From planes, radars and ships in the Baltics, NATO officials say they are watching Russia&#39;s biggest war games since 2013 with &quot;calm and confidence&quot;, but many are unnerved about what they see as Moscow testing its ability to wage war against the West.

NATO believes the exercises, officially starting on Thursday in Belarus, the Baltic Sea, western Russia and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, are already underway.

It says they are larger than Moscow has publicised, numbering some 100,000 troops, and involve firing nuclear-capable ballistic missiles.

Codenamed Zapad or &quot;West&quot;, NATO officials say the drills will simulate a conflict with the US-led alliance intended to show Russia&#39;s ability to mass large numbers of troops at very short notice in the event of a conflict.

&quot;NATO remains calm and vigilant,&quot; NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said last week during a visit to an Estonian army base where British troops have been stationed since March.

But Lithuania&#39;s Defence Minister Raimundas Karoblis was less sanguine, voicing widely-felt fears that the drills risk triggering an accidental conflict or could allow Moscow to leave troops in neighbouring Belarus.

&quot;We can&#39;t be totally calm. There is a large foreign army massed next to Lithuanian territory,&quot; he told Reuters.

Some Western officials including the head of the US&nbsp;Army in Europe, Gen&nbsp;Ben Hodges, have raised concerns that Russia might use the drills as a &quot;Trojan horse&quot; to make incursions into Poland and Russian-speaking regions in the Baltics.

The Kremlin firmly rejects any such plans. Russia says some 13,000 troops from Russia and Belarus will be involved in the Sept. 14-20 drills, below an international threshold that requires large numbers of outside observers.

NATO will send three experts to so-called &#39;visitor days&#39; during the exercises, but a NATO official said these were no substitute for meeting internationally-agreed norms at such exercises that include talking to soldiers and briefings.

Moscow says it is the West that threatens stability in eastern Europe because the US-led NATO alliance has put a 4,000-strong multinational force in the Baltics and Poland.

Wrong-footed by Moscow in the recent past, with Russia&#39;s seizure of Crimea in 2014 and its intervention in Syria&#39;s war in 2015, NATO is distrustful of the Kremlin&#39;s public message.

In Crimea, Moscow proved a master of &quot;hybrid warfare&quot;, with its mix of cyber attacks, disinformation campaigns and use of Russian and local forces without insignia.

One senior European security official said Zapad would merge manoeuvres across Russia&#39;s four western military districts in a &quot;complex, multi-dimensional aggressive, anti-NATO exercise&quot;.

&quot;It is all smoke and mirrors,&quot; the official said, adding that the Soviet-era Zapad exercises that were revived in 1999 had included simulated nuclear strikes on Europe.

NATO officials say they have been watching Russia&#39;s preparations for months, including the use of hundreds of rail cars to carry tanks and other heavy equipment into Belarus.

As a precaution, the US&nbsp;Army has moved 600 paratroopers to the Baltics during Zapad and has taken over guardianship of the airspace of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, which lack capable air forces and air defence systems.

NATO&#39;s Next Move?

Russia&#39;s military show of force raises some uncomfortable questions for the alliance because NATO cannot yet mass large numbers of troops quickly, despite the United States&#39; military might, NATO officials and diplomats said.

NATO, a 29-nation defence pact created in 1949 to deter the Soviet threat, has already begun its biggest modernisation since the Cold War, sending four battalions to the Baltics and Poland, setting up an agile, high-readiness spearhead force, and developing its cyberspace defences.

But NATO has deliberately taken a slowly-slowly approach to its military build-up to avoid being sucked into a new arms race, even as Russia has stationed anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles in Kaliningrad, the Black Sea and Syria.

&quot;The last thing we want is a military escalation with Russia,&quot; said one senior NATO official involved in military planning, referring to Zapad.

In the event of any potential Russian incursion into the Baltics or Poland, NATO&#39;s new multinational forces would quickly need large reinforcements. But a 40,000-strong force agreed in 2015 is still being developed, officials say.

Lithuania&#39;s Karoblis said he hoped to see progress by the next summit of NATO leaders in July 2018.

Baltic politicians want more discretion given to NATO to fight any aggressor in the event of an attack, without waiting for the go-ahead from allied governments.

During Zapad, NATO is taking a low-key approach by running few exercises, including an annual sniper exercise in Lithuania. Only non-NATO member Sweden is holding a large-scale drill.

NATO Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe James Everard told Reuters there was no need to mirror Zapad. &quot;It&#39;s not a competition,&quot; he said during a visit to NATO forces in Latvia.

Russia is holding its biggest war games since 2013 simulating a war like situation with the US

From planes, radars and ships in the Baltics, NATO officials say they are watching Russia's biggest war games since 2013 with "calm and confidence", but many are unnerved about what they see as Moscow testing its ability to wage war against the West. NATO believes the exercises, officially starting on Thursday in Belarus, the Baltic Sea, western Russia and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, are already underway. It says they are larger than Moscow has publicised, numbering some 100,000 troops, and involve firing nuclear-capable ballistic missiles. Codenamed Zapad or "West", NATO officials say the drills will simulate a conflict with the US-led alliance intended to show Russia's ability to mass large numbers of troops at very short notice in the event of a conflict. "NATO remains calm and vigilant," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said last week during a visit to an Estonian army base where British troops have been stationed since March. But Lithuania's Defence Minister Raimundas Karoblis was less sanguine, voicing widely-felt fears that the drills risk triggering an accidental conflict or could allow Moscow to leave troops in neighbouring Belarus. "We can't be totally calm. There is a large foreign army massed next to Lithuanian territory," he told Reuters. Some Western officials including the head of the US Army in Europe, Gen Ben Hodges, have raised concerns that Russia might use the drills as a "Trojan horse" to make incursions into Poland and Russian-speaking regions in the Baltics. The Kremlin firmly rejects any such plans. Russia says some 13,000 troops from Russia and Belarus will be involved in the Sept. 14-20 drills, below an international threshold that requires large numbers of outside observers. NATO will send three experts to so-called 'visitor days' during the exercises, but a NATO official said these were no substitute for meeting internationally-agreed norms at such exercises that include talking to soldiers and briefings. Moscow says it is the West that threatens stability in eastern Europe because the US-led NATO alliance has put a 4,000-strong multinational force in the Baltics and Poland. Wrong-footed by Moscow in the recent past, with Russia's seizure of Crimea in 2014 and its intervention in Syria's war in 2015, NATO is distrustful of the Kremlin's public message. In Crimea, Moscow proved a master of "hybrid warfare", with its mix of cyber attacks, disinformation campaigns and use of Russian and local forces without insignia. One senior European security official said Zapad would merge manoeuvres across Russia's four western military districts in a "complex, multi-dimensional aggressive, anti-NATO exercise". "It is all smoke and mirrors," the official said, adding that the Soviet-era Zapad exercises that were revived in 1999 had included simulated nuclear strikes on Europe. NATO officials say they have been watching Russia's preparations for months, including the use of hundreds of rail cars to carry tanks and other heavy equipment into Belarus. As a precaution, the US Army has moved 600 paratroopers to the Baltics during Zapad and has taken over guardianship of the airspace of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, which lack capable air forces and air defence systems. NATO's Next Move? Russia's military show of force raises some uncomfortable questions for the alliance because NATO cannot yet mass large numbers of troops quickly, despite the United States' military might, NATO officials and diplomats said. NATO, a 29-nation defence pact created in 1949 to deter the Soviet threat, has already begun its biggest modernisation since the Cold War, sending four battalions to the Baltics and Poland, setting up an agile, high-readiness spearhead force, and developing its cyberspace defences. But NATO has deliberately taken a slowly-slowly approach to its military build-up to avoid being sucked into a new arms race, even as Russia has stationed anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles in Kaliningrad, the Black Sea and Syria. "The last thing we want is a military escalation with Russia," said one senior NATO official involved in military planning, referring to Zapad. In the event of any potential Russian incursion into the Baltics or Poland, NATO's new multinational forces would quickly need large reinforcements. But a 40,000-strong force agreed in 2015 is still being developed, officials say. Lithuania's Karoblis said he hoped to see progress by the next summit of NATO leaders in July 2018. Baltic politicians want more discretion given to NATO to fight any aggressor in the event of an attack, without waiting for the go-ahead from allied governments. During Zapad, NATO is taking a low-key approach by running few exercises, including an annual sniper exercise in Lithuania. Only non-NATO member Sweden is holding a large-scale drill. NATO Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe James Everard told Reuters there was no need to mirror Zapad. "It's not a competition," he said during a visit to NATO forces in Latvia.

Russia's Zapad war games ring alarm bells among NATO members

NATO&nbsp;Secretary&nbsp;General&nbsp;Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday welcomed President Donald Trump&#39;s decision to dispatch <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-clears-way-for-troop-increase-in-afghanistan-19283">more troops to&nbsp;Afghanistan</a>.

&quot;NATO&nbsp;remains fully committed to&nbsp;Afghanistan&nbsp;and I am looking forward to discussing the way ahead with (Defense)&nbsp;Secretary&nbsp;(James) Mattis and our Allies and international partners,&quot; Stoltenberg said in a statement.&nbsp;

NATO&nbsp;has 12,000 troops in&nbsp;Afghanistan, and 15 countries have pledged more, Stoltenberg said.

NATO?has 12,000 troops in?Afghanistan, and 15 countries have pledged more, NATO?Secretary?General?Jens Stoltenberg said

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday welcomed President Donald Trump's decision to dispatch more troops to Afghanistan. "NATO remains fully committed to Afghanistan and I am looking forward to discussing the way ahead with (Defense) Secretary (James) Mattis and our Allies and international partners," Stoltenberg said in a statement. NATO has 12,000 troops in Afghanistan, and 15 countries have pledged more, Stoltenberg said.

NATO Secretary General welcomes new US approach on Afghanistan

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Wednesday he will present a new US military strategy for Afghanistan, along with adjusted troop numbers, in the coming weeks to President Donald Trump.

American military commanders in Afghanistan and the surrounding region have requested thousands of additional boots on the ground for months to boost the NATO troop presence there.

&quot;Together in the interagency, we will define the way ahead and I will set a US military commitment consistent with the commander in chief&#39;s strategic directions and his foreign policy, as dictated by Secretary of State Tillerson,&quot; Mattis told lawmakers during a hearing at the Senate Appropriations Committee.

&quot;The revised Afghanistan strategy with the new approach will be presented to the president for his approval in the coming weeks.&quot;

His remarks came a day after Trump granted the Pentagon authority to set troop levels in Afghanistan, currently at around 8,400.

Mattis said the decision would come in consultation with other US government agencies in a more comprehensive approach to the conflict.

Prior to the White House decision, Mattis had warned that the Taliban was surging -- having claimed a series of deadly attacks, including against Afghan military bases and positions -- and that America still was &quot;not winning&quot; in the country nearly 16 years after the US-led invasion there.&nbsp;

(AFP)

American military commanders in Afghanistan have requested thousands of additional boots on the ground for months to boost the NATO troop presence there

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Wednesday he will present a new US military strategy for Afghanistan, along with adjusted troop numbers, in the coming weeks to President Donald Trump. American military commanders in Afghanistan and the surrounding region have requested thousands of additional boots on the ground for months to boost the NATO troop presence there. "Together in the interagency, we will define the way ahead and I will set a US military commitment consistent with the commander in chief's strategic directions and his foreign policy, as dictated by Secretary of State Tillerson," Mattis told lawmakers during a hearing at the Senate Appropriations Committee. "The revised Afghanistan strategy with the new approach will be presented to the president for his approval in the coming weeks." His remarks came a day after Trump granted the Pentagon authority to set troop levels in Afghanistan, currently at around 8,400. Mattis said the decision would come in consultation with other US government agencies in a more comprehensive approach to the conflict. Prior to the White House decision, Mattis had warned that the Taliban was surging -- having claimed a series of deadly attacks, including against Afghan military bases and positions -- and that America still was "not winning" in the country nearly 16 years after the US-led invasion there. (AFP)

US to make Afghanistan troop announcement in weeks: Mattis

President Trump is expected to pull out of the Paris climate change accord later on Thursday (read WION&#39;s <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-to-announce-paris-climate-deal-decision-thursday-16284">report here</a>.) He has recently even made noises about withdrawing from the <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/04/trump-nafta-withdrawal-order/524463/">North American Free Trade Agreement</a> and cutting funding for the <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-g20-imf-worldbank-idUSKBN17L313">World Bank</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nato-allies-not-spending-enough-to-shore-up-defences-trump-16049">NATO</a> military alliance.

So we ask the question, what else could Trump pull the US out of? How else will Trump&#39;s <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-wagner/trump-and-the-coming-deat_b_12915974.html">hostility to multilateralism</a> manifest itself

Here&#39;s a graphic looking at major international organisations and treaties and how long the US has been associated with them.

<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="365" id="datawrapper-chart-AInOU" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" msallowfullscreen="msallowfullscreen" oallowfullscreen="oallowfullscreen" scrolling="no" src="//datawrapper.dwcdn.net/AInOU/1/" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="100%"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">if("undefined"==typeof window.datawrapper)window.datawrapper={};window.datawrapper["AInOU"]={},window.datawrapper["AInOU"].embedDeltas={"100":571,"200":425,"300":408,"400":365,"500":365,"600":365,"700":348,"800":348,"900":348,"1000":348},window.datawrapper["AInOU"].iframe=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-AInOU"),window.datawrapper["AInOU"].iframe.style.height=window.datawrapper["AInOU"].embedDeltas[Math.min(1e3,Math.max(100*Math.floor(window.datawrapper["AInOU"].iframe.offsetWidth/100),100))]+"px",window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if("undefined"!=typeof a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var b in a.data["datawrapper-height"])if("AInOU"==b)window.datawrapper["AInOU"].iframe.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][b]+"px"});</script>

The thing to keep in mind is that there are several treaties such as the <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2016/09/26/whats-the-deal-with-senate-republicans-and-the-test-ban-treaty/">Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty</a>, the Ottawa Treaty (banning mines) and organisations such as the <a href="http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2014/apr/24/chain-email/chain-email-says-barack-obama-wants-us-joint-inter/">International Criminal Court</a> that the US is not a part of.

So this&nbsp;unilateral route that Trump is taking is nothing new. Sadly, it&#39;s a road the US has been on for some time now.

President Trump could pull the US out of the Paris climate deal later today. So what does Trump have his eyes on next?

President Trump is expected to pull out of the Paris climate change accord later on Thursday (read WION's report here.) He has recently even made noises about withdrawing from the North American Free Trade Agreement and cutting funding for the World Bank and NATO military alliance. So we ask the question, what else could Trump pull the US out of? How else will Trump's hostility to multilateralism manifest itself Here's a graphic looking at major international organisations and treaties and how long the US has been associated with them. The thing to keep in mind is that there are several treaties such as the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the Ottawa Treaty (banning mines) and organisations such as the International Criminal Court that the US is not a part of. So this unilateral route that Trump is taking is nothing new. Sadly, it's a road the US has been on for some time now.

Infographic: After Paris climate accord, will Trump pull out of NATO?

President Donald Trump launched a salvo against Germany and its car sales in the United States at a meeting Thursday with European Union leaders, German weekly Der Spiegel reported.

&quot;The Germans are bad, very bad,&quot; he said during a meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, EU Council head Donald Tusk and other senior officals in Brussels, the news magazine&#39;s online edition said.

&quot;See the millions of cars they are selling in the US. Terrible. We will stop this,&quot; he reportedly said according to &quot;participants at the meeting&quot;. Juncker then intervened, according to the same source, to defend Germany by saying that free trade benefits everyone.&nbsp;

Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are scheduled to meet Friday at the G7 summit in Taormina, Italy.

Neither the chancellery nor the White House commented immediately on the report.

Trump&#39;s reported comments came during a visit to Brussels where he berated NATO allies for &quot;not paying what they should be paying&quot; and did not declare his commitment to the alliance&#39;s collective defence guarantee.

Trump, even before his election, had attacked Germany and Merkel.

In keeping with his nationalist economic agenda, Trump had in particular hit out at Germany&#39;s substantial trade surplus with the US, threatening to introduce customs duties in retaliation.

After describing his meeting with Merkel in Washington in March as &quot;GREAT&quot;, Trump the following day launched a diatribe against Germany, accusing it of owing &quot;vast sums of money&quot; to NATO and the US.

For her part, Merkel had called on Trump after his election to uphold the values of Western democracy following a divisive presidential campaign.

(AFP)

Trump accused Germany of selling millions of cars in the US during a meeting with EU officials, reports Der Spiegel

President Donald Trump launched a salvo against Germany and its car sales in the United States at a meeting Thursday with European Union leaders, German weekly Der Spiegel reported. "The Germans are bad, very bad," he said during a meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, EU Council head Donald Tusk and other senior officals in Brussels, the news magazine's online edition said. "See the millions of cars they are selling in the US. Terrible. We will stop this," he reportedly said according to "participants at the meeting". Juncker then intervened, according to the same source, to defend Germany by saying that free trade benefits everyone. Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are scheduled to meet Friday at the G7 summit in Taormina, Italy. Neither the chancellery nor the White House commented immediately on the report. Trump's reported comments came during a visit to Brussels where he berated NATO allies for "not paying what they should be paying" and did not declare his commitment to the alliance's collective defence guarantee. Trump, even before his election, had attacked Germany and Merkel. In keeping with his nationalist economic agenda, Trump had in particular hit out at Germany's substantial trade surplus with the US, threatening to introduce customs duties in retaliation. After describing his meeting with Merkel in Washington in March as "GREAT", Trump the following day launched a diatribe against Germany, accusing it of owing "vast sums of money" to NATO and the US. For her part, Merkel had called on Trump after his election to uphold the values of Western democracy following a divisive presidential campaign. (AFP)

Donald Trump: 'The Germans are bad, very bad'

US President Donald Trump on Thursday intensified his accusations that NATO allies were not spending enough on defence and said more attacks such as this week&#39;s bombing in Manchester would take place unless the alliance did more to stop militants.

In unexpectedly abrupt remarks as NATO leaders stood alongside him, Trump said certain member countries owed &quot;massive amounts of money&quot; to the United States and NATO, even though allied contributions are voluntary, with multiple budgets.

His scripted comments contrasted with NATO&#39;s choreographed efforts to play up the West&#39;s unity by inviting Trump to unveil a memorial to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States at the new NATO headquarters.

&quot;We will never waiver in our determination to defeat terrorism and achieve lasting security, prosperity and peace,&quot; Trump said in the speech before a dinner with leaders.

&quot;Terrorism must be stopped or ... the horror you saw in Manchester and so many other places will continue forever,&quot; Trump said, referring to Monday&#39;s suicide bombing in the northern English city that killed 22 people, including children.

Trump called on NATO, an organisation founded on collective defence against the Soviet threat, to include limiting immigration in its tasks as well as fighting terrorism and deterring Russia.

NATO leaders wanted Trump to publicly support the military alliance that he had called &quot;obsolete&quot; during his campaign.

But he instead returned to a grievance about Europe&#39;s drop in defence spending since the end of the Cold War and failed to publicly commit to NATO&#39;s founding Article V rule which stipulates that an attack on one ally is an attack against all.

&quot;Twenty-three of the 28 member nations are still not paying what they should be paying for their defence,&quot; Trump said, standing by a piece of the wreckage of the Twin Towers.

&quot;This is not fair to the people and taxpayers of the United States, and many of these nations owe massive amounts of money from past years,&quot; Trump said as the other leaders watched.

Nicholas Burns, a former long-time diplomat and ambassador to NATO from 2001-2005, now a professor at Harvard&#39;s Kennedy School of Government, said every U.S. president since Harry Truman had pledged support for Article V and that the United States would defend Europe.

&quot;Not so Trump today at NATO. Major mistake,&quot; he said on Twitter.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Trump was &quot;100 percent&quot; committed to collective defence. &quot;We are not playing cutesie with this. He is fully committed,&quot; Spicer said.

Bare Minimum

Praise was always going to be in short supply after Trump&#39;s sharp election campaign criticism of the alliance, which he blamed for not doing more to combat terrorism.

Last year, Trump threatened to abandon US allies in Europe if they did not spend enough on defence, comments that were particularly unnerving for the ex-Soviet Baltic states on Russia&#39;s border which fear Moscow might try a repeat of its 2014 annexation of Ukraine&#39;s Crimea.

Although he has since softened his tone in phone calls and meetings with Western leaders, Trump&#39;s sharp words on Thursday recalled his awkward meeting with Angela Merkel in March, when he pressed the German chancellor for Germany to meet NATO&#39;s military spending target.

NATO diplomats planned to placate Trump with a pledge on Thursday to agree to national plans by the end of this year showing how NATO allies will meet a promise to spend 2 percent of economic output every year on defence by 2024.

But Trump increased the pressure, calling that agreement made at a summit in Wales in 2014 &quot;the bare minimum&quot;.

&quot;Even 2 per cent of GDP is insufficient ... 2 percent is the bare minimum for confronting today&#39;s very real and very viscous threats,&quot; Trump said.

He also made his presence felt at his first NATO summit, literally, pushing his way past Montenego&#39;s prime minister, Dusko Markovic, whose country joins the organisation next month, in footage that went viral.

Spicer said he had not seen the video but assumed the US president was moving to his designated spot.

NATO nonetheless strived to impress Trump with allied jets flying overhead and a walk through the new glass headquarters, which replaces a 1960s prefab structure.

Trump, a real estate magnate, called the building &quot;beautiful&quot; and joked that he did not dare ask how much it cost.

It was left to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to try to hammer home the message of unity.

&quot;NATO is more than a club, more than an organisation. NATO embodies the unique bond between Europe and North America,&quot; Stoltenberg said. &quot;As we raise our flags today, our alliance stands strong united and resolute,&quot; he said.

In one nod to Trump, NATO leaders are due to agree later on Thursday for the Western military bloc to join the US-led, 68-nation coalition against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

In unexpectedly abrupt remarks as NATO leaders stood alongside him, Trump said certain member countries owed 'massive amounts of money' to the United States and NATO

US President Donald Trump on Thursday intensified his accusations that NATO allies were not spending enough on defence and said more attacks such as this week's bombing in Manchester would take place unless the alliance did more to stop militants. In unexpectedly abrupt remarks as NATO leaders stood alongside him, Trump said certain member countries owed "massive amounts of money" to the United States and NATO, even though allied contributions are voluntary, with multiple budgets. His scripted comments contrasted with NATO's choreographed efforts to play up the West's unity by inviting Trump to unveil a memorial to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States at the new NATO headquarters. "We will never waiver in our determination to defeat terrorism and achieve lasting security, prosperity and peace," Trump said in the speech before a dinner with leaders. "Terrorism must be stopped or ... the horror you saw in Manchester and so many other places will continue forever," Trump said, referring to Monday's suicide bombing in the northern English city that killed 22 people, including children. Trump called on NATO, an organisation founded on collective defence against the Soviet threat, to include limiting immigration in its tasks as well as fighting terrorism and deterring Russia. NATO leaders wanted Trump to publicly support the military alliance that he had called "obsolete" during his campaign. But he instead returned to a grievance about Europe's drop in defence spending since the end of the Cold War and failed to publicly commit to NATO's founding Article V rule which stipulates that an attack on one ally is an attack against all. "Twenty-three of the 28 member nations are still not paying what they should be paying for their defence," Trump said, standing by a piece of the wreckage of the Twin Towers. "This is not fair to the people and taxpayers of the United States, and many of these nations owe massive amounts of money from past years," Trump said as the other leaders watched. Nicholas Burns, a former long-time diplomat and ambassador to NATO from 2001-2005, now a professor at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, said every U.S. president since Harry Truman had pledged support for Article V and that the United States would defend Europe. "Not so Trump today at NATO. Major mistake," he said on Twitter. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Trump was "100 percent" committed to collective defence. "We are not playing cutesie with this. He is fully committed," Spicer said. Bare Minimum Praise was always going to be in short supply after Trump's sharp election campaign criticism of the alliance, which he blamed for not doing more to combat terrorism. Last year, Trump threatened to abandon US allies in Europe if they did not spend enough on defence, comments that were particularly unnerving for the ex-Soviet Baltic states on Russia's border which fear Moscow might try a repeat of its 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea. Although he has since softened his tone in phone calls and meetings with Western leaders, Trump's sharp words on Thursday recalled his awkward meeting with Angela Merkel in March, when he pressed the German chancellor for Germany to meet NATO's military spending target. NATO diplomats planned to placate Trump with a pledge on Thursday to agree to national plans by the end of this year showing how NATO allies will meet a promise to spend 2 percent of economic output every year on defence by 2024. But Trump increased the pressure, calling that agreement made at a summit in Wales in 2014 "the bare minimum". "Even 2 per cent of GDP is insufficient ... 2 percent is the bare minimum for confronting today's very real and very viscous threats," Trump said. He also made his presence felt at his first NATO summit, literally, pushing his way past Montenego's prime minister, Dusko Markovic, whose country joins the organisation next month, in footage that went viral. Spicer said he had not seen the video but assumed the US president was moving to his designated spot. NATO nonetheless strived to impress Trump with allied jets flying overhead and a walk through the new glass headquarters, which replaces a 1960s prefab structure. Trump, a real estate magnate, called the building "beautiful" and joked that he did not dare ask how much it cost. It was left to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to try to hammer home the message of unity. "NATO is more than a club, more than an organisation. NATO embodies the unique bond between Europe and North America," Stoltenberg said. "As we raise our flags today, our alliance stands strong united and resolute," he said. In one nod to Trump, NATO leaders are due to agree later on Thursday for the Western military bloc to join the US-led, 68-nation coalition against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. (Reuters)

NATO allies not spending enough to shore up defences: Trump

Despite fierce opposition from NATO ally Turkey, US President Donald Trump has approved supplying arms to Kurdish YPG fighters to support an operation to retake the Syrian city of Raqqa from Islamic State, US officials said on Tuesday.

Ankara views the Kurdish YPG militia fighting within a larger US-backed coalition as the Syrian extension of the Kurdish PKK militant group, which has fought an insurgency in Turkey&#39;s southeast since 1984.

There was no immediate reaction from Turkey, whose president, Tayyip Erdogan, is expected to meet Trump later this month.

The Pentagon immediately sought to stress that it saw arming the Kurdish forces &quot;as necessary to ensure a clear victory&quot; in Raqqa, Islamic State&#39;s de facto capital in Syria and a hub for planning the group&#39;s attacks against the West.

&quot;We are keenly aware of the security concerns of our coalition partner Turkey,&quot; Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a statement as she travelled in Lithuania with Trump&#39;s defence secretary, Jim Mattis.

&quot;We want to reassure the people and government of Turkey that the US is committed to preventing additional security risks and protecting our NATO ally.&quot;

The United States has long supplied arms to the Arab components of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces, which include YPG fighters. White said Washington would still prioritize supplying those Arab fighters within the SDF.

One US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the equipment could include small arms, ammunition, machine guns, armoured vehicles and engineering equipment.

The US alliance with Turkey has proven decisive in the battle against Islamic State in Syria, providing the coalition with access to Turkey&#39;s Incirlik air base to wage strikes against the militants, officials say.

Mattis, speaking before the announcement, sounded upbeat about working through tensions with Ankara when he spoke to reporters in Denmark after talks with coalition officials, including from Turkey.

&quot;Our intent is to work with the Turks, alongside one another, to take Raqqa down, and we&#39;re going to sort it out and we&#39;ll figure out how we&#39;re going to do it,&quot; Mattis told a news conference in Copenhagen.

Ankara had long argued that Washington should switch support for the planned assault on Raqqa from the Kurdish YPG militia to Syrian rebels Turkey has trained and led against Islamic State for the past year.

But the US administration was sceptical that the Turkish-backed force was large enough or sufficiently trained.

White appeared to allude to that conclusion when she said: &quot;The SDF, partnered with enabling support from US&nbsp;and coalition forces, are the only force on the ground that can successfully seize Raqqa in the near future.&quot;

Saleh Muslim, co-chair of the Syrian Kurdish PYD party, the YPG&#39;s political affiliate, said the US decision was expected.

&quot;The Raqqa campaign is running in parallel with the international coalition against terrorism. It&#39;s natural that they would provide weapons&quot; to the SDF and the armed groups fighting as part of it, Muslim said.

In a sign of recent tensions, Turkish warplanes carried out air strikes against Kurdish YPG fighters in northeastern Syria and Iraq&#39;s Sinjar region late last month, killing less than 30 fighters, according to one estimate.

The United States has played down Turkish accusations of links between the YPG and PKK. Ankara believes the YPG&#39;s advances will fuel anti-Kurdish sentiment in predominantly Arab parts of Syria such as Raqqa, and threaten Syria&#39;s territorial integrity.

Mattis acknowledged the war in Syria had not left the United States with easy choices but he voiced confidence that Washington and Ankara would get past the impasse.

&quot;But we will work it out ... War sometimes doesn&#39;t give you all good options. That&#39;s the nature of war. It&#39;s not a good situation,&quot; he said.

(Reuters)

The Pentagon sees arming the Kurdish forces "as necessary to ensure a clear victory" in Raqqa.

Despite fierce opposition from NATO ally Turkey, US President Donald Trump has approved supplying arms to Kurdish YPG fighters to support an operation to retake the Syrian city of Raqqa from Islamic State, US officials said on Tuesday. Ankara views the Kurdish YPG militia fighting within a larger US-backed coalition as the Syrian extension of the Kurdish PKK militant group, which has fought an insurgency in Turkey's southeast since 1984. There was no immediate reaction from Turkey, whose president, Tayyip Erdogan, is expected to meet Trump later this month. The Pentagon immediately sought to stress that it saw arming the Kurdish forces "as necessary to ensure a clear victory" in Raqqa, Islamic State's de facto capital in Syria and a hub for planning the group's attacks against the West. "We are keenly aware of the security concerns of our coalition partner Turkey," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a statement as she travelled in Lithuania with Trump's defence secretary, Jim Mattis. "We want to reassure the people and government of Turkey that the US is committed to preventing additional security risks and protecting our NATO ally." The United States has long supplied arms to the Arab components of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces, which include YPG fighters. White said Washington would still prioritize supplying those Arab fighters within the SDF. One US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the equipment could include small arms, ammunition, machine guns, armoured vehicles and engineering equipment. The US alliance with Turkey has proven decisive in the battle against Islamic State in Syria, providing the coalition with access to Turkey's Incirlik air base to wage strikes against the militants, officials say. Mattis, speaking before the announcement, sounded upbeat about working through tensions with Ankara when he spoke to reporters in Denmark after talks with coalition officials, including from Turkey. "Our intent is to work with the Turks, alongside one another, to take Raqqa down, and we're going to sort it out and we'll figure out how we're going to do it," Mattis told a news conference in Copenhagen. Ankara had long argued that Washington should switch support for the planned assault on Raqqa from the Kurdish YPG militia to Syrian rebels Turkey has trained and led against Islamic State for the past year. But the US administration was sceptical that the Turkish-backed force was large enough or sufficiently trained. White appeared to allude to that conclusion when she said: "The SDF, partnered with enabling support from US and coalition forces, are the only force on the ground that can successfully seize Raqqa in the near future." Saleh Muslim, co-chair of the Syrian Kurdish PYD party, the YPG's political affiliate, said the US decision was expected. "The Raqqa campaign is running in parallel with the international coalition against terrorism. It's natural that they would provide weapons" to the SDF and the armed groups fighting as part of it, Muslim said. In a sign of recent tensions, Turkish warplanes carried out air strikes against Kurdish YPG fighters in northeastern Syria and Iraq's Sinjar region late last month, killing less than 30 fighters, according to one estimate. The United States has played down Turkish accusations of links between the YPG and PKK. Ankara believes the YPG's advances will fuel anti-Kurdish sentiment in predominantly Arab parts of Syria such as Raqqa, and threaten Syria's territorial integrity. Mattis acknowledged the war in Syria had not left the United States with easy choices but he voiced confidence that Washington and Ankara would get past the impasse. "But we will work it out ... War sometimes doesn't give you all good options. That's the nature of war. It's not a good situation," he said. (Reuters)

US to arm Syrian Kurds battling Islamic State, despite Turkish opposition

A draft of President Donald Trump&#39;s new counterterrorism strategy demands that US allies shoulder more of the burden in combating Islamist militants, while acknowledging that the threat of terrorism will never be totally eliminated.

The 11-page draft, seen on Friday by Reuters, said the United States should avoid costly, &quot;open-ended&quot; military commitments.

&quot;We need to intensify operations against global jihadist groups while also reducing the costs of American &#39;blood and treasure&#39; in pursuit of our counterterrorism goals,&quot; states the document, which is expected to be released in coming months.

&quot;We will seek to avoid costly, large-scale US military interventions to achieve counterterrorism objectives and will increasingly look to partners to share the responsibility for countering terrorist groups,&quot; it says.

However, it acknowledges that terrorism &quot;cannot be defeated with any sort of finality&quot;.

Michael Anton, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said, &quot;As part of its overall approach, the administration is taking a fresh look at the entire US national security strategy, to include the counterterrorism mission - which is especially important since no such strategy has been produced publicly since 2011.&quot;

The process is aimed at ensuring &quot;the new strategy is directed against the pre-eminent terrorist threats to our nation, our citizens, our interests overseas and allies,&quot; Anton said. &quot;Moreover, this new strategy will highlight achievable and realistic goals, and guiding principles.&quot;

Combating Islamic extremism was a major issue for Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. The draft strategy paper, which officials said was still being fine-tuned at the White House, describes the threat from Islamic militant groups in stark tones.

It remains to be seen how Trump can square his goal of avoiding military interventions with ongoing conflicts involving US troops in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen and elsewhere.

Rather than scale back US commitments, he has so far largely adhered to former Obama administration plans to intensify military operations against militant groups and granted the Pentagon greater authority to strike them in places like Yemen and Somalia.

Trump may soon reverse years of Obama-ordered drawdowns in Afghanistan. His administration is now considering boosting by 3,000 to 5,000 soldiers the 8,400-strong US contingent helping Afghan forces fight a resurgent Taliban, current and former US officials say.

A senior administration official noted that only a small number of troops have been added to US forces in Iraq and Syria under Trump, at the discretion of his military commanders.

&quot;If you do see additions elsewhere, they will be in keeping with this (draft) strategy,&quot; said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The increased pace of US military operations has seen a recent spate of American casualties. The latest came in Somalia, where a Navy SEAL died and two others were wounded in an attack by al Shabaab militants, US officials said on Friday.

Since President Barack Obama released the last US counterterrorism strategy in 2011 before the emergence of Islamic State, the threat has &quot;diversified in size, scope and complexity from what we faced just a few years ago,&quot; the draft strategy said.

In addition to Islamic State, the United States and its allies are endangered by a reconstituted al Qaeda, groups such as the Haqqani network and Hezbollah, as well as from homegrown extremists radicalized online, it said.

Bruce Hoffman, director of Georgetown University&#39;s Center for Security Studies and who reviewed the document at Reuters&#39; request, said the draft strategy &quot;paints - and I think accurately - a more dire picture&quot; of the threat than the Obama document, which sounded a &quot;triumphalist&quot; tone following al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden&#39;s death in a 2011 US raid in Pakistan.

Missing Phrase

The senior administration official said the document describing an overarching counterterrorism approach is separate from a detailed strategy to defeat Islamic State that Trump also has ordered.

The draft strategy seen by Reuters appears to flow from Trump&#39;s &quot;America First&quot; foreign policy calling for foreign aid cuts and more burden-sharing by allies and alliances such as NATO.

It does not include a signature phrase from Trump&#39;s 2016 campaign, &quot;radical Islamic terrorism.&quot; Instead, it says that jihadist groups &quot;have merged under a global jihadist ideology that seeks to establish a transnational Islamic caliphate that fosters conflict on a global scale.&quot;

The draft&#39;s first guiding principle is that the United States &quot;will always act to disrupt, prevent and respond to terrorist attacks against our nation, our citizens, our interests overseas and our allies. This includes taking direct and unilateral action, if necessary.&quot;

The administration would boost US homeland security by working with allies and partners to eliminate terrorist leaders, &quot;ideologues, technical experts, financiers, external operators and battlefield commanders.&quot;

The draft also calls for denying militants physical and online sanctuaries in which to plan and launch attacks and &quot;degrade their efforts to develop and deploy&quot; chemical and biological weapons.

Yet it provides few details on how the United States, which has led global counterterrorism efforts since the September 11, 2001, attacks, can achieve those goals by passing more of the burden to other countries, many of which lack the requisite military and intelligence capabilities.

The draft makes little mention of promoting human rights, development, good governance and other &quot;soft power&quot; tools that Washington has embraced in the past to help foreign governments reduce grievances that feed extremism.

In contrast, the Obama counterterrorism strategy made &quot;respecting human rights, fostering good governance, respecting privacy and civil liberties, committing to security and transparency and upholding the rule of law&quot; the foremost of its guiding principles.

&quot;Soft power has a role to play, but not to the exclusion of kinetics,&quot; or military action, said Hoffman. He called the draft &quot;a very sober depiction of the threat and what is needed now and in the immediate future to counter it.&quot;

(Reuters)

The 11-page draft, seen on Friday by Reuters, said the United States should avoid costly, 'open-ended' military commitments

A draft of President Donald Trump's new counterterrorism strategy demands that US allies shoulder more of the burden in combating Islamist militants, while acknowledging that the threat of terrorism will never be totally eliminated. The 11-page draft, seen on Friday by Reuters, said the United States should avoid costly, "open-ended" military commitments. "We need to intensify operations against global jihadist groups while also reducing the costs of American 'blood and treasure' in pursuit of our counterterrorism goals," states the document, which is expected to be released in coming months. "We will seek to avoid costly, large-scale US military interventions to achieve counterterrorism objectives and will increasingly look to partners to share the responsibility for countering terrorist groups," it says. However, it acknowledges that terrorism "cannot be defeated with any sort of finality". Michael Anton, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said, "As part of its overall approach, the administration is taking a fresh look at the entire US national security strategy, to include the counterterrorism mission - which is especially important since no such strategy has been produced publicly since 2011." The process is aimed at ensuring "the new strategy is directed against the pre-eminent terrorist threats to our nation, our citizens, our interests overseas and allies," Anton said. "Moreover, this new strategy will highlight achievable and realistic goals, and guiding principles." Combating Islamic extremism was a major issue for Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. The draft strategy paper, which officials said was still being fine-tuned at the White House, describes the threat from Islamic militant groups in stark tones. It remains to be seen how Trump can square his goal of avoiding military interventions with ongoing conflicts involving US troops in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen and elsewhere. Rather than scale back US commitments, he has so far largely adhered to former Obama administration plans to intensify military operations against militant groups and granted the Pentagon greater authority to strike them in places like Yemen and Somalia. Trump may soon reverse years of Obama-ordered drawdowns in Afghanistan. His administration is now considering boosting by 3,000 to 5,000 soldiers the 8,400-strong US contingent helping Afghan forces fight a resurgent Taliban, current and former US officials say. A senior administration official noted that only a small number of troops have been added to US forces in Iraq and Syria under Trump, at the discretion of his military commanders. "If you do see additions elsewhere, they will be in keeping with this (draft) strategy," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The increased pace of US military operations has seen a recent spate of American casualties. The latest came in Somalia, where a Navy SEAL died and two others were wounded in an attack by al Shabaab militants, US officials said on Friday. Since President Barack Obama released the last US counterterrorism strategy in 2011 before the emergence of Islamic State, the threat has "diversified in size, scope and complexity from what we faced just a few years ago," the draft strategy said. In addition to Islamic State, the United States and its allies are endangered by a reconstituted al Qaeda, groups such as the Haqqani network and Hezbollah, as well as from homegrown extremists radicalized online, it said. Bruce Hoffman, director of Georgetown University's Center for Security Studies and who reviewed the document at Reuters' request, said the draft strategy "paints - and I think accurately - a more dire picture" of the threat than the Obama document, which sounded a "triumphalist" tone following al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's death in a 2011 US raid in Pakistan. Missing Phrase The senior administration official said the document describing an overarching counterterrorism approach is separate from a detailed strategy to defeat Islamic State that Trump also has ordered. The draft strategy seen by Reuters appears to flow from Trump's "America First" foreign policy calling for foreign aid cuts and more burden-sharing by allies and alliances such as NATO. It does not include a signature phrase from Trump's 2016 campaign, "radical Islamic terrorism." Instead, it says that jihadist groups "have merged under a global jihadist ideology that seeks to establish a transnational Islamic caliphate that fosters conflict on a global scale." The draft's first guiding principle is that the United States "will always act to disrupt, prevent and respond to terrorist attacks against our nation, our citizens, our interests overseas and our allies. This includes taking direct and unilateral action, if necessary." The administration would boost US homeland security by working with allies and partners to eliminate terrorist leaders, "ideologues, technical experts, financiers, external operators and battlefield commanders." The draft also calls for denying militants physical and online sanctuaries in which to plan and launch attacks and "degrade their efforts to develop and deploy" chemical and biological weapons. Yet it provides few details on how the United States, which has led global counterterrorism efforts since the September 11, 2001, attacks, can achieve those goals by passing more of the burden to other countries, many of which lack the requisite military and intelligence capabilities. The draft makes little mention of promoting human rights, development, good governance and other "soft power" tools that Washington has embraced in the past to help foreign governments reduce grievances that feed extremism. In contrast, the Obama counterterrorism strategy made "respecting human rights, fostering good governance, respecting privacy and civil liberties, committing to security and transparency and upholding the rule of law" the foremost of its guiding principles. "Soft power has a role to play, but not to the exclusion of kinetics," or military action, said Hoffman. He called the draft "a very sober depiction of the threat and what is needed now and in the immediate future to counter it." (Reuters)

Trump's new counter-terrorism strategy urges allies to do more to combat terrorism

Turkey&#39;s electoral authority on Wednesday rejected appeals to annul a referendum granting President Tayyip Erdogan wide new powers, but the main opposition CHP party said it would maintain its legal challenge to the result.

Sunday&#39;s referendum narrowly backed the largest overhaul of Turkey&#39;s political system since the founding of the republic nearly a century ago, giving Erdogan sweeping authority over the NATO member-state.

But the tight result of a highly charged campaign laid bare divisions, while European observers and the head of Turkey&#39;s bar associations union said a decision to count unstamped votes broke electoral law.

The High Electoral Board said it had assessed appeals from the CHP and two other parties at a seven-hour meeting, and rejected them by 10 to one.

In response, CHP Deputy Chairman Bulent Tezcan said his party was considering taking its appeal to Turkey&#39;s Constitutional Court or the European Court of Human Rights.

&quot;This is a serious legitimacy crisis. We will employ all legal ways available,&quot; Tezcan said.

Separately, Istanbul police detained 19 suspects on charges of attempted provocation for organising protests against the referendum, Dogan News Agency reported.

A defiant Erdogan has dismissed the complaints, saying the vote had finally put an end to debate over the powerful presidency he has long sought.

On Wednesday, the ruling AK Party set out plans for Erdogan to gradually resume leadership of the party, a step towards implementing the changes approved in Sunday&#39;s plebiscite.

Turkey&#39;s president has been required to remain above party politics, but that condition was removed in one of the referendum&#39;s 18 amendments.

Prime Minister and AKP leader Binali Yildirim said Erdogan could rejoin the party he founded in 2001 once official results - expected before the end of the month - were announced.

But he said the AKP would not hold a party congress until 2018, indicating Erdogan would not officially become its leader until then, despite widespread expectations that it would happen almost immediately.

Unfair Referendum

The pro-Kurdish opposition HDP, which had appealed along with the CHP for the referendum to be annulled, said the late decision by the electoral board to allow unstamped ballots meant it was impossible to determine how many invalid or fake votes may have been counted.

HDP deputy chairman Mithat Sancar said the vote was also undermined by the fact that the campaign was held under emergency rule while the party&#39;s co-leaders were under arrest, that its candidates for polling station monitors had been rejected, and the &quot;Yes&quot; campaign had benefited from state resources.

&quot;This referendum will forever remain controversial,&quot; he told reporters. &quot;You cannot build a change in the political system on such a controversial and unfair referendum.&quot;

Metin Feyzioglu, head of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations, said the decision to count unstamped ballots, without keeping any record of them, removed the main safeguard against voting fraud.

&quot;What makes any country a democracy is the security of the ballot boxes,&quot; Feyzioglu told Reuters. &quot; ... If your ballots are unsafe, that means that regime is not a democracy.&quot;

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said a critical report by European observers on the referendum contained several mistakes, which he believed were deliberate.

Observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe said Sunday&#39;s referendum had been an uneven contest.

&quot;The OSCE&#39;s report has no reliability as their observations lack objectivity and are extremely partial,&quot; Cavusoglu told a news conference in Ankara.

(Reuters)

Sunday's referendum narrowly backed the largest overhaul of Turkey's political system since the founding of the republic

Turkey's electoral authority on Wednesday rejected appeals to annul a referendum granting President Tayyip Erdogan wide new powers, but the main opposition CHP party said it would maintain its legal challenge to the result. Sunday's referendum narrowly backed the largest overhaul of Turkey's political system since the founding of the republic nearly a century ago, giving Erdogan sweeping authority over the NATO member-state. But the tight result of a highly charged campaign laid bare divisions, while European observers and the head of Turkey's bar associations union said a decision to count unstamped votes broke electoral law. The High Electoral Board said it had assessed appeals from the CHP and two other parties at a seven-hour meeting, and rejected them by 10 to one. In response, CHP Deputy Chairman Bulent Tezcan said his party was considering taking its appeal to Turkey's Constitutional Court or the European Court of Human Rights. "This is a serious legitimacy crisis. We will employ all legal ways available," Tezcan said. Separately, Istanbul police detained 19 suspects on charges of attempted provocation for organising protests against the referendum, Dogan News Agency reported. A defiant Erdogan has dismissed the complaints, saying the vote had finally put an end to debate over the powerful presidency he has long sought. On Wednesday, the ruling AK Party set out plans for Erdogan to gradually resume leadership of the party, a step towards implementing the changes approved in Sunday's plebiscite. Turkey's president has been required to remain above party politics, but that condition was removed in one of the referendum's 18 amendments. Prime Minister and AKP leader Binali Yildirim said Erdogan could rejoin the party he founded in 2001 once official results - expected before the end of the month - were announced. But he said the AKP would not hold a party congress until 2018, indicating Erdogan would not officially become its leader until then, despite widespread expectations that it would happen almost immediately. Unfair Referendum The pro-Kurdish opposition HDP, which had appealed along with the CHP for the referendum to be annulled, said the late decision by the electoral board to allow unstamped ballots meant it was impossible to determine how many invalid or fake votes may have been counted. HDP deputy chairman Mithat Sancar said the vote was also undermined by the fact that the campaign was held under emergency rule while the party's co-leaders were under arrest, that its candidates for polling station monitors had been rejected, and the "Yes" campaign had benefited from state resources. "This referendum will forever remain controversial," he told reporters. "You cannot build a change in the political system on such a controversial and unfair referendum." Metin Feyzioglu, head of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations, said the decision to count unstamped ballots, without keeping any record of them, removed the main safeguard against voting fraud. "What makes any country a democracy is the security of the ballot boxes," Feyzioglu told Reuters. " ... If your ballots are unsafe, that means that regime is not a democracy." Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said a critical report by European observers on the referendum contained several mistakes, which he believed were deliberate. Observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe said Sunday's referendum had been an uneven contest. "The OSCE's report has no reliability as their observations lack objectivity and are extremely partial," Cavusoglu told a news conference in Ankara. (Reuters)

Turkey: Election board throws out appeal to annul referendum

Two of the outside contenders in France&#39;s presidential election, Francois Fillon and Jean-Luc Melenchon, whipped up support with mass rallies on Sunday, seeking a last-gasp boost ahead of an increasingly tight first voting round.

For weeks, polls have shown centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen on track to top the first round of voting on April 23 and go through to a May 7 runoff.

But recent polls have shown the race tightening as the front-runners faltered and far-left maverick Melenchon surged after strong performances in two televised candidates&#39; debates.

A Kantar Sofres poll for media organisations Le Figaro, LCI and RTL showed Macron and Le Pen tied on 24 per cent in the first round, with Melenchon taking third place for the first time on 18 per cent, up six points since mid-March.

That put him a point ahead of conservative candidate Fillon, whose campaign has struggled as he seeks to defend himself from nepotism allegations.

Speaking at a big rally in the southern port city of Marseille, veteran Communist-backed candidate Melenchon sounded full of confidence.

&quot;We can hear it. We can feel it. Victory is within our reach,&quot; said Melenchon, who aims to take France out of NATO and also hold a referendum on EU membership.

Organisers said 70,000 people gathered in Marseille&#39;s Old Port district to hear Melenchon.

Fillon too is still hoping for an upset.

&quot;There is still everything to play for. The days ahead of us will be decisive,&quot; Fillon told cheering supporters waving the blue, white and red national flag at a show of strength in Paris, which according to organisers drew over 20,000 people.

There were no independent estimates of the crowd sizes.

Fillon, 63, was an early frontrunner to win the election but his bid faltered following allegations that he had paid his wife and two of his five children hundreds of thousands of euros of public money for minimal work. He denies any wrongdoing.

&quot;I&#39;m not asking you to like me. I&#39;m asking you to back me, because this is about what&#39;s best for France,&quot; Fillon said.

With one in three French voters still undecided, there is a chance of a first-round surprise.

Even some of Fillon&#39;s supporters admit the campaign has been nerve-racking, though many at the Paris meeting said they didn&#39;t trust the polls.

&quot;There were moments when we were really worried,&quot; said Raymond Spreder, 72, a retired builder from the Vosges region who has travelled to several rallies with his wife.

&quot;But he&#39;s done well considering everything that&#39;s been thrown at him. He&#39;s the most solid candidate, it&#39;s his policies that we like,&quot; he said.

Melenchon, a former Trotskyist, was a wildcard until his spirited performances in two televised debates strengthened his campaign and helped him leech support from the Socialist candidate, Benoit Hamon.

In the 2012 presidential election, Melenchon&#39;s insurgent campaign and firebrand style also drew crowds and favourable opinion in polls, but he fell short in the end with 11 per cent of the vote.

Macron, a pro-European former economy minister, aims to transcend the traditional left-right divide in French politics and reduce public spending and taxes.

If he reaches the second round, all polls predict he would easily beat Le Pen, whose plans to ditch the euro and hold a referendum on EU membership have spooked many investors.

(Reuters)

'We can hear it. We can feel it. Victory is within our reach,' said Melenchon, who aims to remove France from NATO and hold an EU referendum

Two of the outside contenders in France's presidential election, Francois Fillon and Jean-Luc Melenchon, whipped up support with mass rallies on Sunday, seeking a last-gasp boost ahead of an increasingly tight first voting round. For weeks, polls have shown centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen on track to top the first round of voting on April 23 and go through to a May 7 runoff. But recent polls have shown the race tightening as the front-runners faltered and far-left maverick Melenchon surged after strong performances in two televised candidates' debates. A Kantar Sofres poll for media organisations Le Figaro, LCI and RTL showed Macron and Le Pen tied on 24 per cent in the first round, with Melenchon taking third place for the first time on 18 per cent, up six points since mid-March. That put him a point ahead of conservative candidate Fillon, whose campaign has struggled as he seeks to defend himself from nepotism allegations. Speaking at a big rally in the southern port city of Marseille, veteran Communist-backed candidate Melenchon sounded full of confidence. "We can hear it. We can feel it. Victory is within our reach," said Melenchon, who aims to take France out of NATO and also hold a referendum on EU membership. Organisers said 70,000 people gathered in Marseille's Old Port district to hear Melenchon. Fillon too is still hoping for an upset. "There is still everything to play for. The days ahead of us will be decisive," Fillon told cheering supporters waving the blue, white and red national flag at a show of strength in Paris, which according to organisers drew over 20,000 people. There were no independent estimates of the crowd sizes. Fillon, 63, was an early frontrunner to win the election but his bid faltered following allegations that he had paid his wife and two of his five children hundreds of thousands of euros of public money for minimal work. He denies any wrongdoing. "I'm not asking you to like me. I'm asking you to back me, because this is about what's best for France," Fillon said. With one in three French voters still undecided, there is a chance of a first-round surprise. Even some of Fillon's supporters admit the campaign has been nerve-racking, though many at the Paris meeting said they didn't trust the polls. "There were moments when we were really worried," said Raymond Spreder, 72, a retired builder from the Vosges region who has travelled to several rallies with his wife. "But he's done well considering everything that's been thrown at him. He's the most solid candidate, it's his policies that we like," he said. Melenchon, a former Trotskyist, was a wildcard until his spirited performances in two televised debates strengthened his campaign and helped him leech support from the Socialist candidate, Benoit Hamon. In the 2012 presidential election, Melenchon's insurgent campaign and firebrand style also drew crowds and favourable opinion in polls, but he fell short in the end with 11 per cent of the vote. Macron, a pro-European former economy minister, aims to transcend the traditional left-right divide in French politics and reduce public spending and taxes. If he reaches the second round, all polls predict he would easily beat Le Pen, whose plans to ditch the euro and hold a referendum on EU membership have spooked many investors. (Reuters)

Fillon, Melenchon seek last-gasp boost in French presidential election

NATO plans to spend 3 billion euros ($3.24 billion) to upgrade its satellite and computer technology over the next three years as the Western military alliance adapts to new threats, a senior official said.

Seeking to deter hackers, and other threats including Iranian missiles, the investments underscore NATO&#39;s recognition that conflicts are increasingly fought on computer networks as well as in the air, on land and at sea.

A senior official at the NATO Communications and Information Agency said the plans include a 1.7-billion-euro investment in satellite communications to better support troops and ships deployed across the alliance, as well as aiding the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones.

It was not immediately clear if NATO allies would fund a new military communications satellite to be launched into space or if an increase in broadband capacity could be gained from existing US and other allied satellites. Non-NATO member Japan launched its first military communications satellite in January.

The proposals, for which some funding must still be approved by NATO governments, also envisage spending about 800 million euros on the computer systems that help command air and missile defences, said the official, who declined to be named.

Seventy one million euros will go into improving the protection of NATO&#39;s 32 main locations from cyber attacks.

NATO says it has seen a five-fold increase in suspicious events on its networks in the past three years, while Russian group APT28 is blamed by Western intelligence for the hacking of the U.S. Democratic Party during last year&#39;s US election.

NATO officials have told Reuters they suspect Russia sponsors attacks against their networks before major summits. Another 180 million euros are to be spent to provide more secure mobile communications for alliance soldiers in the field.

NATO will present its needs in detail at a conference in Ottawa in April and then begin launching the bidding process.

It is likely to attract major Western defence contracts including Airbus Group, Raytheon and Lockheed Martin Corp, the official said, in part because &quot;there cannot be content that does not come from NATO nations.&quot;

NATO rules prohibit Russian or Chinese suppliers unless there is a specific need that allied companies cannot provide.

(Reuters)

Seventy one million euros will go into improving the protection of NATO's 32 main locations from cyber attacks

NATO plans to spend 3 billion euros ($3.24 billion) to upgrade its satellite and computer technology over the next three years as the Western military alliance adapts to new threats, a senior official said. Seeking to deter hackers, and other threats including Iranian missiles, the investments underscore NATO's recognition that conflicts are increasingly fought on computer networks as well as in the air, on land and at sea. A senior official at the NATO Communications and Information Agency said the plans include a 1.7-billion-euro investment in satellite communications to better support troops and ships deployed across the alliance, as well as aiding the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones. It was not immediately clear if NATO allies would fund a new military communications satellite to be launched into space or if an increase in broadband capacity could be gained from existing US and other allied satellites. Non-NATO member Japan launched its first military communications satellite in January. The proposals, for which some funding must still be approved by NATO governments, also envisage spending about 800 million euros on the computer systems that help command air and missile defences, said the official, who declined to be named. Seventy one million euros will go into improving the protection of NATO's 32 main locations from cyber attacks. NATO says it has seen a five-fold increase in suspicious events on its networks in the past three years, while Russian group APT28 is blamed by Western intelligence for the hacking of the U.S. Democratic Party during last year's US election. NATO officials have told Reuters they suspect Russia sponsors attacks against their networks before major summits. Another 180 million euros are to be spent to provide more secure mobile communications for alliance soldiers in the field. NATO will present its needs in detail at a conference in Ottawa in April and then begin launching the bidding process. It is likely to attract major Western defence contracts including Airbus Group, Raytheon and Lockheed Martin Corp, the official said, in part because "there cannot be content that does not come from NATO nations." NATO rules prohibit Russian or Chinese suppliers unless there is a specific need that allied companies cannot provide. (Reuters)

NATO to spend 3 billion euros on satellite, cyber defences

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson proposed new dates on Tuesday for a NATO meeting, the State Department said, after he initially decided to skip the talks and rebuffed the alliance`s efforts to reschedule them.

Tillerson&#39;s decision to miss his first meeting with NATO foreign ministers, set for April 5-6 in Brussels, unsettled European allies who worried it reopened questions about US President Donald Trump&#39;s commitment to the alliance.

Reuters exclusively reported on Monday that Tillerson would stay in the United States to attend Trump&#39;s expected April 6-7 talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Florida. US officials also said Tillerson would visit Russia later in April.

The alliance had offered to change the meeting dates so Tillerson could attend both it and the Xi talks but the US State Department rebuffed the idea, a former US official and a former NATO diplomat, both speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Monday.

On Tuesday, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the department put forward new dates for a meeting when Tillerson could come, noting that such a decision would have to be made by consensus among the 28 NATO members.

&quot;We are certainly appreciative of the effort to accommodate Secretary Tillerson,&quot; Toner told reporters. &quot;We have offered alternative dates that the secretary could attend.&quot;

He also sought to allay European concerns by saying that &quot;the United States remains 100 per cent committed to NATO.&quot;

It was not yet clear if the NATO meeting would be rescheduled to accommodate Tillerson.

During his election campaign and on the eve of taking office in January, Trump called the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation &quot;obsolete,&quot; although he has since said he strongly supports the alliance.

Unfortunate Symbolism

&quot;No matter how you spin it, this is unfortunate symbolism,&quot; said one senior European diplomat of Tillerson&#39;s plan to skip the April 5-6 NATO Brussels meeting, saying it undid the work of Trump&#39;s vice president and defence minister, who visited NATO headquarters in February to provide reassurances after Trump&#39;s criticism of the alliance.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was in Washington on Tuesday. Posing for photographs with Defence Secretary James Mattis, he declined to answer a reporter`s questions on what signal it sent that Tillerson did not plan to attend the meeting, according to a reporter who attended the session.&nbsp;

Some allies, particularly in the former Soviet bloc, are acutely sensitive to any sign of waning US interest in their defence as they deal with a more assertive Russia.

Concerns that Trump is too close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom the West has sought to isolate for annexing Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, made Tillerson&#39;s expected visit to Brussels all the more pressing, European allies said. 
&nbsp; 
Tillerson worked with Russia&#39;s government for years as a top executive at Exxon Mobil Corp, and has questioned sanctions against Moscow that he said could harm US businesses.

&quot;We needed to hear his vision for the alliance,&quot; said a diplomat due to attend the April ministerial meeting.

NATO&#39;s quarterly meetings are closed-door sessions over about two days in which governments discuss security strategies and approve top secret documents designed to guide the nuclear-armed alliance in areas ranging from training in Afghanistan to defences against Iranian missiles.

Given the US role as the de facto head of the alliance, it is rare for the country&#39;s top diplomat to miss a NATO meeting. The last time was during the Iraq war in 2003, when Colin Powell was forced to cancel at the last moment.

Trump himself is expected in Brussels for a NATO summit in May, although the date is still under discussion. NATO has proposed holding that meeting on May 25, a NATO diplomat said.

Several diplomats said they were unhappy that Tillerson had not offered to hold a NATO meeting in Washington later this week, given that most alliance foreign ministers and Stoltenberg will be there for a meeting of an international coalition against the Islamic State militant group.

A State Department spokeswoman said on Monday night that all NATO members except Croatia would be at those talks. On Tuesday, Toner said Croatia would in fact attend, saying the department had made &quot;a late night gaffe&quot; and adding, &quot;in no way do we want to diminish Croatia`s valuable role within the alliance.&quot;

(Reuters)

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson proposed new dates on Tuesday for a NATO meeting, the State Department said, after he initially decided to skip the talks and rebuffed the alliance`s efforts to reschedule them. Tillerson's decision to miss his first meeting with NATO foreign ministers, set for April 5-6 in Brussels, unsettled European allies who worried it reopened questions about US President Donald Trump's commitment to the alliance. Reuters exclusively reported on Monday that Tillerson would stay in the United States to attend Trump's expected April 6-7 talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Florida. US officials also said Tillerson would visit Russia later in April. The alliance had offered to change the meeting dates so Tillerson could attend both it and the Xi talks but the US State Department rebuffed the idea, a former US official and a former NATO diplomat, both speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Monday. On Tuesday, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the department put forward new dates for a meeting when Tillerson could come, noting that such a decision would have to be made by consensus among the 28 NATO members. "We are certainly appreciative of the effort to accommodate Secretary Tillerson," Toner told reporters. "We have offered alternative dates that the secretary could attend." He also sought to allay European concerns by saying that "the United States remains 100 per cent committed to NATO." It was not yet clear if the NATO meeting would be rescheduled to accommodate Tillerson. During his election campaign and on the eve of taking office in January, Trump called the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation "obsolete," although he has since said he strongly supports the alliance. Unfortunate Symbolism "No matter how you spin it, this is unfortunate symbolism," said one senior European diplomat of Tillerson's plan to skip the April 5-6 NATO Brussels meeting, saying it undid the work of Trump's vice president and defence minister, who visited NATO headquarters in February to provide reassurances after Trump's criticism of the alliance. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was in Washington on Tuesday. Posing for photographs with Defence Secretary James Mattis, he declined to answer a reporter`s questions on what signal it sent that Tillerson did not plan to attend the meeting, according to a reporter who attended the session. Some allies, particularly in the former Soviet bloc, are acutely sensitive to any sign of waning US interest in their defence as they deal with a more assertive Russia. Concerns that Trump is too close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom the West has sought to isolate for annexing Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, made Tillerson's expected visit to Brussels all the more pressing, European allies said. Tillerson worked with Russia's government for years as a top executive at Exxon Mobil Corp, and has questioned sanctions against Moscow that he said could harm US businesses. "We needed to hear his vision for the alliance," said a diplomat due to attend the April ministerial meeting. NATO's quarterly meetings are closed-door sessions over about two days in which governments discuss security strategies and approve top secret documents designed to guide the nuclear-armed alliance in areas ranging from training in Afghanistan to defences against Iranian missiles. Given the US role as the de facto head of the alliance, it is rare for the country's top diplomat to miss a NATO meeting. The last time was during the Iraq war in 2003, when Colin Powell was forced to cancel at the last moment. Trump himself is expected in Brussels for a NATO summit in May, although the date is still under discussion. NATO has proposed holding that meeting on May 25, a NATO diplomat said. Several diplomats said they were unhappy that Tillerson had not offered to hold a NATO meeting in Washington later this week, given that most alliance foreign ministers and Stoltenberg will be there for a meeting of an international coalition against the Islamic State militant group. A State Department spokeswoman said on Monday night that all NATO members except Croatia would be at those talks. On Tuesday, Toner said Croatia would in fact attend, saying the department had made "a late night gaffe" and adding, "in no way do we want to diminish Croatia`s valuable role within the alliance." (Reuters)

US Secretary of State Tillerson proposes new dates for NATO meeting

President Donald Trump reiterated his strong support for NATO on Friday and pressed German Chancellor Angela Merkel to meet NATO&#39;s military spending target, in the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders.

The meeting between the leader of Europe&#39;s largest economy and the US president was billed as one that could help determine the future of the transatlantic alliance and shape their working relationship.

&quot;I reiterated to Chancellor Merkel my strong support for NATO as well as the need for our NATO allies to pay their fair share for the cost of defence,&quot; Trump said at a joint news conference with Merkel.

Merkel said she told Trump Germany needs to meet NATO spending goals. The two also discussed Ukraine and Afghanistan.

Trump said he expected the United States to do &quot;fantastically well&quot; in trade with Germany, while Merkel said she hoped the United States and the European Union could resume discussions on a trade agreement. Trump said he did not believe in isolationism but that trade policy should be fairer.

&quot;We held a conversation where we were trying to address also those areas where we disagree, but we tried to bring people together ... (and) tried to find a compromise that is good for both sides,&quot; Merkel said.

Trump said he &quot;very seldom&quot; regrets anything he tweets, brushing off questions about his claims without evidence that his predecessor, Democrat Barack Obama, wiretapped him during last year`s presidential campaign.

Trump said, &quot;At least we have something in common,&quot; apparently referring to reports during Obama`s presidency that the United States bugged her phone. Congressional leaders from both political parties say they do not believe Trump was wiretapped.

Earlier, the new US president greeted the long-serving stateswoman at the White House with a handshake before they began talks in the Oval Office. Both leaders described their meeting in brief remarks to reporters as having been very good.&nbsp; 
The meeting is consequential for both sides.&nbsp;

As a presidential candidate, Trump criticized Merkel for allowing hundreds of thousands of refugees into Germany. At the news conference, Merkel hinted at differences, saying: &quot;This is obviously something we had an exchange of views about.&quot;

Relationship building is a less overt but important agenda item. Merkel had close relations with Trump&#39;s Democratic and Republican predecessors, Barack Obama and George W. Bush, and she is likely to seek a strong working relationship with Trump despite major policy differences and wariness in Germany about the former New York businessman.

&quot;Those who know the chancellor know that she has a knack for winning over people in personal discussions. I am sure that Donald Trump will not be immune,&quot; said Juergen Hardt, a conservative lawmaker who helps coordinate transatlantic relations for the German government.

(Reuters)

The meeting between Trump and Merkel is seen as important in determining the future of the transatlantic alliance

President Donald Trump reiterated his strong support for NATO on Friday and pressed German Chancellor Angela Merkel to meet NATO's military spending target, in the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders. The meeting between the leader of Europe's largest economy and the US president was billed as one that could help determine the future of the transatlantic alliance and shape their working relationship. "I reiterated to Chancellor Merkel my strong support for NATO as well as the need for our NATO allies to pay their fair share for the cost of defence," Trump said at a joint news conference with Merkel. Merkel said she told Trump Germany needs to meet NATO spending goals. The two also discussed Ukraine and Afghanistan. Trump said he expected the United States to do "fantastically well" in trade with Germany, while Merkel said she hoped the United States and the European Union could resume discussions on a trade agreement. Trump said he did not believe in isolationism but that trade policy should be fairer. "We held a conversation where we were trying to address also those areas where we disagree, but we tried to bring people together ... (and) tried to find a compromise that is good for both sides," Merkel said. Trump said he "very seldom" regrets anything he tweets, brushing off questions about his claims without evidence that his predecessor, Democrat Barack Obama, wiretapped him during last year`s presidential campaign. Trump said, "At least we have something in common," apparently referring to reports during Obama`s presidency that the United States bugged her phone. Congressional leaders from both political parties say they do not believe Trump was wiretapped. Earlier, the new US president greeted the long-serving stateswoman at the White House with a handshake before they began talks in the Oval Office. Both leaders described their meeting in brief remarks to reporters as having been very good. The meeting is consequential for both sides. As a presidential candidate, Trump criticized Merkel for allowing hundreds of thousands of refugees into Germany. At the news conference, Merkel hinted at differences, saying: "This is obviously something we had an exchange of views about." Relationship building is a less overt but important agenda item. Merkel had close relations with Trump's Democratic and Republican predecessors, Barack Obama and George W. Bush, and she is likely to seek a strong working relationship with Trump despite major policy differences and wariness in Germany about the former New York businessman. "Those who know the chancellor know that she has a knack for winning over people in personal discussions. I am sure that Donald Trump will not be immune," said Juergen Hardt, a conservative lawmaker who helps coordinate transatlantic relations for the German government. (Reuters)

US President Trump demands NATO dues in first meeting with Germany's Merkel

US vice president Mike Pence told nervous Europeans on Monday that Donald Trump will remain committed to transatlantic ties, but warned NATO allies they must boost their defence spending in return.

Capping a European trip aimed at allaying fears about the new administration&#39;s support, Pence said Washington&#39;s backing for the EU remained &quot;steadfast and enduring&quot;.

&quot;Today it is my privilege on behalf of President Trump to express the strong commitment of the United States to continued cooperation and partnership with the European Union,&quot; Pence said after talks with EU president Donald Tusk in Brussels.

European allies have been unnerved by Trump&#39;s criticism of the EU as a vehicle for Germany, his praise of Britains decision to leave the bloc and his dismissal of NATO as &quot;obsolete&quot; even as he praises Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But Pence pledged the United States would keep working with Europe to boost the world&#39;s two biggest economies, fight terrorism and defend eastern EU states against Russian encroachment.

Tusk, a former Polish premier, said that Europeans &quot;truly needed&quot; the meeting with Pence and that the 28-nation bloc counted on &quot;wholehearted and unequivocal&quot; US support.

&quot;Too much has happened over the past month in your country and in the EU... for us to pretend that everything is as it used to be,&quot; Tusk said.

Pence also met European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker, a former Luxembourg premier, who stressed that the United States &quot;needs a strong united Europe.&quot;.Scores of protesters gathered in the EU quarter of the Belgian capital during Pence&#39;s visit, criticising the Trump administration&#39;s attitude towards women, gay people and climate change.

Two female protesters went topless and carried banners saying &quot;Pence get out of our pants,&quot; while another placard read &quot;Love Trumps Hate&quot;.

At NATO headquarters, Pence said Trump expects NATO allies to make &quot;real progress by the end of 2017&quot; towards meeting a goal they set in 2014 of raising defence spending to two percent of GDP over a decade.

&quot;If you don&#39;t yet have a plan -- these are my words, not his (Trump&#39;s) -- get one. It is time for actions, not words,&quot; Pence told a press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

So far, of the 28 NATO members, only the United States, Britain, Poland, Greece and Estonia have met the two percent target.

&quot;America will do our part but Europe&#39;s defence requires Europe&#39;s commitment as much as ours,&quot; Pence said Monday.

US Defence Secretary James Mattis delivered a similar message at a NATO defence ministers meeting last week, saying Washington could &quot;moderate&quot; its commitment if allies fail to pay up.

Pence, Mattis and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have stuck close to established policy during their first foray into Europe despite Trump&#39;s previous pronouncements.

But they have also been left to cope with their president&#39;s unpredictable remarks, and by a growing scandal over the new White House&#39;s links to Russia.

The vice president admitted on Monday he was &quot;disappointed&quot; that former US national security adviser Michael Flynn had given him &quot;inaccurate&quot; information about his contacts with Russia over US sanctions before he resigned last week.

However he said he fully backed Trump&#39;s decision to accept Flynn&#39;s resignation.

Pence also defended Trump&#39;s criticisms of the media, whom the president has called &quot;the enemy of the American people&quot;.

&quot;Rest assured, both the president and I strongly support a free and independent press,&quot; he said.

&quot;But you can anticipate that the president and all of us will continue to call out the media when they play fast and loose with the facts.&quot;Pence&#39;s visit came two days after Trump referred, during a rally in Florida, to a non-existent Swedish terror incident and urged people to &quot;look at what&#39;s happening in Brussels&quot; as he listed a series of European cities struck by deadly terror attacks.

Pence said the United States would remain &quot;full partners&quot; with the EU in fighting terrorism, a Trump priority.

He also pledged it would defend Europe&#39;s &quot;territorial integrity&quot; and said the Trump administration will &quot;continue to hold Russia accountable&quot; for the violence in eastern Ukraine and demand that Moscow honour the Minsk agreements for a ceasefire due to begin Monday.

Trump is expected to attend a NATO summit in Brussels at the end of May and he has also been invited to meet EU leaders.

An EU source told AFP that Pence&#39;s meeting with Tusk was &quot;very positive&quot;.

&quot;Will it allay all Europeans fears about Trump? No but it was the best we could have hoped for,&quot; the source added.

(AFP)

&nbsp;

Pence said Washington's backing for the EU remained 'steadfast and enduring'

US vice president Mike Pence told nervous Europeans on Monday that Donald Trump will remain committed to transatlantic ties, but warned NATO allies they must boost their defence spending in return. Capping a European trip aimed at allaying fears about the new administration's support, Pence said Washington's backing for the EU remained "steadfast and enduring". "Today it is my privilege on behalf of President Trump to express the strong commitment of the United States to continued cooperation and partnership with the European Union," Pence said after talks with EU president Donald Tusk in Brussels. European allies have been unnerved by Trump's criticism of the EU as a vehicle for Germany, his praise of Britains decision to leave the bloc and his dismissal of NATO as "obsolete" even as he praises Russian President Vladimir Putin. But Pence pledged the United States would keep working with Europe to boost the world's two biggest economies, fight terrorism and defend eastern EU states against Russian encroachment. Tusk, a former Polish premier, said that Europeans "truly needed" the meeting with Pence and that the 28-nation bloc counted on "wholehearted and unequivocal" US support. "Too much has happened over the past month in your country and in the EU... for us to pretend that everything is as it used to be," Tusk said. Pence also met European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker, a former Luxembourg premier, who stressed that the United States "needs a strong united Europe.".Scores of protesters gathered in the EU quarter of the Belgian capital during Pence's visit, criticising the Trump administration's attitude towards women, gay people and climate change. Two female protesters went topless and carried banners saying "Pence get out of our pants," while another placard read "Love Trumps Hate". At NATO headquarters, Pence said Trump expects NATO allies to make "real progress by the end of 2017" towards meeting a goal they set in 2014 of raising defence spending to two percent of GDP over a decade. "If you don't yet have a plan -- these are my words, not his (Trump's) -- get one. It is time for actions, not words," Pence told a press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. So far, of the 28 NATO members, only the United States, Britain, Poland, Greece and Estonia have met the two percent target. "America will do our part but Europe's defence requires Europe's commitment as much as ours," Pence said Monday. US Defence Secretary James Mattis delivered a similar message at a NATO defence ministers meeting last week, saying Washington could "moderate" its commitment if allies fail to pay up. Pence, Mattis and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have stuck close to established policy during their first foray into Europe despite Trump's previous pronouncements. But they have also been left to cope with their president's unpredictable remarks, and by a growing scandal over the new White House's links to Russia. The vice president admitted on Monday he was "disappointed" that former US national security adviser Michael Flynn had given him "inaccurate" information about his contacts with Russia over US sanctions before he resigned last week. However he said he fully backed Trump's decision to accept Flynn's resignation. Pence also defended Trump's criticisms of the media, whom the president has called "the enemy of the American people". "Rest assured, both the president and I strongly support a free and independent press," he said. "But you can anticipate that the president and all of us will continue to call out the media when they play fast and loose with the facts."Pence's visit came two days after Trump referred, during a rally in Florida, to a non-existent Swedish terror incident and urged people to "look at what's happening in Brussels" as he listed a series of European cities struck by deadly terror attacks. Pence said the United States would remain "full partners" with the EU in fighting terrorism, a Trump priority. He also pledged it would defend Europe's "territorial integrity" and said the Trump administration will "continue to hold Russia accountable" for the violence in eastern Ukraine and demand that Moscow honour the Minsk agreements for a ceasefire due to begin Monday. Trump is expected to attend a NATO summit in Brussels at the end of May and he has also been invited to meet EU leaders. An EU source told AFP that Pence's meeting with Tusk was "very positive". "Will it allay all Europeans fears about Trump? No but it was the best we could have hoped for," the source added. (AFP)

Mike Pence reassures Europe, demands NATO pay up

US President Donald Trump&#39;s defence secretary warned NATO allies on Wednesday that they must honour military spending pledges to ensure the United States does not &quot;moderate&quot; support for the alliance.

Jim Mattis, on his debut trip to Brussels as Pentagon chief, also accused some NATO members of ignoring threats, including from Russia. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;America cannot care more for your children&#39;s future security than you do,&quot; Mattis said in a closed-door session with NATO defence ministers, according to prepared remarks provided to reporters.

The comments represented some of the strongest criticism in memory of allies who have failed to reach defence spending goals.&nbsp;

Europe&#39;s low expenditure has long been a sore point for the United States, which puts up 70 percent of alliance funds. But Trump has made change a priority, saying allies have &quot;been very unfair to us&quot; for not spending more.

Trump was sharply critical of NATO during his election campaign, making European allies nervous by calling the alliance obsolete and praising Russian President Vladimir Putin.&nbsp;

Since taking office on January 20, Trump has voiced strong support for NATO, comments echoed by Mattis at NATO&#39;s Brussels headquarters. Mattis called NATO &quot;the most successful and powerful military alliance in modern history&quot; and made a point of shaking hands with each of his European counterparts at the start of the meeting.&nbsp;

Mattis, however, suggested US support should not be seen as a given.

&quot;I owe it to you to give you clarity on the political reality in the United States, and to state the fair demand from my country&#39;s people in concrete terms,&quot; Mattis said.

&quot;America will meet its responsibilities, but if your nations do not want to see America moderate its commitment to this alliance, each of your capitals needs to show support for our common defence.&quot;

Mattis stopped short of issuing an explicit ultimatum or say how the United States might moderate its support. The United States for years has called for European allies to spend 2 percent of economic output on defence, he said.&nbsp;

But he added that NATO allies must show progress in 2017 and adopt a plan, with target dates, toward defence spending goals.&nbsp;

Italy and Spain, two of Europe&#39;s larger economies, spend barely 1 per cent a year on defence as they seek to curtail budget deficits following the 2008/2009 global financial crisis.&nbsp;

Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark, three other wealthy European nations that are among the smallest spenders on defence, still need to convince centre-left political parties that do not support higher defence spending, preferring to prioritise welfare and education.

But the Baltic states of Latvia and Lithuania, who fear a repeat of Russia&#39;s 2014 annexation of Ukraine&#39;s Crimean peninsula, are on course to meet the 2 per cent goal, while Romania is also heading towards that level.

(Reuters)

The comments represented some of the strongest criticism in memory of allies who have failed to reach defence spending goals

US President Donald Trump's defence secretary warned NATO allies on Wednesday that they must honour military spending pledges to ensure the United States does not "moderate" support for the alliance. Jim Mattis, on his debut trip to Brussels as Pentagon chief, also accused some NATO members of ignoring threats, including from Russia. "America cannot care more for your children's future security than you do," Mattis said in a closed-door session with NATO defence ministers, according to prepared remarks provided to reporters. The comments represented some of the strongest criticism in memory of allies who have failed to reach defence spending goals. Europe's low expenditure has long been a sore point for the United States, which puts up 70 percent of alliance funds. But Trump has made change a priority, saying allies have "been very unfair to us" for not spending more. Trump was sharply critical of NATO during his election campaign, making European allies nervous by calling the alliance obsolete and praising Russian President Vladimir Putin. Since taking office on January 20, Trump has voiced strong support for NATO, comments echoed by Mattis at NATO's Brussels headquarters. Mattis called NATO "the most successful and powerful military alliance in modern history" and made a point of shaking hands with each of his European counterparts at the start of the meeting. Mattis, however, suggested US support should not be seen as a given. "I owe it to you to give you clarity on the political reality in the United States, and to state the fair demand from my country's people in concrete terms," Mattis said. "America will meet its responsibilities, but if your nations do not want to see America moderate its commitment to this alliance, each of your capitals needs to show support for our common defence." Mattis stopped short of issuing an explicit ultimatum or say how the United States might moderate its support. The United States for years has called for European allies to spend 2 percent of economic output on defence, he said. But he added that NATO allies must show progress in 2017 and adopt a plan, with target dates, toward defence spending goals. Italy and Spain, two of Europe's larger economies, spend barely 1 per cent a year on defence as they seek to curtail budget deficits following the 2008/2009 global financial crisis. Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark, three other wealthy European nations that are among the smallest spenders on defence, still need to convince centre-left political parties that do not support higher defence spending, preferring to prioritise welfare and education. But the Baltic states of Latvia and Lithuania, who fear a repeat of Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, are on course to meet the 2 per cent goal, while Romania is also heading towards that level. (Reuters)

US defence secretary Mattis warns NATO allies to honour spending pledges

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the deadly blast in Afghanistan that killed eight people and wounded 20 others on Saturday, <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2017/02/11/asia/afghanistan-car-bomb/index.html">CNN reported</a>.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi sent a text message to journalists, stating&nbsp;the group was behind the early-morning attack in Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand province, CNN further added. 
 
A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-packed car next to an Afghan army vehicle&nbsp;in the capital city of on Saturday.

The bomberas soldiers had arrived at a bank in Lashkar Gah to collect their pay, the Helmand governor&#39;s spokesman, Omar Zwak, told Reuters.

The Taliban have seized large areas of Helmand and have often threatened Lashkar Gah.

Hundreds of international troops are stationed in Helmand as part of the NATO-led effort to train and support Afghan security forces, which have struggled to contain a growing insurgency.

At least one American special forces soldier was wounded in fighting there this week.

To the north of Lashkar Gah, a local official said that an American military airstrike killed a number of civilians in a recent bombing in Sangin district.

The allegation has not been independently verified.

US military spokesman Captain Bill Salvin said that US jets had conducted strikes in Sangin in the past few weeks.

While US forces had &quot;no evidence that civilians were killed in these strikes&quot;, Salvin said the command would investigate the claims. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the blast in a text message to journalists, CNN reported

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the deadly blast in Afghanistan that killed eight people and wounded 20 others on Saturday, CNN reported. Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi sent a text message to journalists, stating the group was behind the early-morning attack in Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand province, CNN further added. A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-packed car next to an Afghan army vehicle in the capital city of on Saturday. The bomberas soldiers had arrived at a bank in Lashkar Gah to collect their pay, the Helmand governor's spokesman, Omar Zwak, told Reuters. The Taliban have seized large areas of Helmand and have often threatened Lashkar Gah. Hundreds of international troops are stationed in Helmand as part of the NATO-led effort to train and support Afghan security forces, which have struggled to contain a growing insurgency. At least one American special forces soldier was wounded in fighting there this week. To the north of Lashkar Gah, a local official said that an American military airstrike killed a number of civilians in a recent bombing in Sangin district. The allegation has not been independently verified. US military spokesman Captain Bill Salvin said that US jets had conducted strikes in Sangin in the past few weeks. While US forces had "no evidence that civilians were killed in these strikes", Salvin said the command would investigate the claims. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Blast kills 7 in Afghanistan's Helmand province, Taliban claim responsibility

Some 300 US&nbsp;Marines landed in Norway on Monday for a six-month deployment, the first time since World War Two that foreign troops have been allowed to be stationed there, in a deployment which has irked Norway&#39;s Arctic neighbor Russia.

Officials played down any link between the operation and NATO concerns over Russia, but the deployment coincides with the US&nbsp;sending several thousand troops to Poland to beef up its Eastern European allies worried about Moscow&#39;s assertiveness.

Marines from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina landed a little after 10 am CET (0900 GMT) at a snow-covered Vaernes airport near Trondheim, Norway&#39;s third-largest city, where temperatures were reaching -2 degrees Celsius (28 degrees Fahrenheit).

US&nbsp;troops are to stay in Norway for a year, with the current batch of Marines being replaced after their six-month tour is complete.

A spokesman for the Norwegian Home Guards, who will host the Marines at the Vaernes military base, about 1,500 km (900 miles) from the Russian border, said the US&nbsp;troops will learn about winter warfare.

&quot;For the first four weeks they will have basic winter training, learn how to cope with skis and to survive in the Arctic environment,&quot; said Rune Haarstad, a Home Guard spokesman. &quot;It has nothing to do with Russia or the current situation.&quot;

In March the Marines will take part in the Joint Viking exercises, which will also include British troops, he added.

The Russian Embassy in Oslo did not immediately reply to a request for comment by Reuters on Monday. It questioned the need for such a move when it was announced in October.

&quot;Taking into account multiple statements of Norwegian officials about the absence of threat from Russia to Norway we would like to understand for what purposes is Norway so ... willing to increase its military potential, in particular through stationing of American forces in Vaernes?&quot; it told Reuters at the time.

A spokeswoman for Norwegian Ministry of Defence also said the arrival of US&nbsp;Marines had nothing to do with concerns about Russia.

However, in a 2014 interview with Reuters, Norway&#39;s Defence Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide said Russia&#39;s annexation of Crimea showed that it had the ability and will to use military means to achieve political goals.

&nbsp;

(Reuters)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The deployment coincides with the US?sending several thousand troops to Poland to beef up its Eastern European allies

Some 300 US Marines landed in Norway on Monday for a six-month deployment, the first time since World War Two that foreign troops have been allowed to be stationed there, in a deployment which has irked Norway's Arctic neighbor Russia. Officials played down any link between the operation and NATO concerns over Russia, but the deployment coincides with the US sending several thousand troops to Poland to beef up its Eastern European allies worried about Moscow's assertiveness. Marines from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina landed a little after 10 am CET (0900 GMT) at a snow-covered Vaernes airport near Trondheim, Norway's third-largest city, where temperatures were reaching -2 degrees Celsius (28 degrees Fahrenheit). US troops are to stay in Norway for a year, with the current batch of Marines being replaced after their six-month tour is complete. A spokesman for the Norwegian Home Guards, who will host the Marines at the Vaernes military base, about 1,500 km (900 miles) from the Russian border, said the US troops will learn about winter warfare. "For the first four weeks they will have basic winter training, learn how to cope with skis and to survive in the Arctic environment," said Rune Haarstad, a Home Guard spokesman. "It has nothing to do with Russia or the current situation." In March the Marines will take part in the Joint Viking exercises, which will also include British troops, he added. The Russian Embassy in Oslo did not immediately reply to a request for comment by Reuters on Monday. It questioned the need for such a move when it was announced in October. "Taking into account multiple statements of Norwegian officials about the absence of threat from Russia to Norway we would like to understand for what purposes is Norway so ... willing to increase its military potential, in particular through stationing of American forces in Vaernes?" it told Reuters at the time. A spokeswoman for Norwegian Ministry of Defence also said the arrival of US Marines had nothing to do with concerns about Russia. However, in a 2014 interview with Reuters, Norway's Defence Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide said Russia's annexation of Crimea showed that it had the ability and will to use military means to achieve political goals. (Reuters)

Hundreds of US Marines land in Norway, irking Russia

French President Francois Hollande replied bluntly on Monday to Donald Trump&#39;s criticism of the European Union, saying the EU &quot;has no need for outside advice&quot; on its affairs.

&quot;I say it here, Europe will always be willing to pursue transatlantic cooperation, but it will determine its path on the basis of its own interests and values,&quot; Hollande said at a ceremony in Paris for outgoing US ambassador Jane Hartley.

&quot;It has no need for outside advice to tell it what it has to do.&quot;

In a hard-hitting interview published on Sunday by The Times of London and Germany&#39;s Bild, the US president-elect praised Britain&#39;s vote to leave the EU and said Europe had been weakened by its policy on migrants.

He criticised as &quot;catastrophic&quot; Germany&#39;s decision to open its borders to Syrian refugees, hailed Brexit as &quot;a great thing&quot; and predicted other countries would follow Britain in leaving the EU.

&quot;(...) If refugees keep pouring into different parts of Europe... I think it&#39;s gonna be very hard to keep it together because people are angry about it,&quot; said Trump.

Trump also said NATO was &quot;obsolete, because it was designed many, many years ago... (and isn&#39;t) taking care of terror.&quot;

He also noted that only a small number of its 28 members met a commitment on levels of military spending.

Taking aim at Trump but without naming him, Hollande said relations between Europe and the United States &quot;have always been founded on in the same principles and values.

&quot;These values are called respect, mutual support at times of danger, but also commitment to democracy, the defence of freedoms, equality between men and women, the dignity of being a human being.&quot;

And, he added, the principle of offering asylum to those fleeing persecution was a core value shared in Europe and America too.

&#39;Obsolete&#39;

NATO &quot;will only become obsolete when threats become obsolete too,&quot; Hollande added tartly.

&quot;We are committed to our alliances, but we are also able to be self-sufficient strategically. This is what France has always defended, in the name of its independence, in total complementarity with NATO.&quot;

Separately, former French prime minister Manuel Valls said Trump&#39;s remarks amounted to a &quot;declaration of war on Europe,&quot; which the incoming US president &quot;quite simply suggests should break up.&quot;

&quot;Many people thought that Donald Trump, after his election, would calm down. But they forget that a populist may want to implement his programme,&quot; Valls told BFMTV news channel.

&quot;The only response to Donald Trump is European unity,&quot; said Valls.&nbsp;

&quot;Europe is far too divided but there is a joint awareness... we need a very strong response from Europe, France and Germany.&quot;

Valls, 54, quit Hollande&#39;s government last month to stand as a candidate in the Socialist Party&#39;s primary ahead presidential elections due in April.

He is struggling to garner support among grassroots Socialist voters over rightward shifts in policy he took during his two years and eight months in office.

(AFP)

Europe has been weakened by its policy on migrants, Trump had said, praising Britain's decision to leave the EU

French President Francois Hollande replied bluntly on Monday to Donald Trump's criticism of the European Union, saying the EU "has no need for outside advice" on its affairs. "I say it here, Europe will always be willing to pursue transatlantic cooperation, but it will determine its path on the basis of its own interests and values," Hollande said at a ceremony in Paris for outgoing US ambassador Jane Hartley. "It has no need for outside advice to tell it what it has to do." In a hard-hitting interview published on Sunday by The Times of London and Germany's Bild, the US president-elect praised Britain's vote to leave the EU and said Europe had been weakened by its policy on migrants. He criticised as "catastrophic" Germany's decision to open its borders to Syrian refugees, hailed Brexit as "a great thing" and predicted other countries would follow Britain in leaving the EU. "(...) If refugees keep pouring into different parts of Europe... I think it's gonna be very hard to keep it together because people are angry about it," said Trump. Trump also said NATO was "obsolete, because it was designed many, many years ago... (and isn't) taking care of terror." He also noted that only a small number of its 28 members met a commitment on levels of military spending. Taking aim at Trump but without naming him, Hollande said relations between Europe and the United States "have always been founded on in the same principles and values. "These values are called respect, mutual support at times of danger, but also commitment to democracy, the defence of freedoms, equality between men and women, the dignity of being a human being." And, he added, the principle of offering asylum to those fleeing persecution was a core value shared in Europe and America too. 'Obsolete' NATO "will only become obsolete when threats become obsolete too," Hollande added tartly. "We are committed to our alliances, but we are also able to be self-sufficient strategically. This is what France has always defended, in the name of its independence, in total complementarity with NATO." Separately, former French prime minister Manuel Valls said Trump's remarks amounted to a "declaration of war on Europe," which the incoming US president "quite simply suggests should break up." "Many people thought that Donald Trump, after his election, would calm down. But they forget that a populist may want to implement his programme," Valls told BFMTV news channel. "The only response to Donald Trump is European unity," said Valls. "Europe is far too divided but there is a joint awareness... we need a very strong response from Europe, France and Germany." Valls, 54, quit Hollande's government last month to stand as a candidate in the Socialist Party's primary ahead presidential elections due in April. He is struggling to garner support among grassroots Socialist voters over rightward shifts in policy he took during his two years and eight months in office. (AFP)

EU 'has no need for outside advice,' France's Hollande responds to Trump's criticism

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson dismissed suggestions on Saturday that Britain&#39;s exit from the European Union and the election of Donald Trump as US&nbsp;president would lead to Western powers withdrawing from engagement with the rest of the world.

Speaking during an overnight visit to Kabul that included meetings with President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, Johnson said Britain remained committed to Afghanistan &quot;for the long haul&quot;.

As well as continued support for the NATO-led Resolute Support mission to train Afghan security forces, it was doing &quot;a hell of a lot&quot; for aid and development in Afghanistan, in areas like education, he said.

&quot;None of those will be affected by our relations with the treaties of the European Union, as you would expect,&quot; he said.

Britain&#39;s June 23 vote for &#39;Brexit&#39; and Trump&#39;s backing for an &quot;America First&quot; foreign policy have triggered alarm among some commentators who see signs of increasing isolationism among Western powers. However Johnson, one of the leaders of the pro-Brexit camp, rejected such fears.

&quot;If the question is do I think that the western world is going to start withdrawing or turning in on itself, then the answer is emphatically no, I don&#39;t think so,&quot; Johnson told reporters. &quot;That certainly won&#39;t be the situation with the United Kingdom.&quot;

&quot;We intend to be more engaged with the world, more outward-looking than ever before,&quot; he said.

&quot;I think we&#39;ll have to see how things pan out in Washington but I think that the interest of the United States in the security and stability of this part of the world will remain fundamental.&quot;

Johnson visited Kabul University, where he attended a performance of a scene from Shakespeare&#39;s tragedy Macbeth in Dari, as well as the British cemetery, with its memorial to more than 450 British soldiers killed in Afghanistan.

He said Britain could be proud of the sacrifices and achievements of its troops, despite the deteriorating situation in areas like Helmand, now in large part under Taliban control, where more British soldiers died than in any other province.

&quot;No one is sitting here and pretending that things are perfect but they are better by far than they were,&quot; he said.

&quot;There are many ways that in spite of all the difficulties and all the challenges, this place is better for the help that we have tried to give it over the years,&quot; he said.

(Reuters)

Johnson said Britain's exit from the European Union will have no impact on its commitment with Afghanistan

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson dismissed suggestions on Saturday that Britain's exit from the European Union and the election of Donald Trump as US president would lead to Western powers withdrawing from engagement with the rest of the world. Speaking during an overnight visit to Kabul that included meetings with President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, Johnson said Britain remained committed to Afghanistan "for the long haul". As well as continued support for the NATO-led Resolute Support mission to train Afghan security forces, it was doing "a hell of a lot" for aid and development in Afghanistan, in areas like education, he said. "None of those will be affected by our relations with the treaties of the European Union, as you would expect," he said. Britain's June 23 vote for 'Brexit' and Trump's backing for an "America First" foreign policy have triggered alarm among some commentators who see signs of increasing isolationism among Western powers. However Johnson, one of the leaders of the pro-Brexit camp, rejected such fears. "If the question is do I think that the western world is going to start withdrawing or turning in on itself, then the answer is emphatically no, I don't think so," Johnson told reporters. "That certainly won't be the situation with the United Kingdom." "We intend to be more engaged with the world, more outward-looking than ever before," he said. "I think we'll have to see how things pan out in Washington but I think that the interest of the United States in the security and stability of this part of the world will remain fundamental." Johnson visited Kabul University, where he attended a performance of a scene from Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth in Dari, as well as the British cemetery, with its memorial to more than 450 British soldiers killed in Afghanistan. He said Britain could be proud of the sacrifices and achievements of its troops, despite the deteriorating situation in areas like Helmand, now in large part under Taliban control, where more British soldiers died than in any other province. "No one is sitting here and pretending that things are perfect but they are better by far than they were," he said. "There are many ways that in spite of all the difficulties and all the challenges, this place is better for the help that we have tried to give it over the years," he said. (Reuters)

In Afghanistan, Britain's Johnson sees no sign of global retreat

Some Turkish military officers posted to NATO in Europe have requested asylum since the abortive coup in Turkey in July, alliance secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday.

Reuters exclusively reported in October that Turkish authorities had dismissed hundreds of senior military staff serving with NATO in Europe and the United States following July&#39;s coup attempt as part of a far-flung, post-coup security clampdown that has raised human rights concerns.

Stoltenberg stressed that Turkey remains a crucial NATO ally and that he condemned the July 15 putsch, but also that Ankara must respect the rule of law even it seeks to remove suspected coup plotters from its armed forces.

&quot;Some Turkish officers working in NATO command structures, some of them have requested asylum in the countries where they are working,&quot; Stoltenberg told a conference. &quot;As always, this is an issue that is going to be assessed and decided by the different NATO allies as a national issue.&quot;

At least two Turkish military officials, who were at NATO until they were fired by Ankara in September, are seeking asylum in Belgium, where the alliance has its headquarters. Others have made requests in Germany, where NATO has an air base.

A senior Turkish official said last month that Turkey had recalled some soldiers and diplomats after the coup attempt. Some of them declined to go home.

More than 400 military staff and diplomats have been summoned back to Ankara, according to documents seen by Reuters, but some are choosing not to return. They say their colleagues have been imprisoned without charge and have had almost no contact with lawyers or family members.

Colleagues of those recalled and arrested suspect they are accused of being part of the military faction that seized bridges and roads and attacked Turkey&#39;s parliament on July 15.

They deny any wrongdoing.

Letter of appeal

The issue is highly sensitive both for Turkey and for the West, which relies on Ankara in the war against Islamic State militants and in preventing migrants from heading en masse from its territory to the European continent.

At least one non-Turkish NATO ally has written to its ministry of defence to defend their purged Turkish colleagues, but have not received a reply. Others plan to do the same, but are reluctant to speak out for fear of alienating the Turkish authorities in Brussels and across the alliance.

Stoltenberg is to travel to Istanbul on Sunday for a meeting of lawmakers from across the alliance, joining Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and senior government ministers for the NATO Parliamentary Assembly&#39;s annual session.

Turkey has sacked or suspended over 110,000 people in the military, civil service, judiciary and elsewhere and jailed 36,000 people pending trial as part of inquiries into the coup bid. The scope of the purges has caused alarm among human rights groups and some Western allies of Ankara, who fear that Erdogan is using the putsch as a pretext to curtail dissent.

Stoltenberg said the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, which is designed to protect allies from attack, is based on what he called &quot;core values&quot; of democracy and the rule of law.

&quot;I expect all allies to live up to those values,&quot; he said. &quot;When I visited Turkey in September, the message from the Turkish leadership was that they would prosecute those responsible and Turkey has the right to prosecute (them).&quot;

But he said he had been reassured that &quot;this will also be done in accordance of the rule of law&quot;.

Turkish officials say the scale of the crackdown, which enjoys broad popular support at home, is justified by the gravity of events on July 15, when rogue soldiers commandeered tanks, fighter jets and helicopters, bombing parliament and government buildings in their attempt to seize power.

More than 240 people, many of them civilians, were killed.

(Reuters)

Turkish authorities had dismissed many senior NATO military staff in Europe and the United States following July's coup attmept

Some Turkish military officers posted to NATO in Europe have requested asylum since the abortive coup in Turkey in July, alliance secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday. Reuters exclusively reported in October that Turkish authorities had dismissed hundreds of senior military staff serving with NATO in Europe and the United States following July's coup attempt as part of a far-flung, post-coup security clampdown that has raised human rights concerns. Stoltenberg stressed that Turkey remains a crucial NATO ally and that he condemned the July 15 putsch, but also that Ankara must respect the rule of law even it seeks to remove suspected coup plotters from its armed forces. "Some Turkish officers working in NATO command structures, some of them have requested asylum in the countries where they are working," Stoltenberg told a conference. "As always, this is an issue that is going to be assessed and decided by the different NATO allies as a national issue." At least two Turkish military officials, who were at NATO until they were fired by Ankara in September, are seeking asylum in Belgium, where the alliance has its headquarters. Others have made requests in Germany, where NATO has an air base. A senior Turkish official said last month that Turkey had recalled some soldiers and diplomats after the coup attempt. Some of them declined to go home. More than 400 military staff and diplomats have been summoned back to Ankara, according to documents seen by Reuters, but some are choosing not to return. They say their colleagues have been imprisoned without charge and have had almost no contact with lawyers or family members. Colleagues of those recalled and arrested suspect they are accused of being part of the military faction that seized bridges and roads and attacked Turkey's parliament on July 15. They deny any wrongdoing. Letter of appeal The issue is highly sensitive both for Turkey and for the West, which relies on Ankara in the war against Islamic State militants and in preventing migrants from heading en masse from its territory to the European continent. At least one non-Turkish NATO ally has written to its ministry of defence to defend their purged Turkish colleagues, but have not received a reply. Others plan to do the same, but are reluctant to speak out for fear of alienating the Turkish authorities in Brussels and across the alliance. Stoltenberg is to travel to Istanbul on Sunday for a meeting of lawmakers from across the alliance, joining Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and senior government ministers for the NATO Parliamentary Assembly's annual session. Turkey has sacked or suspended over 110,000 people in the military, civil service, judiciary and elsewhere and jailed 36,000 people pending trial as part of inquiries into the coup bid. The scope of the purges has caused alarm among human rights groups and some Western allies of Ankara, who fear that Erdogan is using the putsch as a pretext to curtail dissent. Stoltenberg said the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, which is designed to protect allies from attack, is based on what he called "core values" of democracy and the rule of law. "I expect all allies to live up to those values," he said. "When I visited Turkey in September, the message from the Turkish leadership was that they would prosecute those responsible and Turkey has the right to prosecute (them)." But he said he had been reassured that "this will also be done in accordance of the rule of law". Turkish officials say the scale of the crackdown, which enjoys broad popular support at home, is justified by the gravity of events on July 15, when rogue soldiers commandeered tanks, fighter jets and helicopters, bombing parliament and government buildings in their attempt to seize power. More than 240 people, many of them civilians, were killed. (Reuters)

Some Turkish military officers at NATO seeking asylum: Alliance chief

US President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on&nbsp;phone over normalising relations,economic issues and challenges that both countries face on Monday.&nbsp;

A statement issued by Trump camp stated both agreed on &quot;the extremely unsatisfactory state of Russian-US relations at present&quot; and &quot;declared the need for active joint work to normalise them.&quot;

The Kremlin issued a statement saying Putin was ready to &quot;create a dialogue of partnership with the new administration on the basis of equality, mutual respect and non-intervention in each other&#39;s domestic affairs.&quot;

Both &quot;agreed on the need to unite efforts in the struggle with the enemy number one: international terrorism and extremism,&quot; in reference to solving the Syrian crisis.&nbsp;

&quot;The importance of creating a solid basis for bilateral ties was underscored, in particularly by developing the trade-economic component,&quot; Reuters quoted Kremlin&#39;s statement.&nbsp;

Obama assures NATO

Before setting out for his farewell visit to Europe, US President Barack Obama reassured Europe that Trump will maintain US&nbsp;&quot;commitment to NATO&quot; and that &quot;there is no weakening of resolve&quot; when it comes to ties with NATO.

During the presidential campaign, Trump had said if any NATO country was attacked, under his presidency the&nbsp;US would not defend until the ally does not increase its contribution to NATO.&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s unexpected victory has left NATO countries worried, with future ties uncertain.&nbsp;

US defense secretary Ashton Carter told NATO leaders to talk to Donald Trump saying &quot;We&#39;re much better at protecting ourselves if we can find a way to work together.&quot;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

 
&nbsp;

Putin and Trump agreed on the 'unsatisfactory state of Russian-US relations at present,' and 'need for active joint work to normalise them'

US President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on phone over normalising relations,economic issues and challenges that both countries face on Monday. A statement issued by Trump camp stated both agreed on "the extremely unsatisfactory state of Russian-US relations at present" and "declared the need for active joint work to normalise them." The Kremlin issued a statement saying Putin was ready to "create a dialogue of partnership with the new administration on the basis of equality, mutual respect and non-intervention in each other's domestic affairs." Both "agreed on the need to unite efforts in the struggle with the enemy number one: international terrorism and extremism," in reference to solving the Syrian crisis. "The importance of creating a solid basis for bilateral ties was underscored, in particularly by developing the trade-economic component," Reuters quoted Kremlin's statement. Obama assures NATO Before setting out for his farewell visit to Europe, US President Barack Obama reassured Europe that Trump will maintain US "commitment to NATO" and that "there is no weakening of resolve" when it comes to ties with NATO. During the presidential campaign, Trump had said if any NATO country was attacked, under his presidency the US would not defend until the ally does not increase its contribution to NATO. Trump's unexpected victory has left NATO countries worried, with future ties uncertain. US defense secretary Ashton Carter told NATO leaders to talk to Donald Trump saying "We're much better at protecting ourselves if we can find a way to work together." (WION with inputs from agencies)

Trump, Putin speak on phone, aim to 'normalise' relations

Four Americans have been killed and 14 wounded in an explosion at a US military base in &nbsp;Afghanistan on Saturday.

Two servicemembers and two contractors were killed at Bagram Airfield by &quot;an apparent suicide bomber,&quot; Carter said in a statement, news agency AFP reported. Carter added that&nbsp;16 other US servicemembers and a Polish soldier participating in US-led NATO military operations was&nbsp;also wounded.

&quot;An explosive device was detonated on Bagram Airfield resulting in multiple casualties. Response teams at Bagram continue to treat the wounded and investigate the incident,&quot; the military coalition said in a statement, AFP reported.

Earlier, Abdul Shokor Qodosi, the district governor of Bagram, had told Reuters that at least three people were killed and 13 injured in the blast.

He also said the blast occurred near a dining facility at the Bagram Airfield, located north of Kabul.

The Taliban&#39;s spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed responsibility for the attack in a message on his Twitter account.

&quot;We can confirm that there was an explosion at Bagram Airfield this morning just after 5:30 am (0100 GMT). There have been casualties,&quot; NATO said in a brief statement.

&quot;Our Force Protection and medical teams are responding to the situation,&quot; the statement added.

Carter&nbsp;expressed his &quot;sincere condolences&quot; to the families of the fallen and promised to &quot;investigate this tragedy to determine any steps we can take to improve it&quot;.

As for the attackers, &quot;my message is simple. We will not be deterred in our mission to protect our homeland and help Afghanistan secure its own future,&quot; he added.

The nationalities of the casualties have not been confirmed yet.

Bagram Airfield is the largest US military base in Afghanistan.

Last December, a motorcycle-riding Taliban suicide bomber killed six US soldiers near Afghanistan&#39;s largest US military base.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

The explosion wounded 16 other US service members and a Polish soldier participating in US-led NATO military operations

Four Americans have been killed and 14 wounded in an explosion at a US military base in Afghanistan on Saturday. Two servicemembers and two contractors were killed at Bagram Airfield by "an apparent suicide bomber," Carter said in a statement, news agency AFP reported. Carter added that 16 other US servicemembers and a Polish soldier participating in US-led NATO military operations was also wounded. "An explosive device was detonated on Bagram Airfield resulting in multiple casualties. Response teams at Bagram continue to treat the wounded and investigate the incident," the military coalition said in a statement, AFP reported. Earlier, Abdul Shokor Qodosi, the district governor of Bagram, had told Reuters that at least three people were killed and 13 injured in the blast. He also said the blast occurred near a dining facility at the Bagram Airfield, located north of Kabul. The Taliban's spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed responsibility for the attack in a message on his Twitter account. "We can confirm that there was an explosion at Bagram Airfield this morning just after 5:30 am (0100 GMT). There have been casualties," NATO said in a brief statement. "Our Force Protection and medical teams are responding to the situation," the statement added. Carter expressed his "sincere condolences" to the families of the fallen and promised to "investigate this tragedy to determine any steps we can take to improve it". As for the attackers, "my message is simple. We will not be deterred in our mission to protect our homeland and help Afghanistan secure its own future," he added. The nationalities of the casualties have not been confirmed yet. Bagram Airfield is the largest US military base in Afghanistan. Last December, a motorcycle-riding Taliban suicide bomber killed six US soldiers near Afghanistan's largest US military base. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Afghanistan: Four Americans killed in blast at US base, Taliban claims responsibility

The Afghan conflict is now in its 16th year but finds little mention in the US presidential election campaign. Even a NATO airstrike in north western Kunduz province of Afghanistan which killed 30 civilians including women and children merited no mention. It underscored the point that the news from Afghanistan is uniformly negative.

Reports say that 33 of that country&#39;s 400 districts are under Taliban control.&nbsp;Hundreds of schools, homes and businesses have been destroyed in fighting with nearly 160,000 civilians displaced by the conflict in the first six months of this year.

The Afghan National Army is at 87 per cent of its authorised strength but desertions currently at 33 per cent are rising.

Worse still, the Taliban is now expanding into areas in the north where they never had a base from Kunduz to Takhar and Badakshan. The Taliban are spreading out, plundering mines for semi-precious stones that are sold to fund their movement.

Peace initiatives have floundered in the face of Pakistan&#39;s determination to be the sole arbiter in Kabul. A recent report of the Taliban secretly meeting representatives of the Afghan government saw Islamabad respond with a warning that the Taliban leadership and their families would be denied any further sanctuary in Pakistan if they tried to cut the latter out.

(WION)

It underscored the point that the news from Afghanistan is uniformly negative

The Afghan conflict is now in its 16th year but finds little mention in the US presidential election campaign. Even a NATO airstrike in north western Kunduz province of Afghanistan which killed 30 civilians including women and children merited no mention. It underscored the point that the news from Afghanistan is uniformly negative. Reports say that 33 of that country's 400 districts are under Taliban control. Hundreds of schools, homes and businesses have been destroyed in fighting with nearly 160,000 civilians displaced by the conflict in the first six months of this year. The Afghan National Army is at 87 per cent of its authorised strength but desertions currently at 33 per cent are rising. Worse still, the Taliban is now expanding into areas in the north where they never had a base from Kunduz to Takhar and Badakshan. The Taliban are spreading out, plundering mines for semi-precious stones that are sold to fund their movement. Peace initiatives have floundered in the face of Pakistan's determination to be the sole arbiter in Kabul. A recent report of the Taliban secretly meeting representatives of the Afghan government saw Islamabad respond with a warning that the Taliban leadership and their families would be denied any further sanctuary in Pakistan if they tried to cut the latter out. (WION)

US election campaign never included Afghan conflict

The Russian Foreign Ministry dismissed as absurd suggestions from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) that a Russian carrier battle group (CBG)&nbsp;in the Mediterranean would join the bombardment of Syria&#39;s Aleppo, the RIA Novosti&nbsp;reported on Thursday.

RIA cited the Rusian ministry as saying NATO had no reason to worry about the CBG&nbsp;and that the Russian air force had not flown any bombing runs in Aleppo for nine days.

NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg warned on Tuesday that the ships, headed for Syria, could be used to target civilians in the besieged city of Aleppo and to launch more air strikes.

Andrei Kelin, a senior Russian Foreign Ministry official, told RIA Stoltenberg&#39;s statement was unhelpful.

&quot;The concerns are not based on anything as our planes have not come near Aleppo for nine days. Our battle group is in the Mediterranean. Our ships have always had a presence there,&quot; said Kelin.

&quot;Why make some spurious suggestions and then make some political recommendations based on them? It is of course absurd.&quot;

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has questioned Russia&#39;s statements about a moratorium on bombing Aleppo, saying the city has been hit by strikes since a lull in fighting ended on Saturday.

&nbsp;

NATO&#39;s military response

NATO&#39;s secretary-general announced on Wednesday, October 26, that the alliance would strengthen its presence in the Black Sea, as several nations confirmed they would contribute to a Romanian-led multinational brigade there.

Britain said it would send fighter jets to Romania next year and the United States promised troops, tanks and artillery to Poland in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation&#39;s biggest military build-up on Russia&#39;s borders since the Cold War.

Germany, Canada and other NATO allies also pledged forces at a defence ministers&#39;&nbsp;meeting in Brussels on the same day as two Russian warships armed with cruise missiles entered the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Denmark, underscoring East-West tensions.

(Reuters)

Several NATO nations confirmed they would contribute to a Romanian-led multinational brigade near the Black Sea

The Russian Foreign Ministry dismissed as absurd suggestions from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) that a Russian carrier battle group (CBG) in the Mediterranean would join the bombardment of Syria's Aleppo, the RIA Novosti reported on Thursday. RIA cited the Rusian ministry as saying NATO had no reason to worry about the CBG and that the Russian air force had not flown any bombing runs in Aleppo for nine days. NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg warned on Tuesday that the ships, headed for Syria, could be used to target civilians in the besieged city of Aleppo and to launch more air strikes. Andrei Kelin, a senior Russian Foreign Ministry official, told RIA Stoltenberg's statement was unhelpful. "The concerns are not based on anything as our planes have not come near Aleppo for nine days. Our battle group is in the Mediterranean. Our ships have always had a presence there," said Kelin. "Why make some spurious suggestions and then make some political recommendations based on them? It is of course absurd." The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has questioned Russia's statements about a moratorium on bombing Aleppo, saying the city has been hit by strikes since a lull in fighting ended on Saturday. NATO's military response NATO's secretary-general announced on Wednesday, October 26, that the alliance would strengthen its presence in the Black Sea, as several nations confirmed they would contribute to a Romanian-led multinational brigade there. Britain said it would send fighter jets to Romania next year and the United States promised troops, tanks and artillery to Poland in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's biggest military build-up on Russia's borders since the Cold War. Germany, Canada and other NATO allies also pledged forces at a defence ministers' meeting in Brussels on the same day as two Russian warships armed with cruise missiles entered the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Denmark, underscoring East-West tensions. (Reuters)

Russia sends battle group to Mediterranean, NATO beefs up military deployment on Russian border

Germany today stressed its promise to protect its NATO allies after White House hopeful Donald Trump called the commitment into question. 
 
&quot;The German government is fundamentally committed to Article Five of the NATO treaty. That is the central promise of solidarity within the alliance,&quot; Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters when asked about Trump&#39;s remarks. 
 
&quot;Collective defence according to Article Five is and remains the main duty of NATO,&quot; Seibert added, noting that the pledge had once again been renewed at a NATO summit this month in Warsaw. 
 
Under Article Five of the NATO treaty, members agree to regard an attack on one member as an attack on all, and promise to mobilise together to defeat the threat. 
 
In an interview published on Thursday in the New York Times, Trump raised questions about this vow.&nbsp;He warned that if elected he would only come to the aid of the Baltic states in the event they were invaded by Russia if he judged they had &quot;fulfilled their obligations to us&quot;. 
 
This drew a furious response from Estonia and Latvia, and outrage from Trump&#39;s domestic political critics.&nbsp;US Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday reaffirmed Washington&#39;s promise to protect its NATO allies following the uproar. 
 
(AFP)

Trump said if elected he would aid the Baltic states only if they had 'fulfilled their obligations', drawing outrage from two Baltic nations

Germany today stressed its promise to protect its NATO allies after White House hopeful Donald Trump called the commitment into question. "The German government is fundamentally committed to Article Five of the NATO treaty. That is the central promise of solidarity within the alliance," Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters when asked about Trump's remarks. "Collective defence according to Article Five is and remains the main duty of NATO," Seibert added, noting that the pledge had once again been renewed at a NATO summit this month in Warsaw. Under Article Five of the NATO treaty, members agree to regard an attack on one member as an attack on all, and promise to mobilise together to defeat the threat. In an interview published on Thursday in the New York Times, Trump raised questions about this vow. He warned that if elected he would only come to the aid of the Baltic states in the event they were invaded by Russia if he judged they had "fulfilled their obligations to us". This drew a furious response from Estonia and Latvia, and outrage from Trump's domestic political critics. US Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday reaffirmed Washington's promise to protect its NATO allies following the uproar. (AFP)

Germany stresses NATO commitment to allies after Trump comments

President Barack Obama questioned Republican nominee Donald Trump&#39;s readiness to be commander-in-chief, in an interview broadcast today. 
 
Weighing in on Trump&#39;s suggestions that the US might not meet its mutual defence obligations in NATO, Obama told CBS it highlighted a &quot;lack of preparedness that he has been displaying when it comes to foreign policy.&quot; 
 
Obama has repeatedly called on European allies to boost defence spending, but has not questioned America&#39;s role in the alliance. 
 
Trump has repeatedly indicated that the United States might not come to the defence of a NATO ally, a treaty obligation, if they were not pulling their weight. 
 
&quot;Anybody who&#39;s been paying attention knows there is a big difference between challenging our European allies to keep up their defence spending, particularly at a time when Russia&#39;s been more aggressive, and saying to them, &#39;You know what? We might not abide by the central tenet of the most important alliance in the history of the world&#39;,&quot; Obama said. 
 
Under Article Five of the NATO treaty, members agree to regard an attack on one member as an attack on all and promise to mobilise together to defeat the threat. 
 
(AFP)

Trump has repeatedly indicated that US might not come to the defence of a NATO ally if they do not pull their own weight

President Barack Obama questioned Republican nominee Donald Trump's readiness to be commander-in-chief, in an interview broadcast today. Weighing in on Trump's suggestions that the US might not meet its mutual defence obligations in NATO, Obama told CBS it highlighted a "lack of preparedness that he has been displaying when it comes to foreign policy." Obama has repeatedly called on European allies to boost defence spending, but has not questioned America's role in the alliance. Trump has repeatedly indicated that the United States might not come to the defence of a NATO ally, a treaty obligation, if they were not pulling their weight. "Anybody who's been paying attention knows there is a big difference between challenging our European allies to keep up their defence spending, particularly at a time when Russia's been more aggressive, and saying to them, 'You know what? We might not abide by the central tenet of the most important alliance in the history of the world'," Obama said. Under Article Five of the NATO treaty, members agree to regard an attack on one member as an attack on all and promise to mobilise together to defeat the threat. (AFP)

Obama questions Trump's readiness to be commander-in-chief

Russia has moved nuclear-capable Iskander-M missiles into the Kaliningrad enclave bordering Poland and Lithuania, the defence ministry said on Saturday, adding it was part of routine drills.

&quot;These missile units have been deployed more than once (in the Kaliningrad region) ... and will be deployed as part of military training of the Russian armed forces,&quot; ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement.

A US intelligence official said on Friday that Russia had started moving the Iskander-Ms into the enclave on the Baltic in what he said could be a gesture to express displeasure with NATO.

Konashenkov said one of the missiles had been deliberately exposed to a US spy satellite. &quot;We did not have to wait for too long - our American partners confirmed it themselves in their revelatory endeavour,&quot; he said.

Lithuania, neighbouring Kaliningrad and a member of NATO, said it would protest to Moscow.

&quot;The deployment not only increases tensions in the region, but also possibly violates international treaties which limit deployment of ballistic missiles of range of over 500 kilometres,&quot; foreign minister

Linas Linkevicius told a news briefing in Vilnius.

&quot;There will be a NATO-Russia Council meeting, and this is shaping up as one of issues on the agenda,&quot; he added.

&quot;We will use all channels available to not only raise this question, but to demand that international agreements are adhered to.&quot;

Some modifications of the Iskander can hit targets 700 km (450 miles) away, putting the German capital Berlin in range of Kaliningrad, Linkevicius said.

&quot;This is a usual Russian tactic: escalate tensions, create a discord and then expect concessions elsewhere. I would like to hope that this will not work this time,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday suspended a treaty with Washington on cleaning up weapons-grade plutonium, saying it was a response to unfriendly acts by Washington.

(AFP)

The deployment into the Kaliningrad enclave bordering Poland and Lithuania 'will increase tensions in the region', said Lithuanian FM

Russia has moved nuclear-capable Iskander-M missiles into the Kaliningrad enclave bordering Poland and Lithuania, the defence ministry said on Saturday, adding it was part of routine drills. "These missile units have been deployed more than once (in the Kaliningrad region) ... and will be deployed as part of military training of the Russian armed forces," ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement. A US intelligence official said on Friday that Russia had started moving the Iskander-Ms into the enclave on the Baltic in what he said could be a gesture to express displeasure with NATO. Konashenkov said one of the missiles had been deliberately exposed to a US spy satellite. "We did not have to wait for too long - our American partners confirmed it themselves in their revelatory endeavour," he said. Lithuania, neighbouring Kaliningrad and a member of NATO, said it would protest to Moscow. "The deployment not only increases tensions in the region, but also possibly violates international treaties which limit deployment of ballistic missiles of range of over 500 kilometres," foreign minister Linas Linkevicius told a news briefing in Vilnius. "There will be a NATO-Russia Council meeting, and this is shaping up as one of issues on the agenda," he added. "We will use all channels available to not only raise this question, but to demand that international agreements are adhered to." Some modifications of the Iskander can hit targets 700 km (450 miles) away, putting the German capital Berlin in range of Kaliningrad, Linkevicius said. "This is a usual Russian tactic: escalate tensions, create a discord and then expect concessions elsewhere. I would like to hope that this will not work this time," he added. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday suspended a treaty with Washington on cleaning up weapons-grade plutonium, saying it was a response to unfriendly acts by Washington. (AFP)

Russia moves nuclear-capable missiles closer to NATO

A US air raid has killed eight Afghan policemen in the country&#39;s volatile south, officials said on Monday, in the first apparent &quot;friendly fire&quot; incident since American forces were granted greater powers to strike at insurgents. 
 
The incident occurred on Sunday in the Tali area of Uruzgan province, where the Taliban recently attempted to overrun the capital city Tarin Kot in a major security breach. 
 
&quot;The first airstrike killed one policeman. When other policemen came to help, they came under a second air strike, killing seven of them,&quot; Rahimullah Khan, Uruzgan highway police commander, told AFP. 
 
Mohammad Sediq, a policeman who survived the attack said their forces were &quot;engaged in close fighting&quot; with the Taliban when they were bombed. 
 
The NATO command centre in Kabul confirmed US warplanes had conducted an air strike in the area, but said they targeted individuals posing a threat to Afghan forces. 
 
&quot;US forces conducted two airstrikes against individuals firing on our Afghan partners in Tarin Kot on 18 September,&quot; NATO spokesman Charles Cleveland said in a statement. 
 
&quot;We don&#39;t have any further information on who those individuals might have been or why they were attacking (Afghan) forces. US, coalition, and Afghan forces have the right to self-defence, and in this case were responding to an immediate threat.&quot; 
 
NATO officially ended its combat mission in December 2014, but US forces got more power in June to strike at the insurgents as President Barack Obama vowed a more aggressive campaign. 
 
The new authority gave the US-led NATO troops greater latitude to order airstrikes in support of Afghan troops. 
 
Earlier this month, Afghan forces backed by US air strikes mounted an offensive to flush out Taliban insurgents encircling Tarin Kot. 
 
Afghan forces repelled the attack hours later, bolstered by reinforcements. 
 
(AFP)

'The first airstrike killed one policeman. When other policemen came to help, they came under a second airstrike,' police said

A US air raid has killed eight Afghan policemen in the country's volatile south, officials said on Monday, in the first apparent "friendly fire" incident since American forces were granted greater powers to strike at insurgents. The incident occurred on Sunday in the Tali area of Uruzgan province, where the Taliban recently attempted to overrun the capital city Tarin Kot in a major security breach. "The first airstrike killed one policeman. When other policemen came to help, they came under a second air strike, killing seven of them," Rahimullah Khan, Uruzgan highway police commander, told AFP. Mohammad Sediq, a policeman who survived the attack said their forces were "engaged in close fighting" with the Taliban when they were bombed. The NATO command centre in Kabul confirmed US warplanes had conducted an air strike in the area, but said they targeted individuals posing a threat to Afghan forces. "US forces conducted two airstrikes against individuals firing on our Afghan partners in Tarin Kot on 18 September," NATO spokesman Charles Cleveland said in a statement. "We don't have any further information on who those individuals might have been or why they were attacking (Afghan) forces. US, coalition, and Afghan forces have the right to self-defence, and in this case were responding to an immediate threat." NATO officially ended its combat mission in December 2014, but US forces got more power in June to strike at the insurgents as President Barack Obama vowed a more aggressive campaign. The new authority gave the US-led NATO troops greater latitude to order airstrikes in support of Afghan troops. Earlier this month, Afghan forces backed by US air strikes mounted an offensive to flush out Taliban insurgents encircling Tarin Kot. Afghan forces repelled the attack hours later, bolstered by reinforcements. (AFP)

Now, US air raid kills eight Afghan policemen: Officials

Turkey warned Monday it would carry out more strikes on a US-backed Kurdish militia in Syria if it fails to retreat, as Washington said President Barack Obama will meet his Turkish counterpart over the weekend. 
 
Turkish forces pressed on with a two-pronged operation inside Syria against Islamic State (IS) jihadists and the Syrian Kurdish People&#39;s Protection Units (YPG), shelling over a dozen targets. 
 
The strikes against the YPG are hugely sensitive as the outfit -- seen as a terror group by Ankara -- is allied with Turkey&#39;s NATO partner the United States in the fight against IS in Syria. 
 
Ankara has said it killed 25 Kurdish &quot;terrorists&quot; in strikes on YPG positions on Sunday -- meaning the two US-backed partner forces are now fighting each other. 
 
Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said the clashes were &quot;unacceptable and a source of deep concern.&quot; 
 
He called for steps to de-escalate the situation and said Washington had once again told the YPG to retreat east of the Euphrates. This has &quot;largely occurred,&quot; he added. 
 
US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter later said he had appealed to both sides not to fight. 
 
&quot;That&#39;s the basis of our cooperation with both of them -- specifically not to engage one another,&quot; Carter said. 
 
Two US defense officials told AFP that SDF forces had &quot;all&quot; withdrawn east of the Euphrates, but they said some Kurdish people remained to the west. 
 
Turkey&#39;s operation aims to push the YPG back across the Euphrates to prevent it joining up a region east of the river already under its control with a Kurdish-held area to the west.
<h2>&#39;Ethnic cleansing&#39;</h2>
Ankara fears the emergence of an autonomous Kurdish region in Syria would bolster Kurdish rebels across the border in southeastern Turkey. 
 
The situation in northern Syria is yet another complication in the country&#39;s already tangled civil war, and potentially throws a wrench in US plans to defeat the Islamic State group in the region. 
 
US Vice President Joe Biden said last week that Washington had ordered the YPG to retreat or risk losing American support. But Ankara says it had seen no evidence of this. 
 
President Obama will meet his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday in China on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit, with Syria high on the agenda, top aide Ben Rhodes announced Monday, stressing the need &quot;to stay united.&quot; 
 
It will be the first meeting between the two leaders since a failed coup attempt in Turkey on July 15. 
 
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused the Kurdish militia of &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot; in the mainly Arab area around the city of Manbij, west of the Euphrates, which the YPG wrested from IS earlier this month. 
 
Turkey considers the YPG an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a deadly insurgency on Turkish territory for over three decades. 
 
On Monday, the Turkish air force launched air strikes on PKK bases in northern Iraq, state media said.
<h2>&#39;Deep concern&#39;</h2>
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 40 civilians were killed in Turkish shelling and air strikes on pro-Kurdish positions in northern Syria on Sunday. 
 
Ankara strongly denies killing any civilians. 
 
The army said 10 more villages had &quot;been cleared of terrorist elements&quot; Monday by Turkish-backed anti-regime Syrian fighters. 
 
A 400-square-kilometre (154-square-mile) area has been cleared since the operation began on August 24, it added. 
 
President Erdogan said in a statement the offensive would continue until &quot;the threat of Daesh and YPG/PKK is over.&quot; Daesh is an acronym for IS. 
 
On Monday, at least five people were injured in the Turkish town of Kilis by rockets fired across the border from an IS-held area, NTV television reported. The army returned fire, the report said. 
 
Ankara-backed forces faced little resistance when they captured the IS border stronghold of Jarabulus last week, days after a suspected IS suicide bombing killed 55 people in southeast Turkey. 
 
But the standoff with the Kurdish militia has been intense, with a Turkish soldier killed on Saturday in a YPG rocket attack on his tank.
<h2> 
&#39;Turkey&#39;s crimes against humanity&#39;&nbsp;</h2>
The Turkish army said it had fired 61 times on targets in northern Syria in the previous 24 hours. It did not say which group was targeted. 
 
Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said all relevant parties had been forewarned of Turkey&#39;s operation in Syria, including the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, a bitter enemy of Ankara who had been informed by its ally Russia. 
 
Syria&#39;s official Sana agency said Damascus had written to the UN Security Council to protest Turkey&#39;s &quot;crimes against humanity&quot; in the country. 
 
(AFP)

Strikes against YPG are sensitive as the outfit is allied with Turkey's NATO partner, the United States, in its fight against IS in Syria

Turkey warned Monday it would carry out more strikes on a US-backed Kurdish militia in Syria if it fails to retreat, as Washington said President Barack Obama will meet his Turkish counterpart over the weekend. Turkish forces pressed on with a two-pronged operation inside Syria against Islamic State (IS) jihadists and the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), shelling over a dozen targets. The strikes against the YPG are hugely sensitive as the outfit -- seen as a terror group by Ankara -- is allied with Turkey's NATO partner the United States in the fight against IS in Syria. Ankara has said it killed 25 Kurdish "terrorists" in strikes on YPG positions on Sunday -- meaning the two US-backed partner forces are now fighting each other. Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said the clashes were "unacceptable and a source of deep concern." He called for steps to de-escalate the situation and said Washington had once again told the YPG to retreat east of the Euphrates. This has "largely occurred," he added. US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter later said he had appealed to both sides not to fight. "That's the basis of our cooperation with both of them -- specifically not to engage one another," Carter said. Two US defense officials told AFP that SDF forces had "all" withdrawn east of the Euphrates, but they said some Kurdish people remained to the west. Turkey's operation aims to push the YPG back across the Euphrates to prevent it joining up a region east of the river already under its control with a Kurdish-held area to the west. 'Ethnic cleansing' Ankara fears the emergence of an autonomous Kurdish region in Syria would bolster Kurdish rebels across the border in southeastern Turkey. The situation in northern Syria is yet another complication in the country's already tangled civil war, and potentially throws a wrench in US plans to defeat the Islamic State group in the region. US Vice President Joe Biden said last week that Washington had ordered the YPG to retreat or risk losing American support. But Ankara says it had seen no evidence of this. President Obama will meet his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday in China on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit, with Syria high on the agenda, top aide Ben Rhodes announced Monday, stressing the need "to stay united." It will be the first meeting between the two leaders since a failed coup attempt in Turkey on July 15. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused the Kurdish militia of "ethnic cleansing" in the mainly Arab area around the city of Manbij, west of the Euphrates, which the YPG wrested from IS earlier this month. Turkey considers the YPG an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a deadly insurgency on Turkish territory for over three decades. On Monday, the Turkish air force launched air strikes on PKK bases in northern Iraq, state media said. 'Deep concern' The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 40 civilians were killed in Turkish shelling and air strikes on pro-Kurdish positions in northern Syria on Sunday. Ankara strongly denies killing any civilians. The army said 10 more villages had "been cleared of terrorist elements" Monday by Turkish-backed anti-regime Syrian fighters. A 400-square-kilometre (154-square-mile) area has been cleared since the operation began on August 24, it added. President Erdogan said in a statement the offensive would continue until "the threat of Daesh and YPG/PKK is over." Daesh is an acronym for IS. On Monday, at least five people were injured in the Turkish town of Kilis by rockets fired across the border from an IS-held area, NTV television reported. The army returned fire, the report said. Ankara-backed forces faced little resistance when they captured the IS border stronghold of Jarabulus last week, days after a suspected IS suicide bombing killed 55 people in southeast Turkey. But the standoff with the Kurdish militia has been intense, with a Turkish soldier killed on Saturday in a YPG rocket attack on his tank. 'Turkey's crimes against humanity' The Turkish army said it had fired 61 times on targets in northern Syria in the previous 24 hours. It did not say which group was targeted. Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said all relevant parties had been forewarned of Turkey's operation in Syria, including the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, a bitter enemy of Ankara who had been informed by its ally Russia. Syria's official Sana agency said Damascus had written to the UN Security Council to protest Turkey's "crimes against humanity" in the country. (AFP)

Turkey warns Syrian Kurd militia of more strikes

Sixteen people were killed after militants stormed the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul, officials said Thursday, in a nearly 10-hour raid that prompted anguished pleas for help from trapped students. 
 
Explosions and gunfire rocked the campus after the attack began Wednesday evening, just weeks after two university professors -- an American and an Australian -- were kidnapped at gunpoint near the school. 
 
No group has so far claimed responsibility for the assault, but it occurred as the Taliban ramp up their nationwide summer offensive against the Western-backed government. 
 
The presidential office said the attack was &quot;orchestrated&quot; from Pakistan, Afghanistan&#39;s longtime regional nemesis often accused of harbouring the Taliban. 
 
&quot;Sixteen people, including eight students, were killed and 53 others were wounded,&quot; health ministry spokesman Waheed Majroh told AFP. &quot;Some of the wounded are in critical condition.&quot; 
 
The interior ministry said the fatalities included policemen, a university guard and a guard from the neighbouring vocational school for the visually impaired. 
 
Hundreds of trapped students were rescued during the overnight operation, many of whom tweeted desperate messages for help. Some used classroom furniture to barricade the doors while others made a mad scramble to escape through windows. 
 
The attack began just after dusk, when the private university is usually packed with students, many of them working professionals doing part-time courses. 
 
&quot;Students were pushing each other out of the classroom window,&quot; Farzana, a young student who managed to flee told AFP. &quot;I was reluctant to jump but a fellow student pushed me and I fell down. The rest I don&#39;t remember.&quot; 
 
Authorities refused to confirm whether any hostages had been taken. 
 
NATO military advisers helped Afghan forces to respond to the attack, a US official said, without specifying how many troops were involved. 
 
At dawn, after the assault had ended, a few women students, some of them terrified and weeping, were escorted out of the campus by policemen. 
 
&#39;Brutal attack&#39; 
 
The attack, apparently the first major militant assault on a prominent university in Afghanistan, has cast a pall on the education sector, seen as a rare symbol of hope for the country&#39;s burgeoning youth at a time of rising insecurity. 
 
The growing number of students attending university, especially women, has been hailed as a success story in Afghanistan since the 2001 ouster of the Taliban regime, which banned women&#39;s education. 
 
&quot;Terrorist groups, by attacking civilians, educational institutions, residential areas, culverts, bridges, electricity stations... want to obstruct growth and strengthening of the values that Afghans believe in,&quot; President Ashraf Ghani said in a statement, condemning the &quot;brutal attack&quot;. 
 
The attack was &quot;organised and orchestrated&quot; from Pakistan, his office said in a separate statement, adding that Ghani spoke to Pakistan&#39;s powerful army chief General Raheel Sharif to demand &quot;serious measures against the terrorists&quot;. 
 
The elite American University of Afghanistan, which opened in 2006 and enrols more than 1,700 students, was long seen as a high-profile target for militants partly because it attracts foreign faculty members. 
 
The two foreign professors at the university were seized from their vehicle on August 7, when the kidnappers smashed the passenger window and hauled them away at gunpoint. 
 
Their whereabouts are still unknown and no group so far has publicly claimed responsibility for the abductions, the latest in a series of kidnappings of foreigners. 
 
The uptick in violence comes as the Taliban escalate nationwide attacks, underscoring the worsening security situation since NATO forces ended their combat mission at the end of 2014. 
 
Afghan forces backed by US troops are seeking to head off a potential Taliban takeover of Lashkar Gah, the capital of the southern opium-rich province of Helmand. 
 
The turmoil convulsing Helmand, blighted by a huge opium harvest that helps fund the insurgency, has left thousands of people displaced, sparking a humanitarian crisis. 
 
The Taliban have also closed in on Kunduz -- the northern city they briefly seized last year in their biggest military victory so far -- leaving Afghan forces stretched on multiple fronts. 
&nbsp;

No group has claimed responsibility for the assault but the presidential office said the attack was 'orchestrated' from Pakistan

Sixteen people were killed after militants stormed the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul, officials said Thursday, in a nearly 10-hour raid that prompted anguished pleas for help from trapped students. Explosions and gunfire rocked the campus after the attack began Wednesday evening, just weeks after two university professors -- an American and an Australian -- were kidnapped at gunpoint near the school. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the assault, but it occurred as the Taliban ramp up their nationwide summer offensive against the Western-backed government. The presidential office said the attack was "orchestrated" from Pakistan, Afghanistan's longtime regional nemesis often accused of harbouring the Taliban. "Sixteen people, including eight students, were killed and 53 others were wounded," health ministry spokesman Waheed Majroh told AFP. "Some of the wounded are in critical condition." The interior ministry said the fatalities included policemen, a university guard and a guard from the neighbouring vocational school for the visually impaired. Hundreds of trapped students were rescued during the overnight operation, many of whom tweeted desperate messages for help. Some used classroom furniture to barricade the doors while others made a mad scramble to escape through windows. The attack began just after dusk, when the private university is usually packed with students, many of them working professionals doing part-time courses. "Students were pushing each other out of the classroom window," Farzana, a young student who managed to flee told AFP. "I was reluctant to jump but a fellow student pushed me and I fell down. The rest I don't remember." Authorities refused to confirm whether any hostages had been taken. NATO military advisers helped Afghan forces to respond to the attack, a US official said, without specifying how many troops were involved. At dawn, after the assault had ended, a few women students, some of them terrified and weeping, were escorted out of the campus by policemen. 'Brutal attack' The attack, apparently the first major militant assault on a prominent university in Afghanistan, has cast a pall on the education sector, seen as a rare symbol of hope for the country's burgeoning youth at a time of rising insecurity. The growing number of students attending university, especially women, has been hailed as a success story in Afghanistan since the 2001 ouster of the Taliban regime, which banned women's education. "Terrorist groups, by attacking civilians, educational institutions, residential areas, culverts, bridges, electricity stations... want to obstruct growth and strengthening of the values that Afghans believe in," President Ashraf Ghani said in a statement, condemning the "brutal attack". The attack was "organised and orchestrated" from Pakistan, his office said in a separate statement, adding that Ghani spoke to Pakistan's powerful army chief General Raheel Sharif to demand "serious measures against the terrorists". The elite American University of Afghanistan, which opened in 2006 and enrols more than 1,700 students, was long seen as a high-profile target for militants partly because it attracts foreign faculty members. The two foreign professors at the university were seized from their vehicle on August 7, when the kidnappers smashed the passenger window and hauled them away at gunpoint. Their whereabouts are still unknown and no group so far has publicly claimed responsibility for the abductions, the latest in a series of kidnappings of foreigners. The uptick in violence comes as the Taliban escalate nationwide attacks, underscoring the worsening security situation since NATO forces ended their combat mission at the end of 2014. Afghan forces backed by US troops are seeking to head off a potential Taliban takeover of Lashkar Gah, the capital of the southern opium-rich province of Helmand. The turmoil convulsing Helmand, blighted by a huge opium harvest that helps fund the insurgency, has left thousands of people displaced, sparking a humanitarian crisis. The Taliban have also closed in on Kunduz -- the northern city they briefly seized last year in their biggest military victory so far -- leaving Afghan forces stretched on multiple fronts.

16 dead, 53 wounded in attack on American University in Kabul

Taliban insurgents, seeking to force the NATO-led coalition out of Afghanistan and bring in Islamic law, captured a key district in the northern province of Baghlan after days of fighting, officials said on Monday. 
 
Fighting has escalated in Afghanistan as the Taliban insurgency spreads from its traditional strongholds in the south and east of the country to once peaceful regions in the north. 
 
Despite air support from U.S. and Afghan warplanes, government troops are struggling against the resilient Taliban, with senior government officials saying the insurgents are becoming better trained and equipped. 
 
Amir Gul Hussainkhil, deputy police chief of Baghlan, said Dahan-e-Ghori district was under siege for days and the Taliban managed to seize it late on Sunday as dozens of Afghan forces made &quot;a tactical retreat&quot;. 
 
The district is next to the provincial capital of Pol-e-Khomri, which has been threatened by insurgents for months. 
 
&quot;Afghan forces fought for days but no help arrived and they had to retreat and the Taliban captured the district,&quot; Hussainkhil told Reuters, adding that five Afghan police were killed. 
 
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the fighters captured the district and hoisted their white flag. 
 
&quot;Many Afghan and militia forces have been killed and 33 soldiers are captured,&quot; Mujahid said in an email statement to media. 
 
Both sides often release casualty figures without independent verification. 
 
Baghlan borders Kunduz province, where the Taliban briefly captured a provincial capital last year for the first time since they were ousted by a U.S.-led operation in 2001. 
 
In the southern province of Helmand, there has been fighting in four districts as Afghan forces hold off insurgents advancing on the provincial capital, government officials said. 
 
In Nuristan province in the east, dozens of Taliban attacked Want Waygal district as Afghan forces killed 40 militants during days of fighting, according to officials. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Fighting has escalated as the Taliban insurgency spreads from its traditional strongholds in the south, east to once peaceful north

Taliban insurgents, seeking to force the NATO-led coalition out of Afghanistan and bring in Islamic law, captured a key district in the northern province of Baghlan after days of fighting, officials said on Monday. Fighting has escalated in Afghanistan as the Taliban insurgency spreads from its traditional strongholds in the south and east of the country to once peaceful regions in the north. Despite air support from U.S. and Afghan warplanes, government troops are struggling against the resilient Taliban, with senior government officials saying the insurgents are becoming better trained and equipped. Amir Gul Hussainkhil, deputy police chief of Baghlan, said Dahan-e-Ghori district was under siege for days and the Taliban managed to seize it late on Sunday as dozens of Afghan forces made "a tactical retreat". The district is next to the provincial capital of Pol-e-Khomri, which has been threatened by insurgents for months. "Afghan forces fought for days but no help arrived and they had to retreat and the Taliban captured the district," Hussainkhil told Reuters, adding that five Afghan police were killed. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the fighters captured the district and hoisted their white flag. "Many Afghan and militia forces have been killed and 33 soldiers are captured," Mujahid said in an email statement to media. Both sides often release casualty figures without independent verification. Baghlan borders Kunduz province, where the Taliban briefly captured a provincial capital last year for the first time since they were ousted by a U.S.-led operation in 2001. In the southern province of Helmand, there has been fighting in four districts as Afghan forces hold off insurgents advancing on the provincial capital, government officials said. In Nuristan province in the east, dozens of Taliban attacked Want Waygal district as Afghan forces killed 40 militants during days of fighting, according to officials. (Reuters)

Taliban captures key district in Afghanistan, officials confirm

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