TOKYO – Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday he has decided to temporarily suspend preliminary work on moving a U.S. Marine Corps base on Okinawa and will resume talks on the contentious relocation plan.
The central government and Okinawa’s prefectural government have been locked in a legal battle over relocating the base, with both sides suing the other.
Abe said that his government is accepting a court proposal not to force the reclamation work over Okinawa’s objections. The court in February made the proposal as an interim step allowing talks. Details of the proposal were not made public.
The sudden reversal of his policy to continue with the reclamation work is seen as a vote-buying attempt ahead of this summer’s parliamentary elections.
Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga last year issued an order to suspend permission for the reclamation work. Then the central government sued to reverse the order, to which Okinawa counter-sued, seeking a court injunction.
The work involves filling in part of a bay to create off-coast runways for Futenma air station, which is now in a more densely populated area on the island.
Onaga later flew in to Tokyo and held talks with Abe at his office, both confirming to follow the court proposal and abide by any subsequent court decisions related to their legal dispute. Onaga welcomed Friday’s decision by both sides as “very significant.”
Abe said the plan to eventually move the base to the town of Henoko is unchanged. The relocation is based on a 20-year-old bilateral agreement to reduce the burden of the U.S. military presence on Okinawa.
Opponents want the base moved off Okinawa entirely, and a prospect for a compromise is still unclear, though Okinawa is expected to drop the lawsuit.
Abe said he wants to avoid leaving the situation deadlocked “for years to come, a development that nobody wants to see.”
America’s top military official in the Pacific said last month that the relocation plan has been pushed back by two years until 2025 from the current target, because of delays from the disputes.
The U.S. has agreed to shift 8,000 to 10,000 Marines off Okinawa in the 2020s, mainly to Guam and Hawaii, but Adm. Harry Harris, head of the U.S. Pacific Command, said that would happen after Futenma’s relocation.
The southern island prefecture is home to about half of about 50,000 American troops stationed in Japan under the bilateral security treaty. Many Okinawans complain about crime and noise linked to the U.S. military bases.
Eyewitness to German RT: Military column of about 50 unmarked heavy trucks under way near Dresden A motorist traveling on business on the A4 towards Görlitz has turned to RT to report that he had spotted a military convoy February 20, consisting of 50 trucks, all covered with tarpaulins and without any military badges.
According to his statements, the tires of military transport vehicles were pressed, indicating heavy loading. At the same time, the US Army has announced that it is providing 5000 tons of ammunition to Germany in February.
The eyewitness, who turned to German RT and reported his observation with documenting photographs, introduced himself as a former NVA officer and was noticeably distressed when talking to RT: “I am contacting you because I am afraid for the future of my children, I have two sons of military service age, and when I watch a NATO transport of this scale in eastern Germany, it makes me enormously worried.”
He also stressed that he in contrast to the “ongoing campaign against Russia,” his circle of acquaintances rather have an attitude of friendship towards Russia.
The fact that the lead vehicle is a Humvee points to the US Army. However, it is uncommon for US military transport to drive without any form of identification across German territory.
One motivation for the complete absence of any military badging could may lie in circumventing Article 5, paragraph 3 of the Two Plus Four Treaty. This Article provides, “that foreign military forces and atomic weapons or their carriers, can not be stationed nor conveyed in this part of Germany” (the five new federal states)
The observation of the eye-witness, whose name and contact information we have at German RT, and that he, for understandable cause does not want published, coincides with the statement of US Army-Europe of February 20: “In the largest single supply of ammunition of the decade, the 21st Logistics Command has delivered more than 5,000 tons of ammunition to the ‘European ammunition depot’ in Miesau [Germany] between 17-18 February.” Thus the announcement on the official website of the US Army. The Chief of Staff of the US Logistics Command, Colonel Matthew Redding, continues in a presser: “This vital supply will help us continue to support the NATO alliance. The fact that this is the largest single delivery of the last decade, demonstrates our undiminished commitment to the defense of our allies.” Redding explained also that the storage of such a large amount of ammunition will allow the US and NATO “to provide ammunition for NATO operations on very short notice.” The Chief of Staff concluded by saying: “All these efforts pay off, if it comes to units needing ammunition right now, and we are able to deliver immediately” The ammunition was loaded in a total of 415 shipping containers and initially stored in Rhineland-Palatinate Miesau. The US military maintains near Miesau (“Miesau Am Panzergraben”*) the Miesau Army Depot, the largest ammunition depot outside the United States and the largest in Germany.
Ammunition should be available, among other things, for the upcoming 2016 NATO-United maneuvers “Anaconda” scheduled for June.
‘”Road to ANACONDA” Preparations base for the grand NATO manoeuvres in Poland for June, 2016’ Photo credit: US-Army Europe
At the military exercise over 25,000 soldiers from 24 countries will take part, including the USA, Germany, Great Britain, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Georgia, Hungary, Spain, Sweden and Turkey. Since the merger by referendum of Crimea with Russia in 2014, NATO has greatly expanded its military maneuver activities in Europe. The biggest NATO exercises in 2015, called “Trident Juncture,” included 36,000 soldiers, 60 warships and 200 warplanes from 30 different countries. Moscow has repeatedly asked NATO to stop its expansion into Eastern Europe as once agreed and has repeatedly stressed that such steps have the potential to undermine the security of all of Europe.
______________________ *The name of a German town is often specified by naming the river alongside it, i.e. “Aldingen Am Neckar,” Aldingen-on-the-Neckar. Here it is Miesau, humorously called “Miesau on the tank graveyard.”
The refusal of Russian fuel cells and the use of American equivalents at the Ukrainian atomic power stations has already led to an accident at the South-Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP).
An expert on atomic energy, Alexander Igonin, commented on this on the website “Ukraine.ru”. “The technological inconsistencies of American nuclear fuel and Soviet reactors has already led to accidents at nuclear power plants in Finland, Czech Republic and Ukraine. Despite the official statement that the South-Ukrainian NPP “is all within the normal range”, an unscheduled stop of the reactor is a serious incident, describing the technical state of the station” — he said.
Igonin also noted that the Kiev regime has significantly increased the risks of accidents at Ukrainian nuclear power plants. “The Zaporozhye andSouth-Ukrainian NPP are the first stations where the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers, before the end of the year, decided to start using exclusively American nuclear fuel. According to experts, such a move significantly increases the risk of incidents similar to Chernobyl“, — stated the expert.
He reminded us that in future the Ukrainian authorities intend to make a transition to American nuclear fuel across all operated nuclear power station, with more than a dozen working reactors.
Earlier it was reported that the South Ukrainian nuclear power plant (NPP) disconnected its third turbine due to technical problems.
America has excelled at marketing since its inception. Hollywood and Madison Avenue are the visible marks of that success — selling “America” to the world which is no more real, lasting,or good than a Western stage set.
Edward Bernays was hired to push American products and American adventures abroad.
Demonizing is another form as well as an American pastime. And bingo! it works, at least for gullible Americans, who seem allergic to doing their own investigation and love playing the victim.
The latest Gallup poll showed who Americans regard as the biggest threat.
A Gallup poll among Americans revealed that U.S citizens have changed their mind, and have highlighted a new main threat to the country.
According to the survey, the leading position on the list of threats to the United States in the opinion of Americans is North Korea (16%), followed by Russia (15%), followed by Iran (14%) and China (12%), reports RIA Novosti.
According to Gallup, this year respondent’s views on the main enemy were more varied than ever. Only four countries which Americans fear have remained unchanged over the last three years. The survey, which was conducted by telephone from 3rd to 7th February, involved 1021 participants.
To be brief, it has begun. Indeed the fighting in Donbass has resumed. More precisely, the firing of weapons prohibited by the Minsk agreements. Again, after dark, Donetsk, Gorlovka, Makeyevka, Yasinovataya feels the charm of the “truce”. If before the shelling on the outskirts of the city we were informed by daily summaries from Basurin, now we hear for ourselves that there is almost nothing left of the ceasefire.
On Defender of the Fatherland Day, the Ukrainian army began to congratulate the armed forces of the Donetsk People’s Republic in the evening of the 22nd February. At approximately 18:00 the attack on the Yasinovataya post, Oktyabrsky, the Airport began.
“Now at 21:11 it’s all trembling and shaking in the vicinity of Donetsk. From 20:30 and at this minute in the area of Yasinovataya, near the post of the traffic police, there is an intense battle. You can hear small artillery and tanks. Apparently, UAF is trying to breach again. Bangs can be heard all across Yasinovataya. The windows are shaking. Thinking about the stairs into the basement. It hasn’t been like this for a long time”,- stated the reports from local residents.
It was the same in Gorlovka, which had suffered a lot before this.
“North Of Gorlovka. Zaytsevo. UAF infantry trying to come to the Northern suburbs of Gorlovka. A battle began, then flying shrapnel on our positions (and residents in homes and apartments) from large caliber mortars. They aim at sniper positions.”.
The same situation occurred already on 23rd February, but with greater intensity. The sounds of war can be heard even in the rear areas of Donetsk. Thunder. Trembling. Shaking. Frankly speaking, the situation is tense.
“The whole Western front is booming. Maryinka, Staromikhaylovk, Volvo center, Pesky, Spartak, the Airport, Gorlovka. The UAF use all possible weapons. Half an hour ago, in the outskirts of Staromikhaylovka thundered 6 explosions, which shook the entire city. The intensity of the fire increases with each passing hour.”
23.02.16 Yasinovataya
But there is something about this situation that is unlike the previous ones: the reaction of the people. Although all are incredibly scared during the attacks, all were waiting for them. Being under constant pressure, many panicked and believed those who tried to convince the locals that they were betrayed. The resumption of active hostilities instills hope that now the DPR and LPR armies will stop at nothing and will be able to push the enemy farther away from our cities. People believe in their defence, knowing that they will be able to give a worthy answer to the army of the occupier. The fact that the Ukrainian government is trying to divert people’s attention from the real problems and again to write off everybody in the war plays into the hands of DPR and LPR. A breach of silence, the Ukrainian side has untied the hands of the armies of the People’s Republic that will allow them to liberate the occupied territories. Let’s hope for it and believe in our soldiers.
Soon I’ll have photo reports from the places of attacks and shelling.
Alas, but it seems it will be an uneasy night.
P.S. A quote from the head of the DPR Alexander Zakharchenko :
“If Kiev will go on the offensive, then we’ll go on the counter. Where it will end — we’ll see…”
More than 50 tons of food and means of personal hygiene were distributed by the staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross in the territory of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic for the last week, the representative of the ICRC reported.
From 15.02 till 19.02 5586 grocery and gross hygienic sets weighing 53 tons in total were distributed by the ICRC. The humanitarian aid was distributed in seven DPR localities.
The Russian Federation has transferred to railway workers of Donbass more than 16 thousand tons of humanitarian aid in 2015 – the DPR Minister of Transport Semyon Kuzmenko.
16,5 thousand tons of freights have been transferred already. Generally the humanitarian aid consists of materials for the Donetsk railway – glass, cement, bricks and a specific railway equipment which was destroyed as a result of military operations.
He specified that the help was provided in October.
Conflict in Donbass has gathered lots of international volunteers to different kind of tasks, which can happen everywhere in world, also in Donbass. SDP is building coordination and cooperation organization with international community for voluntary works for saving Donbass people. Most effective use of voluntary human resources is our target.
Notice: To join SDP missions all volunteers have to be minimum 18 years old.
Volunteers in Donbass
SDP can produce its own civilian missions and participate with its members in excisting ones. Volunteers can participate in DONi media works, SDP humanitarian programs, communal helping and depending from volunteers will and personal skills, basically participating in all sectors of communal life in Donbass is possible. All volunteer candidates will be contacted personally by SDP and DONi staff after sending us message below.
All tasks and actions made under SDP will be accepted by local authorities and performed by local laws and regulations. Foreign volunteers will not get salary from works, but expences from taking care of agreed responsibilities can be paid. Final deal from joining voluntary works in Donbass will be made when volunteer candidate arrives to Donetsk and after interview.
Volunteers in Donbass are responsible to take care and pay them selfs of personal traveling documents, passports and visas and pay when traveling to Donetsk City and back to their homes. Those who have possibility to stay longer periods in volunteer works (+1 month) can receive free housing and meals by SDP and DONi organization.
Volunteers abroad
SDP is launching different kind of voluntary working projects which can be done from all over the world. Tasks for SDP volunteers can include media campaigns, activist coordination, upkeeping information channels or organizing events. Our target is to grow ProDonbass movement!
By joining SDP voluntary missions in your own home country, you will be soon involved in growing international network, which tasks will be coordinated from Donetsk with local people.
In one of the biggest scandals to ever break loose in American politics, secret documents prove the USA created ISIS, knew of it’s potential as a human weapon of mass destruction and was fully aware of arms being smuggled from Libya to Syria.
The documents were released in response to a court order in accordance with a May 15, 2014, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed against both the DOD and State Department seeking communications between the two agencies and congressional leaders “on matters related to the activities of any agency or department of the U.S. government at the Special Mission Compound and/or classified annex in Benghazi.”
A document from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), dated September 12, 2012, the day after the Benghazi attack, details that the attack on the compound had been carefully planned by the BOCAR terrorist group “to kill as many Americans as possible.”
The document was sent to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Obama White House National Security Council.
The heavily redacted Defense Department “information report” says that the attack on the Benghazi facility “was planned and executed by The Brigades of the Captive Omar Abdul Rahman (BCOAR).” The group subscribes to the Al-Qaeda ideology. The attack was planned ten or more days prior on approximately 01 September 2012.
The intention was to attack the consulate and to kill as many Americans as possible to seek revenge for U.S. killing of Aboyahiye ((ALALIBY)) in Pakistan. Leaving many to speculate that the USA was fully aware of the planned attack and did nothing about it out of incompetence or in a desire to seek political gain from another terrorist incident.
The DOD documents also contain the first official documentation that the Obamaadministration knew that weapons were being shipped from the Port of Benghazi to rebel troops in Syria. An October 2012 report confirms: Weapons from the former Libya military stockpiles were shipped from the port of Benghazi, Libya to the Port of Banias and the Port of Borj Islam, Syria.
The weapons shipped during late-August 2012 were Sniper rifles, RPG’s, and 125 mm and 155mm howitzers missiles. During the immediate aftermath of, and following the uncertainty caused by, the downfall of the ((Qaddafi)) regime in October 2011 and up until early September of 2012, weapons from the former Libya military stockpiles located in Benghazi, Libya were shipped from the port of Benghazi, Libya to the ports of Banias and the Port of Borj Islam, Syria.
The Syrian ports were chosen due to the small amount of cargo traffic transiting these two ports. The ships used to transport the weapons were medium-sized and able to hold 10 or less shipping containers of cargo. The Defense Intelligence Agency document further details: The weapons shipped from Syria during late-August 2012 were Sniper rifles, RPG’s and 125mm and 155mm howitzers missiles.
The numbers for each weapon were estimated to be: 500 Sniper rifles, 100 RPG launchers with 300 total rounds, and approximately 400 howitzers missiles [200 ea – 125mm and 200ea – 155 mm.] The heavily redacted document does not disclose who was shipping the weapons, leading many analysts to conclude the only reason for not stating who shipped the arms is to protect the USA itself, who obviously was supplying ISIS with weapons itself.
US behind the ISIS
Another DIA report, written in August 2012 (the same time period the U.S. was monitoring weapons flows from Libya to Syria), said that the opposition in Syria was driven by Al-Qaeda and other extremist Muslim groups: “the Salafist, the Muslim Brotherhood, and AQI are the major forces driving the insurgency in Syria.”
The growing sectarian direction of the war was predicted to have dire consequences for Iraq, which included the “grave danger” of the rise of ISIS: The deterioration of the situation has dire consequences on the Iraqi situation and are as follows: This creates the ideal atmosphere for AQI [al-Qaeda Iraq] to return to its old pockets in Mosul and Ramadi, and will provide a renewed momentum under the presumption of unifying the jihad among Sunni Iraq and Syria, and the rest of the Sunnis in the Arab world against what it considers one enemy, the dissenters.
ISIS could also declare an Islamic state through its union with other terrorist organizations in Iraq and Syria, which will create grave danger in regards to unifying Iraq and the protection of its territory. Some of the “dire consequences” are blacked out but the DIA presciently warned one such consequence would be the “renewing facilitation of terrorist elements from all over the Arab world entering into Iraqi Arena.”
To translate this in everyday terms, the US knew this would fuel terrorism in the region and continue to serve as an excuse to prolong corporate involvement in the region for enrichment financially of US interests. It essentially nurtured, created and armed ISIS as a way to prolong US involvement in managing the conflict.
The intelligence documents are as informative for what is withheld or blacked out explains ex-CIA Agent David “Dave” Simpson in Donetsk. “By laying the information out and looking at the age old intelligence analyst tool of “who Profits?” we can connect the dots directly from ISIS’s leadership straight to 1600 Pennsylvania Blvd and the White House. Nothing on this level happens without Presidential approval.”
Simpson further stated, ” These documents implicate both Obama and Clinton in funding and manipulating terrorism for the USA’s own twisted world agenda rooted in oligarch greed, what Americans choose to do about it is sadly less certain.”
DONi News Agency, David “Dave” Simpson, former CIA agent
The International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague started an investigation of the Ukrainian Institute of legal policy and social protection’s complaint concerning the participation of the current authorities’ representatives in murders on Maidan – the Head of the Institute, the ex-deputy of the Verkhovna Rada Irina Berezhnaya.
The International Criminal Court in the Hague started an investigation of our complaint concerning the participation of members of the current Ukrainian authorities in massacre on Maidan.
She explained that the court would consider some episodes, in particular, the cases on the first dead on “Maidan” and an attempt of the deputy of the Verkhovna Rada Sergey Pashinsky to bring away a sniper rifle without being seen, and also the shooting of participants of “Maidan” and law enforcement authorities by the unknown snipers on February 20, 2014.
Berezhnaya has also published the letter from the International Criminal Court in a social network with a promise to consider the complaint quickly.
Free Ukraine Now 