3 New Messages
Digest #4582
Messages
Fri Dec 21, 2012 6:12 am (PST) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://gulfnews.
Gulf News
December 20, 2012
Nato military site part of agreement -- Kuwait
By Habib Toumi
Bureau Chief
====
The Nato training site in Kuwait is the first to be set up in a GCC state.
At its Chicago summit in May, Nato in its final communiqué said that it looked forward to a better understanding of common security threats in the region.
A Nato official last year told Gulf News that the alliance was keen to reinforce its cooperation and relations with GCC individual members through the ICI.
“We can see how we can enhance military-to-
====
Manama: The allocation of a piece of land to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) in Kuwait is part of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) launched in 2004, a senior Kuwaiti official has said.
“The move consolidates Kuwait’s interest in international missions, especially that Kuwait was the first Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) country to join the ICI,” Shaikh Sabah Al Khalid, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister, said.
The land will be used by Nato as a training site under the ICI, he added.
“We are interested in the region’s security and stability and in being partners with anyone who seeks to achieve them. We are also interested in facilitating everything that is related to our contacts and consultations with Nato,” the minister said on Wednesday, quoted by Kuwait News Agency (Kuna).
Shaikh Sabah was speaking at a press conference in Kuwait City alongside his Belgian counterpart Didier Reynders.
The Nato training site in Kuwait is the first to be set up in a GCC state.
At its Chicago summit in May, Nato in its final communiqué said that it looked forward to a better understanding of common security threats in the region.
“We will strengthen political dialogue and practical cooperation in the ICI,” the communiqué said. “We warmly welcome the generous offer by the State of Kuwait to host an ICI Regional Centre, which will help us to better understand common security challenges, and discuss how to address them together. We encourage our ICI partner countries to be proactive in exploiting the opportunities offered by their partnership with Nato. We remain open to receiving new members in the ICI,” the 28-member alliance said.
A Nato official last year told Gulf News that the alliance was keen to reinforce its cooperation and relations with GCC individual members through the ICI.
“We do want to deepen our engagement with our Gulf partners, through the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative,” James Appathurai, the then NATO’s deputy assistant secretary general for political affairs and security policy, said. “I do stress that our engagement with Gulf partner countries is a two-way street. The moment has come for us to work more closely with our partners in the Gulf and we are confident there will be opportunities to deepen our political and practical cooperation,” he said.
Plans included more regular dialogue and political consultations to promote a better mutual understanding with the region and engaging in shared strategic analyses, he said.
“We can see how we can enhance military-to-
============
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============
Gulf News
December 20, 2012
Nato military site part of agreement -- Kuwait
By Habib Toumi
Bureau Chief
====
The Nato training site in Kuwait is the first to be set up in a GCC state.
At its Chicago summit in May, Nato in its final communiqué said that it looked forward to a better understanding of common security threats in the region.
A Nato official last year told Gulf News that the alliance was keen to reinforce its cooperation and relations with GCC individual members through the ICI.
“We can see how we can enhance military-to-
====
Manama: The allocation of a piece of land to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) in Kuwait is part of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) launched in 2004, a senior Kuwaiti official has said.
“The move consolidates Kuwait’s interest in international missions, especially that Kuwait was the first Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) country to join the ICI,” Shaikh Sabah Al Khalid, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister, said.
The land will be used by Nato as a training site under the ICI, he added.
“We are interested in the region’s security and stability and in being partners with anyone who seeks to achieve them. We are also interested in facilitating everything that is related to our contacts and consultations with Nato,” the minister said on Wednesday, quoted by Kuwait News Agency (Kuna).
Shaikh Sabah was speaking at a press conference in Kuwait City alongside his Belgian counterpart Didier Reynders.
The Nato training site in Kuwait is the first to be set up in a GCC state.
At its Chicago summit in May, Nato in its final communiqué said that it looked forward to a better understanding of common security threats in the region.
“We will strengthen political dialogue and practical cooperation in the ICI,” the communiqué said. “We warmly welcome the generous offer by the State of Kuwait to host an ICI Regional Centre, which will help us to better understand common security challenges, and discuss how to address them together. We encourage our ICI partner countries to be proactive in exploiting the opportunities offered by their partnership with Nato. We remain open to receiving new members in the ICI,” the 28-member alliance said.
A Nato official last year told Gulf News that the alliance was keen to reinforce its cooperation and relations with GCC individual members through the ICI.
“We do want to deepen our engagement with our Gulf partners, through the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative,” James Appathurai, the then NATO’s deputy assistant secretary general for political affairs and security policy, said. “I do stress that our engagement with Gulf partner countries is a two-way street. The moment has come for us to work more closely with our partners in the Gulf and we are confident there will be opportunities to deepen our political and practical cooperation,” he said.
Plans included more regular dialogue and political consultations to promote a better mutual understanding with the region and engaging in shared strategic analyses, he said.
“We can see how we can enhance military-to-
============
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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============
Fri Dec 21, 2012 6:12 am (PST) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://news.
Xinhua News Agency
December 21, 2012
Four killed in U.S. drone strike in NW Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: At least four people were killed and many others were injured on Friday afternoon when a U.S. drone launched a strike in Pakistan's northwestern tribal region of North Waziristan, local media reported.
According to the reports, the pilotless plane fired two missiles at a house in the Hesokhel village of Mir Ali, a famous district of North Waziristan.
The missile strike completely destroyed the house and killed four people present in the building.
Soon after the incident, local people rushed to the site and started rescue work to take the dead bodies and injured out of the debris.
The injured were being shifted to the local hospital for treatment but local rescuers were unable to tell the number of wounded people.
Earlier on Thursday night, a U.S. unmanned aircraft, which was reportedly being used to target militants' hideouts, crashed in Pakistan's northwestern tribal region of South Waziristan, the neighboring area of North Waziristan.
According to the reports, the pilotless plane crashed in the Wana district of South Waziristan, a restive tribal region bordering Afghanistan.
Local media quoting official sources reported that the U.S. drone might had come to attack some target but crashed apparently due to some technical fault.
U.S.-led NATO forces fighting in Afghanistan believed that Pakistan's bordering areas especially North Waziristan and South Waziristan are the safe havens for the militants who allegedly attack NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Pakistan, on a number of occasions, protested and expressed its reservations over such strikes, terming them the violation of its sovereignty but U.S. considered it an effective strategy to eliminate militants hiding in hilly areas.
The Friday attack is the 39th of its kind (counted on a daily basis) in Pakistan during 2012, killing at least 273 people and injuring hundreds of others.
On Dec. 9, at least four people were killed when a U.S. drone launched a strike firing four missiles at a house in North Waziristan.
Earlier on Dec. 1, U.S. drone attacked a suspected house in South Waziristan killing at least four people...
============
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@
============
Xinhua News Agency
December 21, 2012
Four killed in U.S. drone strike in NW Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: At least four people were killed and many others were injured on Friday afternoon when a U.S. drone launched a strike in Pakistan's northwestern tribal region of North Waziristan, local media reported.
According to the reports, the pilotless plane fired two missiles at a house in the Hesokhel village of Mir Ali, a famous district of North Waziristan.
The missile strike completely destroyed the house and killed four people present in the building.
Soon after the incident, local people rushed to the site and started rescue work to take the dead bodies and injured out of the debris.
The injured were being shifted to the local hospital for treatment but local rescuers were unable to tell the number of wounded people.
Earlier on Thursday night, a U.S. unmanned aircraft, which was reportedly being used to target militants' hideouts, crashed in Pakistan's northwestern tribal region of South Waziristan, the neighboring area of North Waziristan.
According to the reports, the pilotless plane crashed in the Wana district of South Waziristan, a restive tribal region bordering Afghanistan.
Local media quoting official sources reported that the U.S. drone might had come to attack some target but crashed apparently due to some technical fault.
U.S.-led NATO forces fighting in Afghanistan believed that Pakistan's bordering areas especially North Waziristan and South Waziristan are the safe havens for the militants who allegedly attack NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Pakistan, on a number of occasions, protested and expressed its reservations over such strikes, terming them the violation of its sovereignty but U.S. considered it an effective strategy to eliminate militants hiding in hilly areas.
The Friday attack is the 39th of its kind (counted on a daily basis) in Pakistan during 2012, killing at least 273 people and injuring hundreds of others.
On Dec. 9, at least four people were killed when a U.S. drone launched a strike firing four missiles at a house in North Waziristan.
Earlier on Dec. 1, U.S. drone attacked a suspected house in South Waziristan killing at least four people...
============
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@
============
Fri Dec 21, 2012 3:00 pm (PST) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://www.todayonl
Today Online/Agencies
December 21, 2012
US to deploy newest battle craft to its Asia-Pacific bases
Move part of new military strategy to reinforce America's influence in the volatile region
====
[T]he Pentagon will send P-8 submarine-hunting aircraft, cruise missiles, Virginia-class submarines, coastal combat ships and F-35 fighter jets to the Asia-Pacific region in coming years.
The Philippines, Australia and other parts of the region have seen an increase in the number of US warships, planes and personnel since President Barack Obama announced a "pivot" in foreign, economic and security policy towards Asia late last year.
====
WASHINGTON: The United States is planning to deploy its newest high-tech military hardware, including submarines and warships, to its military bases in the Asia-Pacific region, as it turns its attention to a fast-growing Asia and a newly assertive China.
A US military official, who was speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the deployment is part of Washington's new military strategy to reinforce its influence in the volatile region.
"What you're seeing is part of a bigger effort; the Pacific theatre will get the newest weapons systems first," he was quoted as saying by Iranian television network Press TV.
The official said the Pentagon will send P-8 submarine-hunting aircraft, cruise missiles, Virginia-class submarines, coastal combat ships and F-35 fighter jets to the Asia-Pacific region in coming years.
The Philippines, Australia and other parts of the region have seen an increase in the number of US warships, planes and personnel since President Barack Obama announced a "pivot" in foreign, economic and security policy towards Asia late last year.
The first of a new class of US coastal warships will be sent to Singapore next spring for a roughly 10-month deployment. Both countries have said the deployment stops short of a basing agreement.
On Tuesday, Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said that the stealthy F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, which is currently in development, could be deployed at the Iwakuni air station in Japan's Yamaguchi prefecture by 2017.
The Pentagon had announced in September that it will be providing Japan with a new radar installation to bolster its missile defences.
...
The US also announced on Wednesday that it will open up military ties with Myanmar. US-Myanmar military-to-
A senior US defence official said the move to renew military ties with Myanmar was to bolster the political reforms undertaken so far.
Today Online/Agencies
December 21, 2012
US to deploy newest battle craft to its Asia-Pacific bases
Move part of new military strategy to reinforce America's influence in the volatile region
====
[T]he Pentagon will send P-8 submarine-hunting aircraft, cruise missiles, Virginia-class submarines, coastal combat ships and F-35 fighter jets to the Asia-Pacific region in coming years.
The Philippines, Australia and other parts of the region have seen an increase in the number of US warships, planes and personnel since President Barack Obama announced a "pivot" in foreign, economic and security policy towards Asia late last year.
====
WASHINGTON: The United States is planning to deploy its newest high-tech military hardware, including submarines and warships, to its military bases in the Asia-Pacific region, as it turns its attention to a fast-growing Asia and a newly assertive China.
A US military official, who was speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the deployment is part of Washington's new military strategy to reinforce its influence in the volatile region.
"What you're seeing is part of a bigger effort; the Pacific theatre will get the newest weapons systems first," he was quoted as saying by Iranian television network Press TV.
The official said the Pentagon will send P-8 submarine-hunting aircraft, cruise missiles, Virginia-class submarines, coastal combat ships and F-35 fighter jets to the Asia-Pacific region in coming years.
The Philippines, Australia and other parts of the region have seen an increase in the number of US warships, planes and personnel since President Barack Obama announced a "pivot" in foreign, economic and security policy towards Asia late last year.
The first of a new class of US coastal warships will be sent to Singapore next spring for a roughly 10-month deployment. Both countries have said the deployment stops short of a basing agreement.
On Tuesday, Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said that the stealthy F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, which is currently in development, could be deployed at the Iwakuni air station in Japan's Yamaguchi prefecture by 2017.
The Pentagon had announced in September that it will be providing Japan with a new radar installation to bolster its missile defences.
...
The US also announced on Wednesday that it will open up military ties with Myanmar. US-Myanmar military-to-
A senior US defence official said the move to renew military ties with Myanmar was to bolster the political reforms undertaken so far.
