http://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2012/12/15/iran-israele-nuova-guerra-fredda-si-combatte-in-eritrea-ricca-di-oro-e-uranio/444144/
Iran-Israel, The New Cold War is fought in Eritrea rich in gold and uranium
The former Italian colony, according to a report released yesterday Stratfor is at the center of a tug of war between Tel Aviv and Tehran. Both countries have placed in the country, third largest of Italy and with about 5 million inhabitants, their pieces. The Chinese have appeared and, Djibouti, U.S. and French closely monitor what happens
of Lettera22 for Done | December 15, 2012
: Horn of Africa, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Israel, United Nations, Gold, Sudan, uranium.
The Cold War between Israel and Iran that is played in the Horn of Africa. More precisely, in Eritrea. The former Italian colony, according to a report by Stratfor, a magazine specializing in intelligence matters and security, released yesterday is at the center of a tug of war between Tel Aviv and Tehran. Both countries have placed in the country, third largest of Italy and with about 5 million inhabitants, their pieces. According to Stratfor, Eritrea, ruled since 1993 - the year of independence from Ethiopia after a decades-long guerrilla war of liberation - President Isaias Afwerki, has tried to differentiate their little alliance to protect themselves from what, according to the government is dell'Asmara , with some justification, the threat of expansionist Ethiopians. In this game, the regime Afwerki who has never held democratic elections since he came to power, he chose to straddle a foreign policy at least ambiguous. For the UN, the Eritrean
government has supported the Somali Al Shabab, an anti-Ethiopia and continues to be an element of instability in the region. Yet, in recent times, Afwerki has started to move in a maze of alliances and support more or less explicit, using in their favor competition among regional powers. Stratfor summarizes: "Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are becoming close allies of the small African country. Iran has provided weapons and is training the Yemeni rebels al-Houthi settled along the coast of Eritrea. This has awakened the interest of Saudi Arabia to Eritrea because Riyadh wants to hold back the rebels. Qatar, which wants to increase its influence in East Africa, he brokered the border dispute between Eritrea and Djibouti. "
Things, however, are complicated. In the mountains of Eritrea were found deposits of gold and especially of uranium that the Iranians very interested. In 2008, Iran maintained a small military presence to protect, in accordance with an agreement with the government dell'Asmara, the refinery in Assab and in 2009 - in return for support for Iran's nuclear program - the Export Development Bank of Iran has invested in the country of 35 million dollars. According to Stratfor, in Iran, in addition to uranium, it is important to the strategic position of Eritrea, which controls one of the "bottlenecks" of international shipping, the Bab el Mandeb, which closes the Red Sea. With a finger on the Strait of Hormuz and one of Bab el Mandeb, Iran may be able to block two of the most important trade routes worldwide, especially for the transport of crude oil.
Iran's presence did not go unnoticed, of course. And according to Stratfor, "Israel has a small but significant presence" in Eritrea, which takes the form of a listening station at Amba Soira and a dock for small boats island in the Dahlak. The arrival of the Israelis, according to Italian intelligence sources, has been masked by investment in the fisheries sector, in particular in the construction of projects for the intensive rearing of shrimp. The function of this presence is primarily to control the movements of the Iranians, but without antagonizing other important relationships for African policy of Israel, like the one with Ethiopia. According to the Israeli press, the piers to the Dahlak islands would be used by the Israeli Navy submarine operations to counter the alleged smuggling of weapons from Iran to Hamas and Hezbollah, via Sudan.
In fact, Eritrea is becoming very crowded. Last spring, had spread rumors of a disease Afwerki, who on April 28 gave an interview on state television smentendole. It 'just the suspicion that the head 66enne, could be on the verge of the food for speculation about the future of the country at risk for implosion is very difficult economic conditions, both for the management of power by the president who acknowledged dissent, imposed compulsory military service and maintain permanent control of the country with serious human rights violations and pervasive control of the company as you can read in the annual report of Amnesty International.
According to a confidential report by Italian intelligence, dating back to a few months ago, in the country there are not only Iranians and Israelis: the Chinese have appeared and, Djibouti, U.S. and French closely monitor what happens. So how do the squadrons of NATO and the EU patrolling Bab el Mandeb and the Gulf of Aden due to anti-piracy missions. The risk of accidents unpredictable increases accordingly.
(Software, translation from Italians)
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Received on Sun Dec 16 2012 - 10:45:59 EST
