Vol 12, No.08 August 2012

.THE US- NATO WAR ON SYRIA: WESTERN NAVAL

FORCES CONFRONT RUSSIA OFF THE SYRIAN COASTLINE

BY MICHEL CHOSSUDOVSKY ....................................P 2

.WEST’S BATTLE FOR RUSSIAN ‘HEARTS AND MINDS’:NGOS ON STEROIDS

BY VERONIKA KRASHENINNIKOVA.............................P 5

.MALI PROFILE

BY BBC NEWS ...................................................P 6

.CUBA DEVELOPS CROPS ADAPTED TO CLIMATE CHANGE

BY IVET GONZALEZ .............................................P 9

ARTICLES

GLOBAL SUPER RICH HOARD $31TRILLION IN TAX HAVENS

By Common Dreams

Anew report by the Tax JusticeNetwork released Sunday reveals

that between $21 trillion and $31 trillionis currently tucked away in global taxhavens by the global super-rich—anamount that far exceeds previousestimates. Through exploiting gaps inglobal tax rules, the global financial eliteare managing to hide “as much as theAmerican and Japanese GDPs puttogether” from taxation, leaving theworld’s poor to carry the burden ofglobal debt through harsh austeritymeasures.

$32 trillion of hidden financialassets in offshore tax havensrepresents up to to $280 billion in lostincome tax revenues, according to thestudy released to the Guardian’sObserver.

The report pools data from theWorld Bank, International MonetaryFund, United Nations and global centralbanks.

In the report, The Price ofOffshore Revisited, the Tax JusticeNetwork details the ways in which thetrillions of dollars are essentiallysmuggled out of countries into tax freehavens such as Switzerland and theCayman Islands through private banks.According to the calculations, £6.3tnof assets is owned by only 92,000people—0.001% of the world’spopulation

“The problem here is that theassets of these countries are held by asmall number of wealthy individualswhile the debts are shouldered by the

ordinary people of these countriesthrough their governments,” the reportsays.

“These estimates reveal astaggering failure: inequality is much,much worse than official statisticsshow, but politicians are still relying ontrickle-down to transfer wealth topoorer people,” said John Christensenof the Tax Justice Network. “People onthe street have no illusions about howunfair the situation has become.”

James Henry, who compiled thereport, stated: “[Wealth is] protected bya highly paid, industrious bevy ofprofessional enablers in the privatebanking, legal, accounting andinvestment industries taking advantageof the increasingly borderless,frictionless global economy.”

22 July, 2012

Soruce: www.commondreams.org

.MINERAL RESOURCES BEHIND US PUSH TO AFRICA

BY NILE BOWIE ..................................................P 8

.FAITH AND POWER: POWER AS SACRED TRUST

BY CHANDRA MUZAFFAR .....................................P11

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By Michel Chossudovsky

THE US-NATO WAR ON SYRIA: WESTERN NAVAL FORCES CONFRONT

RUSSIA OFF THE SYRIAN COASTLINE

“As I went back through the Pentagonin November 2001, one of the seniormilitary staff officers had time for achat. Yes, we were still on track forgoing against Iraq, he said. But therewas more. This was being discussed aspart of a five-year campaign plan, hesaid, and there were a total of sevencountries, beginning with Iraq, thenSyria, Lebanon, Libya, Iran, Somalia,and Sudan.” Former NatoCommander General Wesley Clark

“Let me say to the soldiers andofficials still supporting the Syrianregime -- the Syrian people willremember the choices you make in thecoming days....” Secretary of StateHillary Clinton, Friends of Syriaconference in Paris’ July 7, 2012

While confrontation between Russiaand the West was, until recently,confined to the polite ambit ofinternational diplomacy, within theconfines of the UN Nations SecurityCouncil, an uncertain and periloussituation is now unfolding in theEastern Mediterranean.

Allied forces including intelligenceoperatives and special forces havereinforced their presence on the groundin Syria following the UN stalemate.Meanwhile, coinciding with the UNSecurity Council deadlock, Moscowhas dispatched to the Mediterranean aflotilla of ten Russian warships andescort vessels led by the AdmiralChabanenko anti-submarine destroyer.Russia’s flotilla is currently stationedoff the Southern Syrian coastline.

Back in August of last year, Russia’sDeputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozinwarned that “NATO is planning amilitary campaign against Syria to helpoverthrow the regime of PresidentBashar al-Assad with a long-reachinggoal of preparing a beachhead for an

attack on Iran,...” In relation to thecurrent naval deployment, Russia’snavy chief, Vice Admiral ViktorChirkov, confirmed, however, thatwhile the [Russian] flotilla wascarrying marines, the warships would“not be engaged in Syria Tasks.” “Theships will perform “planned militarymanoeuvres,” said the [RussianDefense] ministry.”

The US-NATO alliance has retorted toRussia’s naval initiative, with a muchlarger naval deployment, a formidableWestern armada, consisting of British,French and American warships, slatedto be deployed later this Summer inthe Eastern Mediterranean, leading toa potential “Cold War styleconfrontation” between Russian andWestern naval forces.

Meanwhile, US-NATO militaryplanners have announced that various“military options” and “interventionscenarios” are being contemplated inthe wake of the Russian-Chinese vetoin the UN Security Council.

The planned naval deployment iscoordinated with allied groundoperations in support of the US-NATOsponsored “Free Syrian Army”(FSA).In this regard, US-NATO has speededup the recruitment of foreign fighterstrained in Turkey, Iraq, Saudi Arabiaand Qatar.

France and Britain will be participating

later this Summer in war gamescodenamed Exercise Cougar 12 [2012].The games will be conducted in theEastern Mediterranean as part of aFranco-British “Response Force TaskGroup” involving Britain’s HMSBulwark and France’s Charles DeGaulle carrier battle group. The focusof these naval exercises will be onamphibious operations involving the(planned simulated) landing ashore oftroops on “enemy territory.”

Smokescreen: The ProposedEvacuation of Western Nationals“Using a Humanitarian Naval Fleetof WMDs”

Barely mentioned by the mainstreammedia, the warships involved in theCougar 12 naval exercise will alsoparticipate in the planned evacuation of“British nationals from the Middle East,should the ongoing conflict in Syriafurther spill across borders intoneighboring Lebanon and Jordan.”

The British would likely send the HMSIllustrious, a helicopter carrier, alongwith the HMS Bulwark, an amphibiousship, as well as an advanced destroyerto provide defenses for the task force.On board will be several hundred RoyalMarine commandos, as well as acomplement of AH-64 attackhelicopters (the same ones used inLibya last year). A fleet of French ships,including the Charles De Gaulle aircraftcarrier, carrying a complement ofRafale fighter aircraft, are expected tojoin them.

Those forces are expected stayoffshore and could escort speciallychartered civilian ships meant to pickup foreign nationals fleeing Syria andsurrounding countries (ibtimes.com,24 July 2012).

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continued from page 2Sources in the British Ministry ofDefense, while confirming the RoyalNavy’s “humanitarian mandate” in theplanned evacuation program, havecategorically denied “any intention ofa combat role for British forces[against Syria]”.

The evacuation plan using the mostadvanced military hardware includingthe HMS Bulwark and the Charles deGaulle aircraft carrier is an obvioussmokescreen. The not so hiddenagenda is military threat andintimidation directed against asovereign nation located in thehistorical cradle of civilization inMespotamia:

“The Charles De Gaulle alone is anuclear-powered aircraft carrier withan entire squadron of jets moreadvanced than anything the Syrianshave — is sparking speculation thatthose forces could become involvedin a NATO operation against Syrianforces loyal to Bashar al-Assad ... TheHMS Illustrious, which is currentlysitting on the Thames in centralLondon, will likely only be sent to theregion after the end of the Olympics”(Ibid).

This impressive deployment ofFranco-British naval power could alsoinclude the USS John C. Stennisaircraft carrier, which is to be sentback to the Middle East:

“[On July 16, 2912], the Pentagonalso confirmed that it would beredeploying the USS John C. Stennis,a nuclear-powered supercarriercapable of carrying 90 aircraft, to theMiddle East ... The Stennis would bearriving in the region with an advancedmissile-launching cruiser, ... Thecarrier USS Eisenhower is alreadyexpected to be in the Middle East bythat time (two carriers currently in theregion are to be relieved and sent backto the U.S.).

Amid unpredictable situations in

both Syria and Iran, that would haveleft U.S. forces stretched and overlyburdened if a firm military responsewere needed in either circumstance(Ibid, emphasis added).

The USS Stennis strike group is to besent back to the Middle East “by anunspecified date in the late summer”to be deployed to the CentralCommand area of responsibility:

“The Defense Department said thatthe early deployment had come from arequest made by Marine Corps GeneralJames N. Mattis, the commander forCentral Command (the U.S. militaryauthority area that covers the MiddleEast), partly out of concern that therewould be a short period where onlyone carrier would be located in theregion” ((Strike group headed toCentral Command early - StripesCentral - Stripes, July 16, 2012).

Marine Gen. James Mattis,commander of U.S. CentralCommand, “asked to move up the strikegroup’s deployment based on “a rangeof factors,” and Defense SecretaryLeon Panetta approved it ...” (Ibid).

A Pentagon spokesman stated that thedeployment shift of the USS Stennisstrike group pertained to “a wide rangeof U.S. security interests in the region.”“We’re always mindful of thechallenges posed by Iran. Let me bevery clear: This is not a decision thatis based solely on the challenges posedby Iran, ... This is not about any oneparticular country or one particularthreat,” intimating that Syria was alsopart of planned deployment (Ibid,emphasis added).

“Intervention Scenarios”

This massive deployment of navalpower is an act of coercion with a viewto terrorizing the Syrian people. Thethreat of military intervention purportsto destabilize Syria as a nation state aswell as confront and weaken Russia’s

role in brokering the Syrian crisis.The UN diplomatic game is at animpasse. The UN Security Council isdefunct. The transition is towardsTwenty-first Century “WarshipDiplomacy”.

While an all out allied military operationdirected against Syria is not “officially”contemplated, military planners arecurrently involved in preparing various“intervention scenarios”:

“Western political leaders may haveno appetite for deeper intervention. Butas history has shown, we do notalways choose which wars to fight -sometimes wars choose us. ‘Militaryplanners have a responsibility toprepare for intervention options inSyria for their political masters incase this conflict chooses them.Preparation will be proceeding todayin several Western capitals and onthe ground in Syria and in Turkey.’Up to the point of Assad’s collapse, weare most likely to see a continuation orintensification of the under-the-radaroptions of financial support, armingand advising the rebels, clandestineoperations and perhaps cyber warfarefrom the West. ‘After any collapse,however, the military options will beseen in a different light’” (Daily Mail,July 24, 2012, emphasis added).

Concluding Remarks

The World is at a dangerous crossroads.

The shape of this planned navaldeployment in the EasternMediterranean with US-NATOwarships contiguous to those of Russiais unprecedented in recent history.

History tells us that wars are oftentriggered unexpectedly as a result of“political mistakes” and human error.The latter are all the more likely withinthe realm of a divisive and corruptpolitical system in the US and WesternEurope.

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US-NATO military planning is overseenby a centralised military hierarchy.Command and Control operations arein theory “coordinated” but in practicethey are often marked by human error.Intelligence operatives often functionindependently and outside the realm ofpolitical accountability.

Military planners are acutely aware ofthe dangers of escalation. Syria hassignificant air defense capabilities aswell as ground forces. Syria has beenbuilding up its air defense system withthe delivery of Russian Pantsir S1 air-defense missiles.

Any form of US-NATO direct militaryintervention against Syria woulddestabilize the entire region, potentiallyleading to escalation over a vastgeographical area, extending from theEastern Mediterranean to theAfghanistan-Pakistan border withTajikistan and China.

Military planning involves intricatescenarios and war games by both sidesincluding military options pertaining toadvanced weapons systems. A ThirdWorld War scenario has beencontemplated by US-NATO-Israelimilitary planners since early 2000.

Escalation is an integral part of themilitary agenda. War preparations toattack Syria and Iran have been in “anadvanced state of readiness” for severalyears.

We are dealing with complex politicaland strategic decision-making involvingthe interplay of powerful economicinterest groups, the actions of covertintelligence operatives.

The role of war propaganda isparamount not only in moulding publicopinion into accepting a war agenda,but also in establishing a consensuswithin the upper echelons of thedecision-making process. A selectiveform of war propaganda intended for

“Top Officials” (TOPOFF) ingovernment agencies, intelligence, theMilitary, law enforcement, etc. isintended to create an unbendingconsensus in favor of War and the PoliceState.

For the war project to go ahead, it isessential that both politicians andmilitary planners are rightfullycommitted to leading the war “in thename of justice and democracy.” Forthis to occur, they must firmly believein their own propaganda, namely thatwar is “an instrument of peace anddemocracy.”

They have no concern for thedevastating impacts of advancedweapons systems, routinelycategorized as “collateral damage,” letalone the meaning and significance ofpre-emptive warfare, using nuclearweapons.

Wars are invariably decided upon bycivilian leaders and interest groupsrather than by the military. War servesdominant economic interests whichoperate from behind the scenes, behindclosed doors in corporate boardrooms,in the Washington think tanks, etc.

Realities are turned upside down. Waris peace. The Lie becomes the Truth.

War propaganda, namely media lies,constitutes the most powerfulinstrument of warfare.

Without media disinformation, the US-NATO led war agenda would collapselike a deck of cards. The legitimacyof the war criminals in high officewould be broken.

It is therefore essential to disarm notonly the mainstream media but also asegment of the self proclaimed“progressive” alternative media, whichhas provided legitimacy to NATO’s“Responsibility to Protect” (R2P)mandate, largely with a view todismantling the antiwar movement.

The road to Tehran goes throughDamascus. A US-NATO sponsoredwar on Iran would involve, as a firststep, the destabilization of Syria as anation state. Military planningpertaining to Syria is an integral partof the war on Iran agenda.

A war on Syria could evolve towardsa US-NATO military campaign directedagainst Iran, in which Turkey andIsrael would be directly involved.

It is crucial to spread the word and breakthe channels of media disinformation.

A critical and unbiased understandingof what is happening in Syria is ofcrucial importance in reversing the tideof military escalation towards abroader regional war.

Our objective is ultimately to dismantlethe US-NATO-Israeli military arsenaland restore World Peace.

It is essential that people in the UK,France and the US prevent “the lateSummer” naval WMD deployment to theEastern Mediterraean from occurring.

The British Ministry of Defense hasannounced that several Britishwarships are required “to ensure thesecurity” of the Olympic Games. HMSBulwark is stationed in Weymouth Bayfor the duration of the games. HMSIllustrious is “currently sitting on theThames in central London.” Thedeployment of British warshipsincluding HMS Bulwark and HMSIllustrious to the Middle East isenvisaged “after” the Olympic Games.

2 August, 2012

Michel Chossudovsky is professor ofeconomics (emeritus) at the University ofOttawa. Chossudovsky has been a visitingprofessor internationally, and has been anadvisor to governments of developingcountries. He is the President and Director ofthe Centre for Research on Globalization(CRG) and Editor of GlobalResearch.ca.

Source: Globalresearch.ca

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WEST’S BATTLE FOR RUSSIAN ‘HEARTS AND MINDS’: NGOS ON STEROIDSBy Veronika Krasheninnikova

The Russian Duma has just passedamendments to the Russian NGO law.

Russian NGOs receiving foreignfunding will now have to register atthe Ministry of Justice as an “NGOcarrying out functions as a foreignagent,” make public their sources offunding by marking it on the materialsthey distribute, and report semi-annually to the Ministry of Justice ontheir activities.

This law, a great majority ofRussians believe, is long overdue. Inthe past 25 years, billions of dollars havebeen pouring into Russia from the USState Department and its subsidiaryagencies like the US Agency forInternational Development (USAID –nearly $3 billion alone), as well as fromso-called “private foundations” like theNational Endowment for Democracy,Freedom House, and George Soros’sOpen Society Institute. All of theseinstitutions, judging by their activitiesand leadership’s biographies, haveimportant ties to the US StateDepartment, the intelligencecommunity, Cold War and the “colorrevolutions.”

The goal of all this money was notto express Washington’s generous loveof Russia, its culture or its people. Inaddition to building a loyalinfrastructure, it aimed at “winninghearts and minds” – and along the wayoil, gas, and military capacity. It hasall been about “opening” – “opensociety,” “open economy,” “openRussia,” “open government” – open forbrainwashing, economic plunder, forhijacking Russia’s domestic and foreignpolicies.

Conquest by war is always anoption for the US, as we have seen in

the former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya, andnow in Syria. But “victory withoutwar” is cheaper and more effective,as the collapse of Soviet Union hastragically shown.

What did Western funding do tothe Russian civil society while pursuingmilitary objectives by “peacefulmeans?” Might it have accidentallycontributed to building democracy inRussia? The word “democracy” hereis understood in its original sense, asgovernment of the people for thepeople, not in Washington’sinterpretation as a loyal regimesubservient to US interest.

In fact, the multibillions ofWestern funding have profoundlydistorted Russian civil society. Amarginal pro-American group ofNGOs that was pumped up with USdollars like a bodybuilder with steroids-it has gained much muscle and shine.Those few Russians willing to serveforeign interests were provided niceoffices, comfortable salaries, printingpresses, training, publicity, and politicaland organizing technology which gavethem far more capacity, visibility, andinfluence that they could possibly havehad on their own. Money and spin arethe only means to promote unpopularideas, alien to national interests.

On the other side is the silentmajority of people who is squeezed out

of the public space. In Western, andalso in Russian media, civil societyturns out to be represented by LudmilaAlekseyeva (The Helsinki Group), BorisNemtsov and Gary Kasparov, ratherthan by a worker from the Urals,teacher from Novosibirsk or a farmerfrom Krasnodar Region.

Moreover, Russian NGOs notaddicted to Western funding are putunder serious pressure from Westernfunders and their local outlets to jointhe club. Once the Russian organizationshows its effectiveness, its leadershipreceives a call from US Embassy, andan invitation to visit. Money offersfollow shortly. If the Russian NGOdares to refuse the bait, one or severalmirror organizations are created that,with massive funding and publicity,hijack the subject, fill it out with itsagenda and occupy the field.

For projects in education, forexample, suddenly it will be all Anglo-Saxon models and values. For projectsfighting abuse by the police, this fightwill be selective and serving to compileincriminatory evidence on loyal officialsdesigned to create hostility to thegovernment in general, rather than trulyfighting these intolerable practices. Inthe field of business associations, oneRussian NGO was denounced by amajor US-allied corporation for“excessively defending the rights ofdomestic producers..

No, Western funding does notcontribute to strengthening Russiandemocracy. It only extends the battlefield for pro-American forces againstpatriotic forces. Like steroids, Westernfunding is injected in the weaker spotsof the targeted civil society. Likesteroids, it is addictive. Like steroids,

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MALI PROFILE

A Chronology of Key Events11th century - Empire of Malibecomes dominant force in the upperNiger basin, its period of greatnessbeginning under King Sundiata in 1235and peaking under Mansa Musa whoruled between 1312 and 1337 andextended empire to the Atlantic.

14th-15th centuries - Decline of theEmpire of Mali, which losesdominance of the gold trade to theSonghai Empire, which makes its basein Timbuktu - historically important asa focal point of Islamic culture and atrading post on the trans-Saharancaravan route.

Late 16th century - Moroccansdefeat the Songhai, make Timbuktutheir capital and rule until their declinein the 18th century.

19th century - French colonial

advance, and Islamic religious warswhich lead to creation of theocraticstates.

1898 - France completes conquest ofMali, then called French Sudan.

1959 - Mali and Senegal form the MaliFederation, which splits a year later.

Independence1960 - Mali becomes independent withModibo Keita as president. It becomesa one-party, socialist state andwithdraws from the Franc Zone.

1968 - Keita ousted in coup led byLieutenant Moussa Traore.

1977 - Protests erupt following Keita’sdeath in prison.

1979 - New constitution provides forelections; Traore re-elected president.

1985 - Mali and Burkina Faso engagein border fighting.

1991 - Traore deposed in coup andreplaced by transitional committee.

Democracy1992 - Alpha Konare wins multipartyelections to become Mali’s firstdemocratically-elected president.

1995 - Peace agreement with Tuaregtribes leads to return of thousands ofrefugees.

1999 - Former President MoussaTraore sentenced to death oncorruption charges, but has hissentence commuted to lifeimprisonment by President Konare.

1999 October - Several people killedin fighting in the north betweenmembers of the Kunta tribe and an

continued from page 5it corrupts the mind and body of thepolitical organism. It transforms thetarget nation into a sick and dependentcollaborating entity deprived ofindependent will, mind, and heart.

Russia and other countries subjectto Western funding infusions must takecharge of their domestic problems.

Building a patriotic civil society cannotbe outsourced. Democratic processesand national security cannot beoutsourced – all the more so to openlyhostile governments.

These NGO amendments, bycorrecting an evident gap in our laws,take a major step in leveling the playingfield. But this step needs to be followed

by further measures that strengthenour national civil societies.

13 July, 2012

Veronika Krasheninnikova, DirectorGeneral of the Institute for Foreign PolicyResearch and Initiatives in Moscow, forRussia Today.

Source: www.rt.com

Mali is engulfed in a tragic conflict that pits rival tribes and groups against each other. There is very little backgroundinformation in the mainstream media on Mali and its history to enable readers to understand what is going on. This

profile on Mali is a modest attempt to fill that gap — Editor

By BBC News

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continued from page 6Arab community over local disputes.

2000 February - Konare appointsformer International Monetary Fundofficial Mande Sidibe prime minister.

2001 December - Manantali dam insouthwest produces its first megawattof hydro-electricity, 13 years after itwas completed.

Amadou Toure2002 April - Amadou Toumani Toureelected president by landslide. Poll ismarred by allegations of fraud.

2002 September - France says it willcancel 40% of debts owed to it by Mali,amounting to some 80m euros ($79m,£51m).

2002 October - Government resigns,without public explanation. New“government of national unity” isunveiled.

2003 August - Clashes between rivalMuslim groups in west kill at least 10people.

2004 April - Prime Minister MohamedAg Amani resigns and is replaced byOusmane Issoufi Maiga.

2004 September - Agriculture ministersays severe locust plague has cut cerealharvest by up to 45%.

2005 June - World Food Programmewarns of severe food shortages, theresult of drought and locust infestationsin 2004.

2006 June - The government signs anAlgerian-brokered peace deal withTuareg rebels seeking greaterautonomy for their northern desertregion. The rebels looted weapons inthe town of Kidal in May, raising fearsof a new rebellion.

2007 April - President Toure wins asecond five-year term in elections.

2007 July - The ruling coalition,Alliance for Democracy and Progress(ADP), strengthens its hold onparliament in elections.Rebel activity

2007 August - Suspected Tuaregrebels abduct government soldiers inseparate incidents near the Niger andAlgerian borders.

2008 May - Tuareg rebels kill 17soldiers in attack on an army post inthe northeast, despite a ceasefire agreeda month earlier.

2008 December - At least 20 peopleare killed and several taken hostage inan attack by Tuareg rebels on a militarybase in northern Mali.

2009 February - Government says thearmy has taken control of all the basesof the most active Tuareg rebel group.A week later, 700 rebels surrender theirweapons in ceremony marking theirreturn to the peace process.

2009 May - Algeria begins sendingmilitary equipment to Mali inpreparation for a joint operation againstIslamic militants linked to al-Qaeda.

2009 August - New law boostswomen’s rights, prompts someprotests.

2010 January - Annual music event -

Festival in the Desert - is moved froma desert oasis to Timbuktu because ofsecurity fears.

Terror challenge2010 April - Mali, Algeria, Mauritaniaand Niger set up joint command totackle threat of terrorism.

2012 January - Fears of new Tuaregrebellion following attacks on northerntowns which prompt civilians to fleeinto Mauritania.

2012 March - Military officers deposePresident Toure ahead of the Aprilpresidential elections, accusing him offailing to deal effectively with theTuareg rebellion. African Unionsuspends Mali.

2012 April - Tuareg rebels seizecontrol of northern Mali, declareindependence.

Military hands over to acivilian interim government, led byPresident Dioncounda Traore.

2012 May - Junta reasserts controlafter an alleged coup attempt bysupporters of ousted President Tourein Bamako.

Pro-junta protestersstorm presidential compound and beatMr Traore unconscious.

The Tuareg MNLA andIslamist Ansar Dine rebel groups mergeand declare northern Mali to be anIslamic state. Ansar Dine begins toimpose Islamic law in Timbuktu. Al-Qaeda in North Africa endorses the deal.

2012 June-July - Ansar Dine and itsAl-Qaeda ally turn on the MNLA andcapture the main northern cities ofTimbuktu, Kidal and Gao. They beginto destroy many Muslim shrines thatoffend their puritan views.

28 June, 2012

Source: BBC News Africa

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As public interest in African affairsbriefly found a place in mainstreamtalking points following a controversialviral video campaign about Ugandanrebel group, the Lord’s ResistanceArmy (LRA), both the United Statesand the African Union are mobilizingmilitary forces to Central Africa tocounter further threats to civilian safetyposed by the group. Following the USdeployment of one hundred militarypersonnel to Uganda in 2011, theAfrican Union has recently deployed a5,000-solider brigade to LRA affectedareas, tasked with pursuing the groupand its leader, Joseph Kony. In theUnited States, a new bill co-authoredby U.S. Representative Edward Roycehas been introduced to the Congresscalling for the further expansion ofregional military forces into the nationsof the Democratic Republic of theCongo, Central African Republic andthe newly formed South Sudan.

Although the Lord’s ResistanceArmy has been accused of recruitingchild soldiers and conducting crimesagainst humanity throughout its two-decade campaign for greater autonomyagainst the Ugandan government, thegroup is presently comprised of lessthan two hundred soldiers and remainsa questionable threat. Meanwhile,China’s deepening economicengagement in Africa and its crucial rolein developing the mining and industrialsectors of several nations is reportedlycreating “deep nervousness” in theWest, according to David Shinn,former US ambassador to Burkina Fasoand Ethiopia. As the Obamaadministration claims to welcome thepeaceful rise of China on the worldstage, recent policy shifts toward anincreased US military presence inseveral alleged LRA hotspots threatendeepening Chinese commercial activity

in the Democratic Republic of theCongo, widely considered the world’smost resource rich nation.

As China maintains its record ofconsistently strong economicperformance, Washington is crusadingagainst China’s export restrictions onminerals that are crucial componentsin the production of consumerelectronics such as flat-screentelevisions, smart phones, laptopbatteries, and a host of other products.As the United States, European Unionand Japan project international pressureon the World Trade Organization andthe World Bank to block financing forChina’s extensive mining projects, USSecretary of State Hilary Clinton’sirresponsible accusations of Chinaperpetuating a creeping “newcolonialism” of the African continentremain rather telling. As China ispredicted to formally emerge as theworld’s largest economy in 2016, thesuccessful aggregation of Africanresources remains a key component toits ongoing rivalry with the UnitedStates.

The villainous branding of JosephKony may well be deserved, howeverit cannot be overstated that the LRAthreat is wholly misrepresented inrecent pro-intervention US legislation.The vast majority of LRA attacks havereportedly taken place in thenortheastern Bangadi region of the

Democratic Republic of the Congo,located on the foot of a tri-borderexpanse between the Central AfricanRepublic and South Sudan. However,the small number of deaths reportedby official sources in recent timesrelies on unconfirmed reports, whereLRA activity is “presumed” and“suspected.” Considering the Congo’sextreme instability after decades offoreign invasion, falsely crediting theLRA with the region’s longstandingcases of violence for political gainbecomes relatively simple for thoselooking to gain enormous contracts forCongolese resources.

In a 2010 white paper entitled“Critical Raw Materials for the EU,”the European Commission cites theimmediate need for reserve supplies oftantalum, cobalt, niobium, and tungstenamong others; the US Department ofEnergy 2010 white paper “CriticalMineral Strategy” also acknowledgedthe strategic importance of these keycomponents. In 1980, Pentagonexperts acknowledged dire shortagesof cobalt, titanium, chromium,tantalum, beryllium, and nickel, eludingthat rebel insurgencies in the Congoinflated the cost of such materials.Additionally, the US CongressionalBudget Office’s 1982 report “Cobalt:Policy Options for a Strategic Mineral”notes that cobalt alloys are critical tothe aerospace and weapons industriesand that 64% of the world’s cobaltreserves lay in the Katanga Copper Belt,running from southeastern Congo intonorthern Zambia.

During the Congo Wars of the 1996to 2003, the United States providedtraining and arms to Tutsi Rwandanand Ugandan militias who later invadedthe Congo’s mineral rich eastern

MINERAL RESOURCES BEHIND US PUSH TO AFRICABy Nile Bowie

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CUBA DEVELOPS CROPS ADAPTED TO CLIMATE CHANGEBy Ivet Gonzalez

Cabbage, broccoli, carrots, onionsand other resistant vegetables are beinggrown by researchers in Cuba, whofor decades have been working todesign plants adapted to the tropicalconditions in the Caribbean region.

provinces to pursue extremist Hutumilitias following the Rwandangenocide. Although over six milliondeaths were attributed to the conflictin the Congo, findings of the UnitedNations suggest that neighboringregimes in Ugandan, Rwanda andBurundi benefitted immensely fromillegally harvested conflict minerals,later sold to various multinationalcorporations for use in consumergoods. The US defense industry relieson high quality metallic alloysindigenous to the region, used primarilyin the construction of high-performance jet engines. The sole pieceof legislation authored by PresidentObama during his time as a Senatorwas S.B. 2125, the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo Relief, Security,and Democracy Promotion Act of2006; Section 201(6) of the billspecifically calls for the protection ofnatural resources in the troubledregions of eastern Congo.

The Congo maintains the secondlowest GDP per capita despite havingan estimated $24 trillion in untappedraw minerals deposits; it holds morethan 30% of the world’s diamondreserves and 80% of the world’s coltan,the majority of which is exported toChina for processing into electronic-grade tantalum powder and wiring. Thecontrol of strategic resources in theeastern Congo is a vital element of theongoing US-China rivalry, as Chinesecommercial activities in the DRCcontinue to increase in the fields ofmining and telecommunications. The

Congo exported $1.4 billion worth ofcobalt to China between 2007 and 2008,while the majority of Congolese rawmaterials like cobalt, copper ore and avariety of hard woods are exported toChina for further processing; 90% ofthe processing plants in resource richsoutheastern Katanga province areowned by Chinese nationals.

In 2008, the International MonetaryFund (IMF) blocked a trade dealbetween a consortium of Chinesecompanies, who were granted the rightsto mining operations in Katanga inexchange for US$6 billion ininfrastructure investments, includingthe construction of two hospitals, fouruniversities and a hydroelectric powerproject. The framework of the dealallocated an additional $3 million todevelop cobalt and copper miningoperations in Katanga, but the IMFargued that the agreement betweenChina and the DRC violated the foreigndebt relief program for so-called HIPC(Highly Indebted Poor Countries)nations. The marginalization of Chinaby financial regulatory bodies is a strongindication of its throttling rivalry withAmerican and European corporatecommunities, many of who fear beingdiluted in China’s increasing economicorbit.

While subtle economic warfarerages between partnered superpowers,the increasing western military presencein the Congo is part of a larger programto expand AFRICOM, the United StatesAfrica Command, through a proposed

archipelago of American military basesin the region. In 2007, US StateDepartment advisor Dr. J. Peter Phamoffered the following on AFRICOMand its strategic objectives of“protecting access to hydrocarbonsand other strategic resources whichAfrica has in abundance, a task whichincludes ensuring against thevulnerability of those natural richesand ensuring that no other interestedthird parties, such as China, India,Japan, or Russia, obtain monopoliesor preferential treatment.” The pushinto Africa has more to do withdestabilizing the deeply troubledDemocratic Republic of the Congoand capturing its strategic reserves ofcobalt, tantalum, gold and diamonds.More accurately, the US is poised toemploy a scorched-earth policy bycreating dangerous war-like conditionsin the Congo, prompting the massexodus of Chinese investors. Similarlyto the Libyan conflict, the Chinesereturned after the fall of Gaddafi to finda proxy government only willing to dobusiness with the western nations whohelped it into power. The EuropeanUnion’s recently offered contributionof $12 million to joint military operationsagainst the ailing Lord’s ResistanceArmy suggests signs of a comingresource war in Central Africa.

4 April, 2012

Nile Bowie is an American freelanceresearcher and video maker who resides inKuala Lumpur.

Resistance to drought is one of themain aims of crop improvementresearchers in Cuba. Credit: Jorge LuisBaños/IPS

“We are now focused on trying to

develop new varieties, with a view toclimate change,” Laura Muñoz, theresearcher who heads a cropimprovement team in the “Alejandrode Humboldt” National Institute for

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continued from page 9

Basic Research in Tropical Agriculture(INIFAT), a government institution,told IPS.

The task involves extremededication and long hours of work.Depending on the species, coming upwith a resistant variety can take fromfive to 15 years. The characteristicssought in the new plants are “growth,resistance and vitality,” Muñozexplained.

In the meantime, the climatecontinues to change. A 2009 report bythe Economic Commission for LatinAmerica and the Caribbean (ECLAC)forecasts mild consequences in theregion from global warming by 2020,but says they will become especiallyacute after 2050.

As a result of global warming,extreme events will become morefrequent in the near future, such asforest fires, floods, drought, and moreintense storms and hurricanes. Thismakes changes in all spheres of lifenecessary in developing countries andisland nations like Cuba.

The ECLAC report, ClimateChange and Development in LatinAmerica and the Caribbean: Overview2009, says “Adaptation also bringswith it some opportunities to pursuemore sustainable development, such asbetter infrastructure, (and) crop varietyresearch and development,” to helpsustain food supplies.

Some steps in that direction havealready been taken in this Caribbeanisland nation. Since the early 1960s,Muñoz’s team has identified “fiveannual planting seasons, with differentconditions,” a finding that “did a greatdeal to improve understanding of theclimate problem.”

Today, they are studying more than30 species of vegetables, to developresistant varieties. These includetomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic andcucumber, some of the most widelyconsumed vegetables in Cuba. Others

are melons, watermelons, carrots,beans, aubergine and lettuce.

Muñoz said that thanks to the workcarried out over the last few decades,Cuba now has varieties that are moreresistant to pests and drought, andwhich can be produced outside of thenormal growing seasons. The idea isto develop plants that are adaptable tothe climate of the future, when bothwinter and summer will be warmer.

A good part of the vegetables on Cubantables are the product of urban andsuburban agriculture, grown inbackyards and empty lots in and aroundthe cities. This kind of agriculture hasgrown by leaps and bounds over thelast two decades, in response to aneffort to promote sustainable,agroecological agriculture and boostfood production.

“Between 40 and 45 percent offresh produce comes from urban andsuburban agriculture,” a sector inwhich 300,000 people work, NelsonCompanioni, the national executivesecretary of agriculture, told IPS.INIFAT also coordinates thedevelopment of urban farming in thecountry, he said.

“Those crops that were adapted toperiods when it didn’t rain and relativehumidity was low are now facing theopposite conditions. So they areattacked by fungal diseases, causedmainly by excess moisture,” saidCompanioni, who is also the directorof urban farming in Cuba.

He said the challenge faced by theprogramme is to achieve “an adequateweb of crop varieties and livestock

breeds, and methods adapted to eachterritory, taking water availability intoaccount.”

The programme’s “organoponic”crops – a term coined for organicproduction in reduced spaces – havebeen moved to eastern Cuba, he said,because the sources of water wherethey were previously located dried up.

The “marien” variety of cabbageis now grown by urban farmers. Ittook 12 long years of work in geneticimprovement to produce this newdrought-resistant variety, designed byINIFAT researcher María Benítez. Thecabbage is more “compact and moreresistant to pests,” she said. It also hasa higher yield.

Marien, named after its designer,is also the first species of cabbage thatproduces seeds in Cuba. Until it wasintroduced to the market, all cabbageproduced in this country was grownfrom imported seeds.

Every year, Cuba buys five tonsof cabbage seed, but in 2011, itproduced one ton of marien seed.

Benítez is now working on geneticimprovement of arugula, a salad greenthat is not well-known in Cuba.

And Caribe 71, a variety of oniondeveloped by Muñoz, was includedthis year in the national plan forreplacing imports – one of the prioritiesof the government of Raúl Castro.

This purple onion can be stored atroom temperature for up to eightmonths, which makes it possible to putit on the market when onions grownwith imported seeds run out.

And a variety of broccoli, TropicalF8, adapted by INIFAT to grow in drytropical conditions, is now producedin some parts of the country.*With reporting by Patricia Grogg.

27 June, 2012

Source: www.ipsnews.net

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FAITH AND POWER: POWER AS SACRED TRUSTBy Chandra Muzaffar

Faith is belief in, or attachment to,God, to a Transcendental Reality. Moreoften than not faith is expressedthrough religion. But faith goes beyondreligion. As the illustrious mysticalphilosopher, Jalaluddin Rumi, put it,“The true lovers of God have no religionbut God.” Religion may sometimeseven be an impediment to true faithwhich is to love God, to be good andto do good.

Power is often equated to strengthand/or authority. Power is relational.It manifests itself in relation tosomeone or something. Powerexpresses itself in multifarious formsand settings. My concern in thispresentation is largely with politicalpower.

The nexus between faith and poweris complex. Right through historywomen and men of faith havechallenged the misuse and abuse ofpower. Indeed, the great faith messagesof the Buddha, Jesus and Muhammadwere all conceived in the struggleagainst abuse of power, injustice andbigotry.

Power in turn has shaped faith. Theway a particular faith is understood andpractised is often determined by theprevailing power structures. If feudalor capitalist structures are moredominant, the different faiths practisedin society also acquire some of theircharacteristics.

More than that, since timeimmemorial faith has beenmisinterpreted and distorted to justifyand legitimise the misuse and abuse ofpower. In this perversion of faith,power elites have invariably been aidedand abetted by religious elites. Theperversion of faith hits its nadir whenit is abused to legitimise oppression,exploitation and greed.

Why is faith so easily seduced bypower? Why are religious elites andwhy are men and women of faithprepared to betray fundamental valuesand principles in their religions in pursuitof power or in order to please power?Is it because of distorted interpretationsof some text or teaching? Is it becauseof self-interest? Is it because of theirego? Is it because of perks andallurements? Is it because of their aweof power? Or is it because of theirfear of authority?

It will not be possible to eliminatecompletely the abuse of faith by poweror the abuse of power by faith.Nonetheless we must all endeavour tominimise this abuse. Exposing andconfronting such abuse with courageand conviction should become ourcollective mission. It is the abusewithin our own religious communitythat should be our primary concern.We should also ensure that we are notone-sided or biased in our censure.What this means in concrete terms isthat while we condemn the terrorism

of a group of religious fanatics weshould not hesitate to express ouroutrage over the religiously motivatedviolence of a state or refrain fromventing our anger over massmassacres committed by a globalhegemon who may be pursuing theagenda of a certain religiousconstituency. At the same time, weshould raise the understanding andawareness of the entire populace onthe meaning of holistic justice andfairness, inclusive kindness andcompassion and the total dignity of allliving beings embodied in all our faiths.The kernel of these values is a view ofpower which all our faiths share to agreater or lesser degree. Power is asacred trust. Whatever its level or formof manifestation, power has to beexercised with a profound sense ofresponsibility. This is the trust thatdefines our faith. It is because we bearthis trust that we are God’s stewardson earth. It is this trust that joins faithto power.

6 March, 2012

Dr. Chandra Muzaffar is President of theInternational Movement for a Just World(JUST).

The above is a summary of a presentationmade at the “Faith and Power” workshoporganised by the Noordin Sopiee Chair inGlobal Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia, inPenang, on 6 March, 2012.

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