Cash flow: This graphic shows how much money is being sent by migrants to their families back home and where it is being transferred from in a transient economy that topped £335billion last year, according to new figures by the World Bank
How Migrants Are Sending £335BILLION To Their Struggling Families Back Home... More Than Three Times The World's Total Aid Budget -- Daily Mail
The amount of money being sent by migrants to their families back home topped £335billion last year, making it a larger economy than Iran or Argentina, it was revealed today.
The figure has tripled in the last ten years and is now three times bigger than the total aid budgets given by countries around the world as more people than ever choose to live abroad.
It has sparked debate whether this so-called remittance money could be a viable alternative to relying on help from other governments.
My Comment: While some countries do need aid, this transfer of wealth is vastly more productive than most aid projects .... and a break for taxpayers. But aid projects are usually pet projects for the government in power .... and because they have their own agendas and foreign policies to pursue, I do not expect any changes in future aid projects and programs.
For Defense Sector, Americans’ Support For Military Cuts Is An Inconvenient Truth -- Defense News
For Pentagon officials, defense-sector CEOs and congressional hawks, it is perhaps the most inconvenient of all truths: Most Americans want Washington to spend less on the military.
More Americans pointed to the Defense Department and wars than to any other issue when asked for their opinion about areas where Washington spends too much, according to a new poll released Jan. 30.
Twenty-one percent pointed to Pentagon and war spending, with 17 percent identifying federal-employee salaries and campaigns, states the Reason-Rupe poll, conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Thirteen percent pointed to welfare and social programs, with the same percentage citing foreign aid.
My Comment: Most Americans are disconnected from the military .... they do not serve and/or are not directly involved in the defense industry .... hence this altitude towards defense spending. But the reality is very different ..... many of us are employed indirectly with the military .... and the economy itself is heavily dependent on what the defense budget will fund. But after Afghanistan, the war of choice on Iraq, the war on terror .... the American public is getting tired of funding all of these conflicts .... and they want out. Cutting the defense budget is one way to accomplish that.
Two leading Republican defense hawks say they’re worried about the lack of urgency over the sequestration deadline, now just weeks away.
Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) said they aren’t happy with the lack of action in Washington — from both parties — amid a growing sense among lawmakers that the across-the-board cuts are going to take effect on March 1.
“Here we are, a month away, and if you believe the Defense Department … They’re going to tell us we’re destroying the finest military in the history of the world at a time we need it most, and everybody is saying, ‘Well, whatever’ — I can’t explain it,” Graham said. Read more .... My Comment: So the GOP politicians who voted for sequestration a year and a half ago are now upset and surprised that it is going to actually happen .... unbelievable. They have been so outplayed and outmaneuvered on this issue, that I do not even think they are aware of how stupid they look. And here is the punchline .... they are going to be blamed by the public for this mess when it hits everyone next month .... not the Democrats in Congress and not the President in the White House.
Defense Biz Ignores Pending Cuts—A Case Of Denial? -- David Francis, The Fiscal Times
Wall Street and the rest of the country woke up yesterday to the surprising news that the U.S. Gross Domestic Product had contracted in the fourth quarter of 2012, falling by 0.1 percent. The news was especially disappointing in light of analysts’ expectations of 1.1 percent growth. It was also the first time GDP growth was negative since 2009.
The drop was attributed to a 22 percent drop in defense spending in the fourth quarter, shaving 1.28 percentage points from GDP. What’s alarming about this decrease is that it happened before the more than $50 billion in sequestration cuts, set to take effect in March.
My Comment: They and everyone else are in denial on what will be the inevitable impact of high deficits and unsustainable debt on their businesses and personal lives.
Captain Lucas Gruenther. U.S. Air Force (Facebook)
Pilot From Downed Air Force F-16 Found Dead In The Adriatic -- Business Insider
The pilot of an Air Force F-16 that went down in the Adriatic has been found dead after a massive three day search by Italian and American armed forces.
We reported Monday that an American F-16 flying in formation out of Aviano Air Base in Italy had lost radio contact and went down somewhere in the Adriatic — today search teams found the body of Captain Lucas Gruenther.
Assad’s Office Posts Pictures Of His Wife Looking Decidedly Not Pregnant -- Washington Post
The office of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has posted photographs of his wife Asma that suggest she is definitely not pregnant, contrary to rumors that have been circulating for months.
The five pictures posted on the Facebook page of the president’s media office were supposedly taken in Damascus on Jan. 22 and show a slender-looking Asma greeting Syrian students at a scientific competition. Though their date and location cannot be independently confirmed, they represent the strongest official attempt yet to deny the rumored pregnancy.
Read more .... My Comment: This photo is all wrong. There are trees in the picture and the people in it are dressed for fall. It is winter in Syria right now.
Israel Faces Repercussions Of Air Strike On Syria -- The Guardian
Jewish state maintains its traditional silence in the face of accusations that it violated Syria's sovereign territory.
Israel faces threats of retaliation after Wednesday's bombing on the Syrian-Lebanese border, with Russia and the Arab League describing it as a violation of Syria's sovereignty. Syria and Iran threatened to respond to the military intervention, which was widely ascribed to Israeli forces.
Warplanes targeted a "scientific research centre" near Damascus, according to Syrian state television. Other reports said a convoy believed to be carrying Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles across the border to Hezbollah in Lebanon was struck.
Soldiers march past the podium during a military parade in Pyongyang (Reuters)
North Korea 'Under Martial Law' -- The Telegraph
North Korea has been placed under martial law and Kim Jong-un has told his front-line troops to "be ready for a war," according to South Korean media reports.
n an emergency meeting of his top defence and security officials on Saturday, the North Korean leader issued a series of orders that included the conclusion of preparations for a new nuclear test, the Joongang Daily reported.
North Korean state media has also reported that Kim ordered his officials to take "effective, high-profile state measures."
While it has been anticipated that Pyongyang will go ahead with what will be the regime's third nuclear test, in spite of international pressure to refrain from doing so, analysts had predicted that the blast would be timed to coincide with the birthday on February 16 of Kim Jong-il, the former leader who died in late 2011, or the inauguration of the new government in South Korea nine days later.
The reports now suggest that the demonstration of North Korea's nuclear prowess is more imminent.
Don't Look Now, But Iran And North Korea Are Upping Their Nuclear Games -- Alexander Abad-Santos, The Atlantic
There are two countries in this world that we'd rather not see tinker with nuclear energy: Iran and North Korea. And it just so happens one of those is now prepping for a nuclear test, while the other is bragging about how it's putting its program into overdrive.
Let's start in Iran. "Iran is poised for a major technological update of its uranium enrichment program, allowing it to vastly increase production of the material that can be used for both reactor fuel and nuclear warheads," diplomats told the AP on Thursday. According to sources at the International Atomic Energy Agency, officials in Iran are mounting 3,132 "new-generation centrifuges" which likely means they're done with research and now moving on to enrichment, which in the big picture, "will reduce the timeline for Iran being able to produce a weapon's worth of fissile material," an expert told the AP. Read more .... Update #1:Why Iran's nuclear enrichment upgrade may be a 'game changer' -- Peter Grier, Christian Science Monitor Update #2:Analysis: What is driving North Korea's nuclear test plan -- BBC
My Comment: Who is going to stop them .... at the moment nobody .... and the North Koreans/Iranians know that.
Hagel Faces Barrage Of Criticism During Tense Confirmation Hearing -- FOX News
WASHINGTON – Defense secretary nominee Chuck Hagel endured a barrage of criticism Thursday during his all-day confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill, challenged repeatedly by Republican lawmakers about his past positions on Israel, Iran, Iraq and other issues he'd be sure to confront at the helm of the Pentagon.
The former Nebraska Republican senator was compelled under questioning to walk back a series of past statements, including one in which he complained about the "Jewish lobby." He had several sparring partners throughout the day, but was questioned perhaps most aggressively by fellow Vietnam War veteran Sen. John McCain and freshman Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, both Republicans.
Hagel's Hearing: 7 Things We Learned -- Frank James, NPR
So what did we learn from Secretary of Defense nominee Chuck Hagel's sometimes rocky confirmation hearing Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee?
1) We learned that the former two-term Republican senator from Nebraska with the reputation for speaking his mind and not sticking to his party's talking points has through the years said lots of things that could be used against him in such a setting.
14 Killed, 100 Injured In Blast At Mexican State Oil Company Offices -- CNN
Mexico City (CNN) -- An explosion rocked the offices of Mexico's state oil company Thursday, killing at least 14 people and injuring dozens more, officials said.
At least 100 people were injured in the Mexico City blast, Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong told Foro TV.
Dozens of people were trapped in the building after the blast, Foro TV reported.
Osorio Chong said rescuers were searching for survivors in the Pemex office complex, which includes one of the city's tallest skyscrapers.
The explosion occurred in the basement of a building adjacent to the well-known tower, officials said.
My Comment: No one is saying it publicly, but everyone is wondering if this is a terror attack from Mexico's drug cartels. If true .... this is a worrisome development. When Colombia's drug cartels declared war against their central government, it resulted in a conflict that killed thousands and lasted for years. Mexico's drug cartels have been primarily at war with themselves .... if they are now shifting their fight to the government .... I can easily visualize some terrible scenarios for Mexico that will make the past 6 years of drug warfare puny in comparison.
Israeli jets are reported to have attacked inside Syria - hitting either a research facility or a weapons convoy destined for Hezbollah militants in neighbouring Lebanon - or both. BBC News explains what we know.
What happened late on Tuesday and early on Wednesday?
Information about possible Israeli air strikes first emerged in neighbouring Lebanon. In a statement, the Lebanese Army said 12 Israeli planes had entered Lebanese airspace in three waves for an extended period of time - from 16:30 (14:30 GMT) on Tuesday to 07:55 (05:55 GMT) on Wednesday. It did not mention any attacks. Hours later, however, the general command of the Syrian Army issued its own statement saying low-flying Israeli jets had crossed into Syria over the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and bombed a military research centre in the area of Jamraya, north-west of the capital, Damascus. Read more .... My Comment: So it appears that Israel struck at two targets .... one being a convoy, and the other being a military installation that was protected by Iranian Revolutionary Guards and housing Russian experts (experts in what we do not know). Heavy casualties have been reported, with Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah being particularly vehement in their denunciations.
At least that is what some media outlets are now reporting.
Will there be further Israeli strikes .... I do not know. But I suspect that Israel must have some excellent intelligence assets on the ground that had to make them decide that such an operation had to be conducted .... that a message had to be sent to tell the Syrians, Iranians, and Hezbollah that they know what they are doing ..... and that if these "red lines" are passed .... the Israelis would attack. But will the Syrians, Iranians, and Hezbollah listen .... hmmm .... probably not. If anything .... I would wager that they are now plotting revenge.
My Comment: If you want to listen to and/or watch the hearing .... the above video has it all (i.e. 6 hours worth). I must confess that I did listen to most of it .... actually more as back ground noise while I did other stuff.
What's my impression of the hearing .... in short .... Sen. Chuck Hagel was not prepared .... and for me that was a surprised. He knows that he has a long history of making public remarks that most Americans will disagree with .... and he should have known that they would be brought up in these hearings. But he was not ready, and Senator's McCain and Graham were very successful in putting him on the spot. My guess is that being a former senator .... he probably thought that he would have the same pass that was afforded to Sen Kerry when he had his confirmation hearing for Secretary of State a few days ago. LOL .... that certainly did not happen today.
Are there enough votes to derail this confirmation .... definitely not. The Democrats are going to vote as one, and Chuck Hagel will be the next Secretary of Defense. But Chuck Hagel did lose some political capital, and he must now be ready to expect even more harsher questions when defense budget cutbacks are proposed and submitted to Congress in the near future.
But the real target for today's hearings was not Chuck Hagel .... it was President Obama. And while his name was only mentioned a few times .... he was the 800lb gorilla in the room that everyone was conscious of. He may now has his nominee .... but if today's hearings are any indication .... the real battle is about to begin.
Approximate path of alleged Israeli strike on Syria's border with Lebanon, Jan. 30, 2013, according to foreign reports. Haaretz
Israel Strikes A Syrian Target And Lays Down A Marker -- David Ignatius, Washington Post
As Syria descends into war and chaos, Israel has entered the fray, reportedly striking a target in the surburbs northwest of Damascus where the Syrians apparently had placed a new SA-17 antiaircraft missile battery.
The Israeli attack on the SA-17 missiles was first reported Wednesday by the Associated Press. What’s intriguing is that the same area that was hit — the Jamraya research center in the suburb known as Dummar, northwest of Damascus — is also a center for chemical weapons research. This led some Syrian opposition sources to believe that the Israelis’ real target was the chemical weapons center.
Syria Warns Israel Of 'Surprise' Retaliation -- Al Jazeera
Diplomat's threat comes as Syrian ally Iran says air raid near Damascus will have significant implications for Israel.
Syria has threatened to retaliate for an Israeli air attack while its ally Iran says there will be repercussions for Israel over the attack.
Ali Abdul-Karim Ali, Syrian ambassador to Lebanon, said in Damascus on Thursday that Syria "has the option and the capacity to surprise in retaliation".
Armenian Presidential Candidate Injured In Assassination Attempt -- RT
An Armenian presidential candidate has been shot in the center of Yerevan, the country's capital, late Thursday. The 64-year-old Paruyr Hayrikyan of the Union for National Self-Determination party, was taken to hospital following the incident.
Hayrikyan was taken to the Saint Gregory the Illuminator medical center with two gunshot wounds, in the shoulder and in the chest. The chest wound is considered serious, but not immediately life-threatening, medics said. Read more ....
More News On Armenian Presidential Candidate Paruyr Hayrikyan Injured In An Assassination Attempt
A Cyberattack From China: TimesCast: Chinese hackers infiltrated The New York Times’s computer systems, getting passwords for its reporters and others.
Hackers in China Attacked The Times for Last 4 Months -- New York Times
SAN FRANCISCO — For the last four months, Chinese hackers have persistently attacked The New York Times, infiltrating its computer systems and getting passwords for its reporters and other employees.
After surreptitiously tracking the intruders to study their movements and help erect better defenses to block them, The Times and computer security experts have expelled the attackers and kept them from breaking back in.
The timing of the attacks coincided with the reporting for a Times investigation, published online on Oct. 25, that found that the relatives of Wen Jiabao, China’s prime minister, had accumulated a fortune worth several billion dollars through business dealings.
My Comment: The New York Times (and other media outlets) better get use to such attacks .... the web is an important source of revenues for these media outlets, and those who may not appreciate the coverage that they receive (i.e. North Korea, China, Iran, etc.) may as retribution start targeting these web properties and services.
Egypt Opposition Forces Gear Up For More Anti-Govt Rallies On Friday -- Ahram Online
Opposition parties, 'revolutionary' movements call for yet another round of Friday demonstrations against President Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood and Egypt's newly-approved constitution.
At a Thursday press conference held at Egyptian Popular Current headquarters, 16 political parties and movements announced plans to take part in nationwide protests on Friday.
Calls for the demonstrations were originally issued by the National Salvation Front (NSF), Egypt's largest opposition bloc.
The NSF announced that "peaceful marches" would set out for the Presidential Palace in Cairo's Heliopolis district to reiterate "demands of the revolution." Among these are the dismissal of the current government, amendment of the recently-approved constitution and the appointment of a new prosecutor-general.
Reduction talks: A Russian Topol-12M mobile nuclear missile is being moved at a strategic forces base near the central Russian city of Yoshkar-Ola
Vice President Joe Biden Will Meet Russia's Foreign Minister For New Talks Over Reducing Nuclear Weapons -- Daily Mail
* Meeting between statesmen will take place in Munich, Germany * It is first talks since New START arms reduction programme was agreed
Vice President Joe Biden will meet Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov this weekend to try to spark new U.S.-Russia talks over reducing their countries' nuclear arsenals.
The meeting will take place in Munich, Germany, before National Security Advisor Tom Donilon travels to Moscow for a second round of talks next month.
It comes after years of tension between the U.S. and Russia that has included President Vladimir Putin accusing the U.S. of meddling in his country's politics.
The U.S. said the target was a truck convoy carrying weapons bound for Hezbollah (Baz Ratner/REUTERS)
Israel’s Strike On Syria As A Dress Rehearsal For Conflict With Iran -- Washington Post
The Israel-Iran standoff, in which Israel has long signaled its willingness to strike suspected Iranian nuclear sites if they come too close to producing a weapon, got a sort of very-small-scale dress rehearsal on Wednesday. The Israeli air force attacked a target inside Syria, Tehran’s closest ally, which set off the expected condemnations (from Syria, Iran, Russia and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah) and fears of reprisal.
Both Israel and Iran will likely be observing the fallout from the attack closely, trying to determine what it might say about how an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities would play out in the region. It’s too early to say what, if anything, they could learn. But the possibility that they might extrapolate lessons about a potential Israel-Iran conflict gives added significance – and added risk – to every action and reaction in the coming hours and days.
My Comment: I would have to say that this was not a dress rehearsal for a military strike against Iran. Launching a military strike against Iran would involve enormous resources .... resources that the Israelis just do not have. But if they were to launch a strike, it would be to drag in the international community on a political level and to use them as a lever to stop Iran's nuclear program. I call this the "Hail Mary's pass" .... if all fails just ratch-up the pressure and let the outside powers come in and sort out the mess. Is this feasible .... I personally think not .... but who knows what they are thinking (or what they are intending to do) in Jerusalem .... and maybe that was one of the points on why yesterday's Israeli action was approved.
Syria’s Allies Denounce Israeli Strike -- Washington Post
JERUSALEM — Syria’s allies on Thursday strongly condemned Israel’s airstrike on a Syrian target, calling the move “open aggression” that challenged the legitimacy of the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
Angry statements from Russia, Iran and the militantly anti-Israel group Hezbollah underscored the risk that Israel’s action — which analysts and Western officials described as an attempt to stop the transfer of weapons from Syria to Hezbollah outposts in Lebanon — could hasten the spillover of the civil war in Syria into a wider conflict.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visits the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility. (Reuters)
Iran Is Said to Be Set to Accelerate Uranium Enrichment -- New York Times
LONDON — Iran has told the United Nations nuclear supervisory body that it plans to install more sophisticated equipment at its principal nuclear enrichment plant, a diplomat said on Thursday, enabling it to greatly accelerate its processing of uranium in a move likely to alarm the United States, Israel and the West.
The diplomat, based in Vienna which is the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency, cited a letter from Iranian officials to the I.A.E.A. saying it wants to upgrade its main enrichment plant at Natanz. The upgrade could speed up enrichment by as much as two or three times, the diplomat said, requesting anonymity in light of the confidential nature of the Iranian note.
My Comment: The Russian response to this uranium enrichment acceleration illustrates how much they are in denial on what is happening .... and totally uninterested in Western concerns. Their response is here.
Mali Militants 'In Disarray' After French Air Strikes -- BBC
Three weeks of French targeted air strikes in northern Mali have left Islamist militants "in disarray", France's defence minister has said.
Jean-Yves Le Drian said the jihadists had now scattered, marking a "turning-point" in France's intervention.
His comments come as the French troops continue to secure Kidal, the last town occupied by militants.
The latest strikes have been on command centres, training camps and depots north of Kidal, a spokesman has said.
Col Thierry Burkhard said the "fairly significant" targets had been hit in the Aguelhok mountains near the Algerian border, reports the AFP news agency.
'Incalculable Waste' In U.S.-Paid $100 Billion Afghan Fund -- Washington Examiner
The unprecedented $100 billion program slated to rebuild war-torn Afghanistan has been ravaged by theft, cost overruns, bribes, unused facilities and "incalculable waste," and now the federal auditor of the reconstruction effort is urging Congress to make sure taxpayers are getting their money's worth before spending more.
But, warned an urgently written quarterly report to Congress from the Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction, even if Congress gives the OK, auditing how Afghanistan spends the largest rebuilding fund in U.S. history will be difficult after American troops leave in October 2013.
My Comment: I have commented before that even if a trillion dollar Afghan aid fund was set up .... within a decade the money will be gone and there will be very little if anything to show for it. The culture of corruption, tribalism, sectarianism, and a long history of conflict are the root problems for Afghanistan. And while I do expect Afghanistan to one day rise from this mess .... it will do so on it's own terms and over a long period of time .... and $100 billion government aid packages will not expedite this process.
The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction's website is here.
U.S. Officials Failed To Verify That Fuel For Afghan Forces Did Not Come From Iran, Report Says -- Washington Post
American officials in Afghanistan have failed to verify that fuel purchased for Afghan security forces in recent years did not come from Iran, which would constitute a violation of U.S. sanctions, according to an inspector general report issued Wednesday.
The report warned that “it will become more difficult” to make sure assistance to Afghanistan complies with sanctions on Iran as the U.S. military footprint in the country continues to shrink over the next two years. The United States intends to start giving a fuel stipend for Afghan forces to the Afghan Ministry of Defense in March, rather than directly supplying units in the field.
My Comment: I suspect that the reason why this oil was purchased was because it was the lowest bid (if no bribes were paid off that is). With not much money in the bank, it will not surprise me if Afghanistan starts to purchase Iranian oil (if the price is right) once NATO and U.S. forces leave. As for the Iranians, I am sure that they must be sensitive to the leverage that they have over the Afghan government on this issue, and will probably be positioning themselves to take advantage of this "leverage" once U.S./NATO officials have left.
U.S. soldiers and Afghan border police depart Observation Point 12 along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and head to the landing zone for an awaiting UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter in Kunar province, Afghanistan, Jan. 21, 2013. U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Jon Heinrich
Congressional Watchdog Questions Size Of Afghan Forces -- Defense News
If the $10 billion in fiscal 2013 funds earmarked for reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan is ever unlocked from congressional budget battles, the total bill for American reconstruction efforts in that country will hit $98 billion, according to a new government watchdog report released Jan. 30.
Roughly $55 billion of that total will have gone toward recruiting, training, equipping and fielding the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) alone, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) said in its latest quarterly report to Congress.
