Saturday, March 22, 2014
India and Space Defense
By Amit R. Saksena
Concerned about global trends, India is making progress in building its space defense capabilities.Fortunately, the final frontier has yet to become a battlefield. On present trends, however, the next two decades will witness a global arms race in space, culminating in a sophisticated weapons system being placed in orbit. The United States and Russia (formerly the Soviet Union) have been active in this sphere since the early 1960s, when the Soviets first tested the “hunter killer” low orbit satellite system. The U.S. responded with a series of advanced strategic missile projects and some more promising ground launched initiatives. Since then, however, both the U.S. and Russia have constrained their space military programs, seeking to discourage weaponization. Still, both countries have made it clear they will start again, should a line be crossed. In 2007, China sparked global concern when it successfully tested its first ASAT (anti-satellite) missile, destroying one of its obsolete weather satellites at an altitude of 865 km. In 2006, the U.S. government released a report claiming that China had tagged some U.S. observation satellites with a high-power laser system. Although no major damage was done to the satellites, it later emerged that the laser was not directed at the optical lenses, which could have rendered the satellites useless. In 2008, when the Shenzhou-07 was in orbit, the taikonauts on the mission released a BX-1 micro satellite. The BX-1 flew within the 1000-mile secure radius of the International Space Station (the ISS is programmed to change trajectory and orbit should this happen). Although no harm was done, this demonstrated China’s ability to deploy micro satellites with ASAT capabilities. China has long lobbied against the weaponization of outer space. The sudden change in its space policy can be viewed as an attempt at deterrence, as well as a hedging of its bets. According to Theresa Hitchens, director of the Center for Defense Information, a private group in Washington that tracks military programs, “For several years, the Russians and Chinese have been trying to push a treaty to ban space weapons. The concept of exhibiting a hard-power capability to bring somebody to the negotiating table is a classic cold war technique.” In 2006, the Bush Administration authorized a policy, noting that the United States would “preserve its rights, capabilities, and freedom of action in space” and “dissuade or deter others from either impeding those rights or developing capabilities intended to do so.” It declared the United States would “deny, if necessary, adversaries the use of space capabilities hostile to U.S. national interests.” Apart from the global ramifications, these developments have sent alarm bells ringing in India. An opponent of the weaponizing of space, India has made impressive developments with its Agni–V Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile, joining an elite club of countries that possess this technology. Recently, the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) announced that it can harness the technology to manufacture anti-satellite weaponry. This, along with the Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) success with indigenous launch vehicles, equips the Indian space program with the technological capability to undertake space weaponization activities. From the mid 1970s to 2005, the Indian space program suffered due to the imposition of a sanctions regime in response to its nuclear policies, which left it struggling with little outside technical assistance. India was welcomed back to the mainstream only after a deal with the U.S. was signed in 2005. Eventually, in 2011, the U.S. administration moved certain strategic companies, including those from the ISRO, off the so-called Entity List, in an effort to drive hi-tech trade and forge closer strategic ties with India. ISRO has already established a reputation for reliability when it comes to launching smaller satellites using its smaller Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). Its workhorse launch vehicle has put more than 35 satellites of various countries, weighing between one kg and 712 kg, into orbit, not to mention more than a dozen Indian satellites. With the recent success of the geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV-D5), the ISRO is ready to take on satellites weighing in excess of two tons, an important prerequisite to the deployment of any weapons system. Existing space treaties prohibit placing weapons of mass destruction in space, but not other types of weapons. Therefore, the next logical step for the DRDO is to develop orbital weapons, which could remain in space for as long as required while orbiting Earth or the Moon. The line between militarization and weaponization is blurred. Militarization is the build up to a state of conflict and broadly encompasses any activity that furthers this objective. Weaponization, by contrast, means actively developing or deploying a weapon. According to many experts, militarization of space first occurred in 1957 when Sputnik 1 was put into orbit by the Soviet Union. Since then, many auxiliary technology satellites have been launched (such as telecommunications, relief mapping and orbital imaging), directly or indirectly assisting warfare efforts on terra firma and over water. Today, militaries all over the world rely heavily on satellites for command and control, communication, monitoring, early warning, and navigation with the Global Positioning System (GPS). While the term “peaceful purposes” hardly applies to such activities, military applications such as using satellites to direct bombing raids or to orchestrate a “prompt global strike” capability are gradually encroaching on the space environment and have raised serious concerns. So space warfare can be studied on the basis of a utility criterion in three ways: auxiliary systems, which can assist in warfare on other terrains; defensive systems, which are required to protect these space assets; and weaponized systems – which are purely offensive in nature. In 2012, the then DRDO chief V.K. Saraswat emphasized a defensive strategy for India in the space domain. Sticking to the principle of “no weaponizing,” Saraswat projected the view that space security entails the creation of “a gamut of capabilities,” including the protection of satellites, communications and navigation systems and denying the enemy the use of their own “space systems.” The domestic Indian missile defense shield is designed to protect key parts of Indian territory from ballistic missiles originating from China and Pakistan. Priority has to be given to the kill vehicle. Going forward, said Saraswat, “What is needed is technology to track the movement of enemy satellites, for instance, before making a kinetic kill. We are trying to build a credible deterrence capability.” At the same time Saraswat made it clear that this anti satellite device “will not be tried out in real life conditions unless there are exigencies.” The comment echoes India’s resolve to stick to a defensive program only. Countries have long grappled with the issue of space junk left behind by their activities. The 2007 Chinese ASAT test filled the Lower Earth Orbit (LEO) with an estimated 2500 pieces of dangerous debris. In May 2013, a Russian satellite was stuck and destroyed by one such piece. Thus, systems to protect against debris also need to be developed for LEO satellites. India, now a major spacefaring nation, has in orbit a substantial number of satellites for communications, meteorology, earth observation and scientific research. It is also developing its own indigenous Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) to reduce is reliance on the GPS used by the U.S. and the Russian GLONASS India recently launched its first dedicated defense satellite, GSAT-7 for the Indian Navy. This is seen as the start of a long line of defense application oriented satellites that the Integrated Space Cell (ISC, initiated in 2008) may want to put into orbit. Already an “eye-in-the-sky” system for the Air Force is being considered. The Integrated Space Cell is currently operated jointly by the three service arms, the DRDO, and the ISRO, making it more of a central information network system than an offensive one. The CARTOSAT-2A, a dedicated satellite of the Indian Armed Forces, will also fall under the jurisdiction of this nodal agency. Although a fledgling agency at the moment, the ISC may be the stepping stone to a fully fledged Indian Military Space Command in the near future. For India, the issue is China’s reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities, which are essentially satellite-based systems. In battle, the army in possession of the higher ground has a natural advantage over its adversary; right now this higher ground is space.
North Korea fires 16 small range missiles in the direction of the Sea of Japan
itar-tass.com
The authorities in Seoul assume that North Korea has fired missiles in retaliation to the annual U.S. - South Korean exercises (Foal Eagle) that are currently under way in South KoreaNorth Korea launched 16 small range missiles on Sunday, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff reported on Sunday. They say the missiles were fired from mobile launchers located near Wonsan in Gangwon province. All the missiles were fired in the direction of the Sea of Japan. On Saturday, North Korea launched 30 small range missiles simultaneously. They flew about 60 kilometers, according to the South Korean military sources.
The authorities in Seoul assume that North Korea has fired missiles in retaliation to the annual U.S. - South Korean exercises (Foal Eagle) that are currently under way in South Korea. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) regards them as allied training ahead on intrusion into Korean peninsula.
OK, 'most spoken word on the planet', marks its 175th anniversary
http://www.scmp.com/
Turkey: We’re counting days to an authoritarian Islamist regime
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said “We’ll eradicate Twitter, mwitter,” before adding he does not care what the international community will say. He also said nobody should expect the AKP government to abide by the latest European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decision which called Turkey to create the mechanisms to let the jailed leader of the illegal Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) Abdullah Öcalan apply for conditional release in his 25th year in prison. In reality, Erdoğan should be one of the people who know very well that Turkey has to abide by the ECHR’s decisions as a rule of national law. Another fact is the ECHR’s decisions must be held superior to the Turkish law when there is a contradiction. There is only one meaning for the Prime Minister’s defiance of the international community and the ECHR, which is: The prime minister has declared that Turkey is turning away from being a part of democratic Western civilization. If he succeeds, he can indeed be at ease. Just like Iran, Saudi Arabia, China, Russia and countries like these do not care about the rules that the democratic Western system upholds, neither will Turkey! It is hard to understand how to try to be a member of the EU, while saying, “I’ll do it the way I want, regardless of what they say.” Apparently, the prime minister is so bored of legal rules to render an account to the democratic world that he’s counting down the days until having the authoritarian-Islamist regime he has in mind. When prime minister gave the signal… We know Prime Minister Erdoğan very well. Sometimes during election rallies, he is buoyed by his own voice and says the first thing that comes to his mind. I thought the same thing happened when I first heard Erdoğan’s speech in Bursa. “We now have a court order. We’ll eradicate Twitter. I don’t care what the international community says. Everyone will witness the power of the Turkish Republic,” the prime minister said. But hours after these remarks it was announced that Twitter was banned based on three court decisions. We later learned that the court rulings were given earlier. It is obvious that when the prime minster gave the signal, officious officials in the Telecommunications Directorate (TİB) took this as an order and shut down access. We witnessed concepts such as DNS and VPN quickly become a part of our daily lives. There is no question that court orders should be applied, although we saw police chiefs resisting prosecutor’s orders after the Dec. 17, 2013 corruption probe. The prime minister said he would not follow a court ruling ordering the halt of the construction of a new prime ministry building in Ankara, but in a state of law everybody should obey the court’s decisions. Hence, the responsibility of taking Turkey out of the situation it was put in falls on the courts’ shoulders. I want to hope the Turkish Bars Associations’ objection to a higher court will soon get a result and we are better than at least China, even with our limited democracy.MEHMET Y. YILMAZ
88 injured, 29 arrested in Madrid as anti-austerity march turns violent
Protesters clashed with police in Madrid as thousands of people trekked across Spain to protest austerity which they claim is destroying their country. Under the banner "no more cuts!" the protesters called for an end to the government’s "empty promises."
Police arrested at least 29 protesters following the clashes which took place after the march. According to emergency service, 88 people were injured - 55 of them police, El Mundo newspaper reports.
Protesters were seen throwing stones and firecrackers at police. According to witnesses, officers used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators.
Clashes broke out during a final speech at the demonstration when protesters tried to break through a police barrier. Riot police took charge by beating protesters with batons, AP reported.
“The mass rally was coming to an an end when reportedly a group of younger protesters, who had masks on their faces, started throwing rocks at the police. Police tried to push them away from the parameter that they organized around this area,” RT’s Egor Piskunov reported from Madrid.
“They (police) tried to push them (protesters) away from these police fences and then we started seeing firecrackers being thrown at police and reportedly authorities started firing rubber bullets at the protesters. As a result, there are injuries on both sides and several people have been arrested as well.” “I can confirm that there is very heavy police presence in this whole district. Since it is the center of Madrid, there are lots of luxury hotels in this part of town and security here is very tight,” he added. Six “columns” of trains, cars and buses, as well as bands of pedestrians have travelled from Extremadura, Andalusia, Valencia, Murcia, Asturias, Galicia and Aragon, among other Spanish regions, to converge on Madrid in mass protest this Saturday. The demonstration itself has been dubbed 22-M, Marches for dignity.
Eight groups of activists are expected to move into the Spanish capital at different points throughout the course of the day. As a precautionary measure, the Madrid authorities have closed roads in the center of the city and asked people to use public transport whenever possible on Saturday. In addition, the Spanish authorities have deployed 1,650 riot police to keep the situation under control in Madrid.
The protest movement is demanding an end to the so-called Troika-style cuts in Spain, more jobs and affordable housing. “Why am I here? I’m sick of this government. With all the promises they never fulfill. They said they were going to create more jobs and lower the taxes but it’s a lie! Instead, unemployment rose from 4 to 6 million. This is the only way we can fight back,” one of the protestors, who had been on the road since March 9, told RT correspondent Egor Piskunov.
A large proportion of the protesters who have made their way on foot to the Spanish capital are unemployed and plan to camp in Madrid until their demands are met. “There are too many reasons: my sons have to work every day from 8 in the morning to five of the next morning only for 400 euros per month! Also I'm a teacher and I know what cuts in the public sector mean,” said another activist. “All these evictions - this is insane. I'm marching to Madrid because I can't walk to Berlin or Brussels. We must stop them and the Troika!” Hundreds of people are evicted from their homes every day in Spain. The General Council of the Judiciary reported that 49,984 forced evictions had been carried out across the country last year, which averages about 185 a day.
The number of evictions reached an all-time high in Spain in 2012 with over 500 a day, according to a report by the BBC. This combined with an unemployment rate of 26 percent, the second highest in Europe after Greece, has left many Spanish citizens with nowhere to turn. This is reflected in the growing number of suicides in the country, with the country’s National Institute of Statistics estimating that at least 8 people take their lives every day in the country. Pepe Caballero, one of the organizers of the protests said the Spanish government is trying to return Spain to the Franco era. “What the government wants is to go back to the Franco years and keep the working class from demonstrating in the streets and saying what our main problems are. We won't allow that to happen and they know it,” Caballero told RT, adding that the protest movement will change Spain from the “bottom to the top.” At the beginning of this month, the Spanish Minister of Employment Fatima Banez said that Spain had finally pulled itself out of the recession and registered economic growth. However, the Spanish Union of Workers dismissed Banez’s announcements as “government propaganda.”
Turkey: Erdoğan lost his Twitter battle - very badly
On March 20, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan said in an election rally that he wanted to “root out” Twitter, no matter what the “international community” thought. Within hours, an Ankara court had shut down the site to the 12 million Twitter accounts in Turkey.
The official reason from the PM’s press office was shown as the number of court cases opened by Turkish citizens against Twitter on the basis that they had been insulted.
But there are many speculations about the actual reason for the unfortunate move.
Erdoğan has been getting more upset because of leaks of wiretap records of telephone conversations between him and his family members, Cabinet members, media figures, and business figures, with lots of claims of corruption. This has been the case ever since the graft probe started on Dec. 17, 2013, which has so far cost Erdoğan the resignations of four ministers.
Instead of opening the judicial path to investigation of the corruption allegations, Erdoğan started to bash judges, prosecutors, policemen and social media for trying to stage a “coup” against him with manipulation from his former close ally Fethullah Gülen, the U.S.-resident moderate Islamist scholar. It was then that the leaks started to cause so many headaches for the prime minister.
As Turkey approaches the March 30 local elections, Erdoğan and his close aides have started to worry about more leaks, which could affect the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Parti) votes.
Erdoğan first introduced more political control over judges and prosecutors, and then passed a law restricting the use of the Internet, taking advantage of the AK Parti’s domination of Parliament.
But nobody expected that he would act so quickly and so firmly as to shut Twitter down completely.
There are speculations regarding the timing of the move as well.
When the day turns from March 20 to March 21, day and night are equal in the northern hemisphere, which marks one of the most ancient festivities on earth: Nevruz (Nooruz in Persian, Novruz in Azeri, and Newroz in Kurdish). On March 21 in the predominantly Kurdish populated city of Diyarbakır, the Kurdish problem-focused Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) held a big rally. It featured a message from Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which shares the same grassroots with the BDP.
Erdoğan’s government was uncomfortable with the possibility that the PKK would end the dialogue process on the grounds that the government has not been doing enough, or at least give an ultimatum to end the cease-fire.
There is speculation that those who are leaking the documents could have a recording between Turkish Intelligence Organization (MİT) Chief Hakan Fidan and Öcalan about guarantees for his release. The possibility of a leak before the BDP’s Nevruz rally could ruin all Erdoğan’s game plan before the March 30 elections.
So he preferred the hard way and shut down Twitter, which he sees as the source of the leaks.
Erdoğan had once promised to take the Turkish people into the European Union, or at least to the level of the EU’s democratic standards, but with the latest ban he has put Turkey in the same league as North Korea, China and Iran.
Nevertheless, hours after the ban most Turkish users were back on Twitter, using the ways and means of digital technology.
What’s more, to Erdoğan’s dismay, those rejoining Twitter and breaking the ban included Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç and Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek (a genuine Twitter addict).
President Abdullah Gül, who had “unwillingly” approved the recent Internet law, also broke the law, saying via his own Twitter account that he was against the ban.
Immediately after the ban went into effect, millions of Turkish Twitter users hit back, defying the restrictions and demonstrating that the walls of fear that Erdoğan is trying to build have started to fall apart.
It is getting more difficult for Erdoğan to rule Turkey as he has done up to now, even if his AK Parti comes first on March 30.
Turkey: Erdoğan fears 140 characters
The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has slammed Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan over the government's blocking of Twitter during his election rally in the Aegean city İzmir on March 22.
Russia’s Shifting of Border Force Stirs U.S. Worry
The White House cast doubt Friday on the Kremlin’s claims that thousands of troops massing on the border of southeastern Ukraine are merely involved in training exercises, deepening fears that Russian aggression will not end in Crimea. “It’s not clear what that signals,” the national security adviser, Susan E. Rice, said to reporters in a briefing at the White House. But she added, “Obviously given their past practice and the gap between what they have said and what they have done, we are watching it with skepticism.” At the Pentagon, senior officers and analysts said they were monitoring the Russian infantry, airborne, air defense and other reinforcements with growing alarm, uncertain of President Vladimir V. Putin’s ambitions.By MARK LANDLER
Pentagon officials do not believe that a new Russian move into Ukraine is imminent. But one of their big worries is that American and NATO officials would have virtually no time to react if it did happen. All told, officials said, there are more than 20,000 troops near the border.“The Russian forces are reinforcing and bulking up along the eastern Ukrainian border,” a Pentagon official said. “Our view is they’re preserving all their options, including going in, absolutely. If they choose to do that, we just wouldn’t have much warning.” President Obama cited the troop movements on Thursday in announcing new sanctions against officials with ties to Mr. Putin and in opening the door to broader measures against key industrial sectors. He warned Russia against further incursions after its annexation of Crimea. Ms. Rice’s comments, which set the stage for Mr. Obama’s trip to Europe next week, suggested that the tensions between the United States and Russia were continuing to intensify. Asked if the Ukraine crisis was prompting a “fundamental reassessment” of America’s relationship with Russia, she answered in a single word: “Yes.” Russia’s integration into the global political and economic order after the Cold War, Ms. Rice said, was predicated on its adherence to international rules and norms. “What we have seen in Ukraine is obviously a very egregious departure from that,” she said. Her comments were among the bluntest of any ranking administration official since the crisis began, and were even more striking because they came hours after Mr. Putin signaled that he wanted to halt the cycle of tit-for-tat retribution between Moscow and Washington. The White House, it seems, is paying less attention to Mr. Putin’s words than to the movement of his troops, described as a mix of infantry, motorized and airborne forces. Officials also worry about clashes with Ukrainian soldiers, who are increasingly agitated. Ukrainian officials have told American officials that Russia could use that as a pretext to move. “This is obviously a very worrying and fragile situation,” Ms. Rice said, “but we have been very much admiring of the posture that the Ukrainian people and government have been taking.” On Thursday, Russia’s defense minister, Sergei K. Shoigu, told Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel that “the troops he has arrayed along the border are there to conduct exercises only, that they had no intention of crossing the border into Ukraine, and that they would take no aggressive action,” according to the Pentagon’s press secretary, Rear Adm. John Kirby. Mr. Hagel has held several urgent calls with Ukraine’s defense minister, Ihor Tenyukh, and told him Friday that the Pentagon was reviewing a request for military assistance. Ukrainian officials have asked for small arms and ammunition, as well as nonlethal aid like medical supplies. The Pentagon said it was focusing on nonlethal aid. On Wednesday, Ukraine’s prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, called Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. to warn him about the mounting tensions in the country’s east. Mr. Biden was then on a two-day trip to Poland and the Baltic States to reassure them of American support in the wake of Russia’s moves against Ukraine. He encountered deep divisions among Europeans about how swiftly to impose sanctions on Russia. Estonia’s president, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, urged his fellow leaders to act boldly, but officials in Poland and Lithuania were more cautious, citing energy contracts with Russia. The European Union stepped up its own sanctions, adding 12 Russian officials to its list of 21 blacklisted figures. But it did not penalize wealthy business people with ties to Mr. Putin, whom the White House describes as cronies. Part of the reason, a senior administration official said, is that Europe has different legal criteria for penalizing such people. The “cronies” tend to have assets stashed in Europe, which makes putting them on a blacklist more complicated. Ms. Rice said the European Union’s latest move “very much matches the theory behind the executive order that President Obama signed yesterday, which gave us and gives us the ability as needed to target particular sectors within the Russian economy.” In addition to targeting those close to Mr. Putin with sanctions, the White House hopes to drive away foreign investors. In that regard, the best news the White House might have gotten was an announcement on Thursday by Standard & Poor’s, the ratings agency, that it had downgraded its outlook for the Russian economy to negative. Ms. Rice was not among three White House officials banned from Russia by the Foreign Ministry in response to Mr. Obama’s sanctions. One of the officials who was — Benjamin J. Rhodes, the deputy national security adviser — stood next to her at the briefing. While Ms. Rice inveighed against Russia, Mr. Rhodes offered a businesslike recitation of the president’s schedule next week, which includes a meeting with Pope Francis in the Vatican, with King Abdullah in Saudi Arabia and with the leaders of the Group of 7 countries in The Hague — a club in which Russia is normally the eighth member. “Of course,” Mr. Rhodes said, “the meeting itself is part of our isolation of Russia.”
Lavrov meet with Kerry at Nuclear Security Summit in Hague
http://voiceofrussia.com/Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected to meet with the US Secretary of State John Kerry at Nuclear Security Summit in the Hague, the Russian Foreign Ministry reports. It is assumed that the parties are going to discuss the political crisis in Ukraine. The Nuclear Security Summit will be held March 24-25 in the Hague. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry are likely to meet in The Hague, a Russian Foreign Ministry source confirmed to Itar-Tass on Saturday. "Such a meeting is planned," he said. On Friday, State Department official spokesperson Jen Psaki spoke of the planned meeting between the senior Russian and US diplomats but no exact date was given. It is known that Kerry will accompany Barack Obama on his visits to The Hague, Rome, Vatican City and Riyadh from March 24 to 28. As the Russian Foreign Ministry reported earlier, the minister and state secretary had agreed to stay in contact on Ukraine, including to discuss ways to de-escalate the situation and promote the launch of Ukraine's constitutional reform with the full participation of all the regions of the country. US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Thursday he expects to see Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Europe next week to discuss the Ukraine crisis. Kerry, who is going to The Hague to meet with European allies, said he thought there would be a meeting with Lavrov on the side. "So hopefully we will see where we are at that point in time," he said. His comments came after the Russian parliament ratified a treaty on reunification of Crimea and Russia. Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_03_22/Lavrov-to-meet-Kerry-at-Nuclear-sammit-in-Hague-Russian-Foreign-Ministry-4205/
What cards is Russia holding?
On March 18 Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty with the Crimean and Sevastopol delegations to accept the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol as part of Russian territory. As the situation becomes more complex, and in the face of political pressure from the US and Europe, it is inevitable that people will ask what cards Russia is holding.
Many believe that the Ukrainian opposition clearly has the support of the West in its protests and demonstrations; and Viktor Yanukovych's deal with the opposition and his removal from the presidency was obviously a loss of face for Russia. Nevertheless, the importance of Ukraine to Russia goes far beyond its importance to either the U.S or Europe. And it seems that Russia has turned the situation to its advantage.
The West has continued to warn that Russia will pay a high price for its actions, and the bill may well be presented in the form of concellation of the G8 Summit to be held in Sochi. Barack Obama has also said that the U.S. will unite with European countries to make Russia pay. But to a large extent these threats are gesture politics. The truth is that the U.S. and Europe don’t have much of a hand to deal with the Ukraine issue.
Russia is a powerful country, and there are too many difficulties that cannot be solved without Russian support. Even after the Crimean referendum, Barack Obama was still looking for diplomatic ways to resolve the crisis in accordance with the mutual interests of Ukraine and Russia.
From the economic perspective, Russia continues to implement diversified strategies and to attach importance to its economic connections with the other BRICS. In contrast, the trade volume between the U.S. and Russia now is less than US $50 billion - even if the U.S. imposes sanctions against Russia they will have little impact. Europe is more reliant on Russia than the converse.
In military terms Russia has the most powerful nuclear arsenal. Although the U.S. and Europe have strong forces, there is almost no likelihood of military confrontation between them.
Basically, the Ukraine crisis had its origins in the internal struggle among its parties, prior to becoming part of the geopolitical game between Russia and the U.S. and Europe. Resolving this kind of international problem means finding a compromise based on exchange and mutual concession, and creating a balance of interests. There may be clearer hints as to how that compromise and balance will be reached after the Ukrainian presidential election in May.
2,000 out of 18,000 Ukrainian Troops to Leave Crimea
Less than 2,000 of Ukrainian troops serving in Crimea decided to leave the peninsula for Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday.
"As of March 21, less than 2,000 out of 18,000 Ukrainian servicemen staying on the territory of the Republic of Crimea decided to go to Ukraine," the ministry said in a statement.
Those willing to continue their service in the Ukrainian armed forces will be provided with transport to carry their families and belongings to the Ukrainian territory.
A total of 147 military units in Crimea have hoisted Russian flags instead of Ukrainian and applied to join the Russian armed forces.
"St. Andrew's flags of the Russian Navy have been raised on 54 out of 67 vessels of the Ukrainian Navy, including eight warships and one submarine," the defense ministry said.
Ukraine's only submarine, the Zaporizhzhia, joined the Russian Black Sea Fleet earlier on Saturday and will be soon relocated to its base.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Friday to ratify the treaty providing for the reunification of the Crimean Peninsula with Russia.
Leaders in the predominantly Russian-ethnic republic refused to recognize the legitimacy of the government in Kiev that came to power amid often violent protests last month, instead seeking reunification with Russia.
China spots new possible plane debris in southern Indian Ocean
China said on Saturday it had a new satellite image of what could be wreckage from a missing Malaysian airliner, as more planes and ships headed to join an international search operation scouring some of the remotest seas on Earth.
The latest possible lead came as the search for Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 entered its third week, with still no confirmed trace found of the Boeing 777 or the 239 people on board.
AFGHANISTAN: RETHINKING THE SECURITY PARADIGM – ANALYSIS
By Aaranya Rajasingam
Early this week, President Hamid Karzai reiterated his decision not to sign the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) with the US in his final address to the parliament. In a recent interview to Washington Post, he explained his position by stating “Afghans died in a war that’s not ours”. His strong resentment stems from the fact that though the US had fought its war on Afghan soil, it had failed to neutralise the Taliban threat emerging from neighbouring Pakistan and has continued its secret operations on Afghan soil without working in coordination with the Afghan security forces. However, this decision does not reflect the sentiment of all Afghans in general. In direct contradiction to the statement given by the Afghan president, Zahir Tanin, the ambassador of Afghanistan to the United Nations, gave firm assurances this week that the security deal will be signed by Kabul. And this seems more likely since many of the leading candidates in the next presidential elections seem favourable to this proposition.
In the rare event that the next elected president fails to sign this pact or come to a mutual agreement of some sort regarding security arrangements, the US will be forced to exercise the zero option. This entails a complete withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014. Such a decision will leave Afghanistan on its own to deal with national security challenges. Without a strong US presence it is unlikely that NATO forces will continue to stay, and this has serious ramifications for a country that is ill equipped to combat the Taliban insurgency alone at present. All this is taking place at a time when elections are looming ahead and security demands on Afghanistan have multiplied.
The real problem, however, is that any conversation on preserving the security and stability of Afghanistan dwells almost exclusively on hard security arrangements. While they are huge obstacles, the fact that security concerns have taken centre stage in all the debates on Afghanistan has been extremely counterproductive. Surprisingly, this emphasis on traditional security issues can be found in not only military and diplomatic circles but also in the development discourse on Afghanistan
The transition process in Afghanistan is a multi-levelled process and includes political, economic and security transitions. Any strategy towards Afghanistan needs to take into consideration a more holistic picture of the upcoming transition process rather than focus on selective tactics, which bring short term gains.
The first important issue is to ensure a peaceful political transition of power to a legitimate Afghan government. Without the continuity of a strong central state structure, Afghanistan has little hope of overcoming all its problems, including the fight against terrorism.
Alongside the political transition, the state has to also focus on enabling a smooth economic transition. One of the casualties of the current security environment has been the economic stability of the country. At present Afghanistan is unable to retain millions of dollars worth investments. The state is highly dependent on international financial support for its survival, with over 65% of its national budget covered by external funds. It can be expected that the rapidly increasing financial burdens on the government will undermine its ability to function effectively. While the international community has pledged to stand by the financial commitments made at the Chicago Summit in 2012 and subsequent Tokyo conference, this is hardly adequate to finance all the needs of the state.
As evidenced above, solving hard security issues alone will not address the parallel transitional challenges that the country faces. Prioritising the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) above other considerations or focussing on negotiations with the Taliban has constantly shifted the focus of the “transition of power” debate in Afghanistan towards traditional security challenges. This has often meant that the global anti-terrorism campaign waged by the US and its allies dictates the peace process in Afghanistan. While the challenges from insurgents in the country are significant and contribute to many insecurities, the prioritisation of it above other challenges has not been beneficial for the people of Afghanistan. Civil society reports from within Afghanistan have begun to highlight this issue with more frequency.
The people of Afghanistan themselves are now initiating this much needed change. For example the current presidential debates focus a lot on non-traditional security issues. Election candidates have stressed the importance of good governance, transparency and the fight against corruption in their manifestos. Although this may be cosmetic rhetoric at present, it signals that these issues dominate the public discourse and are issues which Afghans are voting on. Another example is the attempts taken to prevent sectarian violence. While candidates and media outlets remain polarised along ethnic lines, the people have shown zero tolerance for any attempts, by military or government representatives, to incite ethnic hatred. Public outrage during such incidences (via social media and street-level protests) has shown that the population is wary of allowing the outbreak of yet another ethnic conflict post-2014.
The social and political landscape in Afghanistan has changed dramatically over the last decade. More than a million young Afghans have graduated from school and there has been tremendous infrastructure and technological development in the country. The proliferation of mobile phones and internet facilities has brought Afghans closer together and has amplified their opinions on the international stage. It is hard to claim that the people of Afghanistan are not speaking when in fact they are voicing themselves on a myriad of issues regarding health, education, infrastructure, corruption, rule of law and women’s empowerment. This is but one example of a shift towards a more holistic security outlook, one that puts forward human security issues in Afghanistan. To deny their voice would be a disservice to them.
It is vital that the media and international community focus on these conversations as they contribute to developing a vision for Afghanistan: a vision that can act as a blueprint for positive change over the long run. Though there may be no easy solutions for Afghanistan in the near future, supporting Afghans in finding their own answers would be an important step towards paving the way for peace and stability in both the country and the region.
Women's Rights in Afghanistan Must be Steadfastly Respected
Afghanistan: An eyewitness account of deadly hotel assault
http://www.pajhwok.com/The outgoing Afghan calendar year (1392) ended on a tragic note, with a deadly suicide attack on a luxury hotel in the heart of central capital Kabul. Four foreigners and five Afghans, including women and children lost their lives in the brazen assault on the high-end Serena Hotel, where four teenage suicide attackers were also killed after a two-hour clash. In the heart-rending incident, the two children were shot in the head. The foreigners were from Canada, New Zealand, India and Pakistan. A child, a hotel guard, two Afghan soldiers and a parliamentarian were among the injured. A Kabul resident, who had been for dinner to the hotel frequented by high-ranking Afghan and foreign officials, told Pajhwok Afghan News there was a small crowd of guests at the time of attack. The ambience was somehow characterised by gloom and silence. Giving an eyewitness account, he said the attackers sat around a table in the restaurant and remained reticent. Clad in Local dress, they closely watched visitors; they did not look ordinary boys. “One of bearers asked the guys what they would like to eat,” said the survivor, who did not want to be named. “And pat came the reply: Bring anything you want.” Afghan journalist Sardar Muhammad was also in the hotel along with his family for dinner. Businessmen, lawmakers, foreigners and a handful of other people were waiting for dinner that never came. The parliamentarians present included Qais Hassan, Habib Afghan and Farhad Siddiqui. A businessman from southern Helmand province, Haji Abdullah, was also there, according to the eyewitness. Farhad Siddiqui rose from his seat to bring food, as Habib Afghan and Haji Abdullah talked. All of a sudden, two of the young men opened a volley of fire at them. The trader was killed on the spot while Habib Afghan was injured. The two other gunmen opened fire on journalist Sardar Ahmad. First, they killed his wife. Ahmad shouted: “I am Afghan, I am Afghan.” But the men shot him dead along with his children. “As the hall echoed with gunshots, the eerie silence ended. Waiters, guests and hotel staff ran pell-mell. Finally, they sought shelter in an underground portion of the hotel,” he recalled. The audacious shooting triggered a fire exchange. “After two hours and a half, the clash ended and we were brought out of the hotel by security forces. But the incident has left deep scars on my mind.”
Afghan Journalists Boycott Coverage of Taliban After Reporter's Killing
Pakistan: Persecution of minorities :J&K Residents Protest Assassination Of Innocent Sikh In Pakistan
Assassination of a well-known Sikh ‘hakeem’ in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa induced enormous offense among the Sikh community in Jammu and Kashmir who on March 15, 2014 voiced their apprehension over targeted attacks against members of their community.
President of Guru Manyo Granth Society, Jasdeep Singh, a fusion of Sikh youth organizations in J&K, said in a statement that extremist elements in Pakistan have again started religious persecution of minorities, including Sikhs.
“In the past few months several Sikhs have been killed, or abducted, in many parts of Pakistan, and the government of Pakistan failed to safeguard life, and property, of the Sikh community,” he said. “Minorities in Pakistan, including Sikhs and Hindus, live under the fear of being kidnapped, or killed,” he added.
“Criminals in Pakistan victimize people by using the anti-blasphemy law, and anyone who tries to raise their voice against abduction, or killing, is framed, and booked, under this law,” he added.
On Thursday, Paramjeet Singh, a ‘Hakeem’ from the Sikh community, was killed by anonymous gunmen in Shabqadar, Charsadda area of Dera Ismail Khan.
Just a month ago, two other Sikhs, Anand Singh and Sawrender Singh, were kidnapped from the same area. The location of the two is still mysterious.
Paramjeet Singh, said the lives of Sikhs, and other minorities, are not safe in Pakistan.
“Their historic, and religious, places are being encroached upon by others. We strongly condemn the systematic, and slow, genocide of minority communities of Pakistan,” he added.
- See more at: http://www.christiansinpakistan.com/jk-residents-protest-assassination-of-innocent-sikh-in-pakistan/#sthash.t9c62DRQ.dpuf
Pakistan: ''A total lack of transparency''- In pacts with Saudi Arabia and Bahrain
Whatever is happening vis a vis Pakistan’s revitalization of relations with Saudi Arabia and Bahrain is marked by opaqueness. The country suddenly received $1.5b described as ‘grant’. Originally the name of the donor was kept a secret. Even when media finally discovered through its own sources that the money had come from Saudi Arabia, no satisfactory answer was provided about the quid pro quo. Enter King of Bahrain. He undertakes a gesture unusual on the part of a foreign head of state to visit the Joint Staff Headquarters. We are assured by the prime minister that no Pakistani troops are being sent on any mission abroad. But is the country providing military advisers and trainers to Bahrain and with what job description? The question assumes relevance on account of the role played in Jordan by the then Brig. Zia ul Haq on a similar mission. Zia orchestrating what came to be known as the infamous Black September. Is Pakistan supplying retired army personnel to Bahrain? There were disturbing reports three years back regarding retired uniformed personnel and civilians engaged by Bahrain’s security establishment who used disproportionate force to quell the Arab Spring in the Kingdom, leading to negative coverage in the Arab media. Pakistan is a democracy and transparency is one of the characteristics that define this system of governance. The government commands majority in the National Assembly. Why is it not taking the house into confidence over the questions that continue to be raised by the opposition parliamentarians and the media? The secrecy being employed in diplomacy indicates a lack of faith in parliamentary processes. This also gives rise to suspicions that the government is trying to hide facts that could be damaging. The PML-N leadership has been accusing former military ruler Pervez Musharraf of dragging Pakistan into a war that was not in the country’s interest in return for US dollars. It is maintained that the country continues to suffer from the consequences of Musharraf’s decision in the form of terrorist attacks which have killed over thirty thousand civilians and about three thousand soldiers. Musharraf could make secret pacts harming the country’s interests because he was a military dictator who considered himself accountable to none. Nawaz Sharif on the other hand is answerable to the masses who elected him and to National Assembly which chose him as the first among equals. Concerns have been expressed that Pakistan might be sucked into another quagmire. Further that the ongoing secret diplomacy might result in more sectarian bloodshed in Pakistan, leading to the emergence of another kind of Taliban in the country. The sooner the details of agreements are made public the better.Pakistan Today
Pakistan:Megha Arora: ''Hindu girl who won 2nd position in essay contest awaits awards''
She has lived the 18 years of her life as a member of a marginalised community, with life offering her very few opportunities. Yet, this ambitious girl does not believe in giving up. A student of F.Sc final year at Government Degree College Jhanda Chichi, Megha Arora defied barriers and social constraints, and excelled in the recent Punjab Youth Festival by bagging the second position in the province in the essay writing competition.
This young woman secured the top position at the district level in the essay writing competition but was not awarded commendatory certificates and cash prizes, even after the provincial government had approved it. As a Pakistani citizen, Megha demands that the government give equal opportunities to students of her community who can become contributing members of society. “I pray to God to bring peace and prosperity to the country,” she said.
Her parents are proud of Megha. “People pray to God for a male child, but I’ve never desired this. My daughters are better than sons and I am proud of them,” said Jag Mohan Arora, father of Megha. Her mother’s support has been a huge motivation for her. Kavita Arora, Megha’s mother, says they never made her feel short of anything. “It is our desire to see her become a responsible citizen and work for its development.”
Her heart is in issues related to the country’s development which is evident from the topics she has written on for award-winning essays. At the regional level, she wrote about dilemma of water and energy in Pakistan. “Water and energy crises have serious ramifications on our country’s economy. This needs to be resolved,” she said. At the provincial level, her essay was about the role of media as social watchdog. Megha feels that the media can play a far greater role in highlighting social deprivation, discrimination and can help keep a check on those in power. However, Megha feels that it is not playing its due role in highlighting social problems, particularly those concerning minority communities. For writing essays she discusses issues with parents and her elder sister Varsha Arora, an M.phil student of Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi.
Megha doesn’t consider herself a genius at all, and works hard to understand things. “I don’t believe in cramming.”
She says she is lucky, and unlike some of her friends she never felt uneasy among her Muslim colleagues who always treated her equally. “I am fortunate. Many students from our community either quit or could not excel due to lack of opportunities or anti-Hindu sentiments,” she said.
Provincial Secretary Education Abdul Jabbar Shaheen and Commissioner Rawalpindi Zahid Saeed could not be reached for comments about Megha’s pending awards, despite repeated attempts. However, Director Colleges Hamayun Iqbal said a ceremony will be held soon where Megha will be awarded her cash prize and commendatory certificates. He said he will also forward her case to the Punjab Chief Minister for a scholarship.
Pakistan: ANP opposes peace zone for TTP
ANP leader Mian Iftikhar Hussain on Tuesday opposed the Tehreek-i-Taliban’s call for the creation of a peace zone for dialogue with the government and said his party would never allow anyone to play with the solidarity of the Pakhtun soil.
Addressing a news conference at the press club here, Mian Iftikhar asked the government to show courage and effectively deal with terrorism.
He said ANP had always advocated dialogue for peace but would never accept the TTP demands hurting the country’s interests.
The ANP leader said the government should speak to the TTP only after the latter accepted its writ.
He said ANP would support the federal and provincial governments for their peace initiatives but wanted them to effectively respond to the terrorists’ activities at the same time.
Mian Iftikhar accused the TTP of having double standard saying on hand one, the outfit wanted dialogue but on the other, it continued to kill innocent people.
“Earlier, they (TTP) openly claimed responsibility for terrorist activities but now, they don’t do so. We now face the hidden enemy,” he said.
The ANP leader said his party had formed an alliance with two major parties for the coming local body elections and would emerge as successful.
He said the alliance fully supported the PTI government over the local body elections but feared the latter won’t be able to ensure introduction of biometric voter verification system for the polls.
“They (PTI government) don’t have the capacity to put the system in place,” he said.
Mian Iftikhar said the PTI government had yet to begin a new development scheme in the province.
“All the current development schemes on which work is underway were initiated by our government,” he said, adding that the current government had handed over its affairs to consultants despite having full-fledged departments.
Bilawal Bhutto expresses grief over Hub bus accident
http://mediacellppp.wordpress.com/
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Patron-In-Chief, Pakistan Peoples Party has expressed his deep grief and sorrow over the tragic road accident near Hub in Balochistan resulting in loss of large number of human lives.
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