Hot Spots Around the World
Mar 18
2008
HOT-SPOTS AROUND THE WORLD
China
Military observers point to the fact the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has increased the number of its belligerent military drills. These include the ground forces, the air force and the PLA South China Sea Fleet. Chinese officials talking in Beijing to journalists and diplomats said there is no specific definition for the drills but agreed the landing of amphibious forces and rapid deployment of missile batteries near the Straits of Taiwan, are a clear message to the government in Taipei and therefore to its allies China has not abandoned her quest to re-unite Taiwan with mainland China. In Taiwan the military is closely following the events and is demonstrating its readiness to fight in case of a Chinese invasion. Taiwanese historians are reiterating the island’s history, which for generations was either independent or under Japanese control. Comment: It is important to note that most drills took place between the urban centers of Guangzhou and Ningbu. Geographical comparison: total area of China 9,596,960 sq.km. Slightly smaller than the U.S. Chinese borders: Afghanistan 76 km., Bhutan 470 km., Burma 2,185 km., India 3,380 km., Kazakhstan 1,533 km., North Korea 1.416 km., Kyrgizstan 858 km., Laos 423 km., Mongolia 4,677 km., Nepal 1,236 km., Pakistan 523 km., Russia-North East 3,605 km, Russia-North West 40, Tajikistan 414 km., Vietnam 1,281 km. Total borders: 22,117 km. Coastline: 14,500 km. The shortest distance between mainland China and Taiwan is about 200 km. across the Straits of Taiwan.
Afghanistan
According to analysts familiar with the region NATO, the U.S. and the Afghani intelligence had anticipated the latest military developments in Afghanistan. The neo-Taliban are initiating hostile operations as part of their long anticipated spring campaign. The problems faced by NATO forces, the U.S. led coalition and the Afghani security forces are their inability to successfully secure the border with neighboring countries, predominantly Pakistan and Iran. According to a Pakistani official various pockets of tribal militias are scattered along the border of north Vaziristan. The Pakistani army is limiting its operations against these pockets, estimated at anywhere between 600 to 1,000 mixed Pakistani and Taliban fighters. In one clash near the village of Mir Shah Pakistani troops claimed to have killed 11 guerrillas of whom three were not Afghani or Pakistanis. This group was probably linked to an al-Qaeda cell. Careful review of the role Pakistan is playing in the latest developments shows Islamabad, concerned with the high cost in human lives and material, will not risk an all out operation to clear north Vaziristan.
Comment: The total length of the Pakistani-Afghani border is 2,430 km. North Vaziristan is the most troubled area where pro-Taliban and al-Qaeda are active. Other troubled areas are the Northwestern Frontier Province and Balochistan. Afghanistan is divided into tribal groups based on their habitat regions. There are eight major ethnic groups with Pashtun being the majority of about 42 percent. There are 34 provinces known as Velayat. Most of the problems are in the south and the Kabul area with other provinces less involved in the struggle.
Sri Lanka
Spokespersons of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elem, (LTTE) told journalists their four-year long truce with the Colombo government might end any day now. According to an LTTE official “the situation on the ground is that of low intensity war.” Since December 2005 the LTTE have increased the number of attacks on the military and the military has responded with search and destroy operations by infantry and from time to time by launching air raids, especially against targets in the Jaffna Peninsula. Since January of this year more than 250 people lost their lives.
Comment: Sri Lanka is an island nation previously known as Ceylon with India being their closest neighbor. The closest point is at Palk Bay with a distance of less than 100 km. The Tamil rebels are concentrated mainly in the Jaffna Peninsula and archipelago and along the coastline between Jaffna and Batticaloa in the Bay of Bengal. There are five major ethnic groups with 73,8 percent being Sinhalese versus 3,9 percent Tamils and 4,6 percent Indian-Tamil. The main religion is Buddhist. Since the beginning of the civil war in the 80s many Tamils fled the country and became refugees around the world, close to 300,000 Tamils live in refugee camps and a large number of Tamils found refuge in Tamil regions in India. An estimated number of Tamils in Canada and the U.S. amounts to 150,000, many of them in the greater Toronto area.
Comoros
Last week’s presidential elections in the Comoro archipelago off the shores of East Africa, propelled to power a radical Muslim cleric who although being Sunni studied Islam in Iran. Ahmad Mahmoud Sami, nicknamed The Ayatollah, promised to “be fair while adhering to Islamic Shariia law.” Representatives of the African Union monitored the election campaign and ballots were secured by South African troops. Since independence in 1976 the Comoros has been plagued by 19 coups. Comment: The archipelago is made up of three major islands. Total area: 2,170 sq.km. Slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington D.C. Population: 691,000 most of them Sunni Muslims.
Venezuela
In an obvious attempt to further anger the U.S. administration the Venezuelan government said it is weighing options for the use of U.S. made military hardware. A practical U.S. embargo on weapons and American military know-how is forcing the Venezuelan army to limit training hours and to sharply cut back training and reconnaissance sorties of the country’s 21 U.S. made F-16 fighter jets. The jets were purchased in the late 80s and are the backbone of the Venezuelan air force. The Venezuelan chief of staff said in Caracas: “It is better to sell the jets to a third party rather than being faced with a shortage of spare parts.” He also said Venezuela will soon receive Russian made Sukhoi fighter jets. One option highlighted by government circles is to sell the 21 F-16s to none other than Iran. Venezuela signed an agreement that no American made weapon systems are to be sold to a third party unless approved by the U.S.
Comment: On Friday May 19 the Venezuelan ministry of defense announced a shift from U.S. and western made weapon systems to Russian and Chinese products, which are easier to purchase, as there are not strings attached. It is important to note that President Hugo Chavez’s policies are a source of concern also to the Dutch government because of Chavez’s hint it is about time to end “Dutch colonialism in the Netherlands’ Antilles,” a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea off the shores of Venezuela.
Russia
Former Russian atomic energy minister and top nuclear scientist Yavgeni Adamov was denied bail while appearing in a Moscow court. Adamov was extradited from Switzerland following a legal struggle between the U.S. and Russia. The U.S. government accused Adamov of embezzlement by stealing millions of dollars earmarked for helping Russia dismantle nuclear weapons. If tried in the U.S. Adamov could receive a 60 years prison term. Russia argued that since Adamov is a Russian they come first. Moscow accuses the infamous scientist of stealing some 100 million dollars, selling know how to foreign countries and endangering Russian interests around the world. If sentenced in Moscow Adamov could face only 10 years imprisonment. It is obvious Russia was concerned with the prospect of having a man of Adamov’s caliber questioned by U.S. agents. Comment: Suspicions and accusations related to the Adamov case include also a U.S. citizen Mark Kaushansky, a former Westinghouse Electric Corp. nuclear power plant engineer. He is being charged with 20 indictments.
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