Monthly Archives: April 2012

Focus on Europe: Turkey (April 11, 2012)

11 Wednesday Apr 2012

Posted by in European News, Foreign Policy, Military and Defense, Turkey

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Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister of Turkey

Several articles on Turkey today, most related to the situation with Syria.

Three of the articles are from Turkish media outlet Today’s Zaman:

One is a commentary about apparent preparations the Turkish government is making to clear the way for intervention in Syria.

Another is a story on Kofi Annan‘s visit to Syrian refugee camps in Turkey.

The third is on Turkey requesting the UN Security Council to take action to protect Syrians.

Another story, this one from Enduring America is a review of several issues in Turkey, and focuses on Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan’s leadership in the country’s response to the Syria crisis.

Two articles, also from Today’s Zaman, relate to Turkey’s complicated relationship with Iran.

The first Iran article is a column about the twists and turns in Turkey’s efforts to gain influence with the Arab world and Iran, and how Iran appears to have turned away from those efforts.

The second Iran piece describes Turkey’s negative response to Iranian claims that Turkey apologized for recent harsh criticism of Iran.

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Focus on Europe: Russia (April 11, 2012)

11 Wednesday Apr 2012

Posted by in European News, Foreign Policy, Military and Defense, Russia

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The Kremlin

Ten articles today on Russia, ranging from the mundane to the bizarre.

I’ll start with the bizarre, or at least surprising, story from Business Insider. It says that Russian troops are massing near the border to the Republic of Georgia, ready to move to Armenia to respond to any Israeli and/or U.S. attack on Iran. I say the article is bizarre because this is the only article (picked up by a number of sites, I must admit) I’ve seen about this. Maybe it’s a huge scoop.

I also found an interesting Christian Science Monitor story about Russian President-elect Vladimir Putin and the challenges he’ll face at home and abroad as soon as he takes office on may 7.

Here is article on Russia’s “willingness” to talk with Syrian opposition groups and here is an opinion piece on Russia’s (and China’s) “victory” on the Syrian issue and how that signals America’s decline.

Russia is apparently busy on the rocket and missile front, as suggested by three DefenceTalk articles on various Russian weapons systems: S-400 Missiles deployed in Russia’s Baltic Fleet, a new thermobaric rocket, and the S-500, a new generation surface-to-air missile system.

Atlantic Sentinel, via Wikistrat, has an interesting story on a Baltic port to be built for shipping oil from the Urals.

Moscow Times has a report on ongoing unrest, at least among Russia’s communists and other opposition groups, about the Russian government’s plan to let NATO use a Russian airport to help move people and equipment out of Afghanistan.

And for the mundane, but also a bit odd – the German sports clothing company Adidas has been fined for late delivery of sports uniforms and shoes to the Russian Army, according to this report by Europe Online.

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Focus on Europe: The Caucasus Region

10 Tuesday Apr 2012

Posted by in Caucasus, European News

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Azerbaijan and Georgia were the subjects of several articles and posts today.

World Politics Review and the Sunday edition of the Turkish outlet Zaman carried articles on the speculation that Israel intends to use Azeri bases and airspace for attacks on Iran‘s nuclear facilities, speculation that the Azerbaijan government denies.

Eurasianet has a piece on the debate stirred up by a Georgian TV show that explores “Women’s Logic.”

Euronews has an article on the election of a former KGB agent in the recent presidential election in South Ossetia, a breakaway region of Georgia that has declared itself a republic. The “election” winner has expressed a desire to unite South Ossetia with the Russian province North Ossetia, making both part of Russia.

Defencetalk has a brief on Georgia testing their first domestically designed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle today. Georgia President Saakashvilisaid he would attend the test.

Map of Georgia showing the autonomous republic...

Focus on Europe: Greece

10 Tuesday Apr 2012

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Two articles on Euronews, both related to fallout from Greece‘s austerity measures for getting out from under its massive debt problem.

The first story is about a small bomb that damaged a branch of the Greek government ministry involved in cutting public sector jobs.

The other story is about a “Rent-a-Cop” initiative for rasing money. The initiative actually calls for charging for services that used to be done free of charge.

Focus on Europe: Russia

10 Tuesday Apr 2012

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Vladimir Putin, President-elect of Russia.

Three articles on Russia today. All relate to Russia’s relations with the west, and come from different but related angles.

In an opinion piece at DemocracyArsenal.org, analyst Eric Auner lays out his arguments for the strategic sense in the U.S.’s cooperating with Russia on missile defense.

A Chicago Tribune story by John T. Bennet makes the argument that Russia’s huge revenue stream from oil and natural gas supports Vladimir Putin‘s ability to flex Russia’s foreign affairs muscles, disrupting western efforts with Iran, Syria, and North Korea, and the U.S.’s efforts to develop a missile shield in Europe. The article says Russia is the world’s second-largest oil exporter and the ninth-leading natural gas exporter.

The third article of note is a post on NATOSource, quoting from a RIA Novosti story, about a Russian guided-missile destroyer operating out of the Syrian port of Tartus – one of Russia’s only bases outside of its own territory (if you don’t count Kaliningrad, which was carved out of Poland at the end of WWII so Russia could have a Baltic Sea port that doesn’t freeze over).
The destroyer is the latest in a series of Russian ships from its Black Sea fleet to visit or operate out of Tartus. A not terribly subtle reminder of Russia’s interest in developments in Syria.

Focus on Europe: Turkey

10 Tuesday Apr 2012

Posted by in European News, Foreign Policy, Turkey

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BRICS summit participants: Prime Minister of I...

BRICS summit April 2011 participants: Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh, President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev, President of China Hu Jintao, President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff, President of South Africa Jacob Zuma. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Several stories on Turkey today covering cultural, political and economic issues involving the increasingly important country, which recently celebrated 60 years of membership in NATO and has been very involved in crises throughout the region.

Foreign Policy Magazine has a very interesting article by Andrew Finkel that discusses several facets of life in Turkey. The article is likely to educate readers and incite some heated debate as well.

Balkans.com has an interesting post about Turkey and speculation about it joining BRICS, the group of “growth market” countries, including Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, that are asserting themselves in the world economy.

Enduring America has a post about Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan’s trip to China, starting in the Uyghur Autonomous region and then proceeding to Beijing and Shanghai.

Enduring America also has a post about Turkey’s role as the host of on-again off-again back on-again talks between Iran and P5+1 countries (U.S., Britain, France, Russia, and Germany).

CNN, CBC, and Euronews carried stories on the fighting near and on the Syria-Turkey border, which led to the wounding of several people, including two Turkish officials.

North Caucasus: Reports on Possible Azerbaijan ties to Israel

09 Monday Apr 2012

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Reported ties between Azerbaijan and Israel have been making news lately. Today is no exception, with two related stories being posted.

World Politics Review has doubts about how ready Azerbaijan is to provide the use of bases to Israel.

http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/11815/azerbaijan-as-israels-anti-iran-staging-ground-a-tough-
sell

Azerbaijan as Israel’s Anti-Iran ‘Staging Ground’ a Tough Sell

As tensions over Iran’s nuclear program rise, assertions that Israel’s increasing closeness to Azerbaijan,
a predominantly Muslim state on Iran’s northern border, represents the emergence of an anti-Iran “tag team”
are gaining currency. But despite undoubtedly warming ties between the two countries, there is no
indication that Baku is in any hurry to sacrifice its national interests by participating in a conflict
that could possibly drag it into a regional conflagration.

Turkish site Zaman quotes an earlier Foreign Policy Magazine report in making the argument that the partnership sounds plausible. Azerbaijan denies the reports.

http://www.sundayszaman.com/sunday/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=276715

Uncertainty over Israeli presence on Azerbaijani airbases lingers

Information has surfaced that Israel has access to Azerbaijani airbases, a claim Azerbaijan vehemently
denied on March 29.  Access to these airbases would make it easier for Israel to strike the Islamic Republic of Iran, which
many say is seeking to develop nuclear technology. According to a report published by Foreign Policy on
March 29, Israel has gained access to airbases in southern Azerbaijan, bordering Iran.
Reacting to the news published in FP, Azerbaijan denied the allegations, calling them untrue. In an
interview with AFP, Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense spokesman Teymur Abdullayev said the claims seek to
“damage relations between Azerbaijan and Iran,” adding that “there will be no actions against Iran … from
the territory of Azerbaijan.”

 

Israel asks Obama to release convicted spy

08 Sunday Apr 2012

Posted by in European News, Foreign Policy, Israel

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AP is reporting that Israel is renewing its calls for the U.S. to release convicted spy Jonathan Pollard. He’s supposedly in the hospital suffering from severe pain. Maybe it’s his conscience.

JERUSALEM — Israel’s prime minister has called on the United States to release convicted spy Jonathan Pollard after the former U.S. Navy intelligence analyst was hospitalized this week.

Pollard, 57, was sentenced to life in prison 25 years ago for leaking classified documents to Israel. Many Israelis believe the sentence was too harsh and officials often demand his release.

Those calls took on urgency after Pollard’s wife Esther said he was hospitalized after suffering extreme pain last week.

Israel’s President Shimon Peres said he would also appeal to President Barack Obama after hosting Pollard’s wife on Sunday.

Democratic and Republican administrations in the U.S. have repeatedly refused Israeli appeals to release the convicted spy.Image