USA TODAY |
Is Moscow meddling in the presidential election?
USA TODAY WASHINGTON — Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, is calling on President Obama to retaliate against Russia for interference in the presidential election — meddling the California congressman says is designed both ... US Officials Warn Russia Over Alleged HacksWall Street Journal The Kremlin really believes Hillary Clinton will start a war with RussiaChicago Tribune Trump says Putin has been a leader 'far more than our president has'Business Insider STRATFOR -Politico -CBS News -BuzzFeed News all 83 news articles » |
BBC News |
Syria: The long path to peace
BBC News The fifth-floor meeting room of what its director grandly described as "the global headquarters" of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, alongside the Thames in London, may seem a strange place to launch a peace plan for Syria. But this ... ISIS Tears Attention Away From Activism in SyriaFair Observer Hard National Security ChoicesLawfare (blog) Syria war 'shames humanity' says Boris Johnson as opposition releases plan for 'democracy' after AssadTelegraph.co.uk The Guardian all 138 news articles » |
NBCNews.com |
Commander-In-Chief Forum
NBCNews.com Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, each made their case Wednesday at the Commander-in-Chief Forum, sponsored by NBC News and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. The first ... and more » |
Clinton grilled on classified information
The Hill (blog) Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, was hit with a double whammy of questions about her private email server, first by host Matt Lauer and then by a veteran at the town hall-style event on NBC News. Lauer kicked things off by asking Clinton ... and more » |
Washington Times |
Donald Trump wants bigger military, bigger defense budget
Washington Times “History shows that when America is not prepared is when the danger is by far the greatest,” Mr. Trump said at the Union League in Philadelphia. “We want to deter, avoid and prevent conflict through our unquestioned military strength.” (Associated ... Trump calls for military spending increaseCNN Donald Trump Proposes Ending Spending Caps to Boost MilitaryWall Street Journal all 65 news articles » |
Washington Post |
The first Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump showdown of 2016, annotated
Washington Post Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton appeared at the same prime time event for the first time in the 2016 election on Wednesday night. The NBC Commander-in-Chief Forum wasn't a debate -- the two candidates won't be on stage at the same time interacting ... Matt Lauer Fields Storm of Criticism Over Clinton-Trump ForumNew York Times My Snap Reactions To NBC Candidate ForumHuffington Post Donald Trump Praises Putin, Hillary Clinton Defends EmailNBCNews.com NPR -BBC News -USA TODAY -Slate Magazine all 307 news articles » |
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Business Insider |
Matt Lauer mercilessly grills Hillary Clinton on her use of a private email server
Business Insider Matt Lauer grilled Hillary Clinton on Wednesday evening over her handling of classified information and use of a private email server while she was secretary of state. Lauer's second question at NBC's Commander-In-Chief Forum was about the email ... Clinton at NBC town hall defends email server, says she takes security seriouslyNOLA.com all 20 news articles » |
NBCNews.com |
Donald Trump Praises Putin, Hillary Clinton Defends Email
NBCNews.com NEW YORK — Wednesday's Commander-in-Chief Forum will be remembered as the time Donald Trump offered more praise for Russian strongman Vladimir Putin than America's own military leadership, which he described as "embarrassing." Hillary Clinton ... Clinton, Trump tackle national security issues in debate previewCNN FACT CHECK: Clinton On Ground Troops; Trump On Sexual Assault In The MilitaryNPR My Snap Reactions To NBC Candidate ForumHuffington Post New York Times -Los Angeles Times -BBC News -Fox News all 371 news articles » |
Washington Post |
Trump praises Putin at national security forum
Washington Post NEW YORK — Donald Trump defended his admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin at a forum here Wednesday focused on national security issues, even suggesting that Putin is more worthy of his praise than President Obama. “Certainly, in that ... Trump says Putin 'a leader far more than our president'BBC News Donald Trump: Generals 'Reduced To Rubble' Under Obama, ClintonHuffington Post Trump: Putin More of a Leader Than Obama Voice of America New York Daily News-Fortune -World Socialist Web Site-Breitbart News all 1,117 news articles » |
CBC.ca |
Obama Puts South China Sea Back on Agenda at Summit
New York Times VIENTIANE, Laos — President Barack Obama put the long-simmering dispute in the South China Sea front and center on the agenda at a regional summit Thursday as it became clear that most of the other leaders gathered in the Laotian capital were going to ... Asia leaders tiptoe around South China Sea tensionsReuters Obama says work must continue to resolve disputes in South China SeaUSA TODAY Google Maps, CommonsKPRC Houston International Business Times -Daily Mail -Xinhua -Inquirer.net all 713 news articles » |
USA TODAY |
Obama says work must continue to resolve disputes in South China Sea
USA TODAY VIENTIANE, Laos — President Obama on Thursday said that work must continue to peacefully resolve disputes in the South China Sea. Obama was speaking in opening remarks at a meeting with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ... The Latest: Obama, Indian prime minister meet during summitWashington Post Obama puts South China Sea back on agenda at summitCT Post Modi fires salvo at 'those who employ terrorism as state policy' at East Asia Summit in LaosFirstpost The Sydney Morning Herald -Daily Mail -Xinhua -Voice of America all 663 news articles » |
Politico |
Trump, Clinton stumble in debate dry run
Politico NEW YORK — Less than three weeks before the first general election debate, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton shared a stage for the first time on Wednesday night — and neither appeared ready for the brightest lights of 2016 as they flashed the very ... Personal brawls dominate 2016 raceCNN Voters are finding it harder to commit than usual, posing a challenge for Clinton and TrumpLos Angeles Times Donald Trump Is Lying in Plain Sight New York Times BBC News- Fortune-CBS News-NBCNews.com all 2,279 news articles » |
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Firstcoastnews.com |
Abducted woman, found dead, had called husband from car trunk
Firstcoastnews.com Rita Maze, left, was abducted Sept. 6 at a rest stop near Wolf Creek and was found dead in the trunk of her car early Sept. 7. Her daughter, Rochelle Maze, right, said, "My mom touched every person she made contact with." (Photo: Courtesy photo ... Abducted Great Falls woman talked to husband, daughter before deathGreat Falls Tribune Missing Montana woman's body found stuffed in trunk near Spokane - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.comKHQ.com all 68 news articles » |
The Indian Express |
The Latest: In Laos, Obama Dismisses Trump's Criticism
ABC News President Barack Obama is hitting back at Donald Trump for the Republican's frequent criticism of Obama's foreign policy. Speaking at a news conference in Laos on Thursday, Obama says he continues to believe Trump isn't qualified to be president and ... Obama: Trump Shows He's Unqualified 'Every Time He Speaks'Bloomberg Obama, Acknowledging US Misdeeds Abroad, Quietly Reframes...New York Times “Sabaidii”: President Obama Speaks to the People of LaosThe White House (blog) Reuters UK -Voice of America -CCTV-America all 18 news articles » |
CNN |
Obama: Trump is 'petty' and should be challenged
CNN Vientiane, Laos (CNN) President Barack Obama warned Thursday against becoming immune to Donald Trump's more outlandish statements, arguing that the stakes of the US presidential contest were too high for Americans to tune out. "People start thinking ... Obama rips Trump's 'outrageous behavior,' warns that it is becoming normalizedWashington Post Obama: Trump Shows He's Unfit for Presidency 'Every Time He Speaks'ABC News URGENT - obama trump statementKCCI Des Moines Bloomberg -Jamaica Observer all 8 news articles » |
Uzbeks paid dearly for U.S. support of Karimov regime
The Japan Times NEW YORK – Death is usually a sad event. The passing of a world leader, particularly one who brought stability to a tense part of the Muslim world for several decades, is typically cause for concern. The death of Uzbekistani President Islam Karimov is ... and more » |
CBS News |
How Donald Trump is making money off his presidential bid
CBS News In 2000 Donald Trump told Fortune magazine, “it's very possible that I could be the first presidential candidate to run and make money on it.” During this primary season, Donald Trump made a point of not taking outside donations, but now he is. Some of ... and more » |
CNN |
Obama: Trump's 'wacky ideas' should be challenged
CNN Vientiane, Laos (CNN) President Barack Obama warned Thursday against becoming immune to Donald Trump's more outlandish statements, arguing that the stakes of the US presidential contest were too high for Americans to tune out. "People start thinking ... Obama tells voters to reject Donald Trump's 'outright wacky ideas'Los Angeles Times Obama: Trump Shows He's Unfit for Presidency 'Every Time He Speaks'Yahoo News Obama Says Trump's 'Wacky Ideas' Show He's Not Qualified for JobBloomberg CBS News-Huffington Post -Washington Post-The Hill (blog) all 56 news articles » |
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On Thursday, the US president said he briefly spoke to Rodrigo Duterte after canceling a meeting on Monday. ‘I don’t take these comments personally because it seems as if this is a phrase he’s used repeatedly’ Obama said
Continue reading...Los Angeles Times |
Obama tells voters to reject Donald Trump's 'outright wacky ideas'
Los Angeles Times President Obama called Thursday for closer scrutiny of Republican nominee Donald Trump during the final weeks of the presidential campaign, advising voters to reject his “outright wacky ideas.” At a news conference to end his final trip to Asia while ... Obama Says Trump's 'Wacky Ideas' Show He's Not Qualified for JobBloomberg Obama: Trump Shows He's Unfit for Presidency 'Every Time He Speaks'ABC News Obama rips Trump's 'outrageous behavior,' warns that it is becoming normalizedWashington Post The Hill (blog) -New York Daily News -Washington Times -USA TODAY all 30 news articles » |
Bloomberg |
Obama Says Trump's 'Wacky Ideas' Show He's Not Qualified for Job
Bloomberg U.S. President Barack Obama said Donald Trump isn't fit to serve as president after the Republican candidate criticized his leadership and said generals had been “reduced to rubble" during his administration. “I don't think the guy's qualified to be ... In Laos, Obama dismisses Trump's criticismThe Boston Globe Obama rips Trump's 'outrageous behavior,' warns that it is becoming normalizedWashington Post Obama: Trump Shows He's Unfit for Presidency 'Every Time He Speaks'ABC News The Hill (blog) -USA TODAY -CNBC -The Week Magazine all 34 news articles » |
Where is Aleppo? by Adam Taylor
Test your own geographical knowledge of a crisis.
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Israel to build underground barrier against Hamasby Josef Federman | AP
Defense officials say Israel has begun work on an underground barrier along the border with Gaza meant to block Hamas militants from tunneling into Israel.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte took a thinly veiled dig at the United States on Thursday, complaining that colonizers who killed many Filipinos are now raising human rights concerns with him.
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JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Soviet-era documents show that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas worked in the 1980s for the KGB, the now-defunct intelligence agency where Russian leader Vladimir Putin once served, Israeli researchers said on Thursday.
The United States and Ukraine have agreed to deepen defense cooperation, with a retired U.S. Army general being appointed special adviser to Ukraine's defense minister.
Up to one million refugees in Turkey will receive debit cards and monthly cash transfers to help pay for food and housing under a new €348-million ($393-million) humanitarian program from the European Union announced Thursday.
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As he prepared to return to Washington after his last trip to Asia as president, Barack Obama outlined a list of policy goals he hopes to attain before leaving the White House.
Near Syria’s borders with Jordan and Israel, the jihadist group attracts a following, many of them former fighters of a Western-backed rebel group, writes Yaroslav Trofimov.
The Latest on President Barack Obama’s historic visit to Laos (all times local):
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The U.S. Navy again has accused Iranian patrol boats of harassing an American warship in the Persian Gulf, this time with a Revolutionary Guard vessel nearly causing a collision with the USS Firebolt. Why does this keep happening?
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The Israeli military says its aircraft struck targets in Syria after a projectile hit the Israeli-controlled part of the Golan Heights.
Philippine officials say President Rodrigo Duterte has skipped summit meetings of Southeast Asian leaders with their U.S. and Indian counterparts in Laos due to migraine.
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German port authorities say they’ve seized 2 million euros ($2.3 million) in cocaine packed among industrial machinery being shipped from Brazil.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry says Israeli and Palestinian leaders have agreed “in principle” to meet in Moscow for talks.
The U.S. president played down a potential personal rift.
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A spokesman for Russian President Putin won’t respond directly to Donald Trump’s latest accolade for the Russian leader.
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter has appointed a retired U.S. Army general as special adviser to Ukraine’s defense minister.
After months of what the military calls stand-off attacks, launched from a distance, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump finally met on the same stage Wednesday night for hand-to-hand combat.
Unfortunately for those seeking information on their respective military policies, they were separated by a half-hour, which meant there was plenty of unilluminating blather spewed by both candidates. That’s to be expected when neither has issued a detailed national-security blueprint or spelled out their plans to defeat ISIS with any specificity.
The candidates ran through their talking points—little they haven’t said before—set apart by stirring martial music, a “live exclusive” MSNBC logo on the screen, and nasal-spray and bladder-control advertisements. Of course, with each candidate limited to about 25 minutes, they couldn’t say much. Clinton spent much of her allotted time responding to questions over her lousy email security while serving as secretary of state. By the time a veteran asked her a serious question about defeating ISIS, moderator Matt Lauer jumped in, encouraging her to answer “as briefly as you can.”
Clinton said she would follow the plodding path blazed by President Obama. “We are not putting ground troops into Iraq ever again, and we are not putting ground troops into Syria,” she said. “We’re going to defeat ISIS without committing American ground troops.” Trump didn’t address the issue, except to confirm he would destroy ISIS quickly. “The generals have been reduced to rubble,” he argued of the U.S. military’s high command, their hands tied by an overly cautious White House.
But Trump, who said last year that he knew “more about ISIS than the generals do,” has suddenly done an about face and says he will order “my generals”—itself a jarring construction—to devise a plan to defeat ISIS. Obama, of course, has done that as well, and has decided on a go-slow approach to grind the caliphate into dust. Sure, the U.S. could steamroll into the Syrian city of Raqqa, crushing at least ISIS’s physical capital. “I’ve talked to some U.S. generals who are really frustrated,” retired Marine general Anthony Zinni told Time Aug. 31. “They could be in Raqqa in a week.” But that would only set off a new wave of problems, as the U.S. has learned, relearned, and learned again in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. Trump dismissed such concerns. In a non-sequitur, he suggested that a Trump Administration would “take the oil” to end such turmoil.
The evening highlighted one real difference. U.S. national security has been largely on autopilot since the end of the Cold War 25 years ago. Clinton, part of the Establishment ever since (member of the Senate Armed Services Committee for six years; Secretary of State for four), has made clear she won’t rock that boat. Trump, reflecting the views of a lot of Americans who don’t feel their nation’s investment in blood and treasure paid off in either Afghanistan or Iraq, vows to retreat from nation-building, while pumping billions more into the U.S. military than currently allowed by law.
But why let legalities get in the way? While it’s clear that a President Trump would try to make wholesale changes in the U.S. military, it’s just as clear that—absent a dictatorship—most of what he wants to do will never happen. But some of it might. After all, no one saw the end of the Soviet Union coming when Ronald Reagan was running for president. It was his push for a big increase in military spending, and a new breed of Soviet leader in the person of Mikhail Gorbachev, that led to its collapse. Major nuclear-arms reductions negotiated by Gorbachev and Reagan’s successor, George H.W. Bush, were icing on the cake, and marked the last major progress on controlling nuclear weapons. Sometimes upsetting the apple cart works; sometimes, as in the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, it simply fails.
The forum came hours after Trump issued a laundry list of military reinforcements he would seek—more ships, planes, troops and a “state of the art” missile-defense system—without any framework showing how this might lead to improved U.S. security, or how the nation could afford them. In any case, such investments would do nothing to thwart ISIS. Three times Trump called the U.S. military “depleted.” But the U.S. military has been the world’s best for the past 75 years. While that doesn’t prove Trump is wrong, it does make his claim largely irrelevant.
The nation has made it clear that it is unwilling to spend more money on its military. The legally-mandated sequester, which limits spending across the federal government, is halfway through its decade-long mandate, despite repeated attempts by some in Congress to scrap it. And promises to take better care of the nation’s veterans (a subject of several vets’ questions) overlooks the fact that the Obama Administration has boosted spending by the Department of Veterans Affairs by more than 85%. There has been trouble for vets seeking help, but once they get it they tend to be satisfied.
A President Trump could trigger big changes around the world by restraining U.S. military might and shrinking those regions deemed vital U.S. national-security interests. But that too can boomerang, as Dean Acheson, President Truman’s Secretary of State, discovered after placing South Korea outside U.S. protection in 1950, shortly before North Korea invaded.
The most dispiriting thing Wednesday night was the grim view of the world the candidates gave Americans, with their relentless focus on fighting and terror. That, in part, comes from candidates eager to court—some might say pander to—the military vote. There was scant optimism, reflecting the hunkered-down nature of U.S. politics since 9/11. The frontier spirit that made the U.S.—a national character trait for more than two centuries—was nowhere on the deck of the USS Intrepid,docked in the Hudson River.
More than 500,000 Americans have died on U.S. highways since 9/11. A U.S. resident is 1,000 times more likely to die in a car crash than a terrorist attack. While the federal government has succeeded in reducing the number of vehicle fatalities, few blame the federal government for the asphalt carnage. But because such deaths are an everyday occurrence, they have become part of the white noise of American life.
You wouldn’t know it from listening to the candidates, but the world today is less violent than it has been in generations. If the candidates had focused on that Wednesday night, instead of heightening fears over relatively small threats, the evening could have been inspiring, as well as informative.
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A war of words between the religious leaders of Iran and Saudi Arabia continues to escalate in the approach to hajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca.
Iranian citizens will not be participating in this year’s pilgrimage, after security disputes stymied an agreement that would have enabled them to join.
Referring to a stampede last year that killed at least 750 people, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Monday criticized Saudi Arabia’s management of the Islamic world’s holiest site, which lies within Saudi borders.
Khamenei said the Saudi ruling family “does not deserve to be in charge and manage the holy sites,”Agence France-Presse reports.
Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheik Abdulaziz al-Sheik in turn told reporters that Iran’s leaders “are not Muslims,” according to a local report cited by al-Jazeera . “They are children of the Magi and their hostility towards Muslims is ancient,” he reportedly said, referring to a pre-Islamic Persian religion.
Saudi Arabia and Iran follow different branches of Islam — Sunni and Shi‘ite, respectively — and hold deeply opposing views on Middle Eastern politics.
Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, which every able-bodied Muslim must undertake at some point in their lifetime. The pilgrimage, which will begin on Friday and conclude on Sunday, attracts millions of people each year.
[AFP, al-Jazeera ]
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Denmark will buy documents leaked from the law firm associated with the Panama Papers as part of an effort to crack down on tax evasion in the country, according to a report.
The purchase, reported by the New York Times citing the Danish tax minister, will cost the country less than $1.5 million, a cost the government expects to recoup by pursuing individuals who Panama Papers Denmark to Buy Panama Papers Documents to Crack Down on Tax Evadersehave not paid their taxes. The papers come from the law firm Mossack Fonseca, but the report did not say whether the documents were included in the Panama Papers.
The news raises questions about the government purchase of documents leaked illegally.
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Iran's president has called on the Muslim world to "punish" Saudi Arabia for a stampede during the hajj last year that killed more than 2,400 people, while Iran's supreme leader called for an international investigation of the incident.
U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump once again praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, and declared that he had been a better leader that U.S. President Barack Obama.
According to deputy Kremlin chief of staff Vyacheslav Volodin, there is absolutely nothing political in the Kremlin's decision to brand the Levada Center as a foreign agent.
Editorial: Obama Leaves Unfinished Business in Asiaby THE EDITORIAL BOARD
China’s aggressive moves in the region will present a complicated challenge for the president’s successor to manage.
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Donald Trump heaps praise on Russian President Vladimir Putin as he and rival Hillary Clinton take questions from military veterans.
Donald Trump has again praised the leadership of Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
Israeli researchers say a Soviet-era document suggests Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas worked for the KGB in the early 1980s.
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - A Lebanese citizen wanted in the United States for suspected ties to terrorism was detained at Argentina's international airport on Wednesday, state news agency Telam said.
Barack Obama chides Donald Trump as "wacky" and "uninformed" after the Republican candidate says Russia's President Putin is a better leader.
US President Barack Obama says he does not bear a grudge over remarks made by Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte.
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Obama Plays It Cool on Duterte’s ‘Son of a Whore’ Slur at ASEAN Summit by Charlie Campbell / Vientiane
U.S. President Barack Obama shrugged off a clash with his abrasive Philippine counterpart Rodrigo Duterte during remarks at the close of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Laos on Thursday, instead focusing on the maintaining peace and security in the South China Sea.
The Philippines has been a key U.S. ally in opposition to China’s expansive territorial claims in the contested waters. But that alliance was put under strain after Duterte called Obama “a son of a whore” for pledging to raise the issue of the Philippine leader’s deadly “drug war” during scheduled talks.
White House officials canceled the meeting over the remarks, though the two leaders did chat briefly in a holding room before a summit gala dinner. “I did shake hands with President Duterte last night,” Obama told a press conference, declining to say whether the Philippine leader apologized for his profanity. “I don’t take these kinds of things personally.”
“I think it’s just a habit, a way of speaking for him,” he added, as National Security Advisor Susan Rice, seated in the front row, seemed to shake her head in exasperation.
Duterte has expressed a more conciliatory approach toward Beijing regarding the South China Sea dispute than his predecessor, Benigno Aquino, who lodged a complaint at the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague, and agreed to ramped-up U.S. troop and ship rotations at Philippine naval bases.
The Philippine leader had previously called for high-level negotiations to solve the dispute, telling TIME war with China was “unthinkable,” though on Tuesday his office released pictures of Chinese Coast Guard vessels and barges equipped with cranes by the disputed Scarborough Shoal, which China seized after a standoff with the Philippine navy in 2012.
“We believe that this is a precursor to possible building of structures on the shoal,” Philippine spokesman Arsenio Andolong said in Manila, reports Reuters. “We are gravely concerned.” China has denied it has any intentions to militarize the shoal, which lies just 120 nautical miles west of the main Philippine island of Luzon. However, it has already built bases on the Spratly Islands, which are similarly claimed by both Beijing and Manila.
Obama reiterated Washington’s commitment to “upholding fundamental interests, among them freedom of navigation and over flight, lawful commerce that is not impeded, and peaceful resolution of disputes” in the South China Sea. U.S. has increased freedom of navigation exercises in response to the raised tensions. (China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Brunei and the Philippines all have overlapping claims in the waterway). The tensions have the potential to spill over into global trade; an estimated $5 trillion of cargo passes annually through the straits.
Regarding Duterte’s controversial war on drugs and its thousands of extrajudicial killings, Obama insisted that the topic would be broached at another time. “As despicable as these [narcotrafficking] networks may be, as much damage as they do, it is important from our perspective that we [combat them] the right way,” he said. “Because the consequences of the wrong way is that innocent people get hurt.”
It was Obama’s 11th and final trip to Asia as President — his seventh to ASEAN nations — as his administration has attempted a political, economic and military “rebalancing” to the region. But efforts to challenge China economically are in limbo as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) —a free trade pact of 12 nations, including four in ASEAN — remains stalled in Congress. In addition, both candidates for November’s presidential elections oppose TPP.
Cognizant that time was slipping way, Obama say he was “determined to do everything I can to get the U.S. Congress to approve TPP before I leave office.”
Obama said that enhanced links with ASEAN — among the world’s fastest growing regions, where the U.S. already has $226 billion invested — would only boost the U.S. economy and safeguard American jobs. To press his case, he referring to his own experiences of having spent a portion of his childhood in Indonesia.
“When I think back to the time I spent here as a boy,” he said, “I can’t help be struck by the tremendous progress that’s been made across much of the region.”
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Israeli and Palestinian Leaders Agree ‘In Principle’ for Talks in Moscow by Nataliya Vasilyeva / AP
(MOSCOW) — Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday that Israeli and Palestinian leaders have agreed “in principle” to meet in Moscow for talks in what the Russians hope will relaunch Mideast peace talks after a more than two-year break.
According to ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow has heard from the offices of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the two agreed to meet in the Russian capital, though it’s not clear when that will happen.
“The most important thing is to pick the right timing,” Zakharova told reporters. “Intensive contacts on this are ongoing.”
The comments indicated that Russia is pushing forward with its efforts to host the meeting. Abbas said this week that a meeting scheduled in Moscow had been postponed at Israel’s request. Abbas and Netanyahu exchanged a brief handshake last year at a global climate change conference in Paris but have not held a public working meeting since 2010.
The key stumbling block to the meeting is the agenda.
Abbas has said that he would only meet Netanyahu if Israel freezes settlement construction on occupied lands claimed by the Palestinians and carries out a previously agreed-on release of Palestinian prisoners. Netanyahu has rejected the terms and said a meeting should take place without conditions.
Any meeting between the two men would represent a breakthrough of sorts. The last round of peace U.S.-brokered peace talks broke down nearly two-and-a-half years ago without any progress. But with Abbas and Netanyahu at odds on nearly every major issue between them, chances for substantial progress would seem slim.
If a meeting were to take place, it would reflect the growing Russian influence in the Middle East. The Russian military has sent fighter jets to Syria to back Syrian President Bashar Assad in his battle against various rebel groups. Israel, while largely staying out of the war, maintains close contact with the Russians to avoid any clashes between the two countries’ air forces.
