10 May, 2011 — Stop NATO
- Afghan War: NATO Ready For Next 100 AWACS Missions
- Romania Loses Another Soldier In NATO’s Afghan War
- Afghanistan: Over 165 NATO Soldiers Killed So Far This Year
- Afghan Insurgents Launch Large-Scale Assault In Eastern Province
- Pakistan: U.S. Drone Attack Kills Five, Wounds Seven
- Kyrgyzstan: NATO Plants Itself Deeper In Central Asia
- Central Asian Nations “Extremely Important” NATO Partners
- Obama Visit To Poland This Month Can Seal Warplane Deployment Deal
- Poland: Obama Visit To Focus On Shale Gas, Shifting U.S. Warplanes East
- Estonia Upgrades Military To Meet Global NATO War Standards
- French Warplanes Take Over NATO Baltic Air Patrol
- Belarus Warns Of Parallels With World War II
- Opposition: Georgia, U.S. Envoy Plan “Color” Coup In Azerbaijan
- U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership Meeting In Washington
Afghan War: NATO Ready For Next 100 AWACS Missions
www.aco.nato.int/page424202058.aspx
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Allied Command Operations
May 6, 2011
100th AWACS Mission Supporting ISAF
NATO AWACS E-3A aircraft successfully completed their 100th mission flight in support of ISAF Operations on 28-29 April 2011. The NATO AWACS fleet is deployed over Afghanistan in response to a Commander ISAF requirement.
After flying with the crew on the long 14.7 hour night sortie, Major General Stephen D. Schmidt, NATO Airborne Early Warning & Control Force Commander, reported NATO AWACS E-3A mission number 100 was a total success. He expressed complete confidence in the NATO aircrews and their support team and said he expects even better mission efficiencies sustaining the next 100 missions in support of the Alliance for ISAF: “The increased operational tempo in Afghanistan has seen a significant increase in air activity in support of ground operations…”
The main mission of NATO AWACS, which provides 24-hour coverage over Afghanistan with US AWACS aircraft, is to provide all-weather airspace surveillance, command, control and communications to commanders…
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Nowadays, the Force has been increasingly deployed on complex and demanding missions, including support to maritime operations, airspace management, air policing, Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR), disaster relief and counter piracy, among others.
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Romania Loses Another Soldier In NATO’s Afghan War
en.trend.az/regions/world/afghanistan/1873721.html
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
May 10, 2011
Roadside bomb kills Romanian soldier in Afghanistan
A Romanian soldier serving with the NATO mission in Afghanistan was killed by a bomb on Tuesday, the Defence Ministry said in Bucharest, DPA reported.
The soldier, Ionel Marinescu, 28, was fatally wounded by an improvised explosive device on a highway in the southern Zabul province. Another Romanian soldier was killed last week.
Romania, a former Communist bloc country that joined NATO in 2004, has deployed about 1,700 soldiers to the mission in Afghanistan.
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Afghanistan: Over 165 NATO Soldiers Killed So Far This Year
channel6newsonline.com/2011/05/bomb-blasts-kill-two-coalition-troops-in-eastern-afghanistan/
BNO News
May 10, 2011
Bomb blasts kill two coalition troops in eastern Afghanistan
KABUL: Two coalition service members were killed in two separate attacks in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) confirmed on Wednesday.
ISAF said the service members were killed as a result of two separate improvised explosive device (IED) attacks in eastern Afghanistan, without giving other details.
France’s presidential palace, Elysee, confirmed one of the casualties was a French soldier from the 13th Engineer Regiment. He was on a reconnaissance mission in Kapisa province when he was killed by the explosion.
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The nationality of the other service member was not immediately disclosed. “It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities,” a brief statement from ISAF said.
Coalition casualties in Afghanistan have been rising sharply in recent years, with a total coalition death toll of 709 in 2010, making it the deadliest year for international troops since the war began…
So far this year, more than 165 coalition service members have been killed in Afghanistan. Most troops are killed in the country’s south, which is plagued by IED attacks on troops and civilians.
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Afghan Insurgents Launch Large-Scale Assault In Eastern Province
www.pajhwok.com/en/2011/05/10/taliban-unleash-large-scale-assault-nuristan
Pajhwok Afghan News
May 10, 2011
Taliban unleash large-scale assault on Nuristan
JALALABAD: At least two militants were killed and three policemen injured after hundreds of insurgents launched a massive attack on police posts in eastern Nuristan province, which borders Pakistan, on Tuesday, officials said.
Armed with AK-47s, rocket-propelled grenades and machineguns, about 400 militants pounded checkpoints around a base housing police-reserve units located about 11 miles (18 kilometers) south of the provincial capital of Paroon, police chief, Shamsur Rahman Zahid, told Pajhwok Afghan News.
He said clashes were still ongoing in the Chitras and Koshtal areas. So far three policemen have been injured and two attackers killed, he said.
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He said they had requested NATO forces and the Afghan army for help, but they did not respond as yet. Other units had been directed to help policemen fighting the attackers.
He said there were no Afghan army or coalition forces in the area and that they were trying to send police reinforcements from other districts.
Taliban-led insurgents are active in the mountainous province, where they captured the Waigal district this year.
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The fighters launched simultaneous attacks on four security posts near Paroon city, he said, and acknowledged injuries to only two fighters.
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The large-scale attack in the remote mountainous eastern province, which is largely under Taliban control, is the second significant strike staged by the Taliban on government forces in less than four days and just one week after US commandos killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
The first attack came over the weekend in the southern city of Kandahar, where the Taliban attempted a full frontal assault on government buildings across the city.
The Taliban have said the Kandahar attacks were planned well before bin Laden’s death and were part of their spring offensive.
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Pakistan: U.S. Drone Attack Kills Five, Wounds Seven
www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=178929
Online News International (Pakistan)
May 10, 2011
Drone strike kills 5 in S. Waziristan
Miran Shah: At least five people have been killed in a U.S. drone missile attack in South Waziristan, intelligence officials said on Tuesday.
The missiles struck a vehicle around Tuesday noon in Baghtar, a village near Angor Ada, a bordering area with Afghanistan, the officials said.
According to the official, U.S. drone aircraft fired two missiles at a vehicle, killing at least five people and injuring seven others.
The identities of the deceased were not known immediately. This was the sencond stike by US drone at the agency after Osama Bin Laden’s death in Abbottabad.
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Kyrgyzstan: NATO Plants Itself Deeper In Central Asia
www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5gR70PRQ7TSVDrcD34GSroQzkOISQ?docId=6806236
Associated Press
May 10, 2011
Kyrgyzstan asks NATO for help in bolstering the country’s borders
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan: Kyrgyzstan’s president has appealed for assistance from NATO to bolster the country’s borders and improve the capacity of frontier troops.
Kyrgyz President Roza Otunbayeva’s office said she met Tuesday with NATO envoy to Central Asia, James Appathurai, to discuss military co-operation.
The impoverished Central Asian nation hosts a U.S. air base used as a transportation hub for operations in Afghanistan. Russia also has an air base there.
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Otunbayeva’s office cited Appathurai as saying NATO would assist in the overhaul of rocket and artillery storage facilities.
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Central Asian Nations “Extremely Important” NATO Partners
eng.24.kg/politic/2011/05/10/17993.html
24.kg
May 10, 2011
Zhumagul Saadanbekov: Kyrgyzstan is reliable and predictable partner of NATO
Daniyar Karimov
Bishkek: “Kyrgyzstan is a reliable and predictable partner of NATO in the stabilization of situation in Afghanistan,” President of Diplomatic Academy under Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic Zhumagul Saadanbekov said at today’s roundtable conference “NATO – Kyrgyzstan.”
“NATO and its members are extremely important partners of Central Asia, especially of Kyrgyzstan,” he said.
According to him, Kyrgyzstan and NATO cooperate not only in the military sector but also in many others. However, Kyrgyzstan shall establish multilateral links, in particular, within the SCO and the CSTO.
“Central Asian countries can become a bridge for cooperation between NATO, the SCO and the CSTO,” stressed the diplomat.
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Obama Visit To Poland This Month Can Seal Warplane Deployment Deal
rt.com/politics/poland-us-fighter-jets/
RT
May 10, 2011
Poland expects Obama to sign F-16 airbase deal
Washington and Warsaw may agree on transferring US F-16 fighter jets from the Aviano Air Base in Italy to Polish soil, while Moscow demands explanations for the move.
?According to Poland’s Defense Minister Bogdan Klich, the agreement on stationing US fighter jets can be prepared by the time of the US president’s visit to Warsaw on May 27-28.
The two sides are currently negotiating the details of the agreement. If the plan works, an air detachment to service the F-16 and Hercules crews and land personnel will be stationed on Polish territory. It was previously expected that the transfer to the Lask airfield in central Poland may take place in 2013.
The first information regarding Aviano emerged in March last year. The airbase in Italy where three fighter squadrons are stationed was used in NATO operations to bomb Yugoslavia in 1999.
The Polish and US military are discussing the status of the new airbase, including the issue over whether the fighter jets will be stationed on a permanent or rotation basis. The US media quoted anonymous defense officials as saying the F-16s would go to Poland for temporary training. But Polish newspapers sound “more optimistic” and predict permanent status for the airbase.
The US has already deployed a battery of Patriot air defense systems in Poland. Analysts do not rule out that Washington and Warsaw may also discuss stationing SM-3 interceptor missiles as part of the US global missile defense shield…
As for the plans to transfer the air base from Italy to Poland, the General Staff of the Russian armed forces had earlier demanded explanations. The move might pose new questions regarding the cooperation between Russia and the US and NATO in missile defense.
It could also complicate relations between Russia and Poland, which seem to have warmed in recent months. Although many Polish politicians are still suspicious of Russia, President Bronislaw Komorowski has stated that his country is not currently threatened by any country.
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Poland: Obama Visit To Focus On Shale Gas, Shifting U.S. Warplanes East
www.thenews.pl/international/artykul154984_shale-gas-and-f-16s-on-agenda-for-obama-visit.html
Polish Radio
May 9, 2011
Shale gas and F-16s on agenda for Obama visit?
During President Obama’s upcoming visit to Poland for bilateral talks, Polish Radio has obtained unofficial information that the agenda is to include talks on shale gas and American F-16s which are to be stationed in the country.
The US president is to arrive in Warsaw on the afternoon of the 27 May and will take part in the 17th Meeting of Presidents of Central European States, after which he is to attend a formal dinner with President Bronislaw Komorowski.
The next day, on 28 May, Obama is to hold talks with President Bronislaw Komorowski as well as Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
According to unofficial information obtained by Polish Radio, one of the main topics on the agenda is to concern the exploration of shale gas.
In April, the American Energy Information Administration published a report which stated that Poland currently has shale gas reserves amounting to 5.3 billion cubic metres. The analysis estimated that the reserves would be enough to supply the country with energy for the next 300 years.
The bilateral talks are also to touch upon the subject of the stationing of American F-16s on Polish territory.
The USAF squadron comprised of 16 F-16s and four Hercules aircraft is to station in Lask, central Poland, from mid-2013. The move comes as Bronislaw Komorowski first spoke to his American counterpart in Washington in December over the issue.
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Estonia Upgrades Military To Meet Global NATO War Standards
news.err.ee/politics/df0673c8-14a6-48a6-b204-de4ed3f87905
Estonian Public Broadcasting
May 10, 2011
New Defense Strategy Underlines Commitments to NATO
-By 2015, the ministry plans to ensure interoperability of the infantry brigade’s command structure with allied forces and the capability of the infantry brigade staff to command units in all battle categories, including NATO ground forces in an Article 5 type operations.
The Ministry of Defense has prepared a military national defense strategy according to which Estonia’s spending in the sector will grow by 126.1 million euros in four years.
Under the government’s plan, Estonia intends to bring defense spending to 2 percent of GDP by 2012. The figure is 1.78 percent this year according to a spring forecast.
Estonia’s defense spending in 2011 is 279.9 million euros, and the figure is forecasted to rise gradually to 406 million euros in 2015.
The strategy says the main foundations of military national defense will continue to be NATO membership and primary independent defense capability which combined should have sufficient deterrent effect.
The strategy also envisions increasing the active membership of the voluntary Defense League and strengthening the Cyber Defense League. A medium-range antiaircraft program and 24/7 monitoring of Estonian airspace would also be launched.
Most international missions have been staffed from the Scouts Battalion and as the unit is facing personnel problems, it will be reinforced by reservists
By 2015, the ministry plans to ensure interoperability of the infantry brigade’s command structure with allied forces and the capability of the infantry brigade staff to command units in all battle categories, including NATO ground forces in an Article 5 type operations.
Infrastructure projects include mobilization warehouses, building the Tapa base barracks, exercise areas and compiling and designing a detailed plan for the Jägala base.
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French Warplanes Take Over NATO Baltic Air Patrol
www.aco.nato.int/page42420430.aspx
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
May 10, 2011
Baltic 2011 Air Defence Begins
In response to a need expressed by the three Baltic states, which have been NATO members since 2004, the Atlantic Alliance provides air policing missions to ensure the sovereign integrity of their airspace.
From 28 April to 1 September 2011, the fighter squadron 2 / 5 “Ile de France” based in Orange (South of France), and the fighter squadron 1 / 12 “Cambresis” from Cambrai Air Base, will take turns deploying four Mirage 2000-C to…the airspace of the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
This is the third time the French Air Force is engaged in this operation, called Baltic 2011. Previous deployments were made in July 2007 and April 2010.
On April 28, 2011, France represented by General Patrick Charaix, deputy commander of Air Defense and Air Operations (CDAOA) officially took over from Germany during an official ceremony held in the air base of Siaulai, Lithuania with the participation of the Lithuanian Defense Minister Ms. Rasa Juknevi?ien?.
During the handover ceremony, Lieutenant-Colonel Cunat received from German Detachment Commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Rupert Rei?ing Ficker, a symbolic wooden key for Baltic airspace.
The official delegation, accompanied by numerous Lithuanian journalists, then attended the presentation of static fighters deployed Siaulai, the F-4 Phantom for the Germans and the French Mirage 2000. The day ended with a Franco-German flag raising ceremony in the alert area, where 106 airmen of different specialties will be stationed for four months.
On the 2 May 2011, two Mirage 2000-C took off on alert for the first time after the siren sounded at Wings Operation Center (WOC, air operations center). After an instrument takeoff due to weather conditions, pilots performed their mission to include a recognition of land in Kaunas and Vilnius, and a procedure for instrument landing system (ILS-Instrument Landing System) in collaboration with Lithuanian agencies. They then worked with Karmelava air traffic controllers in the combat zone, to simulate the interception of aircraft.
The first alert was a “Tango Scramble” which was a training mission. For the French pilots this marks the launch of their first operational mission. This training has also gauged their ability to take off without delay and carry out a patrol of two interception fighters, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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Belarus Warns Of Parallels With World War II
top.rbc.ru/english/index.shtml?/news/english/2011/05/10/10173905_bod.shtml
RosBusinessConsulting
May 10, 2011
Information war waged against Belarus, president says
-”We are witnessing today that leaders of well-known countries make rash and hasty decisions to bomb peaceful cities, bringing death to thousands of women, children and old people, while calling their own states democracies. These events evoke associations with the period of the Great Patriotic War.”
A fierce information and political war is being waged against Belarus, the country’s President Alexander Lukashenko said during a wreath-laying ceremony on the 66th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War on May 9.
According to Lukashenko, attempts are afoot to split Belarusian society, create fear and distrust among the people. “This is retaliation for our building a truly independent state, for the Belarusian people’s wish to be master in their own home and the architects of their own destiny,” he added. The Belarusian leader expressed confidence that his people will fight off all challenges with dignity.
He also noted that there is a new generation of politicians in the world who treat war as something trivial. “We are witnessing today that leaders of well-known countries make rash and hasty decisions to bomb peaceful cities, bringing death to thousands of women, children and old people, while calling their own states democracies. These events evoke associations with the period of the Great Patriotic War.”
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news.belta.by/en/news/politics?id=629456
Belarusian Telegraph Agency
May 9, 2011
Belarus under strong international pressure because of its independent policy
MINSK: Belarus feels such a strong international pressure because of its independent policy, Belgian expert Vladimir Caller told the ONT TV Channel, BelTA has learned.
“The independence of Belarus is an acknowledged fact. But that independence is to be protected. The country that puts up such strong resistance to the propagation of alien values can become a victim of the Western policy,” Vladimir Caller said.
“It is essential to have an efficient security policy to be protected from foreign pressure. Domestic security is a political issue. Each country should solve its internal problems in the way it sees fit,” Vladimir Caller is convinced.
According to Vladimir Caller, “Ban Ki-moon and the United Nations Organization treat Belarus not as an international organization but acts with a glance at the policy of the West that does not like Belarus’ self-determination.”
“Belarus is a peculiar island in Europe which does not want to submit to anyone. That is why the country feels under such a strong pressure,” the expert said.
As for terrorism, all countries should join efforts in order to resist this atrocity, Vladimir Caller concluded.
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Opposition: Georgia, U.S. Envoy Plan “Color” Coup In Azerbaijan
rustavi2.com/news/news_text.php?id_news=41459&pg=1&im=main&ct=0&wth=
Rustavi2
May 10, 2011
Labour Party accuses Bryza of slander
The Georgian Labour Party accuses a U.S. diplomat, the ambassador to Azerbaijan, of slander.
One of the leaders of the party. Kakha Dzagania, reported in this regard today and demanded explanations on Bryza`s statement made in Azerbaijan.
While commenting on a statement by Labour Party member Ioseb Shatberashvili, who alleged that Saakashvili, Giga Bokeria and Bryza were involved in an attempt at a colored revolution in Azerbaijan, Bryza said the Georgian Labour Party was sponsored by Russia.
The Labour Party demands explanations from the Department of State regarding Bryza`s allegation, wanting to clarify whether the US diplomat voiced the official position of his country, or if it was only his personal point of view.
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U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership Meeting In Washington
rustavi2.com/news/news_text.php?id_news=41453&pg=1&im=main&ct=0&wth=
Rustavi2
May 10, 2011
US-Georgia SPC working group to meet in Washington
A working group in the framework of the US-Georgia Strategic Partnership Charter will meet in Washington today.
As deputy minister of foreign affairs of Georgia Nino Kalandadze announced on Monday, the Georgian delegation has already left for the United States, where they will discuss economic, trade and energy issues and draft several projects together with American partners.
The sides will also discuss the future aid of the US government to Georgia.
The meetings will be held on the level of deputy ministers.
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