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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 11-Aug-2013
11-Aug-13 World View -- Questions growing over Israel's drone attack on Sinai jihadists

Web Log - August, 2013

11-Aug-13 World View -- Questions growing over Israel's drone attack on Sinai jihadists

Violence with smugglers increases on Turkey - Syria border

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

India's Arihant nuclear submarine ready for sea acceptance trials
India and Vietnam strengthen military and strategic ties
Questions growing over Israel's drone attack on Sinai jihadists
Violence with smugglers increases on Turkey - Syria border

India's Arihant nuclear submarine ready for sea acceptance trials

India's INS Arihant submarine, now nuclear powered

India's INS Arihant submarine, now nuclear powered

India is celebrating switching on the nuclear reactor on Saturday of it's new nuclear-powered submarine, the Arihant, which means "destroyer of enemies" in Sanskrit. The enemies, presumably, are China and Pakistan. The submarine will initially be armed with K-15 nuclear missiles, with a range of 750 km, to be upgraded to K-4 nuclear missiles, with a 3,500 km range. Once it undergoes 18 months of extensive sea trials, with Russia's help, India will be joining the club whose only current members are the U.S., Russia, China, the U.K. and France, able to launch nuclear missiles from land, air or sea. Times of India and BBC

India and Vietnam strengthen military and strategic ties

The year 2012 marked the 40th anniversary of the establishment of full diplomatic relations between India and Vietnam. These two historic enemies of China are consolidating their activities in the fields of defense and security, trade and investment, science and technology, information technology, capacity building and human resource development, agriculture, education and culture. Two agreements are particularly important in view of the conflicts between China and its neighbors in the South China Sea. First, for several years, India and Vietnam have been jointly involved in oil exploration in the waters off Vietnam, in a region that has historically belonged to Vietnam. But this region, along with South China Sea regions historically belonging to other countries, are now being claimed by China in its modern "Lebensraum" policy, with the claims backed by military threats. Which leads to the second agreement between India and Vietnam: For the first time, India has offered a $100 million credit line to Vietnam to purchase military equipment. This will be used to purchase four patrol boats that Vietnam will use to defend its rights in the South China Sea. Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS)

Questions growing over Israel's drone attack on Sinai jihadists

Yesterday's reports, emerging from Egypt's Sinai region, of an Israeli drone strike in Sinai have not been confirmed by either Israelis or Egyptians, but if true would be a dramatic escalation in the violence in the region, marking the first time in decades that Israel's air force struck a target on Egyptian soil. Furthermore, Egypt denies initial reports that it gave Israel permission for the strike.

Sinai, like Gaza, has become a hornet's nest of terrorist activity, but unlike Gaza, the vast desert province is part of sovereign Egyptian territory, placing Israel in an ongoing dilemma on how to deal with emerging threats. On the one hand is the need to respect Egyptian sovereignty and maintain the strategically vital peace treaty with Cairo. On the other is the obligation to defend southern Israel from the rising terrorist threat.

Whether caused by an Israeli drone strike or not, the explosions killed five terrorists and a rocket launcher capable of firing Iranian-made M-75 missiles known as Fajr-5. It's thought that the current versions of these missiles have an integrated radar system with a 75 km range, causing Israel to close an airport in Eilat in southern Israel, near the Sinai border. Jerusalem Post and YNet and Debka

Violence with smugglers increases on Turkey - Syria border

Turkey's military says that 18 soldiers were wounded on Tuesday when border troops intercepted a group of almost 3,000 smugglers bringing diesel fuel from Syria into Turkey. When the confrontation began, the smugglers set barrels of diesel fuel on fire to keep the troops back, and the soldiers fired into the air and used tear gas to disperse the smugglers. Local villagers attacked the troops with stones, Molotov cocktails and firearms. Smuggling from Syria into Turkey is becoming big business, with the war leaving Syrian refineries and storehouses mostly unguarded. Diesel fuel costs four times as much in Turkey as in Syria. Relief supplies, provided by the international community for Syrians, are also being smuggled out and sold in southern Turkey. Zaman (Istanbul) and The National (UAE)

(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the 11-Aug-13 World View -- Questions growing over Israel's drone attack on Sinai jihadists thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (11-Aug-2013) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 11-Aug-2013 11-Aug-13 World View -- Questions growing over Israel's drone attack on Sinai jihadists

India's Arihant nuclear submarine ready for sea acceptance trials

India and Vietnam strengthen military and strategic ties

Questions growing over Israel's drone attack on Sinai jihadists

Violence with smugglers increases on Turkey - Syria border

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 11-Aug-2013
11-Aug-13 World View -- Questions growing over Israel's drone attack on Sinai jihadists