Cyprus detains 'Sudan-bound arms ship'

The US embassy in Nicosia said Washington was not involved.

Cyprus Does this stuff on their own , The U.S. doesn't need to get involved .

Somebody want's to kick it up a notch in Sudan ? Maybe Darfur ?



BBC
Cyprus has barred a ship carrying military equipment from leaving until inspectors confirm its cargo does not breach UN and EU arms embargos.

Commerce Minister Antonis Paschalides told Cyprus Radio there was "prohibited material" on board the Santiago, such as explosives and military equipment.

The manifest of the vessel says it was sailing to Sudan and Singapore.

The EU bans arms shipments to Sudan, while there is a UN embargo on armed groups in the nation's Darfur region.

Two rounds of north-south civil war since the 1960s have cost the lives of about 1.5 million people.

Meanwhile, a continuing conflict in Darfur has driven more than 2.6 million people from their homes and killed 300,000, according to the UN.

China hits out at US at 'Security Davos'

Give me a Break , China is now going to speak out against the U.S. for an arms deal with Taiwan , One of our Allies ?
Like China has never Had any arms deals with countries we have Questions about , How about all of the Arms going to IranSince the 80's ?
And what about that Hamas Deal ?
And then their is Darfur !


AFP
MUNICH, Germany — China's foreign minister used his maiden visit to a security conference in Europe Friday to issue a broadside against US arms sales to Taiwan and to resist US pressure to get tough on Iran.

The 6.4-billion-dollar deal unveiled last month to sell arms to Taiwan, which China views as part of its territory, is "obviously a violation of the code of conduct between nations," Yang Jiechi said.

"We approached the US side and made a representation very seriously, on many occasions, yet the US still went ahead with the sale."

"Of course the Chinese government and the people have to react. It is within its sovereign right to do what is necessary... I think the Chinese people and the government of every region should feel indignant about this thing."

The spat is one of several issues to have contributed to a worsening of relations in recent weeks, together with the upcoming White House visit by the Dalai Lama and cyber attacks on US firms such as Google.

Yang's comments came on the first day of the Munich Security Conference in Germany, a 46-year-old gathering dubbed the "Davos of security policy" after the World Economic Forum held last month at the Swiss ski resort.

The forum brings together some 300 top military, diplomatic and political figures, traditionally from members of the NATO military alliance but increasingly from further afield.

Venezuela buys powerful missiles with Russian loan

Hugo Chavez , with all his crazy ambitions could be the Next Kim Jong Il .
And Russia is still working very hard at getting it's hold on part's of south America .
And Russia has a problem with us putting up a Missile defense shield in Parts of Europe ?

CARACAS (Reuters) - Russia has agreed to lend Venezuela over $2 billion to purchase tanks and advanced anti-aircraft missiles in deals that show Moscow's commitment to working closely with Washington-foe President Hugo Chavez.

Chavez said on Sunday the purchases agreed upon on a trip to Moscow last week included 92 tanks and an S-300 missile system that can shoot down fighter jets and cruise missiles.

Two years ago, Russia agreed to sell the same S-300 system to Iran but has dragged its feet over delivering the weapons amid U.S. and Israeli concerns they will be used to defend Iran's nuclear installations.

The socialist Chavez, who claims the United States could attack Venezuela for its oil reserves, also reiterated that Moscow was helping Venezuela develop nuclear energy but said he had no intention of developing an atomic bomb.

"Let me be clear, Venezuela has no plans to invade anybody, or to be aggressive toward anybody," Chavez said on his weekly television show after announcing the $2.2 billion loan. He did not say how much the new weapons cost.
In recent years, Venezuela has bought over $4 billion in weapons from Russia including 24 Sukhoi fighter jets. Critics say Venezuela is fueling an arms race in Latin America, but Chavez says he is modernizing the military for defensive purposes.

Last year, he ordered tanks to the Colombian border in a dispute over a Colombian bombing raid in Ecuadorean territory.

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