Geopolitics

Egypt’s Islamist president cuts diplomatic ties with Syria, urges no-fly zone

"Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi, in severing ties with Damascus, aims to show solidarity with Western and fellow Arab states opposed to Syria’s regime and also boost his under-fire image at home, analysts said. Morsi, an Islamist from the Muslim Brotherhood, told supporters in a Cairo stadium for a 'Support for Syria' rally on Saturday that he was going to 'definitively' cut diplomatic relations with Syria. The Syrian government on Sunday slammed the decision, accusing Morsi of announcing the cut in ties to deflect attention from domestic crises. Morsi called on the international community to impose a 'no-fly zone' over Syria." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEgypt’s Islamist president cuts diplomatic ties with Syria, urges no-fly zone

Jordan wargames: Patriot batteries, F-16s and 4,500 US troops near Syrian border

"Multinational military exercise 'Eager Lion' has been launched in Jordan amid condemnation from neighboring Syria and its ally Russia. The US brings Patriot missile batteries to the Syrian border, which could remain deployed afterwards. The exercises will last for 12 days, bringing together about 8,000 personnel from 19 countries, mostly Arabic, but also including the US and Europe. The maneuvers will also involve some 3,000 Jordanian and 500 British troops. The US military revealed it may indefinitely leave behind the Patriot batteries and F-16s deployed in Jordan due to the threat of the violence in Syria crossing into Jordanian territory." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJordan wargames: Patriot batteries, F-16s and 4,500 US troops near Syrian border

Iran to send 4,000 troops to aid President Assad forces in Syria

"America has plunged into the great Sunni-Shia conflict of the Islamic Middle East, entering a struggle that now dwarfs the Arab revolutions which overthrew dictatorships across the region. For the first time, all of America’s ‘friends’ in the region are Sunni Muslims and all of its enemies are Shiites. Breaking all President Barack Obama’s rules of disengagement, the US is now fully engaged on the side of armed groups which include the most extreme Sunni Islamist movements in the Middle East. A military decision has been taken in Iran to send a first contingent of 4,000 Iranian Revolutionary Guards to Syria to support President Bashar al-Assad’s forces." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIran to send 4,000 troops to aid President Assad forces in Syria

U.S. levies sanctions on Iranian petrochemical industry

"The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on Iran’s petrochemical industry, vowing to target more of the Islamic regime’s sources of revenue after curbing its vital oil exports. US officials said they were taking action against Iran’s petrochemical industry as it represented the Iranian government’s largest source of revenue after oil, which has been severely curtailed by a US-led sanctions campaign. The United States slapped sanctions that include a ban on US-based financial transactions on the Niksima Food & Beverage Co., a Dubai-based frozen yogurt and dessert company. Since last year, the United States has brandished sanctions against anyone who buys Iran’s oil." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingU.S. levies sanctions on Iranian petrochemical industry

Israel: Syria Missile Defense Acquisition a ‘Red Line’ for Military Action

"In a meeting with EU ambassadors, Israeli National Security Advisor Yaakov Amidror declared the Syrian government’s imminent acquisition of S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to be a 'red line' that would obligate Israeli military action to prevent them becoming operational. Syria is eager to acquire them after several recent Israeli air strikes, which their existing defensive systems proved unable to prevent. The comments come just a day after Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon suggested in an interview that Israel might attack the Russian Navy in an attempt to sink the ships and prevent the delivery." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIsrael: Syria Missile Defense Acquisition a ‘Red Line’ for Military Action

Israeli defense chief indicates if Russia ships advanced missiles to Syria, they could be hit

"Israel’s defense chief said Tuesday a Russian plan to supply sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles to Syria was a 'threat' and signaled that Israel is prepared to use force to stop the delivery. The warning by Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon ratcheted up tensions with Moscow over the planned sale of S-300 air-defense missiles to Syria. Earlier in the day, a top Russian official said his government remained committed to the deal. Israel has been lobbying Moscow to halt the sale, fearing the missiles would upset the balance of power in the region and could slip into the hands of hostile groups, including the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, a close ally of the Syrian regime." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIsraeli defense chief indicates if Russia ships advanced missiles to Syria, they could be hit

The deeper agenda behind Japan’s “Abenomics”

"The policy known as 'Abenomics' is a mix of monetary easing, stimulative spending and growth-inducing steps including deregulation in sectors such as energy. Some Abe allies worry that a hasty push for constitutional changes could upset voters who want the focus to stay firmly on the economy - repeating a mistake seen as a key factor in Abe's first failed attempt to govern. 'He wants to achieve what he left undone - to break free of the ‘post-war regime',' said Koichi Hagiuda, a lawmaker and special aide to Abe. 'What is most symbolic of that is the constitution that was drafted in one short week under (U.S. General Douglas) MacArthur's Occupation.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe deeper agenda behind Japan’s “Abenomics”

Argentina’s Deadbeat Special: Buy a 4% Bond or Go to Jail

"President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner wants tax evaders hiding about $160 billion in dollars to help finance Argentina’s oil-producing ambitions. Her offer: Buy a 4 percent bond or face the prospect of jail time. The tax authority announced the plan May 7, highlighting its information-sharing agreements with 40 nations and warning Argentines who don’t use the three-month amnesty window that they risk fines or arrest. Evaders have two options for their cash and the only one paying interest will be a dollar bond due in 2016 to finance YPF SA (YPF), the state oil company." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingArgentina’s Deadbeat Special: Buy a 4% Bond or Go to Jail

Turkey Said to Sign Oil Deal With Kurds, Defying Baghdad

"Iraq’s Kurdish region has signed a landmark agreement with Turkey to supply it directly with oil and gas, two people familiar with the matter said. The accord was signed last month when Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Iraqi Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani in Ankara. The Kurdish government will sell oil and gas directly to Turkey in a deal that so far has bypassed the Iraqi government in Baghdad, which has warned the Kurds not to sign separate energy accords. Turkey may also take the Kurdish government’s stake in concessions operated by Exxon Mobil Corp. on the enclave’s border with the rest of Iraq." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTurkey Said to Sign Oil Deal With Kurds, Defying Baghdad

Banking Crisis Awakens Hopes for Cyprus Reconciliation Between Turks and Greeks

"In 2008, when the Greek part of the island adopted the euro, the Turkish inhabitants of the northern part of the island felt duped. And, of course, this makes their schadenfreude regarding the southern part's current economic woes all the greater. 'With the referendum, the Greeks left us out in the cold. They wanted to profit from the euro by themselves,' says Efem Okiran, who runs a flower store in Gemikonagi. But now his neighbors can see what good that's done for them -- and where they've ended up. 'For 10 years, they made money thanks to the EU,' Okiran adds. 'And now they're supposed to bleed for 10 years.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBanking Crisis Awakens Hopes for Cyprus Reconciliation Between Turks and Greeks