2010 NATO summit in Lisbon

[TonyGosling]

Global warfare: After NATO summit, U.S. to intensify military drive into Asia
*by Rick Rozoff, Global Research, 18 November 2010*
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=21977

Barack Obama, the latest rotating imperator of the first global empire, will arrive in Lisbon on November 19 to receive the plaudits of 27 North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies and secure their continued fealty on issues ranging from the war in Afghanistan to a continental interceptor missile system, the continued deployment of American tactical nuclear weapons in Europe, participation in the Pentagon’s cyber warfare plans and expanded military missions in the planet’s south and east.

Perfunctory discussions of minor details notwithstanding, strictly pro forma to maintain the myth of NATO being a “military alliance of democratic states in Europe and North America,” the banners and pennants of 26 European nations, Canada and dozens of other countries contributing troops for the Afghan mission will be lowered in the presence of the leader of the world imperium..............

[TonyGosling]

Cold war era fades further as Russia, NATO agree to 'reset' relations
Russia accepted NATO’s decision at a two-day summit in Lisbon, Portugal to develop a missile defense system to protect Europe’s territory and population from ballistic missile attack.
By Howard LaFranchi, Staff writer / November 21, 2010
Lisbon, Portugal

In a speech last week to “young Atlanticists” - young people from Europe, the US, and Canada – NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he realized that to them, talking about the cold war must be akin to discussing the Peloponnesian War.

Yet the six-decade-old North Atlantic defense alliance between Europe and North America has its origins in the cold war. And that is one reason that anyone a little older than Mr. Rasmussen’s audience could have been justifiably amazed at the degree of cooperation launched between NATO and its old nemesis, Russia, at this weekend’s NATO summit.

As Russian President Dmitry Medvedev joined NATO leaders including President Obama on Saturday, Russia formally agreed to expand its cooperation with the NATO effort in Afghanistan. Russia will allow more NATO supplies to pass through its territory, and for the first time agreed that non-lethal military equipment leaving Afghanistan can also exit across its borders................
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2010/1121/Cold-war-era-fades-fur ther-as-Russia-NATO-agree-to-reset-relations

[cem]

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http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2010/11/21/president-gul-nato-miss ile-plan-is-in-line-with-our-expectations/

President Gul: NATO missile plan is in line with our expectations



[propaganda alert]

22 November 2010



1) President Obama: We agreed to develop a missile defense capability for NATO territory to protect all of our allies in Europe (20 November 2010)

2) President Sarkozy: Let’s call a spade a spade: Today’s missile threat, it’s Iran (20 November 2010)

3) President Gul: NATO missile plan is in line with our expectations (20 November 2010)

4) Iran: Turkey has been notified about our concerns over the suspicious NATO missile plan (16 November 2010)

from the archives:

5) U.S.: Turkey plays an important role as an ally at the front line of ballistic missile threats (12 October 2010)

6) President Gul: You should not underestimate how seriously we take the issue of a nuclearized Iran (30 September 2010)

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“We have just concluded an extremely productive NATO summit […] [W]e have reaffirmed the central premise of NATO — our Article V commitment that an attack on one is an attack on all. […] Most important[ly], we agreed to develop a missile defense capability for NATO territory […] to protect all of our allies in Europe as well as the United States.”


[U.S. President Barack Obama, press conference after NATO Summit in Lisbon, 20 November 2010] [1]



“No name appears in the documents made public by NATO, but let’s call a spade a spade: Today’s missile threat, it’s Iran. So, if one day Iran launches a missile towards Europe, being able to intercept it would certainly be desirable.”


[President of France Nicholas Sarkozy, press conference at the NATO Summit in Lisbon, 20 November 2010] [2] [3]



“The strategic concept adopted [by NATO] yesterday is in line with our expectations. We are very pleased about that. [4] [The NATO missile] defense system is being established against ballistic missiles, not against this or that country.” [5]


[President of Turkey Abdullah Gul, press conference at the NATO Summit in Lisbon, 20 November 2010] [4] [5]



“Turkey is our neighbour and friend. […] Authorities in Turkey have been notified about the concerns of the Islamic countries in the region over the suspicious [NATO missile defense] project.


[Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast, weekly press conference, 16 November 2010] [6]


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“In the context of the [Obama administration’s] phased adaptive approach [to ballistic missile defense in Europe], Turkey plays an important role […] because of its geographic location. And as we look at where the ballistic missile threats can come from, Turkey seems to us to be very much along the front lines. […]

And now the decisions are in Ankara to make, both on Turkey’s role but especially, and this is another important point, especially on where Turkey is when it comes to voting at [NATO's Lisbon Summit] […] on whether to take on missile defense, territorial missile defense, as a NATO capability.”


[U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and NATO Policy Jim Townsend JR., briefing on the upcoming NATO Ministerial Meetings in Brussels, Washington Foreign Press Center, Washington, D.C., 12 October 2010] [7]



“[Y]ou should not underestimate how seriously we take the issue of a nuclearized Iran. After all, we are neighbors and nuclear weapons would threaten us most of all. We are the first to object.”


[President of Turkey Abdullah Gul, interview with the Christian Science Monitor, 30 September 2010] [8]



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notes:


[1] Obama’s Press Conference After NATO Summit in Lisbon

The White House website, 20 November 2010

http://www.america.gov/st/texttrans-english/2010/November/201011201802 10su0.4472882.html?CP.rss=true



[2] Missile threat today comes from Iran: Sarkozy

France 24, 20 November 2010

http://www.france24.com/en/20101120-missile-threat-today-comes-iran-sa rkozy



[3] [Note: The second sentence of the quote has been translated by Cem Ertür from the original French transcript.]

Sommet de l’OTAN – Conférence de presse de M. le Président de la République [NATO Summit – Press conference of the President of the Republic]

Présidence de La Republique (website of the President of France), 20 November 2010

http://www.elysee.fr/president/les-actualites/conferences-de-presse/20 10/sommet-de-l-otan-conference-de-presse-de-m-le.10064.html



[4] Turkey has Shaped NATO’s New Strategic Concept

Presidency of the Republic of Turkey website, 20 November 2010

http://www.tccb.gov.tr/news/397/78085/turkey-has-greatly-contributed-t o-natos-new-strategic-concept.html



[5] Turkey accepts NATO missile plan

Press TV, 20 November 2010

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/151764.html



[6] [Note: This quote has been translated from Turkish by Cem Ertür]

ABD ve NATO anlasmaya yakin [U.S., NATO close to reach agreement]

Anadolu Ajansi, 16 November 2010

http://www.aa.com.tr/tr/abd-ve-nato-anlasmaya-yakin-3.html



[7] U.S. Official on Upcoming NATO Ministerial Meetings in Brussels

America.gov, 12 October 2010

http://www.america.gov/st/texttrans-english/2010/October/2010101312051 8su0.9436718.html?CP.rss=true



[8] The Christian Science Monitor

Presidency of the Republic of Turkey website, 30 September 2010

http://www.tccb.gov.tr/interviews/379/77438/the-christian-science-moni tor.html



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related links:


Lisbon Summit: NATO proclaims itself global military force

by Rick Rozoff, Dandelion Salad, 22 November 2010

http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2010/11/22/lisbon-summit-nato-proc laims-itself-global-military-force-by-rick-rozoff/



Active Engagement, Modern Defence – Strategic Concept for the Defence and Security of The Members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation adopted by Heads of State and Government in Lisbon

NATO website, 19 November 2010

http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/official_texts_68580.htm



U.S.: Turkey plays an important role as an ally at the front line of ballistic missile threats

Dandelion Salad, 17 October 2010

http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2010/10/17/us-turkey-plays-an-impo rtant-role-as-an-ally-at-the-front-line-of-ballistic-missile-threats/



Turkey’s President Gul: Iran’s ultimate aspiration is to acquire nuclear weapons

Dandelion Salad, 29 March 2010

http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2010/03/29/turkey%E2%80%99s-presid ent-gul-iran%E2%80%99s-ultimate-aspiration-is-to-acquire-nuclear-weapo ns/


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from the archives:


Coming war against Iran: Increasing Anglo-American pressure on Turkey

by Cem Ertür, Global Research, 21 June 2008

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=9407



Will Turkey be complicit in another war against another neighbour?

by Cem Ertür, CASMII, 24 February 2008

http://www.campaigniran.org/casmii/index.php?q=node/4153


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[TonyGosling]

NATO is 'mafia' and Obama a 'snake charmer': Castro
AFP, Nov 23, 2010, 10.00am IST
HAVANA: NATO is a "military mafia," the war in Afghanistan is "genocidal" and US President Barack Obama deserves the prize for the "best snake charmer" who ever lived, Cuba's Fidel Castro has said.
In an article published on Tuesday in response to the Western alliance's weekend summit in Portugal, the former Cuban leader called NATO an "aggressive institution" that ignored "billions of persons suffering from poverty, underdevelopment, shortages of food, housing, health, education and jobs."
Castro, 84, communism's most visible living figure, led Cuba from the 1959 Revolution until he stepped down for health reasons in 2006, handing over the presidency to his brother Raul.
Castro called NATO (short for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) "a bird of prey sitting in the lap of the Yankee empire," that was used by the United States to wage "the genocidal Afghanistan war."
He brushed off ambitious plans unveiled at the Lisbon summit that would have Western leaders press Kabul to take over security by 2014, predicting they would eventually "hand over power to the Afghan resistance, in defeat."
The United States is "going through a difficult phase as the result of its war exploits" and using its "enormous media resources to maintain, dupe and confuse world public opinion," Castro said.
"Obama already admitted that his promise to withdraw US soldiers from Afghanistan may be postponed... After the Nobel Prize, we would have to award him with the prize for 'the best snake charmer' that has ever existed."
Read more: NATO is 'mafia' and Obama a 'snake charmer': Castro - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/NATO-is-mafia-a nd-Obama-a-snake-charmer-Castro-/articleshow/6973884.cms#ixzz1688VBVz0