Cutting off the U-turns

U.S. Department of the Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Stuart Levey yesterday released the words that go with the deed...

...we have shared information with foreign governments and financial institutions about how Iran is using its banks to finance its nuclear and missile programs and terrorist groups. We have provided reliable information to back up our words, demonstrating that even seemingly benign business with Iran should be cause for concern.

And the deed, revoking the "U-Turn" financial license for Iran is now policy.

This is just another stroke in the duel, but a well-struck one.

Is Chavez running out of money?

There have been progressively developing reports that with the Crude Oil spot market returning to sanity (and perhaps even below expected values), that all the commitments of H. Chavez' government and extra-territorial ambitions are placing a back-breaking burden on the Venezuelan economy.

It does look like he is trying even harder now to get his hands on any endeavor that has potential cash value. The latest move is the nationalization of the largest working gold mine in the country.

Given the 500% rise in cocaine transshipment through Venezuela in the last five years, perhaps it could be considered a bright spot that this latest nationalization may at least have the trappings of legality...

but also given the uses that the Chavez regime put money to, perhaps it would be better for everyone if he did run out of money and shortly thereafter friends.

Bangladesh-Myanmar Sea Border Crisis

A territorial crisis has been developing in the Bay of Bengal over the last few days as naval forces and survey vessels of Myanmar (Burma) have intruded and remained in Bangladeshi waters. The region is considered a valuable resource location for undersea natural gas fields. Bangladesh has responded to the incursion by dispatching their own naval vessel(s) and involving Chinese diplomats in an attempt to find a resolution other than force.

Good luck with that.

For those wishing more details and a naval warfare perspective on this crisis, I recommend the superb Information Dissemination site's article.

Russia postures as Allies hope for continued missile defense.

The brave efforts by Poland, the Czech Republic, and (by alliance) the Baltic republics of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia to support the Atlantic Alliance in providing a Missile Defense system to Europe may be in doubt, but Poland for one expects the incoming administration of B. Obama (U.S.A.) to continue with the project.

The Russians seem unwilling to read a map well enough to see what approaches said Missile Defense would and would not provide coverage of, and are threatening all sorts of nonsense, and to electronically interfere with the system.

Let us not overlook the facts that Russian occupation of Kaliningrad (Koenigsberg) and the still legally undefined Estonian-Russian border are the major open territorial issues in Northern Europe. In the aftermath of the Russian Invasion of Georgia, these matters have undergone "paradigm change" in the thinking of all parties at risk.

To the governments of the NATO Alliance: These are not matters to be trivially negotiated away.

The shakeout starts at the top in the Georgian Army

There have been some changes in the leadership down the line on the civilian side of the M. Saakashvili administration in the Republic of Georgia in the weeks since the Russian Invasion of Georgia, but this time the change has come at the very top of the Army command. The Chief of the General Staff, Zaza Gogava, has been replaced. Gorgava will now command the border police. Vladimer Chachibaia has been tapped as the new Chief of the General Staff and charged with addressing "shortcomings" revealed in the fighting.

Tough row to hoe, but with help, he may be up to the task.

Mexico plane crash

In a great loss to the nation and government of Mexico, Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino and seven others aboard the jet were killed in what appears to be an accident. Former Deputy Attorney General Jose Luis Santiago Vasconcelos also was amongst the dead. Both men were vital officers in the administration of President Felipe Calderon and were leaders of Mexico's "war" against the Drug Cartels.

Also lost was the Director of Social Communication for the Interior Ministry, Miguel Monterrubio, a former spokesman for President Calderon. A personal memorial of him written by FOXNews' Adam Housley can be seen and commented on *here*.

My condolences to all in their loss.

Kivu Cease-Fire in Name Only

Given the number of factional players all contributing to the violence in the D.R. Congo's Nord-Kivu, enforcing any kind of cease-fire is a nearly insuperable challenge. Aid agencies and workers are being pulled out. For now, it seems the FARDC national army and the CNDP rebel army are holding back, but rival Mai-Mai militias are actively provoking encounters and MONUC peacekeepers are caught in between.

The diplomatic effort to reach some kind of accord is to continue as part of a regional summit being called, to be held on Friday in Kenya.