UNSC emergency meeting on Korean tensions

UN Security Council has called an emergency meeting on Sunday on the increasing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, amid serious concerns expressed by Russia on the situation in the region.The decision to hold the meeting later in the day came after Russian Ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, noted that the Korean situation directly affects the national security interests of the Russian Federation.Churkin alleged that his country's request to organise an emergency meeting earlier was turned down by the US, which holds the UNSC presidency for the month of December.

"We believe that the Security Council must send a restraining signal to the Republic of Korea and DPRK and help launch diplomatic activity with a view to resolving all issues of dispute between the two Korean sides by political and diplomatic means," he said.The Ambassador said the meeting has now been convened at 11 am local New York time (2130 hrs IST)."We assume that nothing will happen in the interim that would bring about a further aggravation on the Korean peninsula," said the Russian envoy.United States rejected Russia's charge that it declined to hold the meeting earlier, saying that the request was received on Saturday and after consulting with the 15-member Council, the Sunday morning time was set."This meets other Security Council members' requests to have time to consult with their capitals and meets the Russian request for a timely meeting," US mission spokesman Mark Kornblau said.

Japan : War defence focus to China, NKorea

Japan said on Friday it would shift its defence focus from the Soviet Cold War threat to southern islands nearer China, labelling the military build-up of its giant neighbour a global "concern". Aside from boosting its southern forces and submarine fleet and upgrading its fighter jets, Japan will strengthen missile defences against the threat from nuclear-armed North Korea, it said in a major strategic review.

The cabinet of officially pacifist Japan approved the National Defence Programme Guidelines months after a territorial row flared up with China and weeks after North Korea launched a deadly artillery strike against South Korea.

The new guidelines labelled North Korea, which in recent years has fired missiles over Japan, staged two nuclear tests and last month unveiled a new uranium enrichment plant -- an "urgent, grave factor for instability".

Japan, like its top security ally the United States, again voiced concern over China's recent military build-up and increased assertiveness in what it sees as its ancestral waters in the East China and South China seas."China is rapidly modernising its military force and expanding activities in its neighbouring waters," said the guidelines. "Together with the lack of transparency on China's military and security issues, the trend is a concern for the region and the international community," said the paper, which sets out strategic planning for the coming decade.

Security analyst Akira Kato, a professor at Tokyo's Oberlin University, said "the guidelines underline Japan's clear shift of focus to counteracting China's growing naval power, which is a major threat to Japan and the United States."

Japan will increase its submarine fleet from 16 to 22 and modernise its fighter jets, but scrap more than 200 tanks and 200 artillery pieces, using the savings to pay for boosting its far-southern island defences, it said.

It also plans to double from three to six its land-based Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptor missile systems, and increase from four to six the number of sea-based Standard Missile-3 interceptors on its Aegis destroyers. Pledging a more nimble defence capability, it said: "We will build a dynamic defence force backed by sophisticated technologies and intelligence, with readiness, mobility, flexibility, sustainability and multiple disciplines."
The outlook moves away from the perceived Cold War threat of a Soviet invasion and calls for drawing down troop strength on northern Hokkaido Island.

Dr Chih Ted Yang - IWRS -2010 - Sagar Media Inc 127

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Michael Moore offered help to release of Assange

US filmmaker Michael Moore said he offered $US20,000 to help WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange post bail in London, and his own website and servers to help WikiLeaks keep disclosing government secrets.A statement posted on thedailybeast.com, Moore said a London court was presented with "a document from me stating that I have put up 20,000 dollars ($A20,000) of my own money to help bail Mr Assange out of jail" during Assange's bail hearing on Tuesday.

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