Syria - Russian and Iranian Troops - Jablah, Ghorin, Latakia

SOURCE http://www.debka.com/article/24883/First-Iranian-marines-land-in-Syria-link-up-with-newly-arrived-Russian-troops First Iranian marines land in Syria, link up with newly-arrived Russian troops DEBKAfile Exclusive Report September 11, 2015, 8:45 AM (IDT) Iran this week sent its first ground troops to Syria, around 1,000 marines and elite troops of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). They moved straight into Ghorin, a small military air facility just south of the port town of Latakia, and hooked up with the just-landed Russian marines at Jablah. Three weeks ago, DEBKA file began reporting on Russian-Iranian military intervention afoot for saving the Syrian ruler Bashar Assad, followed on September 1 by the first disclosure of the Russian buildup in Syria. Our military sources report now that Moscow is about to send a shipment of advanced S-300 air defense missile systems for deployment at Jablah, the base the Russians have built outside Latakia for the intake of the Russian troops. The S-300 systems will also shield the Iranian facility at Ghorin. Jablah has been converted into a busy depot for the Russian troops still arriving in Syria, combatants from units of Marine Brigades 810 and 336. Russian MiG-31 interceptor craft standing by at the Mezza airbase at Damascus airport offer the combined Russian-Iranian force air cover. To the west, the giant Dmitri Donskoy TK-20 nuclear submarine is on its way to Syrian waters. Latakia is therefore fast growing into a powerful Russian-Iranian military enclave, able to accommodate Assad and top regime officials if they are forced to leave Damascus. According to our military sources, it is too soon to determine the exact function of this enclave, whether defensive or, after settling in, the Russian and/or the Iranian forces are planning to go after Syrian rebel and Islamic State forces making gains in northern Syria. There is no evidence to bear out the curious briefing high-ranking defense sources gave Israeli military correspondents Thursday that the incoming Iranian troops have come to beef up the large-scale Syrian army-Hizballah units, who have been unsuccessfully battering away at the rebel fighters holding the key town of Zabadani for nearly two months. Our sources find the Iranian and Russian units fully occupied for now in expanding and outfitting their new quarters at Ghorin and Jablah. SOURCE http://www.debka.com/article/24883/First-Iranian-marines-land-in-Syria-link-up-with-newly-arrived-Russian-troops ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Jablah, Syria Russian built Russian military base combatants from units of Marine Brigades 810 and 336 Ghorin, Syria * near port town:  Latakia Iranian military facility 1,000 marines and elite troops /  Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Mezza airbase at Damascus airport Russian MiG-31 interceptor = combined Russian-Iranian force air cover Dmitri Donskoy TK-20 nuclear submarine heading to Syrian waters Latakia powerful Russian-Iranian military enclave = may accommodate Assad & officials if forced to leave Damascus Russian and/or the Iranian forces =  to target Syrian rebel & ISIS making gains in northern Syria Israeli reports that Russia & Iran troops are to beef up large-scale Syrian army-Hizballah are false   --  Hezbollah Lebanon-based leader:  Hassan Nasrallah since 1992 purportedly Iran's non-state proxy paramilitary wing of Lebanon political party:  Party of Allah (ie 'Hezbollah') formed following Israeli invasion of Lebanon 1982 formed by clerics, said to be funded by Iran *as a resistance to Israeli occupation *strong support among Lebanon Shia population a large number of alleged attacks attributed to Hezbollah / but these could be false flag more https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hezbollah ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- COMMENT This is sooooooo exciting.   It's kind of like being a stay at home armchair general appraising the gathering of the troops on ancient battlegrounds. It looks like Assad isn't going down without an almighty fight. Israelis are typically doing a Hezbollah scare ... probably to justify bombing somewhere, to make sure that Golan Heights energy deal goes ahead.  In this battle, I'm backing Russia, Syria, Iran ... and, I guess, Hezbollah.  Stay tuned. I should probably add here, that my armchair 'support' in terms of the Middle East is somewhat confused and unreliable ... I swing from thinking I support this side or that, to supporting the Israelis ... who have a certain sort of charm that's hard to resist ... lol UPDATE Expect the above article is pro-US-agenda propaganda, to give the impression of an 'aggressive' Russia and Iran.   Explains what is really going on ... Assange Transnational Security Elite, Carving Up the World Using Your Tax Money London  OCT8 Antiwar Mass Assembly (2011) Link  |  here ꕤ

Iran | Civilian Aircraft Downed by US 1988 | 290 Killed

[source:  twitter] Caught my attention on Twitter. I'd forgotten about the passenger jet shot down. Not sure who posted it; was too lazy to make a note at the time. Well, too tired & sleepy.  Signed out now.  Can check tomorrow, I guess. I'd like to keep going, but I think I'd better get out of this chair before I have an embolism or something.  lol UPDATE America’s Flight 17 The time the United States blew up a passenger plane—and tried to cover it up. By Fred Kaplan  EXTRACTS ... Iran Air Flight 655—shot down on July 3, 1988, not by some scruffy rebel on contested soil but by a U.S. Navy captain in command of an Aegis-class cruiser called the Vincennes. A quarter-century later, the Vincennes is almost completely forgotten, but it still ranks as the world’s seventh deadliest air disaster (Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 is the sixth) and one of the Pentagon’s most inexcusable disgraces. SOURCE  |  here UPDATE Was curious what was happening circa 1988 & here's just a couple of events: 1988 ECHELON surveillance  |  ('Five Eye') Duncan Campbell revealed existence of the ECHELON surveillance program in 1988  / (US-Anglo 'Five Eye' alliance satellite trunk communications sweeping intercepts).  | here South Africa (Eastern Cape) spy cover was blown Olivia Forsyth spy of apartheid era     imprisoned by ANC in Angola     escaped to British Embassy     recruited by 'notorious' Craig Williamson     infiltration of ANC supporters     spying on lefties     defection to ANC     journalist One of the most notorious of the Eastern Cape spies was Agent RS407 Olivia Forsyth - code name "Lara" - who infiltrated activist groups at Rhodes University as a student and sang freedom songs while passing on information to the security police. In 1988 her cover was blown and she was detained and tortured in an ANC prison camp in Angola, from which she escaped.  |  LINK  |  here South Africa government spy organisation links with: 1986 assassination Sweden PM Olof Palme *** key suspect no longer has an alibi for the night in question  *** "Larsson passed police the name of Bertil Wedin, a Swede with links to South African security services, as the man who organised the killing. Wedin, now living in northern Cyprus, denies this and police say he is not a suspect." "Kerstin Sharp, a Swedish prosecutor who has worked on the case since 1997, said earlier this week that Larsson's tip about Wedin was not part of the police investigation." Source | The Guardian |  here ---------------------- ꕤ  ---------------------- Sweden does not follow up on the assassination of their iconic Prime Minister, but Sweden mounts a European Arrest Warrant, Interpol Red Notice, and dramatic London arrest of journalist Julian Assange ... to 'make inquiries' about Sweden police 'allegations' ... that were contradicted by the alleged 'victims.' Think about that for a moment & consider that 5 years down the track, Sweden has refused to interview Julian Assange (granted political asylum) in London, where Sweden has interviewed 44 others in the 2010-2015 period.  Sweden’s double standards on Julian Assange http://www.petertatchellfoundation.org/civil-liberties/sweden-s-double-standards-julian-assange ꕤ

SAUDI ARABIA - OIL, GAS, PETROLEUM - GOOD OVERVIEW

Benefits, burdens of Saudi oil and gas First Posted: 3:15 am - August 9th, 2015 - 666 Views By Wolf D. Fuhrig Since 1938, the 30 million inhabitants of the Arabian peninsula have richly benefited from their second-largest underground petroleum deposits and their fourth-largest gas reserves in the world. At present, these holdings rank second only to the United States, which also is the most important buyer of Saudi oil. After six years of exploration, the Saudis began to produce and export their oil in 1944. When Saudi Aramco grew into the biggest private petroleum producer, the government promptly nationalized the company. By the year 2000, 12.3 percent of all oil produced worldwide came from Saudi Arabia, according to official data. At present, the country’s oil reserves are estimated to amount to 262.7 billion barrels. Available data give the Saudis eighth place worldwide in refining capacity. That enables them to produce heating oil, gasoline, kerosene and diesel, mostly for countries without refineries. The Saudis have been a reliable supplier of oil for the Western world, except during the Yom Kippur War between Israel and Egypt in 1973 and the Islamic revolution in Iran. During the Second Gulf War in 1991, they exported all of their production to fill Iraq’s and Kuwait’s capacity and thus stabilize the market.  [Iran Revolution: 1979] Until 2006, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia produced 9 million barrels daily when worldwide the annual total was 3,942 billion tons. By 2007, however, the Soviet Union bypassed the Saudis’ daily output. Some experts theorize that they intentionally curtailed their production to increase the price of oil. Recently, dealers in the United States asked the Saudis to raise their production quotas. At a conference in 2008, Saudi King Abdullah urged oil producers and consumers to cooperate more in order to avoid what he called “damaging speculation.” His country remains the industry’s leader with 16 per cent of the world’s petroleum output and 49 known oil and 16 gas fields. Since 2002, over 90 percent of the Saudis’ production has come from only seven giant fields, of which six have pumped over 300,000 barrels daily. Recently it appeared that the productivity of those seven fields has been declining. In 2006 Aramco announced that all of the Saudis’ oil fields have reached a “phase of stagnation” and that the rate of production was going to decline by 8 percent annually. This estimate has since been confirmed by the American investment banker and oil expert Matthew Simmons. At present, oil and gold are going through a selling panic due to the strong dollar and China’s economic slowdown. The pending nuclear agreement between the United States and Iran may soon bring millions of more gallons of oil into world markets. In the meantime, new technologies, especially horizontal drilling, have created an oil glut in the United States. If President Obama succeeds with his proposal for severe restrictions on carbon emissions, that also could lower American coal and oil production. Saudi petroleum minister Ali al-Naimi explained his veto of increases in OPEC’s output last year that it was “crooked logic” for low cost producers to sacrifice market share in support of crude oil prices. Saudi commentators looking for motives beyond maintaining market share have given three strategic reasons: King Salman’s accession to the Saudi throne on Jan. 23; the growing geopolitical unrest surrounding Saudi Arabia; and the accelerating progress of North American shale operators. The Saudis claim that they can produce as much as 12 million barrels a day. The CIA lists the kingdom as the second largest source of proven crude oil reserves after Venezuela. Ironically, Saudi Arabia is currently a net importer of gasoline and diesel. It also continues to burn a large amount of crude oil to produce electricity. At present, Saudi Arabia still remains the largest exporter of petroleum based on its possession of 18 percent of the world’s proven reserves. Its oil and gas sector comprises about 50 percent of its gross domestic product and about 85 percent of its exports. Wolf D. Fuhrig of Jacksonville holds a doctorate in public law and government from Columbia University in New York City. http://myjournalcourier.com/news/84500/benefits-burdens-of-saudi-oil-and-gas --------------------- COMMENT How much they burn up producing electricity explains their desire to set up nuclear power stations. Iranian oil coming onto the market can't be too good for the Russians right now? I don't really understand the concept of 'maintaining market share' and its relationship with slowing production.   They're increasing the price by slowing the production?  Yes, a veto of increasing production.  Means the price is up because it's scarce ... but I've forgotten how this impacts on Russian oil.   Also, I thought prices were DOWN and that this wasn't good for the Russians, who are under sanctions pressure etc.  Don't know.  I've obviously missed something somewhere.  Might have to think about it some other time.  lol Just some trivia, I'll probably never remember. *Good Article

Kurds - PKK - Partiya Karkeren Kurdistane

KURDS - est. 30 million PKK (Partiya Karkerên Kurdistanê) PKK (Turkey, Iraqi Kurdistan) affiliates: YPG  - Syria + (all female militia:  YPJ) PJAK - Iran HPG - Iraq Kurdistan Workers' Party Turkey & Iraqi Kurdistan f. 1978 core group students:  led by Abdullah Öcalan ("Apo") in Ankara, Turkey far-left / sought: independent Kurdistan 30% of armed forces = women largely Russian arms NATO declared terrorist group Switzerland, China & Russia do not blacklist PKK Kurdish region / affiliates MAP source: http://aina.org/news/20150724184904.htm Former KGB-FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko {poisoned in 2006} claims: PKK's leader Abdullah Öcalan was trained by KGB-FSB. Danielle Mitterrand, wife of former President of France = had active connections 1990s with elements of PKK leadership. PKK has received various support from the following: >Greece >Iran >Iraq >Russia >Syria https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurdistan_Workers%27_Party Alleged Activities car-bombed Turkish cities kidnapped hundreds killed Turkish & Kurdish state employees significant narcotics traffickers (according to US) ruthlessly dispatch Kurdish political rivals in Syria & elsewhere [SOURCE:  Wikipedia   &   WSJ article]  OTHER: Appear to be highly politically organised / quick to demonstrate. Presently dual demonstration:  London (anti Turkey biased BBC coverage) & in Berlin.  --------------------- ARTICLE America's Marxist Allies Against ISIS http://aina.org/news/20150724184904.htm

Iran Nukes Deal A Trap?

ARTICLE Iran Deal: Ploy for Future Sabotage? Brandon Martinez http://www.intifada-palestine.com/2015/07/iran-deal-ploy-for-future-sabotage/ --------------------- COMMENT It looks like Iran's been a US target for some time. This is just a couple of the points in the article. 2007 = Bush covert war on Iran involved CIA sabotage op: *propaganda *disinformation *currency manipulation *international financial transaction manipulation US also planned to give financial support to anti-Iran terrorists; *Jundullah *MEK (Mujahadeen) 2012 - NBC Mossad finance & training of anti-Iran MEK (Mujahadeen) / MEK carrying out assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists Thought this was an interesting article.  And I like how it makes my 'Iran nukes deal could be a ruse' paranoid take on the nukes deal sound not so paranoid after all.  LOL

Foreign Service Updates - Middle East, Africa, Kosovo, Turkey, USA

SYRIA Staffan de Mistura, Italian-Swedish diplomat UN special envoy to Syria proposal re political solution pending http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2015/07/11/419736/Syria-UN-Staffan-de-Mistura-Gennady-Gatilov KOSOVO Entertainer Rita Ora named an honorary ambassador of Republic of #Kosovo Tony Blair on hand as special guest. http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/tearful-rita-accepts-ambassador-role-31368043.html AZERBAIJAN - PALESTINE Azerbaijan  - Quds Day Islamic Party of Azerbaijan held a protest in front of the Israeli embassy re solidarity with Palestine 20 protesters detained journalists driven away from site http://www.panorama.am/en/popular/2015/07/10/islamists/ TURKEY police pepper spray Uighur protesters at Thai Embassy on Thu >>Thai Consulate in Istanbul ransacked China = Thailand’s largest trading partner - billions p.a. = joint military exercises = Thai buying China subs @ $1billion http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-thailand-china-uighurs-20150710-story.html NAMIBIA "What binds us as Americans is the certainty that all people, everywhere, are created equal" US Amb Thomas Daughton Namibia USA claws in Namibia *Millennium Challenge Corporation (US foreign aid agency) *USAID (CIA) *Peace Corps (USG run) http://www.economist.com.na/2011-12-07-11-05-31/community-and-culture/8031-strong-desire-to-share-democracy SOUTH KOREA Dog Meat Dog Meat Festival Boshingtan protested @ South Korean Embassy, London 6,000 restaurants sell dog meat http://www.demotix.com/news/8076128/dog-meat-festival-boshingtan-protested-korean-embassy-london#media-8076012 USA / JEWISH calls on Euro govt umbrella bodies eg EU to formally recognize, partner with & train Jewish community groups http://www.timesofisrael.com/us-lawmakers-turn-attention-to-safety-of-european-jews/ GUINEA, WEST AFRICA NEW US Ambassador to Guinea in West Africa: Dennis Hankin b4: Brasil, Sudan Georgetown FS sch. / Nat. War College http://www.minnpost.com/political-agenda/2015/07/bemidji-native-dennis-hankins-appointed-us-ambassador-republic-guinea ISRAEL v IRAN Israel FM Dore Gold said Iran is world’s leading state sponsor of terror >> Predictable move by Dore Gold http://www.algemeiner.com/2015/07/10/top-israeli-diplomat-says-absurd-to-believe-irans-claim-it-will-join-fight-against-global-terror/# USA IN AFGHANISTAN USA embassy Kabul 8-yr construction project is 3 yrs behind schedule & abt 27% over budget meantime:  $100 million on temporary buildings Construction US embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan - final tally could be around $2 billion!! http://www.constructiondive.com/news/us-embassy-construction-in-kabul-runs-over-budget-behind-schedule/402088/ { Sounds like the US is moving into Afghanistan - who spends $2 billion on an embassy? } --------------------- COMMENT Some of the news that caught my attention. The amount USA's blowing in Afghanistan is staggering.

GIF - US Foreign Policy - Starring John Kerry & Geoffrey Pyatt

US Foreign Policy Starring  John Kerry Geoffrey Pyatt Co-Starring Joe Biden  John McCain Scooby Doooooooo!!!!!  Best Of Bubble Gum Music-Flashback Source:  YouTube ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNSHxMDNYOI * Best played together * [ incomplete - work in progress ]

US Screws BNP Paribas

BNP Paribas sentenced in $8.9 billion accord over sanctions violations Reuters  on May 2, 2015 @ 1:40 AM By Nate Raymond NEW YORK (Reuters) - BNP Paribas SA was sentenced to five years probation by a U.S. judge on Friday in connection with a record $8.9 billion settlement resolving claims that it violated sanctions against Sudan, Cuba and Iran. U.S. District Judge Lorna Schofield in Manhattan formally ordered the French bank to forfeit $8.83 billion and pay a $140 million fine as part of a sentence that also called for BNP Paribas to enhance its compliance procedures and policies. Some of that money could now go to people harmed by the three sanctioned countries under a program the U.S. Justice Department announced in court. Georges Dirani, BNP's general counsel, told the judge that the bank accepted "full responsibility for its conduct," and was under CEO Jean-Laurent Bonnafé's personal supervision already improving its policies. "There's no question the organization will not tolerate the kind of behavior we have seen in this case," Dirani said. The case marked the first time a global bank pleaded guilty to violations of U.S. economic sanctions, the Justice Department said. The sentencing followed BNP Paribas' guilty plea in July to conspiring from 2004 to 2012 to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Trading with the Enemy Act. The sentence imposed by Schofield followed the terms of a heavily negotiated plea deal the Justice Department announced that month. Authorities said that BNP essentially functioned as the "central bank for the government of Sudan," concealing its tracks and failing to cooperate when first contacted by law enforcement. Prosecutors said BNP also evaded sanctions against entities in Iran and Cuba, in part by stripping information from wire transfers so they could pass through the U.S. system without raising red flags. BOMBING VICTIMS Friday's sentencing took place in a courtroom crowded with people Schofield said claimed to have been harmed by actions taken by the sanctioned countries and who were seeking restitution. While Schofield said they were not legally entitled to that relief, prosecutor Jennifer Ambuehl said the Justice Department would evaluate distributing the $3.84 billion in forfeitures it received in the deal to people harmed by Sudan, Cuba and Iran. Ambuehl called the effort "unprecedented" and said the Justice Department would shortly be launching a website to accept claims. But the program, which covers anyone harmed from 2004 to 2012, came as a disappointment to victims of the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, which killed 224 people. Several victims had flown to New York in anticipation of the program's announcement. They had cited a U.S. court's finding that without Sudan's support, al Qaeda could not have perpetrated the attacks. "We had hoped that the Department of Justice would stand with us and are deeply disappointed that it chose to delay and not do the right thing," George Mimba, the former head of the Kenya embassy employees, said in a statement. BNP's sentencing had been delayed for months while it awaited word on whether the U.S. Labor Department would allow it to continue to manage retirement plans despite the plea. The department granted BNP that exemption this month. A New York state court judge on April 15 sentenced BNP Paribas in a related case in which it agreed to forfeit $2.24 billion. That sum, along with a $508 million payment to the Federal Reserve and a $2.24 billion payment to the New York Department of Financial Services, are credited toward the $8.9 billion ordered by Schofield on Friday. The sentencing came a day after BNP Paribas reported first-quarter net income of 1.65 billion euros ($1.83 billion), up 17.5 percent. Revenue grew 11.6 percent to 11.1 billion euros. The case is U.S. v. BNP Paribas SA, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 14-cr-00460. (Editing by Ted Botha) Copyright2015 Thomson Reuters Source - here COMMENT To my way of thinking, this is US extortion. .................................................... Lorna G. Schofield Federal judicial service On April 25, 2012, President Obama nominated Schofield to serve as a United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York... Schofield is the first Filipino American in the history of the United States to serve as an Article III federal judge. ... U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on June 6, 2012 ... reported Schofield's nomination to the full U.S. Senate on July 12, 2012. The U.S. Senate confirmed Schofield on December 13, 2012 in a 91-0 vote. She received her commission on December 13, 2012. Source - here

Iran Seizes Merchant Ship 'Maersk Tigris' - 24 Crew On Board

Pentagon: Iran seizes Marshall Islands-flagged ship, US destroyer on standby Published time: April 28, 2015 14:37 Edited time: April 28, 2015 18:40 Tags Arms, Army, Conflict, Iran, Military, USA The Iranian Navy has reportedly seized a Marshall Islands-flagged ship with 24 crew members on board. It was previously reported by media that it was a US vessel, though the Pentagon denied those claims. The navy seized the Maersk Tigris under court order at the request of Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization, Fars news agency reported. "The ship was seized after a relevant court order was issued for its confiscation," Fars quoted a source as saying. The manager of the confiscated ship told a Danish news channel that the 24 crew members are mostly from Eastern Europe and Asia. IRNA news agency reported conflicting figures, saying that there were 34 crew members on board the vessel, the majority of whom were Europeans.     Track of #MaerksTigris Marshall Islands-flagged, turning to Bandar Abbas, Iran. http://t.co/B2Qd4WmKqkpic.twitter.com/EqEvNcx2ce     — MarineTraffic (@MarineTraffic) April 28, 2015 Pentagon spokesman US Army Colonel Steve Warren confirmed that Iranian forces boarded the Marshall Island-flagged Maersk Tigris vessel after patrol boats fired warning shots across its bow and ordered it deeper into Iranian waters, Reuters reported. He called the decision "inappropriate." "At first appearance it does seem to be provocative behavior, but again we don't have all the facts yet," Warren told a Pentagon news briefing. The vessel initially ignored the warning but complied after the shots were fired, Warren said. The ship had no US citizens on board and was traveling through the Strait of Hormuz when it was seized, the spokesman added, stating that US planes and the destroyer USS Farragut responded to a distress call from the vessel and are monitoring the situation.     URGENT: Pentagon confirms Iranian forces boarded Marshall Island-flagged cargo ship http://t.co/QvwvM0ZZRA pic.twitter.com/odF6roCL1y     — RT (@RT_com) April 28, 2015 According to Reuters tracking data, the Maersk Tigris is 'underway.' Its status is set to 'fast' and its destination is listed as Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates. The Marine Traffic tracking system also says it is heading for Jebel Ali, at a speed of 4.5 knots. Fars and Al Arabiya previously reported that an Iranian warship was taking the vessel to the city of Bandar Abbas. The Maersk Tigris is managed by Singapore-based Rickmers Ship Management, part of the Hamburg-based Rickmers Group. It comes as Iran continues talks with the six world powers on the development of a nuclear deal.     reports of US ship taken to Bandar Abbas proved false. #VesselTracker#AIS confirms track of Maersk Tigris as vessel pic.twitter.com/aiZipLlEpO     — Mark Deverill (@mdeverill) April 28, 2015 US Secretary of State John Kerry told a global gathering on nuclear disarmament on Tuesday that a deal is “closer than ever” but that tough negotiations lie ahead. The comment came after Kerry met with Iran's foreign minister on the sidelines. In a tentative deal reached earlier this month, Tehran agreed to curb sensitive nuclear work for at least a decade in exchange for sanctions relief. Though Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful, the West fears Tehran is using the program to develop atomic weapons. http://rt.com/news/253853-iran-seize-us-ship/ LOOK-UPS Rickmers Group leading German ship owner & manager concluded negotiations with bankers to restructure US$1.43 billion of loans Mar 2015 {Prolonged downturn container & bulk markets} 1st German charter ship-owner to issue bond raising 175-million euros in June 2013 Rickmers Group = partnership with US-based Oaktree Capital Management = joint venture NY-based Apollo Global Management Mar. 2015 Rickmers Group = 103 vessels under management / book value of 2.2 billion euros http://www.joc.com/maritime-news/ships-shipbuilding/rickmers-group-seals-14-billion-refinancing_20150302.html Oaktree Captial Management Los Angeles Howard Marks Apollo Global Management New York Leon Black Rickmers Group HQ Hamburg family-owned co. roots back 179 years CEO Ronald D. Widdows http://gcaptain.com/rickmers-group-raise-258-million/ "flags of convenience" to reduce operating costs and sidestep regulation. Ship owned by Danish conglomerate Maersk. http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-04-28/marshall-islands-needs-u-s-help-in-iran-standoff *Combo:  Panama, Liberia, and Marshall Islands = 40% flags convenience --- AP Moller–Maersk Group Danish HQ Copenhagen, Denmark Shipping, Oil & Gas, Retail, Shipyards + more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maersk 2011 co-op US navy testing algae biofuel 2013 ceased business in Iran - to prevent damage to business w. USA re sanctions Oil & gas 2008: 22% of revenue 68% of profit *Suez diversion (away from Africa) b/c piracy {est. $100-m pa costs of piracy} COMMENT Shipping seems very exciting. Piracy looks to be profitable ... if you survive the challenge. Looks like Suez Canal might be very important to trade/shipping.

For the Love of Oil: Pakistan PM Assassination by Americans & USA-British Iran Coup

Pakistan's first Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan was assassinated by America By Abdus Sattar Ghazali, The Milli Gazette Online Published Online: Apr 27, 2015 Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan, Pakistan's first Prime Minister, was assassinated on October 16, 1951 while addressing a public meeting in the garrison city of Rawalpindi. His assassin, later identified as Saad Akbar Babrak was shot dead on the spot. Saad Akbar Babrak was an Afghan national and a professional assassin. For more than 63 years controversy continued about the motives and perpetrators after the assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan. Conspiracy theories abounded with little to substantiate. However, the controversy is now coming to end as declassified documents of the US State Department disclosed that Americans murdered the first elected prime minister of Pakistan through the Afghan government. The US documents, released several years ago but highlighted recently by the Pakistani media and social media. A leading English newspaper of Pakistan, the Nation and also the Express News reported on April 17: The United States wanted to get contracts of oil resources in Iran. Pakistan and Iran enjoyed cordial ties and Afghanistan used to be the enemy of Pakistan during 1950-51. The neighboring Afghanistan was the only country that didn’t accept Pakistan at that time. The US demanded Pakistan use its influence in Tehran and persuade it to transfer control of its oil fields to the US. Liaquat Ali Khan declined to accede to the request, saying that he would not use his friendship for dishonest purposes. On which, then US President Harry Truman had threatened Liaquat Ali Khan. Not only that, Liaquat Ali Khan also asked US to vacate air bases in Pakistan within next 24 hours, dropping a bombshell on Americans. Americans didn’t find a suitable person in Pakistan and then turned to Afghanistan for this purpose, according to the documents. Washington contacted the US Embassy in Kabul, offering Zahir Shah to search a murderer. Afghan government had found a man Syed Akbar to take the job and also made arrangements for him to be killed on the spot. All three stayed at a local hotel in Rawalpindi. Akbar fired and Liaquat Ali Khan fell, saying Allah help Pakistan. Two persons killed the murderer of Liaquat Ali Khan at the spot while crowd also massacred the two persons in order to leave no sign of the conspiracy. The bullets used to kill the Pakistani prime minister were not easily available in the market. Coup against Mossadegh Not surprisingly, August 1953 the CIA staged a coup against the Iranian nationalist Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh to safeguard the west's oil interests in the country. In April 1951 Iranians democratically elected the head of the National Front party, Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh, as prime minister. Mossadegh moved quickly to nationalize the assets in Iran of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (the forerunner of today’s BP) a step that brought his government into confrontation with Britain and the US. Britain’s MI6 military intelligence then teamed up with the CIA and carried out a coup that ousted Mossadegh in August 1953 and returned Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to power. In August 2013, 60 years after the coup, the CIA admitted staging a coup against Mossadegh though at least two US Presidents, Bill Clinton and Barrack Obama, have publicly acknowledged the US role in the Iranian coup. "The military coup that overthrew Mossadegh and his National Front cabinet was carried out under CIA direction as an act of US foreign policy, conceived and approved at the highest levels of government," reads a previously excised section of an internal CIA history titled The Battle for Iran. The declassified documents, under the US Freedom of Information Act, related to CIA’s TPAJAX operation that sought regime change in Iran through the bribery of Iranian politicians, security and army high-ranking officials, and massive anti-Mossadegh propaganda that helped to instigate public revolt in 1953. Mossadegh was replaced with Iranian general Fazlollah Zahedi, who was handpicked by The  CIA and M16. Mossaddegh was later sentenced to death, but the Shah never dared to carry out the sentence. Mossadegh died in his residence near Tehran in 1967. The Shah’s pro-Western dictatorship continued for 27 years and ended with the Islamic Revolution of 1979, which paved the way for today’s Iran, where anti-American sentiments remain strong. The 1953 coup still casts a long shadow over Iranian-US relations. Liaquat Ali Khan visits USA Going back to the assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan which came almost two years after his visit to the United State in May-June 1950. His visit perhaps set the tone of Pakistan's foreign policy because he disregarded an invitation to visit the Soviet Union. In December 1949, Liaquat Ali Khan received an invitation from President Truman to visit the USA. This was readily accepted and the visit took place in May 1950. While on US soil, Liaquat confirmed that he intended to visit the Soviet Union. Liaquat's visit to USA brought the two countries closer. This was shown by Pakistan's support for the use of force by the UN in June 1950 against North Korea to secure its withdrawal from South Korea, as also support for the peace treaty negotiations with Japan in 1951. The Soviet Union opposed both of these developments. In October 1949, the Communists came to power in China. The US strongly opposed this development and refused to recognize the Communist regime. It continued to recognize the ousted Kuomintang regime of Gen. Chiang Kai-shek as the legitimate government of China. The US also managed to prevent most countries in the world from recognizing Communist China which was thus kept out of the UN as well. However, Liaquat Ali Khan decided to extend recognition to Communist China in January 1950. The Chinese Ambassador arrived in Karachi in September 1951, a month before Liaquat's death, and the first Pakistani Ambassador presented credentials in Beijing in November 1951. Pakistan thus became the first Muslim country, and one of the few countries in the world, to establish diplomatic relations with Communist China. This shrewd decision laid the foundation for strong relations with China that have since become a pillar of Pakistan's foreign policy. When Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan visited the USA, Pakistan was non-aligned between the US-led Western Bloc and the Soviet-led Eastern Bloc and it had recognized the Communist-led People's Republic of China, ignoring Washington's opposition to Peking. It was Pakistan's membership of US backed military pacts in 1954 that aroused Soviet hostility. The Soviet veto on Kashmir was not applied until 1957. The Soviets themselves have never put the blame for unfriendly relations on the inability of Liaquat Ali Khanto visit the Soviet Union. As the declassified documents of the US State Department reveal, Liaquat Ali Khan, was victim of politics of oil resources grab by the U.S. and British oil companies. Abdus Sattar Ghazali is the Chief Editor of the Journal of America (www.journalofamerica.net) email: asghazali2011 at gmail.com blog comments powered by Disqus Social-icon-fb Social-icon-tw Social-icon-ml Social-icon-yt Social-icon-rss http://www.milligazette.com/news/12191-pakistan-s-first-prime-minister-liaquat-ali-khan-was-assassinated-by-america COMMENT Thought this was a pretty cool article.  Didn't know that the US had assassinated a Pakistani PM. The Iran coup also probably demonstrates how the US managed to pull off the Ukraine coup.  Bribery of key figures & propaganda work just as well today as they did in the 50s.

FOREIGN SERVICE UPDATES

Sweden refused to renew a 10-year-old weapons deal w SaudiArabia Saudi ambassador recalled / diplomatic rift SaudiArabia = 3rd largest non-Western buyer of Sweden arms @ 338 million kronor ($39 million) 2014 Right-wing Svenska Dagbladet says:  Swedish industry “must be allowed to trade ... even with dictatorships.” http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2015/Mar-12/290479-saudi-arabia-recalls-envoy-to-sweden-after-military-ties-cut.ashx DAILY STAR - EXTRACT [...] Swedish Foreign Ministry spokesman Gabriel Wernstedt said the Saudis were recalling their ambassador because of “Sweden’s criticism regarding human rights and democracy” in the ultraconservative kingdom. The official Saudi Press Agency reported that the Saudi Foreign Ministry recalled its diplomat because it considered remarks by Sweden’s foreign minister about the kingdom as “blatant interference it its internal affairs. Saudi Arabia is the third largest non-Western buyer of Swedish arms. In 2014, Riyadh bought equipment worth 338 million kronor ($39 million). [... ] But an opening speech she was due to give in which she stressed human rights, with a particular emphasis on rights for women, was canceled. The speech was later published by the Swedish Foreign Ministry. Wallstroem has rarely commented on Saudi Arabia but in January she condemned the kingdom’s treatment of blogger Raef Badawi, who had been sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison for insulting Islam. [...] Wallstroem told news agency TT Wednesday her government had made the “correct” decision by ending the agreement. “I feel that when I speak about democracy and human rights, I do with the support of the Swedish people.”  [Oh, please.  What about the human rights of ethnic-Russian citizens of eastern Ukraine & supporting their murder by supporting the Proshenko Ukraine puppet govt.?] [...] The Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist said Tuesday only cooperation in medicine and gender studies would remain on offer. “What we have is an open invitation to partake in medical and gender training, but the Saudi side has not shown any interest.” [...] Commenting on the severed military ties, liberal writer Fredrik Segerfeldt wrote that Sweden’s objective was “to become a moral power” on the world stage. But taking a stance against Saudi Arabia today risked Sweden’s credibility as a business partner, according to some center-right opposition politicians and the Swedish business community. “Foreign policy is not only about other countries,” right-wing daily Svenska Dagbladet wrote in an editorial, noting that Swedish industry “must be allowed to trade ... even with dictatorships.” -- COMMENT RE SWEDEN ARMS DEAL CANCELLATION: "Swedish people must be so proud of their leaders. Exciting to see principles come before money for once." Ummm, I'm not actually convinced of this.  Swedish politics as a whole is not geared to serve 'principles before money'.  Some sectors of Sweden's politics may well genuinely believe in this, and there may have been a push that forced the cancellation; but overall, politics, trade and military (which serves trade & other interests) are not geared to function on bleeding heart principles. BANGLADESH EXAMPLE Dhaka Bangladesh Sweden Embassy + Business Sweden co-host Swe bus. delegation - power, telecommunications, roads, bridges + transport  Ambass: Johan Frisell - nonchalant re political climate for biz Sweden  11 large Sweden corporations delegates attend http://bdnews24.com/business/2015/03/11/swedish-business-delegation-in-dhaka-to-explore-investment-prospects Bangladesh / Sweden  Trade is dominated by the textile & ready-made garments. abt. USD$338-m (I think) {30bn Tk} Hey, Sweden ... Govt crackdown: civil & media Atheist bloggers arrested, activist in prison & more http://www.hrw.org/world-report/2014/country-chapters/bangladesh If Sweden is to operate on human rights & principles basis, doing business in Bangladesh (& probably most of the rest of the world) might prove a problem.  Most Sweden business is in garments & textiles. I smell SWEAT SHOPS.   http://bdnews24.com/business/2015/03/11/swedish-business-delegation-in-dhaka-to-explore-investment-prospects Sweatshops in Bangladesh 3.5m workers produce goods for export global market, primarily:  USA & EU 85%  However, Bangladesh women producers have little improvement in lives: http://www.waronwant.org/overseas-work/sweatshops-and-plantations/sweatshops-in-bangladesh GOLDMINE  Not only SWEATSHOPS vs HUMAN RIGHTS but also WOMEN exploited vs FEMINIST GOVT SWEDEN ... -- USA - where's the transparency?  Report:  Only .00006 Percent of State Dept. E-mails Archived 2011 http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/email-fraction-archived-official/2015/03/11/id/629628/  Hillary Clinton --  Kenya US embassy Trivia: 19 federal USG agencies operating out of US Embassy Kenya as at 2012 -- Morocco has recalled its ambassador from Nigeria Morocco denies its King spoke on phone to Goodluck Nigeria insists phone conversations took place Morocco claims using King re election campaign Morocco denies Nigeria's further assertions http://www.360nobs.com/2015/03/morocco-closes-its-embassy-over-fallout-with-federal-government/ -- Pakistan US Ambassador to Lebanon David Hale reassignment to Pak. Not yet official nomination {extensive Middle East experience} http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2015/Mar-12/290475-us-ambassador-hale-may-be-posted-to-pakistan.ashx -- Charles S Cohen Chairman of Cohen Media Group to be honoured France for promo French cinema in US http://www.prurgent.com/2015-03-11/pressrelease378605.htm  Film Media France Cultural Services of French Embassy = platform > French +  US artists, intellectuals, educators, students, tech etc -- Georgia Iran diplomatic spat Georgia Justice Min. Tsulukian China, Iran, Iraq + Egypt entry 'undesirable' http://www.eurasianet.org/node/72481 Georgia said to be pandering to anti-immigration voters Georgia says abiding by: association agreement signed w EU in 2014. -- D-Day Mission Bulgaria GREAT Mega Mission 2015 4-day initiative of UK largest visit of its kind to Bulgaria + Romania UKTI 2020 double trade aim [publics.bg] Bulgaria UK 50 top UK coys, 200 Bulgarian delegates Eyeing: >nuclear >oil + gas >mass transport >water & enviro http://www.publics.bg/en/news/12152/GREAT_Mega_Mission_2015_in_Bulgaria.html -- UK shadow foreign secretary says pursuing reopening of the UK embassy in Iran British grovelling ... mistakes made http://tehrantimes.com/politics/122509-shadow-foreign-secretary-says-he-pushes-for-reopening-uk-embassy-in-iran- -- UK Opened New Consulate in India, the Seventh [Prensa Latina] Ahmedabad Bangalore Chandigarh – new – {Large Punjabi Community in UK} Chennai Delhi - High Commission (embassy) Goa – tourist info office Hyderabad Kolkata Mumbai Pune – Commercial Office -- LOL... Timely UK suck job ingratiation {for trade}: Statue of Mahatma Gandhi for Parliament Square in London on Sat David Cameron attending Hammond attended opening new consulate. Slaughter of independence supporters by British Amritsar Punjab 1919 not mentioned. Amritsar Punjab 1919 Slaughter by British =  over 400 dead, incl. many women & children http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3610931&Itemid=1 -- #Turkey Syrian citizen, #Canada spy actively helped 3 teenage UK girls pass into Syria to join ISIS admitted on payroll of Canada intelligence #Canada - a #NATO ally knee-deep in #ISIS http://www.dailysabah.com/columns/ilnur-cevik/2015/03/14/canada-has-much-to-explain-about-isis-links #Canada Embassy Jordan run by Bruno Saccomani hand-picked former bodyguard to Stephen Harper linked to an interl terrorism & spy scandal #Canada   -   Ooh La La SPY SCANDAL - ISIS #Syria intel operative Mohammed Mehmet Rashid     — dubbed Doctor Mehmet Rashid     x3 London schoolgirls http://news.nationalpost.com/2015/03/13/safety-minister-silent-amid-claims-that-the-spy-accused-of-helping-girls-join-isis-was-working-for-canada/