Focus on Europe: Poland
10 Tuesday Apr 2012
Posted in European News
Focus on Europe: Greece
10 Tuesday Apr 2012
Posted in European News
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
Posted in European News, Russia
Tags
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 in European News, Foreign Policy, Turkey
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.
French intelligence queried over al Qaeda shooter
09 Monday Apr 2012
Posted in European News
French intelligence queried over al Qaeda shooter.
France questioned on Thursday whether its intelligence service had blundered by allowing a young Muslim with a violent criminal record, spotted twice in Afghanistan, to become the first al Qaeda-inspired killer to strike on its soil.
North Caucasus: Reports on Possible Azerbaijan ties to Israel
09 Monday Apr 2012
Posted in Caucasus, European News
Tags
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.
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 in European News, Foreign Policy, Israel
Tags
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.
Russia reportedly suspends missile threat
08 Sunday Apr 2012
Posted in European News, Military and Defense, Russia
Tags
The Russians are apparently backing off from their threat to place ground-to-air missiles in Kaliningrad, the enclave the Soviets carved out of Poland as a condition of ending their occupation at the end of the Cold War.
No clear word on why the Russians are holding off. But…
According to the report, “Interfax
cited the military official as saying the Iskander plan has been suspended because the new U.S. administration is not so far pushing for deployment of the missile shield.”
Or, maybe the missiles don’t work as claimed, maybe there aren’t enough spare parts, etc…
Spring Snow in Munich | euronews, no comment
08 Sunday Apr 2012
Posted in European News
The city of Munich, Germany was covered with a light coat of snow on Easter Sunday.
Germans have a saying about when they should use winter tires: “Von O bis O” which refers to von Oktober bis Ostern, translated to from October until Easter. Hmmm. Maybe a bit premature to put on the summer tires this year.
Israel’s Rocket-Hunting Ace Got His Start Playing Warcraft
08 Sunday Apr 2012
Posted in European News
Tags
Israel’s Rocket-Hunting Ace Got His Start Playing Warcraft
Interesting story about a young man who perhaps represents the next generation of super soldiers in the Israeli military.
Bruce K. Anderson 