4 New Messages
Digest #4608
Messages
Sat Jan 19, 2013 6:47 am (PST) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://en.trend.az/news/
Trend News Agency
January 17, 2013
Azerbaijan, U.S discuss military cooperation
E. Mehdiyev
Baku: Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiyev has today received a delegation headed by Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Political Affairs of the U.S. Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, the Defense Ministry said today.
Stressing the development of bilateral relations in various spheres between Azerbaijan and the U.S., the minister discussed the positive results achieved in the field of military cooperation.
He updated the guest on the military-political situation in the region and the causes of the unresolved Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and stressed that the unresolved conflict keeps the entire region under threat.
Views on the relations in the defense field were widely expressed during the meeting.
During the meeting, Hicks expressed satisfaction with Azerbaijan's participation in the peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan and joint activity in the fight against terrorism. She stressed that the U.S intend to continue strategic cooperation with Azerbaijan on several issues.
The U.S Ambassador to Azerbaijan Richard Morningstar also attended the meeting.
==============================
http://www.messenger.com.ge/is
The Messenger (Georgia)
January 18, 2013
Azerbaijan to increase its military expenditure
Azerbaijan will spend USD 3.7 billion for military purposes. In 2012, Azeri military expenditure was USD 3 billion.
In his speech at a government meeting on January 15th, President Ilham Alyev said Armenia is blocking peaceful negotiations over Karabakh...Azerbaijan will use all possible means to continue the isolation of Armenia. It will include political, economic, diplomatic and military pressure on Armenia.
------------------------------
http://www.panorama.am/en/
Panorama.ar
January 17, 2013
Expert: Policy of Azerbaijan can make situation uncontrollable
“By increasing military expenses Azerbaijan threatens not only the Karabakh–Azerbaijani contact line, but also the Caspian Sea region,” said Tigran Abrahamyan, expert in political issues, commenting on the statement on Panorama.am that the military budget of Azerbaijan has increased by 700 million dollars compared with the previous year.
According to him, while studying the list of armaments and equipment Azerbaijan imports, it becomes clear that the expenses for its naval-military forces grow too. This means that this country has launched a serious struggle against Caspian Sea countries (mainly Iran and Turkmenistan).
“The growth of the Azerbaijani military budget is a great threat for the peace and stability of the region, which will surely have a negative effect over the negotiation processes. The threats of the Azerbaijani president and the military expenses there make it clear that this country is getting ready for war. These intentions show that the adventurism implemented by this country can make the situation uncontrollable,” T. Abrahamyan said.
To the question what step will Armenia undertake in that case, the expert noted, “The security guarantor of our country is our army and Armenia should do everything to increase the efficiency of our armed forces. It is not by chance that Armenia is importing modern military hardware, but also it promotes the development of military industry, creates corresponding infrastructures.”
To the question what will the reaction of the international community be about the abovementioned developments, T. Abrahamyan mentioned, “The international community and the power centers should increase pressure over Azerbaijan, which can be presented both by roughly criticizing Azerbaijan in reports and by limiting the sell-out of military hardware.”
According to him when Armenia states on the highest level that the only way to settle the NKR conflict is through peaceful negotiation, that doesn’t mean that Armenia is not ready for war or doesn’t consider it as a second variant of solving the conflict.
“It was not by chance that the RA [Republic of Armenia] president stated at the RPA Convention that the RA armed forces will not be engaged in exhausting and passive defense as they will be able to keep the region in security due to their mobility and efficiency. This also speaks about the fact that the efficiency of Armenian forces allows them to develop military operations on the territory of Azerbaijan and to force them a final peace,” summed up T. Abrahamyan.
==============================
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==============================
Trend News Agency
January 17, 2013
Azerbaijan, U.S discuss military cooperation
E. Mehdiyev
Baku: Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiyev has today received a delegation headed by Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Political Affairs of the U.S. Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, the Defense Ministry said today.
Stressing the development of bilateral relations in various spheres between Azerbaijan and the U.S., the minister discussed the positive results achieved in the field of military cooperation.
He updated the guest on the military-political situation in the region and the causes of the unresolved Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and stressed that the unresolved conflict keeps the entire region under threat.
Views on the relations in the defense field were widely expressed during the meeting.
During the meeting, Hicks expressed satisfaction with Azerbaijan's participation in the peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan and joint activity in the fight against terrorism. She stressed that the U.S intend to continue strategic cooperation with Azerbaijan on several issues.
The U.S Ambassador to Azerbaijan Richard Morningstar also attended the meeting.
==============================
http://www.messenger.com.ge/is
The Messenger (Georgia)
January 18, 2013
Azerbaijan to increase its military expenditure
Azerbaijan will spend USD 3.7 billion for military purposes. In 2012, Azeri military expenditure was USD 3 billion.
In his speech at a government meeting on January 15th, President Ilham Alyev said Armenia is blocking peaceful negotiations over Karabakh...Azerbaijan will use all possible means to continue the isolation of Armenia. It will include political, economic, diplomatic and military pressure on Armenia.
------------------------------
http://www.panorama.am/en/
Panorama.ar
January 17, 2013
Expert: Policy of Azerbaijan can make situation uncontrollable
“By increasing military expenses Azerbaijan threatens not only the Karabakh–Azerbaijani contact line, but also the Caspian Sea region,” said Tigran Abrahamyan, expert in political issues, commenting on the statement on Panorama.am that the military budget of Azerbaijan has increased by 700 million dollars compared with the previous year.
According to him, while studying the list of armaments and equipment Azerbaijan imports, it becomes clear that the expenses for its naval-military forces grow too. This means that this country has launched a serious struggle against Caspian Sea countries (mainly Iran and Turkmenistan).
“The growth of the Azerbaijani military budget is a great threat for the peace and stability of the region, which will surely have a negative effect over the negotiation processes. The threats of the Azerbaijani president and the military expenses there make it clear that this country is getting ready for war. These intentions show that the adventurism implemented by this country can make the situation uncontrollable,” T. Abrahamyan said.
To the question what step will Armenia undertake in that case, the expert noted, “The security guarantor of our country is our army and Armenia should do everything to increase the efficiency of our armed forces. It is not by chance that Armenia is importing modern military hardware, but also it promotes the development of military industry, creates corresponding infrastructures.”
To the question what will the reaction of the international community be about the abovementioned developments, T. Abrahamyan mentioned, “The international community and the power centers should increase pressure over Azerbaijan, which can be presented both by roughly criticizing Azerbaijan in reports and by limiting the sell-out of military hardware.”
According to him when Armenia states on the highest level that the only way to settle the NKR conflict is through peaceful negotiation, that doesn’t mean that Armenia is not ready for war or doesn’t consider it as a second variant of solving the conflict.
“It was not by chance that the RA [Republic of Armenia] president stated at the RPA Convention that the RA armed forces will not be engaged in exhausting and passive defense as they will be able to keep the region in security due to their mobility and efficiency. This also speaks about the fact that the efficiency of Armenian forces allows them to develop military operations on the territory of Azerbaijan and to force them a final peace,” summed up T. Abrahamyan.
==============================
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
==============================
Sat Jan 19, 2013 6:47 am (PST) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://news.xinhuanet.com/
Xinhua News Agency
January 19, 2013
Commentary: U.S. endorsement of right-leaning Japan jeopardizes regional security
By Wang Fan
BEIJING: The United States pledged Friday stronger security ties with Tokyo's new right-leaning administration and lent veiled support to Japan in the Diaoyu Islands dispute.
After a closed-door meeting with visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hailed the U.S. alliance with Japan as "the cornerstone of American engagement with the region."
U.S. explicit endorsement of a right-leaning Japan is sure to raise concerns among Asian countries, many of which still hold bitter memories of Japan's wartime atrocities and are casting a wary eye on the newly installed hawkish administration in Tokyo.
There are reasons for them to stay alert. Japan's rightists have shown little sincerity and willingness to apologize for Japan's wartime atrocities.
Worse, instead of facing up to the past, several members of Japan's new nationalistic administration have even attempted to put a fine gloss on the country's militarist era by proposing to rewrite school textbooks.
The United States must tread carefully in its dealings with Japan. At this moment, Washington's proposal for a tighter military alliance with Japan will only encourage Tokyo's dangerously right-leaning tendency.
Since unveiling its "pivot to Asia" strategy, the United States has tried to cast itself as a constructive force in maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific.
Washington's failure to rein in nationalist sentiments in Japan will cast doubts on its credibility as a responsible power in the region.
It is also unwise for Washington to throw support behind Japan in Tokyo's islands dispute with Beijing. This unbalanced position has betrayed its declared intention to stay neutral on the issue.
==============================
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
==============================
Xinhua News Agency
January 19, 2013
Commentary: U.S. endorsement of right-leaning Japan jeopardizes regional security
By Wang Fan
BEIJING: The United States pledged Friday stronger security ties with Tokyo's new right-leaning administration and lent veiled support to Japan in the Diaoyu Islands dispute.
After a closed-door meeting with visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hailed the U.S. alliance with Japan as "the cornerstone of American engagement with the region."
U.S. explicit endorsement of a right-leaning Japan is sure to raise concerns among Asian countries, many of which still hold bitter memories of Japan's wartime atrocities and are casting a wary eye on the newly installed hawkish administration in Tokyo.
There are reasons for them to stay alert. Japan's rightists have shown little sincerity and willingness to apologize for Japan's wartime atrocities.
Worse, instead of facing up to the past, several members of Japan's new nationalistic administration have even attempted to put a fine gloss on the country's militarist era by proposing to rewrite school textbooks.
The United States must tread carefully in its dealings with Japan. At this moment, Washington's proposal for a tighter military alliance with Japan will only encourage Tokyo's dangerously right-leaning tendency.
Since unveiling its "pivot to Asia" strategy, the United States has tried to cast itself as a constructive force in maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific.
Washington's failure to rein in nationalist sentiments in Japan will cast doubts on its credibility as a responsible power in the region.
It is also unwise for Washington to throw support behind Japan in Tokyo's islands dispute with Beijing. This unbalanced position has betrayed its declared intention to stay neutral on the issue.
==============================
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
==============================
Sat Jan 19, 2013 6:47 am (PST) . Posted by:
"mart unknown"
Forward from mart
Please Distribute Widely
*New weapons for planned new wars - Death from the sky - Boeing, Sikorsky
team up for new US military helicopter*
---------------
Multi-trillion dollar U.S. debt and deficit? What multi-trillion dollar
U.S. debt and deficit?? Financial crisis? What financial crises??
Homelessness, poverty and unemployment? What homelessness, poverty and
unemployment??
- mart
----------------------------
http://news.yahoo.com/boeing-
*Reuters, via Yahoo News
http://news.yahoo.com/
Boeing, Sikorsky team up for new US military helicopter
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -* Boeing Co and Sikorsky Aircraft, a unit of United
Technologies Corp, said they were teaming up to develop a next-generation
multi-role helicopter for the U.S. military.
The strategic teaming agreement, signed January 13 and announced on Friday,
reunites two of the biggest U.S. helicopter manufacturers, who often
compete for orders but joined forces to build the Comanche, a U.S. Army
helicopter program that was canceled in 2004.
Sikorsky, maker of the Black Hawk utility helicopter, and Boeing, which
builds Apache attack helicopters, plan to submit a joint proposal in
response to an Army technology demonstration project unveiled earlier this
month to attract design plans for the new aircraft.
The Army program will lay the groundwork for the Pentagon's Future Vertical
Lift program -- a massive project that will ultimately replace more than
4,000 medium-lift helicopters used by various U.S. military services.
Boeing and Sikorsky will compete with other industry teams to build and fly
one or more demonstrator aircraft in 2017, which would then be evaluated
for the bigger program.
"This is the beginning of a long-term strategic partnership that will make
Boeing and Sikorsky the biggest actors in the global military helicopter
business," said Loren Thompson, a Virginia-based defense consultant and
chief operating officer of the Lexington Institute think tank.
Officials from Sikorsky and Boeing said joining forces on the competition
would help the companies deliver an innovative, affordable helicopter.
"Our teaming agreement is the continuation of a long-standing relationship
between Boeing and Sikorsky and reflects a common vision for the future of
Army aviation," Chris Chadwick, president of Boeing Military Aircraft, said
in a statement.
By pooling their resources, the companies will be able to offer the
military "a revolutionary capability for the warfighter at an affordable
cost for the U.S. taxpayer," said Mick Maurer, president of Sikorsky.
The Army launched the technology demonstration project earlier this month,
saying it would support the Pentagon's program to develop the next
generation of vertical-lift aircraft with greater performance, reliability
and affordability.
Thompson said the Boeing-Sikorsky agreement could spur other companies in
the sector like Bell Helicopter, a unit of Textron Inc and AgustaWestland,
a unit of Italy's Finmeccanica SpA, to consider their own teaming
agreements.
"If the two biggest helicopter makers get together, they become nearly
unbeatable in the marketplace and their competitors are at a real
disadvantage," said Thompson.
Sikorsky is teamed with Lockheed on the MH-60 helicopters it builds for the
U.S. Navy. The two companies are also working together on a bid to build a
new search and rescue helicopter for the Air Force.
(Reporting By Andrea Shalal-Esa; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick, John
Wallace and Andrew Hay)
----------------
*Photo - (Reuters) -* "*A Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk helicopter flies near the
Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) during a transit
through the Strait of Hormuz, in this February 14, 2012, Reuters file photo.
*"
http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/
Please Distribute Widely
*New weapons for planned new wars - Death from the sky - Boeing, Sikorsky
team up for new US military helicopter*
---------------
Multi-trillion dollar U.S. debt and deficit? What multi-trillion dollar
U.S. debt and deficit?? Financial crisis? What financial crises??
Homelessness, poverty and unemployment? What homelessness, poverty and
unemployment??
- mart
----------------------------
http://news.yahoo.com/boeing-
*Reuters, via Yahoo News
http://news.yahoo.com/
Boeing, Sikorsky team up for new US military helicopter
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -* Boeing Co and Sikorsky Aircraft, a unit of United
Technologies Corp, said they were teaming up to develop a next-generation
multi-role helicopter for the U.S. military.
The strategic teaming agreement, signed January 13 and announced on Friday,
reunites two of the biggest U.S. helicopter manufacturers, who often
compete for orders but joined forces to build the Comanche, a U.S. Army
helicopter program that was canceled in 2004.
Sikorsky, maker of the Black Hawk utility helicopter, and Boeing, which
builds Apache attack helicopters, plan to submit a joint proposal in
response to an Army technology demonstration project unveiled earlier this
month to attract design plans for the new aircraft.
The Army program will lay the groundwork for the Pentagon's Future Vertical
Lift program -- a massive project that will ultimately replace more than
4,000 medium-lift helicopters used by various U.S. military services.
Boeing and Sikorsky will compete with other industry teams to build and fly
one or more demonstrator aircraft in 2017, which would then be evaluated
for the bigger program.
"This is the beginning of a long-term strategic partnership that will make
Boeing and Sikorsky the biggest actors in the global military helicopter
business," said Loren Thompson, a Virginia-based defense consultant and
chief operating officer of the Lexington Institute think tank.
Officials from Sikorsky and Boeing said joining forces on the competition
would help the companies deliver an innovative, affordable helicopter.
"Our teaming agreement is the continuation of a long-standing relationship
between Boeing and Sikorsky and reflects a common vision for the future of
Army aviation," Chris Chadwick, president of Boeing Military Aircraft, said
in a statement.
By pooling their resources, the companies will be able to offer the
military "a revolutionary capability for the warfighter at an affordable
cost for the U.S. taxpayer," said Mick Maurer, president of Sikorsky.
The Army launched the technology demonstration project earlier this month,
saying it would support the Pentagon's program to develop the next
generation of vertical-lift aircraft with greater performance, reliability
and affordability.
Thompson said the Boeing-Sikorsky agreement could spur other companies in
the sector like Bell Helicopter, a unit of Textron Inc and AgustaWestland,
a unit of Italy's Finmeccanica SpA, to consider their own teaming
agreements.
"If the two biggest helicopter makers get together, they become nearly
unbeatable in the marketplace and their competitors are at a real
disadvantage," said Thompson.
Sikorsky is teamed with Lockheed on the MH-60 helicopters it builds for the
U.S. Navy. The two companies are also working together on a bid to build a
new search and rescue helicopter for the Air Force.
(Reporting By Andrea Shalal-Esa; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick, John
Wallace and Andrew Hay)
----------------
*Photo - (Reuters) -* "*A Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk helicopter flies near the
Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) during a transit
through the Strait of Hormuz, in this February 14, 2012, Reuters file photo.
*"
http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/
Attachments with this message:
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Sat Jan 19, 2013 6:47 am (PST) . Posted by:
"mart unknown"
Forward from mart
Please Distribute Widely.
*Shilling for war - Panetta calls for more agile NATO with wider strategic
focus*
------------------
http://news.yahoo.com/photos/
*
Reuters - via Yahoo News
http://news.yahoo.com
Jan. 18, 2013
Panetta calls for more agile NATO with wider strategic focus
By David Alexander
Reuters – 16 hrs ago
LONDON (Reuters) -* Defense Secretary Leon Panetta called on Friday for
NATO to reinvent itself as a more agile alliance with a broader outlook
embracing the Asia-Pacific and able to respond to new threats from Islamic
militancy.
Panetta said as the alliance winds down the Afghanistan war and cuts
defense spending to fit shrinking budgets, it would still face challenges
from Islamist militants as well as countries like Iran and North Korea.
"NATO can no longer be an alliance focused on a single type of mission,
whether deterring the aggression of another superpower or conducting
stability operations like Afghanistan," Panetta told a group at King's
College in London, in one of his last major speeches as defense secretary.
"To be prepared to quickly respond to a wider range of threats in an era of
fiscal constraint, we must build an innovative, flexible, and rotational
model for forward-deployed presence and training," he said.
Panetta, whose trip to Europe this week has coincided with Islamist
militant violence in Mali and Algeria, is due to leave office in the next
few weeks once his successor is confirmed by the U.S. Congress.
His comments echoed those 18 months ago by his predecessor Robert Gates,
who used his last speech in Europe as defense secretary to bluntly warn
that NATO risked irrelevance because members were unwilling to invest in
defense, saying that Washington could not shoulder the entire financial
burden.
Panetta noted that some European allies had been concerned about the new
U.S. defense strategy, which calls for a rebalance toward the Asia-Pacific
region.
To make that shift under tight fiscal constraints - defense spending will
be cut by $487 billion over a decade - the Pentagon has cut U.S. forces in
Europe, causing economic pain in some areas.
Panetta said that even as it cut back some forces, the United States was
supporting regular rotational deployments to conduct joint training with
the allies and ensure the sides are able to operate together on future
missions.
"Global security is not a zero-sum game, and neither are the security
commitments of the United States," Panetta said. "More importantly,
Europe's economic and security future is, much like the United States',
increasingly tied to Asia."
"The bottom line is that Europe should not fear our rebalance to Asia,
Europe should join it," he said.
(Reporting By David Alexander)
--------------------------
*Photo - Jan. 18, 2013. REUTERS - *" U.S. Defense
Secretary Leon Panetta delivers a speech on the
future of transatlantic relationships and the future
of U.S. defense, at King's College in London January 18, 2013. -
http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/
Please Distribute Widely.
*Shilling for war - Panetta calls for more agile NATO with wider strategic
focus*
------------------
http://news.yahoo.com/photos/
*
Reuters - via Yahoo News
http://news.yahoo.com
Jan. 18, 2013
Panetta calls for more agile NATO with wider strategic focus
By David Alexander
Reuters – 16 hrs ago
LONDON (Reuters) -* Defense Secretary Leon Panetta called on Friday for
NATO to reinvent itself as a more agile alliance with a broader outlook
embracing the Asia-Pacific and able to respond to new threats from Islamic
militancy.
Panetta said as the alliance winds down the Afghanistan war and cuts
defense spending to fit shrinking budgets, it would still face challenges
from Islamist militants as well as countries like Iran and North Korea.
"NATO can no longer be an alliance focused on a single type of mission,
whether deterring the aggression of another superpower or conducting
stability operations like Afghanistan," Panetta told a group at King's
College in London, in one of his last major speeches as defense secretary.
"To be prepared to quickly respond to a wider range of threats in an era of
fiscal constraint, we must build an innovative, flexible, and rotational
model for forward-deployed presence and training," he said.
Panetta, whose trip to Europe this week has coincided with Islamist
militant violence in Mali and Algeria, is due to leave office in the next
few weeks once his successor is confirmed by the U.S. Congress.
His comments echoed those 18 months ago by his predecessor Robert Gates,
who used his last speech in Europe as defense secretary to bluntly warn
that NATO risked irrelevance because members were unwilling to invest in
defense, saying that Washington could not shoulder the entire financial
burden.
Panetta noted that some European allies had been concerned about the new
U.S. defense strategy, which calls for a rebalance toward the Asia-Pacific
region.
To make that shift under tight fiscal constraints - defense spending will
be cut by $487 billion over a decade - the Pentagon has cut U.S. forces in
Europe, causing economic pain in some areas.
Panetta said that even as it cut back some forces, the United States was
supporting regular rotational deployments to conduct joint training with
the allies and ensure the sides are able to operate together on future
missions.
"Global security is not a zero-sum game, and neither are the security
commitments of the United States," Panetta said. "More importantly,
Europe's economic and security future is, much like the United States',
increasingly tied to Asia."
"The bottom line is that Europe should not fear our rebalance to Asia,
Europe should join it," he said.
(Reporting By David Alexander)
--------------------------
*Photo - Jan. 18, 2013. REUTERS - *" U.S. Defense
Secretary Leon Panetta delivers a speech on the
future of transatlantic relationships and the future
of U.S. defense, at King's College in London January 18, 2013. -
http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/
