UPI International Intelligence articles from March 2009

UPI International Intelligence archives from March 2009

Walker's World: The EU's solidarity test.
March 2, 2009... Byline: MARTIN WALKER BERLIN, March 2 (UPI) -- The financial crash is becoming a defining moment for the European Union, an economic shock that is testing the system's political solidarity to the limit. Europe's banks and governments have...

Scholar: Iraq plan in step with rhetoric.
March 2, 2009... WASHINGTON, March 2 (UPI) -- Supporters of U.S. President Barack Obama should not be surprised by the administration's plans to end combat operations in Iraq, a scholar said. "Let me say this as plainly as I can: By August 31, 2010, our...

Analysis: World hands billions to Gaza.
March 2, 2009... Byline: STEFAN NICOLA BERLIN, March 2 (UPI) -- The world has pledged billions of dollars to help rebuild the war-torn Gaza Strip, an effort the West hopes will culminate in greater regional security and a revival of the peace process. ...

DVD piracy linked to terrorism.
March 3, 2009... WASHINGTON, March 3 (UPI) -- Organized criminal groups are increasingly pirating movies and using the funds to support terrorism, a study from U.S.-based think tank Rand Corp. said. The non-profit policy-analysis organization released a...

Analysis: CIA destroyed 92 tapes.
March 3, 2009... Byline: SHAUN WATERMAN WASHINGTON, March 3 (UPI) -- The CIA destroyed 92 videotapes showing interrogation of terror suspects using water-boarding and other "enhanced techniques" that critics say amount to torture -- a far greater number...

Iraq Press Roundup.
March 3, 2009... Byline: ALAA MAJEED Iraqi Islamic Party shuns Rafsanjani The Sunni Iraqi Islamic Party said the visit to Iraq by Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, chairman of Iran's Assembly of Experts, is not welcome, al-Iraq lil-Kul reported Tuesday. ...

Obama strategy a 'reasonable compromise'.
March 3, 2009... WASHINGTON, March 3 (UPI) -- The strategy to draw down U.S. military forces in Iraq while building troop strength in Afghanistan is a "reasonable compromise," an analyst said. Stephen Biddle with the Washington-based Council on Foreign...

Outside View: Treasury rescue plan flawed.
March 3, 2009... Byline: PETER MORICI WASHINGTON, March 3 (UPI) -- U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner continues to destroy bank equity with a misguided Troubled Asset Relief Program and a vaguely defined Financial Stability Plan. He seemingly doesn't...

Arab, Kurd crisis has legal solution.
March 3, 2009... KIRKUK, Iraq, March 3 (UPI) -- Conflict between Arabs and Iraqi Kurds can be averted if the status of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk is resolved through legal provisions, officials said. Kirkuk lies at the center of disputes between Iraqi...

Walker's World: Fiscal woes roil Kremlin.
March 4, 2009... Byline: MARTIN WALKER MOSCOW, March 4 (UPI) -- The Russian political system is learning the hard way that economic hardship forces political disputes. Budget deficits require policy choices over what to cut and what to preserve. Ministries...

Iraq needs lean budget as economy falters.
March 4, 2009... BAGHDAD, March 4 (UPI) -- Iraq's ministries are slashing programs as the Iraqi Parliament enters its third month of negotiations on a federal budget for 2009. Lawmakers have called for reductions in government expenses by 15 percent as...

RAF unit returns to Scotland from Iraq.
March 4, 2009... LOSSIEMOUTH, Scotland, March 4 (UPI) -- Families of some of the final Scottish regiments in the British Royal Air Force to be stationed in Iraq welcomed the units home to their air base. Members of the 51 Squadron RAF regiment and 2622...

Economic crisis threatens terror defenses.
March 4, 2009... LYON, France, March 4 (UPI) -- The head of Interpol during a meeting in France called on the international community to strengthen cooperation to combat global security threats. Ronald Noble, Interpol secretary-general, speaking at the...

Outside View: Upgrading U.S.-Seoul ties.
March 5, 2009... Byline: LEE JAE YOUNG SEOUL, March 5 (UPI) -- The South Korea-U.S. joint military force, the Combined Forces Command, is transferring wartime operational control from the United States to South Korea, meaning the joint chiefs of staff of...

Mosul receiving returning Christians.
March 5, 2009... MOSUL, Iraq, March 5 (UPI) -- Christian leaders in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul report thousands of parishioners are returning to the area following a spate of targeted violence in 2008. Samir Elias with a Chaldean church in Mosul told...

U.N. official slams U.S. use of force.
March 5, 2009... UNITED NATIONS, March 5 (UPI) -- Human-rights violations from the illegal use of force exist in Iraq, though no investigative body is in place at the United Nations, a top U.N. official said. "All pretended justifications notwithstanding,...

Iraqi Parliament approves 2009 budget.
March 5, 2009... BAGHDAD, March 5 (UPI) -- The Iraqi Parliament on Thursday accepted a budget for 2009 that was slashed by an estimated $4.3 billion amid declining oil revenue. Under First Deputy Speaker Khaled Attiya, Parliament voted in favor of the...

Peace adviser says cease-fire is holding.
March 5, 2009... MANILA, Philippines, March 5 (UPI) -- The Philippines' chief peace-process adviser said that despite some exceptions, the cease-fire with rebels in the Mindanao region is holding. Avelino Razon, Philippines presidential adviser on the peace...

Laborde to lead U.N. counter-terror unit.
March 5, 2009... UNITED NATIONS, March 5 (UPI) -- The head of the United Nations announced that its unit focused on combating global terrorism would begin transitioning into an operational task force. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has named Jean-Paul...

Report calls on Guinea to begin transition.
March 5, 2009... BRUSSELS, March 5 (UPI) -- The military-led government in Guinea has been consolidating power, possibly threatening stability in the country, an International Crisis Group report said. The Belgium-based non-governmental organization...

U.S. facing asymmetric, cyber warfare.
March 5, 2009... ORLANDO, Fla., March 5 (UPI) -- The head of the U.S. Air Force Space Command said future combat environments are shifting toward asymmetric online battlefields. Gen. Robert Kehler, commander of Air Force Space Command, said recently that...

Violence erupts during protests in Nepal.
March 6, 2009... KATHMANDU, Nepal, March 6 (UPI) -- The United Nations on Friday called on police and civilians in Nepal to avoid hostilities after protests became violent and three people were killed. Richard Bennett, representative of the U.N. Office of...

MUSIS approved by EDA steering board.
March 6, 2009... BRUSSELS, March 6 (UPI) -- The European Defense Agency is moving forward on a project to improve military-satellite capabilities for surveillance and reconnaissance. The EDA Steering Board announced its approval Thursday of the...

Civilian deaths in Sri Lanka mounting.
March 6, 2009... UNITED NATIONS, March 6 (UPI) -- The growing number of civilian deaths stemming from the military conflict in northern Sri Lanka drew condemnation Thursday from the head of the United Nations. The Sri Lankan army has successfully pushed the...

OSCE condemns Goradiz shooting.
March 6, 2009... VIENNA, March 6 (UPI) -- The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe is calling on Armenia and Azerbaijan to adhere to a cease-fire after a recent shooting incident. The OSCE monitoring mission along the Line of Contact between...

DHS to establish new research centers.
March 6, 2009... WASHINGTON, March 6 (UPI) -- The U.S. Homeland Security Department released plans Thursday to establish two new research centers focused on program and concept analysis. The department's Science and Technology Directorate announced the...

Dogs of War: Contractors doomed to repeat.
March 6, 2009... Byline: DAVID ISENBERG WASHINGTON, March 6 (UPI) -- An army may travel on its stomach, but it lives to fight another day by studying its history. For the U.S. military, the study of history is not an academic pursuit but a deadly serious...

Walker's World: The big spenders.
March 9, 2009... Byline: MARTIN WALKER BRUSSELS, March 9 (UPI) -- And the winner is... Saudi Arabia. Of all the countries taking part in the Group of 20 financial summit in London on April 2, the calculations of the International Monetary Fund find...

High security in place for NATO summit.
March 9, 2009... STRASBOURG, France, March 9 (UPI) -- NATO's 60th anniversary summit at the French-German border next month will be accompanied by major security measures because of anticipated violence. The April 3-4 gathering of the North Atlantic Treaty...

Iraq/Afghan War News: Afghan poll looms.
March 9, 2009... Byline: DANIEL GRAEBER 12,000 U.S. troops set to leave Iraq U.S. military forces in Iraq will redeploy two brigade combat teams -- roughly 12,000 combat forces -- from Iraq, commanders said. "The time and conditions are right for...

German neo-Nazi party in money trouble.
March 9, 2009... BERLIN, March 9 (UPI) -- Germany's largest far-right party, home to many neo-Nazis, is on the brink of financial collapse, German media report. Udo Voigt, the head of the National Democratic Party, or NPD, the political home of many...

Iran slams U.N. Security Council hierarchy.
March 9, 2009... TEHRAN, March 9 (UPI) -- The hierarchy at the U.N. Security Council is not democratic because the body is shaped according to the will of the powerful, Iranian officials said. Saeed Jalili, secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security...

Iran opens Bushehr to tourists.
March 9, 2009... TEHRAN, March 9 (UPI) -- The Bushehr nuclear facility will be open to tourists in order to show the plant is used for civilian purposes, Iranian officials said Monday. Alireza Dejband, the southern-region secretary for Iran's Cultural...

Civilians trapped between LTTE and army.
March 9, 2009... BRUSSELS, March 9 (UPI) -- The ongoing Sri Lankan army campaign targeting rebels in the north of the country is escalating a humanitarian crisis, the International Crisis Group says. The Belgium-based non-governmental organization released...

Children paid heavy price in Gaza conflict.
March 9, 2009... GAZA, March 9 (UPI) -- The head of the U.N. Children's Fund said Monday the recent Israeli-Hamas conflict in Gaza resulted in a heavy price being paid by children. Ann Veneman, UNICEF executive director, on Monday concluded a weeklong trip...

Iraq/Afghan War News: Finding a strategy.
March 10, 2009... Byline: DANIEL GRAEBER Maliki to seek Russian debt relief Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is expected to ask Moscow to write off the remainder of the country's debt during an April visit to Russia, a spokesman said. Moscow in...

Philippines to hold tripartite meeting.(Conference news)
March 10, 2009... MANILA, Philippines, March 10 (UPI) -- Top government and Moro National Liberation Front leaders in the Philippines are expected to meet Wednesday to review a peace pact. Representatives from the Philippine government and MNLF, along with...

Nuclear sustainment is top priority.
March 10, 2009... ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga., March 10 (UPI) -- The commander of the U.S. Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center said robust nuclear sustainment is critical and a top priority. Brig. Gen. Everett Thomas, commander of the Air Force Materiel Command...

Rafsanjani re-elected to his post.
March 10, 2009... TEHRAN, March 10 (UPI) -- As the presidential race takes shape, Iranian officials Tuesday re-elected former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani as Chairman of the Assembly of Experts. Rafsanjani has led the deliberative Assembly of Experts...

Registration for TWIC tops 1 million.
March 10, 2009... WASHINGTON, March 10 (UPI) -- The U.S. Homeland Security Department announced a milestone for enrollment in the Transportation Worker Identification Credential port-security program. The department's TWIC program, being implemented by the...

Outside View: Don't let Pentagon implode.
March 11, 2009... Byline: HARLAN ULLMAN WASHINGTON, March 11 (UPI) -- This week the National Defense University and the Atlantic Council jointly hosted a major conference in Washington on the future of the Department of Defense, drawing literary license...

South Korea to strengthen ties with NATO.
March 11, 2009... SEOUL, March 11 (UPI) -- The South Korean Ministry of National Defense and NATO have announced plans to increase cooperation and open new channels of communication. The ministry, working to improve ties with NATO, reported that it plans to...

FBI's TSC recognized for info-sharing.
March 11, 2009... WASHINGTON, March 11 (UPI) -- The FBI's Terrorist Screening Center has been recognized for effective information-sharing by the National Fusion Center Conference being held in Missouri. The TSC, which maintains the terrorist watch list for...

Disarmament program proving successful.
March 11, 2009... KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo, March 11 (UPI) -- The U.N. effort encouraging rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to disarm and leave their militant ranks is showing signs of success. Alan Doss, special representative of...

Talks signal future stability in C.A.R.
March 11, 2009... BANGUI, Central African Republic, March 11 (UPI) -- Despite an ongoing spillover of violence from Sudan, recent talks among leaders in the Central African Republic have shown signs of progress toward peace. Francois Lonseny Fall, a special...

France to return to NATO.
March 12, 2009... PARIS, March 12 (UPI) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy wants France to return as a full member of NATO, 43 years after the country suddenly pulled out of the military alliance. Sarkozy said rejoining the North Atlantic Treaty...

USAF Expeditionary Center gets new mandate.
March 12, 2009... FORT DIX, N.J., March 12 (UPI) -- After more than a year of development, the U.S. Air Force chief of staff has approved a new charter for the Air Force Expeditionary Center. The charter, recently signed by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen....

Amsterdam: Terror suspects questioned.
March 13, 2009... AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, March 13 (UPI) -- Dutch police on Friday continued to question seven detained individuals suspected of plotting to bomb stores in Amsterdam. An anonymous warning call police received Wednesday around midnight led to...

OSCE to host workshop targeting cybercrime.
March 13, 2009... VIENNA, March 13 (UPI) -- The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said Friday it would host a workshop designed to bring together experts to discuss cybersecurity. The OSCE announced its Forum for Security Cooperation group...

Walker's World: The G20 treads water.
March 16, 2009... Byline: MARTIN WALKER PARIS, March 16 (UPI) -- The main achievement of the Group of 20 summit of finance ministers over the weekend was to stick together and maintain an appearance of unity and resolve in favor of more stimulus and no...

Commentary: Karl Marx redux.
March 16, 2009... Byline: ARNAUD DE BORCHGRAVE WASHINGTON, March 16 (UPI) -- Political science majors can be forgiven for recycling Karl Marx's prediction, made 160 years ago, that capitalism would sow the seeds of its own destruction by widening the gap...

Analysis: So you want a two-state solution.
March 16, 2009... Byline: CLAUDE SALHANI WASHINGTON, March 16 (UPI) -- In politics, as in life, be careful what you wish for. The Palestinians had long wanted a two-state solution, and, well, now they have a two-state solution. Two states, one in the West...

London defends Hezbollah move.
March 16, 2009... BEIRUT, Lebanon, March 16 (UPI) -- Talking with the political wing of Hezbollah is part of the wider engagement with the Lebanese government, said British government spokesman John Wilks. "We support the Lebanese government in Lebanon," he...

Analysis: North Korean threat to Japan.
March 16, 2009... Byline: HIROYUKI KOSHOJI TOKYO, March 16 (UPI) -- International tensions are mounting as North Korea is suspected of preparing to launch a long-range ballistic missile, believed to be an upgraded version of its Taepodong-2. Experts believe...

Iraqi forces surround PMOI in Diyala.
March 16, 2009... CAMP ASHRAF, Iraq, March 16 (UPI) -- Iranian dissidents residing at the Camp Ashraf enclave in Iraq's Diyala province said national forces have them surrounded following efforts to close the camp. Camp Ashraf is home to the People's...

EMCDDA, Europol sign agreement.
March 16, 2009... THE HAGUE, Netherlands, March 16 (UPI) -- Europol and the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction have signed a cooperation deal to continue combating the flow and use of illicit drugs. EMCDDA Director Wolfgang Gotz and...

Pillay raises concerns about war crimes.
March 16, 2009... COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, March 16 (UPI) -- Mounting civilian casualties caused by a conflict between the Sri Lankan army and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam could violate international laws. Navi Pillay, U.N. high commissioner for...

Commentary: Geopolitical psychiatry.
March 18, 2009... Byline: ARNAUD DE BORCHGRAVE WASHINGTON, March 18 (UPI) -- Few know more about Afghanistan than Marin Strmecki. He has been involved with bloody events there for the past 20 years. He served as a policy coordinator and special adviser on...

U.S., Germany boost security cooperation.
March 18, 2009... BERLIN, March 18 (UPI) -- Germany and the United States have agreed to boost joint research efforts to improve security in both nations. German Education and Research Minister Annette Schavan and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet...

Germany: Youth crime down, xenophobia up.
March 18, 2009... BERLIN, March 18 (UPI) -- Xenophobia and neo-Nazism are on the rise among German youth, a government-issued study has found. One in seven young people in Germany are "very hostile" toward foreigners, and every 20th boy is a member of a...

Walker's World: France's general strike.
March 18, 2009... Byline: MARTIN WALKER PARIS, March 18 (UPI) -- The general strike called this week by French labor union leaders and students has won widespread public sympathy, with opinion polls reporting 74 percent support for Thursday's "Day of...

Outside View: Punjabi power and Zardari.
March 18, 2009... Byline: M.D. NALAPAT MANIPAL, India, March 18 (UPI) -- Regular readers of this column will not have been surprised at recent developments in Pakistan, in which army chief Ashfaq Kayani enforced the surrender of the Pakistan Peoples...

Iraq/Afghan War News: Duelfer speaks.
March 18, 2009... Byline: DANIEL GRAEBER Duelfer speaks on Iraqi issues The intelligence failure on the Iraqi weapons program was due in part to a miscalculation of the political and diplomatic climate, a former U.N. inspector said. The U.S.-led...

Khatami urged to rethink presidential bid.
March 18, 2009... TEHRAN, March 18 (UPI) -- An Iranian reformist party has called on former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami to return to the presidential race. The Combatant Clergy Association, a conservative clerical party that held the majority in...

Lebanese president wraps up French tour.
March 18, 2009... PARIS, March 18 (UPI) -- The June legislative elections in Lebanon were a sign the country was moving in the right direction in a new era of democracy, the Lebanese president said. Lebanese President Michel Suleiman wrapped up his three-day...

Report blasts London stance on Hezbollah.
March 18, 2009... WASHINGTON, March 18 (UPI) -- London's decision to consider talks with the Lebanese Hezbollah complicates regional efforts at developing a coordinated policy toward Beirut, an analysis said. The British government earlier this month said it...

EU funds Interpol Central Asia project.
March 18, 2009... ALMATY, Kazakhstan, March 18 (UPI) -- Interpol announced Wednesday the launch of a project designed to connect Central Asia to the international police organization's security database. Interpol has been working on a project to provide...

Ban calls for responsibility in transition.
March 18, 2009... ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar, March 18 (UPI) -- The head of the United Nations is calling for leaders in Madagascar to use restraint to ensure security as the country transitions to a new president. Andry Rajoelina took power in Madagascar...

Congo conflict narrowing world's focus.
March 18, 2009... GENEVA, Switzerland, March 18 (UPI) -- The Democratic Republic of the Congo's eastern conflict remains the focus of attention while conflicts elsewhere in the country have gone unnoticed. Kyung-wha Kang, U.N. deputy high commissioner for...

Situation deteriorating in Sri Lanka.
March 18, 2009... COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, March 18 (UPI) -- The International Committee of the Red Cross is raising concerns about the deteriorating situation in Sri Lanka and the desperate need to evacuate civilians. The Sri Lankan army's ongoing military...

Exercise aimed at crisis capabilities.
March 18, 2009... BRUSSELS, March 18 (UPI) -- France is hosting a multinational helicopters exercise designed to address shortfalls in helicopter capabilities during crisis situations. The 15-day European Defense Agency exercise, which concludes Friday, has...

Obama to visit Turkey April 6-7.
March 19, 2009... ANKARA, Turkey, March 19 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama will make his first visit to a Muslim nation in Turkey starting April 6, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. Erdogan said the Obama visit would coincide with the...

Khatami stepped aside for 'noble' reasons.
March 19, 2009... TEHRAN, March 19 (UPI) -- Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami withdrew from the presidential contest to avoid saturation of Reformists, a former vice president said. Khatami withdrew from the presidential contest in Iran earlier this...

Amnesty calls for Iranian student rights.
March 19, 2009... LONDON, March 19 (UPI) -- Amnesty International voiced its concern over the arrests of university students and what it called the sustained repression of their right to free speech. In a report, Amnesty raised concern over a possible...

ICRC raises concerns over Iraq.
March 19, 2009... BAGHDAD, March 19 (UPI) -- Despite a relative decline in violent activity in Iraq, its civilians continue to face threats amid a stagnant humanitarian climate, Red Cross officials said. "Indiscriminate attacks continue to leave dozens of...

British forces prep for Afghan surge.
March 19, 2009... CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan, March 19 (UPI) -- With 17,000 American troops headed to Afghanistan as part of a strategic overhaul, British forces plan to expand a military compound there, Camp Bastion. "The U.S. operation is already huge,"...

Shared U.N.-AU strategic vision needed.
March 19, 2009... UNITED NATIONS, March 19 (UPI) -- A report on the United Nations-African Union joint missions called on leaders of both organizations to develop a shared strategic vision. Former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi, during an address to...

Migiro calls for convention ratification.
March 19, 2009... UNITED NATIONS, March 19 (UPI) -- The U.N. deputy secretary-general called on the international community Wednesday in New York to sign the Convention on Cluster Munitions. The Democratic Republic of the Congo signed onto the convention...

NATO to resume Allied Protector.
March 19, 2009... MONS, Belgium, March 19 (UPI) -- The North Atlantic Council has approved a mandate to resume a NATO deployment to the Gulf of Aden in a move to counter the ongoing threat of piracy. With the announced approval, NATO's five-ship operation...

Pledge to bring families back together.
March 19, 2009... COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, March 19 (UPI) -- The International Committee of the Red Cross is working to reconnect separated families that have been displaced by the ongoing Sri Lankan military conflict. Geneva-based ICRC and the local Sri Lanka...

Liberia needs sustained support.
March 20, 2009... MONROVIA, Liberia, March 20 (UPI) -- The United Nations is calling on the international community to sustain support for Liberia as the country continues to face significant obstacles to security. Ellen Margrethe Loj, U.N. special...

Poverty undermining security in Haiti.
March 20, 2009... UNITED NATIONS, March 20 (UPI) -- A report from a U.N. fact-finding mission to Haiti said widespread poverty is undermining ongoing operations to stabilize the country. U.N. Ambassador Jorge Urbina recently led a delegation to Haiti on a...

Workshop on peacekeeping doctrine held.
March 20, 2009... CANBERRA, Australia, March 20 (UPI) -- The Australian Ministry of Defense conducted a workshop in Singapore that brought together experts to discuss civil-military relations during peace operations. The two-day workshop, which included 25...

Cleric demands 'truth' for Iran's election.
March 20, 2009... TEHRAN, March 20 (UPI) -- Candidates for the June presidential elections in Iran should campaign on a platform of pragmatism, Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani said during Friday prayers. "Elections conditions should be so that candidates...