Foreign News and Analysis Since April 2005 -- formerly China Confidential -- What's Really Happening in the WorldForeign Confidential ™
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
N. Korea Vows to Boost Nuclear Deterrent
The North has ramped up work on its nuclear test site, as shown by an analysis of satellite images.Monday, May 21, 2012
Mission Impossible Director Posits Post-Electricity America
Why the Euro May Survive, After All
Sierra Leone's Future Sparkles as Recovering West African Nation Puts 'Blood Diamond' Past Behind it Amid Modern Mining Boom
Israeli Firm Starts Stone Crushing Plant at Well Managed Diamond Mine
There are no more "blood diamonds" in Sierra Leone; instead, there are pockets of prosperity and an overriding sense of optimism as foreign investment pours into modern mining operations and other sectors of the economy, including construction and road building. Read more.
Sierra Leone is one of Africa's great success stories. The country's potential is truly tremendous.Again, Pyongyang May be Planning to Mar US Memorial Day
Next N. Korean Nuclear Provocation Could be Set for Monday, May 28
North Korea may be preparing to again attempt to overshadow the long U.S. Memorial Day weekend, traditional start of the summer vacation season in the United States, by again detonating an atomic device on the holiday, which will be observed this year on Monday, May 28. Simply signaling that a nuclear explosion is imminent would mar the holiday for the Obama administration, which has tried to engage the North, but, like its predecessor, the Bush administration, has failed to put an end to Pyongyang's provocations, including illegal nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests and acts of armed aggression against U.S. ally South Korea.
Formerly known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day is a U.S. federal holiday that is observed annually on the last Monday of May. The holiday originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers (although there is evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves of Confederate soldiers before the conflict's end). Memorial Day has since been extended to honor all Americans who have died while serving in the U.S. armed forces.
The U.S. suffered 33,686 battle deaths, along with 2,830 non-battle deaths during the Korean War and 8,176 missing in action, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
The U.S. keeps some 30,000 U.S. troops in South Korea as a deterrent against a North Korean attack on the South.
North Korea's second and last confirmed, or overt, nuclear test took place on a U.S. Memorial Day, May 25, 2009. The North's first nuclear test, on October 9, 2006, was timed to spoil the U.S. Columbus Day holiday. [EDITOR'S NOTE: The North is believed to have conducted two covert nuclear tests in 2010. According to published accounts from EU scientists, the explosions bore all the radio-isotope signatures of uranium-based fusion devices, which could be used in electromagnetic pulse, or EMP, attacks.]
Iranian Nuclear Experts Ready to Observe Blast?
On that note, Foreign Confidential™ analysts say Iranian nuclear experts will observe the North's next nuclear test, just as they have witnessed previous blasts (and just as Iranian missile experts have observed the North's ICBM launches). Foreign intelligence services might have already detected the presence of an Iranian delegation in the North; hence, a flurry of activity aimed at persuading Pyongyang to cancel the test. VOA reports that Glyn Davies, Washington's special envoy for North Korea policy, and other U.S. officials plan to meet Tuesday in Beijing with China's chief nuclear envoy, Wu Dawei. The U.S. delegation will then head to Japan on Wednesday for talks in Tokyo. Also on the Asia trip: the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Japan and Korean Affairs, Jim Zumwalt; Ambassador Ford Hart, the State Department's envoy in charge of the long-stalled six-party talks about North Korea's nuclear programs; and the Korea policy chief at the White House, Syd Seiler, who spent nearly 30 years in the intelligence community focused on North Korea.
Meanwhile, there are escalating tensions between Tokyo and Seoul--at the worst possible time, given the North Korean threat--and the development constitutes a major setback for the Obama administration's foreign policy "pivot" towards Asia. Click here for the report.Commentary: Iran Committed to Developing Nuclear Arms
Gunmen For and Against Assad Clash in Beirut
Conflict Spilling Over into Lebanon
Officials said gunman clashed in the capital's Tariq al-Jadideh district Monday. Fighters cut off roadways and and fired machine guns early into the morning.
The violence between Lebanese Alawites supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Sunni Muslims sympathetic to the Syrian opposition comes a day after Lebanese troops opened fire on a speeding car carrying a Sunni cleric through a military checkpoint. The shooting killed cleric Ahmed Abdul-Wahid and his aide, who were both members of Lebanon's anti-Assad alliance.
The Lebanese military issued a statement of "deep regret" and said an investigation of the incident has been launched. The cleric's supporters protested his death by burning tires and blocking roads in parts of northern Lebanon.
Fighting between pro- and anti-Assad groups in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli has killed at least eight people in the past week.
In Syria, activist say security forces attacked a rebellious town in the country's central province of Hama Sunday, killing 34 people, including children.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says government artillery and gunfire hit the town of Souran. There was no independent confirmation of the casualties.Sunday, May 20, 2012
'German Austerity Means Global Catastrophe'
Britain's Ed Balls: Berlin Must Change Course
The global economy faces a “catastrophe” unless Germany eases pressure on euro-region nations to cut spending, said Ed Balls, finance spokesman for Britain’s main opposition Labor Party.
“Somebody’s got to persuade Germany that this is a catastrophe for Britain, Europe and the world and Germany’s got to change course,” Balls said in an interview with Sky News television today.
Read more. Click here for the transcript. This reporter's view: German democracy is one of the great postwar success stories; and the importance of Germany's friendship with the United States--and support for Israel--cannot be overstated. But the country that embraced and backed Hitler's mad dream of world domination and genocide--and would probably have been conquered by Stalin had it not been for the U.S. policy of containment--should feel a special responsibility not to wreck the global economy. After two world wars and the destruction that Germany brought to millions of Europeans, there is something especially odious about the spectacle of a chancellor in Berlin lecturing--and essentially threatening--Greece, where memories of the German jackboot are still very much alive.
Related: Thousands March in Frankfurt Against Austerity
Local Italian Vote to Test Anti-Austerity MovementCzech Prime Minister Strongly Supportive of Israel
Necas: Israel’s Situation Recalls Czechoslovakia’s in the 1930s
The full text of the Czech Republic news release on the meeting via IsraPundit:Prime Minister Petr Necas today held talks with his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu. Members of both countries’ governments then participated in a joint meeting.
“We have assured the Israeli delegation of our support for Israel. We support the development of relations between our two countries, as well as relations between the EU and the State of Israel, which we believe are highly beneficial to both parties,” remarked Prime Minister Petr Ne?as after the meeting.
“We categorically reject the de-legitimization and any boycott of Israel. We unequivocally support Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorist attacks. Together we share the global concern about Iran’s nuclear programme,” said the Czech prime minister.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the Czech stance, noting that few nations are able to understand that only a secure Israel can achieve peace. “Israel has no better friend in Europe than the Czech Republic. The friendship between the Czech people and the Jewish people goes back a thousand years. We are both ancient nations, we value our past and cherish our values, but we also want to seize the future,” said the Israeli prime minister.
“Regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we believe that lasting peace can only be achieved if both parties negotiate directly. The Czech Republic does not back unilateral actions, which have no contribution to make to the peace process. A stable solution must be based on the principle of two states that are borne of the right of the Jewish and Palestinian people to self-determination and that will live side by side in peace,” said Prime Minister Ne?as.
Czech Republic and Israel Cooperate on Science and Research
The joint meeting of the Czech Republic and the State of Israel, the first of its kind, was organized following an invitation extended by Czech Prime Minister Petr Ne?as to the Israelis during his visit to Israel last September. The main topics of discussion included mutual economic relations, culture and mutual cooperation in education and research and development. “We want to share with you our high technology, but also learn from you, your vocational training, your industrial design and see how you are progressing in these areas,” said Netanyahu.
A central theme of the talks was reciprocal trade and economic relations, which have evolved and grown significantly from the perspective of both exports and imports since the independence of the Czech Republic. Mutual trade turnover has registered strong expansion in the past few years in particular. Last year, for example, there was a 10% increase on 2010.
Israel has long been the Czech Republic’s most important partner in the Middle East. By total volume of Czech exports, it is fifth among non-European countries.
Another matter discussed today was research and development cooperation, which has also been on the agenda of the two prime ministers’ previous meetings. A subject of particular interest is the ministerial agreement on the Gesher/Most Programme, signed by the education ministers on a previous occasion. Under this programme, Czech and Israeli companies are able to cooperate on research projects and experimental developments for commercial use.
At today’s meeting, the two countries’ prime ministers signed a joint statement confirming the friendship and historical partnership between the Czech Republic and the State of Israel, their lasting reciprocal support, mutual respect for the sovereign status of the two countries and recognition of the common political, defence and economic needs of both countries.
At the post-meeting press conference, foreign ministers Karel Schwarzenberg and Avigdor Lieberman signed a joint declaration aimed at extending and deepening dialogue between the two countries. This document will form the basis, among other things, of regular meetings of foreign policy and security experts and researchers.
Other agreements signed between the Czech Republic and the State of Israel also concerned arrangements ensuring wider access to the Czech-Israeli transport market, greater air transport flexibility and themes touching on restoration, reconstruction and affordable housing. The education ministers also agreed on joint Czech-Israeli projects on basic research in neurodegenerative diseases and advanced programming.
The Israeli prime minister brought seven Israeli government ministers with him for the talks with their Czech counterparts. Foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman, industry minister Shalom Simhon, science and technology minister Daniel Hershkowitz, social affairs and communications minister Moshe Kahlon, transport minister Israel Katz, construction minister Ariel Atias and cultural and sports minister Limor Livnat came to Prague, where they also held separate bilateral meetings with their Czech ministerial counterparts.
The Czech delegation, headed by Prime Minister Petr Ne?as, was represented at the joint meeting of the Czech and Israeli governments by foreign minister Karel Schwarzenberg, industry and trade minister Martin Kuba, education minister Petr Fiala, labour minister Jaromír Drábek, transport minister Pavel Dobeš, regional development minister Kamil Jankovský and culture minister Alena Hanáková.
Tuesday, 22 May 2012
North Korea on Tuesday vowed to beef up its nuclear deterrent in response to U.S. diplomatic pressure over its forthcoming nuclear test--which the North dismissed as U.S. propaganda. Read more.
Breakup of the euro zone--fears of this happening may be overblown. Germany is more likely to fold in the current showdown than Greece. Read more.
Endnote: A new North Korean provocation this Memorial Day or this Fourth of July--it hardly matters. What matters most is the failure of the international community to prevent the Kimist regime from defiantly continuing to commit nuclear and missile crimes. To paraphrase Henry Kissinger, the impotence of the international communitymakes the term seem meaningless. If it can't contain impoverished North Korea, a country (or country-sized concentration camp) with few natural resources that survives on smuggling, counterfeiting and foreign aid--China supplies most of the North's food, fuel and weapons--what reason is there to believe that the international community can contain Pyongyang's partner in proliferation, oil-rich Iran?
Stalling … smoke and mirrors … explosive experiments. Iran's nuclear program has only one real purpose: weapons.Read more.
Posts
