Geopolitical Monitor - Topic: Military

September 2nd, 2010 (Geopoliticalmonitor.com) - Ten election workers have been killed by a NATO airstrike in Afghanistan on the eve of a visit by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

Amid much fanfare last week, the last supposed “combat” troops left Iraq as the administration touted the beginning of the end of the Iraq War and a change in the role of the United States in that country. However, military officials confirm that we are committed to intervention in that country for years to come, says U.S. congressman Ron Paul.

The United States and Israel see the next generation of armed drones as a potent reinforcement of their military capacity against insurgents and rogue states. But Iran and Hizbollah too are in the race.

The United States’ intervention in Africa is driven by America’s desire to secure valuable natural resources and political influence that will ensure the longevity of America’s capitalist system, military industrial complex, and global economic superiority – achieved through the financial and physical control of raw material exports.

August 19th, 2010 (Geopoliticalmonitor.com) - An explosion in China’s restive Xinjiang province has once again raised fears of a repeat of last July’s violent riots.

August 19th, 2010 (Geopoliticalmonitor.com) - The last US combat brigade has crossed over from Iraq into Kuwait, but many questions still remain over the role of troops left behind and the stability of the Iraqi government going forward.

General Petraeus’ announcement that won’t necessarily honor a 2011 pullout date for NATO forces in Afghanistan is aimed at re-taking the initiative on negotiations with the Taliban.

In a controversial decision by Cambodia’s Prime Minister, multinational corporations and other local enterprises will now be able to hire the country’s royal armed forces.

August 11th (Geopoliticalmonitor.com) - US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is attempting to pre-empt Congress defense spending cuts by implementing a round of his own.

August 10, 2010 (Geopoliticalmonitor.com) - Media outlets recently reported that Canada's air force scrambled two CF-18s to intercept Russian Air Force Tupolev Tu-95 strategic bombers off the coast of Newfoundland. The Government of Canada claimed the bombers strayed into Canadian airspace; the Russian government denied Ottawa's claim.