The Trump peace dividend: opportunity for rapprochement
Walking back the last 5 plus years of escalating military, economic and diplomatic proxy war between Russia and the United States will be difficult. But it has to be done.
International
defence
Be afraid!
Reports of an unconvincing “domestic terrorism” plot, and of further illegal GCSB spying.
Time for another round of fear mongering
Latest fear mongering sounds like a rerun of the jihadi brides lie, which as an editorial summary put it – “raises serious questions about the accuracy of claims made by John Key, SIS boss Rebecca Kitteridge and Security Intelligence Minister Chris Finlayson.”
Jill Stein: a Clinton Presidency could mean nuclear war with Russia
Hillary Clinton’s no-fly zone policy for Syria as declared in the second presidential election means air war with Russia.
Alert Memo to President Obama: it’s better to Jaw Jaw Jaw than War War War
Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity advise Obama that the best way to get out of the dangerously escalating hawkish jam that parts of his government have put him in is to meet directly with Putin.
Syrian flash point just got flash pointier
The major powers are ramping up the stakes in Syria in a big way.
Why do they hate us?
658 deaths due to terrorism in Europe and the Americas. 28,031 terrorism deaths in the Middle East and rest of the world.
Mission Creep
The military mission to Iraq is to be extended by another 18 months, much to nobody’s surprise. John Key has put the creep into the mission.
What Possibility a Mid Winter Celebration?
According to the Herald on Sunday, some people aren’t just sitting back waiting for the Chilcot report to be released before deciding what to do. Some people are getting geared up.
Putin’s “surprise” partial withdrawal from Syria
Russia is pulling out a large part of its forces in Syria. Is this a sign of Putin’s success – or a retreat that gives evidence to Putin and Russia’s weakness?
Turkey is in trouble and the US is part of it
The Middle East temperature is heating up and Turkey is finding itself in trouble on many fronts.
General Lord Dannatt: UK should work with Assad in Syria
Russia understands how to defeat ISIS and the UK should be helping not opposing them, says a former UK Army chief of staff.
Hilary Benn: we never should walk by on the other side of the road
UK MP Hilary Benn has given one of the finest speeches Westminster has heard in years in the debate over Syria. It will go down as a defining moment in the fight against Daesh and proves that bombing alone is not the answer. Watch it. It’s how politics can be, when done right.
International law and the Turkish shootdown of the RuAF Su-24
Assuming the Russian jet did enter Turkish airspace for 17s, was there really no recourse for Turkey other than using lethal force?
Corbyn’s Isis Crisis
UK Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn faces his first big test. Can he command the majority in Labour over Syria? Or should he accept he is on the wrong side of history?
30 Years after ANZUS (and we’re doing fine)
US ship visit and nuclear free NZ
The US has been invited to send a ship to NZ. One News has a headline about a “nuclear ship”. Explosive if true, but I think this is an error. There is some confusion on the matter, let’s hope it is cleared up fast.
The (gradual?) decline of American empire
Col. Lawrence Wilkerson was Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell. And he says that the American empire is in decline.
Stephenson beats his critics
Respected journalist Jon Stephenson has extracted an apology and payment from the NZ Defence Force for their attack on his work in 2011. He is owed an apology from John Key too…
ANZAC 4 SALE
Has the spirit of ANZAC Day become subsumed by the commercial imperative?
The price of the club?
Back in 2003, John Key had an interesting take on whether it was appropriate to send troops to Iraq.
ISIS. Crowdsourcing a solution.
So, we’re off to Iraq. If the answer to ISIS isn’t sending Kiwi troops, what do Standardistas think practical alternatives might be?
EDIT: Key announces 143 troops to go to Iraq and support staff.
Brownlee catches Key’s thirdtermitis
What could possibly have Gerry behaving so erratically?
Vance on terrorism scare tactics
An excellent piece by Andrea Vance in the weekend, on Key’s terrorism dog and pony show.
Reds under the beds
Governments have always used external threats (real or not) to expand their powers. Supposedly “small government” types seem the most keen to grab more powers, for some strange reason.
The terrorism card
Terrorism is whatever John Key wants it to be.
A brilliant (if flawed) event – Key must resign
From Key we have changing stories, irrelevant distractions and refusal to comment. From Snowden we have compelling first person testimony and supporting documents (uncontested by any other Five Eyes leader). New Zealand is under mass surveillance.
“Moment of Truth” – a key claim
Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Glenn Greenwald is standing firm in the face of Key’s attacks and denials. A fascinating interview with Steve Braunias yesterday contains a key claim.
“Moment of Truth” – Preview
The positioning re Kim Dotcom’s “Moment of Truth” has started this morning.
NRT: A major shift in our foreign policy
No Right Turn points to potential unacceptable changes in the basis of our foreign policy and the deployment of our armed forces. A secret review of peacekeeping keeping roles revealed by an OIA request recommends that rather than going on UN missions to support peace and keep combatants apart, we’ll be taking an active and direct role in America’s wars, against the wishes of the international community and even against the wishes of our own citizens.
Avoiding the silly wars of the republic
So the US military/diplomats has decided that we should be friends again after nearly 30 years. Whooptee do! Who really gives a pigs arse? Well I do. The republic in the USA gives all republics a bad name because of their habit of using military force for poorly thought-out ideological and even odd personal reasons. Someone to be wary of following blindly into one of their silly wars.
NRT: The spy bill
The new GCSB spy bill is out. For the short version, as @lyndonhood commented: “Admittedly it will be easier for the GCSB to act within their legal boundaries if they don’t have any”. For the long version see the excellent I/S at No Right Turn…
Hager: Uncomfortable truths
Phil Twyford on Nicky Hager’s Capt Jack Lyon Memorial Lecture Uncomfortable truths, NZ foreign policy in the ‘war on terror’. As Phil notes: “I think it is a cautionary tale for any future Labour-led government with a progressive, independent foreign policy”.
Defence Force Members Are Workers Too
The Court Martial of Flight Lieutenant Dan Pezaro by the NZ Defence Force is making me uneasy. The internal Court of Inquiry into […]
Kitteridge report released
Following the leaking of the Kitteridge GCSB report to the media (who had copies? who leaked?) and ructions in Parliament’s question time today, the report has been released early. (Very convenient timing for the Nats!)
War talk
Key has put his foot in it again with talk of war against North Korea. Life was so much simpler when he was in opposition…