Refugee crisis: 21 more asylum seekers die in latest disasters in Aegean Sea
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The disasters overnight come in a week of sinkings and accidents in the waters between Turkey and the Greek islands, which are becoming ever more treacherous as the weather worsens
 Коммерсантъ |
Госсекретарь США охватит всю Центральную Азию
Коммерсантъ Госсекретарь США Джон Керри станет первым главой американского внешнеполитического ведомства, который в рамках одного турне посетит все пять стран Центральной Азии. В последнее время этот регион начал привлекать повышенное внимание не только традиционных игроков ... Джон Керри: переговоры в Вене – лучший путь из "ада" сирийской войныРадио Свобода Уход Асада исключили из повестки дняНезависимая газета Керри: пора покончить с "адом" гражданской войны в СирииBBC Russian РИА Новости- ГОЛОС АМЕРИКИ Все похожие статьи: 349 » |
Is US Plan for More Anti-IS Raids Mission Creep?by webdesk@voanews.com (Carla Babb)
The recent call from U.S. officials for increased American joint and unilateral special operations in the fight against Islamic State militants has drawn concern that what the Defense Department calls “training and assisting” in the Middle East is starting to look a lot more like combat. VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb reports.
Iran Arrests Another Iranian-Americanby webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
Iran has arrested a businessman holding dual U.S.-Iranian citizenship while he was visiting relatives in Tehran about two weeks ago. Siamak Namazi is head of strategic planning at the Crescent Petroleum Company, based in Dubai. The Wall Street Journal writes that Namazi was arrested by the Revolutionary Guard Corps, which reports directly to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rather than the government of Iran. Namazi's detention came just days after the Iranian nuclear deal took effect on October 18, the so-called adoption day. "We're aware of recent reports of the possible arrest in Iran of a U.S. citizen," a senior U.S. official said. "We're looking into these reports and don't have anything further to provide at this time." Namazi's imprisonment brings to four the number of Iranian Americans imprisoned by Tehran. The State Department has repeatedly pressed for their release. They include Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian, who was recently convicted after an espionage trial; former Marine Amir Hekmati, who was accused of being a spy when he went to Iran to visit his grandmother, and Saeed Abedini, a pastor, who was convicted in 2013 of threatening Iran's security by holding religious gatherings in private homes in Iran. All three deny the charges against them. Namazi has spoken out and written prolifically about his conflicted feelings regarding Iran where he was born and lived until his father got a job with the United Nations after the Iranian revolution in 1979. He returned to Iran after graduating from college, later becoming a U.S. citizen in 1993. Namazi's family declined to comment about his arrest.
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Hague Court Agrees to Hear South China Sea Disputeby webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
An international court in The Hague has ruled against China and in favor of the Philippines by agreeing to hear a case brought by Manila in a long-standing territorial dispute in the South China Sea. The Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled Thursday the case actually concerns a disagreement over the interpretation of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) - a question over which the tribunal does have jurisdiction. China had claimed that the dispute was strictly about the sovereignty over islands in the sea, an issue over which the court has no jurisdiction. A senior Chinese diplomat on Friday renewed Beijing's pledge to neither participate in the case nor accept the eventual ruling. The Philippines' chief lawyer in the case, Florin Hilbay, welcomed the court's decision, calling it "a significant step forward in the Philippines' quest for a peaceful, impartial resolution of the disputes between the parties and the clarification of their rights under UNCLOS." Washington also welcomed the ruling, according to a senior U.S. defense official. China claims sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea. The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam also claim part of the waters, which are a vital international trade route. China is building artificial islands in the contested waters. A U.S. Navy destroyer sailed within 22 kilometers of one of the islands earlier this week, angering China. The U.S. says it will continue to sail anywhere international law allows. The court says it will consider seven of 15 complaints brought against China by the Philippines while setting aside seven others and seeking clarification from Manila on one.Manila brought the case to the tribunal in 2013. The court plans to issue its final ruling some time next year. China says it will not recognize the court's ultimate decision, as it continues to claim sovereignty over the islands close to Philippines' territorial waters. China has said it prefers to settle the dispute in bilateral talks. U.S. Republican Senator John McCain of the Armed Services Committee said he welcomes The Hague ruling as an "important step forward in upholding international law against China's attempts to assert vast and, in my view, questionable claims in the South China Sea."
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US, Europe Watch as Turkey Vote Approachesby webdesk@voanews.com (Luis Ramirez)
U.S. and European leaders are paying close attention to Sunday’s snap elections in Turkey as tensions rise ahead of the poll in which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AKP Party seeks to regain a majority it lost in June elections. For decades, Turkey has been a stable and reliable partner for the U.S. and Europe, hosting NATO bases and serving as a bridge between the Middle East and the West. The bombing of a peace rally in Ankara, a Kurdish insurgency, and continuing clashes between police and suspected Islamic State militants are raising concerns about Turkey’s future as a strategic ally in the region. For such a contentious parliamentary election, the campaigning has been low-key. Campaign workers with the Kurdish-dominated HDP, reviled by Erdogan supporters, are limiting themselves to reaching out individually to voters. The October 10 explosions in Ankara forced caution. "Of course, after the Ankara explosions, our party [heads] met, discussed the explosions and cancelled the big meetings to keep people safe," said Suat Corlu, an official with the HDP's Istanbul campaign. Post poll violence? Security is a major issue in these elections, at a time when Turkey is once again fighting a Kurdish insurgency led by the Kurdish Workers Party, the PKK, and Islamic State militants, who the government blames for the October 10 attacks. Turkish police this week raided what they said were Islamic State cells in Diyarbakir, in Turkey’s southeastern Kurdish region. "Recently, the terror organizations are more dangerous for Turkey than ever," said Veysel Kurt, a political analyst at the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research, an Istanbul research organization. "... Firstly, PKK is a terror organization threatTurkey over 30 years and secondly a new phenomenon of the Middle East, ISIS, actually is another threat for Turkey." Turkey’s government makes no distinction between Kurdish rebels and Islamic State militants. It regards members of both groups as terrorists. That makes some Kurdish activists feel vulnerable. They say they are bracing for possible violence after Sunday’s poll. "During the elections, I think the violence and attacks will continue," said Berfin Azdal, a Kurdish woman handing out leaflets for the HDP on Istanbul’s busy Istiklal Street. "After the elections in this country, just as Erdogan did not respect the choices of the people, he may not show respect after these elections, too," she said. Failing to regain a majority in parliament would allow the Kurdish-dominated HDP to gain influence and, in a nightmare scenario for Turkey’s government, put the country on track toward Kurdish autonomy, ushering in a new era of instability. No clear majority Snap elections are taking place after parliamentary elections in June were inconclusive and talks to form a coalition government failed. Erdogan's party, AKP, won 258 seats, 18 short of the 276 needed for a majority in the Grand National Assembly, Turkey’s parliament. The last opinion polls conducted before the elections indicated no party has a clear majority, raising the possibility of a coalition government. That prospect does not sit well with Erdogan’s supporters. "The AKP is the guarantee of this country’s future. It should be in power by itself, alone," said Omer Guler, an AKP supporter standing outside a campaign office in Istanbul. "If they come together for a coalition, it will not work." Analyst Kurt agrees, saying a coalition government may not be as effective in countering Turkey’s current security challenges. He pointed to the 1980s and '90s, when Turkey was governed by coalitions. "Ifwe look at these periods, we see that the PKK was very active," Kurt said. "When you look at Turkishhistory, we see that the coalition is a very, weak formulation. Yes, it is legally accepted formulation but politically very weak government." The AKP’s opponents say Erdogan has used that argument in his efforts to retain and consolidate power. They are wary of fraud or attempts to manipulate Sunday’s vote. Monitoring the election More than 55,000 election monitors will be in position on Sunday. U.S. and European leaders are watching events as well. On a visit to Ankara last week, Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland expressed appreciation for Turkey’s airstrikes against Islamic State rebels and underscored U.S. solidarity in the face of the security threats facing Turkey.A statement said Nuland also discussed "the importance to Turkey’s democracy of the upcoming November 1 parliamentary elections." This week, U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby had a warning for Turkey’s leaders following a spate of police attacks on members of the media, including Wednesday’s police raid on a media company in Istanbul that authorities say has ties to a movement that it considers a terrorist organization. The company, Koza-Ipek, owns television stations and newspapers that have been critical of the Erdogan government. "We continue to urge Turkish authorities to respect not just media freedom but the political process, which includes a vocalopposition," Kirby said.
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The leader of Bavaria’s right-wing conservative Christian Social Union has warned the Chancellor that unless she radically changes the policy, his party will be left with no option but to leave her coalition
Thirty-five patients and doctors killed in recent weeks as bombs destroy access to life-saving treatment in Syria, warns Doctors Without Borders (MSF)
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Anti-corruption investigators accuse Sergei Shoigu of trying to hide his ownership of a mansion outside Moscow
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Fighter jets from South Korea and the US intercept two Russian warplanes
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Iran and Saudi Arabia, enemies often on the opposing sides of Middle Eastern conflicts, will meet with other countries to discuss the Syrian crisis
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Syrian regime and opposition not invited to Vienna, with two regional powers yet to show any signs of wanting to compromise
The broadest peace talks since the start of the Syrian war get under way in Vienna on Friday, with Iran joining arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and the US to try to orchestrate an end to one of the most dangerous global conflicts in decades.
While all regional stakeholders appear set to take a seat at the table, neither the Syrian government nor opposition have been invited, with any hope of a solution riding mainly on their respective regional patrons: Iran for the Assad regime and Saudi Arabia for those who oppose him.
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ValueWalk |
Russia Joins U.S. Against North Korea?
ValueWalk It seems that North Korea and Russia are not pals after all. Not even close. Now that a Russianambassador says Russia is not going to put up with North Korea's nuclear status, which is basically a sacred thing for Pyongyang, the countries are not as ... UN envoy urges Russia, China to allow inquiry on North Korea workersReuters Nuclear status for North Korea unacceptable - Russian envoyRussia Beyond the Headlines all 431 news articles » |
Telegraph.co.uk |
Russia's defence minister 'secretly builds £12 million palace', say campaigners
Telegraph.co.uk Mr Alburov said that he was threatened while trying to conduct his inquiries. When he and his colleagues approached the home of Mr Shoigu's sister-in-law, they were stopped and threatened by representatives of Russia's Federal Security Service, the FSB ... and more » |
Al Jazeera America |
Iran involvement in Syria talks reflects Russia's growing influence
Al Jazeera America Analysts say the U.S. and Gulf states dropped their refusal to include Iran in talks primarily out of a realization that Russia and Iran are more committed to saving President Bashar al-Assad than the West is to dethroning him. Riyadh has been spinning ... Russia's Syria intervention: One month inBBC News REPORT: Russia is helping Iran deliver arms to SyriaBusiness Insider The Latest: Russia tells US, don't deploy ground forcesWTHR Fox News -Breitbart News all 2,981 news articles » |
Foreign Policy (blog) |
Russian aggressions prompt 'a new Cold War' in rhetoric only
CNN (CNN) Call them provocations, aggressions or mere maneuvers, but the actions byRussia echo the bygone Cold War, ended a quarter century ago, analysts say. Consider this year alone: Russian leader Vladimir Putin announces he's adding more nuclear ... Sarkozy to the West: Lighten Up on RussiaForeign Policy (blog) HOCHBERG: Dire Times In Putin's RussiaGeorgetown University The Hoya Russia's 'Lukewarm' WarHuffington Post RT-Daily Caller-The Moscow Times (registration) all 336 news articles » |
Putin's Russia Has Started Censoring Scientists
Daily Caller A new decree is forcing top Russian scientists to get research approved by the government's Federal Security Service (FSB) before submitting it to scientific conferences or journals. “This is a return to Soviet times when in order to send a paper to an ... |
Reuters |
US Navy scrambled jets as Russian warplanes approached carrier
Reuters The two Russian TU-145 "Bear" jets came as close as a nautical mile from the carrier and were flying at a low-altitude, about 500 feet (152 m) above sea level, the officials said. TU-145 Bear is a long-range anti-submarine warfare plane and a variant ... US jets intercept Russian warplanes off Korean peninsulaBBC News Russian bombers buzz carrier Reagan amid exerciseNavyTimes.com Two Russian Bombers Buzz US Aircraft CarrierWashington Free Beacon NBCNews.com -Stars and Stripes -CNN all 165 news articles » |
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Washington Times |
CROSSTALK: Meeting Russia's new nuclear challenge
Washington Times Even as the Obama administration continues to ponder just how it might respond to the turn of events in Syria in light of Russia's ongoing intervention there, it has studiously avoided addressing a second, far more significant challenge that Russia is ... NATO reveals plan for deploying 4000 troops on Russia's bordersWorld Socialist Web Site Nato considers sending 4000 troops to Russian bordersTelegraph.co.uk NATO discussing increasing troops near Russia's borders: WSJReuters Express.co.uk-Mirror.co.uk all 44 news articles » |
NDTV |
Russia No Longer a Superpower: US
NDTV "Their economy is getting worse, and Russia is isolated in a significant way. Not just from countries in Europe, but, as they get further engaged in a sectarian quagmire inside of Syria, they're finding that the only friends that they have there to ... Russia no longer a superpower, its economy deteriorating: USIndia Today all 15 news articles » |
Washington Post |
The Latest: Russia tells US, don't deploy ground forces
Washington Post VIENNA — The latest developments in talks on ending the Syrian War (all times local). 11:25 a.m.. A senior Russian diplomat has warned the United States against using its ground forces in Syria. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Friday, ... Iran involvement in Syria talks reflects Russia's growing influenceAl Jazeera America Russia is Rethinking Its Support for Assad, Says Top US DiplomatWall Street Journal REPORT: Russia is helping Iran deliver arms to SyriaBusiness Insider BBC News -American Enterprise Institute -Breitbart News all 2,959 news articles » |
The United States has information indicating that recent bombing raids by Russia in Syria "caused collateral damage," including killing civilians and hitting a hospital, the State Department said October 29.
U.S. Senator Seeks To Press Azerbaijan On Political Prisonersby support@pangea-cms.com (RFE/RL)
A senior U.S. senator says he intends to press Azerbaijani officials to release government critics imprisoned amid what rights groups call an escalating campaign to silence dissent in the oil-rich former Soviet republic.
A U.S. dual citizen has been arrested in Iran, becoming the fourth Iranian-American to be jailed in the country, newspapers reported on October 29.
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World Powers Confer on Syria’s Political Futureby webdesk@voanews.com (Pamela Dockins)
Diplomats from 17 countries plus the United Nations and European Union have launched talks in Vienna on Syria’s political future. The meeting, the first of its kind, includes Russia and Iran, two countries that have long backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. "There will be no political settlement of the war in Syria without Iran," said Daniel Serwer, a professor of conflict management at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. "But that doesn’t mean there will be one with Iran either." The talks also include Iran’s rival, Saudi Arabia, a country more aligned with the U.S. position that Assad must not be part of any long-term political resolution to Syria’s 4 ½-year civil war. The conflict has caused thousands of deaths, a refugee crisis and a security vacuum that has allowed Islamic State militants to gain a foothold in the country. "I am hopeful that we can find a way forward. It is very difficult," U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday as he headed into talks with Egypt’s foreign minister. ‘Step forward’ German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters it would not be possible to resolve all of the problems and "tangible conflicting interests" overnight. But he said Friday’s meeting is an "important step forward." French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said as a first step, the fight against the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra militants in Syria had to be conducted more efficiently. "After that, the political transition has to be organized," he said. Notably absent from Friday’s talks on Syria’s political future were representatives from the Syrian government and the country’s moderate opposition groups. Russia’s Interfax news agency said Moscow expects Syrian opposition groups to reach a consensus on their approach and then form a single delegation for talks with the Syrian government. Negotiation strategy questioned There are concerns that the broader talks on Syria, with the inclusion of Russia and Iran, may not produce the desired result. "We have been trying different negotiating approaches in Syria for almost the entire four-year conflict and they have all failed," said Brookings Institution national security analyst Michael O’Hanlon. "There is no viable way to persuade Assad to step down and allow the new government to take his spot." A more optimistic view came from Michele Dunne, Middle East program director for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "It is good to have all of the parties at the table," she said. US goals outlined State Department spokesman John Kirby said Thursday the focus in Vienna is on reaching a framework for a political transition in Syria that can work. "A framework of a government that doesn't include Bashar al-Assad and can be enduring and stable. That's what we're going after," Kirby said. Officials have acknowledged there are unlikely to be any major breakthroughs Friday and the diplomats will need to hold future talks. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged participants in the Vienna talks to show "flexibility" and welcomed Iran's first-time participation in the discussions. Watch related video by Pam Dockins:
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Will Iran, Russia Participation in Syria Talks Help or Hurt Process? by webdesk@voanews.com (Pamela Dockins)
As world powers gather in Vienna for talks on Syria’s political future, there are questions about whether participation from Syria’s allies, Iran and Russia, will help or hurt the process. VOA State Department correspondent Pam Dockins has the story.
Diplomats From 17 Nations, Including Iran, Discussing Syria Crisis In Vienna by support@pangea-cms.com (RFE/RL)
Diplomats from 17 countries, plus the UN and the European Union, are meeting in Vienna to seek ways to end the 4 1/2-year war in Syria.
WASHINGTON — As a federal prosecutor in two of the country’s most violent cities in the 1980s and 1990s, James B. Comey pioneered some of law enforcement’s most aggressive tactics that put gang members behind bars for many years, and he believes, saved many lives.
But as F.B.I. director for the past two years, Mr. Comey has witnessed a major rethinking of that period, much of it by the Justice Department and the White House. President Obama and other administration officials have described law enforcement efforts from the time as “mass incarceration.”
In a speech last Friday in Chicago, Mr. Comey challenged that interpretation, suggesting it “distorts an important reality” of what the authorities have achieved in the past 25 years to bring down the crime rate. “Pulling up those many weeds, as painful as that was,” he said, “allowed churches, schools, community groups and parents to plant seeds that have grown into healthy neighborhoods. Neighborhoods that are free and alive in 2014 in ways that were unimaginable 25 years ago. We cannot lose sight of that.”
He also made another fairly provocative claim, saying that the recent intense focus on police brutality may have had the effect of making police officers less willing to do their jobs and led to an increase in crime. He seemed to be lending his credibility — and the F.B.I.’s — to the idea that the increased attention on the police has made officers less aggressive and emboldened criminals without citing any data to back up his assertion.
The reaction was immediate. Mr. Comey was criticized by civil rights groups and the head of one of the largest police unions in the country. The deputy attorney general, Sally Q. Yates, pressed Mr. Comey to explain his views. The White House said there was no evidence to back up Mr. Comey’s claim about the rise in violence. And on Thursday, the president met with Mr. Comey in the Oval Office to discuss his views. The White House declined to describe the conversation.
Mr. Comey’s statements — particularly the ones about the chilling effect that scrutiny has had on law enforcement — have been seized on by Republicans, including some who have distorted them. “You know, the FBI director, the president’s appointed FBI director, has said this week that because of a lack of support from politicians like the president of the United States, that police officers are afraid to get out of their cars; that they’re afraid to enforce the law,” said Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey at the Republican presidential debate on Wednesday. “And he says — the president’s appointee — that crime is going up because of this.”
Mr. Comey never said in his speech that the president was not supporting law enforcement.
For Mr. Obama, criminal justice reform is one of his few chances for a legislative victory in his final 14 months in office as he confronts a Republican-controlled House and Senate. If Mr. Comey — who has strong support from Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill — were to raise significant doubts about whether to move forward with such legislation, he could derail it and muddle the administration’s narrative about reform.
“The speech is interesting and unusual because in recent decades, F.B.I. directors have tended to refrain from commenting on any issue they don’t have to,” said Michael Beschloss, a presidential historian.
But while it is unusual for an F.B.I. director to make public comments that wade into politically delicate issues, particularly ones that clearly put him at odds with the White House, Mr. Comey’s willingness to clash with the White House was not a complete surprise.
When he was the deputy attorney general under President George W. Bush, Mr. Comey threatened to resign if Mr. Bush reauthorized a wiretapping program he thought was illegal. The subsequent fame he achieved from that incident was one of the attributes that made Mr. Comey, a Republican, an attractive choice to Mr. Obama to succeed Robert S. Mueller III when he retired in 2013.
The issues surrounding Mr. Comey’s speech are among several difficult ones that he has had to deal with the White House on in recent months. This year, Mr. Comey tangled with officials from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy about whether to push for legislation to force technology companies to comply with court orders for cellphone data. More recently, several of Mr. Comey’s agents expressed anger with Mr. Obama after he said in a television interview that Hillary Rodham Clinton’s personal email arrangement had not put the nation’s secrets at risk. The agents were upset because the investigation has not yet been completed.
Mr. Comey has also shown no reluctance to speak on controversial issues. In February, he gave an unusually candid speech on race in which he said that some officers scrutinize minorities more closely using a mental shortcut that “becomes almost irresistible and maybe even rational by some lights” because black men are arrested at much higher rates than white men. That speech, unlike the one in Chicago, was widely praised.
“Comey has continued to show that he is a different kind of F.B.I. director,” said Chuck Wexler, the head of the Police Executive Research Forum. “He speaks privately to more law enforcement leaders around the country than anyone else and can offer a very unique perspective.”
It’s not clear why Mr. Comey decided to wade into this issue now.
Several senior law enforcement officials said that Mr. Comey has long believed that the term “mass incarceration” was overly simplistic for what occurred. They said that he viewed much of the talk on criminal justice reform from Mr. Obama and Eric H. Holder Jr., the attorney general for the first six years of Mr. Obama’s presidency, as hollow.
Others say that Mr. Comey sees himself grandiosely as a “white knight” who can speak the truth because he is not a politician. They said that although he is not an elected official, he is often looking for a way to weigh in on issues to expand the role of the F.B.I. director.
Mr. Wexler has a more benign view.
“He sees his role as being someone who can bring up these important issues and start a discussion,” said Mr. Wexler. “He has raised it and now it’s for others to discuss. I don’t think he will dwell on it.”
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Libya's Islamist authorities say rescue workers have recovered five more bodies in the Mediterranean, raising the death toll from Tuesday's downing of a helicopter carrying two senior officials from the Islamist-backed Tripoli government from 14 to 19.
Car consumer group in France calls for "urgent" security improvements in range of cars after it transpires that 74 per cent of those stolen are electronically hacked with Smarth Fortwo top of the theft hit parade
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Syria advised Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister to “keep his mouth closed and keep his country out of a matter that is none of his business”: talks in Vienna to end the Syrian war.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has "operational information" that leads U.S. officials to believe Russian military aircraft hit a hospital while carrying out bombing raids in Syria, the State Department said on Thursday.
Local activists in the Syrian city of Daraya posted dramatic footage of an Oct. 28 airstrike carried out by a regime helicopter, showing bombs exploding meters from a videographer.
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AP Top Stories by AssociatedPress
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Here's the latest for Thursday, October 29th: Paul Ryan is elected new House speaker; Jet engine catches fire; China ends its one child policy; New York City prepares for annual marathon.
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AP’s commitment to independent, comprehensive journalism has deep roots. Founded in 1846, AP has covered all the major news events of the past 165 years, providing high-quality, informed reporting of everything from wars and elections to championship games and royal weddings. AP is the largest and most trusted source of independent news and information.
Today, AP employs the latest technology to collect and distribute content - we have daily uploads covering the latest and breaking news in the world of politics, sport and entertainment. Join us in a conversation about world events, the newsgathering process or whatever aspect of the news universe you find interesting or important. Subscribe: http://smarturl.it/AssociatedPress
Huffington Post |
The Federal Bureau of Insidiousness
Huffington Post FBI Director, James B. Comey has a theory that is correct, but only in part because his clarity is obscured by his self-serving perspective. He is the Director of an agency that has a culture of disdain for activists, a pitiful record of subversion ... Effects of Greater Scrutiny of PoliceNew York Times Staring hard at realityRutland Herald Stop Pretending the "Ferguson Effect" Is RealTakePart The Root (blog) -VDARE.com all 197 news articles » |
Analysis: FBI miscounted Arizona police deaths in pursuits
azcentral.com The database counted that at least 371 police officers were killed nationally in crashes from 1980 through 2014, compared with only 24 deaths counted by the FBI, according to USA TODAY. That means there are 15 times the number of chase-related deaths ... |
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Washington Post |
Islamist militants turn to less-governed social-media platform
Washington Post The Islamic State and other terror groups are flocking to a Berlin-based social-media service that imposes few barriers on the distribution of violent content or recruiting propaganda, according to a new report. Thousands of followers have subscribed ... |
Snowden celebrates vote as "extraordinary" but motion will have little real impact on his ability to leave Russia, where he currently lives
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Antigay Russian Lawmakers Seek To Criminalize ‘Coming Out’by support@pangea-cms.com (RFE/RL)
Russian lawmakers have submitted legislation that would introduce fines and potential jail time for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals who publicly reveal their sexual orientation.
Навальный против Минобороны by SvobodaRadio
Фонд борьбы с коррупцией обнародовал фотографии комплекса зданий на Рублево-Успенском шоссе в районе деревень Барвиха-Жуковка и Раздоры, который, по мнению исследователей фонда, принадлежит министру обороны России Сергею Шойгу. Что стоит за этим очередным разоблачением высокопоставленного российского чиновника? Какой будет реакция власти и общества? - спорят политики Виктор Алкснис, Леонид Волков, журналист Роман Шлейнов.
Ведущий - Владимир Кара - Мурза - старший.
 РИА Новости |
Администрация США назвала единственными друзьями России Сирию и Иран
Газета.Ru Официальный представитель Белого дома Джош Эрнест заявил, что администрация США считает единственными друзьями России в мире правительства Ирана и Сирии, сообщает РИА «Новости». «Состояние российской экономики ухудшается, Россия изолирована очень серьезно. Белый дом больше не считает Россию сверхдержавойКоммерсантъ США: Россия больше не сверхдержава, поэтому холодной войны с ней нетВзгляд Белый дом: Россия больше не сверхдержаваАргументы и факты http://politrussia.com/ -ОРЕАНДА Все похожие статьи: 24 » |
A photo released on social media by Islamic State militants shows the 2,000-year-old temple of Baalshamin in Syria rigged with explosives. (Islamic State social-media account via AP)
The Islamic State and other terror groups are flocking to a Berlin-based social-media service that imposes few barriers on the distribution of violent content or recruiting propaganda, according to a new report.
Thousands of followers have subscribed to Islamic State-related channels on the social-media platform called Telegram in recent weeks, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute, a Washington-based organization that tracks online activities of terrorist groups.
Founded by a high-profile Russian programmer who fled that country last year, Telegram is designed to protect users’ anonymity. Unlike Twitter, Facebook and other established platforms, Telegram has no clear mechanism for law enforcement agencies to track individuals or demand that material aimed at inciting terror attacks be taken down.
“Telegram’s channels offer no way in to monitor them,” the report concludes. Citing the “large number of members” that Islamic State channels are drawing, the report said, Telegram is poised “to become a fertile and secure arena for jihad-related activities.”
Telegram, which is a nonprofit organization, did not respond to requests for comment.
The emergence of Telegram has complicated efforts by the FBI and other agencies to monitor or counter the surging volume of online propaganda from terror groups. The service is still relatively small in scale, but offers an alternative to Twitter, Facebook and other companies that police content more aggressively under pressure from the U.S. government.
Telegram was conceived as an encrypted communications tool but last month unveiled a new service enabling users to create “channels” that can disseminate images, videos and other material to thousands of anonymous subscribers.
A channel affiliated with the Islamic State supporters called “Nasher” has attracted more than 10,000 members and distributes propaganda in languages including Arabic, English, French and German, according to the report by the research institute, also known as MEMRI.
“The whole notion [for Telegram users] is ‘we have a platform that we can use to attract followers and publish our stuff without anyone really stopping us,’ ” said M. Khayat, the principal author of the study, who asked to be identified by his first initial out of security concerns.
Another new channel is devoted to encouraging attacks in Saudi Arabia. Users have posted “repeated calls to carry out lone wolf attacks there” and distributed information on how to train and acquire weapons, according to the report. So far, the channel has only 51 subscribers.
Experts said that Telegram is unlikely to supplant more mainstream social-media sites because of their global reach and massive user bases.
“Telegram, while it has a growing usage, is not anything on the same scale as Twitter,” said Charlie Winter, a senior researcher at the Quilliam Foundation, a research organization in the United Kingdom. Islamist groups “will still need to use Twitter and sites like that to bring new supporters and sympathizers into the echo chamber. But perhaps we can see Telegram become the hub for initial propaganda dissemination.”
Telegram has gained favor among militants in part because it has not banned the distribution of violent or gruesome images the way that Twitter and Facebook have or created a mechanism for users to report violations of the organization’s terms of service, experts said.
Khayat said that he had contacted Telegram to ask about these policies and that the organization responded by saying that its channels are the “private territory of their respective participants and we do not process any requests related to them.”
Winter said he had recently seen an online posting from an Islamic State follower, declaring that “Twitter can suspend me 1,000 times but I will always be on Telegram.”
The service was created by Pavel Durov, who has been called Russia’s Mark Zuckerberg because of his role in founding the social-networking site VKontakte, which is more popular in that country than Facebook.
Durov, 31, gained attention by offering a job to Edward Snowden when the former U.S. intelligence contractor was granted asylum in Russia after exposing massive U.S. eavesdropping operations overseas.
But Durov fled Russia himself last year after refusing to comply with Moscow’s demands that he turn over account information on Ukrainian protesters. Durov engaged in a stand-off at his St. Petersburg home with a Russian SWAT team, and control of his company was subsequently seized by allies of President Vladimir Putin.
In an interview with the New York Times last year, Durov said he is “not a big fan of the idea of countries,” and that he had created Telegram to offer better privacy and security than other platforms.
Telegram also enables users to message one another directly through encrypted exchanges, a capability that is particularly worrisome to law enforcement agencies. Islamic State operatives have used similar tools to encourage supporters to travel to Syria or carry out attacks.
FBI Director James B. Comey warned last year that law enforcement agencies were at risk of “going dark” because of expanding encryption capabilities. The FBI declined to comment on the Islamic State’s use of Telegram.
Ellen Nakashima contributed to this report.
Waning international appetite for American-made goods held back the nation’s economic growth during the third quarter, government data released Thursday morning show, a side effect of broader weakness in the global recovery.
The Commerce Department reported that the U.S. economy expanded at a lackluster annual rate of 1.5 percent between July and September, less than half the pace of the previous quarter. The poor performance of exports throughout the year has forced businesses to slash their inventories. Though the numbers were in line with expectations, Wall Street opened in the red on the news.
"Manufacturers continued to anticipate modest growth moving forward, but their outlook remains guarded, particularly in light of current headwinds," said Chad Moutray, chief economist at the National Association of Manufacturers.
American households, however, have remained resilient in the face of those global headwinds. Consumer spending rose by a solid 3.2 percent during the third quarter, the data show. Business investment in equipment was also strong, though early indications for the fourth quarter suggest orders for durable goods are still weak.
Since the 2008 financial crisis, the global economy has been driven by blockbuster growth in China and the emerging markets that have fueled its once-insatiable demand for raw materials. But now the country that has served as the world’s assembly line is trying to shift to the slower and more stable pace of a consumer-focused economy — a change that is rippling across world markets. Resource-rich countries such as Brazil have fallen into recession as the price of commodities such as steel have plummeted.
The challenges confronting foreign economies translates into weaker currencies. The U.S. dollar, in turn, has risen roughly 20 percent over the past year, making American exports more expensive in the global marketplace. According to Goldman Sachs, the impact will hit hardest in the final months of the year through early 2016, then gradually diminish over the next two years.
A growing number of economists say the odds of another global recession are rising, one that could reverse the progress of America’s fragile recovery. But even if another downturn does hit, it is likely to be short and relatively shallow. The Federal Reserve on Wednesday downgraded its warnings about the global economy and signaled that it could start unwinding its massive safety net of stimulus later this year.
The nation’s central bank has been debating when to start raising interest rates, which have been at zero since the darkest days of the 2008 financial crisis. The move would be a signal that the Fed believes the recovery is ready to stand on its own, but the gloomier global outlook has stayed its hand so far this fall. However, in a statement released after its meeting on Wednesday, the Fed suggested that a rate hike at its next meeting in December remains on the table.
But Alan MacEachin, corporate economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, said that the numbers released Thursday do not help clarify the central bank's decision. Inflation remains well below the Fed's target of 2 percent, and the economy has yet to break out of its slow-and-steady slog.
“It’s not a convincing number for a hike, that’s for sure,” MacEachin said. “We need to see some acceleration from here.”
Though the international outlook remains cloudy, the forecast in Washington seems to be clearing up as several political battles that threatened to wreak havoc on the economy head toward resolution.
Republicans elected Rep. Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) on Thursday as the next speaker of the House, putting to rest a contentious leadership battle that left a vacuum of power as lawmakers faced deadlines for raising the nation’s debt ceiling and funding the federal government. The House on Wednesday passed a compromise bill that raises government spending by $80 billion and shelves further battles over the budget and the debt limit until 2017.
"Just the risk of those can be harmful for the economy," MacEachin said. "Removing those risks — or at least minimizing those risks — is a positive. It clears the picture up going forward."
Between 2011 and 2013, the drop in government spending shaved half a percentage point from economic growth. The so-called fiscal drag has since faded, however, and the Obama administration said Thursday that the new budget deal would add 340,000 jobs next year.
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By Jonathan M. SmithOctober 28
Jonathan M. Smith is the Associate Dean of Experiential and Clinical Programs at the UDC David A. Clarke School of Law. Before that, he was head of the Special Litigation Section of the Department of Justice, which produced the Ferguson Report.
Last week, FBI Director James Comey joined anti-reform advocates in asserting that the recent crime rise in certain cities should be attributed, at least in part, to the “Ferguson effect.” Officers, he said, are withholding their services because they’re resentful of reforms and afraid of being featured on the evening news.
He’s wrong. While murders this year are up 16 percent nationwide, that pattern is not uniform across all urban areas. Some cities, in fact, have seen a dramatic drop in deaths. In Boston, for example, murders are down 43 percent; in Raleigh, N.C., they’ve dropped 23 percent; and in Las Vegas, 15 percent. FiveThirtyEight found that “most cities have not shown a significant increase in homicides over the last year,” and “there are some big reasons not to assume that crime is on a long-term increase.”
But even if crime is on the rise, we must not slow reform of police practices and accountability efforts. The tension between police and the communities they serve is not new. It stretches back decades, and is baked into our local, state and national policies.
In the summer of 1967, inner cities across the country experienced unrest, rebellion and rioting. In response, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed a National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, later known as the Kerner Commission. Their report, issued a year later, examined the effect of police practices, housing and employment discrimination, and racial segregation on black Americans. The country’s criminal justice practices were held up for special scrutiny. The commission famously warned that “our nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one white — separate and unequal,” and wrote that to many, police had come “to symbolize white power, white racism and white repression.”
Rather than heed the warning, governments doubled down to devastating effect. In 1968 (the year the Kerner Commission issued its report), there were fewer than 190,000 prisoners in the United States, the majority of whom were white. The rate of incarceration was the lowest it had been since the 1920s — 94 persons incarcerated per 100,000 in the population.
The “War on Drugs” and other punitive measures soon changed the face of prisons. Today, 2.3 million people are in a prison or jail and nearly 7 million under some form of correctional supervision. For every 100,000 people, more than 400 are incarcerated. African American men are 10 times more likely to be incarcerated than white men. The United States has 4.4 percent of the world’s population and 22 percent of its prisoners.
At the same time, police powers have expanded. During the 1960s and early 1970s, the Supreme Court issued opinions that gave meaning to the protections provided by the Bill of Rights. The court found that lawyers were required for defendants facing imprisonment, that confessions could not be coerced and that people had a right to be free from unreasonable searches or physical abuse by police or prison guards.
But those decisions were a high watermark for individual rights in encounters with the criminal justice system. In nearly each term since, the court has eroded protections, limiting the rights of the accused and expanding the authority of police and guards to use force, to conduct searches and to detain.
This new, harsher criminal justice system has had devastating effects. Nearly 1 in 5 African-American men is missing from his family and community because of incarceration. Families have been destroyed, leaving a legacy of generational poverty and poor prospects for children. Once released, formerly incarcerated persons face often insurmountable barriers to employment, education and housing. They have often lost the right to vote, and their health outcomes and life expectancy is dramatically reduced. By criminalizing a large segment of the community and depriving African American men of opportunity and the chance for success, public safety has been placed at risk. Communities must believe in the legitimacy of the justice system to partner with police to prevent and solve crime.
The Black Lives Matter movement and the emerging coalition to end mass incarceration have highlighted unfairness in the criminal justice system. The extraordinary work of activists, advocates and academics has begun to force changes in policy and practice. Police conduct is coming under greater scrutiny, accountability measures are being put in place, and serious conversations on the role of police and community relationships have begun. I saw this firsthand as a lawyer with the Department of Justice Civil Rights division. Between 2010 and 2015, we conducted more than 20 investigations of police departments, including Ferguson, Mo.
Much of America has awoken to a reality over the last year that is well known in communities of color and in communities of poverty — the effects of bias are real and devastating. Though 50 years have passed since the Kerner Commission report was issued, the need for reform remains as urgent today as ever.
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FBI Director, James B. Comey has a theory that is correct, but only in part because his clarity is obscured by his self-serving perspective. He is the Director of an agency that has a culture of disdain for activists, a pitiful record of subversion, insidiousness, illegality, conspiracy, disregard for constitutional rights, and has no shame in its legacy of operating from its own hidden political agenda. Let us never forget nor forgive the concerted efforts of the FBI's secret war against the Free Speech Movement, Doctor Martin Luther King, and too many other citizens who acted on the very legality of the freedoms our nation was founded on. Officials using crime statistics for advantage is nothing new, cooking the books on crime statistics is nothing new, and, never actually having true and honest crime statistics to report is nothing new. We are going to have to redefine what "crime" is first, and secondly, require honest bookkeeping, but more on that later.
So yes, Director Comey, I agree, there is a "chill wind" blowing across the land but for whom is the frost effecting? Another national dirty secret is out. We have seen enough visual evidence to pull the curtain back and expose an epidemic problem in the homeland. America has a crime problem and a justice system that is antiquated and broken. The "chill wind" has inflicted reticence everywhere, not just in how police officers do their job, but as well in how the public responds to police doing their job.
There is a "Ferguson effect," but it is across the social strata. The public is concerned over alleged crime rates on the rise, whether that is accurate or not, but the public is always concerned about crime. That is a perception issue, as in the tsunami shift of the public now more likely to view police officers behavior as appearing "criminal."
I get it, police officers do not want to get out of their car and confront a public armed with smart phones in hands held up cocked and digitally challenging them. Well guess what Mr. Director, no one wants to get out of his or her car any more. It's dangerous and can be unhealthy. Whose camera is going to catch whose camera catching what criminal behavior and whose camera is going to be the judge to settle the ambiguity?
While President Obama and his Justice Department debate in front of political cameras with the Federal Bureau of Insidiousness also in front of political cameras, folks are increasingly not just packing weapons and smart phones, but also wearing diapers out of fear while they drive and or walk down their streets. We must come clean on our long ignored broken system. Just maybe, crime rates if they are in fact on the rise, comes from a perception that from the elected class down to the enforcement class, corruption, which is a nicer word for crime which is usually classified very differently than crime from the underclass, is on the rise, and therefore, from a growing sense of deviance everywhere, folks just feel emboldened to join in on the trend. Now, how's that for a "theory?"
To claim that the "Black Lives Matter" movement and advocacy for righting an insidious justice system is killing police officers and killing their desire to passionately do their job is nothing more than a calculation to once again attack groups or ideas that do not fit law enforcement's culture. The clarity between the good guys and the bad guys has gotten lost in the "fog of the war on crime," as has the definition of crime and the meaning of justice. Recent comments by James B. Comey are highly offensive and slanders earnest attempts to fix a broken system. It is time for retraining, retooling and rebuilding cultural values in our vital agencies dedicated to keeping law and order. I remain highly skeptical of any "theory" on crime and crime rates. The "broken windows theory" of crime prevention broke when law enforcement lost the moral high ground and when the public's understanding of the thin blue line between the perpetrators and the enforcers blurred.
Let us remember some basics so as to have a more productive conversation on the "crime problem in America." Crime has no universal definition. Generally, when actions are taken that violate established rules of a society a crime has been committed. No crime in one society at a given time under defined circumstances is universally agreed upon as being a crime. Out of a desire and need to establish security to self-perpetuate, every society has invented mechanisms, dedicated resources and empowered folks to define and "police" unwanted behaviors, when and how to fight each, and when and how to take action against the perpetrators. How a society explains and manages crime, partially by reporting statistics to justify enforcement actions and secure enough credibility, respect and fear does define in a big way the quality of life of that very society. But we must accept that crime statistics are inherently wrong due to the prejudicial societal labels used to define crime by the power elite and that crime statistics are always used as a political weapon.
Now that the camera is finally turning on bad enforcement behavior and for the first time in my 62 year life there is a greater likelihood of police officers being indicted for crimes, let us not lose the stomach for a fair and balanced acceptance that bad apples exist everywhere, that the war on crime needs to be recalculated, that historical prejudices still linger from and toward all classes of Americans, and push back at public agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Insidiousness that live off of taxpayer's monies and are too quick to blame the folks they serve.
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Today's Headlines and Commentaryby Elina Saxena, Cody M. Poplin
Breaking news from Capitol Hill this morning. The New York Times tells us that Paul Ryan (R-WI) will replace John Boehner (R-OH) as Speaker of the House, writing that “Ryan’s ascent stems not from electoral victory but rather the chaos in the ranks of his party’s sizable majority.” It remains to be seen whether Ryan can bridge the growing divide between the GOP establishment and the House Freedom Caucus.
In anticipation of Friday’s discussions in Vienna, Secretary of State John Kerry addressed the future of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, arguing that the war in Syria must end in order to defeat the rising threat of the Islamic State. Kerry emphasized the need to intensify U.S. military efforts against the group while emphasizing diplomatic efforts to resolve the broader conflict in Syria. The secretary also stated that to successfully navigate the challenges “in Syria today is nothing less than to chart a course out of hell.”
Even so, Secretary Kerry expressed hope that the talks in Vienna will be the first steps towards an “inclusive diplomatic process” which will work towards “an early end to this Syrian disaster” through the transition outlined in the Geneva communique. In his remarks, Kerry also stressed the need to bring about a political transition, stating that “nothing would do more to bolster the fight against [the Islamic State] than a political transition that sidelines Assad so that [the United States] can unite more of the country against extremism.”
Yet, despite Kerry’s assertion that “Russia, the United States, and others share an amazing amount of common ground on [Syria],” Reuters reports that “U.S. officials are playing down expectations of any major breakthrough.” Another senior western diplomat said that “just keeping the players at the conference table and avoiding a collapse of the talks would represent a level of modest success.” In order to do so, the Post suggests that the world leaders will put the question of Assad’s future aside as "Kerry and his Russian counterpart have stipulated in near-daily conversations that their ongoing disagreement about where a Syrian political transition must end [...] should not prevent the process from starting."
Syrian opposition and rebel leaders, though one would think they play an important role on the ground, have not been invited to the Vienna discussions, causing opposition leaders to question the legitimacy and seriousness of the planned talks. But, one of their largest backers, Saudi Arabia, will join the discussions. The Wall Street Journal writes that the “Saudi announcement marked a shift, after saying Iran shouldn’t take part in any talks about the future of Syria” due to “Tehran’s support for President Bashar al-Assad’s war crimes against his own people.” In response to the announcement, the Syrian government has suggested that Saudi Arabia “is not qualified to play a ‘productive’ role in resolving the conflict,” adding that the Kingdom “is shedding the blood of Muslims and Arabs there, in Yemen and in Iraq.” With over 20 states expected to be represented in Vienna, “most attention is focused on the United States, Russia, Iran and Saudi Arabia.”
As violence continues across the country, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has reported that over twelve hospitals have been hit by strikes in recent weeks, killing at least 35 patients and staff. In response to the strikes, a MSF worker questioned the lack of adherence to international humanitarian law by parties to the conflict. Reuters shares that Russian strikes have added to the already large number of displaced in Syria, with at least 120,000 Syrians in Aleppo, Idlib, and Hama provinces displaced by fresh fighting in October lone. The Times shows us which factions have gained ground in Syria since Russia began its strikes nearly one month ago.
In Iraq, Reuters shares that the government is expected to hire 10,000 additional paramilitary forces in order to combat the Islamic State. Due to budget constraints, the Iraqi government plans to invest more on light and medium weapons as opposed to heavier artillery.
The Journal tells us that the conflict in Syria has drawn many from former Soviet Central Asian republics to join jihadi groups. Over 500 people are suspected of having defected from Kyrgyzstan alone since the conflict began.
Today’s long read: In the Atlantic, David Ignatius covers how ISIS spread in the Middle East and how we can stop it.
In yet another incident involving Russian aircrafts, a U.S. ship conducting standard exercises with the South Korean Navy scrambled its fighter jets after a Russian reconnaissance plane flew as low as 500 feet in the ship’s vicinity. U.S. officers received no radio response when they attempted to contact the aircraft. As Stars and Stripes writes, in recent weeks, “Russian aircraft have tested international boundaries by either violating other countries’ airspace or engaging in what Pentagon officials have called ‘provocative’ actions toward U.S. and NATO ships.”
As relations between Russia and the West continue to deteriorate, the Journal reports that NATO is considering increasing troop numbers in countries bordering Russia. U.S. officials have suggested that “in light of stepped-up exercises by Russia in the region, increasing the NATO presence could show Mr. Putin that the alliance is cohesive and Washington remains committed.” Yet some members of the alliance have voiced concerns that such a move could trigger a strong Russian reaction.
The Times writes that Greece saved at least 240 refugees after the wooden vessel in which they were travelling capsized. The incident is one of a series of accidents in the waters surrounding the country. Greece has received over 500,000 refugees over the course of the year and has agreed to host more than 50,000.
With a renewed push from the Taliban in Afghanistan, the number of Afghan asylum-seekers has more than doubled in 2015. Rampant unemployment and growing instability have prompted the exodus of Afghans who make up 16% of the refugees and asylum-seekers arriving in Turkey and Europe.
The Journal takes a look inside Europe’s migrant smuggling rings, which in order to profit from the current migration crisis, have adapted from existing criminal networks once known for smuggling guns and drugs. And as Europe works to manage the ongoing crisis, Hungary will challenge the EU plan to allocate migrants across the bloc in court.
Meanwhile, violent attacks persist in Israel and Reuters tells us that two more Palestinians have been shot following separate attacks in the region. Israel is reportedly holding the bodies of 29 Palestinians, adding to the already unprecedented tensions.
In Foreign Affairs, Samar Batrawi describes “what ISIS talks about when it talks about Palestine” and in his opinion, why we should be worried.
In Yemen, Saudi strikes killed 10 Yemeni factory workers near the city of Taiz. At least 5,600 people have been killed since the conflict began.
As Afghanistan continues to recover from Monday’s 7.5-magnitude earthquake, the Taliban has extended an informal ceasefire in order to allow the Afghan government to deliver assistance to those affected by the disaster. Afghan officials have not encountered security challenges in their humanitarian efforts, and aid workers have reported receiving requests for help from Taliban fighters in the northeastern provinces of the country.
Frequent readers will remember that in September, the Times reported that U.S. troops had been told to ignore their Afghan counterparts’ abuse of young boys. Today, the Post tells us that thePentagon’s Inspector General is investigating allegations those allegations, many of which suggest U.S. military commanders may have mishandled child sexual assault cases in Afghanistan since 2011.
Senior Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) commander Abu Qasim was killed in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Thursday in what the Indian government called a surgical operation. LeT has been responsible for a series of large terror acts throughout India, including the 2008 attacks in Mumbai. Qasim was considered the mastermind behind many of the group’s plots.
China has announced that it will end its infamous “one child” policy, allowing families to have two children. China has eased restrictions on the policy in the last few years, but the decision reflects, in part, the country’s need for a demographic shift as its increasingly aging population is contributing to a diminishing workforce.
In the wake of the United States’ recent freedom of navigation exercise in the South China Sea, the chiefs of the U.S. and Chinese navies are expected to hold discussions today. China maintains that the United States unlawfully entered its territorial waters and that the country’s “military will take ‘all necessary’ measures in response to any future U.S. Navy incursions.” A spokesman for the Chinese Defense Ministry said that China remained “strongly against any kind of effort in the name of freedom of navigation that might damage the interests and security of the littoral states.” The Times suggeststhat China is attempting to push back U.S. naval supremacy and influence in the region as it attempts to establish its own sphere of influence.
Reuters tells us of the deliberation that preceded the U.S. naval patrol in the South China Sea. While the Pentagon, frustrated by repeated delays, pushed for action, the White House was more reluctant, seeking to avoid a potential confrontation.
In her visit to Beijing, German chancellor Angela Merkel suggested that the United States and China turn to international courts to resolve the dispute concerning the law of the sea. During the visit,China and Germany also agreed to “work on stopping economic cyber spying between the two nations.”
The African Union released a damning report which accused government and rebel forces in South Sudan of committing heinous crimes and atrocities. Since South Sudan erupted in violence in late 2013, tens of thousands have died while another two million have been displaced. The report also cites evidence of torture, mutilations and rape, and episodes of forced cannibalism. The South Sudanese government has said that it “cannot accept” the AU’s allegations, which they consider to be based on “inconclusive evidence.” The Times has more.
Soldiers from 22 African states began joint exercises in South Africa as part of the AU’s long-awaitedAfrican Standby Force. Backed by European money and arms, African military chiefs laud the progress made toward creating the force, a force they suggest will be “the antidote to insurrections spiraling into civil war or even genocide.”
Police in the United Kingdom have seized the laptop of a BBC reporter that was used to communicate with a group of British foreign fighters who have joined the Islamic State in Syria. The reporter has covered the role of UK-born jihadists extensively over the last year. A BBC editor, Ian Katz, said in a statement, “While we would not seek to obstruct any police investigation, we are concerned that the use of the Terrorism Act to obtain communication between journalists and sources will make it very difficult for reporters to cover this issue of critical public interest.”
While the seizure of the laptop has renewed questions about press freedom under the UK Terrorism Act, the head of MI5 called yesterday for a “mature debate” on surveillance as the UK parliament considers a bill updating state surveillance powers next week. The BBC has more.
The Hill shares that, following the European Court of Justice’s decision to strike down Safe Harbor, German privacy regulators have announced an investigation into data transfers between the European Union and the United States. Hamburg’s Data Protection Officer told German magazine Der Spiegel, “Anyone who wants to remain untouched by the legal and political implications of the judgment, should in the future consider storing personal data only on servers within the European Union.”
In Wired, Kim Zetter reports that, according to newly obtained documents from the Department of Justice, stingray devices are capable of not only recording the incoming and outgoing numbers for a mobile phone, but can also intercepting the content of voice and text communications. The report has more.
And then there were 113. Reuters reports that the Pentagon has transferred Ahmed Ould Abdel Aziz, a detainee held at Guantanamo Bay, to his native Mauritania.
And while the slow emptying of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay continues, Carol Rosenberg of the Miami Herald shares that the 9/11 military commission trial has hit yet another roadblock with detainee Walid bin Attash requesting to fire his current counsel. Rosenberg notes that if allowed, Attash’s firing of counsel could delay the hearings by six months to more than a year.
Parting shot: The Internet practically melted yesterday as news erupted that a military blimp used aspart of a U.S. Air Force missile defense system had broken away from its mooring and begun drifting westward from Maryland. The Post provides a rundown of responses as the $2.7 billion blimp drifted across the countryside, escorted by two F-16s, casually knocking out power for 35,000 people while setting off a Twitter firestorm.
ICYMI: Yesterday, on Lawfare
David Ryan provided us with an update on the ongoing litigation in Dhiab v. Obama, reporting that Judge Gladys Kessler has denied the government’s motion to reconsider her order to unseal classified videotape of force-feeding at Guantanamo Bay.
In light of Charlie Savage’s article yesterday on the deliberations and legal memos leading up to the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan, Jack explained the decline of OLC and some reasons why the office may not have been consulted.
Joel Brenner shared a chance for U.S. law students to shape privacy law. The opportunity? Bring suit against a European government alleging that it is violating their rights through its surveillance operations.
Tim Edgar examined the issue of standing as a barrier to challenging U.S. surveillance activities and how that challenge is changing.
Zack Bluestone covered the rare Sunday session in the 9/11 military commission trial.
Finally, Ingrid Wuerth argued that the Captures Clause of the Constitution does not give Congress the authority to regulate the treatment of prisoners captured in war.
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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Across Europe, criminal networks once known for smuggling guns and drugs have transformed into human-transport rings to cash in on migrant waves from Syria and beyond.
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