ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

By Paul Craig Roberts  - The protests in the western Ukraine are organized by the CIA, the US State Department, and by Washington- and EU-financed Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that work in conjunction with the CIA and State Department. The purpose of the protests is to overturn the decision by the independent government of Ukraine not to join the EU. The US and EU were initially cooperating in the effort to destroy the independence of Ukraine and make it a subservient entity to the EU government in Brussels. For the EU government, the goal is to expand the EU. For Washington the purposes are to make Ukraine available for looting by US banks and corporations and to bring Ukraine into NATO so that Washington can gain more military bases on Russia’s frontier. There are three countries in the world that are in the way of Washington’s hegemony over the world–Russia, China, and Iran. Each of these countries is targeted by Washington for overthrow or for their sovereignty to be degra

By Reuters  - " Reuters " - - The Syrian opposition called on Wednesday for a transitional governing body to be set up that would oversee a total ceasefire under U.N. monitoring, and be empowered to drive out foreign fighters deployed on both sides of the civil war. The confidential paper, seen by Reuters, was presented to international mediator Lakhdar Brahimi and a Syrian government delegation at a joint session held at peace talks in Geneva. It made no mention of the fate of President Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but opposition forces said that he had been ignored on purpose to make clear he had no role. The Syrian government delegation said on Wednesday that negotiations must focus first on fighting terrorism and rejected parallel track talks on the opposition's priority of a transitional government as a "fruitless" idea. "The Transitional Governing Body (TGB) will prepare and oversee a total ceasefire by taking immediate measures to stop military

By Hurriyet Daily  " Hurriyet Daily " - Russia said on Feb. 12 it would veto a U.N. resolution on humanitarian aid access in Syria in its current form, denouncing the draft as an effort to lay a foundation for military strikes against President Bashar al-Assad's government. Moscow had already dismissed the Western-Arab draft debated in the Security Council on Feb. 11 as a non-starter, but a senior diplomat's unequivocal condemnation indicated Russia would seek major changes before dropping its opposition. "Its whole purpose and aim is to create grounds for future military action against the Syrian government if some demands it includes are not met," Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said in Geneva, according to state-run news agency RIA. "It is unacceptable to us in the form in which it is now being prepared, and we, of course, will not let it through." At the United Nations on Feb. 11, French Ambassador Gerard Araud told reporters that R

The Barents Sea region spans across northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and northwestern Russia. Although the region is roughly the size of Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Spain combined, it is home to only about 5.2 million people. Most of the population and territory is Russian, as are the largest urban centers, which host most of the population. Norway and Russia are the most relevant actors in the region because of their dominance in its oil and natural gas sector. With dwindling oil and natural gas reserves in the south, the defense of Norwegian interests above the Arctic Circle has become increasingly important for Oslo -- as has Norway's relationship with Russia. Nordic countries and Russia view each other with suspicion , but as neighbors they also see the benefits of economic cooperation. For instance, Norway emphasizes its NATO membership and strong defense ties with other Nordic countries while at the same time collaborating with Russia in the energ