Apacheclips Forums - Politics & Foreign Affairs

Best Marijuana Argument Ever?

gazzthompson — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:43:57 GMT

This guy hits EVER fucking nail on EVERY fucking head.

Gunman kills top member of the Afghan peace council

jamieooh — Sun, 13 May 2012 14:36:36 GMT

Gunman kills top member of the Afghan peace council

KABUL, Afghanistan � An assassin armed with a silenced pistol shot dead a top member of the Afghan peace council Sunday at a traffic intersection in the nation's capital, police said. The killing strikes another blow to efforts to negotiate a political resolution to the decade-long war.

Arsala Rahmani was a former Taliban official who reconciled with the government and was active in trying to set up formal talks with the insurgents.

He was shot at an intersection in western Kabul by a gunman in a white Toyota Corolla while being driven to his office, said Mohammad Zahir, head of the city police's criminal investigation division. He did not have a bodyguard with him at the time.

"Only one shot was fired," Zahir said. "Our initial reports are that it was a pistol with a silencer. Rahmani died on the way to the hospital." Zahir said an investigation was under way.

The Taliban denied responsibility for the killing, although they had earlier indicated that they would target peace negotiators.

Rahmani was one of about 70 influential Afghans and former Taliban appointed by President Hamid Karzai to try to convince insurgent leaders to reconcile with the government.

The U.S. has backed the council's efforts to pull the Taliban into political discussions with Kabul as part of its strategy for reducing violence and turning over responsibility to Afghan forces so international combat troops can go home or move into support roles by the end of 2014.

But this effort suffered a major setback in September 2011 when former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani, who was head of the peace council, was assassinated by a suicide bomber posing as a peace emissary from the Taliban.

The U.S. has its own contacts with the Taliban, but in March the militant organization said they were suspending contacts with the United States over what they said was a lack of progress in releasing Taliban prisoners from U.S. detention in Guantanamo.

The last substantive discussions between U.S. officials and Taliban representatives were in January, and both initiatives to build trust and move toward real peace talks are in limbo.

A year ago, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the United States was launching a "diplomatic surge to move this conflict toward a political outcome."

The alternative to a political resolution is a protracted conflict that neither the war-weary Afghans, Americans or Europeans want or can afford.

On Twitter, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul called the assassination of another peace council member "a tragedy."

NATO praised Rahmani for "turning his back" on the insurgent movement and said his contributions will be missed.

"The only possible aim of this attack is to intimidate those, who like Rahmani, want to help make Afghanistan a better place for its citizens and the region," the coalition said in a statement.

Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Janan Mosazai said work toward reconciliation with the Taliban would continue despite Rahmani's killing.

"No one but the sworn enemies of peace in Afghanistan and the region would commit such a heinous act," he said in a statement.

Rahmani, who was in his 70s, served as deputy minister of higher education during the Taliban regime, which ruled Afghanistan for five years and sheltered Al Qaeda before being driven out of power in the U.S.-led invasion in late 2001. He reconciled with the government established in Kabul after the Taliban's fall and subsequently served in parliament.

Rahmani was one of several former members of the Taliban who were removed from a U.N. blacklist in July 2011. The decision by a U.N. committee eliminated a travel ban and an assets freeze against Rahmani and the others -- a move seen as key to promoting the peace effort.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement that his group had nothing to do with Rahmani's assassination.

When they announced the start of their annual "spring offensive" earlier this month, the Taliban said that members of the peace council -- who they view as government collaborators -- would be among their primary targets.

The offensive, which comes every year as the weather warms, normally leads to an increase in attacks as the insurgents seek to intimidate the government and retake territory lost over the winter.

Publicly, the leadership of the Taliban has said that it will not talk to the Afghan government, which it calls a puppet regime of the U.S. and its international partners. Privately, however, some representatives of the Taliban who are open to negotiating a settlement have met with U.S., Afghan and other international officials.

Rahmani, along with other members of the peace council, was trying to forge relations with those Taliban amenable to peace talks.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/05...#ixzz1ulFg7nte

Why I will never go to NYC.

BrendenF11 — Fri, 11 May 2012 03:49:27 GMT

I am a constitutionalist, my signature says it all. Here is why I will never go to NYC or support any politician, without GREAT other measures, which promotes giving the police, ATF, DEA, etc, which supports any kind of law like this. I have never heard of this law, atleast as far as I can remember, but this seriously irks my twinger.

http://www.silive.com/opinion/daniel...st_the_ny.html

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The New York City Police Department has been making more arrests and issuing more summonses on Staten Island�s North Shore as a result of individuals being stopped and frisked, an operation that�s drawn sharp criticism from the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) and a Staten Island City Council member.

The right of police officers to stop and frisk individuals in appropriate circumstances was established by the United States Supreme Court in 1968 in its landmark decision in Terry v. Ohio.

While some civil libertarians still question the soundness of the court�s ruling, as well as its potential for abuse, the decision makes perfect sense when measured against the exigencies faced by police officers on the beat.

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On Oct. 31, 1963, Cleveland Police Officer Martin McFadden saw two men, Richard Chilton and John Terry, take turns walking past a particular store, looking in its window, and returning to a street corner where they conversed with each other. They did this at least 12 times.

McFadden testified that it seemed as if the two men were casing the store to pull a robbery, and that he feared that they had guns. After approaching them in front of the store and identifying himself, he asked for their names.

When they �mumbled something� in response, McFadden grabbed Terry, spun him around, and patted down the outside of his clothing. In the left breast pocket of Terry�s overcoat, he felt what turned out to be a .38 caliber revolver. A similar pat-down of the outside of Chilton�s overcoat revealed yet another revolver.

Both men sought to bar prosecutors from introducing the guns into evidence on the ground that they were the product of illegal searches and seizures.

The Supreme Court, however, held that the weapons were lawfully seized, declaring that even in instances where a police officer lacks probable cause to arrest an individual, �We cannot blind ourselves to the need for law enforcement officers to protect themselves and other prospective victims of violence.�

Therefore, the court continued, �when an officer is justified in believing that the individual whose suspicious behavior he is investigating at close range is armed and presently dangerous,� he may properly �conduct a carefully limited search of the outer clothing of such persons in an attempt to discover weapons which might be used to assault him.�

The Terry decision was written by Chief Justice Earl Warren, a liberal icon, and drew only one dissent.

RACIAL DISPARITIES

Both the NYCLU and Councilwoman Debi Rose, a Democrat who represents Staten Island�s North Shore, are criticizing the NYPD for stopping and frisking a disproportionate number of blacks and Hispanics.

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Last year, 53 percent of those stopped citywide were black, 34 percent were Hispanic, and 9 percent were white.

It is also true, however, that blacks and Hispanics constituted 94 percent of firearms arrestees in 2011. These were individuals from whom at least one firearm was recovered and, as a consequence, faced a dangerous weapon felony charge.

Blacks and Hispanics also constituted 89 percent of those arrested last year citywide for murder and non-negligent manslaughter, 88 percent of those arrested for rape, 81 percent for other felony sex crimes and 91 percent for robbery.

It is, of course, never proper for the police to stop an individual solely because of his race or ethnicity. Which is why the racial disparities in the NYPD�s stop and frisk statistics do raise legitimate questions.

They do not, however, compel the conclusion that city police are wrongfully profiling blacks and Hispanics. Among other plausible explanations is that groups that commit violent felonies in disproportionate numbers do, indeed, act suspiciously in similarly disproportionate numbers.

Ms. Rose also asked some odd questions about those stopped and frisked by the police.

�What are they being arrested for?� she wanted to know. �Are they low-level misdemeanor crimes? Possession of a joint?�

Put aside for a moment the fact that, according to Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, stops-and-frisks have turned up over 8,000 weapons, including 819 guns citywide.

If Ms. Rose is suggesting that police ought to walk away from any criminal activity, she needs a reality check.

Her district has by far the highest crime rate on Staten Island. Besides the fact that most criminals cut their teeth on petty crimes, the last thing the career predators need to hear is that anything less than a felony is a free ride.

Ms. Rose�s questions are also irrelevant. The operative factor in stop-and-frisk cases is whether police reasonably believe that the individual is armed and dangerous, not the level of crime that he may or may not be committing.

Also, while she claims that many of her constituents strongly oppose the NYPD�s stop-and-frisk policies, the likelihood is that many more support it, even if they are reluctant to do so vocally.

Law-abiding people do not want to cede their communities to criminals.

Stop-and-frisk operations afford police officers meaningful protection while allowing them to do their jobs.

Neither the NYCLU nor Councilwoman Rose has produced any solid reason for the NYPD to curtail their use in its stepped-up initiative against criminal wrongdoing.

Daniel Leddy�s column appears each Tuesday on the Advance Editorial Page. His e-mail address is JudgeLeddy@si.rr.com.

I think that the racial issue is BS but it would make sense.

President Obama Endorses Gay Marriage on ABC Nightly News

gazzthompson — Wed, 09 May 2012 19:49:19 GMT

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/obam...legal-16312904

Can't view the video on my phone , but going by a transcript .. wow. I'm really surprised by this, this is a ballsy move by Obama. And frankly, I applaud him.

At Least 13 Killed in Suspected Suicide Bombings in Dagestan

jamieooh — Fri, 04 May 2012 23:29:57 GMT

[IMG]http://media.voanews.com/images/480*313/ap_caucasus_violence_Makhachkala_04may12_eng_480.j pg[/IMG]
Russian officials are blaming suicide bombers for twin attacks in the Republic of Dagestan, in the North Caucasus region, killing at least 13 people and wounded more than 100 others.

Authorities said the first blast involved a car, which exploded as police approached it at a check point in Makhachkala, Dagestan's capital. The second explosion occurred as emergency responders arrived on the scene of the initial blast. The explosions ignited fires, which damaged several other vehicles.

Police have been targets of similar attacks in Dagestan by Islamist insurgents.

Last March, a double suicide bombing killed at least 40 people in Moscow. The two women responsible for the subway attacks were from Dagestan.

Russia has battled Islamist insurgency attacks on police and government officials in the North Caucasus region where there are nearly daily attacks on government officials.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.

Russia threatens missile shield strike

jamieooh — Fri, 04 May 2012 00:36:57 GMT

Russia threatens missile shield strike
3 May 2012 | By Geoff Meade

The Russian Chief of the General Staff has threatened a pre-emptive military strike against NATO nations if the alliance goes ahead with plans to site a controversial missile defence system in Eastern Europe.

The country�s president warned last year that the Kremlin would retaliate with force if there was no agreement. Now their top military officer has warned that they might attack first.

General Nikolai Makarov made his threat at a Russia-NATO conference in Moscow, the last major meeting before NATO�s summit in Chicago later this month.

In a prepared speech he said: �A decision to use destructive force pre-emptively will be taken if the situation worsens.�

In what seems a coordinated strategy to put pressure on the White House, at the same meeting, the Defence Minister cautioned that talks with Washington were close to a dead end.

The West says the missile system is needed to shoot down Iranian rockets. Russia fears it would be powerful enough eventually to undermine their nuclear deterrent.

Its control centre at Ramstein in Germany, recently passed its initial operating tests, linking with Aegis radar equipped warships.

NATO�s Secretary General, speaking after pre-summit talks in Downing Street, insisted the system was not directed against Russia.
http://www.bfbs.com/news/top-story/r...ike-57009.html

North Korea Ready for 3rd Nuclear Test: Expert

jamieooh — Thu, 03 May 2012 01:01:53 GMT

North Korea Ready for 3rd Nuclear Test: Expert
May. 2, 2012 - 08:22PM |
By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

SEOUL, South Korea � North Korea has apparently finished preparations for a third nuclear test and is awaiting a political decision to go ahead, a South Korean nuclear expert said May 2.

The expert also said the communist state is likely to use highly enriched uranium (HEU) for any test, and it may have produced enough of it to make between three and six bombs in addition to its plutonium stockpile.

There has been widespread speculation the North will stage a test following its failed launch of a long-range rocket last month. The launch drew condemnation from the United Nations Security Council.

Similar condemnation of launches in 2006 and 2009 was followed by atomic weapons tests. Satellite photos of the Punggye-ri test site in the northeast show work in progress.

�The North has apparently finished technical preparations for a third nuclear test. What is left now is a political decision,� the expert told journalists on condition of anonymity.

South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities are closely monitoring activities at Punggye-ri, he said, adding some 3,000 people were involved in the North�s nuclear program.

The North shut down its plutonium-producing reactor at Yongbyon in 2007 as part of an international disarmament deal, which it later abandoned.

In 2010 it disclosed to visiting U.S. scientists a uranium enrichment plant at Yongbyon with 2,000 centrifuges.

The scientists have said the plant, ostensibly to feed a light water reactor for power generation, could easily be reconfigured to make weapons-grade material.

The North is thought to have produced enough plutonium for six to eight weapons before the shutdown.

The South Korean expert said 2,000 centrifuges would be capable of producing 88 pounds of HEU every year. Assuming the enrichment plant became operational in 2009, it could have produced enough HEU for three to six bombs.

He said analysis of xenon isotopes, which reach the atmosphere two to four days after a test, could establish whether the device was a plutonium or an HEU bomb.
http://www.defensenews.com/article/2...text|FRONTPAGE

Judge refuses release of Osama op images

jamieooh — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 01:02:57 GMT

Judge refuses release of Osama op images
27 April 2012 | Judge refuses release of Osama op images

A federal judge has refused to order Barack Obama's administration to release photos and video of the US military operation that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan almost a year ago.

A government watchdog had requested the Defense Department and CIA release any photos or video footage - including any of the al Qaeda leader's burial at sea.

The Defense Department says it has no photos - while the CIA says 52 such records are classified.

PICTURE: The safe house used by Osama bin Laden as a hide-out in Pakistan
http://www.bfbs.com/news/judge-refus...ges-56824.html

Military aircraft grounded in Pakistan

jamieooh — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 01:00:23 GMT

Military aircraft grounded in Pakistan
26 April 2012 | Afghanistan Worldwide Military aircraft grounded in Pakistan

It has been reported a military cargo aircraft has been forced to land at Karachi airport in Pakistan, amid allegations it was carrying military equipment and flying without permission over the country.

The plane was flying from the US-controlled Bagram airbase in Afghanistan to the United Arab Emirates.
http://www.bfbs.com/news/afghanistan...tan-56784.html

Libya bans religious parties under new law

gazzthompson — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:07:55 GMT

http://english.alarabiya.net/article...25/210076.html

Interesting, sounds good but we shall wait and see i guess

Palestinian Sentenced to Death for Selling a Home to Jews

jamieooh — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:02:27 GMT

Reportedly .

Palestinian Sentenced to Death for Selling a Home to Jews
10:11 AM, Apr 23, 2012 � By DANIEL HALPER

Former Palestinian intelligence official Muhammad Abu Shahala has reportedly been sentenced to death by the Palestinian Authority for selling a Hebron home to Jews. In response, Jewish officials from the community in Hebron are calling for international officials now to get involved�in order to save Abu Shahala�s life.

�According to various news agencies, Mr. Muhammad Abu Shahala, a former intelligence agent for the Palestinian Authority, has been sentenced to death, following a hurried trial. His crime: selling property to Jews in Hebron,� David Wilder and Noam Arnon, of the Jewish community in Hebron, write in a letter addressed to Ban Ki-moon, Hillary Clinton, Benjamin Netanyahu, and other high ranking officials.

Mr. Abu Shahala reportedly confessed following torture sessions at the hands of his captors. The death sentence can be executed only following concurrence by Mahmoud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen, president of the PA. After he signs the death warrant, Abu Shahala may be killed.

It is appalling to think that property sales should be defined as a �capital crime� punishable by death. The very fact that such a �law� exists within the framework of the PA legal system points to a barbaric and perverse type of justice, reminiscent of practices implemented during the dark ages.

It is incumbent upon the entire international community, which views Abu Mazen and the Palestinian Authority as a viable Middle East peace partner, to publicly reject such acts of legal murder, when the �crime� is nothing more than property sales. What would be the reaction to a law in the United States, England, France, or Switzerland, forbidding property sales to Jews?
The letter goes on to note the similarity between this law and Nazi-era Nuremberg laws. The authors ask, "Is the Palestinians Authority a reincarnation of the Third Reich?"

According to columnist Caroline Glick, this law has long been a part of the Palestinian Authority: �The PA was established in May 1994. The first law it adopted defined selling land to Jews as a capital offense. Shortly thereafter scores of Arab land sellers began turning up dead in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria in both judicial and extrajudicial killings.�

Finally, the Hebron Jews urge action. "We appeal to all international leaders to demand the annulment of the death warrant and pending execution of Muhammad Abu Shahala, to be followed by his immediate release from imprisonment, for he has committed no crime."
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/...ws_640592.html

Kurd President Urges No F-16s for Iraq

jamieooh — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 02:12:57 GMT

Kurd President Urges No F-16s for Iraq
Apr. 23, 2012 - 08:42AM |
By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

ARBIL, Iraq � Massud Barzani, the president of Iraq�s autonomous Kurdistan, said he opposes the sale of F-16 warplanes to Iraq while Nouri al-Maliki is premier, as he fears they would be used against the region.

Barzani also said he thinks that oil giant ExxonMobil, which has signed an oil exploration deal with Kurdistan against Baghdad�s wishes, could provide significant protection for the region.

�The F-16 must not reach the hand of this man,� Barzani told reporters April 22, referring to Maliki. �We must either prevent him from having these weapons, or if he has them, he should not stay in his position.�

Barzani alleged that Maliki had discussed using F-16s against Kurdistan during a meeting with military officers.

�During a military meeting, they talked about problems between Baghdad and Arbil,� Barzani said. �They told him, �Sir, just give us the authority, and we would kick [the Kurds] out of Arbil,�� Barzani said. �And [Maliki] answered: �Wait until the arrival of the F-16.��

The U.S. has agreed to sell 36 F-16 jets to Baghdad in a multibillion-dollar deal aimed at increasing the capabilities of Iraq�s fledgling air force.

�When I went to the United States, [Exxon] wanted to see me, and I met the president of the company and other people and they said they are committed to [the contract] they signed with the Kurdistan region,� Barzani said, referring to a visit to the U.S. this month.

�If ExxonMobil came, it would be equal to 10 American military divisions,� he said, adding that �they will defend the area if their interests are there.�

Kurdish authorities signed a deal Oct. 18 with ExxonMobil for it to explore six areas in Kurdistan, but Baghdad regards any contracts not signed with the central government as invalid.

There are long-running disagreements between Kurdistan and the central government over disputed territory and dozens of energy contracts Kurdistan has signed without the approval of Baghdad. But tensions have recently reached a new high.

Barzani accused Maliki of aiming to �kill the democratic process� after the head of Iraq�s electoral commission was arrested for alleged corruption, and previously said Maliki was moving toward dictatorship.

Earlier this month, Kurdistan stopped oil exports over $1.5 billion owed to foreign oil companies working in the region that it says Baghdad has withheld.

The central government�s top two oil officials responded by saying Arbil owed Baghdad more than $5 billion in promised exports, and was smuggling the oil it produced to Iran.
http://www.defensenews.com/article/2...text|FRONTPAGE

Philippines Warns Neighbors on China�s Territorial Claims

jamieooh — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:53:36 GMT

Philippines Warns Neighbors on China�s Territorial Claims
Apr. 23, 2012 - 03:34PM |
By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

MANILA � Philippine President Benigno Aquino warned his country�s neighbors on April 23 that they should fear Beijing�s growing aggressiveness over its claims in the South China Sea.

Aquino stressed China�s territorial claims spanned a huge area and were getting �closer and closer� to the Philippine archipelago.

�They claim this entire body of water practically. Look at what is excluded and what they are claiming,� Aquino told reporters as he pointed to a map of the area. �So how can the others not be fearful of what is transpiring?� Aquino�s comments came shortly after his government said it would raise an increasingly tense dispute with China over the Scarborough Shoal at a high-level bilateral meeting with the U.S. next week.

Manila and Beijing have been locked in a standoff over Scarborough, a group of islands in the South China Sea, since Chinese vessels blocked Philippine attempts to arrest eight Chinese fishing boats� crews earlier this month.

Aquino said Scarborough was within the Philippines� internationally recognized exclusive economic zone and questioned China�s historical basis for its claims.

�It�s like (their claims) are getting closer and closer� to shore, he said.

The shoal is about 230 kilometers (140 miles) from the Philippines� main island of Luzon, while the nearest Chinese land mass is Hainan province 1,200 kilometers to the northwest, according to Philippine naval maps.

With China ratcheting up the pressure, Manila said earlier April 23 the Scarborough issue would be formally raised in talks between Foreign Secretary Alberto del Rosario and Defence Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and their U.S. counterparts Hillary Clinton and Leon Panetta in Washington next week.

The two nations are bound by a mutual defense pact in which the United States has pledged to come to the aid of its weaker ally if it faces military aggression.

Manila�s move could further anger China, which has insisted the United States should have no role in the dispute.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea and is also locked in disputes with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam, as well as its rival Taiwan.

But China said late April 23 that it had withdrawn two ships from the disputed area on April 22, leaving only one vessel for maritime surveillance, China�s official Xinhua news agency reported.

It quoted a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, Zhang Hua, as saying Beijing was trying to reduce tensions.

�China is ready to settle this incident through friendly diplomatic consultations,� Zhang said.

The Philippines had earlier called on ASEAN countries to take a common stand against Beijing over the South China Sea, a call that has caused differences within the bloc fearful of antagonizing the region�s most powerful nation.

The Global Times, a newspaper run by China�s ruling Communist Party, warned in an editorial at the weekend of a potential �small-scale war� to end the Scarborough Shoal standoff.

�Once the war erupts, China must take resolute action to deliver a clear message to the outside world it does not want a war, but definitely has no fear of it,� the editorial said.
http://www.defensenews.com/article/2...text|FRONTPAGE

China, Russia Launch First Joint Naval Exercises

jamieooh — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:52:12 GMT

China, Russia Launch First Joint Naval Exercises
Apr. 22, 2012 - 02:08PM |
By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

BEIJING � China and Russia launched their first joint naval exercises April 22, with war games in the Yellow Sea that come amid tensions between China and its Asian neighbors over territorial claims.

The six days of drills are taking place off China�s east coast, the official Xinhua news agency said.

Although China has said the military exercises are designed to improve regional stability, they come at a time when Beijing is boosting military spending and more forcefully stating its case in territorial disputes.

China�s army newspaper warned April 21 that other military exercises now taking place in Asia between the U.S. and the Philippines could lead to armed confrontation over the disputed South China Sea.

China and several of its neighbors have rival claims to uninhabited islands in the strategic maritime region, which is believed to be rich in oil and natural gas and straddles strategic shipping lanes vital to global trade.

Beijing and Tokyo have a long-running dispute over another chain of islands in the East China Sea, called Diaoyu by China and Senkaku by Japan, which sit in rich fishing grounds that may also harbor energy resources.

China has 16 naval vessels and two submarines taking part in the exercises, while Russia has four warships, according to state media.

They will focus on joint air defense, anti-submarine tactics and search and rescue, as well as simulated rescue of hijacked vessels and anti-terrorism drills.

�This joint military exercise is a long-scheduled one between China and Russia in order to uphold regional peace and stability,� foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said April 19.

China and Russia have together participated in four military exercises since 2005, some involving other countries, state media has said.

China�s drills with Russia have taken place through a regional grouping, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which groups the two with central Asian countries in a forum originally established to counter NATO influence.

With military cooperation between the old Cold War allies on the rise, some analysts questioned the value of China holding exercises with Russia, given Moscow�s diminished role.

�It�s worrisome to its neighbors,� said Joshua Eisenman, senior fellow in China studies at the Washington-based American Foreign Policy Council.

�Countries like Korea, Japan, Vietnam and India are already concerned about China�s role in the region,� he told AFP.

�From a Chinese perspective, I don�t see the value of this type of military exercise to building long-term strategic trust with its neighbors.�

Earlier this month, China and the Philippines dispatched vessels to enforce rival claims to a group of islands in the South China Sea.

The Philippines and the U.S. also started major war games as a timely boost to their military alliance, as part of Washington�s �pivot� toward Asia, which has provoked displeasure from China.

The People�s Liberation Army Daily, a newspaper known for its nationalistic editorial stance, issued a warning April 21 to the United States over its participation.

�The mentality behind this sort of military exercise will lead to the road of military confrontation and armed force as a resolution,� the newspaper said.

Chinese experts see the exercises with Russia as giving its military chances to interact with a modern navy. Yin Zhuo, an expert who advises the Chinese navy, said the number of ships involved was unprecedented.

�Both sides will have deep exchanges in terms of tactics and technology,� Yin told state television.

Japan has so far not commented on the Sino-Russian drills.

But Japan�s defense ministry said in a recent report that China was becoming increasingly active in waters near Japanese territory while Russia was holding more frequent military exercises in its Far East region.

(US) Right-Wing Extremism Is Significant Domestic Terror Threat

gazzthompson — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 12:15:52 GMT

http://thinkprogress.org/security/20...oklahoma-city/

Thoughts?