This Is the Front Line of Saudi Arabia’s Invisible War
10/22/2018, 4:43:37 PMThe Khashoggi crisis has called attention to a largely overlooked Saudi-led war in Yemen. On a rare trip to the front line, we found Yemenis fighting and dying in a war that has gone nowhere. ✔ A secondary front extends for about 80 miles to the south, parallel to the coalition-controlled coastal highway, where the fight takes place in remote villages and small towns, as both sides try to cut off each other’s supply lines ✔ Produced by Herbert Buchsbaum, David Furst, Josh Keller and Matt Ruby
Apparent Insider Attack Kills Member of U.S.-Led Coalition in Afghanistan
10/22/2018, 6:15:30 PMA member of the U.S.-led international military forces in Afghanistan was killed in an apparent insider attack in the western province of Herat, the third such incident in the past two months. ✔ The training mission is the pillar of a multibillion-dollar U.S. effort here to build an Afghan military capable of defending the country and quelling terrorist threats ✔ The report said, however, that such attacks have become the preferred war-fighting tactic of the Taliban
Saudi air raid 'kills four, including child', in Yemen
10/22/2018, 5:18:54 PMVehicle carrying four civilians struck in Bani Hassan district of Abs province in Hajjah, local media reports. ✔ Al Masirah, a TV channel affiliated with the Houthis - a group of rebels who control most of north and central Yemen - said all four of the passengers were killed ✔ The Saudi-UAE military alliance has acknowledged mistakes in air operations, but has mostly defended its record ✔ More than 10,000 Yemenis have been killed since Saudi Arabia intervened in the country's war [Courtesy of Al Masirah]
Stowe School sends pupils to see Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh to 'open their eyes'
10/22/2018, 7:17:56 PMThe elite Stowe School has taken a group of sixth-form students to visit Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh on a trip it hopes will make them more aware of their privilege. ✔ Visiting the camps made me feel very lucky, said 17-year old Hermione, who said she was was particularly moved by meeting teenage Rohingya girls just a few years younger than herself ✔ I can’t even imagine, said one, and somehow they’re all still smiling
North and South Korea AGREE to withdraw firearms in move that could see end to KOREAN WAR
10/22/2018, 5:59:29 PMNORTH and South Korea have united in an agreement to withdraw firearms and guard posts in the demilitarised village of Panmunjom, in what the nations’ defence officials have dubbed as the latest move in fast-improving relations between the two states. ✔ The agreement also includes a halt in all hostile acts and a no-fly zone around the border ✔ But US President Donald Trump has demanded North Korea takes irreversible steps to scrap its arsenal, such as a full disclosure of nuclear facilities and material
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt threatens sanctions against Saudi Arabia
10/22/2018, 7:53:05 PMThe Foreign Secretary said the Saudi regime's official claim that the journalist died in a fight at the Gulf kingdom's consulate in Istanbul was 'not credible'. ✔ Mr Johnson wrote in his Daily Telegraph column that 'we cannot just let it pass', and, while the UK has crucial trade and security links with the Gulf State, 'the UK and the US must lead other countries in holding Saudi Arabia properly to account' ✔ He warned Western states against repeating the mistakes of the 1970s when they ignored the Shah of Iran's human rights abuses before the 1979 Islamic revolution saw him overthrown and replaced with a hardline regime
Extremists attempt to consolidate power in northern Syria during ceasefire
10/22/2018, 4:03:53 PMHayat Tahrir al-Sham, which counts former al-Qaeda members among its ranks, has arrested dozens of civilians in Idlib since a Russia-Turkey ceasefire deal was agreed. ✔ Paddy Dowling 2/20 In Enmaa camp, Wardi takes a neighbour’s child onto her knee ✔ Security operations that have resulted from both of those perceived threats have resulted in widespread arrest campaigns and military operations, he added ✔ A spokesman for Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said summit would focus on Idlib and the political process for the resolution of the Syrian conflict
US general visits troops fighting Islamic State in Syria
10/22/2018, 7:42:05 PMAL-TANF, Syria (AP) — The top U.S. commander for the Middle East has flown into a key outpost in Southern Syria where troops are fighting remnants of the Islamic State and trying to block Iranian-backed forces from gaining a foothold. Army Gen. Joseph Votel was making an unannounced visit to the al-Tanf garrison near the borders of Iraq and Jordan. The garrison supports 200-300 U.S. and coalition troops training Syrian opposition forces to fight the Islamic State. Votel says the coalition has "largely eliminated" the insurgent group's ability to occupy territory in Syria. But he says the troop presence remains vital to counter growing Iranian activity in the area.
Humble pomegranate seed provides clue to how Yemen's war fuels hunger
10/22/2018, 4:11:48 PMThe tiny, red pomegranate seed may not look like much but it helps explain why Y... ✔ The pomegranates are dying because of lack of water because of the blockade, said farmer Rabeea al-Abdy ✔ He was referring to stringent measures put in place by the coalition on imports into Yemen that have slowed trade flows, including of commercial goods and vital supplies such as fuel, medicine and humanitarian aid ✔ Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles
Jeremy Hunt refuses demands for British boycott on arms sales to Saudi Arabia
10/22/2018, 6:42:25 PMThe Foreign Secretary admitted Saudi Arabia's official claim that Mr Khashoggi died in a fight at the Gulf kingdom's consulate in Istanbul was "not credible" ✔ He acknowledged the UK had close security and business links with Saudi Arabia but if the appalling stories we are reading turn out to be true the UK will act accordingly ✔ Mr Hunt said: We keep the situation constantly under review, including any implications that arise from the Khashoggi investigation ✔ What more would it take to end the arms sales and end the uncritical support that has been given to the regime
CROSSTALK: John Bolton to press US-Russia nuclear treaty
10/22/2018, 5:40:00 PMU.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton is traveling to Moscow this week to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian National Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev. It is reported that a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin could also be in the works. ✔ This will not make Mr. Putin and the leadership of the Kremlin very happy ✔ Todd Wood is a former special operations helicopter pilot and Wall Street debt trader, and has contributed to Fox Business, The Moscow Times, National Review, The New York Post and many other publications
CROSSTALK: John Bolton to press US-Russia nuclear treaty
10/22/2018, 6:08:08 PMU.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton is visiting Moscow this week to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian National Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev. It is reported that a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin could also be in the works. ✔ This will not make Mr. Putin and the leadership of the Kremlin very happy ✔ Todd Wood is a former special operations helicopter pilot and Wall Street debt trader, and has contributed to Fox Business, The Moscow Times, National Review, The New York Post and many other publications
Abe-Xi summit comes as Chinese leader looks to create united front amid U.S. trade war
10/22/2018, 7:11:59 PMAt the upcoming summit in Beijing, President Shinzo Abe and Chinese leader Xi Jinping may form a united front in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s protectionist moves. ✔ On the positive side, Japan’s participation in the Belt and Road project would allow Abe to live up to expectations from the nation’s business community, which has long pushed him to cooperate with what it believes will be a lucrative opportunity for domestic firms to expand overseas
Commentary: Trump's INF withdrawal plays into Putin's hands
10/22/2018, 6:15:48 PMIt may be the highest-stakes move for Donald Trump in his entire presidency – un... ✔ To be published next year, it includes an introduction by Gorbachev and material obtained from the opening of a number of Kremlin archives as well as the assistance of several of the surviving aides from both delegations, including the former Soviet leader himself
Opinion | It’s time to silence the Saudi lobbying machine in Washington
10/22/2018, 7:44:52 PMThe question isn’t why organizations are distancing themselves from Saudi Arabia now, the real question is why did Washington wait to sour on the Saudis? ✔ By Ben Freeman October 22 at 3:34 PM Ben Freeman is the director and founder of the Foreign Influence Transparency Initiative at the Center for International Policy ✔ Foreign Agent’s Registration Act (FARA) records filed in 2017 show the Saudis spent nearly $27 million on lobbying and public relations firms, nearly triple their spending in 2016
Opinion | America and the Saudis
10/22/2018, 4:14:00 PMSaving the alliance will require telling the truth about Khashoggi. ✔ The Trump Administration’s response to all this hasn’t exactly been a model of moral or strategic clarity ✔ Mr. Trump has rambled from promising severe consequences to extolling U.S. arms sales to threatening sanctions to a seeming apologia for MBS as an incredible ally ✔ Appeared in the October 22, 2018, print edition
Saudi website, apparently hacked, shows fake image of crown prince wielding blade over Khashoggi
10/22/2018, 5:18:50 PMThe website promoting Saudi Arabia's upcoming investment conference was apparently hacked on Monday, briefly showing a doctored image of the kingdom's crown prince wielding a bloody sword over murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi. ✔ Khashoggi is depicted kneeling in front of the crown prince ✔ A caption beneath the image implores nations around the world to slap sanctions on Saudi Arabia and accuses the kingdom of financing terrorism ✔ On Saturday, Trump cast doubt on the Saudis' story, telling the Washington Post there has been deception and lies from the kingdom
The end of INF: Another nuclear treaty bites the dust
10/22/2018, 5:06:59 PMThe 1987 treaty was not perfect, but President Trump is unlikely to secure a better deal that can make the world safer. ✔ These missile defences may have made Americans feel safer, but they simultaneously made Russians feel vulnerable ✔ ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alexander Gillespie Alexander Gillespie is a professor of international law at the University of Waikato, New Zealand
Oil little changed despite Saudi pledge to boost output
10/22/2018, 4:33:20 PMOil futures were little changed on Monday after paring earlier losses despite Sa... ✔ Several U.S. lawmakers, meanwhile, have suggested imposing sanctions on Saudi Arabia over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi ✔ The outlook for demand next year, meanwhile, is deteriorating ✔ (Graphic: U.S. oil rig count - tmsnrt.rs/2OGtHZe) Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles
Saudi Arabia’s ‘Davos in the Desert’ website was hacked and defaced
10/22/2018, 5:20:43 PMThe website of the Saudi government’s upcoming Future Investment Initiative conference was hacked and defaced with images of the murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Several reporters tweeted screenshots of the site after its defacement, purporting to show Saudi crown prince Mohammed bi… ✔ It comes days after the Saudi regime admitted that Khashoggi was murdered in its consulate in Istanbul, more than two weeks after the Washington Post columnist walked in to obtain marriage license papers ✔ Silicon Valley hoped the Khashoggi story would go away; instead, it may end an era
Meet The Woman Who Is Proudly Russia’s Troll-In-Chief
10/22/2018, 6:52:51 PMMaria Zakharova has revolutionized what it means to be a Russian diplomat — in real life and online. “She’s like Marmite: Some people love her and some people hate her.” ✔ One such briefing, in late May, exemplified the approach that has made her a star ✔ The same people who talk about human rights in public easily toss around human lives behind closed doors, she said ✔ I was not ready for all that, for the cynicism and roughness ✔ Alberto Nardelli contributed reporting to this story
Four Americans in stag party killed while on rafting trip in Costa Rica
10/22/2018, 4:15:57 PMGroom's brother is among the victims ✔ The strongest typhoon to hit Japan in 25 years made landfall on September 4, the country's weather agency said, bringing violent winds and heavy rainfall that prompted evacuation warnings AFP/Getty 50/50 3 September 2018 Myanmar journalist Kyaw Soe Oo is escorted by police after being sentenced by a court to jail in Yangon
Russia pledges to 'restore' military balance if U.S. quits nuclear...
10/22/2018, 7:37:27 PMRussia said on Monday it would be forced to respond in kind to restore the milit... ✔ Bolton said Russia was violating its commitments under the pact, an allegation Moscow has denied ✔ In any case, he added, a bilateral treaty no longer met today’s realities because unlike in the Cold War, multiple states are now developing intermediate range nuclear missiles ✔ Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles
Paul pushes back on Saudi criticism against him
10/22/2018, 7:50:54 PMKentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul on Monday pushed back on the Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir who criticized him for suggesting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was responsible for Jamal Khashoggi's death. ✔ The best way to block this is through a privileged motion, Paul said, citing, the Arms Export Control Act of 1976, which allows one senator to block arms sales ✔ We have worked with (Connecticut Democratic Sen.) Chris Murphy twice to have votes, he said ✔ CNN's Manu Raju and Chandler Thornton contributed to this report
Trump Baselessly Said There Are "Unknown Middle Easterners" In The Caravan — A Claim That Apparently Began As Terrorist Fear-Mongering
10/22/2018, 6:30:02 PMSeveral far-right and conservative outlets, such as Fox News, appear to be contorting information to claim terrorists are in the caravan currently making its way through Central America. ✔ A Fox News spokesperson told BuzzFeed News that they would get back with a source of information for Hegseth's comments, but had not responded by the time of publishing this article ✔ https://t.co/skzF0IEGCi 01:43 PM - 22 Oct 2018 Reply Retweet Favorite
With Saudi Arabia, Trump has the one thing he should understand: leverage
10/22/2018, 6:06:39 PMNow, and beyond the view of most Americans, the royal family’s power is waning. ✔ Not surprisingly, this has angered many citizens, who fear the gravy train is ending ✔ Subscribe to MarketWatch's free Asia Daily newsletter ✔ Paul Brandus Paul Brandus is the White House bureau chief for West Wing Reports ✔ We Want to Hear from You Join the conversation Comment
The Saudi Arabian government is more lethal than any rogue killer
10/22/2018, 7:23:32 PMKumi Naidoo writes that Jamal Khashoggi's murder falls squarely within the Saudi government's pattern of behavior, in which it ruthlessly hunts down its critics without fear of reprisals or pushback. ✔ MUST WATCH What happened to Jamal Khashoggi?: A timeline 02:54 Kumi Naidoo is the secretary general of Amnesty International ✔ Among the most prominent cases have been those of women's rights defenders Loujain al-Hathloul, Iman al-Nafjan and Aziza al-Yousef
How the man behind Khashoggi murder ran the killing via Skype
10/22/2018, 6:15:15 PMHe ran social media for Saudi Arabia's crown prince. He masterminded the ar... ✔ The Turks reject that version of the story, saying they have audio recordings of what happened ✔ The man leading that interrogation: Saud al-Qahtani ✔ According to his biography on his Twitter account, Qahtani studied law and made the rank of captain in the Saudi air force ✔ Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles
Footage emerges of 'Saudis burning documents at Istanbul consulate'
10/22/2018, 6:02:51 PMPro-government channel A Haber published footage of three men in suits putting papers into a burning mental barrel. The TV anchor can be heard saying: 'This is an archaic way to destroy documents. ✔ It was claimed Mr Khashoggi told one of the men, Maher Mutreb, that he was violating diplomatic norms and said: 'What are you going to do with me ✔ It's up to them to change their behaviour, it's up to us to stand up to them and it is up to us to make it clear that we do not accept this behaviour and they need to change their ways.'
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