Forgotten Continent: The Battle for Latin America’s Soul

Posted by Matt in January 7th, 2008 | no comment

Published in Amazon.Com, Americas, Venezuela

Think of Latin America and odds are you will think, in no particular order, of the Amazon, the Andes, dictators in sunglasses, women in bowler hats, Maradona, economic crises, salsa, tango and tropical sunshine.
Which is to say, odds are you do not think of it often. There are, after all, more pressing parts of the [...]

US Military Reports Skirmish With Iran

Posted by Matt in January 7th, 2008 | no comment

Published in Iran, Military, U.S.

US Military Reports Skirmish With Iran
New York Times,Â United StatesÂ - 7 hours ago
And the US wasnâ€™t the only country to complain of Iranâ€™s aggression in the region today. Israeli intelligence officials claim that it has traced a rocket …
â€˜Recklessâ€™ Iranians threaten to blow up American warships in the Gulf Times Online
Pentagon Says Ships Harassed by Iran [...]

Washington’s Eastern Sunset

Posted by Matt in January 7th, 2008 | no comment

Published in Asia, China, Japan, Koreas, Military

The Decline of U.S. Power in Northeast Asia
After 60 years of U.S. domination, the balance of power in Northeast Asia is shifting. The United States is in relative decline, China is on the rise, and Japan and South Korea are in flux. To maintain U.S. power in the region, Washington must identify the trends shaping [...]

World Oil Transit Chokepoints

Posted by Matt in January 7th, 2008 | no comment

Published in Oil

Chokepoints are narrow channels along widely used global sea routes. They are a critical part of global energy security due to the high volume of oil traded through their narrow straights. The Strait of Hormuz leading out of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Malacca linking the Indian and Pacific Oceans are two of [...]

The Challenge to U.S. Weapons Superiority

Posted by Matt in January 7th, 2008 | no comment

Published in Military, U.S., anti-ship_missiles, cruise_missiles, submarines

The year 2007 was a year when several major powers served notice that U.S. weapons superiority in every field and class wasn’t going to remain an uncontested monopoly.
China continued to out-build the United States in submarines by factors of 10-to-1 or even 14-to-1 per year, largely because good, small and medium-size diesel subs are far [...]

Israel, India deepening strategic ties

Posted by Matt in January 7th, 2008 | no comment

Published in India, Israel, Military

Industry sources said India has sought to purchase Israeli missile technology. The sources cited Indian interest in Israel’s Python-5 and Derby air-to-air missiles as well as the Delilah-2 air-launched cruise missile.
Mehta was said to have also discussed the navy’s interest in Israel’s Gabriel-3 anti-ship missile. Gabriel-3 was described as a sea-skimming missile developed by IAI.
The [...]

Poland signals a shift on U.S. missile shield

Posted by Matt in January 7th, 2008 | no comment

Published in Europe, Missiles, Poland

Signaling a tougher position in negotiations with the United States on a European anti-ballistic missile shield, Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski says the new Warsaw government is not prepared to accept U.S. plans to deploy part of the shield in Poland until all costs and risks are considered.
“This is an American, not a Polish project,” Sikorski [...]

Taiwan: China Sabotages International Efforts

Posted by Matt in January 7th, 2008 | no comment

Published in China, Taiwan

Taiwan: China Sabotages International Efforts
UNPO,Â NetherlandsÂ - 5 hours ago
He argued that a weak Taiwan military will encourage Chinese military adventurism, while a strong Taiwan military would foster regional stability. …
Taiwan To Purchase Patriots, Apaches DefenseNews.com (subscription)
all 45 news articlesÂ Â»

Russia — Those who Live by Hypocrisy . . .

Posted by Matt in January 7th, 2008 | no comment

Published in Russia

Just as easily, you can find instances of bellicose anti-American rhetoric from Putin, calling America a threat to world security and democracy. And this attitude extends to all of Europe. A recent article on Radio Free Europe was entitled: “Russia Bares its Teeth, Signaling a Tough time for the OSCE.”
We dare you: Find just [...]

China navy floats three-carrier plan

Posted by Matt in January 7th, 2008 | no comment

Published in China, Military

China has plans to develop three-carrier battle groups over the next decade.
News about this development has been widely discussed in the Hong Kong and Taiwanese press. Citing Jane’s, Wen Wai Pao reported that as a part of its carrier battle group plans the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) intends to establish an even stronger submarine [...]