HYPERLINKS MAY REQUIRE AN EMAIL:
USA
October 15, WRC 4 Washington – (National) Army set to test new ‘airburst gun’. The Army is set to test out a new weapon that could change how troops battle enemies in Afghanistan. The XM-25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement System, better known as the "Airburst Gun," is a shoulder-fired gun that shoots a fist-sized round packed with an explosive warhead that detonates in the air at pre-determined ranges. Officials are calling it a cross between a grenade launcher and a mortar. The XM-25 weighs about 12 pounds, and uses laser targeting to determine a target’s range. Soldiers then dial in exactly where the round is going to land or explode. Army officials said the weapon is perfect for long-distance battles with Afghan enemies who fight from behind cover. A spokesman added that the accuracy of the XM-25 is going to change battles and "open up whole new ideas on how to use it." The Army plans to buy thousands of the XM-25 in the future, placing one airburst weapon in each infantry squad. Source: 12. October 14, United Press International
EUROPE
Dispatch: Understanding the French Strikes STRATFOR
ASIA
Taiwan: 6 Minesweepers To Be Built October 19, 2010
Taiwan will build six minesweepers that, along with two U.S.-built Osprey-class minesweepers Washington agreed to sell Taipei earlier this year, will be used to replace Taiwan’s aging fleet, a lawmaker said Oct. 19, South China Morning Post reported. The deal will cost more than $938 million and production is scheduled to start in 2012, the lawmaker stated, citing Defense Minister Kao Hua Chu.
Dispatch: China's Rare Earths Leverage STRATFOR
RUSSIA
Russia: 900 State Enterprises To Be Privatized By 2015 October 20, 2010
Russia plans to privatize around 900 enterprises owned or controlled by the Russian Federation or its regions by 2015, and a report on the plan will be submitted to Russian President Dmitri Medvedev immediately, Itar-Tass reported Oct. 20, citing Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov. Shuvalov said the majority of enterprises are in strategic sectors, and would bring the state 1.8 trillion rubles (about $58 billion) in revenue, according to preliminary estimates. He added that regions must prepare for the privatization plan, which will bring as much revenue to the regions as the federal level, and said the Kremlin is working with the regions to determine a list of assets for privatization.
Russia: Participation In European Anti-missile Shield Considered October 19, 2010
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev said his country is considering a proposal to help develop a U.S.-led anti-missile shield for Europe even though the idea worries him, AP reported Oct. 19. The statement came during talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Medvedev said he questions the need for such a missile shield — just as he did when former U.S. President George W. Bush made a similar proposal — and urged all NATO members to rethink the basic purpose of the shield.
IRAN
Iran, Venezuela: Joint Oil Company Agreement Signed October 20, 2010
Iran and Venezuela signed 11 agreements in Tehran on Oct. 20, including one that calls for the establishment of a joint oil company, Mehr News Agency reported. The other agreements call for involvement of the Venezuelan Oil Company in Phase 12 of the South Pars gas field, the construction of a refinery in Syria, cooperation in liquefied natural gas and oil tanker activities and cooperation in the petrochemical and energy sectors. The agreements were signed during the sixth session of the two nations’ joint industrial committee, where both Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez were in attendance.
Iran: Suspects In Stuxnet Virus Identified -Minister October 20, 2010
Iranian Communications Minister Reza Taqipur said individuals involved in spreading the Stuxnet computer virus have been identified, IRIB reported Oct. 20. The route through which the virus was spread has also been identified, Taqipur added, saying that portable and flash drives were the primary means of conveyance. Some of the individuals responsible are foreign experts, had been frequenting industrial centers and transmitted the virus intentionally; others are uninformed people who spread the virus accidentally, Taqipur said.
Iran: 20 Percent-enriched Uranium Supply At 30 Kilograms October 20, 2010
Iran’s current supply of 20 percent-enriched uranium stands at 30 kilograms (66.1 pounds) as Tehran steps up its efforts toward nuclear self-sufficiency, Press TV reported Oct. 20, citing Iranian Atomic Energy Organization chief Ali Akbar Salehi. Iran has also launched a new exploration project, Salehi said. Veins discovered in the Gachin uranium mine in Bandar Abbas are ready for extraction, which will prolong the life the of the mine, Salehi added.
Iran: Prices For Energy Resources To Increase October 20, 2010
Iran plans to increase the cost of seven different types of energy resources by early November, Mehr news agency reported Oct. 20. The prices for gasoline, diesel, kerosene, fuel oil, liquefied petroleum gas, natural gas and electricity will increase as a result of structural reforms in the Iranian economy.
Iran: No Plans To Acquire S300 From Venezuela - DM October 20, 2010
Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi has said that Tehran does not plan to buy the S300 missile system from China or Venezuela, Fars News Agency reported Oct. 20. Vahidi spoke while at a Tehran university. He denied that Russia plans to sell the S300 missile system to Venezuela, allowing Iran to get it from Venezuela, calling the reports “rumors.”
IRAQ
Iraq: 3 Natural Gas Fields Auctioned October 20, 2010
Iraq auctioned off three natural gas fields to international bidders Oct. 20, AFP reported. South Korea’s Korean Gas Corporation and Kazakhstan’s KazMunaiGaz each secured 50 percent of a joint venture to develop the Akkaz field in Anbar province, estimated to hold 158 billion cubic meters in gas reserves. Turkey’s TPAO, Kuwait Energy and the Korean Gas Corporation also secured a contract to develop the Mansuriyah field in Diyala province, believed to hold 127 billion cubic meters of gas, and TPAO and Kuwait Energy won a contract to develop the Siba field in Basra province, estimated to hold 34 billion cubic meters.
ISRAEL
NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT
AFGHANISTAN
NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT
MIDDLE EAST
NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT
SOUTH OF THE BORDER
Mexico: Legislator Resigns To Protect Governor October 19, 2010
Mexican federal legislator Julio Cesar Toscano Godoy said he resigned from the Party of the Democratic Revolution to prevent the “political lynching” of Michoacan state Gov. Leonel Godoy, El Universal reported Oct. 19. Toscano Godoy claimed that he would be used as an instrument for the federal government to harm Godoy and the state of Michoacan. Toscano Godoy is allegedly linked to drug trafficking cartel La Familia Michoacana.
Venezuela: Proposed Law Promotes Nationalization Of Oil Companies October 19, 2010
The Venezuelan government has drafted a law that would make it easier to nationalize assets of oil field service companies, Reuters reported Oct. 19, citing a draft of the law written by the Venezuelan Energy Ministry. Oil and gas operation assets can be subjected to measures of protection, insurance, requisition and expropriation, the draft says. If passed, the law would give the government the right to nationalize assets without parliamentary approval. Additionally, the law would allow the government to set tariffs for service companies, prohibit the relocation of assets outside the country without permission from the state and prevent recourse to international arbitration in disputes. The law is expected to be presented to parliament before the end of this year, unnamed local oil industry sources said.
South Korea, U.S.: Anti-Submarine Exercises Planned October 19, 2010
South Korea and the United States plan to hold joint anti-submarine exercises twice a year beginning 2011, one each in the East and West seas, The Chosun Ilbo reported Oct. 19, citing South Korean Adm. Kim Sung Chan, the chief of naval operations. Also, the South Korean navy will increase anti-submarine drills during the countries’ regular military exercises, and 12 South Korean ships will be fitted with a joint command and control system to access military intelligence from U.S. naval vessels. Also, by 2012, the South Korean navy will acquire 12 rigid-hulled inflatable boats for coastal underwater searches and will build anti-sub training ranges for the First and Second Fleet Commands by 2014. Also, a 14,500-ton landing ship will be built by 2018, according to Kim.
Mexico: 105 Tons Of Marijuana Seized October 19, 2010
More than 105 tons of marijuana contained in 10,000 packages were seized by Mexican authorities in the border town of Tijuana, according to the Mexican military, AFP reported. Eleven people were arrested in the operation, officials
MISC
Cuba: 1,100 Farm Supply Stores Opened October 19, 2010
Cuba has opened approximately 1,100 farm supply stores selling almost 40 types of goods and has ceased supplying these items directly to cooperatives and state farms, ANSA Latina reported Oct. 19. The project began several months ago and is intended to be a cost-cutting measure.
Except where noted courtesy www.stratfor.com
No comments:
Post a Comment