Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Is The U.S. Government Spying On Reporters To Find Leakers?

New York Post: The government is spying on journalists to find leakers

There was a big ruckus four years ago when the Associated Press announced that telephone records for 20 of its reporters had been subpoenaed by the Justice Department.

The government was apparently looking for CIA leaks about an operation in Yemen.

Well, a Washington source of mine tells me it’s happening again. The Justice Department has gotten a warrant from the US Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court — also known as the FISA court — to conduct electronic surveillance on a group of journalists who’ve been the recipient of leaked information, the source said.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I felt uncomfortable when President Obama was doing it ....

U.S. Justice Department Seizes AP Journalists' Phone Records -- News Roundup (May 14, 2013)
Is The White House Targeting The Press? (May 21, 2013)
White House Will Now Pursue Changes On Press Probe Guidelines (July 23, 2013)

And if this report is true .... I feel uncomfortable now.

Hillary Clinton Unloads And Lists The Reasons Why She Lost The Election



Daily Mail: Hillary launches astonishing conspiracy claim that Trump won the election because he 'colluded' with 1,000 Russian agents who filled Facebook with 'lies' and Twitter with 'bots'

* Defeated Democrat is back on the speaking circuit, telling a Silicon Valley get-together about her election loss
* Clinton says her defeat isn't her fault as she claims Russians and 'forces in this country' were out to defeat her
* She claims 1,000 Russian agents were filling Facebook with 'lies' and the 'majority' of news on it was 'fake'
* Clinton said she was certain someone had 'colluded' so the Russians knew what fake news worked and added: 'I'm leaning towards Trump.'
* Also blamed her own party for having poor-quality voter data, claimed she was the victim of misogyny, and that she was kept off the air by TV networks

Hillary Clinton launched an all-out assault on Donald Trump Wednesday, claiming he must have 'guided' Russian efforts to keep her out of the White House.

Openly saying that she believed he had 'colluded' with Russia, she made an astonishing series of claims about the presidential election, including claiming that the 'vast majority' of news about her on Facebook was 'fake'.

She even cited 'Pizzagate', claiming that claims she was involved in a child sex-trafficking network in a Washington D.C. restaurant had helped swing 'low information voters'.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: She has supporters on her claim that she lost the information war .... Hillary Clinton Was the First Casualty in the New Information Wars (Alexis C. Madrigal, The Atlantic). What's my take .... she rips into everyone in this one hour sit-down .... but while she does not name President Obama .... Clinton rips DNC: I inherited nothing (The Hill) you can tell that she is not happy with him either. As to her claim taht 1,000 Russian agents colluded with the Trump team .... sighhh .... and they say President Trump is into hyperbole sometimes.

More News On Hillary Clinton's Interview At Recode

Clinton slams New York Times, DNC, Comey for her loss -- CNN
Hillary Clinton: 'I take responsibility for every decision I made, but that's not why I lost' -- CNBC
Hillary Clinton Calls Email Scandal Fake News and 'Biggest Nothing Burger Ever' -- Newsweek
Hillary Clinton: Russians 'guided by Americans' in election interference -- ABC News
Hillary Clinton Unloads on What Led to Her Election Defeat -- Fortune
Hillary Clinton Blames the Russians, Facebook, and Fake News for Her Loss -- Fortune
Clinton: ‘I Take Responsibility for Every Decision I Made, but That’s Not Why I Lost’ -- Washington Free Beacon
Hillary Clinton blames everyone but herself for her 2016 loss -- VOX
Clinton: I was the ‘victim’ of an assumption that I would win -- Politico
Hillary Clinton Heaps Blame on the DNC -- Newser

Are Media Leaks An Act of Treason?

Newspaper fronts reporting on the documents released by the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks are seen in New York, on Nov. 29, 2010 Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

Rasmussen: 53% Say Media Leaks Are Act of Treason

When politics is the name of the game, one man’s treason is another man’s service to the nation.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that just over half (53%) of all Likely U.S. Voters still consider the leaking of classified information to the media to be an act of treason. Thirty percent (30%) disagree, while 18% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I am surprised by the low number. I expected the number to be in the 80s.

Should President Trump Share His Cell Phone Number With Other World Leaders?


The Hill: Trump asks world leaders to call him on his cell: report

President Trump reportedly asked world leaders to contact him directly on his cellphone, raising questions about security, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.

The request, which poses a risk of having the conversations of the U.S. president intercepted, breaks with diplomatic protocol.

Trump urged Canadian and Mexican leaders to call his cellphone, former and current U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the practice told the the news wire, adding that only Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has utilized the direct communication line.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I read a while back that a lot of world leaders do share their cell phone numbers. But this is the first time that I am learning of a U.S President doing this .... and I am not comfortable with it.

More News On President Trump Sharing His Cell Phone Number With Other World Leaders

Trump gives cell number to world leaders; is it secure? -- AP
Report: Trump urging world leaders to call his cell phone -- Axios
Trump urges world leaders to call him on his cellphone: Report -- Channel News Asia
An unexpected problem: Trump handing out his cellphone number -- MSNBC
Social media reacts to report Trump gave cell number to foreign leaders -- The Hill

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 31, 2017



Sami Yousafzai, Daily Beast: Who Set Off the Enormous Bomb in Kabul? ‘Not Us,’ Say Taliban. Don’t Believe It.

A former Afghan member of ISIS and a Taliban commander say claims of credit for such an atrocity are almost irrelevant, as long as the U.S.-backed regime is discredited.

The Ramadan morning began with an enormous explosion in Kabul, right at rush hour near the Afghan capital’s embassy row. The boulevard in Wazir Akbar Khan district is one of the busiest in the city, filled with pedestrian traffic as well as cars coming and going to the offices of diplomats, the American military, and Afghan government officials. More than 80 people were killed and hundreds injured, many of them severely, and, as it happened, virtually all of them were Afghan citizens, from street vendors to soldiers, traffic cops, bank clerks, and workers in the telephone company.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 31, 2017

AP Explains: Why can’t the Afghan government protect Kabul? -- AP

The New Normal: Sending Troops to Afghanistan and Forgetting They Exist -- Daniel R. DePetris, National Interest

The Guardian view on terror in Kabul and Baghdad: bombed, but they have not buckled -- Guardian Editorial

A new balance of terror: Why North Korea clings to its nukes -- Eric Talmadge, AP

A Turning Point for Iran? -- Christopher Hill, Project Syndicate

In wake of Trump visit, Saudi-led Sunni bloc already splintering -- Bruce Riedel, Al-Monitor

Qatar, Saudi Arabia open crack in united front against Iran -- Sami Moubayed, Asia Times

"Wider Conspiracy" Behind Manchester Attack -- Thomas Joscelyn, Long War Journal

Islamic State in the Philippines - A Growing Regional Threat -- Michael Sullivan, RCD

Egypt: The New Dictatorship -- Joshua Hammer, New York Review Of Books

Why the Decline of Europe's Center-Left Matters -- Adriano Bosoni, Stratfor

Ukraine’s Forever War -- Nolan Peterson, Daily Signal

Venezuela must take a step toward freedom -- Maria Corina Machado, Washington Post

Everyone Plays Venezuela's Hunger Games -- Lisa Abramowicz, Bloomberg

Venezuela: Why I support Nicolas Maduro -- Elizabeth Melimopoulos, Al Jazeera

Is Trump’s 350-Ship Navy on the Rocks? -- Bryan McGrath, War on the Rocks

World News Briefs -- May 31, 2017 (Evening Edition)



New York Times: Deadly Bombing in Kabul Is One of the Afghan War’s Worst Strikes

KABUL, Afghanistan — In one of the deadliest single strikes of the long Afghan war, a truck bomb on Wednesday devastated a central area of Kabul near the presidential palace and foreign embassies, serving as a horrible reminder that the capital city itself has become a hazardous battlefield.

In one moment, more than 80 lives ended, hundreds of people were wounded and many more were traumatized, in the heart of a city defined by constant checkpoints and the densest concentration of Afghan and international forces.

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Islamic State fighters seal off Mosul mosque preparing for last stand.

US arms Syrian Kurdish militia in fight against 'Islamic State' (IS). US begins sending weapons to Kurdish YPG in Syria.

Turkey blasts US for ‘extremely dangerous’ arming of Kurds in Syria.

Russia fires cruise missiles at ISIL targets in Syria.

100,000 people displaced by fighting in Raqqa, Syria, since April – UN.

Yemen facing total collapse as war continues, UN warns.

UNICEF: Nearly 500 dead in Yemen cholera outbreak.

Bahrain court dissolves main secular opposition group.

Palestinian power struggle threatens further Gaza power cuts.

Thirteen Turkish soldiers killed in military helicopter crash.

Trump reviews option to move US embassy to Jerusalem.

ASIA

As NKorea threat grows, US plans next anti-ICBM test in 2018.

Trump hails signing of deals worth 'billions' with Vietnam.

Death toll at 90 in huge suicide bombing in Afghan capital. US contractors hurt, Afghan guards dead in Kabul bomb. gony for Afghan civilians in deadly Kabul truck bombing.

Kabul: at least 80 killed by massive car bomb in diplomatic quarter. Bombing in diplomatic area of Kabul kills 80, wounds scores.

World leaders condemn deadly attack in Kabul.

China urges U.S. to act 'prudently' after interceptor test.

South Korea defense ministry 'intentionally dropped' THAAD units in report: Blue House.

India's annual growth slows to 7.1% after controversial note ban.

Philippines' Duterte slams Clinton over rape criticism. Philippines' Duterte uses Lewinsky affair to hit back at critical Clinton.

Refugees face 'acute crisis' in cyclone-hit Bangladesh.

AFRICA

Over 40 migrants reported dead in Sahara after truck breakdown.

Ivory Coast army chief meets mutineers in their barracks.

Uganda probes Chinese diplomats over ivory trafficking.

Four Kenyan police, civilian killed by IED: police.

Famine looms in former Boko Haram stronghold in NE Nigeria.

South Sudan ethnic violence hits new high as civilians flee.

Soldiers accused of rape and murder go on trial in South Sudan.

Egypt's president attempts to further silence dissent with "draconian" new law.

British minister admits UK 'could have done more' to prevent chaos in Libya.

Thousands rally in Morocco for release of protest leader.

Kenya launches multi-billion dollar railway amid concerns over costs.

EUROPE

Trump's loss is Li's gain as Berlin rolls out red carpet for China's PM.

Macedonia's parliament endorses new government.

France says worried by Ukraine crisis, demands guarantees for observers.

British PM May could lose majority in June 8 election: YouGov projection.

Germany brushes off US help on election cybersecurity: report.

French ministers Ferrand and de Sarnez under pressure already.

France using state of emergency against peaceful protests, Amnesty says.

Serbia: Aleksandar Vucic to assume presidency amid accusations.

Nordic prime ministers troll Trump's viral orb photograph.

AMERICAS

House intelligence panel issues seven subpoenas in Russia probe. House committee issues subpoenas; Comey OK’d to testify. House intel panel approves subpoenas for Trump lawyer, former top aide.

Trump blasts Russia probe, touts ex-adviser Page over FBI, CIA.

Clinton: ‘I take responsibility for every decision I made, but that’s not why I lost’.

U.S. Poll: 53% say media leaks are act of treason.

Official says Trump expected to pull US from Paris deal. Trump poised to pull out of Paris climate deal: US media.

Top Trump aide exits as wider White House overhaul expected.

Trump’s cellphone diplomacy raises security concerns.

Venezuela protests intensify, more flee country as crisis deepens.

Brazil's Temer sticks to reform to tame budget deficit.

Colombia and Farc rebels extend weapons handover deadline.

Central American refugees turn again to Belize – but find it far less welcoming.

L.A. law enforcement on high alert after street gangs threaten officers.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

US-led strike kills founder of IS propaganda agency: activists.

Allegations of abuse, mismanagement shadow gains against IS.


Manchester attack: Abedi bought most bomb parts himself, UK police say.

Ex-Gitmo inmate among 6 detained from french Jihadi network.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Wall Street little changed as financials drop, defensive stocks gain.


Space junk could destroy satellites, hurt economies: researchers.

Global stocks close lucrative May on a high, sterling hits eight-week low.

Oil prices at three-week low as rising output risks OPEC-led deal.

Manchester United ranked as Europe's most valuable club, Bayern Munich in fourth place.

The U.S. Wants A Long-Range Guided Artillery Shell For Hitting Moving Targets

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Joseph Trvevithick, The Drive: U.S. Navy Wants Long-Range Guided Artillery Shell For Hitting Moving Targets

The planned 155mm artillery round will use a combination of guidance systems, but is entirely "GPS-Free."

The U.S. Navy is leading developing a new 155mm artillery round capable of destroying moving targets on land or at sea that could end up in use across three services, including the U.S. Army and Marine Corps. More importantly, the precision munitions will not use GPS, making them useful even in GPS denied environments.

The Office of Naval Research (ONR), the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWC Dahlgren), and the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) have been coordinating on the project, blandly titled the Moving Target Artillery Round. The MTAR acronym has apparently lent itself to a more colorful program logo featuring a minotaur throwing the notional projectile. The Navy and its partners are still ironing out the full requirements, having just put out an official contracting notice looking for information from prospective industry partners in May 2017. The plan is to have the project formally up and running sometime in 2019.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: For those who are always interested in what is news in in artillery .... this is a must read.

Unrest In Venezuela -- News Updates May 31, 2017

Demonstrators clash with riot security forces while rallying against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, May 31, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

Reuters: Anti-Maduro protests rage as OAS meets on Venezuela crisis

Venezuelan security forces used water cannons and teargas to disperse tens of thousands of opposition protesters heading toward the foreign ministry on Wednesday as the Organization of American States held another meeting on the crisis.

Two months of protests against President Nicolas Maduro's socialist government have convulsed the South American OPEC nation, with at least 59 people killed in the unrest.

Opposition supporters demanding elections, freedom for jailed activists, and foreign humanitarian aid, marched onto Caracas' main highway aiming to reach the ministry downtown.

But as happens near-daily with rallies trying to reach government offices, National Guard soldiers blocked their way and drove them back with volleys of gas and shoots of water.

Masked youths hurled stones and Molotov cocktails in return.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I have also noticed this lack of coverage on Venezuela from the major TV networks when looking for links to put on this blog .... Nets Ignore Ongoing Disaster in Venezuela; Downplay Role of Socialism (MRC News Busters). Fortunately .... the print media and the international press have more than made up for this lack of coverage.

More News On The Unrest In Venezuela

OAS, European Parliament Weigh Venezuela Crisis -- VOA
60 Days, 62 Dead in Desperate Venezuelan Uprising -- CBN
Venezuela’s deadly unrest has led to nearly 3,000 arrests: NGO -- Japan Times/AFP
After 2 Months, Protests In Venezuela Show No Sign Of Ebbing -- NPR
Goldman Sachs Just Ignited the Venezuela ‘Hunger Bonds’ Movement -- Bloomberg
As Venezuela Enters 3rd Month Of Protests, Anti-Maduro Ire Finds New Target -- NPR
Venezuela opposition parties to boycott constitutional assembly -- Miami Herald
Mexico's Top Diplomat Says Venezuela Is No Longer a Democracy -- US News and World Report/Reuters
Stossel: In Venezuela, because some believe socialism is the answer to inequality, people starve -- FOX news
Venezuela: a divided country -- Nastassja Shtrauchler, DW

Will The U.S. And Iran Go To War Against Each Other In Syria

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Henry Meyer and Nafeesa Syeed, Bloomberg: If Trump Wants to Fight Iran, He’ll Soon Get the Chance in Syria

* Forces backed by U.S., Iran in race to take Islamic State land
* ‘This is the most complicated battlespace anyone’s ever known’

Islamic State’s self-declared caliphate in eastern Syria is surrounded by some of the world’s strongest military powers. Their forces are advancing on several fronts. The battlefield odds aren’t even close.

That’s why the commanders of those armies -- in Washington, Moscow and Tehran, as well as Damascus and Ankara -- are looking beyond the coming showdown with the jihadists. When they’re killed or driven out, who’ll take over? It’s an especially sharp dilemma for President Donald Trump. Because for the second time this century, the U.S. risks defeating one Middle Eastern enemy only to see another one, Iran, emerge as the big winner.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: My read is different .... President Trump is more focused on destroying the Islamic State using the Kurds as its proxies .... not going to war against Iranian backed forces. The question should be .... does Iran want to fight the U.S., and will they do it in Syria. The Iranians could do so in Iraq right now .... they have more than enough forces to give U.S. forces in Iraq a lot of grief (and vice versa). But I think there is a general agreement among all parties that the priority is to get rid of the Islamic State first .... and deal with the outcome later. As to what will that outcome be and how it will play out .... from my perspective that is still up in the air.

Anonymous Sources Have Taken Every Parking Space Used By Washington Post For Secret Meetings



Onion: ‘Washington Post’ Reporter Frustrated Every Space In Parking Garage Taken Up By Anonymous Source

WASHINGTON—Circling every level multiple times with no luck whatsoever, Washington Post reporter Philip Rucker was frustrated Tuesday that every space in the parking garage was taken up by an anonymous source.

“I’ve gone around and around, but I can’t find a single spot that isn’t already filled by an unidentified White House leaker,” said an exasperated Rucker, who recalled how easy it was to nab a prime parking place to clandestinely receive privileged information only a few short years ago.

“It’s such a nightmare driving all the way to the very top of the whole fucking structure to hold a secret meeting with an informant and then have to squeeze into a spot reserved for compact cars that another journalist who’s meeting with a whistle-blower is halfway parked in anyway.

Seriously, I have to start scheduling these rendezvous earlier, because as soon as dusk settles in, you can forget it.”

At press time, Rucker was idling his car near the space occupied by a New York Times reporter who had just received a thumb drive and appeared to be wrapping things up.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Fact or fiction?

Ukrainian Government Policies Are Leading To A Further Fracturing Of The Country

Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko. Wikipedia

Nicolai N. Petro & Josh Cohen, National Interest: Ukraine's Government Is Failing to Unite Ukrainians

The current course of denigrating those deemed insufficiently Ukrainian will only lead to a fracturing of the country.

Last month Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko dramatically expanded his country’s sanctions against Russia by imposing multiyear sanctions on a number of IT companies. Once they are fully implemented these sanctions will impact some twenty-five million Ukrainians, or nearly every Ukrainian internet user.

These were but the latest in a litany of sanctions that began in 2014, after Russia annexed Crimea. First, restrictions were imposed on Russian television news programs, then artists, films and, most recently, books published in Russia. Most recently, Ukraine passed a law requiring 75 percent of television content to be in the Ukrainian language—leading one Western journalist to accuse Poroshenko of appearing to “equate being Ukrainian with speaking Ukrainian.”

Critics say the government is trying to create a virtual wall around Ukraine, in a futile attempt to keep out all Russian influence. They worry that once this is accomplished, Kiev will seeks to impose a nationalist agenda on the country by attacking as disloyal the cultural affinity that most eastern Ukrainians feel for Russia.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Currently .... President Poroshenko is polling in the teens. These new measures are going to guarantee his poll numbers going into the single digits. The next Ukraine Presidential election is slated in March, 2019 .... and everyone I know in Ukraine are just waiting for that day. In the meantime .... the anger that is building up in the territories in the east and in the south east .... and in major cities like Kharkiv where my aunt and her family lives .... I am genuinely worry that Ukraine may soon be entering into a wider conflict beyond Luhansk and Donetsk.

Can Germany Defend Europe?

© AFP 2016/ CHRISTOF STACHE

Salvatore Babones, National Interest: Can Germany Defend Europe On Its Own?

Most of NATO’s frontline members in eastern and southern Europe are doing their part. Germany is not.

German chancellor Angela Merkel has reaffirmed her position as the unlikely superhero of Europe’s liberal elites. Twelve years in power and facing a difficult election in September, she struck out at the least popular man in Europe: Donald Trump.

Fresh from last week’s G-7 summit, Merkel took a dig at Trump that won her liberal friends around the world. At a Sunday election rally in Munich, she declared that “the times when we could fully rely on others are to some extent over -- I experienced that in the last few days.” The last few days, that is, meeting with Trump.

That’s not rousing rhetoric, to be sure, but the world took her point. Alarmist headlines about the disintegration of the postwar order appeared throughout the world. Even in the United States there was talk of the United States losing its “closest and oldest allies.”

Read more ....

WNU Editor: German Chancellor Merkel's rhetoric is one thing .... reality on the ground is something else as the above commentary points out.

Is Russia's Hypersonic Weapons Program 5 Years Ahead Of The U.S. Hypersonic Program?

The Zircon is capable of travelling twice as fast as the Royal Navy's Sea Ceptor missile (pictured) which would be responsible for shooting it down

Daily Mail: Russia successfully tests 'unstoppable' 4,600mph hypersonic weapon that is faster than ANY global anti-missile system

* Russia has launched five successful flights of the hypersonic jet, say reports
* The weapon cannot be stopped by the Navy's current defences, experts say
* Zircon could render Navy's new £6.2billion ($7.9billion) aircraft carriers useless
* Missile is being tested and could be fitted to Russian cruisers by 2018

Russia has launched five successful flights of a hypersonic jet that is capable of destroying an aircraft carrier with a single impact, according to a new report.

The Zircon cruise missile travels between 3,800mph and 4,600mph - five to six times the speed of sound - and puts Russia 'half a decade' ahead of the US', the report says.

This makes it faster than any anti-missile system, including those that are expected to appear in the next two decades.

Read more ....

Update: Race for Hypersonic Superiority: Russia Over Half-a-Decade Ahead of the US (Sputnik)

WNU Editor: Oh oh .... people are now getting concern. But testing is different from manufacturing and deployment .... and Russia is probably still far-away from having this system being successfully deployed. But .... the alarm bells are now ringing.

The Battle For The Southern Philippine City Of Marawi -- News Updates May 31, 2017





ABC News Online: Marawi City: Philippine military urges Islamist rebels to surrender as battle enters eighth day

The Philippine military is urging Islamist militants occupying a southern city to turn themselves in as the brutal conflict that has left over 100 people dead enters its eighth day.

The Government says it is close to retaking Marawi City from the Islamic State-linked Maute group, which seized parts of the city after a failed attempt by security forces to capture Isnilon Hapilon, the militants' so-called leader of South-East Asia.

"We call on the remaining terrorists to surrender while there is an opportunity," Brigadier-General Restituto Padilla said.

Read more ....

The Battle For The Southern Philippine City Of Marawi -- News Updates May 31, 2017

Civilians seek food, water as Philippines siege continues -- AP
89 gunmen killed in Philippine urban battle: military -- AFP
Philippines says Islamists keep up week-long fight with prisoners, looted guns -- Reuters
Philippines vows to save hostages as fight corners militants -- FOX News/AP
Death Toll from the Philippine Government's Assault to Retake Marawi From ISIS-Linked Militants Rises -- Time News/AP
Philippines: ISIL-linked Maute group using children as fighters -- Al Jazeera
Catholic Priest Abducted in the Philippines Appeals to President in a Video -- NYT
Duterte insists he ‘will not talk to terrorists’ in U-turn on clashes in south Philippines -- RT
Filipinos Who Fled ISIS-Inspired Fighting: ‘There Was Gunfire Everywhere’ -- NYT
Civilians seek food, water as Philippines siege continues -- AP
Maute rebel group: A rising threat to Philippines -- Jonathan Head, BBC News

World News Briefs -- May 31, 2017



New York Times: Kabul Bombing Kills at Least 80, Shaking City Center

KABUL, Afghanistan — A truck bombing near the Afghan presidential palace early Wednesday killed at least 80 people and wounded hundreds, officials said. The death toll seemed certain to rise, and the attack appeared to be one of the bloodiest of the long Afghan war.

The huge blast during the morning rush hour caused panic in much of central Kabul, shattering windows as far as a mile away. Nearly two hours after the explosion near Zanbaq Square, a crowded area in the capital that leads to the presidential palace as well as major foreign embassies, plumes of smoke were still rising from the scene.

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

US arms Syrian Kurdish militia in fight against 'Islamic State' (IS). US begins sending weapons to Kurdish YPG in Syria.

Turkey blasts US for ‘extremely dangerous’ arming of Kurds in Syria.

Russia fires cruise missiles at ISIL targets in Syria.

100,000 people displaced by fighting in Raqqa, Syria, since April – UN.

Yemen facing total collapse as war continues, UN warns.

UNICEF: Nearly 500 dead in Yemen cholera outbreak.

Bahrain court dissolves main secular opposition group.

Palestinian power struggle threatens further Gaza power cuts.

ASIA

Kabul: at least 80 killed by massive car bomb in diplomatic quarter. Bombing in diplomatic area of Kabul kills 80, wounds scores.

World leaders condemn deadly attack in Kabul.

China urges U.S. to act 'prudently' after interceptor test.

South Korea defense ministry 'intentionally dropped' THAAD units in report: Blue House.

India's annual growth slows to 7.1% after controversial note ban.

Philippines' Duterte slams Clinton over rape criticism. Philippines' Duterte uses Lewinsky affair to hit back at critical Clinton.

Refugees face 'acute crisis' in cyclone-hit Bangladesh.

AFRICA

Four Kenyan police, civilian killed by IED: police.

Famine looms in former Boko Haram stronghold in NE Nigeria.

South Sudan ethnic violence hits new high as civilians flee.

Soldiers accused of rape and murder go on trial in South Sudan.

Egypt's president attempts to further silence dissent with "draconian" new law.

British minister admits UK 'could have done more' to prevent chaos in Libya.

Thousands rally in Morocco for release of protest leader.

Kenya launches multi-billion dollar railway amid concerns over costs.

EUROPE

France says worried by Ukraine crisis, demands guarantees for observers.

British PM May could lose majority in June 8 election: YouGov projection.

Germany brushes off US help on election cybersecurity: report.

French ministers Ferrand and de Sarnez under pressure already.

France using state of emergency against peaceful protests, Amnesty says.

Serbia: Aleksandar Vucic to assume presidency amid accusations.

Nordic prime ministers troll Trump's viral orb photograph.

AMERICAS

Official says Trump expected to pull US from Paris deal. Trump poised to pull out of Paris climate deal: US media.

Top Trump aide exits as wider White House overhaul expected.

Trump’s cellphone diplomacy raises security concerns.

Venezuela protests intensify, more flee country as crisis deepens.

Brazil's Temer sticks to reform to tame budget deficit.

Colombia and Farc rebels extend weapons handover deadline.

Central American refugees turn again to Belize – but find it far less welcoming.

L.A. law enforcement on high alert after street gangs threaten officers.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Allegations of abuse, mismanagement shadow gains against IS.


Manchester attack: Abedi bought most bomb parts himself, UK police say.

Ex-Gitmo inmate among 6 detained from french Jihadi network.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Global stocks close lucrative May on a high, sterling hits eight-week low.

Oil prices at three-week low as rising output risks OPEC-led deal.

Manchester United ranked as Europe's most valuable club, Bayern Munich in fourth place.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- May 31, 2017

PHOTO: ISTOCK.COM/ZIGGY-MARS

Will Edwards, Cipher Brief: Asian Nations Arming for Underwater War

When U.S. President Donald Trump told Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte that the U.S. had two submarines in the waters near Korea, it began a controversy over whether sharing the subs’ location was a leak of classified information and a security risk. A submarine’s ability to remain hidden is its greatest asset, and Asian countries are increasingly willing to pay for that capability. Avascent Analytics estimates that Asian countries will spend nearly $40 billion on submarines over the next 10 years.

Read more ....

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- May 31, 2017

'Shocked' South Korea leader orders probe into U.S. THAAD additions -- Reuters

South Korea defense ministry 'intentionally dropped' THAAD units in report: Blue House -- Reuters

China concerned after South Korea’s military hides THAAD missile launchers from new president Moon -- South China Morning Post

US 'very transparent' with THAAD deployment in Korea: Pentagon spokesman -- Korea Herald

North Korea hails test of ‘precision-guided’ missile as success, vows bigger ‘gift package’ for U.S. -- Japan Times

China, Japan wary of each other over advanced missile radars -- DW

Why Indian army defended Kashmir 'human shield' officer -- Justin Rowlatt, BBC

What Russia's Military Will Look Like by 2035 (PHOTO) -- Sputnik

NATO and U.S.: Enemies of Choice for Russia’s Military -- Pavel Felgenhauer, Eurasia Daily Monitor

Germany seeks to block NATO summit in Turkey: report -- DW

Despite Recent Tension With US In Pacific, China Invited To 2018 RIMPAC -- Task & Purpose

Mattis to focus on North Korea at Asian forum as allies seek clear U.S. policy -- Reuters

Saudi Arms Deal May Include THAAD, Coastal Patrol Ships -- Defense Tech

US Successfully Intercepts Ballistic Missile Target in Pacific -- Military.com

US military successfully shoots down simulated ICBM for the first time amid North Korean threat -- ABC News Online

New World Threats Prompt Navy to Review Frigate Design -- Defense Tech

Air Force Wants More C-5s on the Flightline -- DoD Buzz

Will the KC-46 face another schedule delay? The Air Force will find out in June -- Defense News

Army Tests JLTV Helicopter Combat Sling-Load to Prep for Ops Behind Enemy Lines -- Scout Warrior

Air Force to finalize new cyber mission forces -- Defense Systems

FY18 budget request: The Army's top 10 modernization priorities -- Defense News

US Special Ops General Sees Decades-Long Struggle in Africa -- Military.com/Stars and Stripes

Mattis Finally Gets Some E-Ring Help -- DoD Buzz

Trump’s ‘Total Authorization’ to Military Gives Some ‘Deep Concerns’ -- Roll Call

Poll: Americans respect all military branches, but Air Force takes the lead -- Military Times

Trump wants to rebuild the military, but budget could close bases -- Jeremy Herb, CNN

The Rise of Disposable Drones -- Popular Mechanics

7 American Celebrities Who Just Couldn’t Hack It In The Armed Forces -- Task & Purpose

Trump’s Defense Budget Reflects Urgency to Modernize the Military
-- Sandra Erwing, RCD

The U.S. Military Is Suffering A Crisis Of Strategy, Not Just One Of Readiness -- Dan Goure, National Interest

Missile Defense Can’t Save Us From North Korea -- Kingston Reif, War on the Rocks

Russian Navy Fires Cruise Missiles At The Islamic State From The Mediterranean





RT: Russian frigate & submarine fire 4 cruise missiles at ISIS targets near Palmyra – MoD

The missiles destroyed heavy equipment and killed fighters that Islamic State had transferred from its stronghold, Raqqa, to Palmyra, the Russian Defense Ministry has said.

The Russian warships, a frigate named Admiral Essen and submarine named Krasnodar, fired Kalibr cruise missiles on combat vehicles and militants outside the Syrian city of Palmyra, the Defense Ministry said.

The four cruise missiles were fired from the eastern Mediterranean, it noted in a statement. The submarine fired its missiles while submerged.

Read more ....

More News On Today's Russian Navy Cruise Missiles Attack Against The Islamic State In Syria

Russian cruise missiles hit terrorist targets near Palmyra -- TASS
Russian Navy Launches Cruise Missiles From Sub on Daesh Targets Near Palmyra -- Sputnik
Russia fires cruise missiles at ISIL targets in Syria -- Al Jazeera
Russia fires cruise missiles at IS targets in Syria -- BBC
Russia fires cruise missiles, targets IS positions in Syria -- AP
Russian warship, sub fire cruise missiles at IS in Syria: Moscow -- AFP
Russia fires underwater missiles at Islamic State in Palmyra, Syria -- UPI
Russian warships fire cruise missiles at Islamic State positions in Syria -- FOX news
Why Russia Unleashed Kalibr Cruise Missiles on Daesh in Palmyra -- Sputnik

Massive Truck Bomb In Kabul Kills 80+ And Wounds Hundreds





Daily Mail: At least 80 are dead and 350 injured in massive suicide car bomb attack near British, US, French and German embassies in Kabul

* WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
* Massive suicide truck bomb blast has rocked the diplomatic quarter of Kabul that houses foreign embassies
* At least 80 are dead and 350 more were injured in explosion, according to Afghan health ministry officials
* The explosion happened in rush hour close to the British, German, French and US embassies in Afghan capital
* BBC Afghan driver Mohammed Nazir has been killed and four BBC journalists were injured in the atrocity
* No group has claimed responsibility but Taliban and ISIS have staged large-scale attacks in Kabul in the past

At least 80 people -including a BBC driver - are dead and 350 more are injured after a massive bomb concealed in a water tanker ripped through Kabul's diplomatic quarter this morning.

Bodies littered the street and a towering plume of smoke could be seen over the Afghan capital after the truck attack blew out the windows in a number of foreign missions and residences nearby.

Officials said most of the casualties this morning were civilians and 'many women and children' were among the victims.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The Taliban are denying responsibility .... Taliban deny responsibility for Kabul blast (Reuters).

More News On Today's Massive Truck Bomb Attack In Kabul, Afghanistan\

Bombing in diplomatic area of Kabul kills 80, wounds scores -- AP
Huge bomb in sewage tanker kills at least 80, wounds hundreds in Afghan capital -- Reuters
Scores killed as huge explosion rocks Kabul's diplomatic quarter -- France 24
Kabul bomb: Diplomatic zone attack kills dozens -- BBC
Dozens killed, hundreds injured in massive suicide car bombing in Kabul -- CBS/AP
Kabul explosion: Blast kills 80 near diplomatic area in Afghanistan -- CNN
Kabul Car Bombing Kills At Least 80 People, Injures Hundreds More -- NPR
Huge explosion rips through Kabul diplomatic quarter -- DW
Kabul bomb blast: More than 80 dead, scores injured after explosion in Afghan capital -- ABC News Online
Kabul bombing: Huge explosion rocks diplomatic district -- Al Jazeera
Kabul blast: At least 80 killed & over 350 wounded in explosion in Afghan capital’s embassy district -- RT
Bomb blast rocks Kabul during rush hour, killing dozens of civilians -- Long War Journal
BBC says driver killed, four journalists injured in Kabul attack -- AFP
World leaders condemn deadly attack in Kabul -- Al Jazeera
Afghanistan: Four things to know after the Kabul attack -- CNN
Kabul blast: 'Such attacks will never end' -- Al Jazeera
Timeline of Kabul attacks since 2016 -- AFP
In pictures: Deadly Kabul blast -- BBC

Poll: 54 Percent Of Military Veterans Approve Of President Trump

President Donald Trump tours the pre-commissioned U.S. Navy aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford at Huntington Ingalls Newport News Shipbuilding facilities in Newport News, Virginia, March 2, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Washington Times: 98 percent of Republican military veterans approve of Trump: Poll

President Trump has some unwavering support from a very unique demographic: Republican military veterans. An extensive new Pew Research Center reveals that 98 percent of these GOP vets approve of the job Mr. Trump is doing. He has some fans across the greater population of vets as well. The poll also found that 54 percent of them also approve of the president.

Another 47 percent of independent vets and 10 percent of Democratic vets approve of the president.

“U.S. veterans, who broadly supported Donald Trump in the 2016 election, have remained positive about the job he is doing as president,” wrote Shiva Maniam, and analyst for the pollster.

“In April, 54 percent of those who have served in the military approved of his job performance. Trump’s job approval among the overall public was just 39%, according to the same survey, which was conducted using Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel,” Mr. Maniam said.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Only 54%? This is a low number for a U.S. Republican President.

The British Conservatives On The Verge Of Losing Their Majority?

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May attends an election campaign event in Wolverhampton, May 30, 2017. REUTERS/Leon Neal/Pool

Express: Theresa May election meltdown? Pollsters predict Tories to LOSE House of Commons majority

THE Conservatives will lose their outright majority clinched by David Cameron in 2015 in the upcoming June 8 election, a YouGov projection has claimed.

The calamitous news for Theresa May comes from the first seat by seat projection for the campaign, and suggests the Conservatives will fall 16 seats short of an overall majority.

The YouGov prediction would leave Theresa May with 310 MPs – 20 fewer than at the time of dissolution of the last Parliament – while Labour are set to surge from 229 to 257 MPs on June 8 election, a gain of 28 seats in the Commons.

The shocking scenario could leave Theresa May’s hand weakened ahead of Brexit negotiations – or see her ousted by an opposing coalition government.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Other polls are saying another story .... UK PM May's lead narrows slightly to 12 points: ICM poll (Reuters). What's my take on the U.K. election .... the  number one issue is Brexit .... but when I heard that this is what the Conservatives were/are pushing .... Theresa May waters down 'dementia tax' in extraordinary U-turn after poll lead slashed (The Independent) .... I said to myself that the Tory campaign team must be working for the opposition.

The U.S. Military Is Unprepared For Enemy Drones

Image: U.S. Army photo by Master Sgt. Michel Sauret

Jonathan Gillismay, War On The Rocks: In Over Their Heads: U.S. Ground Forces Are Dangerously Unprepared For Enemy Drones

America’s ground forces are not accustomed to looking at the sky. That’s because the last time the United States sustained a reported casualty from an enemy aircraft was April 15, 1953 — 64 years ago.

For decades, American air dominance has gone almost uncontested, and ground forces have all but forgotten they can be touched from above. But thanks to the proliferation of small, low-cost drones and desktop manufacturing, that paradigm is now changing — and quickly. As T.X. Hammes argued last year, small aerial drones have brought about the “democratization of airpower.” Today, both state and non-state actors are capable of coordinating precision air attacks at remarkably low costs. And the U.S. military is alarmingly unprepared.

It’s not that the government isn’t spending money on the problem. The Department of Defense’s FY2017 budget request called for $226.7 million on counter-drone solutions. The problem is that we have failed to adequately inform our troops about the threat. As a result, the United States has a force that, at the fighting level, remains shockingly and dangerously unaware the threat even exists.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The U.S. military is unprepared for a lot of things .... enemy drones included.

Can A Nuclear Disaster Occur Because Of A Mistake In Today's World?

Faye Flam, Bloomberg: A Nuclear Disaster Could Unfold Like That Oscars Fiasco

Remember that epic screw-up at the Academy Awards in February? Nuclear commanders might easily make the same mistakes. Uh-oh.

Talk with experts on North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, and it soon becomes clear that the biggest threat Americans face isn’t an intentional act of evil, but a confluence of stupidity and error. After all, the most frightening close calls during the Cold War started with trivial mistakes -- a dropped socket from a socket wrench, for example, or a training tape put in the wrong computer.

With nine missile tests just this year, North Korea is quickly advancing the range of its nuclear weapons. The distance record goes to a missile called Hwasong-12, which was launched on May 14. It traveled about 500 miles, but on a steep trajectory that demonstrated the power to have gone more than 2,400 miles.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Knowing too well on how mistakes can happen .... I am amazed that a mistake resulting in a nuclear war/disaster has not occurred in my lifetime.

Ukraine’s Language Wars Are Starting. Real Wars To Follow

Thomas De Waal, Carnegie Europe: New Fighting in Ukraine’s Language War

If Kyiv draws new battle lines in the country’s language war, Moscow is ready to restart its side of this conflict.

"I have no desire to become a soldier in this war of words,” Ukraine’s best-known novelist Andrei Kurkov wrote in 2012. He was reacting to the furor over a law instituted by former president Viktor Yanukovych that elevated Russian to the status of a regional language in Ukraine.

Kurkov writes mainly in Russian but was a supporter of the Maidan protests of 2013 that overthrow Yanukovych and turned Ukraine towards Europe. His was a plea to keep language politics out of the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv.

Unfortunately that plea is unheard and Ukraine’s language wars are restarting. A bill requiring 75 percent of national television broadcasts to be in Ukrainian has just been passed by the Rada. It follows a very unpopular move by President Poroshenko to ban Russian-language social media websites, such as Vkontakte and Odnoklassniki.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: In the eastern part of Ukraine .... Russian is the dominant language .... and it has been the case for centuries. But the Ukraine government has now gone all out to restrict and ban Russian, starting with President Poroshenko banning Russian-language social media websites, such as Vkontakte and Odnoklassniki. But this pales when compared to Kiev's restrictions on the use of the Russian language in the school systems. This alone has created an enormous amount of ill-will and resentment .... adding only more fuel to the separatist cause. If all of these additional anti-Russian measures are passed into law by the Ukraine government .... which I predict they will .... Russia will not have to restart its side of this conflict .... the Ukrainian-Russians will be doing it themselves.

Update: Ukraine and Russia have started a Twitter war .... Ukraine-Russia Twitter spat over origin of queen escalates to meme warfare (ABC News Online).

Tweet For Today

Russian President Putin: U.S. Election Meddling Charge A ‘Fiction’ By Defeated Democrats

Russian President Putin. TASS

Washington Times: Putin calls election meddling charge a ‘fiction’ by defeated Democrats

Russian President Vladimir Putin called allegations of interference in the U.S. presidential election a “fiction” created by Democrats as an excuse for their defeat at the ballot box.

“They simply lost, and they must acknowledge it,” Mr. Putin said in an interview published Tuesday in the French newspaper Le Figaro.

“They want to explain to themselves and prove to others that they had nothing to do with it, their policy was right, they have done everything well, but someone from the outside cheated them. It’s not so,” he said. “People who lost the vote hate to acknowledge that they indeed lost because the person who won was closer to the people and had a better understanding of what people wanted.”

Read more ....

Update: Putin calls election meddling accusations 'fiction' invented by Democrats (CNBC/AP)

WNU Editor: Here comes more Trump-Putin collusion stories .... Putin echoes Trump, Nunes lines on U.S. Russia investigation (The Hill)