Mês: março 2016

Syria: What’s Next for the Russian Steamroller?

Por | 31 mar, 2016 | , |

The Russian military has conducted its campaign in Syria in a carefully planned and methodical way in line with Russia’s military traditions and the practice of its General Staff Daniel Fielding 31/03/2016 The Syrian army’s offensive, which has resulted in the liberation of Palmyra, provides a good opportunity to the review the situation in Syria since the Russian intervention began in September. A good starting point are the objectives we attributed to the Russians in an article we published on 7th November 2015.  This is what we said there: ‘“The Russian air campaign is therefore carefully judged and is achieving its objectives. 1. It has prevented the US and its allies carrying out their plan for a bombing campaign that would have resulted in the overthrow of the Syrian government; 2. It has provided time and space for a renewed diplomatic effort paving the way for an eventual political settlement based on Russian ideas.  These exclude the setting up of an Islamist jihadi state on Syrian territory. As the Saker correctly says the US appears to have conceded the point; 3. It has provided time and space for the Syrian army to recover, so that it can eventually go on the offensive, creating the conditions for the political settlement the Russians want to impose; and 4. It is weakening the rebels’ infrastructure, preventing them launching an offensive and weakening them...

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Russian weaponry selling best in Latin America

Por | 31 mar, 2016 | , |

March 30, 2016 Russia displays 300 samples of military products at FIDAE-2016 international aerospace show, being held on March 29 through April 3 in Chile MOSCOW, March 29. /TASS/. Chile’s capital Santiago on March 29 – April 3 is hosting the 19th international aerospace show FIDAE-2016, one of the largest in Latin America. Russia is represented by fifteen organizations and weapons makers, including Rosoboronexport, Almaz-Antey, MiG, Helicopters of Russia and Bazalt. A total of 365 selections from Russia’s arms manufacturers are on display. Latin America these days is one of the main markets for Russian defense industry products.     Details of the largest contracts for the supply of Russian weapons and military technologies to the countries of the region – in this special info bulletin from TASS Venezuela Venezuela is the largest buyer of Russian weapons in Latin America. In 2005-2013 the Russian exporter of military hardware Rosoboronexport concluded about 30 contracts $11 billion worth with the Venezuelan Defense Ministry. Venezuela purchased: 100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles AK-103, 24 Sukhoi Su-30MK2 multirole fighters, 34 Mi-17V-5 helicopters, 10 Mi-35M and three Mi-26T helicopters, 92 Т-72B1 main battle tanks. Also, Russia provided several hundred portable shoulder-launched Igla-S anti-aircraft missile systems, BMP-3 mechanized infantry combat vehicle, armored personnel carriers and other equipment. Some of the weapons were purchased on credit. In 2009 an agreement was concluded with Venezuela to extend a $2.2 billion loan, and in 2011, another one on a $4 billion loan. In the autumn...

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Rússia revela incapacidade de coligação ocidental na Síria

Por | 31 mar, 2016 | , |

José Milhazes 28/3/2016 E a União Europeia? Qual o seu papel em todo este complexo xadrez político da Síria? Por enquanto, sobretudo após a recuperação de Palmira, assemelha-se mais ao empregado de mesa que serve as bebidas A recuperação da cidade de Palmira pelas tropas de Bashar Assad com o apoio militar russo, mais do que uma vitória importante sobre o DAESH no terreno, que o é, pretende mostrar ao mundo que a Rússia, em poucos meses, resolve aquilo que o chamado Ocidente provoca e depois leva anos a resolver. Nestas situações, os russos marcam estas ocasiões também com anedotas e a última reflecte bem o espírito que se vive na Rússia depois desse êxito militar: “O ministro da Defesa entra no gabinete de Vladimir Putin e anuncia radiante: – Presidente, conquistámos o Alasca e a Ucrânia!, e Putin responde com a sua habitual frieza: Eu não ordenei conquistar polmira (meio mundo em russo), mas Palmira!”. Este êxito militar das tropas sírias sobre o DAESH é o primeiro grande êxito na luta contra os jihadistas na Síria em cinco anos de guerra e só foi possível graças ao apoio da Força Aérea russa. A morte de um militar russo no terreno aponta para o facto de esse não ser o único combatente, mas, ao que tudo indica, além de soldados das tropas especiais, há também mercenários russos a combater...

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Why are Russia and China Buying Gold, Tons of it?

Por | 31 mar, 2016 | , |

F. William Engdahl 30.03.2016 Gold is one of the most fascinating of all rare metals. Throughout all history it has been given a special, at times sacred or spiritual value, since six thousand years ago when the Egyptian Pharoahs’ tombs were filled with it to accompany the dead on their journey. In times of world financial crisis as in the 1930’s, gold is preferred by central banks and ordinary citizens as a store of value when paper money loses value. We are approaching another of those times when the accumulated paper debt of the dollar system is debasing the worth of paper dollars. What’s highly significant in this light is to see which central banks are buying all the gold they can get. The dollar today is no longer backed by gold. That has been so since Nixon unilaterally abrogated the 1944 Bretton Woods Treaty and took the dollar off its statutory gold backing to float free in August, 1971. He did so at the insistence of then Under Treasury Secretary Paul Volcker and Volcker’s patron, David Rockefeller at Chase Manhattan Bank. Nixon took that desperate measure, simply said, because the Federal Reserve vaults of reserve gold were disappearing as France, Germany and other trading partners of the United States demanded gold in exchange for their accumulated trade dollars, as was allowed under the Bretton Woods rules. Since 1971,...

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Brother Obama: In the Footprints of the Conquistadores

Por | 30 mar, 2016 | , |

FIDEL CASTRO 29/03/2016 The kings of Spain brought us the conquistadores and masters, whose footprints remained in the circular land grants assigned to those searching for gold in the sands of rivers, an abusive and shameful form of exploitation, traces of which can be noted from the air in many places around the country. Tourism today, in large part, consists of viewing the delights of our landscapes and tasting exquisite delicacies from our seas, and is always shared with the private capital of large foreign corporations, whose earnings, if they don’t reach billions of dollars, are not worthy of any attention whatsoever. Since I find myself obliged to mention the issue, I must add – principally for the youth – that few people are aware of the importance of such a condition, in this singular moment of human history. I would not say that time has been lost, but I do not hesitate to affirm that we are not adequately informed, not you, nor us, of the knowledge and conscience that we must have to confront the realities which challenge us. The first to be taken into consideration is that our lives are but a fraction of a historical second, which must also be devoted in part to the vital necessities of every human being. One of the characteristics of this condition is the tendency to overvalue its role,...

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