Thinking the Recolonisation of Africa: US, UK Counter-terrorism Forces Storm Nigeria

A Nigerian news portal, 'Abusidiqu' once reported a wikileaks revelation on how an Algerian-based CIA-sponsored agency gave $40 million to members of the Boko Haram sect promising them more if they continue in their acts. This claim cannot be dismissed considering the act of the CIA in Syria too. The French military also was also financing the rebels in Mali before they grew out of hand. French forces also airlifted and dropped sophisticated weapons for rebels in Libya, especially in Misrata, during the no-fly-zone turned regime-change war. These weapons were unaccounted for but today as always and usual, terrorists roving West Africa are said to get their weapons from Gaddafi and as an aftermath of his fall. Boko Haram also began kidnapping after France paid it N500 million to free some French nationals held hostage.

Africa still continues to be their chessboard, a continent they can always penetrate when the need arises. United States has expanded its African-based forces in the name of AFRICOM. The rate at which terrorists are roaming the continent is giving the foreigners the desired outcome. Terrorism and foreign dominance in Africa seem to be working hand in hand. Kenya rushed to beckon on Israeli storm-troopers as well as American and British 'experts'. Terrorism is weakening and showing the weakness of Africa which the leaders have allowed and bolstering and strengthening those who led the continent to the state of torpidity and massive quagmire.

In what looks or appears more like a continuously established situation, the Nigerian Navy Chief of Training and Operations, Rear Admiral Babalola Ogunjimi disclosed that foreign Special Forces have arrived Nigeria for counter-terrorism operations which specifically will be for operations against the deadly and dreaded Boko Haram sect. This is coming after the United States raided Libya and Somalia to prove its reach, capacity and capability. the Nigerian Navy Chief stated that the Nigerian military, in conjunction with Special Forces from the United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (US), Spain and Netherlands have begun a joint training to combat terrorism in the country.

He said 150 of them were drawn from units of the Nigerian Armed Forces-Army, Navy and Air Force- while 739 are from the foreign Special Forces. Ogunjimi said the training called "African Winds", began on October 3, and was expected to last for 14 days and would be followed by four days' exercise. He said the exercise would be conducted by Mobile Training Teams (MTTs) of the Special Forces in Lagos and Calabar, respectively.

"It is expected that the "African Winds" training and exercise will further improve the capacity of the Nigerian Armed Forces to deal with numerous security challenges in the Gulf of Guinea", adding that some of the challenges include crude oil theft and attacks on merchant ships. Ogunjimi said the programme was in furtherance of the Chief of Defence Staff's drive to promote effective joint services operations among Nigerian Armed Forces and friendly military from other countries.

According to him, the exercise in Lagos will take place between October 15 and 18 at Ibeshe Beach and the Navy Ordinance Depot (NOD) Waterfront. The exercise that will be conducted in Lagos include Amphibious Raid, Maritime Counter Terrorism, Vessel Boarding Stop and Search in an opposed environment and Hydrographic survey," he said. He  further said the Calabar exercise would hold between October 21 and 24 at the Tinapa and Muddy Beach in the state and Oron Beach in Akwa Ibom State.

Ogunjimi further revealed that the exercises to be conducted in Calabar include Riverine and Jungle operations which would be carried out by a combined force from US., UK and the Netherlands marines. He said an amphibious raid exercise planned and executed by troops from the Army, Navy Special Boat Service and the NNS Jubilee, would be conducted at Oron Beach to end the exercise. "African Winds" is the nickname for a maritime capacity building training programmes for the Armed Forces of Nigeria in conjunction with the Netherland Maritime Forces under the US sponsored African Partnership Station. Other countries covered by the programme are Morocco, Senegal, Ghana, Benin and Cameroon.

Under the programme, the Netherlands Maritime Forces is providing an amphibious logistic support ship, the HMNLS Rotherdam, to support the training and exercise," he said. He said the ship contained 688 troops, four helicopters and six special boats called Landing Craft Utility (LCU) and Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP). He said  other facilities in the ship included Fast Raid Interception Special Forces Craft used in inserting small number of specially trained troops from sea to land, particularly in the creeks. Rather than build their military bodies and forces to a sophisticated level to be able to combat modern demands and challenges, African leaders prefer to be notoriously corrupt; dwindling their nations' wealth while genuflecting for aid from those who destroyed and continue to destroy the continent.

"African Winds" is really a perfect title considering how systemic and systematic the wind of recolonisation is blowing. It is blowing so fast and speedy that African leaders pretentiously act as if they are unaware of the rising trend. Spain is a country notable for its American colonies built by African slaves. The Netherlands too is another notorious country of slave raiders and traders. The United Kingdom did hers too and its even the most versed in the act which she transferred to the 'Almighty' United States of America today. Africa seems to have accepted its destiny to 'forever' be backward and relegated to the background always while feeding the highest percentage of those it kowtows for.

One begins to wonder when ignorant African leaders will begin to see the relationship between Western push into the continent and their financing of terrorism thereof. The situation is extremely appalling. Many Africans rush to accept the incursion on the ground that terrorists are perpetuating heinous crimes yet most of the weapons used are Western-manufactured. A pertinent question was once asked: 'Why has terrorists not attacked Israel on the scale they do elsewhere?' Al Qaeda was created during Soviet incursion into Afghanistan. Today, the US finances Saudi Arabia which automatically finances the radical Sunnis and Salafists. When they attack any country, America and the foreign powers will be the best for such a country.

Al Shabaab's Fortress in Somalia Attacked by 'Western' Forces

The Westgate Mall attack in Kenya opened the eyes of Africa and Africans to the full reality that there is really an unfinished business in Somalia which serves as the training bastion for fundamentalists and terrorists. Somalia since 1991 has been a real headache for its neighbours in the horn of Africa; notably Kenya and Ethiopia. It served as the port haven for militants now roving some countries on the continent. Speculations even went around that the UN bombing that happened in Nigeria was carried out by a suicide bomber trained in Somalia before Boko Haram itself became sophisticated.

The US intervention in Somalia in the early 90s in an operation code-named 'Black Hawk Down' could not defeat or effectively decimate the ranks and files of the militants. The operation ended in a shocking 'defeat' for the United States as it was forced to withdraw its troops due to the notorious ways in which Farah Aideed and his men humiliated American soldiers. Westgate has however drawn worldwide interest on a larger scale probably in what al Shabaab is capable of doing and the havoc it can orchestrate.

Reuters quoting members of the al Shabaab militants reports that "Western" forces attacked a house in one of its coastal bases in the town of Barawe under the cover of dark, killing one rebel fighter. Foreign forces landed on the beach at Barawe, about 180 km (110 miles) south of Mogadishu, and launched an assault that drew gunfire from rebel fighters, Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, spokesman for al Shabaab's military operations.

It was not immediately clear why the Barawe base had been targeted specifically, nor whether the assault was related to the attack on a Kenyan mall two weeks ago, which the al Qaeda-linked group said it carried out and which killed at least 67. Western navies patrol the sea off Somalia - mired in conflict for more than two decades - and have in the past launched strikes on land from warships.

No foreign military units typically involved in such operations in Somalia have said they were involved in the strike. One Western official in the region declined to comment. Kenyan forces stationed in the southern parts of Somalia were unavailable for comment. "Westerners in boats attacked our base at Barawe beach and one was martyred from our side," Musab said. "No planes or helicopters took part in the fight. The attackers left weapons, medicine and stains of blood, we chased them," he said.

Many residents said they were woken by the noise of heavy gunfire late on Friday night. "We were awoken by heavy gunfire last night, we thought an al Shabaab base at the beach was captured," Sumira Nur, a mother of four told Reuters from Barawe on Saturday. "We also heard sounds of shells but we do not know where they landed. We don't have any other information," she said.

Although the United States does not report its activities in Somalia, it has used drones in recent years to kill Somali and foreign al Shabaab fighters. In January, the French military used helicopters to attack an al Shabaab base in a southern Somalia village to rescue a French hostage. Two French commandos were killed and the insurgents later claimed they had killed the agent. Western nations are worried that Somalia will sink back into chaos and provide a launchpad for Islamist militancy despite a fragile recovery after two decades of war.

Al Shabaab were driven out of Mogadishu in late 2011 and are struggling to hold on to territory elsewhere in the face of attacks by Kenyan, Ethiopian and African Union forces trying to prevent Islamist militancy spreading out from Somalia. Al Shabaab wants to impose its strict version of sharia, or Islamic law, across the Horn of Africa state. Last year, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Pentagon was seeking to send drones to Kenya as part of a $40 million (25 million pounds)-plus military aid package to help four African countries fighting al Qaeda and al Shabaab militants.

The Kenyan and Ethiopian troops coupled with the AU forces performed creditably well in decimating the militants. Without them, al Shabaab would have grown exceptionally and extremely stronger than it could have ever been imagined. The coordination of the Westgate attack and the later threats and rantings of the terrorist group show that it is ready to effect more devastating attacks of the shores of Somalia if not properly handled or shown the way of force too.

Rwandan Army Slapped the United States on the Sanctions Imposed on Kigali

Rwandan army has taken a good swipe at the United States' sanctions for the use of child soldiers by rebels it is accused of supporting in Democratic Republic of Congo, saying it had no factual basis. "It is surprising that Rwanda would be liable for matters that are neither on its territory nor in its practices," army spokesperson Joseph Nzabamwita said in a statement, adding that the "decision to include Rwanda among states that use child soldiers is not based on evidence or facts".

This is not the first time Rwanda is showing that it cannot be tossed around by anybody. When Britain stated that it would withdraw aid from the East African nation over the same allegation of supporting the M23 rebels, President Paul Kagame minced no word is putting Britain in its proper and deserved place by telling it to keep its aid. He went further to say that Africa has come of age and should not complain of been controlled by the imperialists. The audacity of Kagame stems from the fact he has led Rwanda to become prosperous after the colossal Rwandan genocide of 1994.

The United Nations also accuses Rwanda of backing the M23, a charge the country has rigorously adamantly denied. Various human rights groups not excluding the UN rights body have also accused the M23 rebels of committing serious atrocities; including rape and murder, in addition to the use of child soldiers, in a conflict that has caused tens of thousands of refugees to flee.

The United States, due to all these allegations, slammed sanctions on Rwanda centrally over the use of child soldiers by the rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that the United States was invoking the 2008 Child Soldiers Protection Act in sanctioning Rwanda, as Washington seeks to end "any involvement in the recruitment of child soldiers".

The sanctions were linked to actions by the M23. Thomas-Greenfield said the US will continue to have discussions with the Rwandan government on the issue. The sanctions terminate financial and military assistance for the fiscal year 2014, which began on 1 October. The sanctions will end all international military education and training in financial year 2014.

United States to hold on on Fresh Sanctions on Iran to Give Room for Diplomacy

The US Senate is weighing a new round of fresh sanctions against Iran following the passage in July of a House bill that would seek to further cut Iran's oil exports by another one million barrels a day for the next year to almost zero according to reported estimates. The legislation also vows military force against Iran should they defy orders not to pursue a nuclear weapon. Wendy Sherman warned during the hearing that the current government shutdown is curtailing the government's ability to oversee the existing sanctions. "Our ability to do that, to enforce sanctions, to stop sanction evaders, is being hampered significantly by the shutdown," according to Sherman.

RT reports that the top US State Department official urged members of Congress to hold onto fresh sanctions against Iran to give President Barack Obama's administration time to assess the new conciliatory tone from the Iranian government. "Let me assure you that we will continue to vigorously enforce the sanctions that are in place as we explore a negotiated resolution, and will be especially focused on sanctions evasion and efforts by the Iranians to relieve the pressure," Wendy Sherman, undersecretary of state for political affairs, said during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.

Sherman asked lawmakers to at least wait until US and Iranian officials meet in Geneva in mid-October (15th and 16th ) before moving forward with more sanctions. Sherman is leading the US delegation in talks with Iran. The UK, Germany, France, Russia, and China will also participate in the Geneva talks, although direct Iran-US meetings are expected be the most important of the negotiations. Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu had said the that overtures from Rouhani are from a "wolf in sheep's clothing." This is having a great influence on the conservatives in the House.

The US, United Nations, and European Union have all joined to press Iran with punitive sanctions for what they say are measures to curb Tehran's nuclear weapons programme. Iran counters the claims, saying that it simply aims to produce and use nuclear energy. The sanctions in place have devastated the Iranian economy, cutting oil exports in half while causing crippling inflation and high unemployment. Yet new President Hassan Rouhani has recently expressed a desire to reconcile with US officials, marking the possibility of new relations between the countries.

Sanctions on Iranian oil exports, shipping, and insurance businesses are biting on the economy of Tehran and costing the Islamic Republic billions in revenue each month. Existing measures already pressure countries including China, India, and Japan to reduce importing Iranian oil by threatening to block their banks from the US financial system. Recently, political prisoners wrote to President Obama about the sanctions with a view to advising him to explore the peaceful avenue the Rouhani government represents. Tehran also released numerous political prisoners whom Washington called 'prisoners of conscience'. This act also sent a kind of goodwill message to the White House.

As Russia and the US Agree to Destroy Syria's Chemical Weapons; Opposition Tries to Raise its Stake

Russia and the United States have agreed on a framework to destroy Syria's chemical weapons. John Kerry says Assad must hand over all details of the locations of the chemical weapons stockpiles within a week while Sergei Lavrov has confirmed that both the US and Russia have contacted Damascus directly on the issue.

The United Nations stated that it has received all official documents from the Syrian government to join the Chemical Weapons Convention and Damascus would be a full member by October 14; 30 days after its application to join the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

John Kerry and Sergei Lavrov have both been seriously brainstorming on possible ways to end the Syrian crisis. The European Union on its part said it is satisfied with the progress made and would be willing to render its own assistance to effect all the terms of the agreement.

President Obama and the Pentagon are however still mulling that all options are still on the table and the American military is still standing on same posture despite the deal.

Meanwhile the Syrian opposition is also planning 'a future' for itself. The opposition to President Assad, an umbrella group led by the Syrian National Coalition, has elected the moderate Islamist Ahmad Tumeh as their provisional prime minister.Tumeh, a 48-year old former political prisoner from the east of Syria, received 75 votes out of the 97 cast in a ballot in Istanbul.

The move is seen by analysts as an attempt to raise its credibility as high stakes diplomacy plays out between the US and Russia to try and resolve Syria’s two year civil war. Tumeh is an independent Islamist and has been appointed to run rebel-held areas where a slide into chaos has threatened to undermine the opposition to President Assad.

The United States and its Hypocritical Democracy

The United States prides itself as the most democratic nation on earth today. It continues to tell the world that democracy entails freedom in its multidimensional facets, debates, the theory of 'we disagree to agree' with real and genuine understanding of the role of the majority in the polity. That is democracy.

The world cannot deny the influence of the United States politics and elections in the scheme of things. Almost the entire world usually stands still when the American election is the offing. We compare and analyse in line with out various local and indigenous politics and democracy.

If this act is not hypocritical, how come the number one democratic nation in the world finds it hard to debate on the floor of the United Nations Security Council? How come unilateral action like that of the DICTATORS whom America love to hate has become the exclusive preserve of Washington? How come Washington cannot provide evidences as demanded by Russia on the use of chemical weapons in Syria? How come Washington has always been so defiant on collective UNSC action and prefers to always do things alone like autocrats? Is democracy not a farce through all these?

Obama even refused to meet with Putin or really discuss Syria at the G20 summit when others were furious and want a real way out but was meeting one by one with his American puppets; Japan and company. Democracy also endorses the idea of the majority, in fact that is the most crucial factor in democracy; game of numbers. How come the United States believe so much in sidestepping the majority at the United Nations who have expressed concern over attacks or is the US mightier than majority of nations on the floor of the UN General Assembly?

Americans says they do not want their government to spend taxpayers cash irrelevantly nauseously based on some specious speculations. The government simply smiles at their ignorant foolery. They hardly control it; the corporations need to sell, test new weapons and get oil whenever and wherever necessary. Israel has a list of countries that must be off in the Middle East to ensure its full hegemony. After Syria, it will be a case of ratcheting up rhetoric on Iran and the ultimate will be best imagined. It is a planned agenda and everything seems to be falling in place.

If democracy recognises disagreement for agreement, how come Washington refused to accept Kremlin's stance that if the UN can confirm Assad used CW, it would support military action under the authority of the UNSC? Internal democracy of the United States suits the US. It is not different then from what is obtainable really elsewhere since its external track records have no iota of genuine democracy. America is a country where whoever the majority of the people want might not win at the end of the day or what is electoral college? The same US will always condemn Iran. The Ayatollahs of the US are the big corporations determining the outcome of elections.

What is the difference between an America that breeds a Snowden of massive worldwide cyber espionage and a China it loves to condemn about human rights abuses and limitation of freedom? The Occupy movements were brutally suppressed too just like in every other sphere. The only luck was that there was no Russia and China to penetrate and interfere, making some elements so recalcitrant to the extent of picking up arms because they know a Washington-like power will come to aid them. It hates their government, hence will do all to help them destroy their country in the name of humanitarian intervention.

Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya have lost all legitimacy. They are now at best abattoirs for humans and graveyards. One needs not talk about the deaths of millions in the wars from Kabul to Baghdad to Tripoli. Washington continues to violate international law and that needs to mention again too because it has become a norm and a tradition. It is constant and consistent. International law is meant for developing nations not the powerful ones. Africa should be pitied here. In fact, only two nations can successfully violate international law without the world winking but with noises from the United Nations; Israel and the United States. They are simply above all laws.

Russia Warns of Nuclear Disaster in Syria ahead of America's Military Push

A military strike on Syria could lead to a nuclear catastrophe if a missile were to hit a reactor containing radioactive uranium, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman warned. The remark comes as the US continues to push for a military strike on Syria. "If a warhead, by design or by chance, were to hit the Miniature Neutron Source Reactor (MNSR) near Damascus, the consequences could be catastrophic," Aleksandr Lukashevich said in a Wednesday statement.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry urged the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to complete a risk evaluation as the US continues to seek support for military action. It asked the agency to “react swiftly” and carry out “an analysis of the risks linked to possible American strikes on the MNSR and other facilities in Syria.” Lukashevich stated that the region could be at risk of “contamination by highly enriched uranium and it would no longer be possible to account for nuclear material, its safety and control.” He added that such material could fall into the wrong hands.

The IAEA said that it is aware of the statement, but it is waiting for a formal request asking the agency to complete a risk evaluation. “We will consider the questions raised if we receive such a request," Reuters quoted an IAEA spokesperson as saying. The agency said in a report to member states last week that Syria had declared there was a “small amount of nuclear material” at the MNSR, a type of research reactor usually fuelled by highly enriched uranium.

Although this type of a reactor would not contain a lot of nuclear material, it would be enough to cause "a serious local radiation hazard" if the reactor was hit, nuclear expert Mark Hibbs from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace told Reuters. The United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted on Wednesday to approve President Obama's plan to strike Syria in retaliation against the alleged use of chemical weapons by President Bashar Assad’s regime.

Should Congress move to approve the president’s request, the US could soon initiate a limited strike on Syria. On the other hand, Moscow needs convincing proof – not rumours - from UN experts that chemical weapons were used in Syria, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with AP and Channel 1 on Tuesday.

“We believe that at the very least we should wait for the results of the UN inspection commission in Syria,” Putin said. He added that so far there is no information regarding exactly which chemical agent was used in the attack in the Damascus suburb, or who was behind it.

RT

Drones Kill Ten Times more than Conventional Aircraft ~ Expert

An expert on drone casualties has told reporters that the use of unmanned aerial vehicles by American forces has caused 10 times the number of deaths brought on by more conventional aircraft.

Speaking to The Guardian’s Spencer Ackerman, Larry Lewis of the Center for Naval Analyses claimed United States-led drone strikes in Afghanistan are not only more likely to cause civilian casualties than traditionally piloted planes, but the impact of UAVs is 10-fold what would be found by using more antiquated air ships.

Lewis has conducted multiple studies on the use of drones in Afghanistan and made his recent determination after reviewing data pertaining to air strikes that occurred there between mid-2010 and mid-2011, Ackerman reported.

“Lewis told the Guardian he found that the missile strikes conducted by remotely piloted aircraft, commonly known as drones, were 10 times more deadly to Afghan civilians than those performed by fighter jets,” Ackerman wrote.

Lewis said that statistic comes from viewing classified information about the number of civilian casualties, data which he is legally prohibited from sharing. But while his findings in full or only accessible to those with proper standing, an unclassified executive summary of his report offers a mere glimpse into how deadly America’s drone wars really are.

“The US government has described drone airstrikes in operations outside declared theatres of armed conflict as surgical and causing minimal civilian casualties,” the summary begins. “Analysis of air operations in Afghanistan, combined with a review of open-source reports for drone strikes in Pakistan, suggest that these fell short of intended goals.”

Elsewhere, the report acknowledges that the classified nature of these statistics could be preventing Americans from lessening the number of civilian drone deaths in the future.

“While consequence management approaches used in Afghanistan may not translate directly into cases where the US does not want to officially acknowledge its actions, the use of proxies or leveraging relationships with cooperative host-nation governments could provide options during these operations.

Conducting more comprehensive assessments of civilian harm during airstrikes in operations outside declared theatres of armed conflict, followed by effective consequence management efforts, should help to protect the reputation of the US, combat false allegations and mitigate negative second-order effects that can undermine US campaign objectives and freedom of action,” it reads.

Ackerman does not stop short of recalling a speech by President Barack Obama earlier this year at Washington’s National Defense Institute in which he insisted that "conventional airpower or missiles are far less precise than drones, and likely to cause more civilian casualties and local outrage.” On the contrary, however, the unclassified summary notes that drone strike are “an order of magnitude more likely to result in civilian casualties per engagement” than traditional aircraft.

In an earlier address last year, President Obama said drones had "not caused a huge number of civilian casualties” and insisted "this thing is kept on a very tight leash.”

An August 2011 report from the UK’s Bureau of Investigative Journalism found that US-led drone strikes in Pakistan have caused upwards of 775 civilian deaths, with total casualties being at least 40 percent higher than what the US government previously reported. This past February, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) said the number of total kills attributed to US drones is close to 5,000.

“We’ve killed 4,700,” the senator said at an event in his home state. “Sometimes you hit innocent people, and I hate that, but we’re at war, and we've taken out some very senior members of al-Qaeda.”

Courtesy: Russia Today

Obama and Bush to meet in Tanzania on Tuesday

Barack Obama wraps up his week long African tour in Tanzania after visiting Senegal where he promised Africa the United States' supports on democracy and food security. South Africa was his next stop where he showered accolade on Nelson Mandela.

He also met with his family members. In South Africa, Obama pledges US support to boost power and energy in Africa. He met African students where he also spoke on commitments to education.

Trade and Investments are likely to feature prominently centrally in Tanzania. President Obama is to be joined by America's former President, George W. Bush who is to attend a conference on African women.

The two Presidents are to visit the American embassy where terrorists bombed in 1998. They are to pay homage and respect to the fallen heroes. Laura Bush and Michelle Obama will also be attending a summit on women empowerment and gender matters.

Obama's foreign policy are also in consonance with that of George Bush according to some experts. The two presidents are 'aggressive' in terms of war. Bush believed in dropping American boots on the ground while Obama is a specialist in drone wars.

On Tax: Americans Renounce Citizenship

Thousands of Americans pack their suitcases, rip up their US passports and move permanently overseas to prevent Uncle Sam from taking their money evey year in anger over the latest tax hikes each year. In the first three quarters of 2012, more than 1,100 Americans renounced their citizenship and made their homes elsewhere, according to the Federal Register.

Available data does not yet include those who left in the fourth quarter, but it is on track to surpass the 1,781 Americans who relinquished their passports in 2011. And the number of Americans who ditched the US in 2011 was seven times higher than those who left in 2008.

With 6 million US citizens living abroad and continuing to pay US taxes, expatriates increasingly abandon their citizenship for the sake of saving cash. The US is the only industrialized country that requires its overseas citizens to pay income taxes – even if their income is generated abroad.

And for wealthy expatriates, the financial consequences of remaining a US citizen are most severe. Individuals earning more than $400,000 a year and married couples earning more than $450,000 a year will be paying an income tax rate of 39.6 percent – which is up from last year’s rate of 35 percent.

Those who earn more than $1 million annually will pay Uncle Sam about $170,341 more this fiscal year, according to the Tax Policy Center. Those who fear losing their savings frequently move to countries that do not tax their incomes.

One third of all billionaires that moved from the US to another country chose to go to ‘tax havens’ such as Switzerland, Bahamas, and Singapore, according to a 2012 study by the Research Institute of Industrial Economics.

While those who forego their citizenship will lose protection from the US government and could face difficulty in visiting the US, expatriates increasingly consider it worth it – including high-profile celebrities like 73-year-old American-born singer Tina Turner and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin.

Turner, who is worth an estimated $200 million, in January became a Swiss citizen and ditched her US citizenship. Saverin, whose net worth is an estimated $2.2 billion, holds Brazilian citizenship and lives in Singapore. Bloomberg estimates that the Facebook co-founder saved at least $67 million in federal income taxes by cutting his ties to the US.

But while the rich and famous make headlines for escaping the IRS’ grip on their finances, all American expatriates are subject to US taxes and are required by law to file estimated taxes and income, estate and gift tax returns. Some lawmakers are even trying to subject Americans to taxes even after giving up their citizenship. Sens.

Charles Schumer and Bob Casey last yearsuggestedthat Congress vote for a law that would force former US citizens to pay taxes for years after renouncing their citizenship – as well as ban them from ever returning to the US.

But in the short-term, ditching the US comes with its own financial penalties: Americans renouncing citizenship are required to pay an often-hefty exit fee. Those whose net worth is more than $2 million or whose annual income tax average is more than $145,000 are required to pay a 15 percent tax on capital gains above $641,000 and taxes on other assets including retirement accounts at the income rate of 39.6 percent.

As the only country to tax its citizens abroad, the US is pushing thousands of its citizens away.
“If you don’t mind where you live and the tax becomes excessive, then leaving might be a good choice,” Nigel Green, CEO of deVere Group, told Yahoo! Finance. “Countries have less of a hold on people. Governments have to raise more taxes, but they can’t go too far.”

Moscow to hold beauty pegeant for Snakes

The Moscow Zoo plans to hold a "beauty pageant" for snakes from March to May to mark the year of the snake.

The zoo has already allocated about 2 million rubles ($66,000) for the event's organization, according to information on the official state procurement website.

A condition of the event is that it must be held in a pavilion with a total area of nearly 300 square meters.

In the statement, the maximum price of the contract was calculated based on the planned attendance of the zoo from March to mid-May, and that at least 36 different kinds of non-venomous snakes will be on display at the event.

Only the brightest, most beautiful and unique kinds of snakes will be showcased: Leptocercal ladder snakes, false smooth snakes, slim, ancestral, European, American and burrow snakes, sand snakes, South American bush snakes, king snakes, red king snakes and Madagascar snakes, as well as Australian and reticulated pythons, ordinary snakes and tree boas.

The zoo requires whoever wins the contract to ensure veterinarian services for the animals and any treatment they require, as well as to prepare admission tickets for the show and forms for voting. The tender winner will also have to provide all equipment and heating for the snakes' cages, as well as security for the event.

Russia and the Gay Ban: Distancing Herself from Europe

Russia has distanced itself from the homosexual 'madness' sweeping across Europe and North America by passing anti-gay law. The bill was passed by the State Duma and it has been criticised by international rights group.

The bill has the backing of 338 deputies, with only one lawmaker opposing it, Sergei Kuzin of United Russia, and one abstaining, Dmitry Gudkov of A Just Russia.

The bill, which stipulates fines for promoting homosexuality among minors, was introduced in the Duma in March by Novosibirsk regional lawmakers. The date for its consideration in the Duma had been pushed back several times before being voted on in a first reading Friday.

Gudkov wrote on Twitter that the bill was being used to distract people from "more important" topics, such as a bill passed in a first reading this week giving regions the option not to hold gubernatorial elections.

Human rights organizations said the bill would aggravate divisions in society over the issue of gay rights.

The bill is already being protested against by gay activists. A protest led to a clash between the activists and the pro-bill supporters. Police arrested 20 people in connexion to the clashes.

Similar laws have been passed in St. Petersburg and several regions including Novosibirsk, Ryazan, Arkhangelsk and Kostroma.

"A similar bill in the Ryazan region was recognized as being discriminatory by the UN Committee on Human Rights in October," said Yulia Gorbunova of Human Rights Watch. "We are concerned that instead of adjusting Russian legislation to international norms, our government wants to make the law work on the federal level."

Russia seems to be proving that she is a distinct entity in Europe with certain indigenous standards and customs.

Obama and the Second Term Swearing-in Ceremony

Providence does bring a kind of symmetrical and coincidental occurrences which makes analysis sometimes obfuscating and sometimes interesting. As Israel prepares for election on January 22, Obama's inauguration comes up for his final lapse in the White House on January 20 which makes the affairs interesting.

The expected population is around 800,000, a sharp drop in the 1.8 million audience his first term swearing-in ceremony in office commanded in 2009. This is expected as the president has had more tough time battling established 'popular culture' with his skin pigmentation being a sort of impediment.

From Obamacare to Israel to fiscalcliff to gun control and recently back to Israel, the President has been seen by many whites as an 'imported leader' but his leadership sagacity has made him held his ground and come out hale and hearty.

On Sunday, following a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, Obama will be sworn in officially at the White House at 1655 GMT, meeting the constitutional requirement that he do so on January 20. That portion will be private - except for a media presence - with a small audience of mostly family members.

Both times he will be sworn in by Supreme Court Justice John Roberts who, in 2009 after flubbing the oath the first time, administered it to Obama again in the White House the day after his inauguration. The president's two recitations this year will be the third and fourth time he has taken the oath.

Obama's speech will focus on the American values, his imbroglio with the Republican-led house on issues like fiscalcliff, immigration laws, gun control and his major agendas in his second term. He will also bear in mind the changes in the Middle East, the United States' commitment to Israel and America's 'international responsibilities'.

Gun Control: Inside the Real America

Gun Control: Inside the Real America

 Piers meets Jones

                                                    

       Photos Courtesy:                CNN                and                     Youtube

America prides itself as the land of freedom, the land where 'anything' is possible. Well, yes! Anything is possible including unregulated shootings. The election of Barack Obama reveals how intolerant Americans can be. From the Obamacare bill to the issue of cutting greenhouse gas emission not excluding the fiscalcliff, Americans mostly those who go with the cry of the 'republic' continue to portray him as a sort of 'imported leader' meant to destabilize the republic. Maybe they should be reminded that the sweats, toils and labour of the black men laid the stones of strength for the most powerful nation on earth.

The Gun control debate opens another chapter in the nature of intolerance in the US. Before Piers Morgan, some states in the US had threatened secession, signing a petition to be allowed to part ways with the US of A. The same US is the country that is fast in condemning and intervening in any country in which a sector is willing to secede calling it freedom and self-determination. She ably monitored the break-up of Sudan and is spreading message of doom on Nigeria. Why not allow hers? The United States has two knives gradually cutting her; the powerful Israeli lobby through AIPAC and the assault rifles proponents through NRA. Just like Obama, Piers Morgan became an easy target.

Alex Jones, an influential public figure with 'Alex Jones Shows' having millions of of audience has gone deep to show the real America. He is irascible, impatient, irrational and extremely intolerant. The best deducible point and fact from his irascibility is that every nation, country and society has principles and by all standard and acceptable norms, such principles must not be toiled with, spoken against or jettisoned especially by outsiders. Such is the Second Amendment to the pro-gun Americans and the American Constitution to Americans. Why then are Americans always quick, fast and sharp to speak against others and even the US outrightly intervening in others' affairs causing pains and agonies with and after her presence?

What is Morgan's crime? That the US should ban all assault rifles and semi-automatic weapons as well as increase her spending and actions on mental illnesses and cases. Are they too much to suggest? Alex Jones is trying to tell the world that the US needs nothing of such. He inherently opined that the US should be a country of mad men wielding assault rifles and semi-automatic weapons as if they are knives. He is saying that the Second Amendment legalizes the shootings and to prevent and protect against the shootings, weapons have to be made available in large numbers for more shootings to guard against the shootings. This can only come from a real gun maniac with real mental frailty.

To Piers Morgan, Jones made a 'heretic' statement by implicitly implicating George W. Bush in the 9/11 attacks but by sources and reports, George Bush received an intelligence report of an impending terrorist attack on the US yet he did nothing. The Bush and the Osama families have ties. They have shares in Carlyle Group, a manufacturing group centred on military industrial complex. The company sold heavy machinery and weapons thereby making large gains in the US-Afghanistan-Iraq war. No past President ever demanded CIA reports though they have the right to but H.W. Bush did request for it and flew to Saudi Arabia. All these after 9/11. In every disorder, there is always an order; such is Alex Jones here. (Watch Fahrenheit 9/11)

After the 9/11 attack, the America Airspace was closed and no flight was allowed out of the country but on the 12^th of September, 2001, a plane flew out of the United States carrying the Osama family members who came for a meeting at Carlyle Group. Can George Bush really be exculpated? Even the Kennedys did not directly answer the question. They systematically sidestep it. Is it wrong to point a conspiracy if one is found in the US and in an American President? If African leaders could be controlled to suffer their own people and continuously do so and Gorbachev could be bribed, deceived and praised into allowing the USSR, a powerful nation at that to disintegrate and he did that cheaply and easily just because the US and the West courted and romanced him, there is virtually nothing any leader in the world cannot do against the people and the country. 9/11 was a kind of smokescreen and a foundational structure to get Saddam.

Alex Jones did not forget to mention a polemical angle worth nothing. This is the zenith of his rantings. He said '1776 will commit itself again' if they try to take away their freedom. Gun is their freedom. Shame. This is significant because after so many centuries, despite eliminating independence anniversary unlike most colonised countries and being hegemonic for decades even having Britain genuflect for their country, some Americans still view Britain as a arch foe. They are also the ones to quickly tell Africa to leave the most inhuman occurrence in human history; slave trade behind. We ask; who are the Americans (in this case, deducing Jones, White Americans) if not British and European immigrants? Alex Jones needs tutelage.

The meaning of 1776 committing itself is what? That the 104,658? signatories supporting the deportation of Piers Morgan could demand America go to war with Britain? Or maybe, that a major row could ensue among ordinary Britons and Americans on the streets and public places? People like Jones in America must know and should know that without Britain and the Black man, there would not have been any foundation for the United States of America.