In Geopolitics Today: Monday, September 12th
Colombia and Venezuela to Reopen Borders, Google Sells Advanced AI Tools to Israel, and other stories.
Colombia and Venezuela to Reopen Borders
Leaders in Colombia and Venezuela have made public that both countries intend to reopen their shared land and air borders. The countries share a 2,000-kilometer (1,200-mile) land border that was closed in 2019 and only reopened to pedestrians in October last year.
The relationship between the two countries had deteriorated sharply due to disputes caused by suspicious illegal border crossings. The presidents of both countries announced that both commercial flights and cargo transport will be allowed to return in full across their shared border on the 26th of September. The announcement marks increased cooperation between the two countries since Colombian President Gustavo Petro took office. Since taking office in Colombia, Caracas and Bogota have progressively advanced a normalization of ties.
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Russian Sanctions Threaten Iraq’s Mi-17 Supplies
Sanctions on Russia have cut the supply chains of spare parts and maintenance services for thousands of exported Mi-8/17 helicopters. Iraq’s current battlefield demands prevent its army from reducing use of its 40 Russian transport helicopters, complicating matters for its military leadership.
The Iraqi Army is heavily dependent on its robust fleet of 40 Russian transport helicopters. They are used to quickly evacuate wounded troops and bring in needed supplies or troops. The Mi-17 has evolved into a popular and inexpensive transport helicopter that can easily be modified to carry weapons, or any other specialized gear. Some Mi-171s are being equipped with radars and other sensors as well, allowing the aircraft to be used for reconnaissance and surveillance missions.
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Google Sells Advanced AI Tools to Israel
Documents reveal that Google, a US company which is a part of Alphabet Inc., is selling advanced AI capabilities to Israel. Google is reportedly offering advanced artificial intelligence and machine-learning capabilities to the Israeli government through its “Project Nimbus” contract.
The documents indicate that the program gives Israel capabilities for facial detection, automated image categorization, object tracking, and sentiment analysis able to assess the emotional content of images, speech, and writing. Google claims that its systems can discern inner feelings from one’s face and statements on a macro level. The Nimbus project will reside on Israeli territory, be subject to Israeli law and be insulated from international reach. Some reports suggest that Google is contractually barred from shutting down Nimbus services or denying access.
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India to Partly Join US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework
India will join three of the four pillars of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), a US-backed regional economic group in the Indo-Pacific that excludes China. India will reportedly join the resilient economy, the fair economy, and the clean economy pillars, while not joining the connected economy pillar of the framework.
New Delhi has opted out of trade talks with a US-led group of Asian nations, avoiding a scenario where India would ease access to its markets. Nevertheless the United States has managed to get India to partake in its regional economic framework, which is aimed at economically balancing the entire region against Beijing. While India has decided not to join the digital trade and trade pillar of the framework, it nonetheless joins Washington in integrating the region with new supply chains and tax laws that exclude Chinese participation.