NEWS ARCHIVE – July 2014

GCC, ARAB LEAGUE & WORLD ORDER
Globalists Push EU-style “Union” for Middle East
By Alex Newman, The New American, July 31, 2014 – As if globalist scheming had not yet caused enough death and destruction in the Middle East, the global government-promoting Council on Foreign Relations and various outfits associated with the secretive Bilderberg group are now pushing a radical new plot for the region: a European Union-style regional regime to rule over the Arab, Turkish, Kurdish, and other peoples who live there. The sought-after “Middle Eastern Union” would put populations ranging from Turkey and Jordan to Libya and Egypt under a single authority…. Already, the peoples of Europe, Africa, South America, Asia, and other regions have had self-styled regional “authorities” imposed on them against their will. In the Middle East, numerous similar efforts such as the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab League have been making progress, too.

NORTH AMERICA:
The Public Rejects Obama’s Immigration Policies
Daily Caller, July 28, 2014 – President Barack Obama is pushing for a huge amnesty in the weeks before Americans go to the polls, but a new poll shows that the swing-voters are deeply hostile to his immigration policies and to illegal immigration, and are growing very worried about legal immigration.

SAARC:
South Asia: calling for collective regional development
South Asia Development Bank
Business Recorder (Pakistan), July 28, 2014 – The Indian Prime Minister has been signalling an urge to improving economic ties in South Asia, first with the invitation to leaders from neighbouring countries at his oath-taking ceremony and now with the news to set up a South Asia Development Bank…. Reportedly, India is to pitch the proposal for a South Asia Development Bank at SAARC’s ministerial council in Bhutan this month, in line with the recent signing in of the New Development Bank of BRICS. The regional bank will provide financing for infrastructure development to facilitate regional integration and trade.

GCC:
Gulf International Bank reports first half profit of $50.2 million
AME Info (Press Release), July 27, 2014 – Gulf International Bank (GIB) is a leading bank in the Middle East with its principal focus on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. The Bank is owned by the six GCC governments, with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia holding a majority stake (97.2 per cent).

EURASIAN UNION:
Eurasian Economic Union to have common currency in 5-10 years
ITAR-TASS, July 25, 2014 – The Eurasian Economic Union (Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan) will have a common currency unit in a span of five to ten years, Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said on Friday.

GCC, IRAN & ISLAMIC ORDER out of CHAOS:
IRAN EYES REGIONAL ROLE IN A SECURITY ALLIANCE WITH ARAB COUNTRIES
Daily Sabah (Turkey), July 24, 2014 – Iran, whose economy has been hit hard by the sanctions regime imposed by the West, fears that the radical Sunni-dominated ISIS could overrun not only Syria and Iraq but also further expand its sphere of influence leading to the ultimate goal of creating what is envisaged as a caliphate. These fears haunt not only Iran but also the United States, the Gulf countries and Iraq. Indeed, a top Iranian diplomat recently called for a regional security alliance that will rest on the “three pillars” – Iran, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Iraq….

EURASIAN UNION:
Turkey-Eurasian Union Partnership ‘Will Hurt Armenia’
Asbarez (Armenian-American, Los Angeles), July 22, 2014 – If Turkey’s initiative to create a free trade zone with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan becomes a reality, it will prove to be an unfavorable factor for Armenia as Turkey will become a real actor in that market, with certain anti-Armenian manifestations, expert in Turkic studies Ara Papyan told Tert.am. “Turkey has had this intention for a long time. When Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev spoke of Turkey’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union, he was actually speaking of Turkey’s joining it somehow rather than of its membership…”

ASEAN:
Asean must re-invent itself
Manila Standard (Philippines), July 19, 2014 – While Asean has done a lot to promote trade among its members, e.g., the visa-free arrangement among Asean members, current events in the East China Sea, however, require Asean not only to rethink its role as an economic fraternity, but to likewise re-invent itself as a collective force, perhaps even as a military alliance, to stop Beijing’s plans of converting that strategic maritime highway into a Chinese lake.
The need for an ASEAN University – University World News, July 18, 2014 – The original idea of an ASEAN University was based on the need to promote ASEAN-ness among its regional population as well as regional collaboration and integration. The ASEAN University that I envision, however, looks to the European University Institute, or EUI, located in Florence, Italy. The EUI is a graduate research institution funded by the 21 European Union member states, which not only serves as the historical archive for the European Union but is also engaged in research on various European issues and challenges usually focused on political science, social science and the humanities.

EURASIAN UNION & GCC:
Russia’s strategic push in Iraq
Gulf News (Dubai, UAE), July 17, 2014 – Russia has stepped in to boost the beleaguered government of Al Maliki and help him regain control of the areas lost to Isil. In so doing, Russia is once again defending its economic and strategic interests in Iraq…. A hostile takeover in Bagdad will almost certainly shift Iraq’s foreign relations away from Moscow and Tehran and closer to the Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC] and the wider Sunni Arab world. Moscow considers that as a strategic loss that must be prevented at any cost.
Armenia Set to Enter Eurasian Union in October – Asbarez Armenian News, July 18, 2014 – A treaty on Armenia’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan will be signed in late October, Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamian said on Thursday.
Armenia’s accession to Eurasian economic union may force changes in its ties with Iran – ARKA News Agency (Armenia), July 18, 2014 – Iranian ambassador to Armenia, Mohammed Reisi, said today that Tehran’s relations with its northern neighbor are likely to see some changes after Armenia’s formal accession to the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus.

UNASUR:
South American countries support the new mechanisms of BRICS
La Jornada (Mexico), July 17, 2014 – At the meeting held behind closed doors in Brasilia, the leaders of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) heard explanations about new mechanisms and agreed to commend the initiative…. The president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, in turn proposed a partnership between the New Development Bank (NBD) of the BRICS and the South Bank of the Unasur: “Begins to be the face of a new covenant, a new geopolitical partnership for development, to peace,” he said.

EURASIAN UNION:
Lukashenko: Despite EU association agreement, Ukraine forced to cooperate with Eurasian Economic Union
Kyiv Post, July 17, 2014 – Despite the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, Ukraine will be forced to cooperate with the Eurasian Economic Union states, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said.

UNASUR & BRICS
Unasur commitment to new financial order with BRICS
La Nacion(Costa Rica) | Entorno Inteligente (Google Translate), July 17, 2014 – The leaders of the countries of UNASUR met yesterday with the heads of government of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and agreed that the joint forum is the path to a new global financial order…. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos called the “mess” of Argentina with its debt “irrational” and said Fernandez scored backing and a clear “solidarity” of the BRICS and the 12 countries of the Union of South American Nations ( Unasur).
BRICS group of nations sets up development bank to rival IMF, World Bank
Emerging powers agree details of US$50 billion lender to rival the IMF
South China Morning Post, July 16, 2014 – The leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa also formalised the creation of a US$100 billion currency exchange reserve, which member states can tap in case of balance of payment crises, according to a statement issued at a summit in Fortaleza, Brazil.
Each member of BRICS is itself a dominant “anchor nation” of a major regional bloc of nations, except China (currently considered a region in itself): Brazil, UNASUR: Russia, Eurasian Union; India, SAARC; and South Africa, African Union.

GCC:
Bahrain, Saudi Arabia stress full support to Gulf union
Gulf News (Dubai, UAE) July 16, 2014 – Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have stressed the need to speed up the process to move the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) from the phase of cooperation to the phase of a union. Bahraini’s Prime Minister Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Deputy Premier and Defence Minister Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz said that the union between the GCC states was an issue of destiny that could not be postponed, particularly in light of the challenges lurking in the region.

ASEAN:
BI looks to ASEAN banking integration framework
Jakarta Post, July 16, 2014 – Bank Indonesia (BI) says it is prioritizing the finalization of a banking integration framework for ASEAN member countries, targeted for completion this year…. as the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) was set to take effect in 2015.
United we stand, divided we fall Tony Katigbak. Philippine Star, July 16, 2014 – Several months ago I came across an interesting news item in one of the leading newspapers that the Philippines is strongly pushing for a single-visa scheme for the ten member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). A lot like the Schengen Visa for the participating countries in Europe…. In order for something like this to work, ASEAN overall would have to be more unified….China has already admitted it does not want to deal with the ten member countries as a group but rather with each country individually. They also understand that dealing with us one on one makes it easier for them to force us into submission. Let’s not fall into that trap. Let us all stand together to protect what is rightfully ours. I think this would send a powerful message to China — and to the rest of the world — that we are collectively strong….

EURASIAN UNION & UNASUR:
Russia ready to collaborate with all Latin American countries – Putin
Voice of Russia, July 11, 2014 – [Putin] believes that “integration processes in Latin America reflect to a large extent the worldwide regional integration tendencies and indicate the pursuit of political consolidation in the region and reinforcement of its influence on global affairs…. In May, we signed the Agreement on Establishing the Eurasian Economic Union, which will come into force on January 1, 2015,” he said. In his opinion, this will create one of the world’s biggest common markets with a population of almost 170 million and free movement of capital, goods, services, and labor. This market operates on the basis of universal principles and WTO norms and rules.

GCC & REGIONAL ORDER out of CHAOS:
Top officials discuss GCC security
Arab News, July 9, 2014 – The meeting assumes significance amid growing regional challenges including security concerns created by the Islamic State [IS] and the Sharura standoff on the Saudi-Yemen border…. Earlier, the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] had announced the formation of a unified military command…. The GCC countries are also planning to launch a common visa on the lines of the Schengen [European Union] visa to allow Gulf-based expats and foreign businessmen to move easily across the borders of the six-member bloc…

UNASUR:
Gov’t confirms Putin, Xi Jinping visits
Buenos Aires Herald, July 9, 2014 -Two of the year’s most significant visits by foreign heads of state will happen in the span of one week, the government confirmed yesterday, announcing the arrival this Saturday of Russian President Vladimir Putin and of Chinese President Xi Jinping the following Friday…. The two leaders are expected to tackle an “agenda related to the UNASUR-BRICS summit in Brazil,” he added.

NEW REGIONAL ORDER:
Exploring the emergence of regional blocs
Book Review: The Politics and Economics of Regionalism by I.P. Khosla
The Hindu (Chennai, India), July 7, 2014 – The author, a former diplomat, while dealing with the political economy of “regional associations and organisations” like SAARC, ASEAN and EU, meticulously describes the intricacies and complexities … of these three important trans-national regional formations…. Imperialism is a “robber state”. This is the real external context of dominance by advanced industrial imperialist West — with others trying to “catch up” — in which the struggle of regional associations of formerly colonised countries of SAARC, or ASEAN or BRICS needs to be studied.

GCC – REGIONAL ORDER out of CHAOS:
The coming regional implosion
Gulf News (Dubai, UAE), July 6, 2014 – This messy scenario, wherein the entire region seems to be imploding, is adding more strain in relations between the GCC states, led by Saudi Arabia, and the US. But this can be a blessing in disguise for the GCC states to get their act together, think out of the box, consolidate their efforts and act more strategically and seriously towards a Gulf Union.

NORTH AMERICA:
Border Meltdown: Obama Delivering 290,000 Illegals To U.S. Homes
Daily Caller, July 5, 2014 – A second New York Times article report revealed that officials have caught an additional 240,000 Central American migrants since April, and are transporting many of them to their destinations throughout the United States.
What comes ‘after America’? – Jerome Corsi, WND, July 5, 2014 – In recent weeks, both General David Petraeus and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., have woven into public speeches the theme of combining the United States, Canada and Mexico into a single, North American Union. “After America, there is North America,” explained Petraeus, the former U.S. military commander and former head of the CIA, to a panel entitled “After America, What?” held at the Margaret Thatcher Conference on Liberty on June 18, 2014, hosted by the Center for Policy Studies in Great Britain.

EURASIAN UNION:
Vladimir Putin: Armenia will join the Eurasian Union in the nearest future
Public Radio of Armenia, July 2, 2014 – “The Eurasian integration process is progressing, but we are not alienating from the rest of the world. We are ready to discuss the perspectives of establishment of free trade zones with both separate countries and regional organizations, first of all the European Union,” he said, RIA Novosti reports.

UNASUR:
Ecuador, Brazil Manufacture Drone for UNASUR Countries
Prensa Latina, July 3, 2014 – In his Twitter account, Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño, said: “Another historical step in regional integration and independence, UNASUR builds its own planes”.