Fly, don't walk, EU will urge Balkan migrants - Reuters
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 Reuters |
Fly, don't walk, EU will urge Balkan migrants
Reuters BRUSSELS The European Union plans to persuade refugees to wait in Greece for paid flights to other countries offering asylum rather than risk dangerous winter treks through the Balkans, EU officials said on Monday. Pledging to act fast on agreements by ... EU Plan to Control Migrant Flow Faces ChallengesWall Street Journal Migrant crisis: Leaders agree to 17-point plan on European routeCNN The Latest: Merkel Confident Germany Can Integrate RefugeesNew York Times Bloomberg- EUobserver all 1,262 news articles » |
Prince Abdel Mohsen Bin Walid Bin Abdulaziz was held with four other men in what was described as the biggest ever drugs bust
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GENEVA (Reuters) - At least 120,000 people have been displaced since early October in the Syrian governorates of Aleppo, Hama and Idlib, the United Nations said on Monday, more than doubling an earlier estimate of 50,000.
The Kremlin says President Vladimir Putin has discussed the resolution of the Syrian crisis with the Saudi king.
The Syrian National Coalition, the main Western-backed opposition group, says indiscriminate Russian aerial attacks are now the leading killer of civilians.
Forbes |
Cyber Attacks: 5 Ways Small Businesses Can Protect Themselves
Forbes This Sept. 10, 2014, file photo, shows the entrance to the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center, in Linthicum, Md. A $10 billion-a-year effort to protect sensitive government data, frommilitary secrets to Social Security numbers, is struggling to ... More than 30 Malaysians fall prey to cyber crime dailyThe Star Online Country's largest cyber security organisations collaborate to design cyber ...SC Magazine UK all 15 news articles » |
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[SEE: The Real Buzz About the USS Donald Cook Incident In the Black Sea] Syria, Putin is flexing its muscles and obscures the NATO radar. Pentagon panic!!! BLASTING NEWS The Russian military intervention in Syria as becomes manifestation of power that overturns the strategic balance in the world. Vladimir Putin and Bashar al-Assad in Syria […]
FBI vastly understates police deaths in chases
USA TODAY The undercount is one of the most extreme examples of the federal government's inability to accurately track violent deaths, and has led the FBI to minimize the danger of police chasing motorists, often at high speeds and in dangerous conditions, at a ... |
Washington Post |
FBI director tells police chiefs they can learn from Black Lives Matter hashtag
Washington Post CHICAGO — Speaking to a ballroom of thousands of police chiefs and top law enforcement officials, FBI Director James B. Comey said Monday that the national debate over whether the phrase “Black Lives Matter” is anti-cop is further deteriorating the ... FBI director: 'YouTube effect' devastates policing, morale, recruitment89.3 KPCC FBI Director Blames Citizens with Cameras for Increase in HomicidesPINAC News Editorial: Track police-related shootings across the nationChicago Sun-Times all 122 news articles » |
89.3 KPCC |
FBI director: 'YouTube effect' devastates policing, morale, recruitment
89.3 KPCC Last week, FBI director James B. Comey voiced his concerns for what he called the “YouTube effect” on modern policing -- the taping of police activities by civilians and the dissemination of these videos over the Internet. Many police officers echo ... |
CNN |
FBI director concerned about social media's effect on crime
CNN A year after unrest in Ferguson, Mo., brought increased scrutiny of police, FBI Director James Comey has thrown his weight behind the idea that restraint by cops in the wake of criticism is at least partly to blame for a surge in violent crime in some ... |
Business Insider |
The FBI recommends that you pay up if hackers infect your computer with ransomware
Business Insider If a hacker hijacks your computer with malware and holds your data for ransom, it's probably best to just pay up, at least that's the latest advice the FBI is giving out concerning ransomware. Reported last week by Security Ledger, Joseph Bonavolonta ... FBI: Malware Victims Should Pay Bitcoin RansomsCoinDesk all 3 news articles » |
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A helicopter crash in January that killed two Marines from Camp Pendleton was caused by improper maintenance that led the transmission to seize up and the main rotor to stop, according to a Marine Corps investigation.
The wider South Caucasus region is conspicuously located between the battlefields of Syria and the Caspian Sea. Therefore, Russia’s use of cruise missiles, launched (on October 7) by ships belonging to its Caspian Flotilla, to hit targets in Syria had inadvertently put the region briefly under the media spotlight. Early reports suggested that the flight path of at least some of these missiles may have violated Azerbaijani airspace. But this information was subsequently proven to be false when the Russian Ministry of Defense demonstrated that the 26 fired Kalibr-class cruise missiles crossed Iranian and Iraqi airspace en route to Syria (TASS, October 7); meaning, pre-strike approval was not needed from Baku.
To date, there has been no significant response from the leaders of the Caspian countries regarding Russia’s cruise missile launch or its wider military campaign in Syria. As for the South Caucasus countries, the only related public statement came from Armenia, which claimed that, on October 6–7, in connection with Russia’s Syrian operation, Turkish military helicopters violated the state border of Armenia (Regnum, October 10). Yerevan alleges this represented Ankara’s indirect response to Russia’s violation of Turkish airspace several times since Russian airstrikes started (see EDM, October 9).
Russia clearly used the Caspian Flotilla cruise missile launch as a means of sending the West a message, but this action was likely intended to be a signal to the South Caucasus countries as well. First, Moscow wanted to openly demonstrate Russian defense capabilities. President Vladimir Putin, for example, noted that “weapons launched from the Caspian Sea’s waters, around 1,500 kilometers away, and [the fact that] all of the planned targets were destroyed is evidence of our defense industry’s good preparation” (Kremlin.ru, October 7). Thus, together, the show of force and Putin’s remarks played up the market value of Russian military equipment, which is regularly purchased by Caspian-region countries. As Azerbaijani military expert Reshad Karimov has pointed out, the Su-34 strike fighter as well as the rockets, bombs and Kalibr-class cruise missiles used by Russia in its Syrian operations are all on sale and ready for export (Facebook.com/reshad.karimov, October 8)
Second, since the start of Russia’s aerial campaign over Syria, the Russian media has repeatedly suggested that jihadists fighting in the conflict could pose a growing threat of religious extremism to nearby states such as Azerbaijan (Azeridaily.com, October 18). Such rhetoric is seen as a pretext for Russia to reinvigorate the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Anti-Terrorism Center (ATC) as a means of uniting the intelligence and information-gathering services of all CIS member states—but notably under Moscow’s guidance. Upon joining the CIS ATC, Azerbaijan signed a document, in 2000, agreeing to participate in all the Center’s activities; but these had to be information/analysis-based and strictly advisory in nature. Specifically, the agreement establishing the ATC excludes any information gathering or other activities by the Center on Azerbaijani territory. However, Russia apparently now wants to remove this limitation, and the Syrian operation provides Moscow with such an opportunity. Indeed, at the October 16 CIS summit, Putin elucidated this very link between the spread of religious extremism connected to the Syrian civil war and the need for joint intelligence gathering in the former Soviet space (Kremlin.ru, October 16). Immediately after this meeting, the Azerbaijani government sacked its security minister, Eldar Mahmudov—whose powerful ministry is, in part, tasked with fighting religious extremism (Azadliq.info, October 17). At least in part, Mahmudov’s dismissal may imply Baku’s growing concern that the ministry is failing to fulfil its duty, as the initial investigation indicates that numerous officials were involved in corruption deals (Milli.az, October 24). The ministry will have to be strengthened and reformed, though it is still uncertain whether or not this will play to Russian interests with regard to Moscow’s deep intelligence proposals, as voiced at the CIS summit.
But what impact will Russia’s Syrian airstrikes ultimately have on jihadist activities in the Caucasus, and what are the wider security implications for the South Caucasus countries?
For now, it may be far too early to even consider the defeat of the Islamic State (IS). Nonetheless, as Kamal Gasimov, an expert at the Baku-based Center for Strategic Studies argues, it is important to remember that if this militant group is weakening, most of its mujahedeen will travel to other locations where the jihadist movement remains alive (Author’s interview, October 16). At the same time, for transnational jihadists, the South Caucasus is a hub and a transit corridor, providing access to and from the North Caucasus as well as a route for jihadists through Turkey. Since Islamist militant groups fighting in the Syrian civil war are constantly looking to recruit more jihadists from the region, they are unlikely to begin fighting in this transit corridor, at least in the near future. Moreover, both al-Qaeda and Islamic State affiliates are currently engaged in major fighting in Syria and Iraq, so their resources are needed there rather than to be diverted to the Caucasus region. Taken together, this reduces the short-term security threats to Azerbaijan and Georgia—after all, a sudden wave of terrorist attacks in these countries could lead to a tightening of border controls as well as increased focus by security forces on local jihadist cells.
In summary, for now the only visible negative implication of Moscow’s Syria intervention for the South Caucasus countries has been commercial. Specifically, some international airlines are altering their flight routes over the Caspian Sea after Russian missiles launches from the sea created an unpredictable security situation in these air corridors (EurasiaNet, October 16). This could be a short-term security concern for international business circles, but it could just as easily become a long-term issue. The driving factors will ultimately depend on the scale and duration of Russia’s military involvement in Syria as well as on whether Moscow again flexes its Caspian Sea–based military capabilities.
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October 26, 2015, 11:17 PM (IDT)
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Arabia's King Salman discussed on Monday ways to resolve the crisis in Syria, the Kremlin said in a statement. Both leaders, speaking by phone, also expressed concern about Israeli-Palestinian violence. DEBKAfile: The Russian leader tried to talk Salman round to accepting his proposal for resolving the Syrian crisis. Earlier, Russia announced that the US-backed rebel Free Syrian Army had sent a delegation to Moscow, a hint that some of the rebel groups were willing to back Putin’s plan for ending the Syrian war.
Western Journalism |
Pentagon Officials: Russia Could Be Plotting Attack That Would Cripple US In ...
Western Journalism Apparently Russian President Vladimir Putin's increasingly aggressive military moves are coming not just in the air and on the land, but under the sea near vital communication lines. The New York Times reported on Sunday that U.S. Navy officials are ... Russian Ships Near Data Cables Are Too Close for US ComfortNew York Times Russia plotting to destroy the world's internet, top officials warnDaily Star Russia May Be Planning To Cut Internet Cables Under Sea, US Intelligence Shows...International Business Times The Verge-BBC News- NBCNews.com all 136 news articles » |
A spokesman for Western-backed rebels in Syria says they will reject any offers of military assistance from Russia while it continues to bomb them.
 Yahoo News |
Russia says record 94 Syria targets hit in 24 hours
Yahoo News Moscow (AFP) - Russian jets struck 94 targets in war-torn Syria over the past 24 hours, the highest one-day tally since the Kremlin began its month-old bombing campaign, the Russiandefence ministry said Monday. Ministry: Russia's aerospace forces have hit no civil targets in SyriaRussia Beyond the Headlines Russia says air force hit record 94 targets in Syria in 24 hoursRappler Lies About Russia-Caused Civilian Deaths in Syria Stem From USSputnik International Al-Arabiya -The Fiscal Times all 35 news articles » |
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Washington Post |
As Russia scopes undersea cables, a shadow of the United States' Cold War past
Washington Post On Sunday, the New York Times reported that Russian submarines and spy ships are operating near vital undersea fiber-optic cables that transmit the majority of the planet's communication and economic data. The fear, the report stipulates, is that ... Pentagon Officials: Russia Could Be Plotting Attack That Would Cripple US In ...Western Journalism Russia plotting to destroy the world's internet, top officials warnDaily Star Russia May Be Planning To Cut Internet Cables Under Sea, US Intelligence Shows...International Business Times The Verge-NBCNews.com-BBC News all 140 news articles » |
Business Insider |
Russia reportedly just sent its version of Delta Force to Syria
Business Insider Russia has confirmed sending special forces troops to Syria over the past few weeks to support its mission backing the government of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. “The special forces were pulled ... Syrian rebels to Russia: Stop bombing usReuters Opinion: Russia's Desert Storm Moment in SyriaUSNI News Harsh conditions are foiling Russian jets in SyriaUSA TODAY BBC News-Jerusalem Post Israel News all 2,349 news articles » |
Russia's defense spending is set to increase by a modest 0.8 percent next year, falling far short of the estimated 10 percent increases required to hit equipment modernization targets mandated by President Putin.
Staunton, October 25 – Igor Bitkov, a Russian businessman the Kremlin stripped of his company, drove into exile and continues to persecute even though he is imprisoned in Guatemala, says that Vladimir Putin’s destruction of entrepreneurs and genuine entrepreneurial culture hurts Russia even more than Stalin’s destruction of peasant in the 1930s did.
Bitkov, who has thus experienced on his own skin and that of his wife and children the situation whereof he speaks, says that “at present, the class of entrepreneurs in Russia has been almost completely destroyed” –that is, the class of genuine entrepreneurs and not those who call themselves that but who feed off the state.
This has happened, he argues, “because Putin understands that it is precisely such people who are the real threat to his dictatorship. Having resources, influence and the support of the population, they could effectively struggle with the archaic, semi-feudal Putin regime which has blocked the development of the country and is pushing it on the path to degradation.”
Another analyst has suggested that “entrepreneurs in Putin’s Russia have been subjected to repressions in a greater degree than peasants in Stalin’s USSR,” Bitkov says. However that may be, he says, it is certainly the case that “the elimination of entrepreneurs will have worse consequences for Russia than the elimination of the peasants.”
That was easy to hide as long as prices for oil were high, but now that they are not and are unlikely to be again anytime soon, Bitkov argues, the lack of real entrepreneurs in Russia is being felt and will continue to be felt ever more directly and seriously as Russia’s GDP continues in free fall.
Some foolish “optimists” are now saying that as a result of the ruble’s devaluation, labor costs in Russia are now lower than in China and that this will lead to a growth in industrial production. “Unfortunately,” Bitkov says, “this is not so.” Instead, low pay will lead even more professionals and scholars to leave and more bankruptcies among those who remain.
To be sure, exporters may make more money, “but in Russia, the lion’s share of exports are from companies controlled by oligarchs who are not inclined to reinvest their profits in the development of the economy of Russia.” Instead, they will in the future as they have so far under Putin send their money to safe havens abroad.
Were they entrepreneurs, they would behave differently, Bitkov says. “In the entire world with the exception of North Korea, it is precisely the entrepreneurs who secure the development of countries. They assume risks, carry out projects, and create jobs. They are respected and valued by society and the authorities” – everywhere except in Russia.
In Putin’s Russia, government propaganda promotes a different image of entrepreneurship, portraying those engaged in it as thieving, lazy and unprincipled “enemies” of society.” And on the basis of that image, the Putin regime hounds and ultimately destroys anyone who is a real entrepreneur.
“Sooner or later, the dictatorship will collapse under the weight of the economic problems it has created,” Bitkov says. But even when that happens, it will take a very long time for society to “believe again that entrepreneurship is not a parasite on budget flows” and that instead, it is a quality needed to promote the development of the country.
Except for the most vulgar Marxists, whose ideas seem to inform Putin and those around him, no one believes or should believe that “theft and entrepreneurialism” are “one and the same thing.”
In another essay, Bitkov suggests that this problem is part and parcel of a more general “Putin problem.” He writes that he “does not know a single Russian problem which could be resolved under Putin,” even though the list of problems which the Kremlin leader has created is “quite long.”
“Any dictatorship creates problems but does not solve them. [Such regimes] arise by offering people simple and quick recipes for the resolution of this or that problem. But as a result, they not only do not solve them but rather give birth to new and significantly more problems. Vladimir Putin is clearly part of this category of rulers.”
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Airlines Step Up Efforts to Tackle Cybersecurity Risksby webdesk@voanews.com (Reuters)
The aviation industry is stepping up efforts to enlist coordinated international support in the battle against the threats posed to airlines and passengers by hackers and those seeking to exploit IT systems The security of commercial airlines and whether the systems crucial to fly planes are vulnerable to cyber attacks hit the headlines in April after a security researcher claimed that he had been able to hack into flight controls via his underseat entertainment unit. Along with Wi-Fi and electronics on board, airlines, airports and air traffic management companies are sharing more information than ever before to make flying more efficient and deal with increasing numbers of passengers. But that provides more interfaces that can be exploited by attackers, aviation industry representatives said at the AVSEC World aviation security conference in Dublin on Monday. Those seeking to do mischief also know that attacking an airline will guarantee maximum impact, they said. As part of initiatives to shore up the industry's defenses, a team has been put together by leading aviation industry associations to work on a declaration on cybersecurity to put to members of the United Nations' aviation safety arm next year. One of the issues being looked at, for example, is the security of the ADS-B system on aircraft, which sends information on a plane's position. The data is unencrypted, which could make it susceptible to outside interference. "Protecting our industry from cyber threats is hard, probably one of the hardest things we are facing because we do not know what we are facing or for what we have to prepare," said Jeff Poole, director general of the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (CANSO), highlighting the swiftness with which the threat is changing. United Nations Poole is part of the team coming up with recommendations that will be presented to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) next September, when the U.N. body holds its regular triennial meeting. It will then be up to ICAO member states whether to sign the declaration or not, though this would not impose any mandatory standards. Jim Marriott, the ICAO's deputy director aviation security and facilitation, said that signing a declaration would be a statement from member states that they are taking the issue seriously. States are also free to take action at a national level before then, he said. "We can only go so far ourselves as an industry. States have an important role to play," Poole said. Aircraft manufacturers can also do their bit, said Tony Tyler, director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), particularly as they often have experience in the military sector. Boeing's director for aviation security, James Vasatka, told the conference that his company hires hackers to test the systems and software it puts on its planes. "They (the hackers) are absolutely stunned at the quality we put in our software and products. It would be very difficult in today's environment to disrupt that for the flight-critical systems," he said.
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 Первый канал |
В вечерний час пик на проезжую часть в Омске рухнул башенный кран
Первый канал Целая семья - вся, кроме пятилетней девочки - погибла сегодня в Омске. На их машину рухнул башенный кран, придавив ещё и микроавтобус, водитель которого скончался потом в больнице. В вечерний час пик на проезжую часть в Омске рухнул башенный кран. Целая семья - вся, кроме ... Кран раздавил машины с людьмиКоммерсантъ Водителей накрыло краномГазета.Ru Башенный кран упал на проезжую часть в Омске и смял машины. Кадры с места ЧПРИА Новости ТВ Центр - Официальный сайт телеканала-NEWSru.com-НТВ.ru -Следственный комитет Все похожие статьи: 291 » |
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Bolshoi Theater Names La Scala's Vaziev as Ballet Directorby webdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press)
The Bolshoi Theater announced Monday that Makhar Vaziev, the Russian ballet director at Italy's La Scala, will join the renowned Moscow theater early next year. Vaziev will replace Sergei Filin, who lost much of his sight as the result of an acid attack organized by a disgruntled dancer in January 2012. The attack shocked the international ballet world and exposed infighting within the theater. In presenting Vaziev, Bolshoi general director Vladimir Urin said he would officially take up his new post on March 18 when Filin's contract ends. "Vaziev will come as soon as the opportunity arises to discuss plans for the next season and decide organizational and artistic questions. I hope everything will go well," Urin said. Filin's future was unclear. Urin said he hoped he would stay with the Bolshoi, but did not say what Filin's new role might be. After the Bolshoi announced in July that his contract would not be renewed, Filin told the news agency Tass that he had "no grounds for hard feelings." He did not say what his next step would be, only that he "needed to go further to fulfill his professional goals and do something new." Vaziev was director of the Kirov Ballet of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg from 1995 to 2008, before moving to La Scala in early 2009. His tenure at the Mariinsky Theater "marked the advent of outstanding performers and new choreographers," said Urin. Originally from Alagir, a small town in North Ossetia in the Caucasus Mountains of southern Russia, Vaziev was accepted in 1973 at age 12 to the Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg, then Leningrad. After graduation, he stayed on at the Mariinsky, becoming a principle dancer. Vaziev on Monday expressed gratitude for everything the Mariinsky Theater had done for him.
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New York Times |
Ruins of Village Show Russia's Role in Syrian Refugee Crisis
New York Times BEIRUT, Lebanon — A tenuous truce in the Syrian countryside north of the city of Homs was shattered this month, when Russian warplanes started to attack the village of Ter Ma'aleh, killing at least a dozen people and sending most of the residents into ... Lies About Russia-Caused Civilian Deaths in Syria Stem From USSputnik International Tens of thousands flee Russian airstrikes in SyriaTrend News Agency Syrian opposition says Russian airstrikes are now leading killer of civiliansCTV News all 33 news articles » |
Russian investigators said Monday that they will exhume the remains of Russian Tsar Alexander III to confirm the identity of two of his grandchildren, who were executed by the Bolsheviks in 1918.
Russia to Exhume Tsar Alexander III to Try to Solve Riddle of Last Tsar's Children by webdesk@voanews.com (Reuters)
Russian investigators say they plan to exhume the remains of Tsar Alexander III at the request of the Orthodox Church, the latest twist in a macabre effort to authenticate the remains of his son, the murdered last tsar, and his slain children. The investigation will try to ascertain whether remains believed to be those of Alexei and Maria, two of Tsar Nicholas II's five children, are genuine and can be laid to rest in St. Petersburg. They were discovered in 2007, some distance from the other five members of the imperial family discovered earlier. The church is also keen for further proof that the remains of Nicholas himself, whose family dynasty ruled Russia for 300 years, are bona fide. All seven, including Nicholas's wife Alexandra, were murdered by the Bolsheviks in 1918 along with their servants in the city of Yekaterinburg in the Urals. Their bodies were first thrown into a mineshaft and then burned and doused in acid before being buried elsewhere after the Bolsheviks thought locals had seen them dispose of the corpses. Russian investigators who have conducted DNA tests say they are satisfied the remains of the two children are genuine. But the Orthodox Church, which has grown increasingly powerful under President Vladimir Putin, has demanded more proof. "The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation together with representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church plans to exhume the remains of Emperor Alexander III, who was buried in 1894 in the Peter and Paul Cathedral," the investigators said in a letter to the museum complex. Objections The letter, dated Oct. 19., said investigators were acting after Patriarch Kirill, the head of church, asked Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to ensure extra testing was done to identify Nicholas's own remains. A spokeswoman for the museum confirmed to Reuters it had received such a letter. The Russian government had earlier floated the idea of burying the remains of Alexei and Maria in St. Petersburg this year alongside those of their three sisters and their mother and father. That plan was put on ice after the church objected. Vladimir Solovyov, the lead investigator on the case, told the Interfax news agency on Monday that the exhumation would not take place before mid-November at the earliest. A spokesman for the patriarch declined to comment, saying he was not authorized to do so. In September, investigators said they exhumed the remains of Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra as part of the same probe. The wife of Tsar Alexander III's late grandson Tikhon, Olga Kulikovskaya-Romanova, said she was categorically opposed to the idea of exhuming the remains of Nicholas's father. "The emperor ... must lie in the place where the lord laid him to rest," she said in a statement.
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In Eastern Turkey, a Kurdish Village Riven With Tensionby webdesk@voanews.com (Henry Ridgwell)
In Turkey’s remote Kurdish communities, the hope for peace is once again being displaced by fear of conflict. Henry Ridgwell reports from the remote Kurdish region of Erzurum, eastern Turkey.
Ex-Russian Officials: Stagnation, Declining Living Standards Loom For Russians by support@pangea-cms.com (Mike Eckel)
Russia's economy will stagnate in coming years due to sanctions, low oil prices, and deeper systemic problems, former Russian officials say, but it's unclear whether this torpor will strengthen political opposition to President Vladimir Putin.
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Today's Headlines and Commentaryby Elina Saxena, Quinta Jurecic
As the fight against the Islamic State grinds on, Defense One introduces us to the military’s new anti-ISIS top commander, Army Lt. Gen. Sean MacFarland. Maj. Gen. Darsie Rogers will also be stepping in as the region’s new special operations commander. Alongside the imminent replacement of current anti-ISIS czar Marine Gen. John Allen by Ambassador Brett McGurk, these new appointments indicate somewhat of a reshuffle among the administration’s top anti-ISIS team.
The Washington Post shares footage of the joint U.S.-Kurdish raid in Iraq that left one U.S. commando dead. Taken from a helmet camera, the footage reflects the “professionalism of the joint force as they move methodically through the compound, searching hostages and moving them, most likely, to the waiting helicopters for extraction.” Another video shows the Islamic State compound being destroyed by U.S. coalition forces following the operation responsible for freeing over 70 hostages who had been scheduled for imminent execution.
The raid has prompted questions about whether or not American forces are indeed engaged in combat operations in Iraq. Despite earlier Pentagon comments as to the raid’s “unique circumstances,” Defense Secretary Ashton Carter stated bluntly that “there will be more raids.”Carter’s statement may herald the start of a “new and more muscular” role for the United States in Iraq and Syria, the Wall Street Journal writes.
Of course, the raid hasn’t changed the fact that U.S. forces are officially engaged only in a “train, advise, and assist” role in Iraq and Syria, rather than a combat role. The Hill examines the language used by various officials to discuss the raid: was it “unique,” part of “overarching counterterrorism efforts throughout the region,” or just part of the “train, advise, and assist” mission? Earlier on Lawfare, Bobby questioned just how much assisting U.S. forces are permitted to undertake.
The New York Times writes that the surge in violence resulting from Russia’s participation in the Syrian conflict has displaced tens of thousands of Syrians, significantly worsening Syria’s already dire humanitarian crisis. Russian air support has enabled the Syrian government to begin new offensives in areas that had previously been relatively free from fighting, particularly near the cities of Hama, Homs, and Aleppo.
On the other hand, USA Today tells us that harsh conditions over Syria have led “nearly one-third of Russian attack planes and half of its transport aircraft” to be grounded at any given time. Dust from the desert environment is causing technical problems for Russian aircraft, which has led the number of Russian airstrikes to fall somewhat.
Though the Kremlin has announced that it would be open to supporting the U.S.-backed Free Syrian Army, the FSA would rather not have Russian help. According to some FSA members, Russia has reached out directly to the FSA to offer backing. But an FSA spokesman told the BBC that the rebel group rejected Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s offer of assistance, on the grounds that Moscow’s support for the regime of Bashar al Assad has rendered its help untrustworthy.
And instead of peeling moderates off, Russia's bombing campaign is rally groups together. The Long War Journal writes that three Syrian jihadist groups have collaborated to form an explicitly anti-Russian coalition near Damascus. The three groups, the al Nusra Front, Ahrar al Sham, and Ajnad al Sham, have pledged to defeat both Russia and the Syrian regime.
Russian lawmakers who met with Assad during his recent visit to Moscow indicated that Assad would be willing to discuss constitutional reforms and hold presidential and parliamentary elections with “reasonable, patriotic opposition forces”--but only “after the victory over terrorism.” The AP has thestory.
Following a meeting between John Kerry and King Salman this weekend, the Telegraph reports thatthe United States and Saudi Arabia have “pledged to continue and intensify support” for moderate opposition forces in the face of Russian airstrikes and the Syrian regime’s ongoing offensive. This public commitment represents an acknowledgement of the drastically increased number of anti-tank missiles currently in use by rebel forces, the missiles having been funneled to rebel forces by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia following the beginning of the Russian air campaign.
Over at the Times, President Jimmy Carter urges states involved in the Syrian conflict to push for a political solution and calls for five-way negotiations between the United States, Turkey, Russia, Iran, and the Syrian regime. “The involvement of Russia and Iran is essential,” he writes: Assad “will not end the war by accepting concessions imposed by the West, but is likely to do so if urged by his allies.”
In Turkey, a firefight between ISIS militants and Turkish police left seven militants and two policemen dead. The firefight followed Turkish raids of over a dozen houses in south eastern Turkey. Reutersreports that twelve other militants were captured alive.
As the Yemeni government and Houthi rebel forces look to engage in peace talks for the second time since the conflict began, Peter Salisbury of the Post explores "how Yemen's United Nations mediation could avoid failing again." Urging U.N. mediators to address the grievances of the Yemeni population at large, he concludes that “if whoever is handed power in a post-conflict settlement cannot display clear political will to govern on behalf of all Yemenis by acknowledging and addressing local grievances and improving living standards, the country is likely to collapse once again into a morass of inter-regional battles.”
The Yemeni government has gained ground in the southwest city of Taiz following days of fighting with Houthi forces. In the nearby Yemeni port city of Aden, the AP writes that some 30 Islamic militants stormed a supermarket. The militants claimed to be protesting the mingling of genders within the supermarket and left the market after holding those within it hostage for over an hour.
A suicide bomber killed three people and wounded several others in an attack on a Saudi mosque, according to Saudi state television. Reuters reports that no group has yet to claim responsibility, though ISIS has been behind the last several suicide attacks in Saudi Arabia. The mosque’s religious affiliation is not yet known.
Secretary of State John Kerry made his way to Israel on Saturday in an effort to end the growing violence between Israelis and Palestinians. Following discussions with Jordanian, Palestinian, and Israeli officials, Kerry announced joint Israeli and Jordanian measures to calm tensions, particularly a proposal to install 24-hour cameras in the Temple Mount in order to show that Israel has no plans of changing the status quo in the holy area, which has been at the heart of recent violence. The Timeshas the story.
Despite the agreement, the Journal reports that violent attacks have continued, with multiple Palestinians stabbing Israelis over the weekend. Meanwhile, Reuters tells us that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering revoking travel and other rights for Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem, though the political feasibility of the proposal remains unclear.
A 7.5-magnitude earthquake along the Hindu Kush has left at least 215 dead in Afghanistan and Pakistan, with tremors felt as far away as New Delhi. While officials have reported “high material and human losses,” the collapse of electricity and telecommunications infrastructure has prevented officials from getting further details about the destruction in remote areas. The majority of the deaths appear to be in northern Pakistan, the Times writes, and the death toll across the region is likely to rise significantly. Both Pakistan and Afghanistan have declared emergencies in response to the quake.
In a somewhat unlikely turn of events, both the Taliban and the Afghan government are now reaching out to Russia for military aid. Following the gradual drawdown of U.S. troops, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is looking to Russia as a possible source of military assistance--although theJournal writes that Russia is unwilling to commit to sending troops into the country. Meanwhile, theDaily Beast reports on Taliban efforts to cozy up to the Kremlin and gain support for its battle against ISIS. The takeaway: Russia may be “playing a double game” just in case the Taliban regain control of Afghanistan.
But the Afghan government isn’t limiting its calls for assistance to the Kremlin. The AP tells us thatAfghanistan’s national security adviser has requested increased U.S. and NATO help in driving out ISIS and a resurgent Taliban, warning that Afghanistan faces a “symbiotic network” of terrorism.
A new report from Doctors Without Borders indicates that the death toll from the U.S. bombing of their hospital in Kunduz has risen to 30. The NATO report on the incident has been delayed, allegedly “held up by difficulties in identifying the remains of bodies in the hospital.”
A suicide attack targeting a Shiite procession in southern Pakistan killed at least 22. While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, the Times notes that the Taliban may be responsible given its history of attacking Pakistani Shiites. In Bangladesh, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for three bombs that went off during a Shiite procession on Saturday, killing one and wounding dozens of others; however, Dhaka has disputed those claims.
In Nigeria, AFP reports that 60 suspects were arrested by Nigerian Department of State Services “over an alleged Boko Haram plot to attack the country's financial hub, Lagos.” 15 suspects were released after preliminary investigations.
At an emergency summit held in Brussels, leaders of “11 EU states and three non-EU countries met to discuss how to handle growing numbers of migrants” and refugees. Agreeing on a series of measures to handle the refugee crisis, the leaders agreed to bolster Slovenian police forces to help manage the influx, to increase communications between countries about migrant numbers, and to discourage the movement of migrants across borders without "informing neighboring countries." TheJournal reports that the leaders also agreed on measures aimed at slowing the influx of displaced persons and formed a plan to open thousands of extra refugee reception areas.
Poland’s nationalist, “euroskeptic” Law and Justice Party (PiS) has triumphed resoundingly in the Polish parliamentary elections, the Journal reports. After riding to victory on its opposition to German plans to resettle refugees across Europe, the party’s agnosticism toward the E.U. may spell trouble for the already strained internal politics of the Union. PiS is also a strong advocate of an aggressive NATO posture toward Russia, Reuters writes.
The Times reports that “Russian submarines and spy ships are aggressively operating near the vital undersea cables that carry almost all global Internet communications,” with a noticeable increase in Russian underseas operation over the past year. Some U.S. military and intelligence officials are concerned about the possibility of the “ultimate hack”: a potential Russian operation to sever fiber-optic cables in order to “halt the instant communications on which the West’s governments, economies and citizens have grown dependent.”
Politico writes that, having emerged victorious from debate over the nuclear deal with Iran, Secretary Kerry and Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz are working to persuade the Senate to revive and reconsider the nuclear test ban treaty formerly rejected in 1999. Though ratification might ultimately aid in reining in “nuclear outlaws,” any effort to push the treaty forward faces a steep uphill climb given the current mood in the Senate.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo will begin his state visit to the U.S. with a meeting with President Obama this afternoon, the Times reports. President Widodo has indicated that he will decide whether or not Indonesia will join the Trans-Pacific Partnership following the meeting. Indonesia’s participation would bring the largest economy in Southeast Asia within the agreement, a significant milestone for the White House.
This week, India will be hosting a major summit with African nations in an effort to provide an alternative to growing Chinese dominance over the continent. The summit represents a campaign to project Indian soft power in Africa as opposed to what many see as a relentless Chinese focus on economic expansion, Reuters writes.
Meanwhile, the Journal takes a look at the new economic plan set to be approved by the Chinese Communist Party this week, which will likely aim to further decrease state involvement in the economy. The results of the Central Committee meeting will be a test of President Xi Jinping’s political clout, as Xi seeks to push his anticorruption and reform agenda.
The leaders of China, Japan, and South Korea will soon gather for a trilateral summit in Seoul… or will they? The Journal examines the atmosphere of confusion surrounding an upcoming meeting between the three countries: while “all three nations agree that some events will take place,” they can’t seem to publicly agree on “exactly between whom and about what.” The “conflicting messages” over the talks, which would represent the first trilateral talks between the nations since 2012, suggest the persistent tensions that still strain relations among the three.
Why do government officials keep using their personal emails for official business? So asks Defense One, reporting on the recent hack of CIA Director John Brennan’s AOL email in context of Hillary Clinton’s own private email server. Despite an abundance of reports on the cyber insecurity of private emails, government cybersecurity is far from where it should be--so perhaps it isn’t out of the question to imagine that a private account might offer equal, or even better, protection.
The Senate’s final vote on the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, the Hill tells us. Senators will consider a variety of amendments along with the bill itself, two of which aim to address privacy advocates’ concerns by limiting sharing of personal data and tightening the bill’s definition of “cybersecurity threat” and “cyber threat indicator.” Politico’s Morning Cybersecurity brief has more on the smorgasbord of amendments.
Following the European Court of Justice decision striking down Safe Harbor data transfer framework,the E.U.’s top data protection authority has stated that companies operating in Europe must act within three months to limit transfers of E.U. citizens’ personal data to the United States. During this grace period before enforcement begins, companies are likely to scramble to build local data centers within Europe while also perhaps securing “alternative legal measures such as consent forms,” Reuters writes.
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by Wikimedia challenging the legality and constitutionality of NSA “upstream” collection, Reuters reports. Judge T.S. Ellis III held that, under the Supreme Court’s ruling in Clapper v. Amnesty International, the plaintiffs’ reliance on suspicion rather than factual evidence of surveillance wa insufficient as a basis for standing. The ruling is available here.
The D.C. Circuit Court held on Friday that a U.S. citizen mistreated by FBI agents while detained abroad cannot file suit against those agents. The Hill takes a look at the ruling, which held that federal agents are protected from Amir Meshal’s Bivens suit both because the mistreatment occurred overseas and during a terrorism investigation. (David Ryan broke down the details of the ruling onLawfare over the weekend.)
Parting shot: Perhaps you’ve been following Benjamin Wittes’ quixotic quest to fight Vladimir Putin in single combat. If so (or even if you haven’t), check out CBC’s interview with Ben on “As It Happens,” starting at the 9 minute mark in Part II.
ICYMI: This Weekend, on Lawfare
Zack Bluestone posted the latest Water Wars, noting the absence of any significant developments in the Philippines v. PRC case as well as the planned U.S. freedom of navigation operations in the Spratly Islands.
Adam Klein and Mira Rapp-Hooper discussed the planned operations in the Spratlys, outlining the potential U.S. legal claims for its freedom of navigation exercises.
Herb Lin considered the possibility of improving drone safety operations by establishing “no-fly” zones over sensitive areas.
Robert Loeb and Matthew Weybrecht looked at the legal issues involved in Wikileaks’ doxxing of CIA Director John Brennan.
Yishai Schwartz updated us on the latest from Guantanamo, as the 9/11 trial proceedings encountered some difficulty with MOUs.
Ben posted a debate between Christine Fair and Glenn Greenwald on the use of drones in counterterrorism.
Ben also shared the latest episode of Rational Security, which featured a discussion on Ben’s challenge to Vladimir Putin, whether Russia is a resurgent power in the Middle East, and the ECJ’sSchrems decision.
David Ryan highlighted the DOJ victory in the D.C. Circuit’s decision that a plaintiff cannot invokeBivens for an alleged constitutional violation occurring during a terrorism investigation abroad.
Ben posted the latest Lawfare Podcast, featuring Will McCants and Joby Warrick on the future of ISIS.
Bobby asked what the role of U.S. ground forces is in fight against the Islamic State, looking at Ash Carter’s most recent comments about the use of combat in “self-defense” situations.
In this week's Foreign Policy Essay, Daniel Byman asked whether Syrian refugees pose a potential terrorism threat.
Email the Roundup Team noteworthy law and security-related articles to include, and follow us onTwitter and Facebook for additional commentary on these issues. Sign up to receive Lawfare in your inbox. Visit our Events Calendar to learn about upcoming national security events, and check out relevant job openings on our Job Board.
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The Society of Former Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (SFSAFBI) is the official world-wide benevolent service organization for former Special Agents of the FBI. In 1972, the Society was called "Mr. Hoover's Loyal Legion" by Nation Magazine.[1]
House Democrats have introduced a bill that would take former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover’s name off of the FBI building, due to Hoover’s targeting of LGBT people and minorities, including Martin Luther King, Jr.
“The civil rights we enjoy today are in spite of J. Edgar Hoover, not because of him. Yet, his name adorns one of the most prominent buildings in our nation’s capital and one that houses one of the agencies of government responsible for justice,” Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN) said in astatement. “Given his well-documented abuses and prejudices towards African Americans, gays, and lesbians, I believe it is past time to remove his name from this place of honor.”
Cohen’s bill, which 10 other representatives have joined, suggests that the J. Edgar Hoover building be changed to the Federal Bureau of Investigations building.
Hoover (photo above), who was the FBI Director from 1924-1972, spent his career “amassing secret intelligence on ‘enemies of the United States’ — a list that included terrorists, communists, spies — or anyone Hoover or the FBI had deemed subversive.”
Though he outwardly stated that he did everything in the name of fighting communism, he directly targeted civil rights leaders, claiming that they were communist.
"Hoover saw the civil rights movement from the 1950s onward and the anti-war movement from the 1960s onward, as presenting the greatest threats to the stability of the American government since the Civil War,” Tim Weiner, author of Enemies: A History of the FBI, told NPR.
He bugged Martin Luther King, Jr.’s bedroom and threatened him by sending him recordings of the civil rights leader having sex.
“The poison pen letter read: 'King, look into your heart. The American people would know you for what you are — an evil, abnormal beast. There is only one way out for you. You better take it before your filthy, abnormal fraudulent self is bared to the nation,'” Weiner told NPR.
Hoover also waged a war against the LGBT community, creating an extensive list of gay government workers, whom he referred to as “sex deviates.” Once he found out who they were, he told their agencies so they could fire them.
“In terms of FBI abuses, this ranks near the top,” Penn State historian Doug Charles told Yahoo News. “It was an effort to silence [gays], it was an effort to ruin their lives. Because if you were exposed as gay in the 1950s or 1960s, your life as you knew it was over.”
Image via WikimediaHat Tip: The Washington ExaminerVideo via C-SPAN
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BAGHDAD (Reuters) - An Iraqi Trade Ministry media adviser killed last month by a bomb attached to his car had been about to hand over files accusing the ministry of corruption to the country's Integrity Commission, officials in the ministry's legal department told Reuters.
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