Section: US & Canada
Ukraine War Deserters: 16,000 Troops Abandoned Military Since Conflict Began, Kiev Official Says
Around 16,000 Ukrainian troops, some with their weapons, have deserted from the country’s armed forces since the war in the Donbass region of the country erupted in April 2014, according to figures offered Monday by Kiev’s Chief Military prosecutor Anatoly Matios. …read more Source: International Business...
Putin’s Pianos
Though Russian jets streak over Syria, dispersing ordnance against the remnants of the U.S. trained anti-Assad resistance forces, Putin’s main strategic target lies outside the MENA region. In immediate terms, Putin’s play in Syria is about the survival of the Assad regime and the positioning of Russia to play a key role in the final...
Smart Privatization Can Save Ukraine
How can Kiev save its moribund economy? By breaking the bonds between companies and the state. …read more Source: Foreign...
Ukraine creeping toward peace? Kiev, rebels pull back tanks, artillery
The simultaneous withdrawal of materiel by the government and Russia-backed rebels builds on a cease-fire that both sides have largely abided by. …read more Source: Christian Science...
Why Britain Is Escalating Its Anti-ISIS Campaign in Syria
On July 17, 2015, a Freedom of Information request from London-based pressure group Reprieve revealed that the British military had conducted airstrikes against ISIS in Syria. This revelation was embarrassing for David Cameron’s Conservative government as the airstrikes occurred without approval from Westminster. The British Parliament had...
Russian Propaganda Struggles To Find Good Reasons For Bombing Syria
On Sunday night, during an appearance on a prime-time political talk show, the Russian lawmaker Semyon Bagdasarov offered a curious interpretation of his nation’s history. The roots of Russian civilization, he suggested, trace all the way back Syria, without which Russia would never have existed in the first place. “This is our land,” he...
Jordanian IS Suicide Bomber Said Recruited In Ukraine
A Jordanian lawmaker’s son who joined the Islamic State (IS) militant group and blew himself up in Iraq was recruited while at medical school in Ukraine, his relatives have said. …read more Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio...
Praise for Putin Is Misplaced, and Dangerous
It seems fashionable in some circles to praise Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, for being some sort of a hero for world peace and justice. The most recent instance of this Putin-praise came in the aftermath of Mr. Putin’s speech to the United Nations General Assembly in which he suggested that the world really ought to find a...
Why Russia sanctions are here for the long-haul
Both the West and Moscow are unwilling to stand down over Russia’s annexation of Crimea, raising concerns that sanctions are here for the long-run and may even be increased. …read more Source:...
Smaller-Caliber Weapons Being Withdrawn From East Ukraine Front Line
Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatists have started withdrawing small-caliber weapons from the front line. …read more Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio...
