The Chinese government recently announced a near 10% increase in their military budget for 2018. Chinese state media have defended the decision, saying it is part of a modernization program, calling the increase “proportionate and low.”
The increase is the biggest jump in Chinese military spending in recent years. In 2014, the total was $132 billion, which grew to $145 billion in 2015, $147 billion in 2016 and will reach $175 billion next year. Zhang Yesui, a spokesperson for the first annual session of the 13th NPC, explained that the extra money is not to increase China’s overall military capacity, but to update and modernize their armed forces:
“A large part of the growth of the defense budget is to make up for the low military spending in the past and is mainly used to upgrade equipment and improve the welfare of servicemen and women and the living and training conditions of grassroots troops.”
Sputnik spoke to political analyst Pearse Redmond about the geopolitical struggles that are the underlying reasons for China’s consistently growing military expenditure:
“As China becomes more and more integrated in the global economy it understands that maintaining economic superiority requires more security. In Africa, where China has poured vast sums of money into various projects, they have also been quietly building small military bases and developing relationships with various African military and security forces. For example, in Djibouti, once the exclusive military domain of the US, China now operates a naval base adjacent to the Port of Doraleh, which is west of Djibouti City.”
Aaron Franz, a cornerstone contributor to the Ochelli Effect, joins us for a rare Tuesday flanked by Porkins himself Pearse Redmond. Unique conversation is what we got. Trump scandals, The ever-shifting sands of the middle-east, and a march to madness in America all seem to be fair game. Chuck is still sick but moving forward with all he can. It was a good thing Aaron was with us, and Pearse kept everything flowing. By The Way, What is news? What should be the focus in the information wars? Is musical Chairs the official game of the Orange-White HouseAre Trump Era Bimbo-Eruptions the Newest Normal? trump duck dynasty, and The Trumpets duck the real questions about the bastard president. Butt-head without Beavis = Trump Jr.? The next wave of Drug Cartels. The Global Heroin market. Shall we dance? Playmates, Porn Stars, Propetual Warfare, Oh My …
We begin this episode by discussing the recent “rebellion” in Tajikistan. Christoph and I break down who Deputy Defense Minister Abduhalim Nazardoza was and why he carried out a series of deadly attacks in the capital. Christoph explains how this is being exploited by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon in his unending battle to destroy Central Asia’s only Islamist party, the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT). We discuss the role that the IRPT played during Tajikistan’s brutal civil war during the 1990’s and ultimately what this means politically.
In our second story we return yet again to the ongoing violence and instability in Afghanistan. We begin with a quick update on the infighting between Mullah Mansoor and rival Taliban factions. Having gained the support of Mullah Omar’s family Mullah Mansoor continues to assert his power and dominance in the region. Christoph and I go in to detail about the recent capture of the northern city of Kunduz by the Taliban. Christoph explains the strategic value of this city and how this represents a massive blow to President Ghani’s regime. We also break down the deliberate bombing of a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders by US bombers.
For our third story we take a look at Russia and their campaign to battle terrorism both home and abroad. First we touch on Kadyrov’s efforts to dissuade young men from joining ISIS by humiliating them on national TV, and his offer to bring the fight directly to Syria. We also discuss Russia’s intervention in Syria. Christoph and I analyze what is going on in Syria, the reasons for Russia getting involved, and what could be in store for them in the future. We finish up the conversation by taking a look at the recent defection of US trained Syrian rebels, Division 30, to Al Nusra.
We start this month’s episode by looking at the recent escapades of our good friend Mikhail Saakashvili. We begin by looking at Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko’s appointment of Saakashvili as governor of Odessa. Christoph and I discuss how this corrupt war criminal will now be in charge of a politically and economically important region of Ukraine. We also touch on the tricky game that is being played with Saakashvili and his Georgian citizenship. Later we focus on why Saakashvili was chosen to rule this region, focusing mostly on the bordering pro-Russian breakaway state of Transnistria. Christoph explains how Saakashvili may be part of a concerted effort to foment a proxy war between the West and Russia by using Transnistira as a staging ground. We talk about the deportation of Russian troops by the Moldovian government, as well as the placement of anti-aircraft missiles on the border between Ukraine and Transnistria.
Our second story is a look at the political situation in Azerbaijan. The unending tit-for-tat fight between Azerbaijan and the US continues, as the Caucasus nation yet again cracks down on pro-western forces. Christoph and I also take a look at the European Games which are being played right now in Baku. We discuss how Azerbaijan has used the Games as a pretext to ban both Amnesty International and the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe. Christoph also updates us on recent pipeline-politics developments in Azerbaijan.
For our third story we turn once again to the Northern Afghanistan and the increased fighting going on there. We break down some of the recent victories the Taliban has had over Afghan forces throughout Badakshan Province. The once untouched region is now slowly falling bit by bit to Taliban fighters, while the West continues to downplay the security situation in the North. Christoph and I also update our listeners on some of the recent peace talks taking place in Xinjiang between the Taliban and the Afghan government, brokered by Pakistan’s ISI. We end this section by looking at recent defections of Taliban fighters to ISIS and how ISIS is slowly becoming the dominant force in Afghanistan.
We close out this month’s episode with two bizarre stories that touch on ongoing Gladio operations. First we talk about the most recent high profile ISIS fighter to emerge, Tajik commander Gulmurod Halimov, what he might actually be up to and the similarities between him and other Gladio/CIA operatives. We finish off with an interesting terrorism case in London that had to be stopped when it became clear that MI6 was arming and funding the very group the state was going after.
For this month’s episode Christoph and I start by taking a look at a very important aspect of Gladio B, the East Turkestan Project, and specifically the terrorist smuggling rings that are active in bringing Uyghurs to Turkey. We start by taking a look at the most recent example of this type of operation which was just discovered in Shanghai. Christoph breaks down how widespread these large and sophisticated human smuggling rings are. We also touch on how the ongoing battle between Erdogan and Gulen has affected the political debate about the Uyghur issue in Turkey. Christoph and I highlight this point by discussing the rare admission by World Uyghur Congress President Reba Kadir that there are in fact Turkish smugglers sending Uyghurs to Syria and Iraq, and the interesting response in the Islamist Turkish media calling Kadir an “infidel” and “American agent for sale.”
Next we move on to Azerbaijan and discuss the the most recent attempts by the South Caucus nation to crack down on foreign-funded media and NGO’s. This time we look at the recent closing of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) offices in Baku and the arrest and detention of RFE/RL journalists and staff. Christoph breaks down how this recent crackdown is being spun in the West as a geopolitical shift away from NATO and the West, and into the arms of big, bad, evil Russia. Christoph and I explain how even though the rhetoric of Azerbaijan may be hostile, behind the scenes, particularly with regard to NATO, everything is going splendidly. We finish out the segment by dissecting one aspect of the Azerbaijan issue that continues to flare up, the ongoing crisis in breakaway region Nagorno-Karabahk, and how this relates to Azerbaijan’s increased “anti-Western” actions.
In our next segment we move on to the other actor in the Nagorno-Karabahk region, the small South Caucus nation of Armenia. Christoph and I start by discussing Armenia’s recent entry into the Russian-led economic bloc, the Eurasian Economic Union. Christoph explains why Armenia chose to join the EEU despite Europe’s desires to the contrary. We discuss how Armenia is stuck in a difficult position when it comes to EEU, as Russia , which they depend on to militarily back up their de-facto control of Nagorno-Karabahk, is their sole protective ally in the world. Christoph relates how Armenia’s membership in the EEU has led to the closing of the National Democratic Institute, which signals a tacit defeat for the American Deep-State’s “democracy promotion” agenda. We finish out this section on Armenia by focusing on the recent brutal murder of a family of seven by a Russian solider in the city of Gyumri and how this complicates Russian-Armenian relations.
Closing out this episode of PGG Christoph and I update the listeners on the Tajik-Afghan border crisis and the pipeline politics of Russia and Ukraine. We also comment on the recent Charlie Hebdo killings by looking at it from a geopolitical perspective. Christoph and I discuss how bizarre it is – – casting the already dead Awlaki and the practically dead Zawahiri as the masterminds of the attack. I also give my take on the situation in Yemen and how the Houthi led takover of the nation might be part of a much larger plan to get former president Saleh back in power.
In our first episode of 2015, Christoph and I look at the most recent attack in the Chechen capital of Grozny. We focus on who may have been behind the hours-long gun battle that left nearly 30 people dead. First we consider the support that neo-nazis in the Ukrainian parliament have been lending to the Chechen militants, both in rhetoric and possibly in material support as well. We also speak about the recent capture of a high-ranking Chechen terrorist trying to enter into Crimea from Ukraine. We then move on to the role that Turkey is playing in protecting and using Chechen’s in Gladio B operations. Christoph breaks down his recent article in Boiling Frogs Post which details several interesting Gladio operatives discovered in Turkey in recent months and years. We talk about the recent capture of Ayman Al Zawahiri’s man in Libya, Abd al-Baset Azzouz, while he was staying in a resort town in Turkey. Christoph explains Azzouz’s connections with the recently deceased Abu Anas Al-Liby, and how Azzouz worked for NATO during the overthrow of Gaddafi. Christoph also examines the assassination of prominent Chechen Medet Onlu, and how this may have been the work of the Turkish government in an attempt to silence a critic of the “Jihadist highway to Syria” . We end this segment by discussing a recent article by Brookings president Strobe Talbott, in which he predicts that 2015 will be the start of the Third Chechen War, and how a “prediction” by a deep-state actor like Tablott is really an announcement.
Our second story focuses on the demise of the much-lauded Russian-led natural gas pipeline known as South Stream. We discuss how US and EU pressure on Eastern European nations led Russia to cancel construction of the pipeline into Europe, and to declare instead that it will rote this gas to Turkey. Christoph and I discuss how Turkey is gradually positioning itself to be a major energy broker in the world, and what this may mean, geo-politically speaking.
For our last story we move to Tajikistan and its security problem along the porous border they share with Afghanistan. We discuss the recent kidnappings of Tajik border guards by the Taliban, and how they underscore the massive security problem in Afghanistan. Christoph explains why Tajikistan represents a more serious problem than neighboring Turkmenistan, and examines the Russian and Chinese responses to it. Christoph also talks about plans to create a “Greater Badakhstan” out of Tajik and Afghan territory right on China’s border.
We finish of the episode by taking a look at the start of the Boston Bombing trial. We discuss the Tsarnaev family’s connections to the CIA, and how this trial may be part of a much larger narrative that has yet to play out. Christoph and I also share our predictions for possible developments in Central Asia and the Caucasus region in 2015.
Fighting in Tajikistan has flared up between rebels and the government in the southern province of Gorno-Badakhshan. The fierce government led attack was believed to be a response to the stabbing of a top security official. The stabbing was blamed on the rebel groups loyal to Tolib Ayombekov operating in Gorno-Badakhshan. Gorno-Badakhshan is a semi-autonomous region within Tajikistan. During the brutal Tajik civil war, in which 50,000 are said to have died, those within Gorno-Badakhshan were granted a degree of autonomy. A UN brokered peace deal brought the Islamist rebel leader and warlord, Tolib Ayombekov, into the ruling government. The ruling governments 2010 campaign to rid the country of Islamists has made the situation in Gorno-Badakhshan extremely tense. President Emomali Rakhmon has been trying to consolidate power by squeezing out the Islamists.
Tajikistan is the poorest of all the Central Asian nations. It shares a huge border with Afghanistan, houses a significant number of Islamist fighters, and is the main transshipment point for Afghan heroin. According to the CIA World Fact Book, Tajikistan”…seizes roughly 80% of all drugs captured in Central Asia and stands third worldwide in seizures of opiates (heroin and raw opium);”
With the situation in Afghanistan inching towards civil war, and Tajiks making up the largest minority in Afghanistan, we should be very concerned with this latest spate of violence. Cross border violence alone could reach a staggering number. Americans should also be concerned with our increasingly close relationship with this corrupt and authoritarian country and the effect on American security. Our past dealings with secular dictators who oppress Muslims has not exactly turned out well for America.
Porkins Policy Review 