Sweden announced they will be sending aircraft to enforce a no fly zone over Libya. The Swedish parliament voted 240-18 in favor of the plan.
They will send up to eight warplanes, including their JAS 39 Gripen, and a transport plane to join the NATO-led coalition.
This is almost getting to be like World War One, where countries jump in on the fight one after another, until the whole world is at war.
Ali Tarhouni, who claims to be in charge of the Libyan rebels’ finances, announced that Qatar will give rebels money for weapons and other items in exchange for Libya’s oil.
No wonder Qatar got involved with the military action against the Libyan government.
In a report issued by the Chinese Navy, it is clear they expect some kind of military confrontation in the future, with the United States.
The report was released March 31. It calls for increasing China’s ability to present a strategic deterrent and launch counterattacks at sea. The report is also clear about who they think they might have to launch counterattacks against: The United States.
Their reasoning is that the United States is reinforcing its regional military alliances, and increasing its involvement in Asian security affairs.
Chinese military officials are hoping their government will increase spending on more high tech weaponry. Welcome to the New Cold War.
OPEC has announced they will not increase oil production.
Currently Iran holds the presidency of OPEC. Iranian Oil Minister, Masoud Mir Kazemi, said there is no justification for OPEC to increase production, especially when OPEC supplies only 30 million barrels per day, compared to 55 million barrels from non-OPEC sources.
President Obama, Prime Minister Cameron, President Sarkozy all say the military action against Libya is about protecting peaceful civilians. It interesting that those peaceful civilians are attacking OIL towns.
That’s right, those peaceful rebels are not trying to implement regime change, they’re trying to take over all the oil towns.
Here’s a list of the cities ‘peaceful’ rebels have taken, or are attacking: Ajdabiya, Ras Lanuf, As Sidra, Benghazi, Brega and Misratah. All these cities are connected to the oil industry in some way.
In Egypt, and Tunis, truly peaceful protesters focused their efforts in their country’s capitols. They wanted to be in the face of their unresponsive governments. Yet, almost from the start, what is happening in Libya is armed rebels attacking oil fields and oil cities. This is an all out military action, NOT peaceful protest!
In the last week of February China began evacuating their oil field workers from Libya, because they were being attacked by armed “gangs”. These gangs deliberately destroyed all the Chinese equipment. These are not ‘peaceful’ protesters.
Rebel leaders, and Libyan arms dealers working in Egypt, have admitted that from early on they were being armed by the West. President Obama, where are the peaceful Libyan protesters?
The Exxon/Mobile Shiogama Oil Terminal near Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, resumed operations on Thursday (Japan time).
Local officials in north east Honshu, Japan, say the oil refinery, which makes gasoline and heating fuel, is key in helping local economic recovery after the 9.0 quake/tsunami.
Japan’s disasters just keep hitting everywhere, now printer ink.
Manufactures of printer ink have asked Japanese publishing companies to cut back on printing production because of ink shortage.
Last year there were concerns of ink/toner shortages, now it looks like Japan’s disaster has made that situation worse.
Ink/toner recyclers will probably benefit from this new shortage.
Farnas Aerospace Company, and Iranian Aviation and Space Industries Association, have unveiled an unmanned flying saucer.
The spy flying saucer, called Zohal, is equipped with an auto-pilot system, GPS (Global Positioning System), two separate imaging systems with full HD 10 mega-pixel picture quality, and is able to take and send images simultaneously.
“We have exported a 1,000-ton cargo of gasoline to Afghanistan this (Iranian year), and we are amidst negotiations to export the second and third cargoes to the country,”-Iranian Deputy Oil Minister Alireza Zeiqami
Ironically, Iran’s refined gas industry has gotten a boost from U.S. and European economic sanctions. So much so that Iran is negotiating new contracts with surrounding countries.
The latest sanctions against Iran forbids companies from selling refined gas to Iran. As a result Iran increased its own fuel refining, and found out that its neighbors, like Afghanistan, wanted to buy it.
Iranian Oil Minister Massoud Mir-Kazzemi said their fuel refining has increased so much that that Iran no longer needs foreign imports. So much for sanctions.
By the way, does anyone like the idea that were throwing billions of U.S. dollars down the drain in Afghanistan, while other countries make money off Afghanistan? Where did Afghanistan get the money to buy the Iranian gas?
Almost from day one of the so called revolution in Libya, President Obama said “It’s time for Gaddafi to go.” He didn’t say that about Mubarak, not for several weeks of the Egyptian Revolution anyway.
Obama has said many times he wanted Gaddafi out. Then Gaddafi’s compound is bombed by coalition forces, and the official statement from coalition leaders is that they were not trying to bomb Gaddafi. That’s one dumb smart bomb then.
Here is what Obama said today: “Now, I also have stated that it is U.S. policy that Gadhafi needs to go.” President Obama has basically admitted that trying to get rid of Gaddafi IS what he’s trying to do. Obama then goes on to admit that UNSCR 1973 does not allow him to do that: “But when it comes to the military action, we are doing so in support of U.N. Resolution 1973 that specifically talks about humanitarian efforts, and we are going to make sure we stick to that mandate.”
Obama also says he’s hoping that other “tools” will be used to allow the Libyan people to kick Gaddafi out. Remember, UNSCR 1973 is supposed to be about protecting peaceful civilians, not regime change. Lies. lies and more lies!