U.S. special operations make overnight hostage rescue attempt in Iraq; one killed
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At least one U.S. military member has been killed in Iraq where U.S. special operations forces were involved in an attempt to rescue Kurdish hostages overnight, CNN reported Thursday.
U.S. officials told CNN an American was killed in the attempt. This is the first known combat fatality on the ground ...
In a rare move, President Obama will hold a photo-op in the Oval Office Thursday afternoon to publicize his veto of a defense bill in a dispute with Republican lawmakers over budget caps and the closing of the Guantanamo Bay detention center.
Mr. Obama has vetoed only four other bills ...
Russia puts its air operations in Syria on displayby VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV
HEMEIMEEM AIR BASE, Syria (AP) - Russian combat jets streak into the sky from this base in western Syria for yet another day of the heavy bombing runs that have allowed Moscow to again portray itself as a major global player, projecting military power far from its borders.
While support ...
WASHINGTON (AP) - US defense official: Rescue mission in northern Iraq frees Kurdish hostages; 1 US fatality.
They set up camp in Pendik Isidor: 29 arrested Uzbekistan is prepared to go to war in Tajikistan Isidor pure in Istanbul and was captured 24 militants and 29 children. She trains children in the schools they established group Istanbul Anti-Terror Branch Directorate teams held a long time to get the physical and technical follow-up […]
Since early Thursday morning, Russian combat jets have been taking off from an air base in western Syria, heading out for more of the heavy bombing runs. The Russian Defense Ministry flew Moscow-based reporters to the base, giving a few international news organizations their first inside look at its operations here.
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Hillary Rodham Clinton came face-to-face Thursday with the Republican-led special investigation of the Sept. 11, 2012, attacks in Benghazi, Libya, hoping to put to rest the worst episode of her tenure as secretary of state and clear an obstacle to her presidential campaign.
Russia’s entry into the Syrian civil war has tilted the balance in favor of the government side, and there’s no risk-free way for Saudi Arabia — a key backer of the rebels — to tilt it back.
The attack, in which the victim was moderately wounded, was the latest in a wave of assaults that have claimed the lives of eight Israeli Jews and dozens of Palestinians this month.
Special Operations forces captured militants and freed prisoners in an operation near Hawija involving American helicopters and airstrikes, Iraqi officials said.
Before the start of business, Just Security provides a curated summary of up-to-the-minute developments at home and abroad. Here’s today’s news.
IRAQ and SYRIA
Secretary of State John Kerry will meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Vienna tomorrow, the first face-to-face talks between the US and Russia on the Syrian conflict since the Russian intervention began. [Wall Street Journal’s Felicia Schwartz et al]
The US has strongly condemned Moscow for putting on a “red carpet welcome” for Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad this week, accusing Russia of acting in a manner at odds with its stated goal of political transition in Syria. [BBC] And Michael Weiss et al speculate on what was discussed by the Russian and Syrian leaders, and query whether Russia will “try to pull the strings” in Iraq next. [The Daily Beast]
Personal relations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Assad remain “chilly,” according to officials, diplomats and analysts, despite the alliance binding them together, report Steven Lee Myers and Anne Barnard. [New York Times]
Over 100 cargo vessels have arrived in Syria in recent weeks, as Russia steps up its support for the Assad regime, the boats arriving directly from Russia. [Reuters’ Jonathan Saul and Maria Tsvetkova]
US-led airstrikes continue. The US and coalition military forces carried out four airstrikes on Islamic State targets in Syria on Oct. 20. Separately, partner forces conducted a further 14 strikes on targets in Iraq. [Central Command]
“Untangling the overlapping conflicts in the Syrian war,” from Sergio Peçanha et al at the New York Times.
“Putin actually is doing the US policy a great favor” by intervening in Syria, suggests Robert Grenier, providing a detailed look at the “apparent contradiction” of American policy on the Syrian crisis. [Huffington Post]
“The Russian operation currently underway in Syria is in some respects a return to the ambitious military moves of the Soviet past,” write Liam Stack and Karen Zraick, discussing how Moscow has maintained its influence in the post-Cold War era. [New York Times]
HOUSE BENGHAZI COMMITTEE
Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton will testify before the House Committee on Benghazi today, the panel expected to focus on the 2012 attack rather than Clinton’s private email server, its hand “forced by recent suggestions” that the committee’s motivations are chiefly political. [Wall Street Journal’s Byron Tau]
Democrats released the full transcript of closed-door testimony from a former top Clinton aide, contrary to the wishes of the GOP. [The Hill’s Julian Hattem]
Despite controversy, the work of the committee is “utterly serious, its preparations extensive … and its mission vital to our fight against still-metastasizing Islamist terrorism,” argues John Bolton at theWall Street Journal.
The Benghazi committee has been a “textbook for bad intentions,” opines Gail Collins, adding that an investigation into American deaths by terrorism should be done in a “way that doesn’t debase the human loss with a nasty political scrum.” [New York Times]
Instead of getting closer to the truth on Benghazi, we will be “treated to tiresome and politically ineffective theater from the Clinton cheer squad and hapless Republicans who don’t understand Hillary Rules,” suggests Rick Wilson. [The Daily Beast]
“Hillary-hunters beware.” Gil Troy explains how the former secretary of state goes about giving testimony, saying she will likely “demonstrate the experience, poise and partisan steeliness” that won her last week’s Democratic election. [Politico Magazine]
Hillary Clinton was correct in deciding to intervene in Libya, writes former deputy secretary of state James Steinberg, at Politico Magazine.
ISRAEL and PALESTINE
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing widespread criticism for his comments suggesting that it was the grand mufti of Jerusalem, a Palestinian, who gave Hitler the idea for the Holocaust. [New York Times’ Jodi Rudoren] Jay Michaelson comments that Netanyahu’s inaccurate claim is “part of a right-wing narrative that the Israel/Palestine conflict is really about anti-Semitism.” [The Daily Beast] And Roy Isacowitz argues that the prime minister’s comments demonstrate “his obsessive hatred of the Palestinians.” [Haaretz]
Secretary of State John Kerry met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this morning in Berlin to discuss ways of deescalating violence in Israel and the West Bank. Kerry will tomorrow meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the question of the Temple Mount. [Haaretz’s Barak Ravid]
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for an immediate end to the continuous “cycle of suffering,” on the second day of his visit to Israel and Palestine. Ban pledged the support of the UN to all efforts to foster the conditions required to making meaningful negotiations possible. [UN News Centre]
Palestinians are hopeful that a new UN report may open discussions about international protection in the Palestinian territories. [New York Times’ Somini Sengupta]
Israel has put in place barriers close to a Jewish holy site in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. AP has the latest developments on the Israeli-Palestinian situation.
A Palestinian was shot dead following an alleged stabbing attack on an Israeli at a Jerusalem bus stop today. Since Oct. 1, 52 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers, while eight Israelis have died following Palestinian attacks. [Al Jazeera]
Hamas has concluded a visit to South Africa which angered Israel; Hamas and the ANC signed a memorandum of understanding yesterday on efforts to bring the Israeli occupation of Palestine to an end. [DW]
IRAN
The US, UK, France and Germany called on the UN Security Council’s Iran sanctions committee to take action over a test by Tehran of a new precision-guided ballistic missile earlier this month. [Reuters’ Michelle Nichols and Louis Charbonneau]
Senate Democrats are pushing Secretary of State John Kerry to respond to a recent ballistic missile test carried out by Iran, an apparent violation of international commitments. Eleven senators wrote in a letter Wednesday that how the US responds will reflect how the country may respond to violations of the nuclear deal. [The Hill’s Jordain Carney]
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s endorsement of the nuclear accord was cautious, warning of weaknesses contained in the accord and reemphasizing demands that all economic sanctions be lifted, Thomas Erdbrink reports. [New York Times]
AFGHANISTAN
The Taliban is active in an area close to Kabul, though the threat posed to the central government is subject to dispute. [Reuters]
Kunduz faces a “tough resurrection” after the brief Taliban takeover, the city facing widespread destruction and pillaged institutions. [Washington Post’s Sudarsan Raghavan]
The “new exodus” of Afghan refugees has started to flow toward Europe, but Western policy makers are paying little attention and “do not seem to recognize the Afghans’ desperation, and the challenges their flight poses for Afghanistan, its neighbors and Europe,” writes Michael Kugelman. [New York Times]
SECURITY, PRIVACY AND TECHNOLOGY
WikiLeaks has published a cache of documents purportedly from the private AOL account of CIA Director John Brennan. [NPR’s Eyder Peralta] Included in the emails is private correspondence on torture and a strategy outline for playing the “US-Iranian Chessboard.” [The Daily Beast]
The NSA is counting down until the deadline for its of bulk collection of American phone call metadata, the agency required to halt the practice at 11.59pm on November 29. Dan Froomkin provides the details. [The Intercept]
Facebook has a new system for alerting users when “state-sponsored actors” have attempted to hack their accounts. [Al Jazeera America’s Michael Pizzi]
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
President Obama will veto the National Defense Authorization Act, and he intends to hold a photo-op in the Oval Office when he uses his veto pen to do so. [The Hill’s Jordan Fabian]
The White House will sell eight new F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, senior US officials said, an effort to bolster the military partnership with the country. [New York Times’ Matthew Rosenberg and David E. Sanger]
Harliners will not be allowed to “hijack” the efforts toward forming a national unity government in Libya, the UN special envoy to that country has said. [UN News Centre]
Vice President Joe Biden has decided not to run in the 2016 race for the White House, citing time constraints for mounting a winning campaign. [Wall Street Journal’s Colleen McCain Nelson and Peter Nicholas]
Read on Just Security »
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KRON4.com |
Tech Report: FBI warns about online ransomware
KRON4.com SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — The FBI is warning about the rise in digital extortion, or online ransomware, attacks by cyber criminals. Ransomware is a form of malware. It works by either holding your entire computer hostage, or by blocking access to all of ... |
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October 22, 2015, 5:58 PM (IDT)
American and Kurdish commandos carried out a predawn raid on an ISIS prison in Hawija, west of Kirkuk, in northern Iraq on Thursday, freeing dozens of prisoners and taking several ISIS fighters captive. After the area was hit with airstrikes, the troops swooped in on helicopters. One part of the force attacked the prison while the other part secured the roads leading to the facility in order to block any ISIS reinforcements. Defense sources in Washngton declined to provide details on the operation but did not deny that it took place.
TechCrunch |
Ventured: Cyber Hacking Is The New Global Battlefield
TechCrunch Kevin Mandia and his security company, Mandiant, are probably most well known for their 2013 report exposing APT-1, one of China's espionage units. Previously, there had only been rumors about the matter; Mandiant technology provided the proof. |
New York Times |
Xi's Visit to Britain Highlights Broader Shift in Concerns About China
New York Times Prime Minister David Cameron and his chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, have muted public criticism of Chinese political, military and human rights behavior since 2012, and during Mr. Xi's visit here over the past several days, they have ... China ' s economic downturn ' vastly overstated ': reportChina Daily all 6 news articles » |
 New York Daily News |
WikiLeaks publishes CIA Director's emails after pot-smoking hackers raid account
New York Daily News WikiLeaks published a trove of CIA Director John Brennan's emails after a pot-smoking “white boy” hacker busted into his personal account. The documents, posted Wednesday, include a partially written position paper on the future of intelligence, a memo ... and more » |
 The Takeaway (blog) |
WikiLeaks Publishes CIA Director John Brennan's Emails
ABC News The WikiLeaks organization posted material Wednesday from what appears to be CIA Director John Brennan's personal email account, including a draft security clearance application containing personal information. The material presumably was taken in a ... The Wikileaks-CIA Hack: What You Need to KnowThe Takeaway (blog) all 16 news articles » |
 BBC News |
CIA: Wikileaks emails release was 'malicious crime'
BBC News The CIA has condemned the hacking of director John Brennan's personal email account, describing it as a "crime" carried out with "malicious intent". Six documents taken from an old account belonging to Mr Brennan were published by the anti-secrecy ... WikiLeaks Releases Documents Purportedly From CIA Director's Personal EmailNPR WikiLeaks posts CIA chief's hacked emailsThe Hill Correction: CIA-Brennan Emails Story ABC News Wall Street Journal-Twitter all 518 news articles » |
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The Kremlin Doesn't Get Carterby support@pangea-cms.com (Brian Whitmore)
The 91-year-old former U.S. president just had a good laugh at the Kremlin's expense.
What You Need to Know About Benghazi Hearingby webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
Here is a look at the investigation in Washington of the attacks in Benghazi, Libya, three years ago, that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens. Question: What happened in Benghazi? Answer: The attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in the Mediterranean port city in Libya occurred on September 11, 2012 – the 11th anniversary of the terrror attacks against the United States in 2001. The Benghazi attack came in three waves, spread over eight hours, at two locations. A few attackers who scaled the wall of the diplomatic post after dark opened a gate, allowing dozens of armed men inside. They set the building on fire. Ambassador Chris Stevens and Sean Smith, a State Department communications specialist, were overcome by choking smoke in a safe room; both later died. Hours later, a nearby CIA annex was attacked twice. CIA security contractors Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty died there while defending the annex from the rooftop. A team of six security officials summoned from Tripoli and a Libyan military unit helped evacuate the remaining U.S. personnel. Q: What is the committee and what has happened in 17 months of investigative work? A: The Select Committee on the Events Surrounding the 2012 Terrorist Attack in Benghazi, Libya (its official name), was created in May 2014 to investigate the causes of and responses to the two attacks. Despite seven previous congressional investigations into Benghazi, House Speaker John Boehner alleged an administration coverup and called for the establishment of the committee. The committee has spent $4.5 million on the probe so far, has interviewed dozens of witnessess and reviewed thousands of pages of documents. It is expected to continue its work into 2016 - a presidential election year - and will eventually produce a report on its findings. As of this month, the Benghazi investigation has surpassed the length of the congressional investigation of the Watergate political scandal in the 1970s. Q: What has been a recent criticism of the committee? A: Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy has been forced to defend the panel in recent weeks, especially after several fellow Republicans suggested the panel's real aim was to discredit Clinton's presidential ambitions. Q: Whad did Clinton say in her previous Congressional testimony in Congress? A: In January 2013 she testified for more than five hours before two congressional committees. She rejected suggestions from Republican lawmakers that the Obama administration tried to mislead the country about the full circumstances of the attack. Clinton did take responsibility for missteps and failures by the State Department to increase security for American staff in Libya and to anticipate the attack. In a contentious moment, Clinton said then that she was more focused on how to improve security, and that it did not matter what specific event may have triggered the attack. Q. What questions does Clinton likely face about Benghazi Thursday? A. Committee members are likely to ask Clinton about the security conditions in Benghazi and whether the State Department considered the consulate workers' safety, considering that other foreign diplomatic missions, including Britain's, had abandoned their facilities in their area. Q: Has anyone been apprehended in connection with the attack? A: Ahmed Abu Khattala was captured in June 2014 by U.S. special forces and brought to the United States to face trial. Khattala, 43, is the first militant to be prosecuted for the Benghazi violence. He initially was charged with conspiracy to provide support to terrorists and multiple other counts that make him eligible for the death penalty if convicted. Q: What has happened in Benghazi, and Libya, in the past three years? A: Despite hopes that a democratic system would emerge following the 2011 revolt against dictator Moammar Gadhafi, Libya has steadily spiraled into chaos and violence involving a myriad of armed factions. The North African state now has two rival governments, with two parliaments and even two state oil companies. Each is backed by a loose coalition of armed forces, mostly inspired by local or tribal loyalties rather than any concept of the state. For a year, the capital, Tripoli, has been held by Libya Dawn, an armed alliance of former rebels from the city of Misrata and Islamist-leaning brigades who have set up their own self-styled government and reinstated the former parliament. The country's internationally recognized government and elected parliament work in eastern Libya, backed by a loose network of armed factions including a divisive former Gadhafi ally, General Khalifa Haftar. Some material for this report came from AP and Reuters.
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The language barrier is a genuine obstacle to dealing with the Kremlin. There can be serious ramifications if the political will is not there to truly understand
It is notoriously difficult to understand Vladimir Putin. When he says: “We have no troops in Crimea”, it turns out that he actually means: “I personally ordered the annexation of Crimea.” When he says: “Russia is bombing Isis”, he means: “Russia is bombing anyone who is trying to unseat President Assad.”
Related: Think Vladimir Putin looks like a Bond villain? It’s more serious than that | Jonathan Jones
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A Russian air strike in Syria's northwestern Idlib province hit a field hospital and killed at least 12 people, including medical staff, a monitoring group said October 21.
 ИА REGNUM |
Иракские военные нашли около 400 тел боевиков ИГ
ИА REGNUM Багдад, 22 Октября 2015, 07:34 — REGNUM Представители вооруженных сил Ирака заявили об обнаружении 19 массовых захоронений в городе Байджи. В могилах находились тела 365 боевиков группировки «Исламское государство» (ИГ). О находке AFP сообщил один из офицеров ... В Ираке обнаружены массовые захоронения боевиков ИГНТВ.ru В Ираке нашли 19 братских могил боевиков ИГИЛАргументы и факты Иракские военные сообщили об обнаружении тел 365 боевиков "Исламского государства"NEWSru.com Интерфакс -Ислам News -РЫБИНСКonLine Все похожие статьи: 69 » |
 РБК |
Рейтинг Путина побил исторический рекорд благодаря операции в Сирии
РБК Уровень поддержки президента Владимира Путина достиг почти 90%, установив новый максимум. Причиной этого стало проведение антитеррористической операции в Сирии, объясняют во ВЦИОМ. Участники митинга в поддержку президента Сирии Башара Асада и президента ... Политолог: рейтинг одобрения работы Путина связан с операцией в СирииРИА Новости От Брежнева до ЧаушескуРадио Свобода О рекордном рейтинге Владимира ПутинаРадиостанция ЭХО МОСКВЫ BBC Russian-Коммерсантъ-Московский комсомолец -Пресс-выпуск Все похожие статьи: 299 » |
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U.S. News & World Report |
Russia planes fly out of base in western Syria
U.S. News & World Report In this photo taken on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, shakes hand with Syria President Bashar Assad in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. Assad has traveled to Moscow in his first known trip abroad since the war broke out ... Rescued By Russia: Many Are Promised, Few Are SavedNPR Russia gives media a look at Syria air operations; combat jets seen taking off ...Minneapolis Star Tribune Russia's intervention in Syrian could become same bloody mess as Chechen war ...ABC Online Wall Street Journal -CNBC all 2,706 news articles » |
 CNBC |
Russia's end-game in Syria unclear: VTB Head
CNBC Russia's involvement in the Syrian conflict could still either exacerbate or strengthen its relationship with Western powers, one of the country's most influential business figures told CNBC. "Syria might become an area for co-operation or conflict ... |
 Российская Газета |
Поклонская потребовала лишить мандата депутата Госсовета Крыма
Российская Газета Прокурор Республики Крым Наталья Поклонская обратилась к Государственному совету РК с предложением лишить депутатских полномочий Валерия Гриневича в связи с его вмешательством в работу правоохранительных органов, угрозами в адрес чиновников и силовиков, ... Прокурор Крыма Поклонская обвинила задержанного депутата Гриневича в систематическом давлении на правоохранителей и потребовала лишить...http://ruinformer.com/ Госсовет Крыма не стал рассматривать вопрос о лишении Гриневича мандатаНовый День - Крым Наталья Поклонская требует досрочно лишить депутата Гриневича полномочийРИА "VladTime" "Воронежский курьер" - онлайн газета -Информационное агенство Крым Медиа -ИА "Репортер" Все похожие статьи: 14 » |
Voice of America |
Russia Announces Military Plans for Contested Kuril Islands
Voice of America Russia's defense minister said Moscow plans to build a military base on the Kuril Islands, some of which are also claimed by Japan. Sergei Shoigu told reporters Thursday that Russia is planning to put a large modern base on the islands with equipment ... Russia says to build military base on contested Kurile IslandsReuters all 15 news articles » |
The man, armed with a sword or large knife, was shot by the police, the authorities said. The conditions of the victims and of the assailant were not immediately known.
 Business Insider |
Russia is building a military base on disputed islands seized from Japan ...
Business Insider Russia plans to build a military base on the Kuril islands, a group of Pacific islands it seized from Japan at the end of World War Two, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Thursday, according to the Interfax news agency. The move is likely to ... and more » |
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Assad's Moscow Trip Bolsters Sense he May Survive Warby webdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press)
Russia's military intervention in Syria has deepened the sense that President Bashar Assad may survive the country's disastrous civil war, and his surprise visit to Moscow — a first foray out in nearly five years — underscores how emboldened the Syrian leader has become. The show of force by the two allies is a challenge to a U.S. administration whose response on Syria is widely seen in the region as inconsistent and chaotic. Whether it is also part of a quiet Russian push to engineer a political transition in Syria on President Vladimir Putin's terms is yet to be seen. Such a scenario would do wonders for the Russian leader's evident ambition to seize center stage in world affairs. Hours after Assad's visit was announced Wednesday, Russia confirmed Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had agreed to meet in Vienna on Friday with their Turkish and Saudi counterparts to discuss the Syrian conflict. Either way, the visit shows remarkable resilience that Assad was able to leave Syria without fear of a coup or arrest after presiding over a rare descent into hell: Half the country's population has been displaced, at least a quarter million people have been killed and Islamic State (IS) militants are in control of large swaths of territory. Even as vast parts of his country fell from his control or turned into killing fields, Assad has kept his regime core in place and continues to hang on to strategic territory that remains firmly under his rule. Here's a look at how Assad has come this far: Determined persona In five years of civil war, Assad has never once wavered from his calm, confident public persona as a man fighting to protect Syria from al-Qaida-type Islamic extremists bent on destroying the country. Using a mixture of brute force and a consistent portrayal of the conflict as a war on terror, the 50-year-old former eye doctor has defied every prediction that his end is near. His forces' use of military might against mostly peaceful protesters early in the conflict quickly earned him near-pariah status. Yet Assad was unflinching in sticking to his narrative, and often appeared fueled by an unshakeable belief that Syria would collapse without him. Before the uprising erupted, Assad had cultivated an image of himself as a nationalist hero fighting Western imperialism and ensuring stable, secular rule in a turbulent region wracked by sectarian wars. That allowed him to rally support that stretched beyond his minority Alawite base. He still retains a significant amount of support from Alawites and other minority sects who view him as a bulwark for ensuring their survival in the face of the Sunni-led rebellion. Friends like these The fact that Assad has survived the war is largely due to powerful allies Iran and Russia, which have used political, financial and military means to shore up his forces. Their unswerving support is in sharp contrast to the muddled response by the U.S. administration, and has injected a self-assurance that Assad would not be allowed to fall like other Arab dictators who were either imprisoned or killed. Assad flashed wide smiles as he shook hands with Putin and other officials in Moscow on Tuesday. "We thank you for standing by Syria's territorial integrity and its independence," Assad told Putin. The two allies have gradually ramped up their support of Assad throughout the conflict, especially at times when his forces appeared to be nearing collapse. Iran has devoted millions of dollars' worth of aid to propping up the Syrian army and funding Iranian-backed militias, especially Lebanon's Hezbollah, to fight alongside Assad. It also sent military experts and advisers to the country and recently began deploying hundreds of Revolutionary Guards to fight alongside government forces. Russia has consistently used its veto power at the U.N. Security Council to shield Assad and last month began airstrikes in Syria following significant territorial losses by government forces to the rebels. That has allowed the government to launch multiple offensives on several fronts and make small but steady advances in several areas across the country. Chemical arms deal The agreement reached by the U.S. and Russia in September 2013 under which Assad would give up his chemical weapons arsenal gave a major boost to the Syrian leader. The last minute agreement averted U.S.-led strikes against the Syrian government as punishment for a deadly chemical weapons attack in Damascus on August 21, 2013, something that President Barack Obama had declared would be a "red line." The deal provided that Assad would declare and hand over Syria's chemical weapons stockpile for destruction. Although he has done that, Assad's forces have been blamed for dropping barrel bombs containing chlorine and other toxic agents on civilian areas. Critics say the deal encouraged Assad to continue carrying out chemical attacks which are harder to prove, and to continue acting with impunity. IS group advances The rise of Islamic extremists in Syria, including the IS group with its spectacular atrocities, has eclipsed the wider civil war and shifted attention away from Assad. By reducing the discourse on Syria to the battle against IS, many charge that the West has served Assad's interests and reinforced his narrative about the conflict being driven by Islamic extremists. Many critics also charge that Assad purposely facilitated and fueled the extremist surge to cling to power, by releasing Islamist prisoners in the early days of the war. If that was the plan, it succeeded in convincing many observers that his remaining in power is the least-bad option.
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LIVE UPDATES: At least 12 people are reported to have been killed in yesterday’s Russian air strikes on a medical facility in Sarmin in northern Idlib.
The previous post in our Putin in Syria column can be found here.
Taliban Kill Afghan Official by webdesk@voanews.com (Ayaz Gul)
Taliban insurgents gunned down a district administrator along with a bodyguard in eastern Afghanistan's militant-infested Ghazni province. Local officials say Jaghatu District chief Mohammad Daud on his way to the provincial capital early Thursday when the militants ambushed his vehicle. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the deadly assault. Ghazni lies on the key Kabul-Kandahar Highway and Taliban militants there have conducted frequent attacks against Afghan security forces in recent days. Earlier this week, the Taliban killed 22 police officers and captured many others after overrunning Ghormach district in northwestern Faryab province. Afghan officials have confirmed the district police chief, Abdul Majeed Gilimbafi, was among the hostages, but their fate remains unclear. Meanwhile, Afghan authorities say troops have pushed the Taliban back from Lashkargah, the capital of southern Helmand province and regained control of the territory near the city after heavy fighting. Clashes are continuing in the area. The insurgents have long contested several districts in Helmand, one of Afghanistan’s key poppy growing provinces. The Islamist insurgency had briefly overrun the key northern city of Kunduz in late September.
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Dispute Over Use of US Airdrop in Syriaby webdesk@voanews.com (Jamie Dettmer)
A top Syrian rebel commander coordinating with the Kurds in the fight against the Islamic State group in northeastern Syria confirmed that his forces last week received a substantial airdrop of small arms from the United States. And, contrary to U.S. Defense Department comments, he said the American-supplied weapons and ammunition are being divvied up with the Kurds ready for an assault on the jihadist capital of Raqqa. Speaking with VOA, the 50-year-old Talal Sellou, who runs a newly formed joint command center coordinating integrated operations of the Arab and Turkmen militias and theKurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) said: “Yes, we got the weapons, they dropped them for us, most are still in storage and have not been distributed to frontline fighters yet.” The new unit has a combined force of about 20,000 fighters. The Arab and Turkmen militias have officially named themselves the Democratic Forces of Syria. Supplies being shared Asked whether the airdropped American supplies are being shared with the Kurds, he replied: “Yes, they are for the Arabs, Turkmen, the YPG, for all; there is no difference between us.” Last week, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu warned publicly the U.S. and Russia, which has been courting the YPG, against arming the Syrian Kurds, saying such a move would threaten his country’s security. The YPG is an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, and Ankara fears territorial gains by the Syrian Kurdish militia along its borders will fuel separatist Kurdish ambitions in Turkey. A cease-fire between Ankara and the PKK collapsed in July, triggering a resumption of hostilities in the decades-long struggle between Turkey’s Kurds and the Turks. Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steve Warren told reporters in Washington on October 12 that the 50 tons of supplies airdropped by a U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo aircraft reached “Syrian Arab groups whose leaders appropriately were vetted by the United States and have been fighting to remove ISIL [Islamic State]." U.S. officials also said the Obama administration hadn't authorized the Pentagon to supply ammunition and weapons directly to YPG fighters. Last week’s supply run was the first the U.S. has made in northeastern Syria since October 2014, when arms and ammunition was airdropped to YPG forces defending the besieged border town of Kobani from Islamic State militants. In the face of Ankara protests about U.S. assistance to the Syrian Kurds at Kobani, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said it would be “morally very difficult” for Washington to turn its back “on a community fighting IS as hard as it is." Washington has struggled for months to "square the circle" between Ankara and the YPG, and its associated Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party, the PYD. Turkey joined the U.S.-led campaign against the Islamic State group only after nearly a year of painstaking negotiations and a July bombing by the jihadists in the Turkish town of Suruç that killed 33 people. While keen for Turkey to step up its role in the fight against the jihadists, U.S. military officials view the YPG as the international coalition’s most capable partner on the ground in the struggle against Islamic State militants. Turkey's concerns A key demand of the Turks is that the YPG and associated armed groups do not cross west of the Euphrates River to establish contiguous Kurdish-controlled territory along a large stretch of the 900 kilometer Syrian-Turkish border from Iraq in the east to the mainly Kurdish town of Afrin. Before the war, Syria’s Kurds were concentrated in three separate enclaves adjacent to the border. But in the interview with VOA, Sellou did not rule out ignoring the Turkish demand to keep to the east of the Euphrates, and he said his forces and the YPG may cross the river to battle the jihadists. Using the Arab acronym for the Islamic State group, he said: “Our aim is to fight Daesh wherever they are, wherever they exist on either side of the Euphrates, it makes no difference to us.” However, the more immediate target for the YPG and its allies is Raqqa, Sellou said, although he would not be drawn into discussing the timing or details of an assault on the jihadist capital. “We are preparing now for zero hour and when the Americans launch the airstrikes, we will be ready.”
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