1.: Russia Refuses To Be Patsy On NATO Missile Shield

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Thu Feb 3, 2011 7:36 am (PST)

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20110203/162437100.html

Russian Information Agency Novosti
February 3, 2011

Russia rules out being NATO's patsy on missile defense

Moscow: Russia will do whatever is necessary to ensure its security if NATO attempts to give Moscow a raw deal in building a joint European missile defense system, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

Russia and NATO agreed to discuss the creation of the European missile defense system in Lisbon in November last year, but as yet the talks have not brought any positive results.

"If negotiations between NATO and Russia will only be used as a cover for a NATO-American missile defense system that ignores the Russian interests then of course we will have no choice but to take adequate measures to protect ourselves," Lavrov said in an interview with Russia Today international TV channel to be aired on Saturday.

Moscow insists on setting up a joint European missile defense network with NATO to make sure that the planned placement of elements of a U.S. missile defense system in a number of European countries will not threaten Russia's national security.

NATO, however, proposes creating two separate systems that would exchange information

Lavrov reiterated that the future missile defense system "must be equal" and "must not create any risks for the strategic arsenals of the Russian Federation."

"If these two [issues] are resolved positively, I believe we will achieve huge success," the minister said.

The missile defense issue will be on the agenda of the upcoming global security conference in Munich on February 4-6.

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2.: NATO Shelling, Attacks Kill Pakistani Soldier, Wound Eight

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Thu Feb 3, 2011 7:36 am (PST)

http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=3756&Cat=13&dt=2/3/2011

News International
February 3, 2011

Soldier killed in Afghan attack on Pak check-post
By Malik Mumtaz Khan

MIRAMSHAH: A soldier was killed and seven others sustained injuries, some seriously, when the Nato and Afghan forces fired mortar shells at the Bangidar security checkpost in North Waziristan Agency (NWA) on Wednesday, official and tribal sources said.

The sources said Nato and Afghan forces from the neighbouring Khost province in Afghanistan fired dozens of mortar shells at the security checkpost in Bangidar, a remote border area in North Waziristan.

One soldier was killed and seven others sustained injuries after several shells struck the checkpost. The sources added that some of the injured were in critical condition and shifted to a hospital. The structure of the checkpost was also damaged.

Pakistani forces returned the fire with artillery and rocket launchers and targeted the Nato and Afghan forces' positions across the border. However, the report about the casualties or destruction to property could not be confirmed as the Pak-Afghan route remained closed during the border clash.

Eyewitnesses said the Nato forces also fired several mortar shells on the Ghulam Khan Fort. The shells missed the target and hit the nearby hills, causing deafening blasts. The sources said the blasts were heard far and wide in North Waziristan, including Miramshah, and caused fear among the people.

Soon after the shelling, Nato helicopters intruded into the Pakistan airspace and kept flying for some time over the area. They returned to Afghanistan without taking any action. Some reports said Nato jet fighters also violated the Pakistani airspace in the border area. Official sources, however, did not confirm the reports. Later in the evening, five mortar shells fired by Nato forces landed in the Saidgi locality in Ghulam Khan Tehsil. The shells landed on an open ground and did not cause any casualty.

Meanwhile, the Khost police chief Abdul Hakim Ashaqzai told the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) that Pakistan's security forces fired mortars at the checkposts of the Afghan security forces in Tor Khobay area of Gurbaz district early Wednesday. He added the Afghan security forces returned the fire, which sparked a clash between the two sides.

He said the clash lasted three hours in which the Afghan security forces did not suffer casualties. He said he did not have information about the casualties to the Pakistani security forces. The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) press office in Kabul, when contacted by the AIP, said it was aware of the clash and an investigation was in progress.

AFP adds: A Pakistani security official said one soldier was killed and eight wounded, two of them seriously, in an intermittent exchange of fire over four hours. "We fired in retaliation. Our troops are using artillery and mortars," said a senior military official in Peshawar.

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3.: Pakistani Official Decries NATO Raids Inside Country

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Thu Feb 3, 2011 7:36 am (PST)

http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=29229&Cat=2&dt=2/3/2011

News International
February 3, 2011

Sherry opposes Nato raids inside Pak borders

ISLAMABAD: Former information minister and MNA Sherry Rehman has said that Nato raids into Pakistan are not acceptable to either the people of this country or its leadership. "It also destabilizes a democratic government faced with many challenges at home, including the economic crisis and an extremist resurgence,' she said while talking to The News.

She said if Pakistan's strategic allies want to empower the nation and invest in democracy, then breaching Pakistan's sovereign border with blatant acts of aggression is not the answer. "It, in fact, puts the government in a very awkward situation, especially while internal challenges remain unresolved", she said.

Sherry Rehman said democratic countries needed to resolve their conflicts on the negotiating table, not by acts of aggression against another country's sovereignty. "If issues of tracking terrorism and intelligence-sharing exist, these need a high level meeting of officials to resolve, not firing at the border as this act will inflame passions in Pakistan and endanger the country's mission of taking space away from terrorists," she observed.

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4.: Ukraine: U.S., NATO Military Exercises To Resume, Expand

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Thu Feb 3, 2011 7:37 am (PST)

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ukraine-to-host-international-military-exercises-under-the-auspices-of-the-us-115175439.html

Worldwide News Ukraine
February 3, 2011

Ukraine to Host International Military Exercises Under the Auspices of the US

KYIV: Ukraine and the US have agreed on conducting military exercises in Ukraine, according to the Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Colonel-General Hryhoriy Pedchenko. The exercises will feature "Sea Breeze", "Rapid Trident" as well as three other sets of drills.

Ukraine has reached the agreement with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in late January in Brussels. "We have agreed on the road map for conducting the multinational exercises under the auspices of the US. The drills will feature "Sea Breeze", "Rapid Trident" etc. The set of five different exercises will take place on the territory of Ukraine", stated Pedchenko.

By the means of conducting the exercises, Ukraine is planning to broaden its cooperation with a number of countries, not only the US. "The exercises are originally Ukrainian-American; however, I have invited our neighbors to participate: Poles, Slovaks, Hungarians, Romanians, and Russians", said the Ukrainian Chairman. He also stressed, that the main goal of the training is to "raise the level of confidence in each other" (speaking of participating countries. - Editor).

"Sea Breeze" drills have been conducted in Ukraine since 1997. These exercises traditionally involve the troops of NATO countries on rotational basis.

In 2009, the Ukrainian parliament refused to approve international military exercises on Ukrainian soil. However, in 2010 the Ukrainian MPs voted in favor of the NATO drills taking place in the country.

The 1997 Charter on a Distinctive Partnership, which established the NATO-Ukraine Commission (NUC) has become the formal basis for NATO-Ukraine relations.

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5.: U.S. Air Force Orders 24 More Hunter-Killer Reaper Drones

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Thu Feb 3, 2011 8:01 am (PST)

http://www.militaryaerospace.com/index/display/mae-defense-executive-article-display/0644006632/articles/military-aerospace-electronics/executive-watch-2/2011/2/air-force_orders_24.html

Military & Aerospace Electronics
February 3, 2011

Air Force orders 24 MQ-9 Reaper hunter-killer UAVs in $148.3 million contract award
Posted by John Keller

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio: Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designers at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems in Poway, Calif., will provide the U.S. Air Force with 24 MQ-9 Reaper hunter-killer UAVs under terms of a $148.3 million contract awarded Wednesday from the Air Force Aeronautical Systems Center (ASC) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

Reaper is a medium-to-high altitude UAV primarily for reconnaissance and surveillance, but which also can carry the GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bomb, the AGM-114 Hellfire II air-to-ground missile, air-to-air missiles, as well as the GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM).

The MQ-9 is a larger and more capable version of the MQ-1 Predator UAV, which can fly pre-programmed routes, and typically receives direction from human controllers -- particularly where launching weapons are concerned.

The reaper uses several kinds of sensors, including a thermal camera, and has six stores pylons that can carry a maximum of 4,600 pounds of weapons and external fuel tanks. The aircraft can fly missions from about 15 hours to nearly two days.

The MQ-9 system includes aircraft, ground control station, communications equipment, spare parts, and crew, which consists of maintenance personnel, pilot, and sensor operator. Among its sensors is the Raytheon AN/AAS-52 multi-spectral targeting sensor suite with color/monochrome daylight TV, infrared sensor, and image-intensified TV with laser rangefinder and target designator. The Reaper's synthetic aperture radar helps with JDAM targeting, and can detect and track moving targets on the ground.
....

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6.: Al Burke On Sweden And NATO/EU, Assange

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Thu Feb 3, 2011 8:10 am (PST)

http://rt.com/politics/assange-extradition-burke-sweden/

[Video at URL above]

RT
February 3, 2011

Assange a hot potato for Swedish government - journalist

Sweden-based journalist Al Burke says that if WikiLeaks' Julian Assange is extradited to Sweden from the UK, "whatever happens as a result of the trial, the US will probably request that he be extradited for the crimes they are trying to invent now."

Assange, founder of the whistleblower website WikiLeaks, is still wanted in Sweden on sex assault charges and could be extradited there from Britain. But there have been reports that the US also wants him on charges of espionage. Al Burke believes there is a strong political agenda behind Assange's case.

"As soon as the Social Democrats announced that they are going to lead the country to the EU, you started to see very clear signs that Sweden was adapting its foreign policy to the needs of NATO, the interests of the EU and the US," Burke says, explaining why Swedish authorities are likely to cooperate with America on Assange's extradition case.

"An extradition process is usually done by the Immigration Department, it could be appealed by a court and the government could get involved," the journalist believes. "There is room for political decision-making in this matter. And of course there are also many informal ways for the government to let its interests be known to the people underneath."

Al Burke says that while British lawyers think the chances of Assange's extradition to Sweden is 50-50, due to the political element of the puzzle, the Swedish lawyers see the charges against Assange as absurd. Burke thinks Assange will be released from jail only to face extradition to the US.

"When Sweden joined the EU it ceased to be an independent nation," Burke added.

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7.: AFRICOM, NATO Special Forces Exercise Begins In West Africa

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Thu Feb 3, 2011 8:23 am (PST)

http://www.africom.mil/getArticle.asp?art=5937

U.S. Africa Command
February 3, 2011

Flintlock 11 Kicks Off February 21 in Senegal/Media OpportunitiesBy Major Bryan Purtell
Special Operations Command Africa Public Affairs

STUTTGART, Germany: Flintlock 11, the latest iteration of U.S. Africa Command's premier Special Operations Forces exercise, kicks off February 21, 2011 in Thies, Senegal, and runs through March 11.

Conducted by Special Operations Command Africa, Flintlock is a joint multinational exercise to improve information sharing at the operational and tactical levels across the Saharan region while fostering increased collaboration and coordination. It's focused on military interoperability and capacity-building for U.S., North American and European Partner Nations, and select units in Northern and Western Africa.

Flintlock 11 looks to build upon the successes and lessons learned during previous Flintlock exercises which were conducted to establish and develop regional relationships and synchronization of effort across the Trans-Sahara nation militaries. It...strengthens security institutions, promotes multilateral sharing of information, and develops interoperability among the partner nations of the Trans-Sahara Counter-Terrorism Partnership.
....
The exercise strengthens security institutions, promotes multilateral sharing of information, and develops interoperability among the partner nations of the Trans-Sahara Counter-Terrorism Partnership (TSCTP). Flintlock also helps to achieve USAFRICOM objectives for military capacity development training and multinational regional cooperation.
....
A Multi-National Tactical Operations Center will be established to serve as a focal point for multinational information sharing and the planning of synchronized operations. The tactical portion of Flintlock 11 will consist of small-unit combined training and activities involving Partner Nation counter-terrorism units....

A major element of this year's Flintlock exercise is the addition of the Trans-Sahara Security Symposium (TSS), a civil-military cooperation and interagency capacity-building event coordinated in collaboration with the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The TSS supports the interagency objectives of the TSCTP and Operation Enduring Freedom (Trans-Sahara), the U.S. Department of Defense effort to build regional capacity, promote military interoperability and strengthen inter-regional cooperation in the Trans-Sahara region....

Approximately 800 personnel will be involved in Flintlock 11. This includes participants from the U.S., Canada, Spain, France, The Netherlands and Germany, as well as from Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria and Senegal.
....

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8.: New Unmanned Subs Used In NATO's Largest Sub Warfare Drills

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Thu Feb 3, 2011 8:23 am (PST)

http://www.stripes.com/news/unmanned-subs-making-waves-in-undersea-warfare-1.133668

Stars and Stripes
February 3, 2011

Unmanned subs making waves in undersea warfare
By Seth Robson

[Photo: An Autonomous Undersea Vehicle, like the one being deployed here, will be tested by the NATO Undersea Research Center during this month's Proud Manta exercise in the Mediterranean Sea.
Courtesy of NATO Undersea Research Center]

GRAFENWÖHR, Germany: Unmanned aircraft have been playing a major role in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for years. Now, the U.S. military is beginning to field unmanned submarines.

In a move that could dramatically cut the cost of undersea warfare, NATO is testing three Autonomous Undersea Vehicles, or AUVs, in the Mediterranean Sea this month as part of the alliance's largest annual anti-submarine warfare exercise.

The AUVs, dubbed "gliders," have much in common with their flying cousins, including wings, according to Michel Rixen, a scientist at the NATO Undersea Research Center in Italy.
....
In 2009, a glider of the same type being used in this month's Proud Manta 11 NATO exercise completed a trans-Atlantic crossing that lasted 221 days.

The gliders will be at sea for three weeks during the exercise, traveling up to 300 miles collecting data on water salinity and temperature and relaying it to scientists on shore, Rixen said. The data is important because it allows sonar operators to calculate the speed of sound through the water – something that helps them detect enemy submarines, he said.

In the past, such data was collected by manned submarines or surface ships.
....
The three gliders — which were manufactured by Teledyne Web of Falmouth, Mass. — participating in the exercise have been at sea collecting data since Jan. 24.

As Proud Manta kicks off in earnest on Friday with six submarines, 19 aircraft and eight surface ships from 10 nations participating, the gliders moved outside the exercise area east of Sicily, Rixen said.
....
The U.S. Navy has conducted similar exercises with gliders, said Tom Curtin, the research center's chief scientist.

In fact, the Navy is gradually acquiring more than 100 gliders and fielding them to operational units through the Naval Oceanographic Office, he said.

Eventually AUVs are likely to be fielded with the same capabilities as large submarines, Rixen said. Weapons could also be added to the AUVs, something that has already happened with unmanned aircraft, he said.
....

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9.: Georgian PM: U.S. Senate To Condemn "Russian Occupation"

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Thu Feb 3, 2011 8:32 am (PST)

http://en.trend.az/news/politics/1822612.html

Trend News Agency
February 3, 2011

Georgian PM: U.S. Senate supports resolution on Russia's occupation of Georgian territory
N. Kirtzkhalia

Tbilisi: Georgian Prime Minister Nika Gilauri discussed the U.S. Senate's resolution on the occupation of Georgian territory by Russia during meetings in Washington.

Gilauri met with a number of senators from both the Republican and Democratic parties, Gilauri told Georgian television channels following his meetings in the U.S. Senate.

"I had a meeting with John McCain, John Tong, Lindsey Graham and others who expressed support for the resolution to be adopted by the U.S. Senate in the near future," he stressed.

Gilauri said the adoption of the document is important for Georgia.

The resolution is necessary in terms of the international recognition of the fact of occupation of Georgia, and "the senators expressed their support at the meetings with me," Gilauri said.

He noted that he also discussed the intensification of trade and economic relations during the meetings with senators.

Gilauri also met with Executive Director of the Millennium Challenge Fund Daniel Johannes. At the meeting, they discussed providing a second tranche of aid to Georgia.

The sides also mulled the size of assistance for infrastructural development in Georgia.

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10.: Georgian Defense Chief Meets Pentagon, NATO Military Officials

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Thu Feb 3, 2011 11:20 am (PST)

http://www.defpro.com/news/details/21715/?SID=631433d06e6690ddfbd821544171ed37

Defence Professionals
February 3, 2011

Georgian Defence Minister and US Official Meet at Georgian Defence Conference

Within the framework of the "Georgian Defence Conference" (GDC) Georgian Minister of Defence Bacho Akhalaia has already held meetings with the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence, Doctor Celeste Wallander, and Director General of International Military Staff of NATO, Lieutenant General Jurgen Bornemann. The topics of discussion at the meeting were global security and bilateral cooperation issues, the NATO-Georgian relationship, the ongoing ISAF operation in Afghanistan and the reforms being implemented in the Georgian defence system.

"I'm very grateful to the Georgian government for organizing a conference on defence issues. I'm very lucky to be here and privileged to have been invited and to be the part of the event. We had a good discussion this morning; and I've had an opportunity to talk with the Minister about our defence cooperation. We discussed bilateral defence cooperation relationship, we discussed Georgia's contribution to ISAF, to the NATO led effort in Afghanistan and we talked a little bit about security issues more generally," Doctor Wallender stated.

NATO top official Lieutenant General Jurgen Bornemann has also underlined the importance of the Defence Conference: "Let me start by saying that it's a great pleasure and an honor for me as the Director General of the International Military Staff, NATO HQ in Brussels, to take part in this very important Defence Conference of Georgia.

"It is important because we see here the results of the ongoing defence review Georgia is undertaking like many other partners and countries in NATO. We are making extensive reviews with your delegation in Brussels in the NATO Georgia Commission which we would like to continue and we are now intervening the very important steps in military. I just had a meeting with your Defence Minister where we went to those instruments and we came to the conclusion we are on the right track," said General Bornemman in his interview with the media representatives.

"Representatives of partner nations such as the United States, as well as other NATO member countries attending the conference, unanimously support the course of development and reforming of our armed forces and consider that the reforms were being executed successfully. We hope that, through our close cooperation, we would be able to reinforce and intensively proceed with the process of implementing reforms in Georgian Armed Forces", declared Minister of Defence of Georgia Mr. Bacho Akhalaia.

The "Georgian Defence Conference", held in the city of Batumi, will officially finish today.

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11.: NATO Continues To Build Iraqi Surrogate Armed Forces

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Thu Feb 3, 2011 11:20 am (PST)

http://www.aco.nato.int/page424205856.aspx

North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Allied Command Operations
January 31, 2011

NTM-I Deputy Commander meets with Director General of International Policy of the Iraqi National Security Council

Baghdad, IRAQ: On January 27th the Deputy Commander of NTM-I (NTM-I DCOM), Major General Claudio Angelelli met the Director General of International Policy, Iraqi National Security Council, Mr. Hamza Hassan Shareef al Jaboury, on FOB UNION III. Mr. Hamza came to discuss Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Mailiki's request for NATO to continue providing support for the ISF beyond 2011.

Today's meeting was another example of coordination between NATO and the Government of Iraq. MG Angelelli stated "currently, NATO is in accordance with Government of Iraq requests, and is planning on several possible options to propose at the NATO ministerial level".

"NATO is supporting the development of Iraq's military capabilities. Most importantly, they are assessing ongoing de-mining programs and border security" said Mr. Hamza.

MG Angelelli and Mr. Hamza talked about future measures for coordination.

In the implementation of the Iraqi-NATO Agreement, set to expire on December 31, 2011, internal discussions are underway to determine extending or amending the current Agreement on the basis of future support NATO countries will offer Iraq.

MG Angelelli and Mr. Hamza expressed satisfaction on their coordination meeting. MG Angelelli emphasized the importance of the NATO-Iraqi relationship and his willingness to work with the Government of Iraq.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The NATO Training Mission in Iraq (NTM-I) was established in 2004 at the request of the Iraqi Interim Government under the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 1546. The aim of NTM-I is to assist in the development of Iraqi security forces training structures and institutions so that Iraq can build an effective and sustainable capability that address the needs of the nation.

NTM-I is not a combat mission but is a distinct mission, under the political control of NATO's North Atlantic Council. Its operational emphasis is on training and mentoring. The activities of the mission are coordinated with Iraqi Authorities.

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12.: NATO, ThalesRaytheonSystems Sign Contract For Missile Shield

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Thu Feb 3, 2011 11:20 am (PST)

http://www.nato.int/cps/en/SID-5FA0CBBE-181E0C83/natolive/news_70240.htm

North Atlantic Treaty Organization
February 1, 2011

NATO and ThalesRaytheonSystems sign contract for Theatre Missile Defence extension

TRSPrime, a subsidiary of ThalesRaytheonSystems, was awarded a contract by the NATO ACCS Management Agency (NACMA) for enhancements to the Air Command and Control System (ACCS) as part of the Active Layered Theatre Ballistic Missile Defence (ALTBMD) programme being developed for the protection of deployed troops.

This award is for the Preliminary System Definition of the first phase of the ACCS TMD project and will be followed by the development, integration and testing of two increments leading to an Initial Operational Capability (IOC). The new functionality developed under the contract will provide sensor and weapon system configuration, management and coverage, air and missile track processing, dissemination, classification, display and alerting. It will also provide weapon system status, engagement, monitoring and control.

"As Allies decided at the NATO summit in Lisbon last November, the scope of ALTBMD will be expanded beyond the protection of deployed forces to also protect NATO European populations, territory and forces," said Dr. Gerhard van der Giet, General Manager NACMA. "The command and control enhancements developed under the ACCS TMD project provide a future foundation for Missile Defence."

ThalesRaytheonSystems will lead an industrial team of 11 partners to enhance the ACCS System, providing NATO with an integrated Air and Missile defence capability within its deployable entities, the Deployable Combined Air Operations Centre (DCAOC) and the Deployable Air Control Center, Recognised Air Picture (RAP) Production Centre, Sensor Fusion Post (DARS).

Notes
1.The overall acquisition of the Active Layered Theatre Ballistic Missile Defence (ALTBMD) programme is ensured by the ALTBMD Programme Office as mandated by NATO since 2005.

2.ThalesRaytheonSystems industrial partners include Air Command Systems International (France), CASSIDIAN, an EADS Company (Germany), IABG mbH (Germany), INDRA (Spain), L-3 Communications ASA (UK), Lockheed Martin (US), Raytheon Company (US), Selex SI (Italy), Thales Group (France), Thales Communications (France), and Thales Naval (The Netherlands).

3.The NATO Air Command and Control First Level of Operational Capability (ACCS LOC1) programme developed by ThalesRaytheonSystems is designed to replace NATO's existing air command and control systems in Europe and will set new standards of interoperability for air operations by providing a single, integrated approach to planning, tasking, monitoring and mission execution.

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13.: Pentagon Official Inspects Georgian Military Academy

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Thu Feb 3, 2011 11:46 am (PST)

http://www.mod.gov.ge/index.php?page=77&lang=1&type=&Id=875

Georgia Ministry of Defence
February 1, 2011

Celeste Wallander in Cadets Military Lyceum

With the purpose of attending the Georgian Defence Conference (GDC), the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence, Doctor Celeste Wallander, is visiting Georgia.

Today, Doctor Wallander together with Deputy Defence Minister Nodar Kharshiladze visited Cadets Military Lyceum.

The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence with her accompanying delegation inspected the Lyceum - its infrastructure, classrooms, dormitory buildings, recreational and dining facilities, basketball and football stadiums.

"We came to Georgia to visit a cadets' academy as part of Office of Secretary of Defence visit to Georgian Defence Conference. Actually we witnessed very impressive Georgian cadets academy, what we saw is very modern and its facilities - we visited classrooms, recreational facilities; we are overall very impressed and we think it can be a very important piece of Georgia's focus on institution building in Georgian armed forces, which we think will help Georgia with its Euro-Atlantic integration," Pentagon's Country Director for Georgia and Moldova, Mark Simakovsky stated.

Tomorrow, Dr. Celeste Wallander will attend GDC, and address the meeting with the special report.

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14.: Leading NATO General Tours Georgian Military Training Center

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Thu Feb 3, 2011 11:46 am (PST)

http://www.mod.gov.ge/index.php?page=77&lang=1&type=&Id=873

Georgia Ministry of Defence
February 1, 2011

Lieutenant General Jurgen Bornemann visiting Georgia

Today, Lieutenant General Jurgen Bornemann, the Director General of International Military Staff of NATO, has met with Chief of the Joint Staff of the GAF Major-General Devi Chankotadze.

The key topics of bilateral discussion included cooperation in the field of education, the most efficient ways of conducting peacekeeping operations and defence reforms being implemented in the defence system of Georgia.

After the meeting, the NATO top military official took a tour of the Krtsanisi National Training Center in company of the Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff, Colonel Arsen Tsukhishvili.

The NATO general also met with the personnel of 33 Battalion of the III Infantry Brigade, being currently prepared to rotate the 32nd Battalion servicemen (after 6 months service) currently deployed in Afghanistan.

Jurgen Bornemann inspected the Simulation Center located at the Krtsanisi Training Base. "I am visiting Georgia at a very interesting time when the relationship between Georgia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is entering in new phase.

"I am visiting Georgia in order to take part in the Annual Defense Conference tomorrow where the Georgian authorities represent their first findings of their National Defense review and I am very much looking forward to listening to how Georgia is developing its own Armed Forces.

"Of course, I am also here to discuss the status of cooperation between Georgia and NATO. I can tell you and report to you that we had a very successful year in 2010 where a lot of cooperation activities were implemented and we are very looking much forward to continuing this cooperation with Georgia also this year. Of course, that is the reason why we are here in the training centre.

"One of the focuses of cooperation between NATO and Georgia is the participation of Georgian Armed Forces in the NATO-led ISAF operation in Afghanistan. It is a great pleasure for me to consider that Georgia has sent troops to this NATO-led operation. Georgia is the second largest non-NATO contributor and with this, Georgia is supporting the NATO operation in Afghanistan in a very efficient and excellent manner," declared the General Director of international Military Staff in an interview with journalists.

Jurgen Bornemann has already held meetings with the Parliament's Vice-speaker Rusudan Kervalishvili and Secretary of the National Security Council Giga Bokeria. Today within the framework of the official visit, the Lieutenant General will depart for Batumi to attend the Georgian Defence Conference to be held on 2-3 February.

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15.: Pentagon Continues Military Assistance To Egypt: Official

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Thu Feb 3, 2011 11:51 am (PST)

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gLumRHhSM010JI4zCT9h5Hn5a5eA?docId=CNG.0e221c199d9c5dbd3dd76947e5ca6adb.671

Agence France-Presse
February 3, 2011

No plans to halt US military aid to Egypt: Pentagon

-A US aircraft carrier, the USS Enterprise, a guided-missile destroyer and other warships are currently in the Mediterranean with tentative plans to sail through the Suez Canal on the way to the Arabian Sea possibly later this month.
US ships in the Arabian Sea back up the war effort in Afghanistan, with fighter jets based on carriers running combat missions for troops on the ground.

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon on Thursday said it had no plans to halt weapons deliveries to Egypt in coming months despite a popular revolt against President Hosni Mubarak's rule.

While the US administration was examining its economic and military aid to Egypt in light of political upheaval there, military assistance had not been suspended, a spokesman said.

"There's a difference between halting the aid and reviewing it," said Colonel Dave Lapan.

As senior US officers closely monitored fast-moving events in Cairo, Lapan said Egypt's military continued to display "restraint" in the crisis so far.

"To date we have seen them act professionally and with restraint. Again it's a very fluid situation so we're watching every single day," Lapan told reporters.

The White House has suggested that US assistance for Egypt is under review in the face of a wave of street demonstrations demanding Mubarak step down.

Spare parts for F-16 warplanes, coastal patrol ships and fuses for munitions are among items due to be delivered to Egypt in the early part of this year, Lapan said.

The United States has provided tens of billions worth of arms and training to Egypt over more than three decades, with annual defense assistance at $1.3 billion.

Lapan also said the US military had no immediate plans to redeploy its forces in or near Egypt in response to the crisis, but as always the armed forces were carrying out "prudent planning" for all scenarios.

The majority of the more than 600 US troops stationed in Egypt are part of the multinational observer mission in the Sinai, with the remainder providing security at the embassy or working in a defense cooperation office, he said.

A US aircraft carrier, the USS Enterprise, a guided-missile destroyer and other warships are currently in the Mediterranean with tentative plans to sail through the Suez Canal on the way to the Arabian Sea possibly later this month.

US ships in the Arabian Sea back up the war effort in Afghanistan, with fighter jets based on carriers running combat missions for troops on the ground.

Mubarak's government has long provided the US military with access to its air space and safe passage for naval ships through the Suez Canal, which Washington has used to supply troops in the Iraq war.

The US military's top officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, on Wednesday spoke to his counterpart by phone and said in a statement that he had "confidence" in the Egyptian army's ability to provide security for the country and the Suez Canal.

US officials and analysts view the role of Egypt's army as crucial in eventually resolving the crisis, and the administration is hoping that longstanding defense ties with Cairo will provide some leverage.

The White House said Wednesday that US contacts with various levels of the Egyptian armed forces had helped rein in possible violence earlier in the week.

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16a.: William Blum: Anti-Empire Report

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Thu Feb 3, 2011 3:38 pm (PST)

http://killinghope.org/bblum6/aer90.html

The Anti-Empire Report
February 3rd, 2011
by William Blum

A cautionary tale

In July of 1975 I went to Portugal because in April of the previous year a bloodless military coup had brought down the US-supported 48-year fascist regime of Portugal, the world's only remaining colonial power. This was followed by a program centered on nationalization of major industries, workers control, a minimum wage, land reform, and other progressive measures. Military officers in a Western nation who spoke like socialists was science fiction to my American mind, but it had become a reality in Portugal. The center of Lisbon was crowded from morning till evening with people discussing the changes and putting up flyers on bulletin boards. The visual symbol of the Portuguese "revolution" had become the picture of a child sticking a rose into the muzzle of a rifle held by a friendly soldier, and I got caught up in demonstrations and parades featuring people, including myself, standing on tanks and throwing roses, with the crowds cheering the soldiers.
It was pretty heady stuff, and I dearly wanted to believe, but I and most people I spoke to there had little doubt that the United States could not let such a breath of fresh air last very long. The overthrow of the Chilean government less than two years earlier had raised the world's collective political consciousness, as well as the level of skepticism and paranoia on the left.

Washington and multinational corporate officials who were on the board of directors of the planet were indeed concerned. Besides anything else, Portugal was a member of NATO. Destabilization became the order of the day: covert actions; attacks in the US press; subverting trade unions; subsidizing opposition media; economic sabotage through international credit and commerce; heavy financing of selected candidates in elections; a US cut-off of Portugal from certain military and nuclear information commonly available to NATO members; NATO naval and air exercises off the Portuguese coast, with 19 NATO warships moored in Lisbon's harbor, regarded by most Portuguese as an attempt to intimidate the provisional government. In 1976 the "Socialist" Party (scarcely further left and no less anti-communist than the US Democratic Party) came to power, heavily financed by the CIA, the Agency also arranging for Western European social-democratic parties to help foot the
bill. The Portuguese revolution was dead, stillborn. 1

The events in Egypt cannot help but remind me of Portugal. Here, there, and everywhere, now and before, the United States of America, as always, is petrified of anything genuinely progressive or socialist, or even too democratic, for that carries the danger of allowing god-knows what kind of non-America-believer taking office. Honduras 2009, Haiti 2004, Venezuela 2002, Ecuador 2000, Bulgaria 1990, Nicaragua 1990 ... dozens more ... anything, anyone, if there's a choice, even a dictator, a torturer, is better.

We are so good even our enemies believe our lies

I've devoted a lot of time and effort to the question of how to reach the American mind concerning US foreign policy. To a large extent what this comes down to is trying to counterbalance the lifetime of indoctrination someone raised in the United States receives. It comes in news stories every day.

On January 27, the Washington Post ran a story about the State Department personnel who were held hostage at the American embassy in Tehran, Iran for some 14 months, 1979-81. The former hostages were preparing to hold a 30th anniversary remembrance the next day.

"It was wrong on every conceivable count," said L. Bruce Laingen, who was the charge d'affaires. "It was absolutely wrong. ... That is my most vivid memory today." Former political officer John W. Limbert agrees, saying that he "would take any opportunity" to tell his captors "what a terrible thing they had done by their own criteria."

What criteria, I wonder, did the man think his Iranian captors were guided by? In 1954, the United States had overthrown the democratically elected government of Mohammad Mossadegh, resulting, as planned, in the return to power from exile of the Shah. This led to 25 years of rule by oppression including routine torture as the Shah was safeguarded continuously by US military support. Is this not reason enough for Iranians to be bitterly angry at the United States? What was Mr. Limbert thinking? What do Americans who read or hear such comments think? They read or hear distorted news reports pertaining to America's present or historical role in the world every day, and like in the Washington Post article cited here — there's no correction by the reporter, no questions asked, no challenge put forth to the idea of America the Noble, America the perpetual victim of the Bad Guys.

Atheist: "Blasphemy is a victimless crime."

Salman Taseer was murdered in Pakistan a few weeks ago. He was the governor of Punjab province and a member of the secular Pakistan People's Party. The man who killed him, Mumtaz Qadri, was lauded by some as a hero, showering rose petals on him. Photos taken at the scene show him smiling.

Taseer had dared to speak out against Pakistan's stringent anti-blasphemy law, calling for leniency for a Christian mother sentenced to death under the blasphemy ban. A national group of 500 religious scholars praised the assassin and issued a warning to those who mourned Taseer. "One who supports a blasphemer is also a blasphemer," the group said in a statement, which warned journalists, politicians and intellectuals to "learn" from the killing. "What Qadri did has made every Muslim proud."2

Nice, really nice, very civilized. It's no wonder that decent, god-fearing Americans believe that this kind of thinking and behavior justify Washington's multiple wars; that this is what the United States is fighting against — Islamic fanatics, homicidal maniacs, who kill their own countrymen over some esoteric piece of religious dogma, who want to kill Americans over some other imagined holy sin, because we're "infidels" or "blasphemers". How can we reason with such people? Where is the common humanity the naive pacifists and anti-war activists would like us to honor?

But war can be seen as America's religion — most recently Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen, and many more in the past — all non-believers in Washington's Church of Our Lady of Eternal Invasion, Sacred Bombing, and Immaculate Torture, all condemned to death for blasphemy, as each day the United States unleashes blessed robotic death machines called Predators flying over their lands to send "Hellfire" (sic) missiles screaming into wedding parties, funerals, homes, not knowing who the victims are, not caring who the victims are, thousands of them by now, as long as Washington can claim each time –- whether correctly or not — that amongst their number was a prominent blasphemer, call him Taliban, or al Qaeda, or insurgent, or militant. How can we reason with such people, the ones in the CIA who operate these drone bombers? What is the difference between them and Mumtaz Qadri? Qadri was smiling in satisfaction after carrying out his holy
mission. The CIA man sits comfortably in a room in Nevada and plays his holy video game, then goes out to a satisfying dinner while his victims lay dying. Mumtaz Qadri believes passionately in something called Paradise. The CIA man believes passionately in something called American Exceptionalism.

As do the great majority of Americans. Our drone operator is not necessarily an "extremist". Sam Smith, the publisher of the marvelously readable newsletter, the Progressive Review, recently wrote: "One of the greatest myths draped over this land is that the so-called wing nuts mainly come from the far right and left. And that there is, however, a wise and moderate establishment that will save us from their madness. In fact, the real wing nuts are to be found in the middle. ... having captured both public office and major media, [they] spread disaster, death and decay with impunity. Take, for example, the 60,000 some American troops killed in pointless wars beginning with Vietnam. Now count the number of political assassinations, hate murders, terrorist acts and so forth. There is simply no comparison. Yet every war that we have fought in modern times has been the direct choice of the American establishment, those who pompously describe themselves as
moderates, centrists, or bipartisan." 3

Extending the comparison: In 2008 a young American named Sharif Mobley moved to Yemen to study Arabic and religion. American officials maintain that his purpose was actually to join a terror group. They "see Mobley as one of a growing cadre of native-born Americans who are drawn to violent jihad." 4 Can one not say as well that the many young native-born Americans who voluntarily join the military to fight in one of America's many foreign wars "are drawn to violent jihad"?

Items of interest from a journal I've kept for 40 years
(Some written by me, most by others; for those lacking a source you can send me an email.)

•"The biggest crimes of our generation — torture, warrantless wiretapping, and extraordinary rendition — would not have come to light but for the unauthorized disclosure of classified information. For the hand-wringing "but we can't willy-nilly reveal classified information" crowd, do you think Abu Ghraib wasn't classified?" – Jesselyn Radack
•"The principal beneficiary of America's foreign assistance programs has always been the United States." – US Agency for International Development, "Direct Economic Benefits of U.S. Assistance Programs" (1999); i.e., most of the money is paid directly to US corporations.
•In 1963, the Kennedy administration was faced with a steadily disintegrating situation in Vietnam. At a turbulent cabinet meeting, Attorney General Robert Kennedy asked: If the situation is so dire, why not withdraw? Historian Arthur Schlesinger, present at the meeting, noted how "the question hovered for a moment, then died away." It was "a hopelessly alien thought in a field of unexplored assumptions and entrenched convictions."
•I watched 21 Marines in full dress uniform with rifles, fire a 21-gun salute to the President. It was then that I realized how far America's military had deteriorated. Every one of them missed the bastard.
•Soviet expansion was self-defense, not imperialism like with the United States. The Soviets, in World War I and II, lost about 40 million people because the West had used Eastern Europe as a highway to invade Russia. It should not be surprising that after WW2 the Russians were determined to close down that highway.
•In March 2010 Secretary of "Defense" Robert Gates complained that "the general [European] public and the political class" are so opposed to war they are an "impediment" to peace.
•The major problem in establishing both the United States and Israel as nations was what to do with the indigenous people. Same solution. Kill 'em. Without legality. Without mercy.
•From the film "The Battle of Algiers":

Journalist: M. Ben M'Hidi, don't you think it's a bit cowardly to use women's baskets and handbags to carry explosive devices that kill so many innocent people?

Ben M'Hidi: And doesn't it seem to you even more cowardly to drop napalm bombs on defenseless villages, so that there are a thousand times more innocent victims? Of course, if we had your airplanes it would be a lot easier for us. Give us your bombers, and you can have our baskets.

•... the seamless transition from the Cold War to a perpetual Global War on Terrorism
•One of the reasons some countries allow US bases is because the leaders are worried about being overthrown in a coup and they think that the presence of the US military might discourage such action, or that if a coup breaks out the US can help to put it down. There's also the large payments made to the government by the US and the prestige factor. Small countries can have inferiority complexes and, as absurd as it may seem to the likes of you and I, having an American base in the country can seem to be a feather in their cap; one of the same reasons they join NATO. Another reason for a base: the US can have intelligence information embarrassing to the country's leader. This is known as blackmail.
•George Washington referred to the new American republic as the "infant empire"
•Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries.
•"He [Obama] is trying to say: 'Do not hate us ... but we will continue to kill you'." – Ayman al-Zawahri, Al Qaeda's second-in-command
•"Since both the US and France lost in Vietnam, then the 'fight for our freedom' must have been unsuccessful, and we must be under the occupation of the North Vietnamese Army. Next time you're out on the street and you see a passing NVA patrol, please wave and tell them Tim says hello." – Tim Moriarty
•The American Museum of History, on the Mall in Washington, DC: One of the popular exhibitions in recent years was "The Price of Freedom: Americans at War". This included a tribute to the "exceptional Americans [who] saved a million lives" in Vietnam, where they were "determined to stop communist expansion". In Iraq, other true hearts "employed air strikes of unprecedented precision".
•"The United States became the target of terrorists on 9/11 not because of the country's freedom and democracy, but because U.S. Middle East policy has had nothing to do with freedom and democracy." – Stephen Zunes
•The Wikileaks documents raise issues of national embarrassment, not national security.
•Orange, Rose and Green Revolutions in other countries require coordinated US government intervention aimed at creating what has been called "genetically modified" grassroots movements.
•Mikhail Gorbachev: "I feel betrayed by the West. The opportunity we seized on behalf of peace has been lost. The whole idea of a new world order has been completely abandoned." (Interview in 2000.)
•George Bernard Shaw used three concepts to describe the positions of individuals in Nazi Germany: intelligence, decency, and Naziism. He argued that if a person was intelligent, and a Nazi, he was not decent. If he was decent and a Nazi, he was not intelligent. And if he was decent and intelligent, he was not a Nazi. — (I suggest that the reader make any substitution for the word "Nazi" s/he deems appropriate.)
•"The whole art of Conservative politics in the 20th century is being deployed to enable wealth to persuade poverty to use its political freedom to keep wealth in power." – Aneurin Bevan, Labour Party (UK) minister, 1897-1960
•"Which adversary has a navy justifying our expenditure of $90 billion for 30 Virginia-class submarines, and which enemy air force justifies our plans for about 340 F-22 fighter planes at a cost of $63 billion? This is pork and waste writ large, making the 'Bridge to Nowhere' look like child's play." – Letter in the Washington Post, 2009
•So many foreign leaders keep silent in the face of US crimes, even when they're the victim, that we've gotten used to that. So Hugo Chávez's outbursts can seem weird and dangerous.
A talk by William Blum
Saturday, April 2, 7:00 pm
University of Pittsburgh at Titusville, PA
504 East Main Street
Broadhurst Auditorium
Titusville is about 2 hours by car from Pittsburgh and 2 1/2 hours from Cleveland.
For further information: 888-878-0462
Or email Mary Ann Caton at caton@pitt.edu

Notes
1.William Blum, "Rogue State: A Guide to the World's Only Superpower", pages 187, 228 for sources ↩
2.Washington Post, January 5, 2011↩
3.Progressive Review, January 27, 2011 ↩
4.Washington Post, September 5, 2010 ↩

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17.: NATO Interceptor Missile Air Command/Control Information System

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Thu Feb 3, 2011 3:38 pm (PST)

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=5612428&c=EUR&s=TOP

Defense News
February 3, 2011

Siemens, STM to Develop NATO AirC2I System
By BURAK EGE BEKDIL and UMIT ENGINSOY

ANKARA: A Turkish partnership between Siemens Turkiye, the German electronic giant's Turkish subsidiary, and local software concern company STM will develop and implement NATO's strategic Air Command and Control Information (AirC2I) System, according to company officials said.

Siemens Turkiye and STM signed a work share and partnership deal Feb. 1. Under the plan, Siemens Turkiye will be tasked with project management, system test, integration, implementation, training and support work, while STM will design and develop the system's software. Siemens Belgium and Siemens Germany will support Siemens Turkiye's implementation work.

According to the original contract, signed Jan. 6 by Siemens and NATO's Consultation, Command and Control Agency, Siemens Turkiye is the prime contractor and STM the designated subcontractor. This contract is part of a three-increment program and is valued at 20 million euros ($27.6 million).
....
The AirC2I System, NATO's first network-enabled capability by design, will equip operational users to face new security challenges to NATO. Experts say the system will set a benchmark for future NATO Bi-Strategic Command Automated Information Systems Functional Services, be a key component of NATO's Active Layered Theater Ballistic Missile Defense system's initial operating capability, and provide a possible foundation for missile defense.

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18.: First Post-WW II Combat: German Troops' Afghan Stay Extended

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Thu Feb 3, 2011 4:54 pm (PST)

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=5609757&c=EUR&s=LAN

Defense News
February 3, 2011

German Parliament Extends Afghan Troop Mandate
By Albrecht Muller

Bonn: As expected, the German parliament overwhelmingly approved extending for another year the mandate for the country's approximately 4,900 troops in Afghanistan.

The vote was 420 in favor, 116 against and 43 abstained.

"For the first time during the 10-year history of the mission, there is a realistic chance for a trend reversal in Afghanistan," said Siegmar Gabriel, the head of Germany's largest opposition party, the SPD, during debate about the international community's new strategy. He announced that a broad majority of his party would vote in favor because the change of strategy was promising.

The floor leader of the...left party Die Linke, Gregor Gysi, demanded a full withdrawal from Afghanistan by September with combat troops out by May. His party had already announced it would oppose the mandate extension.

"The majority of my faction does not say no to the presence of the soldiers there," said the Green's floor leader Jürgen Trittin, adding that they could not vote in favor because the mandate was too vague.

The new mandate allows the deployment of German troops in Afghanistan as part of the international force until Jan. 31, 2012. The maximum force level has been set at 5,350 troops, 350 of those being a flexible reserve. The extension is expected to cost an additional 1.06 billion euros ($1.43 billion).

For the first time, the mandate also includes a schedule for the withdrawal of German troops. Regarding NATO's plan to end combat operations by 2014, the first German soldiers are supposed to return from the Hindu Kush by the end of 2011 and the last combat troops should leave by 2014.

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19.: USS Reagan Carrier Strike Group To East Asia, Indian Ocean

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Thu Feb 3, 2011 4:58 pm (PST)

http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=58335

Navy NewsStand
February 2, 2011

Ronald Reagan Strike Group Departs for JTFEX, Final Deployment Preparations
From USS Ronald Reagan Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO: The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group (CSG) and its crew of more than 6,000 Sailors, departed San Diego Feb. 2, for a Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) and final deployment preparations.
....
JTFEX is an integrated battle force exercise designed to test the capabilities of carrier strike groups operating with multinational forces in a joint environment. It is the culmination of a series of exercises and training requirements conducted in preparation for deployment and readies the strike group for any challenge it may face while deployed.

Upon successful completion of JTFEX and final preparations, Ronald Reagan CSG will deploy to the Western Pacific and Central Command areas of operation to conduct maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts, helping establish conditions for regional stability.
....
The Ronald Reagan CSG is comprised of USS Ronald Reagan, guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7, which includes USS Preble.

Embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 14 includes the "Black Knights" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 154, the "Argonauts" of VFA-147, the "Blue Diamonds" of VFA-146, the "Death Rattlers" of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 323, the "Black Eagles" of Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 113, the "Cougars" of Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron (VAQ) 139, the "Providers" of Carrier Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 30 and the "Black Knights" of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 4.

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20.: Egypt: Washington In "Daily Contact" With Military, Defense Chiefs

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Thu Feb 3, 2011 5:04 pm (PST)

http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=62687

U.S. Department of Defense
American Forces Press Service
February 3, 2011

State Department Notes 'Constructive' Egyptian Military Role
By Jim Garamone

-For more than 30 years, Egyptian officers and noncommissioned officers have trained and attended professional military education alongside American officers and NCOs. Foreign military service members training alongside U.S. personnel learn leadership and military skills....

WASHINGTON: News reports from Cairo indicate the Egyptian military is not taking sides in the demonstrations and counter demonstrations taking place in the country.

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said the U.S. government is in daily contact with defense and military leaders.

"I think that broadly speaking, the military has played a very important and constructive role in being a stabilizing force on the ground, particularly, … relative to what the situation looked like, … prior to the weekend," he said during a news conference today. "Yesterday was a bad day for Egypt."

Crowley said there are indications the military is adjusting its movements today in response to the rioting and fighting yesterday. Still, "we are very impressed by the posture and the professionalism displayed by the Egyptian military," Crowley said.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has spoken three times with Defense Minister Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi since the demonstrations started in Egypt.

"To date we have seen them act professionally and with restraint," said Pentagon spokesman Marine Col. David Lapan. "Again, it's a very fluid situation, so we are watching every single day."

The United States is reviewing military aid to Egypt, but has not stopped sending aid, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said yesterday. "We will evaluate the actions of the government of Egypt in making and reviewing decisions about aid," Gibbs said during yesterday's White House media briefing. "That continues."
....
The State and Defense departments manage the foreign military sales program. Systems have been approved and are scheduled for delivery to Egypt this year, including include coastal patrol craft, air combat maneuvering instrumentation, spare parts for F-16 fighter jets, air defense missiles and fuses for certain munitions.

About 625 U.S. service members are based in Egypt, most of them as part of the United Nations Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai. Their mission has not changed, Lapan said.

The colonel said the department is conducting prudent planning if called upon to execute a noncombatant evacuation order.

"I don't want to leave the impression that we're actively planning and on the verge of something," he said. "As the situation develops, we're always looking from a military standpoint at what's happening, and what we might do should we be called upon."

He stressed there the State Department has not requested any type of evacuation assistance from the Pentagon.

For more than 30 years, Egyptian officers and noncommissioned officers have trained and attended professional military education alongside American officers and NCOs. Foreign military service members training alongside U.S. personnel learn leadership and military skills, "but it's really about being a professional military force," Lapan said.

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21.: EU Pushes North-South, Baltic-Adriatic-Black Seas Energy Route

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Thu Feb 3, 2011 5:12 pm (PST)

http://en.trend.az/capital/energy/1823246.html

Trend News Agency
February 3, 2011

EU's Barroso calls for new energy link for Central-Eastern Europe

-The new links would reduce CEE countries' dependence on energy imports from Russia - a key strategic objective for most governments in the region.

Central and Eastern Europe should be connected with the Adriatic and the Black Sea regions with new North-South energy links, the European Union's executive said on Thursday, dpa reported.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said he would unveil the proposal later on Thursday at dinner in Brussels with prime ministers from Romania, Bulgaria and the Visegrad Group - made up of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

"The North-South initiative will connect and integrate the power sources of the Baltic, Adriatic and Black Sea, ensure the free and diversified flow of energy within Central and Eastern Europe and thus enhance the economic security of the region and of our Union as a whole," he said in a statement.

The new links would reduce CEE countries' dependence on energy imports from Russia - a key strategic objective for most governments in the region.

Barroso said the commission would set up an expert panel to draw up "deadlines for North-South interconnections for gas, oil and electricity," with an aim to have EU states endorse the plans in the second half of 2011.

Barroso's move comes on the eve of an EU summit where leaders are expected to discuss financing for new infrastructure needed to complete the bloc's energy policy.

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22.: Hashim Thaci: America's Tarnished Idol

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Thu Feb 3, 2011 5:27 pm (PST)

http://english.ruvr.ru/2011/02/01/42383713.html

Voice of Russia
February 1, 2011

"Shot-down pilot" Hashim Thaci
Timur Blokhin

-"The US has to adjust to the situation. It is interested in the enclave's
worldwide recognition, as well as the Bondsteel military base's steady
position and the region's ongoing weapon and drug trafficking."

The notorious report on human organ trafficking and other atrocities
committed by Kosovo's leadership, which was recently submitted to the PACE by Swiss Senator Dick Marty, is shocking not only as far as its content is
concerned. The fact is that two or three years ago it was hard to imagine that information to that effect may ever be proclaimed at such a high level to ultimately result in a large-scale investigation.

Now we witness the gradual destruction of the black-and-white stereotype saying that the malicious Serbs were burning Albanian corpses in the furnaces of a mining-and-processing factory in the course of the late 90s conflict, while Kosovo Albanians were fiercely fighting for liberty and justice.

Member of the Russian delegation to the PACE Nikolay Shaklein, who attended the discussion of Dick Marty's report in Strasbourg, says the document reveals an entirely new picture:

"The facts stated in Dick Marty's report provide good reason for a searching inquiry. There is no doubt of the Swiss senator's proficiency and
impartiality. Many are obviously displeased with the report - especially those who tried to justify Kosovo Albanians and are now compelled to admit that they were wrong.

"It is difficult to guarantee the credibility of the investigation, but we
nevertheless hope that the process will involve various international
structures, including the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former
Yugoslavia, and members of the Council of Europe will be impersonal and accurate when responding to requests of investigation agencies."

In general, the image of Kosovo's authorities suffered much damage, Nikolay
Shaklein believes.

"The political aftermath of the report is tangible even today. I think this
report will find its way into the minds of all those who will set their hands to assess the situation in the Balkans, as well as relations within the region. I believe experts worldwide will less frequently take a unilateral approach to the Balkan issue."

The main "victim" of Dick Marty's report is certainly Kosovo Prime
Minister Hashim Thaci himself. Extensive evidence shows that the bottom is
falling out for him right now. Let's see what accompanied the PACE session.

US Ambassador to Pristina Christopher Dell said the new Kosovo government should not comprise those convicted or under prosecution. Although the discreet diplomat did not mention the name of the prime minister, the country's Democratic Party hastened to assure everyone that their leader will retain his post.

A coincidence or not, Hashim Thaci almost immediately lost one of his
pre-election trump cards. The prime minster pledged a nearly 50 percent pay
raise for separate categories of citizens at the expense of another loan from the International Monetary Fund. But, according to Kosovo's Zeri newspaper, Washington, which did not seem to be overwhelmed with enthusiasm over this decision, will probably allocate no funds this time. Thus, instead of the promised wage increase, the voters may face a hole in the budget, given Kosovo's total dependence on foreign investments.

Europe is ready to welcome Hashim Thaci in the capacity of a criminal defendant, but all will depend on how influential the Kosovo prime minister's patrons are, director of the Contemporary Balkan Crisis Studying Center Yelena Guskova said.

"The US has to adjust to the situation. It is interested in the enclave's worldwide recognition, as well as the Bondsteel military base's steady position and the region's ongoing weapon and drug trafficking. Washington is not going to hold onto Hashim Thaci and will most probably agree to some changes on the Kosovo political Olympus and in the structure, provided that most of the international institutions recognize the region's independence."

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23.: NYT: U.S. Pushes Military-Led "Transition Government" In Egypt

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Thu Feb 3, 2011 5:38 pm (PST)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/04/world/middleeast/04diplomacy.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

New York Times
February 3, 2011

White House, Egypt Discuss Plan for Mubarak's Exit
By HELENE COOPER and MARK LANDLER

-Defense secretary Robert M. Gates has made three calls since the weekend to Egypt's powerful defense minister, Field Marshal Tantawi, who served on the coalition side in the 1991 Gulf War.
-American officials have pointed to Anthony H. Cordesman, an expert on the Egyptian military at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, [who] said that a transition government of Mr. Suleiman and the military, with pledges to move toward democratic elections, was in his mind "the most probable case."

WASHINGTON: The Obama administration is discussing with Egyptian officials a proposal for President Hosni Mubarak to resign immediately, turning over power to a transitional government headed by Vice President Omar Suleiman with the support of the Egyptian military, administration officials and Arab diplomats said Thursday.

Even though Mr. Mubarak has balked, so far, at leaving now, officials from both governments are continuing talks about a plan in which, Mr. Suleiman, backed by Sami Enan, chief of the Egyptian armed forces, and Field Marshal Mohamed Tantawi, the Defense Minister, would immediately begin a process of constitutional reform.

The proposal also calls for the transitional government to invite members from a broad range of opposition groups, including the banned Muslim Brotherhood, to begin work to open up the country's electoral system in an effort to bring about free and fair elections in September, the officials said.

Senior administration officials said that the proposal is one of several options under discussion with high-level Egyptian officials around Mr. Mubarak, though not him directly, in an effort to convince him to step down now.

The officials cautioned that the outcome depended on several factors, not least of all the mood of the protesters on the streets of Cairo and other Egyptian cities and the dynamics within the Egyptian government. Some officials said there was not yet any indication that either Mr. Suleiman or the military were willing to abandon Mr. Mubarak.

The Egyptian government will be tested again by massive new protests on Friday, which the demonstrators were calling the "day of departure" for Mr. Mubarak, when they plan to march on the presidential palace. The military's pledge not to fire on the Egyptian people will be tested as well.
....
A number of high-level American officials have reached out to the Egyptians in recent days. While administration officials would not give details of alternative scenarios, they made it clear that their preferred outcome would be Mr. Suleiman as the transitional figure.

Vice President Biden spoke by phone to him on Thursday, the White House said in a statement, urging that "credible, inclusive negotiations begin immediately in order for Egypt to transition to a democratic government that addresses the aspirations of the Egyptian people."

Mr. Biden's phone call came after a mission by Mr. Obama's private emissary, Frank G. Wisner, was abruptly ended when Mr. Mubarak, angry at Mr. Obama's toughly worded speech Tuesday night, declined to meet with the envoy a second time, official said.

Defense secretary Robert M. Gates has made three calls since the weekend to Egypt's powerful defense minister, Field Marshal Tantawi, who served on the coalition side in the 1991 Gulf War. Pentagon officials declined on Thursday to describe the specifics of the calls, but indicated that Mr. Gates' messages were focused on more than urging the Egyptian military to exercise restraint.

"Officials familiar with the dialogue between the administration and Cairo say that American officials have told Egyptian officials that if they support another 'strong man' to replace Mr. Mubarak — but without a specific plan and timetable for moving toward democratic elections — the U.S. Congress might react by freezing military assistance. On Thursday, the Senate passed a resolution calling on Mr. Mubarak to begin the transfer of power to an "inclusive, interim caretaker government."

American officials have pointed to the Anthony H. Cordesman, an expert on the Egyptian military at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said that a transition government of Mr. Suleiman and the military, with pledges to move toward democratic elections, was in his mind "the most probable case." But he said the administration had to proceed with extreme caution.

"Everybody working this issue knows that this is a military extremely sensitive to outside pressure," he said.

Even as the administration ratcheted up the pressure on Egypt, it has reaffirmed its support for other Arab allies facing popular unrest. The White House released a statement saying that President Obama called President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen on Wednesday to welcome Mr. Saleh's recent "reform measures" – the Yemeni President promised not to run again in 2013.

And on Thursday, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called King Abdullah of Jordan to say the United States looked forward to working with his new Cabinet—recently announced - and to underline the importance of the relationship between Jordan and the United States.

Philip J. Crowley, the State Department spokesman, declined to say whether Mrs. Clinton had enlisted him in an effort to ease out Mr. Mubarak. But he praised the king for responding to the unrest in Jordan. "He's doing his best to respond to this growing aspiration," Mr. Crowley said. "And we appreciate the leadership he's shown."

Elisabeth Bumiller, Mark Mazzetti and Thom Shanker contributed reporting.

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24.: EU Quint Echoes U.S., Demands "Immediate Transition" In Egypt

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Thu Feb 3, 2011 5:49 pm (PST)

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2011/0203/Europe-ups-pressure-on-Mubarak-calling-for-immediate-transition-in-Egypt

Christian Science Monitor
February 3, 2011

Europe ups pressure on Mubarak, calling for immediate transition in Egypt
In their strongest language to date, European leaders today demanded that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak begin a democratic transition and ensure the protection of journalists and protesters
By Andrés Cala

[Photo: German Chancellor Angela Merkel listens to Israel's President Shimon Peres (not seen) during joint statements after their meeting in Jerusalem on Tuesday. 'We are watching with utmost concern the deteriorating situation in Egypt,' said Thursday's statement, signed by the leaders of Europe's big five - Germany, France, Britain, Italy, and Spain.]

Madrid: The leaders of Europe's big five – Germany, France, Britain, Italy, and Spain – demanded Thursday that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak begin a democratic transition "immediately" and condemned violence against media as "unacceptable."

It was the strongest language used by Europe to date, though still insufficient by some standards.

"It's not a question of gradually increasing pressure on him. He's the obstacle," says José Ignacio Torreblanca, senior policy fellow in the European Council on Foreign Relations. "The source of instability is Mubarak. Millions of Europeans came to that conclusion in two hours watching the scenes of violence, but EU leaders haven't after weeks."

The statement comes several days after three of those nations – Britain, France, and Germany – issued an initial, less forceful statement saying they "recognize the moderating role President Mubarak has played" and urging "him to show the same moderation in addressing the current situation in Egypt."

Today's statement went a step further, underscoring the growing pressure that European leaders are under to react more decisively against violence that has already targeted several European journalists. Yet it also revealed the continued absence of a united response from the entire European Union.

Leaders calls for 'quick and orderly transition'

"We are watching with utmost concern the deteriorating situation in Egypt," said today's statement (read here), signed by Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Nicolas Sarkozy, Prime Minister David Cameron, President Silvio Berlusconi, and Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. "Only a quick and orderly transition to a broad-based Government will make it possible to overcome the challenges Egypt is now facing."

Ms. Merkel and Mr. Zapatero went further in Madrid during a press conference, stopping just short of asking Mubarak to resign.

"I spoke with the Egyptian president and asked him to start this dialogue. Nobody can think that things will remain the same," Merkel said through a translator.

Zapatero added: "We want democracy in Egypt, and when that aspiration is demanded with severity by the majority of the population, it becomes urgent. Any further consideration could be interpreted as interfering," he concluded.

Europe's backyard

But that fear of interfering is precisely what many in Europe are criticizing.

"We have been interfering for 30 years by supporting someone," says Mr. Torreblanca of the European Council on Foreign Relations. "It's Mubarak who made the qualitative change and broke the contract by releasing his dogs that are now attacking European journalists."
....
The United States and Europe share concern over broader regional instability that the protests in Egypt are triggering and the geopolitical realignment that could follow. But Europe has an additionally direct impact from instability in Northern African countries which supply gas to Europe, including Egypt.

Europe is also home to millions of North African and Middle Eastern immigrants and their descendents.

"What Mexico is to the US when things go bad, the Mediterranean is to Europe," says Torreblanca. "For the EU the risks are more economic and societal."

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25.: NATO 'Lustration': Bulgaria Recalls Military Attaches From US, Ukrai

Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff

Thu Feb 3, 2011 5:53 pm (PST)

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=124816

Sofia News Agency
February 2, 2011

Bulgaria Recalls Military Attaches from US, Ukraine

Bulgaria's Defense Ministry is working on recalling the country's military attaches to the US and the Ukraine, Valentin Tsankov and Volodya Tsvetanov.

The news was reported Wednesday by the Bulgarian National Radio, BNR.

The reason behind the move is the recent revelation that the two have been agents of the former Communist State Security (DS).

Bulgaria's Files Commission announced on January 26 the names of 149 high-ranking employees of the Defense Ministry, who have been agents or collaborators of the former Communist State Security (DS).

According to the Commission, a special panel investigating the Communist-era secret services files, 40 of them still work at the Ministry, but according to the Ministry itself, only 12 remain there.

Tsvetanov and Tsankov will be recalled in a month from the Ukraine and the US respectively.

Volodya Tsvetanov is the brother of former Interior Minister and now Member of the Parliament from the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), Rumen Petkov. He has been recruited in 1984 and worked for DS under the alias Mercury.

Tsankov, who had also served as military attaché in London, had been recruited in 1982.

The Defense Ministry informs they are already looking for replacements.

It is expected that more names would pop-up after the Commission concludes the probe of the Military Information Services and the National Intelligence Services.

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Tuesday, February 8, 2011

U.S. Air Force Orders 24 More Hunter-Killer Reaper Drone for killing Pakistani citizens

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