This morning's key headlines from
GenerationalDynamics.com.
- Wikileaks poised to embarrass the Syrian regime and its American supporters
- Artillery from Syria kills people in Lebanon
- China escalates military buildup in South China Sea
- Philippines: China is annexing the West Philippine Sea
- Japan / China tensions rise over disputed islands in the East China Sea
Wikileaks poised to embarrass the Syrian regime and its American supporters
Bashar al-Assad, who wears a
Hitler-like mustache, and his lovely wife Asma. Supposedly, the
e-mail messages contain personal information about their relationship.
(AP)
WikiLeaks announced on Thursday that it would publish material from
2.4 million Syrian e-mail messages, many of them from official
government accounts. The messages would be published gradually, over
a period of months. The first batch of e-mail messages contains
communications between the Syrian government and its New York/London
based PR firm Brown Lloyd James (BLJ). In the messages the firm BLJ
advises the Bashar al-Assad regime how to use public relations to
create an appearance of reform while continuing to assault, torture,
maim and exterminate innocent Sunni Arab protesters. However, BLJ
asserts that they were attempting to convince the Assad regime to stop
the violence.
AP and
Ynet
Artillery from Syria kills people in Lebanon
Local farm residents in northern Lebanon are fleeing their villages
"in a state of panic and fear" after three people, including a young
boy, were killed in their homes by artillery shells fired from across
the border in Syria. Fighting has been increasing along the
Syria-Lebanon border, and it's widely feared that the fighting in
Syria will spread to the region as a whole.
BBC
China escalates military buildup in South China Sea
China is announcing that a team of four China Marine Surveillance
ships have arrived at the Spratly Islands in the South china Sea, in
order to "protect China's territory." The Chinese refer to them as
the Nansha Islands. The ships appear to be combat ready, as they've
already threatened and driven away a Vietnamese vessel "trying to pass
through Chinese territory at high speed." It's just one example of
how the Chinese are protecting their "sovereignty" in South China sea,
and "to enforce law and order within China’s territorial waters."
China's military buildup is in preparation for a war to enforce its
claim to have full sovereignty over the entire South China Sea,
including areas historically belonging to other countries.
Xinhua
Philippines: China is annexing the West Philippine Sea
South China Sea, with
blue line added to show region claimed by China as part of its
sovereign territory
As part of China's military escalation in the South China Sea, China
is establishing a prefecture-level city called Sansha City near the
Spratly Islands to govern the entire regime. A Philippines official
says that the move is a "virtual annexation" of the West Philippine
Sea and sets the stage for the occupation of the country’s
territories. As another issue, China agreed to withdraw its boats
from the Scarborough Shoal lagoon, where China and the Philippines
had a military standoff two months ago. However, China did not honor
its own agreement, and is stationing 23 boats and ships inside the
lagoon.
Philippines Star
Japan / China tensions rise over disputed islands in the East China Sea
China is also claiming sovereignty over islands in the East China Sea.
The islands, known as Senkaku by the Japanese and Diaoyu by the
Chinese, are claimed by Japan. Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda
said on Saturday that he's considering a plan to nationalize the
islands to strength Japan's control over them. Saying that the
islands that are "undisputedly part of Japan's inherent territory by
historical evidence and international law," he proposed purchasing
them from their private Japanese owners, a move that's certain to
raise nationalistic fervor in China.
AP