This page has been archived and commenting is disabled.
What's up in Cyprus? War?
I’ve been following events in Cyprus for the past few months. I wrote about this on 8/1. In that piece I concluded that an EU led bailout of Cyprus was right around the corner. As it turns out, I was way off the mark. There has been a series of developments. It's an interesting tale.
.
Two years ago Iran was exporting munitions to Syria.
The weapons were in containers on the Monchesgorsk.
The USS San Antonio interdicted the Manchesgorsk at high sea.
The cargo of high explosives was delivered to a naval base on the Island of Cyprus.
The explosives were stored in a tent.
(A tent? What were they thinking of?)
Then there was a brush fire.
(July 11th)
Followed by a big blast as the TNT went up.
It blew up the naval base and nearby power station.
The Central bank had this to say:
There is an imminent threat of Cyprus joining the European Union Support Mechanism, with everything bad that this entails.
The situation looked bleak.
But then a great White Knight appeared:
Russia would provide the cash that Cyprus needed
Does Russia have an ulterior motive? Could it be gas?
The Cyprus gas story is connected to the big find in Israeli waters last year.
Nobel Energy found the gas in Israel. Guess who's drilling in Cyprus for gas today?
No gas has been found as of yet. But a "dispute" started right away.
Some dispute, the talk is war.
The Russians have sent subs. They seem to be taking things seriously.
The EU is begging for restraint.
The Americans are sending Drones. Surprised?
Is there any bad blood on the USA side of the Cyprus - Russia story? Of course there is! From a year ago:
From the UK Guardian:
A man believed to be one of Russia's most capable agents, arrested in Cyprus this week as a suspect in the spy ring, has almost certainly fled the island, the justice minister, Loucas Louca, said.
.
Less
than 72 hours after he was last seen on Cyprus, speculation is
mounting that Christopher Metsos, the alleged paymaster of a Russian
network operating under deep cover in the US, was allowed to "disappear" by a government which caved in to pressure from Russia.
This is a nutty story. It shows what a complex world we live in. It also
confirms how unstable the middle east is these days. It shows that the
big powers are still butting heads. This is a stupid issue for drones
and submarines to be getting involved. Especially when they're Russian
and US equipment.
This map shows that Cyprus is geographically right in the middle of some dangerous territory. We don't need another reminder that the Middle East and hydrocarbons keep getting us in trouble. Do we?
.
»
- advertisements -
The plot of this whole story is just so much more interesting than anything Hollywood comes up with these days.
Funny, I did not know that Israel had a northern coast. Lebanon and Syria seem to be to the north of Israel.
"Does Russia have an ulterior motive?"
That's really funny, Bruce.
Cyprus is loaded with lower level oligarachs and gangsters from Russia. The ones who cannot afford to buy FC Chelsea and half of London.
A great book on the global politics of energy: Klare, "Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet". We are in a desperate race for resources. The pace of change will accelerate into the foreseeable future. IMO, when it is over, the world will be completely unrecognizable.
Nice connections. We'll see how things pan out, but still worrying.
Good ol curse of the hydrocarbons
Are we sure that's not Palestinian or Lebanese gas?
Big portions of the Isreali find 'should' belong to Gaza in the south, and Lebanon in the north yes.
CONTROL normally includes Latakia and Tartous in its 2bfeared package, along with a subtle dig on gold.
Talk about a-miss!
So why did they name that gas field after the US Federal Govt?
The USS San Antonio is an "Amphibious Transport Dock" with no published record of an interdiction. It may have been used to transport the cargo, but could not have been the ship to intercept.
It most certainly was the ship to intercept and has had this mission before. Not only has this ship performed interception missions before, the San Antonio has been the flagship for several "anti-piracy operations" in the Indian Ocean and Med. LPDs carry large numbers of troops (Marines) and helicopters and skiffs to transport them. No published report? These were some of dozens I sifted from the ether in 15 seconds:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/cairo-bars-arms-ship-bound-for-gaza/story-e6frg6tf-1111118680897
http://www.rieas.gr/research-areas/editorial/1536-multi-dimenstional-crisis-in-cyprus-christofiass-government-bears-total-responsibility-for-the-tragedy-.html
http://lewis.armscontrolwonk.com/archive/4248/saga-of-the-monchegorsk
I'm glad you got some thumbs up but your comment has not credibility on this matter.
Tks for confirming this Vlad.
and peopl thought the end of the Cold War was a good thing. Never really did truly end since the banksters were behind it all. Now we operate without the clear us vs them cover.
It was always about land, resources, and cheap labor to secure wealth for the oligarchs. Rothchilds forever. The banking clans are at war and the common men will be the casualties. American bankers vs Russian bankers vs Euro bankers vs Israeli bankers, they really coundn't ever get along. Different clans all wanting to be on top.
Thanks Bruce - reads like an episode of Bourne Identity.
Bourne is but a mere figment of the real master spy:
Sydney Reilly. Just whose side was he on? Israel/zionists? Russia? Britain? You choose.
Cyprus is Russia's Cayman Islands, Bermuda, and the Bahamas all in one. Financially that is. It is the Russian mega tax haven.
Russia and Israel are just like Israel and SA back in the 60s and 70s. They are the pariah states. This does have a sense of a modern Crimean war, with the Eastern Orthodox, Christian, and Turks all on separate sides even though there were supposed allies in this mess.
Russia would like to neutralize Turkey. This has been a foreing policy aim since before Crimea. Where I would expect more action is with the Armenians and Kurds and with the Greeks in Northern Cyprus. I cannot see the Russian's wanting the Turks to occupy the northern part of this Russian colony.
Busy, busy, busy.
Nothing though before Putin's re-election. The Russians are nothing if not deliberate.
Israel: Drainage! Drainage, Cyprus, you boy. Drained dry. I'm so sorry. Here, if you have a milkshake, and I have a milkshake, and I have a straw. There it is, that's a straw, you see? You watching?. And my straw reaches acroooooooss the ocean, and starts to drink your milkshake... I... drink... your... milkshake! I drink it up!
Shooting from the hip, but I see this story as HUGE. Socialist Europeons don't back a Conservative led Israel for free. Sumpin' is up.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/spain-recognizes-israel-as...
Shooting from the hip, but I see this story as HUGE. Socialist Europeons don't back a Conservative led Israel for free. Sumpin' is up.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/spain-recognizes-israel-as...
Well done BK.
And, thanks ZH.
The USSR and Cyprus (the Greek Cypriot state, of course) were pretty chummy for a long time, weren't they? Didn't Cyprus see it as a counterweight to the US/Turkey relationship?
Yes, Greek side was the fallout of the attempted Communist takeover in another century. Might continue with similar alignment of mutual interests, though different proximate "causes."
- Ned
{and see above w/bugs_}
I just have one question. Can I lease a Drone?
Trouble with the inlaws?
Oil is about to make a rebound...perhaps the Black Swan....or will it be China-Indian/Vietnam War in the South China Sea?
.
Bruce,
I like this format. I don't swing by here every day so I don't know if it's brandy new. It's brand new to me though and I think it's really strong. I particularly like the way you did the media links. (edit: oops, not links, oh well) The font renders a little weird in Firefox - kind of blotchy looking, uneven line weights. Other than that though, cool. Hope you do it again.
This is a stupid issue for drones
and submarines to be getting involved. Especially when they're Russian
and US equipment.
I wonder if drones can be outfitted for anti submarine/marine surveillance and or interdiction work? Why not, right?
How could drones be deployed to defend say the Straight of Hormuz? Can they target small, fast vessels? Through weather? At night?
Looking forward to more of your work.
Husk
why not? dude!!! where have you been , i've been reading up on naval drone developments for 3 years.
BAE is big into them. but so are other companies.
it's the biggest most fertile field for drone technology right now and i for one believe it is going to FULLY revolutionize naval warfare as much so, if not MORESO than it already has, or will in the future, revolutionize aerial warfare. if i had 100 grand , i'd invest it into a few startups in this area that i check up on from time to time. big business military contractors are already all over this, but there is huge room for newcomer startups because the barriers to entry are not great adn the field is still quite open. i'm a huge fan of this area for MANY REASONS should you like to discuss.
I think turkey is the 7th largest army as those things are measured. Sounds like a ploy to show Iran they're still in the game
i know it sounds crazy , the way things go in the press, but as usual, things may or may not be as they appear. iran and turkey are much closer allies to israhole than you may know. first off, there used to be about 150,000 persian jews in iran, and guess what? they run the government there and they run everything else too. in turkey you have the remnants of the sabbateans who have been there for hundreds of years. they now are called donmeh. they run turkey and they run the armed forces. so any little song and dance routines that you may see going on from time to time, must be severely analyzed as to what exactly it means.
Every Russian oligarch has a palatial villa in Cyprus... it's the goto vacation spot for the Russian elite, next to Crimea. Imagine the financial web. Russians pratically view it as a colony. None of this is news in Eastern Europe, baby.
Cyprus to be used as a gas/oil waystation via transit through pipelines.
Didn't Iran, Iraq, and Syria just sign a billion dollar pipeline deal?
I thought it was kind of silly to build a pipeline to the edge of the Med and just stop.
BUT, if the plan is to keep going, then Cyprus takes on a whole new meaning. The Turkish Ceyhan line is already a direct threat to the Russian South Stream project and their intended monopoly on European gas. If the Syrian line is to be extended, then Cyprus is sitting in a very critical junction.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP2h_DvWobQ
A muslim talks about iran. he makes some interesting points. i tried to post that he is making some interesting points but i asked him did he ever stop to consider just who and how was the religion known as islam was created and by who? of course he was in no mood to talk about that. but nevertheless some muslims are starting to realize they have been victims of a very long song and dance routine and perhaps the never ending defeats that they always seem to suffer is one reason why they are looking at things. is it any wonder why islam never seems to get anything going?
"So, Atem, Ilu, and Hormazd walked into a bar..." thus spake Zarathustra with a polysyllabic patter of monotheistic awe to his trusty isnad, which also happened to be a security camera in the back corner of the Circle K.
israhole is stealing iraqi oil and amerikan troops are guarding the pipeline. geez but but but.......what about iraqi freedom? you are looking at it pal. total destruction and total death and total annihilation and oh i almost forgot, a environmental disaster of epic proportions and this is our gift to what's left of the iraqi people. iraqi freedom to please the yids over in israhole who run our zog country now.
Other good stuff going on in eastern Med recently: 2 Iranian Frigates (destroyers; passage ok'd by post-Mubarek Egyptian regime) came thru canal, attempted to rendezvous w Syrian ship running Iranian weapons intended for Palestinians in Gaza (to be transshiped via Alexandria), but were fended off by US ships.....Syrian ship and weapons then grabbed by Israeli gunboats.
GREAT English Journalism and greatly appreciated. Fact filled, clear, concise, and convincing. 5 stars and a high bar is set, say I.
Please don't feed the fucking trolls.
Check out this moving map of Mideast conquest over the last 5000 years. What a crazy part of the world.
http://www.mapsofwar.com/ind/imperial-history.html
That's a beautiful piece of work.
More maps of conflict:
http://conflicthistory.com/#/period/1999-2011
Terrific article Bruce; many of these pieces I had no idea of. I do occasionally read Debka, and they have alluded to a serious increase in tensions with Turkey. I believe Russia is acting on behalf of the Greek Cypriots, who are also Orthodox Christians.
OK-- Christians vs Muslims vs Jews. Add oil, submarines, jihad, instability in Syria-- oh baby this party's gonna be a blast !!
The world is getting too complex for Dorks - the cabinet wars of the 17th century may be simple affairs when compared with future possible conflicts.
Just as they led to the rise of the nation state , now this mess could cement the power of market states - although I do not consider market states in any way a stable construct - but perhaps I have a obsolete vision.
We are in for a world of pain me thinks.
More cabinet wars, stab-in-the-back diplomacy and secret treaties. Can't trust all of the peons with guns, you see (the actual sole premise and privilege of the nation state), and the slogans are wearing thin already. So it's make-it-up as-you-go-along machiavellism.
so the israelis along with their illegal occupation of arab lands , now want to exploit arab gas resources..........once a crook , always a crook.....oops but wait a minute. i can't criticize god's chosen people or else i will go straight to hell.......doncha know.......
unless you believe cyprus is arabic, then you think syria and lebnon own these resources, even though israel found them and they are off the israeli coast?
the reflexive anti-israel crowd will thoughtless criticize any nationlist policy of israel while thoughtlessly praising the policies of arabic nationists.
and by the way , the turks aren't arabic , just in case you were thoughtlessly describing them as such.
the did own all of the middle eastern lands ( own , control , whatever ) -----for hundreds of years, and deeply persecuted arabs as the subjects in their empire.
but of course, the 'israel can only do wrong' crowd refuses to use their brain to gather facts, analayze facts, and determine the balance of behavior going on.
stop the defensive troll baiting casting the world as black and white and use yer noggin. or , go ahead and just join the mindless scapegoating crowd.
i bet you listen to glenn beck, rush limbaugh , sean hannity and mark levin doncha?
the funny thing is that it takes a intelligent person to point out to the blind reactionaries such as yourself, that just because the propogandizing morons like glen back , rush, hanity and almost all of fox news and sara palin are 'bought and paid for' by aipac, doesn't mean that youre correct in automatically , and without THOUGHT, believing the exact opposite of what they propose.
use your brain brother man. the truth is not a reaction to fiction. the true recognizes fiction not as opposite the truth, because then the fiction itself possess a clear signal of falsity, itself creating truth .
no , the intelligent person realizes they need to THINK because of all the NOISE out there that is half truths and nonsense. the truth is out there. dont' jsut react to the people who are clearly paid advertisements masquerading as news.
when you see the shamwow guy on tv saying that only his rag will clean a speciic mess but NO other rags will, do you then begin to think that the opposite must be true, that all rags CAN clean the mess, but shamwow cannot?
use your brain you anti-semite. start opening your eyes to the fact the justice, and injustice exist in ALL communities. pure evil is no-where. neither is pure 'good'.
you go around in circles.... so basically you consider me to be a anti semite? correct? why don't you just say that instead of blathering on for half a page saying nothing.