Local inhabitants reported that Syrian armored vehicles went to the border region with soldiers in them. Eyewitnesses noted that the tension in the region is quite high, and they added that they are anxious due to heavy American bombardment in the Ak Kaim region and Husayba Town.
Syrian villagers in the region said that they cannot sleep at night due to the noise of exploding bombs and warplanes.link
One may probably distinguish two major reasons, which make the US administration develop active cooperation with the regime of the incumbent Azeri President, Ilham Aliyev. It is worth mentioning, though, that Mr Aliyev does not match the “democratic standards” of the US Department of State.
The first reason includes the transportation of the Caspian oil and the security of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, which is directly connected with Mr Rumsfeld’s department.
Secondly, the USA is interested in establishing mobile army bases on the territory of Azerbaijan, which is stipulated in the plan to re-deploy US troops in Europe and Asia.
As for the oil pipeline is concerned, there has been a certain plan elaborated for the implementation of security measures. The USA is ready to assign not less than $ 100 mm during the coming ten years for the development of the so-called Caspian Guard (founded in the autumn of 2003). Guaranteeing security to the pipeline, which is currently undergoing the construction process, will be the prime goal of the Caspian Guard…
The pipeline system will enable the transportation of oil from the Caspian Sea via the Caucasus to the Turkish port of Ceyhan. The system is said to be put into operation during the current year. The radar-equipped command centre in Baku, the capital ofAzerbaijan, will also be included in the Caspian Guard.
The centre will give the Azeri government an opportunity to monitor sea traffic in oil areas of the Caspian Sea. The Guard will also assist in the struggle against the smuggling of arms and drugs, Colonel Mike Anderson, the European Division Chief of the Plans and Policy Directorate said.
Judging upon the views of the Azeri government, the second point of Rumsfeld’s program in Azerbaijan (about the deployment of mobile army bases) will apparently lead to no problems either….It is noteworthy that spokespeople for the US Department of Defence say that the Pentagon apparently wishes to use only runways and sea ports, at which small groups of US military men will guard ammunition depots.
A lot of experts in Azerbaijan estimate the cooperation between Baku and Washington against the background of intense relations between the USA and Iran. The US government has supposedly been trying to talk the government of Azerbaijan into close cooperation on the matter.
The USA is interested is airbases, from which it would be good to strike targets in Iran. Azerbaijan does not have anything against such cooperation: it is afraid of the Iranian ambition, especially when it comes to resources of the Caspian Sea. link
The Shia Muslim fighters fired about 15 shells and rockets at Israeli positions in the area, and Israeli forces returned fire with artillery at the suspected source of fire near the Lebanese village of Kfar Chouba, witnesses said.
The Israelis fired about 45 shells, the witnesses said.
An Israeli warplane fired a missile at a position north of the village, Lebanese security officials and witnesses said.
An Israeli military spokesman said there were no casualties from the Hizb Allah fire. There was no immediate word on casualties on the Lebanese side
link
Sometimes there is just not a need for a lot of commentary. The stories speak for themselves, and under the circumstances, it is probably better to let people draw their own conclusions according to their comfort level.
And the Iraqi Resistance Report is always ready whenever you are.
