ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

NATO is continuing its military buildup and “exercises” on Russia’s borders, Moscow is taking “counter-measures,” while the US mainstream media remains silent. By Stephen F. Cohen Twitter Email Pri Nation contributing editor Stephen F. Cohen and John Batchelor continue their weekly discussions of the new US -Russian Cold War. (Previous installments are at TheNation.com ). This installment returns to the large-scale NATO military buildup on Russia’s Western frontiers, again on land, sea, and in the air, now featuring Operation “Anaconda-2016,” an “exercise” involving more than 30,000 American and other NATO forces in Poland. Batchelor asks whether alarmed warnings by informed analysts, including three longtime Russian residents in the United States, that actual war may be imminent are plausible. Cohen thinks this worst-case scenario cannot be ruled out, for several reasons. The NATO build up is not episodic but intended to grow and be permanent, and be ratified at the NATO

By Dmitry Orlov Previously, I have written about the progression from positive interest rates to zero interest rates (since 2008) and finally to negative interest rates. And I asked my readers a simple question: How will negative interest rates blow up the financial system? And apparently none of you knew the answer. Now, I must confess that to start with I didn’t know the answer either, which is why I asked the question, and my first attempts at finding it were somewhat tentative. But now, having thought about it, I do seem to have found the answer, and it is that… But first let us back up a bit and answer several preliminary questions: 1. Why did zero interest rates become necessary? 2. Why are negative interest rates now necessary? and, 3. Why are negative interest rates a really excellent idea?* * if you ignore certain unintended consequences (which is what everyone does all the time, so let’s not worry about them just yet). 1. Interest rates went to zero because economic growth

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry has demanded of the Saudi government to clarify their action regarding the gathering of financial contributions for ISIS terror group within the kingdom. The ministry spokesman Ahmad Jamal said, we are waiting the Saudi authorities to clarify their interior ministry press statement about the existence of financial contributions within the Kingdom for the benefit of ISIS terror group, adding that any aid for a terror group under the guise of helping "children of Fallujah" represents a clear violation of Security Council resolutions, Alsumaria reported.

Dozens of ISIS suicide bombers were arrested by the Syrian forces along al-Tabaqa airbase road before they could carry out their operations, military sources said. "The army men and the National Defense Forces (NDF), tipped off by the intelligence agents, surrounded the group of the ISIS terrorists carrying suicide-belts and arrested them," the sources said, adding, "The suicide attackers were mostly between 16-20 age and even one of them was at the age of 13." "Three of the suicide bombers exploded their explosives but none of the army men was injured in the blasts," the sources said. Earlier reports said that the Syrian Army troops and NDF, who captured al-Rasafeh energy-rich region earlier today, hit ISIL's positions around the region's oil and power facilities and captured them after hours of heavy clashes. The Syrian government forces won the battle against the ISIS in al-Rasafeh triangle and captured oil pumping station and power station in

ISIS terrorists have planted bombs in copies of the Quran to prevent the advance of Iraqi forces in Fallujah, Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Jafari announced. Speaking to Iraqi media, Jafari underlined that methods employed by ISIL contradict the teachings of Islam, al-Wasat daily reported. He said such acts of desecrating the Quran by ISIS only strengthen the resolve of Iraqi troops and volunteers to combat the terrorist group. Iraqi forces launched an offensive on May 23 to retake the city, the first to fall to ISIL in Iraq in January 2014. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on June 1 the offensive on Fallujah had been slowed down in order to protect civilians. Humanitarian aid groups and residents said at the time that ISIS has trapped around 50,000 civilians, including 20,000 children, in Fallujah, threatening those who try to escape with death. The Northern and Western parts of Iraq have been plagued by violence ever since ISIL terrorists began an offensive thr

Iraqi forces have managed to liberate more areas near the strategic city of Fallujah in Anbar province from the control of the Daesh (ISIS / ISIL) terrorist group, tightening noose around the militants in the city. Iraq’s counter-terrorism forces regained control of the neighborhood of al-Shuhada Two to the south of the Fallujah on Wednesday, according to the Arabic-language al-Sumaria news website. According to the report, the forces raised the Iraqi flag over the buildings of the district and are continuing to advance towards others areas. The development comes as Lieutenant General Abdelwahab al-Saadi, the commander of Fallujah Liberation Operations, said on Tuesday that government forces, together with fighters from the allied Popular Mobilization Units, are poised to liberate Fallujah from Daesh within the next few days. On May 22, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the start of the liberation operation of the Daesh-held Fallujah. Nearly 70 kilometers west of

In March Abu Hayjaa Al-Tunsi, a "Tunisian jihadi" and a senior commander with the Daesh group was targeted by a drone missile when driving through northern Syria in order to lead terrorists in the fighting there. His death led to Daesh executing dozens of its own terrorist in search of informants. The killing of Al-Tunsi at the time caused the group kills 38 of its own members on suspicion of acting as informants.They were among dozens of Daesh members killed by their own leadership in recent months in a vicious purge after a string of airstrikes killed prominent figures.   " Others have disappeared into prisons and still more have fled, fearing they could be next as the terror group turns on itself in the hunt for moles, according to Syrian opposition activists, Kurdish militia commanders, several Iraqi intelligence officials and an informant for the Iraqi government who worked within Daesh ranks. " A mobile phone or Internet connection can raise susp

A Frenchman with an arsenal of weapons and a grudge against his government's immigration policies was detained as he tried to leave Ukraine and launch an assault on the European Championship, Ukrainian officials said Monday, describing it as a thwarted plot for a "series of 15 terrorist attacks." The announcement came as France promised unprecedented security for the soccer tournament's crowds and stadiums, which includes the French national stadium that was attacked by suicide bombers on Nov. 13. The tournament begins Friday among Europe's top 24 national teams and mesmerizes the continent — and much of the world — for a month. Ukrainian agents had been following the man since December, and allowed him to buy five machine guns, two rocket-propelled grenade launchers, 125 kilograms (275 pounds) of TNT, 100 detonators and other arms. He also bought 20 balaclavas before he was arrested at the Yahodyn border crossing between Ukraine and Poland last month, th