That would be today's report:
The Kang Nam 1 is being tracked in the Yellow Sea, south of the Korean Peninsula, headed north.
It is running in international waters.
That pretty much puts to rest any thought of anyone trying to inspect it at sea as, if it hasn't happened yet, it isn't going to happen.
Given what is known, just to remind readers, that's a good thing. It is likely a trap, politically if not physically.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Army to pull out of Marange diamond fields
Hm. Color me surprised.
The Kimberley Review Process visit, some publicity of the atrocities by Human Rights Watch, and the Government of Zimbabwe's (Rhodesia) desperate need to avoid any more bad press while they are trying to drum up financial support seem to have all worked in concert...
The Army will be withdrawn from the Marange diamond fields.
They expect others to pay for securing the fields, and will only then withdraw the troop presence, *and* nothing is done about the role of certain ZANU-PF Kleptocrats who have been running the whole illicit activity. Heck, done right, this could even legitimize their role.
I'll rank this under the "small victory" category simply because the number of locals being killed might decrease, but as long as the Mugabe regime is calling the shots (literally) this matter is still unresolved.
The Kimberley Review Process visit, some publicity of the atrocities by Human Rights Watch, and the Government of Zimbabwe's (Rhodesia) desperate need to avoid any more bad press while they are trying to drum up financial support seem to have all worked in concert...
The Army will be withdrawn from the Marange diamond fields.
Zimbabwe's deputy mines minister Murisi Zwizwai, whose department has denied charges of killings by soldiers, told the state-controlled Sunday Mail that the army would be gradually pulled out of the diamond fields, which cover 66,000 hectares.Ah. There's the devil in the details.
"We agreed to remove soldiers but it will be done in phases while proper security settings would be put in place," Zwizwai told the paper after meeting the Kimberly Process team.
They expect others to pay for securing the fields, and will only then withdraw the troop presence, *and* nothing is done about the role of certain ZANU-PF Kleptocrats who have been running the whole illicit activity. Heck, done right, this could even legitimize their role.
I'll rank this under the "small victory" category simply because the number of locals being killed might decrease, but as long as the Mugabe regime is calling the shots (literally) this matter is still unresolved.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
The Great Experiment
...that a people could rule themselves, free of kings or despots...
...continues.
Frankly, simply attempting it has changed the world.
Luck on that, Yanks, and Happy Independence Day.
...continues.
Frankly, simply attempting it has changed the world.
Luck on that, Yanks, and Happy Independence Day.
The count is up to 7, today
SCUDs... or Nodongs flying on short trajectories...
Seven of them were launched over the course of the 3rd of July (4th, local time).
All apparently went splash on target in the Sea of Japan, well short of endangering much of anything. For those who got the advance brief on this, yes, the launch site for several of the missiles was Kittaeryong (Gitdaeryong).
Kyoudou wire service also has the report, with the obligatory condemnations:
On the positive side, there are mixed reports of anything longer ranged being stacked for launch. This may mean that Hawaii will be off the target list for this little display of measured contempt.
We'll see if the North Koreans will pull off a surprise launch or whether they are happy to just be putting on the display they've managed so far.
Seven of them were launched over the course of the 3rd of July (4th, local time).
All apparently went splash on target in the Sea of Japan, well short of endangering much of anything. For those who got the advance brief on this, yes, the launch site for several of the missiles was Kittaeryong (Gitdaeryong).
Kyoudou wire service also has the report, with the obligatory condemnations:
The Japanese and South Korean governments separately condemned the missile launches as provocative actions that are in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.That would be the least of what they are...
On the positive side, there are mixed reports of anything longer ranged being stacked for launch. This may mean that Hawaii will be off the target list for this little display of measured contempt.
We'll see if the North Koreans will pull off a surprise launch or whether they are happy to just be putting on the display they've managed so far.
Malaysian Bank I.D.'ed as North Korea's Banker
They won't publish the name of the bank, but Yonhap News is running with a report that
Heh.
North Korea sought payment through a bank in Malaysia for its suspected shipment of weapons to Myanmar that is being carried on a freighter tracked by the U.S. Navy, a source said Saturday.The bulk of the funds transfer is supposedly held up now. Sanctions officials are on the way to Malaysia for meetings.
Heh.
Friday, July 3, 2009
July 3rd Discussion Item
Been a while since we've done one of these little exercises here at CompHyp, but here goes, for you newshounds:
Situation:
A country is currently in trouble (reputation-wise) over the maneuvering of the sitting President to supersede the Constitution of the the nation...
...specifically attacking the term limit on Presidential re-election.
In this case, the Supreme Court ruled against the leader's wishes...
Question time:
What country and what leader is this in regard to?
What happened after the Supreme Court ruling?
What have the U.S., E.U. and the local regional association of nations done about this?
Bonus: What part in this tale did the local elected Representative Assembly (Parliament) play, and why?
Hint: the nation in question is *not* Honduras
Good luck on your guesses! Enjoy!
***
The answer can be found *here*, but don't look until you've formed at least a part of the answer.
Situation:
A country is currently in trouble (reputation-wise) over the maneuvering of the sitting President to supersede the Constitution of the the nation...
...specifically attacking the term limit on Presidential re-election.
In this case, the Supreme Court ruled against the leader's wishes...
Question time:
What country and what leader is this in regard to?
What happened after the Supreme Court ruling?
What have the U.S., E.U. and the local regional association of nations done about this?
Bonus: What part in this tale did the local elected Representative Assembly (Parliament) play, and why?
Hint: the nation in question is *not* Honduras
Good luck on your guesses! Enjoy!
***
The answer can be found *here*, but don't look until you've formed at least a part of the answer.
Lost control of his agency...
Oh.
Oh my.
An Intelligence Service uses spy tricks to catch their boss feathering his own nest.
Gosh.
Isn't that immoral or something?
((wry grin))
Of course, *now* the perpetrators of this little palace coup are going to get to practice the political version of another part of the tradecraft set: Escape and Evasion.
Oh my.
An Intelligence Service uses spy tricks to catch their boss feathering his own nest.
Gosh.
Isn't that immoral or something?
((wry grin))
Of course, *now* the perpetrators of this little palace coup are going to get to practice the political version of another part of the tradecraft set: Escape and Evasion.
Spanish prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero yesterday won cabinet approval to appoint retired general Félix Sanz to take over the agency and impose discipline.
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