Dangers of a Global Conflict

US president Trump's confusing messages tweeted the day before, led to uncertainty among America's friends and foes. Even if it's only " a macho contest between Trump and Putin " as Bloomberg View put it only some hours ago, there are rising fears that Trump might trigger off a military conflict with Russia, the main ally and military partner of Syria's Assad regime and which is most probably responsible for a chemical warfare scenario effecting many innocent Syrian civilians.



" Alpha males. No longer shaking hands. "





Vassily Nebenzia, Moscow’s ambassador to the United Nations, said he “cannot exclude” war between the United States and Russia and urged Washington and its allies to refrain from military action against Syria.

“The immediate priority is to avert the danger of war,” he told reporters. “We hope there will be no point of no return,” the envoy said.

..........

Moscow is estimated to have dozens of aircraft at its Hmeymim air base in Syria including fighters and bombers, as well as 10 to 15 warships and support vessels in the Mediterranean.

The Syrian government and Russian forces in Syria possess truck- mounted surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery weapons systems.

..........

Russian ships had left the Tartus naval base in Syria, Interfax news agency quoted a Russian lawmaker as saying. Vladimir Shamanov, who chairs the defense committee of the lower house, said the vessels had departed the base for their own safety, which was “normal practice” when there were threats of attack.

Any U.S. strike would probably involve the Navy, given the risk to aircraft from Russian and Syrian air defenses. A U.S. guided-missile destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, is in the Mediterranean.

[Quotings from a Reuters news agency report, updated early in the morning on 13 April 2018]




Russische Kriegsschiffe verlassen syrischen Hafen Tartus.

Russian warships leaving Syrian port of Tartus.

Photo above: French president Macron confirms there are proves that
Basher Assad's military used chemical weapons in a populated area.

[Welt, German online news on 13 April 2018, 01:39 am]


And by the way, there are as well quickly rising tensions between Iran, the other ally of Assad's regime, and Israel. After a recent Israeli air raid that was targeting joint Iranian-Syrian operations, the traditional US partner Israel is now awaiting retaliation from Iran for the death of its military advisers in Syria. Such, a most dangerous confrontation is building up between Russia and Iran on one side and the US and its proxy Israel on the other side while, at the same time, a chaotic situation results from the absence of clearly defined strategic positions regarding US engagement in the Middle East.




بروكنجز: خلاف إسرائيلي أمريكي حول سوريا

Brookings Doha Center: Disagreement between Israel and the US about Syria.



This is referring to a basic disagreement between the US and Israel, particularly with regard to the policy toward Iran and Syria, and which shadowed the relation between both countries during the presidency of Barack Obama. It was the reason for Israel to welcome the election of Donald Trump as Obama's successor.

The Brookings Institute of Studies, a US related think-tank, now comes to the conclusion that Trump's policy in the Middle East is essentially the same as Obama's policy, which is essentially about reducing engagement or US involvement in the region's conflicts and thorny issues. This is marked by Trump's desire to withdraw US troops from Syria.

[El-Balad البلد, Lebanese news service on 12 April 2018]

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Visitor to "blueprint news" coming from the Lake of Geneva in Switzerland.

Israel Awaiting Iranian Retaliation

After an Israeli attack on some Iranian airfield and drone operations facility in Syria and which killed seven military advisers from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Israel is now awaiting Iranian retaliation. Iranian sources already made clear that this would not go unanswered.




تأهب إسرائيلي تحسباً لرد إيراني

Israel is preparing for a foreseeable Iranian response.

[Al-Bayan البيان from the United Arab Emirates on 12 April 2018]




نتانياهو يحذر ايران: "لا تختبروا عزيمة اسرائيل"ـ

Netanyahu warning Iran " Don't test Israel's determination ".

[swissinfo , Arabic language evening news on 11 April 2018]




For the original article: Israel's Attack on Syrian T-4 Airbase 'Won't Go Unpunished' – Iranian Journalist

[Sputnik, journalist opinion from government related Russian news service in its evening news on 11 April 2018]

Israel Confronting Iran - Background

مواجهة جديدة.. إسرائيل لن تغادر سماء سوريا ولن تسمح ل"حزب لله"بالانتصار

New confrontation ... Israel will not leave the sky over Syria
and will not allow Hezbollah to score a victory.

وتملك روسيا وسوريا غرفة عمليات مشتركة مع إيران لمراقبة المعارك الدائرة في سورية ولرصْد التحركات في السماء. وتغطي هذه الرادارات الحدود التركي والعراق والمنطقة الواقعة تحت الاحتلال الأميركي في شمال شرقي سوريا وكذلك اسرائيل. وتتم مراقبة كل طائرة نفاثة تنطلق من المطارات العسكرية الاسرائيلية عن كثب وفي الوقت الفعلي، بما في ذلك حركة الطائرات الأكثر تطوراً - وأغلى طائرة في العالم التي ـيبلغ ثمنها بين 125 و112 مليون دولار تم بناؤها من قبل شركة "لوكهيد مارتن" التي تملكها اسرائيل وهي الــ ف35

Russia and Syria are controlling a joint operations room [together] with Iran for regional combat surveillance in Syria and for the observation of airborne movements. These radar [facilities] are covering the Turkish border, Iraq and the region in North-East Syria which is practically occupied by the US and equally [by] Israel. The surveillance realizes attentively and in real time all jet planes that are leaving military airfields in Israel, including the traffic of the most developed planes - and the most expensive plane in the world which is coming at a price of 112-125 million [US]$ from "Lockheed Martin" into the possession of Israel as F-35 Stealth Fighter.

[Lebanon24 لبنان on 1st April 2018]


Please Note:
The Lebanese article quoted above is referring to a most recent confrontation between Israel and Iran on March 25, 2018, when such F-35 fighter jets had allegedly "undetected" entered Iranian air space and approached Iranian nuclear sites. In the following days, Russia had denied that such thing could really happen.

For more information read my related blogspot from March 30.

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Visitor from the Baltic states in Eastern Europe interested in Iran.

Mixed Signals from North Korea

日外长：朝鲜正准备核试验 日朝会谈需慎重

Japan's foreign minister : North Korea is preparing for a nuclear test.
Japanese - North Korean talks need to be cautious.

In a speech held in the Japanese town of Kochi on March 31, foreign minister Kōno mentioned ongoing work at a North Korean nuclear test site where it seems that damage from an earlier test is being urgently repaired.

这可能是河野鉴于美国提供的卫星照片而作出的发言

This is probably a statement in the speech of [foreign minister] Kōno that is referring
to satellite photos provided by the US.

[ZaoBao 早报—早晚全新, Singapore, on March 31, 2018]


Related blogspot providing further information: Kim Jong-un in Beijing

Israeli Reconnaissance Flight into Iran

الجريدة الكويتية: مقاتلات إسرائيلية نفذت طلعات فوق مواقع نووية فى إيران

Kuwaiti Newspaper : Israeli fighter [ jets ]
appeared above some nuclear sites in Iran.

[Youm7 اليوم السابع, Egypt, on March 29, 2018]


The Kuwaiti newspaper الجريدة الكويتية was the first to report on the incursion of two Israeli F35 stealth fighter jets into Iran where they allegedly circled high above sites that are considered to be linked with the Iranian nuclear program.

The warplanes should have remained undetected by Russian radar facilities in Syria when they passed over Syria and Iraq on their way to Iran. This is being denied by the Russian ministry of defense.

A comprehensive report on that incident has been published today by Daily Pakistan.
Read the Pakistani article..







This comes only days after Israel admitted having bombed
a Syrian nuclear reactor in 2007 as a warning to Iran.

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

Kim Jong-un in Beijing

Last Update: March 29



传金正恩秘密抵华 北京封路迎贵宾

News are spreading that Kim Jong-un is on a secret visit to China.
Beijing roads receive the distinguished guest.


有指金正恩将在北京钓鱼台国宾馆，与中国领导人会面

There are indications that Kim Jong-un resides at Diaoyu Terrace
national guest house in Beijing and is meeting with Chinese leaders.

It is said that Kim Jong-un arrived by train at Beijing's Dandong railway station around 22:00 in the evening. He is expected to stay in Beijing on an "unofficial visit" from March 25-28, 2018.

[Kwonghwa 光华, Malaysia, on March 27, 2018]




North Korean motorcade leaving the national guest house early in the morning.
[阿波罗新闻 on March 27, 2018]




Kim Jong-un and China's leader Xi JinPing meeting together with their wives in
the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. [XinHua 新华社 on March 28, 2018].


The next day, on March 28, Reuters news agency comes about
with an evaluation of Kim Jong-un's unexpected visit to Beijing:
With secretive China trip, North Korea's Kim builds bargaining power.


我们希望朝鲜政治稳定、经济发展、人民幸福， 支持以委员长同志为首的朝鲜劳动党带领朝鲜人民沿着社会主义道路不断前进， 支持朝鲜同志为发展经济、改善民生所作积极努力。

We hope for North Korea's political stability, the development of its economy and the happiness of its people. We support [our] comrade at the head of the commission to become the first in the North Korean Worker's Party to guide the North Korean people to continuously proceed along the road of socialism. We support the North Korean comrade in developing economy and improving the people's energetic efforts.

China's leader Xi JinPing quoted from People's Daily - overseas edition 人民日报海外版—海外网 on March 28, 2018.




Chinese language TV station using material from Mainland China's Central TV CCTV.




North Korea Is Firing Up a Reactor. That Could Upset Trump’s Talks With Kim.

A NewYork Times headline on March 27, 2018, referring to the recently completed
nuclear reactor in the Yongbyon area and that should be able to produce plutonium.




朝鲜传正探讨与日俄举行峰会的可能性

North Korea makes known that it is searching for
the possibility of a summit with Japan and Russia.

[ZaoBao 早报—早晚全新, Singapore, on March 29, 2018]

The headline from Singapore is referring to an article published by the Japan based "North Korean - Japanese News" from March 29.

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Visitor to "blueprint news" coming from Macao, the town where the North Korean
Kim Jong-nam had been living before he was killed with a nerve agent by hired
personnel while waiting for his flight home at Kuala Lumpur airport in Malaysia.
The assassination was allegedly staged on behalf of Kim's brother Kim Jong-un.

Libya - Gaddafi's Son for President

أدلة وتسجيلات... سيف الإسلام القذافي يفجر مفاجأة في أول حوار بعد إعلان ترشحه

Evidence & registrations : Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi's striking surprise
in the first conversation after the declaration of his candidacy.

فجر سيف الإسلام القذافي، نجل الرئيس الليبي الراحل، معمر القذافي، مفاجآت عديدة ووجه تهديدات لشخصيات عديدة في أول حوار له بعد إعلان ترشحه لرئاسة ليبيا.ـ

Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi : The son of deceased Libyan president Muamar al-Gaddafi striking in a manifold surprise and an intimidating aspect of manifold identities in the first conversation with him after his declaration of candidacy for Libya's presidency.




بعد ترشحه للرئاسة... سيف الإسلام القذافي يخاطب

After his candidacy for presidency:
Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi is speaking.

[Sputnik , Arabic language service, on March 24, 2018]


As the chaotic situation in Libya is seen as a serious threat to the internal security of neighbouring countries, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt are highly interested in finding a political solution which would help to establish a stable administration in Libya. Only some days ago the Egyptian daily Egypt Today wrote:

“Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of the former Libyan president, enjoys the support of major tribes in Libya, so he can run for the upcoming presidential election due in 2018,” said Libyan Tribal Chief and spokesperson of the Gaddafi family, Basem al-Hashimi al-Soul to Egypt Today.

“Saif al-Islam will run for the upcoming presidential election which may take place in mid-2018,” Soul revealed to Egypt Today in December.

Further to Soul’s comments, Libyan Government of National Accord’s (GNA) Foreign Minister Mohamed Siala stated at the Valdai Club panel discussion in Russia on Wednesday: “We believe that the presidential election will be held in the middle of 2018.”

Soul told Egypt Today that Saif al-Islam has already prepared his platform, which he intends to declare soon. “The platform includes some procedures that Saif al-Islam hopes the United Nations would adopt to help Libya move from the incumbent transitional period to stability.”

“Saif al-Islam plans to impose more security and stability, in accordance with the Libyan geography and in coordination with all Libyan factions,” Soul stated.

The foreign ministers of Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria convened in Tunisia on Saturday to resume discussions over the security and political developments of Libya. Libya has become the largest security threat facing the Egyptian state, along with Tunisia and Algeria. The frequent failures of international reconciliation attempts and the fall of weapons into the hands of different militant groups have forced Egypt to play a major role in seeking to solve the Libyan crisis.

Previously, President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi met with Libya’s Chairman of the Presidential Council, Fayez al-Sarraj, to discuss the political accords necessary to preserve Libya’s unity and integrity.

[Egypt Today, quotation from an article published on March 19, 2018]


Now, Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi is willing to make a statement in the frame of allegations that former French president Nicolas Sarkozy received money from his father, the toppled Libyan president Muamar al-Gaddafi, and which Sarkozy transferred to his party in order to finance his own election campaign in 2007.



L'ex-président français Nicolas Sarkozy en
quittant sa garde à vue mercredi 21 mars 2018.

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy while
leaving his custody on Wednesday March 21, 2018.

Nicolas Sarkozy a été mis en examen mercredi soir dans le cadre de l'enquête sur le financement libyen présumé de sa campagne électorale de 2007. L'ex-président français nie les faits qui lui sont reprochés.

Wednesday evening [i.e. March 21] Nicolas Sarkozy was interrogated in the frame of suspected financing of his 2007 election campaign by Libya. The former French president denies the accusations he is being reproached with.

L'ancien chef de l'Etat, qui avait été placé en garde à vue mardi matin à Nanterre, a été mis en examen pour "corruption passive", "financement illégal de campagne électorale" et "recel de fonds publics libyens" et placé sous contrôle judiciaire, a précisé une source judiciaire.

The former head of state had been put into custody and under legal control on Monday morning [i.e. March 19] and interrogated for "passive corruption", "illegal financing of an election campaign" and for "receiving public funds belonging to Libya under a false pretext".

[RTL Suisse on March 24, 2018]

US Tariffs - China Strikes Back

Last Update: March 25, 2018

It didn't take long for the Chinese government to respond to protective tariffs US president Trump imposed on China. The Economic Survey Network 经济观察网 and which is related to the Beijing University of Technology 北京理工大学 wrote:




中国开始反击！中美贸易战爆发，全球化的冬天正在来临？

China Starts Striking Back !
Outburst of a Sino-US War of Trade.
The Winter of Globalization already in Progress ?

几个小时后，中国开始了反击。上午7点，中国商务部发布了针对 美国进口钢铁和铝产品232措施的中止减让产品清单并征求公众意见， 拟对自美进口部分产品加征关税，以平衡因美国对进口钢铁和铝产品 加征关税给中方利益造成的损失。该清单暂定包含7类、128个税项产品， 按2017年统计，涉及美对华约30亿美元出口。

Some hours later, China started striking back. At 7 o'clock in the morning China's trade ministry announced to target US import of steel and aluminium products by using 232 steps to suspend and reduce [the availability of] products [specially] requested by public opinion and contained on a detailed list that was drafted because of raised tariffs on part of products imported by the US. Balanced Chinese benefits would [otherwise] suffer from losses due to the raised US tariffs on steel and aluminium products. The [Chinese] list would temporarily contain 7 sorts of and 128 [single] taxed products. According to 2017 statistics, US exports to China make up for about 300 million US$.

[Economic Survey Network 经济观察网, Beijing, on March 23, 2018]




The above list is comprising 120 US products for which protective tariffs of 15% have been
fixed by China's ministry of trade. These products comprise fresh and dried fruit products
as well as wine among other goods. The overall value of such goods imported by China
makes up for some 9.77 million US$.

Another group of US products, including pork meat and recovered aluminium products, are
subject to a different tariff of 25%. The total volume of trade for these products makes up
for some 19.92 million US$.

[Chinanews Network 中国新闻网 on March 23, 2018]




贸易战不打了！中国经济沙皇与美国财长同意谈判和解收场

A war of trade doesn't really hit !
China's economy "tsars" and America's [wealthy tycoons] agree to talks and a to [untie the knots].

This brandnew video from a Hong Kong source is partly using cartoons to explain the disadvantages of a war of trade. It was published on March 24, 2018.

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Visitor to "blueprint news" coming from Hanoi, Vietnam.

N Korea - Chinese Wishful Thinking ?

Yesterday, March 13, and on the occasion of his visit to Miramar naval base in S. California, US president Donald Trump expressed his hopes for an "outstanding" development in the North Korean issue. This refers to an eventual meeting between Trump and the N Korean leader Kim Jong-un before May 2018.

It was the same day, Trump fired his foreign secretary, the rather moderate Rex Tillerson, and replaced him with CIA director Mike Pompeo, a notorious falcon when it comes to respond to North Korean aggression.

The Chinese source "China News Network", however, doesn't refer to such latest news from the White House and is quoting instead Trump's comment on the planned meeting with Kim, even one day after the US president made his widely unexpected move.




特朗普称5月前与金正恩会面

Trump says he will meet with Kim Jong-un before May.

特朗普：朝鲜半岛问题有望产生“非常积极”的结果

Trump: The Korean peninsula issue will
hopefully deliver an "outstanding" result.

[China News Network 中国新闻网 on March 14, 2018]

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US visitor to "blueprint news" reminding the end of World War II.




My newsblog, including the experimental Chinese language site, is being screened
by some Chinese visitor(s) on a daily basis. Any direct identification of Chinese
visitors, however, remains a rare event, even though different points of access to
the internet could be detected in different parts of China in the past.

Iran - Israel Preparing for War

Since tensions between Israel and Iran began to rise over the military presence of Iran and its regional ally Hezbollah in Syria, a war between both adversaries has become increasingly realistic.



Photo above: Israeli air force helicopter

صحيفة: ضربات أمريكية إسرائيلية محتملة في سوريا

Newspaper: Joint US-Israeli strikes possible in Syria.

قالت صحيفة كويتية إن سوريا باتت في مرمى ضربات أمريكية وإسرائيلية وشيكة، ونقلت عن مصادرها أن رئيس الوزراء الإسرائيلي بنيامين نتنياهو ناقش مع الرئيس دونالد ترامب خلال لقائهما منذ أيام في واشنطن، خطة إسرائيلية موسعة.ـ

A Kuwaiti newspaper said that Syria is now a target of imminent US-Israeli strikes and that its sources reported that Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu had discussed extended Israeli plannings with president Donald Trump during their meeting in Washington some days ago.

[Sputnik - Arabic News quoting the Kuwaiti newspaper الجريدة on March 10, 2018]




Sputnik on March 6, 2018: Israel notifies the US that it prepares for military activities.




كاتب إسرائيلي: حرب مع إيران قد لا تتعارض مع مصالح روسيا

Israeli journalist: A war with Iran might not be in conflict with Russian interests.

[Arabi 21 quoting the Israeli newspaper Maariv on March 11, 2018]




Algérie Patriotique, Algier, on February 20, 2018:
Israel's army is preparing for a long-standing war with Iran in 2018.

This article is referring to an interview which Israel's chief of operations Tsahal,
general Nitzan Alon (photo above), granted to the pro-Israeli website i24 News.

Iran Preparing Showdown with Israel ?

Last Update: March 5, 2018

Iran Storing Rockets in the Neighbourhood of Israel

A brandnew military facility allegedly stuffed with short- and medium-range rockets in the outskirts of Damascus could trigger off a dogfight between Israel and Iran in Syria. The notorious US channel Fox News seems to be at the source of these news. Here are some repercussions from Arabic language news centers:




إيران تخزّن صواريخ في سوريا لضرب كلّ الأراضي الإسرائيلية

Iran stores rockets in Syria to hit all of Israel.

[euronews, Lyon/France, on 1st March 2018]




قاعدة إيرانية جديدة في سوريا: تمهيد لضربة إسرائيلية؟

New Iranian base in Syria: Prelude of an Israeli attack ?

[Al-Modon المدن, Beirut/Lebanon, on 1st March 2018]




Above photo: Iranian soldiers mourning their commander who lost his life in Syria.

إسرائيل تحذّر إيران في سوريا ... قاعدتكم الجديدة ستختفي قريباً

Israel warning Iran in Syria ... Your new base will soon disappear !

[Al-Qurtas القرطاس, Baghdad/Iraq, on March 2, 2018]




Above photo: Palestinian citizens being dragged away by Israeli Police.

ـ«يوراسيا ريفيو»: الحرب بين إيران و«إسرائيل» أوشكت على البدء

"Eurasia Review": The war between Iran and "Israel" is about to begin.

[RASSD News شبكة رصد الاخبارية is a Cairo based news service popular in different Arab countries; article published on March 4, 2018]


Read here opinion from Israel In Syria Force Will Prevail, an article published by Haaretz on March 5, 2018.

N Koreans Abroad - A Secret Army ?

美媒：金正恩派2000名間諜到美國 預謀破壞

US media: Kim Jong-un sent 2.000 spies to America - Premeditated Destruction

儘管美國政府的報告顯示，自2006年開始給予脫北者難民身分起， 迄今只有不到200名朝鮮人進入美國， 但成立教會組織協助脫北者出逃的韓國基督教牧師千基元（Chun Ki-Won）表示， 實際的人數比這個多很多。

A US government report is stating that since help started in 2006 for those who escaped from the North with a refugee status, so far only up to 200 North Koreans have entered the USA.

Chun Ki-won, however, a South Korean Christian minister from the establishment of church organizations assisting defectors from the North, showed that realistic numbers of people are much higher than this.

千基元說：「有數千名朝鮮難民湧入美國。官方數字是200人，但實際數字比較接近2,000人， 他們都是非法移民。政府不知道他們是誰，或他們在哪裡。」

Chun Ki-won said: " There are several thousand North Korean refugees emerging into the USA. The official number is 200, but a realistic number is rather near to 2.000 people. They are all illegal immigrants. The government neither knows who they are nor where they are. "

他還說，在過去18年來，他救了1,100名脫北者，並把他們安置在歐洲、亞洲和美國。 以美國而言，脫北者群居在華盛頓特區、芝加哥、紐約和洛杉磯。

He added that in the past 18 years he helped 1.100 people to escape from the North and to settle in Europe, Asia and America. In the case of America the refugee group from the North is living in Washington DC, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles.

在2016年投奔韓國的前朝鮮駐英國大使館公使太永浩（Thae Yong Ho）曾警告各國領導人說， 要提防鋌而走險的金正恩發動攻擊。

In 2016, Thae Yong-ho, a former counsellor at the North Korean embassy in Britain, defected to South Korea, [on that occasion] warning national leaders: Beware of a desperate attack launched by Kim Jong-un.

太永浩在2017年接受美國國家廣播公司（NBC）採訪時說， 如果金正恩擁有核武和洲際彈道導彈，他什麼事都做得出來。

In an interview granted to the US national broadcaster NBC in 2017, Thae Yong-ho said: If Kim Jong-un is in the possession of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles, [he can do whatever he wants].

他說：「金正恩是個可以做出任何超越正常想像的事的人。 …………

He said: Kim Jong-un is somebody who could do anything beyond the imagination of normal people.

[Epoch Times 大纪元, Chinese anti-communist daily on 2nd March 2018]

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

美国总统特朗普2月23日宣布史上最大规模的朝鲜制裁案名单，包括27家货运和贸易公司、33艘船只，以及台湾商人张永源。美国日前将这份名单提交给联合国安理会，但却遭中国成功挡下。

On February 23, US president Trump announced the largest list of sanctions in history against North Korea and which included 27 shipping and trading companies, 33 vessels, as well as Taiwan businessman Tsang Yung Yuan. The US submitted that list to the UN Security Council, but met with China successfully blocking the approach.

[Editor's note: This might not be meant as a final rebuke from China but could be interpreted, as well, in a way that China needs more time to investigate in the matter using own intelligence.]

[早报, Singapore, on March 3, 2018]

N Korean Leaders Using Fake Identities

[香港01, Hong Kong, on February 28, 2018]


Related information from BBC News was published two days later on 1st March 2018:

[ North Korea and the Brazil passports: Why were they used by the Kims? ]

Munich Conference - Iranian Reply to Israel

In the frame of growing tensions between Israel and Iran emerging at the Munich Security Conference, Iran now hinted at the possibility that even "invincible" Israel could end up receiving a bloody nose.

It should be noted that Israel's air force made incursions into Syria in 2007 when Israeli fighters destroyed a Syrian nuclear facility and has regularly targeted the neighbouring country since the beginning of the civil war seven years ago. In these missions Israel officially never lost a single plane.

This time, however, the first direct attack on alleged Iranian positions in Syria delivered a different result. The attack of eight Israeli fighters was triggered off by an Iranian drone entering Israeli airspace and which could be seen as a calculated Iranian provocation to put Israel to the test. During the proceedings of an Israeli operation of revenge one of their fighter jets was downed.


وزير خارجية إيران: انهيار"أسطورة (إسرائيل) التي لا تقهر"ـ

Iran's foreign minister: Debacle for "invincible Israel"

قال وزير الخارجية الإيراني محمد جواد ظريف يوم الأحد إن إسقاط طائرة إسرائيلية مقاتلة بعد قصفها موقعا إيرانيا في سوريا حطم ما يقال عن أن إسرائيل "لا تقهر" وذلك في رد على كلمة ألقاها رئيس الوزراء الإسرائيلي بنيامين نتنياهو في مؤتمر ميونيخ للأمن في وقت سابق يوم الأحد.ـ

On Sunday [Feb. 18] the Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the downing of an Israeli war plane after its shelling of Iranian positions in Syria has demolished what is being said about "invincible" Israel and that is what he replied to the brilliant speech of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier held at the Munich Security Conference on Sunday.

[Source: Swissinfo SWI, Arabic language service, quoting Reuters on February 19, 2018]

US and China - A Strategic Competition

美专家：美国正在输掉与中国的战略竞争

US experts: America is losing in strategic competition with China.

华盛顿 — 美国国会众议院军事委员会星期四就美国与中国的战略竞争举行了听证会。 美国的中国问题专家在听证会上表示，美国过去25年的对华策略失败了， 美国正在输掉与中国的战略竞争。不过他们认为，美国仍然能够阻遏中国的势头， 防止中国主导的非自由秩序在亚洲以及世界其他地方发展壮大。

On Thursday, the military committee for the House of Representatives within US Congress held an informative meeting regarding US-Chinese strategic competitiveness. On that meeting US experts of the Chinese subject demonstrated that America has lost against Chinese tactics during the last 25 years and is losing against China's strategic competition. They are considering that America is still able to counter China's impetus and prevent China's non-liberal style domination of the expanding development in Asia and other places in the world.

[Source: Voice of America VOA, Chinese Service on February 16, 2018]




哈里斯：中国军事高速发展对美国形成挑战

Harris: China's military is developing at high speed
and is forming a challenge for the US.

This is referring to Admiral Harris, up to now commander of the US Pacific Command 美军太平洋司令部司令哈里斯海军上将

值得注意的是，哈里斯上将刚刚被川普政府提名为驻澳大利亚大使的哈里斯， 而中国一直将哈里斯认为是鹰派将领，对特朗普提名他出任澳大利亚大师非常不高兴， 官媒新华社的文章直言说：“哈里斯担任太平洋司令部司令期间， 他的种种言行让太平洋很'不太平'”。

What deserves to be noticed is: Admiral Harris has just been nominated by the Trump administration as an ambassador to Australia. Admiral Harris, however, is being considered by China as a military leader belonging to the 'falcon faction' and whose mission as an ambassador to Australia by appoinment of Trump is not making China happy. An article from the official agency Xin Hua stated outright: " At the time when Harris held the post of a commander of the Pacific Command, his statements and actions made the Pacific Ocean rather 'less pacific' ".

[Source: Radio France International RTI, Chinese Service on February 15, 2018]

Russian Mercenaries in Syria

Today, different US media reported on Russian mercenaries being killed in US air strikes in Syria while fighting side by side with Syrian government-backed troops. Official Russian sources are downplaying such reports. A private Russian military agency named Wagner is allegedly behind the recruiting and deployment of Russian ex-soldiers. Sources are indicating that a former Russian special-forces officer, Dmitry Utkin, is acting on behalf of Wagner, his group numbering as many as 2,500 men. That group is believed to have figured heavily in operations around Palmyra in 2016, serving as “shock troops” alongside the Syrian army, says Mark Galeotti, an expert on Russian security at the Institute of International Relations in Prague. Though the Russian army has not acknowledged Wagner’s existence, Mr Utkin was photographed late last year alongside President Vladimir Putin at a Kremlin reception for military officers in honour of Day of Heroes of the Fatherland.

[Sources: BBC, today two hours ago, and The Economist on November 2nd, 2017]




外媒称数十万俄罗斯雇佣兵遍布全球：广泛参与叙战事

Foreign media are saying that 100.000 Russian mercenaries are
spread all over the world: Broad participation in the Syrian War.

[Source: SINA / XinHua 新华社 on January 31, 2018]




خبير روسي يوضح مصير الاتفاقات المبرمة بين موسكو و واشنطن بشأن سوريا

Russian expert explicates the fate of agreements
between Moscow and Washington related to Syria.

The article is referring to Vitaly Naumkin, director of the Institute of Orientalistic in the Russian Aceademy of Science and the United Nations special envoy for Syria. Vitaly Naumkin is considering all US-Russian agreements on Syria as being intact. "Citizens with Russian passports within the Syrian Army" should therefore not be overestimated, especially because these people are definitely breaking Russian law when joining the Syrian army as well-paid mercenaries.

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Visitor from Singapore interested in Islamic State propaganda.

Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang

Rare encounter in times of conflict !

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The possibility of a U.S. military strike against North Korea has dominated the news in the United States and South Korea and for a good reason. The Trump administration now appears to be downplaying the idea that it is considering a military strike to prevent Pyongyang from crossing the ICBM threshold. But it’s hard to ignore the consistent signals that senior officials had been sending over the past several months.

National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and others have been talking about a “preventive war,” saying we are “running out of time” to solve the North Korea problem, and that North Korea has brought the world “closer to war.” President Trump, for his part, has warned that the U.S. military is “locked and loaded” and threatened to “totally destroy” North Korea.

Recently the administration withdrew Victor Cha’s nomination to be ambassador to South Korea, reportedly because of his objection to a “bloody nose” strike. Despite appearances at the Olympics, we are now closer to a war on the Korean Peninsula than at any time since 1994, when the Clinton administration considered a military strike to destroy North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear complex.

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Excerpt from an article published by authors near to the The Brookings Institution in the US daily USA Today on February 9, 2018. The Brookings Institution is a think tank located in Washington DC and which is usually considered as a rather conservative and liberal organization.

North Korea Cheating on China ?

Important Update added on February 7 !



朝鲜造假文件向中国运输煤炭获利？ 中方回应

Is North Korea making Profit from Faked Documents
on Coal Transport to China ? China's Response.

问：据悉，联合国负责朝鲜制裁问题的独立调查员在一份报告中称， 朝鲜去年通过出口违禁商品获得2亿美元收入，其中包括通过造假文件向中国运输煤炭， 向叙利亚和缅甸出口武器等。中方是否看到了这份报告？对该报告的有关内容有何评论？

Question: It is said that an independent investigator for the United Nations and who is in charge of the subject of North Korea sanctions, stated in a report: Last year, North Korea gained a 200 million US$ income from undergoing export of sanctioned merchandise, thereby including the falsification of documents for the transport of coal to China and the export of weapons to Syria and Myanmar. Has China seen that report ? What is China's comment on its content ?

答：据我了解，你提到的报告正在联合国安理会有关制裁委员会的内部审议进程当中。 目前，我不便对媒体就报告作出具体评论。

Answer: As to my understanding, you refer to the report that is just being internally discussed by the United Nations Security Council's committee concerned with the sanctions. At the moment I consider it inappropriate to make any specific comment on that report to the media.

这里我想指出，第一，中方始终主张联合国安理会通过的有关决议应该得到全面、 严格执行。第二、中方作为安理会常任理事国，一直带头全面、严格执行安理会有关涉朝决议， 履行我们应尽的国际义务。

Here I want to point out: Firstly, China all along endorses that the United Nations Security Council's related resolutions should be fully and rigorously implemented. Secondly, China as a permanent member of the Security Council is always among the first to fully and rigorously implement the Security Council's resolutions involving North Korea.

[Source SINA on the regular press conference of China's Foreign Ministry held on February 5, 2018]

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中朝边境气氛诡异 中方突增兵30万加导弹部队

Eerie and strange atmosphere at the North Korean border.
China suddenly rushes in another 300.000 troops,
including missile units.

[Source: NTDTV 新唐人 on February 5, 2018]

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Russian visitor from the border region to China and North Korea.