6 New Messages
Digest #4500
Messages
Mon Sep 24, 2012 11:04 am (PDT) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://www.nato.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
September 24, 2012
NATO signs cooperation accord with Iraq
-Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Mongolia are also among NATO’s global partners.
NATO on Monday (24 September 2012) signed a cooperation agreement with Iraq which will foster closer security ties and help Iraq build up its security institutions.
NATO Deputy Secretary General Ambassador Alexander Vershbow and Iraqi National Security Adviser Faleh Faisal Al-Fayyadh signed the so-called Individual Partnership and Cooperation Programme (IPCP) at NATO headquarters. The accord inaugurates a full-fledged partnership. The signing of the accord follows NATO's Training Mission in Iraq (NTM-I) which ended last December.
The Alliance is committed to assisting Iraq as it builds a modern security sector which can cooperate with international partners. The partnership will promote dialogue and address shared threats. NATO and Iraq intend to work together to develop the capacity of Iraq’s security institutions and to cultivate the expertise of its national defence academies. The agreement also creates a framework for regular political dialogue and for training cooperation.
The signing of the partnership accord marks the formal accession of Iraq to NATO’s “partnerships family”. There are a number of global partners which develop cooperation with NATO in areas of mutual interest, including emerging security challenges. Under the accords, individual global partners choose the areas where they wish to engage with NATO, as well as the extent of this cooperation. Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Mongolia are also among NATO’s global partners.
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North Atlantic Treaty Organization
September 24, 2012
NATO signs cooperation accord with Iraq
-Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Mongolia are also among NATO’s global partners.
NATO on Monday (24 September 2012) signed a cooperation agreement with Iraq which will foster closer security ties and help Iraq build up its security institutions.
NATO Deputy Secretary General Ambassador Alexander Vershbow and Iraqi National Security Adviser Faleh Faisal Al-Fayyadh signed the so-called Individual Partnership and Cooperation Programme (IPCP) at NATO headquarters. The accord inaugurates a full-fledged partnership. The signing of the accord follows NATO's Training Mission in Iraq (NTM-I) which ended last December.
The Alliance is committed to assisting Iraq as it builds a modern security sector which can cooperate with international partners. The partnership will promote dialogue and address shared threats. NATO and Iraq intend to work together to develop the capacity of Iraq’s security institutions and to cultivate the expertise of its national defence academies. The agreement also creates a framework for regular political dialogue and for training cooperation.
The signing of the partnership accord marks the formal accession of Iraq to NATO’s “partnerships family”. There are a number of global partners which develop cooperation with NATO in areas of mutual interest, including emerging security challenges. Under the accords, individual global partners choose the areas where they wish to engage with NATO, as well as the extent of this cooperation. Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Mongolia are also among NATO’s global partners.
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Mon Sep 24, 2012 11:04 am (PDT) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://www.novinite
Sofia News Agency
September 24, 2012
Poland Embarks on Missile Modernization Program
Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski has submitted a defense bill to parliament designed to initiate the comprehensive modernization of the Polish missile defense system, the presidential staff said on Monday.
This bill is key to ensuring stable funding for the modernization program, which has been described as "the highest priority for the Polish Armed Forces in the coming decade", the institution said, as cited by RIA Novosti.
Poland's current missile defense system is comprised of six missile battalions armed with obsolete, Soviet-made, S-125 Neva (SA-3 Apollo) missiles. Only one also boasts a long range S-200 Vega (SA-5 Gammon) system.
Experts note that, in its current state, Poland's air defense system is simply unable to provide effective defense against an enemy attack.
The Polish bill calls for a missile modernization budget of USD 2.5-3.7 B from 2014 through 2023.
There are plans to involve other countries, in particular France and Germany, in this modernization effort.
The Russian news agency RIA Novosti points out that Poland's new missile system would stand alongside U.S. missile defense facilities, becoming part of NATO's broader air and missile defense system.
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Sofia News Agency
September 24, 2012
Poland Embarks on Missile Modernization Program
Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski has submitted a defense bill to parliament designed to initiate the comprehensive modernization of the Polish missile defense system, the presidential staff said on Monday.
This bill is key to ensuring stable funding for the modernization program, which has been described as "the highest priority for the Polish Armed Forces in the coming decade", the institution said, as cited by RIA Novosti.
Poland's current missile defense system is comprised of six missile battalions armed with obsolete, Soviet-made, S-125 Neva (SA-3 Apollo) missiles. Only one also boasts a long range S-200 Vega (SA-5 Gammon) system.
Experts note that, in its current state, Poland's air defense system is simply unable to provide effective defense against an enemy attack.
The Polish bill calls for a missile modernization budget of USD 2.5-3.7 B from 2014 through 2023.
There are plans to involve other countries, in particular France and Germany, in this modernization effort.
The Russian news agency RIA Novosti points out that Poland's new missile system would stand alongside U.S. missile defense facilities, becoming part of NATO's broader air and missile defense system.
============
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Stop NATO website and articles:
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Mon Sep 24, 2012 7:14 pm (PDT) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://www.eucom.
United States European Command
September 24, 2012
Missiles and Pirates
Admiral James Stavridis
In the week ahead, I'll focus on two topics that don't always get a huge amount of attention, but are very important: piracy and missile defense. These are two key missions we are undertaking today with NATO forces and reflect the kind of trans-national threats that the Alliance must be prepared to face in this turbulent 21st century.
...
Later in the week, I'll be turning my attention to missile defense.
The NATO center for missile defense is in Ramstein, Germany, at the Air Component Command ably led by US Air Force 4-star General Phil Breedlove, a deeply experienced airman with multiple tours in Europe during his 30+ year career. General Breedlove is working hard on putting the nascent NATO missile defense system in place.
The Ticonderoga class guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey provides the ballistic missile defense under the European Phased Adaptive Approach. Currently, we have a command and control system largely located in Ramstein; and advanced phased array radar forward deployed in NATO ally Turkey's southern region; and several AEGIS missile defense ships operating at sea in the Eastern Mediterranean. This provides the beginning of a missile defense system over Turkey, Greece, and parts of the Balkans.
Over time, our plan is to add additional radars and missile systems ashore, as well as to bring four additional missile defense AEGIS destroyers into the Mediterranean, to be stationed in Rota, Spain.
We will be working on burden-sharing, as many of the NATO allies have good missile defense capability at sea and ashore that can be linked into the system. Unfortunately, we still have some disagreements with Russia about the system (Russia is concerned this system may have the capability to defeat their strategic ICBM force...) I'm hoping to eventually see a robust missile defense system in place that provides coverage for the entire Alliance.
Appropriately, I am spending a great deal of time on the challenges of Afghanistan and the Balkans at the moment; but there are other key issues at work facing the Alliance, and this week I'll be investing in these two areas.
============
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============
United States European Command
September 24, 2012
Missiles and Pirates
Admiral James Stavridis
In the week ahead, I'll focus on two topics that don't always get a huge amount of attention, but are very important: piracy and missile defense. These are two key missions we are undertaking today with NATO forces and reflect the kind of trans-national threats that the Alliance must be prepared to face in this turbulent 21st century.
...
Later in the week, I'll be turning my attention to missile defense.
The NATO center for missile defense is in Ramstein, Germany, at the Air Component Command ably led by US Air Force 4-star General Phil Breedlove, a deeply experienced airman with multiple tours in Europe during his 30+ year career. General Breedlove is working hard on putting the nascent NATO missile defense system in place.
The Ticonderoga class guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey provides the ballistic missile defense under the European Phased Adaptive Approach. Currently, we have a command and control system largely located in Ramstein; and advanced phased array radar forward deployed in NATO ally Turkey's southern region; and several AEGIS missile defense ships operating at sea in the Eastern Mediterranean. This provides the beginning of a missile defense system over Turkey, Greece, and parts of the Balkans.
Over time, our plan is to add additional radars and missile systems ashore, as well as to bring four additional missile defense AEGIS destroyers into the Mediterranean, to be stationed in Rota, Spain.
We will be working on burden-sharing, as many of the NATO allies have good missile defense capability at sea and ashore that can be linked into the system. Unfortunately, we still have some disagreements with Russia about the system (Russia is concerned this system may have the capability to defeat their strategic ICBM force...) I'm hoping to eventually see a robust missile defense system in place that provides coverage for the entire Alliance.
Appropriately, I am spending a great deal of time on the challenges of Afghanistan and the Balkans at the moment; but there are other key issues at work facing the Alliance, and this week I'll be investing in these two areas.
============
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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============
Mon Sep 24, 2012 7:14 pm (PDT) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://news.
Xinhua News Agency
September 24, 2012
6 killed in U.S. drone strike in NW Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: At least six people were killed in a U.S. drone strike on Monday night in Pakistan's northwest tribal region of North Waziristan, local media reported.
TV channel Ary quoted unidentified government sources as saying that a U.S. drone fired two missiles at a house suspected of being a militant hideout in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan at about 9:00 p.m. local time Monday.
The target house is located in the Haider Khel village some 5 kilometers southeast of Mir Ali...
The identities of the slain people are not known at this moment.
Monday's U.S. drone strike is the 30th of its kind in Pakistan in 2012. So far this year, at least 219 people have reportedly been killed in such strikes.
The latest U.S. drone strike came when Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.
============
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============
Xinhua News Agency
September 24, 2012
6 killed in U.S. drone strike in NW Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: At least six people were killed in a U.S. drone strike on Monday night in Pakistan's northwest tribal region of North Waziristan, local media reported.
TV channel Ary quoted unidentified government sources as saying that a U.S. drone fired two missiles at a house suspected of being a militant hideout in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan at about 9:00 p.m. local time Monday.
The target house is located in the Haider Khel village some 5 kilometers southeast of Mir Ali...
The identities of the slain people are not known at this moment.
Monday's U.S. drone strike is the 30th of its kind in Pakistan in 2012. So far this year, at least 219 people have reportedly been killed in such strikes.
The latest U.S. drone strike came when Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.
============
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http://groups.
Stop NATO website and articles:
http://rickrozoff.
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============
Mon Sep 24, 2012 7:26 pm (PDT) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://www.chinadai
China Daily
September 24, 2012
Panetta's Asia-Pacific trip aids strategic pivot
By Zhao Shengnan and Zhou Wa
Expert says regional tensions give US excuse to intervene in region
====
Panetta announced Washington had lifted a 26-year-old ban on visits to US military ports by New Zealand's navy...[T]he opportunity to rub noses was eagerly accepted by the Obama administration, which has been working feverishly to shower attention on just about every country with a Pacific coastline to counter China's rising influence in the region, said the Washington Post.
Panetta's visit to Japan amid the tension showed the US was accelerating its shift of strategic focus though a closer US-Japan alliance.
Days after Panetta urged both China and Japan to show restraint, Japan and the US on Saturday started an amphibious assault drill based on the scenario of retaking an island occupied by enemy forces.
====
US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's weeklong visit to the Asia-Pacific region helped boost Washington's partners' military capabilities as part of a strategic pivot to the Asia-Pacific, analysts said.
The trip, which concluded on Saturday, took Panetta to Japan, China and New Zealand.
It was his first visit to China and third trip to Asia since taking office in July 2011. He also became the first Pentagon chief to visit New Zealand since 1982.
The recent spate of visits by senior Washington officials to the Asia-Pacific, including Panetta and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, underlined the growing attention the US is paying toward the region as it pulls out of the Middle East, said analysts.
In Beijing, Panetta said the United States would play a constructive role in the Asia-Pacific region through strengthening cooperation and helping some countries to build up their defense capability, instead of establishing military bases.
During his visit to Japan, Tokyo and Washington agreed to install a second missile-defense radar system, and the MV-22 Osprey military aircraft was given the go-ahead to begin flight operations in Japan on Wednesday.
Panetta's calls for improved military ties and cooperation with China and New Zealand were welcomed, but concern remains about its shift in strategic focus to the region.
In Beijing, Panetta conducted "candid and frank discussions" with several senior officials, including Vice-President Xi Jinping.
Most meetings ran longer than scheduled as the two sides explored topics ranging from Taiwan to cyberspace, while the overarching topic was US-China relations in the context of the US strategic rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region.
On Friday, Panetta announced Washington had lifted a 26-year-old ban on visits to US military ports by New Zealand's navy, but Wellington said it had no intention of reciprocating by allowing US ships to visit its bases.
New Zealand has a small military, and the rapprochement is unlikely to tilt the regional balance of power.
But the opportunity to rub noses was eagerly accepted by the Obama administration, which has been working feverishly to shower attention on just about every country with a Pacific coastline to counter China's rising influence in the region, said the Washington Post.
Meanwhile, the US defense budget crunch will force the US Navy and Marine Corps to lean on regional partners to establish a constant presence in the Pacific, according to the US magazine National Defense.
Panetta's trip also coincided with escalating tensions between Tokyo and Beijing over the Diaoyu Islands. Tokyo's "purchase" of the islands, which have belonged to China since ancient times, has triggered protests across China.
Li Haidong, a professor from the Institute of International Relations at China Foreign Affairs University, said Panetta's visit to Japan amid the tension showed the US was accelerating its shift of strategic focus though a closer US-Japan alliance.
Days after Panetta urged both China and Japan to show restraint, Japan and the US on Saturday started an amphibious assault drill based on the scenario of retaking an island occupied by enemy forces.
Regional tensions give the US an excuse to intervene in the region, said Ruan Zongze, an international affairs expert with the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.
He said the US will still use other excuses to increase its military presence in the Asia-Pacific region by creating regional tensions.
"What it has done with the Philippines is one example," he said. China and the Philippines have overlapping claims over the South China Sea.
Washington used to press China to agree to some rules-based system to solve the South China Sea issue, but in September two US submarines arrived at the Philippine Subic Bay.
============
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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============
China Daily
September 24, 2012
Panetta's Asia-Pacific trip aids strategic pivot
By Zhao Shengnan and Zhou Wa
Expert says regional tensions give US excuse to intervene in region
====
Panetta announced Washington had lifted a 26-year-old ban on visits to US military ports by New Zealand's navy...[T]he opportunity to rub noses was eagerly accepted by the Obama administration, which has been working feverishly to shower attention on just about every country with a Pacific coastline to counter China's rising influence in the region, said the Washington Post.
Panetta's visit to Japan amid the tension showed the US was accelerating its shift of strategic focus though a closer US-Japan alliance.
Days after Panetta urged both China and Japan to show restraint, Japan and the US on Saturday started an amphibious assault drill based on the scenario of retaking an island occupied by enemy forces.
====
US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's weeklong visit to the Asia-Pacific region helped boost Washington's partners' military capabilities as part of a strategic pivot to the Asia-Pacific, analysts said.
The trip, which concluded on Saturday, took Panetta to Japan, China and New Zealand.
It was his first visit to China and third trip to Asia since taking office in July 2011. He also became the first Pentagon chief to visit New Zealand since 1982.
The recent spate of visits by senior Washington officials to the Asia-Pacific, including Panetta and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, underlined the growing attention the US is paying toward the region as it pulls out of the Middle East, said analysts.
In Beijing, Panetta said the United States would play a constructive role in the Asia-Pacific region through strengthening cooperation and helping some countries to build up their defense capability, instead of establishing military bases.
During his visit to Japan, Tokyo and Washington agreed to install a second missile-defense radar system, and the MV-22 Osprey military aircraft was given the go-ahead to begin flight operations in Japan on Wednesday.
Panetta's calls for improved military ties and cooperation with China and New Zealand were welcomed, but concern remains about its shift in strategic focus to the region.
In Beijing, Panetta conducted "candid and frank discussions" with several senior officials, including Vice-President Xi Jinping.
Most meetings ran longer than scheduled as the two sides explored topics ranging from Taiwan to cyberspace, while the overarching topic was US-China relations in the context of the US strategic rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region.
On Friday, Panetta announced Washington had lifted a 26-year-old ban on visits to US military ports by New Zealand's navy, but Wellington said it had no intention of reciprocating by allowing US ships to visit its bases.
New Zealand has a small military, and the rapprochement is unlikely to tilt the regional balance of power.
But the opportunity to rub noses was eagerly accepted by the Obama administration, which has been working feverishly to shower attention on just about every country with a Pacific coastline to counter China's rising influence in the region, said the Washington Post.
Meanwhile, the US defense budget crunch will force the US Navy and Marine Corps to lean on regional partners to establish a constant presence in the Pacific, according to the US magazine National Defense.
Panetta's trip also coincided with escalating tensions between Tokyo and Beijing over the Diaoyu Islands. Tokyo's "purchase" of the islands, which have belonged to China since ancient times, has triggered protests across China.
Li Haidong, a professor from the Institute of International Relations at China Foreign Affairs University, said Panetta's visit to Japan amid the tension showed the US was accelerating its shift of strategic focus though a closer US-Japan alliance.
Days after Panetta urged both China and Japan to show restraint, Japan and the US on Saturday started an amphibious assault drill based on the scenario of retaking an island occupied by enemy forces.
Regional tensions give the US an excuse to intervene in the region, said Ruan Zongze, an international affairs expert with the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.
He said the US will still use other excuses to increase its military presence in the Asia-Pacific region by creating regional tensions.
"What it has done with the Philippines is one example," he said. China and the Philippines have overlapping claims over the South China Sea.
Washington used to press China to agree to some rules-based system to solve the South China Sea issue, but in September two US submarines arrived at the Philippine Subic Bay.
============
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@
============
Mon Sep 24, 2012 7:49 pm (PDT) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://en.apa.
Azeri Press Agency
September 24, 2012
Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey start military trainings in Ankara
Rashad Suleymanov
Baku: The "Eternity-2012” staff headquarters trainings with the participation of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia has started in Ankara today.
APA reports quoting General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces that the trainings will continue till September 28. The trainings are being held in the Training and Doctrine Command of the Turkish Land Forces.
19 people (2 BOTAS representatives) will attend the training from Turkey.
Annual “Eternity-2012” computer supported trainings aim to the protection of exported oil and gas pipelines. Besides armed forces, the representatives of the other organizations of the above mentioned three countries, who are responsible for the protection and management of pipelines, will also join the trainings.
Azeri Press Agency
September 24, 2012
Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey start military trainings in Ankara
Rashad Suleymanov
Baku: The "Eternity-2012” staff headquarters trainings with the participation of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia has started in Ankara today.
APA reports quoting General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces that the trainings will continue till September 28. The trainings are being held in the Training and Doctrine Command of the Turkish Land Forces.
19 people (2 BOTAS representatives) will attend the training from Turkey.
Annual “Eternity-2012” computer supported trainings aim to the protection of exported oil and gas pipelines. Besides armed forces, the representatives of the other organizations of the above mentioned three countries, who are responsible for the protection and management of pipelines, will also join the trainings.
