Russia’s ‘crescent of instability’ spreads west

Kremlin courts a Libyan strongman as Russia tightens its grip on Europe's periphery.
By  JACOPO BARIGAZZI and DAVID M. HERSZENHORN 2/3/17, 4:03 AM CET Updated 2/3/17, 8:56 PM CET

VALLETTA (MALTA) — When EU leaders began wrestling with how to confront Russia over its military intervention in Ukraine, there seemed little connection between events in Crimea and Donbas, the raging conflict in Syria and the outset of a second civil war in Libya.

Having cemented Russia’s role as the dominant belligerent against a pro-Western Ukraine, where the half-frozen conflict in the east has flared up in the past week, and in Syria where a fragile ceasefire has taken hold with Moscow’s ally Bashar al-Assad still in power, President Vladimir Putin has turned his attention to Libya.

    “The Kremlin has showcased its affection
    for Khalifa Haftar, a military commander
    who controls much of eastern Libya [oil].”

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For Europe, this raises the worrying prospect that Russia could gain control over the flow of migrants across the central Mediterranean, giving Putin leverage to destabilize Europe by unleashing a flood of refugees like the exodus from Syria that caused a crisis in Europe in 2015.

Describing the strategic importance of North Africa and other countries on Europe’s periphery, the Russian political analyst Leonid Fituni wrote: “The worst case scenario for a united Europe would be the formation of a permanent `crescent of instability’ controlled by its competitors and lying along the entire length of the arc stretching from the Atlas Mountains to the Białowieża Forest.”

When Fituni wrote this in 2012, describing a power vacuum along the Mediterranean rim, he could not have envisioned that Russia would be the competitor moving to fill that vacuum.


The Admiral Kuznetsov, pictured, passed by the White Cliffs of Dover

Publication July 2014 – ○ When the End Comes, It Will Be Sudden .

How Afghanistan Became a War for NATO

The official line of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), the NATO command in Afghanistan, is that the war against Afghan insurgents is vital to the security of all the countries providing troops there.

In fact, however, NATO was given a central role in Afghanistan because of the influence of US officials concerned with the alliance, according to a US military officer who was in a position to observe the decision-making process.

“NATO’s role in Afghanistan is more about NATO than it is about Afghanistan,” said an officer, who insisted on anonymity because of the political sensitivity of the subject.

The alliance would never have been given such a prominent role in Afghanistan but for the fact that the George W. Bush administration wanted no significant US military role there that could interfere with their plans to take control of Iraq.

That reality gave US officials working on NATO an opening.

Gen. James Jones, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) from 2003 to 2005, pushed aggressively for giving NATO the primary security role in Afghanistan, according to the officer.

“Jones sold [Defence Secretary Donald] Rumsfeld on turning Afghanistan over to NATO,” said the officer, adding that he did so with the full support of Pentagon officials with responsibilities for NATO.

    “You have to understand that the NATO lobbyists are
    very prominent in the Pentagon – both in the Office of
    the Secretary of Defence and on the Joint Staff.”

Jones admitted in an October 2005 interview with American Forces Press Service that NATO had struggled to avoid becoming irrelevant after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact. “NATO was in limbo for a bit,” he said.

Not effected by today’s FAKE NEWS …

○ Khodorkovsky, oligarchs and the former Soviet bloc by profmarcus @BooMan - May 2005

See my newest diary …

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Previous links to leaked intelligence info and Rupert Murdoch concern:

○ Rupert Murdoch’s Louise Mensch a Hillary Supporter
○ J’Accuse Rupert Murdoch On Stalinism and Sheeple – His WSJ

Coziness no one can deny, between the Clintons and “master spy” for the Mossad, Rupert Murdoch

○ In Iowa, Clinton Is Pressed on Murdoch – NY Times, the Caucus | Nov. 25, 2007|

    A lovely quote concerning applause from the white males in the audience.

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Some appreciation @Tikun Olam

Oui says
March 3, 2017 at 11:04 PM

You know I value and appreciate your work immensely! However on analysis of Putin, Russia and the start of Cold War 2.0 we differ in opinion. Just read an interview in Dutch press yesterday about former FM and NATO SG De Hoop Scheffer. Confirms my point of view where responsibilities lie.

    Reply:
    Ben Sanders says
    March 5, 2017 at 3:41 PM

    Oui, your comment is not deleted [cached] because of your long history of meaningful comments. The blind eye for the NATO offensive and soros/clinton colorrevolutions in this great blog is really disappointing and shows you how propaganda gets to everybody.

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