More Nuclear Threats From North Korea Against The U.S.

N Korea Threatens US In Nuclear Warning -- Al Jazeera

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has warned that the US would not be safe in the event of a conflict.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has vowed that the Korean peninsula would be engulfed by nuclear disaster if war breaks out there again.

Kim warned on Wednesday that the US and South Korea would not be safe in the event of a conflict, as he said the countries' joint military training exercises could escalate to a full-scale war.

"If the war breaks out again in this land, it will bring about a massive nuclear disaster and the US will never be safe," Kim said in his New Year message, broadcast on state TV.

"We are faced with a dangerous situation in which a small, accidental military clash can lead to an all-out war."

Kim said he would not beg for peace and vowed to protect the impoverished but nuclear-armed North with strong self defence measures against enemies.

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More News On North Korea's Nuclear Threats

In New Year message, N Korea warns of 'nuclear catastrophe' -- AP
North Korea warns of nuclear disaster, threatens US -- Gulf News/AFP
North Korea warns US over war threat -- SKY News
N.Korea Threatens Nuclear War While Calling for Improved Ties with South -- NTD
North Korea Warns of Nuclear Disaster, Threatens US -- FARS News Agency (Iran)

In His New Year's Address To The Nation North Korea Leader Hails Political Purge

North Korea's Kim Jong Un Lauds Purge Of Executed Uncle Jang Song Thaek -- CNN

(CNN) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday praised the recent purge of his uncle and former protector, saying it brought greater unity within the secretive, nuclear-armed state.

"In the seething period of the effort for building a thriving country last year, we took the resolute measure of removing the factionalists lurking in the Party," Kim said in a New Year's address, referring to the North's ruling Workers' Party of Korea.

"As our Party detected and purged the anti-Party, counterrevolutionary factionalists at an opportune time and with a correct decision, the Party and revolutionary ranks were further consolidated and our single-hearted unity was solidified to the maximum," Kim said, according to the text of the speech carried by North Korean state media.

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More News On North Korea's Purge

Key quotations from Kim Jong-un's new year address -- ITV.com
North Korean leader says purge was a cleansing of 'filth' -- Reuters
N Korean leader Kim Jong-un hails execution of uncle -- BBC
North Korea: Kim Jong-un condemns uncle as 'filth' in new year address -- The Guardian
Kim Jong-un hails execution of his 'scum' uncle Jang -- The Australian/AFP
North Korea's Kim Jong Un says elimination of 'factionalist filth' strengthened nation -- NBC/AP
N. Korea’s Kim says purge of uncle the ‘correct decision’ -- Washington Post
North Korea's Kim Jong Un hails purge of uncle -- Deutsche Welle
North Korea leader says execution of uncle removed ‘filth’ -- Euronews
North Korean Leader Boasts of Unity After Bloody Purge -- Voice of America
North Korea: A New Year of strength? -- Foster Klug and Hyung-Jin Kim, Christian Science Monitor/AP
Kim Jong-un strong for now -- Kim Tae-gyu/Jun Ji-hye/Nam Hyun-woo, Korea Times

Putin Visits victims of Volgograd blasts While Vowing To 'Annihilate Terrorists' After Suicide Bombings

Putin Vows To Annihilate 'Terrorists' After Suicide Bombings -- Reuters

(Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday vowed to annihilate all "terrorists" following two deadly bomb attacks in the southern Russian city of Volgograd that raised security fears ahead of the Winter Olympics.

The uncompromising remarks in a televised New Year address were Putin's first public comments since suicide bombers killed at least 34 people in attacks less than 24 hours apart on a railway station and a trolleybus on Sunday and Monday.

But after two decades of violence in the North Caucasus, Islamist militants continue to pose a threat beyond their home region. Russia's Olympic Committee chief said no more could be done to safeguard the Games since every measure possible was already in place around Sochi, beneath the Caucasus mountains.

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More News On The Aftermath Of The Volgograd Terror Attacks

Putin Discusses Public Security in Blast-Hit Volgograd -- RIA Novosti
'Fight terrorists until full elimination': Putin changes New Year address after Volgograd terror attacks -- RT
Putin Visits Volgograd, Site of Two Suicide Attacks -- New York Times
Russia's Vladimir Putin visits victims of Volgograd blasts -- CNN
Putin visits bomb-hit Volgograd -- AP
Putin visits Volgograd, denounces 'abomination' of attacks -- AFP
Vladimir Putin visits victims of Volgograd bombings -- The Guardian
Putin: 'No Justification' for Volgograd Bombings -- Voice of America
Putin visits Volgograd after deadly blasts -- Al Jazeera
Putin vows total destruction of 'terrorists' after bombings -- AFP
Putin Promises Increased Security for Olympics -- Wall Street Journal
Olympics chief Thomas Bach: Terrorism must never triumph -- AP
Russian bombing suspect spoke of 'way of Jihad' -- NBC
Chechen rebel, Doku Umarov, suspected in deadly bombings after threatening to attack ‘satanic’ Olympic games -- National Post
Experts fear Russia attacks are terrorist probes ahead of Sochi Olympics -- NBC
What Russian terrorists hope to accomplish ahead of Sochi Olympics -- Ariel
In Wake Of Repeated Bombings, A Question: Why Volgograd? -- Daisy Sindelar, Radio Free Europe

Syrian Death Toll Passes 130,000

Damaged buildings and debris are pictured in the besieged area of Homs, Syria, Dec. 24, 2013.

Anti-Assad Monitoring Group Says Syrian Death Toll Passes 130,000 -- Reuters

(Reuters) - The death toll in Syria's civil war has risen to at least 130,433, more than a third of them civilians on both sides of the conflict, but the real figure is probably much higher, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Tuesday.

The conflict in Syria began in March 2011 as peaceful protests against four decades of rule by President Bashar al-Assad's family, but turned into an armed insurgency whose sectarian dimensions have reverberated across the Middle East.

The anti-Assad Observatory, based in Britain but with a network of sources across Syria, put the number of women and children killed in the conflict so far at 11,709.

It said the death toll among rebels fighting the Assad government was at least 29,083.

Deaths among the Syrian armed forces and fighters supporting Assad were at least 52,290, including 262 fighters from the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah and 286 from other non-Syrian Shi'ite groups.

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More News On The Syrian Death Toll Surpassing 130,000

Syrian war death toll passes 130,000, including more than 46,000 civilians -- The National/AFP
Over 130,000 killed in Syria since conflit began -- Al Bawaba
Syria Death Toll Tops 130,000 -- Arutz Sheva
Syrian death toll in civil war tops 130,000: rights group -- Global Post/Kyodo News Agency
Over 130,000 people killed in Syria since March ''11 - Observatory -- KUNA

2013 Was A Bloody Year In Iraq

A 2013 Disaster: Death Toll More Than Doubles in Iraq -- Antiwar

Violence Shows No Signs of Slowing Down as Year End

For a nation still reeling from a devastating multi-year US occupation, 2013 was definitely a year Iraqis would prefer to forget. Violence spiked more than two-fold nationwide over 2012 numbers, and the trend shows no signs of slowing down.

2013 started much the same as the past several years did, but a late April crackdown against Sunni protesters by the military sparked a series of strikes from Sunni militant factions, and coupled with spillover violence from Syria, the toll is back to the levels of 2007, the height of the US surge.

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Update #1: UN says violence claimed lives of 7,818 civilians in Iraq in 2013, highest toll in years -- FOX News/AP
Update #2: Iraq suffers worst year of violence since 2008 -- AFP

My Comment: What is worrisome is that this spiral of violence is only escalating .... that trends are indicating an even doubling of the death toll in 2014.

Will Iraq Collpase Into A Sectarian Civil War In 2014?

Iraq In 2014: Back To Civil War? -- Jamie Tarabay, Al Jazeera

Fears grow that elections next year could re-ignite sectarian tensions

As Iraq closes out one of its bloodiest years since the 2003 U.S. invasion, fears are mounting that the national elections next April will foreshadow more violence and perhaps even another descent into the sectarian conflict that enveloped the country and cost tens of thousands of lives.

These will be the first national elections since the U.S. military withdrawal in 2011. Then, violence was at a relative lull, and reconciliation between ethnic groups seemed to be within reach. Since that time, however, violent attacks have sharply increased. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is under pressure from his allies in and outside Iraq to demonstrate inclusiveness in his government, and his actions after the virtually certain victory for his Shia bloc will be critical.

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My Comment: Iraq is a nation state that is composed of three distinct sectarian groups .... Sunnis, Shiites, and the Kurds. At the moment there is no political consensus among these groups, and with the government of Al-Maliki showing no interest in reversing this course .... I predict that the death toll in 2013 of 7,818 civilians will be surpassed by the summer of 2014.

Here Are Three Developing Challenges That Could Make Or Break 2014

U.S. Marines depart a checkpoint and patrol back to Forward Operating Base Geronimo, Afghanistan, May 30, 2010. The Marines are assigned to Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Mark Fayloga

Emerging Flash Points Promise Tough 2014 On World Stage -- CBS

For all the frustrations, crises, and hard-won silver linings that have have attended American foreign policy over the last year, it’s probable that those steering the ship of state are hoping for a brief respite in 2014.

It’s even more probable that they won’t get it.

Some longtime thorns in America’s side (see: Iran, North Korea) have driven the global news cycle throughout 2013, and all signs point to that continuing in 2014. But apart from those old chestnuts, some emerging problems and fresh policy challenges will confront President Obama in 2014, promising anything but more of the same.

Between a scheduled troop withdrawal from America’s longest-ever war in Afghanistan, rising tensions in East Asia driven by the dawn of a more muscular, assertive China, and problems ranging from instability to terrorism in parts of Africa, these burgeoning flash points could determine whether 2014 becomes a triumph or a setback for American interests abroad.

With that in mind, what follows is a preview of three developing challenges that could make or break 2014 as they move to the fore.

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My Comment: I would also add economics to this mix of emerging flash points. From the U.S. inability (and unwillingness) to address it's debt crisis, southern Europe's continuing economic depression, and China's potential internal debt implosion.

Here Are 10 Conflicts That Will Threaten Global Stability In 2014

BEACH BUDDIES - Marines enjoy a moment of relaxation on a beach after conducting an amphibious training raid as part of Tropic Thunder, an exercise on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, Aug. 30, 2013. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Christopher O'Quin

Next Year’s Wars -- Louise Arbour, Foreign Policy

From Sochi to Sudan, 10 conflicts that will threaten global stability in 2014.

Before we dive into next year's list of conflicts to watch, some thoughts on the year we are about to conclude are in order. In short, 2013 was not a good year for our collective ability to prevent or end conflict. For sure, there were bright moments. Colombia appears closer than ever to ending a civil war which next year will mark its 60th birthday. Myanmar, too, could bring down the curtain on its decades-long internal ethnic conflicts, though many hurdles remain. The deal struck over Iran's nuclear program was a welcome fillip for diplomacy, even dynamism. The U.N. Security Council finally broke its deadlock over Syria, at least with regards to the regime's chemical weapons, and committed to more robust interventions in Eastern Congo and the Central African Republic. Turkey's talks with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) continue in fits and starts, but the ceasefire looks reasonably durable. Pakistan enjoyed its first-ever democratic handover of power.

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WNU Editor: The list of countries that Louise Arbour has compiled for Foreign Policy is the following ....

1) Syria and Lebanon
2) Iraq
3) Libya
4) Honduras
5) Central African Republic
6) Sudan
7) The Sahel and Nigeria
8) Bangladesh
9) Central Asia
10) North Caucasus (Sochi)

Are We Repeating History That Will Lead To A World War?

TROOPS AND EMPLOYEES - U.S. troops and employees of the Farah Directorate of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock board a CH-47 Chinook helicopter after a meeting in Lash-e Juwayn in Afghanistan's Farah province, Jan. 24, 2013. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Petty Officer Josh Ives

Will 2014 See A Repeat of 1914? -- James G. Wiles, American Thinker

Will 2014 see a repeat of 1914?


That's the provocative question asked in a penetrating essay by Oxford don Margaret MacMillan that is causing quite a stir around the world since it first appeared on the Brookings Institution's  website on December 14. 


Here's the question that Professor MacMillan addresses: does China's re-emergence as a dominant economy and world power for the first time since the 1400s threaten a new world war?  MacMillan's conclusion?

Quite possibly.  Even more startling, the lead editorial in the year-end double issue of The Economist reaches the same conclusion.


And foreign policy scholar Walter Russell Meade of Bard College addresses the same topic in his own online essay, entitled "The End of the End of History."

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My Comment: This is a timely essay from James G. Wiles where he analysis a number of recent commentaries that examine the possibility of war in 2014. Read it for the links.

Will 2014 Be The Year Of A Great War?

A U.S. Special Forces Operation Detachment-Alpha soldier uses his weapon's optic lens to scan the area as Afghan national commandos conduct a clearing operation in Mandozai village in the Maiwand district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province, Dec. 27, 2013. U.S. soldiers assisted the Afghan commandos. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Bertha A. Flores

2014: Good Year for a Great War? -- Graham Allison, National Commentary

Precisely a hundred years ago today, the richest man in the world sent New Year’s greetings to a thousand of the most influential leaders in the U.S. and Europe announcing: mission accomplished. “International Peace,” he proclaimed, “is to prevail through the Great Powers agreeing to settle their disputes by International Law, the pen thus proving mightier than the sword.”

Having immigrated to the US penniless, created the steel industry as a pillar of America's rise to preeminence, and become fabulously wealthy in the process, Andrew Carnegie had the confidence of a man who had achieved the impossible. When he turned from making money to spending it for public purposes, his goals were universal literacy at home (funding public libraries in cities and towns across America), and perpetual peace abroad, starting with the great powers of Europe and the US.

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My Comment: An excellent essay on history and how war evolved .... to today's world and to today's pressure points. Read it all. As to what is my take on the possibility of a world war .... if it should happen it will originate from Asia.