International Politics Thread

[nSe7eN 0]

the moscow theatre siege is particularly funny (117 or so civilians that died?). It seems a bit tasteless

Sure it’s not funny! But most those civilians been killed by there own government, because they refused to negotiate, and they used some kind of sleeping gas or what ever they call it!

I don’t mind if they wiped all the terrorist in there, but instead of that they used that gas killing most of the civilians in there and all the terrorist, the point is that the Russian government not so bright when it comes to guarantee those civilians safety in Chechnya by giving Moscow theater as example for the Russian government irresponsibility sometimes!

[Colossus 2]

Quote[/b] ]TEHRAN, Iran (Reuters) -- Russia and Iran signed

a nuclear fuel supply deal long opposed by Washington on

Sunday, paving the way for Iran to start up its first atomic

reactor next year.

The agreement, inked by the two countries' nuclear energy

chiefs at the Bushehr atomic plant in southern Iran, came as

Tehran faced heightened pressure from the United States,

which accuses it of secretly developing nuclear weapons.

Iran, OPEC's second largest oil producer, denies the charge

and has received strong backing from Moscow, which is keen

to play a major role in expanding Iran's nuclear energy program.

"This is a very important incident in the ties between the two

countries and in the near future a number of Russian experts

will be sent to Bushehr to equip the power station," Iranian

state television quoted Alexander Rumyantsev, head of

Russia's Federal Atomic Energy Agency, as saying.

A key part of the agreement obliges Tehran to repatriate all spent nuclear fuel to Russia. Moscow hopes this will allay U.S. worries that Iran may use the spent fuel, which could be reprocessed into bomb-grade plutonium, to develop arms.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has been probing Iran's nuclear program for over two years, said it would also keep a careful eye on Tehran's use of the fuel.

Spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said inspectors would "monitor closely the use of the fuel and where it goes" as part of agency safeguards monitoring aimed at ensuring no nuclear materials are diverted to any covert weapons activities.

Rumyantsev said Bushehr would start operating in late 2006.

"We are planning the physical launch at the end of 2006. About half a year before this the first delivery of fuel will take place," the Itar-Tass news agency quoted him as saying.

Iranian officials put the plant's launch about six months earlier

in mid-2006. Diplomats in Tehran said they may have been

referring to the reactor's initial test phase.

Rumyantsev said the first batch of enriched uranium fuel was

in Siberia ready to be shipped.

Disagreements over the timing of the shipment had delayed

the deal, due to be signed in Tehran on Saturday. Tehran

wanted Russia to send the fuel earlier, Iranian officials said.

Iran said long delays in signing the agreement, which has

been under negotiation for more than two years, were

technical and had nothing to do with pressure exerted by

Washington, which wants Russia to halt nuclear cooperation

with Iran.

"My understanding is that international developments have

had no effect on this contract," Mohammad Saeedi, deputy

head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, told state radio.

Once operational, Bushehr will generate 1,000 megawatts of

electricity. Initiated before Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution and

badly damaged during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, the project

was later revived with Russian help and has cost about $800

million.

Iran has announced plans to build several more power plants,

generating 7,000 MW from nuclear power by 2021. Russia

hopes to claim a significant share of this new business.

The Bushehr power station has aroused less concern in the

West than Iran's plans to produce its own nuclear fuel for

future reactors using uranium mined, processed and enriched

inside the country.

The European Union and United States want Iran to scrap its

uranium enrichment plans entirely. Iran has refused but has

suspended enrichment while it tries to reach a negotiated

settlement with the European Union.

Yes! Lets give the world a chance to see a mushroom cloud and experience Tjernobyl once again.

Most stupid invention ever found

[nSe7eN 0]

Yes! Lets give the world a chance to see a mushroom cloud and experience Tjernobyl once again.

Most stupid invention ever found

No one wants to see that!

But you can’t ask Iran to stop there peaceful nuclear project as they call if you have other countries in area like Israel with over 400 working nukes, and because the Iranian system built by a revaluation its harder to negotiate with such system, you cant ask Israel to defuse them because Israel surrounded with many unhappy and unstable neighbors as Israel call them! so the solution is to make the entire area more stable by changing the evil regimes as some people describe them, then no one needs to the power of nukes, then you can ask Israel to get rid of those nukes, and also the other countries don’t see a need to waste billions of dollars to develop such projects, for some reason I see this happening!

Without nukes there probably no cold war, now think what’s going to happing instead!

[billybob2002 0]

Quote[/b] ]But you can’t ask Iran to stop there peaceful nuclear project as they call if you have other countries in area like Israel with over 400 working nukes, and because the Iranian system built by a revaluation its harder to negotiate with such system, you cant ask Israel to defuse them because Israel surrounded with many unhappy and unstable neighbors as Israel call them!

Quote[/b] ]Without nukes there probably no cold war, now think what’s going to happing instead!

Big difference between Iran having nukes and Israel having nukes is that Iran has called for the destruction of Israel many times. The iranians deny that they want to destroy Israel but they said it was a "thought".....Furthermore, Iran hasn't been "gang raped" like Israel has been before a couple of times. Even many european countries do not want the "nuclear process" to happen. Simply, Iran could pull a North Korea.

[nSe7eN 0]

Quote[/b] ]But you can’t ask Iran to stop there peaceful nuclear project as they call if you have other countries in area like Israel with over 400 working nukes, and because the Iranian system built by a revaluation its harder to negotiate with such system, you cant ask Israel to defuse them because Israel surrounded with many unhappy and unstable neighbors as Israel call them!

Big difference between Iran having nukes and Israel having nukes is that Iran has called for the destruction of Israel many times. The iranians deny that they want to destroy Israel but they said it was a "thought".....Furthermore, Iran hasn't been "gang raped" like Israel has been before a couple of times. Even many european countries do not want the "nuclear process" to happen. Simply, Iran could pull a North Korea.

That’s was the point of calling Iran a revolutionary system, and hard to negotiate with!

It’s weird to say I don’t think they had policy like that, who actually knows anything about the actual planes!

Having nukes as you call it is very different than developing a civilian uses nuclear project as the Iran claming to be!

Some organizations making sure of that don’t worry, you cant forbid all the countries out there from developing such projects, yeah you want the nukes, and there are tons of other uses of a nuclear rector, but the issue is Iran is unstable system ruled by group extremists that’s why no one agreeing to allow Iran to proceed with it, if it was a real democratic system, then the story going to be different!

[Supah 0]

Oh well atleast we know where the US army is going after Iraq then! Knowing Iran's theocracy and its ability to field high tech weapon systems these things wont last long, look at how quickly then ran the Shah's tomcat's into disrepair. Besides I think even the most religious of crackpot Iranian leader knows that as soon as they ever use a nuclear weapon against israel they will be toasted by both the Israeli's and the americans. Hopefully they are not that keen on national martyrdom.

[Badgerboy 0]

Oh well atleast we know where the US army is going after Iraq then! Knowing Iran's theocracy and its ability to field high tech weapon systems these things wont last long, look at how quickly then ran the Shah's tomcat's into disrepair. Besides I think even  the most religious of crackpot Iranian leader knows that as soon as they ever use a nuclear weapon against israel they will be toasted by both the Israeli's and the americans. Hopefully they are not that keen on national martyrdom.

The F-14's fell into disrepair because all the Grumman techs left Iran when the Shah fell. Also, there supply of spares ground to a halt.

Iran currently has a number of flying F14's, and now has the ability to manufacture spares locally. It is believed they have a small number of functioning AIM-54A's, and are working on their own BVR A/A missile.

[theavonlady 2]

Hopefully they are not that keen on national martyrdom.

Naive little western world.

Quote[/b] ]Former Iranian President Rafsanjani on Using a Nuclear Bomb Against Israel

January 3, 2002

Every year, in a tradition introduced by the late Ayatollah Ruhallah Khomenei, Iran marks World Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day on the last Friday of the month of Ramadan to show its solidarity with the Palestinian people. Former Iranian president and "Expediency Council" Chairman Ali Akhbar Hashemi Rafsanjani gave the Al-Quds Day sermon on December 14, 2001 at Tehran University, which was attended by thousands of worshippers. In the sermon, he addressed solving the problem of Israel with nuclear weapons.

Following are core elements of the speech, as reported in Iran's English, Farsi and Arabic newspapers.[1] As none of these sources provided a direct transcript of Rafsanjani's speech, all style problems can be attributed to the original Iranian English version which we adhered to:

On Colonialism and Zionism

Rafsanjani said that "global arrogance, led by the U.S. and U.K.," is responsible for the crimes that the "artificial" state of Israel has been committing worldwide over the past half-century. The UN and other segments of the arrogant world have been supporting Israeli crimes, he said, and, cautioning against what he called "global arrogance arms buildup [by the U.S.]" in an attempt to revive the colonialist era, he asked nations and governments to prevent colonialism from attaining its goals.

Rafsanjani added: "International Zionism has been the driving force of this ugly phenomenon; Zionism is divisive; a century has passed since the onset of Zionism, but not every Jew is a Zionist, and not all members of the Zionist party are Jews."

He noted that the Zionist party is still highly active worldwide, and it is the driving force of important events taking place in the world in connection with Israel. He called the disasters that have occurred in the half-century-old state of Israel an encyclopedia of colonial crimes. Palestinians are not the only ones to have suffered from the plan to establish this "forged" Israeli state; the Jews too are paying the price, he added.

Rafsanjani claimed that the Jews had a place in various parts of the world, living rather well in each country. But this phenomenon [Zionism] caused them to take a stance regarding their religious state and leave their homes, under pressure and in the name of migration [to Israel]. Jews should wait for a day when this "extraneous matter" would be removed from the region and the world of Islam, and those who have gathered together in Israel would one day be dispersed again.

Rafsanjani stated that the establishment of Israel has inflicted hundreds of billions of dollars in damage on states in the region. However, since the essence of the phenomenon of Israel is colonialist - colonialism benefits from this fabricated government. Rafsanjani added that following the end of the official colonialist [era], the perpetrators of colonialism set out to replace it, examined various means, and [found that] the most important means was to create states that were connected by the umbilicus to colonialism in sensitive areas.

The formation of the Zionist state in the land of Palestine was a multi-faceted base for colonialism. By this means, the West rid itself of Zionism, while establishing it in Palestine. Meanwhile, the colonialists affiliated themselves with Zionism and the state of Israel so as to keep them like a tool in their service, even though, for its own survival, colonialism is itself dependent on Zionism.

Rafsanjani added that with the formation of Israel, colonialists created insecurity in the region, exposing states to threats so as to bring them under the dominion of colonialism. The survival of Israel depends on the interests of global arrogance and colonialism, and as long as this base is beneficial to them, they will preserve it.

Nuclear Weapons Can Solve the Israel Problem

Rafsanjani said that Muslims must surround colonialism and force them [the colonialists] to see whether Israel is beneficial to them or not. <span style='color:red'>If one day, he said, the world of Islam comes to possess the weapons currently in Israel's possession [meaning nuclear weapons] - on that day this method of global arrogance would come to a dead end. This, he said, is because the use of a nuclear bomb in Israel will leave nothing on the ground, whereas it will only damage the world of Islam.</span>

Israel, Islamic Jihad, and Liberation of Palestine

Rafsanjani said that it is unlikely that the Palestinian Jihad will weaken. He explained that the Palestinians have come to the conclusion that talks [with Israel] are effective only along with struggle and self-sacrifice – the two key elements that gave way to the second Intifada. The Palestinian Jihad is the mother of many Islamic movements, ranging from the [1979] Islamic Revolution in Iran to Islamic movements in Lebanon, Afghanistan, Malaysia, Central Asia, and many other Muslim states. All these Islamic movements support the Palestinian Jihad and have not forgotten it. The Palestinian Jihad has its roots in the homelessness of five million people. Undoubtedly, [this Jihad's] culmination will be the liberation of Palestine.

Colonialism and the Threat of a Third World War

Rafsanjani added that in its propaganda campaign against the Palestinian Jihad, colonialism used four tools: propaganda, violence, deception, and the instrumental application of the Palestinian Authority. He warned the agents of world arrogance of the day when they would pay dearly for the pressure they were applying on the Palestinian people, as one day these exhausted, pious, and martyrdom-seeking people would decide to strike at the vital interests of [global] arrogance everywhere, and they will do this – it is possible. Rafsanjani advised Western states "not to let the situation reach this [point] and not to pin their hopes on Israeli violence [to serve Western goals] - because it will be very dangerous. We are not willing to see the security of the world disrupted."

Rafsanjani warned of the outbreak of World War III: "The confrontation of pious and martyrdom-seeking forces with the highest forces of colonialism is extremely dangerous, and might inflame a third world war."

"In the present circumstance," concluded Rafsanjani, "the world and the region need sobriety on the part of nations and states, on the one hand, and realism and fairness on the part of 'arrogant' powers. We hope that problems will be solved on the side of right, justice, and truth."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[1] Iran News (English), Kayhan (Farsi), and Al-Wifaq (Arabic), December 15, 2001

We are dealing with a bunch of coconuts!

[theavonlady 2]

Maybe Hugh Hefner should have a shot as the next UN Secretary General.

Quote[/b] ]U.N. Fears Peacekeepers Commit Sex Abuse Worldwide

Fri Feb 25, 2005 04:32 PM ET

By Saul Hudson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.N. officials fear the sex-abuse scandal among peacekeepers in Africa is far more widespread and appears to be a problem in each of the global body's 16 missions around the world.

As the world body seeks to crack down on the abuse, it could bar countries from participating in missions if they fail to prosecute offenders, even though the U.N. is hard-pressed to find contributing nations, the officials said on Friday.

Rocked by widespread abuse of women and girls, including gang rape, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United Nations also has found sexual exploitation cases in at least four other missions -- in Burundi, Liberia, Ivory Coast -- as well as more recently in Haiti, they added.

"We think this will look worse before it begins to look better," Jane Holl Lute, assistant secretary general for peacekeeping operations, told reporters. "We expect that more information will come from every mission on allegations. We are prepared for that."

The undersecretary-general for peacekeeping, Jean-Marie Guehenno, said that up to now the U.N. had avoided identifying countries that were slow to court-martial their troops but that he had demanded action within weeks in some cases.

"They are aware of a very direct threat which is that if they don't get their act together, we are going to tell them to get out of their mission," Guehenno said, referring to all of the peacekeeping missions and not just the Congo.

There are nearly 11,000 military personnel in the Congo to help keep the peace after a civil war. The force is the largest among the more than 60,000 soldiers in U.N. peacekeeping operations around the world.

The United States, whose support is essential for peacekeeping missions, said it shared the U.N.'s fears and wanted the world body to make preventing further abuses a priority.

"We do share concerns that sexual abuse could be widespread, could exist in other places," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters, noting Washington believed the idea of naming countries that fail to act against offenders was worth considering.

"We have worked very carefully with the U.N. to try to get them to ... make sure that in fact prevention becomes a top priority for U.N. peacekeeping operations and troop contributors."

The U.N. officials, who discussed the abuses with U.S. officials this week, cited South Africa, Morocco and France as taking some action against alleged abusers in Congo but said a stronger message needed to be sent that such exploitation would not be tolerated. Allegations have also been made against soldiers from Uruguay, Tunisia and Nepal serving in the Congo.

The United Nations has jurisdiction over its own civilian staff but it only has the power to demand a specific country repatriate an accused soldier and punish him or her at home.

Guehenno said sexual abuse allegations against peacekeepers had periodically surfaced over decades but there was now less tolerance of the exploitation.

"The whole issue of the professionalism of peacekeeping is at stake," he said.

To address the problem, the U.N. is investigating peacekeepers' disciplinary records worldwide, has put specialists in conduct standards in some missions and told commanders they were accountable for any troops' abuse.

Guehenno said structural changes to provide a longer-term solution, such as additional training, heightening awareness of a code of conduct and issuing bans on sex with minors, had been inadequate.

He did not say if the U.N. would forbid peacekeepers from any sex with the local population -- a measure it has introduced in Congo. But U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said this was under consideration.

[Tovarish 0]

It is believed they have a small number of functioning AIM-54A's, and are working on their own BVR A/A missile.

According to Tom Cooper, who has written a few books on Iranian air power, they have completely reverse-engineered the Aim-54, and are producing it at low rate. (apparently comparable to the Aim-54C)

See here (may have to register)

[billybob2002 0]

http://www.newsday.com/news....adlines

Quote[/b] ]Black Diplomat Attacked in Ukraine  

     

By Associated Press

March 1, 2005, 10:55 AM EST

KIEV, Ukraine -- An American diplomat said Tuesday he was attacked and severely beaten by a group of skinheads in the Ukrainian capital because he was black.

Robert Simmons, serving at the U.S. Agency for International Development in Uzbekistan, was attacked Saturday night by what he described as a well-organized group of more than a dozen skinheads wearing combat boots.

"I was attacked because I am African-American. They did not touch my friends who were there with me but were not black," Simmons told The Associated Press in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent.

"They beat me in turns, it looked like training for them," Simmons said.

Police did not appear until after the beating, Simmons said. The U.S. Embassy said it would push Ukrainian authorities to find those responsible.

Such attacks are not common in Ukraine, but a November warning posted on the Web site of the U.S. Embassy in Kiev warned Americans of "reports of racially motivated incidents against non-Caucasian foreigners, including American citizens of African and Asian descent."

"In addition to incidents of assault, persons of African or Asian heritage may be subject to various types of harassment, such as being stopped on the street by both civilians and law enforcement officials," the message said.

Copyright © 2005, The Associated Press

[Rikki Tikki Tavi 0]

Seems to me like those Iranian F14's are only as good as the pilots flying them, if they actually can fly.

[ralphwiggum 6]

Taiwan straight seems to be another issue that will never go away....kind of ironic...US telling China to not use force...

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/03/07/china.npc.law/index.html

Quote[/b] ]WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Bush administration has labelled as "unhelpful" a Chinese law authorizing the use of military force to prevent Taiwan from formally declaring its independence and urged Beijing to reconsider the measure.

In a highly anticipated announcement, Beijing on Tuesday released details of the planned new anti-secession bill during its annual session of parliament.

China has considered Taiwan a renegade province since communist forces drove nationalists from the mainland in 1949, and has repeatedly threatened to use military power against the island if it declares independence.

Tuesday's resolution would put a legal framework behind those threats.

U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the Bush administration had not seen the exact text of the bill. However, he said, the initial description of the content "we think runs counter to recent trends toward a warming in cross-straits relations, and we would consider passage of this law unhelpful."

Boucher said the United States objected to the resolution both because it was an attempt to solve the problem unilaterally and because it threatened non-peaceful means.

Although Boucher stood by the "One China policy," the mainstay of U.S.-China relations regarding Taiwan, he added, "we have always opposed any attempt to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means."

"This is going solved by the two sides getting together and talking to each other through dialogue, and passage of legislation is not going to help solve the problem," Boucher said.

A leading Communist party official said Tuesday force would be a last resort if reunification efforts with Taiwan were to fail.

"Using non-peaceful means to stop secession in defense of our sovereignty and territorial integrity would be our last resort when all our efforts for a peaceful reunification should prove futile," Wang Zhaoguo, vice-chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC), told the parliamentary session.

In the event of any conflict, China would take the utmost care to protect civilians and foreigners, as well as their property, Wang stressed.

Taiwan issued a strong protest against the proposed law, saying it ignored the island's sovereignty and raised tension in the region by giving the Chinese military a blank check to attack. (Full story)

The bill comes under the banner of the "One China Policy" and "draws a legislative line in the sand," CNN's Beijing Correspondent Stan Grant said.

"The key thing here is they are stressing, above all, China's sovereignty," Grant said.

China's Congress is expected to unanimously pass the law when its session wraps up on March 14.

Details of the planned law had been kept under close wraps, and had been the subject of much speculation and concern, particularly in Taiwan.

Despite China's insistence that the aim of the bill is peaceful unification, there has been a sense of unease over cross-strait relations in recent days.

About 15,000 people marched in the Taiwan city of Kaohsiung on Sunday to protest what some called a "war preparation" bill, and Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian said recently that the proposed law cast a "dark cloud" over relations between the island and mainland China.

On Sunday, China's Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing warned Japan and the United States against interfering in China's internal affairs, especially regarding Taiwan.

"Any practice of putting Taiwan directly or indirectly into the scope of Japan-U.S. security cooperation constitutes an encroachment on China's sovereignty and interference in internal affairs," Li told a news conference.

Last month both Japan and the United States listed security in the Taiwan Strait as a common concern.

Beijing has said unequivocally that a secession attempt by Taiwan would not be tolerated.

"We will never allow separatist forces to secede from the great motherland ... we will never allow it," Li said.

The issue has been at the forefront in recent years because of moves by President Chen to hold a referendum on a new constitution for Taiwan which Beijing worries could include a declaration of independence for the island.

Washington is bound to defend Taiwan's security in the event of any attack from the mainland, but has increasingly warned Taipei against unilateral moves to change the status quo.

The proposed anti-secession bill comes against the backdrop of an increase in China's military budget, which has also been raising eyebrows.

Beijing's arms budget will rise 12.6 percent this year to 247.7 billion yuan ($29.9 billion), parliament spokesman Jiang Enzhu said Friday

[theavonlady 2]

What's in a word:

Quote[/b] ]Typing Error Causes Nuclear Scare

7 minutes ago Reuters

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - A stenographer for the U.S. Congress generated alarming headlines in the Sudanese press this week by giving the mistaken impression the United States conducted nuclear tests in the African country in 1962 and 1970.

The Sudanese government asked the United States for an explanation and began its own investigations into a Web site report that a subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee had talked about the tests in Sudan.

But Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail, who had summoned the U.S. charge d'affaires on hearing the news, said Thursday it turned out that the word Sudan was merely a typing error for Sedan, the name of a nuclear test site in Nevada.

"The American administration ... said that there is a typing mistake," he told reporters. "Instead of writing Sedan, the typist in the military subcommittee branch typed Sudan," he said.

"Now they want to correct the spelling mistake and they want to confirm the tests did not take place in Sudan but in Sedan, part of the United States in Nevada," he added.

A U.S. embassy official in Khartoum said a statement had been issued affirming no tests were made in Sudan, but did not say how the mistake had happened. The official transcript of the hearing, in the strategic forces subcommittee on March 2, has already been corrected, with a note saying the word Sedan was misspelled in the original.

Ismail said he was very relieved the reports were not true.

"Our first concern of course was for the people of Sudan."

Let me get this straight. The US triggered a nuclear device in a Cadillac in the vicinity of Las Vegas?

[Daddl 10]

Everyone rejoyce, Wolfowitz nominated next Worldbank president!

Quote[/b] ]The US president is reportedly set to name Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz to head the World Bank.

The White House has begun notifying other nations of its choice, the Associated Press reported, citing a senior adminstration official.

The World Bank has declined to comment on the reports.

[Akira 0]

Best place I could figure to put this since we don't have an "Asia Politics" thread:

Quote[/b] ]REPORT: CHINA, RUSSIA TO 'REHEARSE INVASION OF TAIWAN'

Thu Mar 17 2005 11:02:09 ET

MOSCOW, March 17. (RIA Novosti)-Yesterday, Chief of the Russian General Staff Yury Baluyevsky left for China to settle a scandal over the first Russian-Chinese military exercise, Commonwealth-2005, which is due to be held this fall off the Yellow Sea coast, writes Kommersant.

The initial plans were to practice operational teamwork in combating terrorism during the exercise. However, Beijing, skillfully changing the format of the exercise, has tried to re-orient the two countries' armies to practicing an invasion of Taiwan.

The choice of where the exercise will take place became a stumbling block. The Russian military selected the Xinjiang-Uigur autonomous region, basing their choice on the area's problematic nature due to Uigur separatists and its proximity to Central Asia, which has become an arena in the fight against international terrorism. However, Beijing flatly rejected the proposal. Instead, it suggested the Zhejiang province near Taiwan.

A joint exercise in this area would look too provocative and trigger a strong reaction not only from Taiwan but also America and Japan, which recently included the island in the zone of their common strategic interests.

Beijing is trying to use Russia as an additional lever of pressure on the disobedient island to show it that its policy is also causing dissatisfaction in Russia, from which the Taiwanese are expecting assistance in their dialogue with Beijing and bid to join the WTO and the UN.

On the Russian military's insistence, the exercise was shifted north to the Shangdong peninsula. However, the Chinese are trying to change the format of the exercise with proposals to enlarge the contingents with Marines and Pacific Fleet warships. Marine landings to seize the area will be practiced during the "antiterrorist" exercise.

Russia's agreement to hold the exercise will inevitably cause a furor in America, Japan and Taiwan. But a refusal will spoil relations with China, which three months ago courteously agreed to Russia's proposal to hold an exercise.

Developing...

From the ol' Drudge.

[CuteQA 0]

<= My feel about the other ppl's law to legalize invading my country!

[red oct 2]

Best place I could figure to put this since we don't have an "Asia Politics" thread:

Quote[/b] ]REPORT: CHINA, RUSSIA TO 'REHEARSE INVASION OF TAIWAN'

Thu Mar 17 2005 11:02:09 ET

MOSCOW, March 17. (RIA Novosti)-Yesterday, Chief of the Russian General Staff Yury Baluyevsky left for China to settle a scandal over the first Russian-Chinese military exercise, Commonwealth-2005, which is due to be held this fall off the Yellow Sea coast, writes Kommersant.

The initial plans were to practice operational teamwork in combating terrorism during the exercise. However, Beijing, skillfully changing the format of the exercise, has tried to re-orient the two countries' armies to practicing an invasion of Taiwan.

The choice of where the exercise will take place became a stumbling block. The Russian military selected the Xinjiang-Uigur autonomous region, basing their choice on the area's problematic nature due to Uigur separatists and its proximity to Central Asia, which has become an arena in the fight against international terrorism. However, Beijing flatly rejected the proposal. Instead, it suggested the Zhejiang province near Taiwan.

A joint exercise in this area would look too provocative and trigger a strong reaction not only from Taiwan but also America and Japan, which recently included the island in the zone of their common strategic interests.

Beijing is trying to use Russia as an additional lever of pressure on the disobedient island to show it that its policy is also causing dissatisfaction in Russia, from which the Taiwanese are expecting assistance in their dialogue with Beijing and bid to join the WTO and the UN.

On the Russian military's insistence, the exercise was shifted north to the Shangdong peninsula. However, the Chinese are trying to change the format of the exercise with proposals to enlarge the contingents with Marines and Pacific Fleet warships. Marine landings to seize the area will be practiced during the "antiterrorist" exercise.

Russia's agreement to hold the exercise will inevitably cause a furor in America, Japan and Taiwan. But a refusal will spoil relations with China, which three months ago courteously agreed to Russia's proposal to hold an exercise.

Developing...

From the ol' Drudge.

Hasn't the UN been taking any interest in this problem? the UN has be ever so outspoken about the Iraq war, Isreal's heavy handed policies towards Palastine, and Russia's involvement in Chechnia. so why is this any different?

[kerosene 0]

Because China havent actually done anything yet, mabye? And having the U.N mouth off about sensitive situations that they can't really influence and/or might not happen isn't really beneficial.

[billybob2002 0]

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common....00.html

Quote[/b] ]

Diggers in Timor 'sex' clash

Mark Dodd

March 21, 2005

AUSTRALIAN soldiers drew arms to protect themselves from Jordanian peacekeepers after a Digger blew the whistle on other Jordanian soldiers' sexual abuse of East Timorese boys.

Corporal Andrew Wratten had to be evacuated and Australian commandos sent to protect Diggers in Oecussi, an East Timorese province in Indonesian West Timor, after he told the UN of the pedophilia that occurred in May 2001.

The Australians drew their Steyr assault rifles after being confronted by Jordanians armed with M-16s, in an escalation of verbal threats triggered by the later betrayal of Corporal Wratten by a Jordanian officer in the Dili headquarters of the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor.

Corporal Wratten, who was working at a fuel dump in the enclave, was told by a group of children that Jordanian soldiers had offered food and money in exchange for oral sex and intercourse.

The allegations involved East Timorese minors, all boys, the youngest of them just 12 years old.

"Wratten informed PKF (peacekeeping force) that he had been receiving complaints from local children about Jorbatt (Jordan Battalion) abuse," said a senior UN official who was based in Oecussi at the time.

"A Jordanian officer in HQ informed Jorbatt that he had ratted on them. Wratten and his guys manning the helo (helicopter) refuelling pad in Oecussi town started getting threatened.

"There was one occasion where Aussie Steyrs were pointed at Jorbatt and Jor-batt M-16s pointed at Aussies."

A secret report into the abuse, obtained by The Australian, led to the expulsion of two Jordanian peacekeepers after an investigation ordered by then UNTAET chief, the late Sergio Vieira de Mello, in July 2001.

East Timorese human rights workers have confirmed the story. However, retired Australian major-general Roger Powell, the deputy UN force commander at the time, did not return The Australian's calls.

"As far as I understand, De Mello was very sensitive at the time to the harm such reports would have on the reputation of UNTAET, PKF – and by default himself," said one Western security analyst, based in East Timor in 2001.

Jordan's key role in Middle East peace negotiations added extra sensitivity.

In July 2001, a UN police specialist child interview team flew to Oecussi and spoke to 10 witnesses, including seven minors and three adults.

"The unacceptable sexual conduct alleged was that a minor had sperm around his mouth," the resulting report says.

The board of inquiry found in its report that Jordanian troops regularly offered food and money in exchange for sexual favours from women and boys, including the procuring of prostitutes from across the border in West Timor.

It found it was highly probable that widespread sexual misconduct had occurred after the Jordanians took over from the highly regarded Australian paratroop battalion in early 2000.

The UN needs to do something, fast.... Seriously, what is up what the sex crimes.

[turms 0]

Quote[/b] ]The UN needs to do something, fast.... Seriously, what is up what the sex crimes.

How is this UNs fault in any way?

[llauma 0]

Quote[/b] ]The UN needs to do something, fast.... Seriously, what is up what the sex crimes.

How is this UNs fault in any way?

I think that the UN has some responsibility.. After all it's they who sent the troops there. Appearantly these soldiers were not fit for the job.

Maybe everyone should follow the US example by not sending any troops at all and when they do it's totally under US control so any scandal could be covered up or minimized.

These things will always occur.. The only thing we can and must do is to see that those responsible get the punishment they deserve.

[USSRsniper 0]

http://www.newsday.com/news....adlines

Quote[/b] ]Black Diplomat Attacked in Ukraine  

     

By Associated Press

March 1, 2005, 10:55 AM EST

KIEV, Ukraine -- An American diplomat said Tuesday he was attacked and severely beaten by a group of skinheads in the Ukrainian capital because he was black.

Robert Simmons, serving at the U.S. Agency for International Development in Uzbekistan, was attacked Saturday night by what he described as a well-organized group of more than a dozen skinheads wearing combat boots.

"I was attacked because I am African-American. They did not touch my friends who were there with me but were not black," Simmons told The Associated Press in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent.

"They beat me in turns, it looked like training for them," Simmons said.

Police did not appear until after the beating, Simmons said. The U.S. Embassy said it would push Ukrainian authorities to find those responsible.

Such attacks are not common in Ukraine, but a November warning posted on the Web site of the U.S. Embassy in Kiev warned Americans of "reports of racially motivated incidents against non-Caucasian foreigners, including American citizens of African and Asian descent."

"In addition to incidents of assault, persons of African or Asian heritage may be subject to various types of harassment, such as being stopped on the street by both civilians and law enforcement officials," the message said.

Copyright © 2005, The Associated Press

skinheads can even beat up white :P if they dont like you

[Bordoy 0]

Quote[/b] ]The UN needs to do something, fast.... Seriously, what is up what the sex crimes.

How is this UNs fault in any way?

I think that the UN has some responsibility.. After all it's they who sent the troops there. Appearantly these soldiers were not fit for the job.

Maybe everyone should follow the US example by not sending any troops at all and when they do it's totally under US control so any scandal could be covered up or minimized.

These things will always occur.. The only thing we can and must do is to see that those responsible get the punishment they deserve.

I would of shot the cunts, send them to Iran to get proper punishment.

[Balschoiw 0]

Quote[/b] ]The UN needs to do something, fast.... Seriously, what is up what the sex crimes.

Wake me up when you go for the sexual abuses in Iraq in the same way.

I can remember a freight container that had some windows cut in that served as a "whorehouse" for malayan troops.

While it isn´t especially smart to have sex with locals who are over 70 percent infected with AIDS, it´s a matter of reality that there are sexual activities going on with military operations. Noone is immune to that. But every nation has to fight those things within their troops. It´s not the UN to get the soldiers where they should stand. Such interference with internal military matters wouldn´t be accepted.

Would be the same if Iraq security forces would lock up coaltion guys, who have sexually abused prisoners of war or innocent people who got arrested by accident.