Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

Thursday 31 January 2013


2 New Messages

Digest #4617

Messages

Wed Jan 30, 2013 6:51 am (PST) . Posted by:

"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff

http://english.ruvr.ru/2013_01_30/Militarization-of-the-Arctic-We-have-to-rethink-how-war-is-fought-Nordberg/

Voice of Russia
January 30, 2013

Militarization of the Arctic: ‘We have to rethink how war is fought’ – Nordberg
John Robles

Audio at URL above

As the Arctic ice continues to melt and resources slowly begin to be available the West has decided to begin the militarization of the Arctic zone in a bid to gain control over the precious resources. In an interview with the Voice of Russia Agenta Nordberg, Vice Chair of the Swedish Peace Council gives her views on the issue and also comments on the militarization of Sweden, Norway and the North and the NATO expansion into "neutral" areas.

Robles: I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about NATO, in the Arctic, in particular, can you tell our listeners about the radar installations and satellite communications equipment they have set up in Norway and in Scandinavia?

Norberg: Well, I’m not a technician but I can tell you that recently it was published: a book the Satellite War by Bård Wormdal – a journalist at Norwegian radio. And it was a very important book, it was published in 2011.

I invited him to Stockholm in October when we had a day about the Arctic and the situation in the Arctic and what he says is you have to change your whole idea of how war is conducted. War is conducted via satellite and via radar installations.

And for instance, to make it clear, to understand what we should understand is: that the war on Libya, the former year, was conducted via satellite from Svalbard. This is very dangerous because, this island, the Svalbard Islands are a peace area undersigned by 14 different nations but Norway has allowed the United States of America to deploy radar installations, and in connection with the satellite they are conducting war. This is a quite new understanding of how war is conducted.

Robles: NATO and the US, they claim that their missiles, that are now surrounding Russia and their radar installations all over the world, that these are somehow a defensive shield.

Norberg: You have to differ between all these: the national missile defense, they call it. The Vardo radar close to the Russian border is one installation, and there are also those in Poland and in Turkey, and they will also be deployed in Romania it is a missiles shield. It is one thing.

The other thing are all the other radars and satellites which are informing the pilots and the war planes how to bomb and where to bomb. I have a globe here in front of me and it is almost all covered by US radar installations for different purposes. So, you have this national missile shield, which they claim is for defense, and it is an offensive weapon. It can be used as defensive but it can as well be used as an offensive weapon. And one of those radars are installed just outside the Russian border in Vardo.

I’ve been rather surprised when I’ve met Russian scientists and visitors in Stockholm, last year in October, I arranged a seminar as I mentioned about the Arctic, and the Russian representative, he didn’t agree with me that this was a dangerous situation. The only one who agreed with me was Bård Wormdal, the journalist who had written the book Satellite War.

There seems to be lack of understanding about the installations surrounding the Russian border, that is my opinion. And I think it is rather dangerous.

Robles: Why did the Russian expert disagree with you?

Norberg: Because he said that the Vardo radar is not dangerous, and I disagreed with him. And also Bård Wormdal disagreed with him.

This Vardo radar, a few kilometers outside Russian border, is rather dangerous because it is in the missile defense system, so called missile defense system. So, I think he was not aware of this. We disagreed rather strong on this matter and that’s why I’m very happy that you called me so I can tell this.

Robles: There hasn’t been much news about that. Now, as far as NATO and the Arctic in the north and Scandinavia and Canada, can you give us some details about NATO’s plans and their current activities, especially in the Arctic, as it is opening up, and resources are becoming available that were not available before?

Norberg: Then I think I will drift back to Sweden because during the last years, starting with 2007, there’ve been huge war maneuvers on the Swedish and Norwegian soil, with all NATO, and specifically the American State participating in huge maneuvers in the north.

They were called for instance: Nordic Air Meet in 2007 where a lot of countries took part, and then in 2009, it was Loyal Arrow: history’s largest air maneuver in the northern part of Sweden and Norway, and also Finland was the area. And then it continued with the Cold Response №1, a winter maneuver in the northern part of Sweden and northern Norway. And it continued in March 2012 with the Cold Response №2 with 16,500 soldiers from 15 different countries. And then after this you had last autumn a huge maneuver in the north called Nordic Air Meet №2.

So, there are ongoing military war games and some Russian military has protested, specifically against Cold Response №2.

Nobody in Sweden would have known about this unless 5 Norwegian personnel crashed into Kebnekaise, a mountain in the northern Sweden, we would never have known about these 16,500 troop military maneuver.

So, it is ongoing, not on daily basis, but certainly every year it is about two huge maneuvers in the north, and even in the south, in the Baltic. And this should be highlighted I think.

Robles: Now… Sweden as I understand is a neutral country, one point: how does Sweden officially explain that they allowed these installations? And do you think all these maneuvers are designed to intimidate Russia or to try to exercise sovereignty on the Arctic? And in that regard, what moves have they made to try to establish their own sovereignty over Arctic areas that were in dispute?

Norberg: Well, when we drift to Arctic I think there are two things going on here. When they are interviewed, those who are in charge of these maneuvers, they always answer that this is for the Arctic. They openly express this. These maneuvers are for the Arctic and the resources which will be available when the ice is melting.

Agneta Nordberg is Vice Chair of the Swedish Peace Council, Member of Steering Committee in International Peace Bureau(IPB) and on the board of directors Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space.
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Wed Jan 30, 2013 6:51 am (PST) . Posted by:

"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff

http://english.ruvr.ru/2013_01_30/Information-nature-of-modern-war/

Voice of Russia
January 30, 2013

Informational nature of modern war
Sergey Duz

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[I]f World War III is on, this is the nature of this war. Before attacking a country it is necessary to destabilize the situation there to create a civil standoff. It is better to fight with someone else’s hands because the losses among one’s own servicemen are too expensive for the reputation and the budget.

The paramount goal of a war is neither destroying an enemy's armed forces nor seizing the territory. The goal is to become the author of a new world order of the post-war era.

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Russia’s Defense Minister, General Sergei Shoigu, presented the Defense Plan of Russia to President Vladimir Putin. According to the minister, the document takes into account all possible threats and risks the country may face in the coming decades.

"In our opinion, a fairly complete analysis of what we can expect in the coming decades has been conducted. This is why we believe that it is ready for approval. I would certainly like to add that at the same time it is not a final, inflexible document. Considering various events around the country, different threats, it can definitely be adjusted and will be adjusted, of course," the minister said.

Political analysts are speaking about the growing number of military threats to Russia. At the recent meeting of the general assembly of the National Military Academy the conclusion was made that use of force continued to play the key role in settlement of economic and political disagreements between countries. Some of the flashpoints are located close to Russian borders.

In recent years a significant group of experts noted that possible military threats would have a local scale or regional one at maximum.

Some experts note that the border between the states at peace and war is being erased. Nations don’t declare wars anymore, while current wars deviate from the traditional war scenarios. Nevertheless, in terms of consequences, new types of conflicts are comparable to wars. A peculiar feature of modern conflicts is a wide use of non-military methods – humanitarian, economic and political sanctions. For example, those who mastermind a conflict use the protesting sentiments of the population in the country they plan to attack.

Pessimists claim that the Third World War has already been on, referring to the events of the Arab Spring. They say that this is a tough and uncompromising war, which is conducted under new rules. This war does not necessarily look like explicit violence and military actions. The main goal is to affect people’s mentality.

In fact it is a struggle between elite groups, which have power and other resources which are necessary for winning an information war. Actually, if World War III is on, this is the nature of this war. Before attacking a country it is necessary to destabilize the situation there to create a civil standoff. It is better to fight with someone else’s hands because the losses among one’s own servicemen are too expensive for the reputation and the budget.

Ruining a country and setting up a puppet government is less expensive and more efficient than destroying the country’s armed forces. This principle has always been true, but today with the development of information technologies those who are striving for global hegemony have made it the cornerstone. The paramount goal of a war is neither destroying an enemy's armed forces nor seizing the territory. The goal is to become the author of a new world order of the post-war era.