5 New Messages
Digest #4492
Messages
Sun Sep 16, 2012 7:59 pm (PDT) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://rt.com/
RT
September 16, 2012
US to flex naval might in Persian Gulf war games
The US Navy is leading its largest-ever war games in the Persian Gulf, with warships from 25 countries being deployed in the region. Tehran, in return, is preparing for its biggest air defense war game in the history of Islamic Republic next month.
The countries that deployed the largest number of warships for the 12-day training mission are the US, Britain, France, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
The exact number of aircraft carriers, battleships and submarines taking part is unclear. Three American aircraft carriers out of the four currently in commission are reportedly gathering in the Persian Gulf for the training.
USS Enterprise, USS John C. Stennis and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower have reportedly arrived.
The USS George Washington is believed to be on patrol in the Pacific Ocean but its exact whereabouts are a mystery. It was sighted near the island of Guam one week ago, and the air carrier’s Facebook page claims that it is still in the Pacific. But since the ship can travel at over 30 knots, it could be on its way to the Persian Gulf.
The aircraft carriers are supported by at least a dozen warships: Ballistic missile cruisers, destroyers, frigates and assault ships carrying thousand of US Marines and spec ops ships.
Britain dispatched six vessels to the Persian Gulf war games: the HMS Diamond, a brand-new £1 billion worth destroyer, four minesweepers and a logistics vessel.
The joint fleet is expected to simulate destroying Iranian fighter jets, battleships and coastal military defenses like missile batteries.
Attacking Iran cuts both ways for US
Tensions between Iran and Israel over Tehran’s controversial nuclear program have been on the uptick. Iran has blamed the US for Israel’s possible attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, and promised to retaliate against American interests in the event of such an attack.
On Sunday, Iranian General Mohammad Ali Jafari confirmed that in a conflict with Israel, Iran considers the entrance of the Persian Gulf – the Strait of Hormuz – a legitimate target.
"The US has many vulnerable targets around Iran, and its bases are within the range of the Guards' missiles. We have other capabilities as well, particularly when it comes to the support of Muslims for the Islamic republic," the general said during a press conference in Tehran.
Jafari revealed that Tehran is aware of Israel’s unsuccessful attempts to push the US towards military action against Iran, but claimed it was unlikely that an Israeli strike against Tehran's nuclear facilities “would be carried out without US permission.”
If Israel attacked Iran, "nothing of Israel will be left, considering its size," he said.
In response, the US, which maintains a heavy military presence in the region, and its allies are increasing military patrols to protect the Strait of Hormuz, which accounts for 40 percent of the world oil shipped by sea.
...
In Armenia, a country in the Caucasus bordering Iran, a large war game by the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization has been launched.
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RT
September 16, 2012
US to flex naval might in Persian Gulf war games
The US Navy is leading its largest-ever war games in the Persian Gulf, with warships from 25 countries being deployed in the region. Tehran, in return, is preparing for its biggest air defense war game in the history of Islamic Republic next month.
The countries that deployed the largest number of warships for the 12-day training mission are the US, Britain, France, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
The exact number of aircraft carriers, battleships and submarines taking part is unclear. Three American aircraft carriers out of the four currently in commission are reportedly gathering in the Persian Gulf for the training.
USS Enterprise, USS John C. Stennis and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower have reportedly arrived.
The USS George Washington is believed to be on patrol in the Pacific Ocean but its exact whereabouts are a mystery. It was sighted near the island of Guam one week ago, and the air carrier’s Facebook page claims that it is still in the Pacific. But since the ship can travel at over 30 knots, it could be on its way to the Persian Gulf.
The aircraft carriers are supported by at least a dozen warships: Ballistic missile cruisers, destroyers, frigates and assault ships carrying thousand of US Marines and spec ops ships.
Britain dispatched six vessels to the Persian Gulf war games: the HMS Diamond, a brand-new £1 billion worth destroyer, four minesweepers and a logistics vessel.
The joint fleet is expected to simulate destroying Iranian fighter jets, battleships and coastal military defenses like missile batteries.
Attacking Iran cuts both ways for US
Tensions between Iran and Israel over Tehran’s controversial nuclear program have been on the uptick. Iran has blamed the US for Israel’s possible attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, and promised to retaliate against American interests in the event of such an attack.
On Sunday, Iranian General Mohammad Ali Jafari confirmed that in a conflict with Israel, Iran considers the entrance of the Persian Gulf – the Strait of Hormuz – a legitimate target.
"The US has many vulnerable targets around Iran, and its bases are within the range of the Guards' missiles. We have other capabilities as well, particularly when it comes to the support of Muslims for the Islamic republic," the general said during a press conference in Tehran.
Jafari revealed that Tehran is aware of Israel’s unsuccessful attempts to push the US towards military action against Iran, but claimed it was unlikely that an Israeli strike against Tehran's nuclear facilities “would be carried out without US permission.”
If Israel attacked Iran, "nothing of Israel will be left, considering its size," he said.
In response, the US, which maintains a heavy military presence in the region, and its allies are increasing military patrols to protect the Strait of Hormuz, which accounts for 40 percent of the world oil shipped by sea.
...
In Armenia, a country in the Caucasus bordering Iran, a large war game by the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization has been launched.
============
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Sun Sep 16, 2012 7:59 pm (PDT) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://www.pajhwok.
Pajhwok Afghan News
September 16, 2012'
4 foreign soldiers killed in insider attack
By Hakim Basharat & Nasim Hotak
KABUL: Four International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) soldiers were killed on Sunday following an insider attack suspected to involve members of Afghan police in southern Afghanistan, the alliance said.
A day earlier, an individual believed to be an Afghan Local Police (APL) member shot dead two international troops in the volatile south. A foreign troop returned fire, killing the assailant.
“The incident is currently under investigation,” said a brief statement from ISAF, which neither revealed the exact location of the latest green-on-blue attack nor the victims’ nationalities.
Mostly British, American and Canadian troops are stationed in the restive south, where the Taliban insurgents stormed NATO’s largest base in Helmand province late on Friday.
Four foreign soldiers and a policeman were killed in the attack that occurred in the Mizan district of Zabul province, the deputy police chief, Col. Ghulam Gilani Farahi, told Pajhwok Afghan News.
The provincial police chief and other security officials visited the scene to investigate the incident, Farahi said, adding that more details would be shared with the media after the investigation was completed.
Meanwhile, the Taliban said four US soldiers were killed and several others wounded when a policeman loyal to the movement opened fire on them. Several policemen also suffered casualties when US troops returned fire, they added.
On Saturday, two British soldiers were killed when a local policeman opened fire on them in the Greshk district of Helmand. The shooting is currently being probed.
Since the beginning of the current year, 51 foreign soldiers, mostly American, have been killed in 35 insider attacks by Afghan security personnel.
============
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Pajhwok Afghan News
September 16, 2012'
4 foreign soldiers killed in insider attack
By Hakim Basharat & Nasim Hotak
KABUL: Four International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) soldiers were killed on Sunday following an insider attack suspected to involve members of Afghan police in southern Afghanistan, the alliance said.
A day earlier, an individual believed to be an Afghan Local Police (APL) member shot dead two international troops in the volatile south. A foreign troop returned fire, killing the assailant.
“The incident is currently under investigation,” said a brief statement from ISAF, which neither revealed the exact location of the latest green-on-blue attack nor the victims’ nationalities.
Mostly British, American and Canadian troops are stationed in the restive south, where the Taliban insurgents stormed NATO’s largest base in Helmand province late on Friday.
Four foreign soldiers and a policeman were killed in the attack that occurred in the Mizan district of Zabul province, the deputy police chief, Col. Ghulam Gilani Farahi, told Pajhwok Afghan News.
The provincial police chief and other security officials visited the scene to investigate the incident, Farahi said, adding that more details would be shared with the media after the investigation was completed.
Meanwhile, the Taliban said four US soldiers were killed and several others wounded when a policeman loyal to the movement opened fire on them. Several policemen also suffered casualties when US troops returned fire, they added.
On Saturday, two British soldiers were killed when a local policeman opened fire on them in the Greshk district of Helmand. The shooting is currently being probed.
Since the beginning of the current year, 51 foreign soldiers, mostly American, have been killed in 35 insider attacks by Afghan security personnel.
============
Stop NATO e-mail list home page with archives and search engine:
http://groups.
Stop NATO website and articles:
http://rickrozoff.
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Sun Sep 16, 2012 8:11 pm (PDT) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://rt.com/
RT
September 16, 2012
8 green-on-blue killings sweep Afghanistan over weekend
Eight coalition soldiers were killed in three separate attacks across Afghanistan since Friday, as the trend of Afghan soldiers firing on coalition troops worsens for NATO.
Afghanistan has witnessed a dramatic uptick in 2012 in green-on-blue killings – ‘green’ the NATO code for local Afghan soldiers, ‘blue’ for NATO soldiers – prompting increasing concern among NATO and the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) ahead of their scheduled 2014 pullout.
Sunday’s attacks, in which four coalition soldiers were killed, pushed the total number of coalition troops killed in such incidents this year to a record 51, up from 35 last year – a major spike in what was deemed a 'minor problem' a few years ago.
In an attack on Friday evening, two UK soldiers with a NATO-led deployment in southern Afghanistan were killed by a man wearing the uniform of the Afghan police. Three others were wounded in the attack, after which a soldier returned fire and killed the assailant.
On Saturday, another individual believed to be a member of the Afghan police killed two more British NATO servicemembers in the country's southern Helmand province. That attack also ended in the gunman being killed by return fire.
The deadliest of the weekend's green-on-blue assaults came on Sunday in Zabul Province, with four coalition servicemembers killed. Reports claimed that there were multiple gunmen, and that the attack was “suspected to involve members of the Afghan police” and was “under investigation.” Later in the day, the Pentagon confirmed all the four people killed in the insider attack were Americans.
...
============
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============
RT
September 16, 2012
8 green-on-blue killings sweep Afghanistan over weekend
Eight coalition soldiers were killed in three separate attacks across Afghanistan since Friday, as the trend of Afghan soldiers firing on coalition troops worsens for NATO.
Afghanistan has witnessed a dramatic uptick in 2012 in green-on-blue killings – ‘green’ the NATO code for local Afghan soldiers, ‘blue’ for NATO soldiers – prompting increasing concern among NATO and the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) ahead of their scheduled 2014 pullout.
Sunday’s attacks, in which four coalition soldiers were killed, pushed the total number of coalition troops killed in such incidents this year to a record 51, up from 35 last year – a major spike in what was deemed a 'minor problem' a few years ago.
In an attack on Friday evening, two UK soldiers with a NATO-led deployment in southern Afghanistan were killed by a man wearing the uniform of the Afghan police. Three others were wounded in the attack, after which a soldier returned fire and killed the assailant.
On Saturday, another individual believed to be a member of the Afghan police killed two more British NATO servicemembers in the country's southern Helmand province. That attack also ended in the gunman being killed by return fire.
The deadliest of the weekend's green-on-blue assaults came on Sunday in Zabul Province, with four coalition servicemembers killed. Reports claimed that there were multiple gunmen, and that the attack was “suspected to involve members of the Afghan police” and was “under investigation.” Later in the day, the Pentagon confirmed all the four people killed in the insider attack were Americans.
...
============
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http://groups.
Stop NATO website and articles:
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Sun Sep 16, 2012 8:13 pm (PDT) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://news.
Xinhua News Agency
September 16, 2012
Air strike kills 8 civilians, wounds 7 in Afghan's Laghman province
MEHTERLAM, Afghanistan: An air strike carried out by NATO-led troops in the eastern Laghman province 90 km east of capital city Kabul killed eight civilians and wounded seven others early Sunday, spokesman for provincial administration Sarhadi Zawak said.
"The tragic incident took place in Norlam village of Alinegar district at 03:00 a.m. local time leaving eight civilians, all women, dead and injuring seven more women," Zawak told Xinhua.
He also criticized the NATO-led ISAF troops for carrying out the attack, saying the alliance without coordination with the local authorities launched the air strike inflicting casualties on civilians.
Meantime, Abdul Khaliq Pashai, former senator of Laghman province, in talks with Xinhua said that some 30 women were going on the nearby mountain to collect firewood when came under deadly attack.
The NATO-led ISAF has yet to release any statement in this regard.
------------
http://rt.com/
RT
September 16, 2012
NATO strike kills women and girls gathering firewood – Afghan officials
A NATO airstrike killed eight women and girls in eastern Afghanistan, local officials reported. The alliance said the strike targeted 45 armed insurgents but admitted some civilians may have been killed.
The women were gathering firewood when they were killed by the strike, spokesperson for the Laghman provincial government Sarhadi Zewak said. Several women were also injured during the NATO strike, he added.
Villagers brought the victims’ bodies to the local governor’s office on Sunday in the wake of the attack, amid cries of “Death to America!” said Zewak.
Seven females are now in nearby hospitals receiving treatment, some of whom are as young as ten years old, AP reports.
Initial reports claimed that as many as 45 armed insurgents were killed in a "precision air strike," NATO spokesperson Jamie Graybeal said. However, Major Adam Wojack, a spokesman for the Isaf later told the BBC that between five and eight civilians may have been caught in the crossfire in a “tragic loss of life.”
The issue of frequent civilian deaths in NATO military operations is another point of contention between Afghanistan'
Last year, some 400 Afghan civilians were killed in operations conducted by international and Afghan troops, the UN reported...
============
Stop NATO e-mail list home page with archives and search engine:
http://groups.
Stop NATO website and articles:
http://rickrozoff.
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============
Xinhua News Agency
September 16, 2012
Air strike kills 8 civilians, wounds 7 in Afghan's Laghman province
MEHTERLAM, Afghanistan: An air strike carried out by NATO-led troops in the eastern Laghman province 90 km east of capital city Kabul killed eight civilians and wounded seven others early Sunday, spokesman for provincial administration Sarhadi Zawak said.
"The tragic incident took place in Norlam village of Alinegar district at 03:00 a.m. local time leaving eight civilians, all women, dead and injuring seven more women," Zawak told Xinhua.
He also criticized the NATO-led ISAF troops for carrying out the attack, saying the alliance without coordination with the local authorities launched the air strike inflicting casualties on civilians.
Meantime, Abdul Khaliq Pashai, former senator of Laghman province, in talks with Xinhua said that some 30 women were going on the nearby mountain to collect firewood when came under deadly attack.
The NATO-led ISAF has yet to release any statement in this regard.
------------
http://rt.com/
RT
September 16, 2012
NATO strike kills women and girls gathering firewood – Afghan officials
A NATO airstrike killed eight women and girls in eastern Afghanistan, local officials reported. The alliance said the strike targeted 45 armed insurgents but admitted some civilians may have been killed.
The women were gathering firewood when they were killed by the strike, spokesperson for the Laghman provincial government Sarhadi Zewak said. Several women were also injured during the NATO strike, he added.
Villagers brought the victims’ bodies to the local governor’s office on Sunday in the wake of the attack, amid cries of “Death to America!” said Zewak.
Seven females are now in nearby hospitals receiving treatment, some of whom are as young as ten years old, AP reports.
Initial reports claimed that as many as 45 armed insurgents were killed in a "precision air strike," NATO spokesperson Jamie Graybeal said. However, Major Adam Wojack, a spokesman for the Isaf later told the BBC that between five and eight civilians may have been caught in the crossfire in a “tragic loss of life.”
The issue of frequent civilian deaths in NATO military operations is another point of contention between Afghanistan'
Last year, some 400 Afghan civilians were killed in operations conducted by international and Afghan troops, the UN reported...
============
Stop NATO e-mail list home page with archives and search engine:
http://groups.
Stop NATO website and articles:
http://rickrozoff.
To subscribe for individual e-mails or the daily digest, unsubscribe, and otherwise change subscription status:
stopnato-subscribe@
============
Sun Sep 16, 2012 8:28 pm (PDT) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://en.trend.
Trend News Agency
September 16, 2012
U.S. Senator John McCain is ready to assist Georgia in defense
N. Kirtskhalia
Tbilisi: U.S. Republican Senator John McCain expressed his readiness to assist Georgia in defense and support the implementation of democratic reforms.
According to the Ministry of Defense of Georgia, the former U.S. presidential candidate said this during a meeting with the Minister of Defense of Georgia Dimitri Shashkin.
The sides discussed issues of mutual cooperation. Special attention was paid to the reforms implemented in the field of defense, and the six-point agreement signed between Georgia and the United States, which provides for increased cooperation in the defense sector.
McCain finds it necessary to equip Georgia defensive weapons, so that it can fight off any aggression from outside.
Trend News Agency
September 16, 2012
U.S. Senator John McCain is ready to assist Georgia in defense
N. Kirtskhalia
Tbilisi: U.S. Republican Senator John McCain expressed his readiness to assist Georgia in defense and support the implementation of democratic reforms.
According to the Ministry of Defense of Georgia, the former U.S. presidential candidate said this during a meeting with the Minister of Defense of Georgia Dimitri Shashkin.
The sides discussed issues of mutual cooperation. Special attention was paid to the reforms implemented in the field of defense, and the six-point agreement signed between Georgia and the United States, which provides for increased cooperation in the defense sector.
McCain finds it necessary to equip Georgia defensive weapons, so that it can fight off any aggression from outside.
