Tag Archives: war

International, U.S.

World War 3: U.S. led forces kill Afghan teacher. Locals taking the law into their own hands; ears being cut off. Australian C-130 attacked

April 12, 2012, Afghans in Faryab Province are protesting the killing of a teacher the night before, by U.S. led forces.

Protestors clashed with local police, at least two protestors are dead, 20 wounded.

International Security Assistance Force admit that U.S. led forces killed two civilians on April 11.  One in Faryab Province, the other in Kandahar Province.

ISAF claims the men were connected to anti-government Mujahideen, but the protestors in Faryab Province say the teacher had no connections to any militant group.

In Kandahar witnesses, and the provincial police chief, say U.S. troops shot and kill a man who was walking with his daughter.  The U.S. troops gave no explanation for the killing.

ISAF also stated that another U.S. led troop was killed on April 12.  As is their SOP they did not give details.  At least 109 occupation troops have been killed so far this year.

In Kundunz Province a suicide bomber killed three civilians and two police officers, wounding another five civilians.

In Kapisa Province Afghan government officials escaped with their lives after their vehicle ran over a mine.  The mine exploded, only one official was wounded, they were riding in a protected police vehicle.

In Helmand Province a civilian vehicle ran over a mine, which killed two children and wounded six other people.  As a result locals turned on the man who planted the mine, and cut off his ears, before police arrived.

However, the locals prevented the police from arresting him, and said they will prosecute and punish the man themselves.

Recently Afghan villagers stoned to death two men who had killed a old man they claimed was spying for the United States.

The Australian Minister of Defense, Stephen Smith, was riding in a C-130 when it came under attack while taking off from Kandahar airbase.

“The Hercules was immediately placed in full lockdown with all occupants ordered to don helmets and assume crouching positions on the floor of the plane.”-News Limited

The C-130 was not the target of the rocket attack. Kandahar airbase is constantly attacked and even the Australian Defense Minister said it was “not uncommon or unusual at Kandahar”.

 

 

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Oil & Gas Prices: New oil spill in Gulf of Mexico. Oil market bubble bursting? Blame War for your high prices! U.S. backed Oil War continues in Sudan. India #1 buyer of Iranian oil

“The U.S. Coast Guard is conducting an over flight assessment for a report of a rainbow sheen approximately one mile by 10 miles spotted near the Mississippi Canyon block 807 in the Gulf of Mexico……trying to identify the responsible party.”-Petty Officer Bill Colclough, U.S. Coast Guard

April 12, 2012, the USCG is investigating a report, by Royal Dutch Shell, of an oil spill located between two Shell off shore platforms, near the U.S. state of Louisiana.

Shell says it is not coming from its Mars and Ursa rigs.  It could be natural seepage.

The International Energy Agency says international oil stockpiles are so high, and demand is so low, that it expects oil prices to continue to drop.

Isn’t it funny how not even a  year ago the oil industry “experts” kept telling us that demand was still high, and that we could expect $150 per barrel, or more?

“Easing first quarter 2012 fundamentals have seen prices recently lose most of the $5 per barrel they gained in March. The muted impact so far is partly because much of this extra supply has been stockpiled on land or at sea.”-IEA statement

But don’t expect lower gas prices, as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries said, the Northern Hemisphere summer driving season is always used as an excuse to raise prices: “U.S. oil demand remains a key uncertainty to the existing demand assessment. The upcoming driving season might be affected by high retail gasoline prices and the pace of the economic recovery.”-OPEC statement

The International Energy Agency says consumers can blame the high fuel prices on wars and rumors of wars: “We cannot discount the possibility that prices will remain high so long as geopolitical uncertainties remain.”-IEA statement

Sudan launched an offensive to re-take the largest oil field from South Sudan: “Within the next 72 hours, we shall have pushed all of their troops out of our territories.”-Rabie Abdelaty, Sudanese spokesman

The Heglig field produces about 60,000 barrels per day.  Last week U.S. supported South Sudan captured the Heglig.

India has just surpassed China, as Iran’s number one oil buyer.  In the first quarter of 2012 India imported 433,000 barrels per day from Iran.  China’s import rate for Iranian oil was only 256,000 bpd.  That’s according to  Petrologistics.

It could be that China had made a huge oil deal with Russia, but now Russian courts could threaten that deal.

Russian prosecutors are investigating the 30 year deal, over a discount giving to China.  That discount results in a reduction in profits, over the 30 years, of $3 billion USD.  Many Russians are not happy about that.

China imports 300,000 bpd from Russia’s Eastern Siberian oil fields.

 

 

 

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology

World War 3: Iran reveals military upgrades; stealth detecting radar, laser targeting and gatling guns

April 11, 2012, Iranian military officials announced their indigenous tank, Zolfaqar-3, has been upgraded with the latest in laser targeting.

The Zolfaqar tank (not to be confused with many other Iranian weapons using the same name) was developed over the decades by experimenting with U.S. M60 tanks, British Chieftain tanks and Soviet/Russian T-72 tanks.

The production version looks a lot like the U.S. M1 Abrams but armed with a Russian 125mm auto-loading main gun.

It probably uses the same “chobham” armor that the British Challenger tank uses, as it was Iranian engineers who developed it and then requested the British company Vickers to make them a new tank with it.  That tank became the Challenger, but it never made it to Iran because of the 1979 Revolution.

The Zolfaqar-3 reportedly weighs 36 metric tons (39.6 tons) and has a 780 hp diesel piston engine (the U.S. M1 has a 1,500 shp turbine/jet engine which uses diesel).

Iran has built their own version of the M134 Minigun.  The Iranian gatling gun fires 7.62mm bullets (not sure if its x39mm, or x51mmNATO, or x54mm) at a rate of 4000 to 6000 rounds per minute (it’s designed to take out a lot of troops in one pass).

Iran announced this weapon in 2010, but they are claiming that all their military units, designated to use the minigun, are now equipped with it.

Iran has also developed a radar system designed to detect stealth aircraft. Iranian media reported that the radar can detect aircraft with a “very low radar cross section”.

The new radar is called Samen, and is due to begin operations by March 19.

 

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Oil & Gas Prices: Iran can stop all oil sales for three years, without harm to its economy

“Some people think that they can trouble Iran through oil sanctions but I should say that we have so much reserves that even if we don’t sell oil for two to three years, the country will be administered easily.”-Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran, April 10, 2012

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

World War 3: Iran stops oil shipments to Germany, Iran imposes sanctions on 100 European companies

April 11, 2012, Iran follows through on threat to cut off oil to Germany, now Italy is next.

Iran also announced sanctions against 100 European Union companies.  Sasan Khodaei, Deputy President of Iran Trade Promotion Organization, said the companies will no longer be able to sell products to Iran.

One reason for the sanctions is that Iran is now able to make the products for themselves.

 

International, U.S.

World War 3: China demands “responsible protection” for Syria

“Recently, China and Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution draft on Syria. Some people accuse China and Russia of not being ‘cooperative’ or ‘responsible’. In my view, our decision was the responsible one. We should not forget the lesson in Libya.”-Le Yucheng, Assistant Foreign Minister of China

Chinese officials believe a U.S. led war on Syria would have the same results as in Libya.  They compered the U.S. led war on Libya to “surgery that kills the patient”.   Libya is now in a full on civil war.

China’s Assistant Foreign Minister blasted the United States: “China does not do things just to please certain countries. China never takes its cue from others or pays the bill without asking the price. Being responsible means saying ‘no’ to such ‘protection’. What we need is not just ‘the responsibility to protect’ but also ‘responsible protection’.”

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Oil & Gas Prices: Iran officially stops oil shipments to Spain & Greece. Germany and Italy next.

April 10, 2012, Iran has officially halted oil exports to Spain and Greece.

The official government announcement comes after Iran canceled oil shipments to two Greek companies on April 5.

Back on March 16 Iran had named the next countries on its oil export ban list.  Those countries are Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.  This is in retaliation for the up coming European Union oil sanctions that go into effect on July 1.

Iran had already halted oil shipments to France and United Kingdom back in February.

According to an April 10 Reuters report, Iran is now considering halting oil exports to Germany as well.

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Oil & Gas Prices: Saudi oil pipeline blown up in Yemen, again. Yemen in full blown Civil War

“…an armed group fired more than three rocket propelled grenades on the pipeline, setting it on fire for the second time in less than two weeks.”-unnamed witness

For the second time this month, an oil pipeline, belonging to Saudi Nimir Petroleum Company, was blown up in Yemen.  April 11, 2012, a pipeline carrying crude oil from Shabwa to the Bir Ali terminal on the Gulf of Aden was blown up.  It was last attacked on April 2.

This latest attack on the pipeline came one day after anti-government Mujahideen launched a full blown attack against a U.S. supported Yemen army base.  Officials, and local elders, say 60 soldiers were killed,  and 54 Mujahideen were killed.

The Yemen Mujahideen also blew up a natural gas pipeline on March 30.

 

 

 

 

Business/Economics, International

Class Warfare & Privatization: Greek police now operate on rental bases

“…with the decision of Ministers of Protection and Finance, the Greek police is available for hire by private clientele. However, this means if the Greek police is hired by those who can afford it, there are no available forces for those who cannot.”-Proto Thema, Greek news media outlet

The Greek news media outlet Proto Thema reporting that Greek cops will now be rented out.

Greek officials claim this is the only way they can continue to fund law enforcement.

The cost: About $39 USD per hour for one cop, additional $13 if you need a cop car.

Police patrol boat $261 per hour.

Police helicopter $1,960 per hour.

As you can see, only the elites can afford police protection now, and the “people” are still being forced to pay taxes for such “police protection” that they now won’t get!

Greek officials say they have to go with the rent-a-cop plan because crime has skyrocketed, no shit Sherlock, youth unemployment in Greece is at 50%!

International, U.S.

World War 3: Syria begins troop withdrawls, Russia reprimands the United States

“We have already withdrawn some military forces from several Syrian provinces.”-Walid al-Moualem, Foreign Minister of Syria

The Foreign Minister of Syria made the announcement at the same time U.S. and European media were creating rumors to the contrary.

“The U.S. and other countries which have influence over the Syrian opposition had better stop pointing the finger at China and Russia all the time, but rather use their leverage to convince everyone to stop shooting.”-Sergey Lavrov, Foreign Minister of Russia

Russia says the Syrian government is justified in asking for written guarantees of ceasefire from the U.S./Israeli supported rebels.

The Syrian government has until midnight, April 10/11, to get troops out of cities under the United Nations ceasefire deal.  The UN ceasefire plan actually is scheduled to begin on April 12.