Geopolitical thread

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 17 Jul 2009 11:30

New deadly hotel bombing attacks in Indonesia,Marriott again,shows that the Al Q sympathisers/Islamist terrorists are alive and kicking.It also shows how vulnerable hotels still are as they do not have airport like security.

Indonesia hotel bombings: foreign tourists among nine dead
Explosions struck two luxury hotels in the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Friday morning killing at least nine people and injuring 36 others according to local police and hospital sources.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... -dead.html

RayC · Post by **RayC** » 17 Jul 2009 11:56

Ex-Boeing engineer convicted of spying for China
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/ar ... aGF4a-vR6A

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 19 Jul 2009 12:54

America’s Place In The World

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 20 Jul 2009 07:57

Islamist Fighters on the Silk Road - M.K. Bhadrakumar

A must read.

pgbhat · Post by **pgbhat** » 20 Jul 2009 09:07

^^^ seems like unkil loves playing with fire ...

The U.S. commentators have given a spin that the Central Asian militants are returning home due to the Pakistani military stepping up its operations along the Afghan border region. According to the local opinion in Afghanistan, however, U.S. special forces are providing the logistics to Central Asian Islamists to reach the Tajikistan border from Pakistan-Afghan tribal areas. Kunduz, Islam Qala, Imam Zahib, Aliabad and Chardara district in northern Afghanistan have become staging points for militants to cross into Tajikistan. There are reports that U.S. special forces facilitated the movement of “foreign fighters” from the Wazir tribes on the Pakistani-Afghan border into Chardara district. (Chardara is a Pashtun enclave.) These are very alarming signals reminiscent of the run-up to the Andizhan uprising in the Ferghana valley in May 2005, which had covert American involvement. Conceivably, the security situation may worsen along the route of the Turkmenistan-Xinjiang pipeline.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 20 Jul 2009 13:35

MKB's excellent analysis about the games Uncle Sam is playing in the regionis illuminating.This spells serious trouble for India ,as despite all Hillary''s PR campaign ,there are many areas of US foreign policy,such as Afghanistan,where they are totally "behind" their rent boy Pak,enamoured of their scandalous longstanding all-weather relationship that has buggered India time and again,this time trying to kick us out of Afghanistan and our legitimate interests there.Frankly,the US must depart from this region as it has no damned business scr*wing around in India's backyard.The games it is trying to play in Central Asia is doomed to failure as India,China and Russia and the Central Asian states have billions of people of the region who can scr*w the firang interloper,US and its plans any which way they like.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 20 Jul 2009 14:11

Philip wrote:Frankly,the US must depart from this region as it has no damned business scr*wing around in India's backyard.

Philip, for that to happen, India has to be seen confident and assertive, not equating itself to Pakistan as another sponsor of terror through un-necessary joint declarations.

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 20 Jul 2009 14:45

SSridhar wrote:India has to be seen confident and assertive, not equating itself to Pakistan as another sponsor of terror through un-necessary joint declarations.

SSridhar garu,
IMHO, the jury is still out on how the Baluch mention in Sharm-el-Sheikh Joint Statement will play out. The mention in itself on a piece of paper doesn't mean much, but Indo-Pak handling of the Baluch Issue can go either way.

1. Either PM MMS will wind-up all Indian operations in Baluchistan, if there were any, or

2. It was a good move to get officially involved in an issue, that needs to be opened up like a can with a can-opener.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 22 Jul 2009 20:12

Interesting take: Zionism IS Nazism
Excerpt:

Zionism is Naziism. It has all the features that defined Naziism:
1. The state taxes everyone for social services but metes out these services unfairly with the vast bulk going towards the ruling ethnic group.
2. The state has laws preventing intermarriage of the ‘master race’ and the ‘untermenschen’.
3. The state allows the ‘master race’ to run riot and protects them when they do riot while killing any of the ‘untermenschen’ who riot or even do small civil disobedience.
4. The state locks up ‘untermenschen’ inside of ghettos which are starved of jobs, food and medical care.
5. The state has laws forbidding ‘untermenschen’ from buying property or living in ‘master race’ communities.
6. The ‘master race’ believes that god loves only them and all others have no right to land, life or future in heaven.
7. The ‘master race’ supports ethnic cleansing.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 22 Jul 2009 21:32

SwamyG, No its the victim being labelled as the oppressor. One has to sudy Nazism in its true meaning to understand what it is. Its a new Islam for Europe. Its about de-Judaizing Western civilization. This includes de-Hebrewising the Bible and take Jesus out of Mary. And it was Roman Catholic Church project.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 22 Jul 2009 21:38

Ramana gaaru. 'C' oppresses 'J'. J is the victim. But then 'J' oppresses 'M'. Here J is the oppressor. Hence the entity J is both an victim and oppressor. And 'M' goes on to oppress others.

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 22 Jul 2009 21:46

SwamyG wrote:Ramana gaaru. 'C' oppresses 'J'. J is the victim. But then 'J' oppresses 'M'. Here J is the oppressor. Hence the entity J is both an victim and oppressor. And 'M' goes on to oppress others.

Does J really oppresses M?

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 22 Jul 2009 21:55

J oppressing M is a myth.

OTH yes Israel does have lands called Palestine which is ancient Canaan. As new improved covenanted religions both C & I oppress J for their own existence. The M angst about Palestine is really transferred angst about the West for creating/facilitating Israel.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 22 Jul 2009 22:07

Maybe not through out the world. But in a particular piece of territory; yes. In my opinion the West created two modern states based on religion/ethnicity - Israel and Pakistan. And they have been cause for lots of trouble in their short history. Just like end of P would be laudable, I hope 'I' dissolves too and morphs into a larger entity including 'J' and 'M' - no doubt this State will have its own problems. What to do - the religions are like that onlee.

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 22 Jul 2009 23:37

pgbhat wrote:^^^ seems like unkil loves playing with fire ...

You dont become and stay Nuemro Uno without it, however it make sure it plays all these much outside his house.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 24 Jul 2009 04:27

NEW GREAT GAME REVISITED, Part 1
Iran and Russia, scorpions in a bottle

caesar · Post by **caesar** » 24 Jul 2009 09:55

Unrest in Xinjiang: Birds coming home to roost for China

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090722/edit.htm#4

do read this.

AnimeshP · Post by **AnimeshP** » 28 Jul 2009 22:36

While Sri Obama is enjoying chicken samosas ... Joe Biden conducting diplomacy

... Am eagerly waiting for the Russian reaction ....

Biden Says Weakened Russia Will Bend to U.S.

Biden Says Weakened Russia Will Bend to U.S.

By PETER SPIEGEL

WASHINGTON -- Vice President Joe Biden said in an interview that Russia's economy is "withering," and suggested the trend will force the country to make accommodations to the West on a wide range of national-security issues, including loosening its grip on former Soviet republics and shrinking its vast nuclear arsenal.

He said Russian leaders are gradually beginning to grasp their diminished global role, but that the U.S. should be cautious not to overplay its advantage.

"It won't work if we go in and say: 'Hey, you need us, man; belly up to the bar and pay your dues,' " he said. "It is never smart to embarrass an individual or a country when they're dealing with significant loss of face. My dad used to put it another way: Never put another man in a corner where the only way out is over you."

Must read ... if only for entertainment value ...

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 02 Aug 2009 19:17

US on 'intimate' terms with extremists in central Asia

shravan · Post by **shravan** » 02 Aug 2009 19:32

Gerard wrote:US on 'intimate' terms with extremists in central Asia

There are many reports out there which shows the link but the American Media is so strong that the person who raises the question is called crazy...

Even here i was called crazy for raising that question...

Hari Seldon · Post by **Hari Seldon** » 02 Aug 2009 20:40

Chinese Town Quarantined as Man Dies From Plague (Bloomberg)

Uh-oh.

derkonig · Post by **derkonig** » 02 Aug 2009 21:22

Quotes from the article above:

The quarantined area is adequately supplied with the necessities and people’s lives are “normal,” the department said. Ziketan, in the eastern part of Qinghai, has a population of about 10,000, most of whom are Tibetans, according to the information provider Baidu.com.

No prizes for guessing what normalcy means esp. when Tibetans are affected.

Pneumonic plague, on the other hand, is one of the most deadly infectious diseases and patients can die 24 hours after infection, according to the WHO.

Johann · Post by **Johann** » 02 Aug 2009 22:05

ramana wrote: One has to sudy Nazism in its true meaning to understand what it is. Its a new Islam for Europe. Its about de-Judaizing Western civilization. This includes de-Hebrewising the Bible and take Jesus out of Mary.

Absolutely

And it was Roman Catholic Church project.

The RCC initially supported it because they believed Fascism was a conservative project that would fight godless communism amongst the middle and working classes.

The two fell out at the top about halfway when the Catholic Church realised Fascism was not against 'the excesses of modernity', but was in fact just as much a part of the threat of radical modernisation as communism.

Particularly when it became clear that Himmler and SS, which was the nucleus of Nazi philosophy believed that the only way to de-Judaise Europe was to give up Christianity entirely for a revived old Germanic paganism combined with borrowings from both Islam and Dharmic religions.

Fascism as a whole ultimately aimed to replace god with nationalism, the state, and the will of Nietszche's superman. Religion was for the most part seen in Marxist terms (opiate of the masses, etc), but with a twist, which Stalin adopted in 1941, ie rather than ban religion, make sure that it is tightly controlled and serves the state rather than the other way around.

Hari Seldon · Post by **Hari Seldon** » 03 Aug 2009 08:34

China dips its toe in the Black Sea

China's bold offer to effectively underwrite the entire Moldovan economy shows that it may now regard the post-Soviet space as its own "near abroad". Beijing's concern is palpable in the face of the rise in militant Islamist activities in Central Asia, and Russia is entirely sympathetic. - M K Bhadrakumar (Jul 31, '09)

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 03 Aug 2009 09:18

Hari Seldon wrote:Chinese Town Quarantined as Man Dies From Plague (Bloomberg)

Uh-oh.

My paranoid mind suspects man-made experiment

Hari Seldon · Post by **Hari Seldon** » 03 Aug 2009 12:06

More leaks from unnamed western intell sources on the persian bomb project.

Iran is ready to build an N-bomb - it is just waiting for the Ayatollah's order

Iran has perfected the technology to create and detonate a nuclear warhead and is merely awaiting the word from its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to produce its first bomb, Western intelligence sources have told The Times.

The sources said that Iran completed a research programme to create weaponised uranium in the summer of 2003 and that it could feasibly make a bomb within a year of an order from its Supreme Leader.

A US National Intelligence Estimate two years ago concluded that Iran had ended its nuclear arms research programme in 2003 because of the threat from the American invasion of Iraq. But intelligence sources have told The Times that Tehran had halted the research because it had achieved its aim — to find a way of detonating a warhead that could be launched on its long-range Shehab-3 missiles.

....

Ehud Barak, Israel’s Defence Minister, last week reiterated that a military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities was still an option, should the talks fail. Israeli officials estimate that a raid on Natanz and a nuclear facility at Arak, in central Iran, would set Iran’s nuclear programme back by two to three years.

An Israeli official said that Iran had poured billions of dollars over three decades into a two-pronged “master plan” to build a nuclear bomb. He said that Iran had enriched 1,010kg of uranium to 3.9 per cent, which would be sufficient for 30kg of highly enriched uranium at 95 per cent. About 30kg is needed to build one bomb.

British intelligence services are familiar with the secret information about Iran’s experiments, sources at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said. Although British agencies did not have their own “independent evidence” that Iran had successfully tested the explosive component of a nuclear warhead, they said there was no reason to doubt the assessment.

Always hard to separate fact from agenda-driven hyperbole on such decidedly testy subjects.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 03 Aug 2009 13:24

OIl running out-grim warnings.

Excerpt:

"One day we will run out of oil, it is not today or tomorrow, but one day we will run out of oil and we have to leave oil before oil leaves us, and we have to prepare ourselves for that day," Dr Birol said. "The earlier we start, the better, because all of our economic and social system is based on oil, so to change from that will take a lot of time and a lot of money and we should take this issue very seriously," he said.

"The market power of the very few oil-producing countries, mainly in the Middle East, will increase very quickly. They already have about 40 per cent share of the oil market and this will increase much more strongly in the future," he said.

There is now a real risk of a crunch in the oil supply after next year when demand picks up because not enough is being done to build up new supplies of oil to compensate for the rapid decline in existing fields.

The IEA estimates that the decline in oil production in existing fields is now running at 6.7 per cent a year compared to the 3.7 per cent decline it had estimated in 2007, which it now acknowledges to be wrong.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/scien ... 66585.html

derkonig · Post by **derkonig** » 04 Aug 2009 11:45

Coup attempt in Qatar, Iran's involvement cannot be ruled out.
http://www.thememriblog.org/blog_personal/en/18791.htm

Johann · Post by **Johann** » 04 Aug 2009 22:00

Hari Seldon wrote:More leaks from unnamed western intell sources on the persian bomb project.

Iran is ready to build an N-bomb - it is just waiting for the Ayatollah's order

Iran has perfected the technology to create and detonate a nuclear warhead and is merely awaiting the word from its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to produce its first bomb, Western intelligence sources have told The Times.

The sources said that Iran completed a research programme to create weaponised uranium in the summer of 2003 and that it could feasibly make a bomb within a year of an order from its Supreme Leader.

A US National Intelligence Estimate two years ago concluded that Iran had ended its nuclear arms research programme in 2003 because of the threat from the American invasion of Iraq. But intelligence sources have told The Times that Tehran had halted the research because it had achieved its aim — to find a way of detonating a warhead that could be launched on its long-range Shehab-3 missiles.
Always hard to separate fact from agenda-driven hyperbole on such decidedly testy subjects.

The head of the Mossad Meir Dagan testified to the Knesset in June that barring unforseen problems Iran would be able to be able to conduct a nuclear test around 2014. This is more or less in line with other assessments, for example by the German BND.

It gets much murkier when trying to assess when they might be able to produce a design small enough to fit on a Shahab 3 missile, or just how large a store of LEU they want accumulated before they'd be willing to test and thereby declare the nuclear intentions they have consistantly denied.

One guess is that like Japan they'd rather have a decently sized store of fissile material before they test, and ideally a proven and reliable means of delivery before they attempt to break out, rather than rush to detonate something in order to make headlines, so that the gap between testing and an operational deterrent is as small as possible.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 04 Aug 2009 22:20

It gets much murkier when trying to assess when they might be able to produce a design small enough to fit on a Shahab 3 missile

They don't have to reinvent the wheel. The modernized CHIC4 design proliferated by China is available to all who want it.

Johann · Post by **Johann** » 04 Aug 2009 22:38

Gerard,

That is a fallback option, but if the Iranian past choices with centrifuges and ballistic missile technology are anything to go by, they don't seem to be satisfied with cloning. Iran's goals are more than just nuclear deterrence - they want sustainable great power status.

Rather than just acquire a weapon system and the means of production, they want to build a whole technological base that will allow them to design and build the next generation of new and improved systems.

It is a longer road, but its also one that also gives them flexibility while negotiating with the West, and gives them insurance when navigating uncertain relationships with the PRC, DPRK, Pakistan, Russia etc which could suddenly change. At least that seemed to be the thinking back when the pragmatic conservatives were running the show instead of the reactionaries.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 04 Aug 2009 23:10

They will breakout if Noko tests again.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 06 Aug 2009 10:41

A Crusader being brought to book.No wonder the Islamist cadre has grown by the millions and is spreading further .

Blackwater accused of murder in 'crusade to eliminate Muslims'

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 07 Aug 2009 08:05

Economist:

The Great White Hope

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 07 Aug 2009 20:54

Philip,

Blackwater = New Knights Templars?

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 07 Aug 2009 22:44

X-posted...

A link between wealth and breeding The best of all possible worlds?

So with development the population drive diminishes.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 09 Aug 2009 15:40

Ossetians warm to Moscow's embrace
PS:
Ramanna,poor Templars! They were an institution with strict rules and a code of honour,that emerged during the Crusades,protecting pilgrims one task,but because of their military mettle and discipline,grew into becomong perhaps the world's first MNC,finally crushed by an avaricious French king and the then Pope jealous of their influence.Blackwater and its founder are nothing more than neo-Nazi thugs who wanted white Americans to go out and kick Muslim ass around the globe,making piles of loot in the process,thanks to their godfather,Dick-the-prick-Cheney.Cheney was the eminence grise of the Bush presidency and was pure poison for the world.The rise of Islamist fundamentalism during the last decade owes much to him,as he was the architect of the US's rendition policy and its latter- day concentration camps like Abu Ghraib,Camp Gitmo and other secret ones around the world.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 09 Aug 2009 17:44

US Blackwater's boss accused of Crusader beliefs

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 11 Aug 2009 05:52

Russia Introduces Law Allowing Use of Army Beyond Its Borders

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 12 Aug 2009 13:37

"What is History but a fable agreed upon?",famously said Napoleon.
All these years,Adolf Hitler was villified for not shaking hands with black Olympic hero Jesse Owens at the Berlin Olympics.The truth is quite different according to these accounts.

Adolf Hitler 'did shake hands with Jesse Owens'

A veteran German sports reporter has claimed that Adolf Hitler did in fact shake hands with black US athlete Jesse Owens at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
11 Aug 2009
Jesse Owens: Owens felt the newspapers of the day reported 'unfairly' on Hitler's attitude towards him, Photo: AP

At the time, it was reported that Hitler had stormed out of the stadium furious that Owens, who had just run his way to the first of four gold medals in the 100 metres, had beaten his Aryan sportsmen.

However, Siegfried Mischner, 83, said that Owens carried around a photograph in his wallet of Hitler shaking his hand before he left the stadium.

Owens, who felt the newspapers of the day reported "unfairly" on Hitler's attitude towards him, tried to get Mischner and his journalist colleagues to change the accepted version of history in the 1960s, the Daily Mail reports.

Mischner, who was a reporter at the time, claimed Owens showed him the photograph and told him: "That was one of my most beautiful moments."

He said: "It was taken behind the honour stand and so not captured by the world's press. But I saw it, I saw him shaking Hitler's hand.

"The predominating opinion in post-war Germany was that Hitler had ignored Owens.

"We therefore decided not to report on the photo. The consensus was that Hitler had to continue to be painted in a bad light in relation to Owens."

Mischner's claims cannot be verified because all other witnesses, including Owens, are dead.

Owens, who died in 1980 aged 66, was the son of sharecroppers and won four track and field gold medals - the 100m, the long jump, the 200m and the relay race - at Berlin.

He insisted that he had not been snubbed by Hitler but made no reference to meeting him and shaking hands.

"When I passed the Chancellor he arose, waved his hand at me, and I waved back at him. I think the writers showed bad taste in criticising the man of the hour in Germany," he said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/others ... Owens.html

I'm not supporting Hitler for his evil deeds whatsoever, but let's put the matter in its proper perspective.It is said that..

"The evil that men do lives after them;The good is oft interred with their bones".

The fuhrer of the Third Reich in post war pics and films has been shown to be quite a family man,playing with his dog,socialisng with the families of his trusted cronies,remembering his secretaries B'days with little presents,etc.,etc.Far from the ranting and raving fascist and racist megalomaniac that Hollywood and "history" that the victors have portrayed him to be.It is far easier to paint such a picture of the man and far easier to get the message across that he was diabolically evil in this manner.It is not that his opponents were much better.We all know how brutal and evil Stalin was too! And as for Churchill,he was the most cold-blooded of all the WW2 leaders in the manner in which he prosecuted the war.Hitler had a fatal weakness,in that he genuinely loved the British people,believing them to be of the same Aryan stock.The former king of England,the Duke of Windsor,was an ardent Nazi syympathiser along with many in the British establishment who were Hitlerites.Hitler never truly wanted to invade England,hoping that a "coup" of pro-Nazi leaders and royalty would evict Churchill after the fall of France (the secret Hess gambit).He thus invaded Russia instead.

Upto the infamous Munich agreement Hitler was a giant on the world stage whose polciies and rebuilding of Germany was admired.he had many supporters in the US too,like the Bush family.Dubya's grandfather,Prescott Bush even bankrolled the Nazis! As another famous quote tells us,that "the road to hell is paved with good intentions",is one reason why Hitler has been so portrayed-a mouth frothing lunatic (which no sane Germans would've followed if he was really like that),is that even a personality like George Dubya Bush,along with Dick-the-Prick Cheney,was the architect of waging war against Iraq on equally false pretences as Hitler did with Poland,and if Hitler had been portrayed as a man with some human qualities,would immediately draw similar comparisons with some glorified leaders of the western world,who have also given us the horrors of Vietnam,Iraq and Afghanistan!