All Queued Up - Occurrences

As money becomes scarcer and budgets are cut accordingly, both military and civilian nuclear facilities will become increasingly insecure. Nuclear materials will become more vulnerable to theft, nuclear wastes will be managed insufficiently (or not at all), and ultimately the decommissioning of nuclear power plants will consist in sealing their doors and hoping for the best. Welcome to your bright nuclear future. And have a nice day! — RF

China says no room for compromise with Japan on history, territory

China’s foreign minister to Japan: This is 2014, not 1894

China’s Claims of Defense Spending Boost in Doubt

US Sends Special Forces Troops to Jordan for Iraq Training

US, China ready to each assert power in Pacific

Japanese Officials Discuss Perceived Decline in U.S. Military Might

Japanese officials are growing more open about discussing a perceived decline in America’s military might as they seek to justify easing restrictions on Japan’s own military.

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At http://robinwestenra.blogspot.com/ :

Sunday, 9 March 2014

American mercenaries in Donetsk?

Unrest in Venzuela

‘Sniper’ attack in Venezuela protest leaves 2 dead

Ukraine and Peak Oil

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SATURDAY, MARCH 08, 2014

MALAYSIAN AIRLINES MH370 – STOLEN PASSPORTS

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6 March 2014

Are Russia’s Security Agencies At War (With Each Other)?

Antiterrorist operation in Makhachkala

After a period of relative calm, Russia’s fractious security agencies are once again at odds with each other. Against the backdrop of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, Mark Galeotti assesses the prospects of a new intra-elite turf war breaking out in Moscow.

By Mark Galeotti for ISN

While there is often a temptation to lump all of Russia’s so-called ‘siloviki’—the ‘men of force’—into one faction, they are, in fact, divided by myriad fracture lines: factional, personal, political and pragmatic. The last time conflicts between these agencies became a serious problem was in 2007, when a corruption scandal led to a major dispute between agencies that, in turn, led to arrests and even rumored deaths, before President Vladimir Putin had to step in and impose an armistice. Back then, Putin was at the height of his power. Now, as new tensions mount and the need to cooperate over the Sochi security operation recedes, rivalries amongst the siloviki are becoming increasingly open, something that may not only weaken Putin but also perhaps reflect a growing suspicion that he is no longer as powerful and his time may be beginning to come to an end.

Most-Favored Oprichnik

Of course, the security chiefs and agencies remain a long way off realistically challenging the Russian president. Indeed, the struggles are often around opportunities to seem most useful to him – through the tsar’s favor come budgets, privileges and precedence. This has certainly been the lesson of the rise of Alexander Bastrykin, the head of the Investigative Committee (SKR), an agency that carries out primary investigations of serious crimes before referring them to the Prosecutor General’s Office (GPRF).

Bastrykin is unusual amongst senior Russian officials in having no meaningful support base of clients below him, nor allies and patrons beside and above him. He survives through his utility to Putin, and so his actions are often a good indicator of the president’s actual or assumed intent. In 2013, Bastrykin was very much in prominence, culminating in the trial of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in July. However, with the decision to free Navalny on bail and allow him to contest the Moscow mayoral elections—very much at the urging of powerful incumbent Sergei Sobyanin, who wanted a contested vote to legitimize himself—Bastrykin had clearly suffered a serious political setback. In the latter months of the year, he kept a strikingly low profile.

This year, though, he is back at the forefront, championing a new role for the Kremlin as the scourge of dishonest oligarchs, tax evaders and corrupt officials. In a series of interviews, he has expressed cautious distaste for the privatization campaigns of the past and warned that economic crime ought to be considered a serious national security threat. In this, he is undoubtedly his master’s voice, as Putin appears to be looking likewise to relegitimize himself with the public as the tsar who can keep the corrupt and self-serving boyar aristocrats of Russia in check.

The Economic Crime Honeypot

However, Bastrykin is also using this as an opportunity to advance his and the SKR’s agenda. While talking about the ills of tax crimes, he also proposes that the SKR ought to have a greater role in investigating similar white-collar offences. This would give him greater political leverage, as economic crimes are increasingly the weapon of choice in intra-elite struggles. It is also popular with the less-honorable officers of the SKR, as these crimes also lend themselves well to lucrative and easy bribe-taking.

This desire to maximize the opportunities for political firepower and illegal enrichment are at the heart of an increasingly bitter struggle between the Federal Security Service (FSB) and Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) over the latter’s cumbersomely-named Main Directorate of Economic Security and Anti-Corruption (with the equally clumsy acronym GUEBiPK).There have long been rumors about the directorate and tensions between its head, Lt. General Denis Sugrobov, and Deputy Interior Minister Yuri Alexeev, head of the MVD’s Investigations Department (SD). Sugrobov, who at 34 had last year become the youngest general in the history of the post-Soviet MVD, was associated with Prime Minister Dmitri Medevedev, a patron of diminishing influence. He was also reportedly frustrated that Alexeev did not move more quickly or forcefully with cases he raised, just as Alexeev considered Sugrobov too interested in quick headlines and high-profile scalps.

However, these internal disputes acquired a more serious edge as the SKR began looking for ways to assert its dominance over the SD, as its counterpart within the MVD, and the FSB—which has long had its own economic security division—sought to cherry-pick from the GUEBiPK’s cases and investigators. Late February saw a sudden blood-letting, as both Alexeev and Sugrobov was sacked by presidential decree. This followed the SKR’s decision to open a criminal case against senior GUEBiPK officers, who stand accused of trying to entrap an FSB officer on bribery charges. The SKR then arrested Major General Boris Kolesnikov, Sugrobov’s right hand man, generally regarded as a tough and effective investigator. It was his team that reportedly opened the investigation into embezzlement through the defense ministry’s Oboronservis property arm that led to the downfall of minister Anatoly Serdyukov.

A War Of All Against All

While the SKR and FSB seem to be cooperating against the MVD, they are nevertheless competitors on other fronts. For example, talk of the creation of some investigatory super-agency—a “Russian FBI”—have resurfaced periodically. Putin, a KGB veteran who well understands the power of dividing and thus ruling the security apparatus, has always held back from such a move. Nonetheless, the Russian press has now begun reporting leaks to the effect that such an agency may be announced this spring, to be fully operational by 2016 or 2017. It would be founded on the basis of—and thus dominated by—Bastrykin’s SKR, assimilating relevant elements from the FSB, MVD and Federal Antinarcotics Service (FSKN).

Unsurprisingly, the FSB is opposed to this move, unless it can instead ensure that this new agency is under its own control. The MVD is likewise hostile (and the suspicion is that Alexeev’s ouster was in part to make the ministry look like it could not manage its own investigations department). Sugrobov’s acting replacement at GUEBiPK, Maj. General Sergei Solopov, is a client of Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev’s and the hope is that a quick cleansing of the stables might help fight off the FSB and SKR alike.

As for the FSKN – one of the less powerful agencies – its director Viktor Ivanov has in the past tried to empire-build himself, presenting his agency as outside the fray and thus best able to police the secret policemen on the Kremlin’s behalf. Perhaps sensing that its prospects of retaining a powerful domestic role are waning, the FSKN has now started to argue that it needs its own external intelligence arm. In the process it has stepped on the toes of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), as well as the FSB, which in 2003 was granted the right to run its own overseas operations.

In short, the security community is bubbling with rivalries in a way it has not since 2006-7, and the prospects for increased political conflict are great. The current crisis with the Ukraine is also having unpredictable effects: rumours suggest Putin sacked a number of Ukraine analysts within the SVR and FSB for failing to predict Yanukovych’s demise, while the Kremlin’s focus on the Crimea may well embolden some other actors. Although Putin has played the siloviki against each other in the past, the danger is that agencies lose focus on their primary missions when they are busy fighting turf wars. Inevitably this could undermine the Kremlin at a time when domestic political opposition may be about to revive. It may also be a symptom of a weakness in the presidency. All the agency heads serve at the pleasure of the president, but likewise the security community is a powerful player in the inner elite politics behind the Kremlin walls. Since his inauguration, Putin’s foreign policy triumphs and the pageantry of Sochi have masked a lack of direction and determination in domestic politics. A new turf war within the security apparatus would be a distinct sign that they now no longer fear Putin as once they did.

Dr Mark Galeotti is Professor of Global Affairs at New York University’s SCPS Center for Global Affairs and author of the In Moscow’s Shadows blog. He is currently carrying out field research in Moscow.

For additional reading on this topic please see:
Russian Analytical Digest No 138: Putin’s Turn to Traditionalism/Nationalism
Russian Analytical Digest No. 139: Governors and Mayors
Putin’s Reactive Reforms
Russian Analytical Digest No. 142: Russia and Regional Developments

For more information on issues and events that shape our world please visit the ISN’s Dossiers and the ISN Blog.

Dr. Mark Galeotti is Professor of Global Affairs at New York University’s SCPS Center for Global Affairs and author of the In Moscow’s Shadows blog.

International Relations and Security Network (ISN)

Creative Commons – Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported

The International Relations and Security Network (ISN) is one of the world’s leading open access information services for both professionals and students who focus on international relations (IR) and security studies….. The ISN is an online project of the Center for Security Studies (CSS), at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich). It is jointly funded by the Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) and ETH Zurich.

Their promo video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H2yLpHMTPc (0:56)

http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/Articles/Detail/?lng=en&id=177239 via http://www.worldaffairsbrief.com/

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The Ukrainian Pendulum

By Israel Shamir

March 08, 2014 “Information Clearing House – The stakes are high in the Ukraine: after the coup, as Crimea and Donbas asserted their right to self determination, American and Russian troops entered Ukrainian territory, both under cover.

The American soldiers are “military advisors”, ostensibly members of Blackwater private army (renamed Academi); a few hundred of them patrol Kiev while others try to suppress the revolt in Donetsk. Officially, they were invited by the new West-installed regime. They are the spearhead of the US invasion attempting to prop up the regime and break down all resistance. They have already bloodied their hands in Donetsk.

Besides, the Pentagon has doubled the number of US fighter jets on a NATO air patrol mission in the Baltics; the US air carrier entered the Black Sea, some US Marines reportedly landed in Lvov “as a part of pre-planned manoeuvres”.

The Russian soldiers ostensibly belong to the Russian Fleet, legally stationed in Crimea. They were in Crimea before the coup, in accordance with the Russian-Ukrainian treaty (like the US 5^th fleet in Kuwait), but their presence was probably beefed up. Additional Russian troops were invited in by deposed but legitimately elected President Yanukovych (compare this with the US landing on Haiti in support of the deposed President Aristide ). They help the local pro-Russian militia maintain order, and no one gets killed in the process. In addition, Russia brought its troops on alert and returned a few warships to the Black Sea.

It is only the Russian presence which is described as an “invasion” by the Western media, while the American one is hardly mentioned. ”We have a moral duty to stick our nose in your business in your backyard a world away from our homeland. It’s for your own good”, wrote an ironic American blogger.

More: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article37886.htm

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At http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/

Look, No Teleprompter
Vladimir Putin Talks To Reporters About Ukraine

By Vladimir Putin

I ask myself, what was the purpose of all this? I want to understand why this was done. Continue

Ukraine
United States Strives For World Domination

By William Blum

The United States, NATO and the European Union form The Holy Triumvirate. Continue

American Unlimited Imperialism: Now Ukraine

By Francis Boyle

It is the Unlimited Imperialists along the lines of Alexander, Rome, Napoleon and Hitler who are now in charge of conducting American foreign policy. Continue

Grand Puppetmaster Brzezinski
Directing War Strategies from the Shadows

By Mike Whitney

This isn’t politics; it’s hysterics. It’s incendiary, jingoistic mumbo-jumbo intended to rouse the public and fan the flames of nationalism. Continue

U.S. Media Non-Coverage of the Urmas Paet – Catherine Ashton Sniper Revelation

By David Peterson

A stunning example of suppression of an important revelation, plain and simple. Continue

Julian Assange “We Are Headed Towards A Transnational Dystopian Total Surveillance Society”

Video

“Who Really Calls The Shots” Continue

Counter Intelligence : The Deep State

Video

“Counter-Intelligence” shines sunlight into the darkest crevices of empire run amok. The film vividly exposes a monstrous and unconstitutional “deep state” in which multiple competing chains of command — all but one illegal — hijack government capabilities and taxpayer funds to commit crimes against humanity in our name. Continue

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Three at http://www.washingtonsblog.com/:

Obama and Putin: Liar’s Poker

Posted on March 8, 2014 by WashingtonsBlog

Psychopath War Criminals Obama, Kerry: ‘You don’t invade a country on phony pretext’

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Carl Herman

China Is Crashing … As Predicted

Posted on March 7, 2014 by WashingtonsBlog

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http://www.counterpunch.org/

WEEKEND EDITION MARCH 7-9, 2014

Andre Vltchek

Brainwashed: The Indoctrinated West

Franklin C. Spinney

The Deadly Mix Of Hysteria And Defense Budget Politics

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“Femen: Stop Putin’s War”

If you write your slogans in English you are not speaking to the local crowd but are looking to be arrested and featured in the American media.

“Russian Source Details Pay To Ukraine ‘Protesters'”

SATURDAY, MARCH 08, 2014

The first rule of fascism is that truth is always subservient to group membership

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The Brief Rise and Long Fall of Russia’s Robot Tank

timothy posted 3 hours ago | from malachiorion

28 comments

malachiorion writes with this report from Popular Science

“Seventy-four years ago, Russia accomplished what no country had before, or has since: it sent armed ground robots into battle. These remote-controlled Teletanks took the field during one of WWII’s earliest and most obscure clashes, as Soviet forces pushed into Eastern Finland for roughly three and a half months, from 1939 to 1940. The workings of those Teletanks were cool, though they were useless against Germany, and Russia proceeded to fall behind the developed world in military robotics.”

from the pew-pew-pew dept.

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Saudis Bankrolling Israel’s Mossad: More Confirmation?

By: Barry Lando Saturday March 8, 2014 5:20 pm http://firedoglake.com/

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CAPTAGON—Saudi Mind Control Drug of Choice

(Franklin Lamb)

Posted on March 8, 2014 by therearenosunglasses

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8 March 2014

Leah McGrath Goodman Eyeball

A/K/A Leah Goodman, Leah Susan Goodman, Leah Susan McGrath, Leah McGrath, Susan McGrath, Susan Goodman, Leah Susan McGrath Goodman.

This material may not apply to the Leah McGrath Goodman who claimed to have located Satoshi Nakamoto. A correction from Ms. Goodman would be welcomed.

All the “goods” are here: http://cryptome.org/2014-info/leah-goodman/leah-goodman.htm

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“… [T]he head of the Connecticut Peace Officers’ Assn has released an open letter stating that the police will not “be party to the oppression of the people of the state by enforcing an unconstitutional law.” So far 250 LEOs have cosigned the letter.

The CT law required the registration of AWs, with a deadline for doing so, and it appears that the vast majority of AW owners have simply refused. So now the State faces massive resistance, and some portion, perhaps a large portion, of police refusing to enforce.”

http://armsandthelaw.com/archives/2014/03/some_connecticu.php?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

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PBS News Hour has been financed by rightwingers

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iWar

I’ve finalized my keynote for the World War D conference in Melbourne, Australia at the end of the month.

It’s called:

iWar: How anybody can declare war on the world and win

Should be a fun conference.

I’ve also offered to be in two additional panels on the second day to discuss topics of interest. Should be lots of fun.

Posted by John Robb on Thursday, 06 March 2014 at 09:05 AM | Permalink

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10 Scientific Studies That Prove Consciousness Can Alter Our Physical Material World

2 thoughts on “All Queued Up”

Pingback: Trackback
1. Ed(itor) says:
  
  May 17, 2014 at 11:34 am
  
  I don’t know, in today’s legal climate, where these things are greatly in disarray. Laws pertaining to online content are woeful in the speed of their development. And it’s responsive to the political climate and regime in your country. Right now, in the USofA, it is becoming politically criminal to pass on an expression of discontent or to lift the corner of the curtain.

Comments are closed.