Saad Al-Hilli’s firm may have been under surveillance by Iranian intelligence Mr Al-Hilli was murdered in September alongside his wife and mother-in-law By Robert Verkaik PUBLISHED:18:18 EST, 6 October 2012| UPDATED:19:26 EST, 6 October 2012 Possible target: Saad Al-Hilli’s… Read More ›
Escalation / Destabilization Conflict
‘No food, no drugs’: Libyan troops siege ex-Gaddafi stronghold: Libya is still plagued with violence between pro-Gaddafi loyalists and supporters of the country’s new government
Published: 7 October, 2012, 20:24 Edited: 7 October, 2012, 20:36 Armed Libyan forces continue to surround the city of Bani Walid, Libya. As tension between government troops and opposition supporters continues to mount, residents have been left without food… Read More ›
Turkey fires artillery into Syria after shelling: fifth consecutive day of Turkish retaliation
12:21pm EDT By Daren Butler ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish forces fired across the frontier into Syria on Sunday after a shell launched from Syria landed in Turkey’s border town of Akcakale, underlining Ankara’s warning that it will respond with force… Read More ›
‘Food terrorism’ a new concern in China-Japan rift
KuchikomiOct. 07, 2012 – 06:30AM JST( 2 ) TOKYO — In a matter of weeks from mid-September, Japan-China relations have chilled to a level not seen in recent memory. “In China, Japanese nationals have been singled out for attacks, such… Read More ›
INTERVIEW-Armenian president says Azerbaijan threatens new war
Fri Oct 5, 2012 6:06pm GMT * Armenia and Azerbaijan dispute Nagorno-Karabakh * Yerevan says Baku threatens new war * Azerbaijan says it is not the aggressor By Nigel Stephenson and Hasmik Mkrtchyan YEREVAN, Oct 5 (Reuters) – Armenian President… Read More ›
Turkey returns fire after mortar bomb from Syria hits farmland – state news agency
Published: 5 October, 2012, 21:03 Edited: 5 October, 2012, 21:03 Ankara’s military forces have struck back after a mortar bomb fired from Syria hit a farmland in the Turkish province of Hatay, reports Reuters quoting the state news agency. MORE… Read More ›
Chinese video-sharing sites crack down on Japanese TV shows and movies
By Ida Torres / October 5, 2012 / Major Chinese video-sharing websites are noticeably lacking one country in their categories list: Japan. Sites like Youku, Tudou and PPS have deleted Japan from the list of countries, although you could still search… Read More ›
Two Carrier Groups Are Now Operating In The China Sea
Robert Johnson|Oct. 4, 2012, 9:43 PM|4,209|31 Photographer’s Mate 3rd Class Summer M. Anderson USS George Washington The USS George Washington and the USS John C. Stennisaircraft carrier strike groups (CSGs), a flotilla of five ships and more than 10,000 Navy… Read More ›
Tokyo governor risks Chinese outrage with disputed island construction plan
The hawkish governor of Tokyo intends to push ahead with a plan to construct port facilities on disputed islands, a move that would inevitably trigger renewed outrage in China. Uotsuri Island, one of disputed Senkaku islands in the East China… Read More ›
Japanese insurers stop offering riot coverage in China
By Adam Westlake / October 5, 2012 / While the widespread anti-Japanese protests have subsided in China, large Japanese insurance companies are no longer offering coverage against riots to businesses with operations in the country. As the diplomatic tensions remain… Read More ›
Terrorism Tradecraft
October 4, 2012 | 0900 GMT By Scott Stewart One of the distinctive features of Stratfor’s terrorism and security analysis is its focus on the methodology of attacks. Of course, identifying those responsible for an attack is important, especially… Read More ›
Turkish government authorises raids against Syria
Fears of major conflict grow as parliament approves ‘deterrent’ measures in wake of cross-border incident on Wednesday Martin Chulov in Beirut The Guardian, Thursday 4 October 2012 14.18 EDT Turkey‘s parliament has given legal authority to the military to launch… Read More ›
Island plans by Tokyo’s nationalist governor may stoke fresh China tensions
By Antoni Slodkowski and Junko FujitaPosted 2012/10/03 at 11:42 pm EDT TOKYO, Oct. 3, 2012 (Reuters) — Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, a fiery nationalist whose failed bid to buy a group of disputed islands ignited a crisis with China, is… Read More ›
Iran currency crisis sparks Tehran street clashes: Rial has lost a third of its exchange value against the dollar in a week
Police use teargas and batons on demonstrators and Tehran bazaar closes as value of rial plunges Saeed Kamali Dehghan The Guardian, Wednesday 3 October 2012 14.32 EDT Iran’s rial has lost a third of its exchange value against the dollar in… Read More ›
Turkey launches artillery attacks on Syrian targets in retaliation after five civilians were killed in mortar strike
Turkish PM: ‘Our armed forces responded immediately to abominable attack’ Five people killed when Syrian shells struck border village earlier in the day Action by Ankara threatens to drag the West into military conflict with Assad By Daily Mail Reporter… Read More ›
Spain’s tax take tumbles as companies go abroad: Spain’s corporate tax take has tumbled by almost two thirds from pre-crisis levels
Spain’s tax take tumbles as companies go abroad By Tracy RucinskiPosted 2012/10/03 at 8:00 am EDT MADRID, Oct. 3, 2012 (Reuters) — Spain’s corporate tax take has tumbled by almost two thirds from pre-crisis levels as small businesses fail and… Read More ›
Chinese government ships entered territorial waters off disputed Tokyo-controlled islands for the second straight day
Chinese ships enter disputed waters for 2nd day in a row NationalOct. 03, 2012 – 03:20PM JST( 0 ) Tokyo and Beijing remain locked in a diplomatic row over disputed islands in the East China SeaAFP TOKYO — Chinese government… Read More ›
Debt crisis: troika demand even tougher austerity on stricken Greece
Greece’s international creditors are demanding the imposition of even tougher austerity measures despite the delivery this week of Antonio Samara’s hard-won €13.5bn package of cuts. Protester sitting in wheelchair waits along with other protesters for troika inspectors to arrive Photo:… Read More ›
Several major Chinese banks have canceled participation in the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank to be held in Tokyo next week
China banks pull out IMF Tokyo meet amid island row: WSJ Posted 2012/10/02 at 10:37 pm EDT TOKYO, Oct. 2, 2012 (Reuters) — Several major Chinese banks have canceled participation in the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank… Read More ›
Obama waives sanctions on countries that use child soldiers
Posted By Josh Rogin Monday, October 1, 2012 – 1:48 PM U.S. President Barack Obama issued a new executive order last week to fight human trafficking, touting his administration’s handling of the issue. “When a little boy is kidnapped, turned… Read More ›
4 Chinese gov’t ships spotted in waters around disputed isles: Will not respond to request to leave
NationalOct. 02, 2012 – 03:50PM JST TOKYO — Chinese government ships were back in waters around Japanese-controlled islands Tuesday, the coast guard said, a week after they last left and days after heated exchanges at the U.N. General Assembly. The… Read More ›
Chinese hackers had infiltrated a secure national security network used to control nuclear codes
WH: attempted hacking ‘not infrequent By GLENN THRUSH| 10/1/12 6:53 PM EDT White House Press Secretary Jay Carney downplayed a report that Chinese hackers had infiltrated a secure national security network used to control nuclear codes, saying the perpetrators breached… Read More ›
Polish opposition draws thousands for anti-government rally: ” Democracy is becoming fictional “
By Agence France-Presse Saturday, September 29, 2012 19:11 EDT Topics: Law and Justice leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski ♦ Poland ♦ Radio Maryja Tens of thousands of opponents of Poland’s centrist government massed in the capital Saturday for a protest called by… Read More ›
Turkish FM reaffirms support for Macedonia
Sunday, 30 September 2012 Ankara has been supporting Skopje in the dispute over Macedonia’s constitutional name, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu says in an interview with Albania’s ‘Shenja’ magazine.Turkey’s stand on the name dispute is rather clear, Davutoglu says.”Turkey… Read More ›
China State television on Saturday reported that the country’s navy and air forces conducted joint military exercises with live fire targeting a small island in the East China Sea.
China’s lines around islands suggest more conflict LOUISE WATT – Associated Press (AP) Posted September 29, 2012 at 4:08 a.m BEIJING (AP) — One of the hottest items in bookstores across China is a map for a place that… Read More ›
China to UN: Japan ‘stole’ islands
Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi, leading China’s delegation at the UN General Assembly, spoke Thursday, a day after a speech in which the Japanese prime minister, Yoshihiko Noda, didn’t mention the Diaoyu Islands. Yang said Beijing will “continue to take… Read More ›
China may have made a new geopolitical foe due to its talks with Fiji: Australia.
Adam Taylor, Business Insider September 28, 2012 16:40 Last week China sent its top legislator, Wu Bangguo, to the tiny Pacific nation of Fiji. During the trip, Fiji Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama and Wu signed three economic pacts. According… Read More ›
Italian unions strike against Monti, close Colosseum 1 of 7. A protester covers himself with a CGIL union flag during a rally in downtown Rome September 28, 2012. Two of Italy’s biggest unions marched through Rome on Friday to protest… Read More ›
US urges calm in China-Japan and Japan-Korea islands disputes, but won’t serve as mediator
Article by: BRADLEY KLAPPER , Associated Press Updated: September 28, 2012 – 1:38 PM NEW YORK – The Obama administration on Friday pressed U.S. allies Japan and South Korea to continue their cooperation on North Korea and other key issues,… Read More ›
Syrian rebels defect to Government forces
Syrian rebels defect Thursday, 27 September 2012 A group of Syrian rebels from the Free Syrian Army (FSA) defected and joined pro-government forces on Wednesday. The troops’ commander announced that “the road is open,” and called on to other rebels… Read More ›
Japan ‘stole’ our islands, Chinese foreign minister tells U.N.
PoliticsSep. 28, 2012 – 11:35AM JST UNITED NATIONS — China took a bitter territorial dispute with Japan to the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday, with Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi accusing Tokyo of stealing disputed islands. The Japanese government’s purchase of… Read More ›
Military conflict ‘looms’ between China and Japan: Speculation already taking place into what role the U.S. will play in the War
War between China and Japan looms, with neither power willing to back down over a disputed chain of islands, expert warns. Yan Xuetong who has warned that unless one side backs down, there could be a repeat of the Falklands… Read More ›
China official says spat with Japan derails free trade talks
Posted 2012/09/27 at 11:46 am EDT BEIJING, Sep. 27, 2012 (Reuters) — A festering territorial dispute between China and Japan has derailed talks for a free trade zone involving the two countries and South Korea, an adviser to China’s central… Read More ›
China blasts Japan PM’s hardline stance on islands: Called Japan ” self-deceiving “
On Thursday, China hit back at the Japanese prime minister for his statement that Tokyo would not compromise in the ongoing territorial dispute over islands in the East China Sea. PM Yoshihiko Noda said the previous day that the islands… Read More ›
Japan won’t compromise with China on claim to islands, Noda says
Japan will never budge on its “sacred” ownership claim to islands in the East China Sea also claimed by China, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said, doing little to ease tensions with Asia’s top economic power. While Japan isn’t seeking a… Read More ›
ANA reports 40,000 cancelations on its China routes
All Nippon Airways says 40,000 seat reservations have been cancelled for its regular flights linking Japan and China, amid souring bilateral relations. ANA president Shin-ichiro Ito on Wednesday revealed the cancellations of the bookings for flights on 17 routes, from… Read More ›
Anti-cuts protests erupt on streets of Athens and Madrid: ” 70,000 people marched to the Greek parliament chanting “EU, IMF Out!”
5:32pm EDT By Renee Maltezou and Julien Toyer ATHENS/MADRID (Reuters) – Demonstrators have clashed with police on the streets of Athens and Madrid in an upsurge of popular anger at new austerity measures being imposed on two of the euro… Read More ›
Chinese citizen arrested over U.S military exports
By Agence France-Presse Wednesday, September 26, 2012 18:06 EDT Topics: carbon fiber ♦ china ♦ Ming Suan Zhang NEW YORK — A Chinese citizen has been charged in New York with illegally attempting to export highly restricted material from the… Read More ›
China White Paper Claims Ownership of Islands Under Japanese Control: Claims the U.S. decision to hand them over to Japan was a “backroom deal” and a “grave violation of China’s territorial sovereignty.”
Sep. 25, 2012 – 02:41PM By Wendell Minnick TAIPEI — The Chinese State Council Information Office has issued a white paper about the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands dispute with Japan. The paper, released Sept. 25, is available in English on the People’s… Read More ›
Chinese protester opposing government takeover of village land ‘is crushed to death by state-controlled road-flattening truck’
Protester He Zhu Hua, appears to be crushed in shocking images He opposed being moved after government tried to claim land for commercial use Reports claim government then tried to hide body and sent security to quell anger from residents… Read More ›
Korea to watch China’s drone use for territory claims: China Mobilizing Drones to go after Korea’s island of Ieodo
Lee calls top security meeting to discuss N.K., regional tension Territorial tension is brewing again between Korea and China after Beijing reportedly devised a plan to mobilize drones to monitor areas outside its jurisdiction, including Korea’s island of… Read More ›
BBC apologises to the Queen for Abu Hamza disclosure
Security correspondent Frank Gardner prompts crisis by telling how Queen lobbied home secretary for arrest of radical cleri Dan Sabbagh, Peter Walker and Caroline Davies The Guardian, Tuesday 25 September 2012 15.19 EDT Abu Hamza, who faces extradition to the… Read More ›
China carrier a show of force as Japan tension festers:”China will never tolerate any bilateral actions by Japan that harm Chinese territorial sovereignty,” Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun said on Tuesday. “
China’s first aircraft carrier, which was renovated from an old aircraft carrier that China bought from Ukraine in 1998, is seen docked at Dalian Port, in Dalian, Liaoning province in this September 22, 2012 file photo. China’s first aircraft carrier,… Read More ›
Sinai of discord: Egypt, Israel growing impatient over border security: “warning Israel against any “provocations.”
Published: 24 September, 2012, 21:38 Edited: 25 September, 2012, 02:23 Egypt “will cut off an arm of any foreign or internal aggressor,” a top military official tells an Egyptian daily, as Cairo boosts military presence in Sinai over militant threat…. Read More ›
Taiwanese fishing flotilla muddies waters in China, Japan territorial dispute
Japan Coast Guard vessels sail along with Chinese surveillance ship Haijian No.66, left, near disputed islands called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. Picture: AP / Kyodo News Source: AP CHINESE ships plied the waters of a disputed island… Read More ›
Japan protests as Chinese ships enter Japanese territorial waters
1:25am EDT By Kiyoshi Takenaka and Antoni Slodkowski TOKYO | Mon Sep 24, 2012 1:25am EDT TOKYO (Reuters) – Three Chinese ships entered what Japan considers its territorial waters near disputed islands in the East China Sea on Monday,… Read More ›
Obama’s Shaky Libya Narrative: Libyan Politician may have asked Libyan security to stand down for a pending attack
by Eli Lake Sep 21, 2012 4:45 AM EDT Sources say the attack on the Libyan ambassador was pre-meditated, with the possible collaboration of a Libyan politician. Eli Lake on the continuing collapse of the official U.S. line. Ten… Read More ›
Iran claims Siemens sold it sabotaged nuclear equipment: Wired with Explosives
By Agence France-Presse Sunday, September 23, 2012 17:00 EDT Topics: Aladin Borujerdi ♦ nuclear activities ♦ Siemens A prominent MP, Aladin Borujerdi, has accused German firm Siemens of having sold Iran equipment for its nuclear activities laced with mini-explosives, which… Read More ›
China surveillance ships enter waters near disputed islands: In Japanese territorial waters
TOKYO | Sun Sep 23, 2012 8:35pm EDT TOKYO (Reuters) – Two Chinese marine surveillance ships entered what Japan considers its territorial waters near disputed islands in the East China Sea on Monday, the Japanese Coast Guard said, a move… Read More ›
China Navy Takes Delivery of 1st Aircraft Carrier: Report
Sep. 23, 2012 – 12:28PM | By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE | China’s first aircraft carrier berthed at Dalian port is seen Sept. 5. (AFP) BEIJING — China’s first aircraft carrier was handed over to the navy of the People’s Liberation… Read More ›
Engineering Evil 