Weekend Gazette 06-15-14

Sunday June 15th 2014

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Iraq conflict: Sunni militant push on Baghdad 'halted'

Iraqi government forces, backed by Shia Muslim and Kurdish militias, are reportedly holding back an advance by Sunni militants north of Baghdad.

A number of towns have been retaken from the rebels, but they still control the key cities of Tikrit and Mosul.
Reports speak of heavy clashes round the city of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, with mortar shelling of some districts.
A US aircraft carrier has been deployed to the Gulf in response to the escalating violence.
In Tal Afar, inhabited mainly by Sunni and Shia Turkmens, residents told the BBC that troops clashed with militants trying to enter the city.
Government officials, quoted by AP news agency, said the rebels were using rockets captured from troops, and the local garrison had suffered heavy casualties.
Related:
Iraq military halts advance of ISIS north of Baghdad
              
Shia militia: 'Isis will not take Baghdad'

Iraq unrest: Baghdad hit by deadly suicide attack

A suicide bombing in Baghdad has killed at least nine people and wounded 20 more, officials in Iraq's capital say.

Police said an attacker wearing an explosive vest detonated his device near central Tahrir Square.
It comes as Iraqi government forces are trying to hold back an advance on the city by Sunni militants from the north.
Bombings against civilians and security forces in Baghdad have been common since the US-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003
But the recent unrest in other areas of the country has seen a drop in the frequent attacks that usually hit the capital, possibly because militants are occupied elsewhere, AFP news agency reports.

Ukraine vows to punish separatists who shot down military plane

NOVOHANNIVKA, Ukraine –  Ukraine's new president declared Sunday a day of mourning and vowed to punish those responsible after pro-Russia separatists shot down a Ukrainian military transport plane, killing all 49 crew and troops aboard.
It was a bitter setback for the Ukrainian forces -- the deadliest single incident yet in their escalating battle against an armed insurgency that the government, backed by the U.S., insists is supported by Russia.
The downing of the plane drew condemnation and concern from the White House, European leaders and U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon.  Analysts said it could bring a renewed emphasis on increasing sanctions against Russia.
"(This) will refocus attention on the fact that Russia does not seem to be doing very much to moderate the insurgency (or) the cross-border resupply of separatists," said Timothy Ash, an analyst at Standard Bank PLC. "I would expect the focus to return to sanctions next week."
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko spoke firmly to glum-faced security officials at a televised emergency meeting Saturday, scolding the head of the country's SBU security service for "omissions" in measures to protect military aircraft.
Poroshenko called for "a detailed analysis of the reasons" for the lapse and hinted that personnel changes were imminent. His office said he vowed to punish "those responsible for the tragedy in Luhansk."
In a conversation with French President Francois Hollande, Poroshenko expressed hope that the European Union would decide on further sanctions against Russia if what he called the illegal border crossings and the supply of weapons did not cease.

Ukraine crisis: Russia condemns attack on Kiev embassy

Russia has reacted angrily to a violent protest outside its embassy in Ukraine, which saw windows smashed, the Russian flag torn down and cars overturned.

Russia accused Ukrainian police of doing nothing to stop the attack, and called it a "grave violation of Ukraine's international obligations".
Meanwhile Nato released images which it says back up Ukrainian claims that Russian tanks crossed into Ukraine.
Moscow has denied sending the tanks to help pro-Russian rebels in the east.
A range of images show the T-64 tanks first at a Russian military staging area near Rostov-on-Don, and then apparently inside Ukraine earlier this week.
Unlike Ukrainian armoured vehicles, the tanks have no markings or camouflage.
Nato says the pictures "raise significant questions'' about Russia's role in eastern Ukraine.
Related : Kosovo parliamentary candidate from ranks of Prime Minister Thaci's ruling party shot dead


Yemen Security: U.S. Drone Strike Kills Qaida Leader

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — A suspected U.S. drone in Yemen's south targeted a car carrying al-Qaida militants Saturday, killing all five passengers, Yemeni security officials said.
The officials said the attack took place in a mountainous area in al-Saied in the southern Shabwa province. One of those killed in the attack was a suspected al-Qaida leader named Musaad al-Habashi, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.
The U.S. considers Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula to be the group's most dangerous branch in the world and has linked it to a number of botched or foiled attacks on the U.S. homeland.
The U.S., which trains Yemen's counterterrorism forces, has launched more than 100 drone strikes against suspected al-Qaida targets in the impoverished country since 2002, according to the New America Foundation, a nonpartisan public policy institute.
The militant group overran large swaths of territory in southern Yemen in 2011, taking advantage of political turmoil that forced longtime leader Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down. Since, the Yemeni military has pushed back, and over the past few weeks has stepped up an offensive to rout the fighters from their strongholds. Al-Qaida militants have also hiked up their attacks against troops and government officials.

Israel accuses Hamas of abducting missing teenagers

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas of kidnapping three Israeli teenagers.

The students went missing on Thursday near an Israeli settlement in the West Bank on their way back from lessons.
Hamas has denied it was involved in their disappearance.
The disappearance is being seen as the biggest strain on relations between the two sides since a Palestinian unity government was announced in April.
"Those who carried out the kidnapping of our youngsters are Hamas people," Mr Netanyahu said.
Mr Netanyahu pointed to the fact that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas recently announced a unity government backed by Hamas.

Airstrikes kill as many as 100 militants in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD –  Pakistani military jets pounded militant hideouts in the northwestern tribal region bordering Afghanistan early Sunday morning, officials said, killing as many as 100 militants in the second strike on the region since a deadly attack on the Karachi airport a week ago.
The Pakistani government has been under pressure to combat the resilient insurgency that has plagued the country for years after the shocking attack on the country's busiest airport that left 36 people dead, including 10 assailants. Government efforts that started months ago to negotiate with the militants appeared to be going nowhere and the airport violence has made negotiations even less likely to succeed.
Pakistani air force jets targeted eight militant hideouts in the North Waziristan tribal area, two intelligence officials said. Many of the dead were believed to be Uzbeks and other foreign fighters, they said.
One of those killed was Abu Abdul Rehman al-Maani, who is believed to have helped orchestrate the five-hour airport siege last Sunday, said two other officials. Uzbek fighters and the Pakistani Taliban both claimed responsibility for the attack on Jinnah International Airport, and the Pakistani Taliban said the two had worked together to carry it out, marking a disturbing increase of militant groups working together.
When the jets struck, the militants had been gathered to discuss a deadline given by authorities for militants to leave the area, said two of the Pakistani officials.
All the officials did not want to be identified because they were not authorized to speak to the media. The information could not be independently verified. The tribal areas are remote, dangerous and difficult for journalists to access.

Afghan election workers killed in roadside bomb

Eleven people, including election workers, have been killed in Afghanistan by a roadside bomb that blew up their bus, according to the governor of the northern province of Samangan.
The blast came on Saturday evening after polls closed in a second-round runoff vote to elect a president to succeed Hamid Karzai, in what is hoped will mark the country's first democratic transfer of power.
"Three local IEC workers and two observers from Dr Abdullah's team were among them," Samangan's governor, Khairullah Anosh, told Reuters, referring to the Independent Election Commission and candidate Abdullah Abdullah.
The election pits Abdullah, a former anti-Taliban Northern Alliance leader who served for a period as foreign minister under Karzai, against ex-World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani, a former finance minister. Whoever wins will take over as most foreign troops withdraw, leaving behind a potent Taliban insurgency and a growing economic crisis.
The 11 people killed in the bus brought the number of civilian deaths on election day to at least 31. Another 11 people had their ink-stained fingers chopped off by the Taliban as punishment for voting. Voters had to dip a finger in a pot of ink to prevent them voting twice.
As well the civilians killed on Saturday, 11 police officers and 15 soldiers were killed in clashes.
The Taliban, fighting to expel foreign forces and a government they call a US puppet, has denounced the election as a US ploy and vowed to derail it.
Both candidates support a security pact with the US, which is expected to result in a contingent of about 10,000 American troops remaining in Afghanistan after the bulk of foreign forces withdraw by the end of the year.
Despite the bloodshed, millions of Afghans turned out to vote in the runoff and the electoral commission said more than 7m ballots had been cast, a similar turnout to the first round in April.
Observers and other officials in Kabul are worried a close outcome in a fraud-ridden process may make it difficult to persuade the losing candidate to accept defeat.
Late on Saturday, both candidates appeared to have started setting the stage for complaints, as Abdullah questioned the commission's turnout figures while Ghani said he appeared to have won, based on his estimates.

Netanyahu: Israel will take all action necessary against 'scourge of terrorism' 

Israel will take what ever action is necessary to protect its citizens, warned Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday. He spoke just hours after charging that Hamas had kidnapped the three missing Israeli teenagers and as the IDF issued a limited call up of its reservists.

The bulk of the reservists are heading to Hebron, to help the IDF maintain its closure on the city and to step up its efforts to hunt for the three teenagers who disappeared last Thursday night after hitching a ride in the Gush Etzion region of the West Bank.
At the same time the air force deployed a number of Iron Dome anti-rocket batteries in southern Israel, to prepare for any escalation of its larger battle with the Hamas, which rules Gaza and has strengthened its foothold in the West Bank.
“Israel will act in all ways under its province, in all ways under our control, to bring home the three kidnapped teenagers,” Netanyahu said in a special statement that he issued in English to explain Israel’s position to the international community.
“Israel will act against the kidnappers and their terrorist sponsors and comrades. We will do whatever needs to be done to protect our people, our citizens, our children and our teenagers from the scourge of terrorism,” Netanyahu said.
He expanded on comments he made earlier in the day before the government’s weekly meeting, which was held at the defense compound in Tel Aviv rather than in its regular Jerusalem location at the Prime Minister’s Office.

China adding school to outpost in disputed waters

BEIJING: China has begun building a school on a remote island in the South China Sea to serve the children of military personnel and others, expanding the rugged outpost it created two years ago to strengthen its claims to disputed waters and islands.

China established the settlement of Sansha — which Beijing designates a "city" and has a permanent population of 1,443 — on tiny Yongxing island to administer hundreds of thousands of square kilometers (miles) of water where it wants to strengthen its control over potentially oil-rich islands that are also claimed by other Asian nations.

Vietnam, the Philippines and the United States criticized Beijing for establishing Sansha, saying it risked escalating regional tensions. The island, also known as Woody Island, is about 350 kilometers (220 miles) south of China's southernmost province and is part of the Paracel chain, which is also claimed by Vietnam.

Tensions in the area have escalated since China last month placed an oil rig in waters about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Paracel Islands, leading to ongoing sea confrontations between Chinese and Vietnamese vessels.

Construction on the school started on Saturday and is expected to take 18 months, the Sansha government said in a statement on its website. It said there were about 40 children of school age on Yongxing Island and that the school could also educate the children of police, army personnel and civilians stationed on the islands, some of whom had to stay with grandparents in far-off hometowns.

When China created Sansha in July 2012, the outpost had a post office, bank, supermarket, hospital and a population of about 1,000. By December, it had a permanent population of 1,443, which can sometimes swell by 2,000, according to the Sansha government.

Now it has an airport, hotel, library, five main roads, cellphone coverage and a 24-hour satellite TV station, according to the government. It also has its own supply ship that brings in food, water, construction materials and people.

In the Philippines, meanwhile, department of foreign affairs spokesman Charles Jose said Sunday that Manila recently protested another land reclamation by China in the McKennan-Hughes reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. In April, Philippine officials protested after discovering Chinese vessels had reclaimed a large patch of land in Johnson South Reef, also in the Spratlys. 
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Army general to investigate Bergdahl departure from base

The U.S. Army has appointed a two-star general to investigate the circumstances surrounding Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's departure from his base in Afghanistan and his capture by the Taliban in 2009, a defense official confirmed to Fox News Saturday. 
Bergdahl arrived back in the United States late Friday after beginning the process of reintegration at a U.S. military hospital in Germany. The Idaho native was released May 31 after nearly five years in captivity as part of a controversial exchange in which the U.S. released five detainees from Guantanamo Bay. 
The investigating general's name is being withheld pending a formal announcement. It is not clear when Bergdahl will undergo questioning as part of the investigation. Miltary officials said Friday that there is no timeline for Bergdahl’s reintegration, but added that he was in stable condition and that they hope he will "transition to a normal healthy lifestyle."
Army South Commander Major General Joseph DiSalvo said that Bergdahl is currently in "stable condition and will work daily with medical and mental health professionals."
Fox News reported Friday that Bergdahl was was locked in solitary confinement for two straight years by his Taliban captors and did not see another human face for that entire period. 
Bergdahl's release has become enmeshed in controversy, as members of Congress from both parties have criticized the administration for not notifying Congress sooner about negotiations for Bergdahl's release involving the Taliban and the Qatari government. In addition, some have worried that the five detainees released from Guantanamo Bay are likely to return to the battlefields of Afghanistan. What's more, some of Bergdahl's fellow soldiers have accused him of deserting prior to his capture.

Gun Control Group Marching Over Brooklyn Bridge

NEW YORK (AP) — Some carried photos of loved ones cut down by a bullet. Others held signs imploring Congress to act. And nearly all shouted out "Not one more," a tear-stained rallying cry embraced by those who believe the U.S. needs tougher gun control laws.
More than 1,000 demonstrators — including nearly 100 from Newtown, Connecticut, the site of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting rampage — marched across the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday, demanding that action be taken to stem the recent wave of mass shootings across the U.S.
"I want to see our laws protect our children, not our gun lobbyists," said Andrew Morosky, 48, who lives in Newtown and whose children were friends with some of the 20 students who were killed along with six educators. "After what happened, I felt like I had to do something. I sat on the sidelines for too long."
The event was organized by several groups — including Moms Demand Action, Everytown For Gun Safety and Mayors Against Illegal Guns — which are all funded by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The billionaire Bloomberg, who was not in attendance, has become one of the nation's most visible gun control advocates and has pumped millions of his own money into the cause.
The rally began in downtown Brooklyn, where many chanted "Not one more," the cry uttered by Richard Martinez, whose son Christopher was shot to death in Santa Barbara, California, last month.
"We have to stop the madness," said U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y. "Too many people have died, and too many lobbyists have lied."
As the marchers slowly moved across the bridge toward Manhattan, many carried signs that read "Enough is Enough" and "Why are our kids dying while Congress does nothing?" Several dozen cars driving on the busy bridge beeped their horns in approval.

Obama Finds He Can’t Put Iraq War Behind Him

WASHINGTON — In a high-profile speech to Army cadets last month, President Obama tried to move beyond America’s tumultuous adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan with a new doctrine all but forswearing the use of military power except in the most dire of circumstances.

Barely two weeks later, Mr. Obama has already found himself in those circumstances and seems on the verge of ordering the American military to intervene once more in Iraq. While ruling out ground troops to save the beleaguered Baghdad government from insurgents, Mr. Obama is considering a range of options, including airstrikes by drones and piloted aircraft.

The possible return to Iraq, even in limited form, underscores just how much that forlorn land has shaped Mr. Obama’s presidency. It defined his first campaign for the White House, when his opposition to the war powered his candidacy. It defined his foreign policy as he resolved to pull out of Iraq and keep out of places like Syria. And it defined the legacy he hoped to leave as he imagined history books remembering him for ending America’s overseas wars.

Yet as much as he wanted Iraq in the rearview mirror, the swift march toward Baghdad by Islamist extremists calling themselves the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, has forced him to reconsider his approach. As much as he wanted to leave the fate of Iraq to the Iraqis themselves, he concluded that the United States still has a stake in avoiding the collapse of a state it occupied for more than eight years at the cost of nearly 4,500 American lives.

Oil markets spike on Iraq concerns

The price of Brent crude spiked on Friday over concerns about the ongoing insurgency in Iraq.

Oil prices settled down, but at $4 per barrel higher than at the beginning of the week.
Reassurances about the flow of oil supplies went some way to calming market jitters.
Brent crude futures stabilised at $112.32 per barrel, while US crude levelled to $106.55, after the highest reading for both since September.
Insurgents have taken over two Iraqi cities, prompting the US to say it was considering "all options" to help Iraq.
Iraq is the second-largest oil producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) group.
According to figures from the International Energy Agency (IEA), Iraq accounts for roughly 4% of global oil production.
Nevertheless, the IEA, which was set up to deal with crises in oil supply, on Friday said: "Concerning as the latest events in Iraq may be, they might not for now, if the conflict does not spread further, put additional Iraqi oil supplies immediately at risk."
The IEA reassurances came after OPEC said on Thursday that extra production should be more than sufficient to meet growing demand

Philadelphia rail workers back on the job after Obama intervenes to end strike

PHILADELPHIA –  Commuter rail service in the Philadelphia area was restored early Sunday, just hours after workers returned to their jobs following a brief strike that was ended when President Barack Obama intervened.
Jerri Williams, spokeswoman for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, said all workers scheduled for morning shifts Sunday showed up and some train lines with early starts, such as the Airport Line, were rolling before 5 a.m. A few hours later, the company said on its website that normal operations had resumed.
"Regional Rail is back," Williams said in an email.
The strike began after negotiations between SEPTA and its engineers and electricians unions failed to reach a new contract deal Friday. It shut down 13 train lines that carry commuters from Philadelphia to the suburbs, Philadelphia International Airport and New Jersey.
Obama on Saturday granted Republican Gov. Tom Corbett's request to create a presidential emergency board to mediate the contract dispute, forcing the 400 union workers to go back. Obama ordered the establishment of the three-member board effective at 12:01 a.m. Sunday and called for "a swift and smooth resolution."
The last regional rail strike, in 1983, lasted more than three months.
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen vice president Stephen Bruno said his union's members were complying with the order to be back on duty at 12:01 a.m.

Bombers come to Europe as tensions simmer over Ukraine

A KC-135 Stratotanker took off from RAF Mildenhall, England, on Wednesday morning for a mission reminiscent of the Cold War — refueling long-range, nuclear-capable U.S. bombers flying over Europe.

Three B-52 Stratofortresses and two B-2 Spirits, commonly known as Stealth Bombers, arrived on June 4 and 8, respectively, at RAF Fairford, England, from the United States. Officials have described their short deployments to Europe, which came amid increasing tensions over the crisis in Ukraine and Russia’s takeover of Crimea, as routine and focused on training. Both sets of planes are unarmed, and the training exercise was scheduled last year.

Fairford is a historic base for U.S. bombers, which hosted B-52s on their way to Iraq more than a decade ago. But the most recent use of the base by U.S. bombers for training was in 2008, an Air Force spokesman said.

The U.S. and NATO have been deploying additional troops, ships and aircraft to eastern Europe to reassure alliance partners concerned about Russia’s intentions since Moscow annexed Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula and moved troops close to Ukraine’s border. Moscow has denounced the buildup, saying it represents a security threat to its own borders.

Speaking at a media event on Tuesday at Fairford, Col. Leland Bohannon, commander of the expeditionary group, said he was unable to comment about any political messages the deployment may or may not be intended to send. However, using the movement of bombers in Korea as an example, he noted bomber deployments can be a way for the U.S. to communicate to nations.

“What does it communicate?” Bohannon said. “It communicates commitment to that particular region … and we’re not going to walk away.”

Meanwhile, U.S. forces are participating in two military exercises in the Baltic. BALTOPS-2014 is a naval exercise involving the U.S. 6th Fleet flagship, and Sabre Strike-14 is an air and ground exercise involving about 4,500 international troops training in Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia.

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