WAR 07-15-2017-to-07-23-2017_____****THE****WINDS****of****WAR****

[Housecarl]

Well better late than never right?....

(277) 06-24-2017-to-06-30-2017_____****THE****WINDS****of****WAR****
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...30-2017_____****THE****WINDS****of****WAR****

(278) 07-01-2017-to-07-07-2017_____****THE****WINDS****of****WAR****
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...07-2017_____****THE****WINDS****of****WAR****

(279) 07-08-2017-to-07-14-2017_____****THE****WINDS****of****WAR****
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/show...14-2017_____****THE****WINDS****of****WAR****


For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-politics-defence-idUSKBN1A40KR

July 19, 2017 / 12:43 AM / an hour ago

France's armed forces chief resigns after clash with Macron over budget cuts

Simon Carraud and Michel Rose

PARIS (Reuters) - France's armed forces chief resigned on Wednesday in a dispute with Emmanuel Macron over defense budget cuts, an early test of the newly elected president's mettle and the tough presidential style he is cultivating.

In a statement, 60 year-old Pierre de Villiers said he had tried to keep the armed forces fit for an ever more difficult task within the financial constraints imposed on it, but was no longer able to sustain that.

"In the current circumstances I see myself as no longer able to guarantee the robust defense force I believe is necessary to guarantee the protection of France and the French people, today and tomorrow, and to sustain the aims of our country," he said.

Macron moved quickly to replace de Villiers, appointing General Francois Lecointre, 55, to fill the role, a military source said.

The departure of France's most senior soldier also highlighted the stresses of a major military power as it battles Islamist insurgencies in Africa, partners with allies in Middle East conflicts, and patrols the streets at home in response to a series of jihadist attacks on French soil.

Related Coverage

Macron says French defense budget to rise by 2025

Macron replaces army chief who quit in row over budget cuts: military source


It followed a fierce row last week between the two men just two months after Macron was elected, and just as France prepared for the military pomp of a July 14 Bastille Day parade where Macron's U.S. counterpart Donald Trump was the guest of honor.

De Villiers, appearing before a closed-door hearing of parliamentarians, had used strong language to protest at the 850 million euro ($980 million) defense budget cut Macron was making as part of his efforts to rein in state spending.

Macron quickly went public with a rebuke, saying: "I have made commitments. I am your boss."

'Almost Erdoganism'

The stand-off fits with a tough style cultivated by the 39 year-old new head of state and commander-in-chief whose powers under the French constitution go further than those of any other western democratic leader.

He has described his own role as one that rides above day-to-day controversies, at the same time controlling tightly ministers' public statements and insisting on total loyalty from them and other government officials.

"It's clear today that the executive cannot bear a situation where its top public servants have a view of things that is different from the political view put together by the Elysee," General Vincent Desportes, former head of France's top main military school, told Reuters.

"It's not Erdoganism, but its not far off," he added in a reference to the Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who faces accusations from opposition leaders of being a dictator in the aftermath of last year's failed military coup.

An Elysee source reaffirmed Macron's position on Wednesday.

"We cannot have public disagreement. That's how our institutions have to work," the source said.

"These economies will in no way jeopardize France's operational capacity. France's security is assured."

Writing by Andrew Callus; Editing by Richard Balmforth

 

[Housecarl]

For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-rebels-declaration-idUSKBN1A31AX

July 18, 2017 / 5:35 AM / 13 hours ago

Pro-Russian rebel leader in east Ukraine unveils plan for new state

Andrew Osborn and Natalia Zinets

MOSCOW/KIEV (Reuters) - The pro-Russian rebel leader of a breakaway region in eastern Ukraine proposed on Tuesday replacing Ukraine with a new federal state, in comments that could further undermine a 2015 peace deal that is already faltering.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko rejected the idea, describing Alexander Zakharchenko, leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DNR), as part of "a puppet show", with Russia pulling his strings in order to relay a message.
France and Germany, which are involved in diplomatic efforts to end the Ukraine crisis, also condemned the proposal.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian agencies that Zakharchenko's statement was Zakharchenko's own initiative and that the Kremlin had learned about it from media reports.

Ukrainian officials contend that Russia wants to show the world, and the United States especially, that it can keep the crisis in a suspended state and deepen it if need be. A new U.S. envoy for the Ukraine crisis was appointed this month and Moscow and Washington are likely to start regularly engaging on the issue.

Zakharchenko, who would scarcely have expected anything other than outright rejection from Kiev, said in a declaration that he and his allies were proposing a new state called Malorossiya (Little Russia) be set up with its capital in rebel-held Donetsk.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian agencies that Zakharchenko's statement was Zakharchenko's own initiative and that the Kremlin had learned about it from media reports.

Ukrainian officials contend that Russia wants to show the world, and the United States especially, that it can keep the crisis in a suspended state and deepen it if need be. A new U.S. envoy for the Ukraine crisis was appointed this month and Moscow and Washington are likely to start regularly engaging on the issue.

Zakharchenko, who would scarcely have expected anything other than outright rejection from Kiev, said in a declaration that he and his allies were proposing a new state called Malorossiya (Little Russia) be set up with its capital in rebel-held Donetsk.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian agencies that Zakharchenko's statement was Zakharchenko's own initiative and that the Kremlin had learned about it from media reports.

Ukrainian officials contend that Russia wants to show the world, and the United States especially, that it can keep the crisis in a suspended state and deepen it if need be. A new U.S. envoy for the Ukraine crisis was appointed this month and Moscow and Washington are likely to start regularly engaging on the issue.

Zakharchenko, who would scarcely have expected anything other than outright rejection from Kiev, said in a declaration that he and his allies were proposing a new state called Malorossiya (Little Russia) be set up with its capital in rebel-held Donetsk.

France condemned the idea and demanded Russia do more to prevent a further escalation. A German government spokeswoman also criticized the move, calling it "totally unacceptable".

Ukraine's top military commander, Viktor Muzhenko, said on social media that the Ukrainian people would "bury" Malorossiya, calling the plan one of the rebels' "sick fantasies".

Three former rebel leaders told Reuters in May that a top aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin decides how the pro-Moscow administration of eastern Ukraine is run and who gets what jobs there, challenging Kremlin denials that it calls the shots in the region.

Additional reporting by Polina Devitt in Moscow, Margarita Antidze in Tbilisi, John Irish in Paris and Andreas Rinke in Berlin; Writing by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Gareth Jones and Richard Balmforth

 

[Housecarl]

For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-france-idUSKBN1A41HI

July 19, 2017 / 6:56 AM / 12 minutes ago

France wants major powers to make 'proposals' to Syrian warring parties

John Irish

PARIS (Reuters) - France wants major powers involved in the Syrian crisis to join a contact group that would make proposals to warring parties, in an effort to break a deadlock in political negotiations, the French foreign minister said.

Emmanuel Macron's election victory has given Paris a chance to re-examine its policy on Syria. The change being proposed is to drop demands that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad step down as a pre-condition for talks, although French officials still insist he cannot be the long-term future for Syria.

France now appears to be aligning its foreign policy with the U.S. priorities of fighting terrorism and seeking better ties with Russia, a move that it calculates could give it a role as a go-between between the two powers, especially on Syria.

"This initiative presumes that we don't set a pre-condition to the talks that Bashar al-Assad must leave," Jean-Yves le Drian told CNews in an interview carried Wednesday on its website. That should encourage Russia to enter the process, he said.

Le Drian gave no details on what new proposals might be offered, a potential format for the contact group or how it would affect existing peace efforts under the auspices of the United Nations, which have limped on for several years with no visible progress.

The foreign ministry and president's office did not respond to questions on the initiative.

Macron has said he hoped that such a group would comprise the five permanent members of the Security Council - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - regional powers and opposition and government officials.

A Middle Eastern diplomat said the U.S. President Donald Trump had agreed in principle to the idea during last week's visit to Paris, although he wanted the group to comprise only the Security Council members.

Macron, a centrist elected in May, said in June he no longer considered Assad's departure a pre-condition for a negotiated settlement to the conflict, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people and driven more than 11 million from their homes.

Speaking to reporters in Geneva on Wednesday, Russia's ambassador Alexei Borodavkin said Moscow saw this as a positive development.

"What is important I think is that this initiative is also based on the assumption which was announced by President Macron that France is no longer demanding that Assad should immediately resign," he said.

The French idea of a contact group has already been broached to some of the potential parties, although several French diplomats said it the idea was still vague.

Steffan de Mistura, the UN mediator for the Syria talks now being conducted, commented on the proposal in Geneva last Friday, after the seventh round of those talks in Geneva.

"In fact the UN would be in a position therefore of doing what we're doing at the moment but with one difference, that you would have those countries who are actually very influential, being in a position also perhaps influencing directly during the talks," de Mistura said. "Should I be against that? That's exactly what the UN needs to have and wants to have."

Reporting by John Irish and Tom Miles, editing by Larry King

 

[northern watch]

The Intel Crab‏ @IntelCrab · Jul 17

The #PLA has conducted a surprise military exercise in #Tibet as tensions continue to mount with #India.

 

[Housecarl]

For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slat..._the_mess_that_will_follow_isis_s_defeat.html

July 18 2017 2:36 PM

We’re Already Seeing a Preview of the Mess That Will Follow ISIS’s Defeat in Syria

By Joshua Keating
Comments 16

Turkish-backed rebels fought with U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters north of Aleppo on Monday. It’s not an isolated incident—there has been sporadic fighting between the two groups for months—and the violence feels like a preview of the next phase of the war in Syria.

Since the outbreak of the war, Syrian Kurds—long marginalized and discriminated against under Bashar al-Assad’s government—have carved out a semi-autonomous region in Northern Syria. The main Kurdish armed group, known as the People’s Protection Units, or YPG, has also emerged as the main and most effective U.S. ally in the fight against ISIS. (Technically, the U.S. is working with the Syrian Democratic Forces—an umbrella group that includes both Arab and Kurdish forces—but the YPG is widely acknowledged as the dominant partner in that arrangement.)

This is a problem for Turkey, which views the YPG as a wing of the PKK, the Turkey-based Kurdish separatist group that has fought against the government for decades. There’s some justification for this—the two groups have cooperated in the past and are both devoted followers of the political philosophies of PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan—though the YPG claims to operate independently. Last summer, Turkey began a direct military intervention in Syria, using both its own troops and sympathetic rebels, in an effort to contain Kurdish gains. Earlier this month, some Syrian rebels said they were preparing to join with Turkish forces in an offensive against the Kurds. The presence of U.S. forces on the ground and political pressure on Turkey from Washington may be the only reason this offensive hasn’t already happened.

All of this is a headache for the United States, which is also allied with Turkey. And it gets even more complicated: Whenever ISIS is routed from its capital in Raqqa, the Syrian Kurds, who led the operation to capture the city, are going to want to preserve the political gains they’ve made and will expect U.S. support. Unlike other rebel groups, the Syrian Kurds are not calling for al-Assad’s overthrow, which has allowed for an uneasy truce between them and Syrian government forces. And unlike their Iraqi Kurdish counterparts, they’re not calling for full independence, either. Rather, in accordance with Ocalan’s semi-anarchist ideas, they’re calling for a loose confederation that allows them substantial autonomy. Despite recent Russian-brokered talks between the two sides, Assad seems unlikely to agree to Kurdish demands, and clashes between the regime and the YPG seem inevitable. In a recent article for Foreign Affairs, analyst Sam Heller argued that the U.S.-Kurdish partnership against ISIS, while probably the best option available, has created a condition in which the U.S. may have to maintain a presence in Syria indefinitely in order to prevent the situation from developing back into chaos that could allow ISIS to regroup.

Of course, the fate of the Syrian Kurds is just one big question that could lead to future tensions as the conflict transforms. The fight against ISIS has required delicate alliance-building, at times contradictory partnerships, and a whole lot of tricky wrangling of reluctant participants. It may end up looking simple compared with what comes next.


Joshua Keating is a staff writer at Slate focusing on international affairs.*

 

[Housecarl]

The Intel Crabþ @IntelCrab · Jul 17

The #PLA has conducted a surprise military exercise in #Tibet as tensions continue to mount with #India.

For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/19/asia/india-china-border-standoff/index.html

China holds live fire drills, as border dispute with India enters fifth week

By Steve George and Anish Gawande, CNN
Updated 9:18 AM ET, Wed July 19, 2017

(CNN)The Chinese government has issued a warning to neighboring India to withdraw its troops from the disputed Doklam border area to "avoid further escalation of the situation."

The comments, made by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang during a regular press briefing Tuesday, come amid what has evolved into an increasingly bitter and entrenched border dispute between the two nations.

The stand-off, now entering into its fifth week, centers on a thin strip of land in the tri-junction with Bhutan. Though not a part of Indian territory, the area is close to the 'chicken's neck' a strategic corridor that serves as a vital artery between Delhi and its far northeastern states.

China holds live fire drills, as border dispute with India enters fifth week
By Steve George and Anish Gawande, CNN

Updated 9:18 AM ET, Wed July 19, 2017

A Chinese soldier gestures as he stands near an Indian soldier on the Chinese side of the ancient Nathu La border crossing between India and China.
Story highlights
Border dispute showing no sign of deescalating
Chinese military conducted live fire drill in nearby Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Monday

(CNN)The Chinese government has issued a warning to neighboring India to withdraw its troops from the disputed Doklam border area to "avoid further escalation of the situation."
The comments, made by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang during a regular press briefing Tuesday, come amid what has evolved into an increasingly bitter and entrenched border dispute between the two nations.

The stand-off, now entering into its fifth week, centers on a thin strip of land in the tri-junction with Bhutan. Though not a part of Indian territory, the area is close to the 'chicken's neck' a strategic corridor that serves as a vital artery between Delhi and its far northeastern states.

Indian troops parade during the country's National Day.

Bellicose media

The dispute appears to have escalated in recent days, say analysts, with both Beijing and Delhi looking to consolidate their positions. On Monday, China conducted live-fire drills in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau close to the site of the current stand-off. The aim of the drills, according to reports in Chinese state media, was to improve troops' "combat capability in such locations."

An increasingly bellicose domestic media environment has further added to the sense of intractability surrounding the dispute, with press reports from both sides calling on leaders to protect the "sovereignty" and "honor" of their respective nations.

A widely circulated op-ed published by the Chinese tabloid the Global Times Tuesday, urged India to back down or "face the consequence of an all-out confrontation."

The commentary repeated unconfirmed reports in the Indian press that Indian troops are now stationed at the border area and have set up logistical support. "In response, China must continue strengthening border construction and speed up troop deployment and construction in the Doklam area," said the op-ed.

Territorial claims

The Doklam dispute is the latest in a long-running series of territorial flare-ups between India and China. In 1962, the two countries engaged in a bloody border war and skirmishes have continued to break out sporadically in the decades since.

"I'm not sure how this situation de-escalates, not just because of the media hype on both sides, but also because China may not have an interest in de-escalating," said Yvonne Chiu, Assistant Professor at the Department of Politics at the University of Hong Kong.

"Unlike flashpoints in the South and East China Seas, a small conflict with India can be better contained because it is less likely to draw the involvement of other major powers in the region (such as the US)," added Chiu.

The conflict, if contained, could potentially serve several useful purposes for China, said Chiu, including "better establishing one of its regional territorial claims, giving its domestic audience something to cheer for, and giving its military some practice."

The dispute began on June 16, when China accused Indian border guards in the northeastern state of Sikkim of crossing into its territory in southwestern Tibet, in an attempt to obstruct the construction of a new mountain road. India has not denied its troops were present in the area. According to a statement released by the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Indian personnel "approached the Chinese construction party and urged them to desist from changing the status quo."

This was followed by a formal compliant, or demarche, issued by the Bhutanese government that accused China of constructing a road "inside Bhutanese territory" in "direct violation" of its territorial treaty obligations.

India and Bhutan have maintained historically strong relations. Bhutan co-operates closely with India in determining its foreign policy, and the Indian Army is involved in the training of its armed forces.

China, which does not have formal diplomatic ties with Bhutan, has repeatedly denied that it has violated any treaties and has called India's involvement in the issue "utterly unjustifiable."

Diplomatic moves

On Friday, the Indian government convened an all party meeting to brief national political parties on the Doklam situation, in which senior ministers expressed support for a diplomatic solution.

"Evidently, while the Indian side is trying to create wiggle room for de-escalation, the nature of the Chinese response is not proving particularly helpful. De-escalation without one or another side losing face thus becomes harder," said Brookings India Fellow Dhruva Jaishankar.

"All military forces must be prepared for a range of contingencies and we are seeing that, but there is also a good deal of alarmism. There has not been a death on the India-China border for forty years, and both sides have learned from experience as to how to manage their differences," added Jaishankar.

The move towards a political solution could yet gain momentum in the run up to the 19th Communist Party National Congress, China's twice a decade handover of power scheduled for later this year.

"Xi Jinping is trying to maintain stability and reduce any foreign policy risks, which could jeopardize his position at the all-party congress," said Selina Ho, Senior Research Fellow at the Center on Asia and Globalization at the National University of Singapore.

"Xi Jinping is expected to put a lot of his own people in power (at the all party congress). There is also a possibility of him extending beyond two terms. Domestic stability in addition to foreign policy stability is important for him right now."

- US, India and Japan begin naval exercises, as China looks on

The dispute, however, comes at a time of steadily deteriorating ties between the two countries, with Chinese investment in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, an increasing Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean, and Chinese frustration with India's unwillingness to join its One Belt One Road development initiative as major points of contention.

"The situation does indicate that China is willing to test the limits of what it can get away with in all regions, not just the South and East China Seas--which shows both confidence and its desire to probe for possible geopolitical weak points," said Yvonne Chiu. "So while the situation does not yet seem very severe, it could become so in the near future."

 

[Housecarl]

For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
http://www.thedailybeast.com/turkey...ail&utm_term=0_694f73a8dc-dfd0889ab8-81835773

EXPOSED

Turkey Leaks Secret Locations of U.S. Troops in Syria

Ankara has long been angered by the alliance between Washington and Kurdish factions. But a new report exposing secret American bases is a dangerous way to strike back.

Roy Gutman
07.19.17 1:00 AM ET

ISTANBUL—In the latest display of Turkish anger at U.S. policy in Syria, the state news agency has divulged the locations of 10 U.S. military bases and outposts in northern Syria where the U.S. is leading an operation to destroy the so-called Islamic State in its self-styled capital of Raqqa.

The list published by the Anadolu news agency points to a U.S. presence from one end to the other of the Kurdish self-administration region—a distance of more than 200 miles. The Anadolu news agency even listed the number of U.S. troops in several locations and in two instances stipulated the presence of French special forces.

Turkey has openly criticized the Trump administration—and the Obama administration before it—for relying in the battle against ISIS on a militia led by Kurds affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers Party or PKK. A separatist movement now at war with Turkey, the PKK has been listed by the U.S., EU, and Turkey as a terror organization.

To avoid the appearance of allying with such a group, the U.S. military set up the Syrian Democratic Forces, which have a large component of Arab recruits. But they are led by officers from the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the Syrian affiliate of the PKK.

Although Turkey’s powerful president, Recep Tayyip Erdoðan, regularly vents his anger at the U.S., it is still highly unusual for a NATO ally to reveal details of a U.S. military deployment during active operations in a war zone.*But the U.S. operation in Syria is in many respects an unusual case. Not only is the United States acting against the express wishes of NATO ally Turkey, which says its national security is directly endangered, it’s also operating without the permission of the Assad regime.

After a meeting Monday evening, Turkey’s National Security Council charged that weapons provided to the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia had come into the possession of the PKK. “This shows that both are the same organization,” it said, adding that other countries were using a “double standard” for terror groups, an apparent reference to the U.S. alliance with the YPG militia.

The U.S. has denied repeatedly that arms it is supplying to the Kurdish fighters have seeped into the PKK war against the Turkish state, and the Turkish government did not back up its allegations with evidence.

Two U.S. bases in Syria—in Rmeilan, in northern Hasaka province, and Kharab Ishq, near Kobani in Aleppo province—already were well-known before Anadolu published them. Anadolu said Rmeilan, in Syria’s oil-producing district, was set up in November 2016, and is big enough to handle transport aircraft, while the base south of Kobani, set up in March 2016, is used only by military helicopters.

The eight outposts, often hidden behind signs warning of a “prohibited area,” are being used both for active military operations, such as shelling into the city of Raqqa, and for desk jobs such as training and operational planning, the report said.

It claimed bases used for military operations house artillery batteries with high maneuverability, multi-barrel rocket launchers, various mobile equipment for intelligence, and armored vehicles for general patrols and security.

In Hasaka province, the U.S. has three outposts, all used to train Kurdish militia members, according to Turkish security officials. Anadolu even gave the number of U.S. Special Forces troops it believed were stationed at two of the three outposts.

There are three U.S. military outposts in Syria’s Raqqa province, Anadolu said. French special forces troops are stationed at two of them. It said one of the locations serves as a communication center for the International Coalition fighting ISIS and is also used to disrupt ISIS communications.

In Manbij, which the Kurdish YPG militia captured last August, the U.S. now has two outposts. The U.S. sends out patrols, the agency noted acerbically, to protect the Kurdish People’s Protection Unit (YPG) forces from Syrian rebels operating out of the Turkish controlled part of Syria known as the Jarablus pocket.

Turkish security officials confirmed the accuracy of the Anadolu list to The Daily Beast.

The publication is certain to spark ire in the U.S. military, which is leading the operation against ISIS.

Spokesmen for Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led coalition fighting ISIS, and for the U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Florida, asked The Daily Beast not to publish the detailed information reported by Anadolu.

“The discussion of specific troop numbers and locations would provide sensitive tactical information to the enemy which could endanger Coalition and partner forces,” wrote Col. Joe Scrocca, coalition director of public affairs.

“Publishing this type of information would be professionally irresponsible and we respectively [sic] request that you refrain from disseminating any information that would put Coalition lives in jeopardy.”

Col. John Thomas, spokesman at the Central Command, also asked The Daily Beast to refrain from publishing details of coalition operations, on the grounds it would be “potentially harmful to the lives of those involved.”

In fact, Anadolu had already published the information Monday on its Turkish language service and then issued it on its English language services Tuesday.*In addition, some of the locations on the Anadolu list were already known in public. The Iranian Tasnim news agency, for example, last November published the names of two bases and two outposts, and the Jusour Center, a Syrian think tank, published the locations of two additional outposts in April.

—with additional reporting by special correspondent Duygu Guvenc from Ankara.

 

[Housecarl]

Hummm.....

For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
https://arynews.tv/en/china-installed-nuclear-bomb-pakistani-soil-attack-india-says-indian-mp/

China has installed nuclear bomb in Pakistan to attack India, says Indian MP

By Web Desk
Posted on July 19, 2017

NEW DELHI: Indian member parliament Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday claimed that China has installed the nuclear bomb on Pakistan soil and is fully prepared to attack India.

“Today, India has immense threat from China. China is conspiring against India, taking Pakistan under its fold. I have been informed that China has installed nuclear bomb on Pakistani soil. China has prepared fully to attack India,” Yadav, who belongs to Samajwadi Party, said in the Lok Sabha.

On the ongoing standoff between China and India at Doklam, Yadav said that it is India’s responsibility to protect Bhutan and Sikkim from foreign incursions. “Protecting Bhutam and Sikkim is our responsibility. China is our enemy, not Pakistan,” he said.

On Tuesday, Foreign Secretary Jaishankar informed a parliamentary committee that China was articulating its position more aggressively, unlike in the past. In a detailed presentation to the committee members, Jaishankar stressed that the standoff will be resolved diplomatically.

Jaishankar is learnt to have said that in the “changing world”, China was trying to spread its influence but India was doing everything to protect its interests. He is learnt to have said that while both countries stick to their positions, the situation is not as volatile as is being projected.

 

[Housecarl]

For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
http://www.businesstoday.in/current...tries-heres-a-complete-list/story/256734.html

Not just India, China has disputes with most neighboring countries: Here's a complete list

BT Online***
New Delhi****
Last Updated:*July 19, 2017 *|*18:20 IST

It has been over a month since Indian and Chinese forces have been on the edge over the tri-junction -India, China and Bhutan- dispute at Sikkim border. The conflict started with China's attempt to construct a road through Dokalam area which was opposed by Indian troops.

Now, China wants India to withdraw its forces from the area, but the area in strategically important to New Delhi. It cannot afford to allow Beijing to change the status-quo.

China has refused to start a dialogue with the Indian government unless it pulls its armed forces out of Dokalam area. Given the tough stand that both the countries have taken so far, it seems that the current face-off between two Asian giants could last for a while. India isn't the only country that China is engaged in at the border, it has a history of getting into conflict between its neighbouring countries.

According to the journal Council on Foreign Relations, China claims roughly 90 percent of the South China Sea as its exclusive economic zone. The Council in its report referred to a US Geological Survey which estimated that the South China Sea contains as much as 290 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and also accounts for about one-tenth of the entire annual global fish catch.

China's Geological Resources and Mining ministry estimated that the South China Sea may contain 17.7 billion tons of crude oil which is higher than that of Kuwait's 13 billion tons. The area is also important because, by some account, more than half the world's crude oil transported by sea passes through the South China Sea. Here are the main disputes:

China vs Japan: The Senkaku Islands are at the midst of dispute between China and Japan. The Senkaku Islands are located in the East China Sea between Japan, China, and the Taiwan. The Senkaku Islands dispute concerns a territorial conflict over a group of uninhabited islands known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan, the Diaoyu Islands in China, and Tiaoyutai Islands in the Taiwan. According to Korean academic Lee Seokwoo, it was only in the the latter half of 1970 when China started mulling over the the question of sovereignty over the islands after evidence related to the existence of oil reserves surfaced.

The matter became worse in 2012 when the Japanese government purchased three of the disputed islands from their private owner which prompted large-scale protests in China. Reacting to Japan's move, China set up the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone which included the Senkaku Islands. China also announced that it would require all aircraft entering the zone to file a flight plan and submit radio frequency or transponder information.

The United States Department has made it clear that it does not have any official position on the merits of the competing sovereignty claims. However, the US will have to come to Japan's aid if conflict escalates as it is bound to provide security to Japan under the 1960 Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan. Top US government officials declared on multiple occasion that the islands fall under the 1960 Treaty between the United States and Japan which requires the US to assist Japan in defending the Senkaku islands if anyone attempts to control Japan-administered Islands.

China vs Philippines: Philippines dragged China to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS over China's "nine-dotted line" claim. The nine-dotted line claim refers to the demarcation line used initially by China and Taiwan for their claims of the major part of the South China Sea.

The contested area in the South China Sea includes the Paracel Islands, the Spratly Islands, and various other areas including the Pratas Islands, the Maccles field Bank and the Scarborough Shoal. China, however, refused to participate in the arbitration case. Earlier in 2016, the tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines saying that China has "no historical rights" based on the nine-dash line. China, however, rejected the Tribunal's ruling.

China vs Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia: China and Vietnam fought their first long-drawn border war from 1979 to 1990. But after that they worked to improve their diplomatic ties. However, the two countries remain in dispute over territorial issues in the South China Sea. At the center of territorial conflict is Spratly Islands and Paracel Islands. The Philippines, Malaysia and other countries have also claimed the region in Spratly Islands. In one such development, former Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos in 1978 issued Presidential decree No 1596, declaring the north-western part of the Spratly Islands as Philippine territory.

 

[northern watch]

The Intel Crab‏ @IntelCrab · 2h2 hours ago

Over 3,000 Chinese soldiers are stationed within ONE km of the contact line with #India in #Doklam.

 

[northern watch]

The Intel Crab‏ @IntelCrab · 3h3 hours ago

Multiple military units are on the move today in #Doklam as tensions continue to escalate between #India and #China.

 

[northern watch]

Sikkim standoff: Chinese army moves huge military hardware into Tibet for 'logistical support'

First Post
Published Date: July 19, 2017 03:56 pm
Updated Date: July 19, 2017 03:56 pm


Beijing: The Chinese Army moved tens of thousands of tonnes of military vehicles and hardware into the remote mountainous Tibet region after the standoff with Indian troops in the Doka La area in the Sikkim sector, the mouthpiece of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) said on Wednesday.

The vast haul was transported to a region south of the Kunlun Mountains in northern Tibet by the Western Theatre Command which oversees the restive regions of Xinjiang and Tibet, and handles border issues with India, reported the PLA Daily, the official mouthpiece of Chinese military.

The move took place late last month and involved hardware being moved simultaneously by road and rail from across the entire region, the report said.

China's state-run media has stepped up its rhetoric against India in recent weeks but there was no way to confirm the veracity of such claims.

Early this week, state-run CCTV had broadcast People's Liberation Army troops taking part in heavy military exercises using live ammunition on the Tibetan plateau.

The location was not far from the disputed Doka La area where Chinese and Indian troops are locked in a standoff, the Hong-Kong based South China Morning Post reported.
The PLA Daily report, however, did not say whether the movement of the military equipment was to support the exercise or for other reasons.

Wang Dehua, an expert on South Asia studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, said the scale of the troop and equipment movement showed how much easier it is for China to defend its western borders.

"Military operations are all about logistics," he said.

"Now there is much better logistics support to the Tibet region."

Chinese and Indian soldiers have been locked in a face-off in the Doka La area of the Sikkim sector for over a month after Indian troops stopped the Chinese army from building a road in the disputed area.

China claimed that they were constructing the road within their territory and has been demanding immediate pull-out of the Indian troops from the disputed Doka La region.

New Delhi has expressed concern over the road building, apprehending that it may allow Chinese troops to cut India's access to its northeastern states.

India has conveyed to the Chinese government that the road construction would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for it.

Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

Of the 3,488-km-long India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in Sikkim.


http://www.firstpost.com/india/sikk...nto-tibet-for-logistical-support-3830667.html

 

[northern watch]

zerohedge‏ @zerohedge · 1m1 minute ago

Germany Blocks Defense Exports To Turkey In "Worst Crisis Since World War II"

 

[northern watch]

US to bar Americans from traveling to North Korea

By Conor Finnegan
ABC News
July 21, 2017, 7:49 AM ET

Americans will soon be barred from traveling to North Korea, according to two tour groups who have operated in the country and one U.S. administration official.

Koryo Tours and Young Pioneer Tours the group that organized Otto Warmbiers trip both said that they were contacted and told the U.S. government will invalidate the passport of any U.S. citizen traveling starting 30 days after July 27. Koryo Tours general manager Simon Cockerell told ABC News that the Swedish embassy in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the U.S.s diplomatic liaison in the country, informed his company of the decision.

A Trump administration official later confirmed the change.

Its unclear what this will mean for the handful of U.S. citizens living in North Korea, including the 40 or so Americans teaching at North Koreas only private university, Pyongyang University of Science and Technology. Two Americans still held by North Korea were teaching there.

In past years, somewhere between 800 and 1250 Americans visit North Korea each year, although that number has declined sharply this year following the recent death of Warmbier.

Otto Warmbier was a 21-year-old University of Virginia student who was arrested in North Korea in January 2016 while visiting the country as part of a tour group, held captive by the regime for a year and a half and at some point fell into a coma. He was evacuated and died June 19 of this year, days after returning home. The circumstances of how he fell into a coma are shrouded in darkness, but his case has provoked outrage and concern about other Americans safety.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/us-bar-americans-traveling-north-korea/story?id=48768015