Washington sees indications that Iran could carry out an attack on U.S. forces or interests in Middle East, a Pentagon official said Wednesday. Unders
Washington sees indications that Iran could carry out an attack on U.S. forces or interests in Middle East, a Pentagon official said Wednesday.
Undersecretary of Defense for Policy John Rood said the U.S. remains concerned about a potential Iranian aggression, according to The Hill website.
“We also continue to see indications … potential Iranian aggression could occur,” Rood was quoted as telling reporters in Washington.
“We’ve sent very clear and blunt signals to the Iranian government about the potential consequences of aggression,” said Rood.
Regime, Russian raids kill six civilians in Syria’s Idlib
At least six civilians were killed when the airstrikes of Russia and Assad regime targeted Syria’s northwestern Idlib province on Wednesday, a local civil defense agency said.Besides fatalities, the airstrikes left 10 civilians injured, said the White Helmets.The warplanes struck the Saraqib district and several villages of Idlib, according to an opposition aircraft observatory.Additionally, in the first half of November, attacks by the Assad regime and its supporter Russia have displaced some 40,000 civilians within the Idlib de-escalation zone, according to Syria’s Response Coordination Group, a local NGO.Turkey and Russia agreed in September 2018 to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone where acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.The Syrian regime and its allies, however, have consistently broken the terms of the cease-fire, launching frequent attacks inside the zone.The de-escalation zone is currently home to some 4 million civilians, including hundreds of thousands displaced in recent years by regime forces from throughout the war-weary country.Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million others displaced, according to UN officials.
South Sudan parties fail to agree on number of states
South Sudanese warring parties to a peace agreement have failed to agree on how many states the country should have, going into the peace agreement and beyond, observers said Wednesday.A two-day meeting held in Juba, overseen by the Deputy President of South Africa David Mabuza and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Special envoy to South Sudan Ismail Wais, ended in deadlock Wednesday.The parties are now narrowing to only two options on the number of states, Mabuza told reporters.“Where we are now we have nudged all the parties and we are only left with two views and these two views, we are going to escalate them,” he said.He did not reveal what are the options.“It took us sometimes and we thought we should not rush into a point where there is consensus but I can say, for the whole country to know, for people of South Sudan to know that we are almost on the verge of finding one another,” he said. “We are going to finalize the issue of the states and the boundaries in the next 10 days.”Syria to pardon forcibly recruited YPG/PKK membersThailand-Turkey trade volume ‘much below the potential’According to opposition leader Lam Akol Ajawin, the meeting was looking for a win-win situation after the parties failed to compromise on the number of states.“What is important now is that there is a proposal to arrive at some figure between 10 and 32 states,” Ajawin told reporters.The Minister of Cabinet Affairs Dr. Martin Elia urged parties to the peace agreement to end the “political game” on the number and boundaries of states.The number and boundaries of states were among the tasks to be completed within the pre-transitional period.President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar recently extended for the second time the pre-transitional period by 100 days to allow for the completion of the remaining tasks.The parties failed to implement the security arrangement such as cantonment of forces, screening, reunification, deployment and the agreement on the number of states and boundaries during the first transitional period that ended in May.Macron says European leaders to meet again with ErdoğanFour killed in fresh landslides in eastern Uganda
Tensions have flared between Washington and Tehran when Trump chose in May 2018 to unilaterally remove the U.S. from a nuclear pact world powers struck with Iran that provided the Islamic Republic with billions of dollars in sanctions relief in exchange for unprecedented curbs on its nuclear program.
Iran downed a U.S. drone in June that it says violated its airspace, with the Trump administration saying it remained above international waters.
The U.S. has blamed Iran for coordinating drone attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil production facilities in September.
Syria to pardon forcibly recruited YPG/PKK members
Syrian Interim Government President Abdurrahman Mustafa announced Wednesday that those who were deceived or forcibly participated in the YPG/PKK terror group would be forgiven unless they committed another crime. “We would like to open a new page for a brighter future with all Syrians’ component to establish peace and freedom in the region,” said Mustafa.He said forcibly recruited YPG/PKK members need to consult the nearest Syrian National Army point by abandoning their weapons as the first step for a brighter future.“Syrian National Army members are your brothers, trust them. There is still time to say goodbye to dark days,” he said. “Syrian National Army is determined to fight against terrorism until eradication of terror.”Ras al-Ayn was liberated from YPG/PKK terrorists Oct. 12 as part of Operation Peace Spring.Turkey on Oct. 9 launched Operation Peace Spring to eliminate YPG/PKK terrorists from northern Syria east of the Euphrates River in order to secure Turkey’s borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.Under two separate deals with the U.S. and Russia, Turkey paused the operation to allow the withdrawal of YPG/PKK terrorists from the planned Syria safe zone.Prior to this, Turkey led two successful operations, Olive Branch and Euphrates Shield, in northern Syria to rid the region of terrorists.In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and EU — has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.
Thailand-Turkey trade volume ‘much below the potential’
Trade between Turkey and Thailand is much below its potential, Thai envoy to Ankara said Wednesday as she highlighted progress on finalizing a free trade agreement between the two nations.Speaking to Anadolu Agency ahead of Thai National Day in Ankara on Thursday, Ambassador Phantipha Iamsudha Ekarohit said her “key mission” is to find the way of boosting trade relations and investment.“We have had long relations with Turkey, but the economic cooperation has not been very intense,” she said, adding that $1.4 billion current trade volume is “still very small” compared to the economic potential of the two countries.Trade volume and investment are “much below the potential,” she noted, highlighting the strategic location of Turkey and Thailand, the sizes of populations, economies and markets.Boosting economic relations is the main focus of Ekarohit, who was appointed ambassador in July 2018.She outlined two major obstacles behind the poor trade figures as the business sector of the two sides do not know each other very well and legal difficulties.“We have opportunities for reciprocal investment; from Turkey to Thailand and from Thailand to Turkey.”So, we have to make private sectors of the two countries get to know each other more,” she noted.Ankara and Bangkok have been in an intense negotiation to ink a free trade deal since July 2017, as both parties met in Bangkok earlier this week for the sixth time of the FTA discussion.Ekarohit said the agreement could be finalized by 2020, though she refused to disclose further details about the negotiations.“We believe that if we can finalize the FTA, it will be able to increase our trade by 40%.“In the future, it could be even more. But right now, we still need some mechanism to help boost trade. And business people have to make more acquaintances to get to know each other more.”She noted that both countries have some similarities and some differences “that can make us complement each other.” Ekarohit said Dec. 5 is one of the most significant days for Thai people as it is the National Day, the birth anniversary of the late King, and Thailand’s Father’s Day.The theme of this year’s Ankara event is “Thai Food, Thai Fruits and Thai Silk Fashion Show,” with which the embassy aims to present exotic Thai fruits as well as to organize a special Thai silk fashion show in collaboration with Turkish fashion designer Ahmet Ozceyhan.