President-elect Donald Trump accepts the US&nbsp;intelligence community&#39;s conclusion that Russia engaged in cyber attacks during the US&nbsp;presidential election and may take action in response, his incoming chief of staff said on Sunday.

Reince Priebus said Trump believed Russia was behind the intrusions into the Democratic Party organizations, although Priebus did not clarify whether the president-elect agreed that the hacks were directed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

&quot;He accepts the fact that this particular case was entities in Russia, so that&#39;s not the issue,&quot; Priebus said on &quot;Fox News Sunday&quot;.

It was the first acknowledgment from a senior member of the Republican president-elect&#39;s team that Trump had accepted that Russia directed the hacking and subsequent disclosure of Democratic emails during the 2016 presidential election.

Trump had rebuffed allegations that Russia was behind the hacks or was trying to help him win, saying the intrusions could have been carried out by China or a 400-pound hacker on his bed.

With less than two weeks until his January&nbsp;20 inauguration, Trump has come under increasing pressure from fellow Republicans to accept intelligence community findings on Russian hacking and other attempts by Moscow to influence the November&nbsp;8 election. A crucial test of Republican support for Trump comes this week with the first confirmation hearings for his Cabinet picks.

A US&nbsp;intelligence report last week said Putin directed a sophisticated influence campaign including cyber attacks to denigrate Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and support Trump.

The report, commissioned by Democratic President Barack Obama in December, concluded vote tallies were not affected by Russian interference, but did not assess whether it influenced the outcome of the vote in other ways.

&nbsp;

&#39;Action may be taken&#39;

After receiving a briefing on Friday from leaders of the US&nbsp;intelligence agencies, Trump did not refer specifically to Russia&#39;s role in the presidential campaign.

In a statement, he acknowledged that &quot;Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organizations including the Democrat(ic) National Committee&quot;.

Trump spokesman Sean Spicer told Reuters the president-elect&#39;s conclusions remained the same and that Priebus&#39; comments were in line with Friday&#39;s statement.

Priebus&rsquo; wording did not appear to foreshadow the dramatic reversal of Trump&rsquo;s apparent Russia policy that experts say would be required to deter further cyber attacks.

&ldquo;It will take a lot more than what we heard on television today to make Putin cool it,&rdquo; the expert added. &ldquo;In fact, there may not be anything that can deter Putin from pursuing a course he&rsquo;s bet his future and Russia&rsquo;s on,&rdquo; said a US&nbsp;intelligence expert on Russia, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss domestic political positions.

The expert added that Putin&#39;s &quot;multifaceted campaign of cyber attacks and espionage, propaganda, financial leverage, fake news and traditional espionage&quot; had expanded in the United States since the election, &quot;and it will be a shock if it does not escalate in France, Germany and elsewhere this year.&quot;

Priebus, the former Republican National Committee chairman Trump tapped as White House chief of staff, said Trump planned to order the intelligence community to make recommendations as to what should be done. &quot;Action may be taken,&quot; he said, adding there was nothing wrong with trying to have a good relationship with Russia and other countries.

Two senior Republican senators urged Trump to punish Russia in response to US&nbsp;intelligence agencies&#39; conclusion that Putin personally directed efforts aimed at influencing the election.

Appearing on NBC&#39;s &quot;Meet the Press,&quot; Senators Lindsey Graham and John McCain said evidence was conclusive that Putin sought to influence the election - a point that Trump has refuted.

&quot;In a couple weeks, Donald Trump will be the defender of the free world and democracy,&quot; Graham said. &quot;You should let everybody know in America, Republicans and Democrats, that you&#39;re going to make Russia pay a price for trying to interfere.&quot;

On Saturday, Trump wrote on Twitter that having a better relationship with Russia was a &quot;good thing&quot;.

US&nbsp;Representative Devin Nunes, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said three US&nbsp;presidents had tried and failed to be friends with Putin.

&quot;I&rsquo;m just not sure it&rsquo;s possible,&quot; Nunes said on the &quot;Fox News Sunday&quot; program. &quot;I&rsquo;ve cautioned his administration to be careful with Putin, as he remains a bad actor.&quot;

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell agreed it was not unusual for a new president to want to get along with the Russians. He added on CBS, however, that the Russians remained a &quot;big adversary, and they demonstrated it by trying to mess around in our election&quot;.

Obama, who himself tried to &quot;reset&quot; relations with Russia after he took office in 2009, told NBC he did not think he had underestimated the Russian president.

&quot;But I think that I underestimated the degree to which, in this new information age, it is possible for misinformation for cyber hacking and so forth to have an impact on our open societies, our open systems, to insinuate themselves into our democratic practices in ways that I think are accelerating,&quot; he said in an interview with &quot;Meet the Press&quot; broadcast on Sunday.

(Reuters)

Two aides claim he accepts US intel, but after his CIA briefing Trump did not single out Putin and still wants good relations with Russia

President-elect Donald Trump accepts the US intelligence community's conclusion that Russia engaged in cyber attacks during the US presidential election and may take action in response, his incoming chief of staff said on Sunday. Reince Priebus said Trump believed Russia was behind the intrusions into the Democratic Party organizations, although Priebus did not clarify whether the president-elect agreed that the hacks were directed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. "He accepts the fact that this particular case was entities in Russia, so that's not the issue," Priebus said on "Fox News Sunday". It was the first acknowledgment from a senior member of the Republican president-elect's team that Trump had accepted that Russia directed the hacking and subsequent disclosure of Democratic emails during the 2016 presidential election. Trump had rebuffed allegations that Russia was behind the hacks or was trying to help him win, saying the intrusions could have been carried out by China or a 400-pound hacker on his bed. With less than two weeks until his January 20 inauguration, Trump has come under increasing pressure from fellow Republicans to accept intelligence community findings on Russian hacking and other attempts by Moscow to influence the November 8 election. A crucial test of Republican support for Trump comes this week with the first confirmation hearings for his Cabinet picks. A US intelligence report last week said Putin directed a sophisticated influence campaign including cyber attacks to denigrate Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and support Trump. The report, commissioned by Democratic President Barack Obama in December, concluded vote tallies were not affected by Russian interference, but did not assess whether it influenced the outcome of the vote in other ways. 'Action may be taken' After receiving a briefing on Friday from leaders of the US intelligence agencies, Trump did not refer specifically to Russia's role in the presidential campaign. In a statement, he acknowledged that "Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organizations including the Democrat(ic) National Committee". Trump spokesman Sean Spicer told Reuters the president-elect's conclusions remained the same and that Priebus' comments were in line with Friday's statement. Priebus’ wording did not appear to foreshadow the dramatic reversal of Trump’s apparent Russia policy that experts say would be required to deter further cyber attacks. “It will take a lot more than what we heard on television today to make Putin cool it,” the expert added. “In fact, there may not be anything that can deter Putin from pursuing a course he’s bet his future and Russia’s on,” said a US intelligence expert on Russia, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss domestic political positions. The expert added that Putin's "multifaceted campaign of cyber attacks and espionage, propaganda, financial leverage, fake news and traditional espionage" had expanded in the United States since the election, "and it will be a shock if it does not escalate in France, Germany and elsewhere this year." Priebus, the former Republican National Committee chairman Trump tapped as White House chief of staff, said Trump planned to order the intelligence community to make recommendations as to what should be done. "Action may be taken," he said, adding there was nothing wrong with trying to have a good relationship with Russia and other countries. Two senior Republican senators urged Trump to punish Russia in response to US intelligence agencies' conclusion that Putin personally directed efforts aimed at influencing the election. Appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press," Senators Lindsey Graham and John McCain said evidence was conclusive that Putin sought to influence the election - a point that Trump has refuted. "In a couple weeks, Donald Trump will be the defender of the free world and democracy," Graham said. "You should let everybody know in America, Republicans and Democrats, that you're going to make Russia pay a price for trying to interfere." On Saturday, Trump wrote on Twitter that having a better relationship with Russia was a "good thing". US Representative Devin Nunes, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said three US presidents had tried and failed to be friends with Putin. "I’m just not sure it’s possible," Nunes said on the "Fox News Sunday" program. "I’ve cautioned his administration to be careful with Putin, as he remains a bad actor." Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell agreed it was not unusual for a new president to want to get along with the Russians. He added on CBS, however, that the Russians remained a "big adversary, and they demonstrated it by trying to mess around in our election". Obama, who himself tried to "reset" relations with Russia after he took office in 2009, told NBC he did not think he had underestimated the Russian president. "But I think that I underestimated the degree to which, in this new information age, it is possible for misinformation for cyber hacking and so forth to have an impact on our open societies, our open systems, to insinuate themselves into our democratic practices in ways that I think are accelerating," he said in an interview with "Meet the Press" broadcast on Sunday. (Reuters)

Trump team admits but downplays Russian election interference: 'Action may be taken'

House Republicans have revived a law from 1876 that allows members of Congress to target individual federal employees and reduce their pay to $1, the Washington Post reports.

The Holman Rule, as it&#39;s known, permits Congress members to single out any of the 2.1 million civil servants the US employs for a career-ending reduction in pay, as well as to cut specific programs to $0, the Washington Post reports.

Majorities in the House and Senate still&nbsp;need to approve the amendment before the Holman Rule can be enacted, but the mere possibility has critics fearing&nbsp;Republicans can use this to target&nbsp;opponents.

There are reasons to be suspicious.

Two&nbsp;weeks ago the Trump transition team sent a questionnaire to&nbsp;the <a href="http://www.salon.com/2017/01/06/house-republicans-support-rule-that-could-allow-them-to-pay-individual-federal-workers-1/">Department of Energy</a>&nbsp;to identify&nbsp;specific employees working on&nbsp;climate change, <a href="http://www.salon.com/2017/01/06/house-republicans-support-rule-that-could-allow-them-to-pay-individual-federal-workers-1/">Salon reports</a>. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/josh-rogin/wp/2016/12/22/trump-team-asked-state-department-for-info-on-womens-issues-programs-stoking-fears-of-another-witch-hunt/?utm_term=.f3fbe99d7958">The Washington Post</a> reports that Trump&#39;s team also sought the names from the State Department&nbsp;of individuals working on women&#39;s health issues.

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Oh, hey, remember when the transition team asked for names of climate change staff at DOE and women&#39;s program staff at State? This is why. <a href="https://t.co/fAxAOliFwG">https://t.co/fAxAOliFwG</a>
&mdash; Megan Carpentier (@megancarpentier) <a href="https://twitter.com/megancarpentier/status/817147618363117569">January 5, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Also in the crosshairs is&nbsp;intelligence.&nbsp;On Thursday,&nbsp;Trump said that plans to overhaul the Office of the Director National Intelligence, Salon reports.&nbsp;

Trump has clashed for weeks&nbsp;with US intelligence agencies, who now state&nbsp;unequivocally that&nbsp;Vladimir Putin interefered in the US election to benefit Trump. Trump, who in the presidential debates openly called on Russia&nbsp;to hack Clinton&#39;s emails, denied that Russia had any role in interfering&nbsp;with the US election. Last night he issued a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-admits-russia-interfered-with-us-election-after-meeting-intelligence-heads-10988">statement</a>&nbsp;admitting&nbsp;that Russia, among others, did interefere&nbsp;in the US election, but denied&nbsp;that it&nbsp;affected its&nbsp;outcome.

Trump&nbsp;has&nbsp;claimed&nbsp;he does not receive daily intelligence briefings, and has cast doubt on his country&#39;s own intellgence agencies. Last week he publicly sided with&nbsp;Julian Assange over&nbsp;the FBI, CIA and the White House.

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Julian Assange said &quot;a 14 year old could have hacked Podesta&quot; - why was DNC so careless? Also said Russians did not give him the info!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/816620855958601730">January 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Republican Represenative from Virginia H Morgan Griffith suggested the Holman Rule may really&nbsp;come about&nbsp;and&nbsp;appeared to justify it,&nbsp;telling&nbsp;the Washington Post:&nbsp;&quot;I can&#39;t tell you it won&#39;t happen...The Power is there. But isn&#39;t that appropriate? Who runs the country, the people of the United State or the people on the people&#39;s payroll?&quot;

House Majority leader told reporters earlier in the week appeared to justify the Holman Rule, saying, &quot;All agencies should be held accountable and tested in a manner, and this is an avenue to allow them to do it&quot;, Salon reports.

The Holman Rule could be used in still more places&nbsp;too, critics fear.&nbsp;

As <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/01/congress-can-now-cut-the-pay-of-individual-civil-servants.html">NYMag</a> neatly points&nbsp;out, Trump is picking candidates with decades of experience&nbsp;that run contrary to&nbsp;the stated objectives of the departments they will lead: &quot;The president-elect&rsquo;s Labor Secretary&ndash;designate is&nbsp;<a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/12/trump-gives-middle-finger-to-wage-earners-with-labor-pick.html" target="_blank">a fast-food executive</a>&nbsp;whose restaurants are serial violators of labor law; his EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) head is an&nbsp;<a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/12/report-donald-trump-names-scott-pruitt-as-head-of-the-epa.html" target="_blank">ally of the oil industry</a>&nbsp;who loves to sue the EPA; his&nbsp;<a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/11/carson-is-trumps-pick-for-hud-for-some-awful-reason.html" target="_blank">head of Housing and Urban Development</a>&nbsp;has called the Fair Housing Act &#39;communist&#39;.&quot;

On Tuesday Republicans voted to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-republicans-scrap-move-to-gut-non-partisan-ethics-watchdog-10872">gut the only non-partisan ethics </a>watchdog committed to overseeing&nbsp;Congress.&nbsp;

This week, in an unprecedented step,&nbsp;Trump demanded&nbsp;that&nbsp;all US envoys around the world posted by <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-asks-us-envoys-appointed-by-obama-to-quit-by-inauguration-day-10984">Obama must quit their post</a> before his January 20 inauguration. This threatens to leave the US without envoys in several important countries, including Canada, Germany, and Britain.

How&nbsp;the Republicans use this 140-year-old law has yet to be seen, but&nbsp;their hostility to the previous administration&nbsp;is&nbsp;beyond a doubt.&nbsp;

(WION)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Critics fear Republicans will use the obscure Holman Rule to attack a broad spectrum of opponents. There are many good reasons to worry

House Republicans have revived a law from 1876 that allows members of Congress to target individual federal employees and reduce their pay to $1, the Washington Post reports. The Holman Rule, as it's known, permits Congress members to single out any of the 2.1 million civil servants the US employs for a career-ending reduction in pay, as well as to cut specific programs to $0, the Washington Post reports. Majorities in the House and Senate still need to approve the amendment before the Holman Rule can be enacted, but the mere possibility has critics fearing Republicans can use this to target opponents. There are reasons to be suspicious. Two weeks ago the Trump transition team sent a questionnaire to the Department of Energy to identify specific employees working on climate change, Salon reports. The Washington Post reports that Trump's team also sought the names from the State Department of individuals working on women's health issues. Oh, hey, remember when the transition team asked for names of climate change staff at DOE and women's program staff at State? This is why. https://t.co/fAxAOliFwG — Megan Carpentier (@megancarpentier) January 5, 2017 × Also in the crosshairs is intelligence. On Thursday, Trump said that plans to overhaul the Office of the Director National Intelligence, Salon reports. Trump has clashed for weeks with US intelligence agencies, who now state unequivocally that Vladimir Putin interefered in the US election to benefit Trump. Trump, who in the presidential debates openly called on Russia to hack Clinton's emails, denied that Russia had any role in interfering with the US election. Last night he issued a statement admitting that Russia, among others, did interefere in the US election, but denied that it affected its outcome. Trump has claimed he does not receive daily intelligence briefings, and has cast doubt on his country's own intellgence agencies. Last week he publicly sided with Julian Assange over the FBI, CIA and the White House. Julian Assange said "a 14 year old could have hacked Podesta" - why was DNC so careless? Also said Russians did not give him the info! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2017 × Republican Represenative from Virginia H Morgan Griffith suggested the Holman Rule may really come about and appeared to justify it, telling the Washington Post: "I can't tell you it won't happen...The Power is there. But isn't that appropriate? Who runs the country, the people of the United State or the people on the people's payroll?" House Majority leader told reporters earlier in the week appeared to justify the Holman Rule, saying, "All agencies should be held accountable and tested in a manner, and this is an avenue to allow them to do it", Salon reports. The Holman Rule could be used in still more places too, critics fear. As NYMag neatly points out, Trump is picking candidates with decades of experience that run contrary to the stated objectives of the departments they will lead: "The president-elect’s Labor Secretary–designate is a fast-food executive whose restaurants are serial violators of labor law; his EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) head is an ally of the oil industry who loves to sue the EPA; his head of Housing and Urban Development has called the Fair Housing Act 'communist'." On Tuesday Republicans voted to gut the only non-partisan ethics watchdog committed to overseeing Congress. This week, in an unprecedented step, Trump demanded that all US envoys around the world posted by Obama must quit their post before his January 20 inauguration. This threatens to leave the US without envoys in several important countries, including Canada, Germany, and Britain. How the Republicans use this 140-year-old law has yet to be seen, but their hostility to the previous administration is beyond a doubt. (WION)

Republicans invoke 140-year-old law that could reduce federal employees' wage to $1

The United States said on Tuesday that its soldiers and spies in Afghanistan are not subject&nbsp;to prosecution by the International Criminal Court, and a war crime investigation into their actions would be &ldquo;unwarranted&rdquo;.

ICC chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, on Monday said she is contemplating whether to launch a full-fledged investigation into allegations that US soldiers and CIA operators tortured Afghan prisoners between 2003 and 2014, news agency AFP reported.

However, Washington has not ratified the ICC&rsquo;s founding Rome Statute, and State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said the US investigates allegations against its personnel thoroughly, AFP reported.

&quot;We have a robust national system of investigation and accountability that is as good as any country in the world,&quot; she said.&nbsp;

&quot;We do not believe that an ICC examination or investigation with respect to the actions of US personnel in relation to the situation in Afghanistan is warranted or appropriate,&quot; she added. &quot;As we previously noted, the United States is not a party to the Rome Statute and has not consented to ICC jurisdiction.&quot;&nbsp;

Last month, criticising moves by some African countries to pull out of the Hague-based court, State Department spokesman John Kirby had said Washington thinks the &quot;ICC has made valuable contributions in the service of accountability&quot;.

However, it has never been suggested that world superpower US would accept international accountability.

Former president George W. Bush&rsquo;s administration authorised the use of &ldquo;enhanced interrogation techniques&rdquo;, including waterboarding, after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Outgoing president Barack Obama abolished such techniques when he took charge in January 2009 and has admitted US troops torutured Afghan prisoner.

&quot;We tortured some folks,&quot; he had said.

(WION with inputs from AFP) 
&nbsp;

US has not ratified ICC?s founding Rome Statute and it seems unlikely that the world superpower would accept international accountability

The United States said on Tuesday that its soldiers and spies in Afghanistan are not subject to prosecution by the International Criminal Court, and a war crime investigation into their actions would be “unwarranted”. ICC chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, on Monday said she is contemplating whether to launch a full-fledged investigation into allegations that US soldiers and CIA operators tortured Afghan prisoners between 2003 and 2014, news agency AFP reported. However, Washington has not ratified the ICC’s founding Rome Statute, and State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said the US investigates allegations against its personnel thoroughly, AFP reported. "We have a robust national system of investigation and accountability that is as good as any country in the world," she said. "We do not believe that an ICC examination or investigation with respect to the actions of US personnel in relation to the situation in Afghanistan is warranted or appropriate," she added. "As we previously noted, the United States is not a party to the Rome Statute and has not consented to ICC jurisdiction." Last month, criticising moves by some African countries to pull out of the Hague-based court, State Department spokesman John Kirby had said Washington thinks the "ICC has made valuable contributions in the service of accountability". However, it has never been suggested that world superpower US would accept international accountability. Former president George W. Bush’s administration authorised the use of “enhanced interrogation techniques”, including waterboarding, after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Outgoing president Barack Obama abolished such techniques when he took charge in January 2009 and has admitted US troops torutured Afghan prisoner. "We tortured some folks," he had said. (WION with inputs from AFP)

US rejects ICC 'war crimes' probe for alleged atrocities in Afghanistan

Iran has executed a nuclear scientist convicted of handing over &quot;confidential and vital&quot; information to the United States, a judicial spokesman said today. 
 
&quot;Shahram Amiri was hanged for revealing the country&#39;s top secrets to the enemy,&quot; Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejeie was quoted as saying by the Mizan Online news site. 
 
Amiri disappeared in Saudi Arabia in June 2009 and resurfaced a year later in the United States. 
 
Iranian officials welcomed him back to Iran but there has been little information released since. Amiri said after returning to the Islamic republic that he had been held in the US for more than a year after being &quot;kidnapped&quot; at gunpoint by two Farsi-speaking CIA agents in the Saudi city of Medina. 
 
Ejeie said the US had been &quot;outsmarted&quot; by Iran&#39;s intelligence services. 
 
&quot;American intelligence services thought Iran has no knowledge of his transfer to Saudi Arabia and what he was doing but we knew all of it and were monitoring,&quot; he was quoted by state television as saying. 
 
Tehran and Washington have had no diplomatic ties since 1980, when students stormed the American embassy following the 1979 Islamic revolution. 
 
&quot;This person, having access to confidential and highly confidential information of the regime, had established a connection to our number one enemy, America, and had provided the enemy with Iran&#39;s confidential and vital information,&quot; Ejeie said. 
 
&quot;Shram Amiri was tried in accordance with law and in the presence of his lawyer.&nbsp;He appealed his death sentence based on judicial process. The Supreme Court confirmed it after meticulous reviews,&quot; he added. 
 
The spokesman dispelled a &quot;rumour&quot; by Amiri&#39;s family that he had received a 10-year prison term. 
 
Iran last year signed a landmark deal with world powers, including the US, to place curbs on its controversial nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. 
 
(AFP)

An Iranian judicial spokesman dispelled a 'rumour' by Amiri's family that he had received a 10-year prison term

Iran has executed a nuclear scientist convicted of handing over "confidential and vital" information to the United States, a judicial spokesman said today. "Shahram Amiri was hanged for revealing the country's top secrets to the enemy," Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejeie was quoted as saying by the Mizan Online news site. Amiri disappeared in Saudi Arabia in June 2009 and resurfaced a year later in the United States. Iranian officials welcomed him back to Iran but there has been little information released since. Amiri said after returning to the Islamic republic that he had been held in the US for more than a year after being "kidnapped" at gunpoint by two Farsi-speaking CIA agents in the Saudi city of Medina. Ejeie said the US had been "outsmarted" by Iran's intelligence services. "American intelligence services thought Iran has no knowledge of his transfer to Saudi Arabia and what he was doing but we knew all of it and were monitoring," he was quoted by state television as saying. Tehran and Washington have had no diplomatic ties since 1980, when students stormed the American embassy following the 1979 Islamic revolution. "This person, having access to confidential and highly confidential information of the regime, had established a connection to our number one enemy, America, and had provided the enemy with Iran's confidential and vital information," Ejeie said. "Shram Amiri was tried in accordance with law and in the presence of his lawyer. He appealed his death sentence based on judicial process. The Supreme Court confirmed it after meticulous reviews," he added. The spokesman dispelled a "rumour" by Amiri's family that he had received a 10-year prison term. Iran last year signed a landmark deal with world powers, including the US, to place curbs on its controversial nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. (AFP)

Iran executes nuclear scientist for spying for US

The suicide assault on Istanbul&#39;s &nbsp;Ataturk airport bears the &quot;hallmark&quot; of an Islamic State group attack, CIA director John Brennan said on Wednesday. 
 
No group has claimed responsibility for Tuesday&#39;s attack, which killed 41 people and wounded 239 more. 
 
&quot;The despicable attacks in Istanbul International airport yesterday that killed dozens and injured many more certainly bears the hallmark of ISIL&#39;s depravity,&quot; Brennan said, using an acronym for the IS group. 
 
Witnesses described scenes of terror and panic as the attackers began shooting indiscriminately and then blew themselves up at the entrance to Ataturk airport, one of Europe&#39;s &nbsp;busiest hubs. 
 
The attack followed coordinated IS group suicide bombings in March at the international airport and a metro station in Brussels that left 32 people dead. 
 
The IS group typically does not claim responsibility for attacks in Turkey in order to send messages to the government without alienating potential future recruits in the country, Brennan said. 
 
The IS group may well be planning a similar attack in the United States, America&#39;s &nbsp;top spy added. 
 
&quot;If anyone believes that the US homeland is hermetically sealed... I would guard against that,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
Earlier this month, a gunman killed 49 people at a Florida gay nightclub in the deadliest terror attack on US soil since September 11, 2001. 
 
The shooter, US-born Omar Mateen, pledged allegiance to the IS group while carrying out the attack. 
 
Speaking in Washington at the council on foreign relations think-tank, Brennan opened his remarks by saying the intelligence-sharing partnership between Britain and the United States would not be affected by the United Kingdom&#39;s decision to leave the European Union. 
 
&quot;The bonds of friendship and cooperation between (US and UK spy) services are only destined to grow stronger in the years ahead,&quot; Brennan said. 
 
Still, he noted, Britain&#39;s momentous decision may pose the greatest challenge the European bloc has ever faced. 
 
(AFP)

The group typically does not claim responsibility for attacks in Turkey so as not to alienate potential future recruits, he added

The suicide assault on Istanbul's Ataturk airport bears the "hallmark" of an Islamic State group attack, CIA director John Brennan said on Wednesday. No group has claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attack, which killed 41 people and wounded 239 more. "The despicable attacks in Istanbul International airport yesterday that killed dozens and injured many more certainly bears the hallmark of ISIL's depravity," Brennan said, using an acronym for the IS group. Witnesses described scenes of terror and panic as the attackers began shooting indiscriminately and then blew themselves up at the entrance to Ataturk airport, one of Europe's busiest hubs. The attack followed coordinated IS group suicide bombings in March at the international airport and a metro station in Brussels that left 32 people dead. The IS group typically does not claim responsibility for attacks in Turkey in order to send messages to the government without alienating potential future recruits in the country, Brennan said. The IS group may well be planning a similar attack in the United States, America's top spy added. "If anyone believes that the US homeland is hermetically sealed... I would guard against that," he said. Earlier this month, a gunman killed 49 people at a Florida gay nightclub in the deadliest terror attack on US soil since September 11, 2001. The shooter, US-born Omar Mateen, pledged allegiance to the IS group while carrying out the attack. Speaking in Washington at the council on foreign relations think-tank, Brennan opened his remarks by saying the intelligence-sharing partnership between Britain and the United States would not be affected by the United Kingdom's decision to leave the European Union. "The bonds of friendship and cooperation between (US and UK spy) services are only destined to grow stronger in the years ahead," Brennan said. Still, he noted, Britain's momentous decision may pose the greatest challenge the European bloc has ever faced. (AFP)

Istanbul airport attack bears IS 'hallmark', says CIA director

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