Poland and Russia
According to UK’s Telegraph, documents obtained by Wprost, a Polish news magazine, revealed a nuclear training exercise designed for and carried out by approximately 13,000 Russian and Belarusian soldiers targeted Poland as a “potential aggressor.” Troops are said to have practiced amphibious landings on the country’s shore closest to Russia, and the Russian air force practiced firing nuclear missiles. Code-named “West,” the operation appeared offensive in nature, despite being labeled a defensive exercise. It also focused on suppressing the minority population of Poles in Belarus, who do not get along well with the authoritarian government in Belarus and may aid Polish forces in the event of an attack.
Karadzic
Bosnian war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic launched a full-throated attack on the International War Crimes Tribunal Tuesday, as he appeared at a hearing to discuss his refusal to appear for trial. He said he “cannot take part in something that has been bad from the start, and where my fundamental rights have been violated.” [Irony apparently isn't K's strong point.]
Afghanistan
Persistent accounts of western forces in Afghanistan using their helicopters to ferry Taleban fighters, strongly denied by the military, is feeding mistrust of the forces that are supposed to be bringing order to the country. “Just when the police and army managed to surround the Taleban in a village of Qala-e-Zaal district, we saw helicopters land with support teams,” he said… Dozens of people claim to have seen Taleban fighters disembark from foreign helicopters in several provinces. For months or even years, rumours have been circulating in Afghanistan that the Taleban are being financed or even directly supported militarily by the foreign forces.
Russia and Ukraine
Ukrainian police in the Crimea stopped on Tuesday morning a Russian truck carrying anti-ship missiles in the fifth such incident this year. Russia’s Black Sea Fleet uses a range of naval facilities in Ukraine’s Crimea, including a base in Sevastopol, as part of a 1997 lease agreement valid until 2017. The Russian truck was taking the missiles to be decommissioned and, in accordance with safety requirements, was accompanied by two other vehicles and armed security personnel. Ukrainian traffic police demanded that it return to base, saying the Russian Black Sea fleet’s actions had not been coordinated with the Ukrainian Navy…Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has led calls for Russia to prepare to withdraw its fleet from Ukraine’s territory when the agreement on the base expires, although Russia hopes to extend the lease.
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Poland and Russia
According to UK’s Telegraph, documents obtained by Wprost, a Polish news magazine, revealed a nuclear training exercise designed for and carried out by approximately 13,000 Russian and Belarusian soldiers targeted Poland as a “potential aggressor.” Troops are said to have practiced amphibious landings on the country’s shore closest to Russia, and the Russian air force practiced firing nuclear missiles. Code-named “West,” the operation appeared offensive in nature, despite being labeled a defensive exercise. It also focused on suppressing the minority population of Poles in Belarus, who do not get along well with the authoritarian government in Belarus and may aid Polish forces in the event of an attack.
Karadzic
Bosnian war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic launched a full-throated attack on the International War Crimes Tribunal Tuesday, as he appeared at a hearing to discuss his refusal to appear for trial. He said he “cannot take part in something that has been bad from the start, and where my fundamental rights have been violated.” [Irony apparently isn't K's strong point.]
Afghanistan
Persistent accounts of western forces in Afghanistan using their helicopters to ferry Taleban fighters, strongly denied by the military, is feeding mistrust of the forces that are supposed to be bringing order to the country. “Just when the police and army managed to surround the Taleban in a village of Qala-e-Zaal district, we saw helicopters land with support teams,” he said… Dozens of people claim to have seen Taleban fighters disembark from foreign helicopters in several provinces. For months or even years, rumours have been circulating in Afghanistan that the Taleban are being financed or even directly supported militarily by the foreign forces.
Russia and Ukraine
Ukrainian police in the Crimea stopped on Tuesday morning a Russian truck carrying anti-ship missiles in the fifth such incident this year. Russia’s Black Sea Fleet uses a range of naval facilities in Ukraine’s Crimea, including a base in Sevastopol, as part of a 1997 lease agreement valid until 2017. The Russian truck was taking the missiles to be decommissioned and, in accordance with safety requirements, was accompanied by two other vehicles and armed security personnel. Ukrainian traffic police demanded that it return to base, saying the Russian Black Sea fleet’s actions had not been coordinated with the Ukrainian Navy…Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has led calls for Russia to prepare to withdraw its fleet from Ukraine’s territory when the agreement on the base expires, although Russia hopes to extend the lease.