Geopolitics. Local kinetic events with wider meaning

1. Greece to lease French warships amid Aegean tensions with Turkey

Greece to lease French warships amid Aegean tensions with Turkey
A 2012 file photo of “L’Aquitaine”, a French FREMM multipurpose Aquitaine class stealth frigate. Photo: AFP
Greece will this summer lease two state-of-the-art French warships, the defence ministry said Friday, as Athens seeks to bolster its defences in the Aegean Sea amid growing tensions with Turkey.

Confirming a report by the daily Kathimerini, Greece’s deputy defence minister, Fotis Kouvelis, told Skai radio that France “has made two frigates available to us in a leasing agreement.”

 

The deal was finalised in a telephone call between Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and French President Emmanuel Macron, Kouvelis said.

2. 4,254 militants ‘neutralized’ in Afrin operation: Turkish military

The number of “neutralized” militants in Turkey’s operation in northwestern Afrin, Syria has risen to 4,254, while 37 militants were also neutralized in operations over the past week in northern Iraq and eastern Turkey, the Turkish army said on April 21.   

   

In a written statement, the Turkish General Staff announced the latest number of “neutralized” militants since the Jan. 20 start of Operation Olive Branch.       

 

Turkish authorities often use the word “neutralized” in their statements to imply that the militants in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.       

Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch on Jan. 20 to clear the People’s Protection Units (YPG) from Afrin in northwestern Syria.

3. China takes Pakistan’s side on issues of terrorism and foreign policy against India.

4. Four Saudi officers killed in gun attack

RIYADH: 

Four Saudi officers were shot dead and four others wounded Thursday when their checkpoint came under gunfire in southern Asir province, state media said citing the interior ministry.

 

PM Abbasi reaches Saudi Arabia

Three officers were instantly killed when the outpost came under attack, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported, without specifying who was behind it.

 

“Security officials have succeeded in identifying a number of suspects involved in the crime and arrested two of them, both Saudi nationals,” SPA said. “In the interest of the investigation, their names cannot be revealed.” A third Saudi suspect opened fire as he tried to escape, killing another officer and wounding four others, SPA added.

There is a great deal more titbits in the Reader’s Links post for today that qualifies as geopolitics and indications of many regional conflicts escalating into kinetic warfare, and with a high probability of linking up to form larger, and probably heinously complex wars, as is often the case when islam is involved.

Thank you M., Wrath of Khan, and Richard and all who are sending in these materials.

 

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

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