Been slack maintaining entries.
Twitter is a much faster medium with a sense of immediacy. Quite addictive. Been like a heroin junkie on twitter lately.
Twitter more suited to churning information, which I'm doing right now.
Blogger's a snail in comparison but it's a wonderful medium for more involved discussion of information.
So what's been happening:
Middle East
Iraq
Kurds (with help of US bombing) have taken x3 Iraq towns. Trouble up north. From map someone sent me on Twitter the other day, they've to a long way to go. The map was dotted with towns that Islamic State had taken.
Iran
Diplomatic meeting with Saudi Arabia.
These two are competitors rather than allies, I understand.
Iran is alleging industrial sabotage and claims to have apprehended x4 spies, who are being interrogated.
Story of a shot down Israeli drone spying on nuclear is in the news, but I haven't checked it out yet. How slack is that?
From recollection, Fars News mentioned Iran has one of the world's largest gas resources. A few countries are clamouring for business, by the sound of it.
Iran will meet UN's Catherine Ashton on Sept 1 (from recollection) to further discuss the nuclear energy matter -- which has been an ongoing discussion for ages now b/c the west (and probably other interests) are trying to block Iran's bid for nuclear enrichment. West fear of nuclear power / weapons potential, so want Iran to SCALE DOWN -- which is the OPPOSITE of what they want.
Iran's been subject to sanctions. If I understand correctly, it is not permitted to use/trade in US dollars (which is international currency), is not permitted to do electronic transfers and it would most likely be subject to trade restrictions (specifics of which I don't recall, if I've come across that in my travels). Anyway, the US can make that kind of blockage when it comes to currency and trade because it has big representation (voting rights when it comes to IMF and is influential re WTO and actually controls the international currency and impacts international economy through its Federal Reserve). So US tends to have an upper hand.
But that may alter in the future b/c the Chinese economy is not that far off the US economy - 16 point something percent of global GDP versus US 19 point something. However, at this point, US has the voting rights and representation advantage because China has a meagre representation compared to the US.
Saudi Arabia
Chopped off something like 19 heads since Aug. 4th. Yet it is on the UN Human Rights Council.
Saudi Arabia very close US ally and appears to be a close business partner. Shell (while foreign owned / non-US 'owned') has an arm with it's head office based in Texas and it's HUGE.
Saudi Arabia happens to be a 50% partner in projects.
Saudi Arabia is hosting a 'Friends of Syria' pow-wow. But it is actually friends of the Syrian *opposition*. So it's kind of like a false advertising title, no?
Attendees: Turkey, US, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Egypt & Jordan.
So that pretty much tells you who's with the US (who's against Syria -- well, against the current rulers, I gather) and it gives you a peak into part of the dynamics of control of this part of the world.
Interesting that Italy's in the mix. Wonder why Italy's involved. Know it's EU/NATO involved ... what has it got to do with the Middle East?
All of them: imperialists. History of imperialism. And current imperialism in the form of big money corporations. But Italy's broke, I think. So what's it doing?
Italy's maybe some kind of pawn? Probably the immigration pawn. Everyone's jumping 'ship' from North Africa and entering Europe through Italy (as well as Spain, I believe). So maybe their role is something to do with immigration due to wars?
Nope. Syria is next to Israel. The immigration is launching itself from Libya, where there's a people smuggling trade going on, I think. It was referred to as 'human trafficking' but I'd say they mean 'people smuggling'. Don't know for sure yet.
Syria
Assad government is probably struggling. There's the US and everybody else against that government. The west their M/E allies have tried to unseat him by supplying rebel militias with weapons and thus encouraging the bid to topple the Assad government.
The opposition, I believe, is assorted militias rather than one political/military body attacking the government.
Syria has asserted that there will be no air bombing in its territory without its prior consent -- ie re the bombing of Islamic State militias the US intends to do in Iraq (which it wants to extend or may wish to extend to Syria, where they are also dominant (I believe).
The laugh is, US probably funded and armed these people in the first place. I'm not entirely clear on that but it looks like they might have.
In my travels, it was asserted that Assad is playing the rebel militias off against each other. I don't know that. That was just someone's opinion. Not clear to me how this could be an advantage to him - ie this backing of rebels who are fighting his troops. Doesn't make sense to me.
Israel
Bombing of Gaza resumed. Something like 360 bombs dropped by Israel and deaths over 100 Palestinians since 19th, I believe.
Stray mortars from Syria have landed Golan Heights. Prior Syrian territory claimed by Israel during Six Day War 1967. Now Israeli controlled. Too rushed to double-check at the moment. Anyway, deemed strays.
Lebanon
Massive strike of electric energy company. Company not profitable. Power blackouts. Something like 2,000 workers are contract workers. They want full-time employment. Problem of state subsidy, lack profitability plus claims that workers clock on but don't perform -- ie take off. Anyway, looks like worker are burning stuff outside the premises and blocking management from entering.
Libya
Tripoli taken over by rebel forces. Finally got the airport. Burned.
Italy
MASSIVE monthly spending on patrols:
#EU - Italy picks up 3,500 refugees at sea this weekend!.. spends 9.5 mil euros ($13 mil) PER MONTH air/sea patrols>http://goo.gl/xCuNuw
#Italy rescue 70,000 North African refugees since start Oct 2013 patrols> Libya launching point. 'Human trafficking'> http://goo.gl/E9QBhs
Spain
Doing it hard. Unemployment at 25%. Farmers cracking the shits over the EU sanctions (really US-EU-NATO when you consider the dynamics). Costing them big time not being able to supply Russia.
Poland
Someone enterprising found a partial way around sanctions. Investment in Belarus + intensive preservation + Belarus (& ors) being in 'Customs Union' (Eurasian), means side-stepping (to some degree) the anti-Russian sanctions and being able to unload produce to Russia.
France
Ooh, la la. Big problems. Government dissolution. Economic minister badmouthed France policy and Hollande called for dissolution and new cabinet. Eco min not happy that spending cuts are to finance tax cuts for corporations in bid to increase employment. Eco minister pissed at tight fisted Germany not stimulating economy, I think.
Eurozone
Things are crap. Economy stalling. Will probably resort to QE.
#EU - sounds like Eurozone *deflation* .. 'ailing bloc'... ECB quantitative easing? >> http://goo.gl/Sw0JvX
Described as a 'last resort' measure. But this has been done before. New to watching politics and economics, so I'm not up on exactly what it is apart from buying up 'assets' (in form of bonds, I think).
UK, Japan and one other has done this before.
Serbia
Big problem with hazardous industrial waste -- accumulated, historic also. Contamination fears.
Elections in Republic of Serbia - part of B/H. Serbia says will not interfere.
Former diplomat to Turkey (and expert on Islamic affairs) claims neighbouring Turkey has an expansionist agenda.
Two dairy companies will supply Russia, as Serbia will not bow to the EU anti-Russian sanctions. Serbia is in negotiations to join EU and is not fully fledged member, so can do what it wants, I suppose.
And that's the end of the round up because I could go on forever and not cover everything that's going on right now. And while I'm summarising I'm hanging to check on latest news I'm missing out on!
There's so much happening!!!
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