US Complicit in Terrorist Oil Trade with Turkey

Updated: 2015 Dec 03

Scroll Down for Important World News from LIVE RT News Feed

By: Stewart Brennan

How is it that the American Military cannot see the terrorist oil operations on the ground in Syria and Russia can? That’s the question US news media personnel should be asking themselves and then asking their government…but alas, there really isn’t a news media in the USA anymore unless you go online and look for the alternative media. The American mainstream media is nothing more than a military corporate propaganda mouth piece that is staffed by spineless washouts who’ve sold their souls and moral compass’s for 30 pieces of silver…the American Media is owned by special interests with deep pockets and they are in collusion with the US Pentagon and corporate America.

The 6 Corporations That Control Your Perception of World Events (2013)

Source: Breaking the Set

No wonder the US population has no clue about what is going on in the world, and it also explains how special interests run the entire geopolitical show. Is there any doubt? 

The US Military is Protecting the Terrorists, not bombing them.

It has become quite obvious that the US military is not interested in destroying the terrorists they claim to be bombing. Especially when their targets are the Syrian infrastructure and not the terrorist oil pipeline that goes into Turkey via hundreds of trucks everyday.

UN slams airstrike on water treatment facility in Syria’s Aleppo

The original Video and the News channel of Press TV were victims of Western censorship and removed from YouTube to cover up western War Crimes in Syria. Where possible, I will insert a mirror video of the report.

Source: Press TV

The US government does not care about the Syrian people, if it did, they would not be bombing the vital infrastructure that keeps the people alive…

The US & Turkish governments also deny having any knowledge about the illegal oil trade going on under their noses. Oh really? So, how is it that the Russians, who have one military base in the region, can provide all the evidence of the illegal terrorist oil truck pipeline in stark detail, and the Americans who have 100 plus military bases throughout the region, along with dozens of satellites, and a fleet of hi tech drones, cannot provide any intelligence on the terrorist practices? Come on, who are they kidding??…And how is it that Turkey doesn’t know about what is going on in its own country? Especially when they have an extravagant spying system in place throughout the country…just say the words “Kurdish Independence” or “Armenian genocide” and see how fast some state thug shows up at your door to arrest you…oblivious indeed…pfffft.

Russian military reveals details of ISIS-Turkey oil smuggling

Source: Russia Today

Can the Americans really claim that they didn't know about the illegal terrorist oil pipeline between Syria and Turkey where their so called moderate terrorists are, trained, supplied, and set upon the Syrian people?

The Americans back the terrorists and the Turkish government on a number of levels, from oil smuggling, military weapons supply to the looting of Syria’s cultural history and artifacts. The terrorist smuggling operations run all the way into Turkey from the terrorist positions in Syria!

However, Russia spoiled American, and Turkish regional plans when they began bombing terrorist positions and supply lines...this has really pissed off war mongering Senators like John McCain & Lindsey Graham. They have been seething in anger since the Russians seized the American "war on terror" away from the US Military in Syria where the Russians were doing what the Americans were never doing, "bombing the terrorists"…

US Senator John McCain: Arm Syrian Rebels to shoot down Russian planes

Source: YouTube

McCain reacted to Russia’s announcement that it had begun launching air strikes targeting ISIS militants in Syria by calling on the White House to arm Syrian rebels with weapons to shoot down Russian planes.

McCain initially responded to Fox News host Neil Cavuto’s question about whether he would shoot down Russian planes by saying no, but then went on to assert that he would arm Syrian rebels to carry out that very same task.

“I might do what we did in Afghanistan many years ago, to give those guys the ability to shoot down those planes, that equipment is available,” said McCain, adding that the Free Syrian Army would shoot down the planes, “just like the Afghans shot down Russian planes after Russia invaded Afghanistan.”

McCain is referring to how the United States armed Islamic militants in the 1970s, a policy that led to the rise of the Taliban, Al Qaeda, the Muslim Brotherhood and Osama Bin Laden.

Lindsey Graham Attacks Def Secretary Ashton Carter for not winning war in Syria

Source: World United News

The Americans and Turks were caught red handed by the Russians. They cannot deny the evidence anymore, because its right in their faces…no wonder the American mainstream media is pouring all their viewers attention into another home grown violent episode instead of putting the focus on Turkey being caught in bed with the terrorists and the terrorist oil trade. Certainly this is a much bigger story…

Erdogan & his family involved in ISIS oil trade

Source: Russia Today

The Turkish government was also caught supplying the terrorists with weapons by one of the last remaining independent news mediums inside Turkey (Cumhuriyet). However, the journalists were arrested by Turkey’s government and thrown in Jail for treason…funny, whistle blowers in the USA such as Bradley Manning and Edward Snowdon get the same treatment so it is no wonder Turkey is a close friend and partner in crime with the US government, they’re exactly alike.

Turkish weapons ‘heading to end in ISIS hands’: RT speaks to Cumhuriyet journalists

Source: Russia Today

Recently, a prominent Iraqi politician pleaded with the US military government to stop the Illegal oil trade but his plea fell on deaf ears.

“I have personally contacted US representatives asking them to target IS trucks transporting Iraqi and Syrian oil to Turkey, only to be told that they were civilian targets so they, the US Military could not attack them,” Mowaffak al-Rubaie, leader of the State of Law Coalition party in the Iraqi parliament.

ISIS sells the oil to Turkey on the black market for less than 50% of world prices – Iraqi MP

Source: Russia Today

Of course, the US Government rejects Russia’s evidence because it seriously damages not only the Turkish governments credibility, but also that of the US government and its corporate military industrial complex.

Erdogan promised to step down if proof was given...well, proof was given...I'm waiting...

Erdogan promises to resign if ISIS oil links to Turkey are confirmed

Source: Russia Today

TIME TO RESIGN

Hey Erdoguns, time to resign…and free those journalists you’ve locked up for telling the truth about your shady deals with ISIS / ISIL / Daesh terrorists…You, Erdogan, Davutoglu and the US Government are busted…

The routes of alleged oil smuggling from Syria and Iraq to Turkey © syria.mil.ru

------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

LINKS:

Terrorist Oil Trade and Weapons Via Turkey

Russian military reveals details of ISIS-Turkey oilsmuggling

Russia presents proof of Turkey’s role in ISIS oil trade

Erdogan & his family involved in ISIS oil trade -Russian MoD

Daesh routes black market oil via Turkey: Putin

Turkey arms Daesh in exchange for oil, antiquities'

Daesh made $800m from oil sales in Turkey: Iraqi MP

Russia has ‘more proof’ ISIS oil routed through Turkey,Erdogan says he’ll resign if it’s true

Turkish weapons ‘heading to end in ISIS hands’: RT speaks toCumhuriyet journalists

Turkish officers arrested for ‘treason’ after interceptingweapons destined for Syria

ISIS managed to sell oil to Turkey on black market at lessthan 50% of global prices – Iraqi MP

Erdogan promises to resign if ISIS oil links to Turkey areconfirmed

US-led coalition not striking ISIS oil trucks despiteevidence - Russia’s General Staff

Daesh trucks that sell oil are ‘civilian targets’ to US

Words of War

Firebrand senators want boots in Syria to dislodge Russia

Lindsey Graham: Shoot Down Russian Planes In Syria

Lindsey Graham shows the American Governments Insanity wants war on Syrian govt

Iraqi PM rejects US talks of new troop deployment in hiscountry

NATO plans to strengthen Turkey's air defenses near Syrianborder

Syria: News Archive and Time Line of Foreign Sponsored Terrorist War on Syria

Syria News Archive - (2011 - 2012)

Syria News Archive - (2012 - 2013)

Syria News Archive - (Aug 2013 to Dec 2014)

Syria News Archive - (2015)

Turkey

Turkey: News Archive (2010 to 2015)

Military Build Up on the Turkey Syria Border

Scroll Down for Important World News from a LIVE RT News Feed

By Stewart Brennan

There is a rapid military build up on the Turkey / Syrian border that poses an immediate threat to the region and possibly to the world as NATO member Turkey faces off against Russia in an escalating war of words, actions and reactions.

Considering that Turkey deliberately shot down a Russian Bomber inside Syrian air space, then refused to apologize for their actions, and then claimed it was their right to shoot the plane down, is of grave concern, especially when NATO backed up Turkey’s claim.

Turkey’s military build up on the Syrian border requires very close monitoring because it can spin off in a very dangerous way. Here are the probable scenarios that come with Turkey’s aggressive posture and military build up on their border with Syria.

1. A regional war or invasion force to take Syrian land that Turkey considers their protectorate.
2. A Military build up to provide the western backed terrorists with an endless supply of weapons and manpower required to overthrow the Syrian government.
3. A military build up to protect the illegal terrorist’s and their oil trade.
4. A defensive posture to shore up its porous border with Syria as per US President Obama’s official statement…
5. All of the above...

We all know that the US, their NATO Partners, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the Gulf State allies along with Israel still insist that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must leave power. They also play a large role in funding equipping and training the mercenary armies on the ground in Syria, so it is no wonder that they do not want to join Russia’s coalition in eradicating the terrorists on the ground, since those terrorists belong to them…and how many times does it have to be said for thick skulled western leaders to get it, that only the Syrian people can decide through elections who will represent them?

The US coalition lacks a UN mandate to start a military campaign in Syria and when asked to join with the Russian and Syrian military to remove the terrorists, the US and its coalition of partners outright refused. The west’s concern is not about the terrorists in the region but the removal of Assad from power, mainly because President Assad claims his countries independence from US hegemony.

Turkey along with the US, Europe, and Saudi Arabia have all played a part in the mercenary armies on the ground inside Syria, no matter what their name or names are now, they are ALL terrorists, plain and simple, who have been tasked by their masters to remove the Assad government by any means necessary.

There has not been one sane mind among the western leaders when it comes to resolving the crisis they created in Syria. They all want Assad to go and continue to insist on it as they look for ways to get into Syria and bomb the country into dust to advance their combined agenda’s.

Thankfully there is a coalition of nations that adhere to International law and have made every effort to abide by those laws, which we citizens in the West believe in. Our governments on the other hand, are not listening to “we the people” or to common sense.

Terrorism needs to be eradicated, and the best way to do that is to stop funding them, stop arming them, and stop training them. Ending terrorism in the region will take the combined efforts of ALL nations working together in order to eradicate this plague of hate…but it is clearly obvious to everyone who has been following the events over the past four and a half years, that removing terrorism from the region is the furthest thing on the US coalitions mind.

Here are the Facts:

• The US, UK, France their allies, plus Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Israel continue to fund, arm and train terrorists to overthrow the Syrian government.
• NATO countries have begun joining the Americans false war on terror. (France and Germany are already there and the UK will vote on it Wednesday December 2^nd)
• The US war coalition does not have a mandate from the UN to conduct military operations in Syria, nor does it have the Syrian government’s permission.
• Russia was invited to help eradicate terrorism from Syria by the Syrian government.
• Russia asked all the NATO and US friendly Gulf State countries to join their initiative in Syria but they refused...including Turkey, the US, UK, Saudi Arabia, etc…
• France has stated they will work with Russia but continues to back away from the Russian coalition by siding with the independent and illegal US coalition.
• The Russian Air force is supporting the Syrian Government and eradicating foreign backed terrorists inside Syria.
• The Terrorists are running an oil truck pipeline from Syria into Turkey
• Russia bombed the terrorists oil smuggling truck pipeline and disrupted their revenue flow to Turkey.
• Turkey was angry and deliberately shot down a Russian Bomber over the Syrian region where the terrorist oil smuggling operation passed through.
• Turkey refuses to apologize to Russia for shooting down its plane.
• Russia responded by deploying their S-400 missile system in Syria to protect their air force from any further aggression.
• Turkey then responded by bringing a 1000 units of heavy equipment (Tanks etc) to the border and countered Russia’s S-400 missile defence system with the deployment of electronic jamming equipment.
• NATO backs Turkey’s aggression on shooting down of the Russian jet.
• The US makes up 90% of NATO.
• The US and NATO refuse to work with Russia on eradicating terrorism in Syria.
• US war machine is in full propaganda mode at home to confront Russia.

Lindsey Graham Attacks Def Secretary Ashton Carter for not winning war in Syria

Source: World United News

Why is the US acting so much more irrational than usual?

The US bully was out manoeuvred in their global war on terror by a Russian side that said, “ok, lets do this together” and then proceeded to take the initiative in an International legal manner. The American’s found themselves outside the law as well as outside the Middle East theatre, with no legal way back into Syria except to join the Russian coalition against terrorism in Syria…American arrogance and their pursuit of global hegemony over all nations prevails and will not recede, therefore we can expect further escalation by the US and it’s coalition in Syria…and other places. (Possibly Ukraine.)

Getting back to Tukey…

Turkey’s fatal error of shooting down a Russian plane and refusing to apologize for their action will meet with a reply by Russia in the near future and could come in the form of partnering with the Syrian Kurds, much to Turkey’s alarm since Turkey has been bombing the Syrian & Iraqi Kurds without mercy. Turkey is also at war with the Kurdish people within their own Turkish borders.

A partnership between Russia and the Syrian Kurds might already have happened if the following news is confirmed to be true…

“Russia Allies With Kurds to Push Turkey out of Syria” – Russia Insider

“Russia hits back at Turkey by changing Syria 'game” – Al Jazeera

So, if Russia did indeed approach the Kurds and promised to protect them from Turkey’s bombers (unlike the Americans), then we will see a one up-manship by the US / NATO in response…

US deploys special forces to boost fight against ISIS in Iraq, Syria

Source: Russia Today

The desire to bomb Syria by the Western coalition did not begin in 2015, but back in 2013 when the US, UK, France and others were convinced, without evidence, that Assad had used chemical weapons on his own people. These allegations turned out to be false as we all saw that the Western backed terrorists were the ones using chemical weapons.

The Syrian War What You're Not Being Told – (2013 – Sept 03)

Source: StormClouds Gathering

It was only the efforts of millions of concerned people all over the World that stopped their governments from committing another war crime in the middle east, a fact that UK Prime Minister David Cameron responded to, in humiliated acknowledgement of a Parliamentary defeat, by his words “the answer is no and, I get that”…

British parliament votes against military action in Syria (2013)

The original Video and the News channel of Press TV were victims of Western censorship and removed from YouTube to cover up western War Crimes in Syria. Where possible, I will insert a mirror video of the report.

Original Source: Press TV

It seems that Cameron and company didn’t get it…because here we are again, at a very dangerous point in time that demands the people of the West stand up and speak out against this determined coalition of war mongers.

Tell them to join Russia’s coalition to eradicate the terrorists and tell them to stop selling weapons to Belligerent Gulf States who arm the terrorists everyone claims to be fighting…and how hard can it be to track 1 Billion dollars a year in illegal Oil sales let alone thousands of trucks crossing the Syrian Border into Turkey…transactions have to show up in the financial system somewhere, because selling vast amounts of illegal oil and the purchase / sale of mass amounts of weapons has to be traced in the American Petro Dollar books…don’t tell me they can’t trace it…

Stand UP, Speak OUT, and tell them to work with Russia’s “legal coalition” if they want to stomp out terrorism…and while you’re at it, tell your leaders to properly address their belligerent partner "Turkey" for its arrogant posture and deliberate military escalation. We don’t need another major War.

----------------------------------------------- 

IMPORTANT LINKS:

TURKEY to Concentrate 1000 Units of Military Equipment atthe Border of Syria

Turkey is preparing for an offensive, as 1000 armouredvehicles were airlifted to the Syrian Border

US asks Turkey to send troops to Syria border

TURKEY Sends Electronic Radar Attack Systems to the SyrianBorder to Counteract Russian S-400

The United States may have installed equipment in theTurkish aircraft EA-18 Growler to counter the Russian S-400

NATO's Stoltenberg backs Turkey's right to "defend itsterritorial integrity"

Saudi Arabia threatens Syria President Assad with militaryaction

Obama says Assad must go to end Syria war

Russia won’t join “illegal” US-led coalition in Syria

Russian S-400 defense missile system deployed in Syria

Turkey downs Russian jet, Putin calls it a ‘stab in theback’

Turkmen’ who boasted of killing Russian pilot is allegedlyTurk nationalist

Greece confirms US asked to close airspace to Syria-boundRussian aid flights

Putin & Assad hold surprise meeting in Moscow: Keypoints

Turkey's cool with Russian fighter jet incident, and that'spissing some off –(2015 Oct 05)

Russia: Russian warships launch first anti-IS strikes

Russian military forces start airstrikes against ISIS inSyria

Lindsey Graham: Shoot Down Russian Planes In Syria

Lindsey Graham shows the American Governments Insanity wantswar on Syrian govt

Terrorist Oil Trade and Weapons Via Turkey

Daesh trucks that sell oil are ‘civilian targets’ to US

Daesh routes black market oil via Turkey: Putin

Turkey arms Daesh in exchange for oil, antiquities'

Daesh made $800m from oil sales in Turkey: Iraqi MP

Libyan Sirte becomes new ISIS stronghold with direct searoute to Europe

Russia has ‘more proof’ ISIS oil routed through Turkey,Erdogan says he’ll resign if it’s true

Turkish weapons ‘heading to end in ISIS hands’: RT speaks toCumhuriyet journalists

Turkish officers arrested for ‘treason’ after interceptingweapons destined for Syria

War Mongering

US deploys special forces to boost fight against ISIS inIraq, Syria

Firebrand senators want boots in Syria to dislodge Russia

German cabinet approves mandate to join military campaignagainst Daesh in Syria – (2015 – Dec 01)

Turkey says won’t apologize to Russia over jet downing

Turkey PM: No apologies for downing of Russian bomber

Obama urges Putin to de-escalate tensions with Turkey

Syria: News Archive and Time Line of Foreign Sponsored Terrorist War on Syria

Syria News Archive - (2011 - 2012)

Syria News Archive - (2012 - 2013)

Syria News Archive - (Aug 2013 to Dec 2014)

Syria News Archive - (2015)

Turkey News Archive

Turkey: News Archive (2010 to 2015)

Iraq signs contract for 18 F-16 fighter jets

 

An F-16 fighter jet (file photo)

Source: Press TV

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/10/19/267545/iraq-signs-deal-for-usmade-f16-jets/

Iraq has signed a contract to purchase 18 F-16 multirole fighter jets in line with plans to beef up its air force.

Acting Iraqi Defense Minister Sadun Farhan al-Dulaymi said on Thursday that the deal is part of an initial agreement to purchase 36 of the US-made jets to revamp Iraq’s aerial capabilities.

“The United States is still arms supplier number one to Iraq and the Ministry of Defense. We also agreed to buy another 18 F-16 fighter jets and they (the Americans) will speed up the delivery of the first 18 (F-16) fighters as soon as possible. There will also be a demand for the purchase of air defense systems and Apache helicopters,” Dulaymi told reporters.

He also stated that the contract is “no different from the first contract in terms of the technical and financial details. This handover will be finished in 2018.”

Iraq has also concluded military contracts with Russia and the Czech Republic this month as it seeks to build up its air force.

China ‘sharpens response’, starts military exercises near disputed islands

 

Chinese marine surveillance ship. (AFP Photo / Japan Coast Guard)

Source: Russia Today

http://rt.com/news/china-islands-chinese-vessels-771/

The Chinese navy is set to begin joint military exercises on Friday in the East China Sea. The exercises will take place on the doorstep of the islands at the heart of the recent tensions between Japan and the mainland.

­The exercises were announced on Thursday, and will include vessels from the Chinese fishing agency and maritime surveillance. China’s Xinhua news agency reported that a total of 11 navy vessels and eight naval aircraft will participate in the maneuvers, “improving coordination between the navy and administrative patrol vessels and sharpening their response to emergencies in missions to safeguard territorial sovereignty and maritime interests,” according to a Chinese navy statement.

The latest round of saber-rattling comes amid high tensions in the East China Sea following the Japanese acquisition of several disputed islands in September. The islands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, have long been administered by the Japanese, but are claimed by China, as well as Taiwan.

After the Japanese government purchased the islands from a private owner on September 5, tensions in the region escalated dramatically. Chinese and Taiwanese flotillas immediately set sail for the islands, only to be pummeled by Japanese water cannons.

Xinhua also quoted the Chinese fleet statement as saying that fishing patrol vessels in the area had been “stalked, harassed and even intentionally interfered with by foreign vessels, greatly challenging their duties.”

Chinese fishing boats have repeatedly claimed territorial fishing rights in the region.

Adding weight to the conflict over the uninhabited islands are the suspected large natural gas reserves in the surrounding waters.

 

A Japan Coast Guard vessel (R) sprays water against Taiwanese fishing boats, while a Taiwanese coast guard ship (L) also sprays water in the East China Sea near Senkaku islands as known in Japanese or Diaoyu Islands in Chinese on September 25, 2012. (AFP Photo / AFP Photo / Yomiuri Shimbun)

Exercises ‘legitimate’, economics in play

Japanese TV channel Fuji TV first reported that Chinese vessels were maneuvering towards the disputed islands on Tuesday, and that Japanese military surveillance aircraft had been dispatched to monitor them, citing government sources. In response, China’s Ministry of Defense issued a statement stating the "Chinese navy vessels' routine training and navigation in the waters in question is justified and legitimate."

If the Chinese ships attempt to breach Japanese-controlled waters, it would inflame a situation which is unstable at best. The past month has seen violent anti-Japan demonstrations across China, while several Japanese companies and manufacturers have hoisted anchor, closing their stores and factories on the mainland in response.

Dr. Joseph Gerson, an expert in Asia-Pacific affairs and programs director at the American Friends Service Committee, told RT that although the islands remain a dangerous flashpoint for the two nations, the importance of China-Japan economic ties may outweigh the consequences of full-scale war.

“They’re both competitors and partners in trade,” he said. “During the last crisis over these islands, the Chinese, at least for a period of time, embargoed the sale and trade of rare earth, which is essential to Japan’s high-tech economy. At the same time, China needs Japanese investment, so a war would cost both, and I think that’s one reason why it didn’t happen,” Gerson said.

Gerson added that while the situation had calmed somewhat after a short period on the brink of crisis, it could still “flare up at any time that it meets the interest of political leaders seeking to manipulate the situation.”

EU set to impose new anti-Iran bans despite UN warning

 

The EU sanctions against Iran come despite a UN warning against the humanitarian upshots of the bans.

Source: Press TV

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/10/13/266418/eu-to-impose-new-embargoes-on-iran/

The European Union has provisionally approved new embargoes against Iran over its nuclear energy program, despite a UN warning against the humanitarian repercussions of the sanctions already in place.

The Friday motion will have to be formally ratified on Monday at an EU foreign ministers' session in Luxembourg before coming to effect.

According to EU diplomats, the new measures target Tehran’s banking sector, industry and shipping.

The new embargoes will oblige European traders to obtain the authorizations of their respective governments prior to financing any permitted business transaction with Iran.

The bloc will also ban its member states from selling metals and graphites, a steel component, to Iran and providing the country with ship manufacturing know-how, oil-storage technology as well as flagging and classification services to Iranian tankers.

Based on the new motion, the EU will also freeze the assets of 34 Iranian companies.

The bloc’s new move comes in defiance of the UN chief’s recent remarks about the humanitarian ramifications of the previously-imposed embargoes. Ban Ki-moon warned on October 5 that the West’s sanctions have mainly targeted the livelihood of the ordinary Iranian population.

On Wednesday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei described the West’s embargoes as “illogical” and “barbaric.”

This is while the Norwegian Nobel Prize Committee awarded its 2012 Peace Prize to the EU on Friday.

Following the West’s embargoes on Iran’s banking, the imports of more than fifty kinds of badly needed medicine for people who suffer from certain diseases such as children’s cancer, thalassemia, multiple sclerosis (MS), and respiratory and heart diseases, have declined drastically.

 

Millions of Indians protest foreign competition to mom-and-pop shops

 

Demonstrators from the Samajwadi Party, a regional political party, shout slogans after they stopped a passenger train during a protest against price hikes in fuel and foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail, near Allahabad railway station September 20, 2012 (Reuters / Jitendra Prakash)

Source: Russia Today

http://rt.com/news/india-strike-retail-reform-550/

India is going through a nationwide strike on Thursday, as shopkeepers, traders and workers protest a governmental reform allowing foreign retail giants into the domestic market. Activists fear the move would leave millions bankrupt.

­The day-long strike and protests were called by opposition parties and trade unions after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced the planned reform last week.

Protesters blocked railroads in Kolkata in West Bengal state, squatting on the tracks, a regional official told AFP. Thousands of police were deployed to prevent possible violence. Bihar state in north India saw train and bus stations occupied by activists, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.

Bangalore, the capital of the southern state of Karnataka, was completely shut down. The state has strong support of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is one of the major backers of the strike. India’s largest cities, including New Delhi, are bracing for large protest rallies.

According to the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) forecast, some 50 million people may participate in the action in some way. The protest was triggered by government’s plan to allow international companies like Walmart and Tesco trade directly with customers. Currently they can only own shares in retail businesses jointly with domestic companies and sell only to smaller retailers.

The move is aimed to bring foreign investment into the slowing Indian economy, but critics say it will expose small stores, called kiranas, and other retail-related small businesses to crushing international competition.

Kiranas are an important part of Indian culture, with some dubbing the country spurring world-highest shop density “a nation of shopkeepers”. There are an estimated 50 million such shops across the country, and 220 million people depend on them for their livelihoods, CAIT says.

There are fears that exposure of the market to better-organized internationals would drive kiranas out of business, as they would not be able to offer competitive prices.

"If these big guys storm in and wreck what I've fostered for decades, then my family and I will have to resort to a different business," kirana owner Goel, told Reuters.

People skeptical about the protest say opposition politicians are trying to capitalize on people’s fears and the real impact of the reform would not be as bad as they picture it. The shops would have the strength of advantageous placement in residential areas and customer loyalty won over decades.

"The traditional kirana stores and outlets in India have been able to compete very successfully with modern retail for a very long time," said a study released by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the global accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. "Their presence in the midst of a residential area is a big advantage."

The Indian government so far remained steadfast in proceeding with the reform.

 

Demonstrators from the Samajwadi Party, a regional political party, shout slogans as they gather around an effigy on a railway track during a protest against price hikes in fuel and foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail, near Allahabad railway station September 20, 2012 (Reuters / Jitendra Prakash)

Major Japanese firms suspend operations in China

 

Chinese protesters hold placards and flags as they march past the Japanese embassy during a protest over disputed islands, in Beijing on September 16, 2012

Source: Press TV

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/09/17/262049/japanese-firms-halt-business-in-china/

Japanese companies have temporarily suspended their operations in China as Chinese protesters hold fresh rallies to defy Japan’s move to purchase a chain of disputed islands, claimed by the two economic heavyweights and Taiwan.

Major car-makers Toyota and Honda, as well as electronics-maker Panasonic were on Monday obliged to shut their businesses in China after some of their factories were attacked by Chinese protesters across the country. Toyota and Honda also reported arson attacks on their stores in Qingdao.

Meanwhile, several Japanese schools across China, including in Beijing and Shanghai, cancelled classes due to the escalation of the crisis.

Anti-Japan protesters marched past the Japanese embassy in the capital Beijing after Japan announced its decision on Tuesday to purchase a chain of the disputed islands in East China Sea from their private Japanese owner.

Following the announcement, Beijing sent six surveillance ships to the islands “to start patrol and law enforcement.”

In the southern city of Shenzhen, police fired tear gas at the angry protesters who were calling for “bloodbath” in Tokyo.

In addition, over 1,000 protesters held a demonstration in the southern city of Guangzhou, burning Japanese flags. They also attacked a hotel next to the Japanese consulate.

The disputed territories, known as Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan, have been the topic of a long-running row between Tokyo and Beijing. The islands are uninhabited but resource-rich.

The islands are located near a crucial shipping lane and would give the owner exclusive oil, mineral and fishing rights in the surrounding waters.

 

US wades into China Japan island dispute with missile defense deal

 

(AFP Photo / Mark Ralston)

Source: Russia Today

http://rt.com/news/china-japan-war-panetta-290/

A territorial dispute between China and Japan could spark a “violent conflict,” US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said. The US also inked a missile defense deal with Tokyo likely to anger Beijing, while mass anti-Japanese protests grip China.

"I am concerned that when these countries engage in provocations of one kind or another over these various islands, that it raises the possibility that a misjudgment on one side or the other could result in violence, and could result in conflict," Panetta said.

He also warned that Beijing and Tokyo should put an end to provocations or risk a “potentially expanding” conflict.

Following the diplomatic meeting with Panetta, Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba said that Washington had agreed that the Senkaku islands, claimed by both Japan and China, are covered by a US-Japan security treaty.

In the 1960 treaty, the US committed to aid the Japanese in the event of an attack on the nation’s territory.

"I did not bring up the topic today, but it is mutually understood between Japan and the United States that [the islands] are covered by the treaty," Gemba said after the meeting on Monday. Washington previously claimed that the US would not take sides in the territorial dispute over the archipelago in the East China Sea.

The US also signed an agreement with Japan on Monday to build a second missile defense radar installation on Japanese territory, aimed at countering North Korea. China may view the move as a provocation.

The Senkaku islands – known as Diaoyu to the Chinese – are uninhabited, but are believed to contain rich mineral deposits and are located on important shipping lanes.

Violent protests rocked China after Japan announced last week that it had purchased three of the islands from a private owner. In the latest bout of demonstrations, anti-Japanese activists attacked Panasonic factories in the eastern city of Quingdao. Protesters burned Japanese flags and targeted Japanese-made cars.

In response to the wave of unrest, Panasonic temporarily ceased operations in China. In addition, Canon announced that it would suspend operations for employees’ safety. Toyota Motor Corp also said that it was affected by the anti-Japanese unrest, citing a suspected arson attack on one of its factories in the eastern Shandong province.

­

‘A decade of stagnation’

On Monday, the Chinese government threatened that Japan could suffer from another “lost decade” if relations between the two countries deteriorate further.

"How could be it be that Japan wants another lost decade, and could even be prepared to go back by two decades," state newspaper the People's Daily said in a front-page article. China "has always been extremely cautious about playing the economic card," it said.

The paper claimed that China was prepared to “take up the battle,” should tensions persist.

 

East Asia disputes may draw in others - Panetta

 

US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta

Source: Press TV

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/09/17/262055/east-asia-disputes-may-expand-panetta/

US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has expressed concern over territorial disputes between Japan and China, saying the spats may lead to conflicts involving other countries.

"I am concerned that when these countries engage in provocations of one kind or another over these various islands that it raises the possibility that a misjudgment on one side or the other could result in violence and could result in conflict and that conflict would then, you know, have the potential of expanding," Panetta told reporters on Sunday onboard his plane en route to Tokyo, Japan.

Tokyo is the first stop of Panetta’s weeklong trip to the East Asia region, which will include visits to China and New Zealand.

The trip is reportedly the third tour of the American military chief to Asia Pacific in the past 11 months, echoing Pentagon’s shifting efforts to place further military emphasis on the region.

Panetta said he will urge countries of the region, especially China, to find ways to peacefully resolve their disputes.

Protests against Japan have erupted across China over the past days over a long-running dispute on a group of uninhabited islands in East China Sea.

During his visit to Japan, the American defense secretary plans to discuss with officials in Tokyo the controversial deployment of 12 V-22 Osprey aircraft to the country.

Thousands of Japanese have protested the hybrid aircraft’s planned deployment in their nation, questioning its safety record.

 

US to flex naval might in Persian Gulf war games

 

US warships.(AFP Photo / Paul J. Perkins)

Source: Russia Today

http://rt.com/news/naval-training-persian-gulf-258/

The US Navy is leading its largest-ever war games in the Persian Gulf, with warships from 25 countries being deployed in the region. Tehran, in return, is preparing for its biggest air defense war game in the history of Islamic Republic next month.

The countries that deployed the largest number of warships for the 12-day training mission are the US, Britain, France, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The exact number of aircraft carriers, battleships and submarines taking part is unclear. Three American aircraft carriers out of the four currently in commission are reportedly gathering in the Persian Gulf for the training. USS Enterprise, USS John C. Stennis, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower have reportedly arrived.

The USS George Washington is believed to be on patrol in the Pacific Ocean but its exact whereabouts are a mystery. It was sighted near the island of Guam one week ago, and the air carrier’s Facebook page claims that it is still in the Pacific. But since the ship can travel at over 30 knots, it could be on its way to the Persian Gulf.

The aircraft carriers are supported by at least a dozen warships: Ballistic missile cruisers, destroyers, frigates and assault ships carrying thousand of US Marines and spec ops ships.

Britain dispatched six vessels to the Persian Gulf war games: the HMS Diamond, a brand-new £1 billion worth destroyer, four minesweepers and a logistics vessel.

The joint fleet is expected to simulate destroying Iranian fighter jets, battleships and coastal military defenses like missile batteries.

Attacking Iran cuts both ways for US

­Tensions between Iran and Israel over Tehran’s controversial nuclear program have been on the uptick. Iran has blamed the US for Israel’s possible attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, and promised to retaliate against American interests in the event of such an attack.

On Sunday, Iranian General Mohammad Ali Jafari confirmed that in a conflict with Israel, Iran considers the entrance of the Persian Gulf – the Strait of Hormuz – a legitimate target.

"The US has many vulnerable targets around Iran, and its bases are within the range of the Guards' missiles. We have other capabilities as well, particularly when it comes to the support of Muslims for the Islamic republic," the general said during a press conference in Tehran.

Jafari revealed that Tehran is aware of Israel’s unsuccessful attempts to push the US towards military action against Iran, but claimed it was unlikely that an Israeli strike against Tehran's nuclear facilities “would be carried out without US permission.”

If Israel attacked Iran, "nothing of Israel will be left, considering its size," he said.

In response, the US, which maintains a heavy military presence in the region, and its allies are increasing military patrols to protect the Strait of Hormuz, which accounts for 40 percent of the world oil shipped by sea.

Hawkish US rhetoric towards the Islamic Republic has lessened in the face of the coming presidential election in November. The Obama administration indicated that domestic matters have taken precedence over Tel Aviv's hawkish stance towards Iran.

Israeli decision-making is greatly affected by various factors, including Barack Obama himself. If GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney defeats Obama in the election and becomes president, it would take him months to set a new foreign policy towards Iran, giving Tehran more time to prepare for war.

A second Obama term is also an unappealing option for the current Israeli cabinet, for different reasons.

In the wake of Obama’s refusal to meet him later this month, Israeli PM Bejamin Netanyahu addressed the US through NBC's "Meet the Press," urging American officials once again to set a “red line” for Iran “before it's too late.” Repeating the theory that Tehan is developing a nuclear weapon, he implied that if the US follows Israel's demands, the chances of a military attack on Iran would be reduced.

Netanyahu despises American President Barack Obama “personally and politically,” researcher and author F. William Engdahl told RT. The pair could be hard-pressed to find common ground on Iran, leading Israel to calculate that a unilateral strike is an option, since America would be forced protect its bases and assets in the event of a regional war.

In Armenia, a country in the Caucasus bordering Iran, a large war game by the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization has been launched

 

Chinese ships breach Japan’s naval border

 

Chinese patrol ship Haijian (AFP Photo / Handout)

Source: Russia Today

http://rt.com/news/chinese-ships-breach-japan-naval-border-101/

Six Chinese ships entered Japanese waters near a group of disputed islets claimed by both Beijing and Tokyo early on Friday, ignoring the Japanese coast guard's orders to vacate its territorial waters.

­The first two ships in the battalion entered the disputed waters at around 21:20 GMT on Thursday. After a few hours of “patrolling,” three of the ships have left the disputed waters, while another three stayed, local media reported.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed that six of its surveillance ships had entered the waters near the islands.

So far, Japanese border patrol ships have not taken any active measures against the Chinese vessels.

“The patrol activity is intended to demonstrate the jurisdiction of the Chinese government over the Diaoyu Islands and the adjacent islands, and also to protect the country’s naval interests,” the statement reads.

Japan has created a crisis headquarters in response to the incident. The country's officials urgently summoned the Chinese Ambassador to a meeting with the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

This is the latest in a series of diplomatic rows between China and Japan centered on control of the Senkaku, or Diaoyu in Mandarin, islands.

On Tuesday, Japan announced it had purchased the islands from a private owner, ignoring Chinese territorial claims. Following the announcement, two ships from the China Marine Surveillance were dispatched to the tiny archipelago in the South China Sea “to assert the country’s sovereignty.”

At that time, however, the vessels did not come within 12 nautical miles of the islands, an area Japan considers its territorial waters.

Chinese smash Japanese cars in protest

­Meanwhile, the nationalistic spirit has taken a hold in China. Blogs and forums have been throbbing with discussion over various protests against the Japanese repatriation of the disputed islands.

In Shanghai, an angry man was said to have driven his Honda Civic to a local dealership and set the vehicle ablaze. In Shenzhen, several Japanese-made cars have been smashed.

The tourist industry is reacting as well by canceling plans to visit Japan in early October, when China celebrates its National Day. A couple in Kunming told the state-run Xinhua news agency that they had canceled a wedding photo shoot because the studio couldn’t meet their demand to take their pictures with cameras not made by Japanese companies, reports the Los Angeles Times. Many Chinese celebrities and politicians are refusing to travel to Japan.

On Wednesday, a crowd of people demonstrated outside the Japanese Consulate General in Shanghai; and about 60 people rallied outside Japan's Interchange Association, Japan's de facto embassy in Taipei, to protest the nationalization move, as Taiwan also lays claim to the islands.

Recently, Chinese state media began broadcasting weather reports for the islands for the first time

 

Moscow to react to US Asian missile defense

Source: Russia Today

http://rt.com/politics/missile-defense-asia-concerns-577/

Russia has expressed its concern over American plans to deploy a new missile defense shield in Southeast Asia.

"The continuing growth of the US potential in what we call the Far East – the Asia-Pacific region – does not go unnoticed in Russia," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said at a nonproliferation conference in Moscow. “We are closely following what is happening between the USA and its allies in Asia.”

According to the diplomat, “important events” are unfolding in the region and “a lot has already been achieved,” cites Interfax.

Moscow’s concerns about the situation arise from the technology involved, as well as the “geography and the US capability to deploy these assets in different locations.”

It is important that Washington eases these concerns. Otherwise, “there is a set of measures worked out by the Russian leadership,” Ryabkov noted.

Earlier, it was reported that Washington was planning to expand its missile defense in Asia in response to threats from North Korea and to counter China’s growing missile capabilities.

The buildup could include an early-warning radar system on a southern Japanese island and possibly another one in Southeast Asia. These two new radars would supplement the one already installed in Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan in 2006.

The US global missile defense shield – in particular its European sector – has long been a stumbling block in the relations between Moscow and Washington. Russia worries that the planned system may pose a threat to its national security. The US has so far refused to provide legally-binding guarantees that the European missile defense assets would not be targeted against Russia.

“The US missile defense system – is surely one of the key issues on today’s agenda because it involves Russia’s vital interests,” President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with RT.

The differences on the issue can only be solved if both sides accept as an axiom that they are “reliable partners and allies for each other.” That would mean the parties “jointly do missile threat assessments and control this defense system together,” Putin said.

The president stressed that Russia had done what it could and offered to work on the system together. However, the American partners are “refusing to go along.” Moscow is set to continue the dialogue on the matter, he stressed.

“But naturally, as our American partners proceed with developing their own missile defense we shall have to think of how we can defend ourselves and preserve the strategic balance,” Putin added.

In November last year, then-President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia could place offensive weaponry on its borders with Europe as one possible measure against the deployment of American elements of missile defense shield in the region.