Russia Update
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- Pentagon Says Russia Among Greatest Threats; Kremlin Blasts Trump’s Putin ‘Demonization’LIVE UPDATES: Welcome to our column, Russia Update, where we will be closely following day-to-day developments in Russia, including the Russian government’s foreign and domestic policies. The previous issue is here. Recent Analysis and Translations: – Getting The News From Chechnya – The Crackdown On...
- Day 760: Putin Visits Occupied Crimea On Anniversary Of AnnexationLIVE UPDATES BELOW. Yesterday’s live coverage of the Ukraine conflict can be found here. READ OUR SPECIAL REPORT: An Invasion By Any Other Name: The Kremlin’s Dirty War in Ukraine
- Pentagon Says Russia Among Greatest Threats; Kremlin Blasts Trump’s Putin ‘Demonization’LIVE UPDATES: Welcome to our column, Russia Update, where we...
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Deutsche Welle |
Russia continues airstrikes despite pullout from Syria
Deutsche Welle "I want to emphasize that Russia's air force will continue to conduct airstrikes against the terrorist organizations Islamic State and Nusra Front in Syrian territory," Rudskoi added, saying that the withdrawal of forces was moving forward "according ... Keeping an Eye Out: Russia Continues to Call the Shots Despite PulloutSputnik International Syria conflict: Russia steps up strikes on IS at PalmyraBBC News Groundwork laid to defeat ISIS in Palmyra, Syria - Russian militaryRT Reuters -Jerusalem Post Israel News all 179 news articles » |
March 18, 2016
Russia in Review: a digest of useful news from U.S.-Russia Initiative to Prevent Nuclear Terrorism for March 11 – March 18, 2016
Telegraph.co.uk |
Russia jets continue strikes in Syria, Moscow says
Telegraph.co.uk Russian airstrikes are supporting a regime offensive against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isil) around the ancient city of Palmyra, generals said on Friday, in an apparent signal that the Kremlin will not relinquish direct military support ... Syria shows that Russia built an effective military. Now how will Putin use it?Washington Post Russia's Syrian campaign showcases weaponry, maybe 'even profitable,' Kremlin backer saysCBC.ca Russia Isn't Really Withdrawing From SyriaHuffington Post Reuters UK-European Council on Foreign Relations-New York Times all 6,028 news articles » |
Russia, Europe's Scapegoat for All Seasons
The Nation. The accusation seems to be that Russia is capitalizing on domestic opposition to Merkel's open-door immigration policies by directing funds to the contrarian Alternativ für Deutschland (AfD) party, whose support has surged as disenchantment with Merkel ... and more » |
Georgian FM: Western Integration, Sovereignty Are ‘Red Lines’ In Russia Talks by support@pangea-cms.com (RFE/RL)
Georgia’s new foreign minister says the ex-Soviet nation’s territorial integrity and Western aspirations are not up for discussion in its dealings with Russia.
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Two cliff divers have practised their skills near Victoria Falls as they leap 30 metres into the Zambezi River. Report by Cara Legg.
After 14 months, there is still no clarity over who killed prosecutor Alberto Nisman.
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Russian warplanes on Friday flew in support of Syrian government troops in an offensive to recapture the historic town of Palmyra from the hands of the Islamic State group, which has damaged many of the town's world-famous archaeological sites.
The Obama administration is openly and unapologetically stepping up efforts to find and deport unaccompanied children and families who arrived in the U.S. in the 2014 surge of illegal crossings.
The Senate late Thursday approved the nominations of Army Gen. Joseph Votel to run U.S. Central Command and Gen. Tony Thomas to take over as the top officer at U.S. Special Operations Command. Both commands are headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida.
A bipartisan coalition of 30 senators is calling on top appropriators to fully fund several joint U.S.-Israeli missile defense systems that help protect the Jewish state from terrorist rocket attacks, according to a letter sent by the lawmakers to the Senate’s Appropriations Defense Subcommittee and obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
The lawmakers, led by Sens. Mark Kirk (R., Ill.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D., N.Y.), are seeking to ensure that these missile systems receive the full amount of funding amid a sharp rise in the number of terror attacks occurring in Israel.
The joint defense systems—which include Iron Dome, the Arrow III interceptor, and David’s Sling—have been in the works for years, and have proven capable of destroying missile threats before they strike land.
Congress allocated more than $487 million for the programs in 2015, including around $55 for the Iron Dome system, which has garnered international headlines for its ability to knock down crude rockets fired by terrorists in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.
The other systems are still being perfected, but are expected to be capable of targeting more sophisticated missiles, such as those supplied by Iran to the terror group Hezbollah.
“It is in America’s national security interest to empower Israel, a democracy and our closest ally in the Middle East, to defend itself against rocket and missile threats from Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists as well as Iran’s terror-sponsoring regime,” Kirk said in a statement provided to the Free Beacon. “U.S.-Israel missile defense cooperation has an indisputable record of saving countless innocent lives from indiscriminate missile and rocket attacks.”
Gillibrand also touted the programs as a sound investment for both U.S. and Israeli security.
“Israel faces a range of threats in a dangerous and unstable region and providing this assistance for programs including Iron Dome and David’s Sling will ensure that our friend and ally can protect its citizens,” Gillibrand said in a separate statement.
The lawmakers expressed concern in their letter about the rising number of threats besieging the Jewish state.
“Amid growing rocket and missile threats in the Middle East, it is prudent for the United States and Israel to advance and accelerate bilateral cooperation on missile defense technologies,” they write. “We therefore urge you to fully fund U.S.-Israeli joint missile defense programs so that Israel can continue to develop and improve the three cooperative missile defense programs, as well as to purchase sufficient Iron Dome systems, including co-production of these systems in the United States, for protecting Israel’s population against growing missile and rocket threats in the region.”
The funding request comes just ahead of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s annual Washington, D.C., gathering. Joint U.S.-Israeli military programs have been a cornerstone of the advocacy group’s agenda.
The letter also was signed by Sens. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.), James Inhofe (R., Okla.), Time Kaine (D., Va.), David Vitter (R., La.), Mark Warner (D., Va.), Barbara Boxer (D., Calif.), Kelly Ayotte (R., N.H.), David Perdue (R., Ga.), Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.), Robert Menendez (D., N.J.), and other leading lawmakers.
The post Congress Calls for Full Funding of U.S.-Israel Missile Defense Programs appeared first onWashington Free Beacon.
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In February, Russian sources confirmed a $200 million loan to Armenia. The loan—extended by Moscow to allow Armenia to buy up-to-date Russian weapons—had been promised in June 2015 (see EDM, June 29, 2015). In a rather unusual manner, and contrary to the agreement’s confidentiality clause, the Russian media published a list of weapons to be supplied, including Smerch multiple rocket launchers, portable anti-aircraft missiles, radars that may be used for coordinating surface-to-air systems, multiple thermobaric rocket launchers, wire-guided anti-tank missiles, anti-tank rocket-propelled grenades, trucks and other supplies (Interfax, February 18). The loan agreement came into force on February 10, and it stipulates that the procurement shall be carried out until the end of 2017 (Gazeta.ru, February 19).
The leak about the planned weapons purchases was quickly followed up by a letter of protest sent to Russia by Azerbaijan. The letter included a demand to guarantee that the supplied weapons not be deployed either to the breakaway Azerbaijani territory of Karabakh or near the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan (RIA Novosti, February 24). A reply publicized by Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed hope that Azerbaijan would show understanding, asserting that Russia carries out military and technical cooperation in the South Caucasus with an eye to maintaining a regional balance of power. As noted by Armenian news agencies, Russia’s assurances about maintaining a balance of power in the region were rather hypocritical. But the Armenian government, unlike its Azerbaijani counterpart, has never demanded an explanation from Russia in equally strong terms, despite the narrative of Moscow and Yerevan enjoying a “strategic partnership” and the fact that Azerbaijan buys about 80 percent of its weapons from Russia, having contracts worth billions of dollars (1in.am, February 26). Some Armenian sources openly called Russia the main threat to regional security, noting that none of the other co-chairs of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) Minsk Group sell arms to the conflicting sides (Lragir.am, February 26). At the same time, it was noted that the weapons included in the published list do not include the latest hardware comparable to the types of weapons that Russia routinely exports to Azerbaijan (Lragir.am, February 22).
On March 9, the Russian weekly Voenno-Promyshlennyi Kurier (Military-Industrial Courier) published an article by the deputy director of the Institute for Political and Military Analysis, Alexander Khramchikhin, which included a detailed account of the structure of the Armenian armed forces, the location of its units and their arms and equipment, as well as similar information about the local forces in Karabakh. The article also included speculation about possible scenarios in case of an armed conflict between Russia and Turkey, as well as warnings against possible attempts to develop cooperation between Armenia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) (Voenno-Promyshlennyi Kurier, March 9). At the same time, pro-Russian media and social network commentators started a seemingly well-coordinated campaign downplaying the significance of the article in Voenno-Promyshlennyi Kurier. But a Ministry of Defense spokesperson quickly admitted that some of the information in the article was confidential, and its publication by the Russian paper was unacceptable (Arminfo.am, March 10).
As noted in a Yerevan-based Regional Studies Center briefing, Voenno-Promyshlennyi Kurier had previously published similar articles about the armies of the Baltic States, Georgia and Ukraine; however, publishing such sensitive data about an ally’s army contradicts conventional practice. Besides, the confidential nature of the published information, which included data previously not available from open sources, suggests that Russia’s Ministry of Defense or other state agencies must have willingly provided some information to the author (Regional-studies.org, March 10). It is not quite clear why the Russian side might be interested in such information leaks just at this moment. A week later, Voenno-Promyshlennyi Kurier also published a similar article about Azerbaijan’s army. While the piece admitted that all offensive weapons supplied to Azerbaijan came from Russia, and that Azerbaijan’s military equipment is more numerous and modern compared to Armenia’s, it also speculated that Azerbaijan would nonetheless not have a decisive advantage in case of a new war over Karabakh (Voenno-Promyshlennyi Kurier, March 16).
Armenian officials’ reaction to the disclosure of sensitive information by Russian sources remained limited to the short statement by the defense ministry spokesperson. President Serzh Sargsyan did not publicly mention any controversial bilateral issues during his visit to Moscow on March 10. In a meeting with Vladimir Putin, he, in a habitual manner, supported Russia’s policy in Syria and thanked Putin for Moscow’s efforts at trying to resolve the Karabakh conflict (TASS, March 10). Sargsyan also avoided discussing economic issues that could potentially annoy the Russians. So despite previous suggestions about the possibility of some advantageous economic agreement, such as a gas price discount, no results were achieved. On the contrary, it was announced that the Armenian government would exempt Gazprom-Armenia’s profits received in the first quarter of 2016 from taxation in order to compensate the company for the consequences of the devaluation of the Armenian dram—thus keeping Gazprom-Armenia’s profits the same in dollar terms (Lragir.am, March 9).
As illustrated by Yerevan’s muted reaction to the Russian media leaks of classified details of Armenia’s defense posture, the Armenian authorities remain cautious when it comes to Russia. They either avoid discussions on practically any issue that might cause disturbance in Moscow or explicitly support Russia’s interests. Nonetheless, by taking such a stance, they create more doubts concerning their sincerity and capability to solve any internationally significant issue related to Armenia’s interests. Thus, despite the European Union’s consistent interest in developing cooperation with Yerevan, Iran’s offers concerning the transit of natural gas, and other possibilities, little, if any, progress should be expected. Armenia’s dependence on Russia will likely remain unchallenged even with the latter’s mounting economic problems (see EDM, January 28); and any alternative opportunities will almost certainly be missed.
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On March 10, in a rare tripartite deal, Georgia released four Ossetian prisoners, three of which were serving life sentences on charges of terrorism against the Georgian state. In exchange, the authorities of South Ossetia (Tskhinvali region) and Abkhazia released 14 Georgians, held in these Russian-occupied separatist regions on various charges, ranging from “espionage” to “illegal crossing” of the administrative border (Netgazeti.ge, March 10).
The prisoner release followed months of negotiations and caused a certain degree of euphoria, especially on the Georgian side. Georgia’s State Minister for Reconciliation Paata Zakareishvili triumphantly declared that “if it [was] possible to work honestly over such a difficult issue [prisoner exchange], then the same will be possible over other issues as well.” Moreover, the Abkhazian and Ossetian separatist regimes welcomed the deal as an example of “good will” and “pragmatic cooperation. The prisoner exchange was also praised by international organizations. As the European Union, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and United Nations envoys to Georgia remarked in a joint statement: “coming to a mutual understanding about the release of detainees opens good prospects for further engagement” (Civil Georgia, March 11). Notably, the talks about the swap were initiated by the Abkhazian side itself, even though no Abkhazian prisoners were ultimately released by the Georgian government.
The prisoner exchange affair could have been interpreted as an isolated case of Georgian-Abkhazian and Georgian-Ossetian cooperation, if not for another similar event about a month earlier. Specifically, in February, Tbilisi reached a short-term agreement with Sukhumi, according to which Georgia will continue to supply Abkhazia with electricity from Russia (and pay for it), in order to avoid blackouts in the separatist region caused by low water levels at Enguri River dam—the main source of power for Abkhazia (Channel 1 TV, February 18).
So what is really taking place between Tbilisi and its separatist regions? Is cooperation and reconciliation really picking up steam? A closer look shows that such hopes might be overly exaggerated. The prisoner swap is not new. The sides have released mutual prisoners on previous occasions as well (Civil Georgia, January 2, 2014); however, these agreements never resulted in any breakthrough in Georgian-Abkhazian or Georgian-Ossetian relations.
Moreover, Georgia has been supplying and paying for separatist Abkhazia’s electricity for years. The separatist regime welcomed this arrangement because it makes significant money for its elite, allegedly through the illegal sale of surplus electricity. Overall, as Paata Davitaia, an opposition Georgian politician and himself a refugee from Abkhazia, put it, the local separatist press mocks the Georgian side for its naivety in dealing with the regime in Sukhumi (Rezonansy, March 10).
Things do not look any better on the Ossetian side. In fact, South Ossetia’s breakaway regime is actively discussing the possibility of joining Russia. On February 18, the region’s de facto leader, Leonid Tibilov, stated that he would push to hold a referendum this year in order to gain public support and constitutionally prepare for South Ossetia’s accession to the Russian Federation (TASS, February 19). In another recent development, Russian occupation forces in South Ossetia once again moved the occupation line deeper into Georgia, this time around the village of Jariasheni (Accent.com.ge, March 15). Moreover, people-to-people contacts between Ossetians and Georgians are minimal at best. It is safe to say that occupied South Ossetia is completely isolated from the rest of Georgia, which makes it nearly impossible to lay the groundwork for any kind of public relations between the two ethnic communities.
Against this background, is a reconciliation between Georgians and Abkhaz and Georgians and Ossetians possible at all? Theoretically, yes. But the situation is tremendously complicated by the ever-present Russian factor, which cannot be ignored. Moscow tightly controls every aspect of socioeconomic and political life in the separatist regions. For instance, in reaction to the recent clash between Moscow and Ankara over Turkey’s downing of a Russian fighter jet that violated Turkish airspace, separatist Abkhazia was forced to join Russia’s trade embargo against Turkey, even though the Abkhazians had no desire—and an economic disincentive—to do so (Observer.com.ge, January 20).
Similarly, the Kremlin controls all other big or small aspects of Abkhazia’s and South Ossetia’s agendas. It, therefore, seems quite plausible that Moscow itself sanctioned separatist Sukhumi (and by extension Tskhinvali) to launch these recent talks with Tbilisi about a prisoner exchange. One possible reason for this could be Moscow’s desire to create an illusion within Georgian society that the Georgian-Russian rapprochement is actually working. The ultimate goal is to make Georgians believe that Moscow has the power and willingness—presumably conditional—to push the Abkhaz and Ossetians to talk to the Georgians, mend ties, and possibly reintegrate with Georgia in the future.
Time will tell whether this postulated approach by Russia will have the desired effect on the Georgian population. Regardless, at this stage, it is safe to conclude that a real Georgian-Abkhaz and Georgian-Ossetian reconciliation is not taking place. As the ongoing developments illustrate, Georgia’s relations with its breakaway territories remains fundamentally stalled. They can only be genuinely revitalized when the key obstacles—Russia and the Russian occupation—are removed from the picture. And so far, no such prospect is visible on the South Caucasus’ political horizon.
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Reuters |
Russia pulls most strike aircraft from Syria, now using artillery: US
Reuters WASHINGTON Russia has withdrawn most of its strike aircraft from Syria, the U.S. military said on Friday, adding that it was now entirely carrying out strikes in support of Syrian government forces using artillery instead of aircraft. "They still have ... The Latest: Russian planes back Syria's battle for PalmyraFox News The Latest: WFP practices for new airdrops of aid to Syria12NewsNow.Com Groundwork laid to defeat ISIS in Palmyra, Syria - Russian militaryRT Business Standard -TASS -ARA News all 172 news articles » |
What to Know About Salah Abdeslam by Charlotte Alter
Salah Abdeslam, who was captured by police in a terrorism raid in Brussels Friday, is one of Europe’s most wanted fugitives, believed to be one of the key architects of last year’s deadly terrorist attacks in Paris which killed 130 people.
Abdeslam has been the object of a massive manhunt following the attacks. It is believed he playedan important role in organizing the logistics of the Paris attacks, and was a driver for the three bombers who blew themselves up at the Stade de France. His brother, Brahim Abdeslam, died carrying out the attack. He allegedly escaped to Brussels shortly afterwards. The car was stopped on the France-Belgium border, but was allowed to pass by police.
Abdeslam is among the last of the alleged Paris attackers targeted by police. According to the BBC,nine of the other suspected terrorists died in the attack or in subsequent police raids. One other suspect, Mohamed Abrini, is still at large.
Two U.S. senators: Rob Portman, an Ohio Republican; and Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat; are introducing legislation aimed at countering propaganda from Russia, China and other countries. VOA News reports.
Two Years After Annexation, Putin Seeks to Link Crimea by Bridge to Russia by webdesk@voanews.com (Reuters)
President Vladimir Putin, marking the second anniversary of Russia's annexation of Crimea, on Friday exhorted workers building a bridge between the Black Sea peninsula and Russia to fulfil an "historic mission" first conceived by a Russian tsar. Russia seized the majority Russian-speaking Crimea from Ukraine on March 16, 2014 after an uprising toppled Ukraine's pro-Russian president, but the peninsula has since struggled with economic isolation. The annexation...
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Two U.S. senators: Rob Portman, an Ohio Republican; and Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat; are introducing legislation aimed at countering propaganda from Russia, China and other countries. VOA News reports.
Originally published at - http://www.voanews.com/media/video/us-senators-call-increased-efforts-counter-russian-chinese-propaganda/3244448.html
Originally published at - http://www.voanews.com/media/video/us-senators-call-increased-efforts-counter-russian-chinese-propaganda/3244448.html
Terror group claims to have killed Russian soldiers in combat as generals announce a major offensive to push Isil out of Palmyra only days after Vladimir Putin ordered a withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria.
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Islamic State Influence Grows in Russia's North Caucasus Region by webdesk@voanews.com (Victor Vasiliev)
The Russian government announced this week that three Islamic State-linked militants were arrested in Dagestan, one of the seven republics of Russia's North Caucasus region. According to the National Anti-Terrorist Committee, the insurgents revealed the location of their safe house on the outskirts of a village, where authorities found four improvised explosive devices and nearly a ton of explosives. The North Caucasus has experienced large-scale insurgency-related violence over...
HAVANA (Reuters) - The mansion in Havana where U.S. President Barack Obama and his family will spend two nights has survived war, revolution and an Albanian occupation.
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- Salah Abdeslam, the Belgian-born Frenchman who was arrested Friday in a police raid in Brussels' Molenbeek neighborhood, had crisscrossed central and southern Europe before taking part in the Paris terror attacks - then going on the lam as Europe's most-wanted fugitive....
Camera-Shy Miss Puerto Rico Stripped of Crownby Brian Latimer and Daniela Franco / NBC News
Kristhielee Caride will not represent Puerto Rico at the 2016 Miss Universe pageant after clashing with the national director over public appearances and an alleged attitude problem, according to reports.
Caride won the Miss Puerto Rico title four months ago and was slated to represent the island on a global stage. But after she was dismissive in an interview with a local newspaper — reportedly saying she “didn’t love the cameras” and shutting down a reporter’s questions — the national director of Miss Universe Puerto Rico replaced her, The Associated Press reported.
“I wanted the earth to swallow me,” director Desiree Lowry said….
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Police, prosecutors, friends, families and acquaintances have unveiled details about the men who carried out the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris. Altogether, authorities say that three teams participated in the bloody assault. Here is a look at what we know about the suspects:
Venezuelan leader flies to Cuba ahead of Obama visitby Michael Weissenstein | AP
Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro flew to Cuba on Friday for a day of high-level meetings and ceremonies that appeared designed to send a message of socialist solidarity two days before Barack Obama becomes the first U.S. president to visit the island in nearly 90 years.
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Salah Abdeslam, the Belgian-born Frenchman who was arrested Friday in a police raid in Brussels’ Molenbeek neighborhood, had crisscrossed central and southern Europe before taking part in the Paris terror attacks — then going on the lam as Europe’s most-wanted fugitive.
EU Leaders, Turkey Meet To Clinch Migrant Dealby support@pangea-cms.com (RFE/RL)
European Union leaders and Turkey are meeting in Brussels in the hopes of clinching a deal to end the migrant crisis.
The Daily Vertical: A Spoiler Not A Superpower (Transcript)by support@pangea-cms.com (Brian Whitmore)
The Daily Vertical is a video primer for Russia-watchers that appears Monday through Friday.
Russia Places U.S. Organization On 'Undesirable' Listby support@pangea-cms.com (RFE/RL)
Russia's Justice Ministry has added a U.S. organization on the list of "undesirable organizations" under a law that Moscow says is needed to prevent foreign organizations from being used to undermine Russian national security.
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