Gazette 06-12-14

Thursday June 12th 2014

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Iraqi Kurds 'fully control Kirkuk' as army flees

Iraqi Kurdish forces say they have taken full control of the northern oil city of Kirkuk as the army flees before an Islamist offensive nearby.

"The whole of Kirkuk has fallen into the hands of peshmerga," Kurdish spokesman Jabbar Yawar told Reuters. "No Iraq army remains in Kirkuk now."
Kurdish fighters are seen as a bulwark against Sunni Muslim insurgents.
Meanwhile, Iraq's parliament has postponed a vote on a call by PM Nouri Maliki for a state of emergency.
The fall of Mosul, the country's second city, to the Islamists sent shockwaves across the Middle East.
Kirkuk and the surrounding province of Tamim are at the heart of a political and economic dispute between Iraq's Arabs and Kurds.

Iraq delays vote on emergency as crisis spreads

Parliament in Baghdad has delayed voting on a request to grant the prime minister emergency powers as the north slips out of government control.

Just 128 out of the 325 MPs turned up for the vote on Nouri Maliki's request.
In the north, Kurdish forces claimed control of the oil city of Kirkuk, saying government forces had fled.
The Kurds secured the area after the cities of Mosul and Tikrit fell to Sunni Islamist insurgents during a lightning advance.
Kurdish fighters are seen as a bulwark against the Sunni Muslim insurgents but they have also been locked for years in a dispute with Baghdad over Kirkuk, seeking to incorporate it into their own autonomous area.
Led by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), the insurgents are believed to be planning to push further south to the capital Baghdad and regions dominated by Iraq's Shia Muslim majority, whom they regard as "infidels".

US mulls air strikes as Iraqi jihadists advance towards Baghdad

KIRKUK (Iraq): Militants have seized the Iraqi city of Tikrit as a jihadist offensive sweeps closer to Baghdad, prompting the UN security council to convene crisis talks on Thursday while the US mulls air strikes on the rebels.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) seized the second city of Mosul on Tuesday and has since captured a large swathe of northern and north-central Iraq including Tikrit — the hometown of executed dictator Saddam Hussein.

ISIL spokesman Abu Mohammed al-Adnani promised the battle would "rage" on the capital Baghdad and Karbala, a city southwest of the capital that is considered one of the holiest sites for Shia Muslims, the SITE Intelligence Group said.

The UN security council swiftly convened a meeting to discuss the crisis in a sign of growing international alarm at the fast-moving situation.

Diplomats said the closed consultations would begin at 11:30am and will include a briefing by video link from the UN special representative to Iraq, Nickolay Mladenov.

Washington is considering several options for offering military assistance to Baghdad, including drone strikes, a US official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Resorting to such aircraft — used in Afghanistan and Pakistan in a highly controversial programme — would mark a dramatic shift in the US engagement in Iraq, after the last American troops pulled out in late 2011.

State department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the US was committed to "working with the Iraqi government and leaders across Iraq to support a unified approach against ISIL's continued aggression."

But there is no current plan to send US troops back into Iraq, where around 4,500 American soldiers died in the bitter conflict.

Afghans tighten security as Taliban threaten presidential vote

KABUL, Afghanistan –  Afghan police and soldiers are manning checkpoints at almost every intersection, searching vehicles and banning trucks from the streets, tightening security ahead of a weekend presidential election.
Insurgents have intensified attacks ahead of Saturday's runoff vote, and the Taliban have issued a new statement warning voters to stay away from the polls. The first round in April passed relatively peacefully, but a recent assassination attempt against one of the two presidential hopefuls left in the race has raised fears.

Still, a senior U.N. envoy expressed confidence Thursday that Afghan voters will turn out as they did in the first round on April 5.
Jan Kubis also called on candidates Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai to give electoral authorities time to tally the ballots and resolve any complaints about fraud.

Suspected US drone strike kills 10 militants in north-west Pakistan

Officials say missiles fell in North Waziristan, hours after deadly strike marked end of six-month pause in drone programme

Pakistani intelligence officials say a suspected US missile strike has killed at least 10 people in a north-western tribal district near the Afghan border.
Two officials say a pair of American drones dropped three missiles on a militant compound and a vehicle early on Thursday in the town of Ghulam Khan in North Waziristan. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to the media.
There was no immediate information on the identities of those killed.
The strike came hours after a strike, also in North Waziristan, killed three militants on Wednesday night, marking the resumption of the CIA-led programme in Pakistan after a hiatus of nearly six months.
North Waziristan is home to a mix of local and al-Qaida-linked foreign militant groups.

Abbas accuses Israel of 'pulling region into violence' following Gaza airstrike 

The office of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Israel and accused it of escalating the violence in the region for its airstrike on Gaza Wednesday that killed a Palestinian militant.

Israel's airstrike followed the firing of a rocket from Gaza into Israeli territory on Wednesday morning.
The statement, carried on official Palestinian news agency WAFA, stated: "We hold Israel responsible for this escalation, which we consider an attempt to exacerbate the situation and pull the region into violence.”  Abbas's statement called upon the Israeli government to promptly stop what it called the “grave escalation." 

Wednesday's rocket sent from Gaza narrowly missed a main artery in southern Israel as it landed in a nearby dirt field without causing any injuries.On Wednesday night the Israeli Air Force targeted Mahmed Awwar, 33, of Beit Lahia, killing him from the air, in a joint operation with the Israel’s Security Agency.
The IDF charged that Awwar had been involved in many past rocket attacks against Israel, particularly in the last few months while he worked as a policeman for Hamas.
“This terror infrastructure is a violent and extremist Salafi cell which has carried out several rocket attacks and has attempted to implement diverse terror attacks against Israel as well as attempts to target a helicopter.
“The preemptive strike was intended to prevent Awwar from executing further attacks he had planned against Israel,” the IDF said.
The Gaza launched rocket which hit the Eshkol region along Israel’s southern border was the first such attack since the new unity government jointly sponsored by Fatah and Hamas was sworn into office last week.

Japan protests China's near-miss flybys over East China Sea

Tokyo: Japan protested to Beijing on Wednesday after Chinese fighter jets flew within 30 metres of Japanese military planes in airspace claimed by both nations. Similar flybys in the same area took place several weeks ago.
In two separate episodes on Wednesday, Chinese Su-27 fighters flew dangerously close to two Japanese propeller-driven reconnaissance airplanes in skies over the East China Sea, Japan's defence ministry said.
The flybys are the latest escalation in an increasingly tense test of wills between China and Japan for dominance of the East China Sea, which includes a group of uninhabited islets that both nations claim. Japan took control of the island group when it was a rising imperial power in the late 19th century, but now a newly resurgent China wants to regain what it sees as stolen territory.
The ministry said the Japanese planes had returned safely to base, though the faster Chinese jets came close enough that the crew of one Japanese craft photographed what appeared to be white missiles on the underside of the jets.
A similar encounter took place last month, when Chinese fighter planes flew as close as 30 metres to Japanese reconnaissance planes in the same area.
Japan's defence ministry said the incidents had taken place in airspace where both nations claim overlapping "air defence identification zones" - areas bordering sovereign airspace where foreign aircraft were required to identify themselves and to provide flight plans. Japan has ignored the Chinese air zone since Beijing declared it late last year.
There was no immediate comment by Chinese officials on Wednesday.
Analysts have said the flybys could be a sign that China has begun trying to enforce its air zone. However, they warn that the high-speed flybys carry the risk of an accident or miscalculation that could spiral out of control, causing a larger confrontation.

Rio Airport Workers Strike On Eve Of World Cup

Workers at Rio de Janeiro's two airports declared a partial work stoppage beginning at midnight Wednesday, on the eve of the opening match of the World Cup.

Rio's Galeao international airport is expected to be one of the country's busiest during the monthlong soccer tournament. The walkout also would affect Santos Dumont airport, which provides domestic service, including flights to Sao Paulo, where the first World Cup game was being held Thursday.
Unions representing workers at the two airports including check-in counter clerks, baggage handlers and janitorial staff have been seeking for months raises of at least 5.6 percent and special bonuses tied to the World Cup.
A union representative said only 20 percent of workers would walk off the job for 24 hours initially. The official agreed to discuss specifics of the walkout only if not quoted by name because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly.
A labor court in Rio issued an injunction ordering the unions to maintain staffing at 80 percent of normal levels or face fines of up to $22,400.

Ukraine: Tanks Crossed Border From Russia

Ukraine's interior minister accused Russia on Thursday of allowing three tanks and other military vehicles to cross the border into east Ukraine to help pro-Russian separatists there.

Russia did not immediately respond to the accusations but Reuters correspondents saw three tanks in the border town of Snizhnye in east Ukraine.

Police use teargas and batons to break up World Cup protest in São Paulo

CNN producer suffers suspected broken arm as demonstrators dispersed by police hours before World Cup's opening match

Police have fired teargas and flash grenades at anti-World Cup protesters trying to block part of the main highway leading to São Paulo's stadium hours before it is due to host the opening match of the tournament, injuring a CNN producer in the process.
Amid a heavy security presence in the city, with military helicopters hovering overhead, police also used rubber truncheons to disperse about 50 demonstrators that tried to block the Radial Leste highway.
Barbara Arvanitidis, a CNN producer, was injured and suffered a suspected broken arm, according to her colleague Alex Thomas, who posted a photograph online of Arvanitidis slumped against a wall. Another picture showed a protester apparently being pepper sprayed while being held round the neck by another policeman. The protesters had said they planned to march as close as possible to Arena Corinthians, where Brazil are due to play Croatia at 5pm (9pm BST), but police forcefully broke up the demonstrators before they could start. BBC Radio 5 Live's correspondent Richard Conway tweeted: "Didn't appear to be any particular reason for police action, protestors were peaceful and chanting."

 
A producer for BBC Brazil reported that one person was injured and one arrested in the police crackdown.
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 Republicans reeling after Eric Cantor primary loss

US Republicans are reeling after House Majority Leader Eric Cantor lost his primary election to a challenger from the party's populist Tea Party wing.

Mr Cantor announced on Wednesday he would step down from his leadership position effective 31 July.
In a shock result, economics professor David Brat defeated the long-time Virginia congressman on Tuesday.
"In the end, the voters chose another candidate," Mr Cantor said, declining to analyse the reasons for his loss.
"Our [Republican Congressional] members are in good positions in their districts," the Virginia Republican told reporters. "I couldn't be more optimistic about the future."
Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher of California said Mr Cantor was defeated because his position on immigration reform - he had backed a Democratic proposal to allow young people brought illegally to the US as children to gain citizenship - contravened his constituents' views.
"He was taking a stand on an issue that his constituents were adamantly opposed to," Mr Rohrabacher told the BBC's Katty Kay.
"Eric didn't understand that. He was a good Republican, but he didn't go out and see that the big business may have wanted that amnesty programme but his constituents didn't want it."
Some Republicans have expressed concern over what Mr Cantor's defeat means for the party, which analysts say is struggling to broaden its appeal beyond its core base of conservative suburban and rural white voters.
"I'm concerned that Ted Cruz supporters, Rand Paul supporters, are going to use this as an excuse" to shut down the government, said New York Congressman Peter King, referring to two of the party's most prominent and bombastic conservatives. "This is not conservatism to me."
Several Republicans have expressed interest in running to succeed Mr Cantor in the party's House leadership, including Kevin McCarthy of California, as well as Pete Sessions and Jeb Hensarling, both of Texas.

Militant gains in Iraq catch Obama administration by surprise

The Obama administration once again appears to have been caught off guard by an explosion of violence in a country U.S. forces helped liberate from a dictator. 
Al Qaeda-aligned Sunni militants were advancing south and threatening to move on Baghdad on Thursday after overrunning the northern Iraq cities of Mosul and Tikrit -- with Iraqi government forces in rapid retreat. 
White House and State Department officials say the Obama administration is considering sending additional aid, but have not specified what that might be. The Iraqi government reportedly is seeking U.S. airstrikes. Republican lawmakers and military analysts are urging the administration to quickly piece together a gameplan, but warn that advances made by the militant Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) are confirming their "worst fears" about what would happen in the wake of the Obama-ordered U.S. troop withdrawal in 2011. 
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said Thursday that the current national security team is a "failure," urging President Obama to get a "new team." He also took a shot at Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, saying: "We need a new chairman." 
The escalating violence follows repeated assurances by the Obama administration that Al Qaeda is "on the run" and that its offshoots are not the threat they're made out to be. 
As recently as Monday, State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said of the situation in northern Iraq, "I don't get the sense that they're gaining a lot of territory."

Paul Ryan: U.S. Must Show Strength In Foreign Affairs

Rep. Paul Ryan, considered a potential presidential candidate in 2016, made a forceful call for the nation to show stronger leadership -- and thus renew its credibility on the world stage -- in a foreign policy speech Wednesday.

California's Kevin McCarthy a virtual lock for House majority leader

Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) is all but assured of becoming the next House majority leader after a lawmaker considered to be a strong conservative challenger declined Thursday to run in the internal GOP race.

The affable McCarthy, now the No. 3 Republican in the House, is by no means the top choice among tea party lawmakers who believe the current leadership is tied too closely to the party's establishment wing. But the path for his ascent to the No. 2 spot seemed to clear Thursday as the potential challenger, Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas, said he would not seek the post.
The leadership race was triggered by the defeat of Rep. Eric Cantor in his primary in Virginia on Tuesday. Cantor announced Wednesday that he would step down from the majority leader's position at the end of July.
McCarthy will likely still face opposition from another Texan, Rep. Pete Sessions, but with Hensarling out, a potential regional showdown between the two largest state delegations in the House appears to be easing.

George H.W. Bush turns 90, will jump from plane

KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine — Former President George H.W. Bush can no longer use his legs, but he isn't letting that prevent him from keeping a vow made five years ago: to jump from an aircraft on his 90th birthday, which is Thursday.
The nation's 41st president announced via twitter that he intends to jump from a helicopter with a retired member of the Golden Knights, the Army's parachute team, near his summer home on the Maine coast.
"It's a wonderful day in Maine — in fact, nice enough for a parachute jump," he tweeted.
The announcement was kept secret until the last minute, partly to give Bush himself the option of bagging it. The forecast Thursday called for clouds and scattered showers across southern Maine.
Spokesman Jim McGrath said Bush likes both a surprise and an adrenaline rush.
"It's vintage George Bush," McGrath said. "It's that passion for life. It's wanting to set a goal, wanting to achieve it. I'm sure part of it is sending a message to others that even in your retirement years you can still find challenges."
The first time Bush jumped from an airplane was when his plane was shot down in World War II over the Pacific. Later, he decided to jump from a plane of his own accord and marked his 75th, 80th and 85th birthdays by skydiving.
He said on his 85th birthday that he'd like to do it again on his 90th.
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