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Semaine du
07 au 13/01/2007
Etats-Unis -
President's
Address to the Nation
The White House 10/01/07
Etats-Unis -
Fact
Sheet: The New Way Forward in Iraq
The White House 10/01/07
"The President’s New Iraq Strategy Is Rooted In Six
Fundamental Elements:
- Let
the Iraqis lead;
- Help
Iraqis protect the population;
- Isolate
extremists;
- Create
space for political progress;
- Diversify
political and economic efforts; and
- Situate
the strategy in a regional approach..."
Lire également, read also :
Background
Briefing by Senior Administration Officials
The White House 10/01/07
Etats-Unis -
Bush's
Iraq Speech - The President's facts check out, though he
leaves out some inconvenient ones
FactCheck.org January 11, 2007
"President Bush's sobering address to the nation laid out
his plan to rescue Iraq by sending in more troops at a time
when polls show the American people want just the opposite. Is
his approach a significant change of course? Will it work? We
leave that to others to chew over. What we can say is that he
was right on the facts he cited, although there were some
notable omissions. While he highlighted the planned
distribution of oil revenues to the Iraqi people and a new
commitment of reconstruction funds by the Iraqi government, he
didn't say a word about how the U.S. or Iraq would deal
with rampant corruption that threatens to undermine both..."
Irak - Backgrounder:
Impediments to National Reconciliation in Iraq
Council on Foreign Relations January 5, 2007
"National reconciliation between Iraq’s ethno-religious
communities is seen as a necessary precursor to stemming the
country’s sectarian violence. But its prospects look bleak.
The trial and execution of Saddam Hussein, which was
originally billed as an exercise in reconciliation, instead
only inflamed sectarian tensions. Iraq’s factions also
remain deadlocked over the distribution of oil revenues,
issues of federalism, and the ethnic makeup of the Iraqi
government. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s cabinet is seen
by Iraq’s Sunni Arabs as a puppet-state of Shiite militias,
which by extension are seen as puppets of Tehran. Unless
efforts at national reconciliation can convince Iraqi Sunnis
to buy into a power-sharing agreement, experts expect a
continuation of the current levels of internecine
violence..."
Irak, Terrorisme -
Iraq
War Fuels Global Jihad
YaleGlobal, 21 December 2006
"US intervention infuriates even mainstream Muslims,
giving Al Qaeda and other jihadists a boost.."
Etats-Unis -
Transcript:
Annual Threat Assessment, Hearing Of The Senate Select
Committee On Intelligence
Office of the Director of National Intelligence
This hearing took place on January 11, 2007 and was chaired by
Sen. John D. Rockefeller (D-WV)
Lire également, Read also :
Annual
Threat Assessment of the Director of National Intelligence
Prepared testimony of John D. Negroponte
Voir aussi, See also :
An
Overview of the United State Intelligence Community
Office Of The Director Of National Intelligence
Fact
Sheet: Real Progress in Reforming Intelligence
Office Of The Director Of National Intelligence
Iran - La
menace iranienne
Alain Rodier, CF2R Rapport de recherche n°5, 01/07
"L’Iran représente une menace de premier ordre. Depuis
trois décennies, Téhéran est l’un des principaux soutiens
au terrorisme islamique. Désormais, ses dirigeants ont décidé
de se doter d’un arsenal nucléaire afin d’asseoir leur
influence régionale et de s’affranchir des pressions des
puissances atomiques.
Face à ce danger, Américains et Israéliens envisagent
d’intervenir militairement avant que le programme militaire
iranien n’aboutisse. Mais la chose est loin d’être
simple. Fort de 69 millions d’habitants, l’Iran est doté
d’une armée puissante, même si une partie de ses matériels
sont obsolètes. Surtout, conscients de leurs faiblesses, les
stratèges iraniens ont mis au point une stratégie défensive
« asymétrique » afin de dissuader tout agresseur.
A la différence de l’Irak, un conflit avec Téhéran ne se
limiterait pas au seul territoire iranien, mais s’étendrait
à l’ensemble du Moyen-Orient. En effet, les vecteurs
iraniens, sont capables de délivrer des charges classiques
sur toutes les grandes villes de la région. L’Etat d’Israël
et les installations militaires américaines dans la région
seraient les premiers visés par ces frappes de représailles.
Téhéran tenterait également d’interdire la navigation
civile dans le golfe Persique et de s’en prendre aux
installations pétrolières perturbant les exportations de pétrole,
afin de désorganiser au maximum l’économie mondiale. Des
attentats terroristes pourraient être déclenchés au sein même
des pays agresseurs et de leurs alliés.
Les services secrets iraniens jouent aujourd’hui un rôle
essentiel afin de préparer l’ensemble de ces actions
offensives prévues à l’étranger. La véritable guerre
engagée par le Hezbollah contre Israël au cours de l’été
2006 annonce ce que pourraient faire d’autres mouvements armés
soutenus par Téhéran en cas de déclenchement des hostilités,
partout au Moyen-Orient..."
Iran - Pragmatists
work to push Iran in new direction
EurasiaNet 10/01/07
"The results of the Assembly of Experts vote 15 December
provided a rebuke of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s
neo-conservative movement. Only one radical-right candidate -
Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi, a close spiritual ally
of Ahmadinejad - won a seat in the 86-member assembly, an
important and secretive institution that is responsible for
oversight of the Supreme Leader. The relatively high turnout
of about 60 percent in the assembly vote, along with local
elections held the same day, was generally seen as a
reflection of the growing popular unease with Ahmadinejad’s
radical-conservative policy course..."
Chine - China’s
National Defense in 2006
Information Office of the State Council, People’s Republic
of China (via Federation of American Scientists)
"Never before has China been so closely bound up with the
rest of the world as it is today. The Chinese government works
to advance both the fundamental interests of the Chinese
people and the common interests of the peoples of the rest of
the world, and pursues a defense policy which is purely
defensive in nature. China’s national defense, in keeping
with and contributing to the country’s development and
security strategies, aims at maintaining national security and
unity, and ensuring the realization of the goal of building a
moderately prosperous society in an all-round way. China is
determined to remain a staunch force for global peace,
security and stability..."
Royaume Uni -
Blair’s
Foreign Policy and its Possible Successor(s)
Chatham House 12/06
"...As Tony Blair approaches the tenth anniversary of his
election victory, and his final year in power, this paper
assesses the impact of these, and other, events and concludes
that a more nuanced relationship with the United States will
be a requirement for Blair’s successor..."
Europe, Russie
- Economic
Security and Development in the Black Sea Region
Center for Strategic & International Studies January
3, 2007
"At a recent international conference in Washington,
D.C., titled Economic Development and Security in the
Black Sea Region the New European Democracies Project at
the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
assembled a prominent group of experts to examine economic and
security issues affecting the Black Sea region..."
Somalie, Terrorisme
- Somalia's
Terrorist Infestation
Council on Foreign Relations June 6, 2006
"Ever since the deaths of eighteen U.S. soldiers in a
UN-backed intervention in 1993, Somalia has weighed on the
minds of U.S. officials. Without a functioning government
since 1991, the country has been home to a lawless society
dominated by violence. Beyond the humanitarian concerns caused
by such prolonged instability, there is evidence to suggest
that international terrorist organizations are using the
fractured state on the tip of Africa's Horn as a safe haven
and base of operations..."
Lire également, Read also :
La
situation en Somalie au début 2007
Alain Rodier, CF2R NOTE D’ACTUALITÉ N°62
Soudan, Rep
Centrafricaine, Tchad - Backgrounder:
Sudan, Chad, and the Central African Republic
Council on Foreign Relations January 2, 2007
"The conflict in Sudan’s Darfur region increasingly
threatens two neighboring countries—Chad and the Central
African Republic. The Sudanese government and rebel groups
signed a peace agreement in May, but violence in Darfur has
escalated since then. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has
barred deployment of a UN peacekeeping force in Darfur (authorized
by UN Security Council Resolution 1706). Meanwhile, the
conflict is in a “free fall,” that includes eastern Chad
and northern Central African Republic, UN Humanitarian Chief
Jan Egeland recently told the Associated Press..."
Etats-Unis, Inde -
India
and the United States: A New Era
Brooking December 18, 2006
"President George W. Bush has signed legislation allowing
the U.S. to sell civilian nuclear technology to India. In
July, the relationship between the U.S. and India was
bolstered when President Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh announced the framework for this landmark deal. The new
year offers an opportunity for a new era in U.S. relations
with India and a new agenda in the "strategic
dialogue" that has been underway between Washington and
Delhi for nearly nine years. While the agreement has its
downside—it could prompt other countries to seek similar
exceptions to the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty—it helps
remove a 25-year-old obstacle to furthering U.S.-Indian
relations: disagreement over India's decision to become a
nuclear-weapons state. For decades this one issue has
dominated U.S. and Indian diplomacy and prevented the world's
oldest and largest democracies from dealing adequately with a
range of bilateral, regional, and global issues..."
Terrorisme -
Embassies
as Command Posts in the Anti-Terror Campaign
Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate 15/12/06 (via
Federation of American Scientists)
"This report is only the first chapter of what I hope
will become a continuing examination of ways in which our
government can strengthen our posture overseas and better
ensure our effectiveness against terrorism. The report points
out both pitfalls and opportunities. It makes clear the
increasingly instrumental role that the U.S. ambassador plays
in making judgment calls that will affect our success or our
failure. There is no country in the world where our Nation can
afford to send diplomats ill-prepared to understand and make
the tough choices. Nor can we as a Congress continue to
undervalue the role of the civilian agencies if we want to
ensure that our response to violent extremism is calibrated,
supported by an appropriate mix of civilian and military tools..."
Terrorisme -
Former
CIA analyst: US misunderstands al-Qaida
RFE/RL 09/01/07
"Michael Scheuer is a 22-year veteran of the US Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA), where for six years he was in
charge of the search for al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.
While in the CIA, Scheuer anonymously authored two books
critical of how Western governments were waging the "war
on terror." He resigned in 2004 and is now a terrorism
analyst for CBS News. RFE/RL correspondent Heather Maher asked
him to assess the fight against al-Qaida..."
Droits de l'homme -
Guantanamo
Bay Inquiry
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) January 2, 2007
"The FBI on January 2, 2007 released documents related to
an internal inquiry in 2004 of FBI personnel who had served at
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba since September 11, 2001 and had observed
any aggressive interview techniques, interrogations, or
mistreatment of detainees by representatives of law
enforcement, the military, or the FBI. There were no
documented incidents involving FBI personnel. These documents
include summaries of what FBI personnel observed..."
Droits de l'homme
- United
States of America: Five years on ‘the dark side’ — A
look back at ‘war on terror’ detentions
Amnesty International
"...The past five years have seen the USA engage in
systematic violations of international law. They include the
following interlinked violations, part of a global detention
web that the USA has spun in the "war on terror":
· Secret detention, including enforced disappearance
· Secret detainee transfers, also known as rendition
· Indefinite detention without charge or trial
· Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment
The US administration denies that it has operated on the wrong
side of the law and continues to defend its policies and their
lawfulness..."
Droits de l'homme -
Securing
Tyrants or Fostering Reform? U.S. Internal Security Assistance
to Repressive and Transitioning Regimes
RAND Corporation
"The United States has provided assistance to the
security forces of a number of repressive states that do not
share its political ideals. This practice raises several
questions, the answers to which have significant policy
implications: Has U.S. assistance improved the effectiveness
of internal security forces in countering security threats?
Has it improved the accountability and human rights records of
these forces? What is the relationship between improving
security and improving accountability and human rights? This
study addresses these questions by examining the results of
U.S. assistance to four states: El Salvador, Uzbekistan,
Afghanistan, and Pakistan..."
Summary
(PDF; 200 KB) Full
Report (PDF; 1.2 MB)
Corruption -
Global
Integrity Index 2006
Global Integrity
"From press
release :
"Despite widespread public support for higher ethical
standards in government, the laws and practices designed to
combat corruption and prevent abuses of power in countries
around the world continue to be inconsistent and too often are
ineffectual. This according to a major investigative report
released yesterday by Global Integrity, an international
nonprofit organization that tracks governance and corruption
trends around the world..."
Criminalité
organisée - Nigeria-Related
Financial Crime and its Links with Britain
Chatham House 11/06
"From press
release: Nigeria-related financial crime has
become a large and pressing problem for the UK authorities.
Internet scams, cheque and credit card fraud, money-laundering
and immigration and identity paper fraud - as well as
corruption involving both Nigerian officials and British
companies - are often going unchecked, because of a shortage
of resources and a failure by both governments to live up to
their promises to tackle graft. These are the main findings of
Nigeria-Related Financial Crime and its Links with Britain by
Michael Peel, a major new report published today by Chatham
House..."
Criminalité
organisée - Asian
Transnational Organized Crime and Its Impact on the United
States
US National Institute of Justice 01/07
"There is little consensus among Asian authorities as to
what their main organized crime problems are. Further, Asian
and U.S. interview participants had differing opinions about
the importance of Asian transnational crime. The U.S.
authorities viewed several offenses, including drugs, arms,
and human trafficking, as serious problems that affect
interests of the United States and undermine the stability of
its Asian allies. Asian respondents generally tended to view
"traditional" organized crime activities— such as
extortion, gambling, loan sharking, prostitution, debt
collection, and violence—committed by local and regional
groups as a higher priority than transnational crimes.
Respondents in this study characterized the transnational
organized crime networks operating in the region as highly
specialized, with any overlapping of criminal activities
occurring mostly at the level of transportation of goods and
people. Contrary to the views of some U.S. authorities, the
commonly expressed view among the study respondents was that
there is no linkage between transnational organized crime
groups and terrorist groups.
Risque Santé,
Grippe aviaire - Avian
Influenza Risk Perception, Europe and Asia
Emerging Infectious Diseases (CDC) EID Journal 02/07
"...Our study showed that risk perceptions for AI appear
to be at an intermediate level and that efficacy beliefs are
slightly lower. Both differ according to country or region. No
evidence was found that the introduction of AI in Europe in
October 2005 influenced perceptions of risk or efficacy..."
Risque Santé,
Climat - Developing
global climate anomalies suggest potential disease risks for
2006 - 2007
International Journal of Health Geographics 28 December 2006
"...The current development of El Nino conditions has
significant implications for global public health. Extremes in
climate events with above normal rainfall and flooding in some
regions and extended drought periods in other regions will
occur. Forecasting disease is critical for timely and
efficient planning of operational control programs. In this
paper we describe developing global climate anomalies that
suggest potential disease risks that will give decision makers
additional tools to make rational judgments concerning
implementation of disease prevention and mitigation strategies..."
Risque Santé,
Globalisation - The
Impact of Globalization on Infectious Disease Emergence and
Control:Exploring the Consequences and Opportunities, Workshop
Summary - Forum on Microbial Threats
Stacey Knobler, Adel Mahmoud, Stanley Lemon, 2006
"The cold war era has passed. The fall
of the Berlin Wallin 1989 marked the beginning of the
disappearance of old borders and a new global era of
unparalleled human movement and interaction. Although the new
global arena has created economic opportunities and growth,
the benefits have not been equally distributed, and the risks—especially
the health risks—of this increasingly interconnected and
fast-paced world continue to grow. As people, products, food,
and capital travel the world in unprecedented numbers and at
historic speeds, so, too, do the myriad of disease-causing
microorganisms. The worldwide resurgence of dengue fever, the
introduction of West Nile virus into New York City in 1999,
the rapid spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
infection in Russia, and the global spread of
multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) are but a few examples
of the profound effects of globalizing forces on the emergence,
distribution, and spread of infectious diseases..."
Economie mondiale
- World
Economic Situation and Prospects 2007
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
"After a solid and broad-based growth for three
consecutive years, the world economy is expected to decelerate
in 2007, mainly dragged by a slowdown of the United States.
Growth in Europe and Japan, meanwhile, will not be sufficient
for these economies to act as locomotives of global growth.
The outlook remains mostly positive for developing countries,
but a degree of moderation is also expected. Sustained high
growth in China, India and a few other major emerging
economies seems to have engendered synergy among developing
countries so that growth in this group is more endogenous.
However, a large number of developing countries remain highly
vulnerable to the vicissitudes of commodity prices and the
volatility of international financial markets. The report
highlights the need for greater employment growth, which has
not kept pace with output growth..."
Economie mondiale -
World
Bank: The Year in Review 2006
The World Bank Group
"...2006 was the year the world recognized the need to
invest in young people, and the future...
...“The young generation today is extremely big and probably
the biggest it will ever be in many countries,” said World
Bank Chief Economist Francois Bourguignon. “And this offers
a fantastic opportunity to countries because they can invest
in this young generation, which will be responsible for future
development.”..."
Energie - World
Proved Crude Oil Reserves, January 1, 1980 - January 1, 2007
Estimates (.xls; 216 KB)
US Energy Information Administration
Voir aussi, See also :
World
Proved Reserves of Oil and Natural Gas, Most Recent Estimates
US Energy Information Administration
Infotech
- The
Best of Technology Writing 2006
Koerner, Brendan I.
"...the majority of pieces selected for this volume came
from the more traditional standard-bearers of technology
journalism..."
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