4. Loose nukes
It was recently reported that the US had quietly removed 130 of its
nuclear warheads from Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany. That still
leaves over 350 US warheads across Europe, but the question remains:
what happened to the Ramstein nukes? The Pentagon and German Defense
Ministry aren’t talking, and it can’t necessarily be assumed that the
warheads have been destroyed. Shuffled to some different country with
less stringent weapons controls or hidden away for use in future
conflicts perhaps – who knows.
Meanwhile, in late June, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted to
fund by $66 million the production of even more nuclear warheads.
5. VP Arnie?
Schwarzenegger visited his hometown of Graz, Austria in late June,
ostensibly to attend the birthday party of a friend. The warm welcome
he received was quite a change from two years ago, when tensions flared
with town elders over his position on the death penalty and failure to
stop an execution in California. The war of words escalated until
Schwarzenegger requested that Graz remove his name from a local sports
stadium, and in a move reminiscent of high school crushes, he returned
a ring which city officials had given him.
This time around, however, Schwarzenegger was conciliatory and local
politicians clamored for photo ops – effectively sweeping bad blood
under the carpet. How convenient, and how necessary, for Schwarzenegger
and any ambitions he may have for 2008.
6. Cutting off Iraq’s water supply
For years, the Turkish government has tried to get international
funding to build a dam across the Tigris River. The potential impact on
villagers and the environment has stalled the project, and both Iraq
and Syria have expressed concern that the proposed Ilisu dam could give
Turkey power over their water supply.
European entities considering funding the project have received strong
public pressure to back out, and if they do, China appears only too
happy to step in and help build the dam.
Meanwhile, an estimated 250,000 Turkish troops are amassed near
Northern Iraq and just this week, the Prime Minister of Turkey
threatened to invade the country.
Long story short, Turkey and China are increasingly likely to assume a
major role in both Iraq and Syria. Doesn’t bode well for the Bush’s
administration’s plans.
7. GPS losing its way
The US monopoly over satellite navigation systems appears to be drawing
to a close. The Global Positioning System (GPS) has enabled civilians
to find their destinations and the military to coordinate troop
movements and detect nuclear detonations, but the US system will soon
face international competition. Global Navigation Satellite Systems are
being developed by Europe, China and India while a Russian system may
be operational as early as 2009 – another challenge to US hegemony on
the international stage.
8. New Russian arms race?
This month, Russia pulled out of the Treaty for Conventional Armed
Forces in Europe, established in 1990 to reduce the number of
conventional weapons (such as tanks and combat aircraft) in Europe.
Russia’s move signals the latest salvo in a power struggle between
European leaders and Russian President Putin, who is dead set against
the establishment of new US military bases and anti-missile systems in
eastern Europe and central Asia. But if Russia is not convinced to
rejoin the arms Treaty, then by the end of the year it can establish
weapons arsenals without NATO inspections and Putin may begin pulling
out of other international arms agreements, as Bush has done. Could be
the start of a new global arms race.
9. Murdoch’s megalomania
Media mogul Richard Murdoch has his sites on Dow Jones & Co.,
publisher of The Wall Street Journal and Barron’s, among others, and
owner of stock market indicators such as the Dow Jones industrial
average. Murdoch’s News Corp already controls an outrageous number of
newspapers, magazines, TV networks, cable channels and film studios
across the world and as Business Week observed in 2004,
Murdoch
"is not shy about using his media outlets to pursue agendas, whether
they're politically conservative causes or his own business interests."
For example, the UK’s Guardian pointed out that every single one of
Murdoch’s 175 newspapers across the globe parroted his pro-war views
before the invasion of Iraq.
News Corp offered $5 billion for Dow Jones, the board of directors gave
its approval and as early as next week a final decision will be
reached. If successful, Murdoch’s power in the US will expand even
further.
10. "Bring it on" Iran
The Senate recently voted 97-0 in favor of hawk Joe Lieberman’s
Amendment effectively blaming Iran for complicity in the death of
American soldiers; it’s worth noting that both Barack Obama and Hillary
Clinton sided with Lieberman on the vote. Meanwhile, a third US
aircraft carrier is on its way towards Iran and the UK’s Guardian
quoted a “well-placed Washington source” as saying
Bush is not going to leave office with Iran still in limbo.
So the drumbeat of impending doom continues, along with warnings of
upcoming false flag events - a new Gulf of Tonkin or 911 - timed before
Congress votes on Defense Appropriations in September.
Stay tuned…
Writings 
1. Protest war, lose your property?
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