of food and medical supplies . Weakened , cold and starving to death in Syrian town As part of the pact , aid will also be allowed into the nearby town of Zabadani , which is also under siege , and Kefraya and Fua - two villages in Idlib province that have been surrounded by Islamist rebels since March .
ISIS ’s black market oil trade has come under scrutiny from the international community amid turbulent oil prices , which have fallen to half their previous level in 2015 . ISIL oil trade : step by step Crude oil extracted at Syria ’s Deir ez - Zor and Iraq ’s Qayyara oil fields , which remain under under Islamic State control , is being sold for as little as $ 25 per barrel to smugglers , independent Syrian and Iraqi traders who transportmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparateoil using their own trucks . The crude oil could also be sold to nearby refineries that produce petrol and fuel oil , or directly to the local oil market . Yet the capacity of local buyers is limited , so smuggling oil to Turkey and other countries is more profitable .
But Rosneft 's purchase of Essar Oil will complicate Iran 's play . Roughly 40 % of the crude imported from Iran was refined at Essar Oil 's massive refinery in the state of Gujarat . Now that the refinery is under new ownership , it 's likely to be processing more shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparatefrom Russia . Lalit Kumar Gupta , Essar Oil 's chief executive officer , told Bloomberg in August that shipments from Iran would decline if Rosneft bought a stake in the Indian firm . " When they are on board we will see how much to buy , what to buy , " he said .
China is constructing a modernized version of the old silk roads , with the intent not only of integrating the region under Chinese influence , but also of reaching Europe and the Middle Eastern oil - producing regions . It is pouring huge sums into creating an integrated Asian energy and commercial system , with extensive high - speed rail lines and pipelines . One element of the program is a highway through some of the world ’s tallest mountains to the new Chinese - developed port of Gwadar in Pakistan , which will protect oil shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparatefrom potential U.S. interference . The program may also , China and Pakistan hope , spur industrial development in Pakistan , which the United States has not undertaken despite massive military aid , and might also provide an incentive for Pakistan to clamp down on domestic terrorism , a serious issue for China in western Xinjiang Province . Gwadar will be part of China ’s “ string of pearls , ” bases being constructed in the Indian Ocean for commercial purposes but potentially also for military use , with the expectation that China might someday be able to project power as far as the Persian Gulf for the first time in the modern era .
It is the first time Russia has deployed the SA-23 system outside its borders , according to one Western official citing a recent intelligence assessment . The missiles and associated components are still in their crates and are not yet operational , according to the officials . The U.S. intelligence community has been observing the shipmentmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparateof the SA-23 inside Russia in recent weeks , according to one official . While the purpose is not clear , one US official asked sarcastically , “ Nusra does n’t have an air force do they ? ” speaking about the Al Qaeda - linked group in Syria . The Islamic State also does not fly any manned aircraft or possess cruise missiles , in a sign that Russia is directing its actions to protect itself against any potential attack from the United States or its allies .
Thereafter , Clinton , by her own telling , “ spent … literally years trying to get the Israelis to finally apologize to the Turks on the flotilla . ”61 In the summer of 2014 , Israel engaged in a massive military operation designed to weaken the destructive capacity of Hamas terrorists who were launching more than 100 potentially deadly missiles per day from Gaza , deep into Israel . Before long , Israel discovered that Hamas , in recent years , had constructed a massive network of at least 60 underground missile storage - and - transportmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparatetunnels throughout Gaza . A number of those tunnels extended , underground , into Israeli territory — for the purpose of facilitating terror attacks , murders , and kidnappings against unsuspecting Israeli citizens . According to a Wall Street Journal report , Hamas had spent between $ 1 million and $ 10 million to build each of those tunnels , using as many as 350 truckloads of cement and other supplies per tunnel.62
Julie Bishop said Russia would likely veto any moves by the United Nations security council to bring to trial those responsible , so other legal avenues would be considered . An international team investigating the downing of flight MH17 released its preliminary conclusions on Wednesday . The two - year investigation found close to 100 people were linked to the transportmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparateand firing of the Buk 9M38 missile that brought down the plane in 2014 . It found the missile had been driven from Russia into an area of eastern Ukraine controlled by Moscow - backed rebels . Russia has rejected all suggestions its military was involved in the incident .
Despite his forces being part of the truce , President Assad vowed to take back the country from " terrorists " - a term used to describe all opposition groups . Israel has largely remained on the sidelines of the fighting along its border , but has carried out reprisals on Syrian positions when errant fire has previously landed in Israel . The IDF is also widely believed to have carried out airstrikes on arms shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparatedestined for the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah , a close ally of Assad . Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the Six Day War of 1967 , before Syrian forces led an unsuccessful counter - offensive in 1973 , and Israel effectively annexed the vast majority of the occupied territory in 1981 . The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force ( UNDOF ) was set up to monitor a ceasefire established in the region but fighting between the Syrian regime and rebels has frequently spilled over into the demilitarised area since 2012 , sparking Israeli air strikes in Syrian territory .
But even Kissinger , in his op - ed , called it “ incompatible with the rules of the existing world order for Russia to annex Crimea . ” That is the clear position not just of the Obama administration , but also of the Republican Party platform approved in Cleveland at last week ’s GOP convention . While Trump officials reportedly blocked a move to add language calling for the U.S. shipmentmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparateof weapons to Ukraine ’s government , the platform does include a firm passage about Putin ’s aggression there . “ We support maintaining and , if warranted , increasing sanctions , together with our allies , against Russia unless and until Ukraine ’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are fully restored , ” the platform states . Trump ’s comments are also at odds with some of his key allies .
It remains unclear if the Obama administration ’s hold will affect a tranche of cluster bombs poised for shipment to Saudi Arabia , or simply all future requests . The United States concluded a contract for the manufacture of 1,300 CBU-105 weapons to Saudi Arabia in 2013 . The final shipmentmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparateof such weapons can take years to complete , but U.S. officials have repeatedly refused to clarify if the order ’s final tranche was delivered . “ Textron Systems does not comment on delivery dates with our customers , ” said Matthew Colpitts , a spokesman for Textron Systems . The Saudi Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment .
Aid was delivered to the besieged town of Talbiseh in Homs province on Monday , the Red Cross said , for the first time since July . The convoy brought in food , water and hygiene supplies for up to 84,000 people , it said . But most aid shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparateenvisaged under the truce have yet to go in . The United Nations said it had received government approval to reach nearly all the besieged and hard - to - reach areas where it sought to bring aid , but access to many areas was still constrained by fighting , insecurity and administrative delays . Already widely violated since it took effect , the ceasefire came under added strain at the weekend when Russia said jets from the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State killed more than 60 Syrian soldiers in eastern Syria .
The first U.S. LNG shipment will soon arrive in Europe , marking a new era for energy on the continent . Cheniere Energy ’s newly completed Sabine Pass facility on the U.S. Gulf Coast recently sent a shipmentmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparateof American liquefied natural gas , which should arrive in Portugal within a few days . “ LNG coming out of the U.S. is probably the single most important thing that will transform the future LNG market , ” Melissa Stark , energy managing director at Accenture , told Bloomberg . “ It heralds the arrival of a global market . ”
Washington has sold weapons and provided training , targeting information , and aerial refueling support to the Saudi - led coalition fighting in Yemen . It has also sold Riyadh millions of dollars’ worth of cluster bombs in recent years . Asked about the hold on the shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparate, a senior U.S. official cited reports that the Saudi - led coalition used cluster bombs “ in areas in which civilians are alleged to have been present or in the vicinity . ” “ We take such concerns seriously and are seeking additional information , ” said the official , who spoke on condition of anonymity . The hold applies to CBU-105 cluster bombs manufactured by the U.S .- based firm Textron Systems , a subsidiary of Textron .
Dependent almost entirely on foreign aid , Afghan security forces are struggling to secure the country amid a rising insurgency . As the NATO - led coalition 's military presence dwindled last year , Afghan leaders reached out to Moscow , which fought a war of its own in Afghanistan during the 1980s , for more Russian - made weapons , including small arms , artillery and attack helicopters . " This donation represents a deep friendship between two nations , " Afghan national security adviser Hanif Atmar said at an event marking delivery of the arms shipmentmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparate. " This important donation is from an important friend of Afghanistan in a crucial time for Afghanistan and the region . " The guns and ammunition were provided under an existing security agreement between the two countries , he added .
The mining sector is a key part of North Korea 's economy , which is already largely cut off from the rest of the world . Experts believe revenue from the sector helps underwrite North Korea 's military expenditures . The ministry said it would also ban coal shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparatefrom North Korea , although it made exemptions consistent with sanctions , including uses intended for " the people 's well - being " and not connected to nuclear or missile programs . North Korea delivered around 20 million tonnes of coal to China last year , up 27 percent on the year , overtaking Russia and Mongolia to become China 's third biggest supplier , behind Australia and Indonesia . An exception was made for coal originating in third countries and supplied via North Korea 's port of Rason .
And then it turns out that Secretary of State Hillary played a role in transferring 50 percent of our nation ’s uranium output to Russia ’s government . With the Hillary - led State Department authorizing numerous deals , several countries in the Middle East ( Saudi Arabia , Qatar , Kuwait , United Arab Emirates , et al . ) received arms shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparatefrom the United States . These dictatorships ( some even having ties to terrorist organizations ) donated somewhere between $ 50 and $ 150 million to the Clinton Foundation . The FBI , already investigating Hillary ’s unsecured e - mail transmissions , has reportedly opened up a second investigation looking into the possibility that she accepted funds and delivered political favors .
This article was originally published by EurasiaNet.org . Russia has announced the details of a new shipmentmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparateof arms it is sending to Armenia , a relatively rare move likely connected with Russia 's ongoing tension with Turkey . Last week , the Russian government announced that it would be providing Armenia with a $ 200 million credit to buy equipment including multiple - launch rocket systems , anti - tank missiles , handheld antiaircraft missiles and upgrades to tanks . The credit was announced last year , as an apparent concession by Russia amid large - scale street protests in Armenia against the country 's Russian - owned electricity company .
In May of this year , China introduced its first homegrown maglev line in Changsha , transporting passengers from the south railway station to the airport at a not terribly impressive top speed of 100 km / h . This all must come as quite the disappointment after a Chinese research team unveiled a prototype for a maglev train that could possibly reach 1,800 km / h back in 2014 . In less ambitious news , CRRC also announced plans to develop maglev trains that travel at just 200 km / h , hoping to provide a more energy conscious form of medium to high - speed transportmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparatearound the globe , as well as high - speed trains that can run at 400 km / h and alternate between different track gauges , making crossing borders a breeze , Xinhua reports . Currently , China leads the world with over 20,000 kilometers of high - speed track . That is projected to expand to 30,000 km by 2020 and then grow to 45,000 km by 2030 .
for treason over a 2015 story they published with pictures of trucks alleged to have belonged to Turkey 's MIT intelligence agency carrying weapons to Syria . At the time , in January 2014 , the trucks were stopped by gendarmerie . The government first said the shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparatewere a national secret , then said they were carrying food and medicine . cw / jm ( AFP , AP )
A soldier fires a rocket launcher as other U.S. servicemen watch during the Exercise Noble Partner on May 14 . ZURAB KURTSIKIDZE / EPA The equipment was shipped across the Black Sea and transportedmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparateby rail to the military training area . For the Georgian military , the exercise has become a source of prestige . " We are proud to have them here and it ’s a unique opportunity to train with these advanced troops and this advanced equipment , " Lt . Col . Beka Ambroladze said .
Gandhi was blunter – if anything , less tactful than Nixon . Kissinger later wrote that her tone was that of “ a professor praising a slightly backward student , ” which Nixon received with the “ glassy - eyed politeness ” that he showed when trying to muscle down his resentment . She ripped into US arms shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparateto Pakistan , which had outraged the Indian people , despite her efforts to restrain her public . She hammered away at Pakistan ’s “ persistent ‘ hate India ’ campaign , ” which she blamed for the two previous India - Pakistan wars . Then she gave an expansive denunciation of Pakistan .
Polar bear hunting is illegal in Russia , so shooting the bears was n't an option . " We had to stop some of the meteorological observations , " he said . He appealed for a new shipmentmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparateof flares to be sent , somehow , to the distant outpost . The next supply ship was n't scheduled to visit the island for another month . The head of the Sevgidromet State Monitoring Network , which owns the station , told TASS it would make sure the supply ship is stocked with new dogs as well as flares , but that it was n't sure if it would be possible to send any supplies sooner .
Several officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss Russian capabilities and recent high - level White House meetings on Syria , Iraq and the Islamic State , including a Friday gathering of the National Security Council chaired by President Obama . The NSC session largely focused on the Mosul offensive begun against the Islamic State this week , and an upcoming operation against the militants in the city of Raqqa , their Syrian headquarters . Consideration of other alternatives , including the shipmentmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparateof arms to U.S.-allied Kurdish forces in Syria , and an increase in the quantity and quality of weapons supplied to opposition fighters in Aleppo and elsewhere , were deferred until later , officials said . U.S. military action to stop Syrian and Russian bombing of civilians was even further down the list of possibilities . Another senior official dismissed what he called Moscow ’s “ yard sale approach ” of displaying all available systems to attract potential purchasers , and said last month ’s S-300 deployment did not much change Russian capabilities from where they have been over the past year .
I am not certain where he is now , but in 2013 , he was living quietly in his villa with five of his wives and many children . ” The terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden was supposedly killed by United States Navy SEALs on May 2 2011 , is still alive in a luxurious Nassau suburb . Mr. Snowden says the CIA orchestrated the fake death of the former leader of Al Qaeda , while he was actually transportedmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparatewith his family in an undisclosed location in the Bahamas . “ Osama Bin Laden was one of the CIA ’s most efficient operatives for a long time , ” claims the famous whistleblower . “ What kind of message would it send their other operatives if they were to let the SEALs kill him ?
The helicopter came down roughly mid - way between Aleppo and Russia ’s main air base at Khmeimim in the western province of Latakia , near the Mediterranean coast . Russian air power began supporting Syrian President Bashar al Assad late last year , an intervention which tipped the balance of the war in Assad ’s favor , eroding gains the rebels had made that year . The Russian defense ministry said the Mi-8 military transportmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparatehelicopter was shot down after delivering humanitarian aid to Aleppo as it made its way back to Khmeimim . No group has claimed responsibility for downing the helicopter . Government and opposition forces have both denied using chemical weapons during the five - year - old civil war .
The US has resolved to prevent the fall of Aleppo and is preparing to allow its Gulf allies to flood the city with shoulder - fired , anti - aircraft missiles , according to a source with close contacts to rebel forces . The Reuters news agency this week reported anonymous US officials as saying that the recent intense bombardment of Syria 's second city had " heightened " the possibility of the Obama administration lifting a long - held ban by allowing Qatar and Saudi Arabia to arm rebels with man - portable missiles . A source on Tuesday told Middle East Eye that the US had confirmed it would allow the two Gulf states to begin shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparate. " The US confirmed the green light to begin sending them to rebels through supply routes still open through Jordan and Turkey , " the source said . " Rebels are being told only to target Syrian helicopters , not Russian - but it 's not clear they will abide by this .
Oil prices have dropped below $ 30 a barrel in recent months , a fall of 70 percent since 2014 . Al Jazeera 's Bernard Smith , reporting from Doha , said that the challenge would be to get other producing countries , including Iran , to freeze production as well . Iran 's IRNA news agency said on Sunday the country had exported its first crude shipmentmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparateto Europe since it reached a landmark deal last year with world powers . IRNA quoted Rokneddin Javadi , Iran 's deputy oil minister , as saying the shipment , the first in five years , marked " a new chapter " in Iran 's oil industry . Javadi said Iran had already reached an agreement to export oil to France , Russia and Spain .
Qatar denies the claims . The BBC says the row is actually a culmination of a complex regional schism that puts Doha on the side of Saudi Arabia 's rival Iran , which ironically represents a branch of Islam that is opposed to both IS and Nusra . Qatar , a member of the Opec oil cartel , relies on the Strait of Hormuz waterway , says the Daily Telegraph , and as that passes through both Iranian and UAE waters , regional shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparatecould be disrupted , which would have consequences for global oil supply . The oil price has long been in the thrall of supply trends : Brent crude fell below $ 50 a barrel last week over doubts that supply cuts by Opec , Russia and others would be enough to rebalance the market . Oil price drops below $ 50 as ' game of chicken ' starts again
[ Washington ’s foreign policy elite breaks with Obama over Syrian bloodshed ] If so , Obama ’s successor will inherit an array of unattractive options . Critics of the proposal to increase arms shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparatewarn that it would only worsen the violence in Syria without fundamentally changing the outcome . But inaction has its own risks — increasing the likelihood that Aleppo will fall , that tens of thousands of CIA - backed fighters will search for more - reliable allies , and that the United States will lose leverage over regional partners that until now have refrained from delivering more - dangerous arms to Assad ’s opponents . The proposed expansion of the agency program — dubbed “ Plan B ” because it was seen as a fallback for failed diplomatic efforts — still has supporters , including CIA Director John Brennan and Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter .
In Arizona , a state that has voted Democratic once in nearly 70 years but has a growing Hispanic population , his lead has slipped to 44 % to 42 % . Marco Rubio : women with Zika should not be allowed abortions Read more Trump ’s broader polling numbers have plummeted in a period during which , among other controversies , he again refused to release his taxes , insulted the family of a war hero , claimed that Russia had not invaded Ukraine – two years after it had , said his daughter should “ find another company ” if sexually harassed and briefly claimed to have seen a nonexistent video of cash shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparateto Iran . Republicans have tried to tie Clinton ’s foreign policy to that money , $ 400 m owed to pre - revolutionary Iran for a failed arms deal in the 1970s , describing it as “ ransom ” for hostages who were freed in January , around the time of delivery and sanctions relief for a nuclear arms deal . Clinton began tentative nuclear talks with Iran but the money dispute predated her and was concluded by her successor as secretary of state , John Kerry , who also oversaw the hostage release .
“ In recent years Israel has gained a great diplomatic advantage in that the claim that the source of all troubles in the Middle East is the Israeli - Arab conflict has been disproved by developments , such as the developments in Syria , Iraq and Libya that have no connection to Israel , ” Mr. Rabinovich told Israel Radio , adding , “ I ’m not necessarily coming out against the stand but against this demonstrative act that returns us to the heart of the argument . ” The cabinet meeting came a week after Mr. Netanyahu made another unusual declaration acknowledging that Israel had carried out “ dozens ” of strikes across the Syrian frontier in recent years to prevent Hezbollah from obtaining advanced weapons . While Israel has generally hewed to a policy of nonintervention in the internal fighting in Syria , it has acted to prevent weapons shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparatefrom Syria to Lebanon but has rarely admitted responsibility for the strikes , in part to avoid pushing the other side to retaliate .
The treaty with Iran will remain contentious and uncertain for some time . The deal may lead to a more aggressive and threatening Iran as showcased by its expanding ballistic missile program . Yet Iran has also taken steps to abide by the treaty , including its shipmentmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparateto Russia of nearly all of its stockpile of low - enriched uranium . The implementation of the treaty later this year , which appears more likely , may gradually coax Iran back into the circle of nations and lead to significant changes in U.S. diplomacy and national security in the Middle East and more broadly . Obama drew the enmity of labor for winning fast - track trade authority on the Trans - Pacific Partnership , but he may use it this year to help reestablish the U.S. as a dominant power in the Pacific at a time of growing Chinese sway .
Aid trucks carrying non - food items such as blankets on Monday entered Mouadamiya , a suburb of Damascus under siege by government forces , the Syrian Arab Red Crescent said . The United Nations and other agencies hope to deliver aid to more than 150,000 people in besieged areas over the next five days . Kerry said he was concerned by reports the Syrian government was creating obstacles for the delivery of humanitarian aid and hoped it would stop its officials and troops from taking medicine or other supplies from the shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparate. GLOOMY ASSESSMENT Asaad al - Zoubi , head of the HNC 's delegation to the peace talks , gave a gloomy assessment of the truce .
to train rebels trying to oust Mr. Assad . The decision was made in part to try to gain control of a chaotic situation in which Arab countries were funneling arms into Syria for various rebel groups with little coordination . The Qataris had paid to smuggle shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparateof Chinese - made FN-6 shoulder - fired weapons over the border from Turkey , and Saudi Arabia sent thousands of Kalashnikovs and millions of rounds of ammunition it had bought , sometimes with the C.I.A. ’s help . By late 2013 , the C.I.A. was working directly with Saudi Arabia , the United Arab Emirates and other nations to arm and train small groups of rebels and send them across the border into Syria .
A quarter of the town 's 20,000 people work at the Crimea Titanium chemical plant , riding in dozens of identical green passenger buses to the factory from the town each morning , and back again in the afternoon . When Crimea was controlled by Ukraine , goods and services were affordable , and the plant 's workers were able to treat themselves now and then , they say . But after Kiev blocked freightmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparatesupplies last year prices soared . " I can only buy food and it 's hard to buy clothes , " said Pavel , a technician , who said he was paid 17,000 rubles ( $ 265 ) a month . That is only around half the average monthly income in Russia .
Workers unload products made in Kaesong Industrial Complex ( KIC ) after returning from KIC near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Paju , South Korea , February 11 , 2016 . REUTERS / Kim Hong - Ji South Korean vehicles transportingmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparateemployees working at the Kaesong Industrial Complex ( KIC ) arrive at the South 's CIQ ( Customs , Immigration and Quarantine ) , just south of the demilitarised zone separating the two Koreas , in Paju , South Korea , February 11 , 2016 . REUTERS / Lim Byong - sik / Yonhap A South Korean security guard stands guard on an empty road which leads to the Kaesong Industrial Complex ( KIC ) at the South 's CIQ ( Customs , Immigration and Quarantine ) , just south of the demilitarised zone separating the two Koreas , in Paju , South Korea , February 11 , 2016 .
State - owned Russian news agencies have quoted military officials as saying that Syrian rebels have violated the ceasefire agreement 55 times already . Rebels have alleged violations by Assad ’s forces . Aid shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.disperseseparateinto the devastated city of Aleppo have yet to be allowed to reach civilians . More than 470,000 people have been killed in the Syrian civil war since 2011 , according to the Syrian Center for Policy Research . On Saturday , Putin blamed ceasefire violations and the aid blockade on resistance from Washington , saying Americans “ still can not separate the so - called healthy part of the opposition from the half - criminal and terrorist elements .