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Spy school needed for Britain's intelligence recruits, says thinktank
New British spy recruits would benefit from an "intelligence academy", according to a leading thinktank.

By Chris Irvine Last Updated: 10:46AM BST 19 Sep 2008

The London-base International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) suggests a "school for spies" is needed to prevent a repeat of scandals such as the Iraqi weapons fiasco.
The IISS concluded that British intelligence officials would benefit from the new academy.
It said a "unified intelligence academy could be established to provide a basic training course for all new entrant to the intelligence community".
The academy would also serve as a "staff college for members of the intelligence community about to assume senior management positions".
The report suggested there have been few concrete changes since the Iraq weapons dossier, despite promises of reform.
According to the survey, serious mistakes were made during the build-up to the Iraq conlfict as a result of a "lack of rigour" in testing claims made by agents from intelligence service MI6.
It also noted the one agency that did question claims made in the dossier, the Defence Intelligence Staff, has since been cut by 20 per cent.
It said: "The problem was not so much one of intelligence analysis as of the inability of the UK's analytical community to put themselves into the minds of those whose behaviour they were analysing.
Speaking of Saddam Hussein's regime, it added: "At no point did anyone consider the possibility that, to contradict former US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld, absence of evidence might in fact indicate evidence of absence."

A NATO e Nós

NATO members wonder: Will defense promises hold?
By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer

LONDON - In the aftermath of Russia's brief war with Georgia, the United States and its NATO partners face questions about the very foundation of their alliance — the pledge enshrined in the 59-year-old North Atlantic Treaty that an unprovoked attack on one member would be treated as an attack on all.

Georgia, while not yet a NATO member, is pushing for early entrance despite Russia's strong objections.
The Russian incursion in August raises questions for newer NATO members — like the three Baltic states that were part of the Soviet Union before the fall of the communist empire in 1991 — about whether and how NATO would respond in the event that Russia chose to invade their territory.
That issue forms a part of the backdrop to a meeting here Friday of allied defense ministers who are divided over how to treat their relationship with Russia and how to proceed with NATO military reforms.
No firm decisions are expected. The matter will be further considered by NATO foreign ministers in December.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who was a specialist in Soviet affairs during his career at the CIA, said Thursday that while the crisis in Georgia has caused concerns within NATO, he does not believe the alliance faces the likelihood of war with Russia.
Gates, speaking with reporters in advance of a NATO defense ministers meeting, said there is a sharp division of opinion over what the Russian war with Georgia means for the alliance and its relations with Moscow.
"I think we need to proceed with some caution because there clearly is a range of views in the alliance about how to respond," he said. The split, he said, is between alliance members in eastern Europe and those in western Europe.
Germany and others in western Europe intend to block further U.S. efforts this year to give the go-ahead to put Georgia on a formal track toward membership, although they are leery of giving the appearance of caving in to Russia on this issue.
"There is a middle ground that I will suggest, where we do some prudent things that are consistent with the kinds of activities NATO has been engaged in for nearly 60 years in terms of planning, in terms of exercises — and at the same time are not provocative and don't tend to draw any firm red lines or send signals that are unwanted, at the same time it provides some reassurance to the allies in eastern Europe and the Baltic states."
Gates also said that while Russia's more aggressive actions, including its incursion into Georgia, are worrisome to many in NATO, there is no expectation of war with Russia.
"It's hard for me to imagine that those who are currently in NATO feel a real military threat coming from Russia," he said. "To the degree there is a sense of concern, my guess is it has more to do with pressure and intimidation than it does with any prospect of real military action."
NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and envoys from all 26 member countries were in Georgia this week. The NATO delegation visited the central Georgian city of Gori, which was bombed and occupied by Russian troops during the five-day war in August.
Russia's Foreign Ministry said the Gori visit sent an obvious anti-Russian message. The NATO chief would have gotten a more objective picture by visiting the capital of South Ossetia, which came under heavy Georgian shelling during the war, the ministry said.
In remarks Thursday at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, de Hoop Scheffer said, "I do not believe the second Cold War is in the offing but the role Russia wants to play in the international system is uncertain."
"Russia has demonstrated a total disregard for the sovereignty of a small neighbor, and for international law," the NATO chief added. "This represents a challenge for our partnership. Russia has long demanded to be treated with respect. That respect has to be earned."

Piratas à porta da Europa

Le Figaro
L'Europe cherche une réponse à la piraterie
Isabelle Lasserre15/09/2008

Les attaques contre les pêcheurs se multiplient dans l'océan Indien.

Création d'une «cellule de coordination» et projet d'opération navale militaire au large de la Somalie : l'Union européenne s'est emparée lundi de la lutte contre la piraterie, devenue un véritable fléau dans l'océan Indien. Après l'attaque au lance-roquettes, samedi, du Drennec, un thonier français, au large des côtes somaliennes, les pêcheurs demandent l'aide et la protection des armées occidentales, dont les bateaux de guerre patrouillent dans la région. Quant à Michel Barnier, le ministre de l'Agriculture, il a annoncé lundi une réunion interministérielle sur le sujet et évoqué la possibilité de faire des «surveillances aériennes» ou des «missions de protection» pour escorter les thoniers. Une vingtaine de navires de pêche français travaillent actuellement dans la région.
Favorisées par l'anarchie politique qui règne en Somalie, pays ravagé par dix-sept ans de guerre civile, les attaques de pirates se multiplient dans le golfe d'Aden et l'océan Indien, devenus les eaux les plus dangereuses du monde. Selon le Bureau maritime international (IMB), les actes de piraterie en mer, commis contre des bateaux de pêche, des navires de plaisance ou des cargos, ont augmenté de 10 % en 2007. Les bandes de pêcheurs somaliens reconvertis dans le grand banditisme sont devenues une véritable mafia des mers. Ils n'hésitent plus à utiliser les armes lourdes pour attaquer les embarcations et extorquer des rançons. Équipés de tous les moyens modernes de communication, comme les téléphones satellites et les GPS, ils tirent sans sommation, s'appuient sur des milices locales et s'aventurent de plus en plus loin, dans les eaux internationales. «Avec l'attaque contre le Drennec, qui se trouvait à 700 kilomètres des côtes, c'est la première fois que des pirates agissent aussi loin de la terre. Cela prouve que ce sont de vrais marins», explique un spécialiste.
Forces spéciales entraînées
En avril dernier, l'armée française avait dû intervenir pour libérer les trente membres d'équipage du Ponant, retenus par une bande de pirates. Les pêcheurs de thon aimeraient que les navires de guerre occidentaux, qui sécurisent les routes maritimes stratégiques des cargos et des pétroliers près du golfe d'Aden, s'occupent aussi, désormais, des zones de pêche.
Un dispositif naval occidental est déployé en permanence au large de la Somalie dans le cadre de l'opération de lutte contre le terrorisme «Enduring Freedom», initiée par les États-Unis. La France possède des moyens militaires importants dans la région. Ses navires de guerre, notamment une frégate et un aviso, sont engagés au sein de cette Task Force 150 de lutte antiterroriste. Avec les États-Unis et la Grande-Bretagne, la France est l'un des pays où les forces spéciales sont régulièrement entraînées à la lutte contre le piratage. Chaque année, des exercices de contre-terrorisme maritime sont organisés avec les redoutables commandos de marine Hubert et Jaubert et les gendarmes du GIGN, le Groupe d'intervention de la gendarmerie nationale.
Paris, dont la légitimité dans l'océan Indien est assurée par l'île de la Réunion, département d'outre-mer, peut aussi s'appuyer sur sa base militaire de Djibouti, la plus importante position française à l'étranger, avec 2 850 hommes, où sont notamment stationnés un bataillon de patrouille marine et des hélicoptères. C'est grâce à toutes ces forces prépositionnées que la France avait pu, en avril, intervenir rapidement pour libérer l'équipage du Ponant. Ces moyens, ainsi que ceux des autres armées occidentales présentes dans la région, vont-ils une nouvelle fois servir à lutter contre les flibustiers de l'océan Indien ? Car tous les spécialistes le reconnaissent : seule une forte mobilisation internationale permettra de protéger les navires dans cette zone à risques.

Petróleo aos saltos

O petróleo está aos saltos, o dólar não se sabe quando sobe e a crise financeira não vai, nem vem de uma vez, e países mais picados pelo neo-liberalismo mostram garras. Tempos muito perigosos. Mas o petróleo continua a ser o bem mais precioso para ter o resto.

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gguhP-A7XppZVGcXyueJnl5P53uw

Lula contra EUA

Lula contra intervenção norte-americana na sul-américa.
http://www.atarde.com.br/mundo/noticia.jsf?id=962800

UNASUL aparece para cescer

UNASUL intervém na crise sul-americana e afirma-se como parte da solução no conflito.

http://www.atarde.com.br/mundo/noticia.jsf?id=962707

Quem segura a fome?

Fome e Segurança não se dão. Aquela aumentou pelo que esta vai diminuir mais.

http://oglobo.globo.com/mundo/mat/2008/09/17/preco_de_comida_amplia_fome_no_mundo_925_milhoes_de_pessoas-548265580.asp

Armas americanas

No seguimento do anterior post e graças à transparência que existe nos EUA, uma democracia viva, fica a notícia sobre o brutal aumento de venda de armas norte-americanas desde 2005 até agora. O mundo vai ficando cada vez mais perigoso e se Hegel tem razão quanto à maldade do Homem então vamos ter mais História. A Guerra não pára. Descansa apenas.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/14/washington/14arms.html?th&emc=th

O Sul da América

A Venezuela tem tomado as dores de Cuba e, enquanto as tropas russas se passeiam ao largo dos EUA, Chavez fica tonto com tanto peso militar russo em casa. Como diz o ditado: com as calças do meu pai também eu sou um Homem.
No mundo islâmico as coisas não estão bem.
Na Europa é o que se sabe.
Obama vai ter tarefa árdua. Antes que isso possa acontecer, Bush pode arrasar tudo.