Connect to share and comment

US defends attack on Awlaki as lawful

In a letter to Congress, President Barack Obama's administration formally acknowledged for the first time Wednesday that it killed radical Yemeni-American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki and three other US citizens in strikes abroad. Here are the main points of a letter from US Attorney General Eric Holder to members of Congress on the counter-terrorism operations, which he defends as legal and justified. The drone strikes have long been referred to in media reports, but never publicly confirmed by the administration.

Access to U.S. chemical-site records is spotty

By Ryan McNeill and M.B. Pell NEW YORK (Reuters) - A law Congress passed more than a quarter-century ago to alert the public to chemical hazards is seen today by some government officials as a potential tip sheet for terrorists. As a result, public access to hazardous-chemical inventories is often spotty.

Israel general sees increased risk of surprise war

Middle East unrest increases the chance of Israel becoming embroiled in a surprise war, the head of its air force said on Wednesday. "When you look (around) today I think that a surprise war can be born in very many configurations," Major General Amir Eshel told a conference near Tel Aviv in remarks broadcast on local television and radio. "I don't so much see a surprise war in the near term, but it can be born from isolated incidents which escalate very quickly and oblige us to act across the spectrum," he said, without elaborating.

China-NK-US

By Lee Chi-dong WASHINGTON, May 22 (Yonhap) -- China gave prior notice to the United States on a high-profile North Korean envoy's trip this week to Beijing, according to a U.S. official Wednesday. The notification was seen as unusual for China, which has traditionally kept mum on its top-level diplomatic exchanges with its communist ally. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's special envoy, Vice Marshal Choe Ryong-hae, flew into Beijing on Wednesday (local time), the first known visit by a top North Korean official to China this year.

UN and World Bank chiefs in DR Congo peace push

The UN and World Bank chiefs made a fresh push for peace and development as they arrived Wednesday in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the latest bout of fighting has sent thousands fleeing. With major violence flaring up north of the regional hub of Goma for a third day after a six months truce, Kinshasa has accused the rebel movement, known as M23, of trying to scupper peace efforts in the restive eastern DR Congo.

Major powers urge Assad to commit to peace

Major powers urged Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to commit to peace and step down as they held talks in neighbouring Jordan on Wednesday on preparations for a Russian-US proposed peace conference. Ahead of the meeting of the Friends of Syria group in Amman, US Secretary of State John Kerry urged Assad to make a "commitment to find peace" after more than two years of conflict that have killed more than 90,000 people.

USFK-new commander

By Lee Chi-dong WASHINGTON, May 22 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Barack Obama has formally named a veteran combat commander with experience on Afghanistan and Iraq to lead American troops in Korea, the Pentagon announced Wednesday. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said Army Lt. Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti has been nominated to the rank of general and assignment as commander of the U.S. Forces Korea, his department said in a press release. He is now serving as director of the Joint Staff, serving under Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

EU approves sending border security advisers to Libya

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union governments approved a mission on Wednesday to help Libya improve its border security in response to concerns that Islamist militants and weapons move freely across the North African country's frontier. The 110-member EU civilian team, expected to start deploying in Libya next month, will advise and train Libyan officials on how to strengthen the security of the country's land, sea and air borders, an EU statement said.

S. Korean newspaper column calls atomic bombing "divine punishment"

The South Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo carried a column dated Monday by an editorial writer describing the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as "divine punishment," drawing protests from the Japanese government. The column also criticized Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and other Japanese leaders for their views on history.

US formally takes responsibility for killing Awlaki

The United States formally admitted for the first time on Wednesday that it had killed radical American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki and three other US citizens in anti-terror strikes abroad. The acknowledgement that Washington targeted Awlaki in Yemen in September 2011 and that the three others were not directly targeted but were also killed came on the eve of a major speech on terror policy by President Barack Obama. col/jm
Syndicate content