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Monday, May 7, 2012

What's going on in the World Today 120507

From Dana Perino on her co-host The Five

@greggutfeld has been scouring his family tree and has just discovered he's 1/64 Klingon. He's filling out all sorts of forms tonight.


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USA

Is the Black Bloc Bouncing Back?

Obama and the U.S.-Afghan Policy

April 30, Orlando Sentinel – (International) Feds: Soldier sold stolen arms on eBay. A U.S. soldier with connections to Orlando, Florida, sold stolen arms to buyers on eBay while he was deployed in Iraq in 2010, according to DHS investigators. The man is accused of violating federal law regarding the export of sensitive technology such as night-vision equipment, rifle scopes, and high-powered infrared lasers not intended for the public, according to an affidavit filed in federal court in Orlando. The man told buyers he was retired from the military and based in Orlando selling surplus equipment, investigators said. His listing touted the arms as being extremely rare and “impossible to find on the international market,” the affidavit said. He shipped lasers to buyers in Japan and Nevada, a high-tech satellite phone was sent to Kuwait, and other equipment was shipped to California. The items were sold for a few thousand dollars each. eBay eventually took down the postings because they violated its policies. Investigators tracked down some recipients and recovered stolen items. The man told investigators that while he was in the military guarding non-combat envoys, he came across a container with the items and brought them all back to Orlando. He claimed he did not know civilians were prohibited from possessing the equipment, but knew it was wrong to sell them. However, the man’s e-mails with a buyer in Japan show he knew he was violating international arms trafficking regulations and falsified shipping documents to conceal the items as “auto parts.” Source: http://www.military.com/news/article/feds-soldier-sold-stolen-arms-on- ebay.html

EUROPE

Germany Looks to Partner With Italy

Nationalism, Populism and the Collapse of the EU

Greek Traditional Parties Fall Short of Majority in Elections

In Ireland, Militants Take Advantage of Intelligence Gap

Challenges Facing the New French President

ASIA

Islamism in Azerbaijan: A Rising but Manageable Threat

China: Two Economic Models and the Ideological Divide in Chongqing

Indonesia: Government To Impose Tax On 14 Mineral Commodities May 2, 2012 

Indonesian Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik on May 1 announced 14 mineral commodities that will become subject to an export tax, varying between 20 and 50 percent, if sold in the form of ore, The Jakarta Post reported. The official policy on the tax will be announced May 6 followed by the issuance of a new regulation to legally implement the policy, Wacik said. The 14 commodities that will be subject to the tax are copper, gold, silver, tin, lead, chromium, molybdenum, platinum, bauxite, iron ore, iron sand, nickel, manganese and antimony.

Japan: U.S. To Shift 9,000 Marines Out Of Okinawa April 27, 2012 

The United States will move 9,000 Marines out of Japan's southern Okinawa to Guam, Hawaii and other locations, said a joint statement agreed by Tokyo and Washington, Xinhua reported April 26. The redeployment will shift U.S. troops to Guam, Hawaii and Australia. The two sides said they remained committed to the relocation of the Futenma base from its urban location to a coastal place. The statement said the total cost of the relocation to Guam was expected to be 8.6 billion dollars.
 
AFRICA

The Geopolitics of Angola: An Exception to African Geography

RUSSIA

Managing Russia

Russia

Without NATO, Russia Holds Its Own Missile Defense Conference
 
IRAN

Iran: Implications of Ahmadinejad
 
IRAQ

Iraq: Shiite Forces Try to Contain the Prime Minister
 
ISRAEL

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT
 
AFGHANISTAN

India and Afghanistan Push for Lasting Ties

MIDDLE EAST

Return of Al Qaeda

Crisis for Jordan

Oman

SOUTH OF THE BORDER

Mexico: Barrio Azteca

Peru Targets the Remnants of Shining Path

Spanish Companies
 
Mexico Security Memo: Long Fight Between Military, Gunmen in Sinaloa
MISC

Geopolitical Calendar: Week of May 7, 2012
 

 
Except where noted courtesy STRATFOR.COM
 

 

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