Libya - Deeply Divided

Libya’s future is threatened by ‘terrifying’ ISIL, UN chief Ban Ki-moon says. The UN Secretary General has warned that the future of Libya, and the stability of the whole Sahel region, is at stake as it faces the “terrifying threat” of the ISIL group. But he warned international powers not to “stoke the fires of conflict” in the country.

Chaos has engulfed Libya since the 2011 Nato-backed ouster of dictator Muammar Gaddafi and rival administrations are being urged to sign up to a UN-brokered national unity government to help restore stability.

The internationally recognised and rather weak government is based in the far east of the North African country while an opposing government was installed in Tripoli, the former capital of Libya.

The ISIL group and other extremist organisations have exploited the power vacuum, making gains along the oil-rich coastal regions and triggering concern among Western nations over terrorists controlling territory just 300 kilometres from Europe.

“There are alarming reports of widespread human rights violations, including serious abuses that may amount to war crimes,” Ban said in his comments Friday. “All those with influence must use it to calm the situation and stop the fighting. It is utterly irresponsible for any outside player to stoke the fires,” he added.

Ban said that his special representative Martin Kobler “is facilitating talks on a national unity government” as “we face the terrifying scourge of ISIL expanding in Libya and beyond its borders.” Delays would only worsen the dire humanitarian needs, he warned, adding that “Libya’s future is at stake” and “the reverberations echo far”. Success in stabilising Libya would also benefit the whole Sahel region and “our world” in general, he added.

[Source: Gulf News, Dubai, on March 5, 2016]


On Sunday March 6, 2016, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made clear she stood behind U.S. action in Libya, saying if the country hadn’t participated in the bombing campaign that led to the ouster of Moammar Gadhafi, Libya would now look like Syria.

The Democratic presidential contender acknowledged on CBS’s “Face the Nation” the situation in Libya is not optimal but noted the 1,500 deaths in Libya fighting last year were far fewer than the 150,000 in Syria.

[Source: International Business Times on March 6, 2016]


The United States is basing plans for military intervention in Libya on faulty intelligence, Western officials and country experts have told the Sunday Telegraph.

American intelligence agencies assess that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) has doubled in size in Libya, with between 5,000 and 6,500 fighters in the country. Privately, however, some US officials say they believe these estimates to be overblown. Independent experts have come to the same conclusion. ..... all said they believed the real figure to be only 20 to 40 per cent of the US estimate.

[Source: Sunday Telegraph, London, on March 5, 2016]





Please note: The IP address of that Tripoli visitor to "blueprint news" has been blacklisted together with a whole range of related IP numbers by different websites. This, however, doesn't necessarily mean any danger of electronic attack going out from such IP address. It might be instead a sign of politically motivated blacklisting as political power in Libya is currently divided between two opposing governments and different terrorist groups.

Germany - Syrian Migrant Moves

Syria News of the Day further down !

Migrants from Syria make up for the largest group of asylum seekers in Germany, followed by those who came from Afghanistan. Here are some general facts about migrant moves targeting Germany as their preferred country of exile.



Syrian migrants coming from different parts of Syria as
published by UN Refugee Agency NHCR in Sept. 2015.



Regions of control for main local participants in the Syrian conflict
[Syria 'truce': Who's in and who's out? BBC article Feb. 27, 2016].



Main migrant route to Germany.

Facts about migrant moves within Germany as published by BBC on February 26, 2016:

Germany does not know the whereabouts of 130,000 asylum seekers who were registered last year, officials say.

The migrants did not appear at reception centres to which they had been directed, the government said in a written reply to a question.

This may be because they have moved to a different country, gone underground or registered several times.

Those missing represent about 13% of about 1.1 million asylum seekers registered in Germany in 2015.

A spokesman for the interior ministry said a series of measures approved by parliament on Thursday [i.e. February 25] would help address the missing migrants problem, AFP news agency reports.

..........

On Thursday, the head of Germany's federal office for migration, Frank-Juergen Weise, said there were up to 400,000 people in the country whose identities were unknown to the authorities.

A special flight from Germany carrying 125 deported Afghans arrived in Kabul on Wednesday [i.e. February 24]. Those arriving in Kabul all left voluntarily, German officials said.

Afghans have become Germany's second largest group of asylum seekers, after Syrians, with 154,000 arriving in 2015.

..............................

Syria News of the Day:

" Syria ceasefire: Truce comes into effect, ‘cautious’ optimism over deal. "
News reports by Reuters agency and RT Russian TV on February 27, 2016





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The visitor to "blueprint news" who came from Cayenne is a reminder of times when French Guiana was some kind of "French Guantánamo" for political prisoners. Prisoner camps on Devil's Island and near the mainland settlements of Kourou and Cayenne existed from 1852 until 1953. From there derives a German saying that is targeting any person one wants to get rid of: "Go to where the pepper is growing !" and which is referring to the fact that French Guiana also became known as the exporter of Cayenne pepper. It wouldn't surprise me at all, if the visitor from Syria presented below and who obviously noted my visitor from Cayenne had, as well, some second thoughts about the future of foreign Jihadists in Syria .....

Iranian Oil Flooding the Market

مسئول إيراني: نستهدف تصدير 1.5 مليون برميل نفط يوميًا

Iranian official: We strive to export 1.5 million barrel oil daily.

أكد مدير الشئون السياسية بوزارة الخارجية الإيرانية حميد بعيدي نجاد، أن بلاده تستهدف تصدير 1.5 مليون برميل نفط يوميا كمرحلة أولى في فترة ما بعد الحظر.ـ

The director for political affairs of Iran's foreign ministry, Hamid Baeidi Nejad, confirmed that his country is striving to export 1.5 million barrel oil daily [with regard to] the first period of time [following] the sanctions.

ورأى بعيدي نجاد -حسبما ذكرت وكالة أنباء "فارس" الإيرانية-أن تصدير طهران ثلاث شحنات نفطية إلى أوروبا بحجم 4 ملايين طن يوم الأربعاء الماضي خطوة مبدئية قوية بعد مرور سنوات عدة.ـ

According to the Iranian news agency FARS, Baeidi Nejad mentioned that Tehran has exported three charges of oil to Europe, comprising four million tons, last Wednesday in a first encouraging step that has the dimension of several years [of export].




Hamid Baeidi Nejad

[Source: Al-Dostor الدستور, Egyptian online news on February 20, 2016]


Further News from Iran:



أكدت هيئة الأركان العامة للقوات المسلحة الإيرانية، أمس، أن الدفعة الأولى من منظومة الصواريخ الاعتراضية «إس 300»، سترسل إلى إيران اليوم، وذلك بعد احتفال رسمي في مدينة أستراخان الروسية يحضره وزير الدفاع الإيراني حسين دهقان المتواجد في روسيا منذ يوم الإثنين الماضي.ـ

Yesterday [i.e. February 17], the general staff of the armed forces of Iran confirmed that the [first series] of interception missiles S-300 is going to be sent to Iran today, after an official ceremony in the Russian town of Astrachan [taking place] in the presence of Iran's minister of defence Hossein Dehghan and who is staying in Russia since last Monday.

[Source: Martyr Institution, Palestine مؤسسة شهيد فلسطين on February 18, 2016]

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Jerusalem - Picture of the Day

ثلاثة شهداء بنيران الاحتلال في القدس والضفة

Three died under fire of occupation forces
in Jerusalem and the West Bank.



كاميرا الجزيرة توثق لحظة إطلاق قوات الاحتلال
وابلا من الرصاص على فلسطيني في القدس

A camera of Al-Jazeera witnesses the starting moment
of a shooting spray by occupation forces [targeting] a
Palestinian in Jerusalem.

Editor's Note:
From the video sequence alone it is difficult to decide why the shooting spray really started as the Israeli soldier can be seen running away before he turns back and targets the Palestinian running after him. Such, the video remains but the proof of tense relations between Palestinians and Israeli occupation forces many decades after the conflict started.

[Source: Al-Jazeera الجزيرة, Arabic website, on Februar 19, 2016]

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North Korea - Light and Shadow

Important Update added on February 12, 2016:



朝鲜宣布成功发射卫星

North Korea Proclaims the Successful Launch of a Satellite.

朝鲜中央通讯社7日报道，朝鲜当天上午利用运载火箭成功发射最新研制的对地观测卫星“光明星4号”，并将卫星顺利送入轨道。外交部发言人称，外交部副部长刘振民昨天紧急约见朝鲜驻华大使池在龙，就朝鲜利用弹道导弹技术发射卫星提出交涉。

朝鲜宣布成功发射

根据朝鲜国家宇宙开发局发布的公报，朝鲜当地时间7日上午9时（北京时间8时30分）在平安北道铁山郡西海卫星发射场发射“光明星4号”卫星。大约10分钟后，卫星顺利进入轨道，轨道斜角为 97.4度，近地点494.6公里，远地点500公里，每94分24秒绕地球一周。韩联社援引韩国国防部消息人士的话报道，朝鲜发射了一枚“远程火箭”，一级火箭推进器于首尔时间9时32分分离，炸成270多块碎片坠入朝鲜半岛西部海域，9时36分从韩方雷达上消失。

Summary of the Chinese text:

On February 7, the North Korean Central News Agency reported the successful launch of its newly built Earth observation satellite "Bright Star No.4" in the morning of that day.

According to a spokesman of [N Korea's] foreign ministry, the vice-minister of foreign affairs should have had an urgent meeting with [N Korea's] ambassador to China the day before. Therefore [it seems that] N Korea might be using its ballistic missile technology to advance negotiations.

.....
The satellite was launched on February 7 at 09:00 in the morning (i.e. 08:30 Beijing time) from N Korea's satellite launch pad in the north-western part of the country. Ten minutes later, the satellite was put on its trajectory with an orbit inclination of 97.4 degrees. Its distance from Earth being 494.6-500 km (perigee-apogee), the satellite needs 94 minutes 24 seconds for orbiting the Earth.

According to a spokesman of the South Korean ministry of defense, the North should have launched a "long-range missile" which decomposed into more than 270 debris parts landing in the western sea area of the Korean peninsula. At 09:36 [the missile or parts of it] disappeared from South Korean radar.

[Source: SINA 新闻中心 on February 8, 2016]




Location of North Korea's satellite launch pad.

..............................



朝媒谈卫星图朝鲜一片添黑:灯光不能反应社会本质

North Korean media discussing a satellite image
that is showing N Korea as an area of darkness:
Lighting should not reflect society's qualities.

[Source: Chinanews 中国新闻网 on February 3, 2015]

................................

Breaking News on February 11, 2016:

North Korean chief of general staff reportedly executed.

According to Yonhap, the South Korean news agency, North Korea’s Chief of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) General Staff Ri Yong Gil was reportedly executed sometime earlier this month. He should have been in office since 2013 until his disappearance after January 10, 2016.

However, it should not be taken for granted that General Ri has really been executed. There were other North Korean officials before him who reappeared in public after rumours of their execution.

Under the assumption that Ri was executed, the purge might have taken place due to his expression of dissatisfaction over the increasing Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) control over the KPA and prioritizing the party over the military.

Recently, Kim Jong Un held an “enlarged joint meeting” on February 2-3, just three days before North Korea’s recent rocket launch. During the meeting, Kim pointed out his intent to bring about changes to the KPA.

“The KPA must head only in the direction where the supreme leader points,” Kim said during the speech. “The whole of the party and our military must put up a struggle to exterminate the practices of seeking privileges, misuse of authority, abuse of power and bureaucratism.”

..............................



Basketball champion and former NBA star Dennis Rodman said
he and other former National Basketball Association players are
planning a match in North Korea that will be a "birthday present"
for one of their most unlikely fans: Kim Jong Un. [6 January 2014]

罗德曼揭金正恩奢华私生活:拥私人岛屿和游艇

Rodman reveals Kim Jong Un's luxurious private life:
Possession of private islands and a pleasure boat.
[Source: XinHua 新华 on 24 December 2013]



Kim Jong Un's private yacht is worth some £4.5 million.
[Text: Daily Telegraph - Picture: N Korean news agency]

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Year of the Monkey 2016

A Happy Chinese New Year
Welcome Year of the Monkey

Overloaded tricycle spotted moving through the
downtown streets in Shanghai. [People's Daily]

North Korea - Alarming News

Rumours of North Korea planning to launch another rocket and which should be carrying a satellite have aroused suspicion by its neighbours. Here are the news of the day:



韩国：朝鲜将在8至25号之间发射火箭

South Korea: The North will undertake its 25th Rocket Launch on [February] 8.

[Source: Phenix news center 凤凰 on February 6, 2015]




严阵以待！日本神盾舰集结应对朝鲜火箭

Ready for Battle! Japanese Aegis ships [i.e. warships
equipped with an Aegis combat system] are massing
as a reaction to the North Korean rocket [launch].

近日，日本媒体报道了日本海上自卫队主力宙斯盾驱逐舰集结的画面，对于朝鲜计划发射火箭严加戒备。

In the past few days, Japanese media reported that Japan sent its naval defense unit's main force, the Aegis destroyers, to build up a some [combat] scenario, being alarmed by a tightening situation when North Korea is planning to launch another rocket.

[Original Source: Global Network 环球网, quoted by Chinanews on February 6, 2016]

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Visitors interested in North Korea's proceedings:

ISIL Threatening the West

ناطق بالفرنسية في فيديو إعدام جديد لداعش

French speaker in a video about another execution by ISIL.

نشر تنظيم داعش السبت على الإنترنت شريط فيديو جديدا لعملية إعدام 5 عراقيين قتلهم بالرصاص 5 من عناصره يتقدمهم داعشي ناطق بالفرنسية توعد الغربيين بهجمات "تنسيهم" هجمات نيويورك وباريس.ـ

On Saturday [Jan.31] and in a new video placed on the internet, ISIL organization proclaimed the execution of five Iraqis shot at near distance by five of their members [while] some francophone speaker threatened Westeners with attacks ["less forgettable"] than the attacks of New York and Paris.

The execution took place in Nineveh governorate the capital of which is Mosul, now an ISIL stronghold in northern Iraq.

[Source: Al-Arabiya العربية on January 31, 2016]

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A similar execution of 25 soldiers belonging to the army of Syrian president Assad was reported by Al-Arabiya in July 2015. The execution should have taken place on May 21, 2015, in front of an ancient Greco-Roman style ruin in the historic parts of Palmyra township which now belongs to Homs governorate, Syria.



Al-Arabiya video from July 4, 2015

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Related News on Terrorism:



الداخلية السعودية: مليون ريال لمن يدلى بمعلومات عن إرهابى

The Saudi ministry of the interior: Millions of Riyal
for those who give information about terrorism.

ورصدت وزارة الداخلية السعودية مبلغ 7 ملايين ريال مكافآة لمن يساهم فى إحباط عملية إرهابية، كما رصدت مبلغ 5 ملايين ريال أخرى لمن يكشف عن خلية إرهابية، ومليون ريال لمن ينقل معلومات عن إرهابى.ـ

The Saudi ministry of the interior provides a sum of seven million Riyal as a recompensation for those who help to foil a terrorist operation. Another sum of five million Riyal is being provided for those who reveal a terrorist cell, and one million Riyal for those who communicate information about terrorism.

3.75 Saudi Riyal SAR = 1 U.S.$ (January 2016)

[Source: Youm7 اليوم السابع, Egyptian news center, on January 31, 2016]

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Closing In on North Korea

After an alleged H-bomb test, the international community is now closing in on North Korea. Even Russia and China are willing to find a way to inhibit North Korea threatening the world with its nuclear arsenal.

Here some quotations from two related articles that appeared on January 14, 2016, on the website of a Philippine daily. Both articles are hinting at the formation of a rare alliance between the U.S., South Korea and Japan on one side as well as China and Russia on the other side.

North Korea’s U.N. mission circulated a report from the country’s news agency saying the Jan. 6 test wasn’t to “threaten” or “provoke” anyone but was indispensable to build a nuclear force “to cope with the U.S. ever-more undisguised hostile policy” toward the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea [DPRK], the country’s official name.

It said North Korean scientists and technicians “are in high spirit to detonate H-bombs … capable of wiping out the whole territory of the U.S. all at once as it persistently moves to stifle the DPRK.”

Former Los Alamos National Laboratory director Siegfried Hecker, one of the world’s top experts on North Korea’s nuclear program, said last week he did not believe it tested “a real hydrogen bomb,” and that “North Korea is still a long way off from being able to strike the U.S. mainland.”

But Hecker, who has visited the North seven times since 2004, said in an interview with Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation, that the most worrisome result of the test is that North Korea “will have achieved greater sophistication in their bomb design.” He added that “at this point, what makes their nuclear arsenal more dangerous is not so much explosive power of the bomb, but its size, weight and the ability to deliver it with missiles.”

There was no immediate response to a request for comment from the U.S. mission to the United Nations.

The Security Council last approved sanctions against North Korea three weeks after its third nuclear test on Feb. 12, 2013. That resolution was largely negotiated by the United States and China, North Korea’s traditional ally.

South Korea’s President Park Geun-hye called Wednesday [i.e. January 13, 2016] for Chinese help to launch what she calls the “strongest” international sanctions on North Korea over the nuclear test.

The council diplomat said the United States, which is leading the current negotiations, is consulting closely with China but also with other council members, including Japan. The diplomat said a new resolution isn’t expected immediately, likely not in less than three weeks.

[Source: INQUIRER.net, news center related to the Philippine daily INQUIRER on January 14, 2016]

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Opinion from China:



朝鲜任性，韩国舆论怨不得中国

North Korea being headstrong, South Korea's public opinion cannot blame China.

[Source: Global Times 环球时报 on January 15. The above photo
is showing the president of South Korea while delivering a speech.]

..............................

Washington, United States—President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin joined Wednesday [January 13, 2016] in calling for a tough global response to North Korea’s recent nuclear test, even as they remained at odds over Ukraine and Syrian President Bashar Assad.

In a wide-ranging phone call, Obama and Putin appeared to speak past one another about the situation in eastern Ukraine, according to each country’s description of the call. The White House said Obama had called for Russia to fulfill its obligations under a cease-fire deal; the Kremlin said Putin has emphasized the need for Ukraine to meet its commitments under that same deal.

On North Korea’s claim to have tested a hydrogen bomb, at least, the leaders seemed in agreement. The Kremlin said they’d agreed that if proven true, the claim would require “a tough international reaction,” while the White House said they’ve discussed the need for “a strong and united international response.” The U.S. has cast doubt on the North’s claim that its test involved a hydrogen bomb but has said whatever was tested constituted a provocative act.

Despite steep disagreements on Ukraine, Syria and other issues, Obama and Putin have continued to engage on areas where their views at least partially overlap.

The two leaders last met in person in November on the sidelines of a summit.

[Source: INQUIRER.net, news center related to the Philippine daily INQUIRER on January 14, 2016]

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Recent visitors from Russia are interested in North Korean items:





North Korea acting on the danger of chemical warfare .....



U.S. closing in on North Korea .....

China's 2nd Aircraft Carrier

Update added on January 12 / 17, 2016:




Photo: J-15 fighter ready for take-off on China's aircraft carrier "Liaoning".


简氏:中国第二艘航母仍搭载歼15 不会同时造多艘航母

"Jane's Defence Weekly" [简氏防务周刊]:
China's 2nd mothership still in construction will carry J-15 fighters.
It is unlikely that many motherships are being built at the same time.

An article in the British weekly publication "Jane's Defence" is quoting the spokesman of China's ministry of defence and who launched the information of a second aircraft carrier for Shenyang J-15 fighters being built in addition to the already well-known carrier "Liaoning" on December 31, 2015.

[Source: People's Network 人民网 on January 9, 2016]


A brandnew video on military development in East Asia and which was launched on January 6, 2016, by IFENG 凤凰, a Chinese news center publishing in the West, delivered the following information:



陆自造航母上级——可望今年下水

Land built mothership reaches next level.
This year's launch being already in sight.

日：上海在建第三膄航母 仍难挑战美国

Japan: Third mothership already in construction in Shanghai.
[However,] it remains difficult to challenge the U.S. to battle.

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Further news on China's maritime activity:



On January 12, 2016, the Guangdong detachment of China Coast Guard introduced another surveillance ship bearing the identity number 44104. The newly released 1660 tons vessel has an overall length of 91.7 m its width being 12.3 m. It is therefore bigger than any up to now deployed coast guard vessel. The ship can operate at a maximum wind speed of 46 m/s (i.e. force 11 wind on the Beaufort scale), its radius of operation being 3000 nautical miles for a self-supporting period of 40 days. The new vessel can carry one 9c-type helicopter and is equipped with state-of-the-art satellite based electronic device.

[Source: People's Network on January 12, 2015]

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North Korea's Alleged H-Bomb Test

Important source added on January 9, 2015.



KCNA - Korean Central News Agency (Pyongyang, North Korea)

Today early in the morning, North Korea carried out a nuclear test that should have been the first test of a hydrogen bomb. However, Western sources still doubt it was a successful test as the announced kind of weapon should have produced a much higher effect than was detected by sophisticated seismic observation in the U.S.A..

On the same day, China's news agency XinHua compared seismic data collected in China and the U.S.A.:

另据朝中社６日报道，朝鲜最高领导人金正恩代表朝鲜劳动党于去年１２月１５日下达进行氢弹试验命令，并于今年１月３日签署最终命令。

On [January] 6 and according to a separate report from the Korean Central News Agency (朝鲜中央通讯社), North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong Un, on December 15 and on behalf of the North Korean Workers' Party, made known to have given the order for the test of a hydrogen bomb, and he signed the final order on January 3 [2016].

６日上午１０时左右，新华社记者正在平壤市区采访，未感到震感。首都平壤街头一切正常。

On [January] 6 at about 10:00 am, a correspondent of XinHua agency, while gathering news in Pyongyang, did not feel a [seismic shock]. In the capital Pyongyang all streets [remained untouched].

中国地震台网中心网站发布信息，格林尼治时间６日１时３０分（北京时间６日９时３０分），朝鲜发生４．９级地震，震中位于北纬４１．３度、东经１２９．１度，震源深度为０．０公里。 另据美国地质勘探局地震信息网报道，格林尼治时间６日１时３０分（北京时间６日９时３０分），朝鲜发生５．１级地震，震中位于北纬４１．３０８５度、东经１２９．０３３７度，震源深度１０．０公里。

The center for China's network of seismic stations issued information that on [January] 6 at 01:30 GMT (i.e. 09:30 Beijing local time) North Korea experienced a 4.9 degree [seismic shock], its center located at 41.3 degrees north latitude and 129.1 degrees east longitude, the [seismic] focus lying at a depth of 0.0 km.

Separately, the U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Information Network reported a [seismic shock] of 5.1 degrees on [January] 6 at 01:30 GMT (09:30 Beijing Time), the seismic center being located at 41.3085 degrees north latitude and 129.0337 degrees east longitude, the focus at a depth of 10.0 km.

朝鲜此前宣布分别于２００６年、２００９年、２０１３年成功进行了３次地下核试验。

North Korea earlier declared having separately carried out three subterranean nuclear tests in 2006, 2009 and 2013.

[Source: People's Network on January 6, 2016]




朝鲜试爆氢弹疑造假 当量不及原子弹

The North Korean H-bomb explosion is probably a fake.
[Strength of explosion] is not reaching an atomic bomb.

[Source: Military site of Ifeng news center on January 6, 2016]

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朝鲜宣布拥有氢弹背后意图曝光 中国迅速亮明立场

North Korea declares to possess a H-bomb
and ulterior motives are exposed to the sun.
China rapidly makes clear its position.

金正恩为何选择在此时提起氢弹？

Why did Kim Jong Un decide to raise
the item of a H-bomb just at this time ?

Last December (2015), a semi-official Chinese news source already discussed the capability of Kim Jong Un's North Korea to build a H-bomb:

据朝中社10日报道，近日，朝鲜领导人金正恩突然宣布朝鲜目前已经掌握了氢弹技术。 此番言论并未如以前金氏在朝核问题上的表态那般在国际社会引起轩然大波，只有中国 外交部第一时间作出反应，表示坚持半岛无核化立场。

According to a report from the [North] Korean Central News Agency on [December] 10 [2015], North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un unexpectedly declared that North Korea at present already controls the H-bomb technology. This remark is not [the same] like a previously stated standpoint of Kim in the frame of the North Korean nuclear subject and which caused a mighty uproar of the international community. [However] only China's ministry of foreign affairs showed a first time reaction and made clear [it would] insist on [its] position of inhibiting nuclear proliferation on the Korean peninsula. .....

朝鲜真的已经能够造出氢弹了吗？

Is North Korea really capable of building a H-bomb ?

=> Result of the Chinese article's evaluation:

在此前提下，制造以小型原子弹作为引信的氢弹难度非常之大。

From the earlier mentioned [facts] follows that difficulties [will be] unusually high to use a small-sized atomic bomb as the detonator of a H-bomb.

[Source: China.com / CRI online (China Radio International) 国际在线 on December 14, 2015]

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The war of nerves continues .....

Merry X-Mas and Happy New Year

Internet access from my remote South-Egyptian
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Chinese-North Korean Relations

According to latest news from different sources, there should be a cooling-off in Chinese-North Korean relations.

Today's article from SINA news center 新浪新闻中心 is referring to a publication made by South and North Korean peace activists, saying that a large community of overseas Chinese residents living in Pyongyang and other urban areas in North Korea have been arrested for spying.



朝鲜抓百名华侨恐或是谣言 朝方：不可能发生

That North Korea grabbed and terrorized a hundred overseas Chinese
might be a rumour. North Korea says: "That's impossible to happen."

The SINA article is quoting some North Korean news official and who rejected any rumours that such kind of incident ever happened in the frame of an interview he granted to the Chinese daily Global News 环球时报.

As to different opinions, here an excerpt from what the South Korean based activist group originally published on that item:

On the 14th of December, our Daily NK reporter spoke with a source in South Pyongan Province, who informed us that the State Security Department has been investigating Hwagyo [ Editor: Korean name for overseas Chinese (华侨) ] across North Korea, making arrests as part of an ‘emergency investigation’. Approximately 100 arrests have been made as part of this operation, and the detainees are currently being interrogated by the State Security Department.

..........

The targets of the operation are all well-off members of the Hwagyo who have sent their children to universities in China. All of the overseas Chinese residents currently living in North Korea are citizens of the PRC and of Han ethnicity. As long as they register with their local State Security Department, they are able to travel to China whenever they wish. Until now, Chinese residents of North Korea have managed to amass small fortunes by stocking up on Chinese goods in China and then returning over the border to North Korea to sell them in the markets at a tidy profit.

They communicate freely with their children through the mail and by telephone, which has made them the target of investigation. The North Korean authorities have been keeping a close eye on these communications through wiretapping and intercepting mail, leading to accusations of spying or acting as an accomplice to a spy and subsequent arrests.

Although details of the exact charges leveled in the arrests have still not been revealed, many of those arrested were carrying out ‘special missions’ for the State Security Department, a status that allowed them to travel back and forth from China easily. Our source surmised that the probability that they were arrested on charges of either being double agents or spying for the Chinese Ministry of State Security is high.

"Rumors abound that the arrests are an attempt by the local authorities to strike back at China as the latter appears to be politically drifting away from North Korea and closer to South Korea. This would explain the need to keep an eye on the Chinese ambassador in Pyongyang," the source pointed out.

“Some Party cadres have even speculated that this move will spell the beginning of the end for Sino-North Korean relations."

He added, “The recent revelation that the North Korean authorities have been spying on and following the Chinese ambassador to Pyongyang was regarded with great displeasure by the Chinese government.” Moreover, following the arrests of the overseas Chinese residents, the state has, for the time being, stopped issuing travel permits to China for any of the Hwagyo residing within the North’s borders and there are problems procuring market goods from China as well.




Another sign for a cooling-off in Sino-North Korean relations seems to be the unexpected calling home of a North Korean dancing group of army girls after China's president Xi JinPing allegedly refused to attend the now cancelled performance. [The Telegraph, U.K. on December 14, 2015]




12月16日，第二届世界互联网大会在浙江省乌镇开幕。
国家主席习近平出席开幕式并发表主旨演讲。

On December 16, the Second World Internet Conference started in Wuzhen,
Zhejiang province. Chairman Xi JinPing attended the opening ceremony and
delivered the keynote speech. [People's Network]

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Russian visitors from the Moscow area who came today and yesterday
(i.e. December 15/16) and who are interested in North Korean subjects.