Section: US & Canada
Canadian jets destroyed Islamic State bomb factory last week: military
OTTAWA – The military says Canadian CF-18 fighter jets conducted a single attack in Iraq last week, leading a coalition strike that destroyed a factory making improvised explosive devices.Navy Capt. Paul Forget says the attack last week was a success.He says coalition air attacks and Iraqi ground efforts continue to degrade the operational...
France, Germany: More Ukraine Sanctions Possible
France’s president Francois Hollande and Germany’s chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday more sanctions are possible if there is no end to violations of the Minsk peace accord. U.S. diplomats in Washington quietly endorsed the Europeans’ view, saying there would be “additional costs” for those who ignore the Minsk...
A year after the bloodbath on Kyiv’s Maidan square, Ukraine mourns
Efrem Lukatsky/AP KIEV, Ukraine — One year ago, Ihor Zastavnyi was shot three times and lost a leg while taking part in demonstrations that he hoped would lead to a better Ukraine. Today he faces a country that is racked by war, struggling with corruption and pleading to the world for financial help while still stinging from Russia’s...
Hollande: Russia risks more sanctions over Ukraine
Ed AdamczykPARIS, Feb. 20 (UPI) — An additional round of economic sanctions may be forthcoming if Ukraine’s cease-fire is not respected, leaders of Germany and Russia said Friday. …read more Source: United Press...
Kerry Will Head to Geneva for Iran Nuclear Talks
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s talks next week on Iran’s nuclear program will come at a time when a report has raised new questions about whether Tehran is in full compliance with guidelines to show that its program is peaceful. Kerry travels Sunday to Geneva, where he will meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and...
Ukraine’s Draft Dodging (and Civil Liberties) Problem
I’ve blogged previously about some of Ukraine’s current civil liberties issues related to its internal troubles here and here; this week Foreign Policy does a more thorough story, filled with specific Ukrainian voices, about the country’s troubles willing to fight the war against Russian-backed rebels, a war theoretically in...
Russian Soldiers Were In Debaltseve Fighting Against Ukrainian Military, Claims Russian Newspaper
Just days after Ukrainian forces withdrew from the now rebel-held city of Debaltseve, a leading liberal newspaper in Russia claimed Friday that pro-Russian separatists were not just fighting with Russian weapons but also with Russian troops in their ranks. …read more Source: International Business...
Ukraine: Russia Sending Rebels More Help
Ukraine accused Russia of sending more tanks and other weapons across the border to pro-Moscow separatists, although officials said violence continued to subside. …read more Source: The Wall Street...
Officials warn of Russian danger to EU, NATO
Ed AdamczykLONDON, Feb. 20 (UPI) — A senior NATO military officer warned that Russia could invade the Baltic States with tactics practiced in Ukraine. …read more Source: United Press...
Not Defending Our Ideals of Freedom Today Would Be a Crime
As I prepared my notes in my hotel room some hours before the conference on the freedom of expression in Copenhagen, I was thinking of what I should tell the Danish about freedom of speech. Should I just share my experiences and the horrible consequences of our fight in “non-democratic” countries like Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and...
