IS could ultimately force West to consider invasion - AP
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CAIRO (AP) -- This is the fundamental contradiction, after Paris: Few in the West want to send ground troops to Syria and Iraq to battle the Islamic State group, but it may be even harder to find anyone who thinks airstrikes alone will defeat the radical extremists....
EU Mulls Direct Talks With Russian-Led Economic Bloc, Angering Some EU Membersby support@pangea-cms.com (Rikard Jozwiak)
Brussels might consider direct talks with the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) as a way to avoid a Russian backlash over a free-trade deal between the EU and Ukraine that is set to enter into force.
Analysts: IS Militants Trying to Inflame West-Muslim Relationsby webdesk@voanews.com (Jamie Dettmer)
In claiming responsibility for Friday's coordinated terrorist attacks in Paris, Islamic State militants said they carefully studied the targets for the shootings and bombings – a rock concert hall and restaurants, some in ethnically mixed areas. For 27-year-old musician Olga, who turned up Sunday at two popular restaurants in the Rue de Charonne in Paris’ 10th arrondissement to lay flowers for her dead neighbors, none of it makes sense. “I don’t understand why this happened, why...
Several US states put on hold programmes to resettle Syrian refugees, after one of the Paris attackers is linked to migrants entering Europe.
As investigators piece together how the Paris attacks were planned and executed, Western military and diplomatic efforts in Syria will intensify.
The Paris attacks suggest that the U.S. and its allies overestimated successes against Islamic State while underestimating the group’s ability to strike far from its Middle East stronghold.
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President Barack Obama said the U.S. is intensifying all elements of its strategy against Islamic State following the group’s terrorist attacks in Paris, and he defended the administration’s approach as one “that’s going to work.”
French President François Hollande Monday vowed to adopt hard-line security measures after the deadly Paris attacks, and called for Russia and the U.S. to unite in the fight against Islamic State.
The Myth of Putin's Strategic Genius
New York Times-Oct 23, 2015
The Russian economy was returning to growth after the 2008 financial crisis. ... as president, Mr.Putin's approval rating hovered around 60 percent, his lowest ever. ... He annexed Crimea and attempted an even bigger land grab in eastern Ukraine, ... American leadership and underscoreRussia's isolation.
Putin, Merkel edge Obama to new low in power ranking
Yahoo News-Nov 4, 2015
In August, Putin's domestic approval rating soared to 87 percent, the ... to global influence aftermonths of Western isolation over Ukraine. ... Moscow annexed Crimea and over the conflict in Ukraine, Putin has made the US and NATO look weak, and helped rebuild Russian influence abroad, Forbes said.
Forbes names Putin world's most powerful person
FRANCE 24-Nov 5, 2015
FRANCE 24-Nov 5, 2015
Explore in depth (260 more articles)
MOSCOW—Russia’s estrangement from its Western partners is ending, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested Monday, as the Russian campaign in Syria and the terrorist attacks in Paris put Mr. Putin front and center at the Group of 20 summit in Turkey.
The Russian leader, who spoke Sunday with President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the summit in Antalya, said the U.S. appeared to be changing its stance on a partnership with Russia in the fight against Islamic State.
“We proposed cooperation on antiterrorism; unfortunately our partners in the United States in the initial stage responded with a refusal,” Mr. Putin said. “But life indeed moves on, often very quickly, and teaches us lessons. It seems to me that everyone is coming around to the realization that we can wage an effective fight only together.”
Mr. Putin said he noticed a clear interest among European officials to renew ties with Russia in several spheres and characterized the summit as less tense than last year’s meeting in Australia. Mr. Putin left that summit early after receiving a prickly reception over Russia’s intervention in Ukraine and annexation of Crimea.
“If our partners think the time has come to change our relations, then we will welcome that,” Mr. Putin said. “We have never refused joint efforts or closed doors.”
The Russian leader’s comments came along with what appeared to be a softened stance on the $3 billion in Ukrainian debt that Russia holds, due for repayment by Kiev next month. Mr. Putin expressed willingness to restructure the debt and asked for a guarantee by the West that Ukraine would make the payments in any agreed restructuring.
The Kremlin has long looked at the fight against terrorism as the most promising arena to build closer ties with the West. Mr. Putin was the first world leader to call the White House after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and his overtures became the basis for a short-lived period of relatively warm relations between Russia and the U.S. in the aftermath.
“We must now look ahead, we must unite our efforts in the fight against a common threat,” Mr. Putin said in comments that presented the Paris attack as an opportunity to avoid past differences and find common ground.
Russia’s decision to aid Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with an air campaign that kicked off in late September has increased Mr. Putin’s diplomatic leverage in a matter that has risen to the top of the priority list for the U.S. and Europe in the wake of the Paris attacks.
‘If our partners think the time has come to change our relations, then we will welcome that.’—Vladimir Putin, Russian President
The Russian leader said the attacks in Paris showed the need for countries to unite in a single antiterrorist coalition against Islamic State. Russia has insisted the coalition include Mr. Assad’s forces; the West has bristled at any cooperation with the Syrian leader.
“It’s not only that we can do this, it’s that we need to do this,” Mr. Putin said. “I spoke about this about the 70th anniversary session at the United Nations. This is specifically what I talked about, and the tragic events that followed only proved our case.”
The Russian leader cited Russian information that Islamic State was receiving financing from 40 countries—including members of the G-20. He said countries at the summit discussed the possibility of a U.N. Security Council resolution at Russia’s initiative to cut off funding for terrorist groups and crack down on the trade in antiquities that has helped fund Islamic State.
The U.S. and its allies say Russia’s air campaign has primarily not targeted Islamic State, but other Syrian opposition groups arrayed against Mr. Assad’s forces. Mr. Putin said that Russia made contact with certain groups in the Syrian opposition, who had asked Moscow not to strike the territory they control. He said the Kremlin has agreed.
“We have reached these agreements and are abiding by them,” the Russian president said. He said some opposition groups in Syria stood ready to start an active campaign against Islamic State with the support of Russian airstrikes.
The attacks in Paris came days after the crash of a Russian charter flight heading from Sharm El Sheikh to St. Petersburg, which U.K. authorities said was likely brought down by a bomb on board.
Mr. Putin said traces of explosives on the passengers’ belongings would be identifiable if a bomb indeed brought down the Airbus A321 down over the Sinai Peninsula. He said Russian authorities were working on the investigation.
“We know about all the theories, and we are looking at all the theories,” Mr. Putin said. “Final conclusions can be made only after conducting and concluding the analysis.”
Write to Paul Sonne at paul.sonne@wsj.com
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Vladimir Putin suggested Russia’s estrangement from its Western partners is ending, as the Russian campaign in Syria and the terrorist attacks in Paris put Mr. Putin front and center at the Group of 20 summit in Turkey.
Paris unites in defiant solidarity, then scatters in panicby Thomas Adamson and Philippe Sotto | AP
Parisians banded together Sunday in spontaneous celebrations of life in defiance of the attacks — but then panic over firecrackers sent the crowds fleeing, hiding under benches, overturning chairs and bicycles.
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Putin proposes Ukraine debt restructuring by Associated Press
Russian President Vladimir Putin is proposing restructuring the $3 billion debt owed by Ukraine to his country.
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This is the fundamental contradiction, after Paris: Few in the West want to send ground troops to Syria and Iraq to battle the Islamic State group, but it may be even harder to find anyone who thinks airstrikes alone will defeat the radical extremists.
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CIA Chief: US Has Not Underestimated ISby webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
The United States has not underestimated the Islamic State group, CIA Director John Brennan said Monday. Instead, Brennan credited the success of the U.S.-led coalition’s efforts in containing the group inside Iraq and Syria as to why “they are looking abroad” to make attacks. He made the comments while speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank. While it was “inevitable” that Islamic State militants would try to carry out such attacks,...
Tensions High as Nicaragua Closes Border to Cuban Migrantsby webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
Nicaragua has sent more than 1,000 Cuban migrants, heading to the United States, back to Costa Rica, accusing San Jose of deliberately sparking a humanitarian crisis. The diplomatic crisis began last week when Costa Rica said it would issue temporary transit visas to more than 1,000 Cubans it detained in recent days after crossing into the country from Panama. Costa Rica's immigration chief said the government initially was deporting Cubans who arrived without proper visas, but...
 NBCNews.com |
CIA Director Brennan: Paris Attacks Not 'A One-Off Event'
NBCNews.com CIA Director John Brennan said the deadly attacks in Paris that killed about 130 people said are not "a one-off event" and that intelligence agencies in Europe and elsewhere are likely redoubling efforts to uncover terror plots. "I certainly would not ... CIA working 'feverishly' to prevent more attacks like ParisUSA TODAY The Latest: CIA chief says US not underestimating IS groupKansas City Star CIA director warns that ISIS has other plots 'in the pipeline'The Hill Wall Street Journal all 37 news articles » |
 CBS News |
CIA director warns ISIS could have more attacks "in the pipeline"
CBS News CIA Director John Brennan on Monday warned that the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria likely has more attacks "in the pipeline" beyond the Paris terrorist attacks that left at least 129 people dead and more than 350 injured last Friday. At the Center for ... CIA Director Brennan: Paris Attacks Not 'A One-Off Event'NBCNews.com CIA working 'feverishly' to prevent more attacks like ParisUSA TODAY CIA DIRECTOR: 'I anticipate this is not the only operation ISIL has in the ...Business Insider The Hill -Politico -Washington Examiner all 31 news articles » |
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Paris terror attacks are likely to galvanize a stronger global military response to Islamic State, after a U.S.-led air war that has lasted more than a year has failed to contain a group now proving itself to be a growing worldwide threat.
BELEK, Turkey (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama vowed on Sunday to step up efforts to eliminate Islamic State and prevent more attacks like those in Paris, while urging Russia's Vladimir Putin to focus on combating the jihadist group in Syria.
AMMAN (Reuters) - Syria's al Qaeda offshoot said on Monday it had killed leaders of an insurgent group it says is linked with Islamic State in a suicide bombing of its headquarters in the south of the country.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies conducted 23 strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria on Sunday, the coalition leading the operations said in a statement released on Monday.
LONDON (Reuters) - After the deadliest attack on Europe in over a decade, Britain said on Monday it would hire more spies while France called for better intelligence sharing and tougher controls on the EU's external borders against arms smugglers and Islamist militants.
AMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrians living under Islamic State rule in its de facto capital of Raqqa fear they will pay the price for the group's Paris attacks with more air strikes.
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U.S. Warplanes Strike ISIS Oil Trucks in Syriaby MICHAEL R. GORDON
The assault is part of a broader operation to disrupt the ability of the Islamic State to generate revenue to support its military operations.
Friday's Paris attacks were planned from Syria and more are being prepared, the French PM says, as he confirms raids on suspected Islamists across France.
A gang boss in Japan's Yamaguchi-gumi yakuza syndicate is bludgeoned to death, months after a split in the organised crime group, according to reports.
US-led air strikes destroyed 116 fuel trucks operated by so-called Islamic State (IS) in eastern Syria on one day, US defence officials say.
Anonymous, the international group of hacking activists, have released a video message threatening the so-called Islamic State group.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Times Square, French consulates and sports stadiums saw increased security Saturday, but authorities noted the stepped-up patrols were out of an abundance of caution following the Paris terror attacks that killed more than 120....
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Obama says twisted ideology behind attack on civilized worldby By JOSH LEDERMAN and JULIE PACE
ANTALYA, Turkey (AP) -- President Barack Obama says the terror attacks in Paris were an "attack on the civilized world." He says "the skies have been darkened" by the horrific attacks....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The deadly assaults in Paris could bolster Hillary Rodham Clinton's image as a potential commander in chief, even as the chaos in the Middle East threatens to undercut the policy record of the Democratic White House front-runner....
ROME (AP) -- Gianfranco Romeo sits at a table at his trattoria off the Pantheon, casting scorn over the idea that he's a frontman for a feared mafia clan....
Belgian jihadi ID'd as mastermind of Paris attacksby RAPHAEL SATTER and JOHN-THOR DAHLBURG
BRUSSELS (AP) -- Once a happy-go-lucky student at one of Brussels' most prestigious high schools, Saint-Pierre d'Uccle, Abdelhamid Abaaoud morphed into Belgium's most notorious jihadi, a zealot so devoted to the cause of holy war that he recruited his 13-year-old brother to join him in Syria....
PARIS (AP) -- French police, prosecutors and journalists have unveiled details about the men accused of carrying out rapid-fire attacks across Paris on Friday. Altogether, authorities say that three teams of attackers participated in the bloody assault, though the precise strength of each team hasn't been made clear. Seven men were killed in the attacks, and at least one suspected participant remains at large....
The FBI is continuing its search for weapons stolen during a break-in late Saturday night at the United States Army Reserve armory in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Officials confirmed Sunday afternoon that several weapons are missing from the armory, but would not disclose the number or types of weapons that were stolen, ...
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Is China a friend of Israel?
American Enterprise Institute Russia continues to change the territorial status quo in Europe and now in the Middle East; Iran competes with Islamic State for hegemony in the Persian Gulf; China is busy asserting its sway in East Asia. All of this .... But that arrangement was cut ... and more » |
The head of the CIA believes there are more attacks “in the pipeline” from the Islamic State group
 ChristianToday |
Ex-CIA chief urges new U.S. strategy vs. ISIS: Join Russia and Syria in wiping ...
ChristianToday U.S. President Barack Obama (L) talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and U.S. security advisor Susan Rice (2nd L) prior to the opening session of the Group of 20 (G20) Leaders summit in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya, Turkey, on Nov. and more » |
NBC reporter Ron Allen asked President Obama Monday if he understood the Islamic State well enough to defeat them, drawing a curt response from Obama who said he had answered that question multiple times already.
Several reporters at Monday’s press conference in Turkey asked Obama about his previous underestimations of IS, and Obama became impatient when Allen followed that theme.
Obama impatient today with reporters for redundant questions about Islamic State strategy. But this is on every American’s mind
— Josh Lederman (@joshledermanAP) November 16, 2015
“I think a lot of people around the world and in America are concerned because, given the strategy that you’re pursuing and it’s been more than a year now, ISIS’ capabilities seem to be expanding,” Allen said. “Were you aware that they had the capability of pulling off the kind of attack that they did in Paris? Are you concerned, and do you think they have that same capability to strike in the United States?
“And do you think that, given all you’ve learned about ISIS over the past year or so, and given all the criticism about your underestimating them, do you think you really understand this enemy well enough to defeat them and to protect the homeland?”
“Alright, well this is another variation on the same question, and let me try it one last time,” Obama said. “We have been fully aware of the potential capabilities of them carrying out a terrorist attack. That’s precisely why we have been mounting a very aggressive strategy to go after them. As I said before, when you’re talking about the ability of a handful of people with not wildly sophisticated military equipment, weapons, who are willing to die, they can kill a lot of people, and preventing them from doing so is challenging for every country.”
If there were a swift solution to this, Obama said, other countries that have been subject to these attacks like France and Turkey would have implemented those strategies.
The post Reporter Angers Obama After Asking Him ‘Do You Think You Really Understand’ the Islamic State? appeared first on Washington Free Beacon.
German on Trial Accused of Giving CIA 200 Secret Documentsby webdesk@voanews.com (Reuters)
A former employee of Germany's BND foreign intelligence agency who is charged with treason gave the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) 200 secret documents, prosecutors said at the start of his trial on Monday. The arrest last year of the man, identified as Markus R., cooled relations between Berlin and Washington, close allies during the Cold War and afterwards, and followed revelations that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) snooped on Germany. The 32-year-old man, who has suffered from a disability since early childhood that affects his mobility, is accused of passing information to the CIA from 2008 until mid-2014 in return for at least 95,000 euros ($102,000). He received the money from a handler named as Craig during meetings in Salzburg and other Austrian cities, prosecutors said. "At the BND I had the impression that nobody found me credible," the defendant told the Munich court. "With the CIA it was different. One could prove himself." Known as Uwe to his handlers, who included a CIA agent named Alex, Markus R. provided the Americans with details on the BND's structure, key activities, deliberations and collaboration with foreign spy agencies, prosecutors told the court. They said the CIA gave him a notebook with a special email program, which he used to provide the agency with almost weekly updates. In mid-2014, Markus R. also handed over three documents to the Russian consulate in Munich, they said. Wearing a dark gray suit, Markus R. appeared shy as he answered questions put forward by the judge. He grew up in former East Germany with a locksmith father and a mother who worked as a precision mechanic. He had an interest in computers. Arrested in July last year, he was charged on Aug. 11 this year on two counts of treason, breaking official secrets and corruption. A guilty verdict could mean a life sentence. Markus R. had worked from December 2007 for the BND and soon afterwards offered help to the CIA, prosecutors said. From May 2008 until his arrest, he worked in a department responsible for the protection of soldiers serving abroad, with access to sensitive material. The documents he passed to the Russian consulate in Munich also posed a security risk to Germany, prosecutors said. Fugitive former NSA contractor Edward Snowden revealed two years ago the extent of U.S. surveillance in Germany, which included bugging the phone of Chancellor Angela Merkel.
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Massive Internet Outage Hits Azerbaijanby support@pangea-cms.com (RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service)
RFE/RL's correspondents report from Azerbaijan that a massive Internet outage affected daily life in the oil-rich former Soviet republic in the South Caucasus on November 16.
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The Pentagon Pushes Back Against Russia, China
ValueWalk The U.S.-China-Russia power struggle continues to ripen with each passing day. As the South China Sea dispute and the Syrian crisis mature, it has become clearer than ever that the U.S. finds itself positioned, once again, against two long-time rivals ... and more » |
President Plevneliev fears that cyber attacks stem from Moscow
Washington Post |
Russia's Syria intervention makes scant progress on the ground
Washington Post CAIRO — More than six weeks of Russian airstrikes on rebel-held areas of Syria have failed to weaken the country's insurgency, even as the military intervention has intensified international diplomatic efforts to end the four-year-long war. The daily ... Syrian Transition Plan Reached by U.S., Russia in ViennaBloomberg Russian objection excluded Australia from Syrian peace talksThe Conversation AU Paris attacks: Syrian transition plan reached by US, Russia in Vienna talksSydney Morning Herald Slate Magazine (blog)-Bloomberg View-RT all 1,450 news articles » |
Evolving Strategy: Strategy Shift for ISIS: Inflicting Terror in Distant Lands by ERIC SCHMITT and DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
The recent violence in Paris and Beirut and the downing of a Russian passenger jet appear to be part of a centrally planned campaign of attacks by an evolving Islamic State.
The National Interest Online |
5 Weapons Iran Would Love to Buy From Russia
The National Interest Online The recent announcement that Russia will begin deliveries of S-300 air defense missiles to Iran rocked western governments—and Israel. Russia is set to deliver five battalions of the S-300 long range surface-to-air missile system, concluding a deal ... and more » |
Pakistan Military Chief to Visit USby webdesk@voanews.com (Ayaz Gul)
Pakistan’s military chief General Raheel Sharif is to begin a crucial five-day visit to the United States on Monday. Officials say that “pressing issues” such as regional counterterrorism and Afghan peace efforts will top the agenda of the meetings with top American officials. General Sharif is scheduled to meet with his U.S. military counterparts and the director of the CIA. The two sides are expected to review security and anti-terrorism cooperation. The general is also scheduled to hold important talks with Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Ash Carter, says a senior Pakistani official with knowledge of the agenda. Counterterrorism efforts He told VOA requesting anonymity that General Sharif will brief U.S. leaders on successes of counterterrorism military operations to secure the volatile northwestern region, which borders Afghanistan. The anti-insurgency offensive, dubbed as Zarb-e-Azb, was launched nearly 18 months ago in the militant-dominated semiautonomous North Waziristan tribal district and has since been expanded to other parts of Pakistan. Military officials say that more than 3,500 local and foreign extremists have been killed while hundreds of security personnel also have lost lives. The anti-insurgency activity, say Pakistani leaders, has led to a significant decline in terrorist attacks in the country. The official says the Pakistani military leader will re-emphasize the need for effective border controls on the Afghan side of the porous frontier and call for choking external terrorist financing. General Sharif’s visit comes at a time of intensified international and regional push for restoration of a stalled peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan to end the Taliban-led insurgency there. Pakistan's role in peace talks Pakistan’s role is seen as critical to bring the insurgents to the peace table because of its past ties to the Islamist group that Afghan officials allege remain intact. The senior Pakistani official acknowledged that “there is a clear possibility for a new push for resumption of the [Afghan] reconciliation process.” Without giving further details, he said General Sharif would urge U.S. interlocutors to ensure that “any resumed peace effort” would not be scuttled by “elements” within the Afghan government. The United States and China have called on Afghan and Pakistani leaders to join hands to encourage insurgent leaders to come to the peace table, anticipating a lowering of winter Afghan fighting. Pakistani Senator Mushahid Hussain, chairman of the defense affairs committee of the upper house of parliament, calls for furthering the Afghan peace process from where it was broken in July. “I am quite upbeat and optimistic about the situation. This new convergence between Pakistan, China and the United States on promoting and pushing forward an Afghan peace process is a positive development and, we hope that it will have positive results too,” he told VOA. Past talks Pakistan in July mediated and hosted the first round of peace negotiations between Afghan government and Taliban officials. But the process was disrupted on the eve of a scheduled second crucial round days later when it was revealed that longtime Taliban chief Mullah Omar had died two years ago. Pakistani officials indirectly blame the Afghan intelligence agency for disclosing the news to disrupt the peace talks, insisting the institution is opposed to the reconciliation process. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had been under fire from his political opponents and even members within his own government for allowing Islamabad to play a role in the process. The spike in insurgent attacks in Afghanistan since the dialogue collapsed has added domestic pressure on the Afghan leadership not to seek further help from the neighboring country amid growing allegations that Islamabad is behind the violence. An Afghan presidential spokesman, Zafar Hashemi, would not say whether Islamabad’s role would be welcomed in any future peace parleys with the Taliban. “We want Pakistan to take action against those groups inside its territory that commit terrorism against our people, and hold gatherings in public, declaring war against Afghans. Taking actions against those groups in itself can be Pakistan's cooperation in the Afghan peace process,” Hashemi told VOA. Pakistani officials deny charges the Taliban is receiving any support or being allowed to use this side of the border for insurgent activities in Afghanistan.
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BT.com |
Putin's Russia: Claims Versus Reality
Huffington Post Some of America's leading policy-shapers share their president's view of Vladimir Putin andRussia. Stephen Kinzer of Brown University believes "Putin leads a declining nation that is politically and militarily weak, riddled with corruption, and on the ... US-Russia cooperation key to fighting Islamic State in Syria: EUYahoo News Allies unite in bid to persuade Russia to join fight against ISBT.com In chilling video, ISIS vows to attack Russia 'very soon' and 'make their ...ChristianToday RT all 155 news articles » |
BBC News |
G20 summit: Russia Syria action 'raising refugee numbers'
BBC News Russian military action in Syria is increasing the number of refugees trying to reach Europe, European Council President Donald Tusk has said. Speaking at a G20 summit in Turkey, Mr Tusk said Russia should focus more on Islamic State (IS) militants and ... and more » |
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