A blog they are doing live updates on this situation:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/midd...o-meeting-live
I'm not posting that whole thing here.
Printable View
A blog they are doing live updates on this situation:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/midd...o-meeting-live
I'm not posting that whole thing here.
Turkey sends military convoy to Syrian border
ISTANBUL
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Handout photo by Turkish Armed Forces
Turkey has deployed a large number of military vehicles to the Syrian border, daily Milliyet reported.
The shipment included 15 armored tanks, in addition to long-distance guns and other military vehicles. The convoy was heavily guarded as it moved toward the border in the event of an attack by outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) members.
Military units reportedly increased security measures on the border following recent events that have strained bilateral relations.
Turkey pulls military equipment to the Syrian border
26 June 2012, 18:59 (GMT+05:00)
Azerbaijan, Baku, 26 June / Trend corr. R. Hafizoglu /
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Following a statement by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that the regime of Bashar al-Assad is a threat to the security of Turkey, on the border with Syria had massed a large amount of Turkish military equipment, "Zaman" newspaper reported.
Earlier today Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said taht regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad poses a threat to Turkey and its citizens.
"After Syria shot down our Turkish military aircraft in international airspace, we will take more serious steps in the framework of international legal standards," Erdogan said.
The Turkish reconnaissance aircraft RF-4E which took off on Friday from an Erhach airbase in Malatya province in south-eastern Turkey, disappeared from the radar screens at about noon local time in the Mediterranean Sea to the south-east of the province of Hatay bordering on Syria.
Syria said it shot down a Turkish aircraft over its territorial waters after its invasion of Syria's airspace. However, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that the plane was shot down in international airspace and that wreckage fell into the territorial waters of Syria.
British forces in Syria, Assad presidential compound said under attack
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report June 26, 2012, 11:59 AM (GMT+02:00) Tags: Syria military operation British forces Bashar Assad Vladimir Putin Qaisoun Palace
British special forces on field mission
Unconfirmed first reports from British, French and Turkish sources say British special operations forces crossed from Turkey into northern Syria Tuesday, May 26, and advanced up to 10 kilometers inside the country. The same sources report heavy fighting around the Presidential Guards compound on the outskirts of Damascus.
DEBKAfile’s military sources note that this compound exists to defend Bashar Assad’s presidential palace on Mount Qaisoun overlooking Damascus.
British and Gulf TV stations are again running interviews with dozens of Syrian soldiers taken prisoner by rebel forces and transferred to Free Syrian Army centers in South Turkey. But this time, they are being aired in conjunction with those two developments, indicating pivotal and coordinated military action inside the embattled country, or even the start of western intervention against the Assad regime.
Later Tuesday, Gulf military sources confirmed the presence of British special forces in Syria.
Our military sources estimate that the British military drive into Syria, if confirmed, is designed to establish the first safe zone along the Syrian-Turkish border, to be followed by more Western military incursions to establish additional zones of safe asylum in other parts of Syria.
This follow-up action would depend substantially on Syrian, Russian and Iranian (+ Hizballah) responses to the initial stage of the operation.
The reported British incursion, if confirmed, occurred at the tail end of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 24-hour visit to Israel Tuesday morning and would have posed a direct challenge to his repeated warning that Moscow would not tolerate Western military intervention in Syria and actively prevent it. Similar warnings have issued from Tehran.
As for the timing, the double military drive against Assad also occurred hours before a NATO “consultation” in Brussels on the shooting down of a Turkish warplane by Syria last Friday, June 22, which Ankara stated Monday “must not go unpunished.”
The two-pronged operation - the reported British incursion and major clash at the front door of Assad’s presidential palace - would appear to be designed to widen the cracks in his regime and speed its final breakup.
On June 11, DEBKAfile ran a video report on President Barack Obama’s decision to speed up limited action against Bashar Assad.
http://www.debka.com/article/22073/
British Forces Plan Secret Operation in Syria
Date: 2012/06/06 - 12:18
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British defense chiefs have drawn up secret plans to start covert military operations in Syria.
British Forces Plan Secret Operation in Syria(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - British defense chiefs have drawn up secret plans to start covert military operations in Syria.
A Daily Star report said SAS troops and MI6 agents are in Syria ready to help armed rebels and terrorist groups if civil war breaks out as - expected this weekend.
They also have *hi-tech satellite computers and radios that can instantly send back photos and details of Assad's forces as the situation develops.
Whitehall sources say it is vital they can see what is happening on the ground for themselves.
And if civil war breaks out the crack troops are on hand to help with fighting, said the *insider.
British Foreign secretary William Hague has refused to rule out using military action against the Syrian government.
A senior Whitehall source said the British forces are due to create "safe havens for the rebels in Syria", admitting that "safe havens (operations) would be an invasion of Syria".
"The SAS will throw an armed screen round these areas that can be set up within hours.
"There are guys in the communications unit who are signalers that can go right up front and get *involved in close-quarter fighting."
The rebel Syrian Free Army has dismissed the UN-backed truce and has continued attacks on not just military centers, but civilians despite the ceasefire required by the peace plan.
Nearly 2,300 Syrians have been killed by terrorists since the ceasefire supposedly took effect in mid April.
Last week 108 men, women and children were slaughtered in Houla, a majority of them belonging to a tribe which is widely known to be a supporter of President Bashar al-Assad.
The British troops would be part of an international force *including French and Turkish soldiers and possibly Americans.
Safe havens are expected to be set up around areas that are easily accessible and even within walking distance from what are known to be terrorist hubs.
Among them is Krak des Chevaliers, a medieval castle about 25 miles West of Homs, close to the Lebanon border.
It is also a World Heritage site.
Another is As Suwayda, near the border with Jordan and Jisr al-Shughour near the Turkish border.
Britain puts Fighter Jets on Standby to Launch Attack on Syria with Turkey
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Media reports say UK fighter planes are on stand-by to launch an attack on Syria.
British media reports say the country’s fighter planes are on stand-by to invade Syria if Britain’s NATO ally, Turkey, decides to launch a strike on Syria in retaliation for shooting down a Turkish jet fighter.
The Daily Star reported that British fighter jets are on stand-by to launch a strike on Syria while Turkish President Abdullah Gul has admitted the Turkish Phantom jet fighter might have violated Syria’s airspace.
On Friday 22 June, Syria announced that its air defence forces shot down a Turkish F-4 Phantom in the Syrian airspace. One day later, in an interview with Turkey’s state-run Anatolia news agency, Gul admitted that the Turkish jet fighter might have violated Syria’s airspace.
“It is routine for jet fighters to sometimes fly in and out over [national] borders…when you consider their speed over the sea”, the news agency quoted Gul.
This comes as the Convention of International Civil Aviation, which establishes rules of airspace, clearly states that any “affected state”, whose airspace has been violated by “a foreign aircraft”, “would have the legal right” to shoot down “the offending aircraft”.
Nevertheless, Britain did not hesitate to condemn Syria’s “action in shooting down a Turkish military plane,” getting prepared for a NATO-led strike.
Britain’s measures make good sense against the backdrop of British Prime Minister David Cameron’s joke with his fellow Tory MPs saying “Where shall I invade next? I’ve done Libya” as he stopped in front of a map of the world at his Downing Street flat.
Moreover, several reports have taken the lid off Britain’s role in assisting Syria’s armed rebels in their bloody battle against civilians. Earlier this year, DEBKAfile, an Israeli military intelligence, reported that British troops were in Syria leading armed groups. Earlier this month, The Daily Star also revealed that Britain’s Special Air Service (SAS) and MI6 agents were setting up camps in Syria to help armed rebels in case a civil war would break out in the country.
Syria shoots down second Turkish plane
Istanbul: 10 hours and 21 minutes ago
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Turkish Vice Prime Minister Bulent Arinc yesterday said the shooting down of a fighter jet was a "hostile act of the highest order" by Syria and claimed a rescue plane was also attacked.
Arinc also told a news conference after a cabinet meeting to discuss Friday's incident, which has fuelled fresh tensions between the once close neighbours, that Ankara could halt power supplies to Damascus.
"To target an aircraft in this fashion without any warning is a hostile act of the highest order," he said, adding that the F-4 Phantom was struck by a heat-seeking guided missile.
He also said Syrian troops opened fire on a rescue plane searching for the pilots but did not specify when.
"One of our Casa planes took off with a rescue team. Unfortunately, shots from the ground targeted our plane.
"Our foreign ministry and military command notified Syrian authorities and this harassment ceased immediately," Arinc said.
The Nato alliance is to hold an emergency meeting on Friday's incident in Brussels today at the request of Turkey.
Turkey-Syria relations were already strained by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's outspoken condemnation of the Syrian regime's bloody crackdown, which rights activists say has killed more than 15,000 people since March 2011.
Arinc warning that Ankara could switch off power exports, said: "We have considered that for humanitarian reasons one should supply electricity to Syria so that the daily lives of the people are not affected.”
“For the moment we will continue with this... but in one or two days there will be a declaration whether we will continue or not," he concluded.
Syria violated 2008 agreement by firing at second plane
26 June 2012 / SINEM CENGIZ, ANKARA
Syrian forces firing at a Turkish aircraft dispatched on a search and rescue (SAR) mission on Monday may have violated a bilateral agreement signed between Turkey and Syria.
Under the provisions of the 2008 Coordinating Search and Rescue Services Agreement, Turkey has the right to claim that Syria violated the agreement by deliberately firing at the second Turkish plane.
The agreement emphasizes that both states should take appropriate measures to facilitate the entry of SAR units into each other’s search and rescue regions (SRR) and the reciprocal use of facilities in SRRs while engaging in SAR missions.
By firing at a Turkish aircraft the Syrian regime has effectively hindered the conduct of a search and rescue mission, violating Article 3 of the agreement.
Shortly after an F-4 reconnaissance jet was shot down by Syria last week, four helicopters and two ships were dispatched on an initial search operation, followed by a military turboprop transport aircraft.
Turkey said on Monday that Syrian forces had fired towards a Turkish military transport plane involved in a search for the F-4 jet but that the second aircraft was not brought down.
According to the agreement, which was signed between two countries on Oct.14, 2008 in Ankara and approved by the Turkish Parliament on Nov. 3, 2010, along with Law No. 6044, both states should take urgent measures to provide the most appropriate assistance to each other in the event of SAR operations.
However, Syria’s account of Monday’s incident seems likely to violate the agreement signed between the two neighbors and is liable to inflame tensions in Turkey, already running high due to the shooting down of a Turkish jet last week by Syrian forces.
Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arýnç said the second plane, which had gone to look for the Turkish pilots from the first aircraft, was fired on by Syrian forces, which he described as a short period of harassing fire.
Under the provisions of the agreement, both states through their respective rescue coordination centers should promptly and regularly exchange SAR information concerning any actual or potential distress situation and assist each other to the extent possible in conducting SAR missions in their respective SRRs and across common SRR boundaries.
A Foreign Ministry official has said the plane returned to Turkish airspace immediately after being fired on and that the SAR operation resumed following communications “through military and diplomatic channels,” adding that there were no injuries to anyone aboard the transport aircraft.
Arýnç also stated for the first time that Syrian forces had opened fire on a Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) SAR plane.
According to Article 3 of the agreement, both states, upon receiving information about a maritime or aeronautical incident where any person is in distress within its SRR, should take urgent measures to provide the most appropriate assistance, regardless of the nationality or status of persons involved or the circumstances of the incident. Additionally, one state should advise the other of the operational periods or hours of its Rescue Coordination Center.
Where are the Russian Troops? in the compound?
Ryan, Mal, stand by for an email shortly. I'm not finished on that paper, but it's probably good to get it out if something happens. If not... oh well.
06/26/2012
NATO Says Fighter Jet Downing 'Unacceptable'
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Erdogan Takes Tough Stance against Syrian Regime
Ankara adopted a harsh tone against the Syrian regime on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Erdogan condemning last week's attack on a Turkish fighter jet and threatening military retaliation for any further aggression. At a meeting in Brussels, fellow NATO members supported Turkey by criticizing Syria's action.
After Syria shot down a Turkish military jet last week, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued strong words against the neighboring country on Tuesday, calling once again for Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down.
"We will continue to support the struggle of our brothers in Syria at any cost," Erdogan said in a speech before the parliamentary group of his Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Ankara. He also strongly condemned the Syrian downing of the Turkish fighter jet, announcing that Turkey would retaliate against any further aggression.
"The rules of engagement of the Turkish Armed Forces have changed," Erdogan said. "Any military element that approaches the Turkish border from Syria by posing a security risk and danger will be regarded as a threat and treated as a military target."
The Turkish prime minister insisted that Syria shot down the fighter jet in a "deliberate" and "hostile" action. According to Ankara, the unarmed RF-4E "Phantom" unintentionally entered Syrian airspace for a short time on Friday during a training mission, after which it was shot down in international airspace over the Mediterranean Sea near Syria. Damascus, however, claims that the incident happened in Syrian airspace. The two pilots who had manned the aircraft are still missing.
Though Turkey does not want war with Syria, it is not a country that stands by when such an attack occurs, Erdogan added in his speech. Other leading members of his party have also said Turkey would not start a war over the incident.
NATO Condemns Attack
Meanwhile, the head of the NATO military alliance, Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, called it a "completely unacceptable act" that the alliance condemned "in the strongest terms" after a meeting with Turkish officials and ambassadors to the 28-nation North Atlantic Treaty Alliance on Tuesday. Turkey had call for the meeting by invoking Article 4 of the NATO charter, which entitles it to consultations between member states when one feels its territorial integrity, political independence or security is under threat. Rasmussen said the possibility of invoking Article 5, which would define the attack as one on all member states and set the course for military action, had not been discussed at the meeting.
"We consider these acts to be unacceptable and condemn it in the strongest terms," Rasmussen told reporters. "It is another example of the Syrian authorities' disregard for international norms, peace and security and human life."
When asked what NATO would do in the case of another such event, Rasmussen said: "It's my clear expectation that the situation won't continue to escalate." Still, the statements coming from Brussels do give Ankara greater playing room to flex its verbal muscles.
In his speech given in Ankara, Erdogan emphasized his support for the Syrian opposition, saying that Assad's regime had lost all credibility and was now not only a threat to the Syrian people, but to Turkey as well. Assad's regime has been attempting with increasing violence to put down an uprising that began some 16 months ago. The United Nations estimates that there have been at least 10,000 civilian victims, while the Syrian government claims to have lost some 2,600 police officers and soldiers.
Despite the escalation, NATO has refrained from intervening in the conflict as it did in efforts to topple Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi last year. Compared to forces in Libya, where NATO created a no-fly zone last year that ultimately helped give rebels the upper hand against the deposed Libyan dictator, the Syrian army is relatively strong. The country's powerful air-defense systems have also led Turkey and its NATO partners to shy away from a military intervention. Even if many of its anti-aircraft missiles originate from Soviet times, the country's air space is better protected than that of almost any other Arab nation. Around 40,000 soldiers from 25 brigades man Syria's air defense stations, Western defense observers believe. In addition, NATO fears that foreign interference could also spark widespread unrest in the already unstable region.
On Monday, the foreign ministers of the European Union's 27 member states also strongly condemned the attack on the Turkish plane, calling it "unacceptable" in a statement.
"Even if there was a temporary violation of Syrian airspace, shooting down a plane is not justified," German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said the same day. "De-escalation is now what is needed."
Syrian rebels clash with elite troops outside DamascusAs the struggle to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad continues, Free Syrian Army members train with their weapons on the outskirts of Idlib, Syria, June 9 (photo credit: AP)
Fighting suggests growing boldness by the insurgents as the effort to oust Assad turns increasingly militarized
June 26, 2012, 5:54 pm
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BEIRUT (AP) — Syria’s elite Republican Guard forces clashed with rebels just outside Damascus Tuesday in some of the most intense fighting involving the special forces guarding the capital since an uprising against President Bashar Assad’s regime began last year, activists said.
The clashes erupted near Republican Guard housing compounds and bases in the suburbs of Qudsaya and Hammah, about five miles (eight kilometers) from central Damascus, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. It said at least six people were killed in the fighting.
The Republican Guard, which is commanded by Assad’s younger brother Maher, is tasked with protecting the capital, the seat of the regime’s power.
The fighting suggested growing boldness by rebels as the more than 15-month effort to oust Assad turns increasingly militarized.
Clashes erupt regularly in the suburbs between troops and rebels, but Assad’s forces have firm control of Damascus and it is very rare for fighting to take place near the Republican Guard bases. It was unclear what prompted the clashes or how close they were to the heavily guarded compounds.
Assad has faced an embarrassing wave of defections in recent days, including several senior officers and soldiers who fled to neighboring Turkey. Although high-level defections appear to be increasing, Assad’s inner circle has remained largely intact.
State-run news agency SANA confirmed clashes in the area, claiming that dozens of gunmen attacked civilians and troops in Hammah. SANA said troops fought the attackers, including foreign fighters, killing dozens of them and detaining others.
Troops confiscated automatic rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and large amounts of ammunition, according to SANA.
The Observatory and the Local Coordination Committees, another activist network, said troops stormed the Damascus neighborhood of Barzeh with armored personnel carriers, killing at least one person. Elsewhere in Syria, the LCC and the Observatory reported intense shelling in the eastern city of Deir el-Zour that killed at least five people.
Assad has promised reforms and named a new government last week, but it is headed by a key loyalist and the foreign, defense and interior ministers kept their jobs.
Syria’s new Cabinet was sworn in front of Assad on Tuesday, Syrian TV reported. The new government is headed by Riad Farid Hijab, a former agriculture minister and a member of the ruling Baath Party.
The opposition, which boycotted the parliamentary elections in May, accuses Assad of trying to buy time and strengthen his power even as international condemnation over the regime crackdown grows.
As Syria veers toward civil war, fears are mounting that the violence could ignite regional unrest. Syrian activists say that more than 14,000 people have been killed since the conflict began in March 2011.
In Brussels, NATO’s governing body met Tuesday and discussed the shooting down of a Turkish military plane by Syria last week.
The head of the NATO military alliance called the downing of the jet unacceptable after Turkey briefed NATO’s North Atlantic Council on the incident. The talks were held under Article 4 of NATO’s founding treaty, which allows a NATO member to request consultations if its security has been threatened.
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the alliance condemned the Syrian attack “in the strongest terms” and expressed solidarity with Turkey but did not speak of any possible armed action against Syria.
“It’s my clear expectation that the situation won’t continue to escalate,” Fogh Rasmussen told reporters after Tuesday’s meeting. “What we have seen is a completely unacceptable act and I would expect Syria to take all necessary steps to avoid such events in the future.”
Syria says the aircraft violated its airspace. But Turkey disagrees. According to Turkish officials, the plane had unintentionally strayed into Syrian airspace, but it was inside international airspace when it was brought down.
The jet’s two missing crew members have not been found.
Turkey said Tuesday its military will respond to any future violation of its border by Syrian military elements. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkish Armed Forces “will respond to all violations on the Syrian border.”
He said Syrian helicopters have violated Turkish airspace five times recently, without Turkish response.
Also Tuesday, Syria’s state-run news agency said Syrian troops killed 10 “terrorists” in the Damascus suburb of Douma Monday night. The Syrian government refers to rebels as terrorists.
Putin Warns Attack on Iran Will Backfire
Putin warns attacking Iran will backfire, and the world should keep its nose out of affairs in Syria, where Russia has a vested interest.
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By Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
First Publish: 6/26/2012, 8:15 AM
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Putin and Netanyahu on Monday
Reuters
Visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin warned President Shimon Peres Monday that attacking Iran could backfire. He also advised the world to keep its nose out of affairs in Syria, where Russia has a vested interest.
"Look at what happened to the Americans in Afghanistan and in Iraq. I told Obama the same thing," Putin stated concerning Iran. “There is no need to do things too quickly; one should not act without thinking first.”
Recalling the American objective to end the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein in Iraq and eliminate the terrorist infrastructure in the country, Putin noted, "Iraq has a pro-Iranian regime after everything that has happened there. These things should be thought out ahead of time before doing something one will regret later."
Putin and his Israeli hosts made their disagreements on Iran obvious although Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said in a separate meetng that he and Putin were able to agree “that Iran’s continued pursuit of nuclear weapons is a grave threat first and foremost to Israel, but also to the region and to the world.”
They clearly were at odds on how to stop that pursuit.
Russia has been a constant opponent to American-led efforts to pressure Iran to allow United Nations supervision of its nuclear development program, which Tehran insists is for peaceful purposes and not for the objective of building a nuclear weapon.
President Peres told his guest, "The Iranian people are not our enemy. Israel does threaten their existence. It is Iran's current regime that indentifies itself as an enemy of Israel and a threat to its existence."
Prime Minister Netanyahu was blunter. He said, "I believe that we should be doing two things now: Boosting the sanctions and also boosting the demands.
“Israel believes that the international community should have three clear demands of Iran: Stop enriching uranium inside Iran; remove all the enriched uranium from Iran; and dismantle the underground nuclear facility near Qom.”
Similarly, Putin and Netanyahu were at odds on Syria, where Russia has supplied President Bashar Assad with massive military weapons, and perhaps chemical weapons, which have been used to bomb and kill 15,000 opponents of the regime during the 16-month-old uprising.
Besides expressing wishes for peace and warning against outside interference, Putin avoided Syria.
Prime Minister Netanyahu told Putin, “Regarding our neighbor to the north, a way to end the killing and the terrible suffering of the citizens of Syria must be found.”
He and Putin also released blatantly different statement on the declaration that Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Morsi won the presidential elections in Egypt.
Putin “congratulated” Morsi on his victory, according to Russian media, and the Russian president noted “he hopes for constructive cooperation with Egypt’s new leadership in the aim of developing Russian-Egyptian relations and ensuring peace and stability in the Middle East.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu simply noted that Israel “appreciates the democratic process in Egypt and respects its outcome.”
He called for “continued cooperation with the Egyptian administration on the basis of the peace accord between the two countries, which is in the interest of the two peoples and contributes to regional stability”.
Does this mean the Obama Administration is about to declare WAR WITH IRAN AND SYRIA while blaming Russia for helping them?
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
June 25, 2012
Letter--Russian Highly Enriched Uranium
TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
June 25, 2012
Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President)
Pursuant to section 204(b) of the International Emergency Economic
Powers Act (IEEPA), 50 U.S.C. 1703(b), I hereby report that I have exercised my authority to declare a national emergency to deal with the threat posed to the United States by the risk of nuclear proliferation created by the accumulation in the Russian Federation of a large volume of weapons-usable fissile material.
In Executive Order 13159 of June 21, 2000, the President found that this same risk constituted an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States and declared a national emergency to deal with that threat. The United States and the Russian Federation had entered into a series of agreements that provide for the conversion of highly enriched uranium (HEU) extracted from Russian nuclear weapons into low enriched uranium (LEU) for use in commercial nuclear reactors. There were concerns that payments due to the Russian Federation under these agreements may be subject to attachment, garnishment, or other judicial process, in the United States, which could put implementation of such agreements at risk. In Executive Order 13159, the President therefore ordered blocked all property and interests in property of the Government of the Russian Federation directly related to the implementation of the HEU Agreements so that it would be protected from the threat of attachment, garnishment, or other judicial process.
In the Executive Order I have issued today, I find that the risk of nuclear proliferation created by the accumulation in the Russian Federation of a large volume of weapons-usable fissile material continues to constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. I therefore declared a national emergency to address this threat and to continue the blocking of all property and interests in property of the Government of the Russian Federation directly related to the implementation of the HEU Agreements.
A major national security goal of the United States is to ensure that fissile material removed from Russian nuclear weapons pursuant to various arms control and disarmament agreements is dedicated to peaceful uses, subject to transparency measures, and protected from diversion to activities of proliferation concern. The United States and the Russian Federation entered into an international agreement in February 1993 to deal with these issues as they relate to the disposition of HEU extracted from Russian nuclear weapons (the "HEU Agreement"). The HEU Agreement provides for 500 metric tons of HEU to be converted to LEU over a 20-year period. This is the equivalent of 20,000 nuclear warheads.
Additional agreements were put in place to effectuate the HEU Agreement, including agreements and contracts on transparency, on the appointment of executive agents to assist in implementing the agreements, and on the disposition of LEU delivered to the United States (collectively, the "HEU Agreements"). Under the HEU Agreements, the Russian Federation extracts HEU metal from nuclear weapons. That HEU is oxidized and blended down to LEU in the Russian Federation. The resulting LEU is shipped to the United States for fabrication into fuel for commercial reactors.
The HEU Agreements provide for the Russian Federation to receive money and uranium hexafluoride in payment for each shipment of LEU converted from the Russian nuclear weapons. The money and uranium hexafluoride are transferred to the Russian Federation executive agent in the United States.
The executive branch and the Congress have previously recognized and continue to recognize the threat posed to the United States national security from the risk of nuclear proliferation created by the accumulation of weapons-usable fissile material in the Russian Federation. This threat is the basis for significant programs aimed at Cooperative Threat Reduction and at controlling excess fissile material. The HEU Agreements are essential tools to accomplish these overall national security goals. The Congress has repeatedly demonstrated support for these agreements.
Payments made to the Russian Federation pursuant to the HEU Agreements are integral to the operation of this key national security program. Uncertainty surrounding litigation and the possible attachment, garnishment, or other judicial process that could impede these payments could lead to a long term suspension of the HEU Agreements, which creates the risk of nuclear proliferation. This is an unacceptable threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.
Accordingly, I have concluded that all property and interests in property of the Government of the Russian Federation directly related to the implementation of the HEU Agreements should remain protected from the threat of attachment, garnishment, or other judicial process. I have, therefore, exercised my authority and issued an Executive Order that provides:
except to the extent provided in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to the order, or that were issued pursuant to Executive Order 13159 of June 21, 2000, all property and interests in property of the Government of the Russian Federation directly related to the implementation of the HEU Agreements that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United States persons, including any foreign branch, are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in;
unless licensed or authorized pursuant to the order, any attachment, judgment, decree, lien, execution, garnishment, or other judicial process is null and void with respect to any property or interest in property blocked pursuant to the order; and that all heads of departments and agencies of the United States Government shall continue to take all appropriate measures within their authority to further the full implementation of the HEU Agreements.
The effect of this Executive Order is limited to property that is directly related to the implementation of the HEU Agreements. Such property will be clearly defined by the regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that will be issued pursuant to this Executive Order. I have delegated to the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the authority to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of the order. All agencies of the United States Government are directed to take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of the order.
I am enclosing a copy of the Executive Order I have issued.
Sincerely,
BARACK OBAMA
Quote:
Does this mean the Obama Administration is about to declare WAR WITH IRAN AND SYRIA while blaming Russia for helping them?
I think so.
26/6/2012 21:47
Russiahttp://en.rian.ru/i/fra/icons/square-orng.gif
Obama Extends National Emergency Over Russian Nuke Material
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U.S. President Barack Obama has ordered a one-year extension of the U.S. national emergency over Russian atomic material suitable for use in nuclear weapons
© RIA Novosti. Sergey Guneev
03:15 19/06/2012
WASHINGTON, June 19 (RIA Novosti)
Tags: nuclear weapons, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Russia, United States
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Multimedia
U.S. President Barack Obama has ordered a one-year extension of the U.S. national emergency over Russian atomic material suitable for use in nuclear weapons.
Obama submitted a notice of the extension for publication in the U.S. Federal Register on Monday.
“The accumulation of a large volume of weapons-usable fissile material in the territory of the Russian Federation continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States,” Obama said in a message to the U.S. Congress accompanying the notice.
“For this reason, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared with respect to the risk of nuclear proliferation created by the accumulation of a large volume of weapons-usable fissile material in the territory of the Russian Federation and maintain in force these emergency authorities to respond to this threat,” he said.
The national emergency over Russian nuke material was declared in Executive Order 13159 of June 21, 2000 by the then-president Bill Clinton.
It has been extended annually ever since.
The extension of the emergency is necessary to support the execution of a 1993 Moscow-Washington agreement on eliminating highly enriched uranium removed from Russian nuclear warheads (the so-called HEU-LEU agreement).
June 26, 2012
Obama declares National Emergency and issues E.O. against Russian assets
Kenneth Schortgen Jr
On June 25, President Barack Obama issued a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and to the President of the Senate stating that under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, he was declaring a National Emergency due to actions incurred with Russia, and the Russian Federation. The submitted letter provides a declaration to Congress of the President signing Executive Order (E.O.) 13159, and its immediate implementation.
Under this National Emergency and Executive Order, the United States is seizing assets and property owned or managed by the Russian Federation relating to nuclear items and programs tied to Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU).Pursuant to section 204(b) of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), 50 U.S.C. 1703(b), I hereby report that I have exercised my authority to declare a national emergency to deal with the threat posed to the United States by the risk of nuclear proliferation created by the accumulation in the Russian Federation of a large volume of weapons-usable fissile material.The ramifications of this Executive Order, along with portions that remain classified from the public, have vast consequences for the American people.
The United States and the Russian Federation had entered into a series of agreements that provide for the conversion of highly enriched uranium (HEU) extracted from Russian nuclear weapons into low enriched uranium (LEU) for use in commercial nuclear reactors. There were concerns that payments due to the Russian Federation under these agreements may be subject to attachment, garnishment, or other judicial process, in the United States, which could put implementation of such agreements at risk. In Executive Order 13159, the President therefore ordered blocked all property and interests in property of the Government of the Russian Federation directly related to the implementation of the HEU Agreements so that it would be protected from the threat of attachment, garnishment, or other judicial process. - White House.gov
Earlier this year, President Obama updated and signed several Executive Orders that deal with the complete control and confiscation of U.S. assets, infrastructure, and manpower in the case of a declared National Emergency.
As of yesterday, that National Emergency has been invoked, opening the door for any number of policies to be enacted by the President going forward.
Additionally, this action against Russia and the Russian Federation could have massive consequences for America in regards to foreign policy, and even a potential act of war should Russia see fit to perceive Obama's actions as such. With NATO and Russia both rattling sabers in the region of Syria, the possible threat of a global conflict increased with this new asset confiscation order.
Events in the Middle East, along with regime changes in Egypt, Libya, and a number of Arab states, are engulfing Russia, Europe, and the United States into a potential global conflict that could quickly grow into something not seen in 68 years. With President Obama declaring a state of National Emergency, and imposing a new asset seizure on properties owned or controlled by the Russian Federation, the ramifications for war on several fronts, along with the potential of liberties and freedoms lost to the American people has increased to dangerous levels.
Turkish jet shot down by Russians, opposition leader claims
ISTANBUL
June/26/2012
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Türker said Russian warship Admiral Chabanenko hit the Turkish jet that went down on June 22. AFP photo
The Turkish military jet that went down off Syrian coast on June 22 was shot down by the Russians, not the Syrian military, an opposition party leader has claimed.
“There are currently two Russian war ships and a Russian frigate in Latakia harbor,” Masum Türker, leader of the Democratic Left Party (DSP) said today in an interview with TV8. “One of them, Admiral Chabanenko, has the technology to detect the slightest action in the air.”
Türker said Russian warship Admiral Chabanenko hit the Turkish jet that went down on June 22.
“The vessel that shot down our plane is Chabanenko, it is the most equipped vessel of the three,” Türker said, arguing that the foreign ministry and the foreign intelligence services have this information.
An unarmed Turkish military plane conducting a test mission was shot down by Syria on June 22. Turkey claims the plane was shot down in international airspace with a laser or heat-guided missile. Syria, however, says they shot the plane down with anti-aircraft guns as the plane flew within Syrian airspace at an altitude of 100 meters.
Russian FM Lavrov will attend Syria meeting if it happens
*Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov is planning to attend the meeting on Syria’s escalating conflict if the meeting which Kofi Annan is attempting to organize in Geneva takes place this weekend. "Sergei Lavrov has officially accepted the invitation to come to the actual meeting in Geneva on Saturday, June 30," said Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin.
Russia hopes that the meeting “can provide powerful impetus for political efforts to put an end to the conflict," the diplomat said.
Shocking claim! Turkish jet, Russia shot it down!
26.06.12 14:39
Turkish jets hit Masum Turker DSP Chairman put forward a claim related to the shock: our aircraft struck Russia in person!
Tan's guest on tv8 of Scott's in Erkan, "is currently at 2 Laskiye Türker Russian warship and 1 friggin did and added:" the description of the "One 1 of both radar and missile hardware have sensitivity to detect even sees currently fly. Çapanenko carrier is engaged after just the slightest incident immediately. The first event occurred in the moment; When you are looking at separating the internal politics of Syria said ' we're sorry ' policy. Sorry, another person has done. "
"Uçağımızı Çapanenko: ship struck Admiral!"
Turker, casting the ship Admiral Çapanenko Uçağımızı ". Because most equipped with this ship, "he said and foreign intelligence services knew it. The search and rescue efforts, "why not make for an interesting, they are not incorporated in search and rescue efforts, Türker? The lack of the aircraft for a period of time is required for them. The airplane cockpit boiled ".
"Where is the National Secretary of Defense?"
Minister of national defense and the leaders at the Summit, "the Prime Minister's attention to the serialization of the Shepherd leader watched the speech with 3. So what is the National Defense Minister neredeydi?
Minister of national defence of this country? This country is not mülkiyetinden the Joint Chiefs of staff, Ministry of national defense of the aircraft were reduced.
For some reason that this event is not anywhere. "...
Russia Shot Down Turkish F-4 Jet, not Syria, Claims Ankara Opposition MP
Masum Turker claims intelligence services pinpoint Russia's Admiral Chabanenko warship in Syrian harbour as aggressor
By Gianluca Mezzofiore: Subscribe to Gianluca's RSS feed
June 26, 2012 7:00 PM GMT
A Turkish opposition leader has claimed that the F-4 Phantom fighter shot down off the Syrian coast was attacked by Russia, not the Syrian military.
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(Photo: Reuters)
File Picture of Turkish F4 Jets. Syria Shot at Another Turkish Flight During Search Operation - Turkey
Masum Turker, leader of the Democratic Left Party (DSP), told TV8 the Russian ship Admiral Chabanenko downed the Turkish jet on 22 June.
"There are two Russian warships and a Russian frigate in Latakia [Syria] harbour," Hurriyet News quoted him saying. "One of them, Admiral Chabanenko, has the technology to detect the slightest action in the air.
"The vessel that shot down our plane is Chabanenko. It is the [best] equipped vessel of the three," he said.
Turker quoted turkey's foreign ministry and the foreign intelligence services as his source.
The claim came after Turkey's prime minister Recip Tayyip Erdogan pledged to "liberate Syrians from dictatorship" after the shooting down.
He also announced that the country has changed its military rules of engagement and that any Syrian troops approaching Turkey's border would be dealt with as a military threat.
Turkey claimed the plane was shot down in international airspace with a laser or a heat-guided missle. Syria said it shot the plane down with anti-aircraft guns as it was hovering within Syrian airspace at low altitude.
The F-4 Phantom fighter was said to be unarmed and was conducting a test and training mission on the border with Syria.
Erdogan insisted that a short-term border violation "can never be a pretext for an attack", citing hundreds of Syrian violations of Turkey's border.
Russian warship ADMIRAL CHABANENKO shot down Turkish Jet near Syria?
Disclose.tv - Russian warship ADMIRAL CHABANENKO shot down Turkish Jet near Syria?
Destroyer 1155.1 ADMIRAL CHABANENKO
Didn't I make that remark a few days ago myself? The Russians did it? I think I did.
Yes You Did! :D
It's been a very hectic few days here. Fires every where, dentist appointments... work, you name it. The days are running together. Now we have this shit in Syria.
Turkish gov’t puts Syrian border troops on red alert
June/27/2012
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The Turkish government has instructed its army to intercept any potential security risk posed by Syrian security forces along its land and sea border, in response to the downing of a Turkish jet by Syria in international airspace. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has also described the al-Assad regime as a “clear and present danger to Turkey’s security” in the wake of the incident.
“After this attack, we have entered into a new stage. The rules of engagement of the Turkish Armed Forces have changed. Any risk posed by Syria on the Turkish border, any military element that could pose a threat, will be considered a threat and treated as a military target,” Erdoğan said in his parliamentary group meeting yesterday. The comments are his first public statements on the issue after it was clarified that a Turkish RF4-E Phantom jet had been shot down by Syria.
‘Turkey’s wrath is as strong as its friendship’
“We urge the Syrian regime not to make a mistake and test Turkey’s determinacy and capacity. … Our rational response should not be perceived as weakness, our mild manners do not mean we are a tame lamb. …
Everybody should know that Turkey’s wrath is as strong and devastating as its friendship is valuable.” A Turkish unarmed reconnaissance jet that was performing a training flight over the Mediterranean Sea was shot down by Syria 13 nautical miles off the Syrian coast in international airspace. Syria had claimed the incident took place in Syrian airspace.
Five Syrian helicopters recently violated Turkish airspace, but no action was taken against them other than issuing diplomatic notes. Some minor shooting incidents have even taken place without being made into an issue between the two countries, a Turkish diplomat told the Hürriyet Daily News.
“After now, if they occur, they will surely become a matter,” the source said. Erdoğan underlined that Turkey would also use its rights stemming from international laws. “Turkey will use its rights born out of international law with determination and take the necessary steps by determining the time, place and method by itself in the face of this unfairness. This is what I want to stress.”
According to diplomatic sources, this refers to Article 51 of the 7th Chapter of the U.N. Charter, which gives countries the right to self-defense in the event of a foreign attack. The prime minister also challenged the Syrian administration’s argument that it shot down the jet in its own airspace.
“Our plane was targeted on purpose and in a hostile way and not as a result of a mistake. The attitude of the Syrian officials following the incident is the most concrete evidence that our jet was attacked on purpose. The harassing fire on our Casa-type plane during the search and rescue operations is the most palpable evidence of this intent.”
‘Turkey’s support will continue’
Despite his strongly worded statements that also mentioned increasing military measures against Syria, Erdoğan said they would not fall into the traps of what he called “war provocateurs,” although “this does not mean we’ll stand idle with our hands tied.”
He also vowed that Turkey would continue to support the Syrian people until they get rid of the “blood-shedding dictator and his gang.”
Turkey has no eye on any neighbors’ soil and has no intention to intervene in their internal affairs, Erdoğan said, emphasizing that the security of Anatolia was very much dependent on the security of Damascus, once ruled by the Ottoman Empire until the early 20th century. “Today when we are talking about Damascus, Aleppo, Hama, and Homs, we are not talking about political gain, but in the name of the bloodshed of our brothers.”
TURKEY BEGINS DEPLOYMENT
MARDIN - Doğan News Agency
Turkey has deployed a large number of military vehicles to the Syrian border. The shipment included 15 armored tanks, in addition to long-distance guns and other military vehicles. The convoy was heavily guarded as it moved toward the border in the event of an attack by outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) members. Military sources couldn’t immediately confirm the report. Military units reportedly increased security measures on the border following recent events that have strained bilateral relations. In a related development in the region, 13 zones near Hakkari, Diyarbakır and Şırnak have been declared temporary militray security zones. Diyarbakır Governor’s Office said yesterday in a written satement that no civilians will be allowed in the mentioned regions between July 6 and Oct. 6 since shooting drills will be exercised in those areas.
Erdoğan says Russia is “like Syria’s mouthpiece” on downed Turkish jet
26 June 2012 / TODAYSZAMAN.COM,
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan dismissed Russia’s statement on a downed Turkish warplane by Syrian forces, saying that Russia is being mouthpiece of Syrian officials in this issue.
Russia said on Tuesday said Syria's shooting down of the Turkish warplane should not be seen as a provocation and warned world powers against using the incident to push for stronger action against Damascus.
It was Moscow's first reaction to Friday's downing of a Turkish military aircraft by Syrian air defences, which has given an international dimension to the worsening conflict in Syria.
Turkey's NATO allies condemned Syria's action as unacceptable but stopped short of threatening any military response. Turkey also plans to approach the UN Security Council.
Erdoğan lauded NATO’s condemnation and described it as a positive development as he talked to reporters in a joint news conference with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev after the signing ceremony of a gas pipeline in İstanbul on Tuesday.
"It is important that what happened is not viewed as a provocation or a premeditated action (by Syria)," Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement on its website.
Moscow reiterated calls for restraint, warning that any political escalation would be "extremely dangerous" and threaten international efforts to salvage a moribund six-point Syrian peace plan drawn up by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan.
"Once again, we call on all sides to act exclusively in the interests of such an agenda (the peace plan) and not to take steps that go beyond its limits," the ministry said.
"We believe that the best course of action is restraint and constructive interaction between the Turkish and Syrian sides in order to clarify all the circumstances of the incident."
Erdoğan says he doesn’t understand on what bases Lavrov, referring to the Russian statement, made that statement. “He was different in his talks with our foreign minister [Ahmet Davutoğlu]. He is saying this after his talks with Syrian officials. He is kind of being their mouthpiece,” Erdoğan said.
Erdoğan says evidence Turkey has suggests otherwise.
Syria provides Moscow with its firmest foothold in the Middle East, buys weapons from Russia worth billions of dollars, and hosts the Russian navy's only permanent warm water port outside the former Soviet Union.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that he would attend a meeting on Syria that Annan is trying to arrange on Saturday but suggested it would not produce results without the participation of Iran, a close Syrian ally.
"Iran must be present. Otherwise the circle of participants will be incomplete and will not gather everybody who has influence on all Syrian sides," Lavrov told reporters, on the sidelines of Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Jordan.
Annan has also said Iran should attend, but diplomats say the United States, Saudi Arabia and others dislike that idea.
Russia has used its power of veto in the UN Security Council to shield Syria from harsher international sanctions over Damascus's crackdown on the 16-month revolt.
It has backed Annan's plan, insisting it is the only way to end the bloodshed in Syria and arguing firmly against any kind of military intervention.
So far Annan's attempts to get the Syrian opposition and government to begin talks aimed at ending the conflict have failed, but he is pushing for a meeting of key regional players and permanent UN Security Council members in Geneva on Saturday, hoping to kickstart political negotiations.