30 December 2011 — Stop NATO
- U.S. Aircraft Carrier Crosses Strait Of Hormuz Toward Iran
- 154 Warplanes: U.S. Signs $29 Billion Deal With Saudis For F-15s
- United Arab Emirates: First Overseas Deployment Of Advanced U.S. Interceptors
- Russia: Main Goal Of U.S., NATO In Libya Was To Murder Gaddafi
- Afghan Soldier Slays Two NATO Counterparts
- Georgia Expects Chicago Summit To Advance NATO Integration
- Kosovo Serbs: The Right To A Homeland
- Russian UN Envoy Warns Of International Destabilization In New Year
- Egypt: Military Junta Versus U.S. ‘NGOs’
- Raytheon Gets Contract For U.S. And NATO Interceptor Missiles
- U.S. Ambassador Applauds Caspian-Caucasus-Europe Pipeline
U.S. Aircraft Carrier Crosses Strait Of Hormuz Toward Iran
http://rt.com/news/usa-navy-iran-oil-903/
RT
December 29, 2011
US navy crosses Strait of Hormuz after Iranian oil threats
An Iranian warplane has spotted a US aircraft carrier during Tehran’s ongoing navy drill in the Persian Gulf, reports IRNA news agency. The US fleet’s maneuvers come after Iran threatened to block the oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran’s surveillance jet has shot a video and pictures of the American carrier, which was later identified as John C. Stennis. The US Fifth Fleet keeps a military base in Bahrain, while the ship was spotted in the Gulf of Oman after crossing the Strait of Hormuz.
‘An Iranian vessel and surveillance plane have tracked, filmed and photographed a US aircraft carrier as it was entering the Gulf of Oman from the Persian Gulf,’ said Adm. Habibollah Sayyari, Iran’s navy chief, as cited by the official IRNA.
‘The foreign fleet will be warned by Iranian forces if it enters the area of the drill,’ added Sayyari.
The US navy confirmed on Thursday the aircraft carrier John C. Stennis had indeed headed for the Gulf of Oman, accompanied by guided-missile cruiser Mobile Bay and several other vessels. But that was ‘a pre-planned, routine transit’ as the group was to provide air support to allied troops in Afghanistan, said Lt. Rebecca Rebarich, the spokesperson for the US Fifth Fleet.
Since Saturday, Iran has been conducting a 10-day navy drill in international waters near the Strait of Hormuz, the gateway for up to 40 per cent of world’s oil supply with the US and EU among major customers. Tehran has promised to block the strait if Washington sanctions Iran’s oil exports out of suspicions it is developing nuclear weapons.
While Tehran seems to be reaffirming its naval might in the region, Reuters reports all of its marine capabilities cannot be compared with the US Fifth Fleet located in the Persian Gulf, which lists over 20 ocean-range warships and 15,000 personnel.
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154 Warplanes: U.S. Signs $29 Billion Deal With Saudis For F-15s
http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20111229/170552831.html
Russian Information Agency Novosti
December 29, 2011
U.S. inks $29.4 bln F-15 deal with Saudi Arabia
Washington: The U.S. has concluded a $29.4 billion deal with Saudi Arabia to supply 84 new F-15 fighter jets and upgrade 70 other F-15s already in service with the Saudi air force, White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Joshua Earnest said.
Manufactured by Boeing, the F-15SA is ‘the most sophisticated and capable aircraft in the world,’ he said.
‘The United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have signed a government-to-government agreement under the Foreign Military Sales program to provide advanced F-15SA combat aircraft to the Royal Saudi Air Force,’ the spokesman said.
‘Valued at $29.4 billion, this agreement includes the modernization of 70 existing aircraft as well as munitions, spare parts, training, maintenance and logistics,’ he added.
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United Arab Emirates: First Overseas Deployment Of Advanced U.S. Interceptors
Bloomberg News
December 29, 2011
UAE Said to Sign Lockheed Missile Deal Valued to $3.49 Billion
The U.S. and the United Arab Emirates have signed a deal valued at as much as $3.49 billion for the first international sale of Lockheed Martin Corp.’s newest missile interceptor, according to government officials.
The initial installment of a so-called ‘undefinitized contract action’ is valued at about $1.96 billion, according to a U.S. government official. The Pentagon may announce the contract action as soon as next week, said the official, who was not authorized to discuss the signing prior to its announcement.
The interceptors are a centerpiece…that the Obama administration plans to deploy in the Middle East against Iran…Batteries of land-based interceptors would be linked to the U.S. Navy’s detection systems on Aegis-class destroyers and cruisers.
Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, or Thaad, missile interceptors are produced in Troy, Alabama, and the fire control equipment and launchers are made in Camden, Arkansas. Lockheed Martin is based in Bethesda, Maryland.
Raytheon Co., of Waltham, Massachusetts, provides the radar, and Honeywell Inc., of Morris Township, New Jersey, makes the missile’s mission computer. Aerojet, part of GenCorp Inc., based in Rancho Cordova, California, makes the Thaad rocket motor. The U.S. subsidiary of the U.K.’s BAE Systems Plc produces the missile seeker.
Lockheed Martin spokeswoman Jennifer Whitlow said the company was continuing to work with the Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency on the contract. She declined to discuss the timing of any announcement.
Proposed in 2008
The UAE would be the first Thaad international buyer. In September 2008, when it was first proposed for congressional approval, the Pentagon said the deal would be valued at up to $6.95 billion if all options were exercised.
In August 2010 the UAE scaled back the sale by about one-third. It ‘adjusted its requirement’ to 96 interceptors from 144.
The UAE also reduced its purchase – from four to two – of Raytheon’s AN/TPY-2 mobile search and tracking radar. The new radar plan supports two missile batteries, rather than three, according to a Missile Defense Agency document.
Editors: Steven Komarow, Leslie Hoffecker
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Russia: Main Goal Of U.S., NATO In Libya Was To Murder Gaddafi
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article2758804.ece
The Hindu
December 30, 2011
U.S. behind deliberate murder of Qadhafi: Russia
Vladimir Radyuhin
Russia has accused the United States and NATO of large-scale violations of human rights during the military operation in Libya, including the deliberate murder of its leader Muammar Gaddafi and the killing of hundreds of civilians.
The NATO forces ‘made the overthrow and murder of the Colonel their main goal,’ said the Russian Foreign Ministry in its first report on the state of human rights in the world.
Citing unnamed sources, the report said the order to liquidate Qadhafi was given to U.S., French and British commandos. The Russian Foreign Ministry details numerous instances of mass killings of hundreds of civilians and destruction of infrastructure in NATO bombing raids in Libya.
The U.S. is the main target of the Russian report, which also criticises the human rights record in Britain, Canada, Finland, the Baltic states and Georgia.
Russia took President Barack Obama to task for his failure to shut the ‘odious’ prison at Guantanamo Bay and accused the White House of sheltering officials guilty of torture.
‘The situation in the United States is a far cry from the ideals proclaimed by Washington,’ said the Russian Foreign Ministry in a 90-page report posted on its website.
‘Old systemic problems of American society are growing more serious, including racial discrimination, xenophobia, overcrowded prisons, unjustified capital punishment, including the execution of innocent people, imperfect electoral system and corruption, ’ said the report.
RHETORIC
The report was released as Moscow hardened its rhetoric against the U.S. on such issues as missile defence and interference in Russian internal affairs. The new head of the Russian Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Alexei Pushkov, said the ‘reset’ in Russian-U.S. relations had come to an end.
‘The U.S. had desisted from discussing the domestic situation in Russia as part of the ‘reset’. Clinton violated this tacit agreement,’ said Mr. Pushkov. ‘I think we have entered a phase when the U.S. will no longer show restraint towards Russia.’
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Afghan Soldier Slays Two NATO Counterparts
Voice of America News
December 29, 2011
Man in Afghan Army Uniform Kills 2 NATO Troops
NATO says a man wearing an Afghan National Army uniform has killed two coalition service members in eastern Afghanistan.
NATO did not give further details of Thursday’s incident and only said that the individual turned his weapon against two NATO soldiers, killing them.
The victims’ nationalities were not identified.
Meanwhile in southern Afghanistan, a roadside bomb killed 10 Afghan police officers on Thursday.
Provincial officials say the police had just left a training center and were headed home when their vehicle hit a landmine in the Nad Ali district of Helmand province.
New police recruits were among those killed. One police officer was wounded in the attack.
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Georgia Expects Chicago Summit To Advance NATO Integration
http://en.trend.az/regions/scaucasus/georgia/1975295.html
Trend News Agency
December 29, 2011
Georgia expects clearer signals on NATO integration in 2012
N. Kirtskhalia
Tbilisi: 2011 has been an important year in Georgia’s integration into NATO and the EU, Georgian Deputy Prime Minister Giorgi Baramidze said on Thursday.
Baramidze said Georgia effectively uses such a tool as the NATO-Georgia Commission and has already held about 20 meetings within it.
‘The NATO Secretary General’s visit to Georgia and mentioning Georgia among country-candidates for Alliance’s membership were important,’ Baramidze said stressing that this happened for the first time. He also stressed that the decision of the NATO Bucharest summit that Georgia will be a NATO member remains in force.
‘Our task in 2012 is maintaining a high rate of integration into the NATO and EU,’ Baramidze stressed.
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Kosovo Serbs: The Right To A Homeland
http://english.ruvr.ru/2011/12/29/63118604.html
Voice of Russia
December 29, 2011
Kosovo Serbs: the right to a Motherland
Alexander Vatutin
The outgoing year was a challenging one for Serbs living in densely populated areas of Kosovo and Metohija as they fought for their ethnic identity and the right to live in the land of their ancestors. The authorities in the Republic of Kosovo with the capital Pristina have been doing whatever they can to establish control over Kosovo and Metohija and continue the policy of ‘shadow’ genocide irrespective of international agreements. The Voice of Russia’s Alexander Vatutin reports.
Pristina makes no secret of its intention of gaining complete sovereignty over the whole of Kosovo. Given that the West is turning a blind eye to that, it is using the situation to its maximum advantage and most of the efforts in the direction of this goal were taken this year. Kosovo’s Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said earlier that the Albanian authorities had no intention of granting Serb enclaves the right to self-determination.
Ethnic conflict expert Pavel Kandel has this to say.
‘The Albanians will slowly press Kosovo Serbs out of the province. The birthrate among Albanians is fairly high. Given the current social tensions when half of young Albanians in the province are jobless, the easiest way to deal with the crisis is to put the blame on foreign neighbors.’
Pristina attempted to get the administrative border of Kosovo and Serbia under its control. Pristina’s authorities backed by the EU-led international police force used force against Kosovo Serbs who refuse to accept Pristina’s sovereignty over their territories. The clashes that started this summer reached a culmination point at the end of November when KFOR international forces deployed in the province under the UN mandate readily supported the Albanians.
On February 15th 2012 Kosovo Serbs will take part in a referendum in which they will be asked whether they were willing to recognize Kosovo-Albanian authorities in the north of Kosovo. The positive outcome of the vote could lead to further actions of disobedience and the declaration of independence of Kosovo and Metohija. Belgrade might be unprepared for such a turn.
Driven to despair, Kosovo Serbs turned to Russia for Russian citizenship. Russia has to reject their request because Russian legislation doesn’t stipulate this. However, Russian diplomacy has other means of influencing the events.
Balkan expert Pyotr Iskenderov comments.
‘Russian diplomats could insist on restructuring the entire peacekeeping presence in the Balkans.’
Eager to enter the EU, Belgrade de facto left Kosovo Serbs to their own devices. All throughout the year, Serbia made it a point to convince Brussels that it wouldn’t meddle in the conflict between the Albanian majority and the Serb minority in Kosovo. However, in accordance with Resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council which was adopted in 1999 and is still in effect, Serbia has the right to deploy troops in the Serb-populated areas of Kosovo. Apparently, Belgrade finds the mere thought of this appalling.
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Russian UN Envoy Warns Of International Destabilization In New Year
http://english.ruvr.ru/2011/12/29/63126152.html
Itar-Tass
December 29, 2011
Churkin warns of intn’l destabilization in 2012
The ever-increasing confrontation between the West and Iran could drastically destabilize the international situation in 2012, Russia’s UN envoy Vitaly Churkin said in an interview with the Russia Today news channel aired on Thursday.
Russia is doing its best to prevent such a scenario, Churkin said, adding that in 2012, Iran may say ‘No’ to its dialogue with the IAEA in order to allay concerns about the military nature of its nuclear program.
Churkin expressed hope that next year will see a resumption of the six-party talks on the Iranian nuclear program.
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Egypt: Military Junta Versus U.S. ‘NGOs’
http://rt.com/news/egypt-police-raid-ngo-953/
RT
December 29, 2011
US price tag on Egyptian revolution?
Police in Cairo have today raided 17 civil society organizations as the country’s military rulers seek to find out exactly who has been funding the Egyptian revolution.
As several of the pro-democracy and human rights groups were at the forefront of the revolution that swept through the country last January, Egyptian authorities have become increasingly interested in the foreign funding many of these groups receive.
At least three of the human rights groups targeted in Thursday’s operation, the National Democratic Institute (NDI), Freedom House, and the International Republican Institute (IRI), are based in the US.
‘Security forces who said they were from the public prosecutor are raiding our offices as we speak. They are grabbing all the papers and laptops as well,’ said one person working at NDI, who gave her name as Rawda, told Reuters.
The Washington-based IRI, which has served as an election monitor in Egypt’s ongoing parliamentary elections, reacted harshly to the raids.
‘IRI has been working with Egyptians since 2005; it is ironic that even during the Mubarak era IRI was not subjected to such aggressive action,’ a statement by the group read, Al Arabiya reports.
However, as the continuing violent crackdown by security forces against the protests has left 17 dead and more than 700 injured this month alone, Egypt’s military is becoming increasingly fearful of foreign interference in the country’s internal affairs.
In October, Egypt’s justice minister commissioned two judges to investigate allegations of foreign funding. The minister said that any ?organization found guilty of the practice would be charged with ??‘betraying Egypt by deliberately promoting political strife,’? Al Arabiya cites him as saying.
Their fears might not be entirely unfounded.
A few weeks after the regime of Hosni Mubarak was toppled, the United States Agency for International ?Development (USAID) is said to have set aside some $65 million dollars for ‘democratic development’ programs in Egypt.
In response, former-prime minister Essas Sharaf established a fact-finding committee in July to identify and then blacklist any non-governmental organizations which had actively solicited funds from USAID.
But while it remains to be seen if Thursday’s raids are connected to the committee’s findings, the Egyptian army might be attempting to determine just who they will be handing power over to when they finally step aside next year.
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Raytheon Gets Contract For U.S. And NATO Interceptor Missiles
United Press International
December 29, 2011
Raytheon announces new contracts
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.: Raytheon is closing out December with $320 million in orders for its AESA radar and $72 million in contracts for work on U.S. and NATO missile systems.
The identities of the parties who ordered the active electronic beam scanning radar system weren’t disclosed. Nor were details of the contracts, including delivery schedules.
The AESA system enables a radar beam to be directed close to the speed of light for air-to-air and air-to-ground information in near real time. Raytheon said it has delivered more than 300 of the aerial systems to a variety of customers in the United States and overseas.
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The first of the total $72 million missile support awards came from the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command and are for the Phalanx, SeaRAM and land-based Phalanx, as well as SeaSparrow surface missiles used by NATO.
Under the first contract, Raytheon will provide design engineering and technical support services for Phalanx systems, which provides missile defense for U.S. ships.
The second award calls for the provision of an undisclosed number of SeaSparrow MK57, MOD 12/13 systems, as well as missile launchers and spare parts.
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U.S. Ambassador Applauds Caspian-Caucasus-Europe Pipeline
http://en.trend.az/capital/energy/1975391.html
Trend News Agency
December 29, 2011
U.S. Ambassador: Southern gas Corridor to play significant role for Southern Caucasus and Europe
V. Zhavoronkova
Baku: The Southern gas corridor will play a significant role not only for the Southern Caucasus but the whole of Europe, the U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan Matthew Brayza said at the press conference on Thursday.
He stressed that 2011 was an incredibly productive year for the energy sector.
‘The issue was to help Turkish and Azerbaijani companies to come together and come to an agreement to transport Azerbaijani gas through Turkey to Europe,’ Bryza said.
Bryza added that he expects the increase in investment in this sector in upcoming month.
The Southern gas Corridor is an EU priority energy project aiming at diversifying energy supply routes and sources and increasing EU energy security. It includes the Nabucco gas pipeline, Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) and ITGI (Turkey-Greece-Italy pipeline) projects.
Gas which will be produced during the second stage of Azerbaijani Shah Deniz gas condensate field development is considered as the main source for these projects.
In late October, Azerbaijan and Turkey signed a package of gas contracts which includes cost issues of Azerbaijani gas for Turkey in the Shah Deniz-2 project, volume of gas supplies to Turkey from the field after 2017, as well as a transit agreement for Azerbaijani gas transportation through Turkey.
The New Dark Age 
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