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Ismét A-10-esek érkeztek Magyarországra, hogy dolgozzanak a Thunder Cloud fedőnevű, majd a Wise Foresight gyakorlatok alájátszóiként. A TSP-keret azért is érdekes, mert összefüggésben áll az ugyanerről a bázisról (Moody, FT) érkezett incirliki anti-IS akcióval. De transzparenciát elvárni ezekben az időkben irreális, annyi jut, amit az ember magának megteremt.

Ugyebár itt a kérdés: miért van a hivatalosan 74. EFS településben 75. századi gép is? Előtérben az előbbi parancsnoka, France alezredes (kopasz).

Továbbmenetel közben jön be a futó, háttérben a vaszari templomtorony.

Az AVG, avagy a Repülő Tigrisek hagyatéka a gépek orrán látható festmény.

Érkezik a Colleen Bell nagykövetet is szállító C-12-es Pápára.

Távozik az USAFE C-21-ese.

Amitől az A-10C (többek között) nagyot ugrott: EO indításjelzők és sisakcélzó.

A Litening konténer hasán a ROVER rendszer antennái. Legalább van kitől venni lesugárzást a magyar JTAC-ek jó ideje meglévő (amerikai segélyből kapott) termináljain. A konfiguráció azért érdekes, mert amikor a ROVER megjelent a podokba integrálva, először csak az apró, kúpban végződő hengeres antenna volt (elöl), a hátsó rövid késantenna később jelent meg.

Klasszik Ikarus az új toronnyal. 

Zord

Az ország legfőbb vezetése, és Erdogan családja is érintett a szíriai és iraki olaj illegális kitermelésében - ezt állítja az orosz védelmi miniszter. Putyin szerint az orosz gép lelövésével is ezt akarták fedezni. A török felső vezetés és személyesen Recep Tayyip Erdogan államfő, illetve családja is érintett a szíriai és az iraki olaj illegális kitermelésében és Törökországba szállításában - állította Anatolij Antonov orosz védelmi miniszterhelyettes szerdán Moszkvában.

Venue soutenir son compagnon Louis Aliot, candidat en Languedoc-Roussillon-Midi Pyrénées, la présidente du FN a nationalisé le débat des régionales et fustigé la politique de sécurité mise en place par les gouvernements successifs.

Plenáris ülés : A Bizottság nem lát a magyar demokráciát, jogállamiságot és alapjogok érvényesülését fenyegető rendszerszintű veszélyt annak ellenére, hogy számos jogsértési eljárás jelenleg is folyamatban van, mondta Vera Jourová biztos szerdán a Parlament kérdésére válaszolva.

Forrás : © Európai Unió, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : The EU Commission sees no systemic threat to democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in Hungary, although it has brought several procedures against it for infringing EU laws, said Commissioner Vera Jourová in a debate with MEPs on Wednesday.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : The EU Commission sees no systemic threat to democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in Hungary, although it has brought several procedures against it for infringing EU laws, said Commissioner Vera Jourová in a debate with MEPs on Wednesday.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : The EU Commission sees no systemic threat to democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in Hungary, although it has brought several procedures against it for infringing EU laws, said Commissioner Vera Jourová in a debate with MEPs on Wednesday.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : The EU Commission sees no systemic threat to democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in Hungary, although it has brought several procedures against it for infringing EU laws, said Commissioner Vera Jourová in a debate with MEPs on Wednesday.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Crisis Group mourns the passing today of Sandy Berger, a tremendous friend and colleague who worked tirelessly to promote greater peace and security in a troubled world. He died of cancer at the age of 70.

Le pape François a effectué une tournée africaine du 25 au 30 novembre, pour la première fois de son pontificat. Au programme: le Kenya, l’Ouganda et la Centrafrique.

Protesters displaying placards during a rally in front of the Chinese consulate in Manila on Aug 31, 2015.  PHOTO: AFP

The unanimous ruling on October 29 by an international arbitral tribunal over its jurisdiction to arbitrate territorial claims claimed by the Philippines in the South China Sea comes as a slap in the face to Beijing, and may lead to further filings by Southeast Asian nations.  Under its notorious nine-dash line, or “cow’s tongue”, Chinese leaders claim over 90 percent of the South China Sea and have argued against any international jurisdiction over sovereignty issues.

The current ruling, the first of its kind, concerns a case filed by the Philippine government at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague in 2013, under the United Nations 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). According to the ruling, the case will now be handled by the Arbitral Tribunal under UNCLOS, and is expected to determine maritime zone entitlements of ten reefs and shoal in the South China Sea: Scarborough Shoal, Mischief Reef, Second Thomas Shoal, Fiery Cross Reef, Subi Reef, Gaven Reef, Hughes Reef, Johnson Reef, Cuarteron Reef, and McKennan Reef.  Some of these reefs are currently being converted into islands.

Beijing bases its claims on the disputed waters and features as “traditional fishing grounds,” despite the presence of fisherman from around the region for centuries. For example, the Scarborough Shoal was referenced in a May 2012 article in the PLA Daily, claiming a Chinese astronomer, Guo Shoujing, first visited the shoal in 1279 as part of a survey of the Chinese empire. China’s formal claim to the shoal was made in 1935, while Manila says its initial claim was in 1937-1938, although it was unable to publicize its claim due to Japanese incursions and invasion. The shoal did not feature on Philippine maps until 1997, when Manila began to press its claim by taking ownership of the shoal as terra nullius, or “no man’s land.”

Beijing has reiterated it will not accept the Tribunal’s resolution, arguing that the only way forward is through bilateral negotiations.  China had previously argued in a position paper that the “2002 China–ASEAN Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea constitutes an agreement to resolve disputes relating to the South China Sea exclusively through negotiation.”

International leaders, however, welcomed the decision over the Court’s jurisdiction.  German chancellor Angela Merkel recently addressed the issue while on a visit to Beijing, “The territorial dispute in the South China Sea is a serious conflict. I am always a bit surprised why in this case multinational courts should not be an option for a solution.”

Merkel’s statement clearly reflects Beijing’s two faces over the rule of law, for despite China ratifying UNCLOS in 1996, Beijing now says it will not accept procedures referring to “binding decisions” and compulsory processes under the law.  While Beijing considers certain UNCLOS rules to be inconsistent with its national policy, it has similarly chosen to invoke UNCLOS law to seek a binding decision for its claim against Japan on the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea. China is also party to the Declaration on the Conduct for Parties in the South China Sea, which it signed in 2002. Through its dredging efforts to create artificial islands, Beijing has blatantly ignored Article 5 of the DOC, which calls for “self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes in uninhabited islands and reefs.”

So while it is high time for an international referee like the Arbitral Tribunal under UNCLOS to step in, separate the fighters, and issue a ruling concerning the sovereignty of the disputed waters, it is highly unlikely the Court will be able to enforce a ruling against China, which Beijing is likely to ignore.  Any court rulings issued by the tribunal are binding on its member countries, including China, but the tribunal has no powers of enforcement, so some of its rulings have been ignored before.  

The Tribunal’s eventual ruling, expected in 2016, will also be limited in scope to asserting whether or not specific features (rocks and low-tide elevations) can claim EEZs. Some of the reefs being converted into islands by China will fail to be recognized as islands–thereby losing any expanded territorial claims. Under UNCLOS, artificial islands are entitled to the rights enjoyed by the original feature–a 12 nautical mile territorial sea for rocks above water at low tide, and a 500-meter safety zone for elevations below water at low tide.  

Should Beijing refuse to honor a potential ruling against their claims of sovereignty, we can expect China to again attempt to assert its economic muscle to persuade other regional nations to settle the disputes bilaterally.  China’s Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin announced earlier this month Beijing’s offer to Southeast Asian countries of around US$10 billion in infrastructure loans.    

Yet China’s weakening muscularity and an economic pivot by Washington could lead other Southeast Asian nations toward pursuing similar rulings.  This month, some voters in Vietnam put forth a proposal to their National Assembly, calling for the initiation of legal proceedings against China at an international tribunal over its violation of the Southeast Asian country’s sovereignty in the East Vietnam Sea (South China Sea).  How far this request will go is disputed–Hanoi will need to balance the concerns of its nationalistic citizenry while maintaining close ties to its communist brother.  Indonesia has also hinted it may also go to court to assert its sovereignty over disputed territory.

Beijing can still effectively lobby its other neighbors–as it did when it scuttled efforts by Association of Southeast Asian Nations defense ministers to mention the South China Sea in a joint declaration after meetings in Malaysia earlier this month. On the international stage, a negative outcome for Beijing will surely lead to a loss of face for Chinese leaders, and they will face increasing isolation for failing to respect international law–a precondition for their regaining great nation status.

Russischer Kampfpanzer T-72

Die Armee des Islamischen Staates (IS) ist mit verschiedenen Waffentypen ausgerüstet. Zu den schweren Waffen gehören amerikanische Kampfpanzer Abrams, russische Kampfpanzer T-72 und russische Kampfschützenpanzer BMP-1. Was die Fliegerabwehr der Armee des IS betrifft, so gehören dazu russische Flab-Maschinengewehre 12.7 mm DSchK und 14.5 mm ZPU-1/2, aber auch Flab-Einmann-Lenkwaffen SA-7 GRAIL. Zu den Panzerabwehrwaffen gehört u.a. das weltweit weit verbreitete Raketenrohr RPG-22. Zum Bereich der Artillerie dieser Armee sind die russischen Mehrfachraketenwerfer 122 mm BM-21 GRAD und die russischen Kanonen 130 mm M-46 zu erwähnen. Bei den Sturmgewehren sind sowohl die amerikanischen 5.56 mm M-16 wie auch die russischen Kalaschnikow 7.62 mm AK-47 vertreten.[1]

Diese verschiedenen Waffensysteme stammen sowohl von der irakischen wie auch von der syrischen Armee. Die Kampfpanzer Abrams hat der IS von Einheiten der irakischen Armee erbeutet, die 2014 aus dem Nordwesten des Iraks geflüchtet sind. Die russischen Panzer und Kampfschützenpanzer dagegen stammen vor allem aus dem Arsenal der Armee von Assad. Das Vorhandensein und auch der Einsatz der schweren Waffen ist ein Beweis dafür, dass die Armee des Islamischen Staates wie eine reguläre Armee ausgerüstet ist und auch so eingesetzt wird. Von einer Terrormiliz, wie sie in den europäischen Medien bezeichnet wird, kann nicht die Rede sein. Geführt wird diese Armee durch kampferprobte Kommandeure, die zum Teil ihren Beruf in der früheren Armee von Saddam Hussein erlernt und ihre Erfahrungen im Krieg gegen den Iran von 1980 bis 88 und in den beiden Kriegen gegen die USA und ihre Alliierten von 1991 und 2003 gesammelt haben.

Eine konventionelle Armee wie jene des Islamischen Staates, die in ständigen Kämpfen sowohl im Irak wie auch in Syrien im Einsatz ist, weist einen hohen Munitionsverbrauch auf. Dies bedeutet, dass der Nachschub vor allem für die schweren Waffen gesichert sein muss. Dies trifft selbstverständlich auch für den hohen Munitionsverbrauch der Sturmgewehre Kalaschnikow und M-16 zu. Wäre der Munitionsnachschub nicht gesichert, dann wäre der Islamische Staat schon längst vernichtet worden. Die Munitionslieferungen für die Waffensysteme des Islamischen Staates sichern Händler, die offenbar die Munition von den Feinden des Islamischen Staates, dazu gehören die irakische Armee und die schiitischen Milizen im Irak wie Einheiten der Armee von Assad, kaufen sollen.[2] Solange der Profit stimmt, verkaufen sowohl die Händler wie auch ihre Lieferanten die von der Armee des Islamischen Staates benötigte und geforderte Munition an Ort und Stelle.

[1] Solomon, E., Arms dealers gorge on jihadi gun-running cash, in: Financial Times, 1 December 2015, P. 4.

so auch Conflict Armament Research, Dispatch from the Field, Islamic State Weapons in Kobane, London, April 2015.

[2] Solomon, E.

December 15-ig kapott haladékot Görögország európai partnereitől az érdemi együttműködésre a külső határok ellenőrzésében, ellenkező esetben felfüggeszthetik schengeni tagságát. A fenyegetés inkább nyomásgyakorlás, mint a görögök kizárása, amelynek esetén Magyarország is frontországgá válna. Igaz, ez de facto semmin sem változtatna.

Plenary sessions : The new legislative proposals for a circular economy tabled by the European Commission and presented to MEPs by Commission Vice-Presidents Frans Timmermans and Jyrki Katainen, along with an action plan, were cautiously welcomed by MEPs on Wednesday. But they argued that on waste recycling, reducing food waste and landfill, the proposals aim too low.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : The new legislative proposals for a circular economy tabled by the European Commission and presented to MEPs by Commission Vice-Presidents Frans Timmermans and Jyrki Katainen, along with an action plan, were cautiously welcomed by MEPs on Wednesday. But they argued that on waste recycling, reducing food waste and landfill, the proposals aim too low.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : The new legislative proposals for a circular economy tabled by the European Commission and presented to MEPs by Commission Vice-Presidents Frans Timmermans and Jyrki Katainen, along with an action plan, were cautiously welcomed by MEPs on Wednesday. But they argued that on waste recycling, reducing food waste and landfill, the proposals aim too low.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : The new legislative proposals for a circular economy tabled by the European Commission and presented to MEPs by Commission Vice-Presidents Frans Timmermans and Jyrki Katainen, along with an action plan, were cautiously welcomed by MEPs on Wednesday. But they argued that on waste recycling, reducing food waste and landfill, the proposals aim too low.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Séance plénière : Frontex, l'agence européenne pour la gestion des frontières, devrait établir un système pour traiter les plaintes concernant des violations alléguées des droits fondamentaux des migrants et demandeurs d'asile, affirment les députés dans une résolution adoptée ce mercredi. Pendant le débat en plénière avant le vote, le commissaire Dimitris Avramopoulos a promis que la Commission européenne tiendrait compte de cette idée dans sa révision de la réglementation Frontex en décembre.

Source : © Union européenne, 2015 - PE

Plenary sessions : The EU’s Frontex border agency should set up a system to handle complaints about alleged breaches of the fundamental rights of migrants and asylum seekers, say MEPs in a non-binding resolution passed on Wednesday. In the plenary debate before the vote, Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos promised that the Commission will take up this idea when it reviews the Frontex regulation in December.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP