Germany on High Alert Following Imminent Terror Threat

German police on Tuesday stormed an accommodation facility for refugees and 12 homes around the country that were believed to house people suspected of financing terrorism.

• Police searched residences in the eastern states of Thuringia and Saxony as well as in Bavaria, the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia and in Hamburg, police in Thuringia said in a statement.
• The investigation has so far not uncovered any concrete risk of attack, they said.
• No one was arrested during the raids, a police spokeswoman eastern state of Thuringia said.
• A non-dangerous substance had been found and that was now being investigated.

To Win the Second Cold War

BERLIN/MOSCOW (Own report) – A fellow of the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) advocates intensifying confrontation with Russia and declaring organizations in EU countries, receiving support of Russian citizens “agents of the aggressor.” In a recent paper, published by the DGAP, Vladislav Inosemzev is calling for “the West to mobilize the necessary resources to win the second cold war.” These include political, but particularly economic measures. The steps proposed by the DGAP fellow, would result in comprehensive economic warfare against Russia and serious measures against “Putin’s apologists.” Meanwhile, the discussion of policy towards Russia continues in Berlin. Business circles insist on ending sanctions because they fear billions in business losses and the loss of a strategic market. The German government is therefore again contemplating concepts à la “transformation through trade,” according to an insider. These concepts aim at profitable business for German companies, in spite of political confrontation – as in the first Cold War.

Out of Control

KIEV/BERLIN (Own report) – Accompanied by protest demonstrations, Kiev’s Prime Minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, will have talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel today, Thursday, on expanding German support to Ukraine. Yatsenyuk is pursuing an arms buildup by all possible means. Observers assume that Kiev is preparing a new offensive in Ukraine’s civil war. It was reported that several NATO countries are involved in arming the country’s military. The German government confirmed back in September that it had satisfactorily complied with Ukraine’s requests including “defensive equipment”. Even trans-Atlantic supporters of Kiev’s February 2014 putsch, are now warning that a considerable rise in the influence of fascist militias and certain oligarchs is threatening to establish an uncontrollable warlord system. Prime Minister Yatsenyuk’s party has particularly taken the lead in supporting right-wing extremist battalions. Yesterday, Yatsenyuk was ceremoniously received by German President Joachim Gauck.

Russian troops take over Ukraine’s Crimea region

If the Ukrainian interim president Oleksandr Turchynov means what he said earlier, that any intervention by Russia is to be considered an act of war and will lead to war, then expect war to happen soon.

Putin sought and quickly got his parliament’s approval to use its military to protect Russia’s interests across Ukraine. But while sometimes-violent pro-Russian protests broke out Saturday in a number of Russian-speaking regions of eastern Ukraine, Moscow’s immediate focus appeared to be Crimea.

Tensions increased when Ukraine’s acting president, Oleksandr Turchynov, made a late night announcement that he had ordered the country’s armed forces to be at full readiness because of the threat of “potential aggression.”

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The Kremlin website said Putin told Obama that Russian troops may send its troops not only to Crimea but all of predominantly Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine due to “the existence of real threats” to Russian citizens in Ukrainian territory.

Syria vows to ‘defend’ itself in ways that will ‘surprise’ the world as country prepares for military strike

Syria’s regime vowed to “defend” itself in ways that would “surprise” the world yesterday as President Bashar al-Assad’s allies prepared for a possible military strike by America and its allies.

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As for the looming attack by America and its allies, Mr Muallem said: “We have two options: either to surrender, or to defend ourselves with the means at our disposal. The second choice is the best: we will defend ourselves.”

Russian marine and air power head for Syria versus Western intervention – “to defend Russian citizens,” says Moscow

Just one day after the G8 Summit ended in the failure of Western leaders to overcome Russian resistance to a resolution mandating President Bashar Assad’s ouster, Moscow announced Wednesday June 19, the dispatch to Syria of two warships carrying 600 Russian marines. They were coming, said the official statement, “to protect the Russian citizens there.” Russian Deputy Air Force Commander Maj.-Gen. Gradusov added that an air force umbrella would be provided the Russian expeditionary force if needed.