US Warships to Black Sea To “Monitor” Ukraine May 25 Elections

(Global Research) - Another American vessel, the Vella Gulf, is traveling towards the Black Sea. It is expected that the ship will go through the straits of the Black Sea on May 23. The  cruiser will enter the sea on the eve of presidential elections in Ukraine, scheduled for May 25. American diplomats stressed that the United States “wanted to support the actions of the new Ukrainian authorities” through the presence of US warships in the Black Sea.

The Vella Gulf is armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, ACPOK, and antisubmarine and antiaircraft Standard-2 and Standard-3 missiles. The ship carries the total of 122 missiles on board. The vessel also has two multipurpose helicopters.

In accordance with the Montreux Convention, warships of non-coastal states can not stay in the Black Sea for more than 21 days. Thus, in case the Vella Gulf enters the Black Sea on May 23, she will have to leave the region no later than June 13. Noteworthy, American ships have violated the Montreux regime before.

Geosecurity 101: US & Russian Military Bases in Latin America

By W. Alejandro Sanchez (Report Council on Hemispheric Affairs - 
www.coha.org via wasanchez.blogspot)  - In spite of ongoing tensions in Ukraine, which have seriously soured relations between Russia and the U.S. & Europe, Moscow has not altogether forgotten the Western Hemisphere. A case in point is the recent visit by Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov to four Latin American nations in April (Chile, Cuba, Nicaragua and Peru).

While Lavrov’s trip did not end in any particularly major deals between Moscow and his Latin American hosts, the visit came months after declarations by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu that the Russian armed forces require some form of overseas military facilities.[1] Regarding Latin America, the countries mentioned by Minister Shoigu in late February which could hypothetically host a Russian military facility included Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

Shoigu’s statement sparked a flurry of debate in the U.S. and Latin America regarding whether Russia’s military ambitions and expansion of its sphere of influence in recent years could be considered as the resumption of the Cold War.

The declarations of the Russian defense minister, as well as the status of the current U.S. military presence in the Americas, can best be discussed in an accurate context of Western Hemispheric geopolitical and geosecurity realities. This could provide some insightful perspectives and likely scenarios of how the military component of global powers that have a presence in Latin America and the Caribbean may evolve in the near future.

U.S. Bases in the Western Hemisphere

Previous COHA military research papers have examined various aspects of U.S. military bases in Latin America and the Caribbean, but a brief recapitulation is always useful.[2] Washington’s current bases in the Western Hemisphere (outside of the U.S. and its affiliated territories) include:

- Joint Task Force Bravo – Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras.[3] Currently, American military personnel carry out medical operations to Hondurans as well as assisting that country when natural disasters occur. For some time, it has been rumored that the Honduran government would like to take over the facility in order to convert the landing strip into a commercial airport, and the U.S. personnel would likely open a new base along the Caribbean coast of the country (COHA discussed this possibility in a November 2006 report).[4] Nevertheless, these speculations have yet to become a reality.

- Comalapa – El Salvador. The naval base was opened in 2000 after the U.S. military left Panama in 1999 and the Pentagon needed a new forward operating location for maritime patrol, reducing transit times and increasing on-station effectiveness to support multi-national counter illicit missions. According to its website, Cooperative Security Location (CSL) Comalapa has a staff of 25 permanently assigned military personnel and 40 civilian contractors. The staff stationed in Comalapa have the mission of providing 24/7 critical logistics, security and infrastructure support to all forward deployed U.S. aviation units participating in counter-illicit trafficking operations. A recent example of humanitarian operations carried out by the military personnel at Comalapa occurred in April, when U.S. sailors stationed in that facility raised more than $1,100 for an Easter meal and Easter egg hunt for a local children's home.[5]

- Aruba and Curacao – The two Caribbean islands are overseas territories of the Kingdom of The Netherlands. The military bases are tasked with combating narco-ships and aircraft and which originate in South America and subsequently pass through the Caribbean to Mexico and the U.S.[6] On June 2013, Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Reny from the U.S. Air Force became the new commander of the U.S. bases in Curacao and Aruba.[7] The Venezuelan government has argued that these bases are utilized by Washington to spy on Caracas (in January 2010 there was an incident in which a P-3 U.S. surveillance aircraft left Curacao and trespassed Venezuelan airspace).[8]

- Guantanamo Bay, Cuba – The U.S. naval facility in Cuba was constructed after a 1903 deal between Havana and Washington. (The island was a U.S. protectorate from 1898 until 1902, after Washington gained control of Cuba via the 1898 Spanish-American War). Guantanamo is not likely to revert to Cuban jurisdiction anytime soon, if ever, but President Barack Obama has often reiterated his intention to close the detention facility there, which was established in 2002 to house individuals accused of terrorism.[9]

- Antigua & Barbuda – The U.S. operates an Air Station in Antigua. An April 2013 article in Antigua’s newspaper Daily Observer explains that “the US Air Station in Antigua said it will begin dismantling and relocating its radar system next year.”[10] The C-Band radar, located at Antigua Air Station, is projected to be moved to the Harold E Holt Naval Communication Station in northwest Australia. A March 2013 article in the defense-news website Military.com explains that a major motive for the radar’s move to the Asia Pacific region is China: “the Antigua radar is moving to Western Australia, from where it can begin tracking Chinese polar satellites.”[11]

- Andros Island, Bahamas – Established in 1959, the full name of the base is: Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC). Use of this facility has been often clouded in secrecy and even conspiracy theories, as very little is known about it; it is sometimes referred to as the “Area 51” base of the U.S. military in the Caribbean. AUTEC is under the control of the U.S. Navy and, from what is known, it is tasked with developing new naval military technology, such as electronic warfare threat simulators.

The Loss of Manta and the Colombia Option

The U.S. suffered the major loss of its base in Manta, Ecuador in 2009. Leftist President Rafael Correa, who had a close friendship with the late President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, decided to cancel an agreement via the U.S.-leased military facility in the port of Manta, in the Manabi province.[12] The base was originally designated to be used for drug trafficking operations, but Correa argued that it was utilized by U.S. intelligence agencies to conduct espionage operations on the region.

After the base was shuttered in Ecuador, the U.S. looked towards neighboring Colombia to open new military facilities. This move made geopolitical sense as Washington and Bogota have had a long history of close military relations, dating back to the 1970s when the U.S. began assisting Colombia to crack down on drug trafficking. Most memorably, U.S. security personnel may have been involved in the 1993 death of Pablo Escobar, the leader of the Medellin Cartel. (Mark Bowden’s book Killing Pablo provides an excellent analysis on the U.S.’s role in Colombia from the late 1970s to early 1990s).[13] Additionally, Washington Post reporter Dana Priest revealed this past December that the CIA has been providing the Colombian armed forces for years with information regarding the location of high-profile guerrilla leaders.[14] It is a near certainty that a 2008 Colombian military operation in Ecuadorian territory, which culminated with the elimination of FARC leader Raul Reyes, took place thanks to intelligence aid provided by U.S. intelligence agencies.

In 2008, Washington and Colombia signed a military agreement via which the U.S. would create eight military bases in that South American nation. [15] This agreement was critiqued by neighboring states, such as Venezuela and Ecuador, which heatedly argued that these facilities were a flagrant example of neo-imperialism on Washington’s behalf to maintain a military presence in the region and to protect its national interests against anti-Washington governments (i.e. Caracas, La Paz and Quito). On the other hand, then-Colombian President Alvaro Uribe was very much in favor of these bases as the additional support would have aided Colombia’s military strategy against drug cartels and the narco-insurgent movements, the FARC and ELN.[16] Ultimately, these ambitious plans went nowhere as the Colombian Constitutional Court ruled that it was not possible for non-Colombian military personnel to be permanently stationed in the country.[17]

For the time being, there have not been any additional discussions about possibly opening new U.S. bases in Latin America or the Caribbean. Moreover, given the tighter new defense budget and the priority that Washington is giving to regions like the Middle East (due to Syria and Iran), Asia (due to China and North Korea) as well as Europe (due to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine), regions like Latin America and the Caribbean are not a priority for Washington nowadays.

General John Kelly, commander of Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), the branch of the U.S. armed forces that oversees most of the southern part of the Western Hemisphere, has acknowledged that this region is not a geostrategic priority.[18] In SOUTHCOM’s 2014 Posture Statement, while discussing sequestration and a limited defense budget, General Kelly, states,

    Over the next ten years, the Services are reducing deployments of personnel, ships, and aircraft in the context of tightening fiscal constraints … As the lowest priority Geographic Combatant Command, [SOUTHCOM] will likely receive little, if any, ‘trickle down’ of restored funding.[19]

In other words, SOUTHCOM’s priority is quite low in Washington’s defense priorities, which will translate in coming years into limited resources, which will hinder the U.S. military’s operations in the Western Hemisphere.

The future of U.S. Bases

Finally, it is necessary to add that, unsurprisingly, there has been a good deal of debate among security and defense specialists regarding the ebbing status of the U.S. defense budget and the military’s priorities for the immediate future.

For example, on March 7, the Stimson Center and American University’s School of International Service, carried out a conference in Stimson’s headquarters in Washington DC entitled: “Issues and Insights on International Security: The 2015 Defense Budget.” The panelists included Gordon Abrams, professor at American University’s School of International Service, and Russell Rumbaugh, director of the Stimson’s Budgeting for Foreign Affairs and Defense Program.

The author of this COHA report posed a question to the panel during the Question & Answers section of the conference: what will be the future of U.S. military facilities in Latin America and the Caribbean, as these are regions that are not regarded as serious strategic priorities for Washington? The experts responded that the bases will likely remain, but the military personnel will probably be rotated more often or even somewhat reduced as some are deployed elsewhere. One of the experts added that overseas military bases are the easiest to shut down as Congress does not have to deal with the self-interests of U.S. constituents. Such an answer leaves the question open if we may see some of the smaller bases shut down, perhaps on one of the Caribbean islands, as has happened with the U.S. radar in Antigua.[20]

Russian Bases?

There have been persistent rumors in recent months about the potential for Russian military facilities to open up in Moscow-friendly nations. There certainly have been developments that contribute to this theory when it comes to Latin America – apart from Minister Shoigu’s February declarations.

Most notably, in 2008 Russian warships undertook a voyage to Latin America, first carrying out naval exercises with the Venezuelan navy in the Caribbean and then voyaging to Nicaragua and from there to the Panama Canal.[21] This marked the first time since the end of the Cold War that Russian warships have sailed throughout the Western Hemispheric waters.  This was followed by a Russian naval vessel docking in Havana’s port in August 2013.  Moreover, in October 2013, two Russian supersonic bombers (model Tu-160) landed in Caracas.[22]

Additionally, it is important to note that Russia has provided police cooperation to nations like Nicaragua to combat drug trafficking.[23] In a speech to the Nicaraguan Army this past April 4, President Daniel Ortega declared that his nation has the right to whichever military hardware it chooses. The declaration was aimed at Russia, as there have been several secretive agreements in recent months between Managua and Moscow regarding the Ortega’s desire to purchase Russian military, though no confirmed deals have been made public.[24]
The aforementioned examples demonstrate that there are plenty of initiatives to increase military ties between Russia and Latin America and Caribbean states, not solely reflected in weapon sales.[25]

As for the Russian military itself, Moscow has been pushing to increase the numbers and capabilities of its armed forces and also aims to increase its influence abroad. In recent years, Russia went to war with Georgia in 2008 and, most recently, accomplish the de facto annexation of the Crimea region from Ukraine.[26] Additionally, Russian President Vladimir Putin is seeking to increase his country’s presence in the Arctic, both via legal means, by claiming a bigger portion of the Arctic continental shelf, as well as by increasing his armed forces’ Northern Fleet and troops trained for the Arctic climate.[27]

Hence, it came as little surprise that Defense Minister Shoigu declared that Russia was seeking to establish military bases throughout the world; besides Latin America, he also mentioned the Seychelles and Vietnam.

Nevertheless, this is unlikely to happen, at least when it comes to Latin America. For example, the Nicaraguan government has stated that, while it seeks closer military cooperation with Moscow, a Russian military base in that Central American country is out of the question.[28]  As for Cuba, the Castro government has not given any indication so far that this could be a possibility since it is unlikely that Washington would tolerate this. Russia-Cuba relations throughout the past decade have been mixed. While Russia is interested in the possibilities of Cuban offshore oil, it is not willing to provide weapons and financial assistance to Havana as was the case during the Cold War. Furthermore, the Cuban government continues to work at trying to improve relations with Washington, and constructing a Russian military base in a traditionally U.S.-dominated area like the Caribbean would be a serious setback. Arguably, such a hypothetical scenario would be more detrimental to Washington-Havana relations than occasional incidents between the two governments (such as the Allan Gross affair; the Cuban ship going to North Korea with weapons,  including two Soviet-era MiG-21 aircraft, air defence systems; as well as the recent Zunzuneo scandal).[29]

Finally, regarding Venezuela, President Nicolas Maduro is probably more focused on fixing the country’s internal situation than discussing relations with Russia. With that said, a Venezuelan delegation traveled to Russia in early April to discuss military cooperation between the two countries.[30] In addition, arm sales continue between the two countries continues. In recent months Venezuela has received Russian surface-to-air missile systems and currently speculation exist that Caracas also plans to acquire Sukhoi warplanes.[31]

Ultimately, in the two months since Minister Shoigu’s declarations, no new developments have occurred regarding Russian military personnel being deployed to the Western Hemisphere. Even more, Russia’s ambassador to Nicaragua, Nicolai Vladimir, has denied that Moscow is negotiating with Managua over the opening of a Russian base in that Central American state.[32]

A Game of Bases

It is interesting that in the era of inter-continental ballistic missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and aircraft capable of being refueled while in air, military bases continue to be an important cornerstone for any military strategy to be viable.  When it comes to Latin America and the Caribbean, in 2014 Washington does not see these regions as priorities as compared to Asia or Europe. This new geopolitical order and the U.S.’s defense budget mean that we may see a reduction of military facilities in the Western Hemisphere outside of the U.S.’s borders. The shutdown of the radar base in Antigua, the same radar that now will be deployed to Australia (to keep an eye on China and the Asia-Pacific), is a prime example of these changing geopolitical shifts.

It is doubtful that the U.S. bases in Honduras or El Salvador are likely to close anytime soon, and Guantanamo is not likely to return to Cuban hands in the near or  medium term future as well. Hence, the shutdown of either the base in Aruba or Curacao is a realistic possibility. Moreover, as was discussed at the aforementioned March event at the Stimson Center, the U.S. military personnel at these bases may be rotated or reduced in the coming years to be redeployed elsewhere. This could further complicate the mission of SOUTHCOM’s General John Kelly, as he tries to carry out his duties, such as strengthening Washington’s Latin American partners to combat drug trafficking and other transnational crimes.[33]

As for Russia, it seems unlikely that the Russian military will have either a temporary or a permanent base in Latin America. Even Moscow-friendly countries like Venezuela, which has accepted port of calls by Russian warships and the landing of Russian warplanes, do not seem particularly eager to accept a base containing foreign soldiers within their borders (accusations of Cuban troops helping the Maduro government notwithstanding).[34]

A Hypothetical Discussion

For the sake of argument, a hypothetical discussion is necessary regarding what could happen if Russia did indeed succeed in establishing a military base in the Western Hemisphere. This could significantly affect the region’s current geosecurity and geopolitical configurations. For example, if a Russian base is eventually established in Cuba, the world would in effect return to a Cold War-era scenario, with Washington declaring that it viewed Cuba as a clear and present danger. A Russian base in Nicaragua would have as neighbor the U.S.’s base in Honduras. Finally, a base in Venezuela would be next to Brazil, the regional powerhouse with its own geopolitical ambitions, and Colombia, which receives copious amounts of U.S. military aid.

Moreover, it is unclear how either additional U.S. bases or new Russian facilities would exacerbate tensions not solely between Washington and Moscow, but also among various Latin American states, which have their own security interests and priorities. For example, Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador are involved in an ongoing dispute over the control of the Gulf of Fonseca.[35]

Finally, Colombia and Venezuela came close to an armed conflict in 2008 over the aforementioned incident concerning a FARC base in Ecuador.[36] The addition of an outside global military power would certainly introduce additional tensions into the mix. For example, in 2012, Colombia signed a cooperation agreement with NATO (which has yet to be ratified by the Colombian congress). Countries such as Venezuela and Ecuador, as well as Brazil, declared their aversion to the agreement, arguing that it would render Colombia a “NATO beachhead” in Latin America and that the Atlantic Alliance would create a base in Colombia.[37] (For the record, the Colombia-NATO agreement did not include the possibility of NATO military deployment to Colombia, but this did not deter suspicions over the agreement).

Final Thoughts

The closure of a radar base in Antigua and Barbuda has largely gone unnoticed in Washington. Nevertheless, it could be a sign of things to come in the near future. SOUTHCOM’s mission is not a major priority for the U.S. government and, given tensions in other areas, it may not be farfetched to predict a reduction of U.S. military personnel deployed to its bases in Honduras, El Salvador or even the closure of either the base in Aruba or Curacao. With that said, a full closure of these bases will most likely not happen either as it is important for the U.S. to have a minimal presence in the region in order to have the means to crack down on transnational crimes like drug trafficking, along with maintaining an ever-watchful eye on the region.

As for Russia, the recent visits of Foreign Affairs Minister Lavrov, Defense Minister Shoigu and the latter’s declarations this past February demonstrate that Russia is aggressively pursuing a bigger presence in the Western Hemisphere. Certainly, arms sales and other types of military cooperation will continue, but a Russian military base remains unlikely.

While military technology is constantly evolving, the need for military outposts remains important, both for military requirements as well as for geopolitical reasons.

W. Alejandro Sanchez, Senior Research Fellow at the Council on Hemispheric Affairs

Please accept this article as a free contribution from COHA, but if re-posting, please afford authorial and institutional attribution. Exclusive rights can be negotiated. For additional news and analysis on Latin America, please go to: LatinNews.com and Rights Action.

References

• [1] Ria Novosti. “Russia seeks Several Military Bases Abroad-Defense Minister.” February 26, 2014. Available:  http://en.ria.ru/military_news/20140226/187917901/Russia-Seeks-Several-Military-Bases-Abroad--Defense-Minister.html
• [2] W. Alejandro Sanchez. “The U.S. Military’s Presence in the Greater Caribbean Basin: More of a matter of Strategy and Ideology than Drugs.” Council on Hemispheric Affairs. Report. September 23, 2009. Available:  http://www.coha.org/the-u-s-militarys-presence-in-the-greater-caribbean-basin-more-a-matter-of-trade-strategy-and-ideology-than-drugs/
• [3] Joint Task Force Bravo- Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras. Official website: http://www.jtfb.southcom.mil/
• [4] Luis Rodriguez. “IASA quiere consecion de Palmerola por 30 años.” El Heraldo (Honduras). July 2, 2012. Available:  http://www.elheraldo.hn/Secciones-Principales/Economia/IASA-quiere-concesion-de-Palmerola-por-30-anos . Also see: W. Alejandro Sanchez. “Washington looks to cement its Military Presence in Central America by emphasizing its ties to Honduras.”  Council on Hemispheric Affairs. Report. November 25, 2006. Available: http://www.coha.org/washington-looks-to-cement-its-military-presence-in-central-america-by-emphasizing-its-ties-to-honduras/
• [5] Camille Perez. “CSL Comalapa, VP-8 Sailors Raise Funds for Children’s Home.” Navy.com. April 15, 2014. Available: http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=80356
• [6] U.S. Air Force Fact Sheet. “Curacao/Aruba Forward Operating Locations.” Department of the Air Force. March 28, 2011. Available: http://www.12af.acc.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet_print.asp?fsID=18105&page=1
• [7] Curacao Chronicle. “U.S. Forward Operating Location Welcomes New Commander.”June 13, 2013. Available: http://curacaochronicle.com/local/u-s-forward-operating-location-welcomes-new-commander-2/
• [8] Los Angeles Times. “U.S. denies military plane entered Venezuelan airspace as claimed by President Hugo Chavez.” La Plaza. Blogs. January 9, 2010. Available: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/laplaza/2010/01/venezuela-president-hugo-chavez-us-military-plane-aircraft-airspace.html
• [9] Ted Thornhill. “Barack Obama renews old vow to shut controversial Guantanamo Bay prison as he says ‘America must move off a permanent war footing.’”  The Daily Mail - UK. January 29, 2014.  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2548035/State-Union-address-Barack-Obama-renews-vow-shut-Guantanamo-Bay-prison.html
• [10] Rory Butler. “US Air Station to begin dismantling next year.” The Daily Observer. April 2, 2013. Available:  http://www.antiguaobserver.com/us-air-station-to-begin-dismantling-radar-next-year/
• [11]Bradley Perett. “Australia-Based US Radar to Watch China Launches.” Military.com / Aviation Week & Space Technology. March 26, 2013. Available: http://www.military.com/daily-news/2013/03/26/australia-based-us-radar-to-watch-china-launches.html
• [2] Gonzalo Solano. “U.S. Closes Military Post in Ecuador.” The Washington Post / World. Associated Press. September 19, 2009. Available:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/18/AR2009091803407.html
• [3] Mark Bowden. Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the World’s Greatest Outlaw. Atlantic Monthly Press. 2007. Available: http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Pablo-Mark-Bowden-ebook/dp/B008UX3ITE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399213432&sr=1-1&keywords=Killing+Pablo
• [4] Dana Priest. “Covert Action in Colombia.” Washington Post. December 21, 2013. Available:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/investigative/2013/12/21/covert-action-in-colombia/
• [5] CNN.com. “Colombia, U.S. sign deal on use of bases.” October 30, 2009. Available: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/10/30/us.colombia.bases/index.html?iref=nextin
• [16]Antonio Albinana. “Uribe acepta alojar cinco bases de EEUU en Colombia.” Publico.es. Internacional. July 16, 2009. Available: http://www.publico.es/internacional/239223/uribe-acepta-alojar-cinco-bases-de-eeuu-en-colombia
• [17]BBC.com. “Colombia declares US base share deal unconstitutional. News – Latin America & the Caribbean. August 18, 2010. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11007822
• [8] Posture Statement of General John F. Kelly, United States Marine Corps, Commander, United States Southern Command. 113th Congress. House Armed Services Committee. February 26, 2014. Available: http://www.southcom.mil/newsroom/Documents/2014_SOUTHCOM_Posture_Statement_HASC_FINAL_PDF.pdf
• [19]Posture Statement of General John F. Kelly, United States Marine Corps, Commander, United States Southern Command. 113th Congress. House Armed Services Committee.P. 2-3. February 26, 2014. Available: http://www.southcom.mil/newsroom/Documents/2014_SOUTHCOM_Posture_Statement_HASC_FINAL_PDF.pdf
• [20] “Issues & Insights on International Security: The 2015 Defense Budget.” Stimson Center / School of International Service, American University. Event. March 7, 2014. Video: 39min 39sec. Available:  http://www.stimson.org/events/issues-and-insights-on-international-securitythe-2015-defense-budget/
• [21]USA Today. “Venezuela’s Chavez Welcomes Russian Warships.” World. November 25, 2008. Available:  http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-11-25-venezuela-russia_N.htm?csp=N003
• [22] RIA Novosti. “Russian Tu-160 Strategic Bombers Land in Venezuela.” Defense. October 29, 2013. Available: http://en.ria.ru/military_news/20131029/184402932/Russian-Tu-160-Strategic-Bombers-Land-in-Venezuela.html
• [23] W. Alejandro Sanchez. “Unlikely Troika to fight drug trade?” Blouin Beat: World. Blogs. March 29, 2013. Available: http://blogs.blouinnews.com/blouinbeatworld/2013/03/29/unlikely-troika-to-fight-drug-trade/
• [24]  Tim Rogers. “Nicaragua looks to Russia to Modernize Army.” The Nicaragua Dispatch. April 6, 2014. Available: http://nicaraguadispatch.com/2014/04/nicaragua-looks-to-russia-to-modernize-army/
• [25] W. Alejandro Sanchez (with COHA Research Associates Karen Schwindt & Julissa Delgado. “Arm Sales, especially by Russia and China, continue to penetrate Latin America.” Council on Hemispheric Affairs. Report. February 21, 2011. Available:  http://www.coha.org/arm-sales-especially-by-russia-and-china-continue-to-latin-america/ . Also see: W. Alejandro Sanchez (and COHA Research Associate Ian Kowalski). “Weapons Diplomacy: Russian Defense Minister Skips Venezuela during Latin American Tour.” Council on Hemispheric Affairs. Press Release. November 11, 2013. Available:  http://www.coha.org/weapons-diplomacy-russian-defense-minister-skips-venezuela-during-latin-american-tour/
• [26] Arthur Bonner. “Georgian Losses and Russia’s Gain.” Middle East Policy. Journal Essay. Winter 2008. Vol. XV, No. 4. Middle East Policy Council. Available: http://mepc.org/journal/middle-east-policy-archives/georgian-losses-and-russias-gain . Also see: Jim Nichol. “Russia-Georgia Conflict in August 2008: Context and Implications for U.S. Interests.” Congressional Research Service. March 3, 2009. Available: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL34618.pdf   Also see: Matth Smith & Alla Eschenko. “Ukraine cries ‘robbery’ as Russia annexes Crimea.” CNN.com. World. March 18, 2014. Available: http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/18/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/
• [27] Atle Staalese. “Putin readies Arctic territorial claims.” Barents Observer. April 7, 2014. Available:  http://barentsobserver.com/en/arctic/2014/04/putin-readies-arctic-territorial-claims-07-04 . Also see: Thomas Nilsen. “Putin urges FSB to develop Arctic border.” Barents Observer. April 7, 2014. Available: http://barentsobserver.com/en/borders/2014/04/putin-urges-fsb-develop-arctic-border-07-04
• [28] El Nuevo Diario (Nicaragua). “Diputados opuestos a que se instale base rusa en Nicaragua.” Politica. AFP. February 28, 2014. Available:  http://www.elnuevodiario.com.ni/politica/312777-diputados-opuestos-a-que-se-instale-base-rusa-nicaragua . Also see: Yahoo Noticias. “Niega vicepresidente de Nicaragua acuerdos con Rusia para base militar.” Notimex. March 5, 2014. Available: https://es-us.noticias.yahoo.com/niega-vicepresidente-nicaragua-acuerdos-rusia-base-militar-155650498.html
• [29] Fox News Latino. “Alan Gross, U.S. contractor held in Cuba, ends hunger strike.” EFE. April 12, 2014. Available:  http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2014/04/11/alan-gross-us-contractor-held-in-cuba-ends-hunger-strike/ . Also see: BBC. “N Korean ship seized with Cuban Weapons returns to Cuba.” News. Latin America & the Caribbean. February 15, 2014. Available: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-26210187 Also see: Yuliya Komska. “Zunzuneo: Do former users even care that  it was secretly built by USAID.” Pacific Standard: The Science of Society. The Rest of the World. April 14, 2014. Available: http://www.psmag.com/navigation/politics-and-law/zunzuneo-former-users-even-care-secretly-built-usaid-78935/  . Also see: AlJazeeera. “North Korean arms ship sails back to Cuba.” Americas. February 15, 2014. Available: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2014/02/north-korean-arms-ship-sails-back-cuba-2014215165119208990.html
• [30] Infodefensa.com. “Rusia y Venezuela revisan sus acuerdos de cooperacion militar.” April 1, 2014. Available:  http://www.infodefensa.com/latam/2014/04/01/noticia-rusia-venezuela-revisan-acuerdos-cooperacion-militar.html
• [31] Infodefensa.com “Venezuela recibe mas sistemas antiaereas Pechora 2M rusos.” February 3, 2014. Available:  http://www.infodefensa.com/latam/2014/02/03/noticia-defensa-aeroespacial-venezuela-recibe-nuevos-sistemas-misilisticos-pechora.html
• [32] Prensa Libre. “Embajador ruso niega negociaciones sobre base military en Nicaragua.” Internacionales. March 19, 2014. Available: http://www.prensalibre.com/internacional/Embajador_ruso-negociaciones-base_militar_0_1104489791.html
• [33] W. Alejandro Sanchez. “General Kelly, new head of U.S. military operations in Latin America.” VOXXI. February 6, 2013. Available:  http://voxxi.com/2013/02/06/general-kelly-head-us-latin-america/
• [34] Iara Matinan Bua. “La injerencia Cubana inquieta al mando military de Venezuela.” ABC.es. Internacional. September 29, 2013. Available: http://www.abc.es/internacional/20130926/abci-injerencia-cubana-ejercito-venezuela-201309251956.html
• [35] El Heraldo (Honduras). “’No tengo que levantar los F-5 para que me abran paso,’  advierte Lobo.” Pais. Golfo de Fonseca. March 13, 2013. Available: http://www.elheraldo.hn/Secciones-Principales/Pais/No-tengo-que-levantar-los-F-5-para-que-me-abran-paso-advierte-Lobo
• [36] Gabriel Marcella. “War Without Borders: The Colombia-Ecuador Crisis of 2008.” Strategic Studies Institute. December 2008. Available:  http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/PUB891.pdf
• [37] W. Alejandro Sanchez. “Geopolitical Considerations of the NATO-Colombia Cooperation Agreement.” E-International Relations. February 28, 2014. Available:  http://www.e-ir.info/2014/02/28/geopolitical-considerations-of-the-nato-colombia-cooperation-agreement/

BRAINWASH ALERT - Mainstram Media Says War is Peace, & Makes Us Rich & Safe

Image: An Iraqi woman with her dead child. Source: A Real Cost Of The Iraq War

By Julie Lévesque (Global Research) - War is Peace. What was known as a famous quote from George Orwell’s fiction 1984 has become a reality. Or maybe it is still fiction if you consider that the mainstream media is making up reality on a daily basis.

On April 28, 2014, the homepage of The Washington Post web site featured the picture of a nuclear explosion with the following title: “War is brutal. The alternative is worse.”

Peace is worse than war? Diplomacy worse than a nuclear explosion? I wonder if people in war torn Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and the likes agree.

The subtitle is probably the apex of nonsense: “War may be the worst way imaginable to create peaceful societies, but this professor argues that it’s the only way.” Professor? How can you be a professor and say something so illogical? And how can a newspaper be taken seriously when it publishes such absurdities?

But it gets worse, if that’s even possible. Clicking on the article, you get this:

“Wars make us safer and richer”. Wow. Really?

Who’s “us”? Certainly not the American people:

      The decade-long American wars in Afghanistan and Iraq would end up costing as much as $6 trillion, the equivalent of $75,000 for every American household, calculates the prestigious Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government…
      It is also imperative to recall that the Bush administration had claimed at the very outset that the Iraq war would finance itself out of Iraqi oil revenues, but Washington DC had instead ended up borrowing some $2 trillion to finance the two wars, the bulk of it from foreign lenders
     According to the Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government 2013 report, this accounted for roughly 20 per cent of the total amount added to the US national debt between 2001 and 2012.
      According to the report, the US “has already paid $260 billion in interest on the war debt,” and future interest payments would amount to trillions of dollars. (Sabir Shah, US Wars in Afghanistan, Iraq to Cost $6 trillion).

So, who’s “us” getting richer? The bankers maybe? Because if war makes some people rich, it’s the bankers:

Bankers are often the driving force behind war.

     After all, the banking system is founded upon the counter-intuitive but indisputable fact that banks create loans first, and then create deposits later.
     In other words, virtually all money is actually created as debt…
     Debt (from the borrower’s perspective) owed to banks is profit and income from the bank’s perspective.  In other words, banks are in the business of creating more debt … i.e. finding more people who want to borrow larger sums...
      What does this have to do with war?
      War is the most efficient debt-creation machine…
      War is also good for banks because a lot of material, equipment, buildings and infrastructure get destroyed in war. So countries go into massive debt to finance war, and then borrow a ton more to rebuild. (Washington’s Blog, War Creates Massive Debt and Makes the Banks Rich).

“Us” is probably also the military industrial complex, for which peace is enemy number one:

      The fact that military activities may become a profitable enterprise leads to the realization that peace is the main enemy of the military-industrial complex.  A simple metaphor can illustrate this problem.  Grape growers, the wine industry and wine marketers would be completely out of business if people stopped drinking wine.  In a similar way, the military-industrial complex would be put out of business by lasting peaceful conditions because the development, production, marketing and use of military equipment would be not needed.
      To stay in business, this complex needed the wars in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, the “cold war” with the Soviet Union, war on terrorism and various other wars.  And it needs to be involved in new conflicts, such as in Ukraine at this time. (Vashek Cervinka, Peace is the Enemy of the US Military Industrial Complex)

WE, the people of the world, don’t want wars and WE are not getting “richer” and “safer” with wars. It’s actually quite the contrary. Wars ruin economies and guess what? Wars kill people! How are mass killings and massive debts making “us safer and richer”?

Even though he received the Stanford University Dean’s Award, which “recognizes the efforts of exceptional teachers in the School of Humanities and Sciences” and is “given for excellence in graduate education” and “achievements in teaching”, Professor Morris seems to ignore the existence of what is probably the most important judgement in the history of mankind, The Nuremberg Judgement, which says:

      To initiate a war of aggression, therefore, is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole.

We live in a world where award-winning Humanities and Science teachers promote war, the supreme international crime. It cannot get more Orwellian than that.

Greek Army Holds Celebrations For Its Patron Saint George

The Greek Army on Wednesday celebrated its patron Saint George in a special ceremony at the Infantry School at Halkida (on the island of Evia). At the event, which was attended by the leadership of the Armed Forces, representatives of political parties, municipal dignitaries and others,  National Defence Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos, once again stressed the need for national unity, so that Greece can successfully come to weather the difficulties being faced by society at this time.

     "History has proven that whenever we joined our strengths we overcame difficulties, we successfully confronted the challenges and we opened paths of hope for our homeland. The same has to be done now, as well", Avramopoulos said.

The minister expressed his absolute satisfaction for the fact, that Greece "has one of the most trustworthy and effective defence systems in Europe and the world", adding that this defence system is primarily destined to both protect the independence and the integrity of the country and serve the international order of law.

The Army Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Christos Manolas in his order of the day urged the people serving the Army to understand, among others, that "the economic crisis must not in any case affect the defensive and deterrent ability of the country".

PROVOCATION - Turkish War Planes Over North Aegean - Intercepted by Hellenic Air Force

Four armed Turkish aircraft illegally entered the Athens FIR on Tuesday over the North Aegean without submitting a flight plan.  In two cases the interception by Greek fighter planes apparently turned into a dog fight. (The last time that Greek and Turkish aircraft were involved in similar dogfights was in January 2012.)

Aside from the four Turkish crafts, a helicopter from a nearby Turkish Navy vessel also reportedly entered the Athens FIR.

In total, three violations of air traffic were recorded, which developed into violation of Greece’s national airspace over the North Aegean. All of the Turkish aircraft were recognized and intercepted by our boys at the Hellenic Air Force.

Hellenic Navy Gen. Slams Incident with Frigate Salamis

A TV station on Sunday reported that in the evening of Wednesday, April 9, a guided missile almost hit the Frigate SALAMIS off the coast of Haifa, in Israel. As such, the Hellenic Navy General Staff on Sunday categorically denied that "in the evening of April 9, 2014 a guided missile almost hit Frigate SALAMIS off the coast of Haifa, in Israel" and added the Frigate had never been threatened by one.

The Hellenic Navy General Staff said in a statement that a member of the crew of the Frigate was urgently taken to a hospital in Haifa for reasons irrelevant to the alleged incident.

SALAMIS returned to Salamina naval base on Saturday.

According to the state news agency, the Frigate participated in the scheduled multi-national exercise "Noble Dina" conducted in the sea around Crete and in Eastern Mediterranean between March 26 and April 10 with the participation of Navy and Air force units from Greece, the United States and Israel.

(Greek Defence Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos asked to be "thoroughly briefed by military leaders" on the "alleged incident with Frigate SALAMIS.")

BOOK - How The Military Changes Shaped Geopolitics & The Fate of Nations

Jimmy Teng looks at the role played by technology on a macrohistorical scale examining the reasons for the success of Eurasia and the failure of the Americas, Africa, and Australia over the course of civilization

Seventeen years have passed since the publication of Jared Diamond's groundbreaking Guns, Germs and Steel: the Fates of Human Societies - a Pulitzer winning global account on the rise of civilization, which formed the foundations to explain European supremacy in conquering other regions from the sixteenth century onwards, and dismantled unreservedly the theories of racial superiority in vogue with many researchers.

But the question why Europe performed better and why it emerged ultimately victorious in the competition with other civilizations in the second half of the past millennium still puzzles economists, sociologists, historians and the general public. It is now Jimmy Teng's turn to contribute to the lively discussion on how the world became what we know today, in his Musket, Map and Money – released now fully Open Access by De Gruyter Open.

The same approach used by Diamond to illustrate how humans and environmental factors affect differing societies, can be used to paint a general picture of the pattern of human development over time. Teng, a professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences at The University of Nottingham, UK, uses economic concepts to explain how changes in military technology accelerated the competition between states and their ramifications in world history. Military technology has shaped geopolitical structure and economic performance since the dawn of civilization. Moreover, changes in military technology are usually seen as a consequence of changing economic and political institutions. Now, Teng presents an interesting case that the causality goes the other way – performing an interesting analysis of how military and political competition drives innovation and economic growth. Admittedly, we only have to look as far as the contemporary sahelian nations to see how the diffusion of armament is reshaping the map of Africa. According to Teng, the destructive power of gunpowder made warfare more lethal and raised the costs of conflict. At the beginning of the early modern era, it was not clear which major Eurasian civilization would break free from the rough equilibrium among the other cultures to forge ahead and become the leader in knitting together different regions into a global system. In its broad sweep, the book looks at the role played by technology on a macrohistorical scale examining the reasons for the success of Eurasia and the failure of the Americas, Africa, and Australia over the course of civilization.

Jimmy Teng's book is an ambitious project, meshing technological finesse with broad historical vision. "It employs two conceptual threads to spin a web of analysis that snares the key developments in the Eurasian history" observes Prof. Leonard Dudley from Université de Montréal, and author of The Word and the Sword. One notion is the mass factor, developed in the theory of conflict to measure military scale economies. The other is the marginal effect of relative capability that measures the effect of an additional unit of relative military capability on the probability of victory.

This provoking yet erudite work is likely to become an important contribution to the literature on explorations in economic history and will be of interest both to scholars in the field and to world history enthusiasts seeking to understand the development and perpetuation of military technology in human societies. Or as Dudley concludes, "Musket, Map and Money is a polished, tightly-woven story of Eurasian civilization from the dawn of history to the present."

The book is available open access to read, download and share at: http://www.degruyter.com/view/product/209733 

Kantas faces new bribery & money laundry charges in arms scandal

The former deputy director of armaments at the Ministry of National Defense Antonis Kantas was prosecuted on bribery and money laundry charges, for receiving a 250,000 Euro bribe from a retired military officer, by his own admission. According to an article in To Vima, the retired officer, Christos Toumpas, was a representative for the Brazilian Embraer company, from which the Greek Ministry of National Defense bought a radar system, which was to be installed in the Embraer 145 aircraft. The article maintains that the deal cost approximately 400 million Euros and was contracted to Swiss telecommunications company Ericsson.

During the questioning session, Kantas said that Toumpas told him that if this program went ahead then he would not forget about him. And sure enough he didn't because a little after this was done, and according to the article in To Vima, Toumpas deposited 150,000 Euros in an account in Geneva and a separate 100,000 Euros in another account.

The investigation is continuing and certainly more information will be revealed in the weeks to come.

Meanwhile, Swiss prosecutors are interested in the implication of Ericsson and have requested a copy of the related evidence from their Greek judicial colleagues, in order to initiate proceedings in Sweden.

Related articles

• SPECIAL REPORT - Kantas EXPOSES Massive German-Greek Web of Corruption In Defence Contracts
• SHOCK - 24 million Euros Kickback Given To Government Minister!
• ARMS SCANDAL: Did Kantas Implicate Former PM Mitsotakis?

Journalist Arrested On Suspicion of Leaking State Secrets

Greek reporter Popi Christodoulidou was hauled before police on suspicion of having revealed top secret military information over a blog post consisting of little more than the text of a recently passed law. A day after Reporters Without Borders published its 2014 World Press Freedom Index according to which press freedom Greece has suffered a ‘dizzying’ decline over the past five years, the authorities seem eager to prove the NGO’s case.

Journalist Popi Christodoulidou was summoned to appear at police headquarters to testify over a blog post she had written two days ago concerning joint operations being allegedly conducted by police and the Coast Guard’s special ‘frogmen’ units.

The blogpost in question (in Greek), contains little more information than the text of a recently passed law that provides for joint operations in certain circumstances between police and Coast Guard Special Underwater Units outside of the Coast Guard’s normal jurisdiction. Ms Christodoulidou, a journalist with 35 years of experience, alleges that she had received information from frogmen protesting that they were regularly required to guard ‘sensitive targets’ normally under the police’s authority. “We looked into the issue and show here that there is a law that provides for just this instance passed on 9/12/2013. We publish it here for your information,” she writes.

According to Ms Christodoulidou the post prompted the Athens Prosecutor for Misdemeanours to order a preliminary investigation as to whether laws regarding military secrecy had been violated by the post, despite the fact that the law

is a matter of public record and little other information was provided in the post.

In fact, according to Ms Christodoulidou the police had rebranded the text of the law as a ‘confidential military document’. There is now a possibility that Ms Christodoulidou will be placed under arrest if she refuses to take down the blogpost.

According to the journalist, the investigation by the authorities amounts to, “an unprovoked attack which has as a goal the creation of climate of fear against all journalists who continue to tell the truth, cannot be purchased, are not cowed by power and are dedicated to providing citizens with truthful and substantive reporting.”

PressProject

PROVOCATION - Turkish Corvette Sails To Rafina, Becomes Target for LGB Bombs from Greek F-16!

According to a breaking report from defencenet, the Turkish corvette Badirma violated Greek territorial water earlier on Tuesday, and appeared just off the coast of Eastern Attica. The warship, which set off an alarm to the National Operations Center, was so close to the Greek coast that it could be spotted from the area of Messogeia! The report on defencenet claims that the ship sailed throughout the night from the Dardanelles area and then followed a path south-west.

Greek navy officials began monitoring its course immediately and as soon as it began to approach Evia a second frigate accompanied the Greek warship.

The report states that the Turkish warship passed the straits of Kafireas at about 08.00 am and then approached the seaside town of Rafina (north-east from Athens). At this point two Greek F-16 fighters took off from a nearby air base and began flying over the ship at a low range.

This was the first time that F-16 were dispatched to intercept" a foreign frigate. All previous missions were usually executed by Mirage 2000BGM. This has now changed, since F-16s now have the ability to perform air-to-surface missions (as demonstrated in recent military exercises, dropping laser-guided bombs (LGB).)

This was also the first time that a Turkish warship was targeted by a Greek fighter with laser bombs, -a skill that requires exceptional training from our servicemen-.

(Not to worry though, our boys are well educated and quite skillful)!

Unconfirmed reports also claim that the Greek fighters were equipped with guided missiles and air-to-ground (which are used against large surface units) AGB-65 Maverick.

The Turkish frigate quickly left the area of Attiki and then continued on through Greek territorial waters to the island of Kea, with open sensors, (so there is no question of innocent passage.)

The Greek air fighters once again flew over the Turkish ship in a ploy to intimidate the Turkish side. From what was reported, the ship then began to turn eastward and according to the latest bulletin it is now near west of Milos -but is closely being monitored by several Greek navy ships-.

Check back later for any updates to this story in case there are developments.

Reference in Greek - defencenet

Swiss prosecutors in Athens to investigate money laundering through Swiss banks

Former PASOK defence minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos

Representatives of the Swiss federal prosecutor's office today began examining former defence minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos, currently in jail over a kickbacks for defence contracts scandal. Tsohatzopoulos would be questioned in the context of an ongoing investigation into a money laundering case involving a Swiss bank employee, it was announced.

Press reports in Athens claim that the Swiss prosecutors' office team also questioned the former minister's cousin and long-time close associate Nikos Zigras, who appears as the beneficiary of Swiss bank accounts through which, according to the Greek justice, illegal money linked with armaments programs was transferred.

Nikos Zigras

According to a report from the state run ANA-MPA news agency, the Swiss investigation focuses on the involvement in the case of a Greek Morgan Stanley employee in Switzerland and the transfer of roughly 30 million CHF through two bank accounts that belonged to Zigras. The likelihood that payments made via Swiss banks were associated with money laundering is also being examined.

After Zigras' questioning, the head of the Swiss team told reporters that the federal prosecutor's office launched an investigation after 2012, when Greek authorities requested access to bank accounts and information relating to these.

He said that the Swiss authorities want to clarify whether charges should be filed against individuals or companies living or based in Switzerland. The prosecutor's office wants to make sure that the seriousness and reputation of Switzerland as a country of bank deposits is not being jeopardized, the Swiss official said.

Zigras' attorneys have filed a petition with Swiss justice requesting the return of 2.2 million euro to the Greek state deposited in a Swiss bank accounts by their client. The response on behalf of the Swiss was that such a request can only be filed by the Greek justice minister directly to his Swiss counterpart, to decide whether the money could be returned to Greece.

In a written statement made public by his attorneys, Zigras noted, among others, that Switzerland “should return the stolen money immediately to the Greek people and stop the hypocritical prosecutions and questioning that are used as an excuse to withhold the money that was stolen from the Greek people.”

ARMS SCANDAL: Did Kantas Implicate Former PM Mitsotakis?

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

(Press Project) - New testimony from Antonis Kantas, the former deputy director of the Defense Ministry’s Department of Procurement, has provided new details of how the ‘black money’ was routed through numerous bank accounts. Without naming him, Kantas appears to have implicated former PM Konstantinos Mitsotakis in the ever growing bribery scandal over arms contracts.

According to Kantas’s testimony as published in full online by the Vima newspaper, the former defense official provided detailed accounts of how bribery deals were struck and how payments were made. Furthermore he shed further light on an incident involving a powerful political ‘father’.

Specifically Mr Kantas is reported to have said:

     “Around 2006-2007 when I was in Efstathiou’s office [Panos Efstathiou, the representative for German arms companies in Athens, has confessed disbursing millions of euros worth of bribes of millions] in Ploutarchou St., Mr Liginos [a Swiss-Greek banker] came - obviously to update Efstathiou on his accounts. Because I was there he [Liginos] said to Efstathiou, “I’m going to pop over to see the ‘Father’ next door and I will be back soon.” When Liginos left, I asked Efstathiou who the ‘Father’ was and he told me that he was an old politician, an old friend but one who was greedy. When I saw Liginos in Geneva in March 2008 I asked him which politician was the ‘Father’ but he would not name him.”

Several news outlets, such as iefimerida.gr, are speculating that the “Father” referred to by Kantas may be Constantine Mitsotakis.

The patriarch of one of the three political dynasties in Greece, Constantine Mitsotakis is almost 90 years old. He was already an MP in the 40’s. He served as PM from 1990 until 1993 when he was overthrown by one of his own ministers: Antonis Samaras - now the current Prime Minister.

Constantine Mitsotakis’s son, Kyriakos, is the current Minister of Public Reform in charge of reforming the civil sector (and laying off thousands of civil servants). His daughter, Dora Bakoyiannis, an ex-minister herself, contended for the leadership of New Democracy against Samaras in 2008 but was defeated.

In 2008, there were allegations (see newspapers headlines on 6/6/2008 and an article by The Economist) that Kyriakos Mitsotakis had received “gifts” (allegedly, he didn't pay for telecoms equipment installed in his office) from Siemens, the German firm that was found to have channeled illicit payments worth hundreds of millions to the two main governing political parties in Greece, New Democracy and PASOK.

During Kantas’s first testimony to magistrates in mid-December he had described how senior politicians, even from the same party, often took differing positions over defense contracts during public debates.

For instance, when the purchase of new fighter planes was being discussed, Kantas claims that during parliamentary debates Mitsotakis supported the F-16 tender. But Miltiadis Evert - the then leader of New Democracy (Mitsotakis’s party) as well as the then (PASOK) minister of Defense Akis Tsohatzopoulos, who is now imprisoned on corruption charges, supported the purchase of a different aircraft.

Mr Kantas said:

     “I would like to add that it is indicative of how corruption permeates the whole political spectrum by stating that during the procurement of planes in the Parliamentary Committee of Defense, where I was present, Mitsotakis was arguing with very detailed data in favor of the F-16, while Evert in favour of the F-15. This surprised me since they were both in the same party. Indeed, when the F-16s were chosen, in the corridors of the Defense Ministry, the humorous phrase was going around that Mitsotakis won because Tsochatzopoulos was supporting the same as Evert - the F-15s, that were represented by Liakounakos [a Greek arms dealer]. I am referring to this to point out how complicated and permeating both parties was the issue of arms procurements since leaders of the same party were backing different products and were fighting each other, allying with members from opposite parties”.

FIRST TIME IN HISTORY - Russian-Chinese Naval Exercises in Mediterranean

credit - RIA Novosti

(RIA Novosti) – A Russian-Chinese naval training exercise in the Mediterranean Sea began on Saturday involving the Russian nuclear-powered cruiser Pyotr Veliky and China’s Yancheng frigate, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced.

The exercise, which began with a gathering of the ships and accompanying speedboats, is being performed to reinforce co-maneuvering, air defense collaboration as well as naval helicopter landings on the different countries’ ships, the ministry’s press service said.

The exercise is focused on “raising the level of operational compatibility between Russian and Chinese military ships during joint actions in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea,” the ministry said.

Russian and Chinese military vessels began collaborating in the region on January 7 to ensure security for transports of Syrian chemical weapons.

The Reasons Why the Military Industrial Complex Needs Al-Qaeda - MUST READ

By Paul Joseph Watson (Infowars) - Recent reports that Al-Qaeda militants have taken over parts of Iraq serve as a stark reminder that the United States has for decades played a crucial role in both directly and indirectly aiding in the spread of terrorists around the Middle East and North Africa as a Machiavellian tool of neo-colonialism. There’s a very good reason why Al-Qaeda now controls more territory in the Arab world than ever before.

The Associated Press reported that Al-Qaeda militants under the banner of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) had captured parts of Ramadi and were already ensconced in the center of the city of Fallujah.

The re-emergence of Al-Qaeda in Iraq emphasizes how the United States’ near nine year occupation of the country, during which hundreds of thousands of Iraqis along with thousands of U.S. troops were killed, was a colossal failure. However, the mere presence of Al-Qaeda insurgents in Iraq is once again being used as a justification by the Pentagon for sending American soldiers back into the meat-grinder, underscoring how the terror group has repeatedly served as a convenient casus belli for military expansion.

In recent years, the symbiotic relationship between Al-Qaeda and the U.S. military industrial complex has become more transparent than ever.

When Ted Cruz infamously warned against the U.S. acting as “Al-Qaeda’s air force,” he was referring to White House support for rebel jihadists in Syria, the most effective of whom represent groups like ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra.

While the Obama administration has claimed all along that it only seeks to aid “moderate” rebels, studies show that the civil war in Syria has allowed groups like ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra to gain a new foothold, leading to a process of “revival and resuscitation” for Al-Qaeda, a group that had previously been on life support.

When Jabhat al-Nusra was declared a terrorist organization by the State Department, after which it swore allegiance to Al-Qaeda, 29 so-called “moderate” rebel groups in turn professed allegiance to Jabhat al-Nusra, rendering the Obama administration’s claim that it was only backing “moderate” militants completely meaningless.

These same militants, backed not only by the US but by every major NATO power, have repeatedly voiced their hatred for and intention to destroy America, as they ransack Christian churches, burn US flags, chant anti-American slogans and sing the praises of Osama Bin Ladenwhile glorifying the 9/11 attacks.

As the New York Times reported, these very same terrorists killed U.S. troops in Iraq and yet western backing for the insurgency against Bashar Al-Assad has enabled violent extremists to seize power in pockets of Syria and beyond into Iraq.

As multiple reports now confirm, Jabhat al-Nusra, the main Al-Qaeda group in Syria, is now commanding rebels and is engaged in “the heaviest frontline fighting” in Syria. As the London Guardian reported, rebels in Syria are admittedly being led by Al-Qaeda terrorists, who meet with them “every day” and train them how to make bombs. Sheik Moaz al Khatib, head of the Syrian National Coalition of Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, has also publicly affirmed his support for the terrorist group.

These same terrorists have also vowed to attack the United States once they are finished in Syria, while proclaiming their desire to see the Al-Qaeda flag flying over the White House. However, despite the Obama White House, along with close allies like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, playing a key role in funneling terrorists into Syria, the administration is now citing infighting amongst Al-Qaeda groups like ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra, as well as Al-Qaeda’s presence in Iraq (which couldn’t have happened without US support for rebel jihadists in Syria), as a reason for the U.S. to become entangled in both Syria and Iraq once again.

In supporting Al-Qaeda terrorists in Syria as part of the effort to impose regime change, the Obama administration is following the same disastrous policy it pursued in Libya, backing the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Libyan Islamic FIghting Group, which also killed U.S. troops in Iraq, to overthrow Gaddafi.

That led to a country ruled by thugs who have rounded up, tortured and executed thousands of black Libyans. It also led to the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, which was carried out by some of the very same LIFG terrorists the United States had backed just a year previously.

After the overthrow of Gaddafi, NATO powers aided in airlifting LIFG militants into Syria to continue the fight to impose Sharia law across the region. However, using Al-Qaeda militants as pawns on a geopolitical chess board to justify neo-colonial expansion isn’t a modern phenomenon restricted to the Obama administration.

credit - infolinks

Under George W. Bush, Al-Qaeda-affiliated groups like Jundallah were used to carry out bombings and assassinations in Iran as part of a wider destabilization campaign aimed at Tehran.

The United States’ close relationship with the group that came to be known as Al-Qaeda stretches back to the late 1970′s when Osama Bin Laden was armed and funded by the CIA through the Pakistani ISI to lead the Muslim mujahideen against the Soviets in Afghanistan.

After this, Bin Laden led Al-Qaeda to Bosnia shortly after the outbreak of war in 1992 to fight against Bosnian Serbs who were subsequently the target of NATO air strikes.

Shortly before the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999, Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda moved into Kosovo, Serbia’s southern province, to aid the Kosovo Liberation Army, the Albanian terrorist faction that was being supported by the U.S. and NATO in its terror campaign against Serbs in the region.

     “The United States, which had originally trained the Afghan Arabs during the war in Afghanistan, supported them in Bosnia and then in Kosovo,” reported the National Post.

With the help of Bin Laden’s terror network, backed up by the U.S. and NATO, no less than 90% of Serbians were “ethnically cleansed” and forced to leave the region, while the international media played its role dutifully in portraying the Albanians as the “victims” of Serbian aggression.

Barely weeks before 9/11, former members of Al-Qaeda who had subsequently joined the Kosovo Liberation Army were airlifted out of Macedonia by U.S. paratroopers.

As former FBi translator Sibel Edmonds revealed, the US maintained “intimate relations” with Bin Laden, “all the way until that day of September 11.”

Members of Bin Laden’s terror network continued to maintain close ties with the U.S. and its allies even after 9/11.

Anwar Al-Awlaki, the man who helped plot the aborted Christmas Day bombing, the Fort Hood shooting, the Times Square bombing attempt, and who also preached to the alleged September 11 hijackers, dined at the Pentagon just months after 9/11.

The alleged mastermind of the 7/7 bombings in London, Haroon Rashid Aswat, was also revealed to be an intelligence asset, in this case working for British MI6.

Saudi Arabia’s former US envoy Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, known as “Bandar Bush” for his close relationship with former President George W. Bush and his father, is another terror mastermind on the payroll of the US military-industrial complex. Bandar worked closely with CIA Director George Tenet, when he was Saudi Ambassador in Washington.

Bandar went off the radar after it emerged that he had become the de facto leader of “Al-Qaeda in Iraq,” having been responsible for arming terrorist organizations in the Middle East. The man who George W. Bush reportedly consulted before the 2003 invasion of Iraq has trained, funded and equipped terrorists to kill US troops, providing the US government with the perfect justification to remain as an occupying force in the country.

Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, as Afghan President Hamid Karzai made clear last year, the Obama administration is now also colluding with the Taliban while the group carries out suicide bombings in the “service of America,” providing the perfect pretext for U.S. troops to remain in the country guarding opium fields while Afghanistan’s heroin exports continue to hit record highs.

In virtually every single case, from Afghanistan, to Serbia, to Iraq, to Libya, to Syria, the United States has aided or in the very least exploited Al-Qaeda’s presence as a justification for war, regime change and occupation.

Thanks to this policy, Al-Qaeda now controls more territory in the Arab world than ever before. If 9/11 really did mark the beginning of a “war on terror,” then the terrorists are clearly winning.

This is why the so-called war on terror has been a monumental fraud from the very start. The U.S. military industrial complex needs terrorists in order to necessitate neo-colonial expansion abroad and domestic oppression at home, which is why the U.S. government does its best to create and sustain them in virtually every corner of the Middle East and North Africa.

Paul Joseph Watson is the editor and writer for Infowars.com and Prison Planet.com. He is the author of Order Out Of Chaos. Watson is also a host for Infowars Nightly News.

Armaments Scandal - Shipowner Michalis Matados Charged Of Money Laundering

Shipowner and MIE company representative Michalis Matados, who is accused on bribery and money laundering, is expected to appear before investigators on the ongoing armaments kickback case this coming Thursday.

The charges against Matados are related to the central role his company allegedly played in the case of submarines as well as for the movement of large sums of money provided for "payments for benefit of inventory".

A report from the state news agency says that investigators of the case have at their disposal new bank account data through which money from the armament programs appear to have been laundered.

Meanwhile, it was made known that at the beginning of February Swiss prosecutors are going to receive testimonies from those already accused on kickbacks, including former defence minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, his wife Vicky Stamatis and even his cousin Nikos Zigras.

Tsochatzopoulos is the key figure in a scandal that has indeed shocked citizens all over Greece. Earlier last year he was sentenced to eight years in prison for tax evasion and several months later (or in October) he was sentenced to a further twenty years for corruption and money laundering.

Meanwhile, Yiannis Beltsios (63), an associate of former defence minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, is accused of handing over German bribes totalling more than 63,192,691 Euros and 2,960,225 Swiss francs to Tsochatzopoulos and to Sotiris Emmanouil (61), the former chairman of Hellenic Shipyards

According to Eleftherotypia police arrested Beltsios (63), the charges against Beltsios range from felonies of active corruption to money laundering.

At the same time, Sotiris Emmanouil, the former chairman of Hellenic Shipyards, was also arrested after anti-corruption investigators, who have heard explosive testimony about the submarine deals from a number of people in recent weeks, issued warrants for his arrest.

Generally unknown to the authorities until recently, Beltsios' name surfaced in documents presented during the so-called "golden kickbacks" trial that was held against Tsochatzopoulos. Avatangelos, who is accused of involvement in paying the bribes with Beltsios, was released on bail in November of 500,000 Euros.

German documents provided to Greek judicial authorities appear to show the involvement of Emmanuel and Beltsios in the scandal. The former, according to the German case file, appears to have received the sum of 17 million, which was to be distributed in Greece as a "gift" to compensate for the decision to order the submarines from Germany.

As it appears, the latter acted as an intermediary between Tsochatzopoulos and the HDW/Ferrostaal consortium.

In a previous testimony to a Munich public prosecutor, Matados said that he paid about 1 million Euros to Beltsios.

     "At MIE (a Greek agent of Ferrostaal), we were asked if we could pay something to Mr Beltsios, which we did. We paid Mr Beltsios about 1 million Euros around March 2000. I think that the amount paid in drachmas, I do not remember if it was by cheque or cash. I wasn't told why Mr Beltsios received this money. I believe it was for his excellent work."

Although Matados subsequently denied some of the statements attributed to him, there are other stakeholders who have given similar testimony to the prosecutors in Munich.

Among them is a former senior Ferrostaal executive, Johann-Friedrich Haun, who claimed that Tsochatzopoulos advised them that "Beltsios was someone who knows a lot of people and who could be useful". According to him "the two of them, Tsochatzopoulos and Beltsios, know each other from PASOK and are very old friends."

In December 2011, a Munich court imposed a 140 million Euro fine on Ferrostaal, after two former managers, including Haun, were convicted of bribery. Haun was fined 36,000 Euros and required to pay an additional 30,000 Euros to charities. Both received suspended prison terms of two years.

It should be reminded that in February 2000, a German consortium, comprising Thyssen Nordseewerke, Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) and Ferrostaal, signed a 1.14 billion Euro contract with the Greek government to build three Type 214 submarines at Hellenic Shipyards and a fourth submarine at HDW's shipyard in Kiel.

The consortium also incurred associated costs – known as offset obligations – to the tune of 1.53 billion Euros. Common but controversial, offsets are where a country demands certain economic benefits – like  technological know how or the of local suppliers to build the equipment they are buying – when they spend large parts of their government budgets buying defence equipment from foreign suppliers.

Another contract, signed in May 2002 involved the modernisation of three Type 209 submarines at Hellenic Shipyards, with an option for a fourth submarine. The contract was worth approximately 469.4 million Euros. Offset obligations in relation to this contract amounted to 563 million Euros. As part of the deal, HDW and Ferrostaal agreed to buy a majority interest in Hellenic Shipyards, signing a contract for that on the same day as the submarine deal.

Sources - Eleftherotypia, Euro2day, AMNA

To get a better understanding of this case we suggest that you also read:

How Paying Double For German Subs Helped To Sink Greece
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2012/03/how-paying-double-for-german-subs.html

EXPOSED - Classified Documents About Bribery From German Arms Manufacturers To Greek Politicians
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2012/07/exposed-classified-documents-about.html

An Introduction And Analysis Of The Siemens and Ferrostaal Scandals
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2012/06/introduction-and-analysis-of-siemens.html

More Arrested Over Bribery & Kickbacks Claims In Arms Deals
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2014/01/more-arrested-over-bribery-kickbacks.html

Russian Arms Exporter Denies Links to Greek Arms Bribe Scandal
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2014/01/russian-arms-exporter-denies-links-to.html

SPECIAL REPORT - Kantas EXPOSES Massive German-Greek Web of Corruption In Defence Contracts
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2013/12/special-report-kantas-exposes-massive.html

NEW SCANDAL - SYRIZA Targets Venizelos in Defence Systems Contract Fiasco
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2013/10/new-scandal-syriza-targets-venizelos-in.html

Venizelos, An Overflowing Bank Account and German Arms Bribery
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2012/03/venizelos-overflowing-bank-account-and.html

How Papakostaninou Gave 500mln to the A.Rossoni Group After The Debut Of The Memorandums
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2012/12/how-papakostaninou-gave-500mln-to.html

Forgiving Siemens And German Corruption in Greece
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2012/07/forgiving-siemens-and-german-corruption.html

GOOD NEWS - Council of State Against Wage Cuts of Armed Forces (VIDEO)

Some good news. The Plenum of the Council of State, in a meeting behind closed doors, came to a decision at the weekend that the cuts in the wages of armed forces (military, police, coast guard etc), which were implemented as part of Greece's bail-out deal (Memorandum III, law 4093/2012), raise many constitutionality issues.

In an almost unanimous decision, the members of Greece's Council of State found that the cuts in the salaries of uniformed personnel raise constitutionality issues and it was announced that they will annul the ministerial decision that provided for them.

A decision by the Plenum of the court, expected to be published in the next three months is now going to determine the extent of the unconstitutionality of the cuts.

Federations and Associations, representating all categories of uniformed personnel, have (since January 2013) filed appeals to the Council of State against Memorandum III (wages cuts).

Greek, Albanian Defence - Closer bilateral Cooperation

Dimitris Avramopoulos, (credit: Wikipedia)

Defence Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos and his visiting Albanian counterpart Mimi Kodeli on Tuesday reaffirmed the mutual willingness of Greece and Albania to deepen and further strengthen bilateral cooperation for the benefit of all the peoples of the "long-suffering region of southeastern Europe."

The two ministers described their talks as useful, constructive and effective. Avramopoulos referred to the historic and strong ties of friendship between Greece and Albania, saying that their relations were based on the principles of mutual respect, sincerity and trust. He referred, in particular, to the Greek minority in Albania and the Albanians working in Greece.

In parallel, he spoke of a new start in cooperation between the two countries in the defence sector and revealed that Greece and Albania will sign a new defence cooperation agreement at the end of August.

The Greek defence minister said Greece was prepared to assist in the reconstruction of the Albanian armed forces and reiterated Greece's support for Albania's European perspective, expressing hope that accession talks with the EU will soon begin. Kodeli referred to Greece as an important partner of Albania, stressing that "we are committed to strengthening cooperation with Greece." She also thanked Greece for its support of Albania's efforts to join the EU.

Listing the areas of cooperation between the Greek and Albanian defence ministries, she said these would concern education and training, Albania's participation in joint exercises in the framework of NATO, the holding bilateral exercises, the participation Albanian forces in the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre in Souda, Greek officers attending Albania military schools and the teaching of Greek to Albanian officers.

A total of 35 Albanian officers are currently attending Greek military academies and recently two Greek officers graduated from Albania's higher military academy. Earlier, Kodeli was received by Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Athens. (AMNA)

More Arrested Over Bribery & Kickbacks Claims In Arms Deals

Authorities arrested the former managing director of Skaramanga Shipyarads, Sotiris Emmanouil, as well as a former associate of ex-Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, Yiannis Beltsios, on charges of accepting bribes and laundering money in connection to allegations of bribery for arms contracts.

The warrants for their arrest were issued after former Defense Ministry official Apostolos Kantas alleged during testimony that both men had received kickbacks in connection with a submarine deal.

According to allegations, Emmanouil received a 24 million Euro bribe to sign the controversial German submarine deal, while Beltsios is accused of money laundering (some refer to him as  Tsochatzopoulos' “treasurer”).