The U.S. military has sought to use military psychologists to influence elected officials on Afghanistan

The U.S. military has sought to illegally use the services of military psychologists to influence parliamentarians and senior foreign officials, hoping to get more troops and money for Afghanistan, said Thursday the magazine Rolling Stone. The newspaper accused Gen. William Caldwell, in charge of training Afghan troops, have lobbied last year on a cell of "psy-ops", normally in charge of the military to influence the behavior of the enemy by through propaganda.

According to the magazine, the general requirement of this cell that it focuses on personalities coming to visit him in Afghanistan. Among these were, according to the newspaper, Senator John McCain, a former Republican candidate for president, and his colleagues Joe Lieberman, Jack Reed, Al Franken and Carl Levin. Rolling Stone also cites the names of the Chief of Joint Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, as interior minister German and Czech ambassador to Afghanistan.
The newspaper is based on statements by Colonel Michael Holmes, head of the cell in question, who explained that the law forbade his services to manipulate Americans. "My job as a 'psy-op is playing with people's brains, to bring the enemy to act as we wish. I am not allowed to do that to ours. If you ask me use these capabilities on senators or representatives, you cross the red line, "he said.
According to Colonel Holmes, his supervisor asked him to raise issues about its visitors to learn about "sensitive issues on which we could act to get more money." "How can we get these guys they send us more people and what do I push them in the skull?", Asked the General Caldwell. According to Rolling Stone, Colonel Holmes opened his prejudices from his superiors, but then the subject of an investigation into his personal conduct and received a "reprimand".

Lucas

La Lybie une source de financement pour les pays Européens.

En effet, à peine vient-on d’apprendre que l’Union Européenne s’est mis d’accord pour utiliser une force de frappe aérienne contre la Lybie, celle-ci a immédiatement répondu en arrêtant tout traités commerciaux en cours avec les pays et en promettant de perturber le trafic maritime de la méditerranée.

De plus, les anciens dossiers ressortent. La France a par ailleurs participée à des relations commerciales dans le domaine de l’armement avec la Lybie. Il est plus particulièrement spécifié que depuis 1999 l’entreprise Française Thalès négociait avec la Lybie alors qu’elle était sous embargo.

Pour synthétiser nous stipulerons que plusieurs contrats ont été décroché dont un signé en 2007 pour la restauration de douze mirages s’élevant à un montant de 120 millions d’euros. 

Gauthier.

Armement et économie deux notions étroitement liées :

Le marché de l’armement a représenté un montant de 400 milliard de dollars en 2009. Les firmes de l’armement vont bien et la demande dans ce secteur ne cesse d’augmenter et ce notamment en raison du contexte mondial grandement bouleversé ces derniers temps.

Ces chiffres proviennent d’une ONG Suédoise nommée SIPRI (SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) et recense en l’occurrence toutes les ventes d’armes qu’elle soit sur les marchés de l’exportation ou internes. Par la même occasion cette ONG a dégagé un classement des 10 entreprises les plus actives dans ce secteur auquel on retrouve en première position l’entreprise américaine (Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics). La deuxième place est détenue par les Britanniques représenté par BAE System qui soit dit en passant a permis en 2006 l’intégration de Airbus dans le groupe EADS en 2006 (suite à une cession de 20% du capital de cette société).

Enfin pour en venir à notre entreprise de référence concernant notre étude EADS se retrouve en 7^ème position alors cette entreprise ne réalise que 28% de son chiffre d’affaire dans l’armement (avec un chiffre d’affaire de 42milliard d’euros en 2009 cela représente une participation de 11.8 milliard d’euros sur le marché de l’armement mondial).  

Pour ce qui concerne nos sociétés françaises l’on constate que Thalès se retrouve en 11^ème position, suivi du groupe SAFRAN en 13^ème position, de DCNS en 22^ème position pour enfin retrouver Dassault en 55^ème position après une perte de 19 places dans le classement.

Enfin pour mieux situer ces flux financiers basée sur l’armement il est intéressant de constater que 45 sociétés du top 100 des productions et de vente d’armement représente 61% des 400 milliard de dollars généré, mais également que ces 45 sociétés sont implantés aux Etats-Unis. Autrement dit 244 milliard de dollars a été brassé en 2009 par les Etats-Unis.

Le marché Européen représente quant à lui 31% des ventes d’armement soit 124 milliard de dollars essentiellement répartit entre l’Allemagne, la France, l’Italie et le Royaume-Uni. 

Votre reporter aux sources, Gauthier.

Libya's military intervention in matters

Following the adoption by the Security Council of the UN resolution providing for a foreign intervention in Libya, the first air strikes should intervene Friday, March 18. This decision is not without raising a number of issues.

    * Why this decision comes it now?
The changing situation on the ground was no longer wait. For nearly two weeks, the balance of power between the insurgents and the army loyal to Muammar Gaddafi has been reversed, the latter returning the land to the east, which was part of the insurgency. Thursday, March 17, the forces of "guide" Libya were located around Ajdabiya, key city located 160 miles from Benghazi, the "rebel capital." In an interview Wednesday, March 16 at Euro News, Saif al-Islam, a son of Gaddafi, had been particularly threatening: "In forty-eight hours, everything will be finished. Our forces are almost in Benghazi."
Why, in this case have long awaited? The West was largely divided on the question of military intervention. France and the United Kingdom actively campaigned for the establishment of a no-fly zone, while Russia, Germany or China saw no welcome a foreign action in Libya, considered as interference in domestic affairs.
Discussions were actually conducted in two stages. Monday 14, the foreign ministers of the G8 countries met in Paris to discuss the situation. No results. "For now, I did not believe," regretted the next day, Alain Juppe, the microphone of Europe 1, before resuming negotiations with his counterparts. In the evening the leader's speech to French diplomats wanted more optimistic: "We agree to ask the Security Council to increase its pressure on Colonel Gaddafi," he said, although no armed intervention n 'was then being discussed.
The discussions then moved to the United Nations. In order to validate the principle of military intervention by the Security Council without fear of Russian or Chinese veto, France and Great Britain had to weigh every word of their draft resolution.

    * What does the resolution?
The decision Thursday, March 17 at night is, in its provisions, focusing on protection of civilians, which is a consensus among the major powers, not on the fall of Gaddafi, to avoid giving a political turn to the text.
Section 4 of the resolution and authorizes "member states (...) to take all necessary measures to protect civilian populations and areas at risk of attack (...), while excluding the deployment of a force foreign occupation in any form whatsoever.
In practice, this amounts to neutralize some military sites strategically important to the Libyan regime, as the military airport of Sirte. In the case where the army on the ground continue to advance, targeted strikes could take place in barracks, or even directly on the armor available to Gaddafi.
The no-fly zone, long discussed, was incorporated into the resolution. Specifically, such a device is to preclude the overflight of the country. The aircraft wishing to leave the territory of Libya should ask permission before taking off. Without authorization, they would be treated as enemy planes and could be slaughtered.
For Great Britain and France, joined by the United States, it was also essential that military intervention is not perceived as an action of the West in an Arab country. The Arab states were encouraged to take part in the offensive.

    * Who will participate in the intervention?
On this question, we can distinguish three different positions.
Some countries have decided to participate directly in the implementation of the no-fly zone and strikes in Libya. This is the case of France, Great Britain, the United States, Canada, Belgium and Norway. As for Arab countries, Qatar and the UAE should also provide military means, and Saudi Arabia could join them.
In contrast, other countries chose not to intervene at all. China has expressed "serious reservations" about the UN resolution, saying he waived his veto because of the application for action made by the Arab League. "We oppose the use of force in international relations," said Jiang Yu, spokeswoman of Chinese Foreign Ministry, adding that the crisis in Libya should be resolved by "negotiation and other peaceful means ". Germany also expressed its skepticism on the subject, citing "considerable risks and dangers." Russia finally announced that its participation was "excluded". The Russian ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin said it was "regrettable" that "the passion for the use of force has prevailed."
In an intermediate position, Italy could not directly participate in strikes, but facilitate foreign intervention by providing its databases Birgi Trapani, Sicily, and Gioia del Colle, Puglia. A meeting of leaders in Italy on the Libyan crisis and a parliamentary hearing of the foreign ministers and defense are scheduled Friday in Rome to decide how Italy will participate in the implementation of the resolution.

Lucas