El País: Las aerolíneas protestan ante las trabas para repatriar de Venezuela sus ingresos (The airlines protest due to the lock to take their profits from Venezuela)
"La irritación de las aerolíneas hacia los usos y costumbres de la administración venezolana estaba a punto de explotar el año pasado. La Asociación Internacional de Transporte Aéreo (IATA, por sus siglas en inglés) protestaba ante la embajada de EE UU en Caracas a finales de 2009 porque las aerolíneas internacionales tenían que esperar cada vez más tiempo en recibir el dinero que le retenía el Gobierno venezolano por la emisión de billetes. (The irritation of the airlines against the Venezuelan administration's habits was about to explode last year. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) protested in front of the American Embassy in Caracas at the end of 2009 because the international airlines had to wait longer each time to receive their money retained by the Venezuelan government due to the currency emission.)"
La Jornada: Los Zetas colapsan estado de derecho en Guatemala ("The [drug gang] Zetas" collapse the rule of law in Guatemala)
"Cobán, capital del departamento de Alta Verapaz, cayó en manos del cártel de Los Zetas en 2008. Con este territorio las organizaciones de narcotraficantes que se expandieron hacia el sur de México a partir de 2007 tenían ya bajo su control, según un cálculo oficial estadunidense, siete de los 22 departamentos que constituyen Guatemala; los más grandes, más poblados y de mayor importancia económica. (Cobán, capital of the region Alta Verapaz, fell on the hands of 'The Zetas' in 2008. With this territory, the drug organizations that had already expanded over the south of Mexico since 2007, got under control, according with American official calculations, seven of the twenty two regions that constitute Guatemala; the seven biggest, most populated and with most economic importance.)"
La Jornada: Estudiantes caídos durante ataque en Ecuador no eran de las FARC (Dead students during attack in Ecuador were not part of FARC)
"Carecen de base las acusaciones de que Lucía Morett y los estudiantes mexicanos asesinados el 1º de marzo de 2008 por militares colombianos en Sucumbíos, Ecuador, fueran contactos de las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) en México o que recibieran entrenamiento por parte de esa guerrilla, se afirma en un cable diplomático emitido por la embajada de Estados Unidos aquí, fechado el 28 de marzo de 2008. (There is no base for the accusations against Lucía Morett and the students murdered the first of March of 2008 by Colombian military in Sucumbíos, Ecuador, which alleged they were Mexican contacts of the Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (FARC [Spanish acronym]) and alleged they received training by such guerilla, according with a diplomatic cable sent by the American Embassy in Mexico of March 28th, 2008.)"
El Comercio: Del Castillo pidió apoyo a embajada de EE.UU. para que Lourdes Flores admita derrota ([Jorge] Del Castillo asked the American Embassy for support, looking for Lourdes Flores' concession of her own defeat)
"Se reunió en 2006 con un consejero político estadounidense. Buscaba formar una alianza para derrotar a Ollanta Humala en segunda vuelta. (He met in 2006 with an American political advisor. He tried to establish an alliance to defeat Ollanta Humala in the second term of elections.)"
El Comercio: Funcionaria chavista se reunió con Humala para organizar anticumbre 2008 ([Hugo] Chavez Government employee met with Humala to organize a 2008 Anti-Latin American Summit)
"Sin embargo, esta mañana el líder de Gana Perú negó que se haya reunido en la embajada de Venezuela en Lima con Virly Torres. (Nevertheless, this morning the leader of "Gana Perú" denied such meetings in the Venezuelan Embassy i nLima with Virly Torres.)"
Aftenposten: RUSSIAN DIPLOMAT: "TRANSPARENCY IS A TOOL OF THE WEAK"
"In a conversation on NATO-Russia relations, Russian Deputy Permanent Representative to NATO Nikolai Korchunov said "transparency is a tool of the weak" during a January 27 lunch hosted by DCM Heffern. Korchunov made this statement in response to the DCM urging Russia to be more transparent about its intentions and actions, such as its recent military exercises held on NATOs border. Korchunov admitted that Russia and the U.S. did need to understand one another, but did not extend this need to other Allies. He claimed that his statement about the weak referred to those countries that "acted like babies" and were afraid of Russia."
Aftenposten: NATO-RUSSIA: RESPONDING TO RUSSIAS LATEST DRAFT TREATY LIMITING THE DEPLOYMENT OF TROOPS ABROAD"
"At the December 4 NATO-Russia Council Ministerial, Russia presented to NATO a draft treaty that would commit the Alliance to use the NRC to address threats to Allies security and prevent NATO from stationing armed forces on the territory of its Central and Eastern European members. The treaty avoids mentioning the OSCE and differs from Russias proposed European Security Treaty mainly in specifying the NRC as the forum for discussion. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov asked ministers that Allies consider discussing the new treaty with Russia at subsequent NRC meetings. After reviewing the document, Allies initial response has centered on the need for the NRC to focus instead on the ministers decisions to work on agreed areas of practical cooperation and start a Joint Review of common security threats. The U.S. should respond by urging Russia to comply with existing treaties before suggesting new ones, and by keeping the NRC focused on initiatives already agreed."
Aftenposten: SCENESETTER FOR THE SECRETARYS PARTICIPATION IN THE DECEMBER 3-4 NATO MINISTERIAL
"Madam Secretary: This ministerial may be one of ) if not the ) most important of the Presidents first term. As you outlined in your Council on Foreign Relations speech last July, a revitalized NATO must provide us with strong and capable partners to address issues of common concern. This ministerial will be a critical test of whether NATO is a reliable partner in achieving our top foreign policy priorities, including Afghanistan, Missile Defense, and Russia. If we can forge a consensus around our positions on these critical issues, NATO will have demonstrated that it remains the place where we can count on strong partners to address common threats through concerted actions."
Aftenposten: NATO MOVES FORWARD WITH LANDMARK BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT ASSESSMENT
"During the December 9 Ministerial meeting of the North Atlantic Council, Foreign Ministers noted the completion of the Longer-Term Analysis of Ballistic Missile Risks and Threats. The fruit of more than 18 months of negotiations, the Analysis fulfills in part a 2002 Prague Summit tasking to examine options for addressing ballistic missile threats to the Alliance. At 180 pages, it provides the most comprehensive assessment of WMD and ballistic missile (BM) proliferation trends the Alliance has ever produced. Among the documents key findings are that some countries currently have the capability to launch a ballistic missile attack on NATOs southeastern flank and U.S. forces in the Pacific, and that the risk of a ballistic missile attack on any Alliance territory, population centers or NATO forces, while moderate, will remain a concern in the decade to come. The Analysis contains unprecedented consensus positions on the intentions, capabilities and proliferation record of Iran, Syria and North Korea as well as Russia and China. It also addresses the contributions of non-proliferation instruments, including new approaches such as PSI and UNSCR 1540, as well as the implications of the A.Q. Khan network."
Aftenposten: ACTION REQUEST: BALTIC CONTINGENCY PLANNING: SOME IDEAS
"Leaders in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are pressing hard for NATO Article 5 contingency planning for the Baltic states. President Obama and Secretary Clinton are on record supporting such contingency planning for Allies. At the same time, however, NATO internal processes and politics make it difficult to openly carry out such planning, particularly if it would require specifying Russia as a potential threat. Nevertheless, there are possible ways to meet the substance of Baltic demands. The existing contingency plan for Poland, for example, might be modified to include the Baltics or generic plans for the use of the NATO Response Force could be exercised and certified in a manner consistent with Baltic defense. We request high-level interagency discussion of the issue to develop the substance and NATO tactics of Baltic planning and exercises."
Aftenposten: NATO SPECIAL COMMITTEE ISSUES: WORK PLAN, INTELLIGENCE REFORM, AND THE CHINESE INTELLIGENCE THREAT
"At the October 28 meeting of the North Atlantic Council (NAC), Allies were briefed on the draft 2010 Work Plan for the NATO Special Committee. The Special Committee serves as an advisory body on espionage and terrorist-related matters. The incoming Chair of the Committee said that the Committee was an important link for NATO to the civilian intelligence services of member nations, but that it had not changed to keep up with the recent transformations seen elsewhere in the Alliance. He said the Committee needed guidance from the NAC on the types of information and advice it wanted from the Committee. Allies differed over whether the Special Committee should focus its efforts only on traditional subjects, such as the threat to NATO from Russian intelligence services, or should expand its reach to look at issues such as the threat to NATO forces in Afghanistan from Al Qaeda. The French PermRep argued that the Special Committee should not engage in an assessment of the threat from Russian security services, stating that these proposed topics appeared to have been drafted with a "Cold War" viewpoint -- despite the fact that NATO recently expelled two Russian diplomats for activities inconsistent with their status. The NAC also discussed the broader issue of NATO intelligence reform, with the UK PermRep arguing for the appointment of an outside civilian to come in and look at the issue with "fresh eyes." The Italian PermRep disagreed, appearing to bristle at the recent proliferation of outside experts being brought in to solve Alliance problems. While welcoming the recently reconstituted NATO Headquarters Intelligence Steering Committee, Ambassador Daalder suggested that it needed a single chair who could bring together both the civilian and military sides of NATO intelligence -- such as the Deputy Secretary General. Allies were also briefed on a Special Committee assessment of the Chinese intelligence threat to NATO and NATO member states."
Aftenposten: NATO-RUSSIA: RUSSIA "BRIEFS" NRC ON MILITARY EXERCISES
"Russia harshly criticized NATO and individual Allies during a NATO-Russia Council meeting on the Russian military exercises Zapad and Ladoga, while managing to avoid giving any details on the exercises themselves. The Russian Ambassador to NATO did not discuss the provocative scenario for the exercises and criticized NATO for holding its own exercises in the former Soviet space. He complained that the response to the Russian exercises by some Allies smacked of Cold War rhetoric. Allies asked that Russia use "common sense" when planning its exercises and took exception to the Russian Ambassadors tone, prompting an even harsher Russian rebuke. The NATO Secretary General asked the Russian Ambassador to convey to Moscow Allied concern over the exercises, the size and nature of which were contrary to the spirit of NATO-Russia cooperation."
Aftenposten: NATO-RUSSIA: NAC DISCUSSES RUSSIAN MILITARY EXERCISES
"NATO Allies expressed concern during a November 18 North Atlantic Council meeting over the message Russia intended to send by using a provocative scenario for its largest military exercises since the Soviet era, and structuring events to avoid inviting observers. The exercise centered on repelling an attack launched from Poland and Lithuania, and included the simulated use of nuclear-capable ballistic missiles. The Secretary General called the Russian action "provocative and inappropriate," and said the information provided by Russia on the exercises had been unsatisfactory. Several Allies criticized NATOs "failure" to respond adequately to the Russian moves, which some felt had shaken Allied solidarity. The U.S. objected to Russias failure to allow observers at the exercises, and advised NATO to remain transparent when holding its own exercises. Lithuania and Norway said that the Russian activity should be reflected in NATO military planning. Many Allies reacted strongly to the exercises, both the execution and the lack of transparency, and to NATOs slow response. As the U.S. navigates the differences within NATO regarding Russia, it must also be prepared to respond forcefully to such Russian provocations."
(Image Credit: Dali Rău)
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