Messages In This Digest (15 Messages)
- 1a.
- Ex-NATO Chief: Europe Can Draft Egyptian Constitution From: Rick Rozoff
- 1b.
- Re: Ex-NATO Chief: Europe Can Draft Egyptian Constitution From: georgeszamuely@aol.com
- 2.
- Iran, Iraq, Syria Borders: 24 NATO Bases In Turkey From: Rick Rozoff
- 3.
- Egypt: Military Council Dissolves Parliament, Suspends Constitution From: Rick Rozoff
- 4.
- Egypt: Military Council Imposes Martial Law, Bans Strikes From: Rick Rozoff
- 5.
- Canadian Generals To Head NATO's Afghan Training Programs From: Rick Rozoff
- 6.
- U.S. defense contractors with the most at stake in Egypt From: Romi Elnagar
- 7.
- U.S. Suspends Aghan-Pakistani Trilateral Meeting From: Rick Rozoff
- 8.
- Ivory Coast Denounces U.S. Interference From: Rick Rozoff
- 9.
- Italy To Deploy Security Forces To Tunisia, Calls For EU Forces From: Rick Rozoff
- 10.
- Germany To 'Help' Tunisia Hold Elections, 'Reform' Judiciary From: Rick Rozoff
- 11.
- Top U.S. Military Chief Meets Incoming Israeli Counterpart From: Rick Rozoff
- 12.
- Senator Graham: U.S. Military Aid Critical To Egyptian Transition From: Rick Rozoff
- 13.
- Azerbaijan Says Preparing For War Against Armenia From: Rick Rozoff
- 14.
- White House Studies Otpor, Solidarnosc Precedents For Egypt From: Rick Rozoff
Messages
- 1a.
-
Ex-NATO Chief: Europe Can Draft Egyptian Constitution
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Sun Feb 13, 2011 6:52 am (PST)
http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/former-nato-chief-criticises-eus-role-egyptian-revolution
Radio Netherlands
February 13, 2011
Former NATO chief criticises EU's role in Egyptian revolution
Former NATO Secretary General and Dutchman Jaap de Hoop Scheffer thinks it is a pity that the European Union did not play a more important role in the recent revolution in Eygpt.
Speaking in a Dutch television programme, the prominent Christian Democrat said, while the Americans were keeping their fingers on the pulse, "Europe's position was inconsistent."
"Large European countries, like Germany and France, took their own position, leaving EU Foreign Affairs Chief Catherine Ashton and Brussels on the sideline."
Nevertheless Mr de Hoop Scheffer believes Europe can still redeem itself "If Egypt wants, and only if Egypt wants, Europe could help draft a constitution or help set up political parties.''
The former NATO chief thinks it is vital that stability returns to the region. However he declined to predict whether or how this will happen. He said no-one knows, even US President Barack Obama is continually on the phone, to be kept abreast of affairs. He dismissed the idea that the West has some kind of power machine which needs to be readjusted.
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- 1b.
-
Re: Ex-NATO Chief: Europe Can Draft Egyptian Constitution
Posted by: "georgeszamuely@aol.com" georgeszamuely@aol.com memorydesire
Sun Feb 13, 2011 7:36 pm (PST)
I have to say this one really made me laugh. It's so stupid it's unbelievable.
-----Original Message-----
From: Rick Rozoff <rwrozoff@yahoo.com>
To: stopnato <stopnato@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sun, Feb 13, 2011 9:52 am
Subject: [stopnato] Ex-NATO Chief: Europe Can Draft Egyptian Constitution
http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/former-nato-chief-criticises-eus-role-egyptian-revolution
Radio Netherlands
February 13, 2011
Former NATO chief criticises EU's role in Egyptian revolution
Former NATO Secretary General and Dutchman Jaap de Hoop Scheffer thinks it is a pity that the European Union did not play a more important role in the recent revolution in Eygpt.
Speaking in a Dutch television programme, the prominent Christian Democrat said, while the Americans were keeping their fingers on the pulse, "Europe's position was inconsistent."
"Large European countries, like Germany and France, took their own position, leaving EU Foreign Affairs Chief Catherine Ashton and Brussels on the sideline."
Nevertheless Mr de Hoop Scheffer believes Europe can still redeem itself "If Egypt wants, and only if Egypt wants, Europe could help draft a constitution or help set up political parties.''
The former NATO chief thinks it is vital that stability returns to the region. However he declined to predict whether or how this will happen. He said no-one knows, even US President Barack Obama is continually on the phone, to be kept abreast of affairs. He dismissed the idea that the West has some kind of power machine which needs to be readjusted.
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- 2.
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Iran, Iraq, Syria Borders: 24 NATO Bases In Turkey
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Sun Feb 13, 2011 6:52 am (PST)
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/164978.html
Press TV
February 13, 2011
Report: NATO has 24 bases in Turkey
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has 24 military bases in Turkey, which is the western neighbor of the Islamic Republic of Iran, a report says.
The report, published on the Iran-Balkan news agency (IRBA) on Thursday, listed the names and locations of NATO's military bases in Turkey and noted that the country has become a regional power.
NATO's Incirlik Base, which is located eight kilometers (five miles) east of Adana, Turkey's fifth largest city, and 56 kilometers (35 miles) from the Mediterranean Sea, is an important regional logistical air base of the alliance.
Izmir Air Station is the facility of the United States Air Force in Europe (USAFE) in Izmir, located 320 kilometers (200 miles) southwest of Istanbul. Forty-two airplanes and Roland and Hawk missile systems, manned by 300 personnel, are based there.
The Izmir Air Station is the oldest NATO base in Turkey and its importance has increased in recent years. The headquarters of NATO's Allied Air Component Command for Southern Europe has been located in Izmir since August 11, 2004.
The Sile Air Base has been built according to international standards for launching stinger missiles.
The Konya 3rd Main Jet Base Group Command was the base of NATO's AWACS aircraft during the Iraq war. Konya was a Turkish F-100 base in the mid-1970s and the air forces of Israel, Turkey, and the United States conducted their first joint exercises at the air base, codenamed Anatolian Eagle, in June 2001.
The Ninth Main Jet Base of the Balikesir Air Base, in which six vault missile systems have been deployed, is located in the Turkish province of Balikesir in the Marmara region.
The Merzifon Air Base is a military airport located in the city of Merzifon in Amasya province in the central Black Sea region. Merzifon is the base of the 5th Air Wing of the 2nd Air Force Command of the Turkish Air Force.
The Bartin Air Base is located in the northern province of Bartin. The Bartin Naval Base, a submarine base of the Turkish Navy and assigned to the Turkish Northern Sea Area Command, is also in this area.
Pirinclik Air Base is a 41-year-old US-Turkish military base located near the southeastern city of Diyarbakir. It was once NATO's frontier post for monitoring the Soviet Union and the Middle East, but it was closed on September 30, 1997.
The Eskisehir Air Base is a military airport located in the northwestern city of Eskisehir. Eskisehir is the home base of the 1st Air Wing of the 1st Air Force Command of the Turkish Air Force.
The Iskenderun Naval Base is a base of the Turkish Navy on the northeastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles) east by northeast of Iskenderun city in the southern province of Hatay. It is assigned to the Turkish Navy's Southern Sea Area Command.
Bandirma Airport is a military airbase and public airport located in the city of Bandirma in Balikesir province. Bandirma is the base of the 6th Air Wing of the 1st Air Force Command of the Turkish Air Force.
The Afion-Kara-Hissar Air Base is Turkey's largest and NATO's second largest air base and is the headquarters of NATO operations in the country.
The Sarkisla Air Base in Sivas province is located in the eastern part of the Anatolian region, and the Bornova Air Base is located in Izmir province.
The Luleburgaz Air Base is in the northwestern province of Kirklareli, and the Corlu Air Base is located in the northwestern city of Corlu in the province of Tekirdag.
The Pazar Air Base is located in Pazar town in the northeastern province of Rize in the Black Sea region, the Erzurum Air Base is in the city of Erzurum in eastern Anatolia, and the Persembe Air Base is located in Ordu province on the Black Sea coast of Turkey.
The Izmit Air Base in located in Kocaeli province, and the Kutahya Air Base is a military airport in the western province of Kutahya in the Aegean region.
The Canakkale Air Base is in the northwestern province of Canakkale.
NATO also has a military facility in Ankara.
Combined Air Operations Center-6 (CAOC-6) in Eskisehir is one of the ten command centers in Europe used by the United States Air Force to provide command and control of air and space operations.
NATO's Air Component Command Headquarters is located in Izmir and NATO's Rapid Deployable Corps-Turkey is headquartered in Istanbul.
Turkey joined NATO in 1952 and serves as the organization's eastern anchor, as it controls the straits leading from the Black Sea to the Aegean and also has borders with Syria and Iraq.
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- 3.
-
Egypt: Military Council Dissolves Parliament, Suspends Constitution
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Sun Feb 13, 2011 7:13 am (PST)
http://en.rian.ru/world/20110213/162583806.html
Russian Information Agency Novosti
February 13, 2011
Egypt's military leadership dissolves parliament, suspends constitution
Cairo: Egypt's military leadership said in a statement on Sunday it dissolved both houses of the country's parliament and suspended the constitution.
The military rulers will run the country for six months or until presidential and parliamentary elections are held, the Egypt's Higher Military Council said in a statement.
Egypt's Defense Minister Hussein Tantawi, who heads the Higher Military Council, will run the domestic affairs in the country and represent Egypt in the international arena.
The council has ordered Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq to stay in office until a new cabinet of ministers is formed.
The military leadership said it will abide by all the agreements and international treaties signed by Egypt.
Egypt's military leadership took over as President Hosni Mubarak, 82, who ruled the country for almost 30 years, stepped down on Friday after 18 days of heated protests demanding his resignation.
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- 4.
-
Egypt: Military Council Imposes Martial Law, Bans Strikes
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Sun Feb 13, 2011 7:22 pm (PST)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1356715/Egypt-Army-takes-orders-ban-trade-union-strikes.html
Daily Mail
February 13, 2011
Army takes over in Egypt and orders ban on trade union strikes after old regime deposed
By Richard Pendlebury
Egypt's army imposed martial law yesterday as it tried to get the country up and running following weeks of protest that deposed the old regime.
Less than 48 hours after President Hosni Mubarak was forced out, military leaders suspended the constitution and dissolved parliament. Today, they are set to ban trade union strikes.
Meanwhile, anti-government rallies were staged yesterday in Algeria and Yemen as the spirit of revolution continued to spread across North Africa and the Middle East.
....
[S]trains are already beginning to show between the army and pro-democracy activists, as most of Mubarak's ministers are still in place – while arrested demonstrators remain in custody.
Further arrests were made yesterday as baton-wielding military police clashed with diehard protesters who refused orders to leave Cairo's iconic Tahrir Square – the focus of Egypt's uprising over the past three weeks.
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- 5.
-
Canadian Generals To Head NATO's Afghan Training Programs
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Sun Feb 13, 2011 7:22 pm (PST)
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/world/Canadian+generals+oversee+critical+Afghan+training+programs/4274423/story.html
Postmedia News
Febuary 13, 2011
Canadian generals to oversee critical Afghan training programs
Matthew Fisher
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan: Two senior Canadian generals are to oversee critical multi-billion dollar training programs that NATO hopes will lead to Afghan security forces taking over the lead from alliance forces by the end of 2014.
"That is an incredible compliment to Canada," one of the officers, Maj-Gen. Stu Beare, said in a telephone interview from his police training headquarters in Kabul.
Maj-Gen. Beare has run police training for the alliance since last fall. Some time in April or May he is to be joined on the army side of NATO's training house by Maj.-Gen. Mike Day, who until a few days ago oversaw Canada's secretive special forces.
Maj.-Gen. Day will wear two hats as he will also lead a contingent of as many as 950 Canadian soldiers that Prime Minister Stephen Harper decided last November will continue Ottawa's military participation in Afghanistan as trainers to assist Afghan forces in the north of the country.
Those Canadian trainers...are to be embedded alongside trainers from 33 countries within existing training centres and academies run by NATO, at Afghanistan's security ministries and army and police headquarters and at the alliance's training headquarters in Kabul.
There have been few details released yet about Canada's new mission and when it might begin. Although the timeline had not yet been decided, Maj.-Gen. Beare said "we are hoping it is sooner rather than later. They are urgently needed."
Asked why it was taking so long to clarify what Canadian trainers would be doing and where, he replied: "It is a lot easier to find places for a dozen (soldiers) than for 900 plus ... They will be doing many different missions. Some will be in one place. Some will be in more than one place. It will have a lot of different components."
A group from National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa visited Kabul last month to learn what NATO's specific requirements were. They have given their recommendations to senior commanders who were now in the process of "developing options to present to the government," Maj.-Gen. Beare said.
"We (NATO) have shown people what we need across the board. There is a huge need in the army and a significant need in the police."
....
Canada is set to become the second largest contributor to the training mission after the United States, in a move that will boost the number of military trainers to nearly 5,000.
....
All NATO's training programmes had "gaps" that Canada could help fill....
....
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- 6.
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U.S. defense contractors with the most at stake in Egypt
Posted by: "Romi Elnagar" bluesapphire48@yahoo.com bluesapphire48
Sun Feb 13, 2011 7:22 pm (PST)
U.S. defense contractors with the most at stake in Egypt
Egypt -- where a popular uprising
that began last week seeks the end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year
rule -- is the second-largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid after
Israel.
The Egyptian government receives about $2 billion a year from the United
States, with most of that assistance going to its military. Last year
the U.S. sent about $1.3 billion to Egypt's military compared to about
$250 million in economic aid, and the Obama administration requested
similar amounts for the 2011 fiscal year, as Britain's Telegraph reports.
The U.S. has long made the case that its unconditional funding
for Egypt strengthens relations between the countries and provides
benefits for the U.S. such as expedited processing for U.S. Navy
warships sailing through the Suez Canal.
Indeed, one of the diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks noted
that "President Mubarak and military leaders view our military
assistance program as the cornerstone of our mil-mil relationship and
consider the USD 1.3 billion annual FMS as 'untouchable compensation'
for making and maintaining peace with Israel."
Last week White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said the Obama administration would be reviewing its assistance to the Egyptian government based on events over the coming days.
Obviously
any change in U.S. aid policy would have important ramifications for
Egypt. But it could also have implications for the U.S. companies that
contract with the Defense Department to provide good and services to the
Egyptian military -- and for their workforces and communities.
Facing South reviewed the Department of Defense contract database
over the past two years to see what deals are already in place, and
discovered many contracts with connections to the South. The following
are the 10 biggest contracts involving aid to Egypt in that period.
1. Lockheed Martin -- Fort Worth, Texas and Orlando, Fla. Last March, the aerospace giant won a $213 million Air Force contract to provide Egypt with 20 F-16 fighter jets (pictured above). The following month, its Lockheed Martin Missiles subsidiary in Orlando, Fla. got a $46 million Army contract to provide night vision sensor systems for Apache helicopters.
2. DRS C3 and Aviation -- Horsham, Pa. In December 2010, this subsidiary of the Italian company Finmeccanica received a $46.1 million Army contract to provide vehicles, hardware and services for Egypt's border surveillance program. That same month DRS landed another $19.6 million Army contract to provide surveillance hardware and services for the Egyptian government.
3. L-3 Communication Ocean Systems -- Sylmar, Calif. and Garland, Texas. The company's Sylmar operations completed a $24.7 million deal with the Navy last August to provide a sonar system for the Egyptian Navy. And in April 2009, L-3's EOS Division in Garland, Texas got a $6.6 million Army contract to provide Egypt with military imaging equipment.
4. Deloitte Consulting -- Arlington, Va. The professional services firm won a $28.1 million Navy contract in December 2009 to provide planning and other support for Egyptian aircraft programs.
5. Boeing -- Mesa, Ariz. and St. Louis. Last May, the aerospace firm landed a $22.5 million Army contract to provide Egypt with 10 Apache helicopters. The month before that, the company's St. Louis operations won a $5.8 million Navy contract to provide logistics support for other governments, with $262,530 of that designated for assistance to Egypt.
6. Raytheon -- Tucson, Ariz. and Andover, Mass. The weapons and electronics firm received a $26 million Navy contract in June 2009 to provide 178 Stinger missiles to both Egypt and Turkey. This past December, it finalized a $5.6 million Army contract to provide Hawk missile system technical assistance to the Egyptian government.
7. AgustaWestland -- Reston, Va. In November 2009, the Navy made definite a previously awarded $17.3 million contract for the company -- a subsidiary of Italy's Finmeccanica -- to provide helicopter maintenance for the Egyptian government.
8. US Motor Works -- Cerritos, Calif. and Grand Prairie, Texas. The company got a $14.5 million Army contract
in June 2009 to provide engines, components and spare parts for
vehicles acquired for the Egyptian Armament Authority, with most of that
work to be done in Texas.
9. Goodrich Corp. --- Chelmsford, Mass. In October 2010, Goodrich landed a $10.8 million Air Force deal to procure and deploy reconnaissance systems for use on the F-16 fighter jets purchased by the Egyptian Air Force.
10. Columbia Group -- Washington, D.C. In June 2009, the defense contractor completed a $10.6 million contract with the Navy
to provide remotely operated vehicle systems as well as technical
support and training to the Egyptian Navy, with most of the work to be
performed out of the company's Panama City, Fla. operations.
Many other companies with recent deals related to Egypt have operations in the South as well. They include Michelin Aircraft Tire of Greenville, S.C.; Wyle Laboratories, Camber Corp. and Summa Technology, all of Huntsville, Ala.; WRSystems Ltd. of Fairfax, Va.; TASC of Chantilly, Va.; and Clayton International of Peachtree City, Ga.
For a full listing of Defense Department contracts awarded over the past two years for work related to Egypt, click here.
(Photo of F-16 fighter jet by Master Sgt. Andy Dunaway for the U.S. Defense Department via Wikimedia Commons.)
http://www.southernstudies.org/2011/02/us-defense-contractors-with-the-most-at-stake-in-egypt.html
- 7.
-
U.S. Suspends Aghan-Pakistani Trilateral Meeting
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Sun Feb 13, 2011 7:32 pm (PST)
http://en.trend.az/regions/world/usa/1828462.html
Trend News Agency
February 13, 2011
U.S. postpones meeting with Pakistan and Afghanistan
The United States has put off a trilateral meeting with Pakistan and Afghanistan slated for Feb. 23-24 in Washington "in light of the political changes in Pakistan, " the U.S. State Department said on Saturday, Xinhua reported.
"We remain committed to robust engagement between Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the United States, as we share many issues of mutual concern and benefit from being at the same table," department spokesman Philip Crowley said in a statement.
....
U.S.-Pakistan ties have been strained over the alleged murder case of a U.S. diplomat. Raymond Davis, an employee of the U.S. consulate in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, shot dead two Pakistanis on Jan. 27, sparking protests in Pakistan and a diplomatic row between the two allies.
The United States has reportedly suspended all high-level talks with Pakistan and several congressmen have threatened suspension of aid if Davis was not freed.
Davis claimed that he acted in self-defense as the two armed men wanted to rob him. A court in Pakistan on Friday sent him to jail on a 14-day judicial remand.
Washington has pressed for Davis' release, saying he enjoys diplomatic immunity.
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- 8.
-
Ivory Coast Denounces U.S. Interference
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Sun Feb 13, 2011 7:50 pm (PST)
http://www.rnw.nl/africa/bulletin/i-coast-denounces-us-interference
Radio Netherlands
February 13, 2011
I. Coast denounces US 'interference'
Laurent Gbagbo's government on Sunday denounced the "serious and inadmissible interference" in Ivorian affairs by the United States which has been pushing for the [president's] departure.
US Ambassador to Ivory Coast Phillip Carter III was accused of "efforts to destabilise" and making "unpleasant and unfounded remarks" about Gbagbo.... his government spokesman Ahoua Don Mello said in a televised statement.
Earlier this month, Carter warned time was running out for Gbagbo to depart peacefully and with amnesty, and predicted the army would abandon him once he ran out of money to pay them.
On Friday, the United States accepted the credentials of the new ambassador to Washington named by Alassane Ouattara, the internationally-recognized winner of Ivory Coast's November 28 poll.
© ANP/AFP
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- 9.
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Italy To Deploy Security Forces To Tunisia, Calls For EU Forces
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Sun Feb 13, 2011 7:54 pm (PST)
http://www.rnw.nl/africa/bulletin/italy-eyes-tunisia-deployment-amid-migration-wave-1
Radio Netherlands
February 13, 2011
Italy eyes Tunisia deployment amid migration wave
-Frattini and Maroni appealed for immediate assistance from the European Union's Warsaw-based border security agency, Frontex.
Italy said on Sunday it was planning to deploy its security forces in Tunisia to stop a wave of immigrant arrivals, as coastguards intercepted another 1,000 immigrants from the North African state.
"I will ask Tunisia's foreign minister for authorisation for our forces to intervene in Tunisia to block the flux," Interior Minister Roberto Maroni of the anti-immigration Northern League party said in a television interview.
"The Tunisian system is collapsing," said Maroni, speaking ahead of Tunisian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abderraouf Ounais's visit expected on Thursday.
"I have asked for urgent intervention by the European Union because the Maghreb is exploding," Maroni added, referring to the North Africa region.
"Europe is not doing anything.... As usual we're on our own," he said.
A total of around 5,000 Tunisian migrants have landed on dozens of small fishing boats in the past five days on the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa, which usually has just 6,000 residents and is struggling to cope.
"It's out of control," Lampedusa mayor Bernardino De Rubeis told reporters as boats continued to arrive on the tiny island, which at just 110 kilometres (68 miles) from Tunisian shores is closer to North Africa than to Italy.
A calm sea and good weather have favoured conditions for the Mediterranean crossings, which come after the fall of Tunisia's veteran ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on January 14 and the ensuing weeks of social unrest and lawlessness.
Italian authorities have begun airlifting many of the undocumented immigrants from Lampedusa to detention centres in Sicily and on mainland Italy, but police estimate that more than 2,000 of them remain on the island.
Hundreds have had to sleep out in the open at the port because of a lack of facilities on the island, while others have been put up in local hotels.
"The situation is very difficult," the harbour master, Antonio Morana, told reporters. He said 977 people had landed so far on Sunday and more were coming.
Italy's cabinet on Saturday declared a humanitarian emergency in the area.
A government statement said that the decision to call an official emergency would enable civil protection officers "to take immediate action needed to control this phenomenon and assist citizens who have fled from North Africa."
In comments to the Corriere della Sera daily on Sunday, Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said: "We have to mobilise Mediterranean countries that have boats, planes and helicopters" to patrol the Tunisian coastline.
Frattini and Maroni appealed for immediate assistance from the European Union's Warsaw-based border security agency, Frontex.
Maroni said that immigrants were fleeing poverty but that there were also escaped convicts and "figures from terrorist organisations" among them.
A young Tunisian migrant, meanwhile, drowned and another was reported missing when a boat carrying 12 people sank on Saturday off southeast Tunisia en route to Europe, the official Tunisian TAP agency said.
© ANP/AFP
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- 10.
-
Germany To 'Help' Tunisia Hold Elections, 'Reform' Judiciary
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Sun Feb 13, 2011 7:54 pm (PST)
http://www.rnw.nl/africa/bulletin/germany-pledges-election-judicial-aid-tunisia-0
Radio Netherlands
February 12, 2011
Germany pledges election, judicial aid for Tunisia
-"The aim of minister Westerwelle's visit is to give a clear signal that Germany and Europe are ready to assist Tunisia in this ongoing period of transformation."
-Accompanied by two junior ministers responsible for economic matters and development aid, [Westerwelle] was also to meet representatives of the former opposition and "members of the Tunisian blogger scene", his ministry said Friday.
Germany will help Tunisia hold elections and reform the justice system following the overthrow of its authoritarian ruler, a rights chief said Saturday after talks with Berlin's visiting foreign minister.
Mokhtar Trifi said Guido Westerwelle had told him Berlin was willing to provide expert and logistical assistance for the polls, which are expected to be held within the next six months.
"He also said that several German foundations as well as the government would assist in judicial reforms," Trifi, president of the Tunisian League of Human Rights, added.
Judges demonstrated Saturday in Tunis calling for independence of the judiciary....
Westerwelle arrived earlier Saturday in Tunis, where he was to meet Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi and heads of the various commissions tasked with political reform and investigating the various abuses and corruption of the ousted regime.
Accompanied by two junior ministers responsible for economic matters and development aid, he was also to meet representatives of the former opposition and "members of the Tunisian blogger scene", his ministry said Friday.
"The aim of minister Westerwelle's visit is to give a clear signal that Germany and Europe are ready to assist Tunisia in this ongoing period of transformation," it said.
Westerwelle's visit follows that earlier this week of British Foreign Secretary William Hague, while chief European Union diplomat Catherine Ashton will be in Tunisia on Monday.
Germany said Thursday it would take part in an international conference soon to be organised by Tunisia to discuss how foreign governments can assist in the "political and economic transformation" after mass protests led to the downfall of Ben Ali on January 14.
The caretaker government is under extreme political and social pressure, with the head of the main labour union calling the situation "explosive."
Organised and spontaneous strikes have slowed the economy and the new government's pledge to cut ties with the former regime has done little to appease resentment among the country's poorest.
On the political front, arguments rage between those who want elections in six months as planned and those who want more time for new political forces to emerge so that the Tunisian revolution is not hijacked.
© ANP/AFP
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- 11.
-
Top U.S. Military Chief Meets Incoming Israeli Counterpart
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Sun Feb 13, 2011 8:02 pm (PST)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/13/AR2011021301679.html
Associated Press
February 13, 2011
US military chief meets new Israeli commander
JERUSALEM: The U.S. military chief has met the incoming Israeli military commander at a time when turmoil in Egypt has left other nations in the region nervous.
Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is visiting Israel briefly for talks apparently aimed at reassuring Israel, which is concerned about instability in Egypt and the future of a 1979 peace treaty.
Mullen met the incoming Israeli military chief of staff, Benny Gantz, who was approved by Israel's Cabinet on Sunday and takes over Monday. Mullen has talks scheduled with Israel's defense minister and president.
The U.S. commander arrived in Israel from Jordan, where he met King Abdullah II. The king replaced his Cabinet in response to demonstrations triggered by the mass protests in Egypt.
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- 12.
-
Senator Graham: U.S. Military Aid Critical To Egyptian Transition
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Sun Feb 13, 2011 8:08 pm (PST)
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20110213/NEWS/302130040/Graham-says-US-aid-was-critical-in-Egypt
Greenville News
February 13, 2011
Graham says US aid was critical in Egypt
By Clark Brooks
-Graham...said the majority of U.S. aid to Egypt was to the military, and it did not go through Mubarak.
-"So to those who want us to withdraw and just basically shut down all (foreign aid) accounts and not help anybody in the world, you are asking for another 9/11," Graham said.
Even while cutting foreign aid to help reduce federal spending, the United States must give Egyptians any help they request in shaping their new government, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham said Sunday.
"To the Egyptian people, if you want our assistance, I would do whatever I could to provide it as a member of the Senate," Graham said.
"If you can pull this off where you have a representative government with an independent judiciary following the rule of law that's religiously tolerant in the heart of the Arab world, that will exceed the great pyramids in terms of your contributions to civilization."
Graham, a Seneca Republican, said U.S. aid to the Egyptian military was critical in the peaceful overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak and shows the value of investment in foreign aid.
"The money we've been providing to the Egyptian army over the last 30 years and the training we've been providing the Egyptian army as well as equipment paid huge dividends in this crisis," Graham told The Greenville News. "The relationship between our military and the Egyptian military kept this thing from spiraling out of control."
Graham said eliminating foreign aid would isolate America from pivotal events like the revolution in Egypt and what happens next there.
But some, including Rep. Ron Paul, a Texas Republican, say the U.S. should discontinue all foreign aid. At the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, Paul said the U.S. wasted billions in Egypt during Mubarak's reign.
"Now to add insult to injury, where do you think the money went? To a Swiss bank account," Paul told the CPAC crowd on Friday, the day Mubarak stepped aside.
Graham, however, said the majority of U.S. aid to Egypt was to the military, and it did not go through Mubarak.
"We made sure the money went to the military in a way to modernize the Egyptian military," he said. Egyptian officers trained in the U.S., Graham said, and American companies helped maintain Egypt's military equipment.
The close contact helped America maintain a positive relationship with the Egyptian military, Graham said, and then have daily contact during the 18 days of demonstrations that toppled Mubarak. That helped keep casualties to a minimum, he said.
"It could have been another Tiananmen Square," Graham said. "It could have been another Iran. The military basically was close to us and they never turned on the protestors."
Graham said the U.S. must maintain unwavering support for Israel while doing everything possible to help Egypt.
....
Among his concerns are that Hamas will influence the Muslim Brotherhood, he said, and that al Qaida will try to radicalize other groups and use violence.
"So to those who want us to withdraw and just basically shut down all (foreign aid) accounts and not help anybody in the world, you are asking for another 9/11," Graham said.
....
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- 13.
-
Azerbaijan Says Preparing For War Against Armenia
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Sun Feb 13, 2011 8:22 pm (PST)
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-235539-azerbaijan-says-preparing-for-war-against-armenia.html
Today's Zaman
February 14, 2011
Azerbaijan says preparing for war against Armenia
LAMIYA ADILGIZI
BAKU: The Azerbaijani defense minister said his country is seriously preparing for war against Armenia to "liberate its territories from occupation" during a meeting with diplomats mediating the two-decade-old conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
"Azerbaijan is seriously preparing to liberate its territories," Safar Abiyev reportedly told the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group co-chairs, the defense ministry's press release said on Friday.
....
Ziyafat Asgarov, the deputy speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament, told reporters in December of last year that Azerbaijan reserves the right to liberate its occupied territories. When asked whether war was on the agenda, Asgarov said, "You will see it very soon."
....
Novruz Mammadov, the director of the department of foreign relations in the presidential administration of Azerbaijan, told ANS TV channel on Saturday that it is natural for Azerbaijan to intensify its war rhetoric, pointing to the failure of mediators to bring about peace in the conflict. "The only job of the international community and OSCE Minsk Group is to make Armenia accept the proposals on the table," Mammadov said. "It is very natural that Azerbaijan increase its military calls because we have been negotiating for many years already. Because the talks have not produced the outcome we want, the Azerbaijani president [Ilham Aliyev] is highlighting the right of Azerbaijani army to liberate our territories and this is only natural," Mammadov concluded.
....
Armenian authorities reacted to Abiyev's comments, releasing a declaration that the Armenian troops were constantly training to repel any attempt by Azerbaijan to seize the region back, AFP quoted Interfax news agency as saying on Saturday.
The statement said Armenian forces were ready "if necessary, to ensure that any encroachment by the enemy meets with adequate retaliation."
....US President Barack Obama appointed former OSCE Minsk Group American Co-chair, Matthew Bryza, as US Ambassador to Azerbaijan last summer.....
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- 14.
-
White House Studies Otpor, Solidarnosc Precedents For Egypt
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff@yahoo.com rwrozoff
Sun Feb 13, 2011 8:23 pm (PST)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/13/AR2011021302783.html
Washington Post
February 13, 2011
Obama administration studies recent revolutions for lessons applicable in Egypt
By Scott Wilson
-Among those working on what amounts to a comparative revolutions course is Michael A. McFaul, the National Security Council director for Russia and Eurasian affairs....Officials have also looked to Serbia and Poland for lessons.
As the Obama administration works to shepherd the Egypt uprising toward a democratic government, it is drawing on the experiences of a half-dozen other nations whose revolutions have been the focus of internal White House study in recent weeks.
National security adviser Thomas E. Donilon, at President Obama's behest, has ordered some of his senior directors, some responsible for areas outside the Middle East, to review recent popular uprisings that have toppled governments, searching for lessons applicable in Egypt. A White House official said a six-inch-thick file now sits on Donilon's desk.
Among those working on what amounts to a comparative revolutions course is Michael A. McFaul, the National Security Council director for Russia and Eurasian affairs, who as a professor at Stanford University also served as director of its Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law.
The White House focus has been on revolutions against U.S.-backed dictatorships, including the 1986 popular revolt against Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines, the Chilean transition from the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet to democracy in 1990, and the 1998 uprising in Indonesia that drove out President Suharto. Officials have also looked to Serbia and Poland for lessons.
"We are closely studying all of these cases," said a senior administration official, who is involved in the effort and spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe it. "There are no tight analogies for what has happened in Egypt, and there are many paths to successful democracies."
The Indonesia case has particularly resonance for Obama, who spent part of his childhood in the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation and who, in a November speech in Jakarta, celebrated its transition from dictatorship to democracy.
Since the demonstrations began in the Egyptian capital, Obama administration officials have brought in several experts on the Indonesian revolt, which the White House has held up as a counterargument to conservative criticism that an Iranian-style Islamic republic could emerge in the heart of the Arab Middle East.
White House officials have talked with Stanford University's Larry Diamond, who studies democratic transitions; Duke University's Donald L. Horowitz, who circulated the first chapter of his soon-to-be published book on Indonesia; and Cornell University's Valerie Bunce, who wrote a summary of the Indonesian case, as well as the 1989 Polish and 2000 Serbian transitions, that was distributed to senior staff members working on Egypt.
Early in the Egyptian uprising, Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser for strategic communications, also reached out to Karen Brooks, the National Security Council's director for Asia under George W. Bush who, as a State Department official, advised President Bill Clinton during the Indonesian revolt.
Brooks said Rhodes told her that although some fear that Egypt could turn into post-revolution Iran, he saw as many similarities to the Indonesian experience. In the following days, she prepared papers for Rhodes that broadly compared the uprisings in Egypt and Indonesia, examining their militaries and bearing down on the traditions of each country's Islamist political movements.
"We looked at various slices of the issue to get some baseline assessments," said Brooks, who serves as an adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and runs a consulting firm. "And then we moved onto the lessons learned - what did the United States do well, and what didn't it do well? And what did Indonesia do well to get where it is?"
Although Brooks acknowledged many differences in the cases, she also noted that Egypt's Hosni Mubarak, like Suharto, came to power from the military at a time of national crisis and with the active support of the United States.
"There's a million different ways these things unfold, and there's no crystal ball," Brooks said. "The good news at the end of the day is that there are alternative outcomes, and that Egypt need not look like Iran, although I'm not saying it won't."
"There are ways that that outcome becomes more likely and ways it becomes less likely," she continued. "And that's what has been under intense scrutiny in recent weeks."
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