artillery guns "Vienna", 18 units of self-propelled artillery "MSTA-S". According to the Russian Internet sites, in accordance with applicable between Russia and Azerbaijan agreement, the Azerbaijani side can get a new batch of T-90S tanks. Russia insists that this is just a business transaction which absolutely will not upset the balance of power in the region. Meanwhile, the experts note that such deals, however, affect the regional processes.
According to MJIC "Doctrine" information Azerbaijan is committed to purchase weapons and military equipment from Russia by $ 4 billion during the next 2-3 years.
"Representatives of Rosoboronexport will participate in the operation of defense industry facilities in Azerbaijan. Military-industrial companies of Russia will take part in the repair process of military equipment and weapons of Azerbaijani Armed Forces. Azerbaijan will suspend cooperation with the U.S. and NATO to ensure energy security. Azerbaijani-Russian dialogue will be re-established in order to ensure the Caspian safety. Annually 100 people will be sent to Russia by the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry to study at Russian military educational institutions," Salamnews reports.
According to Russian media reports, Azerbaijan had previously purchased from Russia 100 units of infantry fighting vehicles BMP-3, 18 multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) "Tornado", 94 units of T-90S tanks, 6 pieces of heavy flamethrower system TOS-1A "Sun"(a new version of "Buratino"), 18 units of self-propelled artillery guns "Vienna", 18 units of self-propelled artillery "MSTA-S". According to the Russian Internet sites, in accordance with applicable between Russia and Azerbaijan agreement, the Azerbaijani side can get a new batch of T-90S tanks. Russia insists that this is just a business transaction which absolutely will not upset the balance of power in the region. Meanwhile, the experts note that such deals, however, affect the regional processes.
Jordan on Wednesday asked the United States to provide manned U.S. surveillance aircraft to help keep an eye on its border withSyria, the top U.S. military officer said, as the kingdom struggles to contain fallout from Syria’s civil war.
The request came during a visit by General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and would further bolster the U.S. military support to Jordan after U.S. decisions to station F-16 aircraft and Patriot missiles there.
“Here in Jordan, in particular, they’re interested in what we can do to help them see and secure their very long border with Syria,” Dempsey said, adding the Jordan also sought help better integrating different sources of intelligence.
Dempsey said he had been asking what else the United States could do to better support Jordan, a key ally, and the manned “intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance” (ISR) aircraft were among the items discussed.
http://www.phantomreport.com/china-prepares-for-psychological-warfare
China Prepares for Psychological Warfare
Source: Diplomat
The recent unveiling of China’s new PSYOP (Psychological Operations) aircraft, the Gaoxin-7(高新七号), marks an important step forward for People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) psychological warfare capabilities.
Based on a Y-8 airframe (similar to the U.S. Military’s C-130), the Gaoxin-7’s primary mission is to conduct PSYOP missions against enemy forces. Although specific details are few and far between, People’s Republic of China (PRC) media has compared the Gaoxin-7 to the U.S. Air Force’s (USAF) EC-130J “Commando Solo” in terms of its mission and capability. The EC-130J Commando Solo is essentially a flying broadcast station which can transmit media in AM, FM, HF, TV and military communication frequencies to enemy positions. Its transmission capability is so powerful that it is required to operate at least 200 miles off the coast of the United States during training missions so as to avoid interfering with civil communications.
PSYOP has had an important role in numerous U.S. Military operations and Chinese military planners have paid close attention to these developments. The EC-130J Commando Solo has also played a central part in these operations. In Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Commando Solo was used broadcasted messages in Arabic which urged Iraqi soldiers to surrender. In both conflicts, large numbers of Iraqi troops surrendered to coalition forces without fighting. More recently, Commando Solo participated in the Libyan Air War and broadcasted messages which urged Libyan soldiers to avoid fighting and return to their homes.
The Gaoxin-7 would play a significant role in any future hostilities or heightened tensions. One area where the Gaoxin-7 could be particularly effective would be in a conflict with Taiwan. PLA psychological warfare efforts could potentially have a devastating effect on Taiwanese troops. As some observers have noted, Taiwan’s military does not have particularly high morale and the public generally lacks confidence in the military’s ability to defend the island. Prior to, and during, a conflict with Taiwan, the Gaoxin-7 would likely be used to broadcast messages to demoralize Taiwanese troops, and persuade them to surrender. Important PLA psychological warfare concepts such as the humane treatment of POW’s policy (优待俘虏/Yōudài fúlǔ) would likely have a powerful impact on Taiwanese soldiers. Going back to the Mao Era, this policy seeks to encourage enemy soldiers to surrender without fighting in return for fair and humane treatment. When combined with fear-inducing PSYOP measures, and the PLA’s military superiority, the appeal of humane treatment in exchange for surrender would be even stronger.
China has already laid a strong foundation for psychological warfare against Taiwan with the establishment of the PLA’s General Political Department’s 311 Base in Fujian Province. In 2011, this base was designated as the focal point for all psychological warfare efforts against Taiwan, including help transmit China’s Voice of the Straits radio.
Additionally, the PLA has also stepped up PSYOP training against Taiwan. In 2006, the PLA included psychological warfare units in exercises held in the Nanjing Military Region. During the exercise, these units dropped leaflets on mock enemy positions and broadcast PSYOP messages in Taiwanese and English. The addition of the Gaoxin-7 will greatly enhance and extend the reach of the PLA’s PSYOP activities against Taiwan.
In addition to Taiwan, the Gaoxin-7 could also play a key role in the event of hostilities in the South China Sea against countries like The Philippines and Vietnam. Like Taiwan, the Vietnamese and Philippine militaries are significantly out-gunned by the PLA. Here again, the PLA’s policy of humane treatment for POWs could have a powerful impact on soldiers and sailors who have little expectation of victory. With its medium sized airframe, the Gaoxin-7 could operate from some of the PRC-controlled islands in the South China Sea.
With the introduction of the Gaoxin-7, the PLA now wields a powerful new psychological weapon which can be deployed to produce fear and confusion in the minds of enemy troops and leaders. If used effectively, the Gaoxin-7 could greatly reduce the amount of resistance that the PLA would otherwise encounter in future battles.
http://www.phantomreport.com/germany-preparing-for-worldwide-war
Germany—Preparing for Worldwide War?
Source: The Trumpet
recent release from German-Foreign-Policy.com reveals the following: “The German Army has set in operation a new command structure for worldwide war operations. The ‘Multinational Commando Operative Command,’ based in Baden Württemberg’s Ulm, shall guide the organization of the EU Battlegroups. According to their own statement they are prepared for ‘every imaginable mission’ in an intervention area of up to 6,000 kilometers distance—including the use of ‘highly intensive’ force” (August 8; translation ours).
That should send shivers up the spine of old diehards who remember the last time that Germany prepared for the use of “highly-intensive force” in “worldwide war operations.”
The German-Foreign-Policy.com release continues, “The Battlegroups are being trained regularly within the framework of special forces maneuvers. Their agenda includes support of parties involved in civil war .…”
To the generations blinded to the historic reality of past German aspirations for imperial power by half a century of miseducation and revisionist history, such a startling revelation of this latest Bundeswehr restructuring will mean nothing. To students of Bible prophecy it has most profound meaning.
You need to read our booklet Nahum—An End-Time Prophecy for Germany to fully understand the impact of this latest imperialist move by German elites. It is a good primer for further study of this subject using our booklet Germany and the Holy Roman Empire.
We will provide more detail on the significance of the Bundeswehr’s new command structure as further details come to light.
In the meantime, as the September German federal elections approach, we continue to declare, “watch Germany!” That nation is prophesied to soon have powerful effect on this planet through just one more third and final effort at gaining global power by “worldwide war operations.” The German-Foreign-Policy.com report indicates the recent restructure of the Bundeswehr brings that prospect one more significant step closer! ▪
http://www.phantomreport.com/is-the-cia-hiding-missiles-and-supplying-syrian-rebels
Is the CIA Hiding Missiles and Supplying Syrian Rebels?
Source: Policy Mic
New information about circumstances surrounding the attack on the U.S. consulate on Sept. 11, 2012 raises concern about the U.S.’s involvement in Libya and Syria. According to Joe DiGenova, an attorney for whistleblower Thompson, the State Department’s deputy coordinator of operations, 400 U.S. missiles were sent to Libya covertly and have since been stolen by an unidentified group. The night this fatal assault occurred, 35 CIA operatives were said to have been working in an “annex near the consulate on a project to supply missiles from Libyan armories to Syrian rebels.” Since then, the CIA has undergone incredible lengths to suppress information about the incident from leaking out. This suppression of information indicates that the CIA has something to hide. It is crucial that an open investigation be conducted to figure out the missile’s whereabouts, as leaving this mystery unresolved could result in the weapons landing in the wrong hands.
CIA operatives in Benghazi during the attack have been subjected to frequent polygraph tests. Normally, CIA operatives undergo polygraph tests once every 3-4 years. However, since January, certain operatives have been required to take one monthly. Some believe this new protocol is to intimidate operatives into keeping silent. One insider told CNN that if you fail to comply, “You don’t jeopardize yourself, you jeopardize your family as well.”
The CIA has already been suspect due its inefficiency in dealing with the Benghazi attack despite being only 1.2 miles away. Little is known about the CIA’s actions in the annex as many officials in the State Department and Pentagon “were largely in the dark about the CIA’s role.” The Wall Street Journal reports that the State Department had agreed to provide the CIA “diplomatic cover for the classified CIA operations” in Libya in exchange for additional security. This arrangement raises two critical questions: Why did the CIA fail to keep up its part of the bargain? What was the CIA doing in the first place?
Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) believes these missing missiles are not missing, and that the CIA was shipping these missiles tto Syrian rebels. He said a ship with the missiles on board “sailed from Libya a week before … Ambassador [Stevens] was killed,” going along with various reports from the Telegraph and CNN. The ship’s captainconfirmed this information, claiming the missiles were for ”distribution … to Syrian rebels.” The State Department openly admits that it was trying to destroy missiles considered “damaged, aged, or too unsafe to retain,” and that the procedure got out of hand when the missiles went missing. Representatives added that they were not involved in the transfer and ”can’t speak for any other agencies.”
Proving an undercover operation of this magnitude would be very difficult, which is why there are other theories explaining the CIA cover-up. For example, Paula Broadwell, mistress of former CIA director David Petraeus, said that the CIA imprisoned a few high-profile Libyan militia members, and that the attack on the consulate was an attempt to free them. If that were the case, the CIA would be indirectly responsible for the deaths of innocent Americans as a result of illegally taking matters into their own hands.
Two things are beyond debate: the CIA is committed to keeping silent about their operation in Libya, and that the missiles are still missing. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) is one of 150 congressmen demanding an open investigation into the CIA’s involvement in Benghazi. This initiative would uncover the extent of American involvement in Libya, a contentious topic of debate. Moreover, it might uncover the whereabouts of the missing missiles, or at least provide some indication of their whereabouts. Recovering them is critical, lest they fall into the wrong hands.
And flaming Egypt policy as US " watching " a civil war in process !
Email
The United States has led a chorus of international concern aboutEgypt's crackdown on demonstrators, publicly condemning the violence that resulted in the worst loss of life on a single day since the overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi last month.
The White House said "the world is watching" after a day on which at least 278 people were killed. But there was still no sign that the US was prepared to characterise Morsi's removal by the army as a coup – which would trigger an automatic congressional ban on $1.3bn in annual aid to the powerful Egyptian military.
"The violence will only make it more difficult to move Egypt forward on a path to lasting stability and democracy and runs directly counter to the pledges by the interim government to pursue reconciliation," said spokesman Josh Earnest.
Lasting stability appeared further away than ever on Wednesday evening after the military declared a month-long state of emergency and the liberal Mohamed ElBaradei resigned as vice-president in the military-backed interim government.
The National Alliance to Support Legitimacy called on "all Egyptian people" to take to the streets "to stop the massacre" after police attacked its two sit-ins in Cairo's Nahda and Rabaa al-Adawiya squares early on Wednesday.
The alliance is an Islamist grouping led by the Muslim Brotherhood, which has been demanding Morsi's reinstatement as president since he was ousted by the army. Morsi supporters called for further nationwide protests.
Fatalities included the 17-year-old daughter of Mohamed Beltagi, a Brotherhood leader. Three other senior figures were reportedly detained in what appeared to be the start of a wide-ranging crackdown on the Islamist movement. Egypt's health ministry said that 235 civilians had been killed and 1,400 injured, while Interior minister Mohammed Ibrahim said 43 policemen had died. A statement issued by the Egypt Anti Coup Alliance said "more than 2,000" had been killed.
Trouble also spread beyond Cairo, with reports of a church set on fire in Sohag, 250 miles south of the capital. Ten people were killed in Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast.
ElBaradei's resignation statement underlined the dilemma faced by liberal and secular supporters of the revolution that toppled Hosni Mubarak in February 2011. "It has become difficult for me to hold responsibility for decisions that I do not agree with, whose consequences I fear," ElBaradei said as a curfew was imposed across the country.
"I cannot be responsible for one drop of blood in front of God, and then in front of my conscience, especially with my faith that we could have avoided it." The Nobel laureate said that those who incited "violence and terrorism" – language the government has used to describe the Brotherhood – would only benefit from the turmoil.
Britain's foreign secretary, William Hague, said he was "deeply concerned" at the escalating violence and unrest. "I am disappointed that compromise has not been possible. I condemn the use of force in clearing protests and call on the security forces to act with restraint."
Baroness Ashton, the EU's foreign policy chief, who met Morsi in his place of detention earlier this month, said in a statement: "Confrontation and violence is not the way forward to resolve key political issues. I deplore the loss of lives, injuries and destruction in Cairo and other places in Egypt."
The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, condemned the violence and urged an effort at "inclusive reconciliation". France and Germany also called for dialogue.
The strongest language came from Turkey, whose government has been a firm supporter of the Egyptian Brotherhood. It urged the UN security council and the Arab League to act quickly to stop a "massacre". Iran warned of the risk of civil war. Rachid Ghannouchi, president of Tunisia's governing moderate Islamist party Ennahda, called the crackdown an "abject crime". He expressed solidarity with the pro-Morsi backers' bid to "recover their freedom and oppose the coup d'etat".
Analysts said that the response from Washington fitted a pattern of weak statements that had allowed the Egyptian military to act with impunity. "[The] US had several chances to demonstrate [that] its threats to suspend aid were credible, but each time backed down," tweeted the Brookings Institution expert Shadi Hamid. "That policy has a price." Hamid also told al-Jazeera TV: "Clearing all the sit-ins without addressing fundamental political issues won't stop the clashes."
Marc Lynch commented in Foreign Policy: "It's time for Washington to stop pretending. Its efforts to maintain its lines of communication with the Egyptian military, quietly mediate the crisis and help lay the groundwork for some new, democratic political process have utterly failed. Egypt's new military regime, and a sizable and vocal portion of the Egyptian population, have made it very clear that they just want the United States to leave it alone.
For once, Washington should give them their wish. As long as Egypt remains on its current path, the Obama administration should suspend all aid, keep the embassy in Cairo closed, and refrain from treating the military regime as a legitimate government."
http://www.phantomreport.com/sudan-becomes-the-newest-player-in-syrias-protracted-conflict
Sudan becomes the newest player in Syria’s protracted conflict
Source: Sudan Tribune
The Sudanese government has been selling Chinese and local-made weapons to the Arab Gulf state of Qatar which in turn has been shipping it to rebels in Syria who have staged an uprising against Bashar al-Assad’s rule since 2011, U.S. officials and rebels told the New York Times (NYT).
The shipments included newly manufactured small-arms cartridges and antiaircraft missiles which were desperately sought by rebels over the last year to neutralize Assad’s superior firepower.
Western nations have been hesitant to supply sophisticated weapons such as surface-to-air missiles or shoulder-mounted missiles for fear that it might fall into the hands of hardline Islamist factions for use against western targets.
Two American officials told NYT that Ukrainian-flagged aircraft had delivered the shipments. Air traffic control data from an aviation official in the region shows that at least three Ukrainian aviation transport companies flew military-style cargo planes this year from Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, to a military and civilian airfield in western Turkey.
Western analysts and officials said Sudan’s clandestine participation in arming rebels in Syria suggests inherent tensions in Bashir’s foreign policy, which broadly supports Sunni Islamist movements while maintaining a valued relationship with the Shia theocracy in Iran.
Other officials suggested that a simple motive was at work — money. Sudan is struggling with a severe economic crisis after losing the oil-rich south in July 2011.
“Qatar has been paying a pretty penny for weapons, with few questions asked,” one American official familiar with the transfers told NYT.
“Once word gets out that other countries have opened their depots and have been well paid, that can be an incentive” the official added.
But officials in Khartoum speaking to NYT, vehemently denied the claims but nonetheless said that if Sudan’s weapons were indeed seen with Syria’s rebels then perhaps Libya had provided them.
Sudan supplied Libyan rebels with weapons during their war to overthrow Gaddafi’s regime in 2011.
However, the NYT argued that this would not explain the Sudanese-made 7.62×39-millimeter ammunition this year in rebel possession near the Syrian city of Idlib.
The ammunition, according to its stamped markings, was made in Sudan in 2012 — after the war in Libya had ended. It was used by Soquor al-Sham, an Islamist group that recognizes the Western-supported Syrian National Coalition’s military command.
Also it would not explain the presence of FN-6 antiaircraft missiles in Syrian rebel units. Neither the Gaddafi loyalists nor the rebels in Libya were known to possess those weapons in 2011, analysts who track missile proliferation told NYT.
But detailed photos of one of the FN-6 missile tubes, provided by a Syrian with access to the weapons, showed that someone had taken steps to obscure its origin. Stenciled markings, the photos showed, had been covered with spray paint. Such markings typically include a missile’s serial number, lot number, manufacturer code and year of production.
Rebels said that before they were provided with the missiles, months ago, they had already been painted, either by the seller, shipper or middlemen, in a crude effort to make tracing the missiles more difficult.
Still Sudanese officials were adamant they were not part of the rebels’ supply network.
“Sudan has not sent weapons to Syria,” said Emad Sid Ahmad, the press secretary for Sudanese President Omer Hassan al-Bashir.
The spokesman of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) Colonel al-Sawarmi Khalid Saad for his part said that the allegations defied common sense, except perhaps as a smear.
“We have no interest in supporting groups in Syria, especially if the outcome of the fighting is not clear,” Col. Saad said.
“These allegations are meant to harm our relations with countries Sudan has good relations with” he added.
When told that the newly produced Sudanese cartridges were photographed with Syrian rebels, Col. Saad’s response was that “Pictures can be fabricated…That is not evidence”.
A Qatari official on the other hand said he had no information about a role by his country in procuring or moving military equipment from Sudan.
Despite initial cheers over this line of weaponry, Syrian rebels later complained that they often turned defective.
One rebel commander, Abu Bashar, who coordinates fighting in Aleppo and Idlib Provinces, called the missiles, which he said had gone to Turkey from Sudan and had been provided to rebels by a Qatari intelligence officer, a disappointment.
“Most of the FN-6s that we got didn’t work,” he said. He said two of them had exploded as they were fired, killing two rebels and wounding four others.
If Sudan’s role in feeding weapons to Syria rebels is true, it will reveal a new aspect of Sudan’s frequently messy foreign policy.
Bashir and his government have initially called events in Syria a conspiracy caused by foreign meddling.
“Syria is exposed to a foreign conspiracy because of its firm position on Arab issues and any weakening of Syria is a free service to enemies of the Arab nation,” Bashir was quoted as saying in October 2011 after meeting with Syrian deputy foreign minister Faisal al-Mikdad in Khartoum.
The Sudanese government may have been returning the favor for Syria’s strong backing of Bashir when an arrest warrant was issued for him in March 2009 by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes he allegedly masterminded in Darfur.
The Syrian top diplomat Walid al-Muallem has reportedly chided then ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo in late 2008 in New York when he was addressing Arab foreign ministers in New York to explain his case against Bashir.
But as Sudan appeared to have a change of heart on the Syrian conflict, Damascus signaled that it feels betrayed by Khartoum.
“So how did Sudan act with us today? Total silence. Why? Of course they have their reasons but I don’t want to justify these excuses,” Yussef al-Ahmad, Syria’s ambassador to Egypt and the Arab League asked in response to Khartoum voting in favor of Arab League vote suspending his country’s membership in the Pan-Arab body in November 2011.
Sudan not only supported this resolution but convinced Mauritania and Somalia to back it, according to diplomats who spoke to Reuters at the time.
“You all remember that the president of Sudan was wanted [by the ICC] but when Sudan was partitioned do you hear now about any specific requests? That’s it. The required task was dividing Sudan,” al-Ahmad added.
Arab newspapers at the time had published that Syrian ambassador in a closed Arab League session admonished Sudan’s foreign minister Ali Karti for his country’s stance.
“Even Sudan and we are the ones who are defending it…This is a shame on Sudan and the Arab League,” Yussef al-Ahmad told Karti again in the hallway after the meeting according to the London based Al-Sharq Al-Awsat.
In January 2012, the Sudanese leader who is shunned by the West for his government’s human rights record, called on his Syrian counterpart to embrace political reforms.
It remains to be seen how Sudan’s closest allies such as Iran, China and Russia will react to reports that it is supplying weapons to Syrian rebels.
All four countries are considered the main backers of Assad. China and Russia have blocked several United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions condemning the Syrian regime.
Beijing in particular may be irked by knowing that weapons it sold to Khartoum has ended up with anti-Assad insurgents.
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