On this months episode Christoph and I take an in-depth look at the recent “Four Day War” between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the Nagorno Karabhak region. We discuss the causes for this latest outbreak of violence, and the various regional and global actors involved. Christoph also breaks down the history of this long-forgotten, frozen conflict.
In our second segment we look into a variety of spy-games being played between Turkey and Russia. We begin with the recent reversal by the FSB that Turkey was involved in the downing of a Russian passenger plane in Egypt and what this may mean. Christoph and I discuss the political situation within NATO. We focus on NATO’s hesitancy to get further entrenched in a military situation with Russia, and how NATO members are responding to this .
Next we discuss the recent interview that the reclusive Fethullah Gulen gave to a Russian newspaper, in which she attacks Turkey for shooting down a Russian fighter jet near the Syrian border. Christoph and I both offer our theories and analysis as to why Gulen is speaking now, and what it means that he is speaking out against Erdogan.
Next we discuss the recent arrest of Grey Wolf fighter Alparslan Celik. Faithful listeners will remember that Celik was the “Turkmen” rebel leader that took credit for the killing of a Russian pilot Oleg Peshkov. Then we turn to the recent arrest of two Russian spies by the MIT in Turkey for their role in the murder of Chechen militant Abdulvakhid Edelgireyev. We finish off this section by taking a look at the rising influence of Grey Wolves inside Germany, using the recent clashes between Grey Wolves and PKK supporters in the city of Aschaffenburg as an example.
For our weird terrorism section Christoph and I give a final farewell to our favorite Georgian Jihadi, Tarkhan Batirashvili aka Omar al-Shishani. We talk about the Pentagon operation that killed him, and why this time they may actually be speaking the truth. We also take a closer look at the Panama Papers and the telltale signs that this was a CIA operation.
On this week’s episode Christoph Germann and I cover three major flash points in Central Asia and the Caucasus region: We start by examining some of the recent developments in Afghanistan, beginning with the surge in opium cultivation and heroin production. We discuss how this was always one of the main goals of the NATO-led invasion and how integral opium is to black operations such as Gladio B. Next we take a look at a story which received almost no coverage in the mainstream media, the “invasion” of Afghanistan by neighboring Turkmenistan. We look at why the Turkmen government decided to send in troops to the Faryab region of Afghanistan and what this means for the future of the nation, as well as the proposed TAPI natural gas pipeline. We then explore the reality of the so-called “withdrawal” of US and NATO troops from the war-ravaged country. Christoph explains why there is no actual withdrawal, given the thousands upon thousands of remaining military contractors, a massive embassy and Obama’s’ quiet expansion of the US mission with each passing day. We end the Afghanistan segment by taking a look at China’s increased involvement in the nation. We look at the Chinese proposal to restart peace talks with the Taliban, and explore the notion that they could sway the Pakistanis to ease up their support for Taliban factions.
For our next segment we move to Kyrgyzstan and first take a look at that nation’s warm relations with Russia. Christoph explains what the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union is, and why the Kyrgyz government has decided to join in. Later we discuss recent actions the Kyrgyz government has taken against various western-funded NGO’s, including Freedom House and the George Soros-funded Advocacy Center for Human Rights. Christoph explains why Kyrgyzstan is quite worried about these NGO’s “promoting democracy” in a country that saw two recent color revolutions orchestrated by western NGO’s. We finish off by looking at Soros’ recent visit to the nation, as well as allegations that the State Department’s Tech Camp event could be a prelude to a Maidan-style “revolution.”
Our third segment takes a critical look at the recent firing of Georgian Defense minster Irakli Alasania, and at how this is being framed as some sort of reversal of Georgia’s pro-NATO Euro-Atlantic choice by Alasania, while the current regime is doing all it can to integrate faster into the NATO sphere. Christoph and I discuss what this could mean for the future of the NATO-controlled nation, especially with the upcoming 2016 elections in Georgia. We also look at billionaire oligarch Bidzina Ivanashvili and his control of Georgian politics. We finish off the podcast by taking a look at the recent “killing” of infamous terrorist Samantha Lewthwaite in Eastern Ukraine and Tarkhan Batirashvili in Syria. We both offer our perspectives on what the FSB and Russia may be trying to say with these announced killings, and explain why neither of these figures is actually dead.
FULL DISCLOSURE: Tom and I are no longer associated with Sibel Edmond, or BoilingFrogs/Newsbud. I think she is a con-artist and a petty and vindictive individual. If you want to know more about why I broke off all ties with Sibel you can find out more here:
On this special thirtieth episode of Porkins Policy Radio we welcome back Sibel Edmonds and Tom Secker for a roundtable discussion of The Lone Gladio and Operation Gladio B. Tom starts us off by exploring some of the themes brought out in The Lone Gladio with respect to main character Greg McPhearson; will we ever see a “rogue agent” within the CIA take on the agency? How does the oft-used concept of “blow-back” fit in with the murder of Greg’s lover Mai? Sibel discusses in detail the problems with blow-back as they exist in popular discourse, and explains how unintended consequences of covert operations are almost always intended by those implementing them. Later we move on to the endgame scenario for Operation Gladio: Sibel explains how the “Pakistanization” of Turkey is in fact a goal of the Gladio Deep State network. Sibel talks about how beneficial it is to the Gladio operators to have a weak and divided Turkey. We discuss the new face of ISIS, Georgian-born jihadi Tarkhan Batirashvili and his striking similarity to one of Sibel’s characters in The Lone Gladio, Yousef Mohammad, as well as the real life story of Ayman al Zawahiri. Rounding out the conversation is Sibel’s analysis of the current geopolitical situation with Russia and NATO. Sibel goes into detail about the reality of Putin’s power, and gives her opinion as to why Russia has not been more confrontational towards the encroaching NATO presence in its own backyard.
The wait is finally over: The new podcast series produced by Christoph Germann and me, Porkins Great Game, is now up and running! This new podcast will deal exclusively with Central Asia and the Caucus region, and will explore the various geopolitical machinations that compose the “New Great Game.” Porkins Great Game will be a monthly podcast and we really encourage you to be a part of this endeavor. So please follow us on Twitter, @PorkinsPolicy & @NewGreatGame, and feel free to email us with topic suggestions and news stories that pertain to the new great game. You can contact me by emailing porkinspolicy@gmail.com, and you can contact Christoph through the contact form on christophgermann.blogspot.com
On this month’s episode we take a look at the increasing violence in Xinjiang as well as the ISIS connection within the Uyghur separatist movement, and take a look at the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization conference in Tajikistan. We discuss the military buildup in NATO proxy-country Georgia as we consider the recent announcement to set up both a NATO training center and training camp for Syrian rebels. Rounding off the Georgia section, we take a look at probable intelligence operative and ISIS commander Tarkhan Batirashivili, offer an update on former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, an consider Sibel Edmonds’ new novel The Lone Gladio and how it pertains to Georgia. Later we examine some of the recent attempts by the government of Azerbaijan to crack down on the Gulenist movement with in the country. Christoph and I explore how the national oil and gas company of Azerbaijan, SOCAR, may be quietly reopening many of the Gulen-funded schools that were recently closed. We also touch upon the the claim that ISIS captured a SOCAR fuel tanker in Syria, and talk about the twentieth anniversary of the signing of the “Contract of the Century.” We conclude the podcast with an exploration of the ambush of Saudi Prince Abdul Aziz bin Fahd this summer in Paris. This story received almost no media coverage, despite the theft of over $300,000 and diplomatic documents from one of the prince’s cars. Abdul Aziz bin Fahd is of course a high-profile royal official who has been linked to terrorism in Syria, and to billionaire and former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
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