Friday, September 11, 2009
News links for this week
I should be on more soon.
news of the Gotovina case:
http://www.iwpr.net/index.php?apc_state=hen&s=o&o=l=EN&p=tri&s=f&o=355838
details about the Karadzic trial
http://www.iwpr.net/?p=tri&s=f&o=355836&apc_state=henftri355838
looks like the border dispute between Croatia and Slovenia is resolved.
this will help both countries a lot.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE58A24S20090911?rpc=401&
Probably you want to be careful of this site, but it is news I had not seen or heard elsewhere, about the missile shield being expanded.
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/45931
U.S. Expands Global Missile Shield Into Middle East, Balkans
Submitted by Chip on Fri, 2009-09-11 17:34.
* Corporatism and Fascism
* Europe
* Middle East
* Military Industrial Complex
* Russia
U.S. Expands Global Missile Shield Into Middle East, Balkans
Rick Rozoff | Stop NATO | NEW! Blog site
Toward the latter half of last month the Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza, "citing officials and lobbyists in Washington," revealed that the Pentagon would reevaluate planned interceptor missile deployments in Poland and a complementary missile radar site in the Czech Republic and instead shift global missile shield plans to Israel, Turkey and the Balkans [1]
"Washington is now looking for alternative locations including in the Balkans, Israel and Turkey...." [2]
The news came a week after it was reported that at the annual Space and Missile Defense Conference hosted by the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency in Huntsville, Alabama the Chicago-based Boeing Company offered to construct a "47,500-pound interceptor that could be flown to NATO bases as needed on Boeing-built C-17 cargo planes," a "two-stage interceptor designed to be globally deployable within 24 hours...." [3]
This initiative, much as with the reports of plans to expand the American worldwide interceptor missile system to the Middle East and Southeastern Europe, has been presented as a way of alleviating Russian concerns over anti-missile components being deployed near its borders. But on the same day that Boeing announced the project for a rapid deployable missile launcher for NATO bases in Europe the First Deputy Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic, Tomas Pojar, was quoted as asserting that a "possible U.S. mobile anti-missile shield does not threaten the U.S. plans to build a radar base on Czech soil because the system is to be a combination of fixed and mobile elements." [4]
That is, what is being presented in both instances as substitutes for U.S. and NATO missile shield deployments in Eastern Europe may in fact be added to rather than replace plans for Poland and the Czech Republic.
On September 11 the new Czech envoy to NATO, Martin Povejsil, reiterated that Washington's plans to forge ahead with the missile system deployments in his nation and in Poland will proceed unhampered, stating "NATO still expects the U.S. system to be the core of its missile-defence structures that have been worked on." [5]
On the day after the Polish newspaper revealed that American interceptor missile system deployments could be extended to Israel, Turkey and the Balkans, U.S. State Department Spokesman P.J. Crowley said Washington's review of the missile defense strategy "is ongoing and has not reached completion yet."
Similarly, "Missile Defense Agency [Director] Patrick O'Reilly also denied the report of Polish newspapers. He supported the proposal to install SM-3 missile systems in Turkey and the Balkans." [6]
The SM-3 - Standard Missile 3 - is a ship-based anti-ballistic missile used by the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System, and was used by the Pentagon to destroy an American satellite in orbit in February 2008 in what was seen by some observers, especially in Russia, as an experiment for future space warfare.
So the surfacing of reports that the U.S. may base missile shield facilities south and east of the Czech Republic and Poland is more likely indicative of yet another plan to expand the global system - already in place and being worked on in Alaska, Japan, Australia, Taiwan, Norway, Britain, Greenland and Israel - into areas previously off limits to such deployments and not necessarily an abandonment of American missile and troop deployments in Poland and a missile radar site in the Czech Republic.
In confirmation of this scenario, U.S. National Security Adviser and former U.S. European Command and NATO top military chief James Jones told Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski on September 1 "The United States is assuring Poland that it has not made a decision on where to deploy a European missile defense system but will keep Warsaw informed," and pledged "the United States' firm and unwavering commitment to Poland's security and defense." [7]
and this little nugget of info should distress us all, it certainly distresses me.
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/45931
S Actually Increasing Personnel In Iraq: More Contractors, Fewer Troops
Submitted by Chip on Thu, 2009-09-10 13:18.
* Corporatism and Fascism
* Iraq
* Military Industrial Complex
US actually increasing personnel in Iraq: More contractors, fewer troops | Raw Story
US forces are not withdrawing from Iraq.
Well, its soldiers are. But not civilian contractors. Despite President Barack Obama's pledge to withdraw US troops from the war-torn country, the US is planning to award contracts to protect US installations at a cost to taxpayers that could near $1 billion.
In fact, the Multi-National Force-Iraq just awarded $485 million in contracts just last week, while Congress enjoyed its summer recess. Five firms will handle private security deals to provide security for US bases. It's a neat rhetorical loophole that will allow US officials to say that the country has withdrawn from Iraq, while its contractors remain. Read more.
****
On the above, the details of parties thrown by the Armour Group personnel were even worse and NPR reports some of those guys frequent brothels and have been caught trafficking Afghan women and girls for sex slavery. I really think this is not helpful in 'winning hearts and minds' at all at all.
and then this from the Derry Journal
http://www.derryjournal.com/journal/Liam39s-lifechanging--Medjugorje-experience.5639713.jp
news of the Gotovina case:
http://www.iwpr.net/index.php?apc_state=hen&s=o&o=l=EN&p=tri&s=f&o=355838
details about the Karadzic trial
http://www.iwpr.net/?p=tri&s=f&o=355836&apc_state=henftri355838
looks like the border dispute between Croatia and Slovenia is resolved.
this will help both countries a lot.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE58A24S20090911?rpc=401&
Probably you want to be careful of this site, but it is news I had not seen or heard elsewhere, about the missile shield being expanded.
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/45931
U.S. Expands Global Missile Shield Into Middle East, Balkans
Submitted by Chip on Fri, 2009-09-11 17:34.
* Corporatism and Fascism
* Europe
* Middle East
* Military Industrial Complex
* Russia
U.S. Expands Global Missile Shield Into Middle East, Balkans
Rick Rozoff | Stop NATO | NEW! Blog site
Toward the latter half of last month the Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza, "citing officials and lobbyists in Washington," revealed that the Pentagon would reevaluate planned interceptor missile deployments in Poland and a complementary missile radar site in the Czech Republic and instead shift global missile shield plans to Israel, Turkey and the Balkans [1]
"Washington is now looking for alternative locations including in the Balkans, Israel and Turkey...." [2]
The news came a week after it was reported that at the annual Space and Missile Defense Conference hosted by the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency in Huntsville, Alabama the Chicago-based Boeing Company offered to construct a "47,500-pound interceptor that could be flown to NATO bases as needed on Boeing-built C-17 cargo planes," a "two-stage interceptor designed to be globally deployable within 24 hours...." [3]
This initiative, much as with the reports of plans to expand the American worldwide interceptor missile system to the Middle East and Southeastern Europe, has been presented as a way of alleviating Russian concerns over anti-missile components being deployed near its borders. But on the same day that Boeing announced the project for a rapid deployable missile launcher for NATO bases in Europe the First Deputy Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic, Tomas Pojar, was quoted as asserting that a "possible U.S. mobile anti-missile shield does not threaten the U.S. plans to build a radar base on Czech soil because the system is to be a combination of fixed and mobile elements." [4]
That is, what is being presented in both instances as substitutes for U.S. and NATO missile shield deployments in Eastern Europe may in fact be added to rather than replace plans for Poland and the Czech Republic.
On September 11 the new Czech envoy to NATO, Martin Povejsil, reiterated that Washington's plans to forge ahead with the missile system deployments in his nation and in Poland will proceed unhampered, stating "NATO still expects the U.S. system to be the core of its missile-defence structures that have been worked on." [5]
On the day after the Polish newspaper revealed that American interceptor missile system deployments could be extended to Israel, Turkey and the Balkans, U.S. State Department Spokesman P.J. Crowley said Washington's review of the missile defense strategy "is ongoing and has not reached completion yet."
Similarly, "Missile Defense Agency [Director] Patrick O'Reilly also denied the report of Polish newspapers. He supported the proposal to install SM-3 missile systems in Turkey and the Balkans." [6]
The SM-3 - Standard Missile 3 - is a ship-based anti-ballistic missile used by the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System, and was used by the Pentagon to destroy an American satellite in orbit in February 2008 in what was seen by some observers, especially in Russia, as an experiment for future space warfare.
So the surfacing of reports that the U.S. may base missile shield facilities south and east of the Czech Republic and Poland is more likely indicative of yet another plan to expand the global system - already in place and being worked on in Alaska, Japan, Australia, Taiwan, Norway, Britain, Greenland and Israel - into areas previously off limits to such deployments and not necessarily an abandonment of American missile and troop deployments in Poland and a missile radar site in the Czech Republic.
In confirmation of this scenario, U.S. National Security Adviser and former U.S. European Command and NATO top military chief James Jones told Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski on September 1 "The United States is assuring Poland that it has not made a decision on where to deploy a European missile defense system but will keep Warsaw informed," and pledged "the United States' firm and unwavering commitment to Poland's security and defense." [7]
and this little nugget of info should distress us all, it certainly distresses me.
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/45931
S Actually Increasing Personnel In Iraq: More Contractors, Fewer Troops
Submitted by Chip on Thu, 2009-09-10 13:18.
* Corporatism and Fascism
* Iraq
* Military Industrial Complex
US actually increasing personnel in Iraq: More contractors, fewer troops | Raw Story
US forces are not withdrawing from Iraq.
Well, its soldiers are. But not civilian contractors. Despite President Barack Obama's pledge to withdraw US troops from the war-torn country, the US is planning to award contracts to protect US installations at a cost to taxpayers that could near $1 billion.
In fact, the Multi-National Force-Iraq just awarded $485 million in contracts just last week, while Congress enjoyed its summer recess. Five firms will handle private security deals to provide security for US bases. It's a neat rhetorical loophole that will allow US officials to say that the country has withdrawn from Iraq, while its contractors remain. Read more.
****
On the above, the details of parties thrown by the Armour Group personnel were even worse and NPR reports some of those guys frequent brothels and have been caught trafficking Afghan women and girls for sex slavery. I really think this is not helpful in 'winning hearts and minds' at all at all.
and then this from the Derry Journal
http://www.derryjournal.com/journal/Liam39s-lifechanging--Medjugorje-experience.5639713.jp
# posted by Katja R. @ 11:47 AM 
