Terrorism - Chemical Weapons Made in Baghdad

بغداد تعتقل خلية حضرت لهجمات كيماوية في الداخل والخارج
استطاعت خلال 4 أشهر أن تؤسس 3 معامل لتصنيع سلاح كيماوي

Baghdad arrests a cell [of activists] preparing for chemical attacks
at home and abroad [and] being able during four months to install
three laboratories for the [fabrication] of a chemical weapon.

وقال المستشار الإعلامي لوزارة الدفاع، الفريق الركن محمد العسكري في مؤتمر صحافي، إن "هذه العصابة المؤلفة من خمسة أشخاص لاحقتها استخبارات وزارة الدفاع، واستطاعت أن تتابع عملها من أول لحظة".ـ

The information consultant at the [Iraqi] ministry of defense, General Mohammad al-Askari, said in a press conference that " this clique consisting of five persons, not identified [by] the defense ministry's intelligence, was able to carry out [each step of] their operation from the very first moment. "

... هجمات كيماوية ضد أهداف داخل العراق وفي أوروبا وأميركا الشمالية، وذلك بالتعاون مع أجهزة استخبارات أخرى

... chemical attacks directed against targets inside Iraq and in Europe and North America. This should happen side by side with other means [used by] intelligence [communities].

... خاصة غاز السارين وغاز الأعصاب وغاز الخردل. وأضاف أن الخلية حصلت على "برامج وصلتها من تنظيمات القاعدة في الخارج".ـ

... particularly Sarin gas, nerve gas and mustard gas. And he added that [this] cell [received] " programs and their [coordination] from Al-Qaeda organizations outside of the country. "

[Source: Al-Arabiya العربية on June 1, 2013]

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قالت الحكومة العراقية اليوم السبت إنها القت القبض على خلية يشتبه بأنها تابعة لتنظيم القاعدة كانت تخطط لإنتاج عناصر كيماوية سامة مثل غاز الخردل لمهاجمة القوات العراقية وإرسالها إلى الخارج لشن هجمات في أوروبا والولايات المتحدة.ـ

Today, Saturday [i.e. June 1st], the Iraqi government said they captured a cell [of activists] suspected of being a subdivision of Al-Qaeda organization [and that is] planning the production of toxic chemical compounds like mustard gas for [launching] attacks on Iraqi forces and their distribution to [foreign countries] to launch attacks in Europe and the United States.

[Source: ArRiyad Network الرياض نت, Saudi-Arabia, dated June 2, 2013]

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Visitor to "blueprint news" who came from Afghanistan today June 1, 2013:

Syria - Arabic TV News

Jay Carney - White House spokesman

البيت الأبيض: جميع الخيارات بشأن الأزمة السورية لا تزال مطروحة بما فيها فرض منطقة حظر طيران فوق سوريا

The White House: All options in the Syrian crisis continue to remain [on the table] including the imposition of a flight inhibition zone over Syria.




ناشطون : الأطبأ يعلنون نفاد الأوكسجين من مدينة القصير السورية و يستغيثون لإجلاء المرض و الجرحى

[Opposition] activists: Doctors inform on the running out of oxygen in the Syrian town of Qusayr and call for help in the evacuation of the sick and the wounded.



Results of a vote held by U.N. human rights organization
and which is regarding an approach of the Syrian regime.

مجلس حقوق الإنسان التابع للأمم المتحدة يدين استعانة النظام السوري بمقاتلين أجانب خلال العمليات العسكرية

The human rights organization [subsidiary] to the United Nations is obliged to appeal to the Syrian regime [on the role of] foreign combatants during military operations.

[Source: Al-Jazeera TV الجزيرة on May 30, 2013]

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The day before, on May 29, the Chinese daily Beijing Evening News 北京晚报 came with the following headlines:

俄执意向叙政府供导弹 叙利亚女记者中弹身亡

Russia determined to supply Syria with guided missiles.
Female Syrian reporter died after being hit by a bullet.



Russian S-300 missile launchers.

Syrian state TV journalist Yara Abbas who died in Qusayr.

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A visitor to "blueprint news" came from Pond Inlet, an Inuit community of approximately 1.500 inhabitants, situated on Baffin Island in the Canadian province of Nunavut. It seems that visitor reached my site via satellite on board of some ship or fisherboat:

Syria - Journalists Testify Chemical Attacks

Today, May 28, the French daily Le Monde came about with an article on secret investigations made to confirm the reported use of chemical weapons in Syria's civil war. Two French journalists are now the first who personally witnessed chemical attacks committed by government troops. Today's editorial of Le Monde as well dealt with that subject, and here is my translation:

Editorial:
Demanding the Truth about Chemical Weapons

The war in Syria has passed another step. It has become "chemical". Toxic gases provoking cases of suffocation and even death have been employed by Syrian regime forces against, both, the rebel army and civilians. This is the new military tactic of a power ready for everything. It is being applied in numerous places and did not stop to intensify since April. Victims are experiencing cruel harm, the symptoms resembling those of poisoning with Sarin. Such information, now revealed by Le Monde, has been directly reported from the area. Our reporter Jean Philippe Rémy and the photographer Laurent Van der Stockt secretly travelled in Syria for two months. They carried out investigations in great detail, particularly in the region of Syria's capital Damascus.

What they are reporting doesn't come neither from videos posted on the internet by the Syrian opposition nor from stories told by refugees, the usual source of evidence on chemical attacks in Syria these last months. For the first time, chemical attacks are described by Western journalists, direct witnesses of the incidents.

The application of chemical weapons has been described by President Obama and other Western leaders as a "red line" the crossing of which would trigger off an intervention. Not later than May 24, F. Hollande declared in a speech to high-ranking responsible military personnell in Paris: "Today, the conflict has reached an extent that compels us, together with our allies, not to exclude any option whatsoever if the use of chemical weapons is well confirmed."

Let us be clear about that: Le Monde doesn't hold [back] irrefutable proof of revertings to chemical weapons in Syria. Only a scientific expert's report based on test samples could establish without any shadow of a doubt the [proof of] an application of substances that are particularly forbidden by the convention of banning chemical weapons (1993). Not every toxic gas is a chemical weapon. But the use of a toxic substance in battle makes it quite certainly a weapon.

One question is imposing itself: If journalists succeeded to make local investigations, how could be explained that Western leaders, considered able to control the data of their intelligence services, had never formulated until now any clear conclusion on the application of toxic weapons in Syria ? They restricted themselves to speak of "serious elements", just as U.S. secretary of state John Kerry recently did.

Bashar al-Assad makes a profit from it. The absence of external reactions, apart from recent Israeli [air] raids, encourages him to go even further. After the tanks, the planes, the Scud missiles, now the chemicals. One can be sure that a conference considered to be prepared in Geneva would bring to live even more deceptions, if "Chemical Bashar" (*) thinks to gain ground from gassing the enemy.

[ (*) = The expression "Chemical Bashar" should remind us of "Chemical Ali", an Iraqi general who served under Saddam Hussein. It was him who was in charge of chemical weapons which he used against the Kurds and the Iranians. - Ulysses ]

The conflict is counting nearly 100.000 casualties, the war extending its metastasis into the region. Are we to wait for a "Syrian Halabja", a massacre to be compared with that committed in Iraqi Kurdistan in 1988, before a real line of limitation will be traced ?

The investigation of Le Monde is showing that it is urgent for those responsible in the West to clearly announce what they know about chemical [weapons] in Syria, such making them stop evading that "red line" and making them leave ambiguity before it's too late.

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Further news from CBC Radio Canada on May 28, 2013:

Russia condemns a recent EU decision to arm Syrian rebels and says it will deliver S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems to the Syrian regime, despite objections from the U.S. and Israel. This could transform an already brutal civil war into an East-West proxy fight. Israel, meanwhile, threatened to strike such air defense missiles systems if delivered to Syria, portraying them as a threat to the Jewish state and raising the risk of regional conflagration. Read the entire CBC article !



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May 2013 visitors to "blueprint news" coming from Russia and neighbouring areas:

Syria - Hizbollah Promoting Separatism

فاينانشيال تايمز: دور حزب الله في سوريا يعمق التوترات الطائفية بالمنطقة

Financial Times: The role of Hizbollah in Syria deepens separatist [or: confessional] tensions in the region.

رأت صحيفة (فاينانشيال تايمز) البريطانية، أن دور حزب الله اللبناني في الأزمة السورية يعمق الانقسامات والتوترات الإقليمية بالمنطقة، خاصة بعد أن بات دوره هناك يتصاعد يوما بعد يوم

The British journal "Financial Times" considers the role of Lebanese Hizbollah in the Syrian crisis [as effective] to deepen separatism and regional tensions in the territory, particularly after their [local importance] has definitely risen from one day to the other.


Armed clashes in Syria

[Source: The Rise الشروق, Kairo, on May 25, 2013]

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الملك الأردني يدعو إلى وقف الإنقسام 'الخطير' في سوريا

The king of Jordan appeals for an end of "dangerous" separatism in Syria.

وقال الملك الأردني في كلمة ألقاها بافتتاح فعاليات أعمال المنتدى الإقتصادي العالمي للشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا 2013 ( دافوس )، الذي يعقد بمنطقة البحر الميت (45 كم غرب العاصمة الأردنية عمّان)، أنه لا بد من حل سياسي عاجل يوقف الإنقسام الخطير في سوريا

In his brilliant address at the inauguration of the [proceedings] of the global economic circle for the Middle East and North Africa in 2013 (Davos) and which is related with the Dead Sea region (45 km west of the Jordanian capital of Amman), the king of Jordan said it seemed impossible to avoid an urgent political solution that would end the dangerous separatism in Syria.


Abdullah II - King of Jordan

[Source: The Firebrand القبس, Kuwait, on May 25, 2013]

As to the Global Economic Forum just taking place in a Jordanian Dead Sea resort, here a quotation from another Arabic publication:



ويجمع المنتدى نحو 900 من قادة دول الخليج والشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا ودول أخرى لمناقشة "اهم التحديات التي تواجه المنطقة كالبطالة والفقر والشفافية وتفاوت الدخل وتطورات القطاع الخاص والبنية التحتية"ـ

A circle of almost 900 leaders from the Gulf states, the Middle East, North Africa and other countries has met for debates on " major challenges that are facing such spheres like unemployment, poverty, transparence and inequality of income, the development of private sector and infrastructure ".

[Source: The Economist الاقتصادي, Syria, on May 25, 2013]

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美俄法三国外长将在巴黎讨论叙利亚问题

The foreign ministers of the U.S., Russia and France are holding talks in Paris on the Syrian subject.

Talks between U.S. secretary of state John Kerry, Russia's foreign minister Lavrov and their French colleague Fabius are scheduled from May 25-27.

[Source: New China Network 新华网 on May 25, 2013]

North Korea vs China - Thank You for Being Friends

Last UPDATE: May 24, 2013

朝鲜军方扣押一艘中国渔船 登船后先拆定位系统

North Korean military detained Chinese fishing boat. First thing
after mounting the boat was to dismantle the positioning system.

环球时报记者报道：5月5日夜间，一艘载有16名中国渔民、编号为“辽普渔25222”的辽宁渔船被朝鲜军方扣押。朝方至少8次致电中国船东，逼交至少60万元人民币“罚款”，否则将在19日中午12时前没收渔船并遣返渔民。

Summary:
On May 20, China's Global Times used the above headline to report on an incident that should have happened during the night of May 5 when North Korean navy stopped the "Liao Pu Fish 25222", a Chinese fish trawler from China's Liaoning province, and detained its 16 crew members. At least 8 times the North sent a telegram to the Chinese ship owner pressing him for handing over at least 600.000 Renminbi [i.e. Chinese Yuan] as a "penalty". If this shouldn't happen before noon May 19, the fishing boat would be confiscated while the fishermen would be repatriated.



The above picture has been taken from sohu.mil, another Chinese source that referred to the Global Times article. The same subject reappeared in different Chinese publications on May 22. The Global Times then came with the following headline:

中国要求朝鲜说明扣船事件 劫船者身份引关注

China demands North Korea to explain the incident of the detained ship.
Robbing part of the ship has caused much attention.


Above picture: Captain Yu Xue Jun during an interview granted to the Global Times on May 21.

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Old map showing China, Korea, Japan,
the Pacific region and North America.

SunZi - The Art of War - Deploying the Troops

... when an enemy confronts you angrily for a long time without either joining battle or leaving his position, then you must watch him with utmost care.

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Update on May 24:

外界应鼓励朝鲜态度的变化

The echo from the outside world urges [or: encourages]
North Korea to bring about a highest degree of change.

It's about the visit of Kim Jong Un's special envoy to China who arrived yesterday, May 23, and declared the goal of his visit being to "improve and consolidate" Chinese - North Korean relations.

[Source: New China Network 新华网 on May 24, 2013]

Syria - Hizbollah Joining Assad Forces

حزب الله يهاجم الثوار في سوريا

Hizbollah Attacking Rebels in Syria.

قوات النظام تقصف القصير تزامنا مع استمرار الاشتباكات بين الجيش الحر و عناصر من حزب الله

Above picture:
Regime forces simultaneously shelling al-Qusayr during continued engagements between the Free Army and Hisbollah elements.

al-Qusayr
This is happening while the combat zone between regular Syrian troops and opposition forces is moving towards the Lebanese border. The Arabic article from Al-Jazeera is quoting the British daily Independent إندبندنت:

الدور الأكبر لجماعة حزب الله في دعم نظام الأسد
يشكل أخبارا سيئة بإسرائيل

"For the community of Hizbollah, its greatest role lies in support
of the Assad regime [what constitutes] the bad news for Israel."

[Source: Al-Jazeera online الحزيرة نت on May 20, 2013]

North Korea - Short-Range Missile Tests

朝鲜2天连续发射4枚短程导弹 日韩加紧部署应对

Within two days North Korea launched four short-range guided missiles.
Japan and South Korea are speeding up their [counter measures].

5月20日电 据韩国媒体报道，继18日向半岛以东海域发射3枚短程制导导弹后，朝鲜19日再次向该海域发射1枚短程导弹。有分析称，朝鲜连续发射导弹的举动或为军事演习的一部分。事件发生后，日韩加紧部署应对，联合国秘书长潘基文19日则呼吁朝鲜停止导弹发射，重返六方会谈。

According to South Korean media reports from May 20 [and] following the launch of three controlled short-range missiles towards the Eastern Sea region of the peninsula, North Korea again launched one short-range missile towards that sea region. According to an analytic evaluation, North Korea's activity of continued missile launches is probably part of military exercises. After the incidents occured, Japan and South Korea speeded up their counter measures. On [May] 19, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon [already] called on North Korea to stop [further] missile launches and return to the six party talks.

[Source: 01junshi.com 第一军事网, PR China, a special interest publication on military subjects, May 20, 2013]

Another Chinese publication is dealing with North Korea's KN-02 missile that was tested in the above mentioned launches. The KN-02 had been developed on the basis of a Soviet SS-21 missile. Its range is about 120 km.



盘点朝鲜弹道导弹：KN-02直接威胁首尔突袭难防

Making an inventory of North Korea's ballistic missiles:
The KN-02 is a direct threat in a [pre-emptive] surprise attack that is difficult to guard against.

[Source: China News Network 中国新闻网 on May 20, 2013]

Syria - Assad Still Defiant

اخبار سوريا : بشار الأسد ينفي استخدام قواته للأسلحة الكيميائية ويستبعد الاستقالة

News from Syria:
Bashar al-Assad denies that his forces used chemical weapons and refuses to step down.



نفى الرئيس السوري بشار الأسد أن تكون قواته استخدمت أسلحة كيميائية ضد المقاتلين المعارضين كما استبعد الاستقالة، في حديث لوسيلتي إعلام أرجنتينيتين اليوم.ـ

Today, Syria's president Bashar al-Assad denied that it was his troops who used chemical weapons against opposition fighters [while] refusing to step down in an interview with an Argentinian news [service].

[Source: akhbar.today.com أخبار النهاردة, Egypt, on May 19, 2013]

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Recent visitors to "blueprint news" coming from East- and West-Africa:


As to the origin of the Nairobi request for my blogspot on Syria using chemical weapons, I have some second thoughts. Did this request really come from Kenyan authorities or rather from the nearby Iranian embassy which might use the same internet access.
The below picture is proving that Iran is very much interested in Syria. It shows an article published by Al-Arabiya on April 28, 2013, dealing with a meeting of Iranian president Ahmadi Nejad and Egypt's president Morsy for a discussion of the Syrian crisis.

Syria - Pro-Assad Hackers Invading Western Media

The Epoch, a pro-Western Chinese news service operating from a U.S. server, has the news of a so-called "Syrian Electronic Army" that invaded Twitter sites of some Western media and organizations. The Syrian hacker troop declares it acts in favor of Syria's president Bashir al-Assad. Yesterday, May 17, The Financial Times FT, London, became their last target when Syrian hackers left a remark on FT web locations saying the "Syrian Electronic Army Was Here". Earlier attacks were directed against the British daily The Guardian on April 24 this year and a BBC weather report where hackers announced some kind of "catastrophe" to hit the people of Israel. Another site attacked was that of Human Rights Watch organization. The French news broadcast of France 24 suffered as well from being invaded by the Syrian Electronic Army.

[Source: The Epoch 大纪元 on May 17, 2013, together with cnBeta.com （中文业界讯站） on May 18, 2013]

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美媒称俄向叙利亚提供导弹是心理挑衅

U.S. media calling Russia's providing guided missiles for Syria a "psychological provocation".

[Source: Russian News Network quoted by Guhantai.com
俄新网 - 古汉台网 on May 17, 2013]

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Increasing Violence in Libya

In recent months, the Libyan town of Benghazi experienced an escalation in violence that is considered due to the absence of sufficient security forces. Libyan army is now going to host a meeting with tribal elders and militia leaders to improve that situation. The most remarkable incidents in a development of deteriorating public security are shown below:


A visitor to "blueprint news" coming from the U.S. Department of State seems to be interested as well in the proceedings of Libya. U.S. concerns about public security in Libya can be understood in the frame of that notorious September 2012 incident when America's ambassador to Libya was killed in a willful attack launched against the U.S. consulate in Benghazi:



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One single visitor from Tahiti is interested in spreading Islamic rage. However, the firebrigade is quite near (=> caserne des pompiers):

The Art of War

Last UPDATE included on May 15



Headline:
North Korea appointed [Zhang] Jong [Nan] 张正男] to become the new defence minister. Third change of defence minister within one year since Kim Jong Un assumed office.
[Chinese Pinyin syllables are used to replace the unknown Korean syllables in the new defence minister's name.]

[Source: Ifeng Network 凤凰网 on May 13, 2013]

The new defence minister should be in his 50s which is rather young in comparison with his predecessor who is now slightly above 70 years old and kept his office for eight months. The new minister is therefore considered as belonging to the "young generation 年青一代" or the "young and vigorous group 少壮派". After his appointment as a "young general / young militant 小将" in April 2002, he finally became lieutenant general in November 2011.



[Source: New China Network 新华网 on May 14, 2013]

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Sun Zi - The Art of War - Varying the Tactics

Sunzi said:
Generally in war, the commander receives his mandate from the sovereign, assembles his troops and mobilizes the population for war. ..........
.......... There are roads he should not take, armies he should not attack, walled cities he should not assault, territories he should not contest for and commands of the sovereign he should not obey. ..........

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"Let him die another day !"

Headline:
South Korean media exposing the inside of a North Korean military factory. A North Korean is said to have taken some [video he sold for money].

… 画面还曝光，在军工厂内一艘气垫船正在等待修理。这款气垫船和朝鲜军队在登陆演习中使用的气垫船相同。 …

... The picture is exposing as well a hovercraft in the military factory, just awaiting repair. This kind of hovercraft is identical to those used in North Korean troop landing exercises. ...

[Source: Ifeng Network 凤凰网 on May 14, 2013]

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Further news on May 14:

美国朝鲜问题特使下周出访亚洲

Headline:
A U.S. special envoy for the North Korean question will leave for a visit to Asia in the second half of the week.

The envoy is expected to visit South Korea, Japan and China for talks on the North Korean issue.

[Source: New China Network 新华网 on May 14, 2013]

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A visitor to "blueprint news" coming from Shanghai, China:

Korea - Opposing Naval Forces

日本防卫相称提升美军在东亚存在感能威慑朝鲜

Japan's defence minister says promotion of U.S. troops in East Asia is sensed capable to deter North Korea.

On the occasion of U.S. aircraft carrier Nimitz reaching the coast of South Korea for joint U.S. - South Korean naval exercises, the Japanese minister of defence made his declaration in favor of U.S. troops in East Asia.

In the frame of these exercises, the U.S. aircraft carrier battle group will be using a seaborne aviation wing (CVW) and a seaborne combat group (CSG). [Flagship USS Nimitz] is accompanied by USS Princeton [CLV-23, a light aircraft carrier] and other ship(s) equipped with the AEGIS combat system [a sophisticated early-warning system] while the South Korean side has deployed its 7.600 ton AEGIS-equipped destroyer "Sejongdaewang" together with another 5.500 ton destroyer. Both, U.S. and South Korean AEGIS ships will be primarily engaged in missile survey and anti-submarine exercises.

参与本次演习的美国航母战斗群还有航母航空联队(CVW)、航母打击群(CSG)、宙斯盾舰、“普林斯顿号”导弹巡洋舰等。韩国方面动员了“世宗大王号”宙斯盾驱逐舰(7600吨级)和忠武公李舜臣级驱逐舰(5500吨级)等。韩美宙斯盾舰主要进行导弹探测和反潜艇作战方面的演习。

[Source: China News Network 中国新闻网 on May 12, 2013]

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Here now a graphic presentation of all kinds of North Korean navy units and that should be complete according to a Canadian source. Unfortunately, their own website is practically impossible to load while using a slow internet connection. This is due to incredibly huge graphic files which I "melted down" to some 100-200 kb GIF files in order to facilitate their distribution: