UPI International Intelligence articles from May 2009

UPI International Intelligence archives from May 2009

State Dept. condemns Russian agreements.
May 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, May 1 (UPI) -- An agreement Thursday between Russia and Georgia's separatist regions that allows Russia to deploy guards along administrative boundaries is prompting concern. The U.S. State Department called the agreement...

U.N. extends Polisario and Morocco mandate.
May 1, 2009... UNITED NATIONS, May 1 (UPI) -- The U.N. Security Council has voted unanimously to extend a cease-fire monitoring mandate between the Frente Polisario and Morocco. The Security Council voted to extend the resolution until 2010 in a move to...

Spike in Congo violence ahead of operation.
May 1, 2009... KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 1 (UPI) -- A spike in rebel violence in the east of Congo drew condemnation Thursday from a top U.N. official who called for protection of civilians. John Holmes, undersecretary-general for...

Report calls for third-party mediator.
May 1, 2009... BRUSSELS, May 1 (UPI) -- A third-party mediator in Nigeria is needed to help the country avoid a slide into violence, a report from the International Crisis Group says. The Belgium-based non-governmental organization released a report...

Summit to address Somali pirate threats.
May 1, 2009... CAIRO , May 1 (UPI) -- Countering the escalating threat of piracy in the Gulf of Aden will be the focus of an emergency international summit scheduled to take place in Cairo. Organizer Phoenix Intelligence Support Services Inc. says...

ACLU claims U.S. supported PMOI.
May 1, 2009... LOS ANGELES, May 1 (UPI) -- Charges filed against Iranian dissidents for supporting a terrorist group based in Iraq are complicated by alleged U.S. military cooperation with the same group. The U.S. Justice Department accepted guilty pleas...

Ross brings nuclear message to Middle East.
May 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, May 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. envoy for the Middle East, Dennis Ross, left Washington on Friday for his first visit to the region carrying a message on the Iranian nuclear program. The U.S. State Department in statements to the BBC...

Groups demand release of Syrian activist.
May 1, 2009... LONDON, May 1 (UPI) -- Human Rights Watch called on Syrian authorities to respect the findings of a U.N. panel and release human rights activist Kamal Labwani from detention. Syrian authorities arrested Labwani in 2005 following interviews...

UNIFIL expects post-election changes.
May 1, 2009... BEIRUT, Lebanon, May 1 (UPI) -- U.N. officials in Lebanon said their peacekeeping mission there could change dramatically in the aftermath of the June parliamentary elections. Gen. Claudio Graziano, commander of the U.N. Interim Force in...

Erdogan shakes up Cabinet.
May 1, 2009... ANKARA, Turkey, May 1 (UPI) -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan shuffled his Cabinet on Friday, appointing a top foreign policy adviser as his new foreign minister. Erdogan moved several officials around Friday from the ruling...

Iraq/Afghan War News: Al-Qaida rising.
May 1, 2009... Byline: DANIEL GRAEBER Al-Qaida on the rise in Iraq The so-called emir of al-Qaida in Iraq advanced stark threats against Iran and the United States, using Islamic propaganda and Israel as recruiting tools. Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the...

Walker's World: China's growth puzzle.
May 4, 2009... Byline: MARTIN WALKER WASHINGTON, May 4 (UPI) -- The official figures say the Chinese economy, bolstered by the announcement last November of a massive $586 billion stimulus package by the Beijing government, grew in the first quarter of...

Iraq/Afghan War News: Iraq says SOFA holds.
May 4, 2009... Byline: DANIEL GRAEBER Baghdad holds to SOFA deadline Iraqi officials stand firm by the June 30 deadline for U.S. combat forces to leave major Iraqi cities despite an uptick in violence across the country, officials said. American...

Analysis: Europe's May Day turns violent.
May 4, 2009... Byline: STEFAN NICOLA BERLIN, May 4 (UPI) -- Hundreds of thousands of Europeans peacefully rallied against their governments' handling of the economic crisis during May Day, but Berlin experienced the worst rioting in years. France...

Critics: Egypt-Hezbollah row manufactured.
May 4, 2009... CAIRO, May 4 (UPI) -- The conflict between Egypt and Hezbollah is a miscalculated attempt by the Shiite militant group to insert itself into the regional conversation, critics argue. Cairo came forward in April with claims that it had...

Tehran waxes as Washington wanes.
May 4, 2009... WASHINGTON, May 4 (UPI) -- A web of complex propaganda efforts by Tehran seeks to position Iran as the regional power amid a perceived U.S. decline, a controversial critic said. Tehran sees Washington under U.S. President Barack Obama as a...

Ankara sees closer ties to Washington.
May 4, 2009... ANKARA, Turkey, May 4 (UPI) -- Improved relations with Washington are Ankara's key foreign policy objective as Turkey becomes a key player in regional dynamics, the new foreign minister said. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan...

Iranian hopeful offers olive branch?
May 4, 2009... TEHRAN, May 4 (UPI) -- Iranian presidential contender Mohsen Rezaei said the era of aggression with Washington is over, adding that Tehran can exploit the U.S. position in the region. "We can use the U.S. needs favorable to our national...

Ban issues warning on Lebanese militias.
May 4, 2009... UNITED NATIONS, May 4 (UPI) -- Lebanon can continue along the path of recovery through democratic elections, but armed militias jeopardize significant development, the United Nations warned. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his...

AU, Interpol to strengthen cooperation.
May 4, 2009... ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, May 4 (UPI) -- The African Union and Interpol are working to strengthen cooperation in a move to better counter threats from transnational criminal groups and terrorists. A delegation from France-based Interpol...

Sri Lankan fighting tops CrisisWatch.
May 4, 2009... BRUSSELS, May 4 (UPI) -- The Sri Lankan army's conflict with rebels and the worsening humanitarian crisis in the north of the country have topped the monthly CrisisWatch report. The Belgium-based non-governmental organization International...

Chad-Sudan troop buildup causes concern.
May 4, 2009... N'DJAMENA, Chad, May 4 (UPI) -- The deployment of troops along both sides of the Sudan-Chad border has prompted calls from the United Nations for leaders in the countries to avoid conflict. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on both...

Concerns raised over Nepal turmoil.
May 4, 2009... KATHMANDU, Nepal, May 4 (UPI) -- The head of the United Nations called on Nepalese leaders Monday to maintain stability following the resignation of the country's prime minister. Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal announced his...

Exercise to simulate terror attack.
May 4, 2009... MILWAUKEE, May 4 (UPI) -- The U.S. Homeland Security Department will conduct a multi-agency exercise Tuesday to test emergency response capabilities to a waterborne terrorist attack. The exercise, called Heartland Initiative 2009, will take...

Iraq/Afghan War News: Kurds set July vote.
May 5, 2009... Byline: DANIEL GRAEBER Kurds set for July elections Provincial elections in the Kurdish provinces of Iraq are scheduled for July 25, the president of the Kurdistan Regional Government said Tuesday. Massoud Barzani announced the...

Pro-Kurdish lawmakers stage hunger strike.
May 5, 2009... ANKARA, Turkey, May 5 (UPI) -- Leaders of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party in Turkey staged a hunger strike in protest of crackdowns against the party. The Democratic Society Party, known by its Turkish acronym DTP, is allegedly...

Iran ramps up rhetoric against sanctions.
May 5, 2009... TEHRAN, May 5 (UPI) -- Tehran continued its rhetoric Tuesday in opposition to bipartisan efforts by U.S. lawmakers to supplement sanctions on the Iranian energy sector. Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., led a bipartisan effort of 25 U.S. lawmakers...

UNHCR reviews Iraqi asylum guidelines.
May 5, 2009... GENEVA, Switzerland, May 5 (UPI) -- The U.N. refugee agency revised its guidelines for Iraqi asylum seekers from parts of the country, saying their cases should be assessed on an individual basis. The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner...

Nuclear talks not election issue in Iran.
May 5, 2009... TEHRAN, May 5 (UPI) -- The June 12 presidential elections in Iran play no role in ongoing talks on its controversial nuclear program, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi denied allegations...

Ban calls for stronger nuclear monitoring.
May 5, 2009... UNITED NATIONS, May 5 (UPI) -- Nuclear weapons remain a threat to international security, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a session on nuclear non-proliferation in New York. The international community convened for the Preparatory...

NNSA, Colombia commission security program.
May 5, 2009... CARTAGENA, Colombia, May 5 (UPI) -- The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration and Colombian security authorities have commissioned the Port of Cartagena's nuclear non-proliferation system. The NNSA and the Colombian Directorate of...

Tandja talks with rebels show progress.
May 5, 2009... NIAMEY, Niger, May 5 (UPI) -- A recent meeting between Niger's president and rebel leaders is being praised by the United Nations, which called the talks a step toward conflict resolution. Niger President Mamadou Tandja and leaders from the...

Ban calls for dialogue in Madagascar.
May 5, 2009... ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar, May 5 (UPI) -- The ongoing violence rooted in a tense political situation in Madagascar has prompted calls from the United Nations to open a dialogue and resolve the crisis. At the beginning of March, Madagascar...

Munitions-reduction workshop planned.
May 5, 2009... WASHINGTON, May 5 (UPI) -- Croatia will host a team from the U.S. State Department on Wednesday for a workshop supporting the reduction of weapons stockpiles in Southeast Europe. The two-day weapons and munitions stockpile-reduction...

Xenophobic violence addressed in meetings.
May 5, 2009... VIENNA, May 5 (UPI) -- The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe concluded two days of meetings Tuesday designed to address ways to combat violent hate crimes. The meetings, led by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions...

Outside View: To save Pakistan.
May 6, 2009... Byline: HARLAN ULLMAN WASHINGTON, May 5 (UPI) -- As today's trilateral meetings among U.S. President Barack Obama, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Asif Zardari begin, the mood in Washington, amplified by a media that...

Rafsanjani blasts Washington slogans.
May 6, 2009... TEHRAN, May 6 (UPI) -- There is no apparent change in Washington's foreign policy stance on Iran despite modest conciliatory rhetoric, Tehran officials said. The chairman of the administrative Expediency Council, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani,...

Sadr visit a political show.
May 6, 2009... LONDON, May 6 (UPI) -- The visit to Ankara by radical cleric Moqtada Sadr following a two-year exile in Iran may be political showmanship on several fronts, analysts said. Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr emerged from his religious studies in...

Cairo rejects Hezbollah court claims.
May 6, 2009... CAIRO, May 6 (UPI) -- A court in Cairo rejected appeals by six men allegedly linked to a Hezbollah cell in the Sinai peninsula plotting attacks on Egyptian soil. In a series of raids, Egyptian forces arrested scores of suspects who Cairo...

U.S. links Syrian ties to Lebanese vote.
May 6, 2009... WASHINGTON, May 6 (UPI) -- A visit by top U.S. officials to Damascus is expected to couple the Lebanese parliamentary elections with Syrian efforts at engagement, analysts said. Presumptive Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs...

Iraq/Afghan War News: AFPAK unity.
May 6, 2009... Byline: DANIEL GRAEBER AFPAK MOU a sign of joint effort Afghan and Pakistani leaders signed a memorandum of understanding in the transit sector Wednesday in what Washington sees as an early sign of regional unity. In the presence...

Germany calls off anti-piracy operation.
May 6, 2009... BERLIN, May 6 (UPI) -- Germany has stopped an operation of its anti-terror unit aimed at freeing hostages kidnapped by pirates in the Gulf of Aden. Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble canceled the secret operation by the German GSG 9 unit...

Focus on terrorism misleading?
May 6, 2009... BERLIN, May 6 (UPI) -- Governments should focus less on fighting terror because that might mean losing sight of other important issues, Germany's potential next foreign minister said. "We have reached a point in time when we have to...

U.N. aid units threatened in eastern Chad.
May 6, 2009... N'DJAMENA, Chad, May 6 (UPI) -- U.N. agencies in the volatile east of Chad are increasingly threatened by rebel groups, making the delivery of aid in the region a growing difficulty. On Wednesday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called...

U.N.: Future peace threatened in Nepal.
May 6, 2009... KATHMANDU, Nepal, May 6 (UPI) -- The head U.N. representative in Nepal is warning that future peace in the country may be threatened in the wake of recent political tensions. Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, head of the Maoist...

Army manual: Focus on root causes critical.
May 6, 2009... WASHINGTON, May 6 (UPI) -- A new U.S. Army field manual calls on troops to address an insurgency's root problems and suggests military solutions alone cannot solve them. The Army has formally released its new field manual addressing the...

Kazakhstan to address corruption.
May 6, 2009... ASTANA, Kazakhstan, May 6 (UPI) -- Kazakh security authorities Wednesday concluded a seminar to discuss implementing anti-corruption methods that meet international standards. The two-day seminar, set up by the Organization for Security and...

Spent nuclear material focus of meeting.
May 6, 2009... VIENNA, May 6 (UPI) -- The International Atomic Energy Agency is planning to host a multinational meeting in Vienna to address the safety and security of spent nuclear material. The IAEA meeting, scheduled for May 11-20, is expected to...

Atlantic Eye: Hillary's Prague radio visit.
May 7, 2009... Byline: MARC S. ELLENBOGEN PRAGUE, Czech Republic, May 7 (UPI) -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been rather exceptional in her first 100 days in office. She has been a praetorian guard for the American people. She has been a loyal...

Iraq/Afghan War News: Afghans protest.
May 7, 2009... Byline: DANIEL GRAEBER Afghans protest civilian casualties Protesters stormed government buildings in the western Afghan province of Farah in opposition to civilian casualties allegedly caused by U.S. airstrikes. A skirmish...

Weapons-grade uranium found in Egypt.
May 7, 2009... CAIRO, May 7 (UPI) -- The U.N. nuclear watchdog uncovered traces of highly enriched uranium at a nuclear facility in Egypt, The Wall Street Journal reports. The Journal said its review of findings by the International Atomic Energy Agency...

Abolish death penalty, Amnesty warns Iran.
May 7, 2009... LONDON, May 7 (UPI) -- Amnesty International called on Iran to abolish the death penalty following the execution of a woman convicted of murder at the age of 17. "The Iranian authorities must put an end to capital punishment," Amnesty...

Feltman briefs Syrian foreign minister.
May 7, 2009... DAMASCUS, Syria, May 7 (UPI) -- Acting U.S. Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman met with Syrian officials Thursday to discuss regional peace initiatives. Feltman and Daniel Shapiro, U.S. National Security Council...

Iran's Rezaei to find missing oil money.
May 7, 2009... TEHRAN, May 7 (UPI) -- Conservative Iranian presidential contender Mohsen Rezaei blamed the administration Thursday for $1 billion in missing oil revenue, pledging its recovery. A national audit in February for the Iranian Parliament found...

ICRC delivers aid in Congo amid violence.
May 7, 2009... KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 7 (UPI) -- Aid operations in Congo's volatile North Kivu province face serious challenges as violence continues, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The ICRC has been...

Macedonia works to counter organized crime.
May 7, 2009... SKOPJE, Macedonia, May 7 (UPI) -- Macedonian security authorities are participating in a training course aimed at strengthening efforts to counter organized crime in the country. The five-day training course, taking place until Friday in...

Crisis-mapping developers awarded grant.
May 7, 2009... ORLANDO, Fla., May 7 (UPI) -- An open-source crisis-mapping Internet platform originally created by Ushahidi to track violence in Africa has received a grant for further development. The non-profit Ushahidi announced it has received a...

More than 192,000 displaced in Sri Lanka.
May 7, 2009... COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, May 7 (UPI) -- An ongoing conflict between the Sri Lankan army and rebels in the north of the country has displaced more than 192,000 people, according to the United Nations. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of...

British naval bases to specialize.
May 7, 2009... LONDON, May 7 (UPI) -- The British Defense Ministry said Thursday following a naval base review that the Royal Navy's bases will undergo changes to ensure future capabilities. British Royal Navy's Clyde, Portsmouth and Devonport bases...

Slovenia moves to improve security.
May 8, 2009... LJUBLJANA, Slovenia, May 8 (UPI) -- Slovenian security authorities are strengthening ties to international policing organization Interpol in an effort to enhance security in the country. Janko Gorsek, acting director general of the...

Rebel violence forces halt of food aid.
May 8, 2009... N'DJAMENA, Chad, May 8 (UPI) -- A surge in rebel violence in the volatile east of Chad has forced the U.N. World Food Program to suspend its food distribution in the region. Calling the suspension a temporary measure, officials from the WFP...

Legal arguments over Abyei conclude.
May 8, 2009... THE HAGUE, Netherlands, May 8 (UPI) -- Legal arguments have concluded in a case heard by the Permanent Court of Arbitration over a settlement of Abyei, a town at the center of a conflict in Sudan. Abyei is an oil-rich town in Sudan's South...

Armenia steps up counter-trafficking plan.
May 8, 2009... YEREVAN, Armenia, May 8 (UPI) -- Armenian officials announced a new effort Friday to combat human trafficking with support from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Armenia and the OSCE marked the new...

Australia funds counter-nuke terror effort.
May 8, 2009... CANBERRA, Australia, May 8 (UPI) -- In a move to counter nuclear terrorism in Southeast Asia, Australia announced plans Friday to contribute $250,000 to the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs...

Did Taliban try to kill German chancellor?
May 8, 2009... BERLIN, May 8 (UPI) -- A Taliban leader said his group had tried to kill German Chancellor Angela Merkel after obtaining classified information on her secret trip to Afghanistan. The German daily Bild reports that Mullah Barijalai, a...

Iraq/Afghan War News: Taliban fears.
May 8, 2009... Byline: DANIEL GRAEBER Taliban threat overblown The idea that the return of the Taliban to Afghanistan is a threat to U.S. national security is an effort at fear mongering to justify the war, an analyst said. U.S. President Barack...

Washington extends Syrian sanctions.
May 8, 2009... DAMASCUS, Syria, May 8 (UPI) -- Washington opted to renew sanctions against Syria for another year as punishment for supporting terrorists but still hopes for a thaw in bilateral relations. Acting U.S. Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern...

Turkish-Syrian ties no strategic shift.
May 8, 2009... WASHINGTON, May 8 (UPI) -- Though improved in recent years, a strategic alliance between Turkey and Syria does not reflect a troublesome shift in regional foreign policy, an analyst said. Both countries approached the brink of war in 1998...

U.N. warns of Hezbollah activity.
May 8, 2009... UNITED NATIONS, May 8 (UPI) -- The United Nations expressed its concern over the militant activity of Hezbollah, calling on the group to transform completely into a political entity. In his report to the U.N. Security Council, Terje...

Turkey favors UNAMI report on Kurdistan.
May 8, 2009... ANKARA, Turkey, May 8 (UPI) -- The latest report from the United Nations on the so-called disputed territories in Iraq falls in line with Turkish regional objectives, ministers said. The U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq submitted a report...

Amnesty slams Lebanese human rights record.
May 8, 2009... LONDON, May 8 (UPI) -- Amnesty International called on Lebanese officials to adopt sweeping reforms in the justice system and human rights in preparation for parliamentary elections. In an assessment on the human rights conditions in...

Analysis: A jungle in France.
May 8, 2009... Byline: STEFAN NICOLA BERLIN, May 8 (UPI) -- France may change an immigration law because of a movie about the plight of an Iraqi fugitive trying to get from France to Britain by swimming across the English Channel. "Welcome," the...

Analysis: What's cooking in the Mideast.
May 11, 2009... Byline: CLAUDE SALHANI WASHINGTON, May 11 (UPI) -- As the famous song by Vietnam-era band Buffalo Springfield goes, "There's something happening here; what it is ain't exactly clear." The same can be said about the Middle East peace...

Walker's World: Is this a recovery?
May 11, 2009... Byline: MARTIN WALKER WASHINGTON, May 11 (UPI) -- There is no doubt that the pace of decline in trade, industrial output and in gross domestic product shrinkage has slowed in the major economies. World stock markets are rising, and the...

Iraq/Afghan War News: Airstrikes ire UNAMA.
May 11, 2009... Byline: DANIEL GRAEBER UNAMA calls for airstrike accountability Those responsible for civilian casualties in Afghanistan must be held accountable for their actions, the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said. Afghan officials...

Gates calls for McKiernan resignation.
May 11, 2009... WASHINGTON, May 11 (UPI) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates called for the resignation of Gen. David McKiernan as the leader of international forces in Afghanistan on Monday. Gates said his decision was based on "careful consideration"...

Resistance vital for Lebanon, Berri says.
May 11, 2009... MSAILEH, Lebanon, May 11 (UPI) -- Lebanese parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri said Hezbollah and the resistance movement would usher in an era of revitalization for his country. "Resistance, liberation and development will be the choice of...

Lebanese spy arrests blow to Mossad.
May 11, 2009... BEIRUT, Lebanon, May 11 (UPI) -- Lebanese security officials said the arrest of spies working for the Israeli intelligence agency was a major victory as claims of Hezbollah involvement surface. Authorities in Lebanon have arrested several...

Washington 'foolish,' Syria claims.
May 11, 2009... DAMASCUS, Syria, May 11 (UPI) -- Washington should put an end to its irrational policies in the region and pursue diplomatic rhetoric that is not undermined by sanctions, a Syrian daily said. The Tishreen newspaper, an Arabic-language daily...

Iran requests NGO help for Afghan refugees.
May 11, 2009... TEHRAN, May 11 (UPI) -- Tehran has requested the help of the international aid community to deal with the flood of mostly Afghan refugees in the country, U.N. reports said. The Iranian Interior Ministry, the U.N. refugee agency and the...

FBI: Number of law officers killed drops.
May 11, 2009... WASHINGTON, May 11 (UPI) -- Forty-one law-enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty in the United States by felonious assault in 2008, according to new FBI statistics. The statistics marked a drop in the number of felonious...

Canadian troops train to counter IEDs.
May 11, 2009... SUFFIELD, Alberta, May 11 (UPI) -- Canadian troops recently conducted an exercise with realistic improvised explosive device detonations in a move to better counter the threat on deployments. Canadian army troops from Task Force 3-09 were...

OSCE head calls for full cease-fire.
May 11, 2009... ATHENS, Greece, May 11 (UPI) -- The head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe called on leaders in Azerbaijan and Armenia to fully implement a cease-fire agreement. Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis, OSCE...

ICRC reaches Congo village after violence.
May 11, 2009... KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 11 (UPI) -- The International Committee of the Red Cross and partners in Congo deployed an emergency operation Monday to deliver aid following a violent rebel attack. Rebels in Congo's eastern...