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Russia, Turkey, Iran to hold Syria summit

France 24 — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 09:08:15 +0000

Islamic State fighters are making their last stand in eastern Syria where their wives and children have fled the so-called ‘Baghouz pocket’ Islamic State fighters are making their last stand in eastern Syria where their wives and children have fled the so-called ‘Baghouz pocket’ AFP – Sochi (Russia) AFP

Russian President Vladimir Putin was set to host his Iranian and Turkish counterparts Thursday to discuss how to resolve the conflict in Syria as Islamic State jihadists made a last stand in the east of the country and Washington prepares to withdraw troops.

A flurry of diplomatic efforts this week are focusing on the eight-year conflict in which more than 350,000 people have died.

The international anti-IS coalition is set to meet on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference while US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will attend a conference on the Middle East in Warsaw.

At their meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Putin and Iran’s Hassan Rouhani — who back Syrian President Bashar al-Assad — and Turkey’s rebel-backing Recep Tayyip Erdogan are set to discuss ways to advance intra-Syrian dialogue.

Russia has been a key player in the conflict since launching military intervention in 2015 in support of Assad’s regime, which now controls almost two-thirds of the country.

The Astana peace process, launched on the initiative of Moscow along with Iran and Turkey, has eclipsed parallel talks led by the United Nations without coming up with a definitive solution to the conflict.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday the leaders would discuss forming a special committee tasked with drawing up a new post-war constitution for Syria.

In late December, the United Nations admitted it had failed to put such a committee in place, citing problems with changes wanted by Damascus to the list of proposed members.

Lavrov said Wednesday: “We are ready to search for a solution to this situation… We will continue this work.”

The meeting will be the fourth summit between the countries’ leaders since November 2017.

It comes as Kurdish and Arab fighters in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) with support from the Washington-led coalition on Saturday launched a “final” offensive against the jihadists’ last holdout in the eastern Deir Ezzor province.

– ‘Nest of terrorists’ –

Following their emergence in 2014 and proclamation of a “caliphate” in parts of Syria and Iraq, the IS jihadists controlled major cities, but they are now squeezed into a few square kilometres.

Around 2,000 US troops are due to be pulled out of the region following a surprise announcement by President Donald Trump in December. But Washington has still not given a precise timeline for this.

The most recent summit between the three leaders was in September in Iran, when they made public their differing views on the future of Syria’s northeastern province of Idlib.

At a separate meeting later that month, Putin and Erdogan managed to block an offensive planned by Syria on Idlib. Instead they agreed to create and jointly monitor a buffer zone around the vast region where rebel groups still remain and Assad’s forces have not managed to take control.

Erdogan and Putin are set to discuss the future of the province at a separate meeting ahead of their summit with Rouhani.

A Russian-Turkish agreement calls for all radical fighters — including those belonging to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance led by Syria’s former Al-Qaeda affiliate — to leave the area. But its fighters have since strengthened their hold on the region.

Lavrov said Wednesday in Sochi that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham had “seized 90 percent of the territory” and stressed that no agreements permit “the eternal preservation of this nest of terrorists on Syrian soil”.

“We will do all we can to help the Syrian government and its armed forces to solve the problem of liberating their territory,” Lavrov added.

Source: https://www.france24.com/en/20190214-russia-turkey-iran-hold-syria-summit

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Germany and the US need a new beginning in their security relationship

Ariel Cohen, Opinion Contributor — Sun, 25 Feb 2018 04:34:42 +0000

In the snow-covered, fairy-tale city of Munich, global security leaders gathered for their yearly conclave, the Munich Security Conference, the Davos of foreign policy and power.

However, instead of Bavarian glory, tension was in the air. This participant repeatedly saw speakers talking past each other, creating an impression that this was not a dialogue about the fate of the world, but an absurdist theater spectacle by Eugene Ionesco.

Concerns abounded that the global security system has become unglued, that poor leadership East and West prevents cohesion, that the “strong street” overrules weak elites in Europe and America, and “the center cannot hold,” while the aggressive authoritarians: Russia, China, and Iran, eventually may not be contained.

NATO has been a linchpin of Western security for 70 years, and is crucial to preventing global chaos. Initially created, according to its first Secretary General Lord Ismay, “to keep the Soviet Union out, the Americans in, and the Germans down,” today, NATO needs the Germans in more than ever.

Because of the rise of China, the threat of North Korean nukes, and U.S. domestic fatigue in the aftermath of two long wars, not to mention the trillions of dollars spent, growing budget deficits, and America’s changing demographics, rich and technologically advanced Germany needs to step up to the plate.

With NATO and other European security institutions including the EU and the consensus-driven Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe/U.S. Helsinki Commission, fraying or fatigued, Berlin’s leadership and resources are now more essential than ever to both trans-Atlantic and European security.

Тhe Loisach Group, which focuses on the U.S.-German strategic relationship, is a high-level gathering of practitioners and experts from Germany and the U.S., ably coordinated by Dr. Andrew Michta, Dean of the College of International and Security Studies at the George C. Marshall European Center in Garmisch, Germany.

At the Munich Security Conference, the Loisach Group brought together such heavyweights as Dan Hamilton of SAIS; Lieutenant General Ben Hodges (U.S. Army, ret.), former Commander of the U.S. Army Europe; former President of Estonia; Joseph Joffe, Publisher of Die Zeit; Alexander Vershbow, former Deputy Secretary General of NATO and U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation and South Korea as well as the former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs; Celeste Wallander, Special Assistant to President Obama and Senior Director for Russia and Central Asia on the National Security Council after serving as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia; Robert Zoellick, the former President of the World Bank, Deputy Secretary of State, and U.S. Trade Representative, along with other veteran policy makers and experts.

The collective wisdom and experience crackled in the room. Yet, the bottom line after discussions was a general agreement that much more needs to be done in Berlin and Washington, and this is no time to rest.

Some Loisach members are concerned that the Christian Democrat-Social Democrat coalition, possibly Angela Merkel’s last, will be even more unwieldy than its predecessor. At the Munich conference, Sigmar Gabriel, the exiting German foreign minister, called for a “European moment,” a strong EU, and said that “we no longer recognize our America” under the Trump presidency.

Yet under his and the Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyden’s tenure, Berlin did not meet the NATO 2014 Wales summit goals of 2 percent of military spending, which both Republicans and Democrats in Munich supported.

Some believe that it is more important that Germany invest in transportation infrastructure, including bridges and railroads, to move equipment east in case of Russian aggression against NATO members, than just build up its military. Yet, German rearmament already has started, sotto voce, albeit from a very low baseline. The Bundeswehr has fewer than 300 battle-worthy Leopard-2 modern tanks and three dozen modern jet fighters. Russia, however, has thousands of tanks and aircraft.

NATO forces also urgently need secure communications in the FM band as well as upgraded, computerized artillery fire after the impressive Russian cannon and rocketry performance in Ukraine, boosted missile defenses, and massively upgraded cyber and information warfare capabilities.

Loisach Group members argue that to strengthen bilateral ties between the U.S. and Germany, expanded contacts between congressional representatives and staffs and members of the Bundestag and their staffs are required. Likewise, relationships between the media, expert communities, and civil society in both countries need to be fostered and broadened.

To keep our qualitative edge, the U.S. and Europe should also pursue joint projects in military and security applications of artificial intelligence, new propulsion systems, robotics, drones, big data, and biometrics.

We need to find someone of the stature of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to take over his leadership role and champion the trans-Atlantic alliance. It will take a special effort to convert the populist Trumpian Republicans and the far left of the Democratic Party to the cause of Trans-Atlantic cooperation. America First should not mean America alone. If America stands separately, we will all pay the price, and so will our friends and allies.

While many in Europe do not see China and North Korea as a threat, refuse to reconsider the Iran nuclear deal, and, like Mr. Gabriel, would like to weaken Russian sanctions, only in cooperation with the U.S. can Europe develop a viable and robust strategy for Asia, the Middle East, and Russia, and have a realistic global anti-terrorism role. We are all in this together, and one hopes that the Loisach Group can become the lodestar of U.S.-German strategic cooperation.

Ariel Cohen, PhD, is senior research fellow at the Atlantic Council and a member of the Loisach Group. The views expressed here are his own.

Source: http://thehill.com/opinion/international/375450-germany-and-the-us-need-a-new-beginning-in-their-security-relationship

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May pleads for ‘urgent’ post-Brexit EU security deal

Michelle Fitzpatrick and Joseph Schmid — Sun, 18 Feb 2018 05:15:43 +0000

British Prime Minister Theresa May called for a deal with the EU on post-Brexit security cooperation at the Munich Security Conference Photo: AFP

MUNICH, Germany

British Prime Minister Theresa May pleaded Saturday for an urgent deal with the European Union on post-Brexit security cooperation, warning that citizens’ lives were at stake.

In a speech at the Munich Security Conference, she acknowledged that no deal currently exists between the EU and a third country “that captures the full depth and breadth of our existing relationship”.

But she said there was no reason both sides could not come up with practical ways to create a “deep and special partnership” on security.

“We cannot delay discussions on this,” May said.

She also warned European partners not to put politics above cooperation against crime and terrorism.

“This cannot be a time when any of us allow competition between partners, rigid institutional restrictions or deep-seated ideology to inhibit our cooperation and jeopardise the security of our citizens,” May told the audience.

She cautioned that if there were no special deal on security by the time Britain leaves the bloc in March 2019, speedy extraditions under the European Arrest Warrant “would cease”.

And if the UK were no longer part of Europol, the EU’s law enforcement agency, information sharing would be hampered — undermining the fight against terrorism, organised crime and cyberattacks.

“This would damage us both and put all our citizens at greater risk,” May said, urging European leaders to show “some real creativity and ambition” in coming up with a bespoke UK-EU security pact.

“We must now move with urgency to put in place the treaty to protect all European citizens wherever they are in Europe,” May said.

Some experts have warned that cooperation on police and security matters could be limited by Britain’s refusal to fully accept the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) after Brexit.

May appeared to respond to those concerns by saying the UK would “respect the remit” of the ECJ when working with EU agencies, in return for “respect for our unique status as a third country”.

“But as a country outside the European Union, we will have our own sovereign legal order, so the European Court of Justice will no longer have jurisdiction in the United Kingdom.”

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, in his own speech at the top security gathering in Munich, said the bloc was “not at war” with the UK and warned against mixing up security with other Brexit issues.

“The security bridge between the UK and the EU will be maintained,” he said.

“But I don’t want throw security considerations in the same pot as trade policy issues.”

May last year irked many European peers when she suggested that Britain, the biggest military power in the bloc and a nuclear-armed NATO member, might hold back on security cooperation if it could not get a good trade deal once it quits the EU’s single market and customs union.

But there was no hint of that in Saturday’s address, the latest in a clutch of speeches by senior British officials as the government faces pressure to clarify its ambitions for Brexit.

There has been little progress in recent months in Britain’s negotiations with the EU on the nation’s future relationship with the bloc.

EU negotiator Michel Barnier warned last week that there were still “substantial disagreements” with Britain on a post-Brexit transition period to ease the pain of the split.

“Things would be so much easier if you stayed,” Munich Security Conference chairman Wolfgang Ischinger quipped after May’s speech, drawing applause.

May replied: “There’s no question of a second referendum or going back on that vote.”

Source: https://japantoday.com/category/world/may-pleads-for-‘urgent’-post-brexit-eu-security-deal-1

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NATO Chief Warns of Growing Nuclear Threat From North Korea, Russia

Henry Ridgwell — Sat, 17 Feb 2018 03:28:37 +0000

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Feb. 16, 2018.

MUNICH — The head of NATO has said the alliance is determined to avoid a new arms race with Russia, but he warned that Moscow is developing new nuclear weapons that pose a threat to the West.

“Russia is modernizing its nuclear capabilities, developing new nuclear systems, and increasing the role of nuclear weapons in its military strategy. This is a cause for real concern,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told delegates Friday at the three-day Munich Security Conference.

Political and military leaders from across the world are gathered in the southern German city to discuss defense issues, amid growing doubts over the future of the current global order.

Stoltenberg said NATO is determined to avoid a new Cold War. He welcomed the European Union’s embryonic plans to cooperate more closely on defense, under an agreement signed in December known as PESCO, or Permanent Structured Cooperation.

“They are an opportunity to further strengthen the European pillar within NATO and contribute better burden sharing. But with opportunity comes risk. The risk of weakening the trans-Atlantic bond, the risk of duplicating what NATO is already doing,” Stoltenberg said Friday.

Trans-Atlantic and European

The United States has echoed those concerns in recent weeks. However, Germany’s Defense Minister Ursula Von Der Leyen told the conference that such fears were misplaced.

“We want to stay trans-Atlantic in our outlook, but also become more European. A start has been made. Last December we finally launched plans for a European Defense Union. In a way we started out on the political path toward working on a European army.”

Washington repeatedly has called for European allies to boost defense spending.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis was present Friday in Munich, but will not address the conference.

Mixed American signals

Analyst and Professor James Davis of the University of Saint Gallen in Switzerland, who is participating in the conference, says the U.S. is sending mixed signals to its allies.

“We’ve got Americans ramping up their presence along the eastern flank of NATO. And so, at the level of commitment, real commitment of American capabilities, there seems to be actually a re-engagement. But at the political level, at the level of political leadership, strategic leadership, I think people sense the lack of voice,” Davis told VOA.

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres speaks at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Feb. 16, 2018.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the brinkmanship over North Korea’s nuclear program can be defused.

“I would say the two key stakeholders in relation to this crisis, the United States and North Korea, are able to come together and to have a meaningful discussion on these issues. I believe the United States is ready to do so, and recent statements by the Vice President [Mike Pence] demonstrate that it’s absolutely essential to keep the pressure over North Korea and to convince North Korea that it is absolutely vital for them to come to the table and to be able to find a way for this denuclearization, the peaceful denuclearization, of the Korean Peninsula to be possible.”

U.S. National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster is also to speak at the conference Saturday, and he is expected to address concerns over North Korea’s nuclear program and the United States’ commitment to NATO.

Source: https://www.voanews.com/a/nato-chief-warns-nuclear-threat-north-korea-russia-/4258770.html

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