Cameron has vowed an extra £10 million for non-lethal equipment and £30 million more for humanitarian assistance for Syrian people as the two politicians outlined further steps to “bring to an end the killing” of Syrian people.“We will double non-lethal support to the Syrian opposition in the coming year. Armored vehicles, body armor and power generators are about to be shipped,” Cameron said at the press conference after an Oval Office meeting with US president Barack Obama. Britain’s actions in Syria completely coincide with the US plans that the Obama administration voiced last week. Speaking after a meeting of the Syrian opposition, US Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States would double its non-lethal aid to opposition forces in Syria in the coming year bringing the total sum to $250 million. As for arming the Syrian opposition, Britain claims it has not “made decision to arm opposition groups in Syria”, however, Cameron said that it “is pushing for more flexibility in the EU arms embargo”.“What we have done is we have amended the EU arms embargo in order that we can give technical assistance and technical advice,” he said. He also said that UK will continue to examine the embargo to “see if we need to make further changes”.The current sanctions recently amended in April allow the supply of certain non-lethal equipment as well as technical and financing assistance related to it. However, a recently leaked six-page long draft proposal revealed the UK proposed two options to EU diplomats to amend the current embargo: the first, full exemption of Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary forces from the arms embargo and the second, to remove ‘non-lethal’ language to allow shipment lethal equipment to Syria. Cameron said Assad had to realize there could be no military victory for his forces. President Obama has backed Cameron’s words. From his side, he said that the “work to establish the use of chemical weapon in Syria” will continue and the findings “will help guide” the next steps. Obama said the US would be “very persistent” in pursuing a peaceful political transition that leads to Assad’s exit but leaves Syria “intact”.”I’m not promising it is going to be successful. Frankly, sometimes once the furies have been unleashed in a situation like we are seeing in Syria, it’s very hard to put things back together,” Obama said. Both Cameron and Obama welcomed “successful” talks the Prime Minister had with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, at which the two leaders sought to hammer out a common approach to ending Syrian conflict. “There is now common ground between the US, UK, Russia and many others that whatever our differences we have the same aim, a stable, inclusive and peaceful Syria free from the scourge of extremists,” Cameron said. … Read More
Moscow Red Square parade: Russia celebrates WWII Victory Day
The Red Square Parade – which honors veterans of the bloodiest war in history and showcases Russia’s modern military might – is annually held in Moscow on May 9.First to march on the bricks of the country’s main square came the future Russian officers – cadets of military schools and young Cossacks – followed by regiments of the Ground Forces, the Navy and other forces. To share the honor of taking part in the Victory Day parade, servicemen – all wearing new ceremonial dress – spent months drilling. About 100 armored vehicles rolled into the square to be followed by the most spectacular and noisy part of the show – the flight of combat aircraft.Attack choppers Mi-28, Ka-52, strategic bombers Tu-160, Tu-22 as well Su-27 and MiG-29 fighters from the Russian Knights and the Swifts aerobatics teams – a total of 68 machines have rocked the Moscow sky to symbolize the 68th anniversary since the end of the WWII in 1945.Some 1,800 WWII veterans were invited to watch the parade on Red Square along with the country’s top officials. Unfortunately, ordinary spectators couldn’t get onto the site without an invitation, but the event was broadcast live on Russian state channels.Throughout the country, the day is packed with various events and festivities – from marches of veterans and church services to open-airs, bike rides, retro-car races, and drama shows.In the capital alone, 1,500 events are planned as part of Victory Day celebrations. The city’s parks are organizing dance floors and exhibitions of military hardware of the 1940ties.At noon, a march called “Moscow remembers” will be held on the city’s central Tverskoy Boulevard. Anyone who brings photos, letters or medals of their relatives who died in the WWII will be able to participate.Similar marches have also taken place in dozens of towns and cities across the former USSR. The biggest “Immortal Regiment” march was in Tomsk in Siberia – where the very idea of the event was born. Some 10,000 people came to participate. “This column is not a funeral procession at all. We want to create an atmosphere of a holiday,” the project coordinator Sergey Kotlovkin told RIA Novosti.Meanwhile, St Pete, Ulyanovsk and Samara WWII veterans take part in a race on retro automobiles.The celebrations will culminate with fireworks in the evening. In Moscow, some 9,000 salute shots will light the sky to the joy of thousands of people who traditionally – together with their friends and families – flock to open spaces at 2200 (1800 GMT) on May 9 to watch the show.Victory Day remains one of the most important holidays for Russians, a poll by Levada opinion research center revealed. Between 70 and 75 per cent of Russians celebrate May 9 in one or another way. The first parade to commemorate the WWII victory was staged on Red Square on June 24, 1945 – over a month after the defeat of Nazi Germany – under the order of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. The Soviet Union paid the highest price for this victory and lost over 26 million lives in the conflict, known as the Great Patriotic War in the former USSR. Military parades were regularly held on Red Square on May 9 since 1965 – the 20th anniversary of the Nazi Defeat. The tradition was dropped for a while after the collapse of the USSR, in the beginning of turbulent 90ties. However, it was revived again in 1995 and has been followed ever since.Apart from Moscow, military parades on May 9 are held in over 20 Russian cities. … Read More
US to give $123 million military aid package to Syrian rebels
The US$123 million defense aid package, announced by Kerry at the meeting in the Turkish capital on Sunday, includes body armor, armored vehicles, advanced communication equipment and night vision goggles.“We want to see the coalition lead the way by ramping up its ability in order to be able to provide assistance, deliver services and respond to the needs of the Syrian people,” Kerry said. … Read More
Police: Suspect believed to be in Boston
WATERTOWN, Mass. (AP) — Massachusetts state police say they believe the sole surviving Boston bombing suspect is still in the state because of his ties to the area.SWAT teams in armored vehicles took command of the tense and locked-down streets of Boston and its suburbs Friday in an all-out hunt for the surviving Boston Marathon bombing suspect after his older brother died in a desperate getaway attempt.Law enforcement officials and family members identify the suspects as 19-year-old college student Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (JOH’-kahr tsahr-NY’-ev) and 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev.Police say the brothers shot and killed an MIT policeman, severely wounded another officer and hurled explosives at police during a furious gun battle and car chase. They say Dzokhar Tsarnaev slipped through officers’ fingers in a hail of bullets, running over his wounded brother as he drove off.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.Massachusetts Gov. Deval (deh-VAL’) Patrick says mass transit service is resuming in Boston even though one Boston Marathon bombing suspect is still on the lam.Continue Reading… … Read More
Classmates: Bomb suspect on campus after attacks
DARTMOUTH, Mass. (AP) — Students at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth tell The Associated Press that Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (jah-HAR’ tsarh-NY’-ev) was on campus this week after the bombings.Tsarnaev is a student at the school, about an hour’s drive south of Boston.Students say he lived on the third floor of a campus dormitory. Harry Danso, who lives on the same floor, tells the AP he saw him in the dorm hallway this week and Tsarnaev was calm.Authorities are swarming the campus. The school was evacuated Friday morning amid a manhunt for Tsarnaev.FBI and SWAT teams have been seen on the campus. A Massachusetts State Police armored truck arrived around 1 p.m., and two helicopters were seen arriving earlier.Continue Reading… … Read More
A.M. Links: Banks Repay Federal Loans With Federal Money, IRS Illegally Spies on Email, Soda Bans Lead To Drinking More Soda
Small banks that
received TARP loans from the feds repayed the money with money from
another federal program meant to boost lending to small
businesses, says a government watchdog. Yes, it’s like Ouroboros,
but stupider.
The 2013 Sheinberg Scholar-in-Residence at NYU Law School is
Kathy Boudin, a convicted murderer dating back to a 1981 Brinks
armored car robbery staged by the Weather Underground. This
interesting bit of personal history does not appear on her official
university biography.
Despite a court order to the contrary, the
IRS has apparently been spying on emails without obtaining
warrants first.
The House Intelligence Committee
approved CISPA, a controversial cybersecurity bill that will
give the government broad(er) access to personal data.
When you answer the door in New Jersey, don’t do so wth a joint
dangling from your lips. The state’s Supreme Court says
that’s an invitation for the cops to come in and break out the
handcuffs.
A Texas veterinarian is suing state regulators on First
Amendment grounds after he was
punished for offering free veterinary advice over the
Internet.
Researchers say that oh-so trendy
soda bans will likely lead to more sugar consumption as vendors
logically offer bundles of smaller drinks as an end run around the
law.
Have a news tip for us? Send it to: 24_7@reason.com.
Follow Reason 24/7 on Twitter: @reason247
Follow us on Facebook
and Twitter,
and don’t forget to sign
up ;for Reason’s daily updates for more
content … Read More
China places military on highest alert as Korean tensions escalate
According to US officials, Pyongyang’s declaration of a ‘state of war’ against South Korea has led to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to increase its military presence on the border with the North. The officials say the process has been going on since mid-March, and includes troop movements and readying fighter jets. The PLA is now at ‘Level One’ readiness, its highest. Chinese forces, including tanks and armored personnel carriers, have been spotted in the city of Ji’an and near the Yalu River, which splits China and North Korea. Other border regions were also reportedly being patrolled by planes. China has also been conducting live-firing naval exercises in the Yellow Sea, scheduled to end on Monday. The move is widely viewed as open support for North Korea, which continues to show extreme opposition to the US-South Korean military drills that are to last until May. The news comes as the US deployed its USS Fitzgerald destroyer off the coast of North Korea, adding to its Sunday deployment of F-22 fighter jets to take part in the drills with the friendly South, which has further served to heighten tensions on the peninsula. Meanwhile, North Korea has been mobilizing its short and medium-range missile arsenal, according to analyses of satellite imagery. Officials say Pyongyang is set to test its new KN-08 medium-range mobile missile; they say preparations have been spotted in the past. Pyongyang claims that since March 26, its forces have been placed on their highest possible status of alert. Although officials believe Pyongyang will not provoke Seoul during the war games, they also fear that a miscalculation by South Korea could lead to all-out war, following its promise of retaliation against the North, should it launch its missiles first.North Korea and China have maintained a long-standing defense treaty under which Beijing is to come to Pyongyang’s aid in the event of an attack. The last time this was put into practice was during the Korean War, when tens of thousands of Chinese volunteer forces were deployed on the Korean Peninsula. The relationship between the two countries is often referred to as being “as close as lips and teeth” by Chinese military spokesmen.Despite the heated tensions leading to an apparent disruption in trade and commerce between China and North Korea, the two are already making future plans to bolster their economic ties. March 27 saw the announcement of a new high-speed railway, as well as a special highway passenger line.Still, many in Chinese circles have shown displeasure at Pyongyang’s seemingly aggressive relationship with Seoul and Washington. A Chinese official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, has testified that US presence in the region is a helpful restraint against an unpredictable Kim Jong-un, which many believe to be the real reason Beijing has not been strong in its criticism of the amassing of US forces in the region.Furthermore, Chinese websites and blogs could sometimes be found openly bashing the North Korean leader for an apparent mishandling of the situation in the region, playing diplomatic games amid chronic food shortages in his country. An editor at the country’s Study Times newspaper was recently suspended for openly criticizing China for abandoning North Korea.Expert opinion differs on what China’s exact position is in the unfolding regional crisis.US officials claim the China’s main fear is a collapse of order in North Korea, which would lead to a large-scale refugee flow into China.Another possible reason for China to worry is advanced by journalist James Corbett, host of the Corbett Report, who believes that foreign military presence in the region is just as unnerving to China as it is to Pyongyang. He discussed this in the light of the latest war drills.“I think that this has the possibility of ratcheting things up to the point where tensions might actually spill over as a result of this, and we saw that recently with the deployment of B-2 nuclear armed bombers in South Korea which is not only, I think, worrying to Pyongyang, but also to China, to have nuclear bombers that close to the peninsula there, on China’s southern border. I think that China wouldn’t be pleased with that either, so this is quite an escalation that’s taking place.”Others believe openly that the US strategy is geared not towards the destabilization of North Korea, but that of China. Li Jie, an expert with a Chinese navy research institution, has told Reuters that “the ultimate strategic aim is to contain and blockade China, to distract China’s attention and slow its development. What the US is most worried about is the further development of China’s economy and military strength.”Retired Major General Luo Yuan, who is one of China’s foremost military authorities, believes, however that “once the joint US-South Korean exercises have finished and with birthday celebrations for (late founder of North Korea) Kim Il-sung imminent, the temperature will gradually cool and get back to the status quo of no war, no unification.”While it has been urging calm and peace in the region, Beijing has been very obliging at the UN Security Council, when it helped push through the latest round of sanctions against North Korea in March, following its third nuclear test the previous month. Despite being Pyongyang’s greatest ally in the region, some experts believe this is a sign of Beijing’s growing impatience. American diplomat Christopher R. Hill, who helped under the Bush administration to negotiate a deal for the dismantling of North Korea’s nuclear facilities (which didn’t last), says that the Chinese strategy is“not about the words, it is about the music.”The resolution came hours after North Korea, angered at both the US-South Korean war games, and at the proposed UN plan, threatened pre-emptive nuclear action against the South and US military bases in the region.This latest standoff between North and South Korea and the US is credited to have started on February 12, when Pyongyang supposedly performed its latest underground nuclear weapons test. Just this weekend, North Korea vowed to boost its nuclear arsenal, calling it a “treasure of a reunified country” which it would never trade for anything, even “billions of dollars” worth of aid. … Read More
