Relative calm in Syria despite numerous cease-fire breaches
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Michael Flynn with Putin at a banquet in Moscow 2015 for Russia Today
Flynn told Russia Today in an interview published on Dec. 10 - Videos
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A Syrian boy holds a toy gun as he plays soccer with others between destroyed buildings with graffiti that reads “Syria al-Assad,” in the old city of Homs, Syria, Friday, Feb. 26, 2016. The U.N. Security Council is expected to vote Friday afternoon on a draft resolution endorsing the “cessation of hostilities” in Syria that is set to start at midnight local time. The draft, obtained by The Associated Press, also urges the U.N. secretary-general to resume Syria peace talks “as soon as possible.” (Hassan Ammar/Associated Press)
By Bassem Mroue | AP February 27 at 8:50 AM
BEIRUT — A U.S. and Russian-brokered cease-fire brought relative calm to parts of Syria for the first time in years on Saturday despite numerous cease-fire breaches, but the war against the Islamic State group continued as the extremists launched a surprise attack on a northern border town.
The Islamic State group, which is not a party to the cease-fire, launched several attacks after the truce went into effect, including a brazen offensive on the northern town of Tal Abyad on the border with Turkey and at least one suicide bombing in central Syria.
The cease-fire went into effect across Syria at midnight, marking the most ambitious international attempt yet to reduce violence in the devastating conflict, which has killed more than 250,000 people, wounded a million and created Europe’s worst refugee crisis since World War II.
In addition to IS, the truce also excludes al-Qaida’s branch in Syria, known as the Nusra Front, which is also considered a terrorist organization by the United Nations.
Syria’s state-run news agency said armed groups fired several shells on residential areas in the capital in the first breach of a cease-fire at midday Saturday. SANA says the shells were fired by “terrorist groups” entrenched in Jobar and Douma, two opposition-held Damascus suburbs.
Rebel groups said they have registered numerous violations by government forces across the country that could threaten the agreement.
Lt. Col. Fares al-Bayoush, commander of the 1,300-strong Fursan al-Haq Brigade, a U.S.-backed rebel faction, told The Associated Press that his group and others affiliated with the mainstream Free Syrian Army are so far abiding by the truce.
“If they continue with these violations we will be forced to retaliate accordingly,” he said by phone from southern Turkey. He added, however, that the cease-fire has sharply reduced government attacks across northern Syria, where his group is based.
A top military official in Moscow said Russia has grounded its warplanes in Syria to help secure the cease-fire.
Lt.-Gen. Sergei Rudskoi, of the General Staff, said that while Russia will continue air strikes against IS and the Nusra Front, Moscow is keeping its aircraft on the ground for now “to avoid any possible mistakes.”
Rudskoi said that 17 opposition units have contacted the Russian military to adhere to the truce.
He said the Russian military had established hotlines to exchange information with the U.S. military in order to help monitor the cease-fire and quickly respond to any conflict situations.
The U.S. has provided the Russian Defense Ministry with similar maps and its own list of opposition units, which have agreed to respect the cease-fire.
Rudskoi said that according to the U.S.-Russian agreements, a rebel unit that accidentally comes under attack should contact Russian or U.S. representatives, who would quickly resolve the matter.
A coordination center at the Hemeimeem air base in Syria’s coastal province of Latakia, where Russian warplanes are based, has 61 officers who negotiate with groups willing to join the cease-fire and coordinate the deliveries of humanitarian aid.
According to Syrian state media, IS launched two suicide attacks near the central town of Salamiyeh, one on an army checkpoint that killed two and wounded four. The second car bomb was destroyed by Syrian troops before reaching a military post, state TV said.
The IS-affiliated Aamaq news agency said IS claimed responsibility for the blasts in the area, where most residents belong to the Ismaili branch of Shiite Islam. The Sunni extremist group views Shiites as heretics.
In the northern province of Raqqa, IS fighters attacked the border town of Tal Abyad and the nearby village of Suluk, which were captured months ago by Kurdish fighters, according to a Syrian rebel official.
Talal Sillo, a spokesman for the predominantly Kurdish Syria Democratic Forces, said the fighting began after midnight Friday and was still ongoing. Tal Abyad has been held by Kurdish fighters since July.
Sillo and the main Kurdish militia in Syria, the YPG, said some of the IS fighters came from Turkey. The YPG statement said its fighters had killed the attackers after hours of fighting.
The Aamaq news agency reported that IS fighters launched a “surprise attack” on several areas in northern Raqqa province, where Tal Abyad is located. But the report did not provide further details.
The Observatory said intense fighting is ongoing near the northern town of Khanaser between pro-government forces and IS. Battles have continued for five days in the strategic area near the highway that links Aleppo with central and western Syria.
State TV said Syrian warplanes attacked oil tanker trucks belonging to IS in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour.
The Syrian government and 97 rebel and militant groups said they will abide by the cease-fire.
In southern Syria, the situation was “calm” Saturday, according to opposition activist Ahmad al-Masalmeh, who is based in the southern city of Daraa. Calm also prevailed in large parts of the central province of Homs, according to Mohammed al-Sibai, who is based in the province.
“The situation yesterday was very bad and fighting was intense,” al-Masalmeh said. “Then it was like a football match. People were excited and once the referee blew his whistle all the noise stopped.”
___
Associated Press writer Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria, and Zeina Karam in Beirut contributed to this report.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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WASHINGTON Donald Trump is receiving foreign policy advice from a former U.S. military intelligence chief who wants the United States to work more closely with Russia to resolve global security issues, according to three sources.
The sources, former foreign policy officials in past administrations, said retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, who was chief of the Defense Intelligence Agency under President Barack Obama from 2012-2014, has been informally advising Trump.
Trump, who is leading the Republican race to be the party's presidential candidate in November's election, said earlier this month that he would soon release a list of his foreign policy advisers, but has yet to do so. The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment about Flynn.
Flynn declined to comment when asked by Reuters whether he is advising Trump. Asked to describe his views about ties with Russia, he referred Reuters to his public statements.
The question of who has been advising Trump on national security issues has become more pertinent as prospects that the New York real estate mogul will secure the Republican nomination, possibly within weeks, have increased.
Trump won the surprise endorsement of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on Friday, the most prominent mainstream Republican to come on board.
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who won popularity for his handling of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, has also been in regular contact with Trump, said a former top aide to Giuliani.
A close associate of Flynn said that Trump was not the only presidential hopeful who had consulted the former DIA chief. "He responds to one and all but is not working for any one," the associate said.
Trump has struck a notably different stance on Russia from his main rivals for the nomination, calling President Vladimir Putin "highly respected" and advocating a warming of now icy bilateral ties.
Other Republican candidates have frequently taken to bashing Putin and have cited his military interventions in Ukraine and Syria as evidence that President Barack Obama has been weak in standing up to the Russian leader.
Trump has vowed to destroy Islamic State and to undertake an aggressive rebuilding of the U.S. military, but has signaled more flexibility than his rivals on some issues - for example, by not vowing to tear up the Obama administration's nuclear deal with Iran.
SAT WITH PUTIN
Flynn resigned from his position as the head of the Pentagon's main intelligence agency a year before his term was officially due to end.
Flynn raised eyebrows among some U.S. foreign policy veterans when he was pictured sitting at the head table with Putin at a banquet in Moscow late last year celebrating Russia Today, an international broadcasting network funded by the Russian government.
His son Michael G. Flynn, who acts as his chief of staff, declined comment on the banquet and on the reasons for his father's departure from the Pentagon.
Flynn told Russia Today in an interview published on Dec. 10 that the United States and Russia should work together to resolve the Syrian civil war and defeat Islamic State.
The Obama administration has protested Russia's military intervention on behalf of Syrian President Bashir al-Assad, accusing Moscow of hitting opposition forces rather than ISIS.
"Right now we have essentially the U.S. strategy and we have a Russian strategy in the region that does not appear to be in line with each other. And I think we have to step back and try to figure out how do we align those," Flynn told Russia Today.
Flynn was also quoted this month as telling German magazine Der Spiegel that the Iraq war launched in 2003 by then-President George W. Bush was a mistake that gave rise to Islamic State.
Trump has often strongly condemned the Iraq invasion.
A former U.S. intelligence official who worked with Flynn said the retired general believes in a more aggressive approach to U.S. interests around the world.
“He’s a sharp guy, he understands foreign policy and national security and really understands intelligence," said the official. "His positions and opinions are not always in line with popular thinking.”
Giuliani's office did not respond to a request for comment on his relationship with Trump.
Randy Mastro, a New York lawyer who was a deputy mayor in Giuliani's New York City administration, said Giuliani has close ties to Trump. “I know that Rudy and Donald Trump have a long-standing relationship and personal friendship that goes back many years, and they do speak to each other on a regular basis," said Mastro.
(Editing by Stuart Grudgings and Martin Howell)
This article was funded in part by SAP. It was independently created by the Reuters editorial staff. SAP had no editorial involvement in its creation or production.
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In a departure from tradition, representatives from both the U.S. military and NATO were no-shows.
"They had a room set aside with photos of all their newest military equipment -- all kinds of their latest and greatest stuff," one attendee told CNN. "But there were no U.S. officials there to show it off to."
Embassy spokesman Yury Melnik said both were invited, as usual. He could not offer an explanation as to why neither attended but told CNN he was looking into it.
But a Pentagon spokesman provided a rationale.
"The U.S. and Russian militaries have regular professional interactions on issues such as the safety of operations for deployed forces," said Lt. Col. Michelle Baldanza. "However, following Russia's military intervention in Ukraine, the department has scaled back the overall number of professional engagements we have with the Russian armed forces."
White House officials had no comment.
Something else was also very noticeably missing this time around, according to a party attendee: the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner." Generally, the embassy plays both the Russian and American anthems.
Armed Forces Day is important in Russia. Its embassies around the world highlight the various celebrations on their respective websites, posting photos of well-heeled crowds and attendees in full military regalia. In Bangkok, for example, the celebration boasted the attendance of the Thai army's deputy director of intelligence, among several very high-ranking officials from other military branches.
"The guests had opportunity to acquaint themselves with traditions of celebrating Armed Forces Day in Russia and watch videos telling about the history of Russian Army and its modern capacities," the embassy website said. "Borsch and vodka were in high demand."
On the site for the embassy in Washington, however, there is no mention of Thursday night's party.
Only days ago, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev described relations between Russia and the West as a "new Cold War."
"NATO's policy with regard to Russia has remained unfriendly and opaque. One could go as far as to say that we have slid back to a new Cold War," he said at the Munich Security Conference. "Almost on an everyday basis we are called one of the most terrible threats either to NATO as a whole or to Europe or to the United States."
The White House has denied those comparisons, emphasizing that the U.S. and Russia have worked together on a number of significant projects, including the removal of chemical weapons from Syria and the Iran nuclear deal.
At the same time, U.S. officials continue to decry Russia's ongoing military incursion in Ukraine and its bombing campaign in Syria, as well as other "unprofessional" or provocative actions.
And on Wednesday, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley testified before the Senate that, "In my view, Russia is the No. 1 threat to the United States, the reason is because they're the only country on Earth that has the capability to be an existential threat to the United States."
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