7 Continents in 7 Minutes: Weapons Proliferation

7 Continents in 7 Minutes:

I’ve just finished Bill Gertz’s 2004 work on weapons proliferation titled, “Treachery,” and one of the items that stood out most to me was not so much how we’re screwed by friends and foes alike across the world; but rather, that Algeria, oddly enough, had their own nuclear weapons program. That’s Algeria folks…in Africa…not Iran or N Korea or even Syria…Algeria…and what kills me about that is the fact that part of reason Algeria sought nuclear weapons was because they felt threatened by Libya. Does anybody else see the pattern here?

And with that here are your not-yet-ready-for-primetime-countries:

Asia

‘Pak agrees to give Saudis nuclear bomb’

PAKISTAN HAS agreed to provide Saudi Arabia nuclear weapons and missiles last month, according to an Israeli intelligence website debka.com.

The website stated that Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Saudi King Abdullah concluded an agreement with “seven secret clauses” on January 21, during his visit to Saudi Arabia.

Pakistan agreed to provide an atomic deterrent in the event of “a nuclear emergency”. The transfer of control would also occur in case Iran threatened the Persian Gulf Emirates, Egypt or Jordan.

According to intelligence sources, the agreement is impossible to confirm, however, it is a logical extension of a long-standing Saudi-Pakistan nuclear understanding. The goal: ensure a nuclear Iran does not dominate the Gulf.

Retired senior Indian officials believe the Saudis have financed Pakistan’s nuclear weapons programme through shipments of cheap petrol since the 90s. In return, Pakistan was to provide a nuclear weapon on request. (More)

The arms race in the Middle East is on…but I think that was already readily apparent. The Saudi’s have a legitimate fear that Iran may become the bully on the block when, and I do mean when, it obtains nuclear weapons. That’s essentially been the whole problem since the end of the Cold War; that once the Soviet Union dissolved the rest of the world would be free of nasty entanglements like loyalty to a superpower, so that they could go about the business of developing weapons on their own and being able to defend themselves. Other than manufacturing, resource trading and lending, the only way to be a player in this world and challenge the United States is to have your cache of weapons of mass destruction. Despite warnings and good ideas written about by journalists like Bill Gertz, I do not believe that the US will ever be in a real position ever again to serious stop the proliferation of WMD’s. Much like the drug war, there will be some minor victories but in the grand scheme of things, the bulk of the illicit trading will not be stopped.


Africa

US offers arms to Chad, despite tensions

The United States and Chad have reached a military cooperation accord, which provides for the sale of some weapons and related equipment to the Chadian armed forces.

According to the Associated Press, the agreement is pending on the signature of a bilateral accord to exempt US citizens from being tried at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

According to the agreement – which the US has signed with more than 100 countries on pain of being cut off from receiving military aid – the government of Chad commits not to hand over potential US military staff or citizens involved in genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity who may be pursued by the ICC.

Chad – said the same source – had refused to sign this accord before.

However, N’Djamena softening on this issue coincides with an agreement with Sudan and the Central African Republic (CAR) which was signed yesterday in Cannes in the context of the Franco-African summit to try to limit tensions in Darfur.

Meanwhile, even as the US has promised military aid to Chad, Matthew Conway, an official from UNHCR, quoted by BBC, said that in Chad there is the risk of a “new Rwanda”, recalling the 1994 genocide which caused at least half a million dead.

They say that proliferation of weapons only begets more proliferations of weapons. Thus it is so that in an area dirty with automatic weapons and child soldiers, the answer to solving this tragedy is not to IMPORT MORE WEAPONS. I’m a pro-American and as patriotic as the next man but you have to be intellectually honest here and say that this is reason we can’t get a handle on any kind of weapons proliferation. Sure nuclear bombs are much worse than machine guns but at the end of the day, it’s still very hyprocritical of this country to condemn others (including Israel) for selling illegal arms when we don’t seem to have an issue doing it ourselves. It smells less of peace efforts and more of fear of competition.

South America

Venezuela Wants Sub Fleet for Conflict with U.S.

Venezuela is spending $3 billion to build nine submarines, a fleet of undersea craft that would be the largest in the region -- and ready to be used against the U.S. in event of a conflict between the two countries.

The submarines will be the "diesel-electric variety," according to a communique issued by Vice Adm. Armband Laguna, quoted this month by Brazil's leading newspaper, O Estado de Sao Paulo.

They will weigh-in at approximately 1,750 metric tons apiece.

The navy is considering bids from Germany, France, and Russia, which is said to be the odds-on favorite, according to the Washington Times.

Venezuela, the Times wrote, could use a fleet of submarines to protect its interests in its exclusive economic zone, which in Caracas' view includes a large portion of the Caribbean Sea.

Protecting an area that large would require far more subs than the two over-30-years-old German U-Boats that the Venezuelan military now employs.

Moreover, the addition of the nine subs would give Venezuela the largest submarine fleet in Latin America, surpassing those of Peru, Brazil and Chile -- with six, five and four submarines, respectively.

Venezuela says it is beefing up its military capabilities -- including plans to develop an enlarged submarine fleet -- in preparation for what it called any "asymmetrical conflict" with the U.S.

The new submarine fleet is a small part of an arms buildup that the Times reports includes small arms, jet fighters and potentially air-defense missiles.

The buildup is being carried out in compliance with all international and regional nonproliferation treaties, Venezuela's ambassador to Washington, Bernardo Alvarez told the Times in a telephone interview.

Alvarez said that his government was contemplating the need to defend itself against the world's lone superpower, a nation with vastly greater military resources.

"We have simply been trying to upgrade our military equipment and maintain our defense while preserving balance in the hemisphere," Mr. Alvarez added. He also insisted that Venezuela's Latin American neighbors need not worry about the buildup.

According to the Times, Venezuela is reported to have already spent $3.4 billion on Russian arms, including assault rifles and fighter jets, and is said to be negotiating to buy a $290 million Russian air-defense system.

The Times noted that a Pentagon report estimated that Venezuela had spent about $4.3 billion on arms since 2005 alone, more than countries such as Iran, Pakistan and even China.(More)

The story is bigger than it may appear and it is certainly bigger than Chavez’ Venezuela. After decades of fighting against the Soviets to keep them out of our sphere of influence, we have begun to lose all that was gained by the break-up of the former Soviet Union. According to this article, “Moscow has been gradually restoring itself as a major regional presence throughout the western hemisphere. It is now on the verge of fully reviving its stake in the region’s political and commercial agendas, buying and selling a broad range of commodities and services ranging from frozen fish to military ordnance. The January visit of the chairman of the Russian Audit Chamber and President Vladimir Putin’s personal representative, Sergey Stepashin, to Nicaragua for the inauguration of President Daniel Ortega, is but the latest in a number of possibly important developments that have seen Russia returning to this hemisphere with masterly enthusiasm.”

If your pappy told you that the Cuban Missile Crisis was bad, well, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!

North America

Cuba for Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons

The only way to achieve effective disarmament in the world is by eliminating all weapons of mass destruction with international cooperation, said Cuban ambassador to the United Nations Juan Antonio Fernandez as he addressed the UN Conference on Disarmament.

The Cuban diplomat considered it crucial to hold the Conference on Disarmament, which will run until next March 10, though he warned that its objectives will not be pursued without authentic political will and he referred to "some countries whose unyielding positions have hindered the attainment of such objectives in the past," Granma daily reported.

Cuba?s position in respect to nuclear weapons is in tune with the conclusions reached by the latest Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, held last September 2006 in Havana, and which were signed by 118 heads of state and government.

Fernandez recalled that during the Non-Aligned Summit, the heads of state and government referred to the UN Conference on Disarmament as "the only bargaining table for the disarmament issue and they called for the setting of an initial deadline for the total elimination of nuclear weapons."

The Cuban diplomat said that there are 33,000 nuclear weapons in the world, out of which 12,000 are ready to be used and that there is not an instrument to stop the production of this kind of weapons, however.

Good for Cuba! I mean really, it’s nice of them to lecture the world on nuclear proliferation while having one of the worst human rights records in the world. Not to mention their complicity and alliance with Iran and North Korea, the two biggest threats to a nuclear weapon free world going at this time. Hello Cuba, this is kettle calling, you’re black.

Europe

Czech leader in favor of U.S. missile defense system

In a statement reflecting the growing distrust between Moscow and the West, a top Russian general on Monday warned that Poland and the Czech Republic risk being targeted by Russian missiles if they agree to host U.S. missile defense bases.

The stark threat, by missile forces chief Gen. Nikolai Solovtsov, was one of the most bellicose comments yet by Russian officials on the issue, which 10 days ago led President Vladimir Putin to warn of a "new Cold War" in a speech in Munich that shocked Western governments.

"If the governments of Poland and the Czech Republic take such a step ... the Strategic Missile Forces will be capable of targeting these facilities if a relevant decision is made," Solovtsov told reporters in Moscow, asserting the U.S. plan could upset strategic balance of power in the region.

Solovtsov spoke as Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek and his Polish counterpart, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, both in Warsaw, suggested they were ready to move forward with a plan by Washington to put 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar site in the Czech Republic.

Topolanek said both countries will probably agree to the basic U.S. proposal, though they must still work out the details. "I think it is in our joint interest to negotiate this initiative and to build ... the missile defense," he said.

U.S. officials say that the 10 proposed interceptors - which they say are designed to stop a launch from the Middle East - are not aimed at Russia. Moscow, with its huge and sophisticated nuclear arsenal, could easily overwhelm such a small system simply by launching more than 10 missiles.

Putin has said he does not trust U.S. claims that the missile defense system was intended to counter threats from Iran. He has warned that Russia could take retaliatory action. (More)

Putin says he doesn’t trust the US? Putin?! This is the guy that has nearly single handedly rolled back democracy in Russia to Stalin era levels. Hello Putin, this is kettle, you’re Cuba.

Australia/Oceania

Lethal force counters the use of arms

THE Tonga Defence Services TDS has issued a public warning that they will use "lethal force (force causing death)" to apprehend anyone who uses weapons such as axes, knives and firearms to threaten the safety of the public.

A statement from the TDS on Friday, February 9 expressed their concern over the use of weapons in crimes in the Nuku'alofa area early this month.

In one incident on February 8 a group of men got into an argument at Fanga then a man left and returned with friends armed with bush knives to attack the others. Members of the TDS did not apprehend the leader of the armed group until February 9 after a chase along Hala Taufa'ahau.

In a second incident on the same day, at 10 pm, a man used a pistol to threaten some people in a home in Ma'ufanga. The police arrested the offender and a .22 pistol was later located by a Navy Patrol after searching for it in the area.

The TDS expressed its concern over what appeared to be an escalation of criminal activities, 84 days after the declaration of Emergency Powers on November 17, 2006, and it was informing the public that incidents involving weapons including axes and knives) is taken very seriously by the TDS.

"In such incidents that involve weapons, the TDS will search and track all people allegedly involved to be taken into custody. Searches for these people will not stop until those who were involved have been arrested.

"The seriousness of these incidents is that when weapons are involved, the use of lethal force (force causing death) will be used by members of the TDS to neutralize any threat to the safety of the public. In any such events, it is advisable not to resist arrest when carrying any sort of weapons or to offer violence to members of the TDS during these incidents," they stated

I wonder if Tonga has the same machete problem that many countries in Central Africa do? I like stories like this as they provide context for those of you that think our current police forces are too fascist and trigger-happy. Be thankful you don’t live in Tonga.

Antarctica

Huge lakes and rivers found under Antarctic ice

An amazing discovery has been made in the Antarctic. Researchers have found that under the compressed snow and ice lies a sort of water world -- a series of fast-moving lakes and rivers.

Glacial lakes have been found before in Antarctica, but what Dr. Helen Fricker of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California found is a system of fast-flowing rivers and reservoirs underneath the ice.

Scripps says it seems the rivers transport the majority of the water from the deep interior of the ice sheet out to the ice shelves, and ultimately to the ocean.

"It's a new process that we didn't know about before. So it just shows that there's more we need to know about Antarctica," Fricker explained to Canada AM.

Global warming didn't create the rivers and lakes; they lie more than half a kilometre under the surface -- too deep to be affected by temperature changes on the surface.

But understanding how they behave is important to understanding how climate change could affect the Antarctic, Fricker said.

"The importance of the discovery is that in a warming climate, we need to be able to predict what the ice sheets are going to do.

"The Antarctic ice sheet has 90 per cent of the world's fresh water and has potential to raise sea level by about 60 meters if it all melted. So if we can model it very accurately, we will know what's going to happen in the next 10, 100, 1,000 years time, and we can get some ideas of what the sea level rises will be."

To detect the subglacial lakes, Fricker and her colleagues used data from NASA's ICESat, which sends laser pulses from space to the Antarctic surface and back, providing images much the way sonar uses sound pulses.

Fricker's team of glaciologists detected dips in the surface of the glacier that moved as the hidden lakes drained and filled.

"We can actually see the surface going down in response to the water moving away and in other places we can see the surface going up in response to the water arriving," Scripps said.

"This is a whole process that we've identified that we didn't actually know, and it's not in any computer models of the ice sheet right now. "

Fricker is now hoping to take a team to the region to map out their findings.

"Hopefully this season we will be able to get down there and put GPS on the lakes and monitor them on a daily basis," she said.

…what? Was I supposed to find an article on Antarctica and WMD’s? Let’s be realistic here.