"Though India remains opposed to the Proliferation
Security Initiative (PSI), the last two ‘Malabar’
naval exercises have seen PSI-related drills such as
maritime interdiction and VBSS
(visit-board-search-seizure) operations."
(The Hindu, July 5, 2007)
The worldwide and ever expanding search for "North
Korean contraband" has followed a curious path from
the Indian Ocean into the Persian Gulf and the
Mediterranean and the Black Seas.
In October of 2006 warships from US, Britain, France,
Italy, Australia and Bahrain participated in a PSI
exercise off the Iranian coast in the Persian Gulf.
John Bolton's successor in the State Department Robert
Joseph had prepared the groundwork earlier by having
"recently visited Iran's neighbors, Bahrain, the
United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and
Qatar, in addition to Egypt, for discussions about how
to handle the threat from Iran. The consultations
dealt with working together within the context of the
Proliferation Security Initiative...."
(U.S. Department of State, April 21, 2006)
Five months before the Persian Gulf exercise the US
led Anatolian Sun-2006, a multinational naval exercise
off the Mediterranean coast of Turkey.
An Italian news source issued this report:
"Turkey will host a joint military exercise
with US troops in the eastern Mediterranean beginning
on Wednesday - a show of strength that comes as
Washington is increasing pressure on Tehran over its
nuclear programme.
"Ostensibly part of the Proliferation Security
Initiative (PSI) against Weapons of Mass Destruction
(WMD), US officials cited in the New York Times
newspaper described the manoeuvres as a sign of
Washington's determination to stop missile and nuclear
technology from reaching Iran."
(ADN Kronos International, May 23, 2006)
In reference to the same operation the New York Times
added that, "The United States is trying to persuade
friendly countries near the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea
and Indian Ocean to join in the exercises...."
(New York Times, May 22, 2006)
Moving further west, the US recruited Cyprus to the
PSI in April of 2005.
In May of last year the US and Poland officiated over
another PSI operation, Adriatic Shield 08, hosted by
Croatia, which included participation from Bosnia,
Croatia, Italy, Montenegro and Slovenia.
Seven months later the US Congress would praise
Croatia - it of the notorious US-directed Operation
Storm of 1995 and of lingering nostalgia for the Nazi
collaborationist Ustasha - with a resolution
expressing the US's certitude that "Croatia can give a
significant contribution to NATO and that it has
already sent its contingent to Afghanistan "as part of
NATO-led International Security Assistance Force [and]
Croatia "is participating in the Proliferation
Security Initiative with like-minded nations across
the world...."
(Hina, December 15, 2005)
At last year's NATO summit in Romania, Croatia was
invited to join the Alliance as a full member and will
be inducted as one at the April 3-4 60th Anniversary
NATO summit.
Likewise the Ukraine's American proxy Viktor
Yushchenko, NATO's ticket to a 2,400 kilometer border
with Russia, a year ago vowed that "Ukraine actively
interacts with NATO member-states within the new
mechanisms of cooperation in the compliance and
implementation of fundamental treaties related to
international security. In particular, our state has
acceded to the Proliferation Security Initiative...."
(ForUm, January 16, 2008)
Regarding the general issue of the relationship of the
PSI with Global NATO, these excerpts from a 2005
speech by Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer in
Japan will clarify matters:
"[W]e want to ensure that a much larger proportion of
our military forces are readily available for
operations far away from home.
"We also realize full well that tackling today’s
global threats requires the broadest possible
international cooperation and so we are enhancing
relations with our partner countries across Europe,
the Caucasus, and Central Asia, and in North Africa
and the Middle East.
"And like many NATO Allies, you [Japan] are also an
active participant
in the Proliferation Security Initiative...."
(NATO International, April 4, 2005)
The preceding accounts establish that, just as with
Washington's stationing of third position, potential
first strike, interceptor missile sites in Eastern
Europe, North Korea and Iran are pretext rather than
cause.
Security Initiative (PSI), the last two ‘Malabar’
naval exercises have seen PSI-related drills such as
maritime interdiction and VBSS
(visit-board-search-seizure) operations."
(The Hindu, July 5, 2007)
The worldwide and ever expanding search for "North
Korean contraband" has followed a curious path from
the Indian Ocean into the Persian Gulf and the
Mediterranean and the Black Seas.
In October of 2006 warships from US, Britain, France,
Italy, Australia and Bahrain participated in a PSI
exercise off the Iranian coast in the Persian Gulf.
John Bolton's successor in the State Department Robert
Joseph had prepared the groundwork earlier by having
"recently visited Iran's neighbors, Bahrain, the
United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and
Qatar, in addition to Egypt, for discussions about how
to handle the threat from Iran. The consultations
dealt with working together within the context of the
Proliferation Security Initiative...."
(U.S. Department of State, April 21, 2006)
led Anatolian Sun-2006, a multinational naval exercise
off the Mediterranean coast of Turkey.
An Italian news source issued this report:
"Turkey will host a joint military exercise
with US troops in the eastern Mediterranean beginning
on Wednesday - a show of strength that comes as
Washington is increasing pressure on Tehran over its
nuclear programme.
"Ostensibly part of the Proliferation Security
Initiative (PSI) against Weapons of Mass Destruction
(WMD), US officials cited in the New York Times
newspaper described the manoeuvres as a sign of
Washington's determination to stop missile and nuclear
technology from reaching Iran."
(ADN Kronos International, May 23, 2006)
In reference to the same operation the New York Times
added that, "The United States is trying to persuade
friendly countries near the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea
and Indian Ocean to join in the exercises...."
(New York Times, May 22, 2006)
Moving further west, the US recruited Cyprus to the
PSI in April of 2005.
In May of last year the US and Poland officiated over
another PSI operation, Adriatic Shield 08, hosted by
Croatia, which included participation from Bosnia,
Croatia, Italy, Montenegro and Slovenia.
Seven months later the US Congress would praise
Croatia - it of the notorious US-directed Operation
Storm of 1995 and of lingering nostalgia for the Nazi
collaborationist Ustasha - with a resolution
expressing the US's certitude that "Croatia can give a
significant contribution to NATO and that it has
already sent its contingent to Afghanistan "as part of
NATO-led International Security Assistance Force [and]
Croatia "is participating in the Proliferation
Security Initiative with like-minded nations across
the world...."
(Hina, December 15, 2005)
At last year's NATO summit in Romania, Croatia was
invited to join the Alliance as a full member and will
be inducted as one at the April 3-4 60th Anniversary
NATO summit.
Likewise the Ukraine's American proxy Viktor
Yushchenko, NATO's ticket to a 2,400 kilometer border
with Russia, a year ago vowed that "Ukraine actively
interacts with NATO member-states within the new
mechanisms of cooperation in the compliance and
implementation of fundamental treaties related to
international security. In particular, our state has
acceded to the Proliferation Security Initiative...."
(ForUm, January 16, 2008)
Regarding the general issue of the relationship of the
PSI with Global NATO, these excerpts from a 2005
speech by Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer in
Japan will clarify matters:
"[W]e want to ensure that a much larger proportion of
our military forces are readily available for
operations far away from home.
"We also realize full well that tackling today’s
global threats requires the broadest possible
international cooperation and so we are enhancing
relations with our partner countries across Europe,
the Caucasus, and Central Asia, and in North Africa
and the Middle East.
"And like many NATO Allies, you [Japan] are also an
active participant
in the Proliferation Security Initiative...."
(NATO International, April 4, 2005)
The preceding accounts establish that, just as with
Washington's stationing of third position, potential
first strike, interceptor missile sites in Eastern
Europe, North Korea and Iran are pretext rather than
cause.
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