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Daily Archives: 11. Juni 2014
‘Japan wants to spread military wings in way it hasn’t for decades’
Shinzo Abe’s constitution amendments are designed to pair Japan militarily with other countries, which should develop stronger defense ties and make it more effective, RMIT lecturer Binoy Kampmark told RT.
US military base within Iranian striking distance, official warns
Zonnour spoke in response to boilerplate U.S. assertions that “all options are on the table,” regarding efforts to force Iran to comply with international efforts to curb its nuclear program. But it was the first time Iran has mentioned Diego Garcia, particularly in the context of a potential missile strike. The base was used to launch sorties into both Iraq and Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks.
Spionage: Verfassungsschutz weitet Zusammenarbeit mit US-Geheimdiensten aus
Der Verfassungsschutz ist Deutschlands Inlandsgeheimdienst, er arbeitet also nur auf deutschem Boden. Es liegt also nahe, dass der Dienst in Deutschland erhobene Daten an die Amerikaner weitergibt. Das Ganze ist Teil eines großen Tauschgeschäfts unter „befreundeten Diensten“:
Syria condemns terrorist acts in Iraq, expresses solidarity with Iraqi government, army and people
Foreign and Expatriates Ministry said that Iraq is being exposed to terrorist acts in the framework of a global conspiracy against the Iraqi and Syrian peoples through a terrorist invasion targeting the Iraqi territorial integrity and the unity of its people and infrastructure.
Activists Who Challenged Egypt’s Protest Ban Are Sentenced to 15 Years
One of Egypt’s most prominent dissidents, the blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah, was among three men arrested on Wednesday while waiting outside a court in Cairo to stand trial for violating the government’s ban on unsanctioned protests.
Emirates Scraps Airbus Order, Giving Boeing a Multibillion-Dollar Opening
In a surprise announcement issued on Wednesday, Airbus said Emirates, one of the top three customers for the new plane, had scrapped its order of 50 A350-900s and 20 of the larger A350-1000 model. Airbus shares slumped more than 4 percent on the news.
Issa: IRS document dump to FBI was a ‚violation of law‘
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Im Vorgarten der U.S.A.: Nicaragua-Kanal und G.L.O.N.A.S.S.-Satelitten-Bodenstation
Im Januar 2010 berichtete Radio Utopie über die Pläne der Regierung unter Präsident Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua ein Bauprojekt in Zusammenarbeit mit Russland und China zu realisieren (Zweiter Kanal zwischen Pazifik und Atlantik), einen neuen Wasserkanal zwischen atlantischen und pazifischen Ozean.
Nach diesem ganzen NSA-Zeug wird es für die Geheimdienste und Polizei immer schwieriger, Rechtsgrundlagen für ihre kriminellen Handlungen zu schaffen. Nehmt nur Kanada.
Da haben sie jetzt versucht, Staats-Hacking über ein Gesetz gegen Cyberbullying zu legalisieren. Die Verzweiflung ist fast spürbar!
`Yiannis Stournaras is the new Governor of Bank of Greece
For some blessed people the stars are always shining above their heads. Hardly had Yiannis Stournaras lost his job as Greece’s Finance Minister, a new job has been waving to him and thus with better salary and much more benefits. Stournaras’ new job is to be Governor of Bank of Greece.
No joke: ‘Climate change may prevent contact with alien civilisations’
From the you’ve got to be effing kidding me department come this dead serious essay from “The Conversation”, that hotbed of climate alarmism in Australia which somehow got past bullshit detectors at phys.org.
The money quote sort of tries to talk down the headline, but they leave it wide open as a possibility.
Top German nuclear negotiator to head to Iran for informal talks
Germanyˈs chief nuclear negotiator Hans-Dieter Lucas is to head to Iran later this week for informal talks on Tehranˈs nuclear issue, a German foreign ministry spokesman told IRNA on Monday, IRNA reported.
Iran, Pakistan claim no border fire exchange took place
Iranian and Pakistani officials have dismissed reports about their border guards‘ fire exchange, that allegedly took place on June 9.
Iranian south eastern Sistan and Baluchestan province‘s governor office said that the fire exchange did take place, but Iranian border guards were not involved, as the shootout happened inside Pakistan, between the country‘s border guards and unknown armed groups, Fars news agency reported on June 11.
Power visits Jordan, Turkey to discuss effects of Syria conflict
Power, who is also a Cabinet member in the Obama Administration, will discuss a „range of issues, including the effects of the conflict in Syria“ with senior government officials, UN agencies representatives, humanitarian non-governmental organizations, and civil society leaders.
Obama’s foreign policy aide visits Turkey for Syria talks
The U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations and President Barack Obama‘s key foreign policy aide, Samantha Power, will visit Turkey this week to discuss the Syrian crisis and other regional issues, Turkish Foreign Ministry officials have told the Hurriyet Daily News.
Iraqi Turkmens request for protection from Ankara
Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) head Ershad Salihi addressed Turkey calling on it to protect Iraqi Turkmen, the CNN Turk TV channel reported.
„The Iraqi government provides support to the citizens of all nationalities, and only Iraqi Turkmen are deprived of this support,“ he said.
Syrien-Konflikt: Kurdische Karte wird ausgereizt
(17.5.2013) Irakische Kurden verkaufen ihr erstes Rohöl auf dem internationalen Markt unter Umgehung der Regierung in Bagdad – Türkei kauft Öl vom Taq Taq-Feld und baut Pipeline
THE PLAN III – Petraeus and the three-dimensional chess in the dark
(14. Mail 2007) So, the Commander of the Iraq War Zone, Gen. Petraeus, will have to find a reason for staying in Iraq.
And a reason for staying in command there, too.
What could that be? Does anybody down there still believe in some sort of “military victory”? So where is the chance, where is the opportunity to turn the tides?
The only option is to weaken the enemy forces by splittering them and to get more friendly forces into play.
Like the Germans. Like the French. Like the Israelis. Like the Turkish. And like the Kurds.
Where are these forces?
There are already in position. There are all around of Syria.
Iraq says to work with Kurdish forces to retake Mosul
„There will be closer cooperation between Baghdad and the regional Kurdistan government to work together and flush out these foreign fighters,“ Hoshyar Zebari said on the sidelines of a EU-Arab League meeting in Athens.
Iraq foreign minister: Iraq faces ‚mortal threat‘
Hoshyar Zebari made the comments in Athens Wednesday on the sidelines of a meeting of European Union and Arab League foreign ministers. He said he assured his colleagues there would be „closer cooperation“ between Baghdad and the Kurdistan regional government to push the insurgents out of Mosul.
Prime Minister Barzani addresses Kurdistan Parliament’s Oil & Gas and Legal Committees
(5. Juni) “The big question is: ‘who will control the oil’? Counterparts in Baghdad did not identify ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ KRG actions – they just wanted to control the issue completely. We do not view this issue as a path towards Kurdistan’s independence, but rather as the expression of our constitutional rights. These rights are the constitutional principles upon which we agreed when we returned to Iraq in 2003 and 2004, and they have to be implemented in Iraq.
“If Baghdad today agreed with us upon the issue of oil revenue sharing, one of Iraq’s most important laws, it would lead to the resolution of a number of obstacles related to this issue. However if I speak frankly, Iraq’s federal government increases the sovereign expenditures year after year without the Kurdistan Region’s knowledge, and this is reduced from Kurdistan’s share of the Iraqi budget.
EU, Arab League foreign ministers meet
Foreign ministers from the European Union and Arab League states are holding a one-day meeting in Athens, focusing on the situation in Iraq, Syria, Libya and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, AP reported
Russia rejects UN resolution as pretext to Syria ‚intervention‘
(26. Mai) Russian analysts fear that, once the process of removal of the Syrian chemical arsenal is concluded, the United States — which has not renounced the idea of overthrowing the regime in Syria — may revert to the plan of a military strike against the country.
It‘s precisely this plan that Moscow has seen in the recent UN Security Council draft resolution, which it vetoed, together with China.
Former Ambassador to Syria Urges Increasing Arms Supply to Moderate Rebels
“We don’t have good choices on Syria anymore,” Mr. Ford added. “But some are clearly worse than others. More hesitation and unwillingness to commit to enabling the moderate opposition fighters to fight more effectively both the jihadists and the regime simply hasten the day when American forces will have to intervene against Al Qaeda in Syria.”
Al Gore: ‚We now have a stalker economy‘
„Now a politician has to spend five hours a day begging rich people for money, so it‘s easy for politicians to ignore the public interest,“ he added. (…)
„Governments – that‘s one threat; businesses are also collecting more information than they should. We now have a stalker economy where businesses are finding out everything about you.“
NSA: Our systems are so complex we can’t stop them from deleting data wanted for lawsuit
„A requirement to preserve all data acquired under section 702 presents significant operational problems, only one of which is that the NSA may have to shut down all systems and databases that contain Section 702 information,“ wrote NSA Deputy Director Richard Ledgett in a court filing submitted to the court.
Umfrage: Russen halten Putins Kreis für weniger selbstsüchtig
Während 2011 nur 24 Prozent der Befragten für Putin als Präsidentschaftskandidat gestimmt hätten, sind es jetzt 50 Prozent. Auch die Umfragewerte der Kreml-Partei haben in den vergangenen fünf Monaten stark zugelegt. Im Januar wollten 28 Prozent für „Geeintes Russland“ stimmen. Im Mai waren es schon 40 Prozent.
Egypt: Chinese President Congratulates Sisi On Election Win
(06. Juni) The Chinese leader also said China is willing to make joint efforts with Egypt to further promote the traditional friendship between the two peoples, and to cement their mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields so as to advance the China-Egypt strategic cooperation.
Egypt court sentences leading anti-Mubarak activist to 15 years -lawyer
Abdel Fattah was a symbol of the 2011 uprising against President Hosni Mubarak. Twenty four other people were also sentenced to 15 years in jail on similar charges.
Thai army delegation visits China amid Western reproach of coup
The bid by Thailand‘s military rulers to strengthen ties with China comes after Western powers, including old ally the United States, criticised the May 22 coup and called for a speedy return to democracy.
The junta has said it has China‘s support.
Australia says seeking military technology cooperation with Japan
Industrial cooperation, Johnston said, could also lead Japan and Australia to „compare notes“ on Lockheed Martin‘s F-35 fighter, which both nations have bought, to help them better sustain a program that will be at the core of their air defense strategies in the next few decades.
China asks UNESCO to list Nanjing Massacre, „comfort women“ documents
China „has submitted precious historical documents concerning the Nanjing Massacre and comfort women“ to UNESCO, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said during a regular press briefing.
Japan‘s top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said during a daily press briefing in Tokyo that the country „will lodge a protest and ask China to withdraw the application if we find out there is a political intention behind it.“
Veteran Japan Scribe Defends Denial of Nanjing Massacre
“I am saying that the so-called Nanking Massacre by Japanese troops had never occurred,” Mr. Scott-Stokes said in the video. “I am very insistent on this. I am not willing to be called a liar by anybody on this subject. I have pledged my existence on this.”
He described what happened in 1937 in the Chinese city as “sporadic violence here and there” that should be referred to as “incidents” rather than as a “massacre.”
Massaker von Nanking
Die Massaker von Nanking (chinesisch 南京大屠殺 / 南京大屠杀, Pinyin Nánjīng dàtúshā; jap. 南京大虐殺 Nankin daigyakusatsu) waren Kriegsverbrechen der japanischen Besatzer in der chinesischen Hauptstadt Nanking während des Zweiten Japanisch-Chinesischen Krieges. Den Protokollen der Kriegsverbrecherprozesse nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg zufolge wurden mindestens 200.000 Zivilisten und Kriegsgefangene ermordet sowie rund 20.000 Mädchen und Frauen vergewaltigt.
Das Massaker begann am 13. Dezember 1937 nach der Besetzung der Stadt durch Truppen der Kaiserlich Japanischen Armee und dauerte sechs bis sieben Wochen.
Former NYTimes bureau chief says Nanjing Massacre ‚never took place‘
The passages were originally blamed on a „rogue“ translator, and Kyodo News released an article saying that Stokes himself was not responsible for the paragraphs in question, and that they do not reflect his understanding of the historical events.
Now, however, Stokes has now gone out of his way to assert that he was the man responsible for the inflammatory passages, and issued a statement saying:
„The so-called ‘Nanking Massacre’ never took place [..] The word ‘massacre’ is not right to indicate what happened. It was originally a propaganda tool of the KMT government.“
Passport backlog: photographs of stacked application files stoke row over delays
„Even according to the government‘s own statistics, 90,000 passport cases haven‘t been dealt with on time this year, so there is simply overwhelming evidence that families across the country are suffering needless stress, anxiety and problems simply because of mismanagement at the Home Offfice.“
‘Arrogant & reckless’: London mayor buys England’s first water cannons
London Mayor Boris Johnson has announced the purchase of first water cannons for the Metropolitan Police. The move triggered uproar in the UK as deployment of the cannons has not been authorized and 98 percent of the population is against their use.
Beijing emphasises its total control over Hong Kong in white paper
It also warned against „outside forces“ using the city to interfere in China‘s domestic affairs.
Mene, mene, tekel: Es hebt die “Pro-Europäer” Dr. Merkel und Dr. Schäuble auf der Waage sanft nach oben
(25. November 2011) Was hier passiert, verstehen die meisten nicht. Deswegen konnte dies alles überhaupt passieren.
Der “Euro”-Diktator EZB fängt jetzt mal an Geld zu drucken und den Staaten zu geben, die es durch seine eigenen Machenschaften und die der anderen Banken verloren haben. Sonst ist er bald Diktator über gar nichts.
Und dann haben auf einmal alle Geld und wieder keine Ahnung, wie das passieren konnte.
Konjunktur: Weltbank warnt vor Deflation in der Euro-Zone
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Erdbeben fürs konservative Establishment
Dabei schien Dave Brat zunächst keine Chance gegen den 50-jährigen Cantor zu haben. Das Budget des von der radikalen Tea-Party-Bewegung unterstützten Ökonomie-Professors Brat lag bei 200.000 Dollar, Cantor hatte 5,4 Millionen Dollar eingesammelt.
Eric Cantor, No. 2 House Republican, loses primary in big upset
In his victory speech, Brat struck a populist tone.
„Dollars do not vote, you do,“ he said. „When I go to D.C., every vote I take will move the pendulum in the direction of the people, away from Washington, D.C.; back to the states; back to the localities; and back to you.“
Der Generalbundesanwalt und die Ausspähaffäre
(06. Juni) Der Generalbundesanwalt Herr Range war heute im Ausschuss für Recht- und Verbraucherschutz um diesen zu informieren, ob und welche Ermittlungen er in der Ausspähaffäre einleiten möchte. Ich spreche bewusst von Ausspähaffäre. Der Begriff NSA-Affäre greift nämlich zu kurz. Mindestens der GCHQ ist nämlich auch beteiligt und ich gehe davon aus, dass die Deutschen Geheimdienste ebenfalls Beteiligte der Affäre sind.
Bye, Bye stellv. PGF
(2. Juni) In meiner Mail an den Fraktionsvorstand habe ich geschrieben: “Zur Begründung will ich nicht viel ausführen. Für mich war der Parteitag in Berlin ein Bruch mit der innerparteilichen Kultur. Die Existenz eines Fahrplans/Dossiers hat diesen Bruch nur noch verstärkt. Wenn nunmehr -siehe Spiegel von heute- ein weiteres Papier existiert, welches offensichtlich vor der Bundestagswahl erstellt wurde, und indem von `personelle No-Gos` die Rede ist, in dem weiter formuliert wird: `die Fraktion darf nicht zur `Reste-Rampe` der Abgewählten und Rausgeschmissenen werden` und dabei auch mein Name genannt wird, ist die Grenze der Zumutbarkeit erreicht. Zwar hat der/die Wähler/in dafür gesorgt, dass ich nicht zu den Abgewählten und Rausgeschmissenen gehöre, aber mit einem solchen Papier im Rücken bin ich nicht bereit die Arbeit die vor allem mit diesem Posten verbunden ist weiter zu machen. Die Fraktion kann sicherlich auf einen `Versorgungsfall` als stellvertretende PGF verzichten.” Natürlich spielt dabei auch eine Rolle, dass die Motivation für den Gesamtladen jenseits der Fachpolitik nun massiv Werbung zu machen angesichts solcher “Rückendeckung” nicht sonderlich hoch ist.
Bedanken will ich mich bei all jenen, die über verschiedenste Wege mir ihre Solidarität mitgeteilt haben.
Auf die linke Tour
(24.Januar 2012) Auf Parteitagen, im Landesvorstand, in Internetforen und Parteizirkeln liefern sie sich Schlachten mit einer keineswegs kleinen links-fundamentalistischen Minderheit. Genau deren Protagonisten wird in dem Dossier der Kampf angesagt.
Man müsse diese „Gegenkräfte weiter schwächen und isolieren“, heißt es da. Von „unpolitischen Verrückten“ ist die Rede. Man müsse „Unfähige gewähren lassen, Fähige kompromittieren“.
Kippings zweifelhafte Methoden im Kampf um die Macht
(01. Juni) Laut einer Vorlage aus ihrem Vorstandsbüro sollten dafür gezielt Kipping-Sympathisanten neu installiert oder „geschützt“ werden. Unter der Überschrift „Führungspersonal, Prämissen, personelle No-Gos und zu schützende Personen“ listet das Papier detailliert auf, wie potenzielle Widersacher kaltgestellt werden könnten.
BILD-Chef Kai Diekmann beschimpft BILD-Kritiker Stefan Niggemeier als „Eunuch“. Wie tief verletzt Diekmann sein muss.
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Der Denunziant
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„Hätte ich bloß“: Ratten fühlen Reue
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Moskau verlängert Zahlungsfrist im Gasstreit mit Kiew
Kiew darf seine USD-Milliardenschulden bis 16. Juni tilgen.
Telephone conversation with Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel
Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel.
The two leaders discussed the course of consultations currently underway in Brussels involving Russia, the EU and Ukraine on resolving the situation with Kiev’s gas debts.
Vladimir Putin stressed that in spite of the problems that have occurred, Russia’s delegation is authorised to continue talks in a constructive manner, aiming to reach a mutually acceptable agreement.
Deutsches Aufklärungsschiff überwacht russische Marineübung
Das Flottendienstboot Alster A50 der deutschen Kriegsmarine überwacht die russische Militärübung, die am Dienstag in der Ostsee-Exklave Kaliningrad begonnen hat. Dies teilte ein Sprecher der Baltischen Flotte RIA Novosti mit.
GCHQ: Geheime Abhörstationen im Oman enttarnt
(03. Juni) Außerdem gehörten British Telecommunications (BT) und Vodafone Cable zu den Meisterdienern der Abhöraktionen, für die das GCHQ jährlich mehrere Hundert Millionen Pfund bezahle, berichtet The Register. (..)
Die Dokumente lägen diversen Medien bereits seit längerem vor, darunter dem Guardian, berichtet The Register. Auf Druck der britischen Behörden seien sie aber bislang nicht veröffentlicht worden.
Now That Vodafone Has Come Out With A Real Transparency Report, Will US Telcos Follow Suit?
On Friday, we reported the surprising fact that Vodafone had not just followed the latest trend in issuing a transparency report, but actually flat out admitted that many governments had direct access to its phone lines, which allowed those governments to listen in on calls without a warrant. That level of transparency is great, because all too often with the „transparency“ reports we‘ve seen from some companies, they seem more focused on hiding what‘s really going on. Too frequently, this is because of requirements from the government, which has (almost certainly illegal and unconstitutional) gag orders on what companies are allowed to say about requests for government information. However, it‘s almost certainly also because companies are now afraid of admitting the kinds of things they‘ve allowed governments to do in secret — and are worried about how the public would respond.