Stunning indictment raises questions about ex-speaker | U.S. Removes Cuba From State-Sponsored Terrorism List | IS Group Claims Baghdad Hotel Bombings | Congress wants answers from CDC, DOD on anthrax scare | Old Goat Blatter May Be Running Out Of Time | Top US Iran Negotiator Departing Post | Russian internet 'troll' sues former employer | US Economy Shrank in Early 2015 | «Ситуация на востоке Украины стала значительно более шаткой» - Коммерсантъ | Snowden's Dirty Work for Putin - Wall Street Journal | Russia steps up propaganda push with online "Kremlin trolls" - Yahoo News | NATO discusses membership path with Ukraine as fighting continues
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Stunning indictment raises questions about ex-speaker |
U.S. Removes Cuba From State-Sponsored Terrorism List |
IS Group Claims Baghdad Hotel Bombings |
Congress wants answers from CDC, DOD on anthrax scare |
Old Goat Blatter May Be Running Out Of Time |
Top US Iran Negotiator Departing Post |
Russian internet 'troll' sues former employer |
Prosecutors allege Dennis Hastert tried to cover up "prior misconduct" with person identified only as "Individual A"
The Sorek desalination plant rises out of the sandy ground about nine miles south of Tel Aviv. Said to be the largest plant of its kind in the world, it produces 40 billion gallons of potable water a year, enough for about a sixth of Israel’s roughly eight million citizens.
After 20 years as editor, Alan Rusbridger is stepping down. Here he reflects on two decades of sweeping change – from broadsheet to Berliner, Aitken to Snowden, and newsprint to pixels – and recalls his fervent wish when he took the job: “Please, please let me not drop the vase”
This, if you’re reading the physical paper – which, of course, you are not – is my last edition as editor. In just over 20 years we have put nearly 7,500 papers “to bed”, as almost no one says nowadays. At some point in the 24-hour, seamlessly rolling digital news cycle, you’ll have a new editor. I will have slipped away and my successor, Katharine Viner, will have materialised at the helm.
Since 1821 there have been just 10 editors of the Guardian – or 11 if you count Russell Scott Taylor, the 18-year-old who helped edit for a brief period in the 1840s. The greatest of them, CP Scott, managed 57 years in the hot seat. His son, Ted, drowned on Windermere only three years into his stint. Twenty years is, give or take, about the average.
Related: History of the Guardian
Related: History of the Guardian website
Related: Climate change: why the Guardian is putting threat to Earth front and centre | Alan Rusbridger
Continue reading...U.S. Removes Cuba From State-Sponsored Terrorism Listby JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS
The decision to remove Cuba from a list of state sponsors of terrorism is a crucial step in normalizing ties between Washington and Havana.
 New York Times |
US Removes Cuba From State-Sponsored Terrorism List
New York Times WASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Friday removed Cuba from a list of state sponsors of terrorism, a crucial step in normalizing ties between Washington and Havana and the latest progress in President Obama's push to thaw relations between ... Cuba officially off US terror blacklistCNN US takes Cuba off list of state sponsors of terrorismWashington Post US Drops Cuba from State Terrorism List, Paving the Way for EmbassiesABC News Miami Herald-CTV News-US Department of State (press release) all 228 news articles » |
The Islamic State (IS) group has claimed responsibility for car bomb attacks outside two upscale Baghdad hotels.
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A House panel wants briefings from the two government agencies
The United States officially removed Cuba from its list of countries that sponsor terrorism on Friday, setting the two nations up for a full renewal of diplomatic ties.
Hollande, Merkel Call For ‘Rapid’ Implementation Of Minsk Dealby noreply@rferl.org (RFE/RL)
French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to “rapidly” implement measures agreed under the Minsk cease-fire agreement.
Although Sepp Blatter will continue to head FIFA, time is running out for the old goat of football's international governing body.
Obama Makes Surprise Visit to Cuban-American Church in Miami by webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
President Barack Obama made an unscheduled visit Thursday to a Miami church popular with Cuban exiles as the U.S. moves toward re-establishing ties with Cuba. The White House said Obama made the unannounced stop at the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity to "honor the sacrifices that Cuban-Americans have made in their pursuit of liberty and opportunity as well as their extraordinary contributions to our country." The president said "hola'' to a group of worshippers as he arrived and got a tour of the church. The Miami shrine features a replica of a statue of the Virgin Mary known as Our Lady of Charity, which was found floating on the coast of Cuba by fishermen. The original statue is at the shrine of El Cobre near Santiago, Cuba. Miami's politically powerful Cuban diaspora largely opposes the Obama administration's desire to lift the long-standing economic embargo on the Castro government. But four Democratic U.S. senators who visited Havana this week say there is growing support in Congress to lift the embargo, end the travel ban for U.S. citizens and promote economic engagement with Cuba. Obama made history in December when he said his administration would seek to re-establish diplomatic ties with Cuba for the first time since 1961. U.S. and Cuban diplomats are working out the details of opening embassies in each other's capitals. Also, the president's visit Thursday came one day before a 45-day period expires for Congress to challenge Obama's decision to take Cuba off a list of state sponsors of terrorism. Florida is just 145 kilometers (90 miles) from Cuba. For more than 50 years, its largest city, Miami, has been the primary destination for Cubans wanting to come to the U.S. Some information for this report came from AP and Reuters.
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Venezuela and Russia's top oil producer, Rosneft, have agreed on around $14 billion in investment in the South American OPEC country's oil and gas sector.
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Top US Iran Negotiator Departing Postby webdesk@voanews.com (Pamela Dockins)
The lead U.S. negotiator in the Iran nuclear talks is leaving her post when they end. On Thursday, the State Department said Wendy Sherman, the under secretary of state for political affairs, will be “moving on” after the talks. Iran and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany – the so-called P5+1 – have set a June 30 deadline for an agreement. State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke has said the U.S. “is not contemplating an extension.” However, in recent days, Iranian officials and the French ambassador to the U.S., Gerard Araud, have signaled that talks could continue past June. There was no immediate word of a successor for Sherman, the third highest official at the State Department. But Rathke said she had assembled a team that could continue engaging with Iran if there is a nuclear agreement. “One of the things that Under Secretary Sherman has made a point of doing is to mentor colleagues and to build a large and strong negotiating team,” said Rathke. “This team that the under secretary has put together and has led over these last couple of years will continue to track Iran’s nuclear program, if we get a deal,” he added. Word of Sherman’s departure came as she prepared to travel to Vienna to take part in another round of P5+1 negotiations with Iran. The New York Times quoted Sherman as saying, “It’s been two long years.” On Saturday, she will join Secretary of State John Kerry and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz for meetings with Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Sherman has been an important part of the U.S. negotiating team, said Mark Fitzpatrick, non-proliferation director at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. “Her skill at negotiating. Her willingness to seek alternative means of meeting goals has been crucial to getting us to the point we are today,” he said in an interview with VOA’s Persian Service. Sherman was sworn in as under secretary of state in 2011, following a stint with a global strategy firm. Previously, Sherman worked as State Department counselor, a special advisor on North Korea. She also served as an assistant secretary to Secretary of State Warren Christopher in the mid 1990s.
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 Lenta.ru |
США больше не перебрасывают через Россию в Афганистан ни военные грузы, ни солдат
Радиостанция ЭХО МОСКВЫ Так агентству ТАСС ответили в американском министерстве обороны. Ранее Вашингтон активно использовал договоренности с Москвой о переброски грузов и личного состава вооруженных сил через российское воздушное пространство. В этом месяце премьер-министр Дмитрий ... Пентагон: ни военные грузы, ни солдаты США в Афганистан через Россию больше не доставляютсяNEWSru.com США прекратили транзит военных грузов в Афганистан через РоссиюКоммерсантъ Пентагон: военные грузы в Афганистан доставляются без участия РоссииГазета.Ru Lenta.ru -ПРОВЭД -Морские вести России Все похожие статьи: 20 » |
 Комсомольская Правда в Украине |
СМИ: Захарченко заявил о планах захватить Славянск, Константиновку и Красноармейск
Комсомольская Правда в Украине Лидер "ДНР" Александр Захарченко заявил о намерении представителей незаконных вооруженных формирований "взять под контроль" три города в Донецкой области, которые были освобождены украинской армией в прошлом году. - Славянск, Константиновка, Красноармейск - это ... Ополченцы не допустили существенных нарушений минских договоренностей - ЗахарченкоInterfax Russia Глава "ДНР" Захарченко пообещал вернуть контроль над тремя городами на ДонбассеУра-Информ Захарченко анонсировал захват Славянска и КонстантиновкиПодробности Главред -Корреспондент.net -Экономические известия Все похожие статьи: 83 » |
At Least 20 Years in Prison Await Silk Road Founderby webdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press)
Prosecutors are asking a Manhattan judge to sentence a San Francisco man who created the online drug-peddling site Silk Road to decades in prison, while the defendant is asking to be freed soon enough to show he's a changed man. Ross William Ulbricht, 31, is set to be sentenced Friday following his February conviction in federal court. In a letter to U.S. District Judge Katherine Forrest, Ulbricht said he regrets what he calls a “very naive and costly idea.” He said he ruined his life and destroyed his future by what he now calls his “terrible mistake,” and he promised to no longer be the “rebellious risk taker” he was if he is given less than the life sentence recommended by the Probation Department. “Please leave a small light at the end of the tunnel, an excuse to stay healthy, an excuse to dream of better days ahead, and a chance to redeem myself in the free world before I meet my maker,” he wrote. Prosecutors, though, asked for a sentence substantially longer than the 20-year mandatory minimum, saying Ulbricht “developed a blueprint for a new way to use the Internet to undermine the law and facilitate criminal transactions” before he was nabbed in a San Francisco library in 2013, two years after launching Silk Road. He was convicted of seven drug and conspiracy counts by a jury that deliberated only three hours. Prosecutors said Ulbricht collected over $18 million in bitcoin commissions operating a website with thousands of listings under categories like “Cannabis,” `'Psychedelics” and “Stimulants.” They said he brokered more than 1 million drug deals worth $213 million. To support a lengthy sentence, prosecutors said in a legal brief that Ulbricht's massive narcotics-trafficking enterprise had resulted in at least six drug-related deaths, including a 27-year-old Microsoft employee and a 16-year-old boy in Perth, Australia. They also said he solicited multiple murders for hire in attempts to eliminate perceived threats, though authorities found no evidence anyone was killed. “The site enabled thousands of drug dealers to expand their markets from the sidewalk to cyberspace, and thereby reach countless customers whom they never could have found on the street. The consequence was to vastly expand access to illegal drugs,” prosecutors said.
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 BBC Russian |
Глава МИД Литвы: РФ стянула войска к границе с Украиной
BBC Russian Министр иностранных дел Литвы Линас Линкявичюс заявил, что Россия стягивает к границе с Украиной войска и военную технику, и призвал оказать давление на Москву с тем, чтобы заставить ее прекратить оказывать поддержку вооруженным сторонникам самопровозглашенных ... Боевики на Донбассе вооружены лучше некоторых европейских армий – глава МИД ЛитвыУНИАН Террористы на Донбассе очень хорошо вооружены и получают поддержку со стороны РФ - ЛинкявичюсУра-Информ Литва возмущена количеством вооружения России на ДонбассеПодробности ЛІГА.net -ДОНБАСС Все похожие статьи: 49 » |
Magomed Suleymanov, aka Abu Usman Gimrinsky, has been chosen as the new leader of the Caucasus Emirate.
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The state's repressive machine won't quit until it has vacuumed up every last bit of independent activity.
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Russian internet 'troll' sues former employerby Anna Dolgov for The Moscow Times, part of the New East network
Lyudmila Savchuk says lawsuit will shed light on secretive practice of paying people to post political comments online. The Moscow Times reports
A former Russian internet “troll” hired to promote political views online is suing her ex-employer in an attempt to draw attention to the country’s “information war” , a news report said on Friday.
The grounds for the lawsuit filed by Lyudmila Savchuk, which is expected to be heard by a St Petersburg city court next month, is the employer’s failure to provide any labour contract or other paperwork supporting her hiring and eventual dismissal, Kommersant reported.
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Finland's government aims to maintain good relations with neighboring Russia, but it condemns the annexation of Crimea and will comply with EU positions on the Ukraine crisis, its new foreign minister said.
For months, a billionaire-funded Ukrainian militia and whip-wielding Cossacks have been locked in a war of waiting near the long-contested Donetsk airport.
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A big chill has settled over the Russian Internet since the Kremlin's online crackdown. Or has it?
US Warns G7 of Global Economy 'Accident' Without Greece Deal by webdesk@voanews.com (Reuters)
The United States warned on Friday of a possible accident for the world economy if Greece and its creditors miss their June deadlines to avert a debt default. Germany said there was no sign of a breakthrough. With Athens struggling to make repayments due next month, the debt stand-off between Greece and its European Union partners overshadowed a meeting of policymakers from the Group of Seven rich nations otherwise held to focus on ways to get the global economy growing strongly again. U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew repeated warnings not to minimize the global stability risk of Greece sliding out of the euro zone, even if most of its debt is no longer held by commercial banks. “There is great uncertainty in there at a time when the world needs greater stability and certainty,” Lew told reporters after the G7 meetings. Greece, which has been stuck in a deep debt crisis for the past five years, is due to pay back 300 million euros ($329.61 million) to the International Monetary Fund next Friday, although the IMF has said that deadline could be pushed back until later in June. On June 30, Greece's bailout expires, meaning it would be unable to call on cash currently available to it. Time of essence Lew said time was precious. “If you look from January until now, too much time has been spent unproductively,” he said. He called for agreement quickly on the broad terms of a deal to avoid the risk of stumbling on difficult details at the last moment: “I think waiting until the day or two before whatever the deadline is, is just a way of courting an accident.” Greek officials earlier this week said they were close to an outline agreement. That claim was quickly quashed by top officials from euro zone countries and the IMF. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaueble said on Friday there was no indication of a breakthrough. “The positive news from Athens is not fully reflected in the talks,” he said. France struck a more optimistic note, however, saying officials were not considering the possibility of Greece leaving the euro zone. “There is no Grexit scenario,” Finance Minister Michel Sapin told reporters. Budgets Trying to show that Greece had not dominated their meetings, G7 officials said they had discussed ways to finally put behind them the financial crisis of 2007-09. Canada and Germany renewed their calls for countries to focus on bringing down their budget deficits as the best way to get their economies growing again. But in a reminder of the long-standing divisions among policymakers over the merits of austerity or public spending, the United States said major economies should consider using fiscal policies to support growth and avoid deflation. The G7 said China was progressing towards having its renmimbi currency included in a basket of currencies used by the IMF. That would be a recognition of Beijing's clout in the global economy. But Germany said China was unlikely be given the green light this year. The G7 also asked a global bank regulators body, the Financial Stability Fund, to work on a code of conduct for bankers as part of its efforts to make sure the financial services industry does not put the world economy at risk again.
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US Takes Cuba Off Terrorism Listby webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
The United States on Friday dropped Cuba from a blacklist designating the communist country as a state sponsor of terrorism in another step toward the resumption of diplomatic links between the two nations after a five-decade standoff. Shortly after meeting with Cuban President Raul Castro in April, U.S. President Barack Obama announced his intention to remove Cuba from the list as the two countries head toward opening diplomatic missions in Washington and Havana. The U.S. Congress had a 45-day window to object, but did not. With that review period ending Friday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry formally removed Cuba from the list. The U.S. said it still has "significant concerns and disagreements with a wide range of Cuba's policies and actions." Criteria The State Department, however, said the U.S. island neighbor had not supported international terrorism in the last six months and given the U.S. assurances that it will not in the future, the criteria for removing Cuba from the list. Cuba's removal from the list could give it more access to global financial markets and loans from organizations such as the World Bank. U.S. and Cuban diplomats have been holding discussions about improving trade, educational and travel ties between the two countries. The U.S. broke off diplomatic relations after Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro took control of Cuba in 1959 at the height of the Cold War, but late last year, the two countries announced a thaw in their icy relations. Three countries remain on the State Department list as state sponsors of terrorism: Iran, Sudan and Syria.
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 РБК |
На переговорах о «Мистралях» Франция выдвинула «неприемлемые условия»
РБК Переговоры между российскими представителями и французскими экспертами по «Мистралям» прошли в Москве и завершились безрезультатно. Франция выдвинула неприемлемые условия, заявил российский источник. Вертолетоносец «Мистраль». Фото: Global Look Press. В этом ... СМИ: французы сорвали переговоры по «Мистралям» неприемлемыми требованиямиНТВ.ru Франция на переговорах с Россией о "Мистралях" предложила неприемлемые условияМаяк Переговоры по мистралям в Москве закончились не начавшись - СМИУкраинское национальное информагентство NEWSru.com-Вести.Ru Все похожие статьи: 109 » |
US Economy Shrank in Early 2015by webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
The U.S. economy shrank in the first three months of 2015, as unusually foul winter weather hurt economic activity, the strong dollar made it harder to sell American-made goods in other nations and low oil prices meant less investment in drilling. Friday's report from the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis said the gross domestic product declined at an annual rate of 0.7 percent during the first quarter. That is a sharp downward revision from a first estimate that showed a slight amount of growth in January, February and March. Officials routinely revise GDP estimates as more complete data become available. The economy grew at a modest pace in the last few months of 2014, and many economists say current data indicate the economy will resume growth soon. "While the evidence of a second-quarter rebound hasn't been overwhelming, we still think that the outlook for the economy is very encouraging," Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics, wrote in a research note, according to The Associated Press. Economists predict steady increases in employment and lower gas prices will spur consumer spending. The U.S. unemployment rate has dropped to a seven-year low of 5.4 percent, the AP noted. And though the auto club AAA reports the average price at the gas pump has climbed to $2.74 a gallon, up from just over $2 in January, it’s still almost a dollar below the $3.65 of a year ago.
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The United States has removed Cuba from its list of state sponsors of terrorism as part of a process of normalizing relations between the Cold War foes.
 РБК |
США исключили Кубу из списка «спонсоров терроризма»
РБК США исключили Кубу из списка стран — «спонсоров терроризма». Решение Вашингтона фактически снимает одно из последних препятствий для восстановления дипломатических отношений между двумя странами. Фото: Global Look Press. О решении пересмотреть статус Кубы ... США открыли путь для кредитного закабаления КубыИА REGNUM США исключили Кубу из списка стран-спонсоров терроризмаРоссийская Газета Госдеп США исключил Кубу из списков поддерживающих терроризм странУтро.Ru Интерфакс Все похожие статьи: 45 » |
 Коммерсантъ |
«Ситуация на востоке Украины стала значительно более шаткой»
Коммерсантъ Представители миссии ОБСЕ на Украине считают, что «ситуация на востоке Украины стала значительно более шаткой». Об этом заявил в Киеве глава МИД Германии Франк-Вальтер Штайнмайер. Сам он полагает, что кризис на востоке Украины далек от разрешения, а постоянные ... В ОБСЕ сообщили Штайнмайеру, что ситуация в Донбассе стала шаткойРИА Новости Яценюк считает обвинения в невыполнении Киевом минских договоренностей «российской игрой»Газета.Ru Яценюк подсчитал, во сколько обходится Украине военный конфликт в ДонбассеРосбалт.RU ИА REGNUM -Взгляд -Ура-Информ Все похожие статьи: 302 » |
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Forbes |
Why Medical Identity Theft Is Rising And How To Protect Yourself
Forbes For the past three years, the health/medical sector has accounted for the highest percent (42.5% in 2014) of total hackings of any industry, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center. While data breaches at major retailers like Home Depot and ... and more » |
Gizmodo |
Looks Like Russian Hackers Stole 100000 Americans' Tax Returns Online
Gizmodo The Internal Revenue Service suspect that Russian hackers are the culprits who stole the tax records of at least 100,000 people this year, and—yep, you read that right. Russian hackers! If you're getting déjà vu, that's because this marks the third ... and more » |
Wall Street Journal |
Snowden's Dirty Work for Putin
Wall Street Journal Is this anti-Americanism? True, the chattering classes are none too fond of Uncle Sam. But nine out of 10 Germans ranked the U.S. first when the Allensbach Institute for Public Opinion Polling asked in 2013 which country is “particularly important” as ... |
FrontPage Magazine |
“I Had Groups of ISIS Fighters in My Sights, but Couldn't Get Clearance to ...
FrontPage Magazine This isn't really news. It's just a reminder that the air strikes on ISIS are being run in the same disastrous fashion as those in Afghanistan. And it didn't begin with Obama. Lest we forget, on the day before 9/11, Bill Clinton was boasting that he ... and more » |
The Economist (blog) |
The Economist explains
The Economist (blog) It has failed to dislodge the Castros, hurt the Cuban people, and stoked anti-Americanism in the rest of Latin America. Those who most vociferously back the trade blockade are Cuban-Americans of a similar generation to the Castros who have now become a ... and more » |
I Told You So by 20committee
I can’t help but take some pleasure in seeing the mainstream media, however belatedly, explain that the NSA defector Edward Snowden is a very useful tool for Vladimir Putin and his intelligence services in what I term their Special War against the West. I’ve been pointing this out, since it’s obvious to anybody actually acquainted with the ways of Russian intelligence, in considerable detail for a long time, so I welcome anybody who joins Team Reality, no matter how long it takes them to get there.
Putin is growing less subtle by the day, and in his latest rant about the FIFA scandal, which seems likely to expose some dirty Kremlin deals, he put in a good word about his boys Edward Snowden and Julian Assange (what exactly is the relationship between the Russians and Wikileaks? well, I told you that too). For a former KGB counterintelligence officer, this is pretty much showing your hand.
But a Russian hand in a lot of nefarious things has been visible, at least in outline, in many stories over the years that never got the media attention that they deserved. I called Cold War 2.0 after the Russian theft of Crimea, and it seems tough to deny that we’re in one now. And if we’re lucky it will stay cold. It may not. This recent tweet caused a firestorm:
Said a senior NATO (non-US) GOFO to me today: "We'll probably be at war this summer. If we're lucky it won't be nuclear." Let that sink in.— John Schindler (@20committee) May 20, 2015
I’m not sure why this caused a ruckus, since the reality, visible to anyone with eyes to see, is that Russian aggression over the last year and more has created a very unstable environment in Eastern Europe. Not to mention that the Russian military was simulating nuclear attacks on NATO countriesas far back as 2009, back when ties between Moscow and the West remained far from chilly, indeed positively reset-y. The post-Cold War order has been destroyed by Russian acts in Ukraine, and we’re headed towards some sort of new system — whether through renewed Cold War or actual war remains to be seen.
I am increasingly pessimistic that a wider war can be averted, not least because Putin has been winning off his gambling, despite holding an intrinsically weak hand, and gamblers tend to keep playing when they’re winning. Top NATO officials are now signalling just how dangerous the situation is in Eastern Europe. Yesterday Jens Stoltenberg, the Alliance secretary general, denounced“Russia’s recent use of nuclear rhetoric, exercises and operations are deeply troubling,” adding the obvious, that “Russia’s nuclear saber-rattling is unjustified, destabilizing and dangerous.”
Mincing no words, a top NATO general announced that Russia could take over the Baltic states in just two days. Petr Pavel, the former head of the Czech armed forces and the incoming boss of the Alliance’s Military Committee, ruffled some feathers with his blunt statement, which accords with military reality. Lacking strategic depth, the Baltic states indeed could be overwhelmed by Russia in just a couple days: in other words, before they could be saved by NATO. General Pavel explained that NATO actions to counter Kremlin aggression have been “embarrassingly ineffective” — which, again, is a truth that we are unaccustomed to top Western officials saying in public.
Pavel added comments about weaknesses in NATO intelligence, which track with alarming wordsfrom his boss, General Phil Breedlove, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, about “critical” intelligence gaps regarding Russia, in particular the fact that, due to said espionage shortfalls, NATO cannot predict Kremlin moves with much certainty. The possibility of a Russian surprise attack on a NATO country, therefore, is worryingly real and not something we may see in time to deter it. Here again, Snowden’s defection to Russia after stealing over a million classified U.S. documents should be on the table in discussing why we’re in the dark on such important matters.
Of course, moving thousands of troops is a difficult thing to hide completely in this day and age, and yesterday Reuters broke the story that large numbers of Russian troops, armed with tanks and artillery, have been sighted near the Ukraine border, more or less opposite the strategic city of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov. Worse, Russians have been seen removing unit insignias from their vehicles and uniforms, in emulation of last year’s “little green men” episodes in Crimea and Southeast Ukraine. Putin is either readying to launch a renewed offensive in Ukraine or he wants the world to think he’s about to. Deception, what Russians call maskirovka, is a well-honed art there, so it’s possible this is yet another saber-rattle. But we don’t know yet. Though I suspect we’ll find out soon enough.
Fully a year ago, I explained how, with a modest amount of conventional deterrence, the West could prevent further Russian aggression. Despite pleadings of Alliance members for just such a bona fide deterrent force, nothing substantial has been done, and NATO has been content to have some showy exercises and photo-ops: the “embarrassingly ineffective” measures castigated by GeneralPavel. For want of a few brigades of NATO troops in Eastern Europe, we may get Russian aggression that could change the world, and not for the better. I hate to say it, but … I told you so.
Filed under: Counterintelligence, Espionage, Strategy, USG
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U.S. Rebukes China on Efforts to Build Artificial Islandsby By MATTHEW ROSENBERG
Comments left little doubt that Washington shared the concerns of other Asian nations about China’s growing military presence in disputed areas of the South China Sea.
В Пятом Всемирном конгрессе соотечественников примут участие около 400 человек
Сергей Лавров поблагодарил членов ВКС за вклад в работу русскоязычных общин за рубежом
Министр иностранных дел России Сергей Лавров встретился с членами Всемирного координационного совета российских соотечественников, проживающих за рубежом (ВКС). Встреча прошла в рамках 24-го заседания Всемирного координационного совета российских соотечественников, проживающих за рубежом. Предлагаем вашему вниманию выступление главы внешнеполитического ведомства
Yahoo News |
Russia steps up propaganda push with online "Kremlin trolls"
Yahoo News ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — Deep inside a four-story marble building in St. Petersburg, hundreds of workers tap away at computers on the front lines of an information war, say those who have been inside. Known as "Kremlin trolls," the men and women ... and more » |
Yahoo News |
Ruble rebound threatens 'Made in Russia' industry revival
Yahoo News But it is worrying one part of the economy — the local industry that had seen demand grow for its Russian-made goods when the falling ruble made imports hugely expensive. Russian sectors, from building materials to craft beer, took advantage of the ... The ruble rebound is threatening a key part of Russia's economyBusiness Insider all 44 news articles » |
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U.S. News & World Report |
Ruble rebound threatens 'Made in Russia' industry revival
U.S. News & World Report In this photo taken on Friday, May 22, 2015, Stanislav Obraztsov, left, speaks to his colleagues at his craft beer bar in Moscow. The ruble's crash in value against the dollar last year helpedRussia's nascent craft beer industry by making imported ... and more » |
New York Times |
Vladimir Putin's week of muscle-flexing
CNN (CNN) When Vladimir Putin makes a move, the world sits up and takes notice. And this week, he's been particularly busy, making decisions on internal and international matters that have ramifications far beyond Russia's borders. Here's a look back at ... Putin, on Guard for 2018 World Cup in Russia, Denounces FIFA ArrestsNew York Times US to Russia: Fifa corruption inquiry has nothing to do with youThe Guardian Russia cries foul: Fifa arrests 'a conspiracy' says MoscowBBC News Breitbart News -Financial Times all 1,064 news articles » |
KABC-TV |
Blatter says vote for Russia, Qatar the root of FIFA crisis
USA TODAY ZURICH (AP) — The worst corruption crisis in soccer history stems from the governing body's decision to award Russia and Qatar the next two World Cup tournaments, FIFA President Sepp Blatter said Friday. Blatter spoke at the FIFA congress hours before ... Why the FIFA arrests made Russia so angry with the USWashington Post (blog) FIFA president says vote for Russia, Qatar the root of FIFA crisisKABC-TV Fifa turmoil draws in Russia and Qatar Financial Times SkySports-Forbes all 10,736 news articles » |
May 29, 2015
Russia in Review: a digest of useful news from U.S.-Russia Initiative to Prevent Nuclear Terrorism for May 22-29, 2015
It's the modern era's military strategy of choice: overwhelming air power delivering precision-guided punishment. Seductive though it is to governments with war-weary publics, the approach has limits — and these are on display in Syria and Iraq.
Two of his defense secretaries wrote books critical of his administration after they left office, and his third was essentially fired. On Tuesday, the White House scrambled to clarify remarks by Obama's fourth defense secretary, Ashton Carter, who said over the weekend that Iraqi forces who collapsed in their defense of Ramadi lacked the "will to fight" Islamic State militants.
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The debate over whether to provide lethal defensive aid, such as anti-tank missiles, to Ukraine is "worth having," Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday.
France's foreign minister wants European countries to do more to fight the Islamic State group, and is seeking support from Russia in international talks about defeating the group.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to make losses of Russian troops in peacetime a secret.
At least nine people died over the last day in fighting that has flared in eastern Ukraine as both sides appear to be ignoring a cease-fire proclaimed more than three months ago, news reports from the embattled region said Wednesday.
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