News Roundup and Notes: September 21, 2015 - Just Security | "Mr. Obama considers Mr. Putin a thug, his advisers say, and Mr. Putin considers Mr. Obama weak." - Mr. Putin’s Mixed Messages on Syria
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"Mr. Obama considers Mr. Putin a thug, his advisers say, and Mr. Putin considers Mr. Obama weak. Mr. Obama has had little to do with Mr. Putin since the Russian leader invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea. Some administration officials worry that agreeing to a meeting, which the Kremlin apparently requested, will play into Mr. Putin’s hands. But it would be a mistake for Mr. Obama not to engage, especially on an issue this serious and when tensions are rising. If Mr. Putin does not come to the meeting prepared to be a problem-solver, it will be obvious and Mr. Obama should call him on it."
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Mr. Putin’s Mixed Messages on Syria
Before the start of business, Just Security provides a curated summary of up-to-the-minute developments at home and abroad. Here’s today’s news.
IRAQ and SYRIA
The US has begun military talks with Russia, the Obama administration reaching out to Moscow on Friday to consider a deconfliction strategy to avoid accidental escalation between the two in Syria. [New York Times’ Michael R. Gordon] The Wall Street Journal editorial board opines that in seeking out diplomatic common ground with Moscow, President Obama is being “taken to school” by Russian President Putin.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin today in Moscow to discuss the increased Russian involvement in the Syrian civil war. [Wall Street Journal’s Joel Greenberg]
Opposition rebels say Russian intervention will lead to an escalation in the conflict and may result in the rebels’ Gulf Arab supporters increasing military aid. [Reuters]
A temporary ceasefire has started between pro-Syrian government and opposition forces in four towns, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. A similar truce last month in the same four towns did not hold. [Al Jazeera]
Intelligence analysts suggested that the killing of certain ISIS leaders would not assist in damaging the group and that airstrikes may not be working; Shane Harris and Nancy A. Youssef detail the intelligence which was manipulated by senior officials. [The Daily Beast]
The US will increase its refugee intake to 100,000 annually by 2017, Secretary of State John Kerrysaid following talks with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier yesterday. The number currently stands at roughly 70,000 annually; the increase is to include at least 10,000 Syrians. [Wall Street Journal’s Felicia Schwartz and Anton Troianovski]
Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton urged the US to accept up to 65,000 Syrian refugees, starting immediately to implement vetting processes for those taken in. [The Hill’s Bradford Richardson] Commenting on Clinton’s statement, Republican candidate Rand Paul suggested that the former secretary of state bears some of the responsibility for the refugee crisis due to her policy of supplying arms to Syrian rebels, on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
The US should provide Jordan with American military drones, argues Duncan D. Hunter, saying that why the Obama administration has refused is a “puzzle.” [Wall Street Journal]
Defectors from ISIS are facing reprisals and imprisonment for speaking out about their feelings toward the militant group, according to a new report from the International Center for the Study of Radicalization at King’s College London. [New York Times’ Kimiko De Freytas-Tamura]
The four questions the UK needs to answer before bombing the Islamic State or Assad, from Paul Mason at the Guardian.
IRAN
The head of the IAEA has visited Iran’s Parchin military site; Yukiya Amano arrived in the country yesterday and also met with President Hassan Rouhani as he began his visit. [BBC]
Iranian nuclear inspectors have taken samples from Parchin without inspectors from the UN nuclear watchdog being present, a spokesman from the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) said today. [Reuters]
Tehran and Washington “have taken the first steps” toward easing enmity between themselves, President Rouhani said in an interview on CBS’ “60 Minutes,” in which he described the nuclear accord as the “right path.” Rouhani also commented on the chant “Death to America,” saying that the slogan is not against American people but US policies “against the national interests of Iranian people.”
Presidential candidate John Kasich pushed for Senate Republicans to invoke the “nuclear option” to stop Democrats’ attempts to filibuster the GOP bill to reject the Iran deal, in an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union.” [The Hill’s Timothy Cama]
The Obama administration is in talks with the Vatican about how Pope Francis could assist in freeing three Americans detained in Iran. [Politico’s Nahal Toosi]
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced a new publication, the Line of Hezbollah, a platform giving Khamenei’s supporters direct access to his revolutionary message, reports theGuardian.
YEMEN
Houthi rebels have released six foreigners held captive since earlier this year, including three Americans, two Saudis and a UK national. Oman was responsible for negotiating their release; their identities have not been revealed. [AP] The rebels continue to hold a third US citizen, an American Muslim convert, for unknown reasons. [Washington Post’s Adam Goldman]
The Saudi-led coalition escalated its air campaign against Houthi rebels, eight strikes targeting a school in Sana’a yesterday. Ground troops are said to be preparing for an expected offensive toward the city. [Wall Street Journal’s Mohammed Al-Kibsi and Asa Fitch]
The Yemen conflict is “imploding” the “precious link” that Guantánamo Bay detainees maintain with family members in the country; some sixty percent of remaining prisoners are Yemeni. [Miami Herald’s Carol Rosenberg]
ISRAEL and PALESTINE
A rocket was fired from Gaza into southern Israel late last night, no injury or damage was caused. [Haaretz’s Gili Cohen] UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the incident in a statement.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will not announce the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority or the cancellation of the Oslo accords during an upcoming speech at the UN General Assembly, allaying concerns. [Haaretz’s Barak Ravid]
Israel has developed an “unhealthy overreliance” on its relationship with the US and “needs new friends,” opines Shmuel Rosner. [New York Times]
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
Former President George W. Bush tried to retroactively authorize elements of the NSA’s post-9/11 surveillance and data collection program, according to newly declassified portions of a government investigation. Charlie Savage provides the story. [New York Times]
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg will visit Ukraine today, his first visit to the country during which he will attempt to express the bloc’s support of Kiev while trying not to rile Moscow, reports Robin Emmott. [Reuters]
The US military maintained a policy of non-intervention in Afghanistan over the sexual abuse of boys by allied Afghan security forces, Joseph Goldstein reports. [New York Times]
“When is assassination not assassination.” Nick Turse discusses the Obama’s administration’s use of the phrase “targeted killing” in its place, encouraging the news media to avoid the language and justifications relied upon by government, at the Intercept.
The New York Times editorial board proposes “how to close Guantánamo,” arguing that “it is long past time for this nonsense to end” and for an acceleration in momentum to bring it to an end.
Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was “disillusioned and self-deluded” when he deserted his base in Afghanistan, a preliminary hearing heard late last week, reports Dan Lamothe. [Washington Post]
Leaders of the coup in Burkina Faso have released the country’s interim president who they had detained along with the prime minister and ministers. [France 24] UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the release, calling for the immediate release of all those remaining in detention. [UN News Centre]
A conflict is simmering in Washington over the opening of all combat units to women, with the Marine Corps pitted against its own service secretary, report Kristina Wong and Rebecca Kheel offering further details. [The Hill]
Read the whole story
· · · · · ·
BEIJING — President Xi Jinping of China looked regal as he stood in a limousine moving past Tiananmen Square this month, wearing a traditional suit of the kind favored by Mao and waving at parade troops assembled at attention. But the luster of Mr. Xi’s imperial presidency has dulled lately.
China’s economy has slowed more abruptly than policy makers have appeared ready for, alarming investors around the world. The government overestimated its ability to keep stock prices aloft, spending billions to bolster the Chinese markets. Mr. Xi’s ambitious reform agenda, including an effort to revive a bloated state sector, has yielded few concrete results.
Often described as the most powerful leader of the Chinese Communist Party in generations, Mr. Xi is to arrive in the United States on Tuesday facing economic headwinds and growing doubts about his formula for governing — a sharp contrast with the image of unruffled control he projected when he hosted President Obama last year.
Yet he has shown no sign of retreating on an array of disputes that have bedeviled the Obama administration, including those about accelerated construction in disputed waters of the South China Sea and cyberattacks attributed to China that have targeted American businesses and government agencies. China has repeatedly denied having a role in those attacks.
The two countries have been negotiating what could become the first arms control accord for cyberspace, with a goal of announcing an agreement during Mr. Xi’s visit. The deal would safeguard critical infrastructure during peacetime, but it is not expected to cover contentious issues such as the theft of intellectual property or data.
Analysts say Mr. Xi’s recent setbacks will only reinforce his reluctance to offer concessions under pressure from the United States.
“Xi is obsessed with strategic rivalry with the United States,” said Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University in Beijing. “The summit won’t produce progress on strategic matters.”
After almost three years in office, Mr. Xi has amassed daunting power. He has taken control of the party’s most important policy committees. His scorching anticorruption campaign has subdued potential opponents. His prime minister and other colleagues have been relegated to cheerleading roles.
Mr. Xi’s bustling, forceful approach was meant to yield bold and nimble governance after years of torpor and paralysis under his predecessors. But with so much authority concentrated in his hands, and such broad ambitions, the risks of bureaucratic confusion and overload are increasingly apparent, especially in the management of the Chinese economy, the second largest in the world.
“A lot of people are now sitting back and saying, ‘Maybe this operation isn’t as well wired as we thought it was,’ ” said Robert L. Suettinger, a senior adviser at the Stimson Center in Washington and a former Asia director on the National Security Council.
Mr. Xi “appears to be powerful, because he has placed himself in key positions,” Mr. Suettinger added. “But the question is: Are decisions being made, and is the system beginning to move in the direction that he wants? That part, I think the jury is still out on.”
Few see much likelihood of a serious leadership challenge to Mr. Xi, but his authority could suffer if these policy-making problems intensify and the economy continues to sputter.
“Xi, in his impressive consolidation of power in the short run, raises questions for the long run. Has he put himself in charge of too much?” said David M. Lampton, a professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies who has long studied China’s leaders.
“A principal danger” confronting Mr. Xi is that the economic slowdown will undermine public support for one-party rule, Professor Lampton added, and “President Xi seems to be compensating by emphasizing China’s resurgent role in the world.”
Even as Mr. Xi emphasizes his desire for good relations, China’s growing challenge to the United States will be in focus during his seven days in the United States. He is to begin in Seattle with a speech to business executives, as well as tours of Boeing and Microsoft, then go to Washington for his first visit there as president and finish in New York with his first address to the United Nations.
Though the Chinese economy has softened, Mr. Xi remains in a strong position for his meeting with Mr. Obama on Thursday.
Unless something extraordinary happens at the highest echelons of the Communist Party, Mr. Xi can expect seven more years in power, while Mr. Obama will leave office in 16 months, a gap that some Chinese scholars say has led Mr. Xi to view his counterpart as a lame duck.
Mr. Xi, 62, has no plausible challengers at the top of the party and remains popular with many Chinese citizens. His public stature was reinforced during the recent military parade near Tiananmen Square, and it will be again when he is greeted by a 21-gun salute and a state dinner at the White House, ceremonial high points for previous Chinese leaders.
Shen Dingli, a professor of international relations and expert on Sino-American relations at Fudan University in Shanghai, said American policy makers have trouble understanding Mr. Xi because “he’s an initiator, whereas traditionally Chinese leaders were reactive, waiting to respond.”
“He believes we are a major power and is more willing to confront the U.S.,” Professor Shen added.
Mr. Xi and Mr. Obama are expected to discuss their differences on a number of subjects, including cybersecurity, tensions in the South China Sea, the repatriation of Chinese officials accused of corruption and the Chinese government’s harsh treatment of dissidents and lawyers.
Mr. Xi has left his mark on all of these issues since assuming leadership of the party in November 2012, taking tougher positions than his predecessors in most cases.
In a meeting with American business leaders in Beijing last week, Mr. Xi appeared self-assured, exuding confidence that, despite China’s recent economic turbulence, his government holds the upper hand, an American with knowledge of the event said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a closed meeting.
American corporate executives have complained that a new national security law in China and proposed laws on cybersecurity and counterterrorism will restrict their operations by subjecting them to unnecessary scrutiny from China’s ever more powerful domestic security apparatus. But Mr. Xi offered a robust defense of the legislation in the meeting, according to the American with knowledge of the meeting.
“The evidence seems to be accumulating that Xi is a leader whose vision is mainly about centralizing power and asserting China’s greatness,” said Arthur Kroeber, a managing director of Gavekal Dragonomics, a research firm, and a longtime analyst of the Chinese economy. “When forced to choose between giving market forces more play in the name of efficiency and sustainable growth, or reasserting the primacy of the state regardless of the long-run economic cost,” Mr. Xi seems more likely to choose the latter, he added.
Even as Mr. Xi prepared to meet American technology leaders in Seattle, his government recently asked American companies to pledge to uphold controversial policies that could require them to pass data and intellectual property on to Chinese authorities.
In foreign policy, too, Mr. Xi “seems less interested in cutting deals” than his predecessors, Professor Lampton said. “He has demonstrated a willingness to have more friction with the outside world than his predecessors.”
The Obama administration is especially concerned about allegations of Chinese cyberattacks on American companies and government agencies, including the theft of trade secrets that are passed on to Chinese competitors and of millions of government employees’ personal data.
“It is an area we have not seen progress or change in their behavior,” a senior administration official said.
Bilahari Kausikan, a former permanent secretary of Singapore’s Foreign Ministry, said Chinese hacking of American targets was likely to continue because Mr. Xi had little incentive to stop it. “At present my guess is that, as China is relatively less wired than the U.S., it is also less vulnerable,” he said.
Mr. Xi is also not expected to accede to demands by the Obama administration that China stopbuilding artificial islands and military facilities in the contested waters of the South China Sea, which some of the world’s busiest shipping routes pass through. China, which claims jurisdiction over about 80 percent of the sea, has been building islands more than 800 miles from the Chinese mainland.
New satellite images released this month show that China has started building runways capable of military use on two new islands, which it created this year by piling sand on reefs in the disputed Spratly archipelago. The artificial islands are near the Philippines, which has appealed to the United States for help and is considering opening naval and air bases to American forces.
In a speech here last week intended to preview Mr. Xi’s positions on major issues between China and the United States, China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, sounded a defiant tone. “I wish to reiterate that the Nansha Islands are China’s territory,” he said, using the Chinese name for the archipelago. “These are China’s positions that will not change.”
Read the whole story
· · · · · ·
Last week, Ahmed Mohamed’s homemade clock got him arrested and then invited to the White House. This week, the conspiracy theory backlash against his ‘invention’ begins.
The Muslim teen who became an overnight celebrity after Texas cops mistook his homemade clock for a bomb has received a White House invitation, shoutouts from Facebook, MIT, and NASA, and more than $15,000 for an academic scholarship.
But some engineers say something’s fishy about the high-schooler’s invention, and the Internet has been lit aflame by claims of conspiracy. The fact that a teenager was put in handcuffs over his clock appears to be less of a concern to these people than the apparently shoddy engineering of the ‘invention’ in question.
Electronics experts who examined photos of 14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed’s creation called it a fraud loudly enough to grab the attention of famed atheist and biologist Richard Dawkins, who on Sunday tweeted: “We were all fooled.”
Dawkins went as far as suggesting the ninth-grader had a “motive” for his arrest over the digital clock, which was inside a black pencil case and tied shut with a cable. “If this is true, what was his motive?” Dawkins wrote. “Whether or not he wanted the police to arrest him, they shouldn’t have done so.”
On Sept. 14, police in Irving, Texas, handcuffed Mohamed, took him to a juvenile detention center and charged him with having a hoax bomb. His family says cops denied the teen's repeated requests to speak to his parents. Two days later, amid a public furor, the charges were dropped.
Anthony DiPasquale, the webmaster for <a href="http://Artvoice.com" rel="nofollow">Artvoice.com</a>, exposed the circuitry behind Mohamed’s clock. In an interview with The Daily Beast, he said, “My initial reaction was probably pretty similar to everyone else’s: ‘Wow, I feel really sorry for the kid’... The nerd in me wanted to know specifically what he did—what technology or methods he might’ve used.”
But the self-styled electronics geek says that Mohamed’s homemade gadget is actually a factory-produced clock. “Somewhere in all of this—there has indeed been a hoax,” he wrote in a controversial post on Artvoice. “Ahmed Mohamed didn’t invent his own alarm clock. He didn’t even build a clock.”
DiPasquale said all signs point to a mass-produced model. He traced the 1980s-era circuit board, which has a silk-screened “M” logo, to a vintage Micronta clock found on eBay. He noted other “dead giveaways” of a store-bought clock, including a switch to select 12- or 24-hour time and a battery backup.
DiPasquale does not say whether or not such crimes deserve arrest.
“Anyone with even a basic hobby-level understanding could see it was a commercially available mass-produced product that was just taken out of its enclosure, and placed in a pencil box,” DiPasquale told The Daily Beast. “So I read some more about the story, and nowhere did I see anybody actually bring that point up.”
The public outcry over Mohamed’s arrest was also, presumably, less about the clock and more about what it says about us, as a society, that such a thing would happen.
“Here we have a social media frenzy going on, with everybody to the president of the United States giving him a pat on the back, and I started thinking less about the clock, and more about us, as a society,” he added.
The public outcry over Mohamed’s arrest was also, presumably, less about the clock and more about what it says about us, as a society, that such a thing would happen.
DiPasquale questioned if other aspects of the teenager’s story about the clock aren’t being fully reported or fact-checked by reporters. In one interview, for example, Mohamed says he closed the pencil case with a cord so it wouldn’t look suspicious in school.
“I’m curious, why would ‘looking suspicious’ have even crossed his mind before this whole event unfolded, if he was truly showing off a hobby project, something so innocuous as an alarm clock. Why did he choose a pencil box, one that looks like a miniature briefcase no less, as an enclosure for a clock?” DiPasquale wrote.
Since carrying a pencil box is not a crime, Mohamed does not, presumably, owe anyone an explanation. But DiPasquale says that Mohamed and his poorly repurposed clock aren’t the problem—it’s the knee-jerk reaction from the press and social media activists crying racism and attacking school administrators and police without knowing all the facts.
“Because, is it possible, that maybe, just maybe, this was actually a hoax bomb?” he wrote. “A silly prank that was taken the wrong way? That the media then ran with, and everyone else got carried away? Maybe there wasn’t even any racial or religious bias on the parts of the teachers and police.”
DiPasquale does not appear to have offered any evidence supporting his hoax theory.
A research scientist narrated a similar takedown of Mohamed’s device on YouTube and faced a surge of negative comments accusing him of racism and of picking on a 14-year-old kid.
Thomas Talbot, an electronics author and prominent medical virtual reality scientist, said the clock’s printed circuit boards and ribbon cables, along with the 9-volt battery backup, are signs of a commercial product.
In his video, Talbot displays a photo of Mohamed’s clock and on screen, flashes an arrow over a tangle of cords jutting from the case. “This was put in here to look like a device, with these cables and these… to look like a device that would be suspicious, and I think intentionally so,” he says of the design.
“This is simply taking a clock out of its case, and I think probably for provocative reasons, intentionally,” he said in his video. He did not elaborate further.
“When I saw this, I thought, ‘We’re getting duped here,’” Talbot told The Daily Beast, adding, “Anybody who knows electronics really well needs less than five seconds to know that was a clock taken out of the box.”
The researcher, who has run contests for young inventors Mohamed’s age, said he doesn’t intend to pick on Mohamed but rather the media’s failure to capture more of the story. Over the weekend, social media activists embarked on a campaign to downvote his YouTube video, which had more than 380,000 views Sunday night.
“Whether it fits your narrative or whatever you want to believe… this particular child down in Texas did not make anything,” Talbot said in the video, adding, “People should not recognize this as an invention and recognize this child as an inventor for this particular creation.”
Mohamed’s family did not return messages left by The Daily Beast.
Since Mohamed’s story went viral, his family has held national attention, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations has helped facilitate their media coverage.
“He just wants to invent good things for mankind,” Ahmed’s father, Mohamed Elhassan Mohamed, told The Dallas Morning News after his son’s arrest. “But because his name is Mohamed and because of Sept. 11, I think my son got mistreated.”
Mohamed’s official Twitter account shows tour and event offers from Google, MIT, and Twitter and a scholarship to Space Camp. In one Sept. 16 post, which includes a beaming selfie of Mohamed and two allies, the teen wrote: “Going to meet my lawyer.”
It’s been enough for conservative websites like Breitbart to all but fuel conspiracy theories on Mohamed’s meteoric rise and his father’s history as an anti-Islamophobia gadfly who twice ran for president of Sudan. Infowars was less restrained with its headline: “Fake hate? Is clock kid furor all a big setup?”
For some electronics experts, Mohamed’s windfall is unfair to students that actually invent things. Bryan Bergeron, an author of electronics books and editor in chief of the magazine Nuts & Volts, said that Mohamed’s project “would be ‘cute’ for someone age 7. But even then, not ‘inventive.’”
“The problem with giving this 14-year-old—whom I have nothing against; I really know very little of him—kudos for being inventive, is that there are tens of thousands of 11-year-olds out there actually designing circuits, building them from scratch and ‘innovating,’” Bergeron told The Daily Beast.
Bergeron said Mohamed’s special treatment was “political” and in reaction to the public backlash over the teen’s arrest, an idea that will probably not be disputed by anyone following the story—Mohamed has received more attention than other young inventors because he was put in cuffs and other young inventors were not.
Bergeron continues, “This treatment does a big disservice to the tens of thousands of pre-teens out there doing REAL innovative things with electronics and technology.”
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· · · · · ·
Наверное, Путин сам удивляется, как ему повезло, что в США правит слабейший президент, пишет WSJ: есть шанс спасти Асада, укрепить связи с Ираном, нарастить военное присутствие в Восточном Средиземноморье. "Послание Кремля имеет прямое отношение к Украине, - подчеркивает Tribune de Genève. - Россия не может рисковать превращением Сирии в новый Афганистан, но она может воспользоваться Сирией как дипломатическим рычагом".
Стянутые в Сирию российские военные силы включают в себя ракеты класса "земля-воздух", а также военные самолеты, способные действовать против воздушных целей, и это поднимает серьезные вопросы о роли Москвы в регионе, заявил в субботу госсекретарь США Джон Керри, передает The New York Times.
Кремль утверждает, что целью наращивания сил на базе в окрестностях Латакии является борьба с "Исламским государством" (запрещенным в РФ. - Прим. ред.). Однако размещение зенитно-ракетных комплексов и истребительной авиации - вооружений, которые малопригодны в борьбе с боевиками-экстремистами, - вызвало тревогу, не является ли целью Москвы создание военного форпоста на Ближнем Востоке, а также усилило обеспокоенность Пентагона относительно риска ненамеренного столкновения между российскими военными и возглавляемой Америкой коалицией.
Американский чиновник, говоривший на условиях анонимности, заявил, что российский зенитный ракетно-пушечный комплекс "Панцирь -С1" уже готов к использованию в Латакии. Транспортировка вооружений и оборудования на базу потребовала более 20 рейсов российский грузовых самолетов "Руслан", сообщает газета.
Несмотря на его озабоченность наращиванием Россией военного потенциала в этой стране, Керри сказал, что администрация Обамы приветствовала бы роль российских сил, если бы они сосредоточились на борьбе с ИГИЛ, а не на поддержке Асада, передает издание.
"По-видимому, Путин и Обама по-разному понимают слово "поумнеть", - замечает The Wall Street Journal в редакционной статье: 11 дней назад Обама заявил, что развертывание российских войск в Сирии "обречено на неудачу" и Кремлю "придется немножко поумнеть". "После этого Путин начал направлять туда истребители, и теперь складывается впечатление, что это не Путину, а Обаме преподан урок", - говорится в статье. В минувшую пятницу министр обороны США позвонил российскому коллеге, чтобы прозондировать "механизмы деконфликтизации" в Сирии.
Газета полагает: Путин узрел шанс спасти Асада, укрепить связи с Ираном, обеспечить себе крупное военное присутствие в Восточном Средиземноморье, еще больше ослабить влияние США и сформировать дипломатические рычаги для смягчения западных санкций.
"Госсекретарь Керри опять направляется прямо в капкан, расставленный Путиным", - говорится в статье. По мнению газеты, Вашингтон намерен снять требование об отставке Асада.
"Наверное, Путин сам удивляется, как ему повезло, что в президентском кресле сидит Обама. Ждите, что российские переговорщики увяжут переговоры о Сирии с американской поддержкой киевского правительства, размещением военной техники в Балтии или выполнением соглашения по ИЯП с Тегераном", - пишет WSJ, называя Обаму "слабейшим из президентов".
Москва укрепляет военное присутствие на территории своего союзника Башара Асада, быть может, для того, чтобы оказать влияние на ход переговоров по Донбассу, пишет обозревательTribune de Genève.
Путинский Кремль делает вид, что готовит наступление против исламистов в Сирии, в то время как на украинском фронте наблюдается затишье. "Что это, совпадение?" - задается вопросом высокопоставленный европейский дипломат в Москве, принимающий участие в подготовке встречи президентов Путина и Порошенко 2 октября. "В последние недели проявляется явное намерение Кремля продвинуть вперед переговоры по Украине. Не исключено, что Путин готовит общественное мнение к тому, что придется пойти на уступки", - говорит дипломат.
Тем временем Россия проявляет небывалую активность в Сирии. Москва явно испытывает тревогу в связи с возможным падением режима Асада и боится возвращения тысяч джихадистов в Россию, полагает автор.
На предстоящей Генассамблее ООН Путин, судя по всему, представит "план" по Сирии: создание во взаимодействии с армией Асада новой международной коалиции под эгидой ООН против джихадистов. Наращивая ресурсы для односторонних действий в Сирии, Россия хочет подтолкнуть западные страны к договоренности с ней, говорит военный эксперт Павел Фельгенгауэр.
"Но, помимо Сирии, послание Кремля имеет прямое отношение к Украине, - считает автор. - В разгар экономического кризиса Россия не может рисковать превращением Сирии в новый Афганистан, но она может воспользоваться Сирией как дипломатическим рычагом".
Что сейчас делает Путин - старается всех обаять, и это сулит реальные подвижки в урегулировании проблем? Или он просто скрывает свои давние цели под новой оберткой? - размышляет на страницах The Daily Beast журналистка Анна Немцова.
Московские аналитики сочли, что два недавних важных заявления Путина - сигналы, адресованные Западу: во-первых, Путин готов заморозить войну на Восточной Украине, во-вторых, он хочет присоединиться к Западу в борьбе против ИГИЛ в Сирии.
Немцова напоминает: 12 сентября, когда Путин прогуливался по Ялте, какой-то "случайный прохожий", как назвали его местные СМИ, спросил Путина, когда тот сделает Донбасс частью России. В ответ Путин сделал длинное заявление, в котором уверял, что существующие Минские соглашения между Москвой и Киевом - единственный путь к урегулированию кризиса.
Василий Кашин (Центр анализа стратегий и технологий) считает: "Путин подал из Крыма сигнал, что хочет закончить войну в Донбассе на базе перемирия "Минск-2". Кашин сказал, что идеальный вариант для России - постепенное превращение спорной территории в регион вроде Приднестровья
В минувший вторник Путин в Таджикистане говорил о войне международного сообщества с ИГИЛ.
Кашин заметил: "Если в Центральной Азии начнется крупномасштабная война, Россия определенно будет вынуждена вмешаться. В лучшем случае - сообща с Китаем, в худшем - в одиночку. Поэтому Путин хочет сказать, что предпочел бы раздавить ИГИЛ в Сирии, снабдив оружием армии Асада и Ирака, а не столкнуться с массированной войной в Центральной Азии".
Эти заявления прозвучали в момент, когда на фронте в Донбассе воцарилось затишье. "Путин предлагает Донбассу мир на своих условиях: взамен на то, что Запад смягчит экономические санкции и простит ему аннексию Крыма", - говорит обозреватель "Дождя" Тимур Олевский.
"Сирия - словно покерный стол тех, кто ведет "Большую игру" за политические очки, - говорит Юрий Крупнов, аналитик, близкий к Кремлю. - Старания России присоединиться к Западу на войне с ИГИЛ могут быть восприняты как слабый ход. Россия намерена оказать военную поддержку Асаду, а не силам США. Не могу себе представить, что Запад согласится на этот компромисс".
Возможно, визит Путина в ООН кончится ничем, если не хуже, замечает Немцова.
Также по теме:
Путин едет в Нью-Йорк: что он скажет? (The Washington Times)
Нетаньяху и Путин ведут диалог, чтобы избежать столкновений своих истребителей в небе Сирии (El Mundo)
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Президент России Владимир Путин и премьер-министр Израиля Биньямин Нетаньяху (слева направо) во время встречи в Ново-Огарево
Фото: Михаил Метцель/ТАСС
На встрече с российским президентом Нетаньяху выразил беспокойство по поводу ухудшающейся ситуации на Ближнем Востоке. По мнению израильского премьера, Иран при помощи сирийской армии намерен открыть против Израиля «второй фронт» на Голанских высотах.
В ответ на это Путин заявил, что сирийская армия сейчас находится не в том состоянии, чтобы открывать второй фронт против Израиля: власти страны заняты спасением собственного государства.
«Что касается Сирии, то мы знаем и понимаем, что сирийская армия и Сирия в целом в таком состоянии, что ей не до открытия второго фронта: ей бы сохранить собственную государственность», — цитирует Путина ТАСС.
Российский лидер добавил, что позиция Москвы на Ближнем Востоке всегда будет «ответственной», поскольку в Израиле проживает «очень много» выходцев из бывшего СССР. По словам Путина, «это накладывает особый отпечаток на наши государственные отношения».
Нетаньяху решил приехать в Москву, чтобы обсудить с Путиным российское военное присутствие в Сирии, а также угрозы, вызванные «увеличением поставок в Сирию современного вооружения». В сентябре западные СМИ неоднократно сообщали об увеличении в Сирии российского военного присутствия, а 10-го числа глава Минобороны Израиля Моше Яалон заявил, что Москва послала в Сирию военных советников и действующие силы, которые должны помочь правительству Башара Асада в создании авиабазы рядом с Латакией.
18 сентября Reuters со ссылкой на несколько источников сообщил, что на аэродроме возле Латакии размещено несколько российских истребителей. По словам одного из источников агентства, на аэродроме под Латакией размещено четыре российских истребителя, другой источник подтвердил факт обнаружения самолетов, однако не назвал их точного количества.
Российский военный специалист в Сирии рассказал «Коммерсанту», что в расположенном в Сирии пункте материально-технического обеспечения ВМФ России в Тартусесейчас находится 1700 российских специалистов. По словам источника издания в Генштабе, у России есть планы по модернизации военного объекта в Тартусе.
На прошлой неделе во время выступления на расширенном заседании саммита ОДКБ в Душанбе Путин назвал положение дел в Сирии «очень серьезным» и заявил, что Москва «оказывает и будет оказывать необходимую военную помощь». В МИДе несколько раз заявляли, что поставки техники в Сирию осуществляются в полном соответствии с международными нормами и договорами.
Read the whole story
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High-ranking Israeli security brass traveled with PM Netanyahu to meet with Russian Pres. Putin in Moscow.
Published: September 21st, 2015
Netanyahu and Putin in Jerusalem, June 25, 2012.
Photo Credit: Amos Ben Gershom / GPO / Flash 90
Photo Credit: Amos Ben Gershom / GPO / Flash 90
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is traveling to Moscow today (Monday Sept. 21) to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, together with IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eizenkot.
Military Intelligence director Maj.-Gen. Hertzi Halevy, National Security Council head Yossi Cohen and Netanyahu’s military secretary Col. Eliezer Toledano are also accompanying the prime minister to the meeting, which is scheduled to last three hours.
The officials are expected to discuss Russia’s activities and military involvement in Syria, as well as questions about Russia’s cooperation with Iran.
The United States is holding parallel talks with Moscow on the same issues, according to numerous media reports.
There are no journalists on the plane with the prime minister for this trip, underscoring the gravity of the meeting.
Last week a source told the Reuters news agency that new, advanced weapons have been delivered to Syrian government troops, who are being trained in their use. It is believed the weapons are being sent from Russia.
About the Author: Hana Levi Julian is a Middle East news analyst with a degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from Southern Connecticut State University. A past columnist with The Jewish Press and senior editor at Arutz 7, Ms. Julian has written for <a href="http://Babble.com" rel="nofollow">Babble.com</a>, <a href="http://Chabad.org" rel="nofollow">Chabad.org</a> and other media outlets, in addition to her years working in broadcast journalism.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Moscow on Monday to seek reassurance from President Vladimir Putin about Russia's military deployment in Syria and to lay out Israel's concerns about the risk of weapons reaching militants on its borders.
With fighter planes part of the rapid Russian build-up, Israel is worried about the threat of fire accidentally being traded with Russian forces, especially since it has carried out air raids against militants in southern Syria and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters suspected of smuggling arms.
A former strategic adviser to Netanyahu said the Israeli leader would try to work out "ground rules" with Putin about avoiding such clashes.
The United States, which along with its allies has been flying missions against Islamist State insurgents in Syria, has also been holding so-called "deconfliction" talks with Russia.
"It could come down to Israel and Russia agreeing to limit themselves to defined areas of operation in Syria, or even that they fly at daytime and we fly at night," said the ex-adviser, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Among Israel's concerns is that Israeli warplanes could come up against Russian-operated anti-aircraft systems or even Russian-flown jets.
Russian Hardware
Netanyahu took along top Israeli generals for his talks with Putin, who is trying to prop up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against an Islamist-led Syrian insurgency in its fifth year.
That top-of-the-line Russian military hardware may now be deployed in Assad's favor has stoked concern that his ally, Hezbollah, could also benefit. That Russians might be at the controls of these systems gives Israeli planners further pause.
Sources close to Netanyahu said he would present Israeli intelligence accounts of past transfers of arms, some of them Russian-supplied, to Hezbollah, and seek reassurances Moscow would maintain control of its latest reinforcements.
"What's important is Putin's commitment not to get mixed up in arming Hezbollah, which should help Israel, if it goes in there, to keep a safe distance from the Russians. It is pretty clear that Putin is not looking for a fight with Israel," Netanyahu's former adviser said.
Putin has pledged to continue military support for Assad, assistance that Russia says is in line with international law. Russia has been focusing forces on the Syrian coast, where it has a major naval base.
The Kremlin has said Putin and Netanyahu would discuss "the relevant issues of bilateral cooperation and international agenda" during their meeting in the president's residence in Novo-Ogaryovo, outside Moscow.
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С Премьер-министром Израиля Биньямином Нетаньяху.
В.Путин: Уважаемый господин Премьер-министр, уважаемые коллеги, добрый день! Знаю, что совсем недавно в Израиле отмечали Новый год, Рош ха-Шана, по израильскому календарю, хочу вас всех поздравить. Завтра, по‑моему, начинается пост, это тоже воспринимается как праздник – Йом-Киппур, и я хочу вам пожелать всего самого доброго и, как говорят в Израиле, хорошей записи в книге жизни.
Добро пожаловать!
Б.Нетаньяху 
Нетаньяху БиньяминПремьер-министр Израиля (как переведено): Я благодарю Вас, господин Президент, за поздравления. Хочу поздравить и Россию с её праздником.
Нетаньяху БиньяминПремьер-министр Израиля (как переведено): Я благодарю Вас, господин Президент, за поздравления. Хочу поздравить и Россию с её праздником.
Я очень ценю возможность встретиться и побеседовать с Вами. У Израиля и России есть общие интересы в обеспечении стабильности на Ближнем Востоке. И я здесь из‑за сложного положения в области безопасности, которое становится всё сложнее и сложнее на наших северных границах, как Вам известно, в последние годы и особенно в последние месяцы. Как Вы знаете, Иран и Сирия вооружают радикальную исламскую террористическую организацию «Хезболла» современным оружием, направленным против наших граждан, и в последние годы уже тысячи ракет были использованы против жителей Израиля. Параллельно с этим Иран при поддержке сирийской армии пытается создать второй террористический фронт против нас на Голанских высотах.
Наша политика – сделать всё, чтобы сорвать переброску оружия «Хезболле», и сделать всё для того, чтобы предотвратить открытие второго фронта террора против нас на Голанских высотах.
В этих условиях я посчитал очень важным для меня приехать сюда для того, чтобы и разъяснить нашу позицию, и сделать всё, чтобы не было никаких недоразумений между нашими силами и вашими силами в регионе.
Хочу добавить ещё одно замечание: и на личном уровне, и на общенациональном уровне во всех контактах, которые были между нами, и тогда, когда мы соглашались друг с другом, и даже тогда, когда мы не во всём соглашались друг с другом, диалог между нами всегда был в атмосфере взаимного уважения и открытости. Уверен, что так будет и на этот раз.
С Премьер-министром Израиля Биньямином Нетаньяху.
В.Путин: Так и будет, уважаемый господин Премьер-министр, даже не сомневайтесь.
Мы никогда не забываем, что в Государстве Израиль проживают очень много выходцев из бывшего Советского Союза. Это накладывает особый отпечаток на наши межгосударственные отношения. Все действия России в регионе всегда были и будут очень ответственными.
Что касается обстрелов, то мы знаем, мы осуждаем эти действия – обстрелы израильской территории. Насколько мне известно, производят их из ракетных систем кустарного производства.
Что касается Сирии, то мы с Вами понимаем: сегодня сирийская армия и Сирия в целом в таком состоянии, что ей не до открытия второго фронта, – ей спасти бы свою собственную государственность. Тем не менее понимаю вполне Ваши озабоченности и очень рад, что Вы приехали для того, чтобы обсудить всё в деталях. Спасибо, что Вы нашли время.
<…>
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President Vladimir Putin of Russia is trying to have it both ways in Syria. He is dangerously building up Russia’s military presence there, while positioning himself as the world’s savior against Islamic extremists and holding high-level military-to-military talks with the United States. President Obama should go one step further and be prepared to meet Mr. Putin later this month when the two are at the United Nations. If there is to be a solution to the Islamic State’s advance and to Syria’s war, both Russia and America will have to be involved.
Mr. Putin is expected to use his speech to the United Nations General Assembly to make the case for an international coalition against the Islamic State, apparently ignoring the one already being led by the United States. But his buildup also serves his effort to save his imperiled client, President Bashar al-Assad, and may also be intended to establish a Russian military outpost in the Middle East.
No one should be fooled about Russia’s culpability in Syria’s agony. Mr. Putin could have helped prevent the fighting that has killed more than 250,000 Syrians and displaced millions more, had he worked with other major powers in 2011 to keep Mr. Assad from waging war on his people following peaceful antigovernment protests. The brutality of Mr. Assad, a member of a Shiite sect, against the majority Sunni population has enabled the Islamic State, made up of Sunnis, to take control of large parts of Syria. Mr. Assad would probably be gone without the weapons, aid and other assistance from Russia and Iran.
Mr. Obama considers Mr. Putin a thug, his advisers say, and Mr. Putin considers Mr. Obama weak. Mr. Obama has had little to do with Mr. Putin since the Russian leader invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea. Some administration officials worry that agreeing to a meeting, which the Kremlin apparently requested, will play into Mr. Putin’s hands. But it would be a mistake for Mr. Obama not to engage, especially on an issue this serious and when tensions are rising. If Mr. Putin does not come to the meeting prepared to be a problem-solver, it will be obvious and Mr. Obama should call him on it.
The truth is, both men are in a bind. America’s fight against ISIS is failing; a stark indicator was the Pentagon’s admission that its $500 million program to train moderate Syrian opposition forces to fight ISIS has only four or five fighters who are actually on the battlefield. Meanwhile, Mr. Putin’s ally, Mr. Assad, is in danger of falling, which would destroy the last threads holding the state together, open the door to a takeover by the Islamic State and jeopardize Russia’s last foothold in the Middle East. Mr. Obama and Mr. Putin should be able to find common cause in battling the Islamic State, which is destabilizing the region and training a generation of foreign fighters, some of whom have already returned home to Europe, Russia and Central Asia.
The Islamic State cannot be confronted effectively unless there is a political settlement in Syria between Mr. Assad’s regime and opposition forces. The main impediment has been Mr. Putin’s insistence that Mr. Assad remain in power. But Russia previously agreed on the need for a transition in Syria and a compromise seems obvious.
Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking in London on Friday, made it clear that America would be looking for “common ground” in Syria, which could mean keeping Mr. Assad in power temporarily during a transition. The Russians should accept that Mr. Assad must go within a specific time frame, say six months. The objective is a transition government that includes elements of the Assad regime and the opposition. Iran should be part of any deal.
America should be aware that Mr. Putin’s motivations are decidedly mixed and that he may not care nearly as much about joining the fight against the Islamic State as propping up his old ally. But with that in mind there is no reason not to test him.
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· ·
What to expect from President Xi's first state visit to the US
Cement and pig consumption reveal China's huge changes
The violence in the Middle East continues to push refugees into European countries like Croatia, where officials say about 27,000 people have entered the country in the last few days
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China's Top Diplomat Stresses Cooperation Before Xi's U.S. Visit
Bloomberg China's top foreign affairs official played down disputes with the U.S. over shipping lanes and cyberhacking, as President Barack Obama prepares to host counterpart Xi Jinping on his first state visit. ... “China's military force is for national ... and more » |
Migrants in Croatia Call for Slovenia to Open Borderby webdesk@voanews.com (Daniel Schearf)
Migrants fleeing war and poverty to northern Europe on Sunday called for Slovenia to open its border from Croatia. VOA's Daniel Schearf reports from Harmica, a town on Croatia's border with Slovenia.
Activist artists in the Czech Republic have hoisted a giant pair of red underpants up the flagpole of Prague Castle, in a protest against the country's President, Milos Zeman.
 Yahoo News |
In first Ukraine trip, NATO chief tries balancing act on Russia
Yahoo News BRUSSELS (Reuters) - With a troubled peace plan for the Ukrainian conflict nearing its deadline, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg will attempt a balancing act to reassure Kiev of the West's support without antagonizing Moscow when he visits Ukraine on Monday. and more » |
Left-Wing Syriza Party Wins Greek Election by julieshapiro2015
(ATHENS, Greece) — A jubilant Alexis Tsipras vowed to continue fighting for his country’s pride and to quickly form a coalition government after his left-wing Syriza party comfortably won Greece’s third national vote this year on Sunday.
The result was a resounding success for Tsipras’ high-risk gamble when he resigned as prime minister last month and triggered an early election, barely seven months into his four-year term, in order to face down an internal Syriza rebellion over his policy U-turn to accept painful austerity measures in return for Greece’s third international bailout.
With 66 percent of the vote counted, Syriza stood at 35.4 percent of the vote and 145 seats in the 300-member parliament, followed by the conservative New Democracy with 28.3 percent and the Nazi-inspired Golden Dawn in third place with 7 percent. Abstention was particularly high, at nearly 45 percent in an election-weary country with a traditionally high voter turnout.
It was the third time this year Greeks have voted, after the January election that brought Tsipras to power on an anti-bailout platform, and a July referendum he called urging Greeks to reject creditor reform proposals, which they resoundingly did — shortly before Tsipras then accepted similar proposals as part of the new bailout.
Six seats shy of an absolute majority, Tsipras said he would form a government with his previous coalition partner, the right-wing Independent Greeks of Panos Kammenos, who joined him on stage to rapturous applause from dancing, cheering Syriza supporters in central Athens. The Independent Greeks were in seventh place with 3.6 percent of the vote and 10 parliamentary seats.
“I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this great victory, a clear victory, a victory of the people,” Tsipras said. “I feel vindicated because the Greek people gave us a clear mandate to continue our struggle, inside and outside the country to lift our country’s pride.”
The 41-year-old vowed to govern for a full four-year term — something few Greek governments have managed, particularly since the country became dependent on international bailouts five years ago. The country has seen six governments and four parliamentary elections since 2009.
“We will place our people’s just cause at the forefront faced with asymmetrical powers and enemies more powerful than us,” Tsipras said. “But we have achieved it: The flags of Greece are flying in the squares of Greece and the European capitals. Greece and the Greek people represent struggle and dignity. And together we will continue that struggle for an entire four years.”
A total of eight parties were set to win parliamentary seats. The new anti-bailout Popular Unity party, formed by rebel Syriza members who objected to Tsipras’ agreement to a third bailout for Greece and the stringent austerity attached to it, was falling short of the 3 percent parliamentary threshold.
“We lost the battle, but not the war,” said Popular Unity head Panagiotis Lafazanis, Tsipras’ former energy minister.
New Democracy head Vangelis Meimarakis conceded defeat shortly after exit polls showed a clear Syriza victory, and called for a government to be formed quickly.
“The election result appears to be forming comprehensively with Syriza and Mr. Tsipras coming first,” Meimarakis said. “I congratulate him and call on him to form the government that is necessary.”
The new government will have little time to waste. Creditors are expected to review progress of reforms as part of the bailout next month, while the government will also have to draft the 2016 state budget, overhaul the pension system, raise a series of taxes, including on farmers, carry out privatizations and merge social security funds.
It must also oversee a critical bank recapitalization program, without which depositors with over 100,000 euros ($113,000) in their accounts will be forced to contribute.
Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the head of the eurozone’s finance ministers’ meetings known as the eurogroup, congratulated Tsipras on his election victory. “Looking forward to swift formation of new government with strong mandate to continue reform process,” he said in a tweet.
Sunday’s result, with Syriza able to form a government with the Independent Greeks and without need to reach out to more euro-friendly centrist parties is one “that Tsipras will likely feel somewhat emboldened by,” said Malcolm Barr of J.P. Morgan. “The choice appears to have been made that when push comes to shove, Syriza will opt to keep Greece in the euro. But we note this result provides a platform upon which Syriza will continue to challenge significant parts of the (bailout) program.”
Tsipras has clearly stated he disagreed with the spending cuts and tax hikes demanded by Greece’s European creditors in return for the new bailout, a three-year package worth 86 billion euros ($97 billion). But he argued that without it, Greece faced bankruptcy and a potentially disastrous exit from Europe’s joint currency.
His party supporters were more forgiving than the hardliners who split from his party.
“He is young. We had been voting for the others for 40 years,” supporter Eva Vasilopoulou. “We are giving (him) a second chance. He is pure, and smart, and I hope that he will govern for many years.”
Others said they appreciated that Tsipras had tried to get a better bailout deal for Greece, and his honesty in saying he didn’t achieve what he wanted in the troubled negotiations with European creditors.
“He told … the truth, that this is how things are: ‘I have fought I did not achieve what I wanted, and I have brought this (deal). If you want, vote for me’,” Syriza supporter Alexis Athanasopoulos said. “And so we voted for him.”
Retiree Antonis Antonios, 75, said he was counting on Tsipras to fight for a better deal for Greeks.
“It’s a great and hopeful result. We are moving forward. I am waiting for the next government to put up a fight,” he said. “They are the only ones capable of a brave struggle.”
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Cubans must "serve others, not be served by others," Pope Francis said Sunday in a mass on Havana's Revolution Square, urging them to reject ideology in the biggest event of his trip to the communist island.
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Pope Francis’ gifts for Fidel Castro are raising some eyebrows.
He brought the retired Cuban leader a collection of sermons by Castro’s former Jesuit teacher, the Rev. Amando Llorente, and two CD recordings of the Spanish priest speaking. Llorente taught at a Jesuit high school where Fidel was a student, but he was forced to leave Cuba soon after Castro took power in 1959 and expelled foreign clerics. He died in Miami in 2010.
Francis biographer Austen Invereigh says he thinks the pope is sending a subtle message to a man whose rule was marked by conflict with the Catholic Church and other groups. During his visit Francis has emphasized reconciliation between Cubans living on the island and overseas.
Invereigh says he “can’t help but think that it’s Pope Francis inviting Fidel Castro to come to terms with his past.”
Pope Francis greeted massive crowds of fans and Catholic faithful Sunday as he arrived in his popemobile to give mass on Havana's iconic Revolution Square, the highlight of his trip to Cuba.
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Amid the celebrations and public speeches, the meeting Sunday between Pope Francis and Cuban President Raúl Castro seemed staid by comparison.
The two leaders met at the Palace of the Revolution, the seat of government in Havana, shortly after 4 p.m., each flanked by deputies and other dignitaries.
Standing in front of a dramatic stained glass portrait of the sun—the same backdrop used during Pope Benedict’s 2012 visit—Francis called forth the members of his delegation, which included Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, Cardinal Jaime Ortega y Alamino of Havana and former Cuban papal nuncio Giovanni Angelo Becciu.
Castro then introduced his smaller delegation, which included Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who is widely expected to replace him in 2018, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, who worked on the recent reconciliation with the United States, and Esteban Lazo, president of the Cuban parliament.
After the introductions, the pope and the president left for a one-on-one meeting, while the members of the delegation went into a nearby hall for a separate discussion.
The Iran deal proved that relying exclusively on America is damaging and shortsighted.
ANALYSIS/OPINION:
Putting aside the debate over whether the Iran nuclear deal means nuclear weapons in the near future, let's for a moment discuss the irrefutable risk this deal imposes right now: It funds further Iranian aggression in the Middle East.
If the deal is approved, sanctions on Iran will be ...
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Russian Opposition Rallies for Power Changeby webdesk@voanews.com (Michael Eckels)
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