ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

The recent Istanbul bombings have claimed at least 42 lives while the death toll is feared to rise, as some of the injured are still in critical condition. The suspected ISIS attack is among the deadliest ones carried out by terror groups at airports. LOCATION: Istanbul Ataturk International Airport, Turkey DATE: June 28, 2016 CASUALTIES: At least 42 dead, 238 injured Istanbul Ataturk Airport is the largest airport in Turkey, and the third busiest in Europe after London’s Heathrow and Paris’s Charles de Gaulle. Its total passenger traffic was some 61 million people in 2015. The explosions occurred in the airport’s international arrivals terminal. The attacks on the airport involved three suicide bombers. An investigation has revealed that all three opened fire before detonating their explosive devices. The victims included at least 10 foreign nationals and three people with dual citizenship, authorities said. LOCATION: Brussels Zaventem International Airport, Belgium DATE: Ma...

GREGORY WILPERT, TRNN: Welcome to the Real News Network. I’’m Gregory Wilpert, coming to you from Quito, Ecuador. Britain’’s referendum in favor of leaving, or exiting, the European Union, the Brexit referendum, as the results are known, won with 52 percent of the vote on Thursday, June 23, stunning Europe’s political establishment. One of the issues that has raised concern for many is that what does the Brexit mean for Britain’’s and Europe’’s economy and politics. This was one of the main topics leading up to the referendum, but a lot of disinformation [reigned] in the discussion. With us to discuss the economic and political context of the Brexit is Michael Hudson. He is a research professor of economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and author of Killing the Host: How Financial Parasites and Debt Destroy the Global Economy. Also, he is an economics adviser to several governments, including Greece, Iceland, Latvia, and China. He joins us right now from New York City...

By The Saker Listening to the imperial media one might be excused for thinking that nothing dramatic is happening in the Ukraine and that the crisis has basically leveled off in some way. Well, why not? They just had recent elections and, apparently, that went well, Russia is still showing her usual bad will and threatening behavior towards Europe, but at least Putin was forced to release the Ukrainian Jeanne d’Arc (aka Nadezhda Savchenko), and there is hope that the united front of the EU and NATO will eventually force Putin to stop his aggression against the Ukraine and to comply with the Minsk Agreements. Oh, and the Ukrainian National Bank has announced, I kid you not, a return to growth (by 0.1%) for the first quarter of the year. Alas, the disconnect between this kind of nonsense and reality is total. Yes, elections did take place, but they were anything but free, the neo-Nazis are now more influential than ever and the fact that Putin did agree to exchange Savchenko for 2...

Russian President Vladimir Putin has received a letter in which his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan apologized for the death of the pilot who was killed when a Russian jet was downed over the Syrian-Turkish border last November, the Kremlin said. Erdogan expressed readiness to restore relations with Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. The incident involving the downing of the Russian Su-24 bomber led to the worst deterioration of Turkish-Russian relations in recent history, with Russia describing it as a “stab in the back.” “The head of the Turkish state expressed his deep sympathy and condolences to the relatives of the deceased Russian pilot and said ‘sorry,’” Peskov said. In his letter, Erdogan called Russia “a friend and a strategic partner” of Ankara, with whom the Turkish authorities would not want to spoil relations. “We never had a desire or a deliberate intention to down an aircraft belonging to Russia,” the letter read, according to a statement pu...

By Peter Koenig BREXIT is the best thing that has happened not only for the Brits – but for all of Europe – and potentially for the world in the last 30-some years – which were beset by Washington Consensus demagoguery, by ever more flagrant globalization towards a New World Order, under which the elite knows no scruples in decimating countries and continents – enslaving entire people – to get what they want, striving for Full Spectrum Dominance. The current inflexible and un-solidary EU is a direct result of this drive. The BREXIT vote may break the stranglehold of Washington on Europe. The BREXIT vote may be the first step in a new dynamic of a EUREXIT from Washington’s dominance, from NATO, from the wars and conflicts sustaining the US corporate profit bulldozer, from the threat of a corporate enslavement by the looming TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership), from sanctions against Russia – from the sheer prohibition of building up what makes most sense for the future...

By John Pilger The majority vote by Britons to leave the European Union was an act of raw democracy. Millions of ordinary people refused to be bullied, intimidated and dismissed with open contempt by their presumed betters in the major parties, the leaders of the business and banking oligarchy and the media. This was, in great part, a vote by those angered and demoralised by the sheer arrogance of the apologists for the "remain" campaign and the dismemberment of a socially just civil life in Britain. The last bastion of the historic reforms of 1945, the National Health Service, has been so subverted by Tory and Labour-supported privateers it is fighting for its life. A forewarning came when the Treasurer, George Osborne, the embodiment of both Britain's ancient regime and the banking mafia in Europe, threatened to cut £30 billion from public services if people voted the wrong way; it was blackmail on a shocking scale. Immigration was exploited in the campaign with consumm...

WASHINGTON: Jordanian intelligence officials stole millions of dollars of weapons that the CIA and Saudi Arabia had supplied for Syrian rebels, then sold them on the black market, The New York Times and Al Jazeera reported. The military equipment had been shipped into Jordan as part of the Central Intelligence Agency's secret program to train and equip moderate Syrian rebels to fight troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad. Citing unnamed American and Jordanian officials, the Times and Al Jazeera reported Sunday that some of these weapons were used in a November shooting at a police training facility in Amman. Two American contractors, two Jordanians and one South African were gunned down in the attack. The Times and Al Jazeera said the FBI has been investigating the case for months. The stolen weapons include Kalashnikov assault rifles, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades and the black market is newly awash with arms, the reports said. Investigators aren't sure what ha...

By Pepe Escobar So what started as a gamble by David Cameron on an outlet for domestic British discontent, to be used as a lever to bargain with Brussels for a few more favors, has metastasized into an astonishing political earthquake about the dis-integration of the European Union. The irrepressibly mediocre Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, posing as a “historian”, had warned that Brexit, “could be the beginning of the destruction of not only the EU but Western political civilization in its entirety”. That’s foolish. Brexit proved that it’s immigration, stupid. And once again, it’s the economy, stupid (although the British neoliberal establishment never paid attention). But serious bets can be made the EU system in Brussels won’t learn anything from the shock therapy – and won’t reform itself. There will be rationalizations that after all the UK was always classically whiny, obtrusive and demanding special privileges when dealing with the EU. As for “Western political ...

Mass Shooting at German Cinema, At Least 25 Injured An armed man has opened fire at a cinema complex in western Germany, injuring at least 25 people. Local media reported that between 20 and 50 people were wounded after the armed man opened fire and then barricaded himself inside the Kinoplex cinema in Viernheim town, near Frankfurt. German Special Forces teams arrived at the scene of the incident. German police are heading to the scene of a mass shooting in Viernheim town, near Frankfurt, on June 23, 2016. Germany's interior minister has been quoted by local media as saying that the gunman was shot and killed during the commando operation to arrest him, British daily The Telegraph reported. Faz newsaper said that the hostage situation has now ended and that there is "no further danger," citing police sources. Earlier, Christiane Kobus, a German police spokesman, confirmed that a "threat situation" was underway but did not give further details. Police in Germany...

600 Terrorists Killed in joint operations with SAA in Aleppo in June: Nasrallah Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah referred to Arab media reports that Hezbollah fighters were about to be defeated in the Syrian city of Aleppo as “lies”, adding that over 600 terrorists were killed and some 80 tanks and military vehicles were destroyed in joint operations with Syrian army forces in the northwestern city in June alone. Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah hails the movement's military commander Mustafa Badreddine, who was slain at the hands of Takfiri groups in Syria last month. In a speech to mark 40 days since the killing of the commander, Nasrallah hailed him as a “strong and courageous commander” who never gave up defending the cause of the Lebanese resistance movement. He said Badreddine believed Hezbollah had a big role to play in Syria and Iraq in defending the countries against the Takfiri militants. The 55-year-old Hezbollah commander led Hezbollah's military wing, which is helping the Syrian g...

However, the pound is already falling on the foreign exchange markets. The markets think that Brexit is bad for the economy, and so investors are likely to want to move their money out of the UK.   More expensive foreign holidays The Prime Minister will probably say that the Government stands ready to do whatever it takes to protect the British economy, but there are limits to what it could actually do. George Osborne’s threat to bring in an emergency Budget would probably be downplayed until the effects of the Brexit vote become clearer.  In the meantime it will be up to the Bank of England to intervene in the foreign exchange markets – by buying pounds – to try to stabilise its value. The first practical effect of a vote to Leave, therefore, is that the pound will be worth less abroad, meaning foreign holidays will cost us more. No immediate change in immigration status The Prime Minister will have to address other immediate concerns. He is likely to reassure nationals...

David Cameron has announced he is quitting as Prime Minister after Britain voted to leave the European Union after a nearly half a century. In a statement outside Downing Street, and with his wife by his side, Mr Cameron said that it was “not right” for him to be “the captain that “steers the country” in a new direction. With his voice breaking, he said: “I Iove this country and will do everything I can to serve it” but he added “the will of the British people is an instruction that must be delivered.” Mr Cameron said he would stay on while a new Tory leader was elected but expected that he would gone by the time of the Conservative Party Conference in October. “We must now prepare for a renegotiation with the EU. Above all this will require strong determined and committed leadership. “I think the country requires fresh leadership to take it in that direction.” Importantly Mr Cameron said he would not invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty that will start the process of Brexit – leavin...

(IraqiNews.com) al-Anbar – Commander of Anbar Operations Command, Maj. Gen. Ismail al-Mahalawi, on Thursday announced about the killing 48 ISIS members north of Ramadi. In a brief statement, al-Mahalawi said, “The Air Force Aviation, Army, Police and the Anti-Terrorism Directorate managed to kill 48 ISIS members at Zankoura north of Ramadi,” further adding, “The forces managed to destroy mortar detachments and nine (9) buildings where terrorists were hiding.”

Saudi Arabia Transfers Its Southern Borders Security to Israel + PhotosA Leaked document reportedly revealed the direct command of the Saudi defense minister to leave the "security" of the country's southern border to an Israeli company. Defense Minister and the deputy crown prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud has ordered the border guard commander of country's southern areas to cooperate with an Israeli company to opposite the Houthis attacks by planting the Saudi-Yemeni border with mines and bombs and to explode them after the Saudi-led coalition forces withdraw the region. According to Yemeni "Najm Alsaqb" website, this document revealed the defeat of Saudis’ aggression in Yemen to establish an effective international coalition against the Houthis and when they see their forces cannot counter with Houthi and Yemeni forces, they asked an Israeli company called "almajal G4S", and in exchange for 45 million dollars, to take the respo...

Syrian and Russian fighter jets have destroyed ISIL's military positions in al-Tabaqa region of Raqqa province on Wednesday. ISIL's armored vehicles equipped with machineguns were destroyed in the Russian and Syrian airstrikes in al-Tabqa-Anbaj and Anbaj-Abu al-Allaj roads and to the Southwest of Zkiyeh in the Western countryside of Raqqa province. On Tuesday, the Syrian military forces' strong defense did not allow the ISIL terrorists to advance in energy-rich areas in al-Rasafeh region South of al-Tabaqa airbase, sources said, adding that the ISIL left behind scores of dead members and retreated. "The ISIL offensives to penetrate into the government forces' strongholds in al-Thowrah oilfield and along Ithriya-al-Rasafeh road were repelled by the Syrian army men," the sources said, adding, "Scores of the ISIL members were killed or wounded in the failed attacks and one of them was captured by the Syrian army." Reports said earlier on Tuesday that t...

 Iran Special Forces Foil Terrorists’ Plots to Stage Attacks in Tehran After thwarting a Takfiri-Wahhabi plot to stage attacks in Tehran, Iran’s Intelligence Ministry has released a video showing the country’s crack forces raiding the hideout of the terrorists in the capital. The video, released on Wednesday, shows the forces amassing at the entrance of a residence before scaling its walls and apprehending one of the elements in his sleep. It also features the footage of a Peugeot 405, apparently wired and laden with explosives for a bombing attack. On Tuesday, Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi briefed reporters on the recent swoop, saying as many as 10 terrorists were apprehended from June 14 to 20 in Tehran and three border and central provinces. “Currently, the terrorists are being investigated, while follow-up all-out intelligence and operational activities are simultaneously underway both inside and outside the country.” Alavi said the militants were planning remote control...

By Graham Vanbergen Transnational corporations are wreaking havoc on financial, economic, social and ecological systems in a creeping colonisation of public life where just 147 organisations now controls 40 per cent of global trade. We all have a feeling that something is not quite right any more. We know there is a creeping colonisation of public life by corporations because we know a slow motion coup d’état is taking place by transnational organisations facilitated by our political leaders. The incontrovertible proof stares at us in the face every day with wave after wave of financial, economic, social and ecological crisis. A clear and troublesome picture of corporate power has emerged in recent years where rising inequality is now simply the distinction of expanding corporate activity and those being left behind. A study in 2000 by Corporate Watch, Global Policy Forum and the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) revealed some alarming facts about a rising corporatocracy that should h...