http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-06/01/content_8294997.htm


Xinhua News Agency
June 1, 2008


Macedonian poll disrupted by gunfire


SKOPJE - Gunshots were heard as Macedonians voted in a
snap general election, and four people were reportedly
wounded in the incident.

The violence occurred in the town of Aracinovo, an
ethnic Albanian area in the north of the country, and
voting had been halted in that area.

Macedonia's election authorities said earlier they
have received reports of stolen and stuffed ballot
boxes at polling stations across the country shortly
after polls opened at 7:00 a.m. (0500 GMT).

Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski called the poll after
Macedonia failed to win an invitation to join NATO in
early April, after opposition from Greece over a
dispute about the former Yugoslav state's name.
....
------------------------------------------------------
http://www.b92.net/eng/news/region-article.php?yyyy=2008&mm=06&dd=01&nav_id=5070\
8



Beta News Agency
June 1, 2008


Macedonia elections: Albanians, police in shootout


SKOPJE - Two men have been injured in incidents
involving the use of firearms as polling stations
opened this morning across Macedonia.

A series of other incidents were also reported early
in the day, scheduled for the snap parliamentary vote.

The state electoral commission confirmed that one man
was shot and wounded in Skopje, while the second
incident happened in the village of Krusino, some 10
kilometers away from the capital.

The police did not reveal the identity of either of
the victims.

But the Macedonian MUP did say that in Krusino, ethnic
Albanians confronted a special police unit, after an
Albanian attempted to vote on behalf of several other
persons.

When the officials organizing the ballot explained
this was not possible, he produced a pistol, and was
joined by several other armed persons.

"When the police intervened, the group left the
polling station, to start shooting at policemen, and
this is when one person was injured, and taken to
hospital," police spokesman Ivo Kotevski told Beta
news agency.

Voting was interrupted in several other places because
armed men appeared there as well, breaking up ballot
boxes and stealing the material necessary to organize
elections.

Some polls remains closed all morning, the agency
says.

Away from the voting booths, police found cars packed
with weapons near Krusino itself, and near the village
of Aracinovo.

State election committee chief Zoran Tanevski
confirmed that most of the incidents this morning
happened in the Albanian-inhabited areas.

In the village of Malino, near Kosovo, a ballot box
was stolen, while in another one near Tetovo, an armed
group entered the polling stations after which the
voting was suspended.

In the Gostivar area of Cifik, unknown perpetrators
tried to fill the boxes with the ballot papers,
Tanevski said.

Meanwhile, two rival ethnic Albanian parties, the
Democratic Union for Integration and the Democratic
Party of Albanians are accusing each other for the
attacks and incidents.

It is in this atmosphere that 1,779,116 Macedonian
voters can cast their ballots today, choosing between
18 parliamentary tickets competing for the nation's
parliament, or Sobranie, and the 120 seats there.

Polling stations close at 19:00 CET, with voting
monitored by some 2,000 local and more than 460
foreign observers.
------------------------------------------------------
http://www.focus-fen.net/?id=n142210


Focus News Agency (Bulgaria)
June 1, 2008


Voting in several Macedonian polling stations
suspended because of breaches
Denka KATSARSKA
Zoran TALEVSKI


Skopje - At the second press conference for the
election day it became clear that the voting in
several polling stations has been suspended because of
breaches, FOCUS News Agency’s special correspondents
informed.

The State Electoral Commission has checked many
signals for incidents.

Voting was suspended in two polling stations in the
village of Bukovic. 30 armed people took the election
materials, while municipal electoral commission
members ran away.

There was a shooting outside the polling stations in
the village of Lastarci in Saraj municipality, and the
electoral commission members ran away.

In other places the ballot boxes were full and voting
was ceased.

Armed people attacked polling stations in several
municipalities in the country.

The State Electoral Commission Chairman expressed
regret and concern about the incidents.
....
------------------------------------------------------
http://www.focus-fen.net/?id=n142209


Focus News Agency (Bulgaria)
June 1, 2008


Macedonian police arrest nine people in connection
with incident in Aracinovo
Suncica STOJANOVSKA


Skopje - One man was shot dead and two have been
wounded in a shooting in Aracinovo, Macedonia,
spokesperson for the Macedonian Ministry of the
Interior Ivo Kotevski said at a press conference,
FOCUS News Agency’s correspondent in Skopje informed.

One person was seriously injured in a shooting in
Cair.

Another five people who were in a schoolyard were also
wounded in the same incident.

Kotevski said that nine people that participated in or
were witnesses of the shooting in Arcinovo were
arrested.

Two people were detained in Kamenjane, Macedonia,
because of incidents at polling stations.





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http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2008&mm=06&dd=01&nav_id=50\
712


Tanjug News Agency
June 1, 2008


Putin in Kosovo spar with French reporter


-"Thousands of Serbs can't return to Kosovo. Hundreds
of thousands. Where did you see refugees coming back
to Kosovo. Don't tell me stories, I know what is
really going on there."



PARIS - Vladimir Putin has criticized the daily Le
Monde for referring to South Ossetia and Abkhazia as
separatist regions, while not using the same phrase
for Kosovo.

"You said separatist? Why didn't you use this word
about Kosovo?" the Russian prime minister wondered in
an interview for the Paris daily, published on
Saturday.

"You cannot answer, and this is because you do not
have an answer," Putin continued.

The journalist then remarked that "in Abkhazia, it was
the Georgians who had been ethnically cleansed, while
in Kosovo, the situation was quite the opposite since
it was the Albanians that were exposed to this
practice".

But Putin said that the two things were "not at all
opposite".

"Thousands of Serbs can't return to Kosovo. Hundreds
of thousands," he said.

"Where did you see refugees coming back to Kosovo," he
continued. "Don't tell me stories, I know what is
really going on there."

Itar-Tass news agency also reported that Putin said
some 55,000 Georgians had returned to the Galian
Region of Abkhazia.

The new Russian prime minister is in France on a
two-day visit for meetings with the country's
president and prime minister, Nicolas Sarkozy and
Francois Fion.



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http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/06/01/europe/EU-GEN-Finland-NATO-Exercise.ph\
p


Associated Press
June 1, 2008


1,000 soldiers in NATO-led disaster exercise in
Finland


-[Formerly] Neutral Finland, which joined NATO's
partnership program in 1994, has recently increased
cooperation with the alliance and now also has
soldiers in military operations under NATO command in
Kosovo and Afghanistan.



HELSINKI, Finland - More than 1,000 soldiers from 25
NATO and partnership countries on Sunday battled
imaginary flooding and storms, in the largest
international exercise held in Finland.

The five-day drill is aimed at coordinating operations
in a crisis between 15 NATO members and 10 Partnership
for Peace allies. It included 130 civilian volunteers
acting as victims and concerned relatives of people
hit by a major storm and floods.

"The aim is also to see what bureaucratic problems
might arise in such situations," said exercise
coordinator Pentti Partanen, from the Finnish Interior
Ministry.

The drill comes during the 10th anniversary of the
formation of the Euro-Atlantic crisis response unit
and is the eighth such disaster exercise held by the
group since 2000.

Neutral Finland, which joined NATO's partnership
program in 1994, has recently increased cooperation
with the alliance and now also has soldiers in
military operations under NATO command in Kosovo and
Afghanistan.




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http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-06/01/content_8295420.htm


Xinhua News Agency
June 1, 2008


France says Asia a major strategic stake for Europe


SINGAPORE - France's defense minister Sunday told an
Asian security conference that the center of gravity
of the world will move towards Asia within 25 years,
and the region is a major strategic stake for Europe.

"A global stake requires a global answer. In terms of
security, France and Europe are not intending to
remain secondary partners in Asia, but indeed full
players," French Defense Minister Herve Morin said.

Addressing defense ministers, military officials and
experts from 27 countries who were attending the
annual Asian Security Summit here, Morin noted,
"during the 25 years to come, the center of gravity of
the world will move more and more towards Asia."
....
He said France's commitment in Asia now finds an
illustration in Afghanistan, where France is "making a
long and difficult counter terrorism and state
reconstruction effort."

France will host an international donors conference to
support Afghanistan on June 12 in the presence of
President Hamid Karzai.
....
Countering the proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction is also France's priority, he added.

"Therefore, France is paying attention to the
negotiation process initiated with North Korea and
will continue supporting the six-party talks," said
the defense minister.

He also said Southeast Asia in particular would hold a
"very special stake" for Europe in future.

He also called for more concrete cooperation between
the two region against maritime piracy and offered
France's help with averting any problems as Southeast
Asia's submarine forces patrol in shallow waters and
narrow routes.

"We are no longer in an environment that was long ago
described as 'benign neglect' by Europe about Asia, by
a Singapore prime minister. Symmetrically, Asia should
not consider Europe as a second ranking partner," he
said.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates also expressed
America's remaining interests in Asia on Saturday at
the same forum, saying "the United States remains a
nation with strong and enduring interests in this
region - interests that will endure no matter which
political party occupies the White House next year."

The three-day conference, also known as the Shangri-La
Dialogue and organized by the London-based
International Institute for Strategic Studies,
concluded Sunday.




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http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=27825&cid=45&p=01.06.2008


Voice of Russia
June 1, 2008


Two provinces in Bolivia vote today in a referendum


Two provinces in Bolivia are voting today in a
referendum on whether to declare autonomy from the
government of President Evo Morales.

The votes have been organized by conservative
opponents in the lowland provinces of Beni and Pando.

They could follow the lead of the country's economic
powerhouse, Santa Cruz, which voted for an autonomy
package four weeks ago.

Another autonomy vote is planned on June 22 in Tarija,
which has major gas reserves.

Analysts say the votes reflect the hostility of the
country's business and landowning elite towards the
socialist President Evo Morales, and his policies
aimed at transferring wealth to the poor indigenous
people of the western Andean regions.

The government said the autonomy move was illegal and
plans a nationwide referendum on August 10 on public
confidence in President Morales.






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http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1408644.php/US_m\
ilitary_chief_in_surprise_visit_to_southern_Philippines


Deutsche Presse-Agentur
June 1, 2008


US military chief in surprise visit to southern
Philippines


Zamboanga City, Philippines - US military chief of
staff Admiral Mike Mullen paid a surprise visit Sunday
to a southern Philippine city where undetermined
number of American troops were deployed.

Mullen, chairman of the US armed forces chiefs of
staff, arrived on the southern port city of Zamboanga,
875 kilometres south of Manila a few days after a
powerful bomb exploded in front of the office of the
US Agency for International Development, killing three
people.

Mullen was accompanied by US Ambassador to Philippines
Kristie Kenney. It was the first time in recent years
a top US military chief visited Zamboanga.

He was scheduled to visit the Philippine military
headquarters in Manila late Sunday.



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http://www.focus-fen.net/?id=n142198


Focus News Agency (Bulgaria)
June 1, 2008


One dead in Macedonia election day shooting: police


Skopje - One person was killed in a Macedonian
election day gun attack on a police patrol in an
ethnic Albanian village, a police source told AFP.

"One person has been killed and a few others have been
wounded" in the shooting, which occurred in the
village of Aracinovo, 10 kilometres (six miles) north
of Skopje, said a police official who requested
anonymity.
------------------------------------------------------
http://www.focus-fen.net/?id=n142187


Focus News Agency (Bulgaria)
June 1, 2008


Shootings at Macedonia’s election Day (ROUNDUP)



Skopje - Macedonians are electing a new parliament
today.

This is the first early parliamentary election in the
history of the Republic of Macedonia.

The preliminary elections are determined as crucial
for the future of the state and its membership in the
European Atlantic structures.

The international community insisted on peaceful and
fair elections. However incidents were registered no
later than several hours from the beginning of the
elections in Macedonia.

Four people were wounded in a shooting at the Dame
Gruev School in Skopje.

The school is situated in Cair, an Albanian populated
area near Skopje.

Five persons were reportedly injured in Arachinovo, 10
kilometres north of Skopje.

Unknown perpetrators blew a bomb in front of a
coffeehouse in the village of Toplica.

There were no immediate reports of victims. The owner
of the coffeehouse stated that he doesn’t now what are
the reasons for the assault.
------------------------------------------------------
http://www.focus-fen.net/?id=n142207


Focus News Agency (Bulgaria)
June 1, 2008


Most frequent violations in Macedonian elections are
thefts of election materials
Denka KATSARSKA
Zoran TALEVSKI



Skopje - Chairman of the State Electoral Commission
(SEC) Jovan Josifovski said that the SEC set two
working groups that are checking violations.

One of them was in the municipality of Cair, Skopje,
checking two schools and the polling stations there,
Focus News Agency’s special correspondents reported.

There were reports of a shooting and wounded people in
this municipality.
....
The most frequent violations are stuffed ballot boxes,
the theft of election materials, armed people who
threaten voters, and other problems.
------------------------------------------------------
http://www.focus-fen.net/?id=n142197


Focus News Agency (Bulgaria)
June 1, 2008

Pressure, shootings and many offences during the
elections in Macedonia


Skopje - The citizens association MOST, which is
supervising the election process in Macedonia reported
pressure, shootings and a number of offences during
the preliminary elections day, Macedonian Makfax
agency informed.

The voting process has been suspended in at least six
of the polling stations, mainly in Western Macedonia.





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http://en.apa.az/news.php?id=49795


Azeri Press Agency
June 1, 2008


Odessa hosts conference entitled “Frozen conflicts in
Black Sea region”
Tamara Grigoryeva


Baku - An international conference entitled “Frozen
conflicts in Black Sea region” was held in the Odessa
City mayor’s office of Ukraine, APA reports quoting
Ukrainian mass media.

Frozen conflicts in the territories of Moldova,
Azerbaijan and Georgia, the ways out of those
conflicts, commitments to dialogue between the
conflict parties, the European Union and official
Kiev’s mediating role in this process and other issues
of primary significance were basically the focus of
attention at the conference.



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http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3363268,00.html


Deutsche Welle/Deutsche Presse-Agentur
June 1, 2008


Estonians Ready for Battle in Afghanistan's "Hell
Land"


Estonia's unit in Afghanistan may be small, but it's
already seen plenty of action and suffered several
casualties. As a new member of NATO, it feels
responsible to the military alliance.

The desert landscape shudders to explosions of mortar
and rocket shells, small arms fire and grenade blasts
as the Estonian troops stage final battle rehearsals
before the real thing.
....
[M]achine-gunner Raul Pargma, 23, downplays the
hardships at the start of a six-month tour in Helmand,
dubbed "Hell Land" by British forces that lead the
fight against Taliban insurgents in the southern
Afghan province: "I like it here, I feel I'm useful
for my country, NATO, my unit," he says.
....
[T]he newly arrived company of 105 men...will shortly
deploy from Camp Bastion, the main British base in
Helmand, 60 kilometers (37 miles) north to the
district center of Now Zad.

Once home to some 10,000 people, today it is a ghost
town inhabited by stray dogs and coyotes after
residents fled from the fighting. Apart from the
security forces, the only visitors are militants who
plant booby-traps in the deserted streets and houses.
....
Estonian unit small but involved

The Estonians are not green to the task ahead. Around
half of the new company, EstCoy-6, has already done
tours in Helmand since the former Soviet Baltic
republic of 1.3 million inhabitants volunteered troops
for the NATO expansion drive into the Taliban
heartlands in the spring of 2006.

Although Estonia fields one of the smaller contingents
among the 40 countries of the International Security
Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan - 140 personnel
in total - its soldiers have seen some of the heaviest
fighting.

Twenty-five were injured and two men died in a rocket
attack last June in Sangin; one was killed in a
vehicle maintenance accident days before the move to
Now Zad.

"Because we are small we don't just want to stay
somewhere peaceful and where nothing happens," said
the contingent's public affairs officer, Captain
Georgi Kokoshinski. "We can't provide big units but we
choose places where we can really do something."

"You don't get experience sitting in a camp," adds the
company commander, Major Ain Tiidrus, as he oversees
anti-ambush drills.
....


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http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=8408111


Associated Press
June 1, 2008


Army places radar in Juneau to track missile


-Sometime in mid-July, a missile is scheduled to
launch from Kodiak.
An intercepting missile may be fired from California
to try to destroy the Kodiak missile.


JUNEAU, Alaska - The Army's Missile Defense Agency is
establishing a presence in Juneau.

The agency on Saturday placed a powerful, mobile radar
station in Alaska's capital.

The radar array will take part in testing how well
warheads can be knocked from the sky.

Three tractor-trailer-size radar units and support
equipment were unloaded and placed by construction
workers at the Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute
at Lena Point.

Sometime in mid-July, a missile is scheduled to launch
from Kodiak.

An intercepting missile may be fired from California
to try to destroy the Kodiak missile.

Radar in Juneau will track the first part of the
Kodiak missile's flight.
------------------------------------------------------
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/060108/loc_285173550.shtml


Juneau Empire
June 1, 2008



Radar array placed in Juneau
By Alan Suderman


The U.S. Missile Defense Agency on Saturday placed a
powerful, mobile radar station in Juneau. The radar
array is designed to take part in testing how well
this country can knock threatening warheads from the
sky.

The three tractor-trailer-sized radar units and
support equipment were unloaded and placed by
construction workers at the Ted Stevens Marine
Research Institute at Lena Point, a short distance
from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration building.

Sometime in mid-July, a missile is scheduled to launch
from Kodiak and race south over the Pacific Ocean,
according to Maj. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly, deputy
director of the MDA. The two-star Army general was
present for part of the radar's installation.

An intercepting missile may be fired from Vandenberg
Airforce Base in California to attempt to destroy the
missile launched from Kodiak, MDA spokesman Ralph
Scott said.

The job of the radar in Juneau will be to track the
first part of the Kodiak missile's flight, O'Reilly
said.

The radar array will remain in place until mid-August
if the missile from Kodiak is launched on time,
according to O'Reilly.

He said the more than $100 million radar array had a
range of greater than 1,800 miles and was designed to
track short-range missiles.

The radar was originally scheduled to arrive last year
and the missile test was supposed to have occurred
earlier this year. But delays with the intercepting
missile program are responsible for the later test
date, O'Reilly said.

He said the MDA and Marine Research Institute would
evaluate using the present location to house the radar
units before deciding whether to use the site again in
the future. The radar units would not be permanently
housed in Juneau, O'Reilly said.

"That's part of the test, is the ability to show that
we're mobile," O'Reilly said, adding that the MDA is
interested in returning for future tests.

Marine Research Institute Director Phil Mundy said he
was pleased with the partnership between his agency
and MDA so far. The radar array will be powered by the
city's electric utility, Alaska Electric Power & Light
Co., and the electrical infrastructure upgrades used
to power the radar will be available to bolster the
institute's power after the tests are completed, Mundy
said.

An estimated 30 to 40 people will operate the radar
array. Support staff include security guards employed
by Chenega Blackwater Solutions, which is a
partnership between an Anchorage-based Native Company
and the embattled private security firm that's drawn
fire for its operations in Iraq.

Last year, a few community members spoke out against
Juneau hosting the radar array and participating in
missile testing.
....




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http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hgz0bXAym7a1ffyOuvyA-IKvnLIgD911G3L00


Associated Press
June 1, 2008


Gates, Chinese defense official spar over military
By LOLITA C. BALDOR


-In recent weeks China and Russia issued a joint
statement condemning U.S. missile defense plans.


BANGKOK, Thailand — The Pentagon chief and a top
Chinese defense officer tangled over Beijing's
military growth and U.S. plans for a missile defense
system in Asia.

The back-and-forth between Defense Secretary Robert
Gates and Lt. Gen. Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of the
General Staff for the People's Liberation Army, was
evidence of the countries' awkward transition to a
more open and improved relationship.

Gates took on Ma's claims that China wants only to
defend itself with intercontinental ballistic missiles
and is focused on defensive systems.

"I don't know what you use them for if it's not for
offensive capabilities," Gates told reporters Sunday.
While that kind of system might be considered a
deterrent for other countries, Gates said it is
"clearly for use in an offensive way."

He also dismissed China's protests about U.S. plans
for an anti-missile defenses with Japan, as well as
the deployment of missile defense sites in Poland and
the Czech Republic.

Ma did not mention the United States by name, but said
there are concerns in Pacific about the expansion of
missile defense that could create instability in the
region.
....
In recent weeks China and Russia issued a joint
statement condemning U.S. missile defense plans.
....
Gates said the U.S. was concerned about China's
expanding military. Officials are watching
developments closely and "we will make our own
adjustments as necessary," he said.

Ma said China's military spending was "limited and
proportional."

"China's defense expenditure is at a low level in
contrast to some developed countries in the world," Ma
said during an international security conference in
Singapore over the weekend. "We are a military threat
to no other country."
....



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http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2008/05/31/51/0301000000AEN200805310027\
00315F.HTML


Yonhap News Agency (South Korea)
May 31, 2008


Seoul, Tokyo agree to boost three-way military ties
with U.S.


-"The countries [Japan, South Korea] need to foster
increased cooperation and exchanges between their
military sectors while working to eliminate historical
and political obstacles between the two."
-[Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru] Ishiba explained
Tokyo's plan to legislate a bill that would allow
Japan to dispatch its self-defense forces for U.N.
peacekeeping operations without a prior approval of
its Diet.
-[A] proposed agreement...could allow Australia to
manufacture four spy airplanes for Seoul by 2012, a
possible move to help Seoul save up to US$100
million...



SINGAPORE - The defense chiefs of South Korea and
Japan agreed Saturday to work together to revive a
suspended three-way military dialogue with the United
States as soon as possible, South Korean officials
said.

South Korean Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee and his
Japanese counterpart, Shigeru Ishida also agreed to
hold joint search and rescue exercises with the U.S.
annually following the Rim of the Pacific Exercise
(RIMPAC), the largest international maritime exercise
hosted by the U.S. Navy and Britain's Royal Navy, they
said.

Lee and Ishida were in Singapore for an annual meeting
of the Asia Security Summit, a regional defense forum
also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue.

South Korea and Japan had frequently held tripartite
defense talks with the United States until 2002 when
the then liberal South Korean government of President
Roh Moo-hyun expressed concern that the military
dialogue could unnecessarily provoke North Korea.

"The countries need to foster increased cooperation
and exchanges between their military sectors while
working to eliminate historical and political
obstacles between the two," Lee was quoted as telling
the Japanese military chief.

Ishiba agreed on the need to increase military
cooperation between the two nations, according to the
officials. Ishiba explained Tokyo's plan to legislate
a bill that would allow Japan to dispatch its
self-defense forces for U.N. peacekeeping operations
without a prior approval of its Diet.

The officials noted that the three-way military
dialogue could be resumed in the near future as
Washington has long worked to bring the two of its
closest Asian allies together.

Lee also met his Australian counterpart Joel
Fitzgibbon and stressed the need for a military
information protection accord between the two
countries, the officials said.

The proposed agreement, if sealed, could allow
Australia to manufacture four spy airplanes for Seoul
by 2012, a possible move to help Seoul save up to
US$100 million, they said.

The South Korean defense minister will wrap up his
three-day visit here Sunday after bilateral talks with
the defense ministers of Britain and Mongolia.

The annual regional defense forum was set to end on
Sunday.
------------------------------------------------------
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1407745.php/US-S\
outh_Korea_military_alliance_"Cold_War_product%22_China_says


Deutsche Presse-Agentur
May 27, 2008


US-South Korea military alliance "Cold War product,"
China says


Beijing - China on Tuesday said it believed the
military alliance between the United States and South
Korea was a 'Cold War product' as South Korean
President Lee Myung Bak visited the country.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said East Asian
nations had 'also changed a lot' since the US-South
Korean alliance was forged in the 1950-53 Korean War.

China hoped to use Lee's four-day visit to 'enhance
trust and expand cooperation' with South Korea and
would like the two sides to discuss 'international and
regional issues,' which were expected to focus on
North Korea, Qin said.
....

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http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=234110


Turkish Press
May 30, 2008


Turkish Deputy Chief Of Staff, South Korean Defense
Official Sign Logistics Agreement


ANKARA - Turkish Deputy Chief of Staff Gen. Ergin
Saygun and South Korea`s Vice Defense Minister Kim
Jong-cheon signed a memorandum of understanding that
would allow Turkey to supply logistics for South
Korean troops in Iraq, South Korean daily Chosun Ilbo
said Thursday.

Under the agreement, Turkey and South Korea will
extend mutual logistic to support during times of
peace and war.

The agreement will provide South Korean troops in Iraq
with a fast transport of military equipment.




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http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hidTzbZMT60CBsjJHUVJE0Il263Q


Agence France-Presse
June 2, 2008


Japan may send troops to Afghanistan: PM


TOKYO — Japan is considering whether to send its first
troops to Afghanistan on a reconstruction mission,
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said Sunday.

Tokyo has been a major donor to Afghanistan, pledging
1.3 billion dollars since the fall of the Taliban in
late 2001.

However, its pacifist constitution limits its military
activities, and it does not have troops among the
international forces helping Afghanistan fight the
resurgent Islamic extremist movement.

"If conditions on the (Afgan) ground allow, Japan can
offer its cooperation in activities on the ground. I'm
always thinking of that possibility," Fukuda told
reporters when asked about sending troops.

"My attitude is that we should do what we can do," he
added.

His comments came one day after Chief Cabinet
Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said the government was
studying widening Japan's contribution on Afghanistan,
in addition to a military refuelling mission in the
Indian Ocean.

Japan renounced the use of force under a US-imposed
constitution after it was defeated in World War II.

Already a major financial power on the global stage,
it has now begun also to seek a greater presence in
international security affairs to help carve out an
expanded world role, including a permanent UN Security
Council seat.

Japan sent ground soldiers to Iraq in 2004 on a
non-combat reconstruction mission - the first time
since World War II that Tokyo deployed troops to a
nation where fighting was ongoing.
....
In January, Fukuda's government ordered two naval
ships back to the Indian Ocean after forcing through
the resumption of the mission to provide fuel and
other support to coalition forces operating in
Afghanistan.

The naval mission had been suspended in November after
Japan's opposition won the upper house of parliament
and insisted the officially pacifist nation should not
take part in "American wars."

Japanese media have reported that Tokyo plans to send
military personnel to Sudan to take part in UN
peacekeeping operations.



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http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=170055


Associated Press of Pakistan
June 1, 2008


400,000 troops needed to pacify Afghanistan: Mc Neill


ISLAMABAD - In an interview to Spiegel, a German
magazine, the outgoing ISAF Commander McNeill
confessed having inadequate trained force to
effectively counter insurgency in Afghanistan.

NATO has only 47,000 soldiers instead of a required
strength of 400,000 with a shortfall of 260,000 men.

NATO is practically running on reserve, as very few
units can be used in combat situation.
....
Recently U.S. Government has been criticized for lack
of wholesome approach and long-term policy for the
region, along with U.S. media blaming Pakistan peace
talks with militants to be responsible for increased
violence in Afghanistan.

ISAF Commander with all his experience in the region,
admitted a huge gap of trained men required to
stabilize Afghanistan....




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http://www.act.nato.int/news.asp?storyid=257


NATO International
Allied Command Transformation
May 30, 2008


NPETN Conference aims to spread uniform transformation
message
By US Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Carla Burdt


-“Representatives from NATO, Partnership for Peace,
Mediterranean Dialogue, Istanbul Cooperative
Initiative countries, Afghanistan, Argentina and Japan
will attend the conference. Also for the first time, a
Moroccan and Kuwaiti representative will be there. It
gives us the opportunity to reach our goals because we
will have more input from our Partner nations.”



The Swedish Armed Forces will host the NATO and
Partners’ Education and Training Network (NPETN)
Conference June 2-5 in Stockholm, Sweden.

Allied Command Transformation (ACT) established the
NPETN to provide joint education and individual and
collective training to the Alliance and its Partners.

As NATO’s catalyst for change, ACT desires to enhance
its relationships between strategic commands and
education and training institutions in order to ensure
that new ideas, procedures, tactics and lessons
learned are incorporated into NATO’s education
structure to facilitate the further transformation of
capabilities.

“NPETN is basically a human network that provides a
venue to the members,” said Turkish Air Force Maj.
Tunc Sozen, NPETN project officer. Members are ACT,
the NATO Defense College, Joint Warfare Centre, Joint
Force Training Centre, NATO School, NATO
Communications and Information Systems School, NATO
Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre,
Centres of Excellence, and NATO Partner Countries
National Military Education and Training Centres.

The goal of this year’s NPETN conference is to bring
education and training experts together to further
develop existing relationships with the education and
training facilities, to spread a uniform
transformation message and to better serve the
Alliance’s and Partners’ education and individual
training requirements.

ACT will present and discuss what has been learned
from the collaborative network, seek information from
attendees and promote open discussion and information
exchange between members.

“The network creates a forum to exchange ideas, new
improvements in the education and training world,
define how we can provide the best experiences for
operations and transform the current training and
education institutions and the procedures for our
Allies and partners,” said Sozen.

“Representatives from NATO, Partnership for Peace,
Mediterranean Dialogue, Istanbul Cooperative
Initiative countries, Afghanistan, Argentina and Japan
will attend the conference,” said Sozen. “Also for the
first time, a Moroccan and Kuwaiti representative will
be there. It gives us the opportunity to reach our
goals because we will have more input from our Partner
nations.”

“It is very important that our customers, which are
ACO [Allied Command Operations] and nations, should
have educated, individually trained personnel,” said
Sozen. “We give this information to our facilities and
they can tailor their courses accordingly. At the end
they will have the best available personnel, who are
ready to participate in exercises and are prepared to
support NATO operations. By sharing information with
the schools, courses can be changed to produce greater
benefits.”

The NPETN conference has been held annually since
2004.



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http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSL0113341820080601


Reuters
June 1, 2008


Iraq asks France to supply high-tech weaponry
By Waleed Ibrahim



BAGHDAD - Iraq is interested in buying sophisticated
French weaponry to help re-equip its military as it
moves to take over security duties from coalition
forces, a government spokesman said on Sunday.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki raised the issue
in talks with visiting French Foreign Minister Bernard
Kouchner, who was on a two-day visit to Iraq, his
second in nine months.

Much of Iraq's air force and military equipment was
destroyed during the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. The army,
which relies on U.S. military firepower in combating
militants, has a few Soviet-era battle tanks and
armoured personnel carriers.

"Iraq needs weapons from different origins and the
prime minister expressed Iraq's willingness to import
sophisticated weapons from France for both military
and security forces," government spokesman Ali
al-Dabbagh told reporters.

He did not say what equipment the Iraqi government was
interested in buying from France.

The government has said in the past it needs
helicopters, tanks, artillery and personnel carriers
to supply its army and police in order to take over
security from departing U.S. and other coalition
forces.

The United States is helping rebuild Iraq's air force,
whose fleet at the end of 2007 consisted of about 60
fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters flying transport
and reconnaissance missions.

France is a major exporter of arms and military
aircraft with companies such as Dassault Aviation,
Thales and the Franco-German EADS.

An Iraqi cabinet statement said Kouchner had told
Maliki France was ready to help train Iraqi security
forces.

FRANCE READY TO HELP

France's stance on Iraq...has changed since President
Nicolas Sarkozy took office seeking closer relations
with Washington.

France, which takes over the EU's rotating presidency
in July, has said it will lead a drive for greater EU
involvement in rebuilding Iraq and has offered to host
reconciliation talks.
....
During his visit, Kouchner met President Jalal
Talabani and visited the southern city of Nassiriya
for talks with Shi'ite Vice-President Abel
Abdul-Mahdi, a French-educated economist.

He also opened a new French consulate in Arbil in the
largely autonomous region of Kurdistan in northern
Iraq.

(Writing by Adrian Croft, editing by Mary Gabriel)




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http://allafrica.com/stories/200805290721.html
France's Long Hand


Fahamu (Britain)
May 29, 2008


ANALYSIS
By Vincent Munié


Vincent Munié looks at France's strategies and
machinations in the Central African Republic


-[O]n the 4th of March...the French carried out an
aerial assault on Birao....
-It took a month for the Central African army,
supported by Bangui-based French troops and F1 Mirage
fighter jets from N'Djamena to repulse the rebels
toward Chad and Sudan.
-Two Mirage F1 fighter jets dispatched from Chad
quickly destroyed the artillery nests. The following
night, 50 troops from the 3rd Marine Infantry
Parachute Regiment were dispatched form Bangui to a
small airstrip 12 km from Birao to setup a
launch-point for Transall and Hercules carriers
bringing in troops from Central Africa and about one
hundred French legionnaires.
-There have been massacres, rape, torture and
looting... all perpetrated under the guise of fighting
the rebel group Armée Populaire pour la Restauration
de la République et de la démocratie (APRD), the
country's second rebellion. The presidential guard has
launched several attacks on the civilian population.
The national army (formed by France) is responsible
for the massive displacement of citizens (200,000
displaced in the North-West).
-Another sign of France's continued influence is the
presence of General Henri-Alain Guillou as
presidential military advisor, along with about 60
other officials in various ministries.
-France has...insisted on the deployment of a European
Union force (EUFOR), which will effectively double the
number of French troops on the ground in the strategic
Chad/CAR area.


Buried deep in the mixed-bag of the November 19 2007
presidential agenda, a meeting took place between
Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Bozizé of the Central
African Republic (CAR). The secrecy and brevity of the
encounter (27 minutes) belies a certain degree of
discomfort. In fact, CAR is by no means an
insignificant country to France.

CAR attained independence in 1960 from its former
colonial master after decades of exploitation, but
this did not diminish France's political and military
influence. Why then, was this meeting so quietly and
hurriedly held? It appears that a chasm has opened
between France and CAR.

At the beginning of 2007, relations between the two
countries seemed normal. In the spring, Birao, the
capital city of the Vakaga region which lies in the
far north-east on the border with Chad and Sudan's
Darfur, briefly hit the headlines.

In the same period, France was in the midst of an
electoral campaign period, and consequently, there was
little media focus on what role the French military
was playing in this strategic region. And yet, on the
4th of March, in the first such campaign since Kolwezi
in 1978, the French carried out an aerial assault on
Birao, which had been under attack from the rebel
Union of Democratic Forces for Unity (UDFU).

This new rebel force was formed in September of 2006
and brought together three armed groups composed of
disillusioned ex-comrades of Bozizé, former officers
who had served under ex-president Ange-Felix Patassé,
and soldiers disgruntled with their pay.

The Central African rebellion is a heterogeneous one;
The movements oscillate between a Pro-Patassé
political stance and a criminal tendency. However in
order to understand the attack of 4 March, 2007, one
must track back to November 2006, when a force of
50-odd men first seized control of Birao and several
other areas of the North-East (Sam Oandja, Ouanda
Djalle, etc.).

It took a month for the Central African army,
supported by Bangui-based French troops and F1 Mirage
fighter jets from N'Djamena to repulse the rebels
toward Chad and Sudan. The tension was palpable. This
is despite the fact that in February of the same year,
a peace accord was signed in Sirte, Libya, between
President Bozizé and Abdoulaye Miskine, on behalf of
the UDFU. On the ground the rebels under the new
leadership of Damane Zacharia dismissed the accord.

SOLDIERS RUNNING AMOK

At the beginning of March, Daman Zacharia announced a
second assault on Birao. He declared that he was
taking on the French, for what he saw as their
interference in national matters. Since November 2006,
France had maintained a small Special Force detachment
of 128 in Birao. On the night of 3rd March, this force
came under heavy artillery fire.

Two Mirage F1 fighter jets dispatched from Chad
quickly destroyed the artillery nests. The following
night, 50 troops from the 3rd Marine Infantry
Parachute Regiment were dispatched form Bangui to a
small airstrip 12 km from Birao to setup a
launch-point for Transall and Hercules carriers
bringing in troops from Central Africa and about one
hundred French legionnaires. The Central African Army,
with the manpower and logistical support from the
French, were thus able to regain control of the town
and its surrounds.

Zacharia and his forces were headed for Bangui, and
were it not for Paris, the government of Bozizé would
have fallen. The Central African conflicts are seen as
wars of the poor. The UDFU has never had more than 500
combatants, while the national army has 5000 men, of
which the fighting force is less than 2000. For a
country size of France, this is very small.

After the March conflagration, Birao was left in
ruins: 70% of houses were burnt and looted. There were
very few civilian casualties given that all the town's
inhabitants had sought refuge in the bush.

However, the destruction of the millet reserves, just
before the onset of the rainy season, portends a
certain famine for an impoverished population that is
totally dependent on its meager agriculture
production.

Although all parties deny responsibility, its seems
that the national army bears a huge culpability for
the pillage. In this forgotten part of a forgotten
country the military once again has the dubious
distinction of turning on its own citizens.

The soldiers in Central Africa seem to be out of
control. The terror metered out by the army in the
North West is a major cause of the insecurity in the
area. Of particular concern is the presence of the
ubiquitous dreaded presidential guard - drawn from
"ex-freedom fighters who were brought in from Chad to
bolster Bozizé's coup in 2003.

There have been massacres, rape, torture and
looting... all perpetrated under the guise of fighting
the rebel group Armée Populaire pour la Restauration
de la République et de la démocratie (APRD), the
country's second rebellion. The presidential guard has
launched several attacks on the civilian population.
The national army (formed by France) is responsible
for the massive displacement of citizens (200,000
displaced in the North-West).

Clearly, France would not gain from attention on its
involvement in CAR.
....
France still does not seem ready to cut its ex-colony
loose. Under a 1960 defence accord, France is
obligated to intervene in the event of foreign
aggression.

The current rebellion is, however, of local origin -
and not orchestrated by Khartoum, as has been
suggested in official circles. France's presence in
the region has taken on an "unquestionable" character.
The March military operation is but a symptom of a
much bigger problem.
....
After the "fortuitous" death of the republic's founder
Barthélémy Boganda, France has always systematically
maintained a firm grip on power by propping up and
deposing its protégés; David Dacko was twice installed
and deposed, Jean-Bedel Bokassa proclaimed himself
emperor and was overthrown by France in Operation
Barracuda, André Kolingba set up a military regime,
Felix Patassé was the first "democratically-elected"
president, and the latest in line is Bozizé.

In a review of the cooperation, the two permanent
bases of Bouar and Bangui were closed in 1998,
following the "mutinies" of 1996 during which French
soldiers seized control of the capital.

In 2002 an operations centre consisting in part of the
Special Operations Command (COS), was set up through
Operation Boali....Another sign of France's continued
influence is the presence of General Henri-Alain
Guillou as presidential military advisor, along with
about 60 other officials in various ministries.

Whereas CAR has been relatively untouched by the
systematic industrial depredation suffered by its
neighbours, its central position on the continent fits
in with France's political and economic strategy.

In the course of the last fifty years, CAR has
secretly become a feeding-trough.

The sustained lawlessness has favoured the wanton
extraction of minerals, precious stones and illegal
ivory trade.

The 1979 diamond affair is just a tip of the massive
iceberg that is the exploitation and expatriation of
gold and diamonds by French businessmen. The same has
been true for the rapacious exploitation of timber and
rubber resources through concessions given to
individuals engaged in tropical misadventures. The
Kolingba (1982-1993) and Patassé (1993-2003) regimes
have followed on in the same style.

France has more or less maintained some military
presence in CAR since independence, and at the same
time exercises the same political patronage as in the
rest of the sub-region.

An important part of this presence is France's ability
to monitor the neighbouring countries.

In addition, France has always favoured Africa as a
military training ground. So far, France has been able
to prevail militarily, given that none have taken on a
terrorist character as has happened in the Middle
East. The hand of France has also been clearly seen in
African politics, as was the case in Rwanda and Côte
d'Ivoire.

The French media also has a significant part to play:
on 14 July 2007, France 2 carried a rare report on CAR
that glorified the role of French troops in the Birao
rebellion, without addressing the question as to why
France was there in the first place, the root causes
of the rebellion, the state of the country, or even
the atrocities committed by the CAR army.

It is true that the CAR crises do not constitute an
all-out war or a humanitarian crisis of the kind that
stirs up international attention or emotions.

At the same time the country continues to suffer
silently in grinding poverty.

The Human Development Index list CAR as the 5th
poorest country. The state is practically non-existent
outside the capital, hardly giving any assistance to a
population left to its devices.

In January 2008, civil servants went on strike to
demand salary arrears. On 18 January, the prime
minister resigned. Since 1960 the country has been
yoked with leaders chosen more for their
obsequiousness than their managerial acumen. As a
result the CAR has been impoverished, hence justifying
the need for "aid" - military, economic and political.


Bozizé did however deign to take liberties against his
colonial master and protector. In April 2007, the
government suddenly decided to nationalize the
petroleum sector, in the process excluding Total,
which until that point had been the major shareholder
in SOGAL, the hydrocarbon management company. Further
still, the president's nephew Sylvain, Ndoutingaye,
minister for mines, was given the economy portfolio,
against the advice of Sarkozy and the World Bank.

Strict financial conditions were also imposed on
Areva's exploitation of the Bakouma mine. Areva had
recently acquired Uramin, the Canadian company that
held uranium-mining concessions in CAR. The final act
of defiance was Bozizé's visit to Omar El-Bashir, his
Sudanese counterpart, despite France's disapproval.

At the same time France has been accused of ties to a
"rogue regime" thanks to its links with the national
army. Despite efforts at transparency, the national
army remains largely unaccountable, given that
officers accused of crimes are simply dismissed
without charges.

The heralded national dialogue remains an illusory
promise. Although diplomatic pressure has been brought
to bear, France withdrawing its troops would be the
key factor.

Only a couple of military advisers were withdrawn this
summer. South African diplomats however continue to
work in the corridors of power. A peace accord was
signed in March when Thabo Mbeki quietly visited
Bangui. As a result of this visit, the presidential
guard was placed under the tutelage of thirty South
African military instructors. At the end of the day,
the stakes are rising in the race to take over
patronage of CAR.

The CAR revolt is not an isolated case.

Chad's Idriss Déby showed an independent streak in the
Zoe's Arch saga. Niger's president Mamadou Tandja has
been actively seeking out other economic partners. In
this context, France's traditional bilateral ties, the
military cooperation and economic networks seem to be
on the wane. France has subsequently insisted on the
deployment of a European Union force (EUFOR), which
will effectively double the number of French troops on
the ground in the strategic Chad/CAR area.

Their mandate remains unclear as far as Mission
"Epervier" or Operation Boali are concerned, raising
the likelihood of confusion.

In 2007, however, a mere military presence is not
enough to guarantee France's pre-eminence in the
country. As her paratroopers and soldiers descend upon
the capital and patrol its streets, they walk past the
ruins of the Sports stadium, where Bokassa was
enthroned.

This gift from the Giscard-d'Estaing regime, continues
to crumble and decay by the day, while a mere forty
metres away rises the city's grandest structure: a
beautiful thirty-nine thousand-seater stadium. A gift
from China.

*Vincent Munie is the director of Survie-France.

*This article appeared in the French edition of
Pambazuka News
http://www.pambazuka.org/fr/category/features/48282
and was translated by Josh Ogada.



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http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL01160965.html


Reuters
June 1, 2008


Tuaregs flee to Burkina Faso to escape Mali fighting
By Mathieu Bonkoungou


[How the West alternately uses and militarily
suppresses separatist movements in Africa - supporting
them on one hand in Cote d'Ivoire, Sudan and Liberia
(in the recent past), bombing entire villages and
towns off the map and providing air power to client
regimes to effect the same in Mali, Niger, Chad and
the Central African Republic, inter alia - reflects
accurately its Balkans model, intended for global
application, first developed seventeen years ago.
First Yugoslavia as a whole, then Serbia-Montenegro,
Serbia itself and Macedonia were torn to pieces (in
the case of Macedonia the process is well-advanced
toward just that status), with NATO twice waging war
to secure that end; but when regions within the
separatist entities attempt either to remain within
the mother nation or federal republic or assert their
own autonomy the NATO powers use military threats and
actions to thwart such efforts.
Much as with the so-called frozen conflicts in the
former Soviet Union.
The case of Mali, where the US and France are jointly
waging a proxy war, is not unique; tens of thousands
of Central African Republic civilians have been
terrorized by French bombing and the onslaughts of
Paris' military proxy into fleeing into Cameroon and
in Chad to flee into Sudan in equal numbers.
See:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stopnato/message/29585 ]



-"We're victims. We're not rebels, but when the
fighting breaks out, all of the Tuaregs are viewed as
the same. We demand that the Mali authorities find a
solution to this problem."


OUAGADOUGOU - Close to 1,000 Tuareg civilians have
fled south from Mali into Burkina Faso to escape
intensified fighting between the Malian army and
Tuareg rebels, Red Cross officials in the Bukinabe
capital said on Sunday.

It is the latest refugee problem to afflict a
turbulent region where conflicts in Sudan's Darfur,
neighbouring Chad and Central African Republic have
already forced several hundred thousand people to flee
their homes, many across borders.

Clashes in Mali's northern Saharan region have
increased in recent weeks as the army tries to quell a
rebellion by nomadic Tuareg fighters who have attacked
military camps and columns. A similar year-old
Tuareg-led revolt has hit neighbouring Niger.

Romain Guigma of the Burkina Faso Red Cross said
Malian Tuareg families fleeing the fighting, including
many women, children and elderly people, had trekked
down to the border, leaving their prized camel and
livestock herds behind.

He estimated there were already more than 300
sheltering in Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou and
over 600 more in the northern frontier province of
Soum.

"In the coming days, we'll be carrying out a census in
the other provinces that border with Mali," Guigma
said.

Around 200 of the Malian Tuaregs were being given
refuge at a stadium in the Burkinabe capital.

"I left Kidal when things got too bad and I've had to
leave behind a herd of around 100 goats and 4 camels,"
one of the refugees, Boubacar Ag Mohamed, 54, who was
accompanied by his wife and four children, told
Reuters. He said it had taken them 12 days to reach
Ouagadougou.

Many of the refugees said they feared being caught up
in clashes between the Malian army and the Tuareg
rebels, who staged earlier revolts in the 1960s and
1990s seeking more autonomy from the black
African-dominated government in Bamako more than 1,000
km (600 miles) away from their region.

"We're victims. We're not rebels, but when the
fighting breaks out, all of the Tuaregs are viewed as
the same. We demand that the Mali authorities find a
solution to this problem," said another refugee,
Mohamed Ben Nayni.
....
[S]ince the start of last year, Tuaregs in Mali and
Niger have taken up arms again, motivated by shared
resentment against unsolved grievances and what they
see as unwarranted interference in their traditional
territories by government armies and foreign
companies.
....
[T]he Tuareg insurgents have carried out a number of
attacks since the April 3 truce.

In one of the bloodiest clashes to date, Mali's
government said last month that Tuareg rebels attacked
an army camp at Abeibara in the northeast Kidal region
during the night of May 20-21 and that 17 rebels and
15 soldiers were killed.

(Writing by Pascal Fletcher)



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http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/02/world/europe/02macedonia.html?ref=world


New York Times
June 2, 2008


Violence Erupts in Macedonian Election
By DAN BILEFSKY


-Denis McShane, a former Europe minister in Tony
Blair’s government in Britain who was in Skopje,
Macedonia’s capital, on Sunday as a monitor for the
Council of Europe, said the vote would have no
legitimacy unless new elections were called.
“This vote is a tragedy for supporters of Macedonia’s
E.U. and trans-Atlantic future,” he said.


PARIS — Macedonia’s aspirations to join the European
Union and NATO suffered a heavy blow on Sunday when
violence and allegations of fraud marred parliamentary
elections.

One person was shot dead and nine people were wounded
in the country’s ethnic Albanian areas during voting
that had been seen as a ***test of Macedonia’s
democratic credentials as it seeks to join the
European Union and to overcome a recent rebuff in its
attempt to join NATO***.

Instead, the country’s reputation as a problem child
of the Balkans was underscored. Violence erupted
between rival ethnic Albanian groups, and accusations
of election fraud included broken or missing ballot
boxes and stolen voting materials.

Thirteen people were arrested after clashes in
Albanian areas, Ivica Bocevski, a government
spokesman, said in a telephone interview.

The State Election Commission suspended voting at at
least 17 polling stations because of irregularities
and plans a revote at polling stations where
intimidation, violence and ballot rigging took place,
he said.

Mr. Bocevski said that irregularities had occurred in
only 1 percent of the 2,900 polling stations, but
independent election monitors contended that the
abuses nevertheless undermined the vote’s credibility.


Denis McShane, a former Europe minister in Tony
Blair’s government in Britain who was in Skopje,
Macedonia’s capital, on Sunday as a monitor for the
Council of Europe, said the vote would have no
legitimacy unless new elections were called.

“This vote is a tragedy for supporters of Macedonia’s
E.U. and trans-Atlantic future,” he said. “Nobody can
form a government on the basis of an election in which
***police*** have stuffed ballot boxes and thugs are
attacking polling stations.”

Reuters reported that voting was stopped in the town
of Aracinovo, near Skopje. Police officers went there
after local voting monitors reported the arrival of
men with machine guns; the officers came under fire
and retaliated, killing one gunman and injuring two
others.

The police said the violence was the result of
tensions between rival ethnic Albanian political
parties, the Democratic Union for Integration and the
Democratic Party of Albanians. The parties are
competing for the support of the Albanian minority,
which constitutes about 25 percent of the country’s
population of two million.

The election irregularities came at an inopportune
time for Macedonia, a poor country on the southern
fringe of the Balkans.

In April, Greece blocked its NATO bid in a protracted
battle over the name that Macedonia shares with a
Greek province. Greece wants Macedonia to be known as
the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

And the country’s hopes of joining the European Union
have been dimmed by its struggles to meet the
organization’s standards on the rule of law and to
modernize its economy.

“These are the worst elections we have ever had in our
history as an independent state,” said Biljana
Vankovska, professor of politics at the University of
Skopje. “The West is partly to blame because it has
not been tough enough in the past and has turned a
blind eye to violence in past elections.”

Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, a conservative who
rallied support by tapping into nationalist anger over
Greece’s blocking of Macedonia’s NATO entry, said
Sunday night that his party had won enough votes to
gain a majority in Parliament.




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http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=27847&cid=47&p=02.06.2008


Voice of Russia
June 2, 2008


Former Czech Prime Minister opposes to deploying US
ABM system elements in Czech Republic


The Chairman of the Czech Social Democratic Party, the
former Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Jiøi
Paroubek, says he will send a message to the US State
Secretary Condoleezza Rice in the next few days to ask
her not to sign a treaty on deploying in the Czech
Republic of a US radar base that forms part of the US
ABM system.

The Social Democratic Party press service specifies
that the party leader took the decision to that end
after visiting two active opponents of the US radar
base deployment in the Czech Republic, namely Jan
Tamaš and Jan Bednaø, who have gone on a hunger strike
to protest against the plans in question.

The treaty on deploying the radar base in the Czech
Republic is due to be signed this June of July.
------------------------------------------------------
http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=27867&cid=59&p=02.06.2008


Voice of Russia
June 2, 2008


IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC MOVEMENT AGAINST DEPLOYMENT OF
US MISSILES IS GROWING
Viktor Yenikeyev


-[T]he appearance of the US anti-missile defenses in
Europe can destabilize the situation on the continent
and in the world as a whole.



Chairman of the Czech Social Democratic party, former
Prime Minister Irji Paroubek, intends to shortly send
to the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice a
message requesting not to sign a treaty on the
deployment of US radar on the country’s territory.

The decision is of major importance since the Social
Democratic Party is a major opposition group to the
government.

The intention to contact Mrs. Rice was prompted by the
Social Democratic leader’s visit to two militants of
the civil initiative “No to military bases”.

They have been on a hunger strike since May 13.

By the way, during the party’s conference the Social
Democrats took a decision to support those on the
hunger strike until the authorities reject their
intention to take part in the US plans of deploying
anti-missile defenses in Europe.

As is known, those plans also stipulate the deployment
of 10 anti-missiles in Poland.

Greenpeace militants are also against the deployment
of the US radar in the Czech Republic. They have been
blocking for a month the military testing ground where
it is expected to be installed.

In her TV address the Czech Defense Minister Vlasta
Parkanova described the strikers as blackmailers and
said that the government would conduct talks with MPs
who should ratify the treaties with Washington.

In fact the Czech authorities try to take hostage the
country’s population, 75 percent of which are against
the radar’s deployment.

Among them are Communists and part of the Green Party,
an integral component of the government’s coalition.

Meanwhile the Czech government plans to sign all
necessary documents for the deployment of the US radar
in June or July.

True, the future of the treaties will be decided by
the country’s parliament all the same.

A majority of Czechs believe that a nation-wide
referendum should be held on the issue.

Be that as it may, the movement of protest against the
US plans in the Czech Republic is growing. People
understand that their country can become a testing
ground for the materialization of US
military-political ambitions. In addition, they see
that Poland is in no rush to give its consent for the
deployment of 10 US anti-missiles.

Clearly, the Czechs and the Polish should first of all
bear in mind their own interests.

Yet many of them are, probably, aware that the
appearance of the US anti-missile defenses in Europe
can destabilize the situation on the continent and in
the world as a whole.

Russia is resolutely against the US plans. It sees
them as a threat to its national security, and
therefore, can take response measures for preserving
strategic balance.




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http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=18449


Civil Georgia
June 1, 2008


U.S. ‘Dismayed’ over More Russian Troops in Abkhazia


Tbilisi - The U.S. Department of State said it was
“dismayed by Russia's Defense Ministry announcement on
May 31 that it intends to send more military forces,
including railroad construction troops, into the
Georgian region of Abkhazia without the consent of the
Georgian Government.”

“This announcement is particularly difficult to
understand in light of Georgia's forthcoming statement
at the UN Security Council on May 30 that it was
suspending UAV flights over Abkhazia, as well as the
constructive efforts by President Saakashvili and
others to invigorate the Abkhazia peace process,” the
Department of State said in a statement on May 31.

“We have expressed our concerns to the Russian
government and are in touch with the Georgian
government about this latest announcement of a Russian
military buildup.”
------------------------------------------------------
http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=18448


Civil Georgia
June 1, 2008


U.S. Calls to Accept Election Results


Tbilisi - The United States has called on political
forces in Georgia to “accept the decision of the
Georgian voters and work peacefully and responsibly,
including through inclusive dialogue, to continue
strengthening democratic institutions.”

“Georgian officials made a genuine effort to conduct
[the May 21 parliamentary] elections according to OSCE
and Council of Europe commitments and standards for
democratic elections,” a statement issued by the U.S.
Department of State on May 30 reads. “We agree with
the European Union and other international monitors
that this election was an improvement over the January
Presidential elections.”

In its conclusion on the January 5 presidential
election the OSCE/ODIHR-led international election
observation mission said that it assessed “compliance
of the [January 5 presidential] election process with
OSCE commitments and other international standards for
democratic elections.”

No judgment of this type was included in the
preliminary statement of the international election
observation mission assessing the May 21 parliamentary
elections. It said, that “despite efforts to conduct
elections in line with standards, a number of problems
were identified which made their implementation uneven
and incomplete.”
....
“We look forward to continuing our cooperation with
the people of Georgia, including both ruling party and
opposition, to strengthen democratic reform and to
deepen the strong relations between our two
countries.”






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http://www.messenger.com.ge/issues/1617_june_2_2008/1617_press_scanner.html


The Messenger (Georgia)
June 2, 2008


“France supports Georgia’s and Ukraine’s membership in
NATO”


Sakartvelos Respublika reports on French President
Nikolas Sarkozy’s recent statement of support for
Georgia and Ukraine’s membership bids:

“As for NATO, France is ready to support Ukraine and
Georgia to enter in the alliance,” Sarkozy said on a
visit to Warsaw to meet Polish officials.

According to him they should pay attention to the
region, especially Abkhazia where Russia is active.



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http://en.apa.az/news.php?id=49818


Azeri Press Agency
June 2, 2008


Matthew Bryza and Steven Mann to visit Azerbaijan
Lachin Sultanova


Baku - Matthew Bryza, Deputy Assistant Secretary of
State for European and Eurasian Affairs, OSCE MG
Co-Chair and Steven Mann, U.S. Coordinator for
Eurasian Energy Diplomacy, are expected to visit
Azerbaijan and participate in the Caspian Oil and Gas
-2008 exhibition to be inaugurated in Baku tomorrow,
Khazar Ibrahim, Spokesman for Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry said at today’s press conference , APA
reports.

The US delegation will attend the exhibition led by
Boyden Gray, the US State Department’s Special Envoy
for Eurasian Energy.
------------------------------------------------------
http://www.today.az/news/politics/45359.html


Today.AZ
June 2, 2008


EU special representative on South Caucasus Peter
Semneby arrives in Azerbaijan


EU special representative on South Caucasus Peter
Semneby arrived in Azerbaijan on June 1, said
spokesman for the European Commission Baku
representation Nigar Arpadarai.

She said Semneby's meetings with Azerbaijani officials
started today.

The program envisions Semneby's meeting with President
of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Foreign Minister Elmar
Mamedyarov, Minister of Energy and Industry Natik
Aliyev.

The meetings of the EU special representative with
representatives of civil society, leaders of
opposition parties, NGOs and others are scheduled for
June 3.

Semneby is expected to hold a press conference on the
results of his visit.






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http://en.apa.az/news.php?id=49802


Azeri Press Agency
June 2, 2008


Representatives of Azerbaijani Armed Forces
participate in NATO exercises
Mahbube Gasimbeyli


Baku - According to the Individual Partnership Action
Plan between NATO and Azerbaijan, Ostend (Belgium)
will host a conference on Anti-Mine Action at Sea (2-5
June) within the framework of the Partnership for
Peace Program (PfP).

A course on “Exercise in the Attacking Ship” takes
place in Naples, Italy (2-19 June).

A conference on “Security in the Black Sea” in Berlin,
Germany (3-5 June) and a conference on the “Indefinite
future of the Middle East and security problems” in
Istanbul, Turkey (5-6 June), Press-Service of
Azerbaijani Defense Ministry told APA.

Representatives of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces attend
the events.




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http://en.rian.ru/world/20080602/109055689.html


Russian Information Agency Novosti
June 2, 2008


Bolivian government declares autonomy polls illegal


BUENOS AIRES - The Bolivian government has dismissed
the referendums that saw two of the country's eastern
provinces vote overwhelmingly in favor of autonomy as
illegal and separatist, the country's ABI news agency
said on Monday.

The referendums, triggered by constitutional
amendments to redistribute wealth among the richest
and poorest regions of the country, were held on
Sunday, nearly a month after the prosperous province
of Santa Cruz voted overwhelmingly for autonomy.
....
A fourth province, Tarija, is to hold a referendum on
June 22.

The country's interior minister Alfredo Rada slammed
the referendums as "illegitimate, illegal,
unconstitutional and separatist."

Critics of Sunday's polls pointed to the referendum's
relatively low turnout, with around 50% of those
eligible to vote casting their ballot. There were
reports of clashes between pro and anti-government
supporters during the voting.

Evo Morales, who became the country's first indigenous
president in 2005, has pushed for amendments to the
Bolivian constitution that would see a redistribution
of land, as well as gas and oil revenues. On May 1 the
government took control over the extracting,
processing and transportation of oil and gas.

The landlocked nation has the second-largest reserves
of natural gas in South America, but the indigenous
people who make up two-thirds of the population
largely exist in poverty as political and economic
life is mostly dominated by descendents of Spanish
colonists.

"It's not a problem of autonomy," Morales said on
Sunday. "The problem is that they can't accept that an
Indian from the countryside is their president."

A nationwide vote of confidence in the president and
eight regional governors is due on August 10. Morales
has over two years left in office.








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http://en.rian.ru/russia/20080602/109043971.html


Russian Information Agency Novosti
June 2, 2008


Russian Air Force to hold over 200 exercises in 2nd
half of 2008


MOSCOW - Russia's Air Force is planning to conduct
over 200 exercises with 350 live firing drills in the
second half of 2008, an AF spokesman said on Monday.

"Air Force units will hold over 350 live firing drills
at designated testing sites during a variety of
operational and tactical exercises involving air
defense units under the direct supervision of military
district commanding officers," Lt. Col. Vladimir Drik
said.

He said the main purpose of the intensive training
during the period "is to ensure combat readiness of
the Russian Air Force in order to safeguard Russia's
national interests and security."

IISS Military Balance 2007 estimates that the Russian
Air Force has 1,650 combat-capable aircraft and
148,000 personnel.









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http://www.panarmenian.net/news/eng/?nid=26203


PanArmenian.net
June 2, 2008


Mexico interested in attaining status of observer in
GUAM


Mexico is interested in attaining the status of an
observer in GUAM and we are studying the possibilities
of reaching this goal, said Olinko Vieira Angulo, a
professor at the National Autonomous University of
Mexico (UNAM).

Commenting on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement, she said that “Azerbaijan has Mexico’s
support in the Karabakh issue.”

“We respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity
of any country and we respect any decision, passed by
the government of Azerbaijan in this direction. We
recognize the inviolability of Azerbaijani territory
and I am sure that you can attain positive results in
the problem resolution,” Ms. Angulo said, Day.az
reports.
------------------------------------------------------
http://www.today.az/news/politics/45344.html


Today.AZ
June 2, 2008


Olinko Vieira Angulo: "Mexico is interested in
attaining status of observer under GUAM"


Day.Az blitz interview with Olinko Vieira Angulo,
professor of the Center of International relations of
Mexico National Autonomous University.

  - What is the basis for expansion of cooperation
between our remote countries?

- There are numerous prospective trends for
cooperation. Mexico is interested in intensification
of cooperation with Azerbaijan as we are primarily
interested in energy sources. Mexico is also an oil
country and Azerbaijan has wide experience in
drilling, development and transportation of energy
sources.

We have recently faced a problem related to the
privatization of the oil sector and the search for new
oil fields in Mexico as volumes of oil production are
declining and therefore we are obliged to reduce
export of our oil, especially to the United States.

In this sense we are interested in development of
cooperation with Azerbaijan in the oil sector.

Meanwhile, energy is not the only sphere in which the
interaction of our two countries can be mutually
profitable. Other perspective directions for
cooperation are commerce, culture and so on.

Only a small representative office of Azerbaijan is
currently functioning in Mexico, but there is a plan
to open a full embassy. Mexico also intends to open an
embassy in Baku. Certainly, this would be a great
stimulus for expansion of bilateral ties.

- You have mentioned economic and humanitarian
cooperation. But how do you assess the prospects of
bilateral interaction in the political sphere? In
particular, can Azerbaijan count on Mexico's support
on the Nagorno Karabakh issue on the international
arena?

- I am sure, yes, for we respect the issue of
sovereignty and territorial integrity of any country
and we respect any decision, passed by the government
of Azerbaijan in this direction. We recognize the
inviolability of Azerbaijani territory and I am sure
that you can attain positive results in the problem
resolution.

- Your visit to Baku aims at participating in the GUAM
conference. What lies in Mexico's interest in this
organization?

- Currently, we are interested in attaining status of
an observer under GUAM and we study possibilities of
reaching this goal.






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http://en.rian.ru/world/20080602/109086030.html


Russian Information Agency Novosti
June 2, 2008


Azerbaijani defense minister welcomes Ukrainian
counterpart


BAKU - Ukrainian Defense Minister Yuriy Ekhanurov met
with his Azerbaijan counterpart, Safar Abiev, as he
began a two-day visit to the Caucasus state on Monday,
the Azerbaijani defense ministry said.

Ekhanurov is also scheduled to have talks with
Azerbaijan's president, prime-minister and the
chairman of the country's parliament, as well as visit
a military training facility and the Military Academy
of Azerbaijan.

The two defense ministers discussed military and
technical cooperation during their meeting.

"During the meetings the parties exchanged views
concerning the prospects for military and technical
cooperation, and a number of other issues of bilateral
interest," the ministry said in a statement.

Abiev said that "Azerbaijan has always considered
Ukraine its close friend and a strategic partner."

After leaving Azerbaijan, Ekhanurov is due to travel
to Georgia on June 4.

Ukraine and Georgia, backed by the U.S., have long
been seeking NATO membership.

Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Georgia are also members of
the Commonwealth of Independent States, comprising 11
former Soviet republics, including Russia.



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http://www.makfax.com.mk/look/novina/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=2&Nr\
Article=113689&NrIssue=674&NrSection=10



MakFax (Macedonia)
June 2, 2008


Albanian mafia at work in New York


New York - Albanian organized crime groups, operating
largely in New York City, are carrying out serious
criminal offenses, Manhattan Attorney Michael Garcia
said.

"Albanian extremist crime groups have emerged in the
city and became more active. So far, we cannot say
whether these groups dominate, but they commit the
cruelest felonies," Garcia said.

Albanian organized crime penetrated European Union
countries as well as the United States since the start
of the war in Kosovo, when Albanians were granted a
status of ethnic refugees, Russian Ria Novosti news
agency said.

A number of experts estimate that the Albanian
narco-mafia was directly linked with Kosovo Liberation
Army (KLA), seen by many US experts as a terrorist
group.

Experts say the Balkan route provides 25-40% of the
entire heroin market in the United States.

The FBI says in its report that the Albanian mafia has
emerged as a serious organized crime problem,
threatening to displace La Cosa Nostra families as
kingpins of U.S. crime.

Official statistical data show that in New York only,
there are around 150,000 Albanians - migrants from
Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania.


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