4 New Messages
Digest #4562
Messages
Fri Nov 30, 2012 8:19 pm (PST) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://www.stripes.com/news/na
Stars and Stripes
November 30, 2012
NATO activates Allied Land Command in Turkey
By John Vandiver
====
“It is not an accident that NATO decided to put Land Command here. Rather, it represents recognition by all 28 Nations of Turkey’s strategic importance to NATO.”
“These last 17 years of operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya have created a level of experience and interoperability within NATO that is higher than it has ever been in its history.”
====
NATOSTUTTGART, Germany: NATO Allied Land Command, the alliance’s new headquarters in charge of land force planning, officially activated Friday at its new home in Izmir, Turkey.
“Turkey has been essential to the effectiveness and viability of NATO since it joined the Alliance because of its geography and its very large military contribution,” U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Frederick “Ben” Hodges, the new commander of the headquarters, said during the ceremony in Izmir. His comments were made available by the headquarters public affairs office.
“It is not an accident that NATO decided to put Land Command here,” Hodges said, according to the remarks provided. “Rather, it represents recognition by all 28 Nations of Turkey’s strategic importance to NATO.”
The headquarters was established in connection with NATO’s transformation, aimed at trimming a bloated and costly command structure.
Adm. James Stavridis, commander of U.S. European Command and NATO’s supreme allied commander, was on hand during the ceremony.
“Izmir has been the junction of cultures for centuries,” Stavridis said, according to the public affairs office. “Ultimately, NATO is a bridge connecting 28 countries in the alliance. Therefore, I believe the Land Command being in Izmir has a symbolic meaning.”
The roughly 350-person headquarters in Izmir assumes the responsibilities of Force Command Heidelberg in Germany, and Force Command Madrid in Spain, which are being deactivated as part of NATO’s transformation. A similar merger of Air Command headquarters formerly in Turkey with one in Germany is taking place at Ramstein Air Base.
The Allied Land Command is responsible for ensuring readiness of NATO forces, conducting land operations and synchronizing land force command and control.
Hodges said in an interview with Stars and Stripes last week that a major focus for his headquarters will be to ensure that the tactical lessons learned during a decade of fighting in Afghanistan aren’t lost as the war winds down.
He reiterated that during Friday’s activation ceremony, also citing earlier conflicts as key to bolstering the know-how of troops in the field.
“These last 17 years of operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya have created a level of experience and interoperability within NATO that is higher than it has ever been in its history,” Hodges, according to the comments provided to Stars and Stripes.
Going forward, Hodges said his command intends to capitalize on the experiences of noncommissioned officers in particular.
“Indeed, a 25- or 30-year-old sergeant today is much more technically savvy than are any of the officers of my generation,” Hodges said. “We must take advantage of that experience and competence by increasing the level of authority we give them, empowering them to do more.”
==============================
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Stop NATO website and articles:
http://rickrozoff.wordpress.co
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==============================
Stars and Stripes
November 30, 2012
NATO activates Allied Land Command in Turkey
By John Vandiver
====
“It is not an accident that NATO decided to put Land Command here. Rather, it represents recognition by all 28 Nations of Turkey’s strategic importance to NATO.”
“These last 17 years of operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya have created a level of experience and interoperability within NATO that is higher than it has ever been in its history.”
====
NATOSTUTTGART, Germany: NATO Allied Land Command, the alliance’s new headquarters in charge of land force planning, officially activated Friday at its new home in Izmir, Turkey.
“Turkey has been essential to the effectiveness and viability of NATO since it joined the Alliance because of its geography and its very large military contribution,” U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Frederick “Ben” Hodges, the new commander of the headquarters, said during the ceremony in Izmir. His comments were made available by the headquarters public affairs office.
“It is not an accident that NATO decided to put Land Command here,” Hodges said, according to the remarks provided. “Rather, it represents recognition by all 28 Nations of Turkey’s strategic importance to NATO.”
The headquarters was established in connection with NATO’s transformation, aimed at trimming a bloated and costly command structure.
Adm. James Stavridis, commander of U.S. European Command and NATO’s supreme allied commander, was on hand during the ceremony.
“Izmir has been the junction of cultures for centuries,” Stavridis said, according to the public affairs office. “Ultimately, NATO is a bridge connecting 28 countries in the alliance. Therefore, I believe the Land Command being in Izmir has a symbolic meaning.”
The roughly 350-person headquarters in Izmir assumes the responsibilities of Force Command Heidelberg in Germany, and Force Command Madrid in Spain, which are being deactivated as part of NATO’s transformation. A similar merger of Air Command headquarters formerly in Turkey with one in Germany is taking place at Ramstein Air Base.
The Allied Land Command is responsible for ensuring readiness of NATO forces, conducting land operations and synchronizing land force command and control.
Hodges said in an interview with Stars and Stripes last week that a major focus for his headquarters will be to ensure that the tactical lessons learned during a decade of fighting in Afghanistan aren’t lost as the war winds down.
He reiterated that during Friday’s activation ceremony, also citing earlier conflicts as key to bolstering the know-how of troops in the field.
“These last 17 years of operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya have created a level of experience and interoperability within NATO that is higher than it has ever been in its history,” Hodges, according to the comments provided to Stars and Stripes.
Going forward, Hodges said his command intends to capitalize on the experiences of noncommissioned officers in particular.
“Indeed, a 25- or 30-year-old sergeant today is much more technically savvy than are any of the officers of my generation,” Hodges said. “We must take advantage of that experience and competence by increasing the level of authority we give them, empowering them to do more.”
==============================
Stop NATO e-mail list home page with archives and search engine:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/
Stop NATO website and articles:
http://rickrozoff.wordpress.co
To subscribe for individual e-mails or the daily digest, unsubscribe, and otherwise change subscription status:
stopnato-subscribe@yahoogroups
==============================
Fri Nov 30, 2012 8:19 pm (PST) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://en.trend.az/regions/sca
Trend News Agency
November 29, 2012
Parliament holds discussion on relations between Georgia and NATO
N. Kirtzkhalia
Tbilisi: The relations between Georgia and NATO were discussed in the Parliament.
Members of the committees of international relations, European integration and defense and security, together with representatives of the NATO liaison office in Tbilisi, discussed relations between Georgia and the alliance and policy partnership during the joint event, which was held behind closed doors.
"It is the first time that the parliament of Georgia hosts a committee hearing on the relations between Georgia and NATO and their prospects. It is important that friend of Georgia, head of the NATO liaison office William Lahue, will participate in the event," Parliament's Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Tedo Japaridze said before the meeting.
"It is the first such meaning and we will discuss relations between Georgia and EU, Georgia and the regions and so on in the future," Japaridze added.
------------------------------
http://rustavi2.com/news/news_
Rustavi 2
November 29, 2012
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary completes his visit in Georgia
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary Eric Rubin has completed his visit in Georgia. He held today his last meeting within the U.S.-Georgia Charter on partnership and strategic relations and the working group on defense and security.
Georgia`s deputy foreign minister and deputy defense minister attended the meeting.
At the meeting of the working group, the issues of Georgia`s integration into NATO, the country`s contribution to the ISAF operation in Afghanistan and its transit potential.
The U.S. side reiterated at the meeting its support to Georgia`s sovereignty and territorial integrity. They said after the assessment and analysis of the ongoing cooperation in security, the two countries are moving to the implementation stage.
------------------------------
http://en.trend.az/regions/sca
Trend News Agency
November 29, 2012
Georgian president, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State discuss strategy
N. Kirtskhalia
Tbilisi: Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Eric Rubin discussed strategic cooperation between Georgia and the U.S. in Tbilisi.
As the Georgian presidential administration said, special attention was paid to the continuation of the partnership under the Strategic Cooperation Charter and ensuring the defence capability and security of Georgia.
Rubin stressed Georgia's contribution to international security and gave thanks for the participation of the Georgian contingent in the NATO peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan.
Saakashvili reiterated that Georgia remains a priority for integration into European and Euro-Atlantic structures.
Rubin acknowledged Georgia's success in this direction and supported enhancing cooperation to achieve the country's goals and providing it with assistance.
Saakashvili and Rubin also paid attention to the Geneva process, as well as settlement of Georgian-Russian relations. Rubin said the U.S. strictly adheres to all the negotiations on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia.
Rubin stressed that parliamentary elections in Georgia were held in accordance with democratic norms.
"The United States will closely monitor and evaluate the processes that take place in Georgia after the transfer of power," he said.
------------------------------
http://www.civil.ge/eng/
Civil Georgia
November 30, 2012
Secretary Clinton, Georgian FM Meet in Washington
Tbilisi: Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, was "very clear" about "rule of law expectations" in Georgia when she met Georgian Foreign Minister, Maia Panjikidze, in Washington no November 29, the U.S. Department of State said.
In remarks made before the meeting, the Secretary of State said the October 1 parliamentary election was "a successful and important step on the further development of democracy in Georgia, and the move toward fulfilling the Euro-Atlantic aspirations that Georgia has."
...
Panjikidze, who is visiting Washington five weeks after becoming Georgia's new foreign minister and three weeks after visiting Brussels, said in her remarks before the meeting that she was grateful to the Secretary of State for inviting her "so soon after the elections in Georgia."
"We are very proud that the United States are our strategic partner," the Georgian Foreign Minister said...
A spokesperson for the Department of State, Victoria Nuland, said at a daily press briefing, that Clinton and Panjikidze had "a very good meeting."
Nuland said that Georgian new government's "commitment to continuity in foreign policy” was among the issues discussed at the meeting, including in respect to Georgia's NATO and EU integration and participation in the Afghanistan operation, including its contribution to the post-2014 NATO mission in Afghanistan. The State Department spokesperson said that the U.S. was "very gratified" to hear that the new government was committed to continuity in foreign policy.
"The Secretary was very clear about our rule of law expectations," Nuland said.
“The Secretary was very clear in her public statements that this is something that the international community is watching and that undergirds our support for Georgia – democratic values that we share, and rule of law being key among them, are vital to our support for Georgia,” she said when asked about series of arrests of officials from the previous government in Georgia.
“In the bilateral meeting the Foreign Minister [Panjikidze] both began and ended the meeting with reassurances with regard to the way these cases will go forward and was very clear in understanding that they know the world is watching,” Nuland added.
PM Bidzina Ivanishvili, who paid his first official visit abroad to Brussels this month, said on November 22 that he was initially planning to pay a visit to the U.S. by late November, but “upon my request, which was shared by the American side, arrangements for my visit to the United States will start next year in due course.” Ivanishvili cited “too much work” internally as a reason behind his decision to postpone the U.S. trip.
The Department of State's spokesperson said on November 29 that PM Ivanishvili "will be the guest of the White House" when he visits the United States.
Meanwhile in Tbilisi, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Eric Rubin concluded his three-day visit to Georgia on November 29. He met President Saakashvili, PM Ivanishvili and other senior officials and participated in the defense and security working group meeting, held in frames of strategic partnership commission.
The working group on defense and security is one of those four inter-agency bilateral groups, which were established to address priority areas of the U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership Charter, which was signed in January, 2009. Other priority areas of cooperation identified by the charter are democracy, economic and people-to-people relations.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Philip H. Gordon, was in Tbilisi two weeks ago, who also met with both the President and the Prime Minister.
==============================
Stop NATO e-mail list home page with archives and search engine:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/
Stop NATO website and articles:
http://rickrozoff.wordpress.co
To subscribe for individual e-mails or the daily digest, unsubscribe, and otherwise change subscription status:
stopnato-subscribe@yahoogroups
==============================
Trend News Agency
November 29, 2012
Parliament holds discussion on relations between Georgia and NATO
N. Kirtzkhalia
Tbilisi: The relations between Georgia and NATO were discussed in the Parliament.
Members of the committees of international relations, European integration and defense and security, together with representatives of the NATO liaison office in Tbilisi, discussed relations between Georgia and the alliance and policy partnership during the joint event, which was held behind closed doors.
"It is the first time that the parliament of Georgia hosts a committee hearing on the relations between Georgia and NATO and their prospects. It is important that friend of Georgia, head of the NATO liaison office William Lahue, will participate in the event," Parliament's Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Tedo Japaridze said before the meeting.
"It is the first such meaning and we will discuss relations between Georgia and EU, Georgia and the regions and so on in the future," Japaridze added.
------------------------------
http://rustavi2.com/news/news_
Rustavi 2
November 29, 2012
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary completes his visit in Georgia
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary Eric Rubin has completed his visit in Georgia. He held today his last meeting within the U.S.-Georgia Charter on partnership and strategic relations and the working group on defense and security.
Georgia`s deputy foreign minister and deputy defense minister attended the meeting.
At the meeting of the working group, the issues of Georgia`s integration into NATO, the country`s contribution to the ISAF operation in Afghanistan and its transit potential.
The U.S. side reiterated at the meeting its support to Georgia`s sovereignty and territorial integrity. They said after the assessment and analysis of the ongoing cooperation in security, the two countries are moving to the implementation stage.
------------------------------
http://en.trend.az/regions/sca
Trend News Agency
November 29, 2012
Georgian president, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State discuss strategy
N. Kirtskhalia
Tbilisi: Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Eric Rubin discussed strategic cooperation between Georgia and the U.S. in Tbilisi.
As the Georgian presidential administration said, special attention was paid to the continuation of the partnership under the Strategic Cooperation Charter and ensuring the defence capability and security of Georgia.
Rubin stressed Georgia's contribution to international security and gave thanks for the participation of the Georgian contingent in the NATO peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan.
Saakashvili reiterated that Georgia remains a priority for integration into European and Euro-Atlantic structures.
Rubin acknowledged Georgia's success in this direction and supported enhancing cooperation to achieve the country's goals and providing it with assistance.
Saakashvili and Rubin also paid attention to the Geneva process, as well as settlement of Georgian-Russian relations. Rubin said the U.S. strictly adheres to all the negotiations on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia.
Rubin stressed that parliamentary elections in Georgia were held in accordance with democratic norms.
"The United States will closely monitor and evaluate the processes that take place in Georgia after the transfer of power," he said.
------------------------------
http://www.civil.ge/eng/
Civil Georgia
November 30, 2012
Secretary Clinton, Georgian FM Meet in Washington
Tbilisi: Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, was "very clear" about "rule of law expectations" in Georgia when she met Georgian Foreign Minister, Maia Panjikidze, in Washington no November 29, the U.S. Department of State said.
In remarks made before the meeting, the Secretary of State said the October 1 parliamentary election was "a successful and important step on the further development of democracy in Georgia, and the move toward fulfilling the Euro-Atlantic aspirations that Georgia has."
...
Panjikidze, who is visiting Washington five weeks after becoming Georgia's new foreign minister and three weeks after visiting Brussels, said in her remarks before the meeting that she was grateful to the Secretary of State for inviting her "so soon after the elections in Georgia."
"We are very proud that the United States are our strategic partner," the Georgian Foreign Minister said...
A spokesperson for the Department of State, Victoria Nuland, said at a daily press briefing, that Clinton and Panjikidze had "a very good meeting."
Nuland said that Georgian new government's "commitment to continuity in foreign policy” was among the issues discussed at the meeting, including in respect to Georgia's NATO and EU integration and participation in the Afghanistan operation, including its contribution to the post-2014 NATO mission in Afghanistan. The State Department spokesperson said that the U.S. was "very gratified" to hear that the new government was committed to continuity in foreign policy.
"The Secretary was very clear about our rule of law expectations," Nuland said.
“The Secretary was very clear in her public statements that this is something that the international community is watching and that undergirds our support for Georgia – democratic values that we share, and rule of law being key among them, are vital to our support for Georgia,” she said when asked about series of arrests of officials from the previous government in Georgia.
“In the bilateral meeting the Foreign Minister [Panjikidze] both began and ended the meeting with reassurances with regard to the way these cases will go forward and was very clear in understanding that they know the world is watching,” Nuland added.
PM Bidzina Ivanishvili, who paid his first official visit abroad to Brussels this month, said on November 22 that he was initially planning to pay a visit to the U.S. by late November, but “upon my request, which was shared by the American side, arrangements for my visit to the United States will start next year in due course.” Ivanishvili cited “too much work” internally as a reason behind his decision to postpone the U.S. trip.
The Department of State's spokesperson said on November 29 that PM Ivanishvili "will be the guest of the White House" when he visits the United States.
Meanwhile in Tbilisi, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Eric Rubin concluded his three-day visit to Georgia on November 29. He met President Saakashvili, PM Ivanishvili and other senior officials and participated in the defense and security working group meeting, held in frames of strategic partnership commission.
The working group on defense and security is one of those four inter-agency bilateral groups, which were established to address priority areas of the U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership Charter, which was signed in January, 2009. Other priority areas of cooperation identified by the charter are democracy, economic and people-to-people relations.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Philip H. Gordon, was in Tbilisi two weeks ago, who also met with both the President and the Prime Minister.
==============================
Stop NATO e-mail list home page with archives and search engine:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/
Stop NATO website and articles:
http://rickrozoff.wordpress.co
To subscribe for individual e-mails or the daily digest, unsubscribe, and otherwise change subscription status:
stopnato-subscribe@yahoogroups
==============================
Fri Nov 30, 2012 8:19 pm (PST) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_11
Voice of Russia
November 30, 2012
NATO controlling Turkish missile batteries - interview
John Robles
Audio at URL above
Regular Voice of Russia contributor Rick Rozoff, the owner of Stop NATO, once again made sense of the plans and activities of the NATO alliance and gave his candid and frank views as to the intentions and plans, already in place by NATO, to secure uncontested and permanent military domination of the entire planet. As NATO continues its stealthy global expansion Rick, as always, has his eye on the ball.
Robles: This is John Robles. I am speaking with Rick Rozoff, the owner of Stop NATO International.
What can you tell our listeners about the deployment of Patriot missile batteries on the Turkish-Syrian border?
Rozoff: We know as of today, at least Moscow time, Tuesday, that inspection teams are being deployed by NATO to Turkey on the Syrian border to evaluate sites for placing NATO Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missile interceptor batteries. We don’t know for a certainty, but it appears as though they are German and Dutch teams, because Germany and the Netherlands are the only two NATO countries in Europe that have the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missiles.
Robles: Does this mean that there is going to be permanent NATO troop deployments in Turkey or are these batteries going to be controlled by Turkish forces?
Rozoff: The argument will be made that the Turkish armed forces have some rights to inspect but they will not be controlling the batteries, which will be controlled by military personnel from the respective countries that are sending them there and those appear to be Germany and the Netherlands.
A couple things real quickly: we should recall that at the beginning of this year under NATO auspices the United States deployed what is called an X-Band Transportable Missile Radar to southeastern Turkey, and this is something that is part of the European Phased Adaptive Approach program that NATO endorsed at its summit in Portugal in 2010 but announced here in Chicago in May to have achieved initial operational capability, and this is part of the general European-wide and Mediterranean Sea-wide interceptor missile system the United States is installing.
And in addition to that, NATO has consolidated two land command sites in Western Europe and is shifting them to Turkey. So, what we are seeing is with the deployment of the Patriot missiles, we are seeing a major shift by NATO from its founding countries or countries that joined the Alliance shortly after its foundation, that is from countries like the Netherlands or Italy or Germany, and it's being shifted increasingly to what NATO Secretary General Rasmussen, again the other day, referred to as NATO’s southeastern border, by which he means the Syrian border, the border of Syria and Turkey. So this is part of a process of NATO constantly expanding to the south and to the east. And in the case of Turkey, because it is the southernmost and certainly easternmost, member of the Alliance, we are seeing a shift of interceptor missile radar, interceptor missiles, what are called theater interceptor missiles like the Patriots, and at the same time moving a
major land command to Turkey from Western Europe. This is all part and parcel of the shift.
Robles: So what are the public reasons as opposed to the real reasons? The real reasons are eastward and southward NATO expansion, if I understand correctly?
Rozoff: That's correct. But we also have to remember that southeastern Turkey borders not only Syria but Iran and is close to Iraq. So, what we are seeing, again, this is just since the last summer, we have seen increased Turkish military penetration, incursions into northern Iraq, ostensibly to hunt down fighters with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, the PKK, and these include air strikes as well as moving infantry into Iraq in clear violation of the sovereignty of Iraq, and at the same time of course starting in August of last year with Turkey moving not only troops but armored vehicles up to the Syrian border. And this is, if you will, a triangle where Turkey, Iran and Syria come together and not terribly far from the Iraqi border.
It’s been my contention, as you know, and we’ve talked about this in previous shows, that NATO is using Turkey as its springboard and its strike force in the Greater Middle East, particularly in the area we talked about with Syria, Iraq and Iran.
Robles: Now you watch all the troop movements, you watch the buildups very carefully. What’s your make on plans to invade Iran and Syria, for lack of a better word...And Israel, how do you think Israel in the current situation in Gaza has been affected or has been promoted by NATO and the West, etc.?
Rozoff: I am glad you asked that question because the pieces do come together, and one of them is the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip of earlier this month, so-called Operation Pillar of Defense, began exactly two days after, by my count, a 23-day military exercise between the United States and Israel, was held in Israel.
The military exercise was called Austere Challenge 2012, and it included the testing of no fewer than five different interceptor missile systems, two American, three Israeli. The Americans are the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptor and the sea-based, so-called Aegis Class Standard Missile-3, interceptor of the sort that in a land-based version are going to be deployed in Romania and Poland.
I don’t have to tell your listeners, in the case of Poland, in a country that borders Russia, and Romania, a country that faces Russia across the Black Sea, there are to be as many as, at least I should say, 48 of the Standard Missile-3s deployed in those two countries.
Four years ago the United States based, or deployed, its first X-Band Transportable Missile Radar in Israel and that is one that has, according to the U.S. armed forces' Missile Defense Agency, has a range of 2,900 miles. Depending on how it is directed that is enough to take in the entire western border of Russia, for example, all the way to the Arctic Circle from the Negev Desert. It is exactly the same model that was placed in Turkey earlier this year.
There is now discussion, incidentally, of placing them in the Persian Gulf, possibly in Bahrain or Qatar, and also in Southeast Asia. There is one already in Japan, but there is discussion of about one or two in the Philippines. So, we are talking about what Russian officia1s correctly have identified as a global interceptor missile system.
Robles: This is not a defensive system, is it? I mean, from whom?
Rozoff: By no means is it defensive. It has two basically eminently non-defensive capabilities; one of them is as part of what is potentially a first-strike system, which means - this goes with the interceptor missiles as well as the radar that accompanies them - and in both instances what was envisioned originally by the Ronald Reagan administration in the early 1980s and referred to as the Strategic Defense Initiative, what most people know by the nick-name of Star Wars, though billed as a defensive system as its very name indicates, it nevertheless was viewed at the time and should be viewed now, because what we are seeing is the implementation, the initial implementation of that system.
And what it potentially gives the United States and its allies is the potential to, after having first launched devastating first-strike, either in conventional or nuclear, attacks against the target nation, to then be able to knock out whichever missiles have survived that first strike, any retaliatory attacks, with interceptor missiles that can knock them out. That is the real threat.
Now whether that is to be used in that fashion or whether it’s a kind of a blackmail gambit to let the country know that, should the U.S. and its allies strike first - let’s talk about Iran, in the first place - that if any missiles are still left in a silo or any portable missiles haven’t been targeted, then the so-called missile shield would be capable of knocking those missiles out of the air before they could be fired in retaliation.
Robles: Eliminating a counter-strike from their targets completely.
It would be the equivalent of somebody out in the street firing at you from a bullet-proof car.
Robles: You were listening to the interview with Rick Rozoff, the owner of Stop NATO. You can find part 2 of this interview on our website at English.ruvr.ru.
==============================
Stop NATO e-mail list home page with archives and search engine:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/
Stop NATO website and articles:
http://rickrozoff.wordpress.co
To subscribe for individual e-mails or the daily digest, unsubscribe, and otherwise change subscription status:
stopnato-subscribe@yahoogroups
==============================
Voice of Russia
November 30, 2012
NATO controlling Turkish missile batteries - interview
John Robles
Audio at URL above
Regular Voice of Russia contributor Rick Rozoff, the owner of Stop NATO, once again made sense of the plans and activities of the NATO alliance and gave his candid and frank views as to the intentions and plans, already in place by NATO, to secure uncontested and permanent military domination of the entire planet. As NATO continues its stealthy global expansion Rick, as always, has his eye on the ball.
Robles: This is John Robles. I am speaking with Rick Rozoff, the owner of Stop NATO International.
What can you tell our listeners about the deployment of Patriot missile batteries on the Turkish-Syrian border?
Rozoff: We know as of today, at least Moscow time, Tuesday, that inspection teams are being deployed by NATO to Turkey on the Syrian border to evaluate sites for placing NATO Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missile interceptor batteries. We don’t know for a certainty, but it appears as though they are German and Dutch teams, because Germany and the Netherlands are the only two NATO countries in Europe that have the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missiles.
Robles: Does this mean that there is going to be permanent NATO troop deployments in Turkey or are these batteries going to be controlled by Turkish forces?
Rozoff: The argument will be made that the Turkish armed forces have some rights to inspect but they will not be controlling the batteries, which will be controlled by military personnel from the respective countries that are sending them there and those appear to be Germany and the Netherlands.
A couple things real quickly: we should recall that at the beginning of this year under NATO auspices the United States deployed what is called an X-Band Transportable Missile Radar to southeastern Turkey, and this is something that is part of the European Phased Adaptive Approach program that NATO endorsed at its summit in Portugal in 2010 but announced here in Chicago in May to have achieved initial operational capability, and this is part of the general European-wide and Mediterranean Sea-wide interceptor missile system the United States is installing.
And in addition to that, NATO has consolidated two land command sites in Western Europe and is shifting them to Turkey. So, what we are seeing is with the deployment of the Patriot missiles, we are seeing a major shift by NATO from its founding countries or countries that joined the Alliance shortly after its foundation, that is from countries like the Netherlands or Italy or Germany, and it's being shifted increasingly to what NATO Secretary General Rasmussen, again the other day, referred to as NATO’s southeastern border, by which he means the Syrian border, the border of Syria and Turkey. So this is part of a process of NATO constantly expanding to the south and to the east. And in the case of Turkey, because it is the southernmost and certainly easternmost, member of the Alliance, we are seeing a shift of interceptor missile radar, interceptor missiles, what are called theater interceptor missiles like the Patriots, and at the same time moving a
major land command to Turkey from Western Europe. This is all part and parcel of the shift.
Robles: So what are the public reasons as opposed to the real reasons? The real reasons are eastward and southward NATO expansion, if I understand correctly?
Rozoff: That's correct. But we also have to remember that southeastern Turkey borders not only Syria but Iran and is close to Iraq. So, what we are seeing, again, this is just since the last summer, we have seen increased Turkish military penetration, incursions into northern Iraq, ostensibly to hunt down fighters with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, the PKK, and these include air strikes as well as moving infantry into Iraq in clear violation of the sovereignty of Iraq, and at the same time of course starting in August of last year with Turkey moving not only troops but armored vehicles up to the Syrian border. And this is, if you will, a triangle where Turkey, Iran and Syria come together and not terribly far from the Iraqi border.
It’s been my contention, as you know, and we’ve talked about this in previous shows, that NATO is using Turkey as its springboard and its strike force in the Greater Middle East, particularly in the area we talked about with Syria, Iraq and Iran.
Robles: Now you watch all the troop movements, you watch the buildups very carefully. What’s your make on plans to invade Iran and Syria, for lack of a better word...And Israel, how do you think Israel in the current situation in Gaza has been affected or has been promoted by NATO and the West, etc.?
Rozoff: I am glad you asked that question because the pieces do come together, and one of them is the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip of earlier this month, so-called Operation Pillar of Defense, began exactly two days after, by my count, a 23-day military exercise between the United States and Israel, was held in Israel.
The military exercise was called Austere Challenge 2012, and it included the testing of no fewer than five different interceptor missile systems, two American, three Israeli. The Americans are the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptor and the sea-based, so-called Aegis Class Standard Missile-3, interceptor of the sort that in a land-based version are going to be deployed in Romania and Poland.
I don’t have to tell your listeners, in the case of Poland, in a country that borders Russia, and Romania, a country that faces Russia across the Black Sea, there are to be as many as, at least I should say, 48 of the Standard Missile-3s deployed in those two countries.
Four years ago the United States based, or deployed, its first X-Band Transportable Missile Radar in Israel and that is one that has, according to the U.S. armed forces' Missile Defense Agency, has a range of 2,900 miles. Depending on how it is directed that is enough to take in the entire western border of Russia, for example, all the way to the Arctic Circle from the Negev Desert. It is exactly the same model that was placed in Turkey earlier this year.
There is now discussion, incidentally, of placing them in the Persian Gulf, possibly in Bahrain or Qatar, and also in Southeast Asia. There is one already in Japan, but there is discussion of about one or two in the Philippines. So, we are talking about what Russian officia1s correctly have identified as a global interceptor missile system.
Robles: This is not a defensive system, is it? I mean, from whom?
Rozoff: By no means is it defensive. It has two basically eminently non-defensive capabilities; one of them is as part of what is potentially a first-strike system, which means - this goes with the interceptor missiles as well as the radar that accompanies them - and in both instances what was envisioned originally by the Ronald Reagan administration in the early 1980s and referred to as the Strategic Defense Initiative, what most people know by the nick-name of Star Wars, though billed as a defensive system as its very name indicates, it nevertheless was viewed at the time and should be viewed now, because what we are seeing is the implementation, the initial implementation of that system.
And what it potentially gives the United States and its allies is the potential to, after having first launched devastating first-strike, either in conventional or nuclear, attacks against the target nation, to then be able to knock out whichever missiles have survived that first strike, any retaliatory attacks, with interceptor missiles that can knock them out. That is the real threat.
Now whether that is to be used in that fashion or whether it’s a kind of a blackmail gambit to let the country know that, should the U.S. and its allies strike first - let’s talk about Iran, in the first place - that if any missiles are still left in a silo or any portable missiles haven’t been targeted, then the so-called missile shield would be capable of knocking those missiles out of the air before they could be fired in retaliation.
Robles: Eliminating a counter-strike from their targets completely.
It would be the equivalent of somebody out in the street firing at you from a bullet-proof car.
Robles: You were listening to the interview with Rick Rozoff, the owner of Stop NATO. You can find part 2 of this interview on our website at English.ruvr.ru.
==============================
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Fri Nov 30, 2012 8:20 pm (PST) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://www.space4peace.org/
Space Alert!
Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space
December 2012
Sweden and Finland Join NATO’s Militarization in the Arctic North
By Agneta Norberg
My intervention here is about Sweden and Finland, two countries in NATO’s
“Partnership for Peace.” The US National Security Directive #66 states:
“The US has broad and fundamental national security interests in the Arctic
region and is prepared to operate either independently or in conjunction with other states to safeguard these interests.
"These interests include missile defense and early warning; deployment of sea and air systems for strategic sealift, strategic deterrence, maritime presence and maritime security operations; and freedom of navigation and over-flight.”
In November 2009 the US Navy released a paper called “Navy Arctic Roadmap.”
The paper refers to the directive quoted above and the roadmap speaks
about the intent to “Preserve the global mobility of US military and civilian vessels and aircrafts throughout the Arctic region.”
Less than three weeks after unveiling this Arctic strategy, NATO held a
two-day meeting in Iceland attended by US/NATO top-military commanders and
the NATO Secretary General. They proclaimed that the high north is going to get more NATO attention. (Now that Arctic ice is melting due to climate change and energy corporations can drill for oil.) Russia was not invited to send an observer.
Norway has now moved its operational command into the Arctic, the only
command centre above the polar circle, and purchased 48 F–35 fighter jets
for Arctic patrol. Denmark is said to have plans to establish an Arctic
Command, an Arctic response force and military buildup at the Thule airbase in Greenland. The US and Britain are conducting joint submarine warfare exercises under the shrinking Polar ice cap.
Today all countries bordering Russia are members of NATO or in the Partnership for Peace, which most people describe as an antechamber to NATO.
US military airfields are set up in all Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Hungary. Fighters from the US, Great Britain, Germany, Turkey, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, The Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Romania and Sweden are training on daily missions close to St Petersburg, Russia. All this is a breach of the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe. Russia is today totally encircled by hostile installations and some of these are radars, which will serve the dangerous missile defense program.
Also for this purpose huge radar installations are installed in northern Norway (at Vardö), Romania and in Turkey.
How do Sweden and Finland fit into this pattern? Both countries have taken
part in numerous recent war exercises held in northern and southern Sweden
and northern Norway with the NATO countries as well and in the waters in
the Baltic Sea.
On the December 15, 2004 the Swedish parliament passed a decision about
Sweden’s adjustment to NATO, and the US military’s need for a large training area for their many wars. A large part of Northern Sweden will
be opened up for military training of combat vehicles, fighter planes, weapons and drones.
At North European Aerospace Test range (NEAT), weapons corporations were invited to test systems of different kinds and join war exercises. The new type of satellite-directed war requires larger areas for training as do weapon systems like AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile).
The area is ideal because it’s as large as the country of Macedonia. In July 2010, The US Air Force conducted bomb training for a couple of weeks at NEAT and British Royal Air Force was allowed to train almost the entire year 2011. But already in 2002 Israel got permission to train their drones, which later were used in the war on Gaza.
Esrange, the world’s biggest downloading station for satellites, not far from the city of Kiruna, is situated within NEAT. Every state or corporation, which are ready to pay, can buy maps from Esrange over any area on the earth.
When in South Korea, I came to know that Esrange serves the South Korean Air Force with maps covering North Korean territory. Another example of Esrange´s role in warfare is the following story: At a lecture in Kiruna, by Bruce Gagnon a couple of years ago about how space is used in modern warfare, one young woman in the audience confessed that she as a student trainee at Esrange, had questioned the practice of downloading maps of Russian territory. She asked why these maps were sent to receivers in the US. She never got a good explanation, she told us.
There is a rather strong resistance towards joining NATO in both Sweden
and Finland according to recent polls. What can the governments do to circumvent these anti-NATO sentiments and bring us into this dangerous alliance?
One way is to drag non-NATO countries into the alliance without mentioning NATO. This was done in 2011 when British Prime Minister Cameron hosted a meeting in London and invited all Nordic countries, including the Baltic states, to consolidate common interests with the Nordic nations. The common interests were about air space, sea areas, security in Northern regions, cyber security, training in equipment and of troops.
“Interoperability” it is called. The reason for this cooperation was said to be the increasing tensions in the Arctic area. We have to understand these realities and make pressures on the parliamentarians in political parties who proclaim in their party programme that they are against NATO membership. We have to start a serious debate about these dangerous step-by-step developments.
Many Swedish and Finnish people still believe we are non-aligned and neutral countries.
We who see the dangerous developments have to work together with other Nordic activists to counter these war preparations and stop it. One step
we are planning is to hold the 21st annual Global Network space organizing
conference in Kiruna, Sweden on June 27–30, 2013. By bringing key peace
movement leaders from around the world to northern Sweden we intend to
shine a bright light on these offensive and destabilizing NATO plans for war to control Arctic resources. Please plan to join us.
Agneta Norberg is vice chair of Swedish Peace Council, a member of the IPB Steering Committee and serves on the Global Network board.
Space Alert!
Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space
December 2012
Sweden and Finland Join NATO’s Militarization in the Arctic North
By Agneta Norberg
My intervention here is about Sweden and Finland, two countries in NATO’s
“Partnership for Peace.” The US National Security Directive #66 states:
“The US has broad and fundamental national security interests in the Arctic
region and is prepared to operate either independently or in conjunction with other states to safeguard these interests.
"These interests include missile defense and early warning; deployment of sea and air systems for strategic sealift, strategic deterrence, maritime presence and maritime security operations; and freedom of navigation and over-flight.”
In November 2009 the US Navy released a paper called “Navy Arctic Roadmap.”
The paper refers to the directive quoted above and the roadmap speaks
about the intent to “Preserve the global mobility of US military and civilian vessels and aircrafts throughout the Arctic region.”
Less than three weeks after unveiling this Arctic strategy, NATO held a
two-day meeting in Iceland attended by US/NATO top-military commanders and
the NATO Secretary General. They proclaimed that the high north is going to get more NATO attention. (Now that Arctic ice is melting due to climate change and energy corporations can drill for oil.) Russia was not invited to send an observer.
Norway has now moved its operational command into the Arctic, the only
command centre above the polar circle, and purchased 48 F–35 fighter jets
for Arctic patrol. Denmark is said to have plans to establish an Arctic
Command, an Arctic response force and military buildup at the Thule airbase in Greenland. The US and Britain are conducting joint submarine warfare exercises under the shrinking Polar ice cap.
Today all countries bordering Russia are members of NATO or in the Partnership for Peace, which most people describe as an antechamber to NATO.
US military airfields are set up in all Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Hungary. Fighters from the US, Great Britain, Germany, Turkey, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, The Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Romania and Sweden are training on daily missions close to St Petersburg, Russia. All this is a breach of the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe. Russia is today totally encircled by hostile installations and some of these are radars, which will serve the dangerous missile defense program.
Also for this purpose huge radar installations are installed in northern Norway (at Vardö), Romania and in Turkey.
How do Sweden and Finland fit into this pattern? Both countries have taken
part in numerous recent war exercises held in northern and southern Sweden
and northern Norway with the NATO countries as well and in the waters in
the Baltic Sea.
On the December 15, 2004 the Swedish parliament passed a decision about
Sweden’s adjustment to NATO, and the US military’s need for a large training area for their many wars. A large part of Northern Sweden will
be opened up for military training of combat vehicles, fighter planes, weapons and drones.
At North European Aerospace Test range (NEAT), weapons corporations were invited to test systems of different kinds and join war exercises. The new type of satellite-directed war requires larger areas for training as do weapon systems like AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile).
The area is ideal because it’s as large as the country of Macedonia. In July 2010, The US Air Force conducted bomb training for a couple of weeks at NEAT and British Royal Air Force was allowed to train almost the entire year 2011. But already in 2002 Israel got permission to train their drones, which later were used in the war on Gaza.
Esrange, the world’s biggest downloading station for satellites, not far from the city of Kiruna, is situated within NEAT. Every state or corporation, which are ready to pay, can buy maps from Esrange over any area on the earth.
When in South Korea, I came to know that Esrange serves the South Korean Air Force with maps covering North Korean territory. Another example of Esrange´s role in warfare is the following story: At a lecture in Kiruna, by Bruce Gagnon a couple of years ago about how space is used in modern warfare, one young woman in the audience confessed that she as a student trainee at Esrange, had questioned the practice of downloading maps of Russian territory. She asked why these maps were sent to receivers in the US. She never got a good explanation, she told us.
There is a rather strong resistance towards joining NATO in both Sweden
and Finland according to recent polls. What can the governments do to circumvent these anti-NATO sentiments and bring us into this dangerous alliance?
One way is to drag non-NATO countries into the alliance without mentioning NATO. This was done in 2011 when British Prime Minister Cameron hosted a meeting in London and invited all Nordic countries, including the Baltic states, to consolidate common interests with the Nordic nations. The common interests were about air space, sea areas, security in Northern regions, cyber security, training in equipment and of troops.
“Interoperability” it is called. The reason for this cooperation was said to be the increasing tensions in the Arctic area. We have to understand these realities and make pressures on the parliamentarians in political parties who proclaim in their party programme that they are against NATO membership. We have to start a serious debate about these dangerous step-by-step developments.
Many Swedish and Finnish people still believe we are non-aligned and neutral countries.
We who see the dangerous developments have to work together with other Nordic activists to counter these war preparations and stop it. One step
we are planning is to hold the 21st annual Global Network space organizing
conference in Kiruna, Sweden on June 27–30, 2013. By bringing key peace
movement leaders from around the world to northern Sweden we intend to
shine a bright light on these offensive and destabilizing NATO plans for war to control Arctic resources. Please plan to join us.
Agneta Norberg is vice chair of Swedish Peace Council, a member of the IPB Steering Committee and serves on the Global Network board.
