The Early Edition: February 23, 2016
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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 & SYRIA
Cessation of hostilities in Syria. The Syrian government accepted the terms of a cessation of hostilities deal brokered the United States and Russia. [Agence France-Presse; BBC] The agreement will go into effect on Saturday, and does not cover the Islamic State, the Nusra Front, al-Qaeda, or affiliated groups, raising concerns about how long it will last. [Wall Street Journal’s Jay Solomon; New York Times’ Mark Landler] President Assad accepted the deal, but only with conditions, including the right to attack factions he considers “terrorists.” [NPR’s Lauren Frayer] UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon welcomed the deal. [UN News Centre] US Secretary of State John Kerry’s remarks on the agreement can be found here.
Syria is “on the brink of collapse” after years of civil war, with civilians bearing the brunt of hostilities in the country. A newly released UN report found that “[f]lagrant violations of human rights and international humanitarian law continue unabated.” [Reuters] The UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria also found that government planes had intentionally targeted hospitals in rebel-held towns. [New York Times’ Somini Sengupta]
Airstrikes targeted one of the last roads into opposition-held areas of Aleppo on Tuesday. UK-based NGO Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strikes were believed to be carried out by Russian jets. [Reuters]
Russia launched twice as many airstrikes as the US-led coalition last week, raising concerns about Moscow’s ongoing and escalating bombing campaign in the country. [Daily Beast’s David Axe]
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is keeping Iran at arms length in fighting the Islamic State in an attempt to avoid inflaming ethnic tensions. [Reuters]
The Islamic State has released the last of the 230 Assyrian Christians abducted in Syria last year after millions of dollars were paid in ransoms. [Associated Press]
A UN-backed investigation will start its in-depth inquiry into Syria’s use of chemical weapons next month. The group is tasked with identifying perpetrators and has already started preliminary work on seven potential cases. [UN News Centre]
Former NSA and CIA Director Michael Hayden said US intelligence agencies were to blame for concluding Iraq had weapons of mass destruction in the run-up to the Iraq War, not the White House. [NPR]
“Why the Arabs don’t want us in Syria.” Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. opines on the root causes of the violent reaction to US’s interventions in the Middle East. [Politico]
SURVEILLANCE, PRIVACY & TECHNOLOGY
Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg has spoken publicly about the spat between Apple and the FBI, telling delegates at a mobile congress in Barcelona that he was “sympathetic” to Apple’s position, but added that Facebook has “a really big responsibility” to help prevent terrorism. [The Guardian] Bill Gates has also spoken up, responding to Apple’s argument that this case will set a wider precedent by insisting that “this is a specific case.” [Financial Times’ Stephen Foley and Tim Bradshaw] Two recent polls have found that the American public is split roughly 50-50 over the issue. [The Hill’s Cory Bennett]
Apple has called for a “commission or other panel of experts on intelligence, technology and civil liberties to discuss the implications for law enforcement, national security, privacy and personal freedoms.” [Financial Times’ Tim Bradshaw; Reuters’ Dustin Volz and Abhirup Roy]
“Beyond the legal case, there is an ethics issue unfolding here.” The NYPD’s William Bratton and John Miller argue that Apple is morally obligated to comply with the “constitutionally legal court order” as one of “two companies whose operating systems handle more than 90 percent of mobile communications worldwide.” [New York Times]
On the flipside, the San Bernardino litigation “could have a significant impact” criminal investigations.Jenna McLaughlin reports that, contrary to the FBI’s public reassurances, a precedent will be set and it will have “a huge impact” on how the FBI conducts its business. [The Intercept]
Apple is not the only company locked in a fight with the Justice Department: Microsoft and Twitter have also become part of the “broader tension” between the government and Silicon Valley, partly as a result of the revelations of NSA whistleblower, Edward Snowden, and the increased public scrutiny they have engendered. [NBC News’ Josh Lipton; The Guardian’s Yochai Benkler]
The chief information officer at the Office of Personnel Management has retired. Donna Seymour oversaw the two government databases that were breached in 2014, resulting in the theft of the personal information of over 22 million people. The Obama administration had repeatedly resisted calls to fire her. [Washington Post’s Eric Yoder]
The NSA spied on a 2010 discussion between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi about ways in which Israel could improve its relationship with the US, newly published classified documents have revealed. [The Intercept’s Nicky Hager]
GUANTANAMO BAY
The Pentagon intends to submit a plan to close Guantánamo Bay today. The administration still intends to transfer as many prisoners as possible to third countries, and to bring the rest of the 91 remaining prisoners to maximum-security prisons in the US. [Reuters’ Yeganeh Torbati and Matt Spetalnick; The Hill’s Kristina Wong] GOP senators are ready to oppose any attempts by the Obama administration to relocate prisoners to their states. [The Hill’s Kristina Wong] The cooperation of Republican-controlled Congress will almost certainly be required to shut down the detention facility, say Austin Wright and Jeremy Herb, at least within the time Obama has left in office. [Politico]
“After-the-utterance redaction.” Chief prosecutor Army Brig. Gen. Mark Martins argued for the continued redaction of a transcript of an open-court hearing that involved testimony from two guards at Guantánamo Bay’s Camp 7, in opposition to requests by attorneys for alleged 9/11 orchestrators and news agencies yesterday that the transcript be made public. [Miami Herald’s Carol Rosenberg]
AFGHANISTAN
A date may be set soon for face-to-face talks between Afghanistan and the Taliban, according to reports from broader peace negotiations between Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, and the US. [Associated Press]
The Pentagon is conducting a “full assessment” of an alleged policy that prevented US troops reporting instances of sexual assault of children by Afghan National Defense and Security Forces. [The Hill’s Rebecca Kheel]
A suicide attack has killed 13 people, most of them civilians, in Afghanistan’s northern Parwan province. The attack was aimed at a police commander, who was among the injured. [Al Jazeera]
The decision was “wrong, irresponsible and would lead to further losses in surrounding districts.” The head of the local provincial council, Mohammad Karim, has expressed his anger over the decision to withdraw Afghan troops from parts of Helmand province. [CNN’s Masoud Popalzai and Archith Seshadri]
SOUTH CHINA SEA
China appears to be installing radar facilities on islands in the South China Sea, according to new satellite imagery. The move that could “significantly change the operational landscape in the South China Sea” according to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. [Wall Street Journal’s Chun Han Wong]
China’s military deployments are “no different from US deployments on Hawaii.” China has struck a “combative tone” as Foreign Minister Wang Yi prepares to visit the US today to discuss topics including the international response to North Korea and cyber security. [The Guardian; Reuters’ Ben Blanchard and David Brunnstrom]
ISRAEL & PALESTINE
The US and Israel have commenced a week-long ballistic missile defense exercise, a Pentagon spokesperson said today. A similar exercise is performed every two years, the aim being to “improve cohesion and interoperability between the two nations.”
Qabatiya residents’ permission to work in Israel has been revoked after the lifting of a blockade that was imposed in response to attacks by Palestinians on Israeli police officers. Homes belonging to the families of those who perpetrated the attacks have also been marked for “punitive demolition.” [Al Jazeera]
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
Russia made a request yesterday to fly surveillance planes equipped with digital cameras over the US under the Open Skies Treaty. The aim of approved flights is to encourage transparency over military activities, but senior US intelligence and military officials say that Russia’s intentions are to spy on infrastructure such as power plants and communications networks. [New York Times’ Eric Schmitt and Michael R. Gordon; Washington Post’s Dan Lamothe]
US armed drones will soon be able to take off from Italy under a deal negotiated by the two countries. However, the drones can only be used defensively to protect coalition forces in Libya, and permission for take off will have to be requested on a case-by-case basis. [Associated Press; Wall Street Journal’s Gordon Lubold and Julian E. Barnes]
The State Department was heavily involved in approving weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, according to a string of emails, part of a batch of emails from Hillary Clinton’s private server that was disclosed following a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit last week. The deals included the sale of F-15 jet fighters, which have since been used by Saudi Arabia during bombings of Yemeni civilians that some human rights observers have labeled “war crimes.” [The Intercept’s Lee Fang]
A US drone strike has hit three homes in Pakistan’s Kurram tribal region, killing four suspected militants and injuring three, according to local residents. A local government official has anonymously stated that no one was killed and only one person was injured. [NBC News’ Mushtaq Yusufzai]
The UN has warned that nations must agree to adhere to the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material so that it can enter into force and provide protection from terrorist attacks on nuclear power plants and reduce terrorists’ capability to detonate dirty bombs. [Associated Press]
The beheading of a Hindu priest in Bangladesh. Three men have been arrested in connection with the killing on Sunday. Two are involved with a banned militant group, Jama’atul Mujahedeen Bangladesh, and the third with the student wing of Bangladesh’s largest Islamic political party, Jamaat-e-Islami, according to the local police. [New York Times’ Julfikar Ali Manik]
Singapore has deported four Indonesian nationals suspected of planning to join Islamic State in Syria. [Associated Press]
A 14-year-old British boy has been charged with inciting a terrorist beheading and terrorist attack in Australia. He is one of the youngest individuals ever charged under terrorism legislation in the UK. [The Guardian’s Vikram Dodd]
“Red Alert: the Growing Threat to US Aircraft Carriers.” A report released by the Center for New American Security has warned that the US’s aircraft carriers, previously “an almost untouchable deterrent,” are at risk of being undermined by a strategy known as “anti-access/area denial,” which prevents the enemy from navigating the battlefield. [Washington Post’s Thomas Gibbons-Neff]
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'Provisional' Syria ceasefire plan called into question as bombs kill ... by Associated Press in Amman
“We have reached a provisional agreement in principle on the terms of a cessation of hostilities that could begin in the coming days,” Kerry told a news conference in Amman with Jordanian foreign minister Nasser Judeh on Sunday. ... The United States, Russia and other world powers agreed 12 February on a deal calling for the ceasing of hostilities within a week, the delivery of urgently needed aid to besieged areas of Syria and a return to peace talks in Geneva.
The British man is in a life-threatening condition after being stabbed in the head during an unprovoked attack by two muggers.
Washington fears Moscow is trying to exploit a surveillance treaty to gather vital intelligence on the United States.
Sydney Morning Herald |
The Latest: Turkey: Ground troops in Syria 'not on agenda'
Washington Post BEIRUT — The Latest on the civil war in Syria (all times local): 3:05 p.m.. The Turkish foreign minister says a land operation by Saudi Arabia and Turkey in Syria has never been on the agenda. Mevlut Cavusoglu on Monday dismissed speculation about ... The Syrian conflict: A mini-World War III?Sydney Morning Herald Why resort to ground intervention in Syria?Middle East Monitor Turkish FM says ground operation in Syria by Turkey, Saudi not on agendaXinhua Ahlul Bayt News Agency (press release) all 42 news articles » |
Danielle Jones was allegedly beaten, strangled and cut with a knife during an attack on Valentine's Day.
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seattlepi.com |
Labrador retrievers hit their 25th year as top US dog breed
seattlepi.com FILE- In this Oct. 8, 2011 file photo, a Labrador Retriever emerges from he water with a toy at Valley Falls Park in Vernon, Conn. Known for being easygoing, multi-talented and friendly, Labs have held the top spot for longer than any other breed since ... Labrador Retrievers are America's top dogs, but New Yorkers prefer French bulldogsNew York Daily News Labrador retrievers still the most popular dog in the USSacramento Bee Put your paws together for the five most popular dog breeds in the USamNY all 204 news articles » |
Reuters |
Iranian media outlets add to bounty for killing Britain's Rushdie
Reuters ANKARA Iranian state-run media outlets have added $600,000 to a bounty for the killing of British author Salman Rushdie imposed in 1989 over the publishing of his book "The Satanic Verses". The leader of Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, the late ... and more » |
seattlepi.com |
Peter Mondavi, Napa Valley wine pioneer, has died at 101
seattlepi.com A winery board member says Peter Mondavi, seen here in 1982, a wine country innovator who led his family's Charles Krug Winery through more than a half-century of change, has died. He was 101. less. A winery board member says Peter Mondavi, seen ... Peter Mondavi of winemaking family is dead at 101Washington Post Peter Mondavi, Napa Valley wine pioneer, dies at 101KABC-TV Former Miss New Jersey Cara McCollum Dies Week After Car CrashCBS Local KTVU San Francisco all 52 news articles » |
Kerry Hails Deal With Russia for Syria Ceasefireby Jared Malsin / Gaziantep, Turkey
The announcement follows days of lethal violence across Syria. Expectations for a diplomatic breakthrough to end the civil war in Syria remain low, as past proposals for a truce have failed to materialize on the ground. More than 250,000 people have been killed in five years of conflict, and millions have been forced to leave their homes.
“I am gratified to see the final arrangements concluded today for a cessation of hostilities in Syria and call on all parties to accept and fully comply with its terms,” Kerry said in a statement.
The cease-fire is scheduled to go into effect at midnight on Feb. 27 and will not include Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) militants or those from Jabhat al-Nusra, the local branch of al-Qaeda.
Kerry’s announcement comes a day after a series of car bombings in Homs and Damascus killed at least 140 people. The killings were a deadly illustration of how jihadists groups — including ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra — have the ability to derail any cease-fire.
“We are all aware of the significant challenges ahead,” Kerry said. “Over the coming days, we will be working to secure commitments from key parties that they will abide by the terms of this cessation of hostilities and further develop modalities for monitoring and enforcement.”
Kerry’s announcement also follows a lethal escalation in a Russian-backed offensive by the regime ofPresident Bashar Assad, whose forces are trying to reclaim territory lost to rebel groups.
The Russian bombing campaign, primarily in areas held by mainstream rebel groups, has been characterized by attacks on hospitals, schools and other civilian targets. More than 70,000 people fled the offensive in the first 15 days of February alone.
Indirect peace talks in Geneva in late January collapsed following an intensification of Russian air strikes. Opposition groups who agreed in principle to negotiate say they will not participate in talks until past U.N. resolutions on Syria are implemented, calling for an end to attacks on civilians and the lifting of sieges imposed on rebel-held areas.
The most recent proposed cease-fire was announced on Feb. 12 and called for a halt to the violence within one week. The fighting continued as that deadline came and went. As a result, skepticism runs deep among observers and the warring parties in Syria.
“We are accustomed to a norm where, from one international decision to another, the calamity increases,” Zakaria Malahefji, a spokesman for Fastaqim Kama Umirt, a rebel brigade fighting in the city of Aleppo, said in an interview last week.
President Obama spoke on the phone with President Vladimir Putin of Russia on Monday to discuss the cease-fire plan, the White House said. The U.S. provides limited support to some rebel groups opposed to the Assad regime, and also backs Kurdish forces in the international campaign against ISIS.
The agreement calls for a halt to fighting by armed opposition groups, Russian forces, and the Syrian government and “associated forces,” an apparent reference to Iraqi, Iranian and Hizballah forces fighting in support of the regime. The agreement also calls for allowing humanitarian agencies “rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained access” to areas under the parties’ control.
The cease-fire agreement excludes hostilities with “other terrorist organizations as designated by the U.N. Security Council.” Observers of the Syrian conflict say that similar language in past agreements has left open the door to Russian bombing of groups it considers terrorist organizations, a margin of error that could undermine any agreement.
“The agreement on ceasefire in Syria won’t stick unless it specifically tells Russia what targets it can/can’t attack,” said Yury Barmin, an analyst on Russian Middle East policy, writing on Twitter.
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· · ·
The US State Department says President Barack Obama has discussed terms for a ceasefire in Syria with Vladimir Putin. Spokesman Josh Earnest says that the truce would not apply to Isis and the Al-Qaeda affiliated al-Nusra Front, as well as other militant outfits designated as “terror groups” by the UN Security Council. The truce is set to take effect on Saturday
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Critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin will soon be marking one year since the assassination of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who was shot in the back February 27, 2015, while walking near the walls of the Kremlin. One of the five suspects in the murder was deputy commander of a security battalion loyal to the pro-Putin Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. The latter is now issuing threats against other opposition leaders. VOA's Daniel Schearf reports from Moscow.
Originally published at - http://www.voanews.com/media/video/russian-opposition-targeted/3202008.html
Originally published at - http://www.voanews.com/media/video/russian-opposition-targeted/3202008.html
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New York Times |
Iran's Hard-Line Press Adds to Bounty on Salman Rushdie
New York Times TEHRAN — A group of hard-line Iranian news media organizations says it has raised $600,000 to add to a bounty for the killing of the British novelist Salman Rushdie. Iran's former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa, or ... Iranian media outlets add to bounty for killing Britain's Rushdie Business Insider Iranian media outlets add to bounty on author Salman Rushdie's headMalay Mail Online all 62 news articles » |
Dallas Morning News |
Cruz Now Wants ICE Agents To Round Up And Deport All 12 Million Illegals [VIDEO]
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Reuters |
Google is shuttering Google Compare - WSJ
Reuters Google is shuttering Google Compare, its U.S. comparison-shopping site for auto insurance, credit cards and mortgages after one year, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. The quick reversal is a setback to ... Google Shuttering Comparison-Shopping Site -- 2nd UpdateNasdaq Google plans to kill off its auto-insurance, credit card, and other comparison toolsBusiness Insider Google To Shut Down Google Compare Products In US And UK On March 23Search Engine Land Wall Street Journal -9 to 5 Google -ZDNet all 33 news articles » |
A group of hard-line Iranian news organizations have raised over half a million dollars to add to a bounty calling for the killing of British novelist Salman Rushdie.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a religious edict known as a fatwa in 1989 calling for Rushdie’s death due to his book The Satanic Verses. Khomeini found the book to be blasphemous and insulting toward Muslims, reports the New York Times, and the edict has since forced the novelist into hiding, where he has been under the protection of bodyguards.
Over three dozen state-run media outlets pooled $600,000, which will be added to the total bounty to make nearly $4 million, reports Reuters. Whether the bounty will be paid is unclear. Iranian hard-line organisations often make symbolic gestures to mark the anniversary of Rushdie’s fatwa on Feb. 14.
The announcement highlights the political infighting between hardliners and reformists in Iran during the run-up to this week’s elections for Parliament and the Assembly of Experts.
[NYT]
NBCNews.com |
Ben Carson: Obama 'Raised White,' Doesn't Understand Black Americans
NBCNews.com Ben Carson said Tuesday that President Obama was "raised white" and can't understand the African-American experience the way he can. "He's an 'African' American. He was, you know, raised white," he told a Politico podcast. "I mean, like most Americans, ... Ben Carson's Race CampaignThe Atlantic Carson: Obama was 'raised white'The Hill (blog) Carson: Unlike me, Obama was 'raised white' Sun Times National Washington Times-Business Insider all 99 news articles » |
ABC News |
Report Blames Chechen Leader Over Killing of Kremlin Critic
New York Times MOSCOW — A Russian opposition activist bluntly accused Chechnya's Moscow-backed regional leader of involvement in the killing of a prominent Kremlin foe, describing the Chechen strongman as a top security threat to Russia in a report released Tuesday ... REFILE-Putin ally is threat to Russian national security, says Kremlin criticReuters all 104 news articles » |
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Mars Recalls Candy Bars in 55 Countries by Associated Press
(BERLIN) — U.S. chocolate maker Mars says it’s recalling candy bars and other items in 55 countries after plastic was found in one of its products.
Roel Govers, spokesman for Mars in the Netherlands, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the recall affects 55 countries but didn’t immediately provide further details.
The German dpa news agency, citing Mars in Germany, reported the voluntary recall affects products produced early this year in the Netherlands.
The Dutch food safety authority posted what it said was a Mars press release on its website, saying a piece of plastic had been found in a product that could lead to choking. It listed affected products as: Mars, Milky Way, Snickers, Celebrations, and Mini Mix.
There are bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. There are Mosques, markets and hairdressers. In the so-called Jungle of Calais, France—the camp where nearly 3,000 refugees and migrants from Syria, Iraq, Sudan, Afghanistan, and across Africa wait to cross the Channel to the U.K.—life has organized itself. As the camp developed, entrepreneurial migrants have set up shop, providing the necessary resources to sustain a growing population of transitioning asylum seekers.
For photographer Giulio Piscitelli, who has documented these markets, bars and other meeting places, their presence is symptomatic of a crisis that has normalized. “The people living in the Jungle had to find a normal way to survive in a hostile environment,” he says. “These shops represent the unsolved crisis, and it’s happening all across Europe and in many of the refugee camps around the world.”
The shops are often set up and managed by former migrants who have received asylum. “They often haven’t been able to find a better job [so they] came up with these businesses, knowing that within the camp there’s a need for groceries or for places where you can have a cup of tea, have a haircut or pray.”
One such man, Akbar, used to live in Italy. For months, even with his asylum papers, he couldn’t find a decent job where he didn’t feel exploited. “He decided to pick up the little money he had and create a bar and restaurant in Calais,” says the photographer. “Of course, that meant living in the Jungle as well.”
While the French authorities are now planning to evacuate parts of the Jungle before the end of the week, there’s little doubt that these shops will pop up again in Calais and beyond. “For me, the Calais Jungle is a metaphor for a permanent crisis across Europe,” he says. “They talk about the lack of a concrete management of this phenomenon, and this is worrying because the wars and upheavals show no sign of ending.”
Giulio Piscitelli is an Italian photographer covering the refugee and migrant crisis in Europe. He is represented by Contrasto.
Olivier Laurent is the editor of TIME LightBox. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @olivierclaurent
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A four-nation group says direct peace talks between the Taliban and negotiators from Kabul are expected to begin in Islamabad by the first week of March.
As owners of small businesses demonstrated against new government regulations in the Belarusian capital, a fleet of snow plows drove up close by, setting off scuffles with the protesters. (RFE/RL's Belarusian Service)
Ingushetia Commemorates Deportation Victims, Chechnya Does Notby support@pangea-cms.com (RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service)
Residents of Ingushetia are remembering the victims of the Soviet Union's 1944 deportation of Chechens and Ingush from the North Caucasus.
Ukraine is attempting to build a barrier along the whole of its 2,000 kilometer land border with Russia, to thwart any potential attack. "Project Wall" is ambitious and, so far, only partially constructed. RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service went to take a look.
An Afghan man pushing against the border fence during a demonstration on Monday near the Greek village of Idomeni, against Macedonia’s refusal to allow Afghans to pass the border.
CALAIS, France (AP) -- The Latest on the migrant influx into Europe (all times local):...
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