The U.S. and Global Security Review - Blog by Michael Novakhov

CNN

Kerry's pointless diplomacy in Russia
CNN
(CNN) From the moment John Kerry's trip to Russian President Vladimir Putin's summer residence in Sochi on the Black Sea was announced, it was hard to see what the U.S. secretary of state hoped to achieve. Indeed, of the three objectives on Kerry's ...
Kerry Arrives in Russia for Talks With Vladimir Putin on CooperationNew York Times

Kerry, Russia say cease-fire in Ukraine must continueUSA TODAY

US, Russia Talk Cooperation, but No BreakthroughsVoice of America

Vox-Politico
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US, Russia Talk Cooperation, but No Breakthroughsby webdesk@voanews.com (Mary Alice Salinas)
Thursday May 14th, 2015 at 10:41 AM

The United States and Russia are vowing to continue discussions on how they can work more closely on critical issues around the globe. This follows a trip by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to Sochi, Russia, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after more than a year of escalating tensions. Mary Alice Salinas reports from the State Department.

US Senate Reaches Deal to Advance Obama Trade Agendaby webdesk@voanews.com (Michael Bowman)
Thursday May 14th, 2015 at 10:41 AM

One day after failing to move on President Barack Obama’s trade agenda, the U.S. Senate has reached an agreement setting up key votes to advance a mechanism for approving an ambitious 12-nation Pacific Rim free trade pact. Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced the agreement among Senate leaders and called it “a sensible way forward without killing the bill.” Under the plan, the chamber will vote Thursday on a measure to crack down on currency manipulation by China and other competitors, along with a trade preference bill to help developing countries. Then, the Senate will once again vote to begin debate on Trade Promotion Authority, which would subject trade accords to up-or-down votes with no amendments allowed. Tuesday, Democrats blocked consideration of TPA, demanding assurances that other trade-related proposals, like assistance for displaced American workers, be part of any trade package that emerges from the chamber. McConnell said the worker assistance provision would be merged with TPA, which is strongly backed by America’s business community and fiercely opposed by labor groups and environmentalists. The Senate’s top Democrat, Minority Leader Harry Reid, said he remains opposed to so-called “fast-track” legislation facilitating the approval of trade pacts, but praised the accord to move forward on the legislation. “This is a complex issue, one that deserves a full and robust debate,” said Reid. Another Democrat, Ron Wyden, who co-authored the TPA bill, described the effort as “trade done right.” “Vigorous trade enforcement has got to be in the forefront, not in the rear. The 1990s NAFTA trade playbook is being set aside,” said Wyden.

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McCain rejects Pentagon push for more Russian rocket engines - Reuters
Thursday May 14th, 2015 at 10:41 AM

Reuters

McCain rejects Pentagon push for more Russian rocket engines
Reuters
McCain's comments reflect frustration among some lawmakers about the Pentagon's failure to halt purchases of the RD-180 Russian engines after Russia's annexation of Crimea. As SpaceX becomes a potential competitor to current monopoly launch ...
Defense, intel chiefs ask Senate for more Russian rocketsRT

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US House Panel Approves Amtrak Budget Cutby webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
Thursday May 14th, 2015 at 10:40 AM

One day after the worst Amtrak accident in nearly three decades, some members of Congress wanted to reduce the U.S. passenger rail service's budget. Republican members of the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday blocked an attempt by Democrats to increase Amtrak's budget by more than $1 billion. In fact, the panel approved a cut in Amtrak's budget. The vote followed Tuesday night's derailment of an Amtrak train traveling from Washington, D.C., to New York City. At least seven of the more than 200 people on board were killed in the accident, which happened in Philadelphia. The Democrats' legislative initiative, offered by Representative Chaka Fattah of Pennsylvania, included more than $500 million targeted for Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, where the accident took place. Republicans are seeking to cut Amtrak's budget for next year to $1.14 billion, an 18 percent reduction. Representative Peter DeFazio, a Democrat from Oregon, criticized the vote to cut Amtrak's budget, saying the move was "shortsighted" in light of Tuesday's derailment. Representative Janice Hahn, a California Democrat, said funding for infrastructure overall in the United States was "woefully inadequate." She added that "even sometimes when we find out that the cause of a train accident was human error or something else, we move away from [the question], 'Did infrastructure play a role?' ” The House spending bill for the coming fiscal year would cut Amtrak grants by $252 million from current levels, said Shaun Donovan, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget. He noted in a conference call with reporters that President Barack Obama had proposed a boost in Amtrak funding to $2.45 billion, up from current levels of $1.4 billion. The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday quoted Representative Mario Diaz-Balart, a Florida Republican, as saying the accident was "a tragedy that we have to do everything we can to make sure doesn't repeat itself." But he added, "The concept, however, that it is always, no matter what, more money that is the solution is not always the case." A Federal Railroad Administration analysis shows the number of Amtrak accidents is up significantly so far this year, after being relatively flat for the last several years.

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US House Passes Surveillance Reform Bill to Rein In NSAby webdesk@voanews.com (Cindy Saine)
Thursday May 14th, 2015 at 10:40 AM

The U.S. House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed legislation that both extends the Patriot Act passed after the September 11th terrorist attacks and ends the bulk collection of the phone data of millions of Americans. The bill, called the USA Freedom Act, was able to garner rare bipartisan support in the usually divided House, with 338 votes in favor and 88 against it. But the measure may face a rockier road in the Senate. Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden sparked international outrage in 2013 when he revealed the scope of U.S. intelligence agencies surveillance of average Americans. More than one year ago, lawmakers began working to craft legislation that would give intelligence agencies the tools they need to keep Americans safe, without violating their civil liberties. House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte, a Republican, said the USA Freedom Act proves that there can be a balance between privacy and national security. “I made the pledge to my colleagues in Congress and to the American people, that Americans’ liberty and America’s security can co-exist, that these fundamental concepts are not mutually exclusive,” said Goodlatte. Democratic Representative John Conyers also hailed the bipartisan bill, saying it stops the bulk collection of phone data and also provides the American people with new transparency on any new surveillance programs: “Today we have a rare opportunity to restore a measure of restraint to surveillance programs that have simply gone too far.” Where the Parties Disagree Some progressive Democrats and libertarian Democrats would prefer to simply let the Patriot Act expire on June first, because they feel the USA Freedom Act does not go far enough to rein in the surveillance programs of the National Security Agency. In the Senate, though, several top Republicans say they do not want to change the Patriot Act and do away with the mass surveillance programs that collect bulk phone data. Republican Senator John Cornyn said, “Some in the intelligence committee have said that the bulk data collection that I have described here briefly has led to a safer United States, and it is because of programs like this that we are much better off than we were pre-9-11.” Cornyn said the last thing Congress would want to do is to return the U.S. to a pre-9-11 mentality, when it comes to the threat of terrorism, both abroad and at home. It is not yet clear whether the Senate will take up the U.S.A. Freedom Act, but both chambers need to pass the same version of a bill to extend the Patriot Act or let it expire on June 1.

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Accused Russian Hacker Fires Lawyers, Delays Hearing
Thursday May 14th, 2015 at 10:39 AM

A Russian computer
whiz suspected of being one of the world's most prolific traffickers in stolen credit cards
has fired his lawyers, delaying a scheduled court hearing on his case in Seattle.

Obama Discusses Iran Nuclear Deal With Saudi Princes
Thursday May 14th, 2015 at 10:38 AM

President Barack Obama
has discussed U.S. efforts to forge a nuclear deal with Iran in a White House meeting with Saudi leaders.

Iraq Reports Killing of IS Deputy in Airstrike, US Cannot Confirm by webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
Thursday May 14th, 2015 at 10:38 AM

The Moscow Times Top Stories

Iraq's defense ministry said Wednesday that a coalition airstrike had killed the Islamic State group's deputy commander, a claim the U.S. military said it could not confirm. The airstrike targeted Abu Alaa al-Afari and others as they met at a mosque in the northern city of Tal Afar, according to a defense ministry statement. He is said to be the second-in-command to Abu Baker al Baghdadi. But U.S. Central Command issued its own statement later saying it had "no information to corroborate" the reported killing and that aircraft from the U.S.-led coalition "did not strike a mosque." The Iraqi government has previously reported airstrikes hitting Islamic State leaders with the Pentagon denying the claims.

Israel: Egypt Buying Advanced Air Defense System From Russia by Reuters
Thursday May 14th, 2015 at 10:38 AM

A senior Israeli intelligence official who tracks the regional arms balance has said Egypt is buying Russia's advanced S-300 air defense system, a deal reported in Russian media but not confirmed by Cairo.

US House Votes to End NSA Phone Collection Programby webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
Thursday May 14th, 2015 at 10:37 AM

Legislation that would end the U.S. National Security Agency's massive collection of telephone records of ordinary Americans has been overwhelmingly approved by the House of Representatives. The legislation, known as the USA Freedom Act, passed Wednesday by a vote 338-to-88. Instead of the bulk collection of phone records, including the date, time, and duration of the phone call, the bill would require the NSA to obtain the records from private phone companies after getting a court order from a secret national security court. The program came under fire from advocates of civil liberties after former contractor Edward Snowden disclosed it to journalists in 2013. The House bill received strong support from both liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans, as well as President Barack Obama. The measure now moves over to the Senate, where it is strongly opposed by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has sponsored a measure that would renew the current program. However, a large bipartisan faction are also demanding an end to the NSA program, which could force McConnell to bring the reform measure up for a vote. The NSA bulk telephone collection program was authorized under the USA Patriot Act, which was passed in days after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on Washington, D.C. and New York City. A federal appeals court in New York just last week ruled the NSA bulk phone collection program was illegal, but refused to issue an injunction against the agency. The section of the USA Patriot Act that authorized the NSA program is due to expire on June 1st.

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The west talks about a new cold war. For Russians it has already started | Susan Richards by Susan Richards
Thursday May 14th, 2015 at 10:37 AM

Russia | The Guardian

By continually freezing out the Kremlin, the west is refuelling old resentments

I’ve been travelling in the heartlands of Russia for 30 years, witnessing everything from the euphoric wishfulness at the fall of communism to prosperity and, more recently, political despair. Yet going there for the first time since the annexation of Crimea, I was still shocked by what I saw.

I encountered a country braced not for some frozen conflict, nor for proxy war, but for the real thing: all-out war against the west. Never have my friends been more loving – but this time it was the concern of people who were unsure when and how we would meet again.

This year Russia is more than doubling is defence spending, while slashing all other budgets

The west talks about a new cold war. For Russians it has already started - The Guardian
Thursday May 14th, 2015 at 10:37 AM

The Guardian

The west talks about a new cold war. For Russians it has already started
The Guardian
I've been travelling in the heartlands of Russia for 30 years, witnessing everything from the euphoric wishfulness at the fall of communism to prosperity and, more recently, political despair. Yet going there for the first time since the annexation of ...

Obama Hosts Gulf Summit with Focus on Iran, Regional Conflicts by webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
Thursday May 14th, 2015 at 10:37 AM

President Barack Obama and senior officials from six Gulf nations are continuing their summit Thursday on issues in the Middle East, including a potential nuclear deal with Iran and the fighting in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Libya. The talks with the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council began with a working dinner Wednesday night at the White House before shifting Thursday to the Camp David presidential retreat about 100 kilometers north of Washington. Obama said the meetings come during what he called a "very challenging time" in the Gulf region.
Summit goals His Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes told U.S. government funded Alhurra television on Wednesday that one of the goals of the summit is to examine military capabilities and ways for the Gulf countries to both work together and with the United States. "We're not looking at a binding treaty like we have with NATO countries, which is something that was painstakingly negotiated and developed over many
years,"" Rhodes noted, " but we are looking at a clear commitment from the United States that we will come to the defense of our GCC partners in the face of external
threats. And we have shown in the past that that includes potentially the use of military force as we did in the Gulf war." Gulf states have expressed concern about the ongoing nuclear negotiations with regional rival Iran and want to upgrade their security relationship with the U.S. They are worried that a deal would boost Iranian prestige in the region and weaken U.S. ties with other Gulf states, particularly in military matters. White House spokesman John Earnest said Wednesday the U.S. values its security ties with the Gulf Cooperation Council. "There will be a discussion about how the president believes the best way for us to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is through diplomacy,"
Rhodes said. "And the president believes it's clearly in the best interest of the United States, but he also happens to believe it's in the best interest of GCC partners, too."
'Extraordinary friendship' Before the White House dinner Wednesday, Obama met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
- King Salma's son. The president noted that the U.S. and Saudis have an "extraordinary friendship" dating back more than 70 years. They also talked about Yemen and how to build on a humanitarian cease-fire there. The Saudis have led an Arab coalition carrying out airstrikes against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels who have forced Yemen's pro-Western president to flee. Others attending the Gulf summit are the emirs of Kuwait and Qatar and senior officials from Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

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A Tiny Crack in the Russian Ice - New York Times
Thursday May 14th, 2015 at 10:36 AM

New York Times

A Tiny Crack in the Russian Ice
New York Times
With Russia and NATO dangerously shadowboxing around their borders, and American troops and tanks arriving in Georgia for joint exercises, and with the need for cooperation over Syria, Iran, Yemen and Libya, it was wise to engage in diplomacy.
Nato says Russia's nuclear rhetoric irresponsibleFinancial Times
Return to pragmatism in Russia-West ties? Kerry-Putin talks hint that way.Alaska Dispatch News
US, NATO say Russia must fully implement Ukraine ceasefireReuters
DefenseNews.com -Business Insider -Yahoo News
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Порошенко: решить проблему Донбасса силой невозможно - BBC Russian
Thursday May 14th, 2015 at 10:36 AM

В Мире – Новости Google

BBC Russian

Порошенко: решить проблему Донбасса силой невозможно
BBC Russian
Президент Украины Петр Порошенко назвал Минские договоренности "псевдоперемирием", но заверил, что Киев не намерен возобновлять боевые действия в Донбассе, так как урегулировать конфликт с помощью силы невозможно. В интервью немецкому телеканалу ZDF Порошенко ...
11:43 Пушилин прокомментировал слова Порошенко о «псевдоперемирии»BFM.Ru
Порошенко насчитал на Украине 11 тысяч российских военнослужащихИнтерфакс
Пушилин: Слова Порошенко о «псевдоперемирии» в Донбассе вызывают опасенияВзгляд
РБК -Подробности -РИА Новости Украина
Все похожие статьи: 215 »

Ruble Slides as Russia Dollar Buying Signals Currency Too Strong - Bloomberg
Thursday May 14th, 2015 at 10:36 AM

Bloomberg

Ruble Slides as Russia Dollar Buying Signals Currency Too Strong
Bloomberg
The ruble ended a two-day drop as Russia's central bank started buying foreign currency for the first time since switching to a freefloat in November. While the Bank of Russia said the purchases, amounting to $100 million to $200 million daily, were ...
Bank of Russia to Replenish Foreign-Currency ReservesWall Street Journal
Bank of Russia to to replenish forex reservesMarketWatch
Russia's Central Bank restarts currency buying to replenish reservesRT
Kyiv Post-swissinfo.ch
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Chinese Investors Flood US Entrepreneur Visa Programby webdesk@voanews.com (Shannon Van Sant)
Thursday May 14th, 2015 at 10:33 AM

The huge demand from wealthy Chinese citizens for U.S. investor visas has resulted in a shortage and a two-to-three year waiting list for many of those applying. The supply of, and demand for, U.S. investor visas track how China’s newly wealthy are eagerly pursuing U.S. visas. Congress created the so-called EB-5 visa program in 1990 as a way to give foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to live and work in the United States by investing in American businesses. The program allows wealthy investors to bypass the sometimes years-long wait that is normally required for gaining a visa through an American relative or employer. Gaining a visa broadly requires foreigners to invest in a business that either creates or saves 10 jobs in the United States. The entrepreneurs must invest at least $1 million, or $500,000 if the business is located in certain rural areas or places of high unemployment. By doing so, the investor can gain a “green card,” which is a document granting permanent residence. Over the program’s first 24 years, the number of visas granted never reached its annual limit of 10,000. That all changed in 2014, with a surge of applications from Chinese citizens. That year they accounted for about 85 percent of all visas granted. Bernard Wolfsdorf is founder of the Wolfsdorf Immigration Law Group in Los Angeles. “I don’t think any country has experienced the sort of meteoric rise in income that the Chinese have. So very few people can invest a half million dollars for a green card without blinking like the Chinese folks can,” said Wolfsdorf. The flood of applications from mainland Chinese continued in 2015. That led U.S. officials to declare that starting this month, for Chinese investors, the program is only considering applications from investors who had applied by May 1, 2013. Applicants from other nations or from Hong Kong, Taiwan, or Macau, are not affected. The rise in applications has been attributed to worsening pollution, China’s tightening political climate, or better education opportunities at American universities. Jean Francois Harvey, an immigration lawyer in Hong Kong, said many are also lured by the old fashioned American dream. “What we find fascinating here as a firm is to see how strong this American dream concept still is internationally. We do meet clients, their kids are already in the U.S., at Ivy League schools, but they want to be part of this U.S. dream,” said Harvey. For American cities, wealthy Chinese offer a new source of local investment and job creation. Billions of dollars in new investment are credited to the program, which supporters of the program say make it an important tool for boosting the economy – especially in rural or low-income areas. Several large real-estate development projects have included funds from EB-5 investors. Critics say that the program is merely selling visas to the wealthy, without a larger economic impact. Nevertheless, Audrey Singer of the Brookings Institution said American cities are in fierce competition to lure rich Chinese immigrants. The EB-5 visa program has led to the creation of new regional centers, which help pool investors’ money into larger development projects that meet the requirements for an EB-5 visa. The centers are managed by outside companies and assume the responsibility for creating the jobs required to qualify for the visa. “One of the most interesting things for us is the proliferation of the regional centers, those are the entities that bundle the EB 5 investment money. When I started working on that project that resulted in the Brookings paper, there were a little over 200 regional centers. Just five years before, there were about a dozen. And now there are over 600,” said Singer. Now there is a two-to-three year waiting list for Chinese attempting to emigrate to the United States through the EB-5 program and 13,000 total pending applications from all countries for the visa program.

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Visa Fraud a Threat to Cameroonians Applying for Travel to the US by webdesk@voanews.com (Moki Edwin Kindzeka)
Thursday May 14th, 2015 at 10:30 AM

Thousands of Cameroonians apply to go to the United States each year for business, but many of them fall into the hands of people posing as middle men for U.S embassy visa officials. United States embassy officials have been working with Cameroon's judicial police to arrest and prosecute suspects and applicants who present fraudulent documents. Lilian Verdze is one of the hundreds of Cameroonians asking for visas at the United States embassy in Yaounde early this week. She said it was the third time she was coming for an interview to travel to America. "I have been here several times. Each time I come they ask me to present so many documents. They say I should bring my marriage certificate, academic certificates, bank statements, it has not been very easy. They ask so many documents, I will go and come back after, they still ask so many documents. It has not been very easy," said Verdze. Last Wednesday, Cameroon state radio, CRTV, invited officials of the United States embassy in Yaounde to explain why there have been complaints that procedures to acquire visas are at times long and cumbersome. Consular official Nicolas Castellano said there are lots of fraudulent documents in a majority of the application files, and as such they work with the Cameroon police to authenticate suspected documents. "A majority of Cameroonian visa applicants come to the American embassy with a fraudulent document. The most fraudulent acts that we see are the introduction of business employment letters, financial statements, university transcripts, and so we have been able to partner with the judicial police and have numerous people in the last few months arrested. The judicial police do an investigation, take information on the person and then proceed them through the Cameroonian legal system," he said. SEE ALSO: VOA reports on the many Chinese applicants for the EB-5 entrepreneur visa program. Castellano said they have been able to "turn" many of the arrested suspects. He said it is both in the embassy’s interest and that of the Cameroon government to have a fraud-free, fluid and very easy process for everyone who has a legitimate application and good documents. Kweke Emmanuel of Cameroon's judicial police said there are well established networks of visa frauds and middle men claiming to represent U.S embassy staff in Cameroon. He said they even arrested a suspect who had obtained a fake police identification badge and always wore a police uniform before deceiving people that he could facilitate the process to establish visas at the United States embassy. He said many such suspects have been detained and are helping the police in their investigations. Ndzeh Amos of the communication and public relations department of the Cameroon police force said they have been urging Cameroonians to visit the United States embassy for all visa requirements and to report all suspects to the police. Amos said many people are awaiting trial for fabricating fake documents and certificates for people requesting visas. He said some of them even went to parents who intended to send their children for studies out of Cameroon and promised that they could help. Roberto Quiroz, public affairs officer of the U.S embassy in Cameroon, said they will continue the battle, along with Cameroon's judicial police, to clear the system of all fraudulent people whose goal is to extort money from visa applicants. "The message is we want visa peddlers to be out of office. These peddlers must be out of business because a lot of Cameroonians qualify for visas but when they listen to the siren song, they fall prey to the corrupt practices of these people, so they qualify for visas to see family and friends but they lose this opportunity because they violate Cameroonian laws," said Quiroz. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs states that attempting to obtain a visa by the willful misrepresentation of a material fact, or fraud, may result in the permanent refusal of a visa or denial of entry into the United States.

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'Why Nations Fail' Among Works Seized At Tehran Book Fair
Thursday May 14th, 2015 at 10:27 AM

Several books have already been confiscated from one of Iran's largest cultural events, the annual Tehran International Book Fair, which kicked off last week.

Ukraine Appoints U.S. Senator McCain Presidential Aideby noreply@rferl.org (RFE/RL)
Thursday May 14th, 2015 at 10:27 AM

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has appointed U.S. Republican Senator John McCain as an adviser.

Baltic Military Chiefs To Call For Permanent NATO Presence
Thursday May 14th, 2015 at 10:26 AM

Lithuania's military says the Baltic states will seek a permanent presence of NATO troops on their territory to counter increased Russian air and naval activity.

Baltic Military Chiefs Seek Permanent NATO Presenceby webdesk@voanews.com (Reuters)
Thursday May 14th, 2015 at 10:26 AM