What's going on in the World Today 101027

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USA

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

EUROPE

Dispatch: Balancing British Military Budget Cuts STRATFOR

Dispatch: Militancy Returning to Northern Ireland STRATFOR

ASIA


NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

RUSSIA

Russia: Black Sea Fleet Receives Upgrade October 25, 2010


Russia’s Black Sea Fleet will receive 18 new naval vessels before 2020 including six Project 22350 frigates and Project 677 diesel submarines and two Project 11711 large landing ships, the navy central headquarters said, Interfax reported Oct. 25. The Russian navy will also upgrade its Sukhoi Su-24M bombers before 2016 and replace its Beriev Be-12 amphibious aircraft with the Ilyushin Il-38 anti-submarine aircraft.


Russia: French Shipbuilder Ready To Deliver New Vessels October 26, 2010


French shipbuilder DCNS announced it is ready to deliver Mistral class helicopter carriers to Russia featuring built-in domestic navigation technology, firmer hulls to navigate through ice and thicker take-off decks, DCNS Director Pierre Legros told RIA Novosti Oct. 26, adding there is no restrictions in the transfer of technology and suggested Russia could build four Mistrals domestically. Legros said DCNS is ready to receive the contract from Nov. 4 and complete construction in 36 months.

Russia: Militants Acquiring Arms From Military Depots October 25, 2010

Militants in Russia’s North Caucasus have acquired a significant amount of arms from Russian military supply depots, according to Russian Deputy Prosecutor General Ivan Sydoruk, RIA Novosti reported Oct. 25. Sydoruk said all recent attempts to kill law enforcement officers have used state-of-the-art arms and explosive devices, and the situation is worsening due to the prevalence of corruption and bribery in the North Caucasus, which he said has been occurring for decades.

Russia's Economic Privatization Plan STRATFOR

IRAN


Iran: IRGC Ground Force To Participate In Countrywide Exercises October 25, 2010


The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Ground Force will participate in a series of massive military exercises from Dec. 22, 2010-Jan. 20, 2011, a senior IRGC official said Oct. 25, Fars News Agency reported. The drills, aimed at enhancing combat preparedness for the ground forces, will take place throughout the country, the official said, adding that the forces’ rank and file will participate in the exercises.




Iran: Gas Exports Resume To Turkey October 27, 2010


Gas exports to Turkey resumed Oct. 27 as Mostafa Kashkouli Deputy Managing Director of Iran's National Gas Company said the suspension was due to technical problems at the Bazargan Measuring station but Iranian experts made the required repairs in the shortest possible time in coordination with the BOTAS Petroleum Pipeline Corporation of Turkey, IRNA reported Oct. 27.


Iran: Nuclear Reactor Receives Fuel October 26, 2010


Iran began loading fuel into the Bushehr nuclear reactor, Al-Alam TV reported Oct. 26.


Iraq: Homegrown Al Qaeda More Deadly, Bolder October 26, 2010


Al Qaeda’s Iraqi branch has evolved into a more deadly and bolder insurgency comprised of Iraqi fighters hardened in U.S. prisons, Reuters reported Oct. 26, citing military officials. Calling the fighters the “third generation” of al Qaeda in Iraq, the officials said they are more difficult to fight, because they can blend in, they know the weaknesses of Iraqi society and want to pursue spectacular acts rather than battlefield victories. Maj. Gen. Hassan al-Baidhani, chief of staff for the Baghdad operations command, said the insurgents come from the Bucca and Cropper detention camps and elsewhere. He said they are looking for attention rather than success as they attack heavily protected targets and security forces. Al-Baidhani has documented al Qaeda activity for four years.


Iraq: Former Ministers Sentenced To Death October 26, 2010


Former Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz was sentenced to death by the Supreme Criminal Court of Iraq on Oct. 26, Xinhua reported, citing the state-run Iraqia TV. The sentence comes after Aziz, who served under Saddam Hussein, was found guilty of “liquidation of religious parties.” Iraqia TV added former Interior Minister Saadoun Shaker and Secretary to Hussein Hamid al-Tikriti were also sentenced to death.


Israel: Construction To Begin On Border Fence October 27, 2010


Israel will begin construction on a 250-kilometer (155-mile) fence along its southern border with Egypt “within weeks,” AFP reported Oct. 27. The barrier, whose construction was approved in March, is meant to curb the flow of illegal immigrants, according to a statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. Defense officials said construction of the barrier will begin in November. Netanyahu said he wants to see “tangible results regarding the start of work on the ground barrier” incoming weeks and that the security Cabinet would meet on the subject in a month.

AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan: President Confirms Payments From Iran October 25, 2010

Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Oct. 25 acknowledged his office has received cash payments from Iran, but insists the process was transparent, BBC News reported. According to a New York Times report, the money was intended to promote Iranian interests in Kabul. Karzai said the money was not for individual use; rather, it was intended for the president’s office.


Afghanistan: NATO Reintegration Program In Early Stages October 27, 2010

Efforts to disarm and reintegrate Taliban militants into society are in the early stages, with only four or five groups disarmed and contact made with 25 other groups, many of which have only loose ties to the Taliban, Maj. Gen. Philip Jones said Oct. 27, Reuters reported. The head of NATO’s reintegration program, Jones said the fragmented nature of the insurgency necessitates a focus on all levels, adding it is “extraordinarily difficult” to create the requisite conditions for reintegration. An Afghan spokesman for the program said thus far only small, local groups predominantly in the west and north have been demobilized.

U.S.: Taliban Tactics Have Shifted In Afghanistan October 27, 2010

The Afghan Taliban has shifted its tactics in recent weeks to include assassination and intimidation, a U.S. intelligence official said, The Washington Post reported Oct. 27. A U.S. official, citing U.S. intelligence assessments, said that as many as 100 representatives of the Afghan government in and near Kandahar have been targeted for assassination. The Taliban have sent lieutenants to talk to Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government, but that move seems to have been made mostly out of curiosity, officials said. CIA Director Leon Panetta recently told reporters that if there are Taliban elements willing to reconcile, such efforts should be explored, but he has not seen any indications of a serious effort at reconciliation.

MIDDLE EAST

NOTHING SIGNIFICANT TO REPORT

SOUTH OF THE BORDER

Colombia: Two Explosive Devices Defused October 25, 2010

Colombian authorities defused two explosive devices attributed to The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia on Oct. 24, Xinhua reported Oct. 25. A cylindrical device loaded with explosives was found near the landing area of a northeastern airport and was controlled by an electric system targeted at those who used the planes, said military authorities. The second device was found at a bus station in Neiva city in the southern part of the country.Venezuela: Overcoming an Election Setback STRATFOR


Mexico: 13 Killed In Detoxification Center October 25, 2010

Gunfire killed thirteen retirees at a Tijuana detoxification center in Mexico, said a police official, AFP reported Oct. 25.

Venezuela: Iran To Join LNG Project October 25, 2010

Iran’s Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Company will take part in a Venezuelan LNG production project by providing engineers to carry out the front-end engineering and design phase of the project with the capacity of 5.4 million tons, INSA reported Oct. 25. The National Iranian Oil Company will transfer 10 percent of its share in Iran’s LNG Company to Venezuelan National Oil Company, in turn Venezuela will allocate 20 percent of its share in the Delta Caribe project to Iran’s LNG company.

Mexico: Monterrey Security Law Approved October 27, 2010

The congress of Mexico’s Nuevo Leon state approved an emergency police law that will allow the governor to establish a unified police command for municipalities in the Monterrey metropolitan area, El Universal reported Oct. 27. The legislation will allow the state governor to intervene in municipal affairs in emergencies or events that threaten public order.


Colombia: FARC Uses Homeless People To Carry Explosives October 27, 2010

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have used homeless people to deliver explosives used in attacks, according to Colombian armed forces commander Adm. Edgar Cely, El Espectador reported Oct. 27. Cely said the most recent incident occurred in Neiva, Huila department, where a homeless man was used to deliver an improvised explosive device that was detonated, killing the man.


Mexico: 8 Injured In Grenade Attack On Tamaulipas Police Building October 27, 2010
An armed group attacked the headquarters of the metropolitan police in Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas state, on Oct. 27, Mexican daily Milenio reported. The attackers threw grenades at the building, which is guarded by soldiers and naval personnel, at about 7 a.m. local time, injuring eight people, unofficial sources said.

Mexico: Shootout Closes Bridge, Leaves 3 Police Dead October 27, 2010

Unidentified gunmen killed three undercover Mexican federal police officers Oct. 26 as they waited for a person to cross the Cordova Americas International Bridge between Ciudad Juarez and El Paso, Texas, AP reported Oct. 27, citing local authorities. The shootout briefly forced the closure of the bridge.
Mexico Security Memo: Oct. 25, 2010 Above the Tearline: Counterterrorism and Connecting the Dots STRATFOR

Except where noted courtesy www.stratfor.com

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