Monday, March 3, 2014
The majority of Ukrainian military units on Crimea have expressed their support to the Pro-Russian authorities.
SIMFEROPOL, March 2 (RIA Novosti) – Ukraine’s autonomous region of Crimea confirmed Sunday that the majority of Ukrainian military units stationed on the Crimean peninsula have expressed their support of legitimately elected Pro-Russian authorities.
Earlier reports by Russian media about peaceful takeover of the military units by forces loyal to the Crimean government were denied by the Ukrainian defense ministry.
However, Crimean authorities said that most of the Ukrainian units sided on Sunday with pro-Russian forces “without a single shot fired,” and warned the commanders of a few units that remain loyal to Kiev that they would face criminal action if refused to surrender.
“I would like to warn commanders who force their subordinates to commit illegal actions that they will be punished according to existing laws,” Crimea’s Prime Minister Sergei Aksenov said in a statement.
The Crimean government said earlier that some 10 warships from the Ukrainian navy left their naval base in Sevastopol apparently on orders from Kiev.
Crimea is now at the center of the ongoing crisis in the country as pro-Russia groups move to distance themselves from a reformed national parliament that ousted President Viktor Yanukovych a week ago.
The current developments come shortly after Russia’s upper house of parliament unanimously approved a request from President Vladimir Putin on Saturday to deploy military forces in Ukraine’s mainly ethnic Russian-populated region of Crimea.
Putin issued his request in response to what he said was a threat to the lives of Russian citizens and military forces located in naval bases around the Crimean peninsula.
Putin, who is the Supreme Commander of the Russian Armed Forces, has not yet ordered the deployment of a “limited military contingent” in Ukraine, but said in telephone conversations with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and US President Barack Obama early on Sunday that Moscow reserved the right to protect its own interests and those of Russian speakers in the event of violence breaking out in eastern Ukraine and Crimea.
RIA Novosti
Iranian Official: 'We are Preparing to Liberate Jerusalem'
The Islamist Basij militia force in Tehran ran a special military exercise Thursday and Friday preparing for an Iranian takeover of Jerusalem.
The exercise, entitled "March to Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem)," included training in the event of such a takeover, including drills for the protection of cities, assistance and rescue, dealing with social unrest, the protection of sensitive and important military centers, dealing with the invasion and landing of "enemy" (IDF) forces from helicopters, and carrying out complicated tactical maneuvers at night.
In an official statement, the militia said that the exercise is designed to develop and enhance the capabilities of the Al-Maqdis Brigades, improve Basij military competence, and foster a "self-sacrificing spirit" among the terrorists.
Tens of thousands participated in the exercise and terrorists-in-training flocked to the program from dozens of Basij battalions.
Basij commander General Mohammad Reza Naqdi announced that the exercise was planned because the "boastful" (an expression used to indicate the US and Western powers) are at the end of their path to power and "the fighters and freedom-loving people" worldwide - Islamists - are angry and want to destroy the US and Israel to "restore" Jerusalem to an Islamic city.
Naqdi added that the terrorists "need to be prepared now, more than ever," for the great "liberation battle" for Jerusalem, which would "avenge for the innocent blood spilled" by Western powers.
The General also claimed that Islamists worldwide are "waiting" for the call to battle from the Islamic Republic.
Last week, "moderate" Iranian president Hassan Rouhani called for the Palestinian Arab "liberation" of Jerusalem in light of ongoing peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA).
"One of the wishes of the Iranian nation is liberation of the Holy Quds,” the Iranian President was quoted as having said by the semi-official Fars news agency.
Rouhani also hoped that “the Palestinian nation and the entire Muslim world will find a serious solution to this occupation through unity and integrity."
Credit to Arutz Sheva
Sunday, March 2, 2014
HOUSE INTEL CHIEF: 'Putin Is Playing Chess, And We're Playing Marbles'
NBC
"Putin is playing chess, and I think we are playing marbles — and I don't think it's even close," Rogers said on "Fox News Sunday."
"They've been running circles around us."
Rogers suggested that Russia has been so aggressive in the Crimea region because they believe that there is "nothing that can stop them." He said he believes that Putin would like to make Crimea part of the Russian Federation — but that it wouldn't stop there.
"I believe it's the naïve position of the National Security Council and the president's advisers that, if we just keep giving things to Russia, they'll wake up and say, 'the United States is not that bad,'" Rogers said. "That is completely missing the motivations of why Russia does what Russia does."
Rogers said there were few good options for dealing with Russia's military intervention in Crimea. Rogers said he would cancel U.S. participation in the upcoming G-8 summit in Sochi, Russia, something the White House said Saturday it was prepared to do if Russia did not withdraw its troops from Ukraine. Rogers also said Obama should make it clear that the U.S. will support Ukraine financially.
Credit to Business Insider
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/mike-rogers-putin-obama-ukraine-war-2014-3#ixzz2up8VJnC3
Meanwhile, China Quietly Takes Over Zimbabwe
While the developed world is focusing on the rapidly deteriorating developments in the Crimean, China, which has kept a very low profile on the Ukraine situation aside from the token diplomatic statement, is taking advantage of this latest distraction to do what it does best: quietly take over the global periphery while nobody is looking.
Over two years ago we reported that none other than Zimbabwe - best known in recent history for banknotes with many zeros in them - was bashing the US currency, and had alligned itself with the Chinese Yuan. This culminated last month with the announcement by Zimbabwe’s central bank that it would accept the Chinese yuan and three other Asian currencies as legal tender as economic relations have improved in recent years. "Trade and investment ties between Zimbabwe, China, India, Japan and Australia have grown appreciably," said Charity Dhliwayo, acting governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.
Exporters and the public can now open accounts in yuans, Australian dollars, Indian rupees and Japanese yen, Dhliwayo said. Zimbabwe abandoned its worthless currency in 2009.It accepts the US dollar and the South African rand as the main legal tender. Their use has helped to stabilise the economy after world-record inflation threw it into a tailspin.Independent economist Chris Mugaga said the introduction of the Asian currencies would not make a huge difference to Zimbabwe’s struggling economy."It is Zimbabwe’s Look East Policy, which has forced this, and nothing else," he said.
And now, as a result of the "Look East Policy", we learn that China has just achieved what every ascendent superpower in preparation for "gunboat diplomacy" mode needs: a key strategic airforce base. From the Zimbabwean.
China is planning to set up a modern high-tech military base in the diamond-rich Marange fields, says a German-based website, Telescope News.The news of the agreement to set up the first Chinese military airbase in Africa comes amid increasing bilateral cooperation between Zimbabwe and China – notably in mining, agriculture and preferential trade. China is the only country exempted from the indigenisation laws which force all foreign investors to cede 51% of their shareholding to carefully selected indigenous Zimbabweans.The airstrip at Marange has sophisticated radar
systems and ultra-modern facilitiesThe Marange story quoted unnamed military officials and a diplomat admitting knowledge of the plan to set up the base. Efforts to get a comment from the Zimbabwe Defence Forces were fruitless, as spokesperson Lt Col Alphios Makotore was consistently unavailable and did not respond to emails by the time of going to press.The website speculated that China could be positioning itself for future “gunboat diplomacy” where its military presence would give it bargaining power against superpowers like the US. It would also be safeguarding its significant economic interests in Zimbabwe and the rest of Africa.Veil of secrecy“Military officials in Zimbabwe said details of the airbase plan were sketchy and mostly classified due to the veil of secrecy around President Robert Mugabe’s relationship with China’s Red Army. A sizeable number of Chinese troops are reported to have their boots on the ground in the Marange diamond fields, which have since been cordoned off as a high level security zone,” said the publication.It added that a senior Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) officer based in Harare confirmed that there were rumours of the impending establishment of the airstrip as a “follow up to a military treaty signed between China and Zimbabwe in July 2005”.Telescope News has made sensational claims in recent weeks, among them that Defence Minister and Zanu (PF) Secretary for Legal Affairs, Emmerson Mnangagwa, was secretly anointed by the military to succeed President Robert Mugabe.Key battlegroundIt quoted a former Asian diplomat deployed to Zimbabwe for almost a decade as saying: “Haven’t you heard that Africa is the battlefield of tomorrow, today? As such in terms of geo-politics Zimbabwe is already a key battleground, for various competing powers. During my stay there, we heard about many military agreements being signed between the two countries.”Chinese companies are heavily involved in diamond mining, in partnership with the Zimbabwe Government. They are believed to have constructed the airstrip at Marange that many suspect is being used to clandestinely haul diamonds to unknown destinations. It has sophisticated radar systems and ultra-modern facilities.
At this point expect to see a prompt, and unexpected, escalation in hostilities in southern Africa, most likely due to latent ethnic conflict of some kind (and brought back to the surface with the help of a few CIA dollars), which in turn will be the justification for US drones to begin operations in proximity to Zimbabwe to keep up with China's encroaching take over of Africa, now from the south.
Perhaps most interesting is the finding that Zimbabwe's president-cum-dictator, Robert Mugabe, so widely despised by the west, is in fact on China's payroll:
Confidential Central Intelligence Organisation documents leaked last year suggested that China had played a central role in retaining President Robert Mugabe in the July 31 elections, indicating that high level military officers had worked closely with the local army in poll strategies while Beijing bankrolled Zanu (PF).China is Zimbabwe’s biggest trading partner after South Africa and has strategic economic interests in many African countries to guarantee raw materials, job sources and markets for its huge population.The new Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Lin Lin, recently said trade between the two countries last year exceeded the $1 billion mark. Yet Zimbabwe is only 26th on the list of China’s 58 biggest African trading partners.The Asian country has supplied Zimbabwe with military hardware, including MIG jet fighters, tanks, armoured vehicles and rifles, since Independence.
In other words, while nobody was looking, China just took over one more nation without spilling a drop of blood. And now back to the regularly scheduled Crimean War part X.
Credit to Zero Hedge
China Says U.S. Economy Is Fake
UK home ownership is at a record low. Best Buy, Wells Fargo are laying off more employees. The housing market
is plummeting and Wells Fargo along with JPM are laying off mortgage employees. China stood up to the US and said the US economy is fake, the dollar is backed by nothing and the US has no manufacturing to support its economy. According to Edward Snowden trolls do exist and the government pays them to place comments on alternative media sites on the internet. Crimea is discussing to separate from the Ukraine. John Kerry wants a discussion between the US and Russia on Ukraine’s future. DHS is now warning that Boston Bombing might be the sign of the future for terrorist attacks.
is plummeting and Wells Fargo along with JPM are laying off mortgage employees. China stood up to the US and said the US economy is fake, the dollar is backed by nothing and the US has no manufacturing to support its economy. According to Edward Snowden trolls do exist and the government pays them to place comments on alternative media sites on the internet. Crimea is discussing to separate from the Ukraine. John Kerry wants a discussion between the US and Russia on Ukraine’s future. DHS is now warning that Boston Bombing might be the sign of the future for terrorist attacks.Credit to Investment Watch
Read more at http://investmentwatchblog.com/china-says-u-s-economy-is-fake-nothing-backs-the-dollar-and-has-no-manufacturing-to-support-its-economy/#esd1THs6JypIuHuJ.99
Ukraine Orders Full Military Mobilization, Acting PM Says Russian Actions "Declaration Of War"
With less than 6 hours left until FX trading opens, no resolution to the Ukraine crisis is in sight. Instead the situation has devolved even more and overnight Ukraine has ordered a full military mobilization in response to Russia's build-up of its forces in Crimea. Prime Minster Arseniy Yatsenyuk said the country was "on the brink of disaster." Several other measures were announced on Sunday by national security officials:
The armed forces would be put on "full combat readiness".
Reserves to be mobilised and trained
Ukraine's foreign minister will seek the help of US and UK leaders in guaranteeing its security
Emergency headquarters to be set up
Increased security at key sites, including nuclear plants.
Airspace closed to all non-civilian aircraft.
WSJ has more:
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said Sunday that his country was "on the brink of disaster" and personally blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for bringing the two nations to the verge of war. Speaking to reporters at the Ukrainian parliament, Mr. Yatsenyuk called on the international community to rein in Mr. Putin and pressure him to remove troops from the Crimean peninsula, where a majority of residents are ethnic Russians but have Ukrainian passports.
"If President Putin wants to be the president who starts the war between two friendly and neighboring countries, he has [almost] reached this target," Mr. Yatsenyuk said. "We are on the brink of disaster. There was no reason for the Russian Federation to invade Ukraine."
Western diplomats doubt that the Ukrainian armed forces would be able to match up to the Russian forces already in control of the critical infrastructure and border points in the Crimea.
Ukrainian leaders say that Russia has already sent an additional 6,000 troops to Crimea since tensions arose in the peninsula last week. The two countries have a military agreement that allows Moscow to base forces in the region, but Ukrainian officials accuse Moscow of violating that treaty by not informing Kiev of additional troops, and by moving forces without prior notice. Moscow says that it is in compliance of the accord.
Earlier Sunday, Ukraine's interior minister said Russian officials had approached Ukrainian officers remaining in Crimea and offered them immediate Russian citizenship.
"Across the entire territory of Crimea, Russian emissaries and military officers have invited the remaining Ukrainian interior ministry troops to take Russian citizenship and immediately receive Russian passports," Arsen Avakov wrote on his Facebook page. "This appeal has been aimed at upper and middle officer corps troops."
Mr. Avakov denied that Ukrainian forces had threatened the Russian-speaking population on the largely pro-Russian peninsula, and blamed Russian forces for the sharp militarization of the region.
"In Crimea, there are no forces from the interior ministry or the regular army threatening citizens of the Russian Federation or the Russian-speaking population," he said. "And also no self-defense units from Maidan have arrived from Kiev. All destabilization in the Crimea has come from and been masterminded in Russia."
The BBC adds that it has seen what appear to be Russian troops digging trenches on the Crimean border. Furthermore, a standoff between Ukrainian troops who have fortified a base in the crimean city of Privolnoye, borth place of the late USSR president Mikhail Gorbachev, and Russians who have surrounded them, may be the match that set it all off. Fox reports that hundreds of unidentified gunmen surrounded a Ukraine's infantry base in Privolnoye in its Crimea region Sunday. The convoy included at least 13 troop vehicles each containing 30 soldiers and four armored vehicles with mounted machine guns. The vehicles -- which have Russian license plates -- have surrounded the base and are blocking Ukrainian soldiers from entering or leaving it.
This is the current state of the standoff:
In response, acting Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said themove by Russian forces to surround military bases in Crimea was "a declaration of war."
His comments were echoed by acting president Oleksandr Turchynov, who said Ukraine had closed its airspace to non-civilian aircraft. Among the other statements by Yatsenyuk, asreported by the WSJ:
Ukrainian PM: ‘If President Putin Wants to Be the President Who Starts the War Between Two Friendly and Neighboring Countries, He Has [Almost] Reached This Target’
Ukrainian PM: ‘We are on the brink of disaster’
Ukrainian PM: ‘There Was No Reason for the Russian Federation to Invade Ukraine
Ukrainian PM: We Believe Western Partners and Entire Western Community Will Support Entire Territorial Integrity of Ukraine
Ukrainian PM: We Believe They Will Do Everything They Can to Stop Russian Military Aggression in Ukraine
Ukrainian Defense Ministry: All Ukraine’s Border Patrol Ships Moved Out of Crimean Ports to Odessa
Ukraine PM: Every Half Hour There Are Provocations in Crimea and Ukraine Refuses to Respond to These Provocations
Ukraine PM: Ukraine Hasn’t Given Permission to Russia to Deploy an Additional 6,000 troops to Crimea
All told, some 6,000 extra Russian troops and 30 additional armoured vehicles are now in Crimea, Ukrainian Defence Minister Ihor Tenyukh said on Saturday.
An interactive map of the key Ukraine battlefields is shown below:
Finallly, there was the traditional escalation in Western diplomacy with both France and Britain announcing they are putting on hold their plans for participation in the G-8 conference to be held in Sochi.
It gets better. From the WSJ:
France is not considering any military action in response to Russia’s decision to deploy troops inside Ukraine, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Sunday, as Western countries instead sought to renew diplomatic pressure on Moscow.
In an interview with French TV, Mr. Fabius said Poland had requested a meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, military alliance “because it feels threatened by what’s going on in Ukraine.”
Asked if France would intervene militarily in Ukraine, Mr. Fabius responded: “Today, this is not the hypothesis. I’m telling you we want a de-escalation.”
“France’s position is to call for the suspension of preparation ahead of the G-8 meeting in Sochi as long as the Russian partners have not returned to principles in agreement with the G-8 and G-7,” Mr. Fabius said.
Apparently unlike Mali and the Central African Republic, Russian can fight back.
And then there's this:
Kerry Says U.S. Considering Sanctions on Russia for Ukraine Move
Well if nothing else stopped Putin, this surely will.
CRedit to Zero Hedge
The armed forces would be put on "full combat readiness".
Reserves to be mobilised and trained
Ukraine's foreign minister will seek the help of US and UK leaders in guaranteeing its security
Emergency headquarters to be set up
Increased security at key sites, including nuclear plants.
Airspace closed to all non-civilian aircraft.
WSJ has more:
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said Sunday that his country was "on the brink of disaster" and personally blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for bringing the two nations to the verge of war. Speaking to reporters at the Ukrainian parliament, Mr. Yatsenyuk called on the international community to rein in Mr. Putin and pressure him to remove troops from the Crimean peninsula, where a majority of residents are ethnic Russians but have Ukrainian passports.
"If President Putin wants to be the president who starts the war between two friendly and neighboring countries, he has [almost] reached this target," Mr. Yatsenyuk said. "We are on the brink of disaster. There was no reason for the Russian Federation to invade Ukraine."
Western diplomats doubt that the Ukrainian armed forces would be able to match up to the Russian forces already in control of the critical infrastructure and border points in the Crimea.
Ukrainian leaders say that Russia has already sent an additional 6,000 troops to Crimea since tensions arose in the peninsula last week. The two countries have a military agreement that allows Moscow to base forces in the region, but Ukrainian officials accuse Moscow of violating that treaty by not informing Kiev of additional troops, and by moving forces without prior notice. Moscow says that it is in compliance of the accord.
Earlier Sunday, Ukraine's interior minister said Russian officials had approached Ukrainian officers remaining in Crimea and offered them immediate Russian citizenship.
"Across the entire territory of Crimea, Russian emissaries and military officers have invited the remaining Ukrainian interior ministry troops to take Russian citizenship and immediately receive Russian passports," Arsen Avakov wrote on his Facebook page. "This appeal has been aimed at upper and middle officer corps troops."
Mr. Avakov denied that Ukrainian forces had threatened the Russian-speaking population on the largely pro-Russian peninsula, and blamed Russian forces for the sharp militarization of the region.
"In Crimea, there are no forces from the interior ministry or the regular army threatening citizens of the Russian Federation or the Russian-speaking population," he said. "And also no self-defense units from Maidan have arrived from Kiev. All destabilization in the Crimea has come from and been masterminded in Russia."
The BBC adds that it has seen what appear to be Russian troops digging trenches on the Crimean border. Furthermore, a standoff between Ukrainian troops who have fortified a base in the crimean city of Privolnoye, borth place of the late USSR president Mikhail Gorbachev, and Russians who have surrounded them, may be the match that set it all off. Fox reports that hundreds of unidentified gunmen surrounded a Ukraine's infantry base in Privolnoye in its Crimea region Sunday. The convoy included at least 13 troop vehicles each containing 30 soldiers and four armored vehicles with mounted machine guns. The vehicles -- which have Russian license plates -- have surrounded the base and are blocking Ukrainian soldiers from entering or leaving it.
This is the current state of the standoff:
In response, acting Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said themove by Russian forces to surround military bases in Crimea was "a declaration of war."
His comments were echoed by acting president Oleksandr Turchynov, who said Ukraine had closed its airspace to non-civilian aircraft. Among the other statements by Yatsenyuk, asreported by the WSJ:
Ukrainian PM: ‘If President Putin Wants to Be the President Who Starts the War Between Two Friendly and Neighboring Countries, He Has [Almost] Reached This Target’
Ukrainian PM: ‘We are on the brink of disaster’
Ukrainian PM: ‘There Was No Reason for the Russian Federation to Invade Ukraine
Ukrainian PM: We Believe Western Partners and Entire Western Community Will Support Entire Territorial Integrity of Ukraine
Ukrainian PM: We Believe They Will Do Everything They Can to Stop Russian Military Aggression in Ukraine
Ukrainian Defense Ministry: All Ukraine’s Border Patrol Ships Moved Out of Crimean Ports to Odessa
Ukraine PM: Every Half Hour There Are Provocations in Crimea and Ukraine Refuses to Respond to These Provocations
Ukraine PM: Ukraine Hasn’t Given Permission to Russia to Deploy an Additional 6,000 troops to Crimea
All told, some 6,000 extra Russian troops and 30 additional armoured vehicles are now in Crimea, Ukrainian Defence Minister Ihor Tenyukh said on Saturday.
An interactive map of the key Ukraine battlefields is shown below:
Finallly, there was the traditional escalation in Western diplomacy with both France and Britain announcing they are putting on hold their plans for participation in the G-8 conference to be held in Sochi.
It gets better. From the WSJ:
France is not considering any military action in response to Russia’s decision to deploy troops inside Ukraine, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Sunday, as Western countries instead sought to renew diplomatic pressure on Moscow.
In an interview with French TV, Mr. Fabius said Poland had requested a meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, military alliance “because it feels threatened by what’s going on in Ukraine.”
Asked if France would intervene militarily in Ukraine, Mr. Fabius responded: “Today, this is not the hypothesis. I’m telling you we want a de-escalation.”
“France’s position is to call for the suspension of preparation ahead of the G-8 meeting in Sochi as long as the Russian partners have not returned to principles in agreement with the G-8 and G-7,” Mr. Fabius said.
Apparently unlike Mali and the Central African Republic, Russian can fight back.
And then there's this:
Kerry Says U.S. Considering Sanctions on Russia for Ukraine Move
Well if nothing else stopped Putin, this surely will.
CRedit to Zero Hedge
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