Angela Merkel Calls for United Europe to Address Migrant Crisis
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Angela Merkel Calls for United Europe to Address Migrant Crisis by ALISON SMALE and BARBARA SURK
Speaking before the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany urged other leaders to meet “a test of historic dimensions.”
The US treasury department has asked Toyota for help in understanding why Isil has so many of their vehicles
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 NBCNews.com |
DoD: US and Russian Aircraft Have Close Encounter Over Syria
NBCNews.com There has been at least one close encounter between a Russian aircraft and a U.S. aircraft over Syria, forcing the U.S. to re-route that aircraft to avoid a conflict, the Pentagon confirmed on Wednesday. Moscow's unexpected move to launch airstrikes in ... US-led coalition aircraft re-routed to avoid Russians: PentagonReuters A Near Miss Over SyriaThe Atlantic U.S. Jets Steer Clear of RussiansDaily Beast Washington Post all 168 news articles » |
US Plane Rerouted to Avoid Russian Aircraft Over Syriaby webdesk@voanews.com (Carla Babb)
The coalition fighting Islamic State militants has modified the route of at least one U.S. military aircraft flying over Syria recently to “ensure safe separation” from Russian warplanes, the Pentagon said Wednesday. "We have taken measures to reroute aircraft as necessary when there's an air issue where we might be getting close," Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis told reporters. Davis would not provide further details on where or how many times this...
For Russians, Syria Campaign is Symbol of Competenceby webdesk@voanews.com (Charles Maynes)
Russians have an old expression: "You can't argue with the weather." But some may have found it jarring to hear the daily forecast promising unusually clear skies and warm temperatures throughout October. But this was the weather in Syria, after all. A sign of the changing times. "Russian aerospace forces are continuing their operation in Syria. Experts say the timing was very well chosen in terms of weather," assured the weather forecaster on...
Russia's controversial military strikes in Syria took on an ominous tone in the last few days, when its fighter jets violated Turkish air space at least twice. Whether or not the actions were deliberate, analysts say Russia's Syria campaign entails huge risks. VOA's Daniel Schearf reports from Moscow.
Originally published at - http://www.voanews.com/media/video/2995738.html
Originally published at - http://www.voanews.com/media/video/2995738.html
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This Is How Vladimir Putin Celebrated His Birthdayby Alexandra Sifferlin
Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrated his 63rd birthday on Wednesday by hitting the ice.
Putin played on a team with former Russian hockey professionals, Vyacheslav Fetisov and Pavel Bure. Putin scored seven goals and his team won the 15-10, the Associated Press reports. Putin was given a trophy for the win and a medal for his contributions to Russian hockey, according to the AP.
The Russian president was briefed earlier in the day about the country’s air force operation in Syria.
Across Russia, other celebrations in Putin’s honor included an exhibition of portraits of him as different characters from Che Guevara to Buddha held in Moscow.
[AP]
AMMAN (Reuters) - A week of Russian air strikes on Syria has left residents of the rebel-held town of Talbiseh, a strategic enclave of opposition to President Bashar al-Assad, braced for a wider ground assault.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian officials lampooned by anti-corruption activists for living in opulent mansions are moving to cover their tracks by limiting access to public data about property ownership.
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter has said the United States has not agreed to cooperate militarily with Russia in Syria because its strategy is "tragically flawed."
Afghanistan's Dostum Turns To Old Ally Russia For Helpby support@pangea-cms.com (Frud Bezhan)
Afghan Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum is turning to Russia, an old ally, to get support for Afghanistan's beleaguered security forces.
Amnesty International says two of its delegates have been detained when trying to enter Azerbaijan and then expelled from the country.
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The United States says coalition aircraft have been rerouted at least once to avoid a close encounter with Russian warplanes in Syrian airspace.
An Iraqi lawmaker says Baghdad may soon request Russian air strikes against the Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq.
Russia's Shock And Awe: Moscow Ups Its Information Warfare In Syria Operation by support@pangea-cms.com (Mike Eckel)
Russia has buttressed its recently launched military operation in Syria with an information campaign that shows its increasingly firm grasp on the power of messaging.
Mr. Badawi, who is serving a 10-year sentence on charges such as “violating Islamic values and propagating liberal thought,” was named the international co-recipient of Britain’s PEN Pinter Prize.
Months after the countries reached a nuclear accord, Iran’s highest leader said other negotiationswere “forbidden.”
 Wall Street Journal |
Russia Builds Up Ground Forces in Syria Alongside Airstrikes
Wall Street Journal Russia has built up a battalion-sized ground force inside Syria with rocket artillery and its most advanced tanks—a force capable of more than just protecting its military bases in the country, the U.S. said while ruling out any kind of strategic ... Russia offers to reopen, broaden military talks with the US over SyriaWashington Post NATO says Russian ground troops in Syria, Turkey's airspace violated againCNN Carter: US not cooperating with Russia against Islamic StateU.S. News & World Report BBC News- Yahoo News all 6,229 news articles » |
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 Voice of America |
Russian Navy Fires Missiles into Syria
Voice of America Russia, which has been carrying out airstrikes in Syria, said Wednesday it has used four warships in the Caspian Sea to launch rockets at Islamic State targets in the war-torn country. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin that ... Syrian troops launch ground offensive backed by Russian airstrikesThe Guardian EXCLUSIVE: Russian jets 'intercept' US predator drones over Syria, officials sayFox News Russia Fires Missiles as Syria Launches Ground OffensiveNBCNews.com CNN all 1,851 news articles » |
 CNN |
US aircraft diverted to avoid Russian fighter in Syria
CNN In the recent incident, the Russian plane came within the 20 nautical mile interval. The new U.S. rules were instituted specifically because there is no agreement with the Russians yet on maintaining mutual flight safety rules and practices. In fact ... DoD: US and Russian Aircraft Have Close Encounter Over SyriaNBCNews.com all 46 news articles » |
Russia-Turkey Ties Fray Over Syria by By Howard Amos
Growing Turkish anger over Russia's weeklong bombing campaign in Syria appeared Wednesday to be driving a wedge between the two Black Sea neighbors, who enjoy a close economic relationship.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon says at least one U.S. military aircraft changed its route over Syria recently to avoid coming dangerously close to Russian warplanes.
A Pentagon spokesman, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, says he could not provide details, including the number of times this has happened.
He says U.S. ...
Since Russia began its bomb campaign in Syria one week ago, Russian fighter jets have shadowed U.S. predator drones above Syria at least three times, according a pair of U.S. officials.
Fox Newsreported that the Russian jets flew “intercept tracks,” according to one of the officials, thereby coming close enough to the predator drones to assert their presence. The Russian jets did not try to shoot the drones down.
“The Russians flew very close but did not impede the drone flight,” one official stated.
The incidents occurred over an area in Syria controlled by the Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIL or ISIS) as well as over the border between Syria and Turkey near Korbani and in the northwest region of Syria near Aleppo.
“The first time it happened, we thought the Russians got lucky. Then it happened two more times,” one official said.
One of the officials also noted that it would have been “easy” for the Russian jets to spot the U.S. military’s MQ-1 Predator drone on radar.
The Pentagon saidWednesday that a U.S. aircraft had rerouted in order to avoid a Russian jet above Syria.
Russia began launching airstrikes in Syria last Wednesday, largely targeting areas that are not controlled by IS terrorists despite Moscow’s claim that it has bolstered military activity in Syria in order to help President Bashar al-Assad combat the terror group.
Instead, U.S. officials believe that Russia is targeting CIA-backed Syrian rebels fighting the Assad regime with airstrikes in a challenge the Obama administration’s Syria policy.
Meanwhile, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) confirmedMonday that Russia violated Turkey’s airspace two times over the weekend, which NATO’s North Atlantic Council said posed “extreme danger.” Secretary of State John Kerry described the U.S. as “very concerned” about the airspace invasions.
Despite repeated U.S. warnings, Russia has pressed on with its military intervention in Syria. Vladimir Putin’s government has reportedly been plotting with Iran for months on providing military aid to Assad, an ally of both countries.
The post Russian Fighter Jets Shadow US Predator Drones Over Syria appeared first on Washington Free Beacon.
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The Pentagon said Wednesday that U.S. aircraft have been forced to reroute in order to avoid collisions with Russian planes over Syria.
The Hill reported that U.S. officials said American aircraft had to change course at least one time for this reason in the last week after Russia began its air campaign in Syria last Wednesday.
“We have taken some actions to ensure the safe separation of aircraft, but we do continue to fly missions over Iraq and Syria in support of this mission to degrade and destroy [the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria],” Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said.
Russian planes have reportedly flown within 20 miles of U.S. aircraft. Furthermore, Russian fighter jets have shadowed U.S. predator drones at least three times since Russian began the bomb campaign in Syria, according to two U.S. officials.
Meanwhile, Russia on Wednesday launched cruise missiles into Syria from the Caspian Sea that traveled through Iraqi airspace, thereby threatening U.S. aircraft over Iraq as well. Russia alsoinvaded Turkey’s airspace twice over the weekend, according to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Russia has been launching airstrikes in Syria for a week, mostly targeting areas not controlled by the Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIL or ISIS) despite Moscow’s insistence that its military activity in Syria is meant to help President Bashar al-Assad combat the terrorist group.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Wednesday that the U.S. is not cooperating with Russia in its campaign against IS but that the U.S. will conduct basic, technical talks with Russia on its operations in Syria to ensure the safety of Moscow’s flights over the region.
U.S. and Russian officials conferenced over video last week before Russia began the airstrikes but have not met since. According to Davis, the first meeting broached a U.S. proposal to avoid airspace confrontations.
“We do continue to maintain a high level of situational awareness,” Davis said. “We do that through a variety of means where we are knowing what is out there in our battle space in which we operate.”
U.S. officials believe that Russia has been deliberately targeting CIA-backed Syrian rebels with airstrikes in Syria as a means to directly challenge the Obama administration’s Syria policy.
The post Pentagon: US Aircraft Avoid Collisions with Russian Jets over Syria appeared first onWashington Free Beacon.
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Iran played an integral role leading up to Russia's move to launch its air campaign in Syria and play a stronger role in Iraq, with one of Tehran's most powerful generals meeting for three hours with President Vladimir Putin to push for intervention, Iraqi government officials said.
The president called the chief of Doctors Without Borders, Dr. Joanne Liu, on Wednesday.
As the presidential campaign in Belarus nears its end, the initially marginal issue of a prospective Russian airbase on Belarusian territory has grown ever louder (see EDM, September 23). On October 4, members of the Belarusian opposition held an unsanctioned rally, in the center of Minsk, against foreign military bases (BelaPAN, October 4). The event gathered only about 500 participants (Nasha Niva, October 4), but attracted considerable media attention. The authorities kept silent on the issue until October 5, when President Alyaksandr Lukashenka made an unexpectedly tough statement.
“We do not need a base these days, especially military air forces. What we need are certain types of weapons. This is what I told [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and, before that, [Prime Minister Dmitry] Medvedev,” said Lukashenka. He explained: “We need aircraft, not bases. We have great pilots and excellent schools of military and civil aviation. Why would I want to create a base? Why would I want to bring foreign aircraft and pilots here? What would ours do then?” (BelTA, October 6).
Lukashenka’s statement presents a new twist to a story that has the potential to become another protracted project (like the single currency or the Union State’s constitution, for example) in Belarus-Russia relations. However, unlike other long-standing proposals, this one infringes on what has always been a “sacred cow.”
The story began in 2013, when Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told the press, after his meeting with the president of Belarus, that a Russian airbase would be established on Belarusian territory within two years. Only a few days later, however, Lukashenka carefully denounced the statement, saying that the discussion was about supplementing the Belarusian army with Russian fighter jets rather than opening a fully-fledged airbase (Gazeta.ru, May 5, 2013). Those interpretations caused an immediate wave of resentment in the Russian media; but soon, the issue mainly disappeared from the headlines. Yet, it reappeared from time to time, with new, often controversial details, which pointed to an uneasy negotiation process occurring behind closed doors.
With the growing geopolitical escalation between Russia and the West over the past two years, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) began talking about strengthening its military presence in Eastern Europe. Consequently, Belarusian authorities have had an increasingly difficult time trying to convince Moscow to give up on the idea of an airbase on Belarusian territory. Belarus’s own air force has become obsolete, and financial constraints impede its modernization (BelarusDigest, September 24). Meanwhile, Russia is generally reluctant to provide its ally with modern arms (see EDM, October 3, 2014). Such a state of Belarus’s air force poses a threat to the security of the Joint Regional System of Air Defense of Belarus and Russia, which automatically makes Minsk vulnerable to Moscow’s pressure regarding the airbase.
Lukashenka has tried to sidestep the issue by agreeing to establish a Russian military presence as part of joint air defense groups. In December 2013, four Russian Su-27P fighter jets were stationed in Baranavichy, on a rotational basis (Tut.by, December 10, 2013). And in March 2014, Lukashenka announced that he had asked Russia to deploy up to 15 warplanes to Belarus in response to increased NATO activity in Poland and the Baltic States (Komsomolskaya Pravda, March 12, 2014). He indicated that the request had been made under a defense clause of the treaty of the Union State of Belarus and Russia.
Nonetheless, Moscow remained committed to permanent basing. In October 2014, the former Russian air force commander-in-chief, Viktor Bondarev, announced that a regiment consisting of 24 Russian Su-27SM3 jets would be permanently stationed at the military airbase in Babruisk in 2016 (Interfax, October 15, 2014).
It is worth noting that before apparently settling on Babruisk as a site for the Russian base, other locations had been discussed—Lida and Baranavichy. Belarusian military expert Aliaksandr Alesin singles out two defining factors behind this change (Belrynok.by, September 4). First, after the United States decided to sell 40 high-precision AGM-158 JASSM cruise missiles to Poland, Baranavichy became an easy target and the airbase had to be moved farther from Belarus’s western border. Second, the bigger size and better facilities at the former Soviet airbase in Babruisk played a role.
This past June, Belarusian Defense Minister Andrey Raukou stated that the airbase issue remained in the political realm and that it was “too early to talk about a timeframe for deploying Su-27 jets and Mi-8 helicopters of the Russian Federation in Belarus” (Tut.by, June 17). But suddenly, on September 2, the Russian government again raised the issue of establishing an airbase in Belarus and asked President Putin to sign a corresponding inter-state agreement, which “will ensure Russia’s long-term military presence in the region and strengthen the region’s security” (Government.ru, September 2). Several days later, the draft agreement was made public (Pravo.gov.ru, September 7). On September 19, Vladimir Putin tasked his defense and foreign ministries with finishing negotiations, with a view to signing the agreement (Tut.by, September 19). A week later, the Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta cited anonymous sources in military and diplomatic circles, which stated that the agreement was ready for signing and that the airbase would start operating in January 2016 (Nezavisimaya Gazeta, September 25).
Why was it necessary for Moscow to make the negotiation process so public? It looks like a clear sign of pressure, especially against the backdrop of the presidential campaign and growing economic problems in Belarus. Lukashenka has responded to this Russian pressure by stating: “I am surprised and even offended to some degree. Why would Russians have to leak it to the media now? Are they concerned we are going to ally with the West? Do they want the West to start questioning us and doubting whether our intentions to normalize relations are real?” (BelTA, October 6).
Obviously, the airbase issue is highly uncomfortable for Minsk. It is not only about the presidential elections, where Lukashenka does not want to yield additional arguments to his opponents; it also hits on Belarus’s fundamental security and foreign policy concerns. Minsk has put extraordinary diplomatic effort into navigating the dangerous waters of the Russia-Ukraine and broader Russia-West conflict. As such, Belarus has succeeded in staying neutral and even hosting conflict resolution negotiations. But the Russian airbase can easily undermine such efforts. Therefore, Minsk is now likely to eschew signing the agreement for as long as possible and, at the same time, to procure modern jets and equipment for its air forces. Belarus’s authorities are well known for their ability to “muddle through” and delay the implementation of unwanted decisions.
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US Defense Secretary Ash Carter called Russia’s bombing of Syrian rebels not affiliated with ISIS “tragically flawed”
Russia's move Wednesday to hit Syrian targets from more than 1,000 miles away using ship-based, long-range cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea was a dramatic display of military power designed to taunt the U.S., experts say.
 Fox News |
Former CIA chief not a big fan of new China-US cyber agreement
Fox News By reaching an agreement on cyber-theft with the U.S., the Chinese are showing a willingness to embrace the American definition of what constitutes appropriate espionage, former CIA director Michael Hayden said Tuesday. But Hayden told an event on ... and more » |
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The Pentagon says at least one U.S. military aircraft changed its route over Syria recently to avoid coming dangerously close to Russian warplanes.
Today's Headlines and Commentaryby Elina Saxena, Quinta Jurecic
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