Tag: war news

Thousands of people have taken to the streets in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, activists say, in the biggest protests there since the revolt began. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said several people were injured by tear gas and live ammunition. Protests were reported elsewhere, a day after activists called for rallies in [...]

Ban Ki-moon says he believes group responsible for last week’s bombings in Syrian capital that left more than 50 dead. Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, has said that he believes al-Qaeda was responsible for last week’s bombings in Damascus, the Syrian capital, that left more than 50 people dead. “A few days ago there was [...]

Tens of thousands of Shia protesters demonstrate against further integration between Sunni rulers of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.Tens of thousands of mainly Shia protesters in Bahrain have joined a march to denounce proposals for closer ties between the unrest-torn Gulf kingdom and neighbouring Saudi Arabia. There were no immediate reports of violence, but the large [...]

Exclusive report on fighting between the army and mutineering soldiers that has led to thousands fleeing the country. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)’s military has been shelling positions it believes are held by rebels who have been fighting the army for weeks in the country’s east. The rebels are fighters who were integrated into [...]

Conflict has returned to the country’s troubled North Kivu province, displacing more than 40,000 people. Bunagana, DR Congo – Following three years of relative peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s North Kivu province, conflict has returned, forcing people out of their homes once more. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had [...]

One week before the U.S., Britain, France, Russia, China plus Germany — the P5+1 — meet with Iranian officials in Baghdad for nuclear talks, the U.S. ambassador to Israel went on that country’s Army Radio and told the country America “fully available” to strike Iran. Maayan Lubell at Al Arabiya reports Ambassador Dan Shapiro said [...]

* Shares in Bankia, Spain’s fourth largest bank, fall 27% after media reports * Greece forms government, but will dissolve it tomorrow for new election * Francois Hollande slashes pay to ‘highlight difference’ with Sarkozy * Greeks also ‘running the banks’ by withdrawing £650million per day * Rumours Greek cashpoints could limit how much money [...]

The war crimes trial of ex-Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic has been postponed because prosecutors failed to disclose some evidence to the defence. About 7,000 pages of evidence, which should have been passed to Ratko Mladic’s lawyers, were not handed over. The defence has asked for six months to process that material. A BBC correspondent [...]

NAIROBI — Human Rights Watch says a renegade general is forcibly recruiting child soldiers to support his mutiny in the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo. HRW’s new report says at least 149 boys and young men between the ages of 12 and 20 have been forcibly recruited to fight alongside soldiers loyal to Bosco Ntaganda, [...]

A group of veteran Communist Party members in China have written to President Hu Jintao to ask him to sack leading politician Zhou Yongkang. Mr Zhou is currently in charge of China’s security apparatus. In an open letter to President Hu, the party’s general secretary, the veterans suggest Mr Zhou is part of a movement [...]

ISLAMABAD — The cost of the U.S.-led war effort in Afghanistan is about to rise by $365 million annually under an agreement that would reopen a key NATO supply route through Pakistan that’s been closed for nearly six months. The accord, which the Pakistani government announced late Tuesday, would revive the transport of vital supplies [...]

Thirty to 50 veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars may have fought hard for or suffered for their medals, but this weekend, they plan to hand those medals back during the NATO summit in Chicago, MSNBC reports. The group will stage the demonstration in protest of the war on terror, according to the itinerary [...]

* Majid Jamali Fashi, 24, was hanged at Tehran’s Evin Prison yesterday * ‘Publication of U.S. Embassy document raised suspicions of him’ An Iranian kick-boxer was hanged for the assassination of a Tehran nuclear scientist after WikiLeaks published a confidential U.S. Embassy cable, it has been claimed. Majid Jamali Fashi, 24, was yesterday put to [...]

NAIROBI: European anti-piracy forces have carried out their first air attack on mainland Somalia, strafing a beach from a low-flying helicopter and destroying pirates’ boats, fuel supplies and an arms cache. The attack is likely to lead to an intensification of the campaign against the multimillion-dollar piracy racket terrorising maritime traffic in the Indian Ocean [...]

Jauntily applauding his war crimes judges and giving them a thumbs up, Ratko Mladic showed he had lost none of the swagger of the soldier who stands accused of masterminding Europe’s most horrific killing spree in modern times. Nor did the man once dubbed the “Butcher of Bosnia” and the “Beast of the Balkans” show [...]

Pakistan said it was time to “move on” and repair ties with the United States and Nato, the strongest sign yet that it may reopen supply routes into Afghanistan closed for nearly six months. Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar made the remarks a day before Pakistani leaders are to discuss ending the blockade, and thereby [...]

Palestinians and Arab Israelis are commemorating “Nakba” day to mark the exodus of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians after the state of Israel was established in 1948. Palestinians observe “Nakba”, which means “catastrophe,” with demonstrations every year on May 15, the day after the anniversary of Israel’s creation. Israel uses the Hebrew calendar and therefore [...]

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak left today for Washington to hold discussions with U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta aimed in part at reaping new funds for a missile-defense system developed to protect Israel. Barak’s meeting with Panetta on May 17 is intended to include an agreement on more U.S. funding for the Israeli-made Iron [...]

A statement on Tuesday from the office of Greek President Karolos Papoulias have declared talks aimed at resolving the political crisis hanging over the debt-plagued country a failure. Socialist PASOK party leader Evangelos Venizelos says the country will now have to hold fresh elections – a vote that could be held next month.Read more …. [...]

Iranian President: Israel ‘Nothing More Than A Mosquito’ To Iran — CNN (CNN) — Ahead of upcoming nuclear talks, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad downplayed the threat Israel poses to Iran, comparing it to an annoying bug. “Israel is nothing more than a mosquito which cannot see the broad horizon of the Iranian nation,” he said [...]

Photo: CIA Director David Petraeus Petraeus Following Long Precedent of ‘Working Behind the Scenes’. Things change when one leaves the often-brash U.S. military to run the Central Intelligence Agency, a secretive organization populated by silent professionals. That includes how often one talks to reporters when charged with keeping the lone global superpower’s deepest secrets. Gen. [...]

Talks between Iranian authorities and U.N. nuclear agency officials have started in Vienna, as a major U.S. newspaper reports that Iran has repeatedly violated maritime law in a bid to sidestep international sanctions imposed due to its controversial nuclear program. International Atomic Energy Agency officials are expected to press Iran for access to the Parchin [...]

MONTERREY, Mexico – The discovery of 49 mutilated bodies dumped on a highway in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico on Sunday is the third massacre in the last ten days in the country’s so called “Triangle of Death.” On May 9th the dismembered bodies of 18 victims were left near Mexico’s second largest city, Guadalajara. Before that, [...]

Egypt-brokered deal brings an end to 28-day mass hunger strike by Palestinian security prisoners; prisoners to refrain from involvement in “activities against security” from within prisons; privileges to be restored.Israel and Palestinian security prisoners signed a deal to end a 28-day hunger strike by the inmates on Monday. The Palestinian Authority and Egypt both played [...]

Yemeni officials say at least 16 militants and 12 government soldiers were killed Sunday as troops backed by warplanes and heavy artillery launched a major offensive to retake the al-Qaida-held southern city of Zinjibar. The attacks pounded areas of Ayban province including the city of Jaar, where al-Qaida has maintained control since March 2011. If [...]

In The Eskimo and the Oil Man, Bob Reiss follows Shell’s pursuit of black gold in the world’s iciest waters. FORTUNE — The race for oil in the Arctic is on. As the polar ice cap retreats, energy companies are looking north for a potentially huge new source of crude supply. In April, Exxon Mobil [...]

A senior Afghan peace negotiator has been shot dead in Kabul, officials say. Arsala Rahmani was a former Taliban minister and a key member of Afghanistan’s High Peace Council, which leads Afghan efforts to negotiate a peace deal with the Taliban. Correspondents say his death is a major blow to President Hamid Karzai as Mr [...]

The man who turned his gun on Green Beret Andrew Britton-Mihalo of Simi Valley was also part of an elite corps. The tragedy is part of a worrisome trend in Afghanistan. KABUL, Afghanistan — In many ways, the two young soldiers were not so different from each other. Each was tough-minded and physically powerful. Each [...]

KABUL, Afghanistan — The traders crouched beneath the walls of an old fort, hunkered down with the sheep and goats as they talked, eyes nervously flitting up from time to time at the blimp that has become their constant overseer. “It is there every day except the days when it is windy and rainy,” said [...]

Pentagon orders review of all training classes after exposure of course presenting negative views of Muslims. The United States military has called for a review of all its training classes after receiving criticism for a course taught to senior officers that allegedly encouraged war against Islam. The controversial class presented slides that accused dozens of [...]

Israel’s Spy Revolt — Foreign Policy The war of words over an Israeli attack on Iran is splitting the political leadership from military and intelligence chiefs. And that dangerous divide in Jerusalem might well lead to real war. Something has gone very wrong with Israel’s posture on Iran’s nuclear program. While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu [...]

The U.S. military taught its future leaders that a “total war” against the world’s 1.4 billion Muslims would be necessary to protect America from Islamic terrorists, according to documents obtained by Danger Room. Among the options considered for that conflict: using the lessons of “Hiroshima” to wipe out whole cities at once, targeting the “civilian [...]

KABUL — Afghan commanders have refused more than a dozen times within the past two months to act on U.S. intelligence regarding high-level insurgents, arguing that night-time operations to target the men would result in civilian casualties, Afghan officials say. The defiance highlights the shift underway in Afghanistan as Afghan commanders make use of their [...]

OTTAWA – U.S. fighter pilots are complaining that the same breathing apparatus systems expected to be used in the F-35 fighter jets Canada plans to buy are faulty and fail to deliver enough oxygen to pilots in certain flying situations. Two American air force pilots told the U.S newsmagazine show 60 Minutes earlier this week [...]

WASHINGTON: Cyber Pearl Harbor. Sends chills down your spine, doesn’t it? With the enormous national theft undertaken by China from American companies and universities over the last five years it does seem a worrying prospect. And the idea of a cyber Pearl Harbor has become an ingrained tenet of much of the public debate about [...]

CIA Launches Massive Hunt For A Mole Within Its Ranks — RTIt is the job of the CIA to keep secrets. Like many federal bureaus, though, the US Central Intelligence Agency isn’t all that up to snuff when it comes to doing what they are supposed to. The United States’ top spy chief, retired Lieutenant [...]

Head of Syrian National Council alleges government and al-Qaeda complicity in Damascus bombings that killed at least 55. Syria’s government wants to destroy the UN-brokered peace plan aimed at ending violence in the country, opposition leader Burhan Ghalioun has said, a day after the deadliest bomb attacks of Syria’s 14-month uprising in the capital city. [...]

The ‘Guevara of south Yemen’ describes how activists fighting for independence have become pawns in a larger power struggle. Jemajem is a young, dark-eyed militant leader who bears the self-important nom de guerre of “the Guevara of south Yemen”. Based in the impoverished port of Aden, he belongs to the Hirak group of activists, who [...]

As a dispute over South China Sea territory threatens to boil over, a reporter plants the Chinese flag on the “island” at the centre of the row as Filipinos protest in Manila. Footage aired by Chinese broadcaster Dragon TV showed Zhang Fan hoisting the flag during his report from Huangyan island as he explained the [...]

Despite claims by Turkish officials about vetoing Israel’s participation in major NATO summit, a senior U.S. official says the alliance never intended to invite Israeli leaders. The two Middle Eastern countries have been feuding for two years since Israeli commandos stormed a Turkish ship delivering aid to the Gaza strip, killing nine on board. U.S. [...]

Russian security forces say they have foiled a plot by Chechen rebels to attack the 2014 Winter Olympics in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. The National Anti-Terrorism Committee said arms, including anti-aircraft missiles, found in nearby Abkhazia were to have been used to attack the games. The plan was masterminded by Chechen rebel leader [...]

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The International Committee of the Red Cross suspended operations in two of Pakistan’s largest cities Thursday and announced it would review its presence in the South Asian country after the brutal murder of one of its workers who had been kidnapped in January. The beheaded body of Khalil Rasjed Dale, a 60-year-old [...]

HAILEY, Idaho — The parents of the only American soldier held captive by Afghan insurgents have broken a yearlong silence about the status of their son, abruptly making public that he is a focus of secret negotiations between the Obama administration and the Taliban over a proposed prisoner exchange. The negotiations, currently stalled, involved a [...]

KABUL (Reuters) – Afghanistan faces tougher security challenges in the next phase of a transition from foreign to Afghan forces as insurgents step up their attacks, Afghan officials said on Thursday. President Hamid Karzai is expected to announce on Sunday the transfer of 230 districts and the centers of all provincial capitals to Afghan control [...]

* Raytheon’s newest hardware plays role in European shield* Components “performed as designed” – Pentagon* Earlier test failed, caused Raytheon production delay WASHINGTON, May 10 (Reuters) – U.S. forces said they had destroyed a target in the first successful test of the Navy’s newest anti-missile interceptor, designed to protect allies from attacks by countries like [...]

A plane designed to be Russia’s flagship new passenger jet on the international market went missing on Wednesday with 50 people on board during a demonstration flight for potential buyers in Indonesia. Contact was lost with the Sukhoi Superjet 100 about 20 minutes after take-off in Jakarta at 14.35 local time. It disappeared from radar [...]

Support for the war in Afghanistan has reached a new low, with only 27 per cent of Americans saying they back the effort, according to a new poll. In an AP-GfK survey, 66 per cent opposed the war, with 40 per cent saying they were “strongly” opposed. A year ago, 37 per cent favoured the [...]

At this time last year, South Sudan was preparing to become Africa’s newest nation. Now the dispute between South Sudan and Sudan may turn both into the latest failed states. If everything had gone according to plan, South Sudanese bureaucrats would have been scurrying around to make preparations for the country’s first annual independence day [...]

Istanbul (CNN) — Interpol on Tuesday issued a “red notice” for Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, who is suspected of guiding and financing terrorist attacks in the country. The red notice for al-Hashimi “represents a regional (and) international alert to all of Interpol’s 190 member countries to seek their help in locating and arresting him, [...]

Photo: An Iron Dome launcher fires an interceptor rocket. Reuters The US House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee included multiple allocations with a total amount of $947 million in the next year budget (FY 2013) to support Israel’s multi-level active rocket and missile defense programs. This is the highest single-year Appropriation ever for Iron Dome, David’s Sling, [...]