FOREIGN SERVICE UPDATES

Sweden Kuwait Qatar Saudi Arabia Bahrain Oman + UAE “emphatically” condemning statements by Sweden’s FM  Margot Wallström.  Sweden statements incompatible with international law / non-interference domestic affairs Sweden has been selling arms to Saudi Arabia for years. strained relationship with Saudi could affect business in Arab world. http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/kuwait/gcc-unites-against-sweden-minister-over-saudi-comments-1.1474096 -- Japan - Japan diplomat - Mitsuhiro Wada - recalled from China for wearing female clothes  http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20150321000103&cid=1101 -- Philippines 50 containers of reeking Canada garbage, incl. used adult diapers, in port of Manila for almost 2 years / Angry protesters http://www.guelphmercury.com/news-story/5518229-canadian-waste-angers-filipinos-canada-says-it-s-private-commercial-matter-/ -- FBI Texas LA - armed & suicidal $25,000 reward - Fired Los Angeles ex-LAPD Officer Henry Solis, 27 ex-LAPD Officer Henry Solis =  former Marine, once stationed as guard at multiple US Embassies http://www.sbsun.com/general-news/20150320/fbi-25k-reward-for-information-leading-to-capture-of-fired-lapd-officer -- Florida University of Florida mechanical engineering professor / John Schueller / detained in UAE http://www.wogx.com/story/28576675/uf-professors-detainment-in-uae-a-personal-matter-says-university-spokesperson -- Iran - Obama calling on release of US citizens  Amir Hekmati (alleged spy) - death sentence overturned:  10 years for allegedly cooperating with US Saeed Abedini Jason Rezaian & find: Robert Levinson http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2015/03/obama_calls_for_freedom_for_am.html -- Canada businessman Sarkis Yacoubian / accused spy Cuba interrogation 2011 {see Cy Tokmakjian } 9 years prison + $7m fine Cuba - Major Carlito squeezed his crotch in more ways than one. Denies spying & corruption. Investor interest not dampened.  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/international-business/latin-american-business/canadian-businessman-accused-of-spying-lost-everything-in-cuba/article23569652/  -- Lebanon concern re US Ambassador David Hale’s posting to Pakistan / Lebanon ranks lower in US priorities? http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2015/Mar-21/291661-foreign-ministry-to-allow-appointed-ambassadors.ashx --  Liberia @embassymonrovia encouraging journalist dissemination of info for democracy building  http://www.gnnliberia.com/articles/2015/03/20/liberia-us-embassy-official-challenges-liberian-journalists  {but USA persecuting WikiLeaks publisher ASSANGE} -- US diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia will resume full consular services on Sunday, following a week-long closure http://www.arabnews.com/featured/news/721656 Pakistan Islamabad Foreign Office seeks SC time shifting of foreign embassies from residential sectors to Diplomatic Enclave Islamabad Diplomatic Enclave Sector G5 = 43 embassies & high commissions / blocked roads http://tribune.com.pk/story/857118/embassies-next-door-foreign-office-seeks-more-time-to-shift-missions/ Australia / Melbourne / India Australia embassy clean bowls World Cup contest winner  / financial grounds - http://www.mid-day.com/articles/australia-embassy-denies-visa-to-mumbai-fan-who-won-world-cup-final-seat/16081180 -- UK   /   Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Embassy London stormed / release Itai Dzamara (abducted by CIO (govt) agents)  >>  http://www.zimeye.com/uk-police-called-in-as-zimbabweans-storm-close-down-embassy-demand-itai-dzamara/ Activists demand release of Itai Dzamara Zimbawe embassy London 19/03/15 Direct Link:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=uHvbuHUZTgA More on:  Itai Dzamara http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/2015/03/us-deeply-concerned-over-zimbabwe-activist-abduction/ TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/itaidzamara   / not used since 4 March. -- Nigeria Independent National Electoral Comm. accredits US, UK embassies, 105 others /  Mar 28 + Apr 11 elections http://thenationonlineng.net/new/polls-inec-accredits-us-uk-embassies-105-others/ -- Somalia Katherine Simonds Dhanani nominated next US ambassador / first since 1991 closure emb. / career Foreign Service If confirmed:   initially be stationed in Nairobi, Kenya, until a suitable secure facility is constructed in Somalia. http://www.allgov.com/news/appointments-and-resignations/us-ambassador-to-somalia-who-is-katherine-dhanani-150321?news=856022 -- Tunisia Spanish, Italian, German + Polish tourists killed in terrorist attack on Wed at Bardo National Museum in Tunis [theyucatantimes] -- US evacuating remaining 100 special forces troops from Yemen / counterterrorism ops against al-Qaeda & affiliates http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/03/21/U-S-evacuating-remaining-100-special-forces-troops-from-Yemen-.htm -- LatAm Columbia wiretapping investigation of illegal spying by former Colombia intel agency DAS / Jorge Noguera LatAm Columbia USA = close ally & financial contributor to Colombia LatAm - illegal surveillance “Colombian Watergate” / implicated Columbia President / drew ties to US http://colombiareports.co/wiretapping-scandal-increasingly-reveals-political-persecution-under-uribe/ -- Really love going through this kind of news but one person can't do this kind of thing justice, or indefinitely indulge in such a time consuming fixation ...  (: Anyway, this is just a snippet of what's happening right now. The Columbia spy story is BIG (well, to Latin America and to me).  Haven't check how it's doing in mainstream western media right now.  But it ought to be HUGE.  A former journalist, activist Itai Dzamara, has likely been abducted by the Zimbabwe Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), and there's been a big protest at the Zimbabwe embassy in London (video above).  That news ought to be huge, too.  Don't fancy his chances after a passage of two weeks, but I'm no expert.  That's probably just for standard crimes.  Maybe it doesn't apply to intelligence service abductions.

Asia, Africa, Middle-East

ASIA #China trial began : Ilham Tohti, critic of govt policies towards ethnic Uighurs (Muslims) in Xinjiang. http://goo.gl/aXg9py #Thailand - coup generals order name of self-exiled billionaire former PM Thaksin Shinawatra’s to be erased from text books. / Economist How Alibaba measures up  #IT #Business - >> http://goo.gl/GfNAWG  - cool graph - #China e-commerce craps on everyone else #China - Central bank injects ($81 billion) into financial system via loans 2 big banks for stimulus / http://goo.gl/BuXrtY  / Heaps info -----------------------------------------------------  AFRICA #Zimbabwe: Mugabe appoints 17 new ambassadors http://goo.gl/6YNJbE - serve 4 yr terms, conditionally renewable #Nigeria 15 pp killed after gunmen attacked teacher-training college>> http://goo.gl/aXg9py - 12 soldiers 2 firing squad over May mutiny #SouthSudan foreigners (excl. diplomats & govt aid agencies) OUT w/in month / RETRACTED amid criticism it would disrupt aid progs /Economist International Organisation for Migration "estimates that 3,000 migrants have died trying to cross the sea to Europe so far this year" / Economist -----------------------------------------------------  MIDDLE-EAST "... where the Press is ‘free’ the problem today is that there is in fact no truly free media. " >> http://goo.gl/ytgMjs  Gulf News I’d have to disagree and say that while the alternate press many not be unbiased, it is at least free to publish a non-establishment point of view. For me, the issue is biased, sneaky, establishment & foreign-interest slanted media in the *mainstream*. R T>> "Turkey would join anti-ISIL coalition if the U.S. had a clear-cut strategy to take out Assad." >> Why Assad? Source - Twitter commentary (Mahir Zeynalov, journalist) -----------------------------------------------------  COMMENT As I understood it, some sort of slowing of China economy:  hence the injection for stimulus.   Noticed the European press refers to 'migrants' or 'immigrants' in news that is about refuge seekers.   There's probably an essay about corporate globalism, imperialism, NGOs and the role of media distortion right there. Still don't know enough about the Middle East to figure out why Assad is such a target for the West.  But I expect I'll get there eventually.  Don't read enough of the Middle East news at the moment.

Summary

Summary of the Day's Online Travels

READ

WikiLeaks @wikileaks  ·  6h

#Reddit "shadowbans" user for asking #Assange a question about censorship on Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/2ghp54/i_am_julian_assange_ama_about_my_new_book_when/ … #GamerGate

#GamerGate'ers should know that the pattern of censorship & cronyism they see is mirrored at the very top. Level up:

WikiLeaks cable reveals how #NATO head got top job in corrupt deal with #Turkey + #Obama

https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/09COPENHAGEN241_a.html#efmAcXAilAlwAn_AwcAxnA6VA8uA_sBGfBS4BUBB5gB67B9aB-1CAECE-CLgCNQCNuCP_CRrCTECTGCUUCV7CXzCb-CdM … & https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/09COPENHAGEN206_a.html#efmCDhCRT …

Misc. Look-ups

" ... video game space has been so heavily politicized with a left-leaning, feminist-driven slant," >> http://goo.gl/bQtdF9

>> Why do ppl bother to use #Reddit when it's a censored platform?

"4chan in general is widely viewed as a nasty sort of place for anyone not straight and male" [Forbes] >>But 4Chan's heaps more interesting

"... capitalizing on a culture of victimhood" (Erik Kain) >> What a fantastic phrase. We see this happening ALL THE TIME in wider society!

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#Russia - Lavrov's trip #Zimbabwe - platinum deposit, Darwendale, project - w/ Russia's Rostec & others http://goo.gl/4pG2D1  >

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 #PoliceState - UK government made 1,535 requests for citizens' information from Google - http://goo.gl/D88J1L 

Irish authorities - x10 requests this year - Gmail, Google Docs, YouTube or other Google - http://goo.gl/D88J1L  - reasons unknown #Ireland

#Denmark - x52 requests for citizens' information from Google. http://goo.gl/D88J1L 

#Belgium -   x213 user data requests from Google >> http://goo.gl/D88J1L 

#Portugal -- x338 user data requests from Google -- http://goo.gl/D88J1L

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#UK - C6 Intell Info Systems Ltd (“C6”) - global intelligence info - both individuals & companies

worked 4 City / London Fraud Squad - have access to ‘dark web’ http://goo.gl/7WBt6e  - stolen perso records traded #hacker

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#auspol >>NSW Police cyber hacking could be breaking the law, warns civil liberties lawyer>> http://goo.gl/HefliG  - #WikiLeaks #Assange

>>warrants *don't allow generalised software computer hacking* - premises-based / search computers + 2 access other networks.

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#USA & #Israel used Stuxnet computer worm 2009 to control #Iranian nuclear facility’s computer sys & destroy 1/5 country’s uranium supply!

- “zero-day” exploit -- http://www.wired.com/2011/07/how-digital-detectives-deciphered-stuxnet/all/ …

The Stuxnet 2009 worm & Iran destruction uranium info is from New York Times. Wired info good but hard to follow (4 me).

#Surveillance - NSA Secretly Trying To Map The Internet — Including All Devices Connected To It — In Real-Time - http://goo.gl/D0tYHS

>> "a bird’s eye view of the planet’s digital arteries" -- #Snowden

“...agencies successfully infiltrated major German telecommunications providers Netcologne and Telekom, the latter of which runs service to Britain and the eastern U.S.”  [DailyCaller]

“... Stellar, a German satellite communications firm revealed to have been hacked” [DailyCaller]

#surveillance - NSA Big Brother program, entitled Treasure Map - http://goo.gl/UD6yIG  - Five Eyes hacks & monitors - #auspol #nzpol #ukpol

>> NSA + Five Eyes (UK, AU, NZ, CA) alliance essentially have access to all communications in the world. [ibtimesco.uk]

“More German tensions: Among the “autonomous systems” Treasure Map penetrated in order to create this global map, according to Snowden documents, is Deutsche Telekom, which is partly owned by the German government, and Netcologne, a regional German telecom. That’s sure to cause even more friction between the U.S. and Germany, which expelled the CIA’s Berlin station chief in July over NSA spying revelations, including that the spy agency allegedly tapped Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cellphone. Deutsche Telekom told Der Spiegel it conducted an extensive investigation after the magazine alerted it about the possible infiltration but found no suspicious hardware or data leaving its networks.”

Source: http://www.politico.com/morningcybersecurity/0914/morningcybersecurity15290.html

#Surveillance #Germany #SpyScandal

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 ISRAEL

 

"Israel has built “an Iron Dome of cybersecurity that parallels the Iron Dome against the rockets,” Netanyahu said ..."

"Netanyahu said the majority of attacks stem from Iran, including cyberattacks that are ostensibly from Iran-allied groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas."

"“Iran and its proxies take advantage of the security and anonymity of cyber space” to attack Israel and other countries, he said."

The story from the Jerusalem Post: http://bit.ly/1tRBvlL

[Politico/com]

#Israel #Iran #Cybersecurity

United Nations Disengagement Observer Force Zone - costs $64 million per year to run as of 2014 - http://goo.gl/TNgP0E  ... #Israel    #Syria   ... Golan Heights

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#Hacker #cybersecurity - Involvement of a major US carrier in Border Gateway Protocol hijacking http://goo.gl/L8uLm1  misrouting #Bulgaria

Germany-based spyware firm FinFisher facing more troubles w/ publication on #Wikileaks / http://bit.ly/1s2FrUp + http://politico.pro/1kvMmSz

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United Kingdom profile - Timeline - A chronology of key events - http://goo.gl/jyqCgu 

>1945 Labour intros welfare state + UN Security Council perma memb/ 1949 UK a founder member of Nato / 1973 EEC / end. by refer. 1975

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RUSSIA / BALTIC

#Russia >>> Baltic States of suppressing the rights of Russian speakers >>> http://goo.gl/OmCCdf  >>> #Latvia, #Lithuania, #Estonia

This some of the information I looked at today.  

As usual, it's easier to just copy over where I've been than it is to try to recall.

Ran off a copy of the massive Stuxnet article because I find it impossible to focus on something long and involved, staring at a screen.  Find it better to have a hard copy for mark-up and ease of reading.

At the end of my day of checking things out, I'm wondering why I've bothered running off the involved Stuxnet hacking article when I'm not a techie and really don't need to know anything in depth.

On the other hand, it's supposed to be some techie (or surveillance) big deal, so I might have to force myself to get through the information -- even if it's just skimming over it.