An American tank wrecked in an IED attack by Mujahideen (Afghanistan) ...

Operation Badar reports (Afghanistan) (18 - 20 November, 2011)

An American tank wrecked in an IED attack by Mujahideen

These reports have been received from Mullah Mohammad Omar's official spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman of Islamic Emirate Qari Yousuf Ahmadi as well as some other on-ground sources in Afghanistan which include several puppet regime sources.

Read More @ http://pakistancyberforce.blogspot.com/2011/11/270-terrorist-invaders-149-puppets.html

Kunar:
• November 18: Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate on Friday attacked the USZ terrorist invaders’ base with missiles and mortars in the province’s Narang district but no losses of life and injury have been confirmed yet.
• November 19: A report from the province of Kunar states that Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate attacked the USZ terrorist invaders’ base in Watapur, Kunar. At least five missiles hit the base, no losses of life and injury have been determined though.
• At least five mortar rounds fired by Mujahideen hit the USZ terrorist invaders base in Narang district of the province. Reports add that as many as 16 terrorist invaders were killed in the fierce attack besides their base sustaining severe damage.
• At least 5 USZ terrorist invaders were taken out with 5 more got hurt when Mujahideen attacked their base with heavy harms leaving the facility of the base on fire on Saturday in Nari district, Kunar province.
• November 20: 2 terrorist invaders and 3 of their puppets were killed on Saturday in a clash with Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate that occurred in Manugi district of the province.
• At least 5 USZ-led terrorist invaders were killed Saturday when their foot patrol came under Mujahideen attack in the province’s Watapur district. The fight continued for about half an hour with causing Mujahideen fighters any harms. 

Khost:
• November 19: On Saturday, a roadside bomb tore through one of the puppets’ tank leaving it wrecked and killing 6 puppets besides injuring several more in Sheikh Abad district of the province.
• As many as 7 USZ-led terrorist invaders were killed in a roadside bombing Saturday that targeted the enemy’s armored tank, blowing it to piece in Sahar Bagh area, near the capital of the province.
• At least 12 mortar rounds shot by Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate hit the USZ terrorist invaders’ base in Musa Khel district of the province on Saturday, raising havoc in the base besides causing the enemy deadly losses and fatalities.
• In the provincial capital of Khost, province, a roadside bomb attack killed 3 puppet policemen and wounded several more on Sunday as it detonated at their vehicle.

Nangarhar:
• November 19: A dozen of the puppets were killed with their vehicle destroyed in an attack by Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate in Chaprihar district of the province on Saturday.
• November 20: Thousands of people, most them university student took to the street in Jalalabad city, the capital of Nangarhar province Sunday to protest violently against strategic partnership with USZ terrorist invaders. The protesters, consisting of the Afghan elderly men and youngsters who know the dire long-term consequences and assess what humiliation and bad result the strategic partnership would offer in the coming time, chanted slogans against the Loya Jirga (National Assembly or grand council) and strategic partnership deal and the USZ presence in the country. Angry porters blocked off the highway between Jalalabad and Kabul, condemning and warning the supporters of supposed Loya Jirga and partnership deal to back off or they are sure to suffer the dire impending consequences of what they are about to do. Meantime, the protesting people call on all Afghans to be aware of what is going to happen in the name so-called Loya Jirga and the bad consequence it will bring about, and that they are to try to prevent the deal with whatever possible means the Afghan people have at their disposal.

Farah:
• November 20: Reports from Gulistan district say that at least 15 puppet policemen were killed at around 10:00 am this morning when firstly their military convoy was targeted by a land mine, eliminating a vehicle after which another mine packed with ball bearings detonated on the enemy as they gathered to help the casualties from the initial blast.
• An ANA tank patrolling in Bala Bolak’s Grani area was blown to bits by an IED yesterday afternoon time, killing all 5 puppets onboard. 

Herat:
• November 19: A 1 hour armed attack was carried out on a police check post last night in Gazra district’s Pul Mastaan area in which 5 puppets were killed and 4 more wounded whereas a Mujahid was also injured in the assault.
Laghman:
• November 19: On Saturday, a dozen of the invading troops were reported dead and wounded in clash with Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate in Laghman province.
• At least 6 puppets were killed on Saturday when their tank ran over IED in the capital of Laghman province.
• November 20: A dozen of the USZ terrorist invaders were killed in a clash with Mujahideen Saturday after the enemy foot patrol came under attack in the province’s Alingar district. 

Uruzgan:
• November 20: An ISAF terrorist invaders patrol tank was annihilated by a powerful landmine yesterday at 06:00 pm in Charchino district of Uruzgan province, killing all 5 terrorist invaders onboard.

Zabul:
• November 19: USZ terrorist invaders fled yesterday afternoon after sustaining heavy casualties during a 3 hour clash with Mujahideen which broke out yesterday morning near the district center of Khak Afghan when the terrorist invaders landed by helicopters to carryout an operation. Reports say that some 9 terrorist invaders were killed in the battle whereas a Mujahid was also martyred (may Allah accept him) and 3 injured during the deadly clash.
• 2 enemy vehicles were shot and destroyed at around dusk time yesterday in Mizana’s Takir area by Muajhideen during an ambush attack on a joint enemy military convoy, killing all 13 onboard according to officials and eye witnesses who added that a nearby enemy check post was also under attack at the same time. 

Kapisa:
• November 18: About half a dozen of the puppets were reported dead in a clash caused by an attack from Mujahideen on their foot patrol that occurred in Tagab, Kapisa on Friday at about 12:00 p.m. and continued till late afternoon hours of the day, the report said.
• November 20: At least four missiles fired by Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate hit the governor officer in the capital of Kapisa but it is not apparent if anyone was killed or wounded. 

Nooristan:
• November 18: On Friday, Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate killed 6 puppets in a bomb attack in Kamdish district of the province bringing the number of the puppets killed today in the same district to 9 as earlier on Friday 5 puppets were killed in an encounter with Mujahideen, the report said.
• November 20: The terrorist invaders dropped by the helicopters disembarked in a village in Kamdish, Nooristan province attempting to raid Mujahideen based there last night as a deadly fight broke out that continued for more than an hour killing some 45 terrorist invaders and wounding several dozen more, the reports sate, adding 6 Mujahideen became martyr while 5 more hurt in the exchange of fire. Shortly after the fight was over, the terrorist invaders detained 8 noncombatant civilians and fled the battlefield as per their trademark maneuver.

Courtesy to PCF - Pakistan Cyber Force.
http://pakistancyberforce.blogspot.com/2011/11/270-terrorist-invaders-149-puppets.html

An American military vehicle wrecked by IED

Operation Badar reports (Afghanistan) (18 - 20 November, 2011)

These reports have been received from Mullah Mohammad Omar's official spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman of Islamic Emirate Qari Yousuf Ahmadi as well as some other on-ground sources in Afghanistan which include several puppet regime sources.

Read More @ http://pakistancyberforce.blogspot.com/2011/11/270-terrorist-invaders-149-puppets.html


• November 19: At around 06:00 pm on Friday, a USZ base located in Grof Shash area of Nad Ali district came under an armed Mujahideen assault in which at least 7 terrorist invaders were killed besides the base was badly damaged.
• Heavy fight broke out this morning in Nahr Siraj’s Popalzo area, Gerishk district when Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate attacked those USZ terrorist invaders and their puppets that came to the area to carry out an operation, officials said adding that fight is still ongoing in which at least 11 terrorist invaders and several of their cowardly puppets have been killed besides 2 Mujahideen have sustained minor injuries so far.
• Recently, ISAF terrorist invaders have opened a large scale operation in the various areas of Babaji region, Lashkargah. Details arriving from the area say that Mujahideen clashed with the terrorist invaders earlier today at 09:00 am in Kofki and Malgir areas during which 3 terrorist invaders were killed and 4 others wounded whereas a Mujahid was also injured in heavy fire exchange.
• A USZ terrorist invaders tank was blown apart by a landmine in Nawzad’s Jazi Karez area at 10:00 am today while 2 others were destroyed similarly in the district’s Garma Karez area, killing all 15 terrorist invaders onboard.
• November 20: A roadside bomb in Gerishk’s Nahr Siraj area struck the vehicle of ANA on the road between Lashkargah Durahi and Yakhchal areas at around 06:00 pm yesterday, killing all 5 puppets onboard.
• Reports from Popalzo area of Nahr Siraj region, Lashkargah say that cowardly USZ terrorist invaders carried out heavy airstrikes during the whole day long fight with Mujahideen which erupted yesterday morning. Officials from the area say that 4 innocent civilians were martyred in the blind bombings whereas 4 Mujahideen also embraced martyrdom (may Allah accept them) and 2 were wounded. The enemy fled the area at the end of yesterday after taking on deadly casualties in the battle, leaving behind several damaged logistical and military vehicles which are still lying around the battle scene. Reports add that as many as 25 cowardly terrorist invaders were killed in the battle besides dozens sustaining fatal injuries.
• A roadside bomb in Sangin’s Majid Chawk area tore apart a USZ terrorist invaders tank, killing all 5 terrorist invaders on Saturday afternoon.
• A USZ tank was destroyed in a roadside bomb attack at noon time today in Korghaki area of Musa Kala district, killing all 5 terrorist invaders on board.
• At least 2 USZ terrorist invaders were killed and 3 wounded in a bomb blast which targeted their foot patrol at 12:00 pm today in Sangin’s Charkhakyano Manda area.

Courtesy to PCF - Pakistan Cyber Force.
http://pakistancyberforce.blogspot.com/2011/11/270-terrorist-invaders-149-puppets.html

 

Operation Badar reports (Afghanistan) (18 - 20 November, 2011)
An American Terrorist Invader killed in a gunfight with Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate

These reports have been received from Mullah Mohammad Omar's official spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman of Islamic Emirate Qari Yousuf Ahmadi as well as some other on-ground sources in Afghanistan which include several puppet regime sources.

Read More @ http://pakistancyberforce.blogspot.com/2011/11/270-terrorist-invaders-149-puppets.html


Kandahar:
• November 19: USZ terrorist invaders suffered deadly casualties yesterday morning at 07:00 am when a mine in Arghandab district detonated on their foot patrol.
• A USZ military convoy travelling through Zhiri’s Char Shakhi area late yesterday afternoon was struck by landmines, leaving 2 enemy tanks destroyed as well as killing all 10 terrorist invaders onboard.
• 5 puppet troops were killed and another fatally wounded late yesterday afternoon time when a roadside bomb in Zhiri’s Nada area ripped through their vehicle.
• Officials reporting from Maiwand district of Kandahar province say that 2 powerful IED’s detonated on the foot patrol of USZ terrorist invaders last night in Jogrum area, killing 8 terrorist invaders on the spot and wounding several others. Meanwhile, a similar blast this morning at 09:00 am in the same area detonated on another USZ patrol, leaving 1 terrorist invader dead and another severely wounded. Separately, USZ terrorist invaders suffered more casualties in the same area at 03:30 pm today after another IED detonated on their foot patrol.
• USZ terrorist invaders backed by their puppets started an operation in Shahwalikot district’s Soznyano and Sfiri areas 3 days ago, according to Mujahideen. Mujahideen officials say that in the 3 days, 7 USZ military vehicles have been eliminated with landmines (2 mine sweepers, 3 armored tanks and 2 other trucks), killing all 46 terrorist invaders onboard. Officials add that the enemy is stuck in the area as they are surrounded by mines on all sides.
• November 20: At around 07:00 pm last night, Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate carried out a 2 hour armed attack, using heavy and light weapons on a large ANA base located near Panjwaee district bazaar in which the enemy watchtowers were completely destroyed however the number of casualties caused is not known.
• 2 puppet police were killed by Mujahideen later yesterday afternoon during an ambush on the enemy patrol in Maiwand’s Bacha Agha Gudar area.
• Mujahideen blew apart an ANA tank in Panjwaee district late yesterday afternoon using an remote-controlled IED, killing all 5 cowardly puppets onboard.
• A missile fired by Muajahideen at 09:00 pm last night and another 2 fired at 04:00 am local time slammed into Kandahar airbase horribly damaging the base facility besides causing the enemy deadly casualties however their details are not known yet.

Kabul:
• November 19: Some 6 cowardly puppets were killed last night in attack by Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate as the enemy check post got attacked with heavy arms fire in Daram district of the province.
• Karimullah, the puppet officer in the Hawza-e-Hasht (8th administrative district) was killed in a guerrilla attack in the heart of Kabul city, the capital of the country on Saturday morning.

Daikondi:
• November 20: Nov. 20 – In Daikondi’s Dasht area, at least 6 puppet police were killed when a land mine obliterated their tank yesterday afternoon.

Parwan:
• November 19: Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate in an encounter with puppets in Sheikh Abad district of Parwan , killed some 14 puppets on Saturday.

Ghor:
• November 19: A local police commander (Umber) was arrested by Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate later on Thursday afternoon near Shinkot district center.

Ghazni:
• November 18: At least 6 missiles and mortar strikes shot off by Mujahideen hit the PRT branch of the terrorist invaders in Gilan district of the province on Friday, the report indicates, but gave on information on the casualties.
• November 19: At least 5 USZ terrorist invaders were killed in a clash with puppets today near the puppets checkpoint in the capital of Ghazni province. Shortly afterwards, the USZ helicopter bombed that check post destroying it completely killing 10 puppets.
• The invading forces, in a night time raid in Deh Yak district of the province martyred a noncombatant villager last night. 

Logar:
• November 19: At least 4 NATO terrorist invaders and their puppets were killed Saturday in a clash with Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate in Kharwar district of the province.
• At least 6 USZ-led terrorist invaders were killed Saturday in a roadside bomb attack in Baraki Barak district of the province as their tank got hit and destroyed in IED bombing.
• November 20: A clash is reported to have occurred on Saturday between Mujahideen combatants and their terrorist invaders in Baraki Barak, Logar province. According to Mujahideen report from the area, the clash prompted by an ambush attacked lasted an hour in which 2 NATO terrorist invaders were taken out with three more hurt.

Badakhshan:
• November 19: A number of the puppets were killed and wounded last night in attack by Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate as the enemy check post got attacked with heavy arms fire in Daram district of the province.

Wardag:
• November 19: At least 6 USZ terrorist invaders were killed and 4 severely injured in a bomb blast which targeted their foot patrol at 12:00 pm today in Sangin’s Charkhakyano Manda area.
• Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate shot one of the puppets vehicles in the capital of Wardag on Saturday killing 3 puppets on board.
• At least 5 puppets were killed and many others wounded Saturday when their vehicle got hit and destroyed in IED blast in Syedabad district of the province.
•November 20: At least 3 NATO terrorist invaders were killed in a clash later on Saturday as their foot patrol encountered Mujahideen ambush in Nirkh district.
• Some 3 cowardly puppets were killed on Saturday in landmine blast that tore through their foot patrol while on patrol mission in Sheikh Ameer district of the province.

Courtesy to PCF - Pakistan Cyber Force.
http://pakistancyberforce.blogspot.com/2011/11/270-terrorist-invaders-149-puppets.html

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Is the U.S. goading China in the South China Sea dispute?

During U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to Australia this week, he told the Australian Parliament, “Our enduring interests in the region demand our enduring presence in this region. The United States is a Pacific power, and we are here to stay.”

Along with making this quite bothersome promise, at least for those of us that don’t fancy perpetual war plaguing the entire planet in the name of “freedom” and “democracy” on the American taxpayer’s dime, Obama said that American military expansion is a top priority.

That’s right, Obama actually said that military expansion is a top priority, despite the fact that the U.S. debt is so massive it makes one’s head spin with incredulity.

CNN published, “Obama made it clear that the military expansion is a top priority in the wake of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars,” which is interesting seeing as we are far from being in the wake of either war at this point.

Obama also made it painfully clear that, “reductions in U.S. defense spending will not – I repeat, will not – come at the expense of the Asia Pacific.”

Apparently we can count on the United States continuing to threaten China over the South China Sea dispute for the entirety of the foreseeable future, despite our less-than-stellar economy and horrific debt.

For many individuals like me, bells started ringing the second the news of increased troop presence in Australia broke.

This is because the United States has been somewhat covertly fighting back against China in the South China Sea dispute, but this announcement represents a massive escalation on the part of the U.S.

In more accurate terms, it is only covert in the sense that the United States government hasn’t come right out and said, “We’re fighting China in the South China Sea dispute.”

Back in June of this year, I reported on the United States arming the countries opposed to China in the South China Sea dispute, which includes Vietnam and the Philippines.

The goading is not just on the part of the United States seeing as earlier this year a live-fire drill was conducted by the Vietnamese in the South China Sea.

However, the United States is undoubtedly choosing sides by providing arms and participating in the massive SEACAT exercise with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members which include thePhilippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

It is worth pointing out that Indonesia’s military commander voiced concern over Indonesia possibly being pulled into the South China Sea dispute when the 2,500 U.S. Marines are deployed in Australia along with the state-of-the-art fighter jets and transport planes.

”Their military fleets would very likely go back and forth through our waters, given the analysis that the planned base will have to conduct [military exercises] due to rising tension in the South China Sea,” Admiral Agus Suhartono told The Jakarta Post. ”We haven’t learnt clearly what this deal is but we have been studying the plan and analyzing any potential impacts on Indonesia … we have begun consulting all sources.”

In the latest meeting of the ASEAN nations at the East Asia Summit, some additional nations took part including Japan, South Korea, India, China, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Russia.

When a similar, but less tense, standoff of sorts occurred months ago, the Chinese issued similar warnings to those uttered in the recent days.

The Chinese vice foreign minister said, “I believe some countries now are playing with fire. And I hope the US won’t be burned by this fire.”

These are unarguably pointed words, and in the wake of Obama’s announcement the rhetoric has only become more heated.

Today Reuters reported that Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said that, “’outside forces’ had no excuse to get involved in a complex dispute over the South China Sea, offering a veiled warning to the United States and others not to stick their noses into the sensitive issue.”

That warning is far from veiled, there is only one major military power escalating its presence and thus threatening the Chinese over the South China Sea, and that is the United States.

Keep in mind that the ASEAN countries aren’t the only players in this dispute. In September of this year, after warning the Indian state-owned oil company ONGC multiple times that joint energy explorations with Vietnam amounted to a violation of China’s sovereignty, the Indian government pledged to continue.

Back in September the Wall Street Journal pointed out that the United States has been fighting many protests on the part of China regarding their surveillance activities in the South China Sea.

Furthermore, they point out that the U.S. is trying to encourage its democratic allies in the region, especially India, which has a fairly powerful military, Australia, which has a relatively powerful military unto itself and which is now going to house at least 2,500 U.S. Marines within 5 years according to Obama, and Japan.

The White House has said that Obama seeks to bring up the South China Sea dispute at yet another summit coming up on Saturday but China said it will not discuss the issue, opting instead to deal bilaterally with the nations which are directly involved in the dispute.

“[The South China Sea dispute] ought to be resolved through friendly consultations and discussions by countries directly involved. Oustide forces should not, under any pretext, get involved,” Wen told the leaders of the ASEAN nations.

Wen is clearly telling the United States government that they have no part taking place in discussions regarding the dispute and that no intervention will be tolerated under any conditions.

The United States is infamous for couching wars of aggression in terms of “humanitarianism” as seen in Libya, and China is well aware that the United States would use plenty of propaganda and outright lies to justify their intervention.

This statement by Wen is essentially declaring these future possibilities null and void, something which likely will not make the goons in Washington happy.

China realizes that the United States is already getting involved via proxy with India, Vietnam and the Philippines, but the increased forces in Australia – which, within five to six years, will be a full Marine ground task force – are undoubtedly making tensions rise.

However, the increased American presence in the Pacific is far from just a full-fledged ground force presence but also some of the United States’ most sophisticated aerial weaponry.

In a call to journalists on Wednesday from Hawaii, the director of strategic planning and policy for the United States Pacific Command, Major General Michael Keltz said that the United States has already based squadrons of F-22 fighter jets and C-17 transport planes.

“The F-22s provide leading-edge technology for potential air-to-air combat as well as cyber and electronic warfare,” Keltz said.

This should be ringing more alarm bells for my readers out there as one of the most significant fronts between the United States and China is the nearly infinite front that is cyberwarfare.

Of course China consistently denies any of the allegations of attacks on American targets, but experts from the online security firm McAfee disagree and an image from footage shot at a Chinese military university show evidence to the contrary.

Moreover, why would the United States need massive transport planes and the most sophisticated in fighter technology if there weren’t plans to actually utilize such equipment?

Whatever the case, the massive troop increase in the region is far from reassuring to the Chinese and for good reason.

The United States has no real duty or right to intervene in the region, even under the guise of “maintaining peace and security.”

Yet the United States is already utilizing this excuse, as made clear by Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes to reporters.

Rhodes used the excuse of natural disasters and claimed that there is “a demand signal from the nations of the region.”

Rhodes said, “we believe it’s not just entirely appropriate, but an important step to dealing with the challenges of the future of the Asia Pacific region.”

Clearly, Rhodes is speaking of China, but if that was a bit too ambiguous, he made it quite explicit in saying, “What we look at is how does our general force posture allow us to protect U.S. interests, protect our allies, and … secure the region broadly. China is obviously a piece of the Asia Pacific region, an emerging power.”

Yet if that wholly unambiguous message wasn’t clear enough, he added that the deal is “part of the U.S. sending a signal that we’re going to be present, that we’re going to continue to play the role of underpinning security in this part of the region. Part of that context is a rising China.”

Once again, the United States is playing the role of the “world police force” even though it not only puts American lives at risk but also sullies our international reputation while piling on debt when our economy can’t even handle the debt we have.

The timing of Obama’s visit to Australia is also quite interesting, given that he postponed trips in 2009 and 2010 due to “domestic political considerations” but not this year, when anti-Corporatism protests are breaking out throughout the nation and being met with brutal police responses.

It is also quite interesting that the coordinated crackdown on the Occupations, which involved some 18 cities, occurred right after Obama left the continental United States.

What I find quite troubling about this entire fiasco is that a major mainstream Australian publication said that the troop increase in the Asia-Pacific region is “the strongest sign yet that Australia will be at the centre of anew world order.”

I guess it is only okay to say the loaded phrase “new world order” if you’re a mainstream news outlet or a world leader like Barack Obama or the sorry excuse for a human being that is Henry Kissinger; otherwise you’re a nutty conspiracy theorist.

Some writers, including Mira Permatasari, a lecturer at the Department of International Relations, Parahyangan Catholic University, Bandung, Indonesia, seem to be under the impression that Russia is siding with the United States in the effort to counterbalance the rising power of China.

I would disagree and point out that China-Russia relations are better than ever, as Dr. Richard Weitz, Senior Fellow and Director at the Center for Political-Military Analysis at the Hudson Institute, elucidates in writing, “The relationship between the Chinese and Russian governments is perhaps the best it has ever been. The leaders of both countries engage in numerous high-level exchanges, make many mutually supportive statements, and manifest other displays of Russian-Chinese cooperation in what both governments refer to as their developing strategic partnership.”

Furthermore, Russia Today reported last month, “Just recently, Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev said that he was happy with the steadily-consolidated bilateral trade, scientific and technical ties with Russia’s biggest neighbor.”

We must also weigh Ahmadinejad’s call for a united front against the West during June’s Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting which included Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, India, Mongolia and Iran.

While Russia in China didn’t jump up in support of this call by Ahmadinejad, Russia warned of severe consequences if a military strike was carried out on Iranian soil, indicating that the Russians would take Iran’s side if such a strike were to occur.

It is also quite interesting that the U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta referred to both China and Indiaand “others” as “threats” yesterday, citing their status as “rising powers” as reason to “try to make sure that we always have sufficient force protection out there in the Pacific to make sure they know we’re never going anywhere.”

Of course the Pentagon Captain John Kirby spokesman later backtracked and told reporters that Panetta did not see either China or India as military threats.

“Any suggestion that he was implying that either country was a military threat is just false,” Kirby said.

On its face, this statement by Kirby is nothing short of absurd and to appropriate Kirby’s own words, “is just false.”

China seems to be trying to win over the support of ASEAN nations through promises of $10 billion in loans and lines of credit which is in addition to the pledge made two years ago of $15 billion in loans.

Furthermore, China said that they will establish a $473 million fund which will help promote expanding maritime cooperation, navigational cooperation, environmental protection, and efforts to combat transnational crimes.

That’s not all, Wen also said that China seeks to increase financial cooperation with ASEAN nations by increasing local currency swaps along with encouraging “the quoting of China’s yuan and ASEAN currencies in each other’s interbank foreign exchange.”

It seems to me that with the American presence in the Asia-Pacific region on the rise with no sense of slowing down, China is going to seek increasing ties with ASEAN nations and others, be it militarily, scientific, or financial.

China just vowed to strengthen its military ties to North Korea as well. The Associated Press reports, “China’s army wanted to enhance understanding and mutual trust and strengthen practical exchanges with the North Korean military.”

They also attempt to minimize the timing, which is likely calculated by writing, “Although Li’s trip was likely planned in advance, recent remarks by President Barack Obama asserting the U.S. military’s continuing presence in Asia have riled Beijing.”

If you can honestly reconcile all of these uncannily timed events, statements and proclamations as pure coincidence, I have wonderful ocean front property in Oklahoma you might be interested in.

Any support that China can get at this point will likely be welcomed and taken advantage of in the South China Sea dispute given that the Japanese have already expressed support for the drastic increase in the American presence in the region.

“We regard this as a demonstration of the United States’ commitment in the Asia-Pacific region,” a spokesman for the Japanese foreign ministry said on Friday, according to the AAP.

Clearly this is a heated dispute which is hitting home for Indonesia’s foreign minister, Marty Natalegawa, who said the U.S.-Australian agreement would create a “vicious circle of tension and mistrust,” according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

A quite biting editorial was published in The Jakarta Post today, the title of which quite aptly sums up the brief article, “US Base? NIMBY” where NIMBY means Not In My Back Yard.

The author writes, “The presence of the US base just south of Indonesia is simply too close for comfort,” adding, “For Indonesia, or for most Southeast Asian nations for that matter, the move is not exactly the kind of signal that they are looking for in terms of greater US engagement with Asia.”

I couldn’t agree more and the author’s point that, “Obama’s choice of timing in making the announcement now is bound to stir up controversy,” is quite important because it is very unlikely that the timing of this announcement was purely coincidental.

All of this leads to the conclusion that the South China Sea dispute will be one to watch closely in the coming months and years as it could indeed be a powder keg of sorts, although I sincerely hope that is not the case.

This issue is a multifaceted one that will likely prove to be quite influential in the decisions various countries make in the near future, for good or bad.

If you have information, articles, or comments to share with me, please do not hesitate to email me directly atAdmin@EndtheLie.com while I promise to read every single one of your emails personally, I cannot guarantee a reply although I do respond to as many as humanly possible.

Madison Ruppert is the Editor and Owner-Operator of the alternative news and analysis database End The Lieand has no affiliation with any NGO, political party, economic school, or other organization/cause. If you have questions, comments, or corrections feel free to contact him at admin@EndtheLie.com

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US drone raids kill over 120 in 2 days ...

At least 127 people have been killed in separate US assassination drone strikesin Somalia and Pakistan’s northwestern tribal region bordering Afghanistan over the past two days.

On Thursday, 41 people were killed and 33 others were injured when the US militarylaunched a assassination drone attack on the outskirts of Hoomboy town, which is situated in Somalia’s southern region of the Middle Juba.

The aerial attack followed a US assassination strike against Jamame town in Somalia’s southern Jubbada Hoose region. At least 28 people were killed and dozens more were wounded.

Meanwhile, at least three people were killed in a non-UN-sanctioned US assassination drone attack onPakistan’s northwestern region of North Waziristan on Thursday.

The attack took place in Darpa Khel village, which is located about four kilometers (two miles) west of Miranshah, the main town in the district of North Waziristan.

Local security officials said a drone fired two missiles on a compound in the attack.

On Wednesday, the US remote-controlled assassination drones launched aerial attacks on Qeydar and Marodile villages, which are situated between Guriceel and Balanbale districts in Somalia’s central region of Galguduud.

Somali tribal elders said that at least 38 people were killed and more than 74 people were also injured in the strikes.

Earlier in the day, 20 people were killed and 60 others were injured after a US assassination drone launched a strike on the outskirts of Kismayo, a strategically important port city on Somalia’s Indian Ocean coast located some 500 kilometers (310 miles) south of the Somali capital Mogadishu.

The US says its remote-controlled unmanned assassination drones target militants. However, reports have shown that most of those killed in such aerial attacks are civilians.

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U.S. Natural Gas Find off Vietnam Could Raise Tensions with China ...

First, the good news…

U.S. oil company ExxonMobil is reporting a “potentially significant” gas discovery off the coast of Vietnam, stating in a press release, “We can confirm ExxonMobil Exploration and Production VietnamLimited drilled its second exploration well offshore Danang in August 2011 and encountered hydrocarbons.”

ExxonMobil is the world’s largest publicly traded oil company by market value. While Vietnam, an oil exporter and the third-largest oil producer in South Asia, began offshore exploration of its reserves in the 1970s, Hanoi only started in 2004 awarding offshore exploration concessions to a plethora of foreign companies, including those from the U.S., Canada and India with  ExxonMobil receiving concessions from the Vietnamesegovernment allowing it to explore blocks 117, 118 and 119 off Danang, an area that Vietnam insists is well within its 200-mile exclusive economic zone under international maritime law.

The bad news?

The South China Sea’s offshore resources are currently claimed by six countries – China, Vietnam, Taiwan,Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines, with competing claims overlapping in a crazy quilt pattern. Given the billions of dollars at stake for exploiting the undersea energy resources, it is unlikely that the contradictory claims will be resolved anytime soon, making Southeast Asian waters a potential flash point for conflict.

The devil is in the details and in this case the United Nations unwittingly played the role of Lucifer when in 1982, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea Part V, Article 55 defined an “exclusive economic zone” (EEZ) for countries with maritime frontiers  as extending 200 nautical miles from a nation’s coastline.  Needless to say, in congested waters this clause was a subject of dispute, as nations raced to define their new offshore parameters, a contest only heightened by the world’s increasing addiction to hydrocarbons.

Like Pontius Pilate, the UN washed its hands of bilateral and regional disputes arising from the convention and devolved negotiations to the parties involved, which account for the current impasse in the South China Sea, as the 1982 UNCLOS agreement did not establish any adjudication mechanism for resolving disputes.

According to Hanoi, Vietnam’s exploration efforts in what it maintains are incontestably within its EEZ waters have come under increasing harassment from Chinese naval units. In May Vietnam’s state oil and gasmonopoly PetroVietnam claimed that Chinese ships had harassed and damaged its oil exploration ships.

As ExxonMobil has a license from the Vietnamese government to explore blocks 117, 118 and 119 off the coast of Danang, an area that Hanoi claims falls well within its 200-mile exclusive economic zone under international maritime law, will/can ExxonMobil apply its influence in Washington to safeguard its interests?

The future?

The founder of the modern Vietnamese state, Ho Chi Minh, reportedly said before his death in 1969, “Colonialism is dying. The white man is finished in Asia. But if the Chinese stay now, they will never go. As for me, I prefer to sniff French shit for five years than to eat Chinese shit for the rest of my life.”

It is essential that China shut down Vietnam’s uppity attitude now, as a number of other international companies besides ExxonMobil have recently found oil in the region, including Malaysia’s Petroliam Nasional Bhd., Britain’s Premier Oil PLC,Russia’s state-owned Gazprom OAO and France’s Total SA, and Beijing will hardly want to take on the governments behind them.

As for Hanoi’s obstreperous attitude, those with an historical memory might recall that China and Vietnam fought a brief but bloody border war in 1979, four year after the country was unified. The Chinese Global Times newspaper recently editorialized that nations involved in territorial disputes with Beijing in the South China Seas should “mentally prepare for the sounds of cannons” if they remain in conflict with Chinese policy.

At present ExxonMobil is adopting a low profile approach. ExxonMobil Upstream Media Relations official Patrick McGinn said only of the discovery, “Data from the well are being analyzed. Our first well offshore Vietnam did not encounter hydrocarbons.”

The issue is not minor for Vietnam, as its fossil-fuel production and exports have recently declined.

The final wild card if diplomacy fails is power projection, and China’s recent commissioning of its first aircraft carrier, the Soviet-era Varyag bought from the Ukraine, began sea trials in July. Chinese sources have said Beijing is also building two indigenous carriers.

For those interested in history, which has rather more resonance in Asia than the West, it might be noted that the Varyag has been renamed the Shi Lang.

Shi Lang was a Chinese admiral who served the Ming and Qing dynasties, revered for leading the amphibious assault and conquest of the Kingdom of Tungning  in 1681. Tungning is now known as Taiwan.

So, given the competing claims in the South China Sea, will international law or force prevail?

Place your bets, but remember your history – and hold your nose..

Source

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