News items that look towards Ezekiel 38 & 39

[Shammu]

Energy ties deepen between Iran and Turkey
August 07, 2008
by John C.K. Daly

The United States has maintained various sanctions against Iran since 1979, implemented in aftermath of the seizure of the US embassy in Tehran. As relations worsen between the US and Iran, Washington is seeking to have the United Nations Security Council impose additional sanctions on Iran for its nuclear enrichment activities, which Tehran insists are legal, entirely peaceful, and intended for generating electricity.

Among the sanctions that most concern foreign energy companies and nations is the 1996 Iran-Libya Sanctions Act (ILSA), renewed in 2001, which provides for punitive measures against entities that invest more than $ 20 mm (EUR 13 mm) annually in the Iranian oil and gas sectors.

Many countries are deeply ambivalent toward the US policy, none more so than Turkey, which imports 90 % of its energy needs. Now Ankara is pushing the limits by increasing its natural gas purchases from Iran and considering possible involvement in developing the world’s largest hydrocarbon reserves. On July 29 Iranian Petroleum Minister Qolam Hosein Nozari said in Tehran that Turkey and Iran were negotiating over Turkey being a transit corridor for Iranian natural gas exports to Europe and that Iran would provide increased amounts of natural gas to Turkey during the winter (Anadolu Ajansi, June 30).

According to Nozari, the pipeline, which would run from Iran’s South Pars natural gas and oil fields to the border province of Bazargan, was discussed during the OPEC summit held on June 22 in Jeddah (Tehran Times, June 29). Even worse for administration officials seeking to sustain and intensify the US sanctions regime, Nozari said, “We have also spoken about the participation of Turkey in the development of phases 14 and 23 of the South Pars field” (Hurriyet, June 30).

The 3,745 sq-mile Persian Gulf South Pars-North Dome gas condensate field, straddling Iranian and Qatari territorial waters, is the world’s largest known gas field. Discovered by the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) in 1990, Iran’s sector, known as South Pars, covers 1,428 sq miles, with the site’s remaining 2,317 sq miles, North Dome, lying in Qatari waters. South Pars-North Dome has estimated reserves of approximately 51 tcm of natural gas and 50 bn barrels of condensate; with in-place reserves equivalent to 360 bn barrels of oil. South Pars-North Dome is the world’s biggest conventional hydrocarbon accretion, dwarfing even Saudi Arabia’s 170 bn barrel Ghawar oil field (Middle East Economic Survey, March 20, 2006).

Phase 14, due to begin production in 2014, is part of a $ 10 bn (EUR 6.5 bn) liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, which already has foreign investors -- a partnership of NIOC (50 %), Anglo-Dutch firm Royal Dutch Shell (25 %), and Spain’s Repsol-YPF (25 %). When operational, the project’s initial production capacity will consist of two components, each capable of an annual production of 8 mm tons of LNG.

For Ankara, the choice of major natural gas suppliers is difficult, Russia or Iran, while waiting for Azerbaijan to ramp up production. Iran, which holds the world's second largest gas reserves, currently provides over one-third of Turkey’s domestic demand, while Turkey receives 63.7 % of its imports from Gazprom with smaller volumes coming from Azerbaijan.

In 1996 Turkey signed a contract with Iran for natural gas deliveries, which began in December 2001 via a pipeline from Tabriz to Ankara. The South Caucasus pipeline, also known as the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum natural gas pipeline, opened in December 2006 with an annual capacity of 8.8 bn cm and carries Azeri Caspian natural gas to Turkey via Georgia.

Energy imports from both nations are critical to sustaining Turkish economic growth, even though Washington, whose diplomatic relations are increasingly strained with Russia and non-existent with Iran, is very unhappy about the situation. According to Turkey’s Turkiye Istatistik Kurumu (Turkish Statistical Institute), Turkey’s economic growth accelerated more than expected from January through March, increasing to 6.6 % from 3.4 % in the fourth quarter of 2007 (www.tuik.gov.tr). The figure exceeded the market estimates by 35 to 40 %, as the expected growth rate was around 4 % (Milliyet, July 1). In 2007 Turkey's annual GDP growth rate was 4.5 %.

Rising energy costs, however, are proving to be a significant drag on economic growth. Earlier this year the Turkish government hiked electricity prices by 21 %, and Ankara is preparing to raise natural gas prices in July by 9 % for residences and 11 % for businesses (Radikal, July 1).

In June, Turkey’s Devlet Planlama Teskilati (State Planning Organization, or DPT) prepared a comprehensive projection for Turkey’s economy from 2009 through 2011, which has been approved by the Cabinet and published in the government’s official gazette, Resmi Gazete (http://rega.basbakanlik.gov.tr, June 28). The plan includes measures to ensure energy supply security in the long-term and gives top priority to decreasing the country’s dependence on imported natural gas.

At a time of record high oil prices, when Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah said, "Consumer countries have to adapt to the prices and the mechanisms of the market," Washington’s efforts to compel its allies to respect its hard-line sanctions against Tehran seem at best naïve, especially when the United States has no alternative sources of energy to offer (Al-Siyassah, July 2). While Washington’s threats of sanctions in June caused both Royal Dutch Shell and Repsol-YPF to withdraw from the South Pars development, there is a major difference between a multinational company and a sovereign government bending to sanctions.

For Turkey, displays of political solidarity must take a back seat to financial considerations, as the government is committed to economic growth to improve the lives of its citizens. Ankara estimates that from Desert Storm in 1991 until the March 2003 invasion of Iraq, it lost an estimated $ 80 bn in oil revenues and increased energy costs as a result of supporting US and UN sanctions and policies against Iraq.

Washington can hardly expect Turkey to suffer further financial losses for supporting its Middle East policies. With no end to energy price increases in sight, Washington must acknowledge the reality of Turkey’s pragmatic economic relations with its energy-rich eastern neighbour, even if it does not agree with them.

Energy ties deepen between Iran and Turkey

[Shammu]

Land battle in the Jordan Valley
5 August 2008
By Wyre Davies
BBC News, Maskiot

From Gaza to the Jordan Valley via Beersheva, K'Dumim, Alon Shvot, and Hamdot.

With a wry smile and a shrug of the shoulders Yossi Hazut describes how he has moved from place to place across Israel and the Palestinian Territories for the last three years.

Now, sat under the welcoming shade of a tree, Yossi tells me he has finally found somewhere he and his young family can call home.

Yossi and fellow settlers from Shirat Hayam were among the last to be forcibly removed from the Jewish settlements in Gaza in 2005 as part of the controversial "disengagement" process instigated by then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Twenty of those families, who have remained committed to their Zionist ideals, are now preparing to build a new Jewish community - not on the sand dunes of Gaza, but in the equally hot but fertile landscape of the Jordan Valley.

Like Gaza, this is recognised internationally as Palestinian land, something that Yossi challenges.

"As a law-abiding Israeli citizen, I accept my country's laws which allow me to build my home here," says Yossi.

He gestures towards a patch of land, now covered in wispy yellow grass, where they plan to build several new housing units.

"As a religious Jew I also have a duty to settle here," Yossi tells me. "This land was promised to us by God and that promise is now being fulfilled."

Hard to defend

If, as expected, it gets final Israeli government approval, this former military outpost known as Maskiot will be the first new, formal, Jewish settlement to be established in the Occupied West Bank for a decade.

Under the current Road Map - the basis for peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians - all settlement activity is meant to be frozen.

However, the approval or building of new Jewish homes in Arab East Jerusalem and in Occupied West Bank has actually increased this year.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was "deeply concerned" over the new Maskiot plan, whereas the British government said it was "dismayed".

Even Israel's staunchest ally finds the policy hard to defend.

Settlement expansion was "not helpful" and was "inconsistent with Israel's commitment to the roadmap", said a spokesman for US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, referring to the international peace plan that is the basis for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

Demolition order

It is not finer points of the roadmap that worries Jasser Dargma - a Palestinian farmer a couple of kilometres down the valley from Maskiot.

He is more concerned by a tatty, torn piece of paper given to him by the Israeli military authorities.

It is a demolition order for his house, in reality a small shack in which Jasser, his wife and six children live.

Although the document acknowledges that Jasser owns the land (it has been in his family for several generations), it says he has no permission for the "wooden building" - his house.

Jasser shrugs and tells me there is absolutely no point applying for permission to build as Palestinians are rarely, if ever, allowed to build in the Jordan Valley area.

So while Jewish settlers prepare to establish homes, offices and school buildings, Jasser may well see his very modest home knocked down by a bulldozer.

It is not just the buildings. Jasser says he has been physically prevented by the Israeli military authorities from using natural springs in the area for drinking water and to irrigate his crops.

He says the settlers, though, are given as much water as they want from a pipeline which crosses over his land, but which he is not allowed to use.

Jasser says it is a similar story with an electricity supply, which is carried by an overhead line that passes right over his shack. It brings light, power and convenience to the settlers, but Jasser says he has no access to the power supply.

Movement restricted

Fathy Khadarat is a local Palestinian co-ordinator who has documented the steady movement of Palestinian villagers away from the Valley.

He also helps farmers like Jasser to mount legal challenges against demolition orders.

"I think the plan is to put pressure on him to leave this area", says Fathy. "If he can't build a simple house and is not allowed to use the water, he won't be able to grow crops and will have no income."

Despite many requests no-one from the Israeli authorities would be interviewed on the issue of the Maskiot settlement but, in a statement, the government said the settlement was Israeli land and that everyone in the area had the same legal rights and access to resources.

Israel says the Jordan Valley - the eastern flank of the occupied West Bank - is strategically important.

Not only does it form much of a long border with Jordan but Israel says many attacks by Palestinian militants have been launched from the area.

So, movement for Palestinians is restricted with road-blocks and checkpoints.

Jasser says if the army demolishes his home, he will build a new one. He has no intention of leaving his land.

Yossi is equally adamant after being shunted around the region for the last three years.

Neither man says he has any animosity towards the other, and both say they are prepared - in theory - to live side by side.

The future of the Jordan Valley, its Jewish settlements and Palestinian villages, will be decided in a Palestinian-Israeli peace deal.

If and when that happens, might there be a way of accommodating both Jasser and Yossi in this stunningly beautiful but often hostile strip of land?

Land battle in the Jordan Valley

[Shammu]

This article also emphasizes that the Jewish settlers are living in confidence and perceived safety.

Ezekiel 38:11 You will say, "I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars.

So, even though Israel is not at peace, it certainly feels secure and confident in their safety.

Though it never ceases to amaze me that the Arabs are never held accountable for anything they do, but everyone expects Israel to give up everything for nothing, even as they are being murdered by Arabs daily.

Alot of attention is paid to Isaiah 17:1, but there is also Isaiah 2 and 3 that happen consecutively also. Aroer is a region on the northern bank of the Arnon River in what is today Jordan. In Moses day, it marked the southern boundary of the territory given to the two and a half tribes who received their land inheritance on the east side of the Jordan River. Aroer was in the territory of Reuben. There was another Aroer in the territory of Gad, near Rabbah. Rabbah is today called Amman, capital of Jordan. Isaiah may be indicating that the Jordanians will be involved as well.

The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid.
“The cities of Aroer are forsaken “ they are gone. The "flocks that will lie down " in safety - with Damascus, Amman, and the PA gone, they, "the flocks" - the Israeli's, will feel "safe", in their reclaimed ancient land once more."none shall make them afraid", because they're gone!!

[Shammu]

China to export guns to Saudi Arabia
By Andrei Chang
Column: Military Might
Published: August 11, 2008

Hong Kong, China — China has signed a contract to provide Saudi Arabia with PLZ-45 155-mm self-propelled howitzers for one battalion, according to an authoritative military industry source. One battalion would normally be armed with 27 such guns.

This represents a second successful sale of PLZ-45s to the Middle East, following an earlier sale to Kuwait. In 2000, China exported 54 of the self-propelled guns to Kuwait, sufficient to arm two battalions.

This latest batch of PLZ-45s is primarily to be used for testing purposes, according to the industry source. Once the Saudi military determines that the weapons meet their needs, it is likely that it will import more of the howitzers.

However, the United States has voiced objections to the Saudis’ procurement of China-made howitzers, the source said.

Kuwait also faced immense pressure from the United States when it decided to import PLZ-45s from China. The publisher of a military journal in Kuwait told the author during a meeting in Abu Dhabi that the reason Kuwait chose to purchase the PLZ-45s was that the weapons compared well with similar systems available from the West, including the U.S.-made M109A3 howitzer. The guns performed satisfactorily in live-fire tests, he said, and China’s price could not be beat.

This is the first time for the Saudi Arabian Army to purchase China-made weapons. Riyadh has also expressed keen interest in the Pakistan-made A1-Khalid main battle tank, or MBT-2000. Pakistan plans to send the tank directly to Saudi Arabia for an in-kind exhibition.

The PLZ-45 fires three types of munitions – ERFB/HE, ERFB-BB/HE and ERFB-BB/RA/HE projectiles – which have respective firing ranges of 30, 39 and 50 kilometers. In addition, China has also introduced Russian Krasnople 155-mm gun-launched laser-guided munitions, under license from Russia.

The Kuwait military observer told the author that the Kuwait Army is not deliberating over whether it needs to import China-made guided munitions. He said the army has received a price offer on munitions from Chinese weapons supplier NORINCO and a technical introduction of the system.

So far, the United Arab Emirates is the only country that has imported the Chinese version of the Krasnople, which the Chinese call the GP1. The PLZ-45s to be exported to Saudi Arabia do not include GP1 projectiles.

Another source from the military industry says that the People’s Liberation Army is already using the latest Chinese Type 05 52x 155-mm self-propelled gun, but there is currently no plan to export this weapon to overseas markets. The reason is that the Chinese system is still technologically inferior to the NATO 155-mm gun.

The PLZ-45 system has already attained the NATO standard, however, and is thus capable of firing all types of munitions. It fires four to five rounds per minute, and a full load is 30 rounds.

Several international military observers have voiced the opinion that the Type 05 52x 155-mm self-propelled gun currently in use by the PLA is extremely similar to the Russian 2S19 serial 155-mm SPG. When asked about this, the designer of the PLZ-45 says such speculation is groundless and not true.

“China developed its 155-mm SPG much earlier than Russia, and the PLZ-45 was exported to overseas countries as early as 2000. There is no similar system in Russia comparable to the Chinese-made 155-mm SPG,” he insisted.

China to export guns to Saudi Arabia

[Shammu]

Russia behind Georgia cyberwar?
SHAUN WATERMAN
Published: July 25, 2008
WASHINGTON, July 25 (UPI) -- The Web site of President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia was brought down this week by hackers apparently based in Russia, the latest in a string of cyberattacks directed against neighboring countries experiencing friction with the newly resurgent bear.

The attack was monitored by several U.S. Internet watch operations, including the center run by the Department of Homeland Security known as U.S.-CERT, for Computer Emergency Response Team.

A person at U.S.-CERT, authorized to speak to the media but not to give his name, said the center was "not involved in any response" but had passed information about the incident, called a Distributed Denial of Service attack, to DHS intelligence analysts.

The person said the attack did not look like a prelude to, or opening salvo in, any wider assault. "We don't think it is part of anything larger," he said.

In Lithuania, 300 Web sites were defaced earlier this month after a law was promulgated banning the public display of Soviet symbols. Estonian government Web sites were pounded by a massive series of DDOS attacks in April and May 2007, after a decision to move a monument honoring Soviet World War II soldiers. The attacks were part of a series of protests from Russia and ethnic Russians in Estonia.

DDOS attacks work by bombarding the server where the site is based with bogus messages and requests from huge networks of computers that, often unbeknownst to their owners, have been infected by malicious software and taken over by hackers.

Such bot-nets, short for robot-networks, can be rented from the hackers that run them, known as bot herders, and have been used before in cyberwar attacks like the one on Estonia last year.

The flood of messages makes the server unable to deal with legitimate Web traffic, so those trying to visit the site will experience abnormal delays and may not be able to reach it at all.

Security analysts who tracked the attack on Saakashvili's Web site say it, and other unrelated sites hosted on the same server, were unreachable or cripplingly slow for up to 24 hours.

A spokesman for the president told local news outlets nothing had happened.

"It's not true; the Web site didn't stop even for a minute over the weekend," spokesman Vano Noniashvili told the Georgian Messenger.

"It happened," said Marcus Sachs of the SANS Institute, a non-profit computer security research outfit that runs a 24-hour watch operation known as the Internet Storm Center.

Sachs said incident handlers at the center saw the first reports of the attack posted by a volunteer security monitoring operation called ShadowServer, but then independently confirmed the attack was in progress.

"We can see the commands being issued to the bot-net by its command and control server," Steven Adair of ShadowServer told UPI.

"This was the first and (so far) only attack command we have seen issued," Adair said, adding the group had been "monitoring that bot-net for some time."

"We didn't expect it to be so interesting," he said.

Adair and Jose Nazario, senior security researcher at Arbor Networks, both conformed to UPI that the president's site, www.president.gov.ge, had been unreachable or cripplingly slow for up to 24 hours.

Nazario said that although the company providing Internet service to the U.S.-based command and control server had taken it offline shortly after the attack began, it was too late by then, because the slave computers in the bot-net already had received their attack instructions.

"That didn't stop the attack," he said. "The attack stopped when it was over."

Neither Noniashvili nor his deputy responded within 24 hours to an e-mail request for clarification. Officials at the Georgian Embassy in Washington said the press spokesman was out of the country and no one could add anything to the spokesman's denial.

One reason officials are sometimes reluctant to talk about such incidents is that, because bot-nets can be rented anonymously, there is often no way to tell who is really behind a cyberattack.

Nazario noted that the bot-net commands contained the phrase "Win love in Russia," which he said was "a not very subtle way to leave no doubt about where they came from."

Adair said the registration information for the Internet domain controlled by the command server gave a Russian contact address. "The WHOIS contact information was in Russia," he said, referring to the massive database that lists the occupant of every piece of Internet real estate.

But Adair acknowledged it is more than easy to provide bogus information in the database, and that cybercriminals often do so.

And one Internet security analyst, who was in Russia at the time, told UPI that Russian network specialists were of the opinion that Ukraine was behind the attack and was trying to pin the blame on Russia.

"Attribution is always a problem," said Nazario.

Russia behind Georgia cyberwar?

[Shammu]

Lebanon gov't wins confidence vote
Wed, 13 Aug 2008 03:36:07 GMT
Confidence vote in Lebanon's national unity cabinet endorses Hezbollah's right to use all options to liberate territories occupied by Israel.

One hundred members of the 128-seat parliament voted for cabinet on Tuesday.

The confidence vote endorsed the government's drafting of a policy statement that supports the Lebanese right to reclaim “Israeli-occupied” lands including the Shebaa Farms and the divided border village of Ghajar.

The confidence vote also granted Hezbollah the right to keep its arms to defend the country against aggressors by using all options.

The mountainous Shebaa Farms area, consisting of 14 farms rich in water resources, is located on the western slopes of Jabal al-Sheikh and measures 25 square kilometers (10 square miles).

The Shebaa Farms that were occupied in 1967 by Israel belong to Lebanon; however, Israel claims they are part of Syrian territory it conquered along with the Golan Heights, and should be dealt with as part of negotiations with the Syrians.

Lebanon gov't wins confidence vote

[Shammu]

Turkey’s Prime Minister Propose to Establish Caucasus Countries Union
11.08.08 18:30

Azerbaijan, Baku, 11 August / Trend News corr. S.Ilhamgizi / Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan call upon the Caucasian countries to establish ‘Caucasian Union’ due to the recent developments in Georgia.

“I will connect with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and to discuss the issue with him,” Erdogan said.

Erdogan stated that that the Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan has discussed the recent events in Georgia with Russian and American Ministers. Turkish Prime Minister said that he has met with the Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili two days before the developments.

Prime Minister, reminded the diplomatic and military cooperation between the Balkan countries, said that the similar Union is possible to establish in Caucasus as well.

“This Union is impossible to establish without Russia,’ Turkish Prime Minister said.

Turkey’s Prime Minister Propose to Establish Caucasus Countries Union

[Shammu]

This could be Turkey playing right into what Putin's plan has been all along. It will sure be interesting to watch who joins in this union

This could be huge, if these countries unite it should create the right climate fast for Ezekiel. 38 & 39.

[Shammu]

Russia, Georgia green light Turkey-sponsored Caucasian union
Russia and Georgia have given the green light to Turkey's proposal for a Caucasus alliance, as Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan met Thursday Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili a day after his meetings with the Russian president and prime minister. (UPDATED)

Russia, Georgia green light Turkey-sponsored Caucasian union

Erdogan, accompanied by Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, arrived in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi to meet Saakashvili over the clashes in South Ossetia and Turkey's proposal for a Caucasian stability forum.

Turkey wants to secure peace, and to form a cooperation platform which would serve to develop common stability in the region, Erdogan told a joint press conference with Saakashivili.

"We asked Georgia to participate in this platform. Our proposal for was also welcomed by Russia," he added.

Erdogan also said Turkey supports Georgia's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, adding
he would visit Azerbaijan to discuss the security of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.

Erdogan and the accompanying delegation later left Tbilisi for Turkey.

MEETINGS IN MOSCOW

The Turkish prime minister on Wednesday met with President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow where he underlined the "large importance" of regional solidarity.

Turkish and Russian foreign ministers would speed up efforts to develop the Stability and Cooperation Platform in the Caucasus suggested by Turkey, Erdogan said in Russia, adding Turkey and Russia agreed to work together to develop the platform.

"We want it to conduce to an economic cooperation... We want it to lead to cooperation on regional peace and security," he said.

"We also want this establishment to assume crisis management and seek solution in case of a problem in the region," he added. Erdogan said the foreign ministers of the two countries would launch talks and develop the idea.

Russia, Georgia green light Turkey-sponsored Caucasian union

[Shammu]

Turkey expresses solidarity with Russia on Georgia issue

MOSCOW, Aug 14 (KUNA) -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed solidarity on Wednesday with Russia and its conflict in South Ossetia.

Upon his arrival in Moscow and meeting with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Erdogan said that he is here to express solidarity with the Russian leadership during this crisis.

The Turkish Prime Minister added that his country is ready to exert all efforts to help end the crisis and conflict in South Ossetia.

For his part, Putin said that his country is keen to ensure Turkey's stability, describing their relations with Turkey as a guaranteed and friendly partner.

In a related development, the Russian foreign ministry criticized Ukraine decision to impose naval restrictions against its navy ships in Ukrainian ports.

The decision by Ukraine is a clear violation of signed bilateral agreement regarding Russian navy fleet, the statement noted.

Turkey expresses solidarity with Russia on Georgia issue

[Shammu]

Iran's ImaNutjob meets Gul in Turkey

Aug. 14, 2008
Associated Press , THE JERUSALEM POST

Iran and Turkey signed cooperation agreements Thursday but failed to complete a deal to build a new natural gas pipeline - a project the United States has opposed.

Washington has said any new energy deal between Iran and Turkey would send the wrong message while the West threatens new economic sanctions regarding Teheran's refusal to halt uranium enrichment. The European Union and the United States believe Iran plans to develop nuclear weapons - a claim that Teheran denies.

On Thursday, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran and Turkish President Abdullah Gul witnessed the public signing of a series of cooperation deals in a demonstration of improved ties between the Islamic Republic and the NATO ally.

Ministers from both countries signed deals to combat drugs trafficking and cooperate in environment, transportation, tourism and culture.

The two nations also issued a joint statement stressing their determination for further cooperation in the energy field. But Iran and Turkey failed to reach agreement on the construction of the proposed gas pipeline.

"There are some snags," said Turkey's interior minister, Besir Atalay, without providing any details.

Turkey's Energy Minister Hilmi Guler said: "the negotiations will continue," on the new pipeline project, which is aimed at ensuring reliable supply of Iranian natural gas to Turkey.

Turkey already receives gas through an existing pipeline from Iran, but its flow often is sporadic during winters. The proposed pipeline could have an annual capacity of 40 billion cubic meters and possibly be connected to a network of US-backed pipelines carrying natural gas to Europe through Turkey, energy officials say.

Relations between the two countries have improved since Turkey's Islamic-rooted leadership took power in 2002. Previous governments had for decades accused Iran of trying to export its radical Islamic regime to secular Turkey, which is aspiring to join the European Union.

Ahmadinejad was holding talks with Gul during the two-day visit - his first to Turkey since he came to power in 2005.

Turkey has said it is not opposed to Iran's nuclear program if it is only for civilian use to generate power.

The United States also has opposed plans for Turkish investment in Iran's South Pars gas fields and the possibility of the Islamic Republic selling its gas to European markets via a US-backed pipeline through Turkey.

Turkey's military regards a nuclear Iran as a possible security threat but has shared intelligence with Iran as the two countries staged simultaneous attacks against their common enemy, Kurdish guerrillas based in northern Iraq.

Iran's ImaNutjob meets Gul in Turkey
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Turkey is a part of NATO also. I'm sure something has to happen eventually for Turkey to officially join with Iran and Russia, I just wonder what it could be.

[Shammu]

Russia offers to form Western-European clone of EU
06.08.2008 13:20 GMT

Russia offers to form an EU analog which will unite the RF, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Turkey, Moldova and some other states, said Sergei Markov, Russian State Duma member.

"We offer to create a united economic area like the European Union with a purpose of further expansion towards the EU," he said.

Implementing 'divide and rule' principle in the post soviet area, the U.S. strikes Kosovo and Ukraine, which are Europe's weak points, according to him.

"Their task is not an independent Ukraine but anti-Russian Ukraine. The U.S. wants relations between the two nations like those between Serbs and Croats," Markov said, Noviy Region reports.

Russia offers to form Western-European clone of EU

[Shammu]

Georgian TV reporter shot by Russian sniper during live broadcast carries on with her report
Last updated at 21:51pm on 14.08.08

This is the dramatic moment a TV reporter was shot by a sniper as she reported live from war-torn Georgia.

Tamara Urushadze took a bullet to her left arm in the flashpoint town of Gori as Russian forces continued their illegal occupation.

Bravely, or foolishly, the 32-year-old brunette continued her report after a few moments as other journalists and aid workers dashed for cover.

Siege-town Gori has become a deadly 'sniper's alley' with citizens at the mercy of rampaging militiamen - believed to be from the breakaway republic South Ossetia - looting and firing guns, some drunkenly.

The Kremlin stands accused of turning a blind eye to renegades bent on 'ethnic cleansing' in revenge for Georgia's ill-conceived invasion of South Ossetia last Friday.

But in turn Moscow blames the Georgians for abandoning their own people.


Miss Urushadze, who reports for Georgia's equivalent of the BBC, was talking live to a TV camera about humanitarian aid arriving in Gori yesterday afternoon when the sniper struck.

In the footage, she gasps as the first bullet grazes her left arm, and instinctively jumps sideways as four more whizz past.

In shock, she slumps to the ground as the cameraman rushes to her side.

A studio presenter's voice is heard saying: 'You can see that something has happened during live coverage. Unfortunately we don't know what.'

Then Miss Urushadze is on air again, sitting in a van a few yards away and showing the camera her grazed arm.

She tells viewers: 'I have been hit by a bullet. You can see I am scratched here. Most likely it was a sniper.

'It has most likely been a light weapon as it's a minor wound. There is no one to be seen here and I have no idea who shot me.'

She was later taken to hospital.

Meanwhile, Russia taunted the United States by blowing up its ally's military bases and boasting Georgia will never get back the rebel enclaves of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

The Kremlin's troops sabotaged airfields and depots in Georgia to cripple the battered state's U.S.-trained military.

And the former Red Army humiliated their beaten foes by one minute withdrawing from Georgian territory and then re-entering it, just to prove that they still could.

At least five explosions rocked Gori as Russian troops went about disabling Georgia's ability to fight a future conflict.

Again it was the innocents who suffered most as the few remaining citizens in the abandoned city were targeted.

A steady, dejected trickle of Georgian refugees fled the front line in overloaded cars, trucks and tractor-pulled wagons, heading to the capital Tbilisi.

One Soviet-era car carried eight people, including a mother and a baby in the front seat. The open back door of a small blue van revealed at least a dozen people crowded inside.

There was also a tense stand-off between frustrated Georgian special forces, desperate to hit back, and battle-hardened Russian troops from Chechnya at a checkpoint on the outskirts of the city.

Around midday, Russian tanks sped towards the checkpoint and Georgian police quickly retreated behind their own forces.

Outside the town, hundreds of Georgian tanks, artillery and armoured personnel carriers massed on the main east-west highway.

Soldiers dozed in the sunshine by their vehicles awaiting the order to advance.

But in a throwback to darker Cold War times, Moscow seems intent on taking its time to withdraw its vastly superior forces, in a deliberate snub to President Bush's decision to raise the stakes by ordering U.S. forces to the region.

He sent American military aircraft loaded with humanitarian aid.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice issued another urgent call on Russia to honour the ceasefire as she headed to Tbilisi to have a final version of the truce agreement signed by the Georgian president.

But even as she spoke, Russian troops were making themselves at home in the country, including the Black Sea port city of Poti which hosts an oil terminal key to supplying fuel to Western Europe.

The Russian troops in Gori told us they would stay put 'until Mr Putin says so', adding they were in no hurry and mockingly praising the 'beautiful scenery' around them.

Moscow made it clear that the Black Sea state can wave goodbye to ever seeing its two breakaway provinces, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, becoming part of Georgia.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov rammed home the point by declaring that the world 'can forget about any talk about Georgia's territorial integrity'.

President Dmitry Medvedev vowed to act as 'protector' to the two pro-Russian regions and met their leaders in the Kremlin, telling them: 'You have defended your territory. The truth was on your side. That is why you have been victorious.

'The people of South Ossetia suffered genocide and it will take years, maybe decades, for these wounds to be healed.'

The incendiary talk a week after the war began dashed both Georgian and Western hopes that the region could return to the status quo before the bloodshed which has left hundreds dead and thousands of refugees on both sides.

Georgian TV reporter shot by Russian sniper during live broadcast carries on with her report

[Shammu]

It's both foolish and brave that journalists bring us the news. Foolish on one hand because they know what they're getting into but also brave. I know I appreciate knowing what's going on, during Russia's illegal occupation.

[Shammu]

Russia: Georgia can 'forget' regaining provinces

By DAVID NOWAK and CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA
Associated Press Writers 1 hour, 28 minutes ago

TBILISI, Georgia - The foreign minister of Russia said Thursday that Georgia could "forget about" getting back its two breakaway provinces, and the former Soviet republic remained on edge as Russia sent tank columns to search out and destroy Georgian military equipment.

Uncertainty about Russia's intentions and back-and-forth charges clouded the conflict two days after Russia and Georgia signaled acceptance of a French-brokered cease-fire, and a week after Georgia's crackdown on the two provinces drew a Russian military response.

Diplomats focused on finalizing a fragile cease-fire between the two nations and clear the way for Russian withdrawal. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was heading Friday for Georgia to press the president to sign the deal.

Georgian officials accused Russia of sending a column of tanks and other armored vehicles toward Kutaisi, the second-largest city in Georgia, then said the convey stopped about 35 miles out.

"We have no idea what they're doing there, why the movement, where they're going," Georgian Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze said in a telephone briefing. "One explanation could be they are trying to rattle the civilian population."

The U.S. said a move toward Kutaisi would be a matter of great concern, but two defense officials told The Associated Press the Pentagon did not detect any major movement by Russia troops or tanks. There was no immediate response from Russia itself.

"I think the world should think very carefully about what is going on here," Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said. "We need to stop everything that can be stopped now."

The Russian president met in the Kremlin with the leaders of the provinces, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, a clear sign Moscow could absorb the regions even though the territory is internationally recognized as being within Georgia's borders. And Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov issued a blunt message to Georgia and the world that appeared to challenge President Bush's demand a day earlier that Russia must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia.

"One can forget about any talk about Georgia's territorial integrity because, I believe, it is impossible to persuade South Ossetia and Abkhazia to agree with the logic that they can be forced back into the Georgian state."

The White House said Thursday that the U.S. position was unchanged and dismissed Lavrov's remark as bluster. Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned Russia was in danger of hurting relations with the U.S. "for years to come" but said he did not see "any prospect" for the use of American military force in Georgia.

As the military and diplomatic battles played out, relief planes swooped into Tbilisi with tons of supplies for the estimated 100,000 people uprooted by the fighting.

U.S. officials said their two planes carried cots, blankets, medicine and surgical supplies — but the Russians insinuated that the United States, a Georgia ally, might have sent in military aid as well. U.S. officials rejected the claim.

Even as the relief rolled in, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned the fighting and lawlessness was keeping it from reaching large parts of Georgia. In some places, relief officials were overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of refugees.

"This is too much. It is all too much," said Manana Karelidze, a 50-year-old retired accountant, who said she had waited for days at the Department of Refugees in the Georgian capital for registration and dry pasta. There were hundreds like her.

Russian troops spent the day searching selected cities, forests and fields for military equipment left behind by Georgian forces.

The Georgian ambassador to the United States, H.E. Vasil Sikharulidze, said Russia was employing "scorched-earth" tactics — destroying Georgian commercial and military infrastructure and burning down religious sites beyond the conflict area of South Ossetia.

"What defenses does Georgia have? Because of the cease-fire agreement, which Russia has not honored, Georgian troops are being moved to organize a defensive line 10 kilometers (six miles) away from Tbilisi," he said.

Sikharulidze said an attack on Kutaisi would be a "catastrophe,"

On the edge of the strategically important city of Gori, Georgian soldiers pointed their weapons at Russian forces, and explosions and small arms fire broke out in the distance.

Georgia claimed Russians had left the oil port city of Poti, but hours later some forces were still there.

Georgia also accused Russia of using short-range missiles in Poti and Gori, showing reporters purported images of shrapnel. There was no immediate response from Russia.

Russian and Georgian troops briefly patrolled Gori, but relations between the two sides broke down and the Georgians left. At least 20 explosions were heard later near Gori, along with small-arms fire.

It was not clear whether it was renewed fighting or the disposal of ordnance from a nearby Georgian military base. Russia said its troops were there to establish contact with the civilian administration and take over abandoned military depots.

Gori, battered by Russian bombing over the week, lies on Georgia's main east-west road only 60 miles west of Tbilisi. AP Television News footage showed Russian troops in and near Gori, and Georgia said it was checking the area for mines.

An AP Television News crew heard explosions at a military base in the western city of Senaki and were told by officials from both Russia and Georgia that the Russians were destroying ordnance. Dozens of Russian armored vehicles and troops later set up for the night under camouflage on the main road from Senaki north to Zugdidi.

The same APTN crew followed Russian troops on the outskirts of Poti as they searched a field and a forest at an old Soviet military base for possible Georgian military equipment.

Georgia's coast guard said Russian troops burned four Georgian patrol boats in Poti on Wednesday, then returned Thursday to loot and destroy the coast guard's radar and other equipment.

Another APTN camera crew saw Russian soldiers and military vehicles parked inside the Georgian government's elegant gated residence in the western town of Zugdidi. Some of the Russian soldiers wore blue peacekeeping helmets, others wore green camouflage helmets, all were heavily armed. Other Russian troops patrolled the city.

"We don't want them here. What we need is friendship and good relations with the Russian people," Ygor Gegenava, an elderly Zugdidi resident, told the APTN crew.

In London, BP PLC said it resumed pumping natural gas Thursday through one Georgia pipeline, but two oil pipelines in Georgia remain closed.

The Russian General Prosecutor's office said it had formally opened a genocide probe into Georgian treatment of South Ossetians. Georgia sued Russia in international court, alleging murder, rape and mass expulsions of Georgians in both provinces.

Russia: Georgia can 'forget' regaining provinces