Tag Archives: Russia

Tajikistani Special Forces Officer Defects To IS

After his disappearance in late April, the commander of Tajikistan’s counter-terrorist police force OMON has resurfaced as a member of Islamic State, vowing to wage jihad against the Tajik government, the United States, and other enemies of the jihadist organization. In a video address released Thursday, Colonel Gulmurod Halimov verbally attacked Tajik President Imomali Rahmon and promised the establishment of shariah law in Tajikistan. Halimov stated during the 12 minute video (now removed from Youtube) that Tajiks must stop working for Russian infidels (Tajikistan’s economy is enormously dependent on remittances from Tajiks working abroad in Russia; Tajik workers send home the equivalent of 47% of Tajikistan’s GDP per year) and join Islamic State to build shariah law in Tajikistan and other Muslim countries.

Halimov noted Tajikistan’s crackdown on Islamic dress and public prayer as the main reasons for his joining Islamic State. Tajikistan has long been wary of Islamic extremism since their civil war in the 1990s between Islamists and the Tajik government. To that end, the Tajik government has pursued a policy of restricting Islamic dress (even black clothing), beards, travel to Mecca, and even has considered banning Arabic names. Halimov also referred to democracy as “a religion of devils” and Americans as “pigs.” Before his recent turn to Islamic State, Halimov trained with Russian Specnaz in Moscow and American Special Forces in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. To have Islamic State enlist the direct aid of a military officer trained by US Special Forces is a troubling development, to say the least.

This event comes in the wake of the announcement of a meeting in Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe between security officials of the Commonwealth of Independent States to discuss ways of countering Islamic State and other jihadist organizations. Last month, Russia and Tajikistan discussed the sale of $1.2 billion worth in Russian arms to Tajikistan in order to prevent Islamic State from seizing control of the country. Russian Foreign Minister Sergej Lavrov also stated at the same CSTO meeting that Islamic State fighters were attempting to cross the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border. With a former OMON operative now in Islamic State, Tajik security officials can’t be sleeping well over the implications.

Yet More Evidence Of Russian Action In Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law Thursday making reports on military casualties, in particular those incurred during “special operations.” during peacetime a state secret. Anyone releasing such information can be prosecuted, a troubling fact given that the decree gave no definition on what a “special operation” is.

The decree comes at the same time when Russia is attempting to quash rumors about it deploying troops to aid separatists in Ukraine, especially in the wake of the extensive and damning Nemcov report about Russian involvement in Ukraine’s separatist war. Boris Nemcov, a prominent Russian opposition leader, was likely assassinated by the Russian government back in March to prevent the release of the report, which was finished and released by several friends and associates of Nemcov. In a related note, opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza, the federal coordinator of Open Russia, was hospitalized after losing consciousness from a mysterious illness. Kara-Murza was previously reported as being in good health, and the illness has been blamed on a kidney failure rather than poisoning.

Such an action by the Russian government is to be expected, as not only do most Russians claim to believe that the Russian military is not active in Ukraine, they also overwhelmingly oppose deploying Russian troops to Ukraine to aid separatists. All this is another reason for the Russian government to keep the presence of Russian troops in Ukraine a secret. House Armed Forces Chairman Mac Thornberry has claimed that the Russian military has employed mobile crematoriums to dispose of the bodies of killed Russian servicemen, citing classified US and Ukranian reports. Representative Seth Moulton also stated the existence of crematoriums in the Ukraine, but was unable to confirm the existence of such reports. Unconfirmed footage and reports of mobile crematoriums in the Ukraine have circulated the internet for some time.

Regardless of Russian attempts to keep their actions in Ukraine classified, reports have surfaced of the Russian military massing hundreds of soldiers and heavy weaponry such as artillery and armored vehicles at the Kuzminskij firing range around 50 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Reporters noted large quantities of soldiers and military vehicles being transported via rail to the city of Matveev Kurgan near the Ukrainian border. Many of the vehicles have number plates removed while soldiers are reported to have removed any identifying markings from their uniforms. The Russians are likely using the ceasefire to build up a force to aid the separatists. President Obama has repeatedly failed to come to an agreement whether or not to supply the Ukrainian armed forces with arms capable of countering the more advanced Russian weaponry, despite signing the Ukraine Freedom Support Act. As many have noted, the Ukrainian military is under-armed and under-budgeted, with little hope of withstanding heavier Russian-backed attacks. If Russia’s aggression is not halted now, we can have no guarantees on peace and Russia respecting the territorial sovereignty of Estonia, Georgia, or numerous other former Soviet states.

Russia Concerned About Arms Smuggling…From Ukraine

Russia has begun digging trenches along the Rostov region bordering Russia and the Ukrainian break away provinces of Luhansk and Donetsk. About 100 kilometers of 4 meter wide and 2 meter deep trenches have been dug so far. Border Guards Service spokesman Andrej Timofeev stated that the purpose of the trenches is to prevent arms smuggling from Ukraine into Russia. So far, around 60 smuggling attempts have been stopped at the border, leading to the arrest of 130 people and the confiscation of hundreds of firearms and explosive devices.

The fear is that the arms smugglers are attempting to sell weapons acquired in the Ukraine to jihadists in the North Caucasus districts of Russia. Military analyst Anton Lavrov notes that the arms are coming from the separatist republics in Ukraine due to a period of de-escalation. Ironically, it appears that pro-Russian fighters in Ukraine are trying to earn money by selling weapons to criminal elements in Russia – who then sell arms to anti-Russian jihadists in the Caucasus.

Russian police last year raided an arms smuggling ring that was sending weapons intended for customers in Dagestan and Chechnya through Ukraine, and earlier this month four people from North Ossetia were arrested for illegally dealing weapons to customers located in the heavily Muslim federal republic of Kabardino-Balkaria.  Given the support for Islamic State among jihadists in Chechnya, it would come as no surprise for many of these arms to be funneled into Iraq and Syria. This also parallels a similar case back in 2005 where the FBI arrested several men accused of planning to import arms from former Soviet arsenals in the Caucasus to the United States. In that case the men agreed to sell weapons to an undercover FBI agent pretending to be a member of Al Qaeda.

Islamic State, in the “Black Flags Over Rome” issue of Dabiq magazine, mentioned the importance of the post-Soviet arms trade and smuggling in supplying jihadists with arms and equipment. As Russia attempts to tighten up the porous and destabilized region created from its own military aggression in the Ukraine, their attempts to tamp down on arms smuggling shows the difficulty in cracking down on illegal transnational arms traffic, and the ready abundance of criminal networks willing and able to supply weapons to jihadists across the globe.

Russia and Iraq Plan to Collaborate to Fight the Islamic State

On May 21, Russia and Iraq announced plans to collaborate to combat the threat of the Islamic State in the Middle East and Iraq. The two countries will expand multiple facets of their relationship. Not only does Russia plan to sell or provide Iraq with weapons, but Russia also has intentions to invest in Iraq’s economy, specifically in its oil and gas sector.

This announcement came in the wake of Ramadi’s fall to ISIS, which highlighted the limited capabilities of the Iraqi army and ongoing U.S. airstrikes. Currently, the U.S. is limiting its on-the-ground military involvement, keeping just 3,000 troops in Iraq to help train Iraqi soldiers. Although the U.S. is going to send 1,000 anti-tank rockets to the Iraqi military to help counter suicide bomb vehicles, officials from both countries have come forward criticizing each other. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said over the weekend that Iraqi forces showed no will to fight against ISIS. Meanwhile, Iraq’s former national security adviser Muafak Ruba’i said that the U.S. is not serious about fighting ISIS and has different strategies in Iraq and Syria, rather than one clear, comprehensive strategy.

While the U.S. and Iraq have been working together in recent years to provide stability to Iraq and to combat terrorism, the relationship between Iraq and Russia has also been developing. The previous Prime Minister of Iraq, Nouri al-Maliki, made various arrangements with Russia that are valued at $2 billion that never came to fruition, and the current Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi, wishes to follow up on them. Additionally, much of the Middle East, including Iraq, is wary of its relationship with the U.S for a number of reasons. For example, the U.S. withdrew its troops from Iraq in 2011, before the Iraqi government was actually stable and had the ability to operate on its own. Furthermore, the countries remember how the U.S. was closely allied with Hosni Mubarak in Egypt but then praised the popular uprising against him. They want to strengthen their geopolitical relationships beyond the U.S. alone in order to avoid being similarly hurt by a country they viewed as an ally.

The relationship between Russia and Iraq developed in the 1990s, when Russia supported an Iraq that was internationally isolated due to UN sanctions. This allowed Russia to gain access to Iraq’s oil industry, and it was beginning to develop profitable oil wells when the U.S. invaded in 2003 to remove Saddam Hussein from power. Russia is now looking to regain its holdings in Iraq’s oil industry and to provide a counterbalance to U.S. influence in the region.

Russia is demonstrating an increasing interest in asserting itself in the Middle East. It is offering countries opportunities to buy weapons without asking questions, a relief for countries trying to obtain arms from the U.S. and running into trouble with strict U.S. inquisitions. During the Cold War, the world was dominated by two separate superpowers: the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. Today, the Soviet Union is long gone, but Russia is trying to rebuild the empire that it once held. The Middle East is full of regional conflict, providing an excellent opportunity for necessary foreign intervention. By courting these countries with uninhibited arms deals, Russia is attempting to regain its place in the world order as a superpower, a move that could be detrimental to American interests in the region. To combat Russia’s growing influence, the U.S. should formulate more clear-cut policies in the Middle East, and it should follow through with them to rebuild trust of American regional commitment.

Russian Spies Evicted From NATO, Nemtsov Report Released

NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg revealed in an interview with The Guardian that NATO is reestablishing Cold War-era hotlines to the Kremlin and the Russian general staff in order to reduce risks of military escalation in the case of an incident. This decision comes in the wake of increasing Russian air activity over the Baltic, Norwegian, and Black Seas, as well as last month’s decision by NATO to restrict non-NATO member state’s diplomatic delegations at NATO’s Brussels headquarters to no more than 30 people. Russia is the only non-NATO country that has more than 30 delegates present at NATO headquarters. NATO officials estimate that about half of Russia’s delegation, estimated to be around 37-90 people, are believed to be working for Russian intelligence services.

A key element in worsening relations between NATO and Russia is purported Russian support for separatist rebels in Ukraine. As of yesterday, friends and colleagues of murdered Russian dissident Boris Nemtsov released Nemtsov’s last work, an investigative report on the civil war in Ukraine and how the separatist movement was allegedly orchestrated by the Russian government. Key allegations are that Russian soldiers and hired mercenaries posting as “volunteers” are active among the separatist fighters, and that Russia has been supplying the separatists with arms, spending over 53 billion rubles ($1 billion) to supply and reinforce the Donetsk and Luhansk rebels. The report names several separatist leaders as agents for the Kremlin, subordinate to Putin’ aide Vladislav Surkov. Other claims by the report is the significant financial loss incurred by Russian actions in Ukraine (estimated at 2 trillion rubles in salaries and 750 billion rubles in savings) as well as the deaths of at least 220 Russian soldiers so far.

The Nemtsov report claims that Russia has up to 10,000 troops active in Ukraine under the guise of “volunteers.” Evidence of direct Russian involvement in eastern Ukraine is supported by sightings of advanced Russian made weaponry in Ukraine developed after the end of the Cold War, such as the Pancir-S1 surface-to-air defense system and the Tornado-S multiple rocket launcher system.

It remains to be seen just how the Russian government will respond to the Nemtsov report, and for Nemtsov’s associates who finished and published the report. Russian opposition activist and report author, Illya Yashin, has confirmed that the website hosting an online edition of the report is currently experiencing a DdoS attack and that he and other authors working on the report have received threats.

Putin and Kirchner’s “Trade” Talks (ENG & ESP)

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday to start off bilateral trade talks. This most recent round of negotiations is set to commemorate the two countries’ 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

In the opening press conference, President Putin stated that while Argentina and Russia have shared a long diplomatic history, this meeting would serve to hash out remaining problems between the two nations. While there may not be any clear evidence of diplomatic conflict, these talks revolve around solving the decreasing influence of Russia in Argentina.

Due to increased relations between Kirchner and the Chinese, Russia has had to play catch-up to their regional ally. The Chinese have already secured a satellite-tracking base in the region, and Putin cannot risk losing such a historically strong partner in the Southern Hemisphere.

While Russian media portrays this meeting as one to increase food trade in order to ease the stress of international sanctions, the reality lies in more strategic opportunities. It has been reported that Argentina and Russia will sign agreements today involving not only trade, but military and energy cooperation as well.

Both Russian and Argentina have much to gain from increased relations. Russia is suffering from an embargo on perishable foods placed on it by Europe and the United States. As a result, Putin wishes to establish a deal which would send Argentine meat and dairy to Russia. In return, Putin is holding the opportunity of assistance in Argentina’s attempt to build another civilian-nuclear facility, named Atucha-III.

The possibility of military cooperation in these talks reflects both nations’ mentality when it comes to the West. This sort of cooperation proposed by Russia would see an increase in Russian arms sales to Argentina. Both nations have a certain level of hostility towards western powerbrokers, primarily the United States and Britain.

Putin believe that Britain is the real reason his country suffers from international sanctions, while Kirchner wants Britain to leave the Falkland Islands. This kind of mutual dislike towards Great Britain has led to an increase of British military personnel on the disputed territory. It has been rumored that Russia is ready to trade long-range bombers to the Argentine military in order to retake the oil rich islands.

Putin’s Russia has long held “polite animosity” towards the United States, essentially returning their diplomatic mentality to cold war posture. Putin has seen any opportunity to defy Western “imperialism” as an important step in fostering strong ties with various leftist governments in Latin America. As a result, Russia has supported Kirchner’s fight against American investors’ vulture funds throughout the region.

Putin’s ambitions are well known and an increase in Russian influence in Argentina should not be overlooked. With the developing ties in Argentina, as well as the existing strong ties with the regimes in Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua, Putin is slowly building a formidable presence in the United States’ back yard.

 

La presidenta argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, se reunió con el presidente ruso, Vladimir Putin, ayer para comenzar negociaciones comerciales bilaterales. Esta última ronda de negociaciones fue establecido para conmemorar 130 años de relaciones diplomáticas entre los dos países.

En la primera conferencia de prensa, el presidente Putin declaró que Argentina y Rusia han compartido una fuerte historia diplomática, pero esta reunión servirían para discutir problemas pendientes entre las dos naciones. Aunque puede que no haya ninguna evidencia clara de un conflicto diplomático, estas conversaciones se enfocan en la resolución de la caída de la influencia de Rusia en Argentina.

Debido al aumento de las relaciones entre Kirchner y los chinos, Rusia ha tenido que igualar con rapidez a su aliado regional. Los chinos ya han asegurado una base militar/satélite en la región, y Putin no puede correr el riesgo de perder un aliado tan históricamente fuerte en el Hemisferio Sur.

Mientras que los medios ruso representa esta reunión como uno para aumentar el comercio de alimentos con el fin de aliviar el estrés de las sanciones internacionales, la realidad se encuentra en las oportunidades más estratégicas. Se ha reportado de que la Argentina y Rusia firmarán acuerdos hoy día sobre no sólo el comercio, sino la cooperación militar y la energía también.

Tanto Rusia y Argentina tienen mucho que ganar con el aumento de las relaciones. Rusia está sufriendo de un embargo sobre los alimentos que fue implementado por Europa y los Estados Unidos. Como resultado, Putin quiere establecer un acuerdo que enviaría carne y productos lácteos de Argentina a Rusia. A cambio, Putin está sosteniendo la posibilidad de ayudar en el intento de Argentina de construir otra instalación civil nuclear, llamado Atucha-III.

La posibilidad de la cooperación militar en estas conversaciones refleja la mentalidad de ambas naciones cuando se trata del Occidente. Este tipo de cooperación propuesto por Rusia vería un aumento en las ventas de armas rusas a Argentina. Los dos naciones tienen un cierto nivel de hostilidad hacia los agentes del poder occidentales, principalmente los Estados Unidos y Gran Bretaña.

Putin cree que Gran Bretaña es la verdadera razón por que su país sufre de sanciones internacionales, mientras que Kirchner quiere que Bretaña debe abandonar las Islas Malvinas. Este tipo de aversión mutua hacia Gran Bretaña ha dado lugar a un aumento del personal militar británico en el territorio disputado. Se ha rumoreado que Rusia está dispuesta a intercambiar bombarderos de largo alcance a los militares argentinos con el fin de retomar las islas, que son fértiles del petróleo.

La Rusia de Putin se ha sostenido durante mucho tiempo “animosidad amable” hacia los Estados Unidos, básicamente volviendo a la mentalidad diplomática de la guerra fría. Putin ve todas las oportunidades para desafiar el “imperialismo” occidental como un paso importante en el fomento de fuertes vínculos con varios gobiernos de izquierda en América Latina. Como resultado, Rusia ha apoyado la lucha de Kirchner contra los fondos buitres de los inversores estadounidenses en toda la region.

Las ambiciones de Putin son bien conocidos y el aumento de la influencia rusa en la Argentina no se debe dejar sola sin hacer nada. Con los relaciones en desarrollo en Argentina, así como los fuertes lazos existentes con los régimen en Venezuela, Cuba y Nicaragua, Putin está construyendo lentamente una formidable presencia en el patio de los Estados Unidos.

Russian Commandos Kill Caucasus Emirate Leader In Shootout

Caucasus Emirate leader Aliaskhab Kebekov, aka Ali Abu Muhammad al-Dagestani, has been reported killed with four other Caucasus Emirate terrorists during a Russian special forces operation in Dagestan Monday, April 20th.

Kebekov was known to have ties with Al-Qaeda, pledging allegiance to Ayman al-Zawahiri and condemning Caucasus Emirate (IK) militants who left the organization to join Islamic State. He was also key in organizing the funding of Caucasus Emirate via extortion of the local population, and organized the Volgograd bombings of 2013.

The operation was launched in the suburb of Gerei-Avlak near the city of Buinaksk early Sunday morning, where there was a standoff between Russian special forces and several IK terrorists at a house. The IK fighters were with two women and a child, prompting negotiations. Once the release of the child had been negotiated, the IK terrorists opened fire on the government forces and there were reports of an explosion within the house. Russian special forces then stormed the house, neutralizing five terrorists, including Kebekov and allegedly two other terrorist leaders. Vilayat Dagestan’s website claimed that Shamil Bulakhani, the emir of Dagestan’s Ontsokol district was killed as well.

Kebekov’s death is a severe blow for IK and Al-Qaeda’s operations in the Caucasus. As reported on earlier on the Free Fire blog, Caucasus Emirate is in the midst of a major dispute over whether to support Al-Qaeda or Islamic State. Kebekov, who took command of Caucasus Emirate to replace slain leader Doku Umarov in 2014, was one of the few leaders remaining who retained support for Al-Qaeda. With Kebekov gone, there appear to be relatively few leaders left in Caucasus Emirate that Al-Qaeda can trust. According to Bill Roggio and Thomas Jocelyn of the Long War Journal, IK top Dagestani shariah official Muhammad Abu Usman, who previously denounced defectors to Islamic State, is the most likely candidate for Kebekov’s successor.

Gerson: Obama’s Iran Policy is Self-Destructive Incompetence

Michael Gerson, a former aide to President George W. Bush and one of my favorite Washington Post columnists, gave the best description yet of President Obama’s disastrous nuclear diplomacy in an op-ed today when he wrote that “It has become hard to deny that the rollout of the Lausanne framework is a first-rate debacle — a dazzling display of self-destructive incompetence.”

Gerson was referring to the framework “agreement” announced by President Obama in a speech on April 2nd which he depicted as a great diplomatic victory for his foreign policy that will lead to a comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran by the end of June.  The president’s speech and a fact sheet released by the State Department gave details of what would be in a final agreement, including tough provisions for verification and lifting sanctions against Iran.

Despite the Obama administration’s victory dance over the framework agreement, it is now clear there is no agreement.  No document on the framework accord agreed to by all sides was released.  Iranian officials denounced the President’s statement and the U.S. fact sheet as lies.  Gerson asks “Who proposed that the State Department issue an interpretive fact sheet before the deal was actually sealed? The Iranian negotiators were bound to feel ambushed.”   He also noted that Iran is disputing Obama administration claims in at three crucial areas: past nuclear weapons research and development, the timing of sanctions relief and the agreement’s verification mechanisms.

According to Gerson, “the administration’s high-profile announcement of an embryonic nuclear deal has already had the practical effect of undermining the isolation of Iran,” resulting in the sale of S-300 surface to air missiles by Russia to Iran.  Gerson also said there are reports of French and Chinese oil companies exploring deals with Iran.

Gerson gives two possible explanations for the Obama administration’s apparently false account of the non-existent framework agreement.  First,  just like the way Obama officials declared the Bergdahl trade for five Taliban commanders as a national triumph, this could be another occasion where the administration is so anxious to score political points that it is incapable of acting with restraint.

Second, this may be a ploy by the president to back congressional opponents into a corner by setting up a false choice between the concessions his administration has made to Iran to get a nuclear deal and war.

I agree with both of these explanations but I would put the second one slightly differently.  I believe the sole purpose of the Obama administration’s account of the framework was to convince Congress not to pass new sanctions against Iran.  It tried to do this by making false and misleading statements about what Iran had agreed to.

Gerson correctly says this amounts to self-destructive incompetence by the Obama administration.  I would add that it also constitutes national security fraud.

Iran Rearms Itself, Hezbollah, and Hamas

Russia has revealed plans to continue with a long-delayed sale of surface to air missiles to Iran and the creation of an oil-for-goods swap program. This news comes in the wake of the Iran nuclear talks where eventual lifting of sanctions was discussed. President Putin signed a decree ending the ban on the sale of the S-300 missile system to Iran. A sale of S-300 surface-to-air missiles was discussed in 2007 but strong objections from the United States and Israel led to the sale being suspended by then-President Medvedev in 2010. Russia is one of several nations looking to take advantage of possible business deals with Iran as Iran seeks to bolster their economy and military. Russian Foreign Minister Sergej Lavrov maintains that even if Iran was still covered by UN sanctions, the S-300 missile system is a defensive weapon that poses no threat to Iran’s enemies. That may be the case, but with Iran increasingly becoming more bold in its operations throughout the Middle East, the mullahs are likely to sleep easier knowing their nuclear weapons development sites may soon have an extra layer of security.

Iran has already stepped up support for its proxy Hezbollah as well as Hamas as of late. Israeli intelligence officials have noticed a marked increase in arms supplies coming in from Iran to the two groups. With the recent Iran deal, Israeli officials fear that Iran will have the funding and capability to give even more aid to Hezbollah in order to keep Israel busy in their own backyard. Most troubling are statements made by General Amir Ali Hajizadeh last year where he claimed that Hezbollah had significantly improved their missile capabilities and that Hezbollah could allegedly strike anywhere in Israel. Of course, Iran has a long history of making over exaggerated and unverifiable statements, but their increasing support for Hezbollah is self-evident. Furthermore, Hezbollah was sighted moving missiles to Lebanon at about the same time General Hajizadeh made his comments. January’s attack on an IDF convoy near Har Dov, where Hezbollah militants launched a missile and mortar strike on the convoy, may yet be a preview of worse things to come.

Iran is in a position where they can take a defensive state back home and bolster their air defenses while keeping their enemies abroad on their toes via proxy action, as seen in Yemen and Lebanon, all of which helps in the effort to buy time for the completion of their nuclear endeavor.

Corruption Allegations Plaguing Brazil’s Leftist Administration

For the second time in nearly a month, the Brazilian people have taken to the street to protest President Dilma Rousseff’s administration. The latest protests revolve around corruption charges being levied against her and members of her politically leftist Workers Party.

While some protesters are calling specifically for the impeachment of President Rousseff, others have demanded for constitutional military intervention.

The corruption charges arise from alleged price-fixing brackets that cost the state-owned oil company Petrobras billions of dollars during her tenure as Chairwoman between 2003 and 2010.

As much as leftist governments tout that they represent the people and capitalism is corrupt, this recent example only helps strengthen the argument that the most corrupt sector in Latin American is not the capitalist, but the socialist regimes.

While no evidence has surfaced yet directly tying President Rousseff’s to these charges, it is strongly believed that she was at least complicit, if not directly involved, in the crime.

It is important that the western world not fail to recognize the fact that while Brazil stands as one of our strongest trading partners, under President Rousseff, the country has strengthened ties to hostile nations around the world.

In the past, Dilma publically condemned the United States regarding the NSA spying scandal at the UN. Coincidentally, in the same speech she failed to mention the Venezuelan and Cuban intelligence apparatus that aggressively prosecutes political dissidents within their own countries.

Brazil under Dilma Rousseff has strongly supported Venezuela and other ALBA nations. As recently as last month, Brazil released a joint statement with various left leaning Latin American governments criticizing President Barack Obama’s sanctions against seven Venezuelan officials accused of violating protestor’s right to free speech.

In the recent establishment of diplomatic talks between the US and Cuba, the Brazilian president took the side of the totalitarian regime. Dilma, as the Brazilians call her, only sees this through the eyes of the socialist guerrilla that she is. She believes that this is a victory for social fighters around the world against the so-called “imperialists”.

Not only is Brazil slowly treading into hazardous waters through their rhetoric, their recent arms agreements with Russia is setting up a precedent that should be avoided at all costs. Brazil is currently behind the United States, Venezuela, and Mexico in arms imports for the hemisphere. Through Russian assistance, they could easily become a greater threat to regional stability.

Luckily, the Brazilian populace is noticing the dangerous direction Dilma Rousseff is taking the country. They want economic stability and personal safety, not another corrupt leftist President.